I Don't Speak Geek (I wish I could.)

My computer is having a good day; yesterday, it wasn't.  There's no set pattern for the sudden "Ping!" and consequent loss of cursor control.  Right now, my trusty Toshiba is working at warp speed, but when I needed it last night, that dreaded sound meant that, whether I liked it or not, I was done.  I've had this laptop for seven years with not a single problem, and I feel like I'm losing a best friend.  To make matters worse, I don't speak geek.  On the phone, with technical support, most of their attempts to answer my questions required my ability to answer their questions first.  Well, that didn't happen.  Frustrated, and a little embarrassed by my obvious  lack of understanding over the phone, I attempted the dot-com for a live chat on line with the Geek Squad.  "Great looking site", I thought to myself, but then another window appeared that told me to disable the protection I have against pop-ups.  Knowing that my computer could shut down at any time, the stress of working under duress clouded my problem-solving abilities, and I could not, for the life of me, find what I needed to enable the chat to ensue.  So if you come back next week, and there is no new post, you'll know that my computer took its final dive.  For my blog to resurface, I'll need a lot of help transferring old files onto a new laptop; it could take a while.   Don't give up on me, okay?

"Beach Beauties" is the name of this long lost "oldie but goody".  I will have new pictures if the sun will ever shine again.  We've been under a lot of fog lately.  Oh, well.  I'm just thankful my laptop was able to hang in there one last time.

Cafe Latte Flavored Yogurt

So much has happened since my last post, and yet with a dip of a spoon, all of those other ideas have gone down the drain.  No, I didn't have a garbage disposal disaster or a TMI story regarding a toilet.  I was standing in front of the kitchen sink, reading the ingredients of my latest choice in morning protein.  The picture on the label was enticing, and even though I don't normally care for the taste of Greek yogurt, I was more than a little excited to try this one.  It said it was cafe latte flavored.  My original plan was to dip my whole-grain Eggo waffle in it, but when I saw how creamy it was, I decided against sharing that first bite with something else.  Many taste buds were covered by that initial spoonful, but it would have taken only one to tell me what to write about today.  The color, the scent, the texture, and above all, the flavor of Dannon Oikos Traditional Greek Cafe Latte Flavored Yogurt far surpassed my expectations.  It's not just good, and good for you; the flavor makes it a form of self-indulgence. While nourishing the body, this yogurt also hits the craving center of the brain.  Whew!  Coffee in a whole new way!

The sea glass photo for today is called, "Wired One".  I chose it for the creamed coffee colors, but I suppose the title could apply as well................

Tears

The tears were flowin', and I didn't even know the man.  He was my husband's uncle.  His name was Harold, and we had been trying to get a hold of him for the past four days, but he didn't answer his phone.  He had passed away, alone, in his home.

After meeting Uncle Harold only once, my mind couldn't picture what he looked like, still, there was a sadness in my soul that I wasn't able to shake.  You see, the timing of an unexpected gift had made me think something was wrong.  Days before hearing of Uncle Harold's passing, my husband had received a package from him in the mail.  Inside, was a square shaped home-made hot-pad with a picture of a Golden Retriever on the front.  With my glasses on, I later noticed that there was a mustard stain on the back.  No note or letter had accompanied the gift, so we weren't sure what the occasion was.  The only thing that made sense was the dog.  Uncle Harold used to call and have quite lengthy talks with his nephew about dogs, ours and his. So, naturally, my husband called his uncle to thank him, but to no avail.  By the third day, I began to worry.  On the fourth, we heard the news.  Uncle Harold had been found on his knees, with his arms and head on the couch, as if he had been praying.

All of this makes me wonder if Uncle Harold, known for his survivor-type lifestyle in a woodsy area of upper Michigan, had had a sense of what was to come.  Not being able to reach him on the phone had lead to calling other relatives which lead to one of them going to his home.  If no one had gone to check on him, who knows how long it would have taken to have Uncle Harold's body put to rest.

The pot-holder, with its hand-stitched seams and plastic ring to hang it by, won't be something we'll use in our kitchen.  I don't think we'll ever toss it in the washer to get the stains out or put it in a pile for the next rummage sale.  After the funeral, I'm pretty sure my husband will put it in a box of other treasures for someone to find someday and wonder why it's there.  Meanwhile, if I need a good cry, I'll take out Uncle Harold's gift and picture his thoughts of my dear husband as some of his last.

This week's sea glass photo is called, "Tears".

Bladder

Trapped in the middle of a table of 11, with five people on each flank, I couldn't get out of luncheon formation to use the bathroom.  We were seated in a large booth in the back, so even if my bladder had been comfortable, it wasn't like I could see everything going on up front.  The meal had been enjoyable, though; who doesn't like a meeting that includes lunch and dessert?  But it also included iced tea, and considering my position at the table, I should have declined the beverage.

Next up, the entertainment, and as in most cases of bathroom urgency, I hoped my mind would be taken off  the pain.  Something funny would do it, but not too funny; belly laughter wouldn't help the situation.  And short, oh please make it short.  Who was I kidding?  Long, short, funny, boring, none of that matters when you are at the brink of bursting.  Plus, if truth be told, earlier, an undetected raw onion had managed its way into my digestive system and was now adding to the misery.  I love onions, but due to the gaseous effects they have on me, I never, ever eat them in public (Too much information, sorry).  As I sat there, my eyes searched the room for signs of others having the same problem.  No one wants to be rude, but if even one person would break down and get up, maybe I could, too.  Again, who was I kidding?  If I got up, five other people would have to stand up and scoot over to let me out.  I was stuck.

Forty-two minutes beyond what I thought was my breaking point, I was finally able to leave the table.  That whole experience, alone, would have been enough to teach me a lesson on choosing my seat for next time, but I'm sure you've guessed that the bathroom was full when I got there.  With almost 100 women in attendance, it couldn't have gone any other way, so the lesson continued as I gingerly walked quite a good distance to my car.  Thankfully, I didn't have far to drive.  Fortunately, there are no accidents to report regarding the car or my pants!  

As for the sea glass picture I've chosen for today, it has nothing to do with the story.  I had too much coffee this morning, and for obvious reasons, the topic took a turn.

Have a great week end.