password woes

I recently heard an 'expert' on TV say he had changed his mind about passwords. turns out he was the person who first promoted the idea that you must have a different, very complex password for every different internet account. Now he says that's not as necessary as he first thought. Really?? Now he tells me. So now my dillema is do I go back and change all of my passwords to something consistent for every account? Do I even knwo how to do that? But what about those that insist on having some numbers, at least one symbol, and some capital letters?  Am I the only person who writes down various passwords?  And don't even get me started on my answers to identity questions.  I made a phone call today to make a small change in travel plans and, after giving my address, birthday (how embarrasing - I like the Red Cross where they only ask you day and month.) reservation number, and last four digits of my social secutity number, I was asked for the name of the first elementary school I attended. I had to stop and think a minute because I wasn't expecting the question. When I answered (with the correct answer) I had to spell it out because the young man I was speaking with wasn't familiar with the word. I think I'm ready for thumb print or facial recognitions identity systems. Although I'm not sure.  Would I need to update the facial recognition file every time a new wrinkle popped up? At my age that could become a daily process. But I must admit, as I sit here in my pajamas banking on line I really do appreciate technology undreamed of when I was young. 

It's never easy

I keep seeing adds on TV for replacement windows. They make the whole process sound so easy.  I thought the long drawn out process I went through when I replaced the windows in my house was the exception. I experienced wrong sized windows, delayed deliveries for mysterious reasons, mismatched stains, and anything else you con think of to slow the process. In my case the job wasn't finished until after I sold and closed on the house, and the company declared bankruptcy soon after my job was finished. All in all it was an eight month process.  As I said, I thought this was the exception but I was speaking with a friend from church who has been going through the same nightmare process.  After months and months of delays and errors (not by the same company but by a well know reputible one) she finally tells me the job is 'almost' done. I didn't have the heart to tell her that almost can mean anything from a week to two months.  

beyond Sudoku

My friends know that I am a fan of Sudoku.  When I travel I like to have a book of Sudoku puzzles with me. I don't take electronics with me whe I travel out of the country because I don't want to bother with power converters and chargers. For two blissful weeks, or however long a trip lasts, I am electronics free.  Today I stopped by Barnes & Noble to buy a new puzzle book. A helpful salesclerk led me to the puzzle book section (rows and rows of Sudoku and other books) and I browsed to my heart's content. I did find a very nice book of Sudoku puzzles but I also discovered a brand new kind of puzzle, at least new to me. Have you ever heard of Kakuro? The introduction to the book, "White Belt Kakuro" (yes, I bought it) says "Kakuro puzzles are half sudoku, half crossword, and use a combination of logic and basic arithmetic." Sounds good, right? The intro goes on to say "The rules are very simple:" Hah, hah, hah, hah, hah.  The rules, with diagrams, go on for four pages. I've completed, all correctly, the first of the warmup puzzles. Fun but definitely not fast. The best thing I can see about this new challenge is that each puzzle will take me so long that I won't even notice the seven hour flight next week.

Another special day missed

It seems that yesterday, when I was happily busy with out of town company, I missed another special day. Yesterday was "Just Because Day". I guess I could make the case that I didn't pay any attention to it 'just because' I just didn't care. Today, however, is a much better special day.  Today is "Bow Tie Day". I did not wear a bow tie today because I don't own one but I bet my son did.  He has quite a fine collection of bow ties from black for formal wear to Scots plaid to a variety of jazzy designs.  And, by the way, all of his are real tieable bow ties, none of these clip ons. He's a purist. He won't admit it but I suspect his appreciation of bow ties goes all the was back to his childhood admiration of Bill Nye, the Science Guy.  Not a bad role model.

Texas is in deep trouble

I'm feeling very sorry for the people along the Gulf Coast in Texas. It's hard for me to fathom the amount of rain they are still experiencing. Four inches of rain an hour and up to 60 inches of rain total (that's 5 feet!!) seems almost incomprehensible. In July we had enough rain in a couple of days that the water in the Saint Mary's River got up to about two feet under the bridge that I see from my balcony. At times I have seen the rain come down so fast, with wind so strong that the rain was blowing sideways, but still we seldom had more than a few inches a day.  I've always felt that a flood could be the worst natural disaster to clean up after. Assuming no loss of life, if your house burns down or is covered in a mudslide or blown away in a tornado it's essentially gone and you start over, rebuild, everything is new.  With a flood, you face endless hours of pumping out water, scrubbing out mud, salvaging and cleaning whatever you can, hoping you've gotten all the moisture out so mold doesn't grow in your walls and generally staying with a house that will never be quite the same.  Some years ago, when I was a Realtor, I showed a vacant house to a buyer. I had been told the house was vacant but not that it had sustained flood damage. Evidently people had done a quick job of clean up after some minimal broken water pipe damage, then locked up and moved on. That was in the winter.  When I showed the house on a hot August day black mold had climbed up several walls and the air was unsafe to breathe.  The listing agent later told me that the bank that had reposessed the property refused to make any repairs. Probably needless to say, my buyer did not buy this property even though he was looking for a 'fixer upper'. Anyway, flood damage is terrible. Say a prayer for the people of Texas.

Dinner at Takaoka

It had been a long time (almost 9 years) since the last time I had dinner at Takaoka, our best local Japanese restaurant.  I was delighted to find that the food and show were just as good as ever. Our chef flipped shrimp tails, tossed an egg into his hat, chopped, diced and twirled his spatulas with the best of them.  What made it even more fun was that there were two young boys at our table. The oldest was celebrating his 13th birthday, the younger looked to be about 10.  It's so much fun to watch kids' reactions to the show.  They loved it all but especially the flaming onion ring volcano. But then what's not to love about a flaming onion ring volcano? We all applauded that one. I will not wait another 9 years for a return visit.  

more about special days

Who creates these special days anyway, and what are we supposed to do about them? Some are pretty obvious, like "Talk like a pirate" day. People just walk around saying 'aarrrg' to each other and wering eye patches. But what about tomorrow? Tomorrow is "National Dog Day". I don't currently have any dogs but I do have three granddogs. Am I suposed to buy them presents or send them cards? They make all sorts of cards these days; the obvious ones for Mothers Day and Fathers Day, wedding and sympathy cards. Speaking of wedding cards I reacently saw one that said 'to the bride and bride.  There are even cards out there congratulating or commiserating on divorces so I guess I wouldn't be surprised to find a section of Dog Day cards. On second thought they have never sent me a card on Grandparents Day so I guess they will just have to get along without any Dog Day cards from me. 

The days I missed

I got so busy thinking about and enjoying the eclipse this month that I completely overlooked some very special days.  August 12 was "Vinyl Record Day", August 19 was "Humanitarian Day", August 20 was "Chef Appreciation Day" and (I don't know how I could miss this one) August 21 was "Cupcake Day". I could have at least been eating a cupcake while I watched the eclipse.  Today though is one of the saddest days I've seen commemorated. Today is "Pluto Demoted Day." I presume they mean the ex-planet and not the Disney dog.  I'm old enough to remember when Pluto was a planet. It's just one of many childhood certainties that have been taken away from me. For example, when I was in elementary school I remember being taught that the first days of spring, summer, fall and winter always fell on a 21st of the appropriate month. None of this fall starting on September 21st or maybe the 20th  or maybe the 22nd depending on the year. Teachers always knew all the an swers, parents were always right, and everything written in history books was true.  Ah, youth.  

I'm a winner!

I did it. I bought a winning lottery ticket. Actually, I bought the ticket two weeks ago and it had one number and the powerball number that matched the big prize nunbers. I checked a chart I found on line and it looked like it was worth $2.00 so I decided to cash it in and buy another ticket.  Turns out it was actually worth $10.00 so I bought two tickets for tonight's drawing and still got $6.00 back. I figure this is a way to satisfy my quiet little urge to gamble every once in a while and it's a lot cheaper than going to Las Vegas. Oops, gotta go. They're just about to announce the winning numbers. If I win I'll probably take the cash out amount - a mere $400,000,000.00, $200,000,000.00 after taxes. Pretty sure I could find a few fun things to do with that.  So basically, today, I spent $4.00 for a day dream. Lot's of fun for a little while and it's non-fattening. 

Powerball anyone?

I need to buy a few groceries tomorrow and while I'm at the store I'll collect my big winnings from the last powerball ticket I bought.  If I've read the charts correctly, I'm the winner of $2. Which, coincidentally, is just what a powerball ticket costs. I must admit, I will probably go ahead and buy another ticket. I realize that the odds of winning the big prize are about a bazillion to one (I don't remember the exact figure) but for a few hours it's fun to play the 'what if' game. I know, of course; that I would have to pay about half of my winnings in taxes but I'm pretty sure I could be happy with a mere two hundred million or so. I know, I know, money doesn't buy happiness, or so they say. But what if they are wrong? I'm willing to put it to the test.

Save those eclipse glasses

I promise this will be my last blog about the eclipse, at least until 2024. As planned, I waited in the St. Charles parking lot this afternoon and viewed the eclipse while I waited for my granddaughter. By the way she said she would be happy to go to Science Central with me so my new membership will be put to good use. I was glad to see that what looked like all of the students came outside, equiped with glasses and were able to enjoy the best part of the eclipse. A mother I spoke with said that they were told to let the school know if they didn't want their child to be outside.  I was able to share my glasses with three people waiting near me in the parking lot. One dad had made a viewing box but that didn't work very well.  We all agreed that it was a pretty amazing sight through the glasses. It didn't get dark here because we weren't in the 'zone of totality' but you could definitely feel a drop in temperature. But don't throw those glasses away. The next eclipse that will pass over the US will be on April 8, 2024 and an area that starts at the south edge of Allen County and on south toward Indy will be in the 'zone of totality'. Hmmm, who do I know with property in Decatur?

weather report

I'm not surprised by this, but I am apprehensive. The latest weather reports say that we may have some clouds tomorrow during the eclipse. It is Indiana so cloudy skys are not exactly a rare occurence but we've had so many clear sunny days lately that I had dared to hope.  I have tested my eclipse glasses and it's interesting how they work.  I heard a TV announcer say "Don't drive with these on." Well, duuh... Unless you're looking directly at the sun you can't see anything but black. I tested them looking at the afternoon sun today and all you see is a round orangish ball that looks about the size of the moon.  I will be hoping for the best and standing in the St. Charles parking lot tomorrow waiting to see what i can see. If it is cloudy I can always watch the reruns on TV and should still experience some darkness. Imagine how those people who have travelled to a town in the path of totality will feel if they have cloudy skies? Now that would be dissapointing.

The price of procrastination

In yesterday's blog I bemoaned the fact that I had not been able to buy any solar eclipse sunglasses. I waited too long.  Procrastination has always been one of my greatest faults, but I paid for my fault today.  I heard on thenews last night that, while most of the stores in Fort Wayne had sold out of the special glasses, the was still one option. Sience Central had sold out of glasses in their gift shop, but still had glasses available for people who renewed their annual membership or got a new membership.  So I stopped in at Science Central today, signed up and paid for my brand new membership and got my glasses. It's really not a bad deal.  I can get into lots of museums around the country for free and am allowed to bring up to any six kids and one more adult any time I want to visit Science Central. I tested the glasses by looking into the setting sun this evenng and they work beautifully. Did they cost more than the dollar I would have spent if I had bought them a month ago? On Yes!!! Will it be worth it? I think so. 

This is really bothering me.

On Monday we will be seing a solar eclipse. I have a vague memory of seeing a partial eclipse when I was a child and I'm looking forward to this one. I think back then, in the dark ages, we used layers of exposed film to look through. Unfortunately, I am one of those procrastinators who put off buying the special glasses so I will be viewing the eclipse through a build it yourself device I saw demonstrated by one of the local weather persons. I'm OK with this although I haven't quite given up on getting my hands on a pair of glasses. One way or another I will have the experience.  What's bothering me is a report I heard on TV last night concerning plans of some local schools.  I'm not sure if this applies to all Fort Wayne schools but at least some of them are keeping the children inside and even going so far as closing the window shades so there is no chance any of the children can accidentally harm their eyesight. I do understand their concerns (and possible fear of lawsuits) but I feel so sad that these kids will be denied the chance to experience a rare natural phenominum. Couldn't they just tape the glasses on their heads or something?  My youngest granddaughter told me that their entire school, St. Charles, will be outside, equiped with glasses to see the event. I really hope that is what happens. Happily I will be picking her up on Monday, and will be there in time to see the high point of the eclipse while I wait for her. 

Another Restaurant Review

A friend and I went to Tolon's in downtown Fort Wayne for supper this evening.  It was the first time we had eaten there and I enjoyed it very much.  On their website the restaurant is described as elegant dining in a casual setting.  Both were true.  The setting was very pleasant and the food, locally sourced, organic, was delicious.  We were seated at a window side table for two looking over Harrison Street. We started with a shared appetiser, deviled eggs. That sounds simple enough, but they were beautifully presented with swirled cones of yolk mixture capped with bacon crumbles; quite spicy but very good. I chose the watermelon salad which was very good but huge (they graciously boxed part of it for me) and Al had the potato soup.  This was really the most fun item. He was presented with a bowl in which rested a round scoop of iced sour cream and some crisp potato chips. The waiter poured the hot potato soup over this and said to stir it. The cream melted and, I'm told, it was delicious.  I will definitely try it next time. For our main courses he had a veal chop, excellent, and I had a pork chop with a light cherry BBQ glaze and a spicy corn mixture loaded with pieces of bacon. All in all an excellent experience but pricey. We both agreed that it is a place for special occasions.  An added perk, it's an easy walk from my apartment. 

iRemembering Elvis

I have never been to Graceland, nor do I have any particular desire to go there, but today is the 40th anniersary of Elvis' death and I have been thinking about him since I heard that mentioned on the news this morning.  He would be 82 if he was still alive. That's unpleasant to contemplate; Elvis as an old man? I don't think so. I prefer to remember him as he was when I was 12 and he was young and so handsome.  I remember my cousin and I having long conversations about him and pouriug over her fan magazines for details of his life. His was the only picture I had on my bedroom wall as a teen. When he came to Fort Wayne in 1957, my uncle took my cousin and me to his concert. I really don't remember many details except that we were seated fairly close to the stage and, as he sang, I was sure he was looking straight at me. Sweet memories.

More potentially really good news

As heard on TV today, and by a reputable, long time news reporter. and I quote, "Death risk is 20% lower among those who drink." It was emphasized that moderate drinking was apparently good for you. Seven drinks a week for women, 14 a week for men is considered moderate.  Once again I would like to point out that we all have a 100% risk of death. But, by all means, go ahead and have that glass of wine or mug of beer if it makes you feel better. It might actually, as they said later in the same report, reduce your chance of dying from heart related problems, but it will not reduce your chance of dying. Sorry about that.

a salute to kefties

First, a sincere apology. Yesterday was "International Lefthanders Day" and I didn't celebrate. Granted, I'm not lefthanded but I have three good friends and a dear sister-in-law who are. I have learned through the years about many of the frustrations they face. I was an art teacher so I've known about the need for left handed scissors for a long time. I also learned some years ago that potato peelers come in left and right handed versions. In addition to learning about those and many other frustrations, including writing cursive, I've also learned (from my friends themselves) that lefties are naturally brilliant. I guess this could be true???? 

the things we do for family

I spent this weekend, from Friday noon to Sunday afternoon, dog sitting for my daughter and son-in-law's three dogs - two big older dogs (we're talking boxer size here) and a smaller puppy who is not really house broken yet. It wasn't really an arduos job except for a few accident clean ups and letting them in and out of the house about 27 yimes a day and at least twice during the night. And letting them sleep with me. Shades of getting up with a baby. The really good part of this weekend is that I'm now more sure than ever that I do not want a dog, or cat, of my own. Been there, done that, as they say.  I shall continue to pat other tenants' dogs during elevator rides and therewith be happily content.

World Lion Day???

Today, according to my nifty calendar, is World Lion Day. I'm not sure what that actually means but I'm trying to imagine the possibilities.  Does someone envision a world size lion prowling around?  Or maybe it's a day to treat all lions around the world really well, extra gazelles to chase, lots of steaks for the zoo lions?  Or amybe, for those of us who don't have easy access to lions it's a day to eat only the lions in the boxes of animal crackers? That sounds like the best idea for me. Bring on the lions! I'll save all the other animals for another day.

I can follow directions

I'm feeling a little bit proud of myself right now.  I am not particularly tech savey but I managed to follow directions this evening.  I had been having trouble staying connected to Net Flix, and, with some input from my son, decided that maybe I needed to change the way I connect.  My DVD/CD box has worked well for years but it is pretty old so today I purchased a ROKU Streaming Stick to see if that would solve the problem. when I got the stick home I opened the packaging, took out the stick and its cute little remote then searched for an instruction manual to tell me how to set it up. What I found was a wordless little diagram and a note to go to a certain website.  I went to the site, watched the instruction video twice, figured out where to plug the device into my TV. Then I followed all the prompts (happily I had all of the necessary passwords) I'm now connected to Net Flix and about 16 other sites I may never get around to watching. I'm thrilled that it works and interested to see that the picture quality is better than it was on my old system. Not sure why that should be but I'll enjoy it.  I am somewhat embarassed to admit that it took me almost two hours to get it all set up, but it works and that's what counts, right?

So many opportunities

Have you ever noticed how we are surrounded by opportunities to "do good?" Just today I was offered three opporunities to give money to needy causes, three more opportunities to engage in volunteer activities, and two chances to rescue a pet.  For the record, over the years of my married and child raising years I have housed, loved and cared for two dogs, five cats, two hamsters, four white mice, a boa constrictor (briefly) and an occasional gold fish.  All of them were rescue pets one way or another, so when I was presented today with the possibility of adopting a three legged cat or a retired racing grayhound, I told myself a firm no! I also held my tongue and didn't volunteer for another church committee, and best of all, I did not pull out my checkbook or credit card to donate to any cause.  I should feel like Scrooge I guess but actually I find that the longer I live the easier it is to say no.  I'm not sure why that is (common sense perhaps) but I'm OK with that.

BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING

or in this case big grocery store.  I know that lots of information can be gathered from personal credit cards. I have never personally experienced identity theft but I know it can happen. I have a friend who never returns key cards at hotels when we travel. She takes them home and shreds them because she says they contain all kinds of personal information.  That may be. I really don't know but I am aware of one case of "big brotherism" that I really appreciate.  I have never been a coupon clipper but lately Kroger's has made it too easy to resist. Every month or so, in the mail, I receive a bundle of coupons specifically for items I really use. I presume the information gathering to make this possible happens through the use of my Kroger courtesy card combined with a record of what I buy every time I shop. I'm not sure how it works but I do appreciate it. Thanks Kroger, keep those coupons coming.

Two great days in one

According to one of my favorite newscasters today we celebrated not one, but two, special days.  Today is National Friendship Day and also National Root Beer Float Day. Well now there's an obvious pairing.  What could be friendlier than getting together with your friends to enjoy root beer floats? Of course I'm old enough to remember A&W Root Beer stands and the absolute deliciousness of thier floats.  I wonder if our congress would get more done if they took an occassional root beer float break?

Glowing glittering glass

I toured the new exhibit at the Fort Wayne Museun of Art yesterday evening.  While I really enjoyed the etchings created by Katja Oxman I was totally entranced with the glass exhibit.  It's a marvelous assortment of glass pieces created by several award winning artists.  I was most entranced by the large, very delicate pieces made with thin rods of glass bent into various shapes and fused together, layer over layer over layer creating amazing multidimensional pieces. While I always enjoy FWMoA exhibits I really encourage everyone to see this one.

Good news?? Maybe...

As heard on an evening news report - new research reveals that drinking alcohol benefits the brain in old age.  According to the report, moderate to heavy drinkers are more likely to reach the age of 85 without signs of Alzheimers. While I found this an interesting report they didn't specify what was meant by moderate or heavy.  I'm not sure which catagory I fit into with my one or two glasses of wine a month and 3 or 4 beers a year. In the same report they said that Yoga is good for brain health.  Coincidentally, I've been thinking of enrolling in a Yoga class.  I guess I'd better look for a Yoga group that meets in a wine bar.

Watermelom Day

Acording to my nifty calendar today is Watermelon Day. Evidently Mother Nature didn't read the memo carefully. i haven't seen any watermelons today but we certainly have had lots of water.  It's probably my fault because I bought a new raincoat this morning.  This afternoon I was sitting on my balcony watching the rain blow sideways and the lightning flash when it occured to me that sitting in a metal chair on a metal railed balcony might not be the brightest idea.  So I came inside and enjoyed the scene from a safe distance.  I guess I should be glad it wasn't raining watermelons.

a great American tradition

When I was a young homemaker Tupperware parties were almost an everyday part of life.  Now jewelry parties seem to have replaced Tupperware as the stuff people want to buy at parties, at least with my friends.  Along the way there have been decorator parties, candle parties, craft parties and more. The way it works is this: one person hosts a party, usually as a favor to a friend or friend of a friend who is just getting into the business. People come, enjoy refreshments, watch a demonstration of how whatever product is being sold works, and eventually buy something because one doesn't want to dissapoint the hostess who will get free stuff based on sales. Sometime during the evening one of the guests agrees to host the next party and the process starts over again.  Many of the same guests show up, buy more jewelry or plastic containers or whatever and on it goes. This evening I attended a jewelry party and I'm embarrassed to admit that I left without buying anything or signing up to host a party. Lightning didn't strike me as I was driving home but I can't shake the feeling that I have tampered with the natural order of things. Ah well, only time will tell.

Chips ahoy

I'm bemused this evening with the idea of people having chips implanted to use at their work place.  According to the news report I saw, employees at one particular company now have chips implanted, in their hand I think, that allows them to access certain computer programs, access some areas in the plant and even pay for lunch in  the cafeteria. At first glance I think this is a great idea.  I'm imagening being able to use a chip imbedded in my hand to buy groceries and other goods, start my car, access any on line accounts without ever having to remember a password.  Weve been imbedding tiny little chips in pets for years, making it possible to ID runaway animals. Of course I'm aware that many people will object to the idea of being chipped if that meant that they could be tracked down at any time although I can see that sometimes it might be helpful, for instance in the dase of Alzheimers sufferers and others who might be likely to wander away.  The more I think about this the more I can see arguments pro and con.  Ah well, it should be interesting to see how/if this idea becomes popular.