Rather than start seven different threads, I thought I'd just make one megathread with my random issues in the hopes that various entities can help.
Okay, first the bad: My mother recently passed away and I have not been able to sleep well since then, and it seems to be getting worse. I know most people are going to say "therapy" or something along those lines, and that is probably the right course of action, but I need some kind of short-term solution. The primary issue is that I am dreaming about her almost nightly and it's kind of upsetting when I wake up. I'm not a big fan of taking medication, but is there some way I can promote a dreamless sleep or something?
Next: I have a broken first generation Kindle that is waaaaay out of warranty. I am what some people call a "pack-rat" and very rarely throw shit away. The thing is useless, though. I'm not really sure what to do with it. What am I supposed to do with a relatively pricey, but totally useless electronic device? Do I really just chuck it in the regular garbage? Should I smash it with a sledgehammer first, or something? It does have my account info in there, but I'm honestly not too concerned about that. The worst someone could do is find it and start buying me books with my own credit card. I suppose my worst fear would be that someone who likes Twilight finds it and starts cluttering up my Amazon Kindle account with Twilight novels. *shudder*. So, really, what do I do with it?
Next: My mother had an iPod Touch. I'd like to wipe it clean but I'd also like to preserve the memory. Is there some utility I can use to safely back her data up to my PC? I should mention that it is currently stuck in a recovery loop. I had a thread about this a couple of months ago (at that time I was trying to fix it for her but utterly failed in that endeavor) so I don't know. I might have to end up wiping it without preserving her data, but if anyone has any idea how I can get her data off (not really music or DRM stuff, just her notes and things) that would be awesome.
Next: There's a movie that's stuck in my head but I don't know what it is. The only scene I can remember is totally disconnected from the rest of the film. This is probably going to sound a little creepy and a little Skinemax-y but I don't think it was a Skinemax film. Anyway, the scene I remember is some girl in a dress is riding some guy in a suit or tux. I think they were at a wedding and were upstairs in someone's room (not their own) - I *think* on the floor. I remember she was telling him not to touch her, and I think she said something about him getting fingerprints on her dress. She was really uptight. For awhile I thought it was Feeling Minnesota, but it isn't, and the girl wasn't in a wedding dress or anything, it was an evening dress. I think it could also possibly be "Watch It" which is a film with Peter Gallagher and John C McGinley, but I cannot find this film anywhere so I can't confirm. And it very well may not have been that film. Any ideas? For all I know it may have been a shitty late-night Cinemax flick but for some reason I don't think it was, it's just that the scene I remember best is Cinemax-y. It's just been bugging the hell out of me for like a decade.
Next: Can anyone recommend a really good flash I could get for less than $400 for a Canon Rebel XSi? Something that could be used for pro/semi-pro/quasi-pro indoor shooting?
I think I had a few other questions but I don't remember what they were.
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First, *hugs* -- and when you're up for it throw me or nexus a text and we'll hang out, it's been way too long.
Re: sleep -- I don't know if this will work for everyone, but when I am having trouble sleeping due to severe anxiety I sometimes try to tire my brain out; Expert crossword puzzles and Sudoku, puzzle games like Lumines on Steam (very fun game but when you get further on it starts to wear you out from the repetition). I also like to draw some nights before I go to bed, it tends to clear my mind. A hot bath (not shower) occasionally does it when nothing else will.
I'm pretty anti-sleep meds and my anxiety issues can get overpowering sometimes, so I know what you mean.
About the Kindle-- contact amazon and see if they have a refurbishing program? I couldn't find any information on their site, but a lot of tech items have refurbishing/recycling programs and often they are free or may include a discount on your next purchase, etc. If Amazon doesn't have one, I'd wait for the next TekServe recycling day and get the discount coupon.
On the iPod-- data should be transferable but I lack recent experience with these devices.
No luck with the movie... I'll see if nexus has a recommendation for the flash, he has an older model Rebel.
*more hugs*
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