For those of you interested Only in TRAVEL, I (Jack) wrote the blog between MARCH 2010 and October 2010 during our travels west. We saw the most beautiful places and had the best time in our big truck and little trailer. See Blog Archive below.

Feb 21, 2013

View From the Couch

My kids encouraged me to get a new computer. Susan took my old one in for repair, they sent it back working as slow as it worked going in. In order to get the RAM (which is what I think it needs), I have to order it online and bring it to the Apple Store. I will do that  when I'm up and able to do it, myself. Susan works hard and has a busy social calendar so I don't feel right about asking her to go back, again, though she offered. She knows how to turn a computer on, shut if off, and check hotmail and use google. I can't even describe to her what is going on with it.

I had to order new cables and adapters, today, so that I can move files over from one computer to another. Each time I have purchased a computer, the steps are different. That is the only complaint I have about Apple. They seem to make using existing peripherals very difficult if not impossible. I tried the Migration Assistant. It ran all night and didn't transfer a thing. The people at Apple didn't seem to be surprised. I really didn't want that method, anyway, because I want to "cherry pick" what I want to migrate. This new laptop is smaller which makes it easier for me to use while lying down. It has an incredible screen. I'm learning about the Cloud, but hope to take a class at the Apple Store when I'm able. I'm sure I'm only using a tiny fraction of its capabilities. I was surprised that because of the Cloud my music was automatically moved to the new computer (well the music I purchased from iTunes). The Calendar and Mail was set up automatically, as well.


I can't tell you how bored I am, but I'm behaving. I start aqua therapy on the 28th. I'm hoping that will help the pain. I don't know how long I'll be on pain medication, but I can't imagine being without it at this point, though I am not taking the prescribed dosage. If I'm on my feet for any length of time it really rings my bell.


My son, Michael and his girl friend, Laura, were in Naples Florida on business, recently. They are a lovely couple. Below is one picture they emailed me. They went deep sea fishing, bike riding, and all kinds of things. Susan and her boyfriend are headed down to island hop in the Caribbean in two weeks. John and Lisa spent the weekend up in their cabin in Blue Ridge. Seems like everyone is doing something except for me (whine). The boys have offered to take me for a weekend to their cabins to hang out, but I can't ride in a car for that length of time--about 1-1/2 - 2 hours.










Jack, the Peter Pan dog, cuddles up with me on the couch, then moves to his bed. He makes the rounds all day and at night.

This is my view. You'd think I could have straightened the picture before posting?


Here's Mr. Cuddles. Pictures aren't very good. My kids seem to be able to get great pictures with their phones. I don't have any luck.



Every now and again, Jack gets up and walks into the dining room to look out the window. He's checking to see if his girlfriend, Susie, is coming to take him for a walk. He goes out of his mind when she does come over, and off to the nature center he goes with her.


I sure hope that I will be able to take him west, again. As I said in a previous post, I am getting everything fixed and improved (in some cases) on the trailer hoping that it will be me pulling it. Before a long west trip, I'd like to go down to where Sherry and David were, in the Everglades in cool weather.


I'm going to visit some of the RV groups to see what chance I would have to sell the truck and trailer as a combination. The truck is a 2004 3500 Dodge Diesel Ram. It's in great shape and has been very well taken care of with only 82K miles. If any of you have an opinion, I'd love to hear it. I sold the motorhome in one day on the Escapees site. I hope it doesn't come to that.


Well, I've kept myself busy for a little while. Think I'll get my Kindle out and read a bit. Funny, everything I need to exist (except the bathroom and kitchen) is in reach of me--almost like the trailer. We needed the house while raising the kids, but if I could wish it cleaned out and sold, I think I would do it!

13 comments:

  1. I have a MacBook Pro and an iPhone... I have been trying to learn a bunch of stuff today. By accident i deleted a video on my iPhone which is really easy to upload to Blogger .... but iPhoto didn't want to... apple is something else...

    Anyway! Jack is sooooo dang cute! I love his blue hat... HAhaaaa

    I wish you well with your want to 'go' plans... going to walk in the swamp like Sherry and David? man oh man... they kill me... and that little frog in her coffee cup? HAHaaa

    Good luck with your selling decision ... I need to get my 5th wheel sold... waiting on the weather!

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    1. Hey Carolyn! Blogger gets fussy on me once in a while--generally, it's not my computer. Yes, Jack likes his blue hat, too. He's such a character. I was on the phone with a friend this morning and trying to give him his medication. Usually, no trouble. I just count and he takes them. Now that he knows he can stay just out of my reach, he takes advantage. I decided to get bribe him with a sweet potato chip. I thought I had him fooled. He took the first pill, and then spit it clear across the room. Once he realized he wasn't getting the chips until he took his pills, he took them down one, two, three--then got his "treat". Hope the weather gets better for you. Saw a lot of lightening in the distance here, but no thunder. Rainy, today. Thanks for stopping by.

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  2. SO good to hear from you. Computers are so frustrating whether you have a PC or a MAC I think. Getting a new one is such a hassle that lots of folks I know buy them from Best Buy so they can just take their old one in and the Geek Squad there will move all their stuff.

    I sure do hope you can get down to the Everglades. You've got about a year to work up to it. It's best in January I think.

    Wish I were close enough to take Jack out for walks. Wonder if there is a local dog walker you could hire to come at least once a day and take him for a long one. They had those sort of businesses when we lived in Virginia. Then on the days Suzie can come he'll get two walks!

    So sorry to hear about your pain. I just can't understand what went wrong or why this is the result. Hope the aquatherapy helps a lot.

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    1. That's exactly why I have been putting off getting a new computer. I HATE transferring things over. They would transfer it at the Apple Store, but I don't want to bring everything over.

      When the kids were little, Rich and I took them on, with a guide, on a flat boat through the swamp. The water was pitch black. I remember being fascinated as we learned why the water is black and how easy it is to get lost because the "scape" changes because the water ways change. We were five, but the boat fit six so we were fortunate to have on board an avid bird watcher who named the different species. The more I think about it, the more I want to go back!

      You're sweet about Jack. We've had so much rain that I'm not sure a dog walker would want to take him. I had rain gear and we went regardless of what the weather was, but Susan doesn't want to trudge through the mud in the nature center. And, Jack is on a mission when he leaves here with her--he IS going to the nature center.

      Nothing went wrong, Sherry. They told me I would have pain--may some worse than I had before surgery. The recovery can take a year. I was just whining--thought I'd be more mobile and the pain medication would allow me to be. I think they don't want me to feel too comfortable because they don't want me doing too much. So patience is the key--and I'm sort on it. Thanks for writing.

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  3. The cloud is pretty cool for a lot of things if you have a nice fast broadband connection. Which laptop did you get? I have been thinking about one of the new Chrome books...all cloud based everything. At home here it would be o.k. sine we have a cable connection. Not sure about how it would do on the road though, with slower connections. I am using our Kindle Fire a lot for blog reading and such. It works good for that for me. Donna has a hard time seeing the small print on it, even though you can "pinch " to enlarge. Typing with a stylus is not very fast, though, so I prefer my HP desktop computer, or our "baby " Acer netbook. I usually use that when we travel. Donna has her own desktop computer and her own laptop. We still have two older desktop computers that we "out grew " but still haven't gotten rid of. I even have an old Apple notebook computer that a friend gave me to give me an opportunity to learn to use it. All of the years I have worked with computers most of them have been Windows based machines. Administered a couple systems that were bases on other platforms but most of the client machines were Windows based. Don't know what I would have done if I had not gotten really involved with computers and accounting. Now that I am retired I still don't know what I want to be when I grow up. Donna tells me not to worry, I have a long way to go before I'm grown up. You take care of yourself and stay in touch!

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    1. Hi, Russ. I have a fast connection, but it's still a pain. I got the 15" Retina Display. I figured it's probably the last computer I will ever buy so I splurged. Since I've been on the couch for over three months, I've actually saved money so it didn't hurt the purse too much. I have a feeling that I'm really going to like the Cloud--just have to learn what it can do. I used to be able to figure out anything on the computer out of necessity when we had the business. Technology is moving faster than I am these days, though, and I haven't kept up reading the tech sites. Since I cut my teeth on Apple when working at Nortel, I stayed with it. About all I could figure out with a PC is how to turn it on! I think what one begins computing with is what they generally stay with because we don't like change. I did talk my brother, a diehard PC guy into trying a Mac. Now he has an Apple everything!

      RUSS, DON'T EVER GROW UP! :)

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  4. Wish there was some way we could make this process easier for you. Thank goodness you have Jack to watch over you. I think just being able to get out and go to the aqua therapy would help. It's hard to see past the moment when you are in so much pain and so restricted but we have faith that this is going to get better. Do not make any long term plans, like selling the rig, right now.

    One of the main reasons I haven't bought a new computer is the hassle of moving everything from one to the other and I just don't wanna learn a new operating system. There have even been times when I thought I wanted to give up the computer totally. Thank goodness that doesn't last very long.

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    1. Hi, Sandie, I'm hoping the aqua therapy will help. I think a lot of the pain, at this point, is coming from not being mobile. I'm glad you didn't give up the computer--but I hear you. I remind myself when I complain about technology changing how I wish I had been able to write a blog when Rich and I traveled. How much people today will be able to leave their children. I often wonder what my Mother would have written, and how I would have treasured her thoughts--how wonderful it would have been to know her thoughts and what she was doing from day to day.

      I'm telling myself that I'm fixing the trailer for myself, but if getting up in the truck is too difficult or off limits to me I'll need a car as the truck is my only mode of transportation. People don't expect a white haired women to be climbing out of it. LOL

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  5. I'm glad your kids talked you into a new computer. It will give so much more to do while you need to stay down.
    I often thought about the Apple but it has always been out of my reach. When my last HP died I was up north and the only place to buy a laptop was Walmart. I didn't want another hp and was wanting the Acer. It was August so all they had left was hp or Toshiba. I'm very happy with the Toshiba. Transfering was a real pain and I am sure I missed lots of stuff. I have an HP desk top that is pretty new and something happened to it. It has a great 20" screen but what good does it do me if it turnes off or just goes into some trants. I have someone to look at it and I better make time soon.

    I also wish I was closer to you so I could help out with Jack or anything else you may need.
    I hope the aqua therepy brings some relief. I remember when I would go to PT after my knee surger it was like getting to go on a great adventure even if more pain was involved I was getting out of the house. The secon knee they came to the house and I wasn't very happy with that.

    I hope you will still be able to travel after you have healed. Keep positive thoughts. You have a lot of friends praying for your full recovery. Keep a smile on your lips and it will make Jack happy too.

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  6. Hi, Jo. Yeah, my kids gave me good advice. I've been reading blogs all morning. It really does pass the time. I'll transfer files a little at a time. I'm not going to make a big deal out of it.

    When I worked at Nortel, the introduced Apples as their computer of choice so I learned on the Apple. Then, when I left for our own business, I bought an Apple. I don't know how to do anything on a PC. You could probably connect your laptop to your monitor and it would work. See what cables you need.

    You're so sweet to want to help. I think I have whined too much. I'm banking on the water therapy to shake some of these old muscles and bones loose!

    Jack is a happy boy. My son is dropping off his Weimaraner, Bogey, for a week or two, today. I'll have to post pictures of him. He's a nut, but he's adorable. Wants to sleep on my head--he thinks he's a lap dog. Jack puts up with him, but doesn't pay any attention to him. He likes to be in the lime light. Everyone calls my house the dog spa because I treat all of them as if they were my own so they are comfortable away from home. I don't think Jack likes my attention going elsewhere.

    Keep hoping that I can travel. Who knows, maybe we will meet in person one day!

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  7. Your granddaughter is gorgeous! I love that color on her. What a beauty!

    Since this is my first visit, I am not sure what your back issue is but I do know wit sounds terrible! I will say a prayer for you that the aqua therapy works. My husband and I both had spinal fusion, so we know how painful the back can be. Keep us posted on how you are doing.

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  8. Hi Marsha,

    I'm trying to catch up on blogs little by little, and I really enjoy yours. I hope you and Paul are pain free, now, since your fusions. It's so encouraging to know that you and Paul had fusions and are still traveling! I am so hoping for that kind of result.

    My pain, at this point, seems to be in high gear the 2nd day after therapy. I don't know how long that will last. I had two fractures. They fused something and I have 3 levels of laminectomies--lots of metal is all I know. I'm not sure when I'll find out whether the fusion was a success--I'm hoping everything else they did is sort of a "Plan B" in case it didn't. I had cervical spine surgery in the 80s, and it was a piece of cake compared to the lower back, although I suffered years of excruciating pain that was relentless before surgery. When the MRI arrived in Atlanta I was one of the first patients to be in it and had surgery within a short amount of time. I knew immediately upon waking that it was a success. This has been so different.

    They said a year for recovery--it seems like it's been that already. I had no option other than surgery. They tried PT, shots, etc., but told me up front they didn't think they would work.

    Thank you for stopping by. I enjoyed all of your Oregon trips. It's my favorite state, and central and northern Idaho is my second. My reader doesn't seem to be working correctly so I've been trying to catch up by watching for updates on my blog roll. There are so many wonderful people I feel I know through reading--my hope is to meet some of you in the future. We'll see--depends upon what's in the cards. :)

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  9. Thanks for the reply. I will be honest. I would have never come back to my comment for a reply unless you told me you did reply. I don't usually go back to check on a reply. I reply directly by email for comments on our blog. If possible, you could please give me you email address. I would like to reply to your comments also.

    Both of us had lower back fusion. I am so sorry to hear that you haven't received complete healing yet. Both of our surgeries were complete success. We thank God for his healing hand in our pain. Hopefully, you will receive the same complete healing.

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