My New Toy

I got a new computer today and I'm learning how to use it. You know everytime they make something in computerland "easier and faster", it's not.

Used to be, you went in to buy a computer and then would be a big placard next to it explaining all its virtues. Then you could decide which one you wanted. You take it home, you take it out of the box along with several books and manuals and help sheets. You follow the simple diagrams and turn it on. Then you got directions and tutorials on the screen. No more. Nope - I guess they expect everybody to know all about it by osmosis or something. I read the user guide manual but I still don't know what that big button next to the power switch is for or the optimization buttons or the on-off switch on the opposite side of the power switch. The power switch turns the computer on, so I don't know what the on switch turns on. But that's probably from the same company who thought it was sane to click on start to turn the computer off.

I was surprised to find my new computer has some Microsoft Office 2007 Applications. I think they are trial versions, but I don't know that for certain. It's got a thumbprint scanner, but no easy directions for setting it to recognize my print. I'll have to hunt for it when I have the time.

When I have time - aren't computers suppose to save you time?

HA! Sometimes I just crack myself up!

Just give her a medal and be done with it

I haven't posted for a few days because I worked overtime every day this week. I don't know why I do that except I take my job seriously. Too seriously I guess. It's hard to communicate to other staff why I feel the need to do a good job - I get paid to work and to waste time would be stealing from the company. Doesn't matter if it's an ungrateful company that has less regard for me than it does for boxes of copy paper. I work for me - the company gives me the paycheck, but I'm responsible to me. And I'm a tough boss.

I don't work in a vacuum and a weak link can negate all my efforts. Sometimes I feel like I'm a fool for trying to do a bettr job because too many other people just see the job as a paycheck. And why is it a crime to learn something new for the job outside of work hours if it's going to let you do your job better and faster?


It's a daily struggle to identify my feelings - smug and self-satisfied, frustrated, or who gives a rat's hat.

I think I need my hearing checked.

The other day I was in the kitchen and I thought I heard somebody knock on the door, but my hands were full so I couldn't run to see who it was and then I heard somebody knock on a door on TV and decided that was what I heard. Later, when I went out the next day I found a note from the postman that he had tried to deliver a package.

Yesterday, I was fixing lunch and I set something in the microwave while I washed a few dishes. When I finished the dishes, the microwave still had almost 3 minutes on it so I went in to watch TV. Before I could get sat down, I heard the microwave go off. "My goodness," I thought. That was a short three minutes or I got lost on the way to the couch." I went back to the kitchen and found 1 minute and 46 seconds was left on the microwave timer. I stood there confused (more confused than usual) when I recalled hearing a guy on TV say, "I know how to microwave popcorn".

"Oh, " I said to myself, "My lunch isn't ready - his popcorn is done!"

So I discovered several important things about myself recently:

1. I can hear, I just don't know what I'm hearing.
2. I should cook and watch TV in different rooms at the same time.
3. I should stop talking to myself.

Still crazy after all these years.

The Butcher, the Baker, the Candlestick Maker

Guess who's visiting my house tonight?

Fates have conspired against me this week to keep me from getting to the grocery store to buy food suitable for my take-to-work lunches. Whatever I fix has to be fast and easy with minimal prep and clean-up - here in my kitchen and there at work.

Since I didn't have anything in the house that fit those requirements, I've had to go out every day and get it. I managed to keep the cost under $10 a day, but it still adds up and I get tired of deciding where to go everyday.

So tonight I decided to make Dilly Casserole Bread for tomorrow. It will be great with a little cheese, maybe some carrot sticks, and fruit.

That is, if I don't eat it all tonight. It's almost ready to put in the oven, and my mouth is already salivating in anticipation of the fresh-baked-bread odors that are going to be wafting through this apartment soon.

Dill and onion and fresh baked bread. Don't you wish you were here with the Baker?

Who't to blame for the world of the state today?

I fell asleep watching TV last night so I went to bed early. So I got up early. Now I'm going to be grumpy all day. Well, more grumpy than usual anyway. If Indiana hadn't switched to Daylight Saving Time there would be time for me to go back to bed and get a little more sleep, but we did so there isn't.

I can hear a bird singing outside the window. It's not dawn yet by Daylight Saving Time, but nobody told the birds. When you hear somebody express the opinion that DST is "for the birds", tell them they're wrong. The birds won't accept it.

Did you see gas prices had gone up again? You can blame that on DST too. You know they moved the start of DST up 4 weeks this year to save more energy? Well, we used more energy that month and in previous years so we caused a shortage of gas and the price went up.

Since the price of gas went up, you can bet the cost of groceries will go up, too. The next thing you know I won't be able to sleep because I'll be worried about the cost of everything going up twice as fast as my salary.

And you can blame it all on Daylight Saving Time.