tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61368799838228828982024-02-07T17:50:39.623-08:00Onwards (still); it's not just about weight anymore.ArleneWKWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06442303488097811495noreply@blogger.comBlogger145125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6136879983822882898.post-70363231963093155352013-11-29T22:24:00.001-08:002013-11-29T23:32:54.601-08:00An Edited Comment I Made On Mike's Blog - http://myadventures2008.blogspot.com/<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="color: #0c343d;">Sorry that you missed Yosemite because of the idiotic government shutdown. At this point in U.S. history, our government is disfunctional. Our democracy is fractured, broken by ideological extremes and the influence of monied interests. I don't know if we are in an irreversible decline, ripe for the triumph of an authoritarian regime or for revolution, or if this just a phase in our national history with an eventual return to functionality (and with the adults back in control.) </span></span><br />
********************************************<br />
<span style="color: #0c343d;">I wrote and deleted the following (edited) comment on someone else's post;</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> "Your experiences, reinforced by the cynicism of the age, lead you to question the motivations of </span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> other people."</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I liked the sentence (which is why I've written it here) but is was an inappropriate response to the post on which I was commenting.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span>
ArleneWKWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06442303488097811495noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6136879983822882898.post-75700856700683413582013-11-09T20:14:00.001-08:002013-11-14T01:00:14.057-08:00At this momentI'm sitting on the brown chair weighing about 40 pounds less than the last time that I posted. It's appropriate that I begin this with such a statement; I began the first of these blogs that I've written over the years as a blog about getting rid of weight. My first blog was entitled, "Getting Rid of he Regain."<br />
<br />
I've been swimming a mile a day for the last eight months or so. The chronic pain that disabled me has diminished. I can walk a couple of miles, even three with little or endurable pain. I'm more fit than I've been for years.<br />
<br />
A doctor motivated me. He said he'd give me new knees if I got to a certain weight. I'm about three pounds away from that goal. And now, I no longer feel the need for such surgery.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />ArleneWKWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06442303488097811495noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6136879983822882898.post-10432975374600766382013-06-27T21:30:00.000-07:002013-06-27T21:30:02.547-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD4wzfqKvyfugE6QHzmjLwpOgRNUxE1EIbreJ7PghXhi73X4j1tzOVSfZCzMPpUK9IsL5lvNEemPC7io61n82Z_VmDZmHBCIWww8HFO-SODdXusJKE5Hf8QtM7vj3vleXCmKsQhygC7GY/s1600/July+4th+decorations+2013+023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD4wzfqKvyfugE6QHzmjLwpOgRNUxE1EIbreJ7PghXhi73X4j1tzOVSfZCzMPpUK9IsL5lvNEemPC7io61n82Z_VmDZmHBCIWww8HFO-SODdXusJKE5Hf8QtM7vj3vleXCmKsQhygC7GY/s320/July+4th+decorations+2013+023.JPG" width="320" /> </a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">Yesterday I sat with two women in my home making centerpieces for our neighborhood Independence Day dinner (to be held on July 2nd.) One of the women emigrated from England 30 years ago. She became an American a few weeks ago. She deferred becoming a citizen until her mother died, an event that occurred earlier in the year.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">On July 4th, Gari and I will be going to a barbecue hosted by another women whose roots are in England. She is Gari's brother's "lady friend." I'm amused that two British women figure prominently in my Independence Day celebrations this year.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">I think that the United States of America is a wonderful country despite its many complex problems. I can think of no other country in which I'd like to be living. (I suspect that I'd have similar feelings towards England if it was my birthplace and my home, but not China or another place in which the sphere of personal freedom is substantially smaller than I enjoy.)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">To freedom then, this fragile state in which we live, usually taking it for granted, as basic as the air we breathe; we notice it only when it is foul. Today (and possibly always) there is a threat to our freedom in actions done in the name of personal security. The balance between the two is tricky. In the past few weeks, we've been made aware of the use of telephone records to fight against terrorism. I haven't formulated a solid opinion about this. I know also that a reasoned position could be obliterated by a flamboyant terrorist incident. Our future is at the mercy of a madman or a group of them I suppose that this is the story of our fast paced time. </span></span><br />
<br /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">But for now - I rejoice - in my country, for my country, for all of humans who have been fortunate to live in societies where freedom is as basic as the air they breathe.</span></span>ArleneWKWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06442303488097811495noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6136879983822882898.post-50221696111603123682013-06-24T01:06:00.000-07:002013-06-24T01:08:35.503-07:00From the Sublime to the GutterAt 2 p.m., a performance of the Tales of Hoffman by the San Francisco Opera<br />
<br />
At 6:30 p.m., "Man of Steel," a story of Superman from his his birth on Crypton, to his childhood in Kansas, and on to the world stage saving mankind<br />
<br />
At 9:40 p.m., "The Bling Ring" during the screening in which we get a glimpse of the extravagant lifestyle of Paris Hilton<br />
<br />
From the sublime<br />
to popular chase 'em and blow stuff up<br />
to the gutter<br />
<br />
I prefer the sublime.<br />
<br />
Slumming was not as much fun as I thought it would be.<br />
<br />
<br />ArleneWKWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06442303488097811495noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6136879983822882898.post-21157732090479699172013-06-22T18:24:00.000-07:002013-06-22T18:49:07.952-07:00A Heartbreaking EventI was wondering if I would post again and why.<br />
<br />
The "why" is a news article that I read moments ago. It saddens me and outrages me. I am raging.<br />
<br />
An 8 year old girl was kidnapped from a Walmart in Florida on Friday. The suspect had been released from jail on May 31. A registered sex offender, his recent offense had been impersonating an official and "aggravated child abuse by willful torture." <br />
<br />
The mother and daughter met the suspect at a nearby Dollar Store. He offered to buy clothing for them at Walmart. After 2 hours in Walmart, the suspect said he would buy them hamburgers. He left Walmart with the girl and drove away with her in his van. The mother called the police and said that her daughter had been kidnapped. On Saturday, the suspect was apprehended and held without bail. The charge was changed from kidnapping to murder later the day when the girl's body was found at a church 4 miles away from the Walmart.<br />
<br />
There is nothing really to say about this. One wonders about the mother. Is she mentally incompetent? Was she on drugs. What does it take for a woman to go with a stranger to go shopping for clothing for herself and her 8 year old daughter? What does it take for a women to allow her 8 year old daughter within the reach of such a stranger?<br />
<br />
Such a heartbreaking story.<br />
<br />
It's been a long time from when I last posted. Most of my on-line friends no long maintain their blogs. Three of them do so. I hope one or two drop by and share their comments. I don't know why except that right now - in The City alone to catch a couple operas and meet my son for lunch on Monday - I feel alone with this awful awful event .<br />
<br />
<br />ArleneWKWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06442303488097811495noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6136879983822882898.post-219012471102647762012-12-21T18:23:00.003-08:002012-12-21T18:24:26.406-08:00Happy<span style="color: #274e13;">This is my favorite season - this year. . . . </span><br />
<span style="color: #274e13;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #274e13;">Traditionally November and December have been the most difficult months in my life. Other than dismal weather, the most traumatic events have usually occurred in these months - or in early January. </span><br />
<span style="color: #274e13;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #274e13;">But this year, I'm all about Christmastime. </span><br />
<span style="color: #274e13;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #274e13;">I have many reasons to be happy:</span><br />
<span style="color: #274e13;"> </span><br />
<span style="color: #274e13;">My children are doing well; my relationship with them is harmonious and loving. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #274e13;">My son and daughter-in-law are competent, interested and loving parents. Their 5 year old daughter enjoys doing crafts with me. Their son at two sparkles with personality.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #274e13;">My daughter is ........amazing!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #274e13;">I am blessed to have in my life a wonderful man who continually surprises me with his thoughtfulness, gentleness and brilliance. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #274e13;">I now live in a welcoming retirement community. My block is known to be the most "social" in this community. Some of my neighbors are becoming friends, others friendly acquaintances.</span><br />
<span style="color: #274e13;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #274e13;">Life has mellowed me. I've learned some of its more difficult lessons. I face the challenges that life now present me with grace. Every day is a gift.</span><br />
<span style="color: #274e13;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #274e13;">And . . . . . the bank down the street always has cookies and coffee available. I call it the Cookie Bank. A week ago they hosted their annual Christmas party, a gift to those of us who do our banking there. The food is abundant and includes an assortment of gourmet appetizers, wonderful bakery items, wine and other beverages.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #274e13;">At the Christmas party at the Cookie Bank was the attractive woman pictured above. I love the flair with which she is dressed. Her presence added to the festivity of the occasion.</span><br />
<span style="color: #274e13;"><br /></span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEFtj0qriTRQvIZUmvvvcKy83ElUgDAJwhq65MSE5IS9s6C2eNLrPCJvruUfAcPS87aRLqgDBchQEg1ULCl3TnT-L9yiZo0NBlHjECop7L20rGNr3VlPRZ8LGct3XwCY1eMTCAOxXtsfY/s1600/christmas+stuff+036.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEFtj0qriTRQvIZUmvvvcKy83ElUgDAJwhq65MSE5IS9s6C2eNLrPCJvruUfAcPS87aRLqgDBchQEg1ULCl3TnT-L9yiZo0NBlHjECop7L20rGNr3VlPRZ8LGct3XwCY1eMTCAOxXtsfY/s320/christmas+stuff+036.JPG" width="238" /></a></div>
<br />ArleneWKWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06442303488097811495noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6136879983822882898.post-57369551113132041062012-11-19T16:05:00.000-08:002012-11-19T16:05:14.744-08:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRSXmwXe3oIwpHk6iRbhGZRwZWfLDXwFsvOKLTKdrRW4kU2eJ59tfXU67rPPUkDvB3ZjK_7QvRIqxawwZq6UZO5Kpnnh8cFl-Tn-DFRgeA_FPdYyKq-Z3aXhKSHzJRFy0er89tLvRZM1E/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRSXmwXe3oIwpHk6iRbhGZRwZWfLDXwFsvOKLTKdrRW4kU2eJ59tfXU67rPPUkDvB3ZjK_7QvRIqxawwZq6UZO5Kpnnh8cFl-Tn-DFRgeA_FPdYyKq-Z3aXhKSHzJRFy0er89tLvRZM1E/s200/photo.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I swim because that is what I do; I am a swimmer.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Pain dictates that it is the only cardio exercise I get.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">A fourth a mile away from my house</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Is a warm community pool.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I am fortunate</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">And thankful.</span></span><br />
<br />
<br />ArleneWKWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06442303488097811495noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6136879983822882898.post-21377353038787516352012-11-13T18:00:00.004-08:002012-11-13T18:14:32.516-08:00Fanny Hensel Mendelssohn<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqTK0bKNziJVS9GhDKs_RMdZox5qtvMPVsC3do_IuvmTLtsF2Y8aMuzgg4O_Tpw_hlX396IWb2MghDUvOQ3RoxJpV3qQvEmoGCHPHdrrIj58elTqkK50h91TwjvRnj-1yk6xUEIvlBmzc/s1600/NooooooooooooooW+003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqTK0bKNziJVS9GhDKs_RMdZox5qtvMPVsC3do_IuvmTLtsF2Y8aMuzgg4O_Tpw_hlX396IWb2MghDUvOQ3RoxJpV3qQvEmoGCHPHdrrIj58elTqkK50h91TwjvRnj-1yk6xUEIvlBmzc/s200/NooooooooooooooW+003.JPG" width="149" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">This morning I attended a lecture about Felix Mendelssohn's older sister, Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">She was born in 1805 into a Jewish family that converted to Protestantism in order to assimilate into the upper echelons of the stratified Prussian aristocracy. Though she was precociously gifted with musical talent, she was told that music could only be an "ornament" in her life; her brother, Felix, was groomed to music greatness. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">Fanny composed over 400 musical compositions. She organized and performed in.biweekly concerts in the "garden room," which seated over 200 people, in the mansion where she lived with her family. The famous and the powerful attended these.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">Until 1847, Felix discouraged Fanny from having her works published. Upon the publication of a few of them, she said that she felt like she been been "reborn." At this point, she was writing prodigiously. She died less than a year later.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">Fanny's works went undiscovered until the 1980's when a scholar wrote a biography of her famous brother and found himself fascinated by his older sister. One wonders how the course of Fanny's life would have been had she been born 150 years later.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">(If the video below doesn't work, here is the link.)</span></span><br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/SDNszp4W0eU" width="560"></iframe>ArleneWKWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06442303488097811495noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6136879983822882898.post-24179529964697079642012-11-12T22:45:00.000-08:002012-11-12T22:46:44.443-08:00Taking Time<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXnHSq4LksW-Y02qoZyWCCp1Ce2sl8zUCuBmT4kzWyJqTGLOKjOzIw6ZMhV_UXz0rjlLu28iRaz7qK3eufSO_J9T2kXyk9dkzxwZ2YjpG9Ayz6FOe_5D9H5kYKbDR9ivpgpkWqh19-7Ds/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXnHSq4LksW-Y02qoZyWCCp1Ce2sl8zUCuBmT4kzWyJqTGLOKjOzIw6ZMhV_UXz0rjlLu28iRaz7qK3eufSO_J9T2kXyk9dkzxwZ2YjpG9Ayz6FOe_5D9H5kYKbDR9ivpgpkWqh19-7Ds/s200/photo.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Sometimes a response is needed. The behavior of the other person requires it. Such a task has sometimes overwhelmed me in the past. I am impelled to respond immediately and the task overtakes my life.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This time, I did it differently. I set a time for four days later to write a response to a provocative letter that I had received. When thoughts about the planned letter intruded, I pushed them away. When I found myself mulling the situation while swimming laps, I focused on the number of the lengths that I had completed. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">On Sunday, alone and with hours at my disposal, I finally jotted down the points that I wanted to make. Rather than the fevered passion which has accompanied my writing such letters in the past, I felt a sense of peace. Putting distance between my initial reaction and my expression of it allowed me to do the task dispassionately.</span></span>ArleneWKWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06442303488097811495noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6136879983822882898.post-13405831189846975232012-11-10T12:47:00.003-08:002012-11-10T12:47:39.421-08:00Playing With Pictures<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9uqaFnJAXay3MoH74Zl1m2v9oZyjZ9AuRY6iss_36OxPxVX7E2B-GhHu_XN7-stYMZFfsLyHjk2XiUE4WclgEC4mZ3IyeYql1QmQm2Fig2gwuLTkLg3F57rjZ4q79n5exRdE-ElS8JKo/s1600/Arlene+and+Gari+at+Yosemite.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9uqaFnJAXay3MoH74Zl1m2v9oZyjZ9AuRY6iss_36OxPxVX7E2B-GhHu_XN7-stYMZFfsLyHjk2XiUE4WclgEC4mZ3IyeYql1QmQm2Fig2gwuLTkLg3F57rjZ4q79n5exRdE-ElS8JKo/s320/Arlene+and+Gari+at+Yosemite.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">Towards the end of September, Gari and Gari's son, Gabe, and I took a RV trip to Yosemite and the Gold Country. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">Yesterday, as I reviewed the pictures and downloaded the selected ones to Shutterfly in preparation for a photo album, I smiled. </span></span>ArleneWKWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06442303488097811495noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6136879983822882898.post-47791862501499134122012-11-09T16:47:00.002-08:002012-11-09T16:47:32.400-08:00GroundedI've been looking at my need for creative activity. I am making this a priority. I am not going to let the continual demands to do paperwork - and then more paperwork - an ever growing mountain of paperwork - smother me. I need to create!<br />
<br />
Taking the time to swim is important. Given my pain issues, it is the only cardio exercise that I get. I am fortunate to live a fourth of a mile from a warm pool in the retirement community to where I now live. I am learning to make that a priority.ArleneWKWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06442303488097811495noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6136879983822882898.post-29718531828710046042012-11-07T23:03:00.001-08:002012-11-07T23:03:51.860-08:00A Post-Election CommentMy candidate won. The plot of land on which my house is located will not secede after all!<br />
<br />
I'm actually very relieved that Obama won.ArleneWKWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06442303488097811495noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6136879983822882898.post-59392621228652619302012-08-31T09:50:00.002-07:002012-08-31T10:07:21.478-07:00The Best Ever, Most Brilliant Way to Separate the Egg White From the Yolk (in Chinese)<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"></span></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); color: #274e13;">http://bbs.wenxuecity.com/cooking/1160651.html</span></div>
ArleneWKWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06442303488097811495noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6136879983822882898.post-5281327743503593572012-08-12T22:18:00.004-07:002012-08-12T22:26:16.607-07:00Joys of Life - A Sunday in August 2012<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">A lazy day, a decision to NOT "accomplish." </span></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9wYudwmN-HzrjzvHIUGce1wGFgL_4dxVGINEtNx1p3gRRY4aCkF3B1vaHezKE4FxM9UFUBtnyCAypdHlgNhD1IwEha4FiElFNcSoUK3n-2r3kK7MgtkE3gSQlpMVayq9qWxDn6kQ5iGU/s1600/for+blog+etc+029.JPG" style="clear: left; color: #274e13; float: left; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9wYudwmN-HzrjzvHIUGce1wGFgL_4dxVGINEtNx1p3gRRY4aCkF3B1vaHezKE4FxM9UFUBtnyCAypdHlgNhD1IwEha4FiElFNcSoUK3n-2r3kK7MgtkE3gSQlpMVayq9qWxDn6kQ5iGU/s320/for+blog+etc+029.JPG" width="239" /></a><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Three hours spent on the New York Times Crossword Puzzle. I have always felt too inadequate to persevere with it.
The puzzle was described as "easy" by<a href="http://rexwordpuzzle.blogspot.com/"> <span style="color: #20124d;">Rex Parker</span></a>, "the 31st Greatest Crossword Puzzle Solver in the Universe!,"</span> <span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">and many of his
commentators. Even though I used Google to help me with a few clues
and ended up with three errors, for me it was a triumph just to finish it. And I got ALL of the theme items.</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMR5TUcoUuM3lZ8JWCj85tXGxz8Zl2saAQ8DoeE03wxk7d43FR1UN2aXp3CnVPmwBK5BwGi18w6QJZ1Axxh7SFNmgR6yFDUQBjM_81v78OqdPN8UyLHAYPvlLbUg9idguPJpaEfnFGcP8/s1600/for+blog+etc+030+-+Copy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMR5TUcoUuM3lZ8JWCj85tXGxz8Zl2saAQ8DoeE03wxk7d43FR1UN2aXp3CnVPmwBK5BwGi18w6QJZ1Axxh7SFNmgR6yFDUQBjM_81v78OqdPN8UyLHAYPvlLbUg9idguPJpaEfnFGcP8/s320/for+blog+etc+030+-+Copy.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLWcHu4AeXpOz1gvh994uI792lRZzU9rexBEiix7Fazf2WeOG8NJ8oUtMtLyC2Jgf6MNu7wrLSQvEklZHKRuG_dmho05l1uq3b_CnpunaEYhyGGo1osdojpa4NHD-Fk1Mk5iDXJo7QtgU/s1600/for+blog+etc+030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqNnCzLHxikWZKVPwOumZebJ2cSdutETdV-X4ydG8FKRKpoamihpminFiFmMabGv6F8PHP1RoyPiTSWORdzXT35cWpKcuxzUBYHzCAoyCdyG2KUcMpXpr62feqqsO6rDF5P4WlMbcieP0/s1600/for+blog+etc+031.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqNnCzLHxikWZKVPwOumZebJ2cSdutETdV-X4ydG8FKRKpoamihpminFiFmMabGv6F8PHP1RoyPiTSWORdzXT35cWpKcuxzUBYHzCAoyCdyG2KUcMpXpr62feqqsO6rDF5P4WlMbcieP0/s1600/for+blog+etc+031.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Afterwards, reading a bit in Edward Rutherfurd's "New York." A</span><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">t times the characters are mere hangars on which to hang the historical events, but the book is (for the most part) highly readable and gives a good sense of that very dynamic city from 1664, when it was New Amsterdam, to Summer 2009 in an Epilogue. I am half way through, up to the Civil War.</span><br />
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Edward Rutherfurd has written two other novels that I want to read: "Russka: The Novel of Russia," and "Sarum: The Novel of England.." "New York" is 860 pages. I plan to read his other novels on my Kindle.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqNnCzLHxikWZKVPwOumZebJ2cSdutETdV-X4ydG8FKRKpoamihpminFiFmMabGv6F8PHP1RoyPiTSWORdzXT35cWpKcuxzUBYHzCAoyCdyG2KUcMpXpr62feqqsO6rDF5P4WlMbcieP0/s1600/for+blog+etc+031.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqNnCzLHxikWZKVPwOumZebJ2cSdutETdV-X4ydG8FKRKpoamihpminFiFmMabGv6F8PHP1RoyPiTSWORdzXT35cWpKcuxzUBYHzCAoyCdyG2KUcMpXpr62feqqsO6rDF5P4WlMbcieP0/s320/for+blog+etc+031.JPG" width="239" /></a><br />
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<br />ArleneWKWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06442303488097811495noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6136879983822882898.post-74311040047931113752012-08-09T17:28:00.001-07:002012-08-10T02:25:01.464-07:00I Guess I'll Live<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP8zfCleMATCiIsp90s25bcN8LPxYBSET7lUmvWYkdoPuEZxfQSKxRzr2dixpo1wumAvhSyCusyKsryhVQnxkgtfOXd3bZUpNYXAUgSKiN7sqS1Q1fwfvPqsLN1cOGRaa3IpQYaAKpzKU/s1600/yellow+gold+again.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP8zfCleMATCiIsp90s25bcN8LPxYBSET7lUmvWYkdoPuEZxfQSKxRzr2dixpo1wumAvhSyCusyKsryhVQnxkgtfOXd3bZUpNYXAUgSKiN7sqS1Q1fwfvPqsLN1cOGRaa3IpQYaAKpzKU/s1600/yellow+gold+again.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP8zfCleMATCiIsp90s25bcN8LPxYBSET7lUmvWYkdoPuEZxfQSKxRzr2dixpo1wumAvhSyCusyKsryhVQnxkgtfOXd3bZUpNYXAUgSKiN7sqS1Q1fwfvPqsLN1cOGRaa3IpQYaAKpzKU/s1600/yellow+gold+again.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><span class="acct_info_label"><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span><br />
<span class="acct_info_label"><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP8zfCleMATCiIsp90s25bcN8LPxYBSET7lUmvWYkdoPuEZxfQSKxRzr2dixpo1wumAvhSyCusyKsryhVQnxkgtfOXd3bZUpNYXAUgSKiN7sqS1Q1fwfvPqsLN1cOGRaa3IpQYaAKpzKU/s1600/yellow+gold+again.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP8zfCleMATCiIsp90s25bcN8LPxYBSET7lUmvWYkdoPuEZxfQSKxRzr2dixpo1wumAvhSyCusyKsryhVQnxkgtfOXd3bZUpNYXAUgSKiN7sqS1Q1fwfvPqsLN1cOGRaa3IpQYaAKpzKU/s320/yellow+gold+again.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span class="acct_info_label"><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> I</span></span><span class="acct_info_label"><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> just renewed my Consumer Reports subscription for 5 years. </span></span><span class="acct_info_label"><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> I hesitated about doing that. My</span></span><span class="acct_info_label"><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span><span class="acct_info_label"><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">health issues over the last 1 1/2+ </span></span><span class="acct_info_label"><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">years makes me wonder how many more seasons the Arlene Comedy Show will run. This renewal is an affirmation that it might be picked up for at least that many years.</span> </span><br />
<br />
<span class="acct_info_label">Subscription Expires:</span>September 2012
<span class="acct_info_label">Current Offer:</span><br />
<input name="cds_term_value" type="RADIO" value="1" />1 year $26 - Save over $58 off of the newstand price.<br />
<input name="cds_term_value" type="RADIO" value="2" />2 years $49 - Save over $119 off of the newstand price.<br />
<input name="cds_term_value" type="RADIO" value="3" />5 years $98 - Save over $322 off of the newstand price.ArleneWKWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06442303488097811495noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6136879983822882898.post-62054098648304039582012-08-06T23:30:00.001-07:002012-08-07T01:55:28.740-07:00The Evil Empire (revised)<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;">When Ronald Reagan referred to the Evil Empire, he meant the Soviet Union. He was wrong. <span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">I have spent 10+ documented hours dealing with AT&T on the phone
and through text communication. Most of my impotent rage is directed at
Connect Tech, a company to which AT&T refers its customers when they
think a customer's problem is related to software. As it turned out, mine was not <i>initially</i> a software problem.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"> The difficulty with which I was dealing on Friday, July 13, was that I couldn't get my e-mail on my computer at my usual mailbox. I was able to receive it on my iPhone and iPad and should have counted my blessings. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Or I could have followed some advice to use gmail proffered early in the process. Instead (and foolishly), I turned to tech support at increasingly high levels of expertise (or so I was told.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">As it turned out, what started as a simple and minor problem, has stolen my time and cost me money to pay the computer geek that cleaned up most of the mess Connect Tech created. My advice: <b>DO NOT EVER LET CONNECT TECH REMOTELY "FIX" YOUR COMPUTER. NEVER! EVER! NEVER!</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Here's what the last 2+ weeks looked like at my house:</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">(<i><span style="color: #20124d;">In between all of these contacts, I was on hold for a <b>very very</b> long time</span>.</i>) </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><u>July 13 </u>(Friday): <b>(1 hour)</b> with Customer Service and the first layer of techno geeks. They tell me that my problem is a software problem - it wasn't (yet) - and that Tech Connect will fix the problem for a $50 fee. At the hour point on the phone, I am willing to pay the money. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>(3+ hours) </b>with Tech Connect; the company "takes over" my computer and "fixes" things remotely. At the end of my time with them, my e-mail program is still not working. TC tells me to be patient; that the line has a problem that technicians would be fixing</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><u>July 14 and 15 </u>(Saturday and Sunday): I discover that I have NO security on my computer AND my printer cannot print</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><u>July 16</u> (Monday): <b>(</b></span><span style="font-size: small;"><b style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">1+ hours)</b></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"> After being passed from one person to another, I reach Heidi in "Retention." She tells me that she will reverse the $50 that I agreed to pay Tech Connect to deal with my e-mail program. (Later I discover that the charge was not reversed). She says she will connect me to tech support and I will not be charged. The connection fails. I eventually get tech support. I ask to be connected to a supervisor. I am never connected to a supervisor. The person with whom I dealing with tells me that her supervisor looked the problem over and says that I should talk with "Risk Management." She tries to connect me to RM. The connection fails. When I finally reach "Risk Management," they are closed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><u style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">July 18</u></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"> (Wednesday): </span><span style="font-size: small;"><b style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">(2 1/2 hours)</b></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"> Risk Management informs me that their department deals with claims against AT&T. I don't want to make a claim; I want my security programs back and my connection to my printer fixed. They tell me to contact Connect Tech. At the end of this second time with CT, my printer is able to print and I am told that my security programs are working. Later I discover that they do NOT work.</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><u>July 20</u> (Friday): <b>(1 hour)</b> on the phone I talk with Brian in Retention. I want to make sure that I will not be charged for my calls to Connect Tech. He assures me I won't be. I tell him that I want a tech to come to my house without charge to fix the computer problems that Connect Tech has caused. I am told that there will be a charge, but Retention will reverse it after the charge appears on my bill. I need to call Retention for this to happen. I tell Brian that I don't want to have to call AT&T <i>again</i> to reverse a charge. I ask to speak to a supervisor. After a long wait, I talk with Pranali who says that she will reverse the charge after it has posted without my calling. I contact Customer Service to arrange for a technician to come to my house. The tech comes, tells me that he doesn't deal with software issues, and DOESN'T charge me for his visit. He also gives me his direct phone number. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763; font-size: small;"> </span><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: #073763;">That night my computer geek friend gets my security back.</span> <b><span style="color: #4c1130;">(21/2 </span></b></span><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: small;">hours)</span></b><span style="font-size: small;">. </span> </span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rKmWHxctEDs/UBxSLPQZq2I/AAAAAAAABl8/j3PmhYAD4lI/s1600/12+-+1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rKmWHxctEDs/UBxSLPQZq2I/AAAAAAAABl8/j3PmhYAD4lI/s200/12+-+1" width="149" /></a><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span><u style="color: #073763;">August 1 and 2 or 3 </u><span style="color: #073763;">(Wednesday and Thursday or Friday): </span><b style="color: #073763;">(1 1/2 hours)</b><span style="color: #073763;"> Jason, following up with the AT&T Survey I completed, tells me in our first conversation that he will help me deal with my remaining computer problems. In Jason's second call, he says me that he found out that the problems that I am having with my computer can only be solved by Tech Connect ; they should be the ones to deal with the problems since they created them. I tell him that I am unwilling to deal with Connect Tech again. Jason assures me that he will pave the way for me to talk with the right person to get the job done. We hang up. Jason calls me back a few minutes later with Ray at Connect Tech on the line. He makes sure that Ray understands the situation. Before Jason hangs up, he assures me that that AT&T will reverse the fees that CT will charge. The amount at this point seems to be $15 for one time or $149 (it wasn't clear) and Jason says okay to both possibilities. </span></div>
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As soon as Jason hangs up, Ray tells me that he needs to review my account. He reads me a statement about the $149 that CT will be charging for its services. He asks me to agree to the statement. I do so. He then passes me on to Joe who wants to discuss my account. We discuss my account. Joe hands me off to a woman who wants to discuss my account. At this point, I have been on the line for 40 minutes with Connect Tech with people who only want to deal with the financial aspects of my account. I have had zero contact with someone to deal with the problems that CT created in the first place. I hang up in an uncontrollable rage.</div>
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Afterwards, I leave a message on Jason's answering machine to describe my experience. I am hysterical, a mad woman, at this point.</div>
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<span style="color: #0c343d;"><u style="color: #073763;">August 3</u><span style="color: #073763;"> (Friday night): My computer geek friend deals with the problems that have emerged since he worked on the computer. </span> <b><span style="color: #4c1130;">(1 1/2 hours)</span> </b><span style="color: #073763;"> This time I insist that he accept payment for all 4+ hours that he spent fixing the problems created by CT.</span></span></div>
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<u>August 6 (</u>Monday): I leave a message on Jason's phone telling him that I want to be sure that I will not be charged by Connect Tech and that I don't think that AT&T should have to pay them either. I am also interested in making a claim. I haven't heard from Jason since our August 3 conversation.</div>
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<span style="color: #073763;">I would like to write and mean the statement: </span><b><span style="color: #20124d;">AT&T and I cannot co-exist on this plane</span>t</b>. <span style="color: #073763;">As it stands, </span><i style="color: #073763;">I can't even get rid of them in my life</i><span style="color: #073763;">. They provide the super-structure of the tools I use. When I use my iPhone 3G, it is powered by AT&T. Will that be the case when I go to Verizon at the end of my contract with AT&T? What other options are there for my land line? For e-mail, it is AT&T or Comcast. Comcast doesn't have a particularly good reputation either. (Other e-mail providers, like Sonic, use AT&T's super-structure.)</span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #20124d;">AT&T IS THE EVIL EMPIRE and I don't think I can escape living in it.</span></b></div>ArleneWKWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06442303488097811495noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6136879983822882898.post-28502270557210082182012-08-01T23:18:00.001-07:002012-08-02T00:35:41.403-07:00Prey and Predator<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pguPHqG5bRE/UBoRvQQMSxI/AAAAAAAABg8/Dwi55Zb55Z4/s1600/12+-+1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pguPHqG5bRE/UBoRvQQMSxI/AAAAAAAABg8/Dwi55Zb55Z4/s320/12+-+1" width="239" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"> </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">Daisy (the prey) and Roi (the predator)</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">It's hard to see this in these pictures. Looks can be deceiving.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">I've been trying to train Roi,the orange tabby, to not chase and stalk, to not stare at Daisy when she's on her "safe chair" and suddenly pounce, to not corner her and attack.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">Roi knows that he will get in trouble for following what is his instinct.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">I am asking him to go against his DNA.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">All my life, I have had cats (and a dog when I was a child.)</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">Never have I had a furry family member that didn't get along with another furry family member.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">(I've had as many as three cats at a time.)</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">They've lived peacefully together and sometimes cuddled with each other.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">(I have some strategies for training Roi up my sleeve that I haven't yet tried.)</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">The furry members of my family have always mattered to me, less so when I was bringing up human children, more now that they are the little ones in the home I share with the wonderful Gari (who shares my love for the animals in our lives.)</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">There was a time in my life when I had this tongue-in-cheek thought: (I know) God doesn't hate me ' cause he created cats.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">Cats bring so much joy and love to my life.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">Right now Roi is testing whether this is true in his case.</span></div>
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<br />ArleneWKWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06442303488097811495noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6136879983822882898.post-34047791718778066812012-07-29T13:26:00.003-07:002012-07-29T13:57:34.523-07:00Incapacitating Pain<div style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
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At this point in my life, the level of pain that I am experiencing on any given day determines what I do and what I don't do, that and fatigue because of inadequate sleep. The pain in my back is often incapacitating. It is complicated by an unresolved (unresolvable?) medical issue that causes moderate to acute pain; when the latter, I am unable to do the stretching exercises that ease the pain in my back. When I've exerted myself physically today, I have felt moderate pain. Earlier, I made a comment on <a href="http://kathycalculatesweightloss.blogspot.com/" style="color: #0b5394;">Kathy's blog</a><span style="color: blue;"> </span>about the importance of consistency. It is time for me to get off of my comfortable reclining brown chair and do the exercises that I CAN do today.</div>ArleneWKWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06442303488097811495noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6136879983822882898.post-22348302651828324822012-07-25T22:09:00.000-07:002012-07-25T22:18:30.260-07:00The Beauty of Pollination<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">If you haven't seen this video, you OWE it to yourself to see it. In slo-mo, it shows bats flying, hummingbirds twirling,</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> butterflies leaving their cocoons and later mating, </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">iridescent insects deep in flowers feeding. This is an AMAZING video.</span></span></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/xHkq1edcbk4" width="560"></iframe>ArleneWKWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06442303488097811495noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6136879983822882898.post-77559278970819677612012-04-14T22:57:00.000-07:002012-04-16T14:56:15.400-07:00It's not politically correct to say this, but..<div style="background-color: white; color: #073763; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
I was at a women's lunch last Wednesday when a woman at the table at which I was seated prefaced her comment with this statement: "It's not politically correct to say this, but......." I cringed.<br />
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What distinguished us at this table is that our homes are part of the same neighborhood within a very large retirement community. Our homes, arranged around a circle - actually an oval - with a block of other homes in the middle, share the same street name. We have a Board that deals with common interests and concerns. We have organized social events. Among them is the monthly women's luncheons.</div>
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Among the women attending last Wednesday's luncheon were those who were good friends with each other, acquaintances and (like me) strangers. Seven or eight women sat at each of the two round tables. At my table, the conversation was of the getting-to-know-you type as well as of updates on the health of absent neighbors and of topics of the day. Nothing particularly controversial. Nothing particularly deep. </div>
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I don't remember the context of the woman's comment, but it seemed to change the tone and course of the conversation. That could be the subject of another post. </div>
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For now, a few thoughts:
It seems to me that the preamble "It's not politically correct to say this, but.....," is an invitation by the speaker to join him or her in disparaging people of different races/religions/ethnicity/life styles/sexual orientations, etc, it is a prelude to hate speech portraying itself as honest plain speaking. The implication is that "political correctness" is a pretension that overly sensitive people use rather than stating the obvious. It seems to me that whenever someone begins a statement in this way, he or she is about to say something obnoxious. </div>
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Later this same woman said that she wished that celebrities would keep their politics to themselves. I didn't say that I wished instead that she would keep her toxic opinions to herself, but I sure thought it.</div>ArleneWKWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06442303488097811495noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6136879983822882898.post-59640240101738520412012-04-13T00:03:00.002-07:002012-04-13T00:03:52.216-07:00From the Jane Goodall Institute and Disneynature<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/AdxR5kKiv1c" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>ArleneWKWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06442303488097811495noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6136879983822882898.post-52494081804107361332012-04-06T13:51:00.004-07:002012-04-06T14:12:34.912-07:00Chaos<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU_0fgKk2jQTQNW4Kw3pC71CJU_VAhkteZcTZsQ0rIWIMmJvqxQSq_d9WBtTditWIaPfCliY6Z0R4i2kscTGZNNAa2h9cRcMbEFc1gl7kZeK3NiTdrpdD4JcOZn573wL1Y9VGmK3DykFg/s1600/072.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU_0fgKk2jQTQNW4Kw3pC71CJU_VAhkteZcTZsQ0rIWIMmJvqxQSq_d9WBtTditWIaPfCliY6Z0R4i2kscTGZNNAa2h9cRcMbEFc1gl7kZeK3NiTdrpdD4JcOZn573wL1Y9VGmK3DykFg/s200/072.JPG" width="149" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIe-kzXwFMrJm88LcxRE50zK0ixcuZ82J246SIhvUupe7Z8NZX8Sk0UyO6MZjH2RSejUlEGnpvE3r7MHwvLEeM0JAkSWdsG4zkWhkjUT06cwFrAUzpPWrzupMM-iRl5f7SdHzxlu3-Eng/s1600/Chaos+004.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIe-kzXwFMrJm88LcxRE50zK0ixcuZ82J246SIhvUupe7Z8NZX8Sk0UyO6MZjH2RSejUlEGnpvE3r7MHwvLEeM0JAkSWdsG4zkWhkjUT06cwFrAUzpPWrzupMM-iRl5f7SdHzxlu3-Eng/s200/Chaos+004.JPG" width="200" /></a><span style="color: #274e13;">The bookcases around the fireplace were to be installed today. Before they got </span><br />
<span style="color: #274e13;">into hammering, the men who were here to install it discovered that the way </span><br />
<span style="color: #274e13;">it was designed did not take into consideration the two electrical outlets on each side. The bookcase needs to be modified or the electrical outlets on each side need to be moved before more work can be done. My 16+ boxes of books will remain in their boxes. The disruption of the building process will be pushed down the line. Chaos.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #274e13;"> Meanwhile the contractor and his worker (two different people) have been working on the outside dealing with dry rot and woodpecker damage on the siding and front of the house. Today, they were rebuilding the fence in the rear. Next week they will be in the kitchen installing "candle lights" to replace the ugly fluorescent tubes. After that, the laundry floor will need to be replaced. Chaos.</span><br />
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Yesterday, besides the contractor and his worker, the electrician and his helper were dealing with electrical issues. This included switching a chandelier from my old house to the new one. Chaos.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf_dgbbimFLAU8Wa8JBIY4RShFgpycQmBEo0n9UbG6hR7kxGaEldPuWYBYJMVOmFBfn962fewfzZzrOeFzVfHVE4csEzwZqOLc8kEYqg5vw-k25gvut7xRkVCs8xAtXlrPyVufNFCU4ak/s1600/Chaos+008.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf_dgbbimFLAU8Wa8JBIY4RShFgpycQmBEo0n9UbG6hR7kxGaEldPuWYBYJMVOmFBfn962fewfzZzrOeFzVfHVE4csEzwZqOLc8kEYqg5vw-k25gvut7xRkVCs8xAtXlrPyVufNFCU4ak/s200/Chaos+008.JPG" width="200" /></a><span style="color: #274e13;">Chaos. Disruption I have a huge problem dealing with this. (At least I've gotten a handle on the garage mess - with some of it ending up on my kitchen table). </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq3-AXDDkovZLaTwRva33l5m_Tvb3aSeKwgJRuzJbG5T0bhpNUA7-RRpB6hMwxx7nQBBNWHAe9YiH-xmC_WOHLfW1nLz0qxzjYHTv39R6iH8rp4HTIL2eEFUTmYJqPzC7tekgEsxQSauk/s1600/chaos+2+001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq3-AXDDkovZLaTwRva33l5m_Tvb3aSeKwgJRuzJbG5T0bhpNUA7-RRpB6hMwxx7nQBBNWHAe9YiH-xmC_WOHLfW1nLz0qxzjYHTv39R6iH8rp4HTIL2eEFUTmYJqPzC7tekgEsxQSauk/s200/chaos+2+001.JPG" width="200" /></a><span style="color: #274e13;">I find it hard to focus on what I need to do in the midst of this chaos. It is hard for me to prioritize. It particularly hard for me to do what is in my long term interest. It is easy for me instead to choose instant gratification.The chronic pain with which I live, especially the acute flare ups, have a significant multiplier effect. It is in this confluence of these horribles that I am trying (again) to make healthful food choices and exercise consistently. </span><br />
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<br />ArleneWKWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06442303488097811495noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6136879983822882898.post-61682218554573623772012-04-05T16:17:00.000-07:002012-04-05T16:17:39.829-07:00Not A miracleI just wrote a long post and accidently erased it. The blogging program on the IPad doesn't automatically save what is written. I have a headache and am angry. Grrrrrrr.ArleneWKWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06442303488097811495noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6136879983822882898.post-87595348359932949312012-04-03T23:16:00.001-07:002012-04-03T23:16:45.609-07:00It Doesn't Get Better Than This<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: large;">Today was my birthday.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I spent it with the most important people in my life.</span></div>
<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: large;">I am so blessed to love and be loved.</span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNxZx5M6-goZ0ca4O2pVe02wOb4_O0sr1ax24Zsk2k9s0JpHaEa4YWo6Io6ezvl9gkQBARQhq3we1JKEkEqD9r4QpgGryJWlE3PREqPtFrUuPKfUBcTZ1UGIfi3emLJGjvIwys_y4-bAY/s1600/photo+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNxZx5M6-goZ0ca4O2pVe02wOb4_O0sr1ax24Zsk2k9s0JpHaEa4YWo6Io6ezvl9gkQBARQhq3we1JKEkEqD9r4QpgGryJWlE3PREqPtFrUuPKfUBcTZ1UGIfi3emLJGjvIwys_y4-bAY/s320/photo+1.JPG" width="238" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb43SvoHMRsxVKdlbaIrLczzgZL5R5m_xtHalHOVX9lc70qtdG6du_ci3CSAOhYFmlNELTk7yS1_6pgbwLRJmUQHjO8Ugv6ZT9IszuPGrg76Wb1HqDYJUrh-sMxu9GkWcVRJScO5XVZuc/s1600/photo+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb43SvoHMRsxVKdlbaIrLczzgZL5R5m_xtHalHOVX9lc70qtdG6du_ci3CSAOhYFmlNELTk7yS1_6pgbwLRJmUQHjO8Ugv6ZT9IszuPGrg76Wb1HqDYJUrh-sMxu9GkWcVRJScO5XVZuc/s320/photo+2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #073763;">Nope. I don't live on a hill . . . but this was the best of the photos.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd8m2MEvwatrUiZ8jujj4RkaAyAFsS7LBA-uGop_lA0qHL3v8s9RCjRVmAzTZ8lhU6oHBsng_X3vf_M9QfCC-CmlVxxo8D2674VNPCabtxEJT9Kp42qLonBXR_4Ct4NGaPG2_pP0vD8ck/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd8m2MEvwatrUiZ8jujj4RkaAyAFsS7LBA-uGop_lA0qHL3v8s9RCjRVmAzTZ8lhU6oHBsng_X3vf_M9QfCC-CmlVxxo8D2674VNPCabtxEJT9Kp42qLonBXR_4Ct4NGaPG2_pP0vD8ck/s400/photo.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>ArleneWKWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06442303488097811495noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6136879983822882898.post-48839643331803886362012-04-01T16:57:00.002-07:002012-04-01T16:57:16.067-07:00A Miracle Just HappenedAnd this is not an April Fools Joke.....
My Internet failed this morning. This meant no wireless connection for my iPad.....which later would mean no Netflix for the evening. It also meant that I could not access the wild and wacky world with my hard wired computer either. Since my iPhone has access to 3G or 4G (whatever that is), I wasn't entirely unconnected to the rest of the on-line world, but its screen is small compared to the other options and I'm spoiled.
I unplugged the router or modem or whatever it is called. (It has about seven lights in a row that show if the thing is working.) That didn't fix the problem, so I tried it again and a third time. And then gave up because I wanted to deal with the continuing saga of my moving-in chaos. I worked in the garage at a good pace, but felt gloomy and anxious. I couldn't shake off that nibbling sensation of my world being off kilter.
And then the miracle began. I took a break and called AT+T. The computer program that has the voice of a very nice man asked me a few questions. (Usually I end his spiel with insistently saying "operator.") Today I answered the questions. After a few interchanges he told me that he'd reboot my connection. I hung up when the silence that he told me to expect came. A few minutes later the blinky blinky router or modem or whatever it is called blinked happily along.
AT+T fixed the problem.
(I won't ponder whether or not they caused the problem in the first place.)
AT+T got it right and it only took a few minutes to do so. That feels to me like a miracle.ArleneWKWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06442303488097811495noreply@blogger.com3