Repairs and Fun

Weather wise it was a mixed bag, sunny in the morning and cloudy in the afternoon just when I wanted it to be sunny. All the same it was an interesting day and I did something I thought I would never do, take a Apple iBook G4 apart. 

It was one of those mornings that was really rushed. I had managed to sleep through the alarm and everything was running late. Thankfully there was nothing to cook this morning for Emily and Catherine's packed lunches, that would have made matters worse. As it was both of them being late seemed unavoidable. All we could do was be as quick getting out the door as we could. Thankfully they didn't miss to much and soon I was back at home with a coffee looking at a broken iBook G4.

The situation with the Macbook screen that Lucy broke by accident continues to get worse. Opening and closing the screen is stressing the display and the crack is getting bigger. Although it is still just usable at the moment if I have to continue to carry it around and use it for work then I won't have a computer at all. The only solution is to repair the iBook G4 and it's broken power connector. It the machine I brought to use for work. The iBook's produced by Apple were plagued by issues with the power leads. Basically the plugs on the end of the power leads break up if you accidentally catch the lead and pull it at the wrong angle. In theory they are meant to fall out but in practice this doesn't always happen. This is what happened to my iBook G4. It is why they redesigned the lead for the MacBooks with magnetic connector. 

The repair involves taking the iBook apart to access the damage to the power jack on the DC in board that is located near the optical drive and replacing the plug on the damaged power adaptor. The hardest of the two tasks is getting into the computer to get to the DC in board. It is alright getting the screws out and removing the battery, although you do need special tools to remove the screws, it is getting the case apart that is the hard bit. The whole thing is held in place by a load of plastic clips that have to be popped apart. This is what takes the time and it can be highly frustrating when one clip goes pop only for another one you have already released popping back into place. 

Eventually once I did get inside I found that the jack was damaged beyond repair. There was no way that I could repair it. The electrical contacts were damaged and the rattling sound you could hear if you shock the computer gently was coming from part of the plug that had broken up inside the connector. The only thing to do was to find a replacement jack or a DC in board. Thankfully this is where eBay came to the rescue and I managed to find one reasonably priced with free postage that is now on it's way to me, so hopefully next week I can finish the job I started this morning.

At noon I headed into Oakham to get Lucy from nursery. As soon as she saw me she ran to the gate and when it open flew into my arms. I love the welcomes I get from her. Today she was wearing one of nurseries skirts, it seemed she had a little accident while playing. It must be the first in weeks. Before we left we had to search for her bag. I wasn't sure she had one or not and I didn't want to leave it behind and the staff weren't sure if she had one on not. It turns out she didn't have one, because she was dry at nursery which was quiet ironic given what happened. 

After a big cuddle in nursery we set off for the car hand in hand, chatting as we went. She didn't even stop as I strapped her in drove to the supermarket. She was just as helpful as she was the last time we went to the shops together. Helping pick things as we zoomed around the store and at the check out she helped by putting things on the belt. As we headed back to the car she carried on chatting about the things she has done and that are important to her. I love it when she talks so openly and freely.

When we got home, George was waiting for us. George gave Lucy a big welcome as always and she had to tell him to get down and sit. Soon she was heading upstairs to her room to play as I got on with the lunch. Every few minutes she would either call or appear to make sure I hadn't gone anywhere. She is doing that a lot at the moment, I think I know why but there is little I can do about that. The only time checking seems to disappear is after she has been here for a while. It is like she feels insecure. Anyway after lunch it was time to get on with more play together in the family room. I always had a grand time with her and I'm sure she had fun too. The one thing I did have to be careful of was that she didn't touch the iBook which was still in bits, but she was very good.

The afternoons are all too short, and soon Catherine came home from school. As soon Lucy heard the back door go she was running to greet her and they went upstairs together to play as Catherine got changed out of her school things and got packed for later. By the time the came downstairs Emily was coming through the door and she got the same Lucy welcome as Catherine did earlier. I love the way she greets them and I'm sure her other sister must get the same treatment. She is such a loving little girl, they all are despite the times they fall out their is a strong bond between them. I just hope that bond never disappears. Together they played until dinner was ready. 

The timing was a little out today, so dinner was a little late, this meant that it was all a little bit of a rush when it came time for Lucy to leave. All the same she did eat all her dinner and we quickly got her dressed in her clean clothes. With her sweets in her hand she gave everyone a hug and off to Oakham she went with me in the car. As we travelled we chatted away and before I dropped her off I got some of the loveliest hugs ever. I will never tire of those.

When I got home the rush was still on. This time to get everyone in the car and head out again this time to Emily and Catherine to see their mum for the weekend. Thankfully we had allowed a little extra time to get to the drop off point which given the increasing cost of fuel just allows us to save that little bit of extra money. The difference between traveling at the speed limit and ten miles an hour under it makes for a noticeable saving all for five more minutes of driving. The drop off went smoothly as always and soon we were heading home to relax.

It was a shame we weren't blessed with the lovely sunshine that we had earlier in the week but all the same we all had a lovely day. Hopefully soon I will have the iBook working again and I can rest the poorly MacBook. It really does need a new screen now and I'm not sure how long it will last out before it fails. One thing I do know moving it about just makes it worse so it is not going anywhere until it is fixed.  Anyway now it is time for a relaxing weekend.