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Typewriters and Technology

Yesterday, the Smart One and I were having a conversation. We were talking about school, the classes that he is taking and so forth as we drove to bowling. He had a release and at the top it stated "Please print or type." He wanted to know what it meant to type it.

Oy.

How times have changed.

As I tried to explain to him what a typewriter was, he exclaimed, "Oh! I've seen one of those before! I saw one on the history channel."

Oldtypewriter

Great. I really am old.

We talked about how, when I was in high school, the cool class to get into was typewriting! It was a class that you couldn't take until you're sophomore year. We'd all sit in front of our typewriters and learn how to type, have contests on who could type the fastest, especially without making a mistake. We talked about ribbons and white-out.  He laughed.

Today, students have to take computer classes. And they're boring. Why? Because by the time they take the classes, most students already know how to do most of the stuff they're being taught! My 8 year old can type with the best of them, knows how to use the internet and much more. Why,I remember the first time hubby mentioned the internet to me. He wanted it; I thought it was silly. These days, I don't know what I'd do without it! I had to use it just to type this blog!

The Smart One wanted to know if typewriters are still made. To be honest, I wasn't sure, so I Googled it. And this is what I found at Office Depot:

The biggest advantages of the modern-day electronic typewriter and new typewriter ribbons:

  • Typewriters
    these days are much more advanced and useful than ever before. LCD
    displays shown clearly in the window of the typewriter show you exactly
    what you've typed so that you no longer have to look at your paper to
    see what's on it. Typewriters today also have automatic correction
    systems, which make errors a thing of the past. Plus, typewriters have
    an era of personalization to them. Imagine sending a VIP a typewritten
    letter—when's the last time they've received one of those?
  • One of the biggest advantages of the modern day typewriter
    is the ability to write in several different languages. Unless your
    computer has specialized software or a program installed that you've
    actually learned how to use, it cannot even match this capability. This
    may be especially important for writing letters to clients overseas,
    especially personalized notes that show you care and that they're
    important to you.
Em-630

So, basically today's typewriters are just another version of a simplified computer. Ha Ha! Even funnier, there are programs that allow you're computer keyboard to sound like a typewriter!

Home Typist adds typewriter sounds to your computer keyboard. The
program is useful for home typists. At every touch of the keyboard
there is the new sound, which makes the process of typing more
interesting, amuses and reduces stress and helps to produce rhythmic
typing.

My, how times have changed; I thought a simple massage from hubby would reduce my stress!


20 Degrees

20 Degrees. That's how much the temperature dropped in the last 24 hours. We saw it coming. And we laughed. Because we knew what that meant for a certain member of our family.

We mention Colorado for Christmas and she visibly flinches. "But Mom, there will be snow! We live in the desert!" Colorado in the summer; she can hardly wait. Colorado in the winter…she'll pass. It's the same for winter activities. Dad takes the kids up to play in the snow; she's happy to stay behind.

You see, she says we live in the desert for a reason. And because we live in the desert, she firmly believes that the weather should never fall below…oh, 90 degrees. So when it went from 96 yesterday to 76 today, we knew B-boo was going to be having issues. And this morning, sure enough, it's not only in the 60's, it also WINDY!

Poor B-boo. I made sure she had her hot chocolate this morning. Well, actually, I was still making the Talented One's omelet, but I heated up the milk. I made sure it was hot, too. Apparently, too hot, in my eagerness to keep her warm this morning.

And then she noticed the WIND. Poor, poor desert girl. She just couldn't help it; comments about living in the desert just kept pouring out of her mouth.

And we grinned. And we giggled. And we tried really hard not to make fun of her.

The Talented One went on and on about how beautiful the weather is. He loves it. I remarked that I'll be able to leave the windows open! (That would have to wait until she was gone to school.)

It's really not that cold. It's not cold at all; unless you're B-boo, the only person I know who will wear a hoodie in 100 degree weather.

And so it came time to actually leave the house. The Talented One and I giggled all the way out the door while she mumbled about hurrying up to get in the van. And she made it without freezing, too. And I thought all was well.

Until I heard her yell out, "You heartless jerk!"

And I saw the Talented One laugh with glee.

He wasn't very nice; he'd turned the air conditioner on full blast on his sister.

It's so nice having a large family!

Brainiac Conversations

You gotta love a kids and his brain. The Smart One calls me tonight.

Me: "Hello?"

Him: "Mom, my metatarsals hurt."

Me: "Hmm…how do your metacarpals feel?"

Him: "They're fine. It's just the metatarsals."

Me: "The Phlanges are ok?"

Him: "Yeah, they're fine."

Me: "Maybe you should try some warm, bubbly H2O."

Him: "Do you mean a hot bath?"

There's just no one like our Smart One, that's for sure!

Laughable Moment #21

So many of our laughable moments are centered around Chicken Noodle Butt. He's five. He's funny. He loves to make others laugh.

Earlier today, I dropped him off at his Aunt's home so that he could swim while I attended a meeting. As he ran off to get his swim suit on, he ran into the wall. He does this a lot…not look where he is going and then remarking that he is ok after he's hit yet one more thing.

Tonight as we were having family dinner, I looked to my right to find his face in his plate. It reminded me of the scene in "A Christmas Story" where they try to make the little brother eat his mashed potatoes and he acts like a pig. Ok, although inside I was dying, on the outside I was firm and reminded him of his manners.

Once he was finished, I asked him to take his plate to the sink. That was fine, except he was walking one way and looking the other. I reminded him to watch where he was walking. Hysterical! The boy points his face up and starts looking around asking, "Where?"

We finally give up and just tell him to take his plate to the sink.

About that time, the phone rings. Drama Queen goes to answer it and remarks that no one is there and puts it back. A second later, my cell phone rings. Chicken Noodle Butt is next to it, so I ask him to bring me my phone. He runs into the other room and fetches the house phone and brings it to me, all the while B-Boo is bringing me my ringing cell phone.

Seconds later, Chicken Noodle Butt comes back with the house phone, quite proud of himself. I simply ask him through my laughter, "Is that phone ringing?"

Confused, he replies, "No!"

Yeah, that's about the way he is all the time!

When God is Amazing

I don't often share the really personal things that go on in my life on my blog, but something happened yesterday that I just don't can't hold back. I've been processing for the past 24 hours now and I think I have it.

I just don't know where to start; the beginning is too far back. I can say this; there is definite healing that needs to take place in my family; I mean my whole family. My niece and nephew have been with us for six months now and it has been a rocky road. I'm not here to write about that. I'm here to write about this.

For days now I've been in turmoil over a meeting that was to take place yesterday. I didn't really know what would happen, but I figured it wouldn't be great; these meetings never are. By yesterday morning, my stomach was in knots. I finally sat down and begged God to please do something to remind me that He is in control and that our work is not in vain.

58 Therefore, my
beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work
of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

1 Corinthians 15:58

31 But those who wait on the LORD
      Shall renew their strength;
      They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
      They shall run and not be weary,
      They shall walk and not faint.

Isaiah 40:31

And I headed off to the meeting.

And it wasn't fun. And yes, I cried. Ugh…I really don't like crying.

And God took over. I know it was Him, you see, because He is amazing. He left no doubt in my mind.

At the end of the meeting, I wanted to shout, "God used the state to order my family into church together." How funny is that? God has a sense of humor, too, I'm finding. 

All I know, is that for the next several months, my brother will be joining us in church; as a family. I'm pretty sure that He has a plan for His work to be done during this time; cause He's just amazing like that.