Computerized Life

Be in the moment!

Suddenly these days, everything is a computer.  Not only the obvious things like phones and TVs, but cars, door locks, thermostats, toasters, coffee makers, cameras, etc..

People are so busy messing on their personal devices, they forget to live life in the moment.



If life were a computer, we would play the moments, pause the memories, delete the pain, and rewind the happiness.  

Monday 7/9 - I had gotten to bed rather late, but I still woke up at 5:00.  I drank my tea while walking Courtney's neighborhood, enjoying the landscaped yards and very happy noises from the mockingbirds.









I had Jean and Brianna dropped off at the Nashville airport at 6:30am and was home at 8:15.  Easy peasy.



Carol had taken these photos of Monita and I couldn't decide which was cutest.











When I got home, Joe, Mom, and Britney were in the process of packing up to head to Nashville.  Dave took this photo of Mom at her house when she was packing up to come here.  Apparently she had found 'the pig', our traveling joke that ends up in some unsuspecting person's luggage, this time her's.

Once Joe left with Mom and Britney to Nashville, Carol and I were waiting for the guys to come get the two rental beds.  I couldn't stay awake so laid down on the couch with Monita, but she was having nothin' to do with napping.

Britney was dropped off at the airport and then Joe took Mom to Dan's work at the Wayfair warehouse and then his house so she could see what his life was like at the moment. 

Once Mom and Joe got to Courtney's house, they learned that Britney's flight to Dallas was delayed because of weather and she would be missing her connecting fight to Costa Rica.  So she had to re-book both flights for the following day going through Miami.  Joe went back to the airport to get Britney.

Meanwhile, back here in Fairfield Glade, Carol and I messed on our computers while waiting for the bed guys to come at noon.  Finally by 1:30 it had been discovered that they weren't coming until 5:00.  We walked the dogs and then went to Ken and Linnea's Lake House to clean.  Carol was fantastic help and we got the place in ship shape by 4:30.



We hurried home to be here for the bed guys.  More waiting, and finally at 5:45 they came and hauled off the two beds.  Carol did some preliminary packing, with a little help from my felines.  







Finally, Carol and I were off to Mirror Lake Blast.  We arrived an hour late but Patty and Shirley had spots saved for us and we enjoyed some music, libations, and conversation.  I danced a few but was very agreeable to leave early because I was dead tired.

Tuesday 7/10 - Some more wildlife photos Carol took of critters in our back yard.

Carol finished packing up her stuff while we had our caffeinated drinks with breakfast.











Around 7am Carol loaded everything, including her three dogs, into her car and she was off.




It was a relief to have made it through the week without any casualties, both human or belongings.  These visits are always crazy, busy, hectic, and fun, but it was nice to finally have some peace and quiet back and my own space to myself.  I needed to work on last week's blog but I started feeling sad and lonely thinking about my loved ones and remembering the good times as I wrote.  A video or writing about an event is just not the same as experiencing it.  I found it hard to concentrate with the house such a mess.  So I got busy getting the house back into order.  I did lots of cleaning while also moving furniture back to where it belonged.  And I did two more loads of laundry, after doing three each on Sunday and Monday.

Worker Travis arrived and got busy out in the sun room.  He put the hardware on the door and cut holes for the electrical outlets.  Then he went outside and did more painting.  I got messages from Joe, he had gotten Britney to the airport very early and then later used the wheelchair service to help he and Mom catch their flight to Florida.  

I was off to work at 1:40.  It was very hot and humid, so I was surprised the pool wasn't packed.  I got more messages that Joe had made it with Grandma to her house and Britney had landed in San Jose but was waiting for a ride.  Computer connections are better than nothing.  I did have a swimmer until 7pm.

It was almost 8:00 by the time I got over to Brian's, for Andy's birthday party.  I enjoyed a couple of drinks, great food, and lively conversation before returning home for bed at 10pm.


I didn't know how to remove the arrow off of this screen shot from the video of Andy.





Monita loves this toy and drags it around everywhere, even to our bed.

Wednesday 7/11 - It was a pretty day and I decided not to let the computer run my life for too long.  Monita dragging around her favorite toy as usual.

I put on my workout clothes and headed to the gym.  After Ballroom Aerobics I did not stay for weight lifting because I still felt so wiped out.  I swung over to Food City on the way home.

Tony was here when I arrived.  He put in the fan and light switch and the electrical outlets, including replacing the crummy old out-door one that is now inside the sunroom.  I and my pet inspectors checked everything out.

Once Tony left I swept and then started moping the floor.  It needed a few swipes to finish getting up the extra grout.  Stevie had to keep watch over this process.  I also went out and got a photo of the finished work from the outside.

Joe sent an up-date, he had taken Mom grocery shopping.

I stopped mopping before getting done and headed over to pick up Patty.  We went to the Lake House to assess the dishwasher problem... why it wouldn't drain.  I emptied out the clean dishes and then we tried running it on one more setting.  We went out back and kayaked on Lake Canterbury in our two boats.  The dishwasher was no better when we got back.  I ran Patty to her house and then went back to Ken and Linnea's.  I decided to bail all the water out of the dishwasher.  Next I washed and brought their kayaks inside and put them back in storage.  Once the kitchen floor was moped, I left. 

I still enjoy our screened in porch and spend plenty of time out there.  It was nearing dinner time so I fed myself and the critters and then worked at blogging.  I had been communicating with Courtney and she was happy to announce that she had enjoyed a taco. 

Leftover ice cream and fruit for desert for me, perfect.  Notice who is figuring a way to get in on the goods.  Listen to the katydids (video) during our last walk of the night.  Fatigue came all too soon for me.  Reading one page in my mystery novel was all I could handle.

Thursday 7/12 - The view from my sunroom of the heron by the pond.  I wanted to accomplish a lot of blogging before going to work, but the house was still untidy so I did all the dishes, finished vacuuming, and moved a few more things into more permanent locations.

It was a 90 degree day at the pool and for some reason wore me out.  I showered and then napped as soon as I got home from my 8:45-1:45 shift.  Joe had arrived home from his trip escorting Mom to Florida and we caught up on several different things before he left to play poker.  Not sure what I did the rest of the afternoon and evening.

Friday 7/13 - I have been spending way too much time at this computer working on last week's blog and am really wanting to de-computerize my life and go live it.  I still want to keep in touch with everybody, and I like journaling and having a photo account of my past.  But these blogs are ridiculously long.  I made a quick trip to Food City and then to the lake house to do one last thing in gratitude to Ken and Linnea for letting us rent their house.

Then I went to the barn.  I took Amiga on an hour long trail ride going into the Glade on the Holly trail for the first time in three months.  It was very hot and a bit buggy, but enjoyable to be out on my sweet horse.  Amiga had her leg supports on her front legs and did very well.  We did do some cantering and by the time we got back to the barn Amiga was wet with sweat.  I hosed her off and let her stand in front of the fan to cool off for awhile.  Then of course she enjoyed a good roll on the ground when I turned her back out in the pasture.

It has been so hot and dry that I have been watering new transplants and the new grass in back everyday.  I spent an hour doing this to make sure everything got a good drink.

Joe and I went to R-Place where we met Mike and Patty, Jim and Carol, and Donna and Jeff for dinner and dancing.  I had a yummy salad and hamburger steak.  Jeff Allen was playing and we enjoyed dancing.  Even Joe was up with me a fair amount.  What fun.

Saturday 7/14 - I re- mopped half the sunroom, still working at getting up all the left over grout.  Patty picked me up at 9:00 and we were off to the barn to give Zorro a try out on the trail.  He did great considering this is the first time out in probably a year.  And Patty did great riding him.








I led the way on Amiga going out to and part way down the Holly trail (video).  Then Patty, on Zorro lead the way back to the barn. (video).  Patty had to stop Zorro a few times when he started rushing.  And then when we got back, we rode straight through the barn and out the trail along the road.  At this point, Zorro decided he was ready to go back to the barn.  Patty continued working with him, until it was clear that it was her decision to turn and go back to the barn, not his!

It was lunch time when I got home.  

Then I moved the rug, a card table for a temporary desk, and the cat tower into the sunroom.  And again, all three of my home inspectors were right on it looking things over.

Both cats really like their tower 'in the trees.' 

My new desk should arrive the end of next week.  While waiting, I will be trying some different configurations of furnishings, both here and in the living room when I get rid of my old desk, to see what I like best. 

I worked a 1:45 to 7:15 pool shift, showered, and picked up Michelle to go to Red's.  Joe had had enough dancing for the weekend.  I had warned Michelle I wouldn't last long and was home by 10:30.

I know that Monita is sick and tired of all the time I spend here on my computer.  She would much rather I get off this device and play with her.  Here are some of her tactics to distract me and get me to engage in play.

Take a cat's advice, or dog, or horse, or spouse, or family member, or friend's, and set aside your computerized life for awhile and enjoy engaging in activity with them.