The Emerald Rose

          Houston we are making progress, I am winning skirmishes against the “the evil Empire” (Microsoft) as it labors to further confuse me.

         I just got through installing a program I have, which is  voice recognition software. I started to use it to write my blogs over a year ago, and it sort of fell by the wayside because my inflections and pronunciations began to be different when I had a dental plate installed.  But I’m going to get on with changing it and trying again.

        Everything is transitioned it seems, except my Microsoft Outlook. It’s got more bugs than a dog in summer. Even trying to start it (just click the icon) it chunks, it whirs, it flashes really cool screens, it appears to be really going great guns , then a little box appears in the lower right hand corner of the screen telling me “a data file was not closed properly the last time it was used”, ten seconds later CRASH!!! Not even the blue screen of death, but a black one! Then it seems to go to DOS, you know with the clunky letttering and white letters on a blue screen. It asks me if I want to open it again normally, or in a “safe” mode. (I looked through all the boxes again and I’ll be damned if I can find a “computer condom” in any of them. Guess I’ll have to go to the “Geek Squad” place and see how much they are and where you can buy them.)

       Well, I’ll make the call. Looks like Hurricane Ike is headed to the Galveston, Houston, Texas area. PHEW! Dodged another bullet. Round about now in the year we are all getting a little weary. It’s like when the Boss says something really stupid to you like, “I want to see you in my office Monday morning at 8am sharp.” Kinda screws up your weekend big time. Hurricanes are the same for us here in Florida. I suppose it wouldn’t  be half as bad if we all didn’t get dumped into the media “hype”. I mean you have to trust the media, the National Weather Service, and shit they all want headlines and audience! I think sometimes if a Dolphin farted in mid-Atlantic Ocean they would catagorize it as a Tropical Depression with cutesy little “dire” warnings. “While this is only a Tropical Depression Mary, it could develop quickly into something more imposing, so make sure you stay tuned and our “Weather-Eye Tracker” will keep you up to date. In the mean time it might be a good time to check your battery supplies, and bottled water, and remember prepare to evacuate early and you might even think of making reservations ahead of time,….Chuck back to you.”

        “Thanks weatherman John, Mary and I will certainly  be taking you’re advice right Mary?”

        “Definately Chuck, but we’ll also be here at Five Alive to keep you posted as this builds.”

SUBJECT CHANGE

       Well, the work week begins again in about 90 minutes, and frankly I’m just not into it this week. I think I need a vacation! My computer guru geek has been called and will ride in tonight at 6pm and solve that which I have made a mess. He’s good, hits a few keys, screens pop up I’ve never seen before, tweaks a couple of things, re-boots it three or four times, and Voila! All’s well. (Except the part where I have to open the wallet and pay him.)

        Sorry this is so short and choppy, but like I said I need a vacation. My mind is working like slower, and more fragmented than usual because there are so many things going on. Once I get this computer mess settled then I will feel more “in command” of my environment. My “security blankie” will be all better. Did I say that?

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