Under My Computer Desk

While at work, Makal told me he might be able to get some spare RAM from his office for cheap. My computer's currently at 512MB RAM, which while decent, has some issues with my heavy workloads and is the bare minimum for World of Warcraft. So it'd definitely be nice to do a bit of an upgrade to go with the rest of my nice hardware—especially because I'd like to see just what my 256MB video card could do if let loose! So I turned my computer off and planned to open him up to see what type of RAM was in there (if there's a way to do this via the Device Manager, I don't know how).

As I'm down on the floor, I once again note the stinky cat piss smell. Two out of three of our cats have been acting up; they're both picky litter box users and while one is content to use the floor in front of the box, the other insists on spreading his piss throughout the house. The litter box lives in the office, so this room receives the brunt of the kitty waste. I've had to wipe down the side of my computer and nearby cords at least once before because he decided to spray there. Given that, you can probably guess where this is going.

I reached behind my computer to start unplugging cords, a simple process as the only one secured with thumbscrews is the monitor cable. I start there, twisting on the plastic screw heads, when I notice how grainy the plug feels. And I realize. That little shit has pissed on the back of my computer. That's its most vulnerable spot, too, which makes me suddenly very afraid for my computer's insides. I unplugged the rest—the light pistachio-green speaker plug, the power cable, and about 8 USB devices— and noted with each the slick, grainy feel of being covered in cat piss. Loverly.

Once I pulled the case out and had it open, I could tell that little, if any, urine got inside on any components. The only place I could see any was on the bottom where the case locks shut (it's a hinged case design), which was slightly reassuring. But the piss was eating away at any sticky little tags on cord ends, and pretty much dissolved the serial number sticker on the side. /sigh On the upside, I know what type of RAM I have (twin Samsung 256MB 3200U etc. etc.; not the best but decent) and that what Makal's looking at from work is definitely compatible.

So if everything goes right, I might find myself with a full gig of RAM to play WoW with (and hence no longer fear Orgrimmar on a Friday night). On the downside, our cat probably has a bladder problem along the lines of FLUTD (feline lower urinary tract disorder) and will need antibiotics. :( So, we have to wait until next month to get him to the vet, as so much of this month's income has already been delegated. I wish we could just feed him cranberry juice and be done with it. :P There are definitely no more cats allowed in the office.