Computer Update & Home Drama

First I want to thank toshiani007,  owensheart,  littleni,  and scifiangel for my dragon pals for Myfanwy. You are the best!!

My new computer is up and running and is working well after some drama (see below). My monitor speakers will not work with this computer. Right now I have horrible left-over computer speakers from the dark ages that were to be thrown out at work. So I have sound. Painful, awful sound, but sound nonetheless.  

There are two solutions, but both cost $. Of course they do. Does anything life not come with a price tag?

I could buy new computer speakers. They will never be as good as professional speakers, but I'm sure for some outrageous amount of filthy lucre I can get something that won't offend my delicate little ears. Probably for about the same amount of money or maybe a little more I can get a new inexpensive mixer and use my speakers. But...(there always is a but, isn't there) given that my new sound card is not specific for audio recording/playback - the old speakers may not sound as fantastic as they sounded before. Meh! 

If I get new speakers, I'll need to get rid of the old ones. The market is flooded with people selling stuff (not surprising given the economy)  but I could get something for them. I just don't know if I want strangers coming to my house, (you already know I'm a privacy/security freak), and they weigh about 33 lbs (15 kg) each. So shipping should be fun.

I just managed to remove the sound card from my old computer - now I have to figure out if I can use it with the new computer and whether that will be better/worse for audio. 

So new speakers or old, new sound card or old, mixer or not? For someone who has to examine every option, rinse, repeat, this is going to take a while. And everyone has an opinion - so if you know something about this (or even if you don't) feel free to weigh in.

I spoke to a sales rep from the place that configured my recording system years ago. He thinks buying the mixer is the way to go.  He'd get my business either way, so its not a matter of making a sale. My sys ops pal at work (who also did music recording in past years) recommends getting rid of the big speakers and getting good computers speakers. His feeling is that if I want to record again in the future, I should start over and invest in a really good mixer and new speakers. My dad who is an audiophile (and electrical engineer) says - keep the speakers. My mom says - they are very large and take up too much space (she's right) get rid of them. I have to admit that the tiny bedroom this stuff is in looks a lot bigger without monstrous speakers on stands.

And I haven't even tried to load my old Photoshop Elements 3 on the new computer yet. If it won't work, then I'll need to upgrade to Elements 10 for a mere $80. Having had a computer which required no repairs in 10 years and I haven't bought new software for in almost 8 years, I'd forgotten what a money pit they can be the first few months. 

Now for the Drama!  As you know Teddy is quite an excitable cat. When I pulled everything apart earlier this week he was curious but not a problem. When I was putting everything together Friday night he began to race around the house. I think his internal dialog went something like this:

Oh boy, oh boy, she's pulling furniture around! (Run around living room)

We got boxes being opened and wire and stuff! (Run into the bedroom where 'stuff' is, run out, jump on top of the refrigerator. Yammer with excitement).

OMG! OMG! Something so exciting is happening, I'm just beside myself! (Run back into bedroom at top speed...race behind computer desk, jump on one of two things Meowmy has from her Grandma Ida (an inlaid walnut table from the old country), and knock over a Capodimonte lamp that was a gift from my dad's parents to my mom's parents...I caught the lamp! I knew that lamp was going over and managed to grab onto it just as he had his collision. The lamp is fine. The table has a couple of good scratches in it. He raced out of the bedroom as I yelled my ever so popular, "Dammit Teddy Boo, I'm going to kill you.!!!! He's sleeping on my desk chair right now while sit on the edge typing this. And Ida has decided that she'd like to taste-test some of the new wires. Sigh. 

So, time to attempt loading the Photoshop and then I get to change the litter box. Do I have an exciting life, or what?