Thursday, July 31, 2014

Let's Get Back To It

Linking up today with Chatting at the Sky 

It's been three months since I've posted here. I'm not sure why, exactly. I've had plenty to write about, just lacking the initiative to actually sit down and write. I've lost the cadence of writing regularly and it's time to reclaim the rhythm. It seems appropriate to restart at precisely the place where I broke off: a monthly recap of what I've learned recently, hosted by Chatting at the Sky. So, shall we?

1. My nephews, ages 9 and 11, have memorized the chronological order of the U.S. presidents. And not just last names. Oh, no. They know first names, middle initials, and last names. They asked if I could do it and when I declined, urged me to try just 10. I could list at least 10 last names starting in present day and going back in time, but didn't get very far starting at the very beginning.

2. The CEO of my mother's retirement community is very personable and responsive. She called his office with a concern and within two hours, he was in her apartment listening to her opinion on a relatively minor issue. Yes, he happened to be in her building, thus making it convenient to come by, but he didn't have to and I'm impressed.

3. It is possible to get good service at the cell phone store. No, really, it is. I abhor dealing with a cell phone provider (in phone, online, in person) almost as much as calling the cable company. Yesterday, I left our local Verizon store with services better tailored to my usage (I would say " my needs," but I'm becoming less convinced that I "need" a smartphone) and a lower monthly cost. I'd call that a score.

4. Antivirus software can cause a boatload of problems when trying to download certain programs. We had to turn it off to download my mother's genealogy software onto her new computer. It seems counter-intuitive that you have to turn off protection to download something from the very resource you're potentially being protected from, but I've learned it's not uncommon.

5. Our granddaughter is every bit as beautiful as we imagined her to be. We are thankful for her life and for her health, and for a safe delivery for her and her mama.

This is an abbreviated list of things I've learned over the last several months. A bout of sleeplessness in the wee morning hours has rendered me mentally and physically drained, so it's best to wrap it up and hit publish before I lose any more steam.

I hope to make more regular appearances here in the coming weeks. At the very least, it won't be three months before I post again.