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OK Computer
Monday, 11 April 2011 12:13 pmI have bought myself a new computer! This was achieved by the simple expedient of printing out the system specs for Dragon Age 2, Fable III and Skyrim (these last are a bit speculative as it's only out at the end of the year), and waving them at the nice Korean lady in the computer shop with an instruction to put together something which would run all of the above. Which she did, muttering things under her breath about "another two gig of RAM, then", and what have you. I connected it all up last night, with only one minor problem with the fact that monitor and printer connections have morphed into new, sexier shapes since I last bought anything. Fortunately the EL had the relevant adaptor, and I am now pursuing the pleasures of Dragon Age on my very own machine. Wheee! Also, crash, boom, thud, powee, zot, and the unmistakeable glug of healing potions going down.
It is, I have to add, a very weird thing to realise that the only reason I haven't done this earlier is quite simply force of habit. I'm not used to thinking of myself as being The Kind Of Person Who Has A Nice New Gaming Computer. That's always been the EL's department: he has the new computer, I buy minimal stuff at the bottom end of the range owing to financial constraints, and I play spanky games (note: not in any dodgy sense) on his computer when he's not around. Except, actually, in practical terms there is absolutely no bloody reason at all why I can't acquire the spanky machine for myself. I have the disposable income these days. I'm just not used to believing that I have. Clearly fifteen years of impecunious grad student existence, plus a nasty couple of years of financial strain owing to a terminally ill father, have beaten into my head the sad mantra of "you can't have nice things". I'm forced to be grateful to Loot for gradually indoctrinating me into the possibility of buying Cool Stuff just because, one book or CD or DVD at a time. Or occasionally five at once. I have a very low saving throw versus Acquire Cultural Product. Possibly I have transmogrified the standard girly-issue gene for Low Saving Throw Versus Shoes.
It is also a truth universally acknowledged that swearing at traffic in order to arrive at work at 8.30 on a Monday to listen to a string of panicking students who haven't read the notice on your door suddenly makes a lot more sense when you realise you're doing it to finance your habits of cultural acquisition. And thus does Western Capitalism make monkeys of us all. The kind with our fists stuck in the calabash. Bother.
I should also add that it is an index of the love I have for my friends that I only assembled the computer last night, owing to the presence of a braai-type celebration thingy for![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
starmadeshadow, currently in town, with the Usual Suspects, during the rest of the day. It was lovely, and entirely worth the delayed techno-gratification. I forget how much I enjoy large crowds of nice people, not to mention the small herd of girl-children who apparently spent the afternoon jumping on my bed. It had suspicious pock-marks in it, like elephant footprints in the custard.
It is, I have to add, a very weird thing to realise that the only reason I haven't done this earlier is quite simply force of habit. I'm not used to thinking of myself as being The Kind Of Person Who Has A Nice New Gaming Computer. That's always been the EL's department: he has the new computer, I buy minimal stuff at the bottom end of the range owing to financial constraints, and I play spanky games (note: not in any dodgy sense) on his computer when he's not around. Except, actually, in practical terms there is absolutely no bloody reason at all why I can't acquire the spanky machine for myself. I have the disposable income these days. I'm just not used to believing that I have. Clearly fifteen years of impecunious grad student existence, plus a nasty couple of years of financial strain owing to a terminally ill father, have beaten into my head the sad mantra of "you can't have nice things". I'm forced to be grateful to Loot for gradually indoctrinating me into the possibility of buying Cool Stuff just because, one book or CD or DVD at a time. Or occasionally five at once. I have a very low saving throw versus Acquire Cultural Product. Possibly I have transmogrified the standard girly-issue gene for Low Saving Throw Versus Shoes.
It is also a truth universally acknowledged that swearing at traffic in order to arrive at work at 8.30 on a Monday to listen to a string of panicking students who haven't read the notice on your door suddenly makes a lot more sense when you realise you're doing it to finance your habits of cultural acquisition. And thus does Western Capitalism make monkeys of us all. The kind with our fists stuck in the calabash. Bother.
I should also add that it is an index of the love I have for my friends that I only assembled the computer last night, owing to the presence of a braai-type celebration thingy for
starmadeshadow, currently in town, with the Usual Suspects, during the rest of the day. It was lovely, and entirely worth the delayed techno-gratification. I forget how much I enjoy large crowds of nice people, not to mention the small herd of girl-children who apparently spent the afternoon jumping on my bed. It had suspicious pock-marks in it, like elephant footprints in the custard.
