Tuesday, September 17, 2013

I'm Screwed

Having a love/hate relationship with my computer, but I am doing OK.

I have been trying to write a blog for a week now, but my Mr. Dell is not cooperating.  The dashboard on Blogger is not coming up and I am unable to do anything.  Since my reliable Apple iPad shows everything just fine, I suspect that something nasty has attached itself to my elderly computer.  You know how scammers and spammers prey on the old and vulnerable, well they got me and my Dell pretty good.

I have had this iPad for almost two years now and sometimes use it for writing my posts.  However, I don't know how to do the iCloud bit or play around with apps to get the things I need. Everything changes so quickly in technology and instead of taxing my brain with things that will be different next week, I just work around what I know and avoid the frustration.

Hopefully, I will get out of this mess by next week and resume my blog with pictures. Maybe I will have my 10 year old granddaughter come over to work on it with me as this techie stuff is second nature to kids.   Everybody over 50 is using their brains for more cerebral things - at least that is what I tell myself.



Tuesday, September 3, 2013

Why I Am Glad My Son Studied Computers

Took some time to enjoy the waning days of summer and I am doing OK.

In my last post, I wrote about how the hickory tree in my backyard attempted suicide and took a neighboring cherry with it.  Another old soul, also a cherry, was injured in the melee, but will survive, albeit without some limbs.  With the help of my daughter's friend and dear hubby testing fate, the branches that were hanging on and close to the ground were cut off and the area cleaned up. It was a very big job and a lot of sweat was spent. The good thing is that half of the hickory tree could be saved.  Unfortunately, the tree next to it had to be completely removed, and it was done in a quick manner, a la Marie Antoinette.  Its passing was mourned and tears were shed. 

What was left was a branch of about 30 feet in length hanging capriciously from the split trunk. The other half was sprawled sideways in the other direction and spanned a few trees.  This had to be left to a professional.  After calling five different companies (some did not have the equipment, others said they would come, but never showed up), we found a young man who was willing to take the job for a very reasonable fee.



He came last Friday.  As I watched him and his assistant, my throat was in my stomach.  Holy moly, how does his mother let him do that. ?







Needless to say, I was a Nervous Nelly during the two hours this young man, Zack, flew through my trees on an orange rope. 

I am so grateful that back in the 80's and 90's my husband worked for a computer company and my son became enamored with all the hardware and software that he would bring home (legally).  Andy went to college, got his degree and has a successful career. He travels to far-off places, has his adventures but doesn't do anything in his job that would cause his dear old mother to pull her hair out because of stress.  However, I bet he would love to change jobs with Zack for a day or two because that young man certainly looked like he was doing something he loved and by the look on his face when he had completed the job, he had had a great time.

Free to be, free to be, but not me.  A three-step ladder will take me as high as I wish to see.