Technology

So it wasn't too long ago that I was thinking about how my generation has seen technology advance...quite quickly. 

Remember the word processor?  That you printed on the paper that had the holes in the sides? And the OLD computers that ran on DOS?  Remember the HUGE floppy disk (some people probably don't even remember the small ones!) and to run the program you had to type your commands into DOS?

Remember when cell phones just came out?  My dad had a BAG phone.  Yup.  A bag phone.  Back then it was the coolest thing EVER!  Seriously....to talk on the phone....in your CAR!  I would get so excited when I was able to use it. 

Remember the big tv's that had the color tubes in them and weighed 8000 lbs?  Or the old ones where you didn't have a remote control  :::gasp:::?  And we didn't have 500 channels with nothing on? 

Remember when if you were trying to locate someone you had to go to the library or look in the phone book (you know, that book about 7" thick with EVERYONE'S phone number and address in it in your area)?  Then you had to call them, or write them a letter and actually put a stamp on it and mail it?

Wow have times changed.

Now we have computers that can store virtually anything.  We have laptops that can travel with us and internet cards to get online almost anywhere.  We have netbooks and ipads.  Our computers and other things are touch screen....we don't even need a mouse or anything anymore.

Now we have cell phones, no longer in a bag and weighing 90% less.  We can text...we don't even have to actually TALK to anyone anymore.  We can text the person sitting beside us and burst out laughing....and not risk anyone overhearing.  We can even get online with our phones! 

Now we can go buy a 40" tv at the store, and carry it out ourselves.  Then we bring it home and hang it on the wall!   We have a remote for everything...the tv, sound system, dvd player, etc.  We don't have bulky vhs tapes sitting around anymore (well, unless you're me...I can't let them go).  Our tv's don't have picture tubes anymore, so we'll probably miss out on watching the green people on tv.

Now if we are looking for someone all we have to do is start up the computer and hop online.  We don't have to go to the library (unless thats where you use the computer).  We don't even look at the phone book anymore (mine makes nice scrap paper for the kids). 

Yes, my friends, I am going somewhere with all of this.  I posted the other day on facebook that something that I've been wanting to happen for YEARS may finally be happening.  I know some of you are at the edge of your seats in curiousity as to what it is.  Well...... (I so want to say: you'll have to wait until tomorrow...) here goes....

Many many years ago (I want to say it was at least 15), I was somewhere with my grandmother (RIP Gramcracker)...I think it was Knoebels or Centralia or the coal mine up there, or something.  And I found someone's class ring.  It was from Shamokin Area High School, class of 1987.  The ring was engraved "Joseph A. Reed". 

Shortly after I found this ring, I tried all the ways I knew how to find the owner.  As the years have gone by and technology has progressed, I've kept trying.  I kept an eye on Classmates.com.  I tried MySpace.  I tried Facebook.  No luck.  i tried the school's website....even emailed them at one point.  No luck.  So I gave up again and put the ring back into my jewelry box.  Then I moved...a couple times.

I was cleaning out a box the other day and came across my jewelry box.  I opened it up to see what all I had stashed in there...and came across the ring.  So once again I get the itch to find Joseph Reed. 

I jump on Classmates.....there's a Joseph Reed from the class of '87!  So I send him a message.  Then, after I sent it, I realize that most people never really look at their classmates account anymore....so I gave Facebook a try.  Using as much searching as I could.....I FOUND HIM!!!  I sent him a message asking if he graduated in 1987 and if that was his name.....he responded that it was!  So I sent him another message telling him the story about this ring.  I'm still waiting to hear for sure from him....but I can't imagine there'd be many Joseph A. Reed's in the class of '87 from Shamokin.

I'm so excited I'm going to burst!  I've had this ring FOREVER and may be able to finally return it to it's owner!  I'll update as things progress. 

(I hope I didn't disappoint with my explanation!)

Scooby Who?

We had our tv shut down for the summer....mostly because we weren't home enough to watch it, and partly because I didn't want everyone sitting on their butts watching tv all summer.  I mean come on, it's summer.  It's time to be out and running around.  You have all winter to be stuck inside!  So seeing as summer's over and it's fall now, I decided it's time to get the tv back (that plus I was getting tired of watching all the shows online!). 

So the Verizon Fios guy....I think his name was Dan or Don or something with a D and 3 letters....came over on Saturday.  When this was scheduled they told me to expect him between 8 and 5.  On a Saturday.  What a great way to spend my weekend.  Well, he showed up a couple hours into the time frame and viola!  We now have tv. 

So what's the first thing we need to watch?  Scooby Doo.  We have hundreds of channels....and we're stuck watching Scooby Doo on demand.  So we choose one, I forget the name of it, but we picked it and started watching.  The graphics were odd....a little choppy and I really don't remember Fred being THAT built, or Velma being that curvy! So anyway, I'm totally boggled by the graphics (btw, this eppy was from 2010)...then all of a sudden it happens.  We're all sitting there staring at this show and all of a sudden Velma is throwing herself at Shaggy!!  OMG!  That totally did NOT just happen!  The whole way through the episode!  So we watch another one.  Velma and Shaggy were "together" but he wouldn't tell Scooby Doo, and it was making Velma mad.  Add on to that, we found out that 30+ years later, the gang is STILL in high school! 

Now we all knew that there was something going on between Daphne and Fred.....but Velma and Shaggy?  I'm still in awe about this.

Where to Begin?

Where to begin?

I'm new to this whole blogging thing.  I can do creative writing, but the hardest part for me is ALWAYS the beginning.  How do you start the story?  That's what I'm running into here.  How do I start a blog?  Once I find the starting point, I can take off from there.  But starting, well, it sucks.  I guess I can start by telling you who I am.

I am a daughter.  I am a wife.  I am a mother.  I am also the bus driver, personal shopper, famous chef, housekeeper, nanny, repair-woman, and a number of other things...but my day job, the one that actually pays the bills, is in the HVAC industry.  Yup.  I'm the one taking the calls for the people whose furnaces or air conditioners have stopped working at the most inopertune times.  I'm the one who calls you to tell you it's time to schedule your routine maintenance.  I'm the one who's sending the technician to your house.  That's me.  I can tell you how to change the batteries in your thermostat.  I can tell you how often to change your filter, what size you need, and where to get it.  When there's water on your floor around your furnace, I can tell you over the phone that it's most likely because of your condensate drain line being clogged....the second most common reason is because your unit is low on refrigerant and is freezing up and thawing.  I can tell you that if the fan on your outdoor unit is not turning, it could be either the fan motor or something as simple as the capacitor.  Meanwhile, when you're calling to tell me about the weird noise your air conditioner or furnace is making, and your child is in the background screaming, and you're trying to apologize....I stop you.  My heart belongs in child care.  I've worked with children for MANY years.  I have 2 kids and 2 stepkids.  If there's kids in your house, I expect there to be noise.  Heaven knows that's the case here.
Back to the jobs that don't pay the bills, but fullfill me in every other way. 

My husband works in warehousing.....ships and stores palletts.  Yup. Palletts.  That's all.  Nothing on them.  Just stacks and stacks and stacks of palletts.  I don't get it....but he's good at it and it pays the rest of the bills.  :)

I have 2 stepdaughters.  M is almost 13 and G just turned 8 a few months ago.  They live with their mom and come stay with us, usually one weekend a month during the school year.

I also have 2 kids that are mine (well, my husband and mine).  Dean turned 4 at the end of June.  Lorraine turned 3 the beginning of June.  Yes.  That's right.  They are a little less than 11 months apart.  Was/Am I crazy?  That answer is still up in the air.  Dean was just diagnosed this past March with high-functioning autism aka Asperger's Syndrome.  Going into this I knew that we would have our hands full and we would be battling agencies and schools....but I never thought it would be like this.

I think part of me starting this blog is to sort of clear my mind and vent.  About work, about Dean and each challenge we face.  About marriage and friends.  About work and other random things.

If anyone's reading this, I hope that I don't disappoint....but bear with me since I'm new to this whole thing.