I.T. Guys- Modern Day Heros

 Yeah- came into the office and my computer black screened on me.

Having been married(technically still am) to an I.T. Guy, I know the drill and followed it to the letter.. then I called the company I.T. Guy and went thru the drill with him. 

*Have you turned it off and on again?(Yes sir- twice.)

*Did you check the connections on the back of the monitor? (Yes sir)

* Are you comfortable with unplugging them and plugging them back in one at a time while we are on the phone together? (Sure- no problem) takes about 3 minutes to do them one at a time with a 10 second wait  between each unplug and re connect....

Then  he said he would send a technician out today at some point before 4pm. Less than a minute later he's calling back asking can he connect remotely to try and fix it. I said sure but I have a black screen so not sure how I'm going to be able to accept the request.... somehow he managed to connect so he could see what was on my screen and he walked me thru yet another set of instructions to try and fix it. 

And Lo & Behold- it worked!!! 

I know I complain a lot about things on my blog posts, but one thing I will never complain about is the I.T. Guys from ANYWHERE. 

Those guys put up with some of the stupidest  questions ever. But then if someone knows absolutely nothing about computers, they don't know what to ask or how to troubleshoot an issue. 

I have to say I learned a good bit just listening to my husband talk about the issues he had to deal with on a daily.

His biggest complaint was people who called up thinking it could be fixed in 30 seconds or less- or the ones who thought that their problems were more important than the ones of people who had already raised a ticket for issues and were waiting on them to be fixed. Unless you are a V.I.P. and I mean a VERY HIGH UP V.I.P. you ain't getting bumped up to the top of the que. And rightly so.

After setting up my new laptop and struggling 3 days (it would have taken an I.T. Guy about  an hour and a half or two maybe) I'm quite willing to call my I.T. Guys Modern Day Heros.

Craig, Evan, and Paul.... Kudos!!!!

Another Bits and Bobs Post!!!

 What a week it has been!!!

My son was sent to the ER with Severe dehydration issues. It took 4 bags of IV fluid to get him stabilized. The doctor said my son was so dehydrated that his organs was starting to shut down. Thank God his boss realised what was happening and sent him to the hospital when he did. He's doing better now- and making a point of staying hydrated properly.- making sure WE all are too. I think it was an eye opening moment for him.

I was listening to NPR this morning and heard about our illustrious leader's 80th Birthday bash on the White House lawn. Seriously? I can totally understand the want of a blowout birthday for your 80th- but FFS- he really had to do it on the White House property? At this point I've just lost all respect for the man and I don't think anything he does from here on out would surprise me.

Got a lead on a house for rent(again with the renting but it is what it is, I suppose)- turned out to be yet another scammer - just for the Application Fees. I don't know where these people drug themselves out of- swamp, tar pits, under a rock, deepest darkest pit of hell- but they are EVERYWHERE now- Just for the fee to see if you qualify for  the residence. Now I ask you- how in the HELL do you know which are legit and which are scammers? PLEASE tell me if you know because my area is eaten up with the Non-Legit kind!!!

GNATS!! OMG they are in full blown over-drive breeding mode here. Are they like this all over or just in the Southern States?

One last thing- if anyone has found a big bag(or envelope) of money(I'm not picky)- There's a possibility that it may be the one I've been praying for, so let me know and I'll come pick it up. I have a reward in mind for you. Hahahahahahaha.....

I want to go to the lake- or river- on a fishing trip. If I ever get my Ford Ranger running I'm putting the camper cover back on it and putting a mattress in the back of it and installing a fishing rod rack- (kinda like a gun rack)  and I'm gonna go fishing for a few days. Maybe just me and Jesus. Maybe me and my sister....maybe me and one of my cousins - as long as they dont wanna bring a truckload of equipment and are quiet.

I don't wanna hear no mobile phones ringing or pinging or nothing- just the sounds of nature and my breathing....maybe a fire crackling for an hour or so before I go to bed... maybe not. 

I just need quiet.... and peace for a few days.

Taking the Plunge.

 Ever make a decision and then stress that it's the wrong one?

Me either. I'm usually fed up with the entire deal when I finally give up. I try to exhaust every possibility before throwing in the towel - in EVERY situation.

I like to give it time to change, to let nature do it's thing, to let people see the error of their ways and at least TRY to do better. But situations sometimes just go more and more off the rail until there's nothing left to do but jump clear and try to save yourself- or your sanity.

I've taken this approach many times in my sixty odd levels on this earth and it's worked a charm every time- so far.

Say a prayer it works for me one more time now.

We Shall See....

Cum 'si- Cum 'sa...

 Wellll... at this point my expectations for relaxation need to be lowered considerably.

I wrote in my earlier post what my weekend was supposed to be. Fun-filled relaxation with my two besties.

Some so-so-.... and some not.

I got off work a bit early on Friday to go get a BP check and have a lil once over about my wrist and shoulder. MEH- Of course my BP was still thru the roof and my shoulder and wrist are just my carpal tunnel and a bit of arthritis thrown in just for good measure. Just typical aging ...I'm already wearing a support brace on the wrist and babying the shoulder so I'm doing all that can be done for it without surgery(which is NOT going to happen anytime soon.)

So I drove to Bestie R's house after work. But first-Of ALL the things to forget to bring- I forgot my civvie shoes. Sooo on the way there I had to stop at like five different discount stores because I have about eight pair of civvie shoes at home(not counting boots) and I wasnt about to spend more than ten dollars on a pair of shoes I was going to wear just out to lunch on Saturday and then them go right back off when we got home.  I got lucky at the fifth store and found a pair of(get this) GREEN suede sneakers with white laces that matched EXACTLY my green and white tie-dye romper outfit I had chosen to wear to lunch with the girls!!! A $3 SCORE!!!!!! Only all that running around set me back time wise and I got there about a half hour past the time I normally get home(Rhonnies) from work going straight there. SMH laughing....

So anyway- I got there and she had gnats in her apartment- I mean it was COVERED. If it hadn't been such a big deal weekend I would have turned around and went straight back home to Starr. I'm allergic to gnat and mosquito bites- they leave HUGE knots wherever I'm bitten. I most certainly didnt want to be miserable and sick for the next few days- so I had to leave and rethink my battleplan.

So I went and got something to eat and a nice cool drink and sat in my car in the shade of a huge water oak for about an hour and then I drove back to Rhonni's. (She hadn't wanted to ride with me when I left) I put on long sleeves and stayed in my work clothes and I gathered up as much of the culprits as I could and then I made up some traps and sprayed a bit and we went out and sat on her front porch people watching and gossiping as old ladies are often seen doing. 

Eventually we got all sweaty... I mean Glisteny... and decided to go back inside. The  critters had pretty much died by then so I showered and then I swept and mopped and then we watched a movie and settled down for the night.

The next morning, disaster struck.  Rhonni came down with a bad tummy upset and she didnt want to chance going out. So I called my sister and invited her to meet me and Joanie at the restaurant and Joanie invited her daughter as well. I couldn't not go as it was Joanie's birthday celebration as well and she has been looking even more forward to it than Rhonni had been.

Now mind you, Joanie and Rhonni and myself have been friends for almost 6 decades (My baby sister grew up with us as well- and Joanie and my other sister were married to the same guy- (sis first then Rhonni and I introduced Joanie and my ex-br-in-law to each other and in less than 6 months they had gotten married and stayed married until he passed away a few years ago- match made in heaven)- we got up to a LOT of shenanigans when we were younger...still do but that's stories for another time.... And as we all sat in the restaurant, Tabitha  kept getting embarrassed everytime we would say something- we was being extremely obnoxious- for some reason we seem to automatically revert to being about fifteen when we get together. My sis just joined in and everyone was laughing at poor Tabby....  She kept saying she wanted to hear the story behind some of the references we were making, but her mom(Joanie) said not in a million years. 

I told Tabby to wait til we all had passed and I would have a copy of my memoirs sent to her as it's alllll in there. Hahahahaha.

Anyway, Joanie loved her paintings -one a  landscape I redid from a painting Joanie had bought but couldn't stand to look at on the wall for more than an hour because it depressed her so badly even tho she loved the colours in it. It was a lovely silhouette of a lady in a form-fitting gown standing by a window looking down- it gave the eerie feeling of loneliness and hopelessness. I had it over 6 months before I finally figured out that if I changed the viewpoint/orientation from Portrait to Landscape I could easily  duplicate the lovely colours and turn it into a pretty well known Southwestern mesa arch with a lovely sunset and a bit of a river in front of it. She loved the outcome. And the other was one I had commissioned just for her- I know an artist who painted a lovely portrait of Janis Joplin who is Joanie's Fav Music Artist. 

For Rhonni I painted two white with shaded of victorian pink florals for her bedroom and a Fearfully Created Piece of Art to be framed and hung in her home-where to be decided later.

All was a hit.

So after Lunch, we parted ways and I went back to Rhonnis for the rest of the weekend, and for the past at least year she's been trying to rearrange her living room. We've discussed it to death to be honest- and this time I just got up and started moving things around.  Her floors are slick as the proverbial Owl-Poop, so it only took a light touch to move into place and no further harming of the shoulder or wrist came to be.

At first she wasnt sure about it- but I told her to trust the process- it always looks like a cyclone hit the place right before it came together. And it did... In the end- she loved it-only  I'm not so keen. the sofa is slightly curved on the backside and it overlaps the edge of the fireplace by about 4 inches and I do-not-like. I'm going to let her live with it for a couple of weeks, but I would put money on her seeing for herself it's slightly off and wanting to change it again. (at least I hope so or it's going to bug the crap out of me til she does.)

Sunday Morning bright and early, she was sleeping soundly and I got up around 6:30am... I grabbed a iced coffee from her fridge and went out to her front porch where I proceeded to transfer her tomato plants from the seedling cups to the huge container she had planned to put out front  for them. Then I watered it.

Then I filled the other matching container and mounded it high in the center and sprinkled her wildflower seeds all over the top and gave it a good soaking as well.

So now she is good to go on her little front garden- if she can remember to go out and give them a drink of water on the days it's doesnt rain.

So then she woke up and I stayed for about an hour more letting her get used to the idea of me heading out- then I loaded up and headed for home. 

I didnt get the relaxing weekend I had envisioned, but I did get a bit of relaxing activities in which I was grateful for. 

And Rhonni and I are planning to surprise Joanie on her birthday by just showing up at the place she usually goes during the week- ON her birthday!! 

What is it they say about the best laid plans??? LOL- we shall see!!!

Finally Friday!!!!

 I hope y'all have as safe & fabulous weekend as I plan on having! I'm sure I'll come back with a few stories to tell about the shenanigans .....

HAPPY FRIYAY!!!!!!!

Cant Wait Until Tomorrow

A Weekend Away. From Friday 3pm until 3pm Sunday afternoon. No Stress- no worries- just playtime with my childhood friends.

No Computers- I love being on mine- but every once in a while I take a whole weekend away from it. 

No Phones- however I will answer EMERGENCY CALLS.*

*How will I know if it's an emergency call you might ask? I have a hard and fast rule- If I don't answer and you know it's an electronic free weekend- hang up and IMMEDIATELY call back. I know it's an emergency then and will answer.

Just going to sit on my butt with my two 50+ year besties( that's how long we been friends- not their ages- that's a few years more than that) and chill- watch movies, eat ice cream for breakfast and stay in our Jim-Jams all day if we want to(easier to nap if you are already in your Jim-Jams, eh?), reminisce about when we were younger....I'm SOOOO glad there was no internet and social media in our days!!!! If it rains we might go out and walk in the rain like when we was little too. See who can make the biggest highest splash in the puddles. I aint carrying no stupid umbrella either. I need to ground myself. I haven't went barefoot and walked in the grass in ages!!! 

So if you're out and about and see three elderly(ish) women acting a fool in the rain in their Jim-Jams- happily splashing around and giggling like 6 year olds.... Either give us a wave.... mind your biddness... or even better- Join Us!!!! :D

I'm counting down the minutes....no- the SECONDS!!!!!

I'm Not Ready...

 So on the drive in to work this morning I heard a advert about E-Cars.

They said E Cars run an average of 42 miles on a charge and that's more than the average person drives in a day- you can drop the kids at school, go to work, pick up groceries on the way to pick up the kids after school- and still have enough to visit the in-laws in the next county.

All without buying any gas- so apparently, according to THEM, E-cars are THE way of the future.

 But- are they really?

Not in my opinion.

I'm not your "average" driver. I drive about 12 miles more than the 42 from a charge will take me and that's just ONE WAY. There also aren't NEARLY enough charging ports at my sites- one site doesnt even have ANY, let alone along the way on my trip to and from work- I cant think if a single place along my route that DOES have one to be honest.

I don't think most towns/cities/counties are nearly ready for an increase in E-traffic issues. E-cars would only be useful  and viable in big cities/States like Cali, New York- and maybe a few more progressive cities/states like...tbh- I can't even think of anyplace else except maybe- and I do mean MAYBE- Las Vegas??? 

And what about the costs? Is the cost of the electricity to charge them actually less or equal to the cost of gas- or does it exceed the cost of gas now? How about repairs on an E-Car? I can tell you right now I dont think your typical hometown garage- or backyard mechanic we rely on has the capabilities to do proper repairs on one of the E-Cars.

I know I'm not ready on a personal level for it.... but maybe that's just me?