Monday, December 8, 2014

Computer viruses stink, but blog breaks are good!

I can't think of a better way to say it, computer viruses stink!
And the people who create them, well they are just mean!

I'm still dealing with the consequences of a malicious virus that
encrypted EVERYTHING on my computer. It's pretty much the worst possible virus and sadly there is no easy fix. I now have my computer back with a new hard drive and my old hard drive has been shipped off to a data recovery center with the hope that my pictures can be restored. Keeping my fingers crossed!

Virus protection will not save you from this virus, so PLEASE be sure that you are backing up your computer regularly. I now have an external drive that is programmed to back up my files every night while I sleep. 

So, I've had an unexpected four week blog break. I used my phone to check in now and then, but that's about it. And guess what, I found it kind of refreshing and liberating to be unplugged. It wasn't life altering or profound, but it just felt good to catch my breath again. I highly recommend stepping away from the computer every now and then. You'll be surprised how good it feels!

So in a nutshell, here's what I've been up to the last few weeks .....

First I took out my frustration by cleaning the house and garage from top to bottom and that felt really good!

We took road trips three out of the last four weekends, cheered for our favorite team and played in the snow!





Sweet Clare celebrated her 1st birthday!



And discovered the joy of cupcakes!



I got my Christmas decorating done in three days flat, a new personal record!



And this past weekend, I celebrated my birthday with my favorite piano man!




It's all about the people who make you smile!

Now I'm actually looking forward to getting back on schedule and seeing what you've been up to lately. Our Be Inspired Link Party will be back first thing tomorrow morning. I hope to see you there!


16 comments:

NanaDiana said...

I was away for a bit, too, Sharon, so did not realize you were gone. Your granddaughter is just precious. I think she looks a lot like our Anna with those big eyes!

Glad you are back up and running. My daughter had 90% of her pictures recovered when her computer got infected. I think she sent it to California. Good luck- xo Diana

Leslie Harris said...

welcome bacccckkkkk Sharon! So good to see your post today. Please tell me that Clare is really not a year old already because I seriously remember her birth the other day. :)
Yes, it's all about being around people who make you smile. totally agree.
xo

Leslie

Wendy@Sometimes Twice said...

Boo for viruses!!! My husband surprised me 1 week before I had my daughter with tickets to see Billy play! He is amazing!

Laurel Stephens said...

Welcome back, Sharon!

the cape on the corner said...

omg, she even has a nittany lion hat. too cute. glad you enjoyed your blog break, even if it wasn't on purpose.
b

Susan - Uniquely Yours or Mine said...

Ok, 1. The that baby is a cutie! 2. Viruses do suck 3. I also highly recommend stepping away to recharge and 4. My hubby and I saw BJ at the Yum Center here in Louisville and had a great time! He's one of my favorites!

Unknown said...

I'm glad you are back Sharon but I'm sad that your break was for such a nasty reason. Three days to get the house decorated is great! I think I will finish up this week when hubby goes back to work. He keeps me to busy helping him with his projects! I'll be looking forward to partying with you again soon.
Blessings,
Patti

Korrie@RedHenHome said...

Good to see you back, but glad you enjoyed your time off. Happy belated birthday!

Heaven's Walk said...

Hey Sharon ~ I had to have a little blog break a couple weeks ago, too. My external hard drive bit the dust. I did have a 2nd hard drive just in case this ever happened....however....dumb me failed to back it up once a week. :( So here sits my sick hard drive with allllll of my photos on it except for the last 6 months worth. Where did you send your hard drive for recovery? Do you know what it costs to have something like that done? I don't want to lose those 6 months of treasured pictures... Thank you so much!!!

xoxo laurie

Nicki said...

So sorry you had to deal with all this! Crossing my fingers for you on those pictures. You're granddaughter is adorable, and I'm glad you had a productive and refreshing break!

Diva Kreszl said...

Hope you are successful in retrieving your photos, I can imagine how sad it would be to lose them...love your Penn State wear, as a Penn State Family it was fun to see your little one all decked out in her Niitany Lion Hat! We are...

Unknown said...

Yeah, you're back! Sounds like you've enjoyed your time off. Sometimes we all need a break even if it wasn't planned. Hopefully you're able to recover your photos. That's the worst part of computer issues. UGH!

Cassie Bustamante said...

praying you get all your data back!!!! looks like you've had a great time and that both you and clare had the best birthdays ever!!!!

Hetty said...

I am so glad you're back!! we missed you!!

Danielle said...

Welcome back! So glad you had a nice little break with your family. x

Unknown said...

All files encrypted? That's pretty terrible. Hardware helps for transport and quick access, but only up to a certain extent. At the very least, continue to explore options far as the carrying and the curating of digital material is concerned. So yes, indeed, backing up your files is a total must. Anyway, I hope everything turns out fine. All the best!

Lillian Walker @ Taylor Works