Monday, November 28, 2011

I broke the computer again... maybe.

I have a variety of issues with my MacBook that I could regale you with, but the most pressing issue and the one you will undoubtably be most riveted by, is that it is currently having to restore itself from a time machine back-up. The back-up is from this morning so theoretically all my precious pictures and documents will reappear as they were, but I am suspicious of this as computers (even Apple ones) can be assholes.

Here's the deal: I just want my MacBook software to be upgraded so it can commune with the iCloud. I don't even know what the benefit of the upgrade is other than the iCloud thing. I want this because Apple told me I do with their super cool ads showing how one can buy a song on iTunes on one's iPhone and said song magically appears from the ether on one's iPad AND on their Mac. No cords involved. Magic!

The iPhone and the iPad are already performing this magic act on command for my amusement as well as obviously increasing productivity and efficiency in all aspects of my life. I just want the MacBook to fall in line and dance when I say dance. Simple.

Apparently I'm 2 upgrades behind. My friendly applista told me that I needed to buy 2 sets of software to do the 2 upgrades- no skipping ahead. That sounded stupid and expensive to me. This guy I know that gets paid to be an IT guy told me I could possibly skip ahead to the 2nd upgrade without doing the first. Much better answer! I was able to obtain some discs and a stick thing to do the upgrades.

Of course I tried skipping ahead. Duh! Why do 2 things when there's a chance you only have to do 1? It turns out I now have to do a minimum of 3 steps, but there I go skipping ahead again.

Sooo, I diligently backed up the computer and then proceeded to plug the stick thing in the USB port and hold down C during the restart, because that's what the directions said to do and waited to be dazzled by the magic. That's not, however, exactly what transpired.

As it turns out, the skipping ahead appears to have been the incorrect approach. Not only did I get a message saying the software couldn't be loaded, but apparently it wiped my stuff out as it directed me to choose my back up source to restore the hard drive. I did and in just 7 hours I'll know if it worked. Sheisse.

peace & love ;-).

Friday, November 18, 2011

All Aboard...

I have a confession. I'm the teeny tiniest bit OCD about my house. It's not that my house is spotless all the time, but I really do enjoy a picked up non-cluttered living space. I have 2 kids, a husband, pets and a life so the house isn't always picked up, but most people who come to my house don't believe that. It's true that 99% of the time if you come to my house it's totally picked up. But here's the thing, 99% of the time I KNOW YOUR COMING and I've just spent the last 5-10 minutes as a whirling dervish cleaning up the house. It makes me tachycardic and fidgety to let someone in the door when there are shoes, blankets and pillows strewn about the floor and there are dishes on the counter. 


Leaving the house for a vacation ramps up my issues. I cannot bear the thought of coming home to a cluttered or dirty house. Not only do I need the house picked up, but I need it cleaned toilets and all. The instant clutter created by returning home from vacation and having the entire contents of the car deposited in the hallway is bad enough, but adding a floor that needs vacuuming or a toilet that needs scrubbing to the homecoming will drive me right over the edge.


I have several friends that share my need to come home to a clean house after vacation. So whether or not most people would consider this normal at least I'm not alone. 


However, the second and possibly nowhere in the neighborhood of normal part of me not wanting to embark on a vacation with a dirty house is... what if due to a horrible accident, I die on vacation and then whoever has to deal with my house after I'm dead walks in on a dirty mess? After one of my friends told me she literally vacuums her way out of the house when leaving for vacation, I felt safe enough to share this with her and she looked at me like I just went off the rails of Ozzy's Crazy Train. Feel free to twirl your finger around by your ear and point at your screen.


I'm completely aware that this is not a rational line of thinking. If I'm dead and Scott and the kids are not, then I'm pretty sure he's not going to notice if the house needs cleaning. He doesn't notice now so why would that change? Plus, obviously, he would be too bereft to care. Ditto with my parents. I don't really know who I think is going to come into my house and start trashing a dead woman for her housekeeping skills or lack thereof. It is incredibly rude to speak ill of the dead after all. Not to mention in this scenario I'm dead and I would not even be capable of caring what people thought about me. I don't much care what people think now, except that I don't want you to think my house is dirty. Which leads us back to square one. 


I know. I know. Cuckcoo! 


While I'd love to take a good hard look at my neurosis with you here, we are leaving tomorrow for a week and I've got some cleaning to do.


Peace & Love :-)

Monday, November 14, 2011

iExcess? nah... iBliss

WARNING: If you aren't an iPhone/iPad user some of this may be Greek to you. It's not as though it's a geek out, because I think true Apple geeks know the technical names for stuff, but nonetheless it is a lot of iStuff rambling.


Last week Scott and I both got the newest iPhone, the 4s. We were going to order them for Christmas, but were more than willing to use the wacky behavior of my 3G as an excuse for Christmas to come early. Scott allegedly actually thought he was reserving one just for me, but then the reservation confirmation looked like there might possibly be 2 under my name at the Apple store so he took time from his busy schedule to show up at the Apple store the next day just in case we had 2 waiting and lo and behold.... 2 pearly white 4s iPhones awaited us. It would have been madness for him to let this fortuitous opportunity pass him by. A slap in the face to karma really, so he went ahead and got one too. 


As predicted, I love love love my 4s. 3G who? The 4s has many a cool feature like Siri, video, a flash, a pull down summary thingy screen, subtle alerts across the top, wallpaper on the home screen, the ability to have multiple apps running at one time, etc., but the bestest thing is how fast it is compared to the 3G. I don't know how much cooler it is than the 3Gs or the 4 cuz I never had those, but it kicks the ass of the 3G. 


Scott was initially smitten, but his 4s has done some weird stuff with his car blue tooth and with group iMessaging and he began to feel a little grumbly towards it. 


I don't know if iMessaging is new with the ios 5 upgrade or if it was previously on the 4 or what, but we didn't know what the hell it was. Apparently it's text messaging between iPhone users that doesn't count against your number of texts, which is actually very helpful to someone still on the 200 texts for $5 plan like us, but it's in the regular texting spot. The phone just knows if the device you're texting to is iMessage capable which totally weirds me out. 


Anyway... when Scott texted me it came through as an iMessage, but said it was from me not him. Zoinks! I didn't know one could text themselves. That's totally going to be my new go to line when I'm pissed, "Go text yourself!". Then he texts a friend that apparently also has iMessaging who says the text looks like it's coming from my email and when he texts back it goes to both Scott and my phones. WTF man? So it seems you can do group iMessaging which is fine, but Scott's phone somehow had my info in it. Maybe it has to do with the iCloud except we did set up different iCloud accounts. 


iPhone.


iMessage.


iCloud.


iDon'tKnow!


Despite a few hiccups, I think Scott, who not only had just the 3G, but was so many updates behind that he couldn't text pictures or organize apps into groups (I wonder how he even got through the day?) is pretty pleased with his upgrade.


Our 5 y/o is thrilled because he now has my old 3G to use as an iTouch. He doesn't even care that the volume button is long gone and you have to stick your nail in there to adjust it or that the screen shut off button works on it's own terms or that the apps run kinda slow. He only cares that he has his own iThing as his sister has had an iTouch for 2 years and sometimes she would let him touch it, but only briefly and in a super controlling way. He now has his apps organized to his satisfaction and has his own music. He is working on a hip hop routine to the theme from Ghostbusters (legendary hip hop tune that it is) and knows how to make the song loop over and over and over and over again which is hell awesome. 


Our family of 4 now has a MacBook, an iPad2, 2 iPhone 4s', 1 iTouch, 1 3G masquerading as an iTouch and 1 unused/being saved as a back up 3G.  I think it's safe to say we are an Apple family. We drank the Kool-Aid. Excessive you say? Nah, we could actually use a second iPad2 and Scott also thinks we need Apple TV... whatever that is.


Peace & Love :-)

Monday, November 7, 2011

My iPhone __________ (fill in the blank)

a) is punking me.


b) has dementia.


c) is an asshole.


d) a & c


e) all of the above.


The answer is either b or d. I'm leaning towards d.


I have an iPhone 3G. Not a 3Gs. Just the 3G. It is 3 years old and has been used and abused. I really should be grateful for it's faithful service lo these many months, but it's really starting to piss me off.


Scott & I have been discussing giving each other the 4s for Xmas. I think my 3G knows it's time is limited and is not going quietly. For months the battery situation has been ridiculous and the opening of the scrabble app is as slow as my tween in the shower. Annoying, but I've been dealing. 


Recently the screen shut off button thing works only when it fucking feels like it, aka intermittently. I prefer to leave the auto screen shut off set to 'never' so that my screen doesn't go dark while I'm teaching xbike. If one forgets/can't get the stupid button to work and the screen stays lit, the already problematic battery life is shortened. So now to preserve the battery I turned on the auto shut off and I have to go in and change the settings before I teach. It's only a matter of time until I forget and my screen goes dark a minute into class. Man am I gonna be peeved.


Yesterday, my iPhone did not reset itself when the time changed. It's managed to reset itself every other time change over the last 3 years, but not this one. Scott's 3G did it. The iPad did it. The MacBook did it. Not my 3G. I had to go into settings and shut off the 'set time automatically' option and choose my time zone. Then when I attempted to shut down the phone to try and reset it, it would not shut down. 


Today I noticed that everything in my iCal on the iPhone was an hour off. EVERYTHING. The iCal on the MacBook is correct (as is the time). I tried syncing the iPhone and MacBook, but the iPhone calendar was still wrong and the MacBook still right. I went into settings thinking I would wipe out the iPhone calendar and re-sync and found that the calendar time zone was set to Denver. Denver? I do not nor have I ever lived in Denver and neither has my iPhone. When I choose the correct time zone, the calendar was fixed. Viola.


It's not an exaggeration to say that I love my iPhone. Not in the way I love Scott and the kids, but almost. Almost. However, the time for saying goodbye is near. I, no doubt, will be dazzled by my new 4s and easily transfer my love for the 3G to the 4s. The feelings may be even more intense, but I will never forget you 3G. You were my first iPhone. You never forget your first...


Peace & Love :-)



Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Conversations with Scott: "You're Screwed"

Last night after dinner I asked my kids if I could have a piece of their Halloween haul. I only asked because they were home and could see me. I had been pilfering their candy all day while they were at school. After I was unsuccessful in totally avoiding the candy, I gave in to it completely as goes my relationship with sweets. All or nothing baby.


The kids left the room and Scott and I were rooting through their buckets to see what pieces we wanted:


Me: (whispering) "You won't find any peanut butter cups cuz I already inhaled those". 


Scott: hysterical laughing


Me: "What?"


Scott: "You can be so disciplined. You just had your chicken burger without bread at dinner, but put you within a 1/4 mile of a candy bar and you're screwed!"


Me: "Tru dat."




The man speaks the truth. Hello, my name is Lil Tirade, and I'm addicted to sugar. I do not have a true grasp on the terms "just one cookie", "a small slice of cake", "a piece of candy" or "I'll just have a couple bites of yours." I can utter the words and know when it's appropriate to say them, but they don't actually make sense to me. No bites is way easier than one bite. 


Yesterday was a sugar day. Today, so far, is not. One day at a time.




Peace & Love :-)