Thursday, September 6, 2012

If I Knew You Were Coming, I'd Have Baked A Cake


Despite all the cancellations Isaac's rain caused, I still had a happy holiday weekend. The rain was welcome after such a dry spell. I could actually watch the grass grow before my very eyes. And that is where I have been all week. Mowing. Weeding. Planting.

The holiday weekend held a surprise for me. I was perched upon a stool at the checker table, nursing a cup of coffee and chatting with kamper, Patrick, when the door opened and  a lovely lady appeared. She was no kamper, dressed in real clothes, not kamping klothes. Kamping klothes vary little. Shorts, long pants, sometimes pajama pants and tees. Usually smelling of wood smoke or chlorine from the pool. Kathy, of Kathy's Klothesline, knows about such things.

The pretty lady approaches me and asks if I am Kathy, of Kathy's Klothesline and introduces herself. It was Sioux, of Sioux's Page!!! From the Land of Blog! She does exist! And, she brought homemade fudge. A true southern lady always gives gifts of food. Not that Missouri is the true south, as I know it, but .........

Okay, here, is where I should, no doubt, link to her blog. I confess that I don't know how. I am sure it is quite simple, and as soon as I post this, you will all tell me just how simple it is. If I were resourceful, I would do a little research, trial and error and figure it out, but I have a mower calling my name and time is short. Okay, I am lazy.

The visit was too short, but there was chocolate to eat when she went on her way. I even shared with Patrick. He who loves all things chocolate ate the bulk of it, but I had my more than fair share. Thanks, Sioux, you have added to my fluff.

Despite my limited knowledge of technology, I managed to help a very frustrated man log on to the Internet. He had inquired about the wireless Internet when I checked him in. He then had his wife call the office for instructions. I gave my standard answer that there was no password or code, just find me and log on. The words just flow off my tongue and I sound like I might even know what I speak of. I have heard he who knows a little more than I do say it and it sounds good, so I use it.

He who changes tires on the side of the interstate was not here and the phone rang again. This time it was the frustrated man ....... "how do I find the wireless connection?" Crap! I usually offer to send he who is not here! This adds that personal touch and saves me from actually learning how to do this stuff. I sit down at my laptop and play with the icons until I find the one that reveals my connection and I walk the man through it. I manage to impress my own self with knowledge I did not know I possessed. I go on about my business, thinking I am done with that and now know a little more than I did before.

About an hour later, the couple come in, laptop in hand. Totally perplexed and frustrated. He says that he was on-line and everything was fine until his wife "did something" and messed it up. She says that she only wanted to check her e-mail and that he won't let her touch his new laptop. They are not happy with each other.

And I am winging it, wondering if they would like to chat with my son on the phone. He has a back door into my computer and fixes things for me. He is always trying to explain what he does. Does he really think I am listening? The most important thing I know about my computer is that he can fix it from afar. I wonder if this couple would like to give my son access to their computer. They have both revealed their passwords to me, in hopes that I can make the laptop come to life.

When he who loves me presented me with my laptop, he had already loaded all the programs I would be using. This man's computer was very new. Although he did not want his wife to touch it, he was willing to allow me to ........... thinking me to be knowledgeable of computers.

I left them at the table and went to get my bifocals, like clear vision was going to lead me to do things I have no knowledge of. I grabbed my laptop, too. Although he was more than willing to let me touch his keyboard, I preferred my own. His was too clean, not a speck of dust adorned his screen. I somehow managed to help him load Yahoo and show him how to log out of his face book page, so that his wife could log on to hers. Now if he will let her touch the keys, she can navigate the web and check her e-mail. He was happy when he left the office and I was amazed at my ability! I must have been listening to some of what my son said and the rest, I just stumbled upon in an effort to look like I knew what I was doing!

I know my son will be so proud .......

7 comments:

Joanne Noragon said...

My mom sang that song, and many others of the time, while she worked in the kitchen. Keeping your cool impresses folks the most. Calm and in charge goes the distance any day.

Pat said...

You are so funny, Kathy! I am proud of you! So proud, in fact, that I am singing Mr. Roger's song, "I'm proud of you, I'm proud of you....!"

Brian Miller said...

good on you helping that man...and so cool to meet other bloggers...and fudge is def a perk...smiles..

mamahasspoken said...

Lesson one on how to hyper link: Make sure you have both the post you are working on open and the page you want to link to open too. Go to the page that you want to link to, highlight the 'URL' (address to those of us who don't speak computer), right click it and copy it. Now go back to the post you are typing. Highlight the word(s) you want to hyperlink to. Then go up to the top of where you can change the font and add pictures (I know you can find that, you add pictures all the time). There is a button beside the picture button that says Link. Click on it, right click on mouse and paste the URL into it, then click OK and TADA! You have done a hyperlink!
Hopefully you won't need lesson number two it's just like lesson number one with a few words changed ;o)

knancy said...

Did she look like you thought she would look? Isn't it a trip to see someone you have only talked to before? Was her hair all funky 'cause she only washes it in bathroom sinks? I can't believe you didn't spend the whole day discussing VAL!

Val said...

Well, I must take full credit for hooking up Kathy and Sioux. I'm sure I'm the catalyst, because everything is all about ME. ;)

I am so proud of you, Kathy, for fixing that guy's internet problems. When my son tells me how to do computery things, I nod my head. And when he's finished, I tell him, "You know, you might as well explain to a dog how to fly a 747." Sometimes he catches my glazed eye halfway through his oration, and I simply say, "Woof."

lotta joy said...

I thought I could do hyper-links until I read mama's explanation.

I then tried to write it out, but your blog wouldn't take it.

It's hard to EXPLAIN and much easier to SHOW, but google wouldn't allow me to publish it.

Have someone print it out for you.