PHEW!!

Well, thank GOD for small miracles!

It turns out that the battery switch a couple of weeks ago DIDN'T kill my computer, as we'd feared. After much tinkering by both computer repair guys (which amounted to exactly zero useful information) and my husband (who, genius that he is, figured out what the real problem was), it's been determined that my power button crapped out.


That's it! No disc failure, no hard drive meltdown, no memory damage, just a wonkey power button!


There is much rejoicing in Chili Land!


Husband says he's ordered a new top bit for my computer; he wanted to replace the keyboard while he was at it - I've worn some of the paint off the keys and my bracelet, my wedding gift from my husband, has worn all the pretty metallic stuff off the right side of the keyboard where my wrist rests. The replacement parts should be in sometime this week!