pull the plug!

A few months, my computer got its life sentence. It took the form of a small pop-up bubble that comes on every time the computer starts up, saying "Java Update Available". Nothing against Java. But the pop-up bubble - the one at the bottom right of the computer screen - you know the one I'm talking about...



That bubble is a sign of impending digital death, or at least significant slow-down. Our circa 2003 laptop (Jurassic Period) has about 5 of these pop-up bubbles now. When I turn on my laptop, I can watch them come on one-by-one while eating a delicious breakfast omelet, because it takes about the same time to start up the laptop as it does to make a delicious omelet.

The point being, as soon as I fire up a new computer, it begins a slow death via an endless queue of updates, packages, etc. that sometimes manifest themselves as cute pop-up bubbles. I'm pretty sure most of these updates are excuses to make my computer run slower and slower until I give up and buy a new one with more processing power.

There's even a word for it.

"Planned obsolescence is the process of a product becoming obsolete and/or non-functional after a certain period or amount of use in a way that is planned or designed by the manufacturer." - wikipedia

How sinister!

Thank goodness for the "Remind me Later" button. The perfect passive aggressive tool against the sleazy manufacturers of planned obsolescence.

low on batteries

If my camera batteries didn't keep dying, you'd be looking at photos of our Easter stroll at dusk yesterday. Instead, ponder on this.

Q1. Is there anything appealing about the McDonald's Snack Wrap?
Q2. True or False. The Snack Wrap on the left look like Thomas Jefferson's head on Mt. Rushmore.
Q3. Why does it come in a small wooden box?



A1. No.
A2. True. Compare.
A3. This is one of many McMysteries of McDonalds.

motion for a 30-hour work week

All in favor?

I thought so.

Still, somewhere in the 8 hrs I have left after sleeping and working Mondays-Fridays, I have managed to squeeze in a well-balanced life. Despite my lack of posts in the last 2 weeks.

Monday: While everyone watched in despair and maybe horror as the snow accumulated throughout the day, I was anxiously awaiting 5:15, when I would bus home, grab the neighbors' sleds and Abe, and make our way to a local park. Between sickness and negative temperatures, I never went sledding this season.

There is a small but very steep hill close to our house that we scoped out in the fall. It did not disappoint. With the sun setting on our snowman bunny (we were coming up on Easter, after all), Abe and I stood at the top of the hill, daring each other to be the first to attempt descent. After I watched Abe careen to the bottom, I made my way to a side hill. We both ended up taking about 3 runs from the summit. We quit while we were ahead and went home to chili and hot chocolate.

Tuesday: Racquetball and weight lifting at the gym. Good stress reliever. Followed by freshly baked chocolate chip cookies and an episode from Season 2 of the original Star Trek series.

Wednesday: Dinner for a sick friend and entertaining her wonderfully fun children for an hour.

Thursday: Drawing a blank. Perhaps more Star Trek?

Friday: Burnt chicken, coloring Easter Eggs, special feature: Inner Space. Looking for a 1980s Martin Short movie co-starring Meg Ryan and directed by Steven Spielberg? I thought so.