One Fine Day

My husband and I had a wonderful day together in Jacksonville this weekend.  The sun was shining and it could not have been a more perfect day.  It started by his making an appointment to take a laptop in to the Apple Store for an overhaul.  This wasn't especially my idea of fun, but he dragged me along, kicking and screaming for the most part.  But I will have to give credit where credit is due.... this place was amazing!  I got an inside peek at how things work inside Apple World.  I've never seen anything like it!  When I first walked in the door, I was initially struck by the huge number of people in there.  We are talking standing room only... literally.  Then I was struck by the level of energy in this place.... the hustle and bustle going on, not to mention the noise level.  I was eventually talked into making a purchase - not by a pushy salesperson, but by my pushy husband, who OUGHT to be a salesperson.  From that point, the sale and the setup of my new device was handled with a maximum of efficiency.  I was immediately introduced to a young man (a kid, really) who knew more about this device than I could ever hope to learn in my lifetime.  He answered all of my ignorant questions efficiently and politely and managed to keep a straight face while doing it.  He never lost patience with me.  I observed that there were a lot of employees like him in the store, most of them very young (well, younger than me, anyway) and all of them very well-educated in the high-tech world of Apple products.  And every single one of them takes the concept of "multi-tasking" to a whole new level.  I was literally amazed.  I will have to say that if these kids are the future of technology, then I've got a lot of catching up to do.  I also had the thought that I could very easily see my oldest grandson being just like those kids one day.  He may be just five years old now, but I have no doubt that he knows more about the I-Phone than I do already.  So, that was my impression of the Apple Store.  You really have to see it to believe it.

Another highlight of our day in Jacksonville was a stop at the Barnes & Noble store just in time to meet a three-time Olympic Gold medalist, Tamika Catchings.  She was a lovely young lady and such an inspirational speaker.  Luis purchased her book for a friend and we were able to have our picture taken with her.

All in all, our day in Jacksonville was a success.  Sunshine, shopping and eating.  It was a win-win-win for me!

 

Back in the Day

Every now and then, I get to thinking about the "good old days" and I tend to get nostalgic.  It was a different time and a different world when I was growing up.  We may not have had all of the modern wonders that we have today, but I'm not convinced that kids today are any better off than we were.

Today, I began conducting a little experiment of my own.  It's called "Let go of the cell phone".  And I imagine that statement being made in the same tone that you might very slowly and clearly say to someone:  "Put the gun down....".  Yes, I am just as guilty as the next person when it comes to the cell phone.  It's pretty much a permanent extension of my hand.  Will someone please tell me, seriously.... How on earth did we manage to survive back in the day when there were no cell phones?  I will clearly show my age here and admit that we didn't even have computers yet.  I remember learning to type on an old manual (pre-IBM electric) typewriter with carbon paper and erasers.  Egads!!  And while I'm on a roll, I can also say that we didn't even have color television at our house.  And a remote control for the television?  What was that?  Oh yes, it was our hand, when we got up off of the couch and turned the knob to one of the other two channels that were available.  Yes, life was grand!

So, how DID we manage to survive during these prehistoric days?  Well, I can remember that we spent a lot of time outside.  (Did I forget to mention that there was no air conditioning in the house? So it really wasn't any cooler inside the house than it was outside.)  So, outside we went.... to ride bikes, play dress up and dance on the picnic table (NO, not the same as table dancing!), and climb trees.  (I even heard tales of people falling out of said trees... not naming names, of course.)

And since there were no cell phones in those days, we had to listen for our mothers to yell down the street for us to come home.  And if that failed, we knew that we had better be home before that first street light came on, or else!  Yes, it was a much simpler time to be a child.  I'm not so sure that I prefer all of the conveniences and technology that are available to kids today.  Are they missing the opportunity to learn to survive without them?

I recall not too many years ago, when my own two daughters were probably pre-teens and we had to get a rental car for a few weeks while our vehicle was being repaired.  When my girls got in the rental car for the first time, they were totally at a loss.  They looked at me with perplexed looks and asked, "Mom, how do we put the windows down in this car?"  The car didn't have electric windows, just the old-timey crank handle.  All I could say was, "Seriously?  Good grief!!"

And one last random question, which has bugged me for years:  When did "junior high school" become "middle school"?  And why?

"Joy is found in the simple things"

Never Too Old for Firsts

Yes, it would seem that, even at my advanced age, it is still possible to experience a "first" in life.  For me, it was my first (and LAST) taste of beer.  And it was only at the adamant insistence of my daughter (#badinfluence) that I took that tiny sip.  Yes, it was my first and will definitely be my last.  Yuck!  I will stick with my Dasani water (when wine is not an option), thank you very much.

Despite the unpleasant experience of the beer, we had a very enjoyable girls' night out last weekend, attending a Miranda Lambert concert in Augusta, Georgia.  Miranda was definitely awesome (#girlsrock, #blakewho?), and one of her openers, Ashley Monroe, is now one of my new favorites.

So, here's to "firsts" and new experiences, no matter your age.  I'm not quite ready to retire to the rocking chair with my knitting bag just yet!

It's Definitely Monday!

What can say?  It was definitely a "crappy" Monday.  It was progressing fairly well (for a Monday) until lunch time. I took my lunch to the park, as I usually do, and sat under the trees. Soon, I felt something hit the top of my head. I immediately thought to myself, "Uh oh, it's starting to rain already."  But, no... I wasn't that lucky. When I looked up into the tree branches over my head, there were three birds sitting there and one of them was the guilty culprit!  Then I was like, "OMG!  Please tell me a bird did NOT just crap on my head!"  Well, he did, and when I instinctively reached to check, I had the proof all over my hand.  EWW!  Needless to say, that took my appetite away very quickly and cut my lunch short. I returned to the office and scrubbed my head as much as possible and then ran to the shower to scrub it some more after I got home.

Has anyone else had a Monday that will beat that one?  If you have, I'd love to hear about it!

On a positive note, tomorrow is Tuesday (aka: one day closer to Friday)!  Hang in there!

Welcome!

Welcome to my newly revamped and updated blog.... The Good Stuff.  Since there are so many good things in my life these days, I hope to share some of them with you.  I love feedback and interaction, so when you feel the inclination to comment, please do!

I am so looking forward to a fresh start with my new blog and I hope you will join me often.  It is still a work in progress at this point, so please check back soon for more updates and information.