Major Random Conversation

If I happen to be home, and bored, and Chelsea happens to be at her place, and bored, it's never good because then we end up texting back and forth and the conversations get more random and more silly as the conversation goes on.

This is a copy of a recent conversation we had, and just how weird we really are:

C: (showing me a picture of someone with a scooter on the back of their vehicle) Look, someone else with a scooter thing.

D: You should have pulled them over and gotten their name. I could be scooter buddies with them.
C: haha they have a blue scooter so you could be primary colors pals (gee does that sound like someone who's an early childhood major? lol)
D: Yes, and we can go to scooter conventions all over the world
C: Scooter conventions? about what? backing up 101?
D: Yes. That is very important so that you don't knock over a mannequin (which I've done). Also they could tell you about the latest accessories.
C: Like what?
D: blinking flags so people can see you when you are scooting in the dark.
C: Yes! and how you can get new scooter horns instead of the beep beep one you have.
D: Yes, ones that can be heard and intimidating. Oooooo, an air horn would be awesome!
C: Wow. I would say one that yells out things like bomb! Gun! Fire! But then again, that might be bad. LOL
D: How about if it yells "Get your big behind outta my way!"
C: That could be offensive if they have a little behind.
D: I don't care what size it is, if it's in my way, it's big.
C: nice. Just get a sign.
D: What good is a sign going to do me if they aren't looking at me?
D: If they aren't looking at me, I'm going to have to shout at them to turn around and read my sign. If I'm going to have to do that, I might as well just tell them to get outta my way!
C: Get a flashing arrow.
D: WHAT? lol What am I supposed to do with that?
C: Well, I would say flash 'em, but that's probably illegal haha
D: Flashing a sign at them isn't illegal, but me flashing them is...and not something either of us would want me to do.
C: Yea, good point.
D: Gee, thanks for the love.
C: Wait. What were were talking about in the very beginning?
D: I was hoping you knew.

John Is Back On The List

A week ago I went in for an upgrade to a new phone. I talked to the salesman and told him what I wanted and what I didn't feel I needed. Most importantly, it had to be easy enough for a technology challenged lady like me to operate.

"John" showed me the new Droid. Granted I had seen it on tv and was intrigued. I love gadgets and toys, even though I can't usually figure them out, so I let the young man continue.

I must interject here that I found my mind wandering as I couldn't help but size him up, so to speak. He was young. He was nicely dressed. His hair was shiny clean and neatly cut. He was well spoken and intelligent. He had a job. "Yes, yes he seems like he has possible son-in-law potential....I must have Chelsea come in and check out new phone accessories and personally ask for John."

Ok, back to my phone -

"John" sold me on the droid and I went home. Within 24hrs, I scratched John off the list of possible suitors for my daughter, because he was obviously evil. There's no other way to describe someone who would sell this contraption to me. I could see him sitting at home laughing like the wicked witch, knowing he sold me something I couldn't figure out. I missed 3 phone calls before I figured out how to answer it!

There were many other issues I had with my "Dread" (my new nickname for it - I found it fitting). As a matter of fact, about the only thing I did like was the adorable pink case I had for it. Every morning I would look at it and give it a snarl. Finally I couldn't take it any longer and I loaded up my Dread and headed back to the store.

John was there and I walked right up to him and said "A week ago you sold me this Dread - yes, that's right, I call it a Dread. Well, I don't like it and I want it out of my house forever".

John was so sweet and apologetic and assured me he could help me with any problems I was having. I was using my cane that day and he even brought over a chair for me to sit on while we talked (aaww his mama must be so proud. Wait! Stay strong! Remember, he was the one who sold you the Dread. Don't be fooled by his niceness).

John went through my entire list of complaints and addressed them all with ease. However there was one hurdle that I still felt couldn't be overcome.

The Droid has a touchpad, which I am just not smart enough to use. I have tried for hours to use it, but to no avail. Not a big issue though because it also comes with a keyboard. The touchpad can be used either upright, or by turning the phone sideways. The keyboard however is only available to use when the phone is sideways. With me so far?

I have short fat stubs that are my thumbs. They are short enough that to reach the center part of the keyboard I must stretch to reach. That constant exaggerated movement caused a fibro-flare of pain in my thumbs, the pads under my thumbs, my wrist, and it extended a few inches up my arm...on both hands. I knew there was nothing physically wrong with my thumbs, but they felt broken, or at least...badly sprained, and this was a daily occurance.

With my blackberry I was able to pretty much hold my thumbs quiet while typing, since the keypad was much more compact. I never even thought about this issue before getting the Dread.

John excused himself and headed to their backroom. After several minutes he came back out and said "I believe I have found a solution to your problem. Apps are being updated and added every day. There is a new selection of apps coming down within a week, and you will be informed of updates available which are needed for those new apps. One of those is a speak to type app. You will be able to speak to add items to your calendar, to send emails & texts, to type notes, whatever you want to type. That would eliminate your problem with the touchscreen and the keyboard."

I could have given John a hug, but knowing that would have been inappropriate, I instead mentally added him back to the list of potential suitors...I actually moved him to the top of the list.

The app has partially come through, but isn't fully functionable yet. It will type letters and numbers, but doesn't recognize symbols or other commands (eg: if I say backslash, instead of giving me / it will type the word backslash). But that's ok. To type an occasional command is much better than typing everything, so I am a happy camper and am making peace with my new phone. I no longer snarl at it, and I even stopped calling it my "Dread". Progress!

Now there was only one thing left to do... I spoke into my phone and said:

"Remember to call Chelsea. She needs to go get a new accessory for her phone."

A Year Since They Left

It's been one year since Ashley & Chelsea left for their freshman years at college. Granted, Chelsea didn't officially move out until a couple of months later, however, between classes, work & a boyfriend, she was only home to sleep.

In this past year there was a lot of changes. A lot of heartbreak and tears. Looking back, losing them to adulthood hit me harder than I ever imagined it would. I realized just how much I enjoyed being their full-time mom and it hurt when they left. I honestly didn't know if I'd ever get over it. While I don't believe I have yet completely, I am much better than I thought I might be at this time.

While I still miss them very much (thank heavens for cell phones, text messaging and the Internet!), I have come to honestly realize that there are some positive things I have noticed. Such as.....

1. I really enjoy having a bathroom all to myself. It stays so much neater.

2. We go through a lot less toilet tissue with me being the only girl in the house.

3. I haven't had a single item from my make-up drawer or jewelry box disappear in the past year.

4. I don't have to worry about them laughing hysterically because they put one or two songs on my ipod without me knowing it, which leads to me jumping out of my skin as I turn my ipod on and hear a loud heart-thumping dance beat that I wasn't expecting to hear.

5. Our grocery bill is so much smaller when we are only feeding 3 of us, and not 5 plus other teenage girls (don't let them fool you - they all can eat a LOT).

But there are other negatives I hadn't thought of. Such as....

1. I am not current on the latest music trends since I don't have a house full of girls dancing and singing to the radio in the family room. I heard a song not long ago that had "Boom Boom Pow" in it. At least it's nice to know that songs that make absolutely no sense are still around (remember "Purple People Eater" or "Wooly Bully"?).

2. I'm not sure if my clothes are geeky or not since no one is here to tell me. My guys could care less about that stuff.

3. I am no longer up to date on who is dating who at the high school, who likes or doesn't like who, who is fighting with who, etc. I've tried asking Austin, but all I get is an "I dunno".

4. I don't have my live-in stylists redoing my hair for me when I can't get it right.

5. One of them loved hugs, but the other one also indulged her mom and let me hug her as much as I wanted to. I miss the hugs.

But, through it all, when I see the changes, the heartaches, the fears and the challenges my girls have had to face in the past year, they have faced them much better than I think I would have at 18. They have developed such a maturity that can only come from enduring life lessons and I am so proud of the young women they are ---even though a part of me will always miss my little girls.

I pray that God will watch over them through their sophomore years and beyond.

I Heart Texting

"Mom can we pleeeee-ase get texting on our phones?"

"Yea dad. Pleeeeee-ase?"

"I mean seriously, we are like the ONLY kids in the entire school who don't have it."

"No. More like the only kids in the entire WORLD!"

"Yea. The WORLD!"

"Do you really want your kids to be ridiculed?"

"Wait...what does that mean?"

"It means we'd be teased."

"Oh. Ok yea. Do you want us to be ridiculed?"

"On like a daily basis."

"We know you're good parents and would never want that to happen."

"So...pleeeeeeeeeeeeee-ase???" (*said in stereo surround sound*)

Those were the comments heard non-stop during the beginning of my daughters senior year in high school. We had heard them since they turned 16 and had gotten their phones for their birthday. Our constant response was "No".

Honestly I tried to figure out a necessary purpose for texting. The main reason we got them each a phone was for them have a way to get ahold of us or the police in the case of accident or other emergency when they were driving. As I told them: "I'm pretty sure 911 doesn't have texting and if they can get by without it, so can you".

During their senior year, they were both on their high school dance team and both had earned the priviledge of getting to perform at the Capitol One Bowl on New Years Day in Orlando, Florida. We were among the parents who went along to the airport to see them (& their coach) off.

After they left, we went to the mall because Jay was having problems with his phone. On the way there we talked about it and decided we would surprise them by allowing them to have texting on their phones. So, while at the store we got it activated and then I sent them their first message:

"Be sure to let us know when you land safely in Orlando. Love, Mom & Dad"

Almost immediately we got the following messages back:

OMG! YES! I LOVE YOU!

YEAH! You are the BEST parents ever!!!

Ok seriously. Is this a joke? Or is it for real? We have it now?

Wait. How many minutes do we have? Is it unlimited? I hope so.

From that point on, I'm sure their fingers were typing fast and furious as they let all their friends know they could now text.

I still didn't get it, but I tried. I would text with them, but it still seemed sort of pointless to me. I mean, what I was saying back and forth with them is exactly what I could say if I were talking to them during a phone call, or when we were face to face.

Then the girls went off to college. And now I get it.

I don't know their class and work schedules, as they both change on a daily basis depending on their classes for that day. So, if I need to talk to them about something, I never know when is a good time to call them. So I can send them a quick message and when they get out of class they can call me or, send a message back to me.

Plus, there have been times when I just wanted to surprise them with a quick note to let them know I was thinking about them. I used to do that when they were in elementary school. Every so often I'd slip a note in their lunch box. When they got older, I'd secretly tuck one into their backpack before they left for school. Usually nothing major. Just perhaps "good luck on your math test" or "We are so proud of you", or "What do you say we go for some ice cream when you get home from school today", something like that.

Now, with texting I can still do that. "Good luck with Chemistry today" or "Have I told you lately how proud we are of you?" or something more important like "I'm going through daughter withdrawl. Can you give me a call when you get done with work please? I'm missing your sweet voice".

Short little messages that let them know I'm thinking of them. Sometimes I wont write anything. I'll send a funny picture or cartoon. It's another way to say "I'm thinking of you".

So, now when someone says they love texting, I can say I understand why.

Project 365 - Week 8

Week 8!

Here we go! I'm finding it easier to remember to take pictures now. The problem is, my best camera is too big to just toss in my purse, and the camera on my phone doesn't take great pictures, but it's ok, I make do.

2/15

Our niece Jenna is on a competitive dance team which was in a competition nearby, so we went to watch her. This photo shows her doing her solo. It's a horrible picture...even for my phone, but it was dark in there and you weren't supposed to take pictures, so I had to be quick and sneaky and make sure I didn't use any flash! ssshhhhh.


2/16

Last Fall we had 4 cats. Then one day two wild strays showed up, and within a week both had litters of kittens. All of them are wild, but we're not heartless, so we throw food out to them. They are wild enough that you can't just place the food...they will attack! See the one in the front staring me down? He was also growling at me....which he does frequently. I know they are Gods creatures, but it really is hard to be nice to them.

2/17

We were at a basketball game, and I tivoed "The Biggest Loser" and watched it when we got home. You know it must have been an exciting day if this is my photo to post. LOL

2/18

Pasta night at our house. Always a crowd favorite. Although, as you can tell, I'm still cooking way more than what we 3 need. I can't get out of the cooking for 5 mindset.

2/19

I had a doctor appointment back in my hometown. This is the water tower there. I can remember watching this tower being put up when I was in my teens. It was so much bigger than the old "teapot" style we used to have, and I remember at that time thinking it had to be the largest, most beautiful thing in the world. :)

2/20

I ran a few errands and scored big when I found a couple of shirts on sale. I even managed to find a couple of scarves to go with them. Doesn't the front one shout "Hurry Up Spring!"?

2/21

My 2 golfaholic guys are going on a Spring Break golfing trip next month, so we went shopping to get them new shoes. My son will also use them when he is on the school golf team this Spring. I really do think I earned the "wife of the day" award. I spent over an hour in a golf store, and never complained once! LOL

There you have it....another week of winter behind us. I can't wait for Spring!! Be sure to click on the Project 365 logo in the sidebar to go see Sara the hostess for this project. She's also got the links for the others who are participating.

I Heart You Matt

Last Fall when we upgraded my phone, part of my birthday present was that I got to get a Blackberry. I have been wanting one for a long time, because I loved the idea of being able to sync my calendar computer to my phone and have both updated all the time. Plus all my contacts, etc would be with me all the time. Being able to have internet access was a bonus, but not a priority for me.

It took me quite a while to figure out my phone. I'm very technically challenged to say the least, plus I don't handle change well, so for a lengthy amount of time I complained about this item I had wanted for so long.

What really upset me the most was that I lost my ringtones. I had 4 ringtones on my previous phone. They are ones I have had for a long time and I don't care if they are cool or not, but I wanted them back. Unfortunately, each time I tried to look on my Blackberry it made it appear to my technically challenged brain that I could no longer just buy songs individually. I had to pay a $10 monthly fee and then I could download as many ringtones as I wanted.

I don't want thatthankyouverymuch. I want my 4 songs and that was all.

There's no way I was going to pay $10 each month just so I could have my beloved ringtones. So I shed a tear (ok, not really, but it's good for a dramatic effect) and said goodbye to them. I've come to accept the boring "riiiiing, riiiing, riiiing on my Blackberry, although I have never liked it.

I've been having some "issues" with my phone and have been really frustrated with the lack of good service I have been getting on the phone or online. Saying I've been frustrated is a nice way of saying I was pulling my hair out.

Yesterday I had some errands to run and I happened to see that the new Verizon store was open, so I stopped in to see if could get help there.

There I met my new bff ... Matt.

I explained the troubles I was having and he helped get them figured out. Since that went so well, I decided to tell him my ringtone dillema. He said the best words I've heard in a long time:

"Oh but you sure can still download one ringtone at a time if you want to."

I nearly jumped across the counter and gave this stranger a hug. Scandalous!

Matt showed me how to do that on my phone and he also showed me how to download them online.

As I left, I thanked him very much and then said "I heart you Matt. You have made my day." Then I was embarrassed when I realized I actually did say that outloud, so I quickly exited the shop.

Once I got home, I ran to the computer and sure enough.....THERE WERE MY RINGTONE SONGS! I bought each of them again and then I had my family call me so I could make sure they worked (all except Austin who's in school). And yes, I'm sure my whole family knows by now what a dork I can be sometimes.

So If Jay calls me I hear: It's Your Love (Faith Hill & Tim McGraw)

If Ashley or Chelsea calls me I hear: Daddy's Little Girl (Michael Bolton)

If Austin calls me I hear: International Harvestor (Craig Morgan)

And if anyone else calls me I hear: Don't Worry 'Bout A Thing (SheDaisy)

The last song might seem like an unusual choice for me to be wanting to have back so badly, but that song reminds me of the bible verse I try to remember about not worrying.

Oh I am such a happy camper! I really do heart you Matt. :)