1. If the computer is on, turn it off. 2. Disconnect the AC Adapter and remove the computerÂs battery. 3. Press and hold down the power button for 5 seconds and then release the button. 4. Reconnect the battery and AC Adapter. 5. Press the Power button to restart the computer.

Here is a link about OpenOffice. I don't have good enough excel experience to be an advocate for the OO program. I love the concept of this project; professionals and users creating software for free (you can contribute toward costs), improving it as needed, and distributing for free to everyone - just for the public good, no profits involved. I hadn't heard of it until this last fall, but it's been around for over a decade. It is an org. and not a .com! http://about.openoffice.org/index.html Here is a list of features on their most recent release. Natal, I don't think I have "Pages". I haven't ever seen it and just searched finder for it and nothing shows up. Where would it be? Here is a link that might be useful: openoffice

My doctors home burned last month. Here's their story. Dr. Cheryl MacDonald can attest to the importance of a smoke detector. In October, she bought one during Fire Prevention Week. On Nov. 1 - her son, Nathans birthday - her father-in-law installed the detector in her home at Ginger Woods near Valley. Then between 12:15 a.m. and 12:30 a.m. on Dec. 6, that smoke alarm went off. "We were in bed and there was no flame at the time. We looked around and the smoke was getting thicker," she said. So MacDonald and her husband, Shawn, gathered their children, Nathan, 9, Rachel, 6, and Dylan, 4, and headed toward the door. Still seeing no flames - and knowing their barefooted children were in pajamas - they quickly grabbed vehicle keys and coats before going out into the cold. Their 10-year-old golden retriever, Dawson, was out of the door as soon as it was opened. The MacDonalds then piled into their vehicles, parked in the driveway, and were backing out when the dining room burst into flames. "The kids did see that," she said. The couple went a neighborÂs house next door and the children stayed with them. "My husband and I were back in the yard trying to assist the emergency responders," she said. Damage was severe. "The worst of the damage is in the dining room and we had smoke and heat damage throughout most of the house," she said. "TheyÂre going to have to gut the house." The cause of the fire has not been determined. "We know it was in the dining room. The only candle in the room had plastic on it and had never been burned. Nothing was plugged in. ItÂs truly a puzzle," she said. That Saturday, restoration companies came out. Certain pieces of furniture, some dishes, clothes and photos may be able to be restored. "WeÂre in the midst of that process," she said. For now, MacDonald urges others to check their smoke alarms and to make sure theyÂre working. TheyÂd already had a smoke detector upstairs, but the one more recently installed downstairs bought them time, she said. Besides appreciating that smoke detector, MacDonald is grateful for the outpouring of community support. "I couldnÂt even begin to tell you all the things people have helped us with," she said. "I could never thank people enough." Their church, St. MarkÂs Lutheran Church in Valley, in conjunction with Ginger Woods neighbors set up an account at First Nebraska Bank in Valley. Bethany Lutheran Preschool, where Dylan attends, collected toys for the children. Staff and teachers at D.C. West Elementary School in Valley, where the older children attend, have given gifts to the family. MacDonald, who has been a family practice physician at Methodist Physicians Clinic in Valley since August 2000, has seen an outpouring of support from patients as well. Patients have brought cards, supplies and gifts of money. And theyÂve supplied something else: hugs. At this point, the MacDonalds are staying at a friendÂs lake house. That is a temporary situation. MacDonald estimates it will take six months or longer before their house is ready. But they plan to stay in the same spot at the lake. They want to rebuild. Some things can never be replaced. "The hardest part is going through things that had nothing to do with money that you canÂt save. Letters that are precious. Pictures," she said. Yet she keeps things in perspective. "ItÂs sad to know itÂs gone, but you go back and look at the things you have and you know thatÂs more important," she said. "I walked out with my children in hand and my husband - and the bonus was that the dog walked across the yard and was fine. I told the kids that everything else is just stuff."

Chispa, I just learned about the swelling and ruining of the Macbook issue, but the good news is that that is apparently a safety feature as the battery failure is contained by the laptop; with the others, they can apparently explode all over a room and set the house afire. I can't be replacing my Macbook at this time, so I really need to get my ancient battery replaced! Tina, from now on, I will always shut down when I'm not home, and will never leave it plugged in overnight or when I'm not home, either! I'm still kinda shocked at how careless I've been and how fortunate that I didn't create a disaster through my ignorance.