The iPhone 6 ‘Bigger Than Bigger’??!?

Um, What?

I just received an email from Apple suggesting that I pre-order the new iPhone 6 or 6+ at the regular price, of course.  So, I checked it out.

Maybe it’s just me, but I thought the whole idea of the cell technology was to think small, compact, fit-in-your-pocket convenience and versatility.  

So, why are the phones getting bigger and bigger. At 5.5 inches, the iPhone 6+ close to the size of a Kindle, less than an inch smaller than my Nexus 7 droid e-reader, which comes in at 6.3 inches.  Hardly a comfortable fit for shirt, jeans, or a suit pocket.

I don’t understand how this is a real selling point. Doesn’t matter how light the thing is, it’s still big and I would think quite cumbersome. People tend to slip their phones in the back pocket of their shorts or jeans and I can see where there may be more than a few cracked cases if one forgets this thing is there.  I've seen this happen after too many margaritas at the restaurant. So, I know of what I speak.

Maybe Apple will introduce a line of holsters (too large to call them cases) to attach to your belt or sling over the shoulder for that quick-draw answering a call, or text.   

I see there are wide angle and telephoto clip-on lenses for iPhone -  - so what’s next?  Pretend you’re Cecil B. DeMille shooting video in Cinemascope with an anamorphic add-on lens? How far is this going to go?

Just a rhetorical, really.  And people are waiting in all kinds of weather for this thing to go on sale.  It boggles the mind.  Truly, it does. 

I’m happy with my iPhone 4 because it does everything I need, plus more than I’ll ever use.  I like it best because it was a FREE upgrade through my carrier. I think I’ll stick with this smaller one until they discontinue support for it.

And so it goes.

*

New Life Necessities

With 2 printers, Apple charger/Connector, and Stick Drive, I needed more USB ports for the MINI.  Yeah, "wireless" my ass!  This small, inexpensive addition satisfied that need. Problem solved! Without additional strain on the CPU. Sweet!

Old Faithful (30+ year old) Swing Away opener recently bought the farm and finding a suitable replacement nearby proved impossible. Retail options are limited here. Zyliss (the garlic press folks - love their stuff) and Amazon to the rescue - for under $10. with free shipping. Arrived today. With that colour, it will never get lost in the drawer.

The bane of my current existence. Never dreamed I’d be in need of one, but recent history has proven me wrong - again. (I seem to be wrong quite often, lately.) I’ve had it a week and it’s already come in handy once. Most likely a second time, today.  So, I guess it is a necessity, after all.  Doesn’t mean I have to like it, or be proud of having to display it.

And so it goes.

*

Shipping, Shopping & New Snow

No, wait.  That’s not right.  Look at the calendar! It’s almost April.  Wait.  Is this an early April Fools joke?

I had to “make groceries” as they say in New Orleans, this morning and depending on who you talked to, we could get one inch, or 6 before the impending storm ends this evening. All I know is the grocery shelves were being ravaged and it was only 7:30 this morning. Such panic seemed ridiculous. 

And then there’s the matter of the new desk which was delivered sometime last evening (I must have been asleep because I heard nothing, and it’s a large, heavy box, to be sure) and needs to be brought in from the elements before rain/snow gets too heavy and does damage to the packaging. 

At least the box was brought up the stairs to the porch, so there is some limited protection, but I’ve sent a text to Linda telling her of the arrival and asking that she stop by when she has a break to bring the box indoors.  The desk can always be assembled some other time, but I don’t want to risk unnecessary damage from the weather. 

Of course, there remains the issue of a new desk chair, the shopping for which had to be aborted last weekend due to circumstances beyond my control. Retail options are limited.  Around here, everything pretty much boils down to Staples or Wal*Mart - and I do not shop at Wal*Mart.

I’ve bookmarked, and printed, a couple of options at the Staples website, but there’s no way to tell if they must be ordered and delivered through the site, delivered to the store for pickup, or purchased and picked up at the store.  It’s all very vague.  And don’t even attempt to “chat” with a tech associate unless you really lonely, or need a good laugh.

Yes, a retailer touting their tech savvy, hosts a shitty, convoluted, un-friendly website…and they wonder why they’re losing money and customers. 

I would order from the site and have the purchase delivered, but there’s a good chance they’d just drop it off at the bottom of the stairs, which would not do for me at all. 

The snow has just begun to fall - it’s coming down rather hard - and I just received a text from Linda that she will be here within the hour. All will be well very soon.

And so it goes.

*

Black Veil & a Feather Boa

My Kindle Fire died Saturday evening for no apparent reason.  Maybe just old age, or perhaps planned obsolescence.  No matter, it's toast. I had recently downloaded a few books to hold me over when I receive  transfusions. And now?  "Poof"  All gone.  Bother!

I am in mourning. It was a gift less then 2 years old, and included a 2-year extended replacement warrantee, which means I can get a new one.  Which means I also have to wait…maybe.

So, I collected the necessary papers yesterday and took my sweet self the Staples technical desk to find out what to do next. They couldn't have been nicer. Claims aren't processed locally, nor do they provide a new product, but give a URL address to their  "square deal" site.  Couldn't have been easier.  Hopped on the site, input requested data, then spoke to a REAL, LIFE, BREATHING human being.

Tony!  He asked the usual inane questions: did you try another electrical outlet?, a different charger?, was the item dropped or have any visual damage? When I explained that the Kindle and the charger got very hot during that final attempt to charge the thing, he quickly said that it was likely a problem with the innards of the Kindle itself, and no fault of my own. Well, thanks for that vote of confidence! 

Tony gave me a "return authorization" number then sent an email with instructions for returning the item.  Smooth. Took everything to the UPS store this morning, packed up the Kindle with copies of all the paperwork, JIC, and sent it on to never-land, somewhere in eastern Texas… oh my!

Meanwhile, I am lost without reading material to help pass the time while resting in bed during the day or spending a day at the Center receiving blood. 

Isn't it funny how quickly we become addicted to certain technology.  Withdrawal, as you probably already know, is a bitch! In the old days, I would have just grabbed a real book and been done.  That ship has sailed.

It's very sad, really. They do not repair these things anymore.   I do hope they recycle the innards and don't just chuck it all in landfills. 

Had to run a quick errand in town before coming home. I noticed there were open parking spots near Dos Locos, so decided to show my smiling face and welcome the locosguys home - they just returned from their 3 weeks in Mexico. It was great fun. The restaurant was busy, but (thankfully) no kids. I got to remove the mask, relax, and enjoy the company of friends. 

Two staffers are real geeks (who usually agree on nothing), after hearing my Kindle tale of woe, suggested I had just hit the mother lode. No more Kindles, they said.  Get a REAL Android Tablet, they said. Improved technology has lowered prices and I can purchase something thrice as fast and reliable for the same price as 2 years ago.  But I need something small and light - nothing big and flashy, if you get my drift.  The arthritis and cramping in the hands make manipulating anything large (or too small) out of the question. 

They agreed on either the Samsung Tab - 3, or the Google Nexus 7. Both come close in price to the presumed refund and both are only 7" tall. I have homework to do before I buy either one. 

If any of you geeks reading this want to weigh in on the new tablet, please leave a comment.  I'd appreciate any and all information you're willing to offer.

Limited: Tony told me that the certificate would be valid only if used at the store, not online.  So that puts many limits on my choices. If up to it,  I'll drop by the store again tomorrow to see what I can discover - maybe there's even a sales associate who knows what they're talking about willing to answer my questions.

Just as an aside, here:  Watched part of Palin's speech at CPAC yesterday and it suddenly occurred to me that the only beings able to follow along and make any sense her word-salad rhetoric are the paste-eating mouth-breathers with the IQ just a tick above a Rubber plant. What a festering bile-wagon that crazy woman is from head to toe.

Never mind…where was I?  

And so it goes.

*

New Year - The Effort, The Hunt, No Remedy

Never made it to the restaurant. Not feeling well, beginning to crash  I made a valiant effort to visit, but there was no parking anywhere close by, so I returned home to rest and continue the printer search - to take my mind off the fatigue setting in.

The hunt boiled down to 2 'inkjet' options in my price range.  I am not a fan of inkjet printers.  In my experience they are high maintenance. Constant re-calibration is annoying. Consumables can be very expensive.  Colour is OK, but not a necessity.  Ink cartridges, when not used frequently can dry out quickly, too.  

There are a few other things that burn my biscuits, like: 

• Gravity-fed paper feeder - the paper tends to jam, especially in humid weather. I prefer the printer do the work from a flat enclosed, dust-free paper tray. 
• A single cartridge containing all three colors. If one colour runs out the whole cartridge must be tossed.  Very wasteful.
• All cartridges must be present before the printer will function.  I print in black, but ink printers require all cartridge bays be occupied in order to print. Again, very expensive and wasteful.

On the up side, these printers (1 Epson and 1 Canon) are wireless which means the ability to print from virtually any source;  Mac, laptop, or even the iPhone, if necessary. They are Apple Air-Print and Google's Cloud Print ready……Of course, I'd have to learn what the hell these things are, and how to use them. 

Back in the previous life when I did a lot of archival colour and wide format printing, (For those unaware, archival inks are permanent and do not fade or run, unlike regular inks.) Epson was the only game in town. And well worth it, I might add. Of course, no bells and whistles were available back then, but Epson offered the best quality for the price - even when using archival inks. In those days paper was the big expense. 

Another big plus was that Epson offered individual cartridges for each color. If you ran out of magenta, you replaced only that cartridge.  That was a real game changer and money saver. Fine print quality and less expensive ink. A win-win, to be sure.

Unless someone is into printing colour photos I see no need for inkjet printing. But, being a Mac owner now, I have little choice in the matter.  

The small footprint of the Canon (which does most everything the Epson does) was enticing, except the cost of inks turned me off.  Canon inks are almost twice the cost of Epson, and I'd be stuck with the 3-colors-in-one cartridge. 

After sorting options, footprint, price, and cost of consumables the Epson WF-2540 was the best choice and a good deal - thanks to end of year sales.  It's about 33% smaller all round and half the weight of the laser printer.  Of course it's lighter, there is no print engine and toner cartridge to weigh it down. 

Printer ordered, to be delivered on Friday.  Why is nothing simple anymore?  Don't answer, just a rhetorical.

Getting short of breath and no appetite, but have to eat something before going to bed.  Scrambled egg sandwich will do just fine, thank you very much.

Isn't it amazing how quickly we become accustomed to the changes in our bodies and take steps to address and  remedy a situation?  Well, I think it is, anyway.

Not to worry. Blood pressure is fine. No fever detected at present. The hospital bracelet with my blood info is on my wrist JIC a trip to the ER is necessary.  I don't imagine it will be.  

I can't believe I'm sharing all this here.  Gotta go now.

And so it goes.

* 

Let it Rain. I've Got My Mac to Keep me Warm

Behold!  I am writing my first post on the new Mac MINI and I AM LOVING IT.  Set up would have been a beaucoup easy had I not second-guessed myself looking to make it more difficult. That's the Windows user in me talking. Nothing was ever easy with Windows.  

Aside from the Laptop, I am no longer a "Gates" Keeper.  

The Mac MINI is, well, mini - about 7 inches, - the DVD player - 5 inches - sits on top. Both are extremely quiet. 

The existing wireless keyboard and mouse work OK, but Mac shortcuts aren't available since there is no Command key. Those issues can be worked around for the time being.

Safari (the browser) is fine, so far. May switch back to Chrome at a later date.  The machine came with a limited word processor "TextEdit" installed, but I may look into purchasing "Pages" down the road as I learn my way around the new Operating System.  

I've discovered the Scan option on my all-in-one Laser printer/copier/scanner doesn't work with Mac. After an extensive search, it appears that this isn't an isolated problem. For some reason, there are no drivers available for the Scan program on a Mac. 

Checking various printer specs turns up compatibility with various versions of Windows, but for Mac "print" is the only option available.  Downloading and installing my existing printer driver was a snap, the Mac took care of it without a problem, but doesn't recognize the Scan option.

A specific search for all-in-one printers "for Mac" brought disappointing results. As far as I can tell, the only AIO printers compatible with Mac are Inkjet printers. Don't know why, really.  Laser printers are a bit more costly, but the consumables are cheaper in the long run and there is no danger of inks clogging or drying up.   Colour is unimportant; replacement cartridges are more costly than the printers themselves (honest) and have lower page output count. Laser cartridges are slightly more expensive but last much longer.  Inks tend to run when wet. Laser doesn't, because the toner is heat-bound to the paper.

Example: a highly rated Canon AIO inkjet printer is priced at $64.00 while the replacement ink set (B/W & Colour) is priced at around $50.00. Another major annoyance, there is only one colour cartridge which contains the yellow, magenta, and cyan inks, meaning that if you use one colour more than the others, you must replace the entire cartridge.  (Think of the St. James Bible, you know they say Jesus spoke in Red!) That's a huge waste of ink - and money. 

Going to stick with my laser printer; dust off and re-connect the flatbed scanner (purchased to copy the old slides) which will take up more space - not to mention more wires to contend with.  Bother!

With Amanda McBroom, Eva Cassidy, and Holly Near as background, I'll wyle away the hours on this rainy day discovering secrets of the Mini. 

So…if any of you Mac users have comments and/or suggestions, they would be appreciated.

And so it goes.
*

Tentative Travel Plan

Traveling has become so convoluted since 9/11 that it's hard to make travel plans that are clear and concise.  There are so many asterisks, double bars, other bizarre symbols on each listing that it's hard to keep it all together in my head.  I'm at the stage where I must be careful lest the overloaded noggin explode. Messy, that.

There is no way I can swing an Alaska Cruise alone.  Everything is based on "double occupancy.  Besides, it wouldn't be much fun having no one to share the experience and memories with me.

I've been focused on a mid-September getaway to New Orleans to visit the sister and see a few childhood friends.  I believe I will let American Express Travel handle the trip, but there are still many things to sort out and little information at the individual airline/hotel sites.  I know I want a non-stop flight; 2 whole days spent traveling and changing planes, and waiting doesn't spark my interest. Waste of time and exhausting, to be sure.

I'll need a rental car, and a hotel located in the vicinity of the sister and a few friends who live in Metairie.  At the Amex site I've clicked on a number of options, and the results were staggering. It could take weeks to sort them out.

I have to mention here that there is a vast divide in respect to reviews of various hotels, car rentals and airlines between Trip Advisor and American Express Travel websites. Way too many hotel ratings on Trip Advisor give 2 or 3 stars for most hotels - even some that I know to be nothing like the review.  The same hotels at the Amex site are more generous and productive. The recently renovated Roosevelt Hotel is NOT a flophouse or bedbug ridden place. Different travelers have different expectations and experiences.  I would trust Amex over Trip Advisor any day, so I think I'll be in good hands once decisions are made and travel dates are confirmed.

One other thing is to find out what luggage restrictions are and what the extra charges would be.  I tend to travel light - one medium bag and a carry-on containing the camera, passport and meds. Since I am bald, toiletries are minimal, so no worries there.  Oh, it's been so long since I've had to figure out all this stuff it will be a whole new learning experience. Anything deemed inappropriate for the flight will be just one thing less to carry back  home.

Or, I figure I can do what most American travelers do; pretend to be ignorant of all the silly rules and regulations and wait to see what hottie will be patting me down before loading. Yes, I know, they hire the dumbest, ugliest, and humorless people for these positions, so I lose all round.

And so it goes.
*

Still Fogging the Mirror

Only just...

The tree pollen continues to attack my sinus cavities to the point that I can't tell which is worse - the allergies or the cold. No symptoms other than watery eyes and runny nose.  I don't know where all the stuff is coming from. I get a little relief after taking an antihistamine  just enough to get through the work day.  It wouldn't do to be hacking and sneezing all over guests, now would it? Sleeping and breathing are difficult. I closed the windows and turned on the AC to rid the place of air-born nasties.

Got through the busiest off-season weekend so far. Served over 200 at lunch Saturday, and a surprising 100+ Sunday, so the ride is beginning early.

The restaurant will be closed tomorrow so the floors can be refinished.  The locoguys are taking all the managers out to dinner in the evening at a lovely, posh restaurant in Lewes known as The Buttery.  I haven't been there in years, since I get to Lewes infrequently.  So, looking forward to the evening out. I only hope we don't talk shop all evening, that will drive me to distraction, to say the least.

The PC remains on life support and I don't know when or if, it will ever compute again. I'm weighing the options. In any case, I'll probably lose all program files, which means losing all the personal ones as well. I copied all photo and graphic files to CD. I have an old copy of Office 2000 Pro which will have to do for the present. I cannot afford to purchase a new copy, especially if I have to buy a new computer in the end.

Meanwhile, I have the laptop, purchased a wireless mouse because I can't get used to that silly pad thingy, so for now I can do what I need to do for work and myself. The tiny keyboard is also a challenge for my non-working hands, but I get by.

Getting old isn't for sissies!  But wait!  I AM a sissy...

And so it goes.
*

Spring Break, iTired, and iPad

These past 2 weeks have been an unbelievably busy time.  As if the Bloggerpalooza wasn't enough, spring break for NJ, PA, and NY broke out the week between Palm Sunday and Easter; while the second act, and busier for us; DE, MD, and VA busted out from Easter and ends today.  Thank you  Jeebus!

Please, we're not complaining; the weather has been unpredictable so far and we didn't know what to expect or if families would even bother with the beach.  They did and we were slammed at the restaurant all last week with large family groups to the point that I had a half hour wait for tables at lunch and an hour+ wait for dinner.

I picked up the iPad on Friday, brought it home and plugged it in to charge the battery, and that was that for the weekend.  No time to play with it and no energy to read the minimal instructions.

Today was another busy day, though not as busy as last week.  Folks were heading home for the new school week, having a quick bite and hitting the road. This meant I was free at my regular time and sat with a few co-workers for an after shift cocktail.

During this time, Ron (the dear) of "Retired in Delaware" arrived to offer a lesson in iPad 101.  I explained the situation and told him I would be in touch.  My 2 drinking buddies were on bikes and I was walking, so as we headed off in different directions, I knew what I was going to do:  I wanted baked pork chops with asparagus for supper and I wanted to spend the evening at the Apple Store searching for apps for the iPad. And that is what I am going to do.

The chops are marinating, asparagus is ready for the oven, and when I post this I will be in happy Apple land while supper cooks. Apple is very new to me, but I can get used to not worrying about viruses and the irritating downloaded "windows updates" that seem to occur almost daily anymore.

I may become a Mac user if my Windows 7 desktop isn't functional soon. None of the downloads have been helpful in reviving the OS and I am getting tired of using the laptop. If I must lose all my programs and personal files, then so be it.

Supper is about to go into the oven, a few olives will accompany me to the land of Apple Apps, so wish me luck.  This should be fun.

Someone said today that I am too old for all this change. They haven't known me very long, so they're allowed to be stupid.

And so it goes.
*

Sci-Fi Imagined Technology Now in a Single Pocket

Amazing.  There are more of these, first imagined by science fiction writers, but many were designed for medical, scientific, and military uses. (Ever hear of 'Waldos'?)  Just look at this!!!

And think about it.  Boggles the mind, it does. He says. as he continues to learn about his Kindle Fire, and his new "Android smartphone".  (Ahem!)

And so it goes.
*

LAN & WiFi. Who, Me?

What?  Yes, really.  What?

I will soon find out since I just ordered a wireless router this afternoon (to be delivered in a day or 2) and will attempt, before your very eyes (maybe not) to install and create my very own local network. LAN stands for Local Area Network.  Am I smart, or what? I will need it to use the Kindle and, if I can ever afford one, a laptop.

I was going to purchase the router locally, but the local salesfolks  (ahem!) seemed clueless about specific details. That's why I went online and glad I did.  The router being pushed by local stores, a D-Link had few, and pretty bad reviews (I don't like complications) so I found a Netgear (well known from my previous life) that had over 900 reviews; over 800 were happy customers and the cost was $30. less, with free shipping.  What could I lose?  Don't tell me, I know...$50.00!  That I don't have right now.

And I wonder if my DSL connection will be fast enough to handle a network.  I'll find out soon enough.

A friend was supposed to do the deed, but with the season upon us, we are being pressed into service and our scheduled days off are not compatible.  He told me what I needed and what had to be done,  and if I cannot finish the install myself, (or you smell smoke!) I will give him a key and he promised to fix whatever I may f**kup.

Now I can focus on the Kindle model I want and order it by the end of May. The charge won't appear on the credit card statement until the June billing date, so I ought to be home free on that one.

I am very excited about all of this - setting up the network, exploring the wonders of the Kindle - stretching my knowledge of scary technology that I have been unable to afford and thereby not interested in understanding it's advantages.  Why bother to learn about a technology if you can't afford to use and enjoy it?

We are creatures of repetition and the more we use a technology the more we learn from it and can move forward to the next new change. I am so far behind right now.

When there is some new thing to be learned, I love change!

And so it goes.
*

Let the Purge & Save Begin

The new (for me) photo/film scanner was waiting for me as I came home from work. I was thrilled. After settling in, the box was opened to find exactly the same packaging care was given to a refurbished unit as to a new one. After removing all contents and following instructions for installation, I was amazed to find the unit was cosmetically flawless, so the initial failure would likely have been an internal, technical glitch which would be repaired by replacing some electronic bit.

It took little time to unpack the unit, install the software, and connect to the computer.  Once Windows 7 recognized the software and the unit everything went smoothly. Followed the "quick start" instructions and am now ready to begin scanning slides and transferring them to digital format.  Camel hair brush and canned air are at the ready.

The template is in place and I am ready to go.  Of course, since I have to be at work early in the morning I will not be scanning more than a few slides, just to get my feet wet and an idea of how the scanner software works; what shortcuts need to be learned.  Etc.

I am so excited!  Wish me luck.
And so it goes.
*

No New Stove? Never Mind...

...it's not an altogether wasted day.

Stayed close to home all day awaiting delivery and installation of the new stove. Removed everything from the stove area and prepped the best I could without knowing how the stove would arrive.  Boxed, un-boxed; on a hand-truck, or carried up the stairs.  I didn't want any damage to the living room rug that I love so much.  The preparation and waiting were all for nothing.

Sun is down, it's after 5 o'clock, and it is what it is.

Still, it was a productive day here at la petite maison. The Gen. Mgr. at the restaurant came back from Ireland bearing gifts called, "Hardwall Picture Hangers" specifically designed for hanging objects from walls of brick, concrete, and plaster. Since all my efforts to solve that problem met with disaster in the past, it was a joy to find that these actually work.  You see, practically all walls in homes in Ireland are a mix of these products and she was convinced they would be the answer.  They are.  I've already hung a few pieces and re-hung a couple that were hanging on those reusable stick-on things from 3-M Company.  I was never quite sure of those in the first place; the textured plaster walls only increased my anxiety about their holding power.

While here, she helped assemble the second IKEA "EXPEDIT" bookcase she picked up for me last  April. Yes, I know, but we worked 6 or 7 days weekly since and this was the first opportunity she had to help get it done. (Actually, she did most of the work - my thumbs make my hands useless.) So the living room is coming together nicely with more storage space thanks to those IKEA units.

It's about time for a few olives and supper prep, and while I am disappointed that the new stove didn't arrive, I get one more opportunity to use this one tonight for a pork roast smeared with garlic and fresh rosemary. 

Gotta go.  Olive and Rosemary are ladies not to be kept waiting.

And so it goes.

A Wonderful Day Like Today

While the sun may not have been 'as big as a yellow balloon'*  today, the rain held off for the most part and with the mild temperatures running errands was painless and productive.

Hanging folders for the locking file cabinet. (Time to organize. The confusion begins.)

New BASS 'Cushion Comfort' shoes for work.
(I have 3 pair of these comfortable shoes.  BASS is discontinuing them this year.  Of course, discontinue producing a best-seller?  Makes perfect sense to me, Not!)

Drill Bits for the new drill.  (Located in the 'Butch' department at Home Depot.)

A 3-piece bamboo room divider.  (Thrift store diversion on the way home. Exactly what I've been looking for and an asset to the living space.)

The IKEA EXPEDIT bookcase has been delivered (bless her huge Irish heart) and will be assembled on a date to be determined.  Unless I attempt it myself.  Maybe not a good idea.  If I screw up it will piss her off no end.

With this new bookcase in place the room should be set. The CD cabinet (moved 3 times to various spots in the room - almost breaking my back, again) can now be filled and the empty boxes recycled.

I would like to find a high table for use as a buffet or bar and there is still a spot for it.  All things must perform multiple functions here. The room is shaping up, is colorful, and will be comfortable for myself and guests (should there be any) in the weeks ahead.

Found an old recipe for smothered pork chops with white wine, sliced onions, cumin seeds, tumeric, and garlic. No effort on my part, and just what's needed after a busy day out and about. Oh, I forgot about the fresh peaches...there are wedges of peaches involved, too.


Tomorrow is a free day.  May the sun shine, may the winds be calm, may the temperature be mild, and may I wake up to enjoy it all.

*The Roar of the Greasepaint, The Smell of the Crowd

And so it goes.
*

Ah, Wednesday!

Tuesday: Interesting and unusual day...for me.

I slept in.  Didn't get out of bed until almost 6:30. I really needed the rest and got it. I was refreshed and ready for the day of errands and chores.  I had a list.

Pharmacy for allergy meds was first. Warm weather and growing things take their toll on me.

Next stop - hardware store to buy a small package of drywall screws (to use with the new drill!) since the mega-stores only have them by the thousand. Found a package of 50.  Sweet.

Spent a productive 2 hrs. at the Social Security office learning that I should hold off applying until next year, or it will cost me in benefits and penalties.  If I don't croak before 7/2012 I will receive $200.00 more monthly than if I apply this year, and no penalty for income under 30K.  If I apply 7/2011, I will owe SS  money because the maximum I could make without doing so would be only 14K, which  as we all know, there is no way in God's green earth one could survive on without living in your car, or on the street.  It's very hard to explain, and that's the way they want it.  I'll wait.

A stop at the Cheer (senior) Center followed for more info on Medicare and supplemental insurance options. Got a few tips and one lead to follow up on.

I picked up the cordless drill (G*d help us all!) ordered online the night before.  It was paid for, packed up, in a locked enclosure waiting for me.. I'll have to remember this when I find sale items online that are not on sale  in the store.

Then decided on a treat and stopped by a gay-owned sorta-kinda gourmet shop to buy a small wedge of Brie. I asked for a 1/4 lb; the owner ("friend" from my previous life) asked if I had no friends to share a larger wedge. I left without comment or the cheese. They won't be in business long.

Had to shop for a few things and the cheese section of my supermarket had just the size I wanted. Double cream, of course.

Enjoyed my treat as I read the instructions for the new power tool of death. (Now isn't that the portrait of a gay man? A power tool in one hand, a crispbread loaded with Brie in the other, perusing the how-to owner's manual.  The wine was on the table. Only have two hands, after all.) I will add this little adventure to my LIT kit (Lesbian in Training) and pray I don't cause any sort of disaster.  All I want is to hang a few paintings, photos, and one large mirror...yes, I know.  Be afraid, be very afraid.  I'll get that Lesbian Tool Belt award yet.

That was Tuesday. I'm tired just having written about it.  Still, it was productive and instructional in many ways.

Wednesday: ***crickets***  Nice.

And so it goes.
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