Thursday, December 17, 2009

"........and to all a good night!"


last night, i had an appointment to go to the apple store.....for one on one tutorial...i think it's about 20 or 25 years too late.....better late than sorry....or better late than have  kids continue to make fun of my lack of computer skills.  it was in my best interest...it was in my family's best interest....it was in my blog's best interest....most important, it was a necessity, just to better myself and my skills.....it was finally time.....i felt like i was entering the twilight zone.  gee, wonder why my husband signed me up for a year of tutorials?  i guess because we love each other and even like each other, it was for our own good.......and i would go to the class at the MALL!

i was required to take a computer class in college.  oh, that seemed so exciting!  i love buttons...computer, typewriter, cash register, calculator, elevator.....

it's true.  at one point, i landed a great job as a mortgage broker......the first thing i heard from my enthusiastic college cohorts, "wow!   that's great!  you're gonna love using those calculator buttons every day!"  sharing the joy, they cheered for my love of buttons ....more, actually than for putting my college major, economics, to use.  besides being in sales and using the calculator, i really had no clue about the economy.....i guess those economics classes took a back seat to my computer buttons classes.  i mean, computer classes!

in college, my introduction to the cyber world began with a teacher who worked at the nearby  i.b.m. company.  the class was scheduled right at the dinner hour.....a major social concern.  the class was small, the teacher was small with a "small" voice too.....no computers in the class.....a separate computer lab.....in addition to the class....another social concern.   the greatest concern, at the time, was the teacher spoke to the class........ with one eye looking at the class and one eye looking out the window ......toward the cafeteria.....   hard time concentrating?  ya think?  just a bit distracted?  just me? i was scarred and traumatized........terribly bored and hungry....

then, i took off for  the mall (the 2nd MALL in one week! yikes!).......it was in my best interest...it was in my family's best interest....it was in my blog's best interest....most important, it was a necessity, just to better myself and my skills.....it was finally time.....i felt like i was entering a new world.  gee, wonder why my husband signed me up for a year of tutorials?  i guess because we love each other and even like each other, it was for our own good.......and i would go to the class at the MALL!

i had no one in the car with me....i had no teens to beg for their tunes....i had no husband to beg to use his g.p.s....with the blabbering woman who tells me what to do and the map, that only confuses me.  i put on my favorite station and began belting out my best ......la, ...la, la, la, mmmmm, mmmmmm, deee, la, la,di,, doo, doo, da, da!  none of that tsss, tssss, sh,sh,sh, boom, boom, ch, ch, ch, ch....rap stuff.  i can handle that stuff... and talk about it with the kids..... but, WOW!...... it's great to sing my heart out....pop, showtunes, rock, gospel, country. 

i arrived at the MALL....after taking the wrong route (distracted by my own music!)....i was in MALL traffic....i had to run into the MALL to get to my class.....just like college, i was late for class.  but, i made it.....through the honking merry christmas monsters in myriad automobiles at the MALL!

i sat with my instructor and had a ball.....when i arrived , the store was so frenetic with frenzied, frantic shoppers, i  thought i wouldn't be able to concentrate.....the exact opposite of my draggy, drudgery class from.... hellllllo apple store!  wow...an hour and a half and a cup of starbucks and i was high on computer vibrations!  i had to call that man of mine to thank him....i was so excited and over stimulated, he could barely understand me!

and the best part...i learned all kinds of stuff that i wanted to learn.......blog, blog and more blog pieces of the puzzle.....it was so exciting to learn and be able to implement everything right away!


i enjoyed strolling through the mall on my way out...people hustling and bustling, babies visiting santa at eight o'clock at night, stopped in stores alone, just me, not wanting or needing anything.....no one with me to want anything or plead for anything!  i stopped, i looked, i even had my camera with me for my apple visit....i played tourist in the MALL and i had a BALL!

i put down my camera for a moment to try on some gloves.....i meandered all the way to the car....outside in the half empty parking lot....meandered to the car.......started to put my key in the ignition and realized i left my camera in one of the stores......the adrenaline was pumping....how could i stand to lose the camera when i had a blog with a purpose,  if only for me!  i waved to the security guard in the jeep.....he "radio'd" the store for me and "10-4".....no luck.....i had to run and run and run, up escalators, through bunches of late night fried shoppers and workers....i ran and ran through food courts and gift stalls.....i ran and ran past aromas of pretzels and pizzas and soapy stores and musky stores and music stores....i finally arrived at the store my intuition sent me to.....the doors were closed....the doors were....locked!  i knocked incessantly...i knocked and knocked...and klinked and klinked with my rings....one woman looked up.....we made eye contact and....i waved...i waved and waved frantically.....she came to the glass door....i begged in a loud voice.  rather loud for the end of a long MALL day.  while quiet workers, wearing ipods and headphones,

swept and swept with brushes and brooms, the store clerk scrambled among the racks and slowly sorted through the gloves and accessories and she looked over at me....sadly.  she was exhausted....she hadn't really even tried...i felt my heart sink.  she approached me at the glass doors....she took her keys, unlocked the door and let me in to rummage through the chaotic table, where i had been standing, just an hour before......anad then, i found it!  .i found my camera!

i screamed,  "thank you! thank you! thank you!"........i offered them a reward, they all smiled and refused.....i ran to the door and shouted, "thankyou! thank you! thank you!..........merrrrrry chrrristmas!  they laughed.

i ran and ran....back to the car relieved and rejuvenated!  joy to the world!  life is good.  the mall was closed and i was exhausted....i started up the car and began my way to home sweet home.....excited to implement some new computer tricks and cartwheels.  i got on the highway and piped in the tunes and began singing in the car, to my hearts content......la, la, la, adee, dee, da, ho, ho, ho,mmmmm....mmm.......dee, dee, la,la la......WHoosh.... whooosh....it flew right over the hood.... and up on the rooftop..... click, click, click and down off the bumper..... nice and slick! ....and i had to exclaim as it flew out of sight, "merry christmas wreath to all and to all a good night!"

smile and say cheese


"yeah....that was back when life was simple."



while out christmas shopping, earlier this month, i walked down the pet aisle......with two dogs, two cats, two fish, it seems we always need something.   we have soft beds for the dogs that seem to be a two for one special......the cats use them....the dogs don't seem to feel territorial about their beds...it's funny to see our two golden retrievers back down for the cats....i remember seeing a needlepoint pillow that said, "if you want the best seat in the house, move the cat".....it seems to be true in our house.  the goldens are pretty gentle and sweet natured.....it's kinda funny though, daisy and fitzy  are very protective with thte kitties.

when daisy was a small puppy, grace adopted her kitten and named him "tic tac"......when tic tac would scoot out the door, we would say to daisy, "daisy, get the kitten!" and she would chase this tiny kitten and put her fornt paws on either side of him, put her chin on top and then, gently put the kitty in her mouth and wait for me to come collect tic tac.....daisy has been that way with every kitten that has strutted through these doors to make our house his home.  it's a very funny relatiionship.




while out christmas shopping, earlier this month, i walked down the pet aisle......with two dogs, two cats, two fish, it seems we always need something.   we have soft beds for the dogs that seem to be a two for one special......the cats use them....the dogs don't seem to feel territorial about their beds...it's funny to see our two golden retrievers back down for the cats....i remember seeing a needlepoint pillow that said, "if you want the best seat in the house, move the cat".....it seems to be true in our house.  the goldens are pretty gentle and sweet natured.....it's kinda funny though, daisy and fitzy  are very protective with thte kitties.

when daisy was a small puppy, grace adopted her kitten and named him "tic tac"......when tic tac would scoot out the door, we would say to daisy, "daisy, get the kitten!" and she would chase this tiny kitten and put her fornt paws on either side of him, put her chin on top and then, gently put the kitty in her mouth and wait for me to come collect tic tac.....daisy has been that way with every kitten that has strutted through these doors to make our house his home.  it's a very funny relatiionship.

so, it doesn't surprise me to see happy and jinx, t.j.'s cat, sprawled out on the dog beds, lounging away as though they're at a day spa.....and the dogs are driven to the hardwood floor.   i always laugh when i see the dogs have to forfeit their warm, cozy bed.....they seem defeated.  the kitties seem smug....but that's just typical"cattitude"....what else can we expect from cats.....we, apprently are here, just to serve them and their needs.

when my son arrived home from school, he noticed fitzy, the three year old golden, chewing on a new  plush dog toy.  immediately, he questioned me, "didn't you buy that for the dogs' christmas present?  i thought we couldn't give that to them til NEXT week?"  yes, that's what i said when i brought the toys home.....but, today, i decided to take them out for them to enjoy.   t.j. is like my resident observer, always noticing how i discipline the dogs....since he turned thirteen, he is especially critical of my dog training skills.  actually, i think i have done rather well....except for when it comes to fitzy with food!

while having his afterschool snack, he look over at me......he said, "mom.".......and pointed to the floor.....the toy was in shreds with the stuffing all over the room, looking like a winter snow.  he is like the doggie discipline police....maybe he'll have a career in animal control.  he has told me several times that i am just not assertive enough with the dogs....and not consistent either.......i quiet him down by mentioning that's where i may have failed my children too!   it works.  score for the parents!

after his disappointment in my "instant gratification gift giving" skills, we reminisced about daisy when she was fitzy's age......"remember, daisy always ate sticks while she and i waited  for you and grace at the bus stop?  fitzy never really learned that.....she seems to enjoy the toys more than daisy."

that's when he said, "yeah, that was back when life was simple.".........i think he may have been imitating me  going on about what life was like when i was a kid...."back when we were kids.....blah, blah, blah..."