{"id":5554,"date":"2018-01-01T11:22:51","date_gmt":"2018-01-01T15:22:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.theeldestgeek.com\/?p=5554"},"modified":"2019-05-25T12:17:41","modified_gmt":"2019-05-25T16:17:41","slug":"mt-vernon-fire-update-and-observations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.theeldestgeek.com\/mt-vernon-fire-update-and-observations\/","title":{"rendered":"Mt Vernon Fire update – and observations!"},"content":{"rendered":"

MT VERNON FIRE UPDATE FROM THE ELDEST (and temporarily Homeless) GEEK
\n<\/strong>
\nIts not been a week since the fire (Monday Night).\u00a0 I’ve put up some images on my website www.theeldestgeek.com<\/a>
\nInsurance folks have NOT let anyone onsite.\u00a0 They are concerned about injury if a beam were to fall on someone going through the rubble!
\nAs to the dealers – to many of them its devastating.\u00a0 Like most (if not all) malls I’m sure insurance was up to each individual store.
\nWe – the Eldest Geek – had no insurance against fire.\u00a0 I had been considering getting some against theft but decided finally that one or two laptops that might be swiped in a year would not make sense to insure against.\u00a0 I NEVER considered any fire risk.\u00a0 The fire folks checked it not infrequently and we always seemed to be in good shape.\u00a0 After all the building had stood since 1946!<\/p>\n

But in the not quite week since the fire I’ve had MANY thoughts.<\/p>\n

First – some QUESTIONS and ANSWERS for my customers \ud83d\ude42<\/strong><\/p>\n

WHAT DO WE DO ABOUT COMPUTERS THAT WERE IN FOR REPAIR?
\n<\/strong>Let me know best as you can what you had.\u00a0 I have records of all the work being done but exact models of units may not have been recorded.\u00a0 I will do my best to get as close as possible to anything that got lost!
\nI have been raising some money and will provide replacements (or mutually satisfactory cash payments) to take care of the losses.\u00a0 I dont think there is any point about filing with your own insurance as they would just come and talk to ME about it.\u00a0 I’ll handle everything as best as I can.
\nWHEN<\/strong> you ask?\u00a0 as quickly as I can arrange replacements.\u00a0 ANYONE WITH URGENT NEEDS PLEASE CALL OR EMAIL ME!<\/strong><\/p>\n

WHAT ABOUT MY DATA?
\nHere we need to get lucky.\u00a0 VERY lucky.\u00a0 It is POSSIBLE (and I mean only POSSIBLE) that when I am able to get to the remains of my shop (and my bit of the second floor is the only part of the second floor not to have collapsed) although the computers will all have been ruined (and I mean RUINED.\u00a0 Computers HATE fire.\u00a0 They HATE smoke.\u00a0 And they LOATHE water.\u00a0 And they were subjected to all three!) – it is just possible that some of the hard drives inside a laptop or inside an iMac\u00a0 might have survived and data may be recoverable.\u00a0 but we HAVE<\/strong> to get lucky – and so far luck has not been with me!<\/p>\n

HOW CAN I GET OFF THIS DAM EMAIL LIST?
\nReally?\u00a0 there should be a link below LOL<\/p>\n

HOW CAN YOU HAVE A SENSE OF HUMOR AFTER THIS?<\/strong>
\nNow THAT<\/strong> is a good question.\u00a0 I estimate I lost about $400,000 in the fire.\u00a0 Mainly my personal stuff (computer-wise maybe $150k worth of inventory)\u00a0 A LOT of what I lost was my beautiful collection of minerals and crystals.\u00a0 I’ve been collecting over 50 years.\u00a0 I invested at least $100,000 over that time.\u00a0 Some of my specimens were literally world class.\u00a0 Some came from places like the Smithsonian.\u00a0 Some were unique. And all are irreplaceable.\u00a0 Oddly fire insurance even if I had it would not have begun to cover the loss.\u00a0 Not even close.
\nWHAT will I miss the most?\u00a0 My Kill Bill Sword?\u00a0 – my minerals?\u00a0 my old technology?\u00a0 Probably its my Northstar Computer – the first computer I ever owned (well not the very first but one of them) – the one that was in the Walnut Wood Case on my glass shelf.\u00a0 I bought it in 1978 and paid just over $12,000 – between the CPU and the Hard Drive.\u00a0 That one I loved so much.\u00a0 It served so many purposes!\u00a0 When it was a cold night in Pinecliffe Colorado – I could take off the top and warm my room!\u00a0 It was a museum piece, and is utterly impossible to replace.
\nBut – what I will REALLY miss the most was the Mt Vernon Antique Center.\u00a0 I will miss my chatting with customers.\u00a0 Talking about politics, science, mathematics, computers, hacking (the Russians STILL had nothing to do with the DNC Hack LOL) – and the atmosphere.\u00a0 Being able to work on your computer and have you wander around the Antique Center – and not be bored!\u00a0 This I will miss – till the end of my days.<\/p>\n

WHAT ARE YOU PLANNING ON DOING NOW?<\/strong>
\nAt least for a short while Alex, Danko and I will be based at my house in Lorton and have plenty of time for house calls!\u00a0 We are looking at possible spaces for a new shop but we are ready willing and able to take care of your computer needs.\u00a0 Though if you want a good used computer my stock is currently rather depleted.\u00a0 Call to setup an appointment – or use the link I just put up on my website – and you can book a service call online!<\/p>\n

WHAT CAN WE DO TO HELP?
\n<\/strong>I’ve been very gratified by the outpouring of support from you my customers.\u00a0 I’m hanging in there – and I will NOT let this be the end of my store!\u00a0 Any computer needs – give us a call or book an appointment at www.theeldestgeek.com\/services<\/a>
\nNeed a website? I have plenty of time to work on them – call me \ud83d\ude42
\nPass our name around and let folks know of a worthy little computer store that can use support!
\nI’ve had some folks suggest a GoFundMe page.\u00a0 What do you all think.\u00a0 Make sense?\u00a0 I value your opinion.
\nI have had some offer money.\u00a0 I am gratified at the offer but so far I’m not bouncing checks. Yet.\u00a0 (LOL)\u00a0 I guess if anyone whats to ‘prepay’ a computer or support I would not say no \ud83d\ude42 But I’m not desperate – far from it.\u00a0 I’m oddly hopeful!\u00a0 My wife has been at me for YEARS to downsize! And she was bugging me about cataloging my minerals – she said (with much truth) that if I was hit by a bus – who would know anything about them?\u00a0 Well – she has been relieved on both these scores! LOL <insert sick just had your store burn down humor here><\/p>\n

ADOPTION CORNER:<\/strong>
\nCurrently I have a handful of laptops even some decent ones.\u00a0 But all the nice ones I was listing here – well say no more.\u00a0 What laptops I have are being earmarked for customer replacement!<\/p>\n

Thanks again to all of you and your kind responses!<\/strong>
\nThe Eldest Geek is not finished – just temporarily the Homeless Geek!<\/strong>
\n(yes I know not quite the same cachet)<\/p>\n

Craig, Alex and Danko<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

MT VERNON FIRE UPDATE FROM THE ELDEST (and temporarily Homeless) GEEK Its not been a week since the fire (Monday Night).\u00a0 I’ve put up some images on my website www.theeldestgeek.com Insurance folks have NOT let anyone onsite.\u00a0 They are concerned about injury if a beam were to fall on someone going through the rubble! As … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5554","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.theeldestgeek.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5554"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.theeldestgeek.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.theeldestgeek.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theeldestgeek.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theeldestgeek.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5554"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.theeldestgeek.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5554\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5612,"href":"https:\/\/www.theeldestgeek.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5554\/revisions\/5612"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.theeldestgeek.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5554"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theeldestgeek.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5554"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theeldestgeek.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5554"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}