Iphone Meets Lawn Mower

My hubby called me the other day with news. My stomach did a flip flop even before the words came out of his mouth. He ran over his iPhone with his super duper riding lawn mower, and the Otter Box did not protect it. LOL. When he first began looking, he borrowed a friend's phone to call his phone. No ring, no sound whatsoever. In fact, as he searched the lawn for the phone, he couldn't find even a piece. It wasn't until after searching much more that he began to find pieces of the expensive machine. We've had a few laughs, but only a few. Our grandson thinks we should let the Otter Box company know that its product did not protect the phone. I think we should give a plug to the mower that definitely cuts grass as well as anything else in its way.

Blame It on My Iphone

So I guess it has been a while since I have posted. Blame it on my new Iphone. I love it!! I can check facebook in the comfort of my loveseat. I can search the web for anything without sitting at the BIG computer. I just haven't ventured into my blog from my Iphone. I know it can be done, but you know me and technology. We aren't the best of friends. In fact, I don't think we should be in the same room because we don't get along. That being said, I love my Iphone. I do not have many apps installed. I'm sure I only use a tenth of it's potential. But then we only use a tenth of our brains. Guess I should learn to develop both of them. But not right now. You see, I'm going in the living room to watch tv. That will really develop my brain while I check in with my Iphone, my friend.

Entering the World of Instant Communication in Solitude

Well, hubby has entered a new world, the world of IPhone 4. He, the one who didn't have text. He, the one who does not do facebook much. He, the one who ignores his calls. He has the smart phone. I'm glad for him because now I can text my messages to him since he doesn't always take his calls. I'll just have to figure a way to be sure he checks his messages. I know that now I will be competing with the phone. He will be engrossed in checking the latest football, basketball, etc. scores. I will have to get his attention by saying his name aloud, several times, to be sure he is ready to hear me. Like I said, I will have to get his attention by saying his name aloud, several times, to be sure he is ready to hear me.

The Passing of an Old Friend

A dear friend of mine is ill and near to expiring. She has been with me through the rough times. She has dealt with my dirt, faithfully. I knew she was having problems. I tried to console her, but she wept, wept all over the floor. I bandaged her numerous times, but with limited success. She cries from both sides now. Perhaps I will cry when she leaves my laundry room soon. She has been my faithful friend. She will not be lonely though, because we are sending her mate to be with her. Hope she doesn't catch a glimpse of my new friends, the ones I'm buying their friendship with real money. In time, they, too, will become my faithful friends. (Thanks to Laurie for the post idea, and thanks to my washer. May you rest in peace.)

Beware of Spy Ware

We have been without our computer this week because of an infection of viruses. We pay for Norton to protect us and it has done well all this time. But the other morning I walk into the computer room to see the screen filled with filthy, vulgar pictures. Also about 5 warning windows were layered over top of the pictures. The warnings were telling us to buy their spy ware to eliminate the problems we now had. The spy ware had turned off our Norton protection, the one we pay for. There should be a law against it. Hubby had to go through all kinds of maneuvers to fix the computer. It is fixed, but not working as well as it had before. We will probably find more problems have not been caught. Seems we got the infestation from opening an email, or from any site. The disabling cookie lies dormant for a while so you cannot trace its source. Why can't it all work normally and safely?

Who Is Watching You?

On Facebook, I was typing a post about www.celerystreet.com for recycled purses, when up pops this link for me to use about the web site, complete with pictures. How did the computer/facebook know I was getting ready to post about celery street???? I find that very scary.

Stupid, Annoying Sound Machine

So, I'm sound asleep, dreaming weird, but happy dreams, when this annoying sound shocks me into semi-conscious alertness. What is that ugly noise? What day is this? Honestly, I can't think. I run through my groggy mind pictures of what I did yesterday, hoping to determine the current day. Finally, when I figure out it's FRIDAY, I struggle to make the ugly noise machine stop talking to me. (I need my coffee.) I push the usual button twice, but the noise continues to annoy me. Uncharacteristically, I search and find another button to push, but the blaring continues. I successfully change it to another mode that is counting down from 60, but didn't silence the beast. Frustrated, I find the plug to kill the thing! I'm awake now!!

Happy New Year

Can you believe it is 2010? Can you believe the controversy on how to say it? Some are saying two thousand ten. What is wrong with twenty ten? 1999 was pronounced as nineteen ninety-nine and not one thousand, nine hundred ninety-nine. Always has to be an angle.

"Twas a Techno Christmas

What a great Christmas! We enjoyed being with family most of all. And the gifts were great, too. So many techno gifts. Our 5 year-old granddaughter got a DS (whatever that is) and knows how to play/use it. Marty got an underwater camera so he can spy on the fish and frogs this next summer. Doug got so many gadgets for his camera that he will need a suitcase--wait, that's not techno enough--to carry it all. Heidi got a gps with a big screen. I got a digital photo billfold whatever. Instead of carrying photos in my wallet, I now can share all my pictures digitally. Ally got an Ipod that holds more gigs than our computer. Jason, however, did not go techno. He asked for and received a 35 pound kettle bell for weight training. Guess you can't actually lift weights digitally. And we all received cds of the latest stars. Wonder why Heidi got Glee 1 and I got Glee 2? And Ally got the Beatles? Marty had a plan for his download. The girls had plans for their uploads. I'm still trying to figure out how to play my cd on the "old-fashioned" cd/radio player.

Facebook vs the Blog

I just posted on facebook and lamented about making a mistake and not being able to fix it. Then my daughter texts me to tell me how to fix the mistake of facebook. Do we ever talk face to face? Yes, but technology is fun.

Lesson Plans

Someone has volunteered to work with the gifted students from my room. That's great, except this person wants me to get all the materials ready, at least 2 weeks in advance. Do I look gifted?

Are You There, Anyone?

My cell phone has not been ringing. I'm beginning to think it may be broken. I checked recent calls and was sad to see I had received only 4 calls in the last 8 days. I'm not doing much better in text messages either. Oh, well, no news is good news.

How to Print My Blog

Does anyone know if it is possible to print my nearly 700 entries? I would like to have it in print in a tangible book. I suppose I could print one page at a time, but that would be cumbersome as well as time consuming. What is opened on one page of my blog would take 8 pages to print. Any thoughts?

Fixed Car, Will Travel

The Vue is fixed. After another conversation on the telephone with the service manager, he told hubby how to fix the oil light without driving the car to their place. Guess the computer is set up to notify the owner every X number of miles and since they changed the oil a little ahead of schedule, they forgot to reset it. And the manager admitted that his department made a mistake in not fixing the computer. Is it too late to cancel those magnetic lemon signs?

Lemon in Black Paint

We have had our Saturn Vue for 6 months. And we have taken it in for minor repairs 6 times. The worse part is that the service department gives false information causing us to make more trips to fix the same item. Hubby didn't get the back hatch rubber covering fixed on Friday, due to their miscommunication. He has to return with it when the part arrives. But that's okay, because when we drove to church yesterday the oil light came on and stayed on. After church hubby checked the oil and it is fine. Oh, and he found a loose bolt lying beside the engine! Now where does that go? What is not attached this time? So another trip to see them, another adventure. Hubby is threatening to put a lemon sign on the side of the car when he drives it there the next time. Is this some kind of test for the owner? For the service department?

Stay Tuned for More News About Your Camel

During VBS I play a news anchor who starts the program with lead-off stories before turning it over to our eyewitness reporter, Corinna. It's all set back in Jesus's time on earth. The two of us have a script to work from, but we are both good at ad libbing. Sometimes we come up with the same idea at the same time and just go with it. Yesterday, for the mock weather report, we decided to talk about the heat advisory and keeping their camels out of the sun until after 6:00 pm, ECT or Eastern Camel Time. Some of the children got the joke right away while others just looked confused. In the "off the air" segment yesterday, we, as the reporters, quiz the students about what they have learned or heard about Jesus. Because they are giving us so many stories, we joked about having extra newscasts or break-in reports. Corinna encouraged them to tune in throughout the day to listen. We must be believable because several wanted to know what channel to watch on their tv.

Busy Week

Just had my first full week of summer break! I spent 4 of the 5 days in professional development. Now before you say "Yuk!" I must say that it was for pay!!! I love it when I get to volunteer to go to meetings to earn extra money when so many other times we are expected to do it for free. I am trying to earn a little extra to help pay for my granddaughter's preschool and daycare for next year. Would you believe that it will cost around $4,300 for Toots to attend preschool 5 half-days and finish the day out at the daycare? For that amount, she could go 3 semesters to IVY TECH! But what is a parent to do? What is a grandparent to do? We are to help out, especially since Toots's dad is laid off.

Stimulus Plan and Going Green

Are they a contradiction? A person can buy a new vehicle for $6,000 less than the list price. The price for the new one is also several thousand dollars less than a two to four-year old used car of the same make and model. I can understand this part of the stimulus plan. Buy new, keep people working. But I don't understand what will happen to all the used vehicles that are now out of reach on pricing, yet very usable. We were sucked into the plan. We bought a new Vue and received the huge savings. We had been looking at used ones, but couldn't touch the price of the new. I like my car, but it is a stripped-down model of the Vue from just 4 years ago. Our daughter owns a 2004 Vue. She really likes ours and would love to have it. That is, until she drove ours. Hers has far more standard luxury items and more room for seating behind the driver. Ours has been stripped-down and squeezed together. (Glad we kept our van.) While on the outside you can tell ours is new, inside is proof that new is not always better! What about recycling? Reusing? Reducing? Seems the plan is just creating more while discarding more.

This Little Light of Mine

Turned on the living room lights the other morning and experienced a strobe effect with one of the new energy-saving fluorescent bulbs, you know, the ones that look like a coil. When hubby awakened, I pointed it out to him. He promptly replaced the bulb with its package partner. Thinking out loud, he said that he should take the stobing bulb back, but soon found out that you must have your sales receipt. Okay, who is going to keep the receipt when the box clearly states they are guaranteed to burn for 11 years? Maybe the company was trying to be tricky and was counting both bulbs for the total of 11 years. But that would still be less than 4 years, or about 1/3 the lifespan predicted for one bulb. (Thought I'd throw that in there since we are doing fractions at school.) Hubby decided to try to return the bulb without the receipt since this type of bulb has only been on the market for about 2 years. Surely the store will believe him. No, wait! That would be too logical.

600th Post

I have reached a milestone for someone who is not completely computer illiterate by entering my 600th post. My computer literacy varies on a scale of 1 to 7 between illiterate and getting-by-okay. I'm truly amazed at those who are in their 70s and up who are able to use the computers. I saw on the news a man in his 80s who lived in an assisted living home who went to work every day (within the home) as a day trader. That won't be me!