Some Good News
The computer tech called me today and told me they got all the data off the laptop's disk!

Yeah!

They don't think the problem is the disk itself, but will do some minor checks. Can't see any reason to spend a lot of money repairing a nearly 4 year old laptop when the prices have dropped like they have.

But it is interesting with the laptop down. I have become so used to sitting in the living room with my wife, watching TV and me writing, reading, or surfing on the computer. It has been difficult to have to go downstairs and be separate to write and get things done on the computer.

So, will probably get a new laptop and get back into polite company instead of sitting down here and isolating in my cyber-world.