Right around Christmas I started having problems with the keyboard on this evil machine. I would be typing along nice as could be when all of a sudden I would see something like this …wago ot cntfge wng kop... Whaaaat?? The keyboard evidently was tired and would only work when it wanted to, not when I wanted it to. Not liking where this was heading I immediately e-mailed FD#4, aka Computer Whiz, looking for a little help. Actually a lot of help. That message looked something like this. “Hlp. Keboad nt wkg”.
Being the astute, caring daughter that she is, she immediately called me (when she got around to reading her messages) thinking that dear old mom was having a stroke. When I explained that I wasn’t the one having the stroke, the computer was, she gave a huge sigh of relief. Or maybe it was a huge sigh of exasperation that I was needing help with the stupid thing again. The jury’s still out on that one.
So anyway, here’s me in Ohio expecting a one click fix, (she is the Whiz after all) and there’s her in Arizona not being able to see what I’m trying to tell her. After going through the obvious fixes (obvious for her of course but not obvious for me, since obviously I would had tried those first before bothering her) and nothing is working. After much clicking and turning off and starting and offing and a lot of this, that, and the other thing she finally said she would have to do some research and call me back.
While waiting over on this side, I checked through the manual and could find nothing even remotely close to “when keyboard is acting like a pain in the butt, try this”. Throwing down the manual, I decided to clean the keyboard instead. Vacuum, wipe, brush, vacuum, compressed air, vacuum……….finally giving up and turning the darn thing off completely.
A short while later, not content to just sit it out and wait, (although I have many virtues, patience is not one of them) I turned the THING back on again and the keyboard was now working. Typing very slowly, I tried all the keys and they all worked. Not really believing it, I kept typing and typing. Still working. I then sent the Whiz? another e-mail telling her the good news. She could stop researching, everything was working fine now, no more problems, and although I couldn’t hear the sigh this time, I’m pretty sure there was one.
This morning…sdg giou thnt cpue dnko donwk stdp….
So if you don’t hear anything from me for a while, or I post comments on your blogs that don’t make any sense, you’ll know why.
#%$$#^@## COMPUTER (that one was me, not the keyboard)
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
EEEEK, A Mouse In The House
I’m always reluctant to admit that I occasionally have a mouse in the house as though it will cast aspersions on my house cleaning. (Don’t even go there) I know that it isn’t really any fault of mine. I’ve searched all over outside looking for the teeny, tiny space that they squeeze into in order to set up residence in the cupboard under my kitchen sink. Nothing. So I accept the fact that once in a while I will hear the tiptoeing of tiny feet making their way around the bottles of cleaners and the box of brillo pads, looking for even a speck of cracker crumb that isn’t there.
Long ago, (but not so far away) I lived in a house with a basement. Knowing that basements have a zillion places for little mice to run and hide, I always set up a few traps down there. Once in a while though, a mouse would make it's way upstairs to play in the kitchen drawers. Never actually seeing one walking up the stairs like normal visitors do, I assumed they made their way up through the walls somehow, and not wanting to set traps in the drawers on the chance that I would forget and reach my hand in…….I did the next best thing. When hearing a little rustling in the drawer I would call the dog. A little Yorkshire Terrier named Jiggs, who was the best mouser you have ever seen. Unlike cats who tend to play around with their catch, tossing it up in the air a few times, ewww, Jiggs got right down to business. All I would have to do is call him over, “hear that Jiggs? now get ready on three” and yank the drawer open as fast as I could so the mouse would be startled just long enough for Jiggs to grab him. Worked every time!! Of course, I immediately had to say “lets go outside Jiggs, and bring your new toy with you”.
But back to the present. No basement and sadly no little Jiggs anymore. Now it’s strictly trap times. And although mice don’t scare me and I don’t yell eeeek and jump on a chair, and I actually think some of them are kinda cute, that doesn’t mean that I want them to raise their family and their family's family in my cupboards. So….I set a little trap with their favorite cheddar cheese (hey, their last meal should at least be a good one) and put it in the right spot and wait.
The next morning I take the trap with it’s sad little addition and empty it on the back lawn so that at least Harry the hawk can benefit from the little mouse’s misfortune.
And no I did not take an after picture. That would be a bit much, even for me.
Long ago, (but not so far away) I lived in a house with a basement. Knowing that basements have a zillion places for little mice to run and hide, I always set up a few traps down there. Once in a while though, a mouse would make it's way upstairs to play in the kitchen drawers. Never actually seeing one walking up the stairs like normal visitors do, I assumed they made their way up through the walls somehow, and not wanting to set traps in the drawers on the chance that I would forget and reach my hand in…….I did the next best thing. When hearing a little rustling in the drawer I would call the dog. A little Yorkshire Terrier named Jiggs, who was the best mouser you have ever seen. Unlike cats who tend to play around with their catch, tossing it up in the air a few times, ewww, Jiggs got right down to business. All I would have to do is call him over, “hear that Jiggs? now get ready on three” and yank the drawer open as fast as I could so the mouse would be startled just long enough for Jiggs to grab him. Worked every time!! Of course, I immediately had to say “lets go outside Jiggs, and bring your new toy with you”.
But back to the present. No basement and sadly no little Jiggs anymore. Now it’s strictly trap times. And although mice don’t scare me and I don’t yell eeeek and jump on a chair, and I actually think some of them are kinda cute, that doesn’t mean that I want them to raise their family and their family's family in my cupboards. So….I set a little trap with their favorite cheddar cheese (hey, their last meal should at least be a good one) and put it in the right spot and wait.
The next morning I take the trap with it’s sad little addition and empty it on the back lawn so that at least Harry the hawk can benefit from the little mouse’s misfortune.
And no I did not take an after picture. That would be a bit much, even for me.
Monday, January 5, 2009
Food For Thought
Food for the birdfeeders
Food for the feeder of the birds
I’m thinking something is definitely cockeyed over here.
Hmmmm. I wonder what suet and safflowers seeds taste like.
Food for the feeder of the birds
I’m thinking something is definitely cockeyed over here.
Hmmmm. I wonder what suet and safflowers seeds taste like.
Friday, January 2, 2009
Running On Empty
Well, not exactly running. The only thing running around here is my nose, the rest of me is more like a slow shuffle. On this second day of the new year my calendar is empty, my mind is empty, and even my coffee cup is empty.
(Notice the dragon on there?)
Well, at least I can fix that one right away, so hold on a minute.
Now for the calendar. Come to think of it, that’s not totally empty. Today is my older sister Betty’s birthday. My other older sister Nan also has a birthday later this month, so in honor of them both, here they are in all their glory. Don’t let the smiles fool you, they’re nowhere near as sweet as they might look. And did I happen to mention that they’re both older than I am? (snicker, snort, chortle, guffaw)
Next, on to the empty mind. …………Ummmm…………nope, nothing there………no thoughts, witticisms, jokes, or ideas floating around in there. The only thing bouncing around in there now is the nagging suspicion that this month is going to be pretty slow when it comes to blogging. Or anything else for that matter. Oh oh, now what am I going to do.
(Notice the dragon on there?)
Well, at least I can fix that one right away, so hold on a minute.
Now for the calendar. Come to think of it, that’s not totally empty. Today is my older sister Betty’s birthday. My other older sister Nan also has a birthday later this month, so in honor of them both, here they are in all their glory. Don’t let the smiles fool you, they’re nowhere near as sweet as they might look. And did I happen to mention that they’re both older than I am? (snicker, snort, chortle, guffaw)
Next, on to the empty mind. …………Ummmm…………nope, nothing there………no thoughts, witticisms, jokes, or ideas floating around in there. The only thing bouncing around in there now is the nagging suspicion that this month is going to be pretty slow when it comes to blogging. Or anything else for that matter. Oh oh, now what am I going to do.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
"In Like A Lion, Out Like A Lamb"
I know that little saying is usually used for the month of March, but I figured it should be good for other times as well. So this time I’m applying it for the whole year of 2008.
January 1, 2008 came in like a lion, with very cold temperatures, strong winds, and 6 inches of snow so of course I’m expecting the year to go out like a lamb. (Yes, I believe all those little sayings, old wives tales, and even a few little ditties I made up myself)
But something seems to be very wrong this time. Roaring winds gusting up to 40 mph, weather advisory till late this afternoon scrolling across the bottom of the weather channel, 4-6 inches of snow expected, and the high temp. only expected to reach 21 deg. I don’t even want to think of the wind chill factor!
So what the heck happened? Where’s the mild temperatures, the sun, the peaceful end to the old year? I’ll tell you what happened!! Sometime during the year, the lion ate that cute little, tasty lamb. Gobbled him right up when he wandered a little too close. Stupid little lamb. Smart, smug, satisfied, stuffed old lion.
And so ends 2008. In like a lion, out like a lion.
Maybe we should change that original saying just a little bit. How about “in like a lion, out like a goat”. This little fellow is just as cute as a little lamb, and better yet, he looks like he might have a better chance of escaping a chance encounter with “the big hairy one”. And the weather would then do what it's supposed to!!
January 1, 2008 came in like a lion, with very cold temperatures, strong winds, and 6 inches of snow so of course I’m expecting the year to go out like a lamb. (Yes, I believe all those little sayings, old wives tales, and even a few little ditties I made up myself)
But something seems to be very wrong this time. Roaring winds gusting up to 40 mph, weather advisory till late this afternoon scrolling across the bottom of the weather channel, 4-6 inches of snow expected, and the high temp. only expected to reach 21 deg. I don’t even want to think of the wind chill factor!
So what the heck happened? Where’s the mild temperatures, the sun, the peaceful end to the old year? I’ll tell you what happened!! Sometime during the year, the lion ate that cute little, tasty lamb. Gobbled him right up when he wandered a little too close. Stupid little lamb. Smart, smug, satisfied, stuffed old lion.
And so ends 2008. In like a lion, out like a lion.
Maybe we should change that original saying just a little bit. How about “in like a lion, out like a goat”. This little fellow is just as cute as a little lamb, and better yet, he looks like he might have a better chance of escaping a chance encounter with “the big hairy one”. And the weather would then do what it's supposed to!!
Monday, December 29, 2008
"Blue Skies Smiling At Me"
I used to sing that song to myself quite a bit, also sometimes out loud at the top of my lungs, just because it’s fun, ….but a word of caution here. If you don’t normally break into a loud song all of a sudden, better check around first to see that nobody is standing there with a cup of hot coffee in their hands. Ahhh, such fun memories.
Anyhow, I never really appreciate the words to that song until the month of December rolls around and we hardly ever see blue skies. I read somewhere that here in northeast Ohio, December is the cloudiest, gloomiest, dreariest month of the year. I may be wrong about that, (I doubt it), but on the slim chance that I am, I’m sure someone out there will be jumping at the chance to correct me in record time.
But today is not gloomy and cloudy.
Today it’s....
“Blue skies smiling at me”
“Nothing but blue skies do I see”.
Almost got blinded taking that first shot but...
Ain’t it grand!!!
Anyhow, I never really appreciate the words to that song until the month of December rolls around and we hardly ever see blue skies. I read somewhere that here in northeast Ohio, December is the cloudiest, gloomiest, dreariest month of the year. I may be wrong about that, (I doubt it), but on the slim chance that I am, I’m sure someone out there will be jumping at the chance to correct me in record time.
But today is not gloomy and cloudy.
Today it’s....
“Blue skies smiling at me”
“Nothing but blue skies do I see”.
Almost got blinded taking that first shot but...
Ain’t it grand!!!
Friday, December 26, 2008
The Dreaded James Gang
You’ve heard of them. Jesse, his brother Frank, and the rest of the robbers, thieves, and thugs that rode from town to town robbing banks, trains, stagecoaches and generally causing mischief and mayhem and sometimes worse, wherever they went. The sight of the James gang appearing on the edge of town was enough to cause all others to tremble in fear, running to take refuge wherever they could until finally the gang were all caught and jailed or hanging from various trees.
The James gang is long gone of course, but over the years new gangs have always sprung up to take their place. And now it’s a gang of 8 or so swooping into neighborhoods, taking whatever strikes their fancy and claiming it as their own. A gang of thieves that uses coercion, intimidation and fear to get what they want, showing little or no regard for others or their property and scattering the residents into their hiding places to wait it out until the thugs have had their fill and decide to move on to greener, richer pastures.
Hearing rumors of this new gang and wanting to get proof of their raids, I lie in wait with my camera. Like all gangs, they can’t get along with each other and are not willing to share the spoils (no honor among thieves) but I did manage to get one picture of three of them in that nano-second when they weren’t fighting with each other. And if you’ve ever seen a picture of the James gang, you’ll remember that they are definitely not good looking, with their un-bathed bodies, dirty clothing, and ratty looking hats covering even rattier looking hair. But these modern day gang members are quite the opposite. All decked out in their finest colors when they decide to pillage, all wanting to look their best in case they get caught on film.
The Dreaded Jays Gang
The James gang is long gone of course, but over the years new gangs have always sprung up to take their place. And now it’s a gang of 8 or so swooping into neighborhoods, taking whatever strikes their fancy and claiming it as their own. A gang of thieves that uses coercion, intimidation and fear to get what they want, showing little or no regard for others or their property and scattering the residents into their hiding places to wait it out until the thugs have had their fill and decide to move on to greener, richer pastures.
Hearing rumors of this new gang and wanting to get proof of their raids, I lie in wait with my camera. Like all gangs, they can’t get along with each other and are not willing to share the spoils (no honor among thieves) but I did manage to get one picture of three of them in that nano-second when they weren’t fighting with each other. And if you’ve ever seen a picture of the James gang, you’ll remember that they are definitely not good looking, with their un-bathed bodies, dirty clothing, and ratty looking hats covering even rattier looking hair. But these modern day gang members are quite the opposite. All decked out in their finest colors when they decide to pillage, all wanting to look their best in case they get caught on film.
The Dreaded Jays Gang
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
