Sunday, July 30, 2006

Yard Work and the English Language

Sprout is still liking his new post. Hey, it's in America. He has some big changes coming up, some I'm not allowed to talk about just yet, but soon, very soon. He is doing well and I am happy for him. He did get smoked (military discipline i.e. pushups, crawls, etc.) for two hours last week for a minor infraction that could be deadly in the right situation. Thanks to the Army, he won't make that mistake again. Other than that, he and Uncle Sam are getting along pretty well.

I got up this Sunday morning and went out and edged the yard that Stoicdad had so beautifully cut yesterday in this fine tropical heat heaven we live in. The humidity here is so thick you can ship it. I swear I have to take a spoon to dig my way out to the car some mornings, it's that thick.

Anyway, I used the weedeater to do my edging. I never let Stoicdad edge...he is not precise enough. I've seen him edge. His edging more resembles a moat then an outline. Our gas edger gave out two summers ago and I have learned to edge with a Black and Decker Grasshog weedeater and I love it. But I have run into a slight dilemma when discussing yard-work with others. Maybe someone out there knows the answer to this - what is the past tense of the word "weedeat"? Is it "weedate"? "Wedate"? "Weedeated"? Somebody must know. If you do know, please tell me. I don't want to have to go back to the gas-edger on an english language technicality. Anybody?

Saturday, July 22, 2006

It's ALIVE!!!

Well, I got my new computer, another Dell. My last computer actually started out as an IBM but transmogrified into a Dell by the third or fourth year. It still had an IBM head and legs and arms, but it's brain was a Dell.

So now all things old are new again, or so I thought. Plugged in my trusty old Olympus digital camera last night and guess what? Windows XP does not recognize my old camera. JIMANINNI! So I guess the news for all the world is this...If you upgrade one thing, be prepared to upgrade EVERYTHING. I have this weird feeling that the new computer that leads to a new camera will cause my new camera to lead to a new...I don't know...Grandkids to take pictures of, maybe...Who will lead to a new car (because the new grandkids are much more snootier than the old ones) and the new car will lead to a new house because who wants to park a fine new car next to an old worn-out house that didn't cost as much as the car did anyway? And of course, the new house will lead to ALL NEW FURNITURE because we all know you can't put the old stuff in a new house, it's just not compatible. And the new furniture will lead to new clothes because...Ha!... Do you really think I'm gonna sit on the arm of that fancy new Clayton Marcus sofa next to that Pulaski wall-sized entertainment center with the Sony Bravia flat-panel 46 inch high-definition television set and have my picture taken with my fancy new Olympus Evolt E-330 digital camera while wearing a $9.99 Cherokee brand blouse from TARGET? No way, Jose! And it goes without saying that I will have to buy all new make-up because, hey, only Bobbie Brown mascara is gonna go with those new Talbot's outfits I'll be wearing. BUT, that could only lead to one other thing...A FACELIFT...Because even God knows you cannot put Bobbie Brown mascara on droopy eyes with crows-feet. It just does not compute!

(sobbing softly) It's never going to end.

Trust me on this people...DON"T UPGRADE!!! You can't afford it.

Saturday, July 08, 2006

I'm Not Dead - Just Discombobulated

Sorry I haven't posted in so long. There has been a death in the family. My Dell is dead. I kilt him. I didn't mean to...I was just trying to fix him. My elder son, Sir Duke, says "Mama, give it up. You've had that computer since Pearl Harbor was bombed." Seeing as how I was still running Windows 98,I guess he is right. I refuse to believe Dell is dead. I am in denial because if my computer is really dead, then I have lost about 2 or 3 hundred digital pictures of the grandkids. How will this world survive?

Anyhoo, I am in the process of looking for a computer, trying to decide between laptop or desktop. I'm leaning toward desktop with a sleek new paper-thin monitor. Ochee Mama! I'm posting this from my Amish sister's laptop. She just last month entered the world of cell phones and computers. She's not really Amish, we just call her that because she took so long to join the rest of us. She has gone off to Maine today to become a grandmother and left me with the keys to her house and her laptop password. Hubby won't be seeing me for a while.

Sprout was home, had a good visit, bought a car, left for his new post, met up with his best battle buddy who is in the same company and life is good. I ask about him being deployed to Iraq, but he says he's sure it will probably be at least a year, if he goes. I guess I will be doing lots of savoring of moments this year. No use worrying in advance...yeah, easier said then done.

As soon as I decide on another computer, I will get back to writing.

Until then, I am Amish.