So there is a really good reason why I haven't been posting lately. My computer is broken. Almost. I have had it for 6 years. It's a PC. Not a MAC. I'm also reasonably computer illiterate. I mean after all I do make a living TALKING. Not typing, but talking. I do type very, very fast. (Thank you Ms. Agee, best typing teach in America, Grangeville High was very lucky to have you, even though the timed typing tests gave me so much performance anxiety I felt ill. My competitive and type A nature was in place at an early age. But I digress).
I am reasonably good with Word, "Bing" like a champ. But if my computer flashes up a warning sign about something, such as "upload new super-duper virus protection stuff" I 100% of the time click "close". Yes, that's right, I have never downloaded anything that it suggested. Ever. Not in 6 years. Which is why my computer now refuses to talk to ITunes (serious problem for a runner, I must have new music on my tiny shuffle). It constantly stalls, gets upset and basically can't exist in 2010 successfully. If the house is in the 70's inside the computer fan revs up and sounds like we have a lawnmower in the den. John hates this computer. He assures me that my computer's problems have more to do with the age of my computer (which he finds amazing by the way) than what I have or have not downloaded/updated since the summer of 2004. I bought this computer before I bought my house. Before I bought my first I-pay-the-car-payment car (thank you Dad for my first car, err cars). This computer was basically the first big ticket item I laid down cash for in my short life on this planet. And now it is dang near dead. But there's more to this story of why I've been off-line.
I also joined something called Facebook. Yes, most of you joined many many years ago but again, I was hesitant and busy. I joined. I clicked on a hyperlink the other day that was supposed to be about the local news and a virus warning went off like the house was on fire. So I did what all smart people do. I simply turned the computer off. And left it that way for weeks. Yes, weeks. I assumed that must "kill" the virus, right? But it gets better/worse.
2 days later I went snow-shoeing at a corporate retreat and became completely without modern technology. How? The first 2 hours went great. Yes, 2 hours, my boss likes to make these outings endurance tests. It was uphill, like, "wow, I might be sick" uphill. The last 45 minutes it rained. We were literally dripping wet, the 5 of us corporate-retreaters. My blackberry was in my coat pocket. Some might say I forgot to take it out before we took off up the mountain, but I like to claim that I was determined to not be a slacker while we were corporate re-treating and I was going to keep an eye on my team and their email needs. The blackberry was so wet it never came back to life. It took my company 2 weeks to send a new blackberry. 2 very relaxing weeks I might add. At any rate, I've been basically off-line for a long time. But tonight I got crazy and decided to turn my computer back on and see if the "virus" would jump out of the computer and get me. It hasn't so far. So for those who have emailed and written requesting a new post - thank you for your encouragement. I am back on-line. And getting a new computer soon. Just as soon as I have time to actually go buy it.
I would add a photo here but John is at a business dinner and has the family camera and all the family know-how about how to download and post a photo.
