A few days ago, I started to get some wacky errors from my external backup HD - I/O errors, file read errors, and visible but inaccessible files. Drat, I think to myself, time to buy a new backup drive. It seems, though, that a defrag and two swipes with windows default recovery utility took care of the problem (mostly). It’s still an older piece of equipment, and i will need to buy a new one eventually, but not today. Which is nice.

And speaking of nice, the lovely people at my insurance company actually sent me a check for the unused portion of my now canceled policy. Which, y’know, is the *correct* thing to do, but I try not to expect too much from the world most days.