But there were at least a few things I could have done differently. First off, if you can avoid installing major software on your Mac while you're traveling, do so. Secondly, I should really make it a practice to keep my Mac-based work that's in progress on Dropbox. Had I done that, I wouldn't have worried about the last week's worth of data; it would have nearly all been synced via Dropbox. Then, I could have more easily restored in a single swoop from my SuperDuper backup, using Dropbox for the diffs.

And finally, though I blame 13F for spilling the water on my laptop, I could have prevented it. I could have closed the laptop when I stood to let her in, or held it as I did so. It didn't occur to me to do either. Next time, it will.