I'm back! (I think?)

Well, I fell off the face of the earth (or at least the forum ) for a couple of months there, but I think I'm back in business. My computer completely crashed and I am very sad to say that I lost everything that was on it. I had my business files backed up, but I lost all of my facepainting related emails from friends and clients, and most of my more recent photos were lost, including the designs for my banners and back window wrap. I know, I know, I am an idiot for not saving copies onto a disc! Anyway, I was very thankful to have saved some pictures in the gallery here, and in a few other on-line places. Whew!

I've missed you all, and I see there are lots of new members since I've been participating! Welcome everyone!

Nice to see you back

Great to hear from you again, Angie!

Glenda

I am glad you are back too. I was so sorry thinking you may had left.

I totally understand about the computer thing. When we moved back from England our computer did the same thing. Not only did I loose a lot of face paint, our travels in Europe and baby pics. I can't believe we were so arrogant to think that it wouldn't happen to us. We were lucky with some of it to have uploaded to Shutterfly and they mailed us the large files back on a disc for a small fee.


It is amazing how we take this for granted. My husband ran out an bought an external hard drive after this happened to prevent this again. One year later, guess how many pics are on it? 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000.

Do we create our own destinies? I think so!

Hugs to you!
-Metina

Hey Angie! I was gone for a long time too and I'm still mostly a lurker I'm sorry about your computer, though... I know the feeling!

Good Morning ... and Greetings! ... Like some of you ... my 'puter seemed healthy and well ... then, unexpectedly ... just ... "died" ... ( ( I took it in [ever the optomist] and they diagnosed "motherboard" failure ... They performed on my 'puter the equivalent of a heart transplant ... but, as we all know ... the hard way [I'm beginning to wonder if there is any OTHER way!] ... during the process ... my hard drive was completely and totally corrupted ... They asked: "Did you back it up?" .... Duh! ... [but, of course, that's another story] ... I have another system now ... along with an external 500 Gig hard drive! ... [Computers aren't the only things that lose memory!] ... Having just re-discovered this site ... I actually spent Friday through Sunday ... reading the comments ... learning ... smiling ... laughing out loud! ... Nodding ... getting epiphanys ... [some "Aha!" ... some "hmmmmmm!"] ... But, I think I learned a new term ... "Lurker!" ... So, I thought ... Just do it! ... Okay ... this is my first real "Greetings!" ... As a neophyte here ... I think I need some "training" wheels to move up to your speed ... I know a few of the letters ... BTY ... LOL! ... LMAO ... ROTF ... but ... there were several I didn't get a clue from ... the PPF ... well, I don't think my mother bounced me on my head when I was little ... so, after several comments I got it! "Pay Per Face!" ... [Would that be an "Aha!" or a "hmmmmm"] ... Any way ... Filling out my profile ... My mom called me "Gabby" ... [never did fij-jur that out!] ... and I picked an avatar ... there are other areas in the site under members names ... couldn't find the place to "fill" the data in ... After saving what I could access ... and then viewing my "stuff" ... I saw I was listed as a "New Member" ... Can someone 'splain to me ... the other categories ... [so far I've seen: Apprentice ... Contemporary ... Master ... Genius ... whoa!] ... when/how do these come about? ... [Will I ever live long enough to get there?] ...Quite frankly ... whatever the designation ... So much [gasp!] awesome art ... and to be part of such a talented assembly ... I am truly humbled!

Welcome back, Angie!! Hasn't been the same without you.

And oh, that SUCKS!! Would any fp emails not just be in your email account?

...I should really go and get an external hard drive, now...

(Gabby, welcome The categories just happen, according to how many posts you've written, I believe. Post in the introductions area, read around; many questions will be answered!)

Angie, glad you're back!

I was wondering where you went!! I learned the HARD way to back-up. I have an external hard drive and back up regularly.

Back in the early '80s I worked for an association and did the statistics for the entire province... on a dBase program on an XT (yes back in the dark ages) anyway... one day the computer crashed - I did back-ups after every entry session. We restored the back-up disks BUT... the hard drive was corrupted and therefore all the back-up data was ALSO corrupted!! Total balls up!

We had printouts, so decided I only needed to re-enter the last calendary year... took weeks to do it.

So... I back-up all the time!! Metina... get your data on that external drive NOW!!!!!!!!!

Sorry you lost all that data Angie...

My external drive back-up is set up only to back-up NEW files, so it does not take long at all. The first time took HOURS as it backed up my entire computer (I can actually operate off the external drive if I have to) but now it only takes a minute to save any new or changed files.

The categories correlate to the number of posts you have sent.

Shannon, thanks, I plan to get an external hard drive as soon as I can! I'd like to store my photos on it anyway to keep from bogging down my system. I didn't know you could boot off of it, or keep a clone of your entire system on it. So much to learn!

The external drives are really inexpensive now too... I think you can get a good sized one for around $100.

Heck even those flash drives are good to store photos on!! Just label them so you know what you've got on them!

Uhhh ... Thanks for the help on the categories ... hmmmmmmm ... I thought it was a ranking of all of your awesome artistic expertise ... [a big "WHEW!"] ... See ... even I can get to be a Master ... [Maybe!] ... under those circumstances ... However, my gramma used to tell me: "You have 2 eyes and 2 ears and only 1 mouth ... " When I looked askance ... she interpreted: "You should see and hear twice as much as you speak." ... Uhm ... Did you see my name was "Gabby" ... but, I will endeavor to only speak when I can add something constructive [you are all very impressive! ... probably have forgotten more than I shall ever learn] ... or have a question ... Luckily ... at this point in time ... you've answered far more than I could ever imagine ... Have I said you all are VERY impressive ...

Uhhh ... Thanks for the help on the categories ... hmmmmmmm ... I thought it was a ranking of all of your awesome artistic expertise ... [a big "WHEW!"] ... See ... even I can get to be a Master ... [Maybe!] ... under those circumstances ... However, my gramma used to tell me: "You have 2 eyes and 2 ears and only 1 mouth ... " When I looked askance ... she interpreted: "You should see and hear twice as much as you speak." ... Uhm ... Did you see my name was "Gabby" ... but, I will endeavor to only speak when I can add something constructive [you are all very impressive! ... probably have forgotten more than I shall ever learn] ... or have a question ... Luckily ... at this point in time ... you've answered far more than I could ever imagine ... Have I said you all are VERY impressive ...

Uhhh ... Thanks for the help on the categories ... hmmmmmmm ... I thought it was a ranking of all of your awesome artistic expertise ... [a big "WHEW!"] ... See ... even I can get to be a Master ... [Maybe!] ... under those circumstances ... However, my gramma used to tell me: "You have 2 eyes and 2 ears and only 1 mouth ... " When I looked askance ... she interpreted: "You should see and hear twice as much as you speak." ... Uhm ... Did you see my name was "Gabby" ... but, I will endeavor to only speak when I can add something constructive [you are all very impressive! ... probably have forgotten more than I shall ever learn] ... or have a question ... Luckily ... at this point in time ... you've answered far more than I could ever imagine ... Have I said you all are VERY impressive ...

Angie,

So sorry to hear about your computer! BTDT!

Really missed you too!

OH, Angie....I am so sorry that happened...I remember you were telling me you were having problems

But on a happier note, it is great to see you are back

That happened to me too not to long ago so I know how you feel. I lost all my pictures that I have saved for the last 5 years. I did get back my business pictures. So I am now rebuilding my photo library again. I had all these pictures on an external hard drive which crashed. So now when there is a storm brewing I just unplug it from the machine. Then about a month later a bolt of lighting stuck right near my house and it burned the outside TV cable - so the cable people had to come out and lay all new line to the house and it also fried my power supply to my desk top computer. Luckly my motherboard was OK. I was walking around like a zombie for days after both of these events.

My external drive is only attached to back-up, then it is disconnected, put in a fireproof lockbox and put in the "secret spot"...

I lost a printer to a power surge due to a lightening strike... melted the controls... luckily the rest of my equipment was on a super-duper power bar... just didn't have enough outlets on it for the printer.

Bought a bigger power bar/surge protector now!

Welcome back Angie! I figured you were just busy working!!! Yikes! Glad you're back up and running.

I just lost a ton of photos off hubbie's PC in his "man" room. He got a trojan virus and just popped in the recovery disks and a new antivirus software. Cry!!! I had tons of convention photos and inspiration photos saved!!!! So sad............. not to mention the edited snapshot wedding photos of my oldest daughter. Since I live in the lightning capital of the world I need to get that hard drive back up too.

I got one when our computer started to say no. It was only working when it felt like it.
Glad I did as my hubby had to wipe it in the end.

Glenda

Welcome back Angie, hope you got plenty things done whist you were not spending your time in all the ways a computer can suck it up

Oh, losing everything....ugh....what a nightmare......!!!!
yeah.....I second what Shannon says about an external hard drive.
You never know when that computer is goin' down.....most likely when you least expect it.....and when you haven't backed anything up!!
Welcome back Lady!