How I Got the Laptop All to Myself Once Again

I haven't posted a thing for a while. I dunno why. The laptop's virtually mine now. How did that happen?

One sunday, two or three weeks ago, I went home from work (one patient) with plans to sit down post some blogs or just play on the computer. All of a sudden, I saw this screen from across the room. It was black and small, 14 inches. It was an alien contraption in our house. That was the first time I have seen  such a thing in two years. I didn't mean I was deprived by its absence, yet its presence was somewhat surprising considering that we've lived that long without getting even one glimpse from that contraption, the one that you all call television or t-EE-v-EE. I tried to turn it on, but to no avail. It was broken.

Just then, Papa came in the house. He told me his newly bought TV and that it was broken already. He asked me to help him have it replaced. Since I was still wearing my work clothes, I consented. We went to Kalentong. It was the first time I was actually aware of going to that place. I remembered passing it once or twice going to PUP to take their exams back in high school or did I?

Anyway, we tried to get it replaced with the same model. Apparently, the shop owners told us to wait a while since they were observing the unit if it really was broken. So, Papa told me to go to gilmore to check on some computers there. I intended to just survey there since I really didn't brought enough for a computer.

There were a lot of hilarious things that happened when we went there. I was oblivious to our destination, so on one jeepney ride, Papa fell asleep (I'm beginning to think this is a family thing). Since I didn't know where we were going to stop, we missed it by several kilometers that we had to ride the train going back.

Once there, the usual sights and sounds of the computer mecca of Manila greeted me. Affordable laptops and desktops and other computer paraphernalia were there. The whole block was teeming with crowds of geeky and techie-looking people (apparently, including me) going in and out of the shops. We went to one familiar shop and asked for the prices. Some were affordable, others were surplus.

Right then, Papa shoved something to me that looked like a square object wrapped in paper. I opened it and saw that he brought along the processor of our old computer. I understood what he meant. So we asked if there were any available motherboards for that processor. Surprisingly they have one in stock and at a price that suited my pockets. We decided that if it worked, then we'll take it. A few minutes wait and we learned that it was still in good condition. The technician even added that processors could take more than 7 or 8 years before it breaks down.

With that, we immediately purchased the motherboard plus several other things, and went back to pick up the TV. Then, I spent the rest of the day, tinkering with the new motherboard to its new home.

It's been two weeks since the desktop is running. Now I have the laptop all to myself.