Houston, We Have a Problem

Anytime I find myself challenged technologically, that famous, titular phrase comes to mind.  I remember all the moon and space missions, at least before the shuttle made inner space routine, and the calm understatement of those words have always made me catch my breath in admiration.

Of course my dilemma is miniscule, but in my small world it does tend to stymie me.  I had a very busy (for me) ßhopping 'spree' yesterday.  I made stops at two different places, scooter in and out of van, in and out of van.  This is something I try to avoid by shopping in malls and big stores, with a lot of planning.  But I wanted a new TV, which required a stop at Best Buy and the cable company so I could see more than channel 11, the local station.  I did collapse and disease-enforced nap when I got home.  (Annoying because I missed 3 live events I wanted to watch - one on TV (car race), one on radio and TV (baseball), and one on the internet (live art lesson).

So Saturday, I read manuals, put together the stand for the TV (lets not even think about tightening screws).  But I got it all set up (yeah me).  Sort of.  I just can't get the cable box to acknowledge the TV exists.  I tried to introduce them nicely by inputting each of the plethora of possible codess in turn, but to no avail.  Alas, they still won't talk to each other.  I'd gladly pay someone to come in and fix this for me, ut 'who do you call'?  There should be Technology Busters.  I know I will eventually get it to work.  I went through this with another similar set of devices.  But it will take a while , while I fiddle with codes, with pressing buttons in the rightnorder.  Or maybe I will have to give in and call a neighbour.  (My misplaced sense of independence hates to do that,)

Sigh.  Not again.  I really wish there was a Technology Busters.

Blanket Update

The new black blanket got itself washed (laundry is not something I can do, so anything different, that takes soaking, for instance, is kind of hit and miss as to when it gets done.)   Somewhat to my surprise, it looks fairly good on the bed.  It's lovely and soft and rather light weight, which is good for summer.  But oh my goodness, does it shed.  Their are little black balls of fluff on just about everything.  So now, not only am I covered in cat hair despite many de-fluffing attempts, all my clothes (and sheets) are now polka dot.

Dressing Dilemma

Have you ever noticed halfway through the day that your T-shirt is on inside out?  And then you can't be bothered to fix it because no one's going to be there to see you anyway?  And truly, the cats have no more fashion sense than I do.

Kaliko has just done her multi-times-a-day walk up and down my body, from toes to chest, placing those delicate little feet on my leg bones as if they were a highway, making sure to step on all the sore spots (and I adore her so much I rarely stop her.  She has this delightful  way of sitting on my chest and touching my lips ever so lightly with one paw, just as if she was kissing me.  Who can not love a cat.)   She didn't say a thing about my shirt.  (Crazy cat lady alert.)

An Afghan 30 years in the making

Today I finished putting together the 100+ granny squares for an afghan that I made 30 years or so ago.  The wool was so old it cost $1.39 a skein and was from Woolworths.  This was pre-internet and done without any kind of a pattern.  I think I had an example or picture and worked from there.  So I had all these blue varigated squares, each one incorrectly made.  And  after searching the internet for a way to put them together that didn't involve sewing them, I picked a method and in about a week I finished a task I started when I was just out of high school.  I remember working on it, sitting on my green loveseat between my parents in thèir almost mstching recliners.  This memory brings tears to my eyes, as I remember how much I was loved and how much I miss those two wonderful people.  Now if I could only decide what to do with it.

The Cat's Meow

I heard somewhere, or read somewhere recently that cats don't meow among themselves.  That it is something they do amongst humans.  I guess they make other noises to each other.  Certainly Kaliko seems to have enough to say at night, at the top of her voice, to fill a Russian novel.  No cats could be more spoiled than mine are, so what is she complaining about?

A Black Blanket

Shopping.  Hassel.  That one word just sums up the total experience for me.  First there is the total struggle of getting my scooter in and out of the mini van.  Then there is the fact that one afternoon, two to three hours of shopping, so totally exhausts me that I sleep for hours when I get home and am pretty wiped out the next day.

I desperately neede a new blanket, because the one I had looked like it had been dragged out of a trash can, having lived there for a year.  I wanted a nice soft blanket.  They seem to be available.  But I could not find a soft blanket in a colour I could live with.  Lots of different shades of brown, which I hate.  And for some reason, an entire shelf of bright red.  But no soft colours to go with the texture.  No blue, no green.  So I ended up with black.  It sounded odd, and I spent many minutes staring at the paltry selection trying to decide.  And what do you think?  It actually looks great on the bed.  So the trek turned out fairly well.  Nothing startling to say.  Just a good end to a pasttime I often dread.

Deer Don't Eat Daffodils

So said my counselor.  Can't remember how we got on to how the deer eat all her tulips and roses, but don't seem to like daffodils.  Just had to record that phrase.  Would'nt it make a great book title?