COMPUTER TROUBLE

 Sorry this is not my happy blog although it does have a happy almost-ending.

My computer died, went completely black, on Friday evening as I was streaming TV show.  I tried the usual things to get it to turn back on but nothing worked.  Even unplugged but it seemed to be getting hotter on the upper left side.

Sat morning I took it to our local Lake Oswego Mac Repair and this is what he said:

Unfortunately, your computer is not coming back. Sorry. It got too hot and the logic board is gone. It is over 4 years old and it is not worth replacing the logic board. Fans were packed with dust and there must have been heat warning, before it died.
Thank you.

(I did not get any warning)

I went to the local Apple store and worked with a great guy, Ethan, and bought a new laptop.  THEN he noticed my 16” was still under Apple Care!  Jesse took it to the Genius Bar Wednesday and they are going to fix or replace it ... and send it to my home!  NO CHARGE.

More later!   Slowly rebuilding my new baby and have ordered an external drive so I can use Time Machine every week.

GRUMPY OLD GAL

 

Grumpy Gal is going to whine and complain about inflation today.  Let's start with Starbucks.

• Starbucks’ brewed coffee price is $2.95 for a grande, 20.41% higher than it was one year ago.

• Starbucks’ Sausage, Cheddar & Egg Sandwich price is $4.75, 20.25% higher than it was one year ago.

Kevin Johnson, who reportedly received a nearly 40% pay raise in 2021.  He stepped down and Mr. Schultz has returned after five years with Johnson.  Johnson approved price increases in Oct 2021, Feb 2022 and July 2022

It’s the inflation you’re not supposed to see.  They didn't make any announcements and often not even their staff knew until they would ring up the prices.  So now instead of once a week for a treat, it will be once a month.  Maybe.

In the U.S., a small box of Kleenex now has 60 tissues; a few months ago, it had 65. Chobani Flips yogurts have shrunk from 5.3 ounces to 4.5 ounces

Then there is Frito Lay. Bags of Fritos Scoops marked “Party Size” used to be 18 ounces; but almost every other big chain is now advertising “Party Size” Fritos Scoops that are 15.5 ounces — and more expensive.  Often on sale, though.

Pepsi has changed their Gatorade bottles. The company recently began phasing out 32-ounce bottles in favor of 28-ounce ones, which are tapered in the middle so they are the same height, just 4 ounces less than before.

Domino’s Pizza announced in January that it was shrinking the size of its 10-piece chicken wings to eight pieces for the same $7.99 carryout price. (Domino’s cited the rising cost of chicken).

A local restaurant we used to visit 2-3 times a year for special occasions, raised their dinner prices from $17 to $25 (pasta carbonara)!!  

Good thing we all like to cook.

POLLYANNA

This is an experiment. I am going to try to only blog positive things on Thursdays and my crabby things on Sunday.  Stay tuned.

The family has sure made good use of their summer.  Besides ten days in Montana with Jesse's side of the family, they raft down a local river about once a week.  No rapids just a nice float for three hours.  The boys take turns in a huge swim tube tied to the raft .... so they feel that are on their own.  They pack snacks and fill up the water bottles then end their busy day with McDonalds.  I don't even have to go pick up one driver to take them to their starting point car as in the past few years.  It was tough for me as the two lane country road had people going 50 mph all the while the sun is in my eyes.  Now they take both cars and do it all!

Last week they went to a highly rated (and not too crowded swimming hole, Big Eddy) and had a blast.  It was hot as blue blazes and the water there is run off from snow pack, so very cold.  They packed Subway sandwiches and chairs and life jackets and big tubes and even the parents went in!

Next week they are going camping for three nights.  There is a stocked Small Fry lake where under 17 can fish for two catches per day.  It takes Jesse a day to pack up everything you can imagine, drive for 90 minutes and they the two of them set up like a well oiled machine.  Not sure they will allow campfires this season but usually the boys gather twigs and kindling.

And me?  No commotion or chaos and I can get an organizing project done, enjoy ethnic food they don't like and go to bed as early as I like.  A new upscale grocery opened just a mile away and I love love love looking. They have a great deli (where I get my exotic meals) and 10% off on Wednesdays.  I get a scoop of this and a scoop of that and enjoy new tastes (Coastal kale salad, two bean spinach salad, greek salad, a slice or two of skirt steak with chimichurri sauce, Asian turkey meatballs, etc).  They sell sample sizes of cheeses so one night I have new to me cheeses and fruit.

School starts Monday, August 29!

CRABBY OLD LADY

Microsoft users probably remember the Crabby Office Lady who answered questions for whatever program you were using.  I loved her smart Alec advice.  Sure do miss her.

About 20 years ago we had a local drugstore with a food counter in the back.  I often stopped in for a quick bite in between breakfast and when school got out and I went to pick up my Kidlet.  Every day there was a group of older guys having coffee and a donut and chit chatting away.  One of them explained they were a local group called SNOBs.  Senile Negative Old Bastards.  How perfect was that!  I need to start my own group.  Last week I was overwhelmed by scams and disappointments and fraudulent charges on my credit card.

I had a trip to the dentist to try to restructure my tooth so a crown would stay on.  I had asked to just have it pulled because the crown had come off 5-6 times.  He talked me into trying one more time.  I was a bit nervous as he would be removing some of my gum to expose the tooth.  They gave me some calming drops in water (should have been a martini) and lots of numbing meds so I didn't feel a thing.  He said "oh just wait til tomorrow".  I got up at 6am to take Aleve and kept the pain at bay.  NO PAIN!

He wouldn't even charge me.  So I tried to order tooth shaped sugar cookies to have delivered (with a little heart in the middle).  My regular place has gone up to $6 per cookie AND a three to four week wait list.  I tried my second choice and she has just not conquered sugar cookies and suggested cupcakes.  Too messy, I thought.

 

I then decided on an edible fruit arrangement!  Ordered on Friday for delivery on Tuesday.  When Tuesday rolled around and I didn't hear from the office ... I went online to track my order.  It showed the order was received by a local franchise but not delivered.  I called the number on the order (local number, I thought).  But just got the run around, not a local number and she didn't know why it wasn't delivered did I want to choose a different day.  NO!  I just will take my money back.  Oh, well she couldn't authorize that I would have to call the corporate office ... where I waited with Muzak in my ear for 27 minutes before I hung up.

I went back online to sent a CANCEL this order.  Twice.  Finally, two days later the refund showed up on my credit card.  Now my enthusiasm is gone.

I'll continue my whining and complaining in the next blog.

52 YEARS and 52 POUNDS

My high school in Columbus, Ohio just had our 50th class reunion two weeks ago.  It was postponed twice due to Covid so it was really our 52nd reunion of graduation.  I started attending class reunions at our 20th.  My parents and most siblings still lived there so I had two reasons to fly back as well as a free place to stay and a car to borrow.

This year I chose to NOT attend.  Air travel is such a mess currently.  Almost every flight has a delay and missed connection.  It is way more expensive and I'm just too crabby to put up with flying.  People are so rude, flight attendants overworked and Covid germs are everywhere.

Surprisingly we sold 85 tickets (class of 175 or so)(yes, I'm on the planning committee with my computer skills ... making invites, doing mass emails and updating our list with current addresses, emails and phone numbers). At the last minute, 5 people tested positive for Covid.  

A classmate put together a slide show and asked for a current photo and my buddies always make a huge poster so they wanted one as well.

(Yes, I was a beanpole in my youth!)

After seeing the Planning Committee group photo, I have been hit with a moment of vanity!!  Although when I looked up the definition, it's not really vanity ... just a nudge to put me over the edge to go back to being blonde again.

We are all 70 this year ... but one really looks it!

I've been thinking about it since May, when my sister and family came out for the big 7-0 birthday.

I know I'm 8 years older, but I don't need to LOOK it!

I'll post the new blonde Awkward Widow IF I like the look.  Stylist doesn't think we need to do a weave of different shades of blond (as I've done in the past) and is doing an all over color.

Stayed tuned.

 

SOARING INTO MY SEVENTIES

AHHHH!  That was a great 3 month sabbatical from blogging. 

I'm going to try once a week, on Sunday, to see where that takes me.  This blog is no longer really about being a widow and is usually just a light look into my world (small as it is).  I don't really have a circle of friends, more like a dot!  A few friends and a million acquaintances.  But living with four others does not allow for loneliness.  Earplugs at times.

None of us has suffered a bout with Covid and here on the West Coast we still mask in indoor public spaces.  We've dined outdoors a few times and I usually wear my mask outdoors (our Covid cases in Oregon keep going up and are hitting closer to home).

We've avoided the severe heat although it is predicted for next week. We are lucky enough to have a/c in each bedroom so sleeping has not been interrupted.  There is also one in the living room which we have only used once.

Mr. 11.5 now has a permanent man voice.  He's almost 5'11".  More of a teenager than a kid but still enjoys hanging with his brother.  Mr. 8.5 is still a hoot.  They all spent two weeks in rural Montana with Jesse's side of the family, on ten acres in a town of 1,000.  BB guns, real guns, horseback riding, tubing a shallow river and being with cousins.  I enjoyed being able to sit in the living room or the front patio to do my computer reading.  Accomplished a few tasks that were nagging at me.

The view from my chair on the patio

One of my jobs while they were away

GET UP AND GO

I think my get up and go got up and went. This blog has helped me through a lot of situations and I've met a few new online friends.  So thank you for that!

For now, I'm giving myself a long break.  I'm volunteering more hours at Hunger Fighters and these two young men are needing more time hauling them hither and yon.

My email is jb97034@me.com if you want to chat!