Kodak: The Root of All Evil

Nothing has made me madder lately than my cotton picking Kodak camera. It’s not even a year old and it has made me lose my temper more than anything. I’ve mentioned here before that I cannot upload pictures anymore. After downloading new software three times, tech support finally decided I have a bad USB cable. So for now, I have to get a cd made in order to put pictures on my pc to use for blog posts. I was going to purchase a new cable but no one around here has it so it looks like I’ll have to order it from Kodak. And if that is not my problem, I’m out about $25 plus shipping unless I want to bother with returning it. Then I'm only out shipping. Twice.

Second in line on my bad list right now is Walgreens. I know, I KNOW, it is the busiest time of the year so I try to keep that in mind and keep my cool in the crowds and chaos. So, I take my sd card to Walgreens on Monday during lunch time so I can go back that afternoon and get my pictures and MAINLY my cd so I can do some blog posts and order a personalized calendar from Walmart. Well, both pc’s are busy with customers. No problem. I wait. And I wait. And wait. I watch this one woman type in “Snow in McComb 12-11-08” so many times I could beat her. Every blasted picture she had to type in that caption. After about the 25th time I just couldn’t bear it any longer. I wanted to do like Walker Texas Ranger and plant a horizontal side kick and knock her off that stool. We only get snow in Mississippi maybe once every couple of years so she should be able to remember that stupid date. I decided I had better leave and come back that afternoon before I got arrested for assault and battery.

I drove back that afternoon and had a short wait in line but everything else went fine then. Pictures and cd was entered and ordered. Finally.

I went back during lunch on Tuesday. And keep in mind I only have a half hour for lunch. I’m usually a little over but I get to work plenty early and rarely take either of my two breaks so I don’t fret about it. So I ask for my package and “no cd” is written on it for some reason. The clerk explained that when they tried to burn a cd it got hung up and would not continue. It had their machine down for four hours earlier that day. My pictures only did this. No one else’s. So she says she’ll try again. Meantime I pay for my purchase since I am in a hurry and the line keeps getting longer. After a few minutes the clerk says it had stopped. Terrific. It always stops on the same picture. Can you delete that picture I ask? The male associate asks if I have my sd card with me. I do but it’s in the truck so I trek out there and get it. When I get back I hand it to the clerk who says they have to do it on the public pc’s. What? We have to wait in line I ask. Yes. No way. Give me my sd card and my money back for the cd. The clerk asks for the package of pictures so he can scan it and give me credit. The very package of pictures I laid down in my truck when I went out to get my camera. I am trying so hard not to be rude to these clerks because I know it is not their fault. I walk out to my truck and retrieve the package. I politely say to the clerk “I came here thinking you all would be less of a hassle than Walmart but you have proved me wrong”. He apologized. I’m sure he was thinking “that bah humbug shirt that woman is wearing sure suits her”. I left. Maybe to never set foot in Walgreens again.

That afternoon I decided to stop by Rite Aid just to TRY and get a cd. No waiting thank goodness. I pop in my card and after a few minutes, bam, error message. “Must reboot”. I was beginning to think I would never get a cd. And since my home pc is in the shop I couldn’t scan the pictures I wanted either.

So the very nice clerk tells me to try the other machine. I only have to wait a few minutes for a lady to finish up. Insert card. No problems. I have my cd in about three minutes. Success at last. Rite Aid is my hero.

For those of you who have Kodaks and have had no problems, that’s great. Maybe I just got a lemon with this one. But it will be the last Kodak lemon I ever buy.

We're Silver

Today is our 25th anniversary. Man, that's a long time. Over half my life. But it's been a good 25 years. Ups and downs, joys and sorrows. But all in all, very, very good.

We had a very simple ceremony at my best friend's house. It was a very cold, rainy night. Made it better for snuggling. 25 years ago.

I'm posting a pic made right after we got married since we pretty much still look the same anyway. heh.

Ailing

My pc has came down with a virus and I had to admit it to the hospital last Friday. I don't have the time nor patience to try and debug it myself. And from what the guys at the shop said, it may be over my head anyway. They said about 85% of the pc's they are working on has the same malicious virus mine has. I wish they could catch all these devilish people who sit around with nothing better to do but create these stupid viruses. Give them solitary for life. Better yet, give them a lethal injection.

I don't use my pc at home that much. With the redheads, work, housework, family, I just don't have the time. My daughter gets on myspace plus has school projects fairly regularly. School. That's the main reason I even have internet at home. She has a project right now she needs to be working on for finals this week too.

I do get on every now and then myself though. Especially if the girls are gone. But I really didn't realize how much I'd miss it until this weekend. I couldn't look up a recipe or a phone number or directions. I couldn't read the local paper. Look at Marshall's daily cartoon. I couldn't check in on the MRBA to see what everyone is doing, shout out about the Jets win, harrass JB about the Titans losing. Again.

So, I can only be posting and blogging at work right now. I hope the shop will give me a call today to say my pc is fixed. Don't it always seem to go that you don't know what you've got til it's gone.

Top Five Favs #1

My all time favorite Christmas song is "Welcome to Our World" by Chris Rice. Beautiful words even without the music. So profound.

Michael W. Smith sings an excellent version too.



Tears are falling, hearts are breaking
How we need to hear from God
You've been promised, we've been waiting
Welcome Holy Child
Welcome Holy Child

Hope that you don't mind our manger
How I wish we would have known
But long-awaited Holy Stranger
Make Yourself at home
Please make Yourself at home

Bring Your peace into our violence
Bid our hungry souls be filled
Word now breaking Heaven's silence
Welcome to our world
Welcome to our world

Fragile finger sent to heal us
Tender brow prepared for thorn
Tiny heart whose blood will save us
Unto us is born
Unto us is born

So wrap our injured flesh around You
Breathe our air and walk our sod
Rob our sin and make us holy
Perfect Son of God
Perfect Son of God
Welcome to our world

Neither Rain Nor Sleet Nor SNOW!

...can keep me from my cheesy tots. And I mean SNOW! In south Mississippi! It is coming down good and everything is solid white now. I drove slowly into work but I knew I had to have my cheesy tots to get through this day.

Why I Love My Old Altima

10. She’s smaller so she handles better than the truck.

9. The radio doesn’t work so I can meditate while I’m driving.

8. Insurance is cheap.

7. She doesn’t have a horrible license plate. Just a normal one. And it’s cheap too. About $36.

6. The air conditioner may not work but the heater sure does. Only on high though.

5. She humbles me. No, I’m not too proud to drive a fourteen year old car. I just salivate a little bit when I see the new ’09 Altimas.

4. She gets better gas mileage than the truck. She was on empty yesterday and I filled her up for $18.00.

3. The dark green doesn’t show dirt. Not too bad anyway. Aw shucks. She’s dirty. I just can’t see spending time and energy washing an old car.

2. She’s dependable in her old age. She hit 275,000 on my way home yesterday. That’s a lot of miles. She still runs well. And we’ve only had to do a major repair (around $1,000) just once. That still beat a new car note.

1. She’s paid for.

Top Five Favs #2

"Mary Did You Know" by Mark Lowry



Mary did you know that your baby boy will one day walk on water?
Mary did you know that your baby boy will save our sons and daughters?
Did you know that your baby boy has come to make you new?
This child that you've delivered will soon deliver you.

Mary did you know that your baby boy will give sight to a blind man?
Mary did you know that your baby boy will calm a storm with his hand?
Did you know that your baby boy has walked where angels tried?
And when you kiss your little baby, you have kissed the face of God.

The blind will see, the deaf will hear and the dead will live again.
The lame will leap, the dumb will speak, the praises of the lamb.

Mary did you know that your baby boy is Lord of all creation?
Mary did you know that your baby boy will one day rule the nations?
Did you know that your baby boy is heaven's perfect Lamb?
This sleeping child you're holding is the great I am.