Thursday, January 31, 2008

Music at the Old Folks Home

On January 20, 2008 George, our volunteer piano player, played songs starting with D.

Daddy

Dance, Ballerina, Dance

Dance with the Dolly with a hole in her stocking

Dancing in the Dark

Dancing with tears in my eyes

Dancing with someone longing for you

Danke’shein

Darktown strutter’s ball

Dawn songs are beloved

Daydreams

Day by day

Day in the life of a fool

Days of wine and roses

Dear Heart

Dear Hearts and gentle people

Deary

Dearly beloved

Deed I do

Deep in the heart of Texas

Detour

Deep Purple

Diamonds are a girl’s best friends

Diane

Did I remember

Did you ever see a dream walking

Did your Mother come from Ireland

Does Forth Worth ever cross your mind

Do, Do, Do (Gershwins)

Does your heart beat for me

Wednesday, January 30, 2008

George Washington Found Alive

GEORGE WASHINGTON FOUND ALIVE

Conventional wisdom and history have always indicated that the First President of the United States, George Washington, was born in 1732 and died in 1799. But a most startling discovery has shown that Washington’s life was saved by a special Envoy, traveling from the twenty fourth century, and that his life has been extended, and will be extended at least to the year 2353, and probably beyond. George Washington is alive today, living in seclusion at a secret location, guarded by a couple of time travelers.

The time travelers are themselves immortal, their lives extended by Methusium, which will be discovered in the twenty fourth century, and will in those days be available to anyone who wants it.

Methusium will have been invented, or you might say, discovered, a year before the expedition to 1799 to save Washington. Time travel was relatively new also, and the expedition to bring Methusium to George Washington is the first organized trip in time.

The committee to select the subject to have extended life was international, inter-racial, and ecumenical, and debated over which person to extend. Other subjects were considered: Jesus, Mohammed, Confusios, Kennedy, Lincoln, whom we are familiar with, and Harkwriter and Merton, who are yet unborn and whose history we do not know. Washington was chosen because of his historical significance, the expedition being funded by World States, an outgrowth of the United States, and because he was more “expendable” than the others, in case the experience of the largely experimental expedition were unsuccessful. Jesus was resurrected briefly and successfully, and we have documentation of that expedition in Matthew and Luke.

The expedition to immortalize Stalin was unsuccessful and his remains were returned to his glass coffin in Moscow without any contemporaries awareness.

The substance Methusium was well known in biblical times, but not by that name. The name was applied after its rediscovery by time travelers, who named it after its longest user, Methusila, who used it to reach the age of 969 years before he decided to discontinue using it. All supplies of the substance had been destroyed by influential persons “for the good of humanity” about three thousand years ago. Early time travelers had been able to bridge that gap in years and obtain a supply of Methusium which had been common at one time.

Once Washington was selected, the expedition visited Mount Vernon, prevented physicians from bleeding him to death, and transported him physically to the year 2354, treated him with Methusium, and retuned him to 1799, sequestered him, and staged his funeral. He is NOT buried at Mount Vernon, but is alive and well somewhere in Colorado. It was hoped to have Washington watch political events and give lectures on history from his perspective, having lived through the creation of the United States. This he steadfastly refuses to do.

He is reportedly appalled at the National scene and the international relations of the United States today and refuses to connect that nation with the one he help found. He has only the briefest knowledge of the World States to come, having visited the future so briefly, but that limited view was not to his liking.


Tags:

Senior Sillies

Last evening, a neighbor, an eighty year old lady, came down the hall wearing only a T-shirt.  She looked, naturally, confused.

She said, "I'm glad to see you.  Tell me, does my son live here, in this building?"

"No.  He lives in this town, but not in this building."

"Well, Don't my parents own this building?"

"No, this building is owned by Mr. Michael. We all rent from him."

"That sounds familiar.  My parents are dead, of course, but I thought the building...."

   A care giver came and led her back to her room.

   Senior silliness is contagious.  After a seven hour sleep, an excellent sleep for me, I got up and, just for fun, dressed in the dark.  No reason.  Just because.  I had a little trouble finding one of my hearing aids and had to use a pocket flashlight for that. In the dark I rolled to the computer, turned it on, and made this entry.

   All in the dark.  Call it Senior Silliness.

Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Help Me Name my Invention

Four thirty is too early to be up… even though you went to bed at ten thirty.

At that hour, your mind goes wild… and you invent things… like my super power chair.

One of the problems with being in a wheel chair is transferring.. Transferring from bed to chair to scooter to toilet, to recliner, to walker.

So I have “invented” a walker, chair, recliner, bed combo. Trouble is I don’t know what to call it.

The device converts from wheel chair to scooter for those trips to the market. The steering tiller pops up when you need it, but retracts when you want to sit at the table for dining.

There is a commode for those times when you cannot find a rest room handy.

If you are tired, your chair tilts back and becomes a recliner. In fact, it tilts back and goes flat and so becomes a single bed.

If you happen to get “lucky” it expands sideways and becomes a double bed. If you are athletic you may want the King Size version.

The chair has a lift, so you can rise up and reach those elusive oranges that grow near the top of the tree and have always been just out of reach. Inside, you can change light bulbs in the chandelier, or even paint the ceiling if you wish.

For sunny days there is an awning to block the sun and it contains a “mister” to spray a cooling mist and keep the temperature down.

The cross country version has turning signals and head lights. A curb and stair mounting option is available.

Handicapped folks that live at the marina may want the aquatic version.

It will sell for less than three hundred dollars, say $298, and a $50 per year maintenance agreement is good to have.

If you take it on the roadway you will need to provide your own liability insurance… the Motor Vehicle Department requires that..

Please help me name my creation, I cannot market it without a tricky name and cute icon.

No need to hurry with that name though, I am still in the conceptual stage and haven’t even drawn the blue prints yet.

Sunday, January 27, 2008

Sunday Morning

4 AM Sunday morning, I awaken to hear the rain.  It's starting again, and the forecast is for five day's worth.  I rise, transfer to my wheel chair in the dark, and then to my power chair. I pick up a basin and go out the sliding door to leave the basin to gather the wonderful, soft rainwater for delightful drink later.

Back in my room I clap, until I get just the right rhythm to turn on the "clapper" light switch.  It takes not two, as seen in the televsion commercial, but about ten to get the light, but it comes on.

I roll to the bathroom, and then to the computer and switch it on.  Here comes AOL.  According to the news, Obama wins a thousand South Carolina delegates to the Democratic convention.  Oh, well, an AOL survey says a small majority still think that Hillary will win the nomination.

Ah, an early start to a new week, a gentle, sweet rain, Hillary slightly ahead, automatic lights and AOL both working... Life is delicious

Friday, January 25, 2008

Southern California Storm

   I see by AOL news that Interstate Highway 5 is blocked by snow.  I-5 is the main, and practically the only connection between Southern California and anything north, like Merced or San Francisco.  When it is blocked everything stops.  It is likely to remain closed for five or more days.

  I lived most of my life in Southern California, and I have fond memories of I-5...before it ever was I-5. I have been stranded by snow on I-5 several times.  Long ago.... when cars were flivvers, as Model T Fords were called, there was no way north from Los Angeles.  As the old joke says, "You can't get there from here."  Then some enterprising road builder built a long snaky, twisting two lane road through the mountains. It was so twisted and curvy they called it the "grapevine".

As a child I was carried by an ancient Hudson over the grapevine. It took hours.  As cars improved, so did roads.  Now the Interstate cuts through mountains that one used to wind around and over. Still gets blocked from time to time by winter weather. 

Funny thing is, in nice weather, you can get off the Interstate and find patches of the old Grapevine.  Now it is fun, then it was misery.  Now, you slow down to the pace of a Model-T Ford and crawl along the abandoned "old road".  You reminisce along the way. "There's where we cracked both heads on our first V-8.  Boiled over, right there and there's where we spent the night waiting for the Greyhound Bus to deliver us parts." Getting there was part of the adventure, and no one expected to make Bakersfield in two hours.  Sometimes it was two days.

   The grade of the old road was steep.  On the way up you overheated and had to stop and cool off.  On the way down you were in danger of burning out your brakes and running away.  The road had "escape ramps" for runaway trucks.  When a big rig lost his brakes and began to roar down the hill it was Whoa Nellie Get Out of the Way. Whoosh he flow down the hill until he came to an escape ramp and they could turnoff into some soft sand which would stop him before he smashed some poor tourist in a Chevy.

   At the summit of the Grapevine, some 4000 feet higher than Los Angeles or Bakersfield on either end, was a sort of community called CastaicCastaic was mostly gas stations and motels, and was a good spot to stop along the way. It had a nice restaurant and a couple of fast food places too. 

   I remember one trip when I had just departed Castaic and joined the flow of traffic on the highway, things came to an abrupt halt.  Far, far ahead, a tank truck had run away down the grade and jack knifed across the highway.  The highway had become a miles and miles long parking lot.  We could not go forward, nor even back to Castaic for a Big Mac. We, my dog and I, sat. 

   People got out of their cars and walked back and forth visiting from car to car.  I had a portable keyboard of sorts and I sat playing simple one finger tunes.  The music attracted and charming young lady.  She complimented my on my tune and we made small talk and got acquainted. She was an actual musician and she took the silly little keyboard and played real music on it.  I was wowed, and charmed.

   She liked me and my dog, but as we got interested in one another, the traffic began to move.  She looked at the line of cars that was beginning to inch ahead, sighed, and said, "Well, I guess that's it." Of course we never saw one another again.

   I remember the Grapevine fondly. I hope it goes as well for motorists who are stuck this next week.

Thursday, January 24, 2008

Death of a Talking Watch

 
I have a bunch of talking watches left over from my talking watch caper. 
 
The talking watch caper was one in which I tried to be a public service to the old folks at the home where I live.  I bought a dozen talking watches from Dr. Leonard medical supply house for $5.99 each.  I sold them to residents at a loss...a flat five dollars per watch. 
 
What a mistake.  I became the Talking Watch Man, and I was forced to become maintenance man for all those watches.  I had to set 'em, no easy task, and I had to fix broken watch bands, and I had to give refunds of the five dollars when the batteries went dead.  Eventually I ended up with three returned watches and one of my own that I wore.
 
I tried to set them all to the same time, but five dollar watches are not chronographs...they all run at slightly different rates.  Starting a few minutes before every hour and lasting until a few minutes after the hour you hear them announcing "It is five o'clock PM", each on its own schedule.
 
I tried to replace the battery in one, another mistake. The cost of a replacement watch would have been $5.99...  cost of battery $2.79,   Anyhow, I lacked the tools and the skill to get replacement in correctly.  As a result, watch went nuts, announcing the time at random.  I tolerated that because it was amusing.
 
However day before yesterday it started a soliloquy... "It is four fifty four am."..over and over and over...at 4;54 am. I got up and whacked it hard, and it shut up.  For then.  Later in the day it began announcing the time at random again.  Soon it became annoying and I tried to shut it up by whacking it again... to no avail. It continued talking every minute  or two.
 
I filled a container with water and dropped the watch in.  It was silent for a while, but pretty soon I heard muffled little beeps from the water.
 
Still later in the day I needed the container so I took out the now silent watch. I noticed the display was blank.  I threw the watch in the waste basket. I hadn't simply thrown it away before because I was afraid it would begin beeping in the trash collection dumpster and alert someone who would call the bomb squad, not being acquainted with talking watches.
 
My lady friend came over and while she was visiting she was startled by a little voice from the waste basket.  "Five," it said wearily.  We laughed and I forgot about it.
 
About two AM it began giving a single beep every fifteen seconds.  I felt the watch was very heroic, not wanting to die like that.  But I couldn't tolerate its plaintive little beep four times a minute. So I got up, found a little screwdriver, and removed the back and removed the $2.79 battery,
 
I continued the autopsy and found the inner workings very interesting. Its little corpse is lying in state in my room.  It is silent. 
 
I miss it.

Sunday, January 20, 2008

And Still More Signs from my Apartment Door

WE CALL THEM HIPPOS'CUZ HIPPOPOTAMUS IS TOO HARD TO SPELL

WHEN YOUR HEART IS HAPPY, BE SURE TO TELL YOUR FACE

WHEN A DOG SHOWS HIS TEETH, HE IS NOT SMILING

IF YOU LIFT A GUINEA PIG BY HIS TAIL, HIS EYES WILL FALL OUT

KNIT ONE, PURL TWO

GET UP ON THE CURB, HERE COMES THE PARADE

LIFE IS A PARADE WITH NO GRAND MARSHALL

WHISKEY IS MY ELIXIR

KEEP YOUR HEAD AND HANDS INSIDE THE CAR AT ALL TIMES

REMAIN SEATED UNTIL WE COME TO A COMPLETE STOP

WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO CRACK YOUR WALL OF INDIFFERENCE

Friday, January 18, 2008

More Silly Signs from my Apartment Door

Just hum a few bars, and I'll fake it

My Pa can beat your Pa

My computer is low on memory.  So Am I

PIANO TUNING - Free pick up and delivery

Low on ink as usual

Velocopedes for rent

Limited Edition available upon request

Please Constrain Yourself

Don't Spit on the Floor

Earn, Baby, Earn

Turn Left at the next corner

Place Super-Bowl bets here

Driving

Went driving today... for the first time in at least six months.  I drove for half an hour or so, more time behind the wheel than I've had for two years total.

I was VERY cautious.  I was VERY un-confident.  But I didn't bump into anything nor did I tip over. I felt very much like a brand new driver.

But I gained some, a little, confidence. And I gained a lot of independence.  I didn't ask anyone if I could go.  I didn't tell anyone I was going. I just went.... to the railroad station, to the zoo, exploring new roads that didn't exist when last I drove, through whole new communities that didn't exist when last I drove.  As I drove, I realized I didn't even have my cell phone.  I was relying on myself, and myself alone, to get that 4000 pound chunk of Detroit iron to town and back into its parking spot.

It is not something I will be doing again soon...but I am glad I went.

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

My Antique Computer

   Six years old. That's 42 in dog years, and it probably 99 in computer years. 

   My first computer had a memory of 4 K.  That is K as in Kilobytes of memory. I became familiar with the WARNING' LOW ON MEMORY announcement.  Within a year I had up-graded to 16 K. Whew what a relief. But even then you had to store data and programs on tape cassettes on your tape recorder, which plugged in.

   When I bought this computer about six years ago and found I had 40, forty count 'em, GIGABYTES of memory I thought I could never run out. I had upgraded from three quarters of a gigabyte.  Now I saved everything.  Every letter, every bit of whimsical creative writing, every doodle in the paint program, every snap shot with the digital camera. I saved everything without worrying about the available memory space.

   When I reached 92 percent full, I bought an outboard plug in hard drive with 160 gigabytes of memory as a stand-by memory. and NOW at last, I have received a notice from my tired old antique WARNING: MEMORY ALMOST FULL. 

   It is time to learn a new skill...how to transfer all these wonderful stored memories to my new out-board hard drive.  When I can do that, I will never have to worry about running out of memory again...

   Oh, yeah?

Monday, January 14, 2008

Life in an Old Folks Home -- Go Figure

   I put a sign on my door at the Old Folks Home:  Free digital portraits

   Not only did I get no takers, but someone defaced the sign.

   Go figure.

Sunday, January 13, 2008

Funny Business -- Pays Cash

often put silly, impertinent signs on my door to make the other residents of the Old Folks Home laugh.  Today one said:

Listening Service

You talk and I'll listen

$50 per (50 minute) hour.

(Pro-rated $1.00 per minute.)

Free (instant) coffee

(Cookies at cost)

Undivided attention.

Non-committal responses (if desired)

Sympathy and positive affirmation included

You see it is a joke, don't you?  What is funnier than the joke is that one resident gave me a dollar because I listen so well.

Funniest joke yet:  I kept the dollar.

AOL 9.1 -- continued

Grrrr. I have to rebuild my "toolbar" again.  Once again it has vanished. Takes me about half an hour to get it the way I need it. This is the third or fourth time.

AOL, take note.

P.S. "All About Me", the column on the left side of the screen has changed itself to tiny eight point size without my asking.  Now barely readable. Oh, well, I don't think I will bother changing it back...only to have it readjust itself.

   What would I do with myself if I had NO AOL?  I should be grateful for what I do have, and not grumble about tiny frustrations.

   Here I am, up at 4 AM. Messing around with my journal is better than endlessly tossing and turning.

Saturday, January 12, 2008

Who's Running in California?

Got my sample ballot for the Califonia Primary election today.  We have never had such a choice in the primaries before.  Usually there is one major candidate and a few hopeless, hapless souls.  Today, on the Democratic ticket we have a real selection.

There are Mike Gravel, John Edwards, Chris Dodd, Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden, Barack Obama, Bill Richardson, and Dennis Kucinich. I don't know who is on the Republican ticket.

If you have known me for long you know my choice without left clicking your mouse and running the cursor over the line below.

Hillary Clinton

Even More Evidence

Even MORE evidence that  I should not be allowed out of the old folks home without a leash: see case #1 below.

Case #2:  I noticed that large ripe avocados were $1.99 eachNaturally I passed.  So far so good.

   I noticed that small, golf ball sized avocados were $1.39 each.  Naturally I passed.  Still on track.

   I noticed that bags of avocados were $3.99 per bag. No thanks,

   On the bargain, "today only" rack I found a package of four avocados for 89 cents.  Did that tell me anything.... that is 22 cents each?  No, I bought the package.

   At home I found I had bought four rotten avocados and I threw them all in the trash.  Money wasted and no avocados to eat.

   Ho hum.  It is hell to get old and senile.

Well, Hel--LO.

When you reach eighty-three, and there is no romance in your life, your brain goes soft.  It turns to mush, I think.

I rolled to the market on my scooter and cruised the aisles picking up this and that.  At one point a nice Persian lady who I used to know at the old folks home with whom I had nice friendly conversations, her being the beauty and barbershop operator, greeted me with a enthusiastic "Well, Hel-LO."

When you are surprised with a greeting that is more friendly than you expect, you are caught off-guard.  My ancient brain jumped out of gear and my social skills evaporated.  I had slipped into neutral, so to speak.

I was able to make small talk for a few moments, somehow, and then she asked, "Would you like to go for coffee? Oh, I just baked a pie. How does that sound?"

Pie? I wasn't hungry and I answered automatically, "Uh, no thanks."

She shrugged and murmured something and went on.

A few moments later...when my brain rose to the surface for air, I asked myself, "What did I just do?"  I looked for the lady , but she was not in sight.  Did I mention that I had gone to the market because I was bored and there was nothing to do?

I kicked myself all the way home.

Friday, January 11, 2008

Life in the Old Folks Home

 Life in an old folks home is just like life on the school yard.  Got me trying to remember what the teacher did when there were kids who wouldn't play by the rules. 

   I went to play Bingo. One sweet old lady refused to play by the rules, and the situation escalated until she was telling the Activity Director to “Stick ’em up your…. “ and saying, “And what if I hit you….you have lots of witnesses.” Made me try to remember what the teachers did when there were kids who wouldn’t play by the rules.

   The game went on, and people ignored the ill-tempered senior.  She didn't actually hit, but she threatened to.  Is that more or less disruptive than the old fellow who took his pants off during the sing-along, or the senior citizen who steals everyone else's juice and even drinks out of the ketchup bottle?

   Is a 99 pound 87 year old lady a real threat to anyone? How much irrasicibilty is allowed... (and how do you spell "irrasacibilty", anyhow?)

Stalking the Streaker

   A naked guy riding a bicycle. I see him every day.  Who wouldn"t become fascinated?

   We old folks play cards every evening. We use a "Bicycle" Rider Back deck of cards from U.S. Playing Card Company. (Well, two decks, one blue and nne red.) And there his is, stark naked, pedaling his way around our card table.

   Seems no one notices but me,  this daring young man on his wheels.

   I began to wonder, who designed the back of this familiar card?  Does he get royalties?  Or was he just some unnamed employee of the company doing his job?

   So I looked up the card company, and there our little streaker was, He has been riding the backs of playing cards since 1875, and still hasn't earned enough to pay for pair of Jockey Shorts. You gotta love him.

                                                                                Detail

Thursday, January 10, 2008

Close Up JLand Photo Shoot

Just to show that I can... or once could... take a cluse up for the JLand Photo Shoot.  A nickle.  I was testing a close up lens and the nickle was handy.

 

                

Next: I think I will Photoshop it a bit.  Ought to be fun.  Stay tuned


Tags: , Photo Shoot

Wednesday, January 9, 2008

The story grows...

Bartholomew Krumm unholstered his Multiplex, took aim, and fired, and Lazarus Retch fell to the ground and lay screaming. Krumm reset his Multiplex to Restore, and shot Retch again. Retch stopped screaming and lay gasping for breath.

In a moment he stopped gasping long enough to utter, “Why did you plex me?”

“I asked you nicely, and you didn’t move. Then I warned you and you still blocked my way in.”

“You were not invited, and you are not welcome, and plexing your way in will not help.”

“The meeting is about my future, so I am going to be heard.”

Lazarus touched a small insignia on his uniform and spoke, “Krumm is here, and is coming in.” He paused and then answered an unheard voice, “I did try to stop him and he plexed me. I have the burns to thank me for my effort.” He struggled to sit up. Krumm held out his hand and helped Retch to a sitting position. Then he stepped around the stunned guard and entered the doorway.

It was the most important action of his life.

The committee sat, waiting for Krum to make his demands known. They were about to vote that all elected officials work for social security benefits alone...and HE was a Senator! 

   Krum was anchored into position, ready for war. Lazarus paused in the doorway, his hand wafting just over the handle of his Megaplexor. No sound was heard for several seconds.
   Krum hurled the first of his insults with such power, three of the seven committee members jumped. "YOU CROMPLE WILLARD BEASTS! I DEMAND THE RELEASE OF THE QUEEN OF CROMPET CARTER'S HOMAGE NOW!"

The committee had expected retalition for their capture of the Queen, but from a single warrior. Several members exchanged glances before the Lord Potentate spoke.

"SIR, ORDER FROM YOU WE DEMAND! We will not accept your violent eruption without venom!"

Just then, Krumm tilted his head and that is all it took. The next he heard was...

 

Next contribution please...




Colaborators Wanted

   Here's a little passage of creative writing that occurred to me this morning, but....   I don't know where the story is going.  So, I invite you to add to it.  Maybe we can co-author a great novel.  Come on, join in.

   Bartholomew Krumm unholstered his Multiplex, took aim, and fired, and Lazarus Retch fell to the ground and lay screaming. Krumm reset his Multiplex to Restore, and shot Retch again. Retch stopped screaming and lay gasping for breath.

In a moment he stopped gasping long enough to utter, “Why did you plex me?”

“I asked you nicely, and you didn’t move. Then I warned you and you still blocked my way in.”

“You were not invited, and you are not welcome, and plexing your way in will not help.”

“The meeting is about my future, so I am going to be heard.”

Lazarus touched a small insignia on his uniform and spoke, “Krumm is here, and is coming in.” He paused and then answered an unheard voice, “I did try to stop him and he plexed me. I have the burns to thank me for my effort.” He struggled to sit up. Krumm held out his hand and helped Retch to a sitting position. Then he stepped around the stunned guard and entered the doorway.

It was the most important action of his life.

   Why? Let me hear from you, for I don't know.

Tuesday, January 8, 2008

Quiz: Catch Phrases from Television

Quiz: Catch Phrases from Television

From time to time certain catch phrases become popular because they were heard frequently on some television show. Can you identify the television show from the catch phrase you may have heard.

To reveal the answer, left click on your mouse and drag the cursor over the space following the phrase.

Sock it to me Laugh In

Smile, You’re On …. Candid Camera

Meathead All in the Family

Who’s on First? Abbott and Costello

See the USA in your Chevrolet Dinah Shore Show

Sorry about that Get Smart

Hey, Kids, What time is it? Howdy Doody Show

One of these days, Alice, Pow, right to the moon. Honeymooners

I’m thirty-nine Jack Benny

Danger, Will Robinson Lost in Space

Nanoo Nanoo Mork and Mindy

I’m a mean widdle kid Red Skelton

I’m the master of my domain Seinfeld

Beam me up, Scotty Star Trek

Will the real Mr. X stand up To Tell the Truth

Is it bigger than a bread box What’s My Line

And awaaaay we go Jackie Gleason

Hi Yo Silver, away Lone Ranger

‘taint funny, McGee Fibber McGee and Molly

Incoming wounded M*A*S*H

Say the secret word You Bet Your Life withGroucho Marx

Two Thumbs Up Siskel and Ebert At the Movies

This tape will self destruct Mission Impossible

Sunday, January 6, 2008

Another New Version of AOL

Another new version of AOL?  Yep.  V 9.1.

So I downloaded it and installed it, like a good little boy.  And of course, getting used to it is bear.

I had to re-establish my toolbar.  I worked about half an hour on that... looking up my favorite sites and choosing an icon for them, and putting them on the tool bar.  So the first time I signed on....they're NOT there.  Why? Oh, my.  Do I have to do it all again? and will they stay this time?

AND I seem to get booted as much as before.  AND now AOL appears in the middle of other activities... like my using my media player.  I was listening to a book on CD and was involved in the story, when whoops... here came AOL instead.

With the new AOL you can check the weather and the news without signing on.  Big deal...signing on takes only a click of the mouse.  If you want to read your mail it signs you on anyway.  HO HUM

So AOL has a new version.  That's news?


Tags:

Saturday, January 5, 2008

Up to C Minus

Congatulate me.  I am UP to a C minus.  I got 50% correct in today's news quiz. 

Well, of course I am up... I started with scores of 2 or 3 correct out of twenty.  I was feeling pretty smart because I got the first five in a row correct.  Then disaster.  I guess I don't read the news very thoroughly.

Try IT yourself and see how you do.


Tags:

Friday, January 4, 2008

Exciting Morning at the Old Folks Home

   After breakfast, I went back to bed.  I lay under the covers and looked out the sliding glass door into the courtyard.  The wind was wildly blowing the trees about.

   I am sure I lose a lot of heat through the large glass panel, but it stays 75 degrees F. inside, so who cares? As long as the power stays on... let it blow.

   Then I snoozed some more until ten am.  Don't you wish YOU were retired too?


Tags:

Rain Forecast

Up at 2:45 am for no reason.  A three day rain storm is forecast, but right now it is just a mild drizzle. It is COLD in the rest of the United States... at least in the southeast.

What to Californians is a storm, would be a moderate annoyance to the rest of the country. Let's face it.  We're spoiled.

We have our moments, (<-link) however.