A NEW YEAR? ALREADY?

Heidy-Ho, Blogger Pals.  I see I have been remiss in posting but hope you will forgive that since we have all been embroiled in the holidays.

It appears we are at the beginning of a new year.  And it's a Presidential Election Year.  Sigh.  I prepare for the (already) continuous onslaught of campaign drivel and suggest that you do the same.  It's going to be a bumpy ride.

So... while I have been derelict in posting, I have continued my morning walks and my appreciation of nature.  A couple of lovely things to share:

A Bradford Pear Greets the Fall

The Turning of Leaves on a Foggy Fall Morning

There was not a lot of activity here during the month of December.  That is not necessarily a bad thing!  Odd that it seemed so busy with nothing to really show for it.

I caution you all about your driving and watching out for other drivers.  I passed a newly-generated impromptu memorial on the street alongside the city park Friday morning.  With all of the orange paint on the ground, I knew it wasn't good.  Later that morning, I read in the paper about the 27-year old who was traveling on his motorcycle at a high rate of speed (the speed limit at that point is 25 mph), lost control, and lost his life.  That same day, less than 2 hours later, I passed a minor rear-end collision being handled by the local law enforcement.  Fortunately, no apparent injuries but some folks are not going to have a fun New Year.  About 3 hours later, I passed yet a second minor collision being handled.  Within 15 minutes of passing that (and only about 3 blocks away), I pulled up behind a pickup stopped at a stop sign.  I watched in horror as it began making a left turn... while its right front corner hit the elderly gentleman on the bicycle that the pickup driver obviously did not see.  I slammed my vehicle into "Park", hit the flasher button, grabbed my phone, and began bailing from my vehicle to see if medical assistance was going to be needed.  Quite honestly, I could not imagine that it wouldn't!  The pickup driver bailed even faster than I did, obviously quite shaken, and raced to the right front of his vehicle.  I was surprised to see the elderly gentleman stand up, gather up the basket from his bicycle which had been torn from the bike, and walk it toward me on the street where I had stopped.  I asked him if he wanted my name but he refused.  He said he was alright.  I somehow feel like he is going to have a very sore day and hope that is all.  The driver of the pickup did speak with him and apparently tried to provide him with information but the elderly gentleman refused.  So... I noted vehicle, license plate, party descriptions, date, time, etc., and went on with my business.  The point here?  WATCH WHAT YOU AND THE OTHER PARTY ARE DOING!!!!  It is so easy, especially at a holiday season, to be distracted by the desire to be somewhere else.  It's bad enough we have folks texting while driving (if I see you, I am going to BLARE my horn at you so be ready!).  Remember that nothing is worth being hurt or hurting someone else, especially a call or text.  Just be safe, please?  I have a limited readership and I can't afford to lose you!!!

With all that said, I hope you all have a safe, healthy, and prosperous New Year.  I look forward to seeing you or hearing from you during 2012.

Until next post...

EDJEWMACASHUN AND A WIRELESS UPDATE...

Heidy-Ho, Blogging Pals!!  Hope all is well with you, your Thanksgiving was terrific, and you are on the fast track to complete whatever Holiday Shopping you feel compelled to do.

So... let's just imagine that somehow my name became involved in judging a literary competition... but only to the point of providing feedback on posters generated by high school students.  The posters had a short list of criteria to follow.  The competition was not so much the artistic portion but the overall success of said poster to spark interest in the book the generator had read.  A little marketing competition, really.

So... let's just say there is NO likelihood I will ever be invited back to the school to do anything at all.  I probably knew I should hold my tongue... but you all know how unlikely that is when I find something which I passionately believe should be pointed out.  I let it rip.  How is it that students arrive in a high school environment without the ability to read, follow instructions, spell (although I understand some have issue with doing so, HAVE SOMEONE CHECK YOUR WORK!), punctuate, or use some vague semblance of proper grammar?  Oh... and when you misspell the author's name or the title of the book... there is no hope.

It's alright.  I really don't think I could allow my blood pressure to reach that level again without risking a serious stroke.

A little update for those who have been following the fun and frivolity of the Smarter-Than-Me-Phone that has refused to function properly since October 22nd.  After the day-before-Thanksgiving call when the young'un on the other end of the line ASSURED me the phone would function properly after his "fixes", I began to have hope.  The Saturday follow-up call revealed the phone to be continuing to operate as promised.  Could it be?!?!?!?

Nah.  You all know better than that.  *chuckle*  I found myself on the phone again with the Warranty Department Monday afternoon, the 5th.  Apparently my current Warranty Service Representative actually paid attention to the previous comments on the account.  After only two very slight questions about the issue, the young lady stated she would be placing an order to replace the offending unit.  Really?!?!?  Finally?!?!?  Hot-diggity-dog!!!  You guys finally figured it out.  I am right.  It is the PHONE!!!

The less-than-stellar news here... they are sending me a "reconditioned" unit which I was assured would not have a single mark on it.  Great.  I'm getting someone else's problem that you guys believe you have "fixed."  Terrific.  Looking forward to that.  Oh... and I was instructed to keep the back of my current phone along with the SIM card and the battery.  Uh-Huh.  So you are just sending the the "electronics" portion of the phone, right?  Right.  Fabulous.  So... I paid $80 more than what this stupid thing runs today for an upgrade, it worked exactly one month and has been giving me grief for over six weeks, and you are going to send me a used, "reconditioned", may-have-even-had-the-same-problems-my-phone-is-having replacement?  Oh... what a warm fuzzy feeling I am getting about this.

I will keep you all posted on how things work out with the replacement phone.  I will not keep you posted on how the students do after leaving high school.  You will know as you begin to encounter them in their places of employment where you have the misfortune of needing to deal with them.  I wish you all the very best of luck and suggest you carry pencil and paper with you so you can draw what you need.  Lord help us all.

Until next post...

CUSTOMER SERVICE - AN OXYMORON

Heidy-Ho, Blogging Buddies.

Well, it has been a bit since you heard from me.  That might have been pleasant!  But I have returned and am preparing a semi-rant for you to read.  If you have ever had a problem with a cellular phone, you should be able to relate to this one.

So... on October 22nd, about 5-6 weeks after getting that new phone, I notice that when a friend sent me a photo via text, I was not able to receive it.  Hmmmmm.  Perhaps there is a simple setting on the Smarter-Than-Me-Phone that will fix that.  The epic adventure with my wireless provider was about to begin.  (Swelling music here.)

Customer Service Rep (all to be referred to as CSR from this point forward):  Hmmm.  Well, let's check a few settings.  Oh yes, since you are not in your "home" area, you need to check that box.  Let me send you a test photo.  Get that?  Great!  Thank you for calling and drive through, please.

Things rocked along for a few days without issue... but then, no one tried to send me a photo.  Until later.

CSR:  Gosh, I'm sure sorry you're having issues.  Let's check a few settings.  (Did it again although I knew nothing had changed.)  Well, those seem to be fine.  Let's try a few more steps.  (Tried them.)  Hmmm.  Let me connect you with Technical Support.  (Hold music.)

TSR (Technical Support Rep if you haven't been paying attention):  Gee, sure sorry about the issues.  Let's try a few things.  (We did... including some I had already tried.)  Let me send you a test photo.  Get that?  Great!  Thank you for calling and drive through, please.

Things were fine... for not long.  The issue had now expanded itself to an inability to retrieve voicemails.  That, in itself, would not have sent me through the roof... but the fact that my phone would not RING before sending the caller to my voicemail to leave me information that I could not get was just a little over-the-top.

CSR: Golly-Gee, I'm sure sorry you're having these issues.  Let's check a few settings.  (Let's not... I've already done that about 3 times now.)  My goodness, I see that you have called in a few times about this.  (Really?  Are you actually reading the notes on the account?  Good for YOU!)  I don't seem to be able to resolve this.  I am going to connect you with Technical Support.  (When the hold music started, I was tempted to pour a refreshing adult beverage.)

TSR:  Aw, gosh darn it!  I'm just really sorry you're having these issues.  Let's check a few settings and try a few things.  (Do you think TSR #2 could hear my silent scream?)  Hmmmm.  Well, I'm beginning to think it's not a system issue (Ya' THINK?!?) so I'm going to connect you to our Warranty Department.  (Is that the cavalry I hear?  Nope.  Just more hold music.)

WSR (Warranty Service Rep if you don't get trends): Oh my!  I'm so sorry you're having issues.  Let me read through the notes on the account.  (Good for you, pal.)  Okay.  If you would, pull up these screens as I tell you and let me know how they are set.  (Okay... a NEW game to play with Customer Service!)  We checked this, checked that, then checked some more.  Well, ma'am, I'm afraid we are going to have to do a Restore to Factory Default Settings on the phone.  (Huh?  Won't I lose all the crap I have spent hours figuring out how to do... not to mention my contacts?)  Here is how you can save all of that to your Memory Card.  Done?  Alright, let's Restore to Factory Default Settings.  (I really needed a refreshing adult beverage here but couldn't stop long enough to procure one.)  Alright, turn the phone off then back on and I will send you some test messages and call the phone to leave you a voicemail.  (Time passes.)  Great!!  I'm so glad to hear that everything is working.  Thank you for calling and drive through, please.  (It was later that I discovered the pictures I had taken for you all to view of the Fly-In/Drive-In at the airport had been lost forever.)

The next morning:  The phone does not ring.  I have voicemail messages I cannot retrieve.  I am completely over this situation and am done talking to Service Reps of any and all configuration.  I dial what will be my final call to Customer Service.  It is November 23rd, fully one month since my issues began and fully one month that they have not been resolved.

CSR:  Oh darn it!  You mean the issues have not been resolved?  (No... they have... I'm just calling because I LIKE to spend hours of my time stuck on the phone with you guys!)  Let's check a few... (Nope.  You need to escalate me to either a supervisor or the warranty department.  Don't care which.)  Let me get a supervisor on the line.  (Hold music.)

CSS:  (C'mon... you know that is Customer Service Supervisor!)  I understand you are having issues with your phone?  (This child is so fortunate that I cannot reach through the phone lines... I'm calling on the landline... and strangle his silly a$$!)  Well, I do have to go through some steps with you before I can transfer you to Technical Support (and I have only a few steps to go through to change providers... do you still want to go through the same steps I have repeated about 10 times now?).  Oh.  Alright.  I will transfer you to Technical Support.  And I am going to issue a $20 credit to the account for the trouble you've been having.  (I did continue the conversation long enough with the little fella' to make him aware that his $20 credit did not mean a thing to me... but having a working phone would likely matter.  Hold music.)

TSR:  Wow!  It sure seems like you have a phone issue (Ya' THINK?!?!?).  I'm going to just go ahead and transfer you to the Warranty Department.  (Finally, someone who reads and comprehends.  Hold music.)

WSR:  I am sorry to see you have been having issues with the phone.  (I am SO over being apologized to... just help me!)  Let's check for updates on the phone.  There was one that was sent out to the system in early September that might not have made it to your phone.  (I have checked for updates in the past and thought I was up-to-date?)  No, your phone does not show to have this one.  Let's download it now.  (Sure... that will only take HOURS on the "Edge" system which is primarily what we have here.)  Alright.  Now I am going to send some additional updates to your phone.  Just follow the instructions and install them as they arrive.  (Fine.)  Alright.  You need to allow 24-48 hours for everything to update but you should not have further problems after that.  (Pardon me, Habib.  I appreciate your confidence but I do not have any of that remaining for you guys.  If these measures do NOT resolve all issues, are you guys going to replace this phone?)  I assure you this will resolve the issues.  Just keep checking the phone and trying tests.  I will schedule a follow-up commitment for you to receive a call on Saturday at 1:00 p.m. Eastern time.  (Doesn't sound like you are very confident, Habib.  I'm guessing you know I will still have problems but you want to get me off of your phone.)  Thank you for calling and drive through, please.

Thursday.  Phone appears to be functioning properly.
Friday.  Phone appears to be functioning properly.
Saturday.  Phone appears to be functioning properly.  I explain this to "Veronica" who had the bad fortune of drawing my call-back commitment.  She was very kind and very understanding.  She even politely listened to my feedback about my concern regarding the training these folks are all getting and why I had to continually call multiple times, spending multiple hours, before the last guy apparently tried something that appeared to have resolved the problems?  (I did mention to her that I was holding out on calling it "fixed" until further time had passed.  She kindly texted me the direct line to Warranty so I could avoid standard Customer Service if anything else happened which I sincerely hope I will not have to use.)  Thank you for calling and drive through, please.

It's Sunday morning.  Things continue to appear to be working properly.  If any of you enjoy a good gamble, I will take bets on when something may go wrong again.  :)

Until next post...

NOT A GOOD WEEK.

Hello again, Blogging Pals.  I am the bearer of bad news and, if you are feeling fragile right now, you might want to skip this post.

I told you about the crazy kitty, Demon, who got himself into trouble eating non-edible items.  When I reported to you, he was improving and the prognosis was good.

Demon took a turn for the worse on Sunday afternoon, 11/06.  He returned to the vet on Monday and it appeared he had developed a blood infection and/or liver infection as a secondary complication of the emergency surgery.  He came home Monday night but went back to the vet on Tuesday for additional treatment.  He came home Tuesday night and remained with me during the day Wednesday.  Unfortunately, Wednesday night about 10:00 p.m. it became clear it was time to let him go.  We piled into the vehicle, picked up my friend, Susan S., who had kindly agreed to ride with us down to Lake Charles (there is no emergency vet clinic in this town) to release Demon from his distress.

So... it has been done and he has likely tracked down his buddy, Dude, who left us in July of last year and is once again torturing him by forcing him to play!!

Louisiana has not been good for my kitties.  I have made the decision that Demon was the last pet.  I have had critters for most of my adult life and I have thoroughly enjoyed each of them.  I think it's time to take a break and not have anything I have to take care of or think about before I make plans.

A fond farewell to Demon who will be missed.  Thank you all for the kind comments and concern about him after the last post.

Until next post...

YOU ATE WHAT?!?!?!?!?!?

 Heidy-Ho, Blogging Buddies!

Well... you just never know exactly what will be coming your way any day you get out of bed, do you?

So... perhaps some of you remember Demon, the tuxedo kitty that is very appropriately named.

Older and Lazy!!!

In his prime... After that swinging mouse!

Buddying up to the frog

He has done pretty well since the loss of his pal, Dude, in August of 2010.  He seems to have adapted nicely to being the only kitty in the house and has become a bit more "lap-loving" than he was when he had a pal with which to play.

Apparently, he has NOT figured out that dining should be done only from his bowl.  Sigh.  I caught him once with a HUGE amount of ribbon in his belly.  There was a piece still sticking out so I gently removed it by pulling.  That was when we realized we would have to make certain there was nothing left he could reach that might tempt him!

He began seeming very lethargic last week.  The other thing about an inside-only cat is the ability to monitor the litter box.  When I reached the morning of the third day without solid production, I called the vet.  While there was a suggestion of a Fleet's to see if that would help, I assure you I was not about to kitty-wrangle a cranky, fully-clawed, well-toothed cat to provide such an assist!!!  I have already had experience with making the kitty unhappy... and can show you the scars!  So... I loaded him into the carrier and took him to the vet's office.

About an hour later, I have a call from the vet advising the little fella's X-ray shows a "marble-looking" object firmly lodged in his large intestine and he will need emergency surgery in order to get that out of there and save the cat.  Sigh.  Knowing full well this is going to cut into the Christmas funds, the go-ahead is given and I am assured I will receive a call when he is in recovery.

I receive the call that he has come through surgery nicely and they have saved the "whatever it is" that was removed.  I ask that they keep it as I want to see it.  With all the care taken around here to keep things away that he might be tempted to eat, I really want to know what he found!  I am told I can pick him up at 4:00 that afternoon.  Fine.

I arrive at the vet's office and am ushered into an exam room where the vet and I both scratch our heads over some gooey, gummy, dark green, felt-looking stuff that the vet had retrieved from the duma$$ cat's large intestine earlier in the day.  Neither one of us had a clue as to what it was or where it might have come from.  The cat is then brought in, unhappily I might say, and his stitches are displayed for me.  *chuckle*  I know the cat would never eat another thing outside of his bowl if he had the ability to correlate the hellish day he had just had with doing so.

I am sent home with a VERY groggy kitty, two medications that must be given orally each day, and a receipt that blew Christmas all to hell and back.  Sigh.  Oh well.  That's what it means to be a pet-owner, I reckon.

So... he experienced this all on Friday.  He did nibble some food Saturday morning and was eating quite well by Saturday afternoon.  He still has trouble jumping up onto the bed but is determined and usually makes it the 2nd or 3rd try.  He is still moving a bit slowly but seems to be improving almost hourly.  Now all we are waiting on is some "production" from the food he ate Saturday.  That is our final milestone to reach in order to not be further concerned.

I won't bore you with the details when we reach the final milestone.  You have probably had a little TMI (too much information) already.

Until next post...

MORNING WALKS...

Heidy-Ho, Blogging Pals.  Welcome back!

Some of you are aware of my morning walks.  I had walked while in Texas with a neighbor who was a friend.  Once I relocated here, I found myself less motivated to walk without a friend with whom to chat.  That was a mistake.  I began my morning walks again near the end of 2010 and have been consistent with them.  Good idea.

There are plenty of things to see when walking.  I have become more observant as I began walking earlier and earlier during the summer.  With the days getting shorter, I am starting a bit later now.  However, I wanted to share with you some of the things one sees while walking early in the day.

The early walker sees the moon!!  Very pretty.

The sun beginning to reach the edge of the horizon makes for lovely clouds.

Some mornings show no sun... but even the fog can be pretty!

AHA!!!  One of the many "golf eggs" one finds at random places along the golf course!  These are very sneaky and difficult to wrangle... but with stealth, one can capture them for use as targets at the range!

GOT IT!!!  Clearly a Halloween "golf egg."

Spotted this growing from a neighbor's tree.  Thought it was interesting.

Another view.

Hope you can make out the rainbow which was the object of my camera.  Lovely to see.  Hard to capture.



So... if you have been considering walking as a way to reach (or maintain) a fitness level, I encourage you to consider a walk through your neighborhood.  Pay attention and see what you can find!!

Some things coming up that will likely be blog-worthy!  Stay tuned!  And thank you for sticking with me.

Until next post...

BPF PART III - DATE NIGHT!!

Heidy-Ho, Blogging Pals.

Well, it's the last post about the Beauregard Parish Fair.  I will have to find something else to regale you with before I post again.  The "Fly-In/Drive-In" is the first weekend in November so perhaps I will have some interesting airplane and automobile photos for you!!

At any rate... I asked the spousal-unit if he would take me on a "date" to the fair.  He actually said he would so we put on our comfy walking shoes the 5th of October and headed to the fairgrounds.  Our first stop was a run through the livestock area.  You have already seen some of the critters that were housed there.  We also wandered through the Petting Zoo with a gazillion little munchkins who were running from cage-to-cage, squealing as the critters "lipped" the feed from their hands.  We didn't spend a lot of time there.

At this point, the spousal-unit had a craving for a Frito pie at one of the locally run food booths.  We went to the Lions Club booth as that is the one my dad used to work at (and I spent a couple of fairs behind there serving burgers and fries with him!) so we figured it was the one at which we should spend our money.  Well... you can't really mess with Fritos but the canned burger chili and the lack of any cheese at all (the signage indicated Fritos, chili, and CHEESE!) were less-than-stellar.  He consumed about 1/3 of it and we headed off to the midway for games and rides!

As we wandered, we ran across a gal hawking the old "pop-the-balloon" game.  She had a big ol' smile and was fun to talk to, so we spent some dollars there playing.  Wandered away with the cutest little stuffed pig wearing a black "leather" jacket and a "pirate" doo-rag.  Needless to say, he's a little HOG (as in Harley Owners Group).  I wasn't going to let him go!!  We wandered a little further and ended up playing another balloon-popping game with a gal who was GOOD at hawking and double-talking!!  When we left, we had a yellow "Angry Bird" stuffed animal and a good laugh... but I think our two little stuffed critters, valued at about $10 total, cost about $40!!!  LOL!!  That's alright.  That's what the fair is for.

So... we purchased "coupons" to ride a ride.  I wanted to ride the Merry-Go-Round.  The kid running it was very apologetic as he told me the individual who owned it had told him no adults on the horses.  WHAT?!?!?  Whatever.  Thanks anyway.  I don't want to just sit on a bench and go round and round!  So we wandered on.  I was feeling just frisky enough to consider riding something just a little more exciting than the Merry-Go-Round from which I was banned anyway!

While my favorite ride when I was a young'un was the Zipper, I knew enough to realize my back would not likely take a "spin" on that one.  However... there were two other rides I enjoyed... the Scrambler and the Tilt-A-Whirl!!  There they were.  Side-by-side.  Yep, the spousal-unit was willing to pile on with me.  It was on!!!

At the Scrambler, we were behind a little fella' who was stretching just as hard as he could to be tall enough to ride the thing.  There was a gentleman with him who had a cane and was clearly not able to ride it.  The ride jockey told the little fella' that he needed an adult to ride.  Well heck!!  If he's got the nerve to ride it, he can ride on it with us!!  We piled him into the car (with the spousal-unit in the "Squish" position, me in the middle, and the little guy in the "free" spot!) and off we went!  He was squealing and hootin' and just plain enjoying his spin!  The only thing I got out of him when I asked "How are you doin'?" was "This is really fast!"  Yep.  It was.  And it was tons of fun.  And he didn't get sick (which I thought about FAR too late in the game to do anything about it if he did!).

We left the Scrambler and walked next door to the Tilt-A-Whirl.  After a few minutes of getting my inner ear back into place, we took our place in a hooded car and waited for the ride to begin.  I had to laugh at my spousal-unit who was laughing at me!!  I was really working that little car, trying to reach the apex at just the right time to make that thing spin like crazy!!  We got about two really good multiple spins out of it and had a good ride.

The spousal-unit had worked up an appetite since his Frito pie had been such a bust and he had been working so hard on the midway.  We stopped at the American Legion food booth where he ordered a cheeseburger and fries.  We should have paid a little more attention to the fact that every person at the booth, and a couple inside the booth, were eating something out of paper bowls.  Turns out it was gumbo... chicken and sausage... and was apparently delicious.  The burger?  Not so much.  He consumed about 1/2 of it and we headed toward the exit.

While there is no photographic evidence of our game-playing or riding, I will leave you with a few shots of the midway. We're good until next year's fair.

Not on our list... but it does look like fun!

Which part of "acrophobia" do you not understand?!?

Didn't get the name on this... but didn't matter.  Not going!!

Ah!  Here's my old favorite.  Fun to watch even if I can't go on it these days.

One more view of the Zipper and we're gone.

Until next post... I hope you enjoyed the fair!!!

BPF PART II: THINGS THAT MAKE ME CRY "FOWL!"

Hello again, Blogging Pals!!

Alright.  I know you are all astute individuals so you are likely to have figured out that our post today is to provide you with photos of... CHICKENS!!  Yep.  Those fabulous creatures that provide food and warmth as well as entertainment.  You will find a few ducks, as well, but our focus today is the incredibly varied world of chickens found at the Beauregard Parish Fair last week.  It is difficult to photograph through cages but I have tried to provide you with the best possible view of these lovely birds.

Without further cockadoodle-do...

When did chickens get fuzzy?!?

Love the blue feathers on this gal!

This one nearly needed a double cage!!

This should be called a "Sesame Street" chicken.  You cannot believe the feathers on this bird!!

These two roosters were staring at each other when I walked up... and they were still staring without moving when I left them!!

Now she is a gorgeous chick!!!

Wish you could see all of the lovely colors on this duck.

So... that was my foray into the poultry world at the recent fair.  One more segment to come before we put the fair to bed for this year.

Until next post...

BEAUREGARD PARISH FAIR - PART I

Heidy-Ho, Blogging Buddies!!  It's FAIR TIME!!

The Beauregard Parish Fair took place last week, complete with exhibits, livestock entries, food booths, and a carnival to boot!

If you have never been to a small-town fair, you should really put one on your "Bucket List."  The Beauregard Parish Fair has been an annual event as long as I have been alive... and before that!  While I can't provide you with sounds and smells, I hope you can get an idea of the fun available to everyone who attends.

Part One is a look at a few of the Petting Zoo critters as well as some of the 4-H Club members' entries into the livestock competition.  Hope you enjoy these!

A lovely llama.

Are these the REAL "Three Little Pigs?"

A dromedary with a zebra next door.

This young lady was having no problem shearing her sheep!

I believe he's done this before.

Billy Goat Gruff and friend?

If these aren't called "Oreo Pigs", they should be!!

Bunny Fest!

Sweet little lop-eared fella (or gal).

This one was curious about me!

Stay tuned for Part Two coming very soon!!

Until next post...

OUTSMARTED BY A SMARTPHONE???

Heidy-Ho, Blogging Buddies!!

The Title clearly lets you know how I am feeling right now.

I have had everything in the world of cellular from my very first "brick" phone, which probably weighed about three pounds, to my latest little pocket-sized guy on which I can not only talk, but communicate in writing via text.  Things have come a long way.

The little pocket-sized guy, however, has been dropped, hit by the sprinkler, and suffered a number of injustices over the years with me.  It was really time to think about an upgrade.

My friend, Susan S., believes her iPhone is the ultimate in cellular+ service!  She was kind enough to sit down with me over a cuppa' Joe to discuss her phone.  Hmmmmm.  Maybe I should consider one of these new-fangled phones?  Looks like it can really do a whole lotta' stuff.  Do I really NEED to do that much stuff?  Don't know.  I'll need to think about it.  Oh... and I will need to research the actual units themselves.  Gotta' use that Consumer Reports online subscription, after all!!

Have you ever bounced something around for so long that you finally reach the point of not even being interested anymore?  Sure  you have!  That's where I landed after Consumer Reports online along with Googling and reading a TON of consumer reviews on the top three phones.  I was pretty much over it and completely believed I could get a few more years out of that last "free" upgrade phone!  Sigh.  That didn't happen.

So... once I made the decision on WHICH phone, the challenge was to find the best price.  Lord help me.  That became another mired-down exercise!  I actually went to a nearby wireless store to see the proposed unit and check on pricing.  I checked online with the same firm.  I checked the manufacturer site for more information.  Again... I am really losing interest in this whole deal.  This is far too time-consuming and I KNOW there is going to be even more time involved as I scale the learning curve.  Am I up for that commitment?  Really?

The new SmartPhone was retrieved Monday the 19th.  If any of you have called me and not received an answer, it's likely because I am still trying to achieve the fine art of answering the darned thing without just simply pushing a button.  Nope.  That would be FAR too easy!!  What have I gotten myself into?!?!?  I won't bore you with the number of hours spent just trying to achieve some VERY simple things with the phone.  Suffice it to say I rarely spent this amount of time with any device to do something as simple as make a phone call.

I have commited a certain amount of time each day for the next couple of weeks to figure out all of the things this equipment does and how to do it without costing myself any additional money.  I realize that the MBA prepared me for running household finances but is insignificant in the quest to use the SmartPhone.  Sigh.  Will I ever be an accomplished user?  Probably not.  Will I ever be able to do the basic things I generally need to do with a mobile phone?  Sure.  Eventually.  Maybe before 2012.

I will keep you posted on the progress (or lack thereof!) made with my learning and using.  In the meantime, if you call and I don't answer, leave a voicemail.  As soon as I figure out how to retrieve it, I promise I will call you back.  Really.

Until next post...

09/11/2011 PLEASE RENEW YOUR ACQUAINTANCE WITH SGT. MAJ. LARRY STRICKLAND

Greetings to my Blogging Pals. Those who have been with me a while know about my participation in Project 2996. I began my participation in 2009 and plan to continue this as long as I am able to do so. I ask each of you to take a moment to remember what happened on 9/11/2001. Even if you read my tributes previously, please read them again. It's important that we see this as an individual, personal event... not just something that happened in New York, D.C., and Pennsylvania a decade ago. It affects us all and will continue to do so. I do not see the 10th Anniversary as any different from the 2nd, the 19th, or the 100th. The pain for the families is the same. But this is a tribute to their loved one!! Please read about this wonderful gentleman.

*** This was posted in 2009 as my tribute to Sgt. Maj. Larry Strickland. I repeat it here as I will continue doing so on each anniversary of 9/11 as long as I am able. There are a couple of notes and updates from 2010 in bold/italic.

Please meet Sgt. Maj. Larry Strickland. He was 52 years old, born in Washington State, and had a Bachelor of Science degree. He had served our country in a lot of places including Germany, Washington State, Washington DC, Texas, and Virginia. He had many awards and decorations. Most devastating for me to learn was his plan to retire upon completion of 30 years of service... at the end of September 2001. After all of his service, he was close to spending more time on his hobbies (fishing, hiking, gourmet cooking, and needlepoint) and especially looking forward to spending more time with his family. SGM Strickland left behind a wife, Debra, who was the Garrison Command Sergeant Major of Fort Belvoir, VA. at the time, three adult children, and one grandson who will never know his grandfather as he was only a year old when SGM Strickland was taken. His parents also were left to deal with the untimely loss of their child.

NOTE: I posted a note to the family at Legacy.com and received two emails.

One was from SGM Strickland's son-in-law and read, in part:
"I came across your blog today while searching for SM Larry Strickland. I am lucky enough to be married to his daughter Julia and I just wanted to take a moment to thank you for caring enough to research this remarkable man. Everything you read about him and his character is true. He left behind an amazingly strong wife, a beautiful daughter, his two sons, and his grandson. His grandson was 4, not 1 as many newspaper articles claim, so he does remember his grandfather, and fondly."(I was SO happy to read that his grandson did remember his grandfather and wanted to share that with you all! MNC)

The other email was from SGM Strickland's daughter and read, in part:
"Mary, thank you very much for your kind words. I am Larry's daughter, and it is wonderful to know that though it's been 8 years, remembering him and this tragic event is still as important now as it was the day it happened. He was truly a wonderful man, and the best father anyone could ask for."
SGM Strickland headed out to work that day at the Pentagon as there were some meetings he deemed important enough to attend even though he could have skipped them. He had annual leave built up that needed to be used or lost. He chose to go to work. If you knew nothing more about him than that, you would know the character of the man. It was that character that had him in his office on the second floor when the wing he was in was struck by American Airlines Flight 77.

But this is a tribute to SGM Strickland's life. And I've got to tell you the things said about him and written about him are absolutely glowing!! What a wonderful thing... to have those left behind remember you so well and so lovingly. It's not just family. These were friends, co-workers, people who knew him on a "business" level where, many times, the feelings are not so great. I would suggest you take a few moments today to review three different web sites where there are tributes (and from where I gathered much of the information I am sharing with you). It really won't take that long and, thankfully, most of us did not actually know anyone who was lost that day. Perhaps it would be good to learn about at least one of them. I know it gave me a very new perspective.

Pentagon Memorial Fund - Names of the souls lost at the Pentagon are alphabetical by last name. Scroll down and click on SGM Strickland's name to read about his service career.

Columns - The University of Washington Alumni Magazine- Read a really great article here about SGM Strickland's personal life. Sounds like someone we would all like to have known.

The Washington Post - This project is a database of all of the souls lost that day and has a very nice tribute to SGM Strickland.

Legacy.com - This is where folks can leave notes for the family. Many folks were positively impacted by SGM Strickland. Some commented here about their appreciation of the man. I invite you to take just a moment to leave a note here to let the family know the loss of their loved one is something we all remember.

9-11 Heroes - This is another site where a note can be left. Again... take a moment to leave a note on at least one of the sites. You have no idea how much this can mean to family members.

Thank you, SGM Strickland, for your service, for your honor, and for your character. I'm glad I got to know you.

We should never forget.

09/11/2011 PLEASE RENEW YOUR ACQUAINTANCE WITH MAJ. RONALD D. MILAM

Greetings to my Blogging Pals.  Those who have been with me a while know about my participation in Project 2996.  I began my participation in 2009 and plan to continue this as long as I am able to do so.  I ask each of you to take a moment to remember what happened on 9/11/2001.  Even if you read my tributes previously, please read them again.  It's important that we see this as an individual, personal event... not just something that happened in New York, D.C., and Pennsylvania a decade ago.  It affects us all and will continue to do so.  I do not see the 10th Anniversary as any different from the 2nd, the 19th, or the 100th.  The pain for the families is the same.  But this is a tribute to their loved one!!  Please read about this wonderful gentleman.

Major Ronald Dutrell Milam was born in Muskogee, Oklahoma, and had a Bachelors degree from Eastern New Mexico University earned in 1991. He served his country in Germany, Korea, and Saudi Arabia. He had recently received his assignment as Military Assistant for the Secretary of the Army. He had also recently married Jacqueline on January 15, 2000. Things were definitely going well for Major Milam and his new family. His future was clearly a bright one and who knows what wonderful things he would have accomplished!

On 9/11/2001, Major Milam, who had just turned 33 the month before, was at work at the Pentagon. His wife, Jacqueline, five months pregnant with their second child and an Air Force officer, was also at her job at the Pentagon. Neither had an office in the area where Flight 77 struck that morning. Jacqueline was not terribly concerned immediately after the attack assuming they would connect in the parking lot. Major Milam had been attending a staff meeting that morning... right where the aircraft crashed into the Pentagon.

But this post is a tribute to a man who lived well, with honor and with dedication to his country. His college basketball coach had no doubt Major Milam was a leader and a role model during his years working with him. When Major Milam told his coach he had chosen the military as his career, the coach, who thought Milam should pursue a career in law, told the young man he supported him 100%. Major Milam clearly touched many lives during his own. What a great legacy to leave!! We should all be proud of this young man.

Take a few moments today to visit the sites below. If you can, leave a note for his family at either Legacy.com or at 9-11 Heroes. All of the sites below are links to get you there quickly.

Eastern New Mexico University News Release - Review this page for comments from Major Milam's high school principal and his college basketball coach. This will let you know the caliber of the man we honor today.

Arlington Cemetery Site - If you read nothing else, read this tribute. Major Milam's wife recounts the events of that day and what has kept her going.

Pentagon Memorial Site - This site has a full obituary providing information on Major Milam's life.

The Washington Post - This site has a short remembrance from Major Milam's father about the Major's love of golf.

Legacy.Com - Take a moment and leave a note for the family here, if you wish.

9-11 Heroes - Or you can leave a note for the family here, if you wish.

Thank you, Major Milam, for your service, for your honor, and for your character. I'm glad I got to know you.

We should never forget.