I am seldom so freaking happy I punch the air.  Seldom.  Hardly ever.

Painting the scene:  My external harddrive power connection has always been a bit wonky.  Wonky is not a technical term, but you get the point.  I noticed earlier this week that I could not copy files over to the drive, I could move files off, but not on.  Okay, not a total disaster, but clearly time to trot down to the IT store post-haste, as it had about two years of valuable images on it, and I had not backed them up, as I had been telling myself to do for ages.

I arrive at IT desk – explain my problem, fill in the form.  Get asked technical questions that I answer with “Its a silver colour, does that help?”

I know the IT repair desk at Incredible Connection are judging me, but really what do I care, I’m pretty, and I just need them to fix my shiny silver thing.  I leave comfortable in the hope silver Toshiba external harddrive is in good hands, do not give it another thought.  Something about a new casing and R600.00 — okay, sure, just call me to collect, thanks, bye then!

I get a call back from technician guy on Friday and in a grave voice.  He explains my drive is fried.  He has tried to rescue the drive, but nothing can be done.  It is all gone.

I was devastated.  I felt my sphincter muscle release a bit, but I tried to hold it together.

I used that desperate voice of any parent: “Have you done everything?  Is there someone else I can take her?  Can anyone do anything for me?  Please tell me this is not happening….. please tell me this is not true!!”

Gerhard or Theuns or similiar, the IT guy is probably not used to this level of emotion on the telephone.

I could hear he desperately wanted me to just agree to fetch her, so he could get on with his life, and not have to sit in this rather uncomfortable situation.

I went to fetch her today.  I accepted her rather forelornly and stroked her a bit, then slid her silver self into my bag.  I said my quiet goodbyes, knowing I was just taking home a dead body, and really her spirit was already gone.

Yes, I realise this is all a bit meladramatic, but it has been a shocker of a week, and this is just another THANG to add to the shit pile.  There were images in there that are lost forever, and they are precious, I am gutted.

Got home, took her out of my bag, plugged her in, basically to confirm the status of dead drive – and true as nuts, her little light flickered back to life – and there she was in all her loveliness.

I can see my files.  I CAN SEE MY FKN FILES – ALL OF THEM.

I can get them off said drive.  I am about 1/3 of the way now moving them off to a brand spanking new external hardrive, and backing them up.  All images there, all images accessible.

This is the swan song of my silver Toshiba hard drive, and I just want to say THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU for hanging on to the bitter end, to give me back what I had lost …… I will never forget you.

{anyone who knows me, knows how much I despise ‘smiley face icons” so I am dedicating this one to Toshiba…}