tech Monday

If you hang on to your old devices, sucking every last bit of life out of them, then you have to be prepared to invest time when things begin to unravel. As I sat in the Apple store to begin to address the issues that have cropped up for me, I chatted with another customer who was upgrading to the latest model of a laptop. I mentioned that back at the farmhouse, Ed just bought a computer for the price that Apple would charge for... oh, I don't know, an insurance policy on their comparable model. The customer smiled and said -- how many models has he had in the time you've had your Apple?

His point is well taken. Were it not for storage problems, my computer would be chugging along perhaps indefinitely. Whatever stuff they've loaded into its sleek and beautiful body is slated to endure a long life. (Except for the Apple cords. Geez Louise, Apple! Get a handle on the cords!)

All this to say that after breakfast...





... I spend the entire morning addressing technology issues -- at Apple and at UW's DoIt. And I have to go back to both tomorrow.

Well so what! Effort well spent! Especially since it really was on the cool side this morning. Pretty, what with the fog and the deep freeze, banding together to give us a spectacular country morning!






But a cold one.






I broke away from technology issues to pick up Snowdrop. I had trepidations. She went to sleep late last night. She refused to nap at school. Oh dear.

But, children teach you that you cannot predict life in any fashion whatsoever. Work with what's before you. Do not plan for the good or the bad. Just work with what you have.

I'm handed another golden deck of cards today.

It's not exactly warm. 41F (5C) I think. But there is a hazy wisp of sunlight left in the late afternoon and the wind has not kicked in. So we go to the playground.

Oh, she swings! I forgot my gloves and my hands are beet red from pushing her on that swing. Too, we walk toward the lake and I show her how ice is forming at the edges. I mean, we are in one big cold spell.

But you know, this is when you appreciate warmth. Hands beet red? Face feeling the punch of arctic air? Well now, enter a protected interior -- even as small and unheated as that of a car -- and you feel you are in heaven!







We're at the farmhouse now... Or, almost. She has to sweep up the leaves. Warmed up from the ride here, she forgets that she is without a jacket...






Today, she is Galileo! she is Amundsen! She is Snowdrop telling me to be quiet because she is taking care of her babies upstairs behind closed doors.






In the evening, I take her back home. Her mom is waiting for her. Snowdrop plunks herself down and begins a marathon of book reading...





On my return drive to the farmette, I listen to NPR news. So, the cavemen (and women, I hope) had already discovered and enjoyed wine? How clever of them!

Ed has work meetings all night long. At the farmhouse, I sit down to my computer, reheat a big cup of chili and drink a delicious glass of wine.