Apology for absence

I'm sorry I wasn't able to resume blogging on September 3rd as planned. Nor can I do so now.

The reason is that the on/off button on my Hewlett Packard laptop ceased to function. I assumed that it could be repaired at the local shop where I bought it less than a year ago. But apparently HP do not allow their agents to stock parts, so it had to be returned to the factory and when it will be returned is uncertain.

Meanwhile I have been thinking about buying another laptop but can't make up my mind which make to invest in. I've had two Dells. On the last one the screen died, but the works were still functioning when plugged in to an old desktop monitor. Unfortunately, after the HP catastrophe, this state of affairs lasted only a few days and now the Dell laptop also appears to be defunct.

I'm writing this on someone else's laptop. Some marvellous books arrived last month, but when I'll be able to praise them...who knows?

For someone who spends as much time online as I do normally, it's an interesting experience to be forced offline for a while.