The Keyboard Is Mightier Than The Sword

This is a new experiment for me. I am posting from my i-pad. I know, I know, people do it all the time. Well, they had to do it the first time also. Speaking of other people and tech-o advancements it is sort of expected for people to be on top of the latest gadget. I think that is why you see people all the time doing something to their smart-phones - I think most of the time  they are in a learning mode because they just purchased the latest improved one. It will take them about two weeks to learn that one and maybe in four or five weeks they will have to buy another latest that has more options.

The other week we were haggling with Lowe's about coming to repair something and before they would continue to connect us to the department we needed to talk to they insisted on having our cell phone numbers. I told them the numbers but told the person I was talking to for him to put a notation that we never turn them on unless we go somewhere. Yesterday we missed an important call from Lowe's because we didn't go anywhere. They only tried our cell phones. AARRGGggggg.

Speaking of modern gizmos that it  is expected for people to have is a fax machine. At least twice, maybe thee times, in the past months someone has asked me to fax them something or visa-versa. Their jaws drop (yet the frozen smile stays) when I say we don't have a fax machine.

Which reminds me, a few years ago was a special on TV of barbecue joints in and around Atlanta. We love to try out bbq dives whenever we can, so we taped the program on our VCR. My neighbor, 87 year old Jim, told me several times he loved good bbq, so I thought I would be neighborly if I lent him our tape. I carried the VCR tape over for him to borrow - he didn't ask for it, I thought I would suprise him. I rung his doorbell, he came to the door and I told him what it was and reached to give it to him. He didn't take it, but said, "We don't have a VCR". My jaws dropped but I kept smiling.

How Is Your GARMIN Hanging?

Not long ago I was sitting and eating with several people I know. But the truth is, the others know each other more than they know me or I know them. You might say I was a “slight” outsider. What else is new?

I think there were about five or six people. I think each of them brought up their GARMIN at one time or another in the conversation.

First I thought GARMIN was a person. But then the more they talked I thought a GARMIN maybe was a little hand-held toy, like a yo-yo. Maybe a GARMIN was a modern MOJO. Then one person said something about mounting their GARMIN. Mounting? Is it an inflatable-adult toy?

Finally, I asked what a GARMIN was and one person politely (not talking down to me) said that it was a GPS system. This little group are not much on traveling as far as I know. I think if they made many trips outside of their comfort zone I would have heard about it. Most of their driving is done in a 30 mile radius of places they already know well.

So, why do you need a GARMIN to show you how to get to someplace you know already?

I get directions before to places I haven’t been before and if I make a wrong turn or miss my stopping point I will find out about it eventually and turn around. It certainly isn’t worth dollars to me get it right the first time. That is one of the reasons we leave early.

Yesterday I heard another person use the word GARMIN. when someone was trying to tell her directions say, “Don’t worry, I’ll use my GARMIN.!”

Ahah! It is a status symbol-gadget toy! Why didn’t they say so?

I want one!

I guess I am a backwards soul. I haven’t figured any excuse to justify owning a GARMIN yet. But just give me time.

My New Toy

As I have mentioned here, most of last week I was hosting a carpenter putting a new face on our kitchen. His name was Jason. Jason was a subcontractor of a contracting company for a larger company. Everybody got to use the top company’s logo. I am sure the big company got most of the money and the contracting company got a nice chunk of the money and who probably got the least? Jason, the one who did all the work probably got the least, of course.

Jason is a young man, probably under 30 years of age. He is a truly professional craftsman who takes his job very seriously. He is also a perfectionist. I noticed a couple of times he was working on a tiny little minute detail that we would never notice – but he wanted it right.

His work ethnic reminded me of my sons’ work ethic: give it all plus more. You will sleep better. He also likes gadgets like my sons…. Well, me too.

If the contractor paid him $100 a day for 8 hours for three days (I just grabbed that monetary figure out of the air) he gave us $150 worth of detailed work for 10 hours a day three days.

He also likes gadgets like my sons…. Well, me too.

It was interesting to see what kind of gadget he was going to pull out of wide range of tools next. He reminded me of Professor Gadget or maybe even James Bond, the way he quickly pulled out a gadget like a tiny little saw to fit only in a tiny little space, or suddenly in the carport have a full size work table that seemed to have expanded from a tiny little suitcase. He even had a big box of crayons I think to color code things.

Once while doing some power screwing with his power screwdriver, of course, he whipped out a little head band with a light on it. He put it on his forehead like a coalminer and it gave him perfect light for in the shadows when he was trying to screw the screw in right.

I wanted one!

Many times I needed a third hand to hold a flashlight. I asked Jason where did he get the headband light at and he said some place that I didn’t recognize but told me they also had them at Wal-Mart for only $9 or so. We went to Walmart that night and we got one for $12.00. I have been using it all day today staining.

I think it would be ideally to run or ride your bike at night. Put one on your forehead facing forward, and put another one your head backing behind you and have that one shine the red light.

Then, maybe you can buy another gizmo that beeps when you change directions when running or biking.