I've already talked about Bella (my car) and Nahla (my iBook ... Megera is my HP laptop). Mufasa was my main computer before Nahla.

He's one of those spiffy blue-and-white G3 Macs. I bought him, probably eight or nine years ago -- maybe longer -- which makes him positively ancient in computer time.

I have a bad habit of anthropomorphizing things, as evidenced by my penchant for naming them. It makes it hard to give them up later.

Of course, when you spend as much time on computers as I do, it seems like they deserve names. Yes, I know I'm a geek. We've already discussed that. I've accepted it and moved on.

Mufasa and I had a lot of good years together and he came through for me more times than I can count, but after I got Nahla, I rarely used him. It pains me to say it, but he was outdated, which happens to computers about 30 seconds after you buy them. Heck, even Nahla and Meg are old maids in computer time.

I hadn't used Mufasa in months (hadn't used him regularly for years) -- he was more than a little dusty -- and I'm moving. I knew what had to happen, but that didn't make it any easier.

Like I said, I get a weird guilt thing going on. And yes, I realize that it's odd to form attachments to inanimate objects. I'm not nearly as antisocial as that makes me sound. I swear.

My difficulty in giving things away goes way back to a plastic toy horse on wheels named (of course) Paint.

I loved Paint. When I was maybe 5 or 6, too old and too big to ride him any more, we decided to donate Paint to Goodwill. My mom asked me if I was sure. Over and over she asked, giving me plenty of opportunities to back out. I insisted I was fine with it.

And then I saw Paint on the truck.

I cried (makes me teary now even thinking of it) and made my mom go get Paint back. I think he might actually still be in her storeroom -- nearly 30 years later.

I have to admit, I thought about pulling a Paint with Mufasa. Then I thought about lugging that massive (35 pounds) and unwieldy monitor back upstairs. So, I let the students at Metro Tech High School wheel him away. And yes, I stayed and watched. No, I didn't wave. Well, only in my head.

I was a little bit like Tom Hanks as Wilson (the volleyball) floated away from him in "Castaway." Of course, I hadn't been stranded on an island, wasn't treading water and there were no life-or-death choices to be made, but the feelings were still similar. I even felt like I had to apologize for letting Mufasa go. Tell me you didn't get a little teary at that scene. Heartless creature.

At least Mufasa is going to a good cause -- teaching -- which is a noble endeavor for a computer. I donated him to AzStRUT -- Students Recycling Used Technology. Once the students there have learned all they can from playing with Mufasa, they'll donate him for use in a kids' community center.

It's kind of like a pet goat going to a petting zoo. Don't ask me where that analogy came from but it kinda works.

Thanks for all the memories, Mufasa.

I have got to stop naming things. And I have to feed Bella. Gotta go. Sebastian is ringing.