An Apple a Day….

My Apple Watch arrived today. I stayed home to wait for it. Of course, it was to be delivered some time by 3:00 so it ended up arriving at 2:50. The UPS driver was laughing at me. He said he figured I would be home today. 

I’m such a geek. I love my new toy. I’ve spent some time getting acquainted. Siri is still amazing on the watch. The Apple map function is pretty cool. I can read and send texts with talk to text. I can scan emails. I can listen to my music and control it. I haven’t tested Apple Pay yet but I will be doing that in the next few days. I haven’t set up any activity apps yet. I will be migrating my To Do list to Clear. I have my favorite photos at my fingertips. I can use my watch as the shutter button for my phone camera. And, of course, it tells time, gives me the weather, sports scores, stock prices, has an alarm and stopwatch.

I would imagine that there will be more apps as time goes on. But Twitter, Evernote, and Keynote are a great start. I’m sure I will keep learning new things it can do. 

Is it a necessary purchase? Not really. But it’s a useful purchase for people like me and I’m having fun!

On another note, got my dad a new computer. I really don’t think he will like it. It has Windows 8. I know I hate it but at least I can figure it out. I set up his iPad too. I don’t think that is going to end well. First of all, he doesn’t grasp the concept of apps. Second, all he does is play solitaire, get an occasional email and occasionally look something up on the web. I tried showing him how I could iMessage him, how Siri could help him so he didn’t have to struggle trying to use a keyboard, and talk to text. I hope this all works out…and he doesn’t knock it to the ground and shatter the screen. 

I always wanted to be an only child. I finally think I am. My sister won’t even return my phone calls or texts. She visits dad once a week. He doesn’t have a list for her. She isn’t doing his laundry. She isn’t the one moving his furniture. The man exhausts me. Unless you see what it is like, it’s hard to explain. He always (and I mean daily) has a list of things he wants or needs me to do. I’m too tired to get into it too much tonight though. I just want him to be happy. 

Yowza

I really haven’t been in the blogging habit of late. I have been reading your blogs (at least a few of them), I have taken time to “like” some of the posts, I have even reblogged a few. But my WP app on my iPhone is screwy and prevents me from commenting as much as I would like. But I’ve been here and I will try and be better.

 

So, what’s new with me? Not really a lot. Visiting my dad in the nursing home every day, but at least I’m able to get home every evening and even go out with friends from time to time.

I have been complaining that my van doesn’t drive right (not always though). It has felt like it wasn’t always getting gas. Of course, I’m just a dumb woman. Warren noticed a time or two but he would fiddle with something or other under the hood and it seemed to be okay. I think that was just dumb luck because the next day it would happen again. Well, tonight we went to the dreaded mall (I hate shopping). It is about 40-45 miles away from home. I drove. We came out and got in the van and I started it – well, I tried to start it. It wouldn’t start for anything. 

The good news is that Warren was with me. The bad news is that it didn’t matter and I couldn’t call him to come and get me. I did call a friend who lives nearby and she came and picked us up and drove us home. The other good thing is that my dad has his ramp van at the nursing home. Since he can’t drive, he obviously doesn’t need it. So, we went down there again tonight and I picked it up so I could get to work.

We suspected it was the fuel pump. I looked online and pulled up symptoms of a fuel pump going out. Guess what – every single symptom are the things I’ve been complaining about.

Next step, find a fuel pump. Well, really the next step is for him to rent a car dolly and drive up to get my van tomorrow and tow it home. But THEN we need a fuel pump. Called Auto Zone and they want $321.99 for the parts. OUCH!!!!! Again, back online – I can order the exact same thing for between $60-$80. Of course it means waiting for the part. But for that much of a difference I will just drive my dad’s van. Warren can replace the part thankfully.

So, it has been an eventful night – I think it is a sign that I should go to bed and pull the covers over my head. But first, I have two chapters to finish in Charles Yallowitz’ The Compass Key and a review to write. It seems I have only been reading late at night and I keep falling asleep. Tonight I will finish it no matter what though. Watch for a review later.

Out on a limb – Metaphorically speaking: My battle with Lyme’s Disease

Let’s help build awareness for Lyme’s Disease

Working Title: The Time Thief.

I love this. And you know issue 6 featured one of my poems.

The Paperbook Blog

Wow, what a start to 2014.

I have barely had time to draw breath this year, which has meant that The Paperbook Blog has been shamefully neglected. Rest assured, there had been a LOT going on behind the scenes.

First things first, every single zine order has been posted! As I type there are copies of issues 4, 5 & 6 flitting their way across the globe towards your mailbox, eager to be opened, read and enjoyed by you.I am in a very zine loving mood at the moment, so keep the orders flowing in.

The creative juices haven’t just been limited to zine making though. I have been working on lots of other Paperbook goodies, all of which you are very welcome to order!

   

I have framed Paperbook quotes from Issues 1 – 6, as well as some handmade Paperbook notepads and posters. Yes, it is…

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Papi Talk!… With Charles Yallowitz 2014

Great interview with author Charles Yallowitz

Volunteer is as Volunteer Does- My GRL Book Launch-Correct e-mail address.

Fiction Favorites

Due to some problem that I have yet to understand; It seems the auto fill feature on WordPress changed my e-mail to my blog name. I think I have it corrected, but my post last Friday http://wp.me/p2Qoij-Wa had an incorrect e-mail included which I did not pick up before being published. The post has been corrected. If you wanted to volunteer and got your message kicked back, here is the correct e-mail:  johnhowell.wave@gmail.com.

For all of you resourceful people who figured it out, I remain truly grateful for your help.

Please accept my apology for any extra work you had to do.

I will be mailing out the schedule and material on the 16th. If there is anything you would like to feature on my post in addition to your blog please let me know.

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Post Christmas Fun

Looking for a new custom header for your blog. Green Embers is your guy. Check him out. He did my last header

My Christmas Gift to You. A FREE Book!

I love Perdita

If you read my blog, you know I’m a dog who writes books.

But, I’m also a dog with feelings, and today they are very happy feelings!

In fact I am SO happy that I am GIVING AWAY my new book of Whacknoodle family Christmas stories. These are stories that will make you smile, I can say (without bragging!) that humans LOVE my stories.

Some of them even compare me to Dr. Seuss. Or Sneuss. You know who I mean.

I know humans like my books because they are so popular—last Christmas, almost 10,000 people read my happy little Christmas book, and now I have a new one.

AND it’s FREE. Of course you have to have a Kindle to read it, but if you are a reader, you probably have one. Or a Kindle app, whatever THAT is!

Want this book? Want a few Christmas chuckles? Want to see…

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Fly Birdie by Jo Robinson

Short and sweet. This short story covered weeks and maybe months. The descriptions were beautiful. I felt as if I was living her terror and then her joy.

As someone suffering from ornithophobia, I was wary of reading this. But it was truly a gentle sweet story.

I gave this five out of five stars.

Retail Memories: When Customers Attack Is Live!