We had a bit of an accident here a couple of nights ago. R. dropped my iBook and the screen is coming away from the case. A. took the laptop to CompUSA to see what they could do. They wanted $169 just to look at it, plus they estimated it would cost at least $150 more to make the repairs. I really didn't want to spend $300+ to fix a four year old computer, so I had kind of resigned myself to replacing it with a Mac Mini, which would go into the basement mostly for the kids to use. I don't use the laptop on the train as much anymore, so I could certainly go without one for a while, with the possibility of picking up a refurbished iBook at bonus time next spring.

A couple of weeks ago I had bought a new battery for the laptop, since the old one wasn't holding a charge very long any more. I asked A. to call the company I had bought it from, MacResq, to return it. When she called, they mentioned that they had a repair service. For $49 they would send you a padded box in which to ship your laptop to them. They diagnose the problem and let you know how much it would cost to fix. You can then decide whether to fix it or not. If you decide not to fix it, they buy the iBook from you for parts.

So I'm going to give this a shot. I have been doing business with this company for years, and never had any problem with them. I used another service they provide to replace the battery in my first iPod a year or so ago and it worked like a charm. I figure it's a no-lose situation. Either I get my laptop back for a lot less than I might have otherwise, or I get some cash for it (I would expect at least enough to cover the fee, anyways.) We'll see what happens.

The Marlins continue the fire sale by trading Carlos Delgado to the Mets. They have also been granted permission by MLB to look for a new home city since it seems unlikely that a ballpark is going to get built for them in South Florida. Portland, OR, Las Vegas and Puerto Rico are all possibilities for a new home. The Miami area has never really embraced the Marlins despite two World Series Championships since they came into the league in 1993. At least the government there is not playing into the standard "build us a ballpark or we'll leave" ploy.

Of course, the Delgado trade has an impact on the Red Sox as well. You would think that the Mets are a less likely trade candidate for Manny Ramirez after already acquiring an expensive bat to go along with last season's high priced acquisitions or Pedro Martinez and Carlos Beltran. I really don't have a good sense of where Manny is going to land. One intriguing rumor that was floated today had Manny going to Seattle for Ichiro Suzuki. Ichiro is having some issues with Mariners management, but it seems like a longshot.

Have a happy and safe Thanksgiving, everyone. Remember, if you don't eat yourself into a coma tomorrow, you're not doing it right!