We are out of Keurig pods right now, so I’ve been using the French press with coffee grounds. I do like the French press experience. I’m forced to slow down just a little bit while making my coffee. And the coffee does come out a little bit smoother. However, we should buy pods soon. Not because I want to speed up my coffee intake, but because Alexis is leaving soon to go back to school and is taking the French press. Not sure if she is taking her coffee grounds. She may go to Walmart and buy herself more coffee.

Alexis is really excited about going back to school, and she has already started asking me about the plan for Saturday when we move her into her campus apartment. She asked what time we’re leaving, what we’re doing when we get there, and generally what the day is going to look like. I told her, rather simply, that the plan was to move her. Needless to say, she wasn’t particularly happy with that answer. She wants details, and honestly, I understand why.

The truth is, I’m not even sure what time we’re leaving yet. “In the morning” is probably a perfectly reasonable answer, but I haven’t really planned Saturday because, in my head, I haven’t quite come to terms with the fact that she is leaving home again to go back to school.

I know this shouldn’t feel completely unfamiliar. It’s pretty much the same thing we went through the last time she left home to pursue her bachelor’s degree. You would think I’d be better prepared for it this time around. But I’m not sure you ever really get used to your kids leaving. Even when you know they’re doing exactly what they’re supposed to be doing, growing up, pursuing their goals, becoming independent, it’s still hard to watch them pack up and walk out the door.

I really enjoy having everyone home. There’s something comforting about having the house full, knowing where everyone is and being able to spend time together without having to plan for it. So, rather than thinking too much about Saturday, I’ve just been going through the week somewhat nonchalantly. I haven’t made a big plan because, honestly, I think part of me has been avoiding the reality of it. I’ve just been letting the week happen and, in a way, letting Saturday sneak up on me.

Maybe that’s why Alexis’s questions caught me off guard. She’s already looking forward to the next chapter, while I’m still trying to appreciate the chapter we’re in now. She’s excited about moving into her apartment, getting settled, and getting back to school. And I’m happy for her, truly happy for her. I’m proud of her and excited to see what she does next.

At the same time, I’m going to miss having her home.

So, I suppose Saturday’s plan will eventually come together. We’ll leave in the morning, load everything up, get her moved in, make sure she has what she needs, and then we’ll say goodbye. She’ll be excited to start this next part of her life, and I’ll probably be left standing there wondering how the time went by so quickly.

The actual question for Saturday should be: What vehicle are we taking? From what I’ve seen, she is taking, we can easily take the Outback. But I’m not sure if she is taking her computer chair. That would require the truck. I’m not sure how the truck has been doing lately. Maybe it can make it on a three-hour drive. But if we don’t take the chair, the Outback would do.

Karissa’s computer has now reached the point where it is frequently freezing and crashing. Tommy mentioned that it may need new thermal paste, which is definitely a possibility. If the thermal paste has dried out or is no longer making good contact between the CPU and heatsink, the processor could be overheating. The computer also needs to be thoroughly cleaned, especially the fans, heatsinks, and vents, since dust buildup can reduce airflow and cooling.

Off the top of my head, these are the main possibilities I can think of:

Overheating

Failing Memory (RAM)

Failing Hard Drive or SSD

Power Supply

Corrupted Windows/System Files

Bad or Corrupted Drivers

Malware or Viruses… I didn’t see any obvious indication that her computer has malware or a virus. However, the computer froze before I had enough time to investigate it thoroughly, so I can’t completely rule that out yet.

Failing Graphics Hardware… But doesn’t she have onboard graphics?

Motherboard or Other Hardware Issue

I think the best place to start is with the basics. We should open the computer, thoroughly clean out the dust, make sure all of the fans are working properly, clean the old thermal paste off the CPU and heatsink, and apply some of my new thermal paste. While we’re inside the computer, we can also make sure the RAM, power connections, and other components are seated properly.

After that, if the computer stays running long enough, we can monitor the CPU temperatures and see whether the freezing continues. If it does, I’d move on to testing the RAM and checking the health of the hard drive before looking at Windows, drivers, or more serious motherboard-related issues. I just hope that she doesn’t need a new computer. It’s too early to tell, but she is so freaked out now cause school is starting next week; she is about to go out and buy a new computer. It’s a Dell computer, and you can’t just go out and buy a new motherboard or components for it. It most likely wouldn’t even fit in the case.

For now, Karissa is using her iPad because her computer has become almost unusable. It pretty much freezes or crashes as soon as you try to do anything with it, so I don’t think it makes much sense to keep trying to troubleshoot it from within Windows until we’ve cleaned it and addressed the possible overheating issue first.

But that is just me. I should have more confidence when it comes to computers. I’m not sure why I get all nervous about computers and fixing them.

I can hear Alex playing video games. I’m going to close the door and put my headphones on.

I think Karissa is bored. She keeps coming into the office to talk to me and see what I’m up to.

It’s bike day. I’m going to ride the bike for 30 minutes.

I fell asleep! I lay down on the bed, thinking I would just relax for a little while and wait for 3 o’clock to roll around. Well… apparently my body had other plans, because I completely passed out! I woke up, and it was almost 4. So much for just resting for a bit!

Once I got up, I decided to ride the bike and get some exercise in. Now I’m just relaxing and watching some YouTube videos. I’m thinking about playing Final Fantasy XIV tonight, too. They have their summer event going on right now, and I really want to get the Moogle Float mount. So, I may spend some time running around doing the event and working toward getting that.

I’m going to make myself some matcha tea in a little bit. I’m still not sure what I’m going to have for dinner tonight, though. I’ll probably go check out the kitchen later and see what we have available. I think the girls are having Chinese food tonight, but I really don’t want that. There are just too many calories, and I’m trying to be good about what I eat right now.

Alex is having something else. He went to Walmart earlier with Lexi, but I’m not sure what he picked up for himself. Kel is seeing her dad at the hospital tonight, so I’m not sure what she’s planning to have for dinner either. I’m going to ask her here in a little bit and see what she says.

For me, I’ll probably just wait until everyone gets their dinner figured out and then go on a little search through the kitchen. Maybe I’ll find some leftover pork or chicken that I can heat.

So that’s pretty much my evening so far: an accidental nap, some exercise, YouTube, matcha tea, and possibly some Final Fantasy XIV later.