Back in the Game

The monitor was finally delivered yesterday afternoon — three days after it could have conceivably arrived (as predicted by Best Buy) but two days before it's projected date (by Purolator). After finishing the last ten minutes of the latest episode of Midsomer Murders, we got into it.

Instructions consisted of just a few diagrams, but we figured it out and set up the monitor. The next photo shows its capabilities with a sticker attached to the corner. Yes, after first coming home with the 32 inch, curved cheapie, I really dipped into the bank account for a high quality, flat, 27 inch, 4K monitor. I really wanted a a quality display, mainly for photo editing.

I called up several photos to see how they looked, and they looked good and better than the snapshot records.

You have seen several versions of this ↓ photo in the past, but I hadn't processed this take, so did a very quick edit, and this is how it looks.

One final photo checking out another old photo: Sue staged the monitor certificates. The crazy thing is that the keyboard is from two computers ago. I liked it better than the keyboards that came with the previous computer and with this newest computer. That is another thing that must be updated and soon — maybe just after New Years.

As you can see, I am getting back into circulation, albeit slowly.

Later, Dude

Still no monitor in Anvilcloudia. It has been picked up by Purolator, but I have had no subsequent update after the wee hours os Saturday morning — 1:12AM to be exact. Apparently, they put their emphasis on the Lator part of their moniker. I was originally told that it might come last Friday but am now advised that it may not arrive until this Wednesday.

While I can, quite obviously, post from my tablet, I cannot comment from either it or my phone. I did try from Sue’s laptop two nights ago, but the process was neither fun nor fluid, so I gave up. Sorry about that, especially since catching up on many days of blog-reading will be too daunting for me, particulary in this busy season. I will have to begin commenting on new posts whenever I get back in the blogging game for real  

Part of this season’s busyness is Sauna’s birthday. My baby will be 51 on Wednesday, and we’ll do a little dinner here. 

Last night I moved from my chair to the bed after not being able to settle in my chair.  It was my first attempt at using the bed in about a month. The previous trial only lasted for minutes. This time I did get a few hours of sleep in bed, so progress I guess. I might have slept there a little longer, but the cat found me at 4 o’clock, purring and making biscuits on my hapless body. I did not indulge her but hied back to my chair and managed to get another two hours of sleep. For whatever reason, she doesn’t pester me in the chair at night — just in the bed. Yet, she will visit me in the chair during the day. Cats:who can comprehend?

She doesn’t really visit Sue in bed, lucky woman, but her lap is fair game at lunch time, and she does’t let Sue’s lunch get in her way  

So, that is I, explaining what is going on and why, for the time being, I am not paying attention to your pics and prose on your exemplary posts.  

Picturesque Fire Hydrant, Not

 I am sans computer today. Because I wasn’t pleased with my new monitor, I returned it and bought a new one. But it wasn’t in stock, so it will be delivered sometime. They said today, but I am dubious  

So, I am experimenting by typing on my tablet. I have done this fairly often before, but I don’t think I have ever tried to add a photo from my iCloud photo roll to Blogger. We shall see if it works. If it does work, you will see a rather glorious big fir tree across the street lit up and snow covered.

Well, yes and no. Although I can plop a photo from my iPad to approximately sixteen-thousand places, Blogger does not seem to be one of them. So, I copied and pasted. But I did it, and what a great tree, especially the fire hydrant inclusion. Again, if I had access to my computer, I would be tempted to photoshop the hydrant into oblivion. 

Looking Seasonal at the Eatery

We hadn't been to breakfast with these guys for several months, so it was time to go forth and have a little meal stuff ourselves.

But the first thing that I noticed was that Bob was wearing Christmas green. I might not have been exactly wearing Christmas red, but it was red, so I cuddled up and insisted that Sue take a photo. You may recall that Sue doesn't require much cajoling when it comes to getting her phone out. She also edited in the spirit of the season — twice.

Then, I realized that Sue's scarf was also a seasonal fit, so she also snuggled up with Bob, and Barb squished over on the other side.

Later, Sue remembered to have the server snap a group photo. We had forgotten last time. You'll note that Barb was more in the Easter spirit than Christmas. There's always one, eh?

Our breakfast came, and I will post my skillet, especially for Margaret, who seems to have a similar breakfast appreciation comme moi.

Of course, Sue did one of her composites — because she is Sue. 

AC and his Helper

I have been procrastinating about getting a new computer for about a year. Then, just over a week ago, Sue asked me to print a personal card, and I couldn't do it because Photoshop would not load at all. I should add that my version of Photoshop was already two years out of date because I couldn't update to the new editions.

My procrastination was due to the fact that changing computers is such an ordeal. It involves porting so much stuff over and getting all my programs onto the new system. The computer had lasted for more than 7 years, so there was a lot of stuff. And of course, there was stuff from computers before that one. I have more than two terabytes of photos, for example. 

Also, my favourite photo editing program is Lightroom, and that is an absolute beast to work with. I mean it's great to use, but there is so much behind the scenes stuff that it does that I had to figure out how to move over to a new machine. There was much more to it than just downloading Lightroom onto the new machine. So much more.

The purchase was made, but I waited a few days for JJ to come over and help me tear down the old computer and set up the new: not the software part, but the hardware part. When I set up the previous computer there was no question but that I would do it myself, but I have changed a lot in those years. There was a lot of stuff, like wires galore, to do on the floor, for example.

Sue hovered to record at least some of the process.

Phew! It's working, but I am, these several days later, still working on software installations, and I haven't added my computer or scanner yet as they sit unhooked and unplugged on the top shelf. Not only that, but the new monitor displeases me, so I will have to pack it up, drive back into Ottawa, and buy a new, more expensive one. Sigh.

If this computer holds up as long as the previous one, it could possibly be the last one that I will own. If it isn't, I don't know what I'll be like when I am 83 and have to do it all again. I shudder at the thought.

Meanwhile, JJ has the old system, and with the fresh install from ground up, it is working just fine for him. It was a good computer in its day and should serve him well for a few years. I simply didn't want to go to the trouble of rejigging it for myself considering its age . . .  and my age.

Surprise

Friday evening. An unusual games night with Shauna and the kids at theirs.. Sitting around talking, waiting for the pizza to arrive.

The doorbell rings. Sue can see the doorway from where she was sitting. She gasps and cries a little. Hmm . . . neither pizza or the deliverer normally cause much emotuon. 

I am not the sharpest knife in the drawer, but I know immediately that, somehow, our other kid, PJ, must be at the door. PJ lives more than 2000 miles (3500k) away in Vancouver, but I just know. The kids encourage me to go to the door, but I have already guessed.

Of course, I do go to the door for greetings and hugs.

Indeed, the surprise was planned and executed very well indeed. I mean to say that our little family has been known to play games when we are together, but we've never had a dedicated game night. It did seem unusual, but we didn't suspect anything,

Of course, the pizza also arrived in the fulness of time, and we did play games, and we did think to grab a few phone photos. Under the conditions, they aren't the best.

On the other hand, they are also the best, if you know what I mean.

It was a short visit from Friday evening to Sunday morning when PJ drove to Toronto to visit friends and to put in a few days of work before flying back to Vancouver.

Twenty Minutes Seems Like a Different Country

Our growing town which lies 20 minutes beyond the western fringes of Ottawa is a pretty white community. And  most of us speak in what we affirm to be proper and unaccented Canadian English. We are pretty sure about our English being the best.

Recently, Sue and I drove into the city to purchase a new computer.

It's only about a 20 minute drive to the western part of Ottawa. After driving through undeveloped land, we are suddenly in the city, and it looks very different.

We pull into a big suburban mall and enter a big, electronics box store. At the door, we are greeted by a very nice, young man who has a very heavy accent. He appears to be from India or at least the Indian subcontinent.

I am looking for a new computer, and he accompanies us to the appropriate section of the huge store. There, a sales person takes over. He is black but speaks with a typical Canadian accent and guides me through the confusing purchase.

After solidifying the order, he takes us to tech support to resolve how they will help us set up the new beast. The lady wears a head covering. She speaks very softly with an accent.

Sue strains to hear and understand her and then relays the messages to hearing-impaired me. I respond, and we manage to communicate in this three-way dialog.

We leave the store and stop at a restaurant where we are served by a black lady.

It is a bit like a different country, not much more than 20 minutes away from our town. Of course, it.is really another part of our multicultural nation. It is still good, ole Canada, and we all get along.

It’s a good place, this Canada.