Month: July 2013

Day 701 of 1000

There is an article in PC magazine that asks the question:  Do People Really Want to Touch Their PC Screens?  I think it is a great question.  Of course tablets, hybrid machines, and cellphones are going to diminish the demand for full-blown desktop and laptop PC’s, but the whole paradigm shift to PC’s that work best with screen touches seems to diminish my productivity unnecessarily.

Day 698 of 1000

Sometimes it is a challenge to have a good attitude when it does not seem like people who should know better do not have your family’s best interests at heart. Compound that with the knowledge that there is no excuse for a bad attitude nor a persecution complex, especially on the drive home from meeting. The discussion on the drive home was both animated and about an hour long based on events and history. Suffice it to say I struggled a little with all this, but believe I got the better of it by the time we home, life was much better.

Then Lorena sent Christian and I to Harris Teeter (the closest grocery store to the house) to pick up a few things.  They give away free samples in the store, but it is never as good as Costco on a Saturday morning.  This morning, though, they out-did themselves.  I do not know whether it was on purpose or by accident.  They had some awesome sourdough French bread in front of the bread section.  Over by the deli section, they had sliced turkey breast.  They had cheese samples over by the cheese color.  You can see the result in the picture and it was really good.  Christian told me to tell people that thing under my thumb is not a pat of butter, but a square of cheese.

An awesome little sandwich put it all into perspective.

Day 693 of 1000

My Finnish grandmother used to write letters to all her grandkids. She wrote with a beautiful hand about the weather, her garden, who she had seen, and all kinds of other mundane things.  It was fabulous to receive one. Whenever any of us felt bad, we would write her a letter because we knew we would get one back even though she just lived across town.  I wrote letters to my family when I was in college, to Lorena, when we were courting, and to many, many friends and relatives over the years.

Part of the appeal was the days and weeks wait between letters.  It made one work hard at getting it right because, if you blew it, it took a pretty long time to make it right.  I think people can get pretty flip with Internet communications because responses are so immediate.  If you say something wrong, you can correct it in less than a minute.  I think it probably coarsens discourse.

It gave me great joy to see that Kelly made postcards for her friends to send via “snail mail.” There are some things that the internet will never replace.  When someone does something like this for you, you know it took some effort.  You know the person was doing it for you.  Specifically.  I miss it.  I think I need to start writing snail mail letters again

Day 689 of 1000

Kelly and I have been having a fairly interesting text conversation about how to interact with people from work and school.  As the youngest person or the only female in a group, it is pretty disgusted when people use bad language and/or make off-color comments.  I have a theory about that.  If someone is willing to do or say something disgusting in a group setting, I think they are fair game and pretty much go for the throat on them, usually in a loud voice.  Some of you might have even seen me do it.

Invariably, the response is something like, “Hey, I was just fooling around,  It’s no big deal.”

Well, to some of us, it is.  Why anyone would say or do things at the expense of others is beyond my understanding and there should be a price to pay as close to the time of offense as possible.  I am not talking about one or two accidental innuendos either–everyone knows when this is actually going on.  The sad part is that, when it happens, sometimes others try to get in on the fun.  When that happens, it is time to just leave.

Day 687 of 1000

I have not been to Denver for years.  I think the last time I even flew through Denver it was at the old Stapleton Airport.  I will be there through the weekend.  Sadly, I will be working throught the weekend (except I hope to get away Sunday morning).  I am hoping to see an old friend or two there if I can get away.  I will post some pictures if I do.

Day 682 of 1000

Grandpa Milo and Grandma Sarah got married on July 4, 1953.  On the day after they celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary the day before our dear friend Bethany Joyce is marrying her Josh.  I hope Bethany and Josh have as many great years as my parents.  Dad and Mom went over to coast for their honeymoon and have tried to get there for their anniversary every time they got the chance.  This year, the Julias (Aunt Julia and Cousin Julia) drove them over to Depoe.

They are doing very, very well enjoying life.  I am especially thankful for dear friends who pick them up twice per week for meeting and other friends who take them out for dinner and even to family reunions and the like (Thanks Glad!).  Especially, I am glad for my siblings who live close by and work together to make the huge effort necessary to give them a great quality of life in their advancing years.