Wow.. Here's somebody I didn't think I'd ever see again! Honestly, I didn't think you all wanted me back after being absent so long (again). But since it seems you've been wondering, here's the scoop:

Back in February, I returned home from school one day to find that my computer had frozen at the desktop. No worries, it does that sometimes… Right? Wrong. Well, I restarted my computer to find out that… it doesn't even load the BIOS anymore! Not initially freaking out, I first thought that the harddrive was the problem, since I heard strange clicking noises coming from within my computer each time I tried starting it again. Then I got to thinking, how could the harddrive be my problem? The computer won't even boot at all! So then I freaked out, I thought I had to buy a new Mobo/Processor or whatever the hell was causing the problem! But it wasn't that simple.. So began my epic journey to fix my computer.

I called my uncle, our family computer hardware expert, who immediately recommended that I call the manufacturers for my motherboard, processor, RAM, and power supply unit. So first, I called Intel, and made up a fake story about how I switched my processor with a friend's processor, expecting them to write it off and send me a new once since my current one was still under warranty. Again, not that simple. Apparently, they get this sort of thing a lot, so they requested the serial number off MY processor, my FRIEND'S processor, MY motherboard, and my FRIEND'S motherboard. So.. I hung up. What can I say to that? So after a couple days of being pissed off/wondering what to do next, I decided to try talking to Thermaltake, and getting a new power supply off them. Well, that worked out great! I emailed them an RMA request and they sent me a new unit, boxed neatly with the cables and everything! The only problem was that, after installing the new unit in my PC, it still didn't work.

Damn! I thought as I tossed the trash aside, wishing it was the severed head of a newborn. After that, I had to take action fast. It was half way through March at this point, and I was sure that you guys were wondering what the hell I was doing this time. So, I called Asus this time, hoping they wouldn't jerk me around like Intel did. Well, actually I sent them an RMA request through email like I did with Thermaltake. Anyways, the request sent smoothly and I got a quick response. After sending my motherboard back to the company, I breathed a sigh of small relief, knowing that I could relax for the day, and hoping that this would finally solve the problem. The response they sent me told me that I would hear about their decision within a matter of days. Well, those days turned into weeks, and those weeks turned into about a month. I was PISSED. By this point, it was almost May and I wanted answers. The only problem was that they wouldn't give me any answers! I had already called them about 10 times, asking where the hell my motherboard was, and each time they consoled me and ensured that I would get an email on its status within the next 48 hours. Of course, I never got any of those emails. Tired and emotional, I called one more time. This time, it was personal. I asked to speak to a manager, supervisor, or whatever dumb fuck was running the place there. I finally convinced them to send me an email right there and then. So they did. FINALLY. Apparently, the motherboard had been stuck in a backroom waiting list, and had just that week been brought into the repair room. Well, about a week after that, I had my motherboard back. Well, a new motherboard, actually, because if they had sent the old one back, they would all be dead. DEAD. Anyways, by this point I was about ready to kill someone. It was the middle of May, GTAIV had become boring, MGS4 wasn't out yet, and I don't generally like socializing with people around my school… I wanted my PC back. So, I call my uncle because frankly, I didn't want to set my brand new motherboard in there wrong and end up short circuiting the thing. He told me to send the motherboard into him so he could mount my CPU in there for me, because that was apparently a very important step. Anyways, a couple days later, I've finally put the motherboard back in, rewired my PC, and everything is up and running. It was almost June by this point, and all I wanted to do was put on some music and finish the Heretic map that I had been working on, almost 4 months ago.

 

Satisfied, I launched Doom Builder, and then I got a call from my uncle. Like the end of MGS2, the entirety of the last 4 or so months was turned on its head in a few short minutes on the phone. He went on to explain that while mounting my CPU, he had noticed that my heat sink had come loose because one of the pegs holding it in had broken. Apparently, the entire time, the problem was that my heat sink wasn't making perfect contact with my CPU, and the computer didn't even detect it. IT DIDN'T DETECT IT.

 

Well, at that point, I really didn't care. My computer was fixed and I could return to my old joys. The only problem was that the last time I was in Vent was around 4 months before. I didn't even know if you guys would want me back, what had happened in those months, or if there was some huge fight and everyone had stopped talking. Well, after reading the message you sent me on PS3forums, I wrote this little piece. I hope you get it, cause I dunno if you've changed your email address by this point.

 

            ~Krispavera, June 18, 2008

P.S. I got MGS4 too, and it's just as awesome as ever! But, it's so much different from all the other MG games! I still love it though, I'm currently working on my third playthrough... Maybe I'll have somebody to talk to about it now. :>