ahhh... i wanted to write about something else, really... because this side of me, the 'geeky' side, is so erm.. un-flattering! =P and i do have more exciting news to honk about... really! in any case, i thought it might be good to share a bit of what i've learnt today, in case you find yourself in the same situation.
in today's world of mobile technology... we often end up with laptops crashing after its life-span of 3-4 yrs (typical of a PC) or longer (often for a Mac or a good PC like the Thinkpad) and then what do we do with the parts that still (kind of) work?! i mean a hard-disk-drive (hdd) can still be functional even if the motherboard's fried. as in the case of my old lappy top... the flimsy dell. you can remove the 2.5" hdd and get an enclosure (i.e. a little box with some funky electronics that link the hdd to a usb or similar device so you can hook it up to your computer) for it and use it as an external hard drive until... well, it eventually dies, too. by then you are left with an enclosure and no hard drive! oops.
yesterday, i decided that i should replace the dead and gone 2.5" hdd that went kaput recently. i thank my lucky stars because it decided that it's had enough only after i've transferred my files to a new lappy top (thinkpad x61s ... i wish the x300 came out earlier!!!) i get to use... but it's always good to have a backup; i know what hassle it is to lose data... like gigabytes of data; no fun. so i went to get a 2.5" laptop hdd at a computer store. they come in all sorts of brands but i am generally partial to the japanese ones... i got a 120gig Fujitsu drive and learnt that a lap top hard drive is often associated with the synonyms of either IDE or PATA, which should not be confused with SATA; as the synonyms are printed on the packaging, you just don't want to get the wrong one because the Advance Technology Attachments from your hdd enclosures must match. once you've got the right hdd (or hope that you do), you happily go home and try to assemble it in your existing enclosure.
there are usually about 20 to 22 parallel rows of pin-sockets in the drive enclosure to which you fit the hdd. there may be 4 (or more) pins on the hdd which are not necessarily used. once you've done the assembly you try to see if your lappy top recognises it. usually the usb mass storages that you stick into the usb ports will initiate your machine to recognise the new device... the thinkpad did so too but no drive was displayed in 'My Computer'. within the 'Device Manager' window, and the 'Drives' option, the new Fujitsu hdd was listed as being in existent. hmm...?!?! i reckoned that it's not been formatted that's why the system didn't load it as a drive with a path location... how does one format a new laptop drive when you aren't using it as a laptop drive but as an external hdd?!
yikes!. i thought... so i googled for answers... and was relieved to find this web page that provided the answers. Project: DIY External Hard Drive went through it step by step with clear screen-shots of how to go about the whole procedure. i mainly needed to partition and format the drive and so i followed the instructions to deal with that within the Administrative Tools in a PC. there might be something similar out there for macs. despite a bit of frantic panicking, i am happy to say, it all worked out! and now i have a functioning hdd with enough capacity to hold as much crap as i so desire! =)
baaah.... so much for such geekiness!
the germans were in town last week... old classmates of mine while i was in the little dreamy university city of tübingen some nearly 5 yrs ago... d is often in town for his research collaboration and c is here to visit him! even though i've been here longer than d, i am quite embarrassed to admit that he has a better knowledge of all things fun and exciting in the twin-cities than i do. they suggested trying out the minneapolis restaurant week fanfare which ran till the leap day of 29th Feb... the foodie in me was hyped up with curiosity!
i left the decision to d & c as to which restaurant to pick... but i ought to have anticipated that d who has a nose for good food would at times pick something quite posh and extravagant... we sped through the minneapolis downtown skyway during friday's after-work madness to the Cosmos...
déjà vu... it hadn't occured to me when the name of the restarant was mentioned, that we were actually dining at the place where i had a rather formal dinner nearly 3 yrs ago... quite uncanny; the experience was utterly awkward and i experienced my first ID check in this country for ordering an alcoholic beverage. the same waiter, with the stout and somewhat condescending demeanour was assigned to our table.
i generally like good food without the fuss... or more appropriately, without the snobbery attached... but this was to be a 'high-brow' dining experience. i felt inadequate in all sense; a little under-dressed for the chic venue, particularly with my black rucksack and layers of jacket to fight the wintry wind. faux-pas galore, ooops.
they were eager to get us served with drinks. i ordered some sparkling pear juice while d had some belgium beer, and c was happy with her pelligrino wasser, after what i remembered as a frustrating exchange with the waiter. the thing about dinning at such posh places, as i've come to appreciate, is that you should assume they would have everything under the sky... literally... so asking what they might have as alternative beverages to their alcoholic selection could appear a little insulting to them... also, let them make a fuss about your drinks, even if it is welches' sparkling pear because, it may just be true that "it is not cold enough!" and thus require an ice bath within the champagne chilling bucket! i suppose, they practice their own dinning philosophy within their 'cosmos'...
we ordered the Cosmos Restaurant Week Menu, and for 30 US dollars, we got a splendid 3 course selection:
First Course
Cosmos Lettuce Blend from the Chefs Garden in Huron Ohio Roasted Shallot Banyuls VinaigretteSecond Course
Choose OneConfit of Chilean Sea Bass
Cauliflower, Shaved Parmesan Basil, Caper Berries, Olives, Tomato Water
or
Minnesota Grass Fed Ribeye
Blue Cheese Potato Gratin, Green Peppercorn Spring Onion, Truffle Pommes PailleDessert
Chocolate Gâteau$30 per person, tax and gratuity not included
while d indulged in the ribeye, c and i savoured the Confit of Chilean Sea Bass that was served atop lightly mashed Cauliflower, Shaved Parmesan Basil, Caper Berries, Olives, and topped with a drizzle of Tomato Water. a first bite sent my taste-buds into heaven... the light but subtle blending of white fish, tomato water, buttery cauliflower mash and the occasional zingy tones from the capers and olives, with a little sprinkling of parmesan flavours fused into a delightful gastronomic experience!
yuuuummmm mmmmmm mmmm mmm.
the entree was amazing... and everything else paled in comparison; even the chocolate gâteau, which i found a little too rich and heavy...
if my previous visit to Cosmos was a little awkward, the Pan Seared Wild Acres Duck Breast served with Butternut Squash Flan, Granny Smith Apple, Glogg Demi, Raisins that i ordered might have a little to do with it. searing isn't how i'd imagine duck ought to be prepared... but that's just me; i prefer it crispy on the outside and tender within. but if there's an entree i'd recommend the chefs at Cosmos to consider listing on their regular dinner menu, it would be the sea-bass with it's eclectic pairing of flavours.
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The Cosmos, at the Graves 601 Hotel
601 First Avenue North, Minneapolis MN 55403, Tel: 612-677-1100
Cons -- $$$$ (pricey) / condescending waiter(s)
Pros -- good small selection of entrees prepared with high standards / a classy bar next to restaurant / meals served by well-mannered chefs; a delightful respite from the condescending waiter(s).