Thursday, December 3, 2015

Odds & ends

  • In case you haven't noticed ;)  I have been on a posting roll lately. ;)  17 posts in November alone, sometimes two in one day. I didn't formally take part in NaBloPoMo, but maybe I could have/should have. ;)  I said a little while back that I was hoping to reach 1,000 posts before the year is over -- and I'm well on track to meet that goal (knock wood!) ;) -- but I haven't been posting simply to rack up numbers. Sometimes I can't think of anything I want to say/write for days on end (or I just don't have time);  other times, the posts just write themselves, one after another. November was one of those months. ;)   
  • Dh & I have also been on a roll with movies:  we've seen 23 to date this year, i.e., an average of two a month. Most of them have been really good. Most recently, we saw "Spotlight." I'd heard it billed as the best movie about journalism since "All the President's Men" (which I adored), and it did not disappoint. I predict Oscar nominations.
  • "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" will have to wait until after we return from Christmas vacation, though. :(  I wouldn't say I'm a Star Wars fanatic, but I LOVED the original three Star Wars movies (the first came out when I was in high school, the third when dh & I were both in grad school), and I am so looking forward to seeing this one, with the original cast members. :)  When I saw the trailer with Han Solo & Chewbacca entering the Millennium Falcon, and Han smiling & saying, "Chewie, we're home" I got teary. ;)  (OK, maybe I am a geek after all.)  
  • Mel had a post recently asking whether we assume technology will always work, or always fail.  My response was that MY assumption when it comes to new technology is that *I* won’t be able to figure it out!  lol  It was a timely question because at the moment, we are awash in new technology, issues with old technology -- and frustration. 
    • As I wrote a little while ago, we just got a new flat-screen, HD LED Smart TV (stepBIL helped us with the initial setup for that). Then we had to get an HD box to go WITH the TV (& figure out how to hook up & operate THAT -- not to mention it’s costing us an extra $13 on our monthly cable to be able to watch HDTV on our HDTV, grrrr…). We've had to call the cable company at least three times for help so far, because every time there is a new download, it screws everything up. :p 
    •  Then we got a new car (our old one was 12+ years old) -- and IT has all kinds of high-tech bells & whistles we are still trying to figure out.
    • Then yesterday, I went to print a photo on my home printer. The printer is about 12 years old, but I have never had an issue with it -- until now.  The colours came out all wrong & muddy. (It still prints black & white documents fine.)  The one thing I can think of that's different since the last time I printed off a photo is that the last two ink cartridges I installed (it takes 6) have been generic Staples brand ones, because I can't get the manufacturer's cartridges in those shades any more. I had hoped to hang onto this printer for a little while longer... we'll see...
    • We recently realized we really do need to trade in our 8-year-old flip phones for smartphones (when dh was in the hospital last week, I had to go outside to pick up a signal every time I wanted to call his brother with an update -- and he couldn't call me -- while all around me people were yakking on their smartphones) -- but we’ve decided to wait until after Christmas. There is only so much new technology two aging baby boomers can master at once. :p
  • Speaking of technology (& frustration) -- I mentioned awhile back that I have been having some major issues with leaving comments on some WordPress/self-hosted blogs. I try to post something & it goes "poof!" & disappears. Or tries to get me to log into my WordPress account, vs just letting me use my regular info. I've tried to contact the bloggers privately where possible, but I don't have emails for some... so if it's been awhile since you've heard from me, check your spam folder -- some WordPress bloggers have found my comments in there. :p 

3 comments:

  1. I have noticed you've been writing a lot lately! I love it. Now I just need to find some more free time to read! We have tickets to the first showing of Star Wars in Pittsburgh. Hubs is a huge fan. I like Star Wars but am much more of a Star Trek fan. We don't go to the movies very often because we can seldom agree on one to see, but I wish I could convince hubs to go more often! All of the TV/Cable/Hulu/Playstation/Printer crap I make hubs deal with. He enjoys it and I get easily frustrated with stuff like that. So he figures it out and then tells me what buttons to push. It works for us. Whenever you get a new printer, don't get an Epson. We have one and I despise it! If we didn't use it so infrequently I'd just trash it and buy a new one, but I can't justify spending money on a new one. If you decide on an iPhone and want tips, I'm happy to help out. I showed MIL the ins and outs of hers and you are much more technologically inclined than she is. :p

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  2. Well done you on the posting, and the movie-going! I'm just checking in quickly, and will comment properly sometime, but wanted you to know I haven't forgotten you. Or anyone!

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  3. Hi Loribeth,
    Second reply to this post - first one disappeared somewhere into the ether. Didn’t preview my comment as I usually do, I went straight to publish – best disappearing act ever!

    I’ve got some considerable reading to do over the summer to catch up with all the posts you’ve been writing. Looking forward to it.
    Would you believe I’ve never seen a Star Wars movie? I am partial to Star Trek though.

    Re your technology comment - I was in I.T for over 27 years and the technology in our field (banking/finance) pretty much worked as it should have. If it didn’t it was usually because the human at the end of the keyboard stuffed up!
    We’ve just bought a new GPS to replace our old one. After listening to the hubby rant and sigh and swear I went into the study to discuss the problem he seemed to be having registering and updating the new device. The instructions were tightly folded and still in the box.... we all know it’s just there as extra padding right?
    Quick check of the instructions, quick lookup of a few questions on google and all done. Guess that makes me the techo in this family!

    Here in Aust it’s often cheaper to buy a new printer each time you run out of ink... what a waste. We bite our tongue and look for specials on printer ink when we need to.

    Hahaha – I can relate on the flip phone situation. Hubby doesn’t have one (except the work one when he’s in the office), I got mine after dad died in 2006 so mum had us at her fingertips if she needed to contact us. She’s still going strong, my cell phone is hardly ever on (no kids to keep track of and very little else that needs immediate attention), and I promised myself I’d update to a smart phone last year for my 50th birthday. It’s now 16 months later and I’m just getting around to it. Don’t really need it but want to stay up to date with technology. Once you fall over the 50 years age line you start taking the “use it or lose it” about your brain a bit more seriously.
    Looking forward to reading more......Kathryn

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