Phone companies and technology

Isn't technology wonderful when it works and doesn't life suck when it doesn't?

It has been a tough week with no internet download!  I didn't realise how much I was going to miss my computer.  The best part of all of this is that I have been trying for over a week to deal with our phone company to try and resolve the issue and get on a new phone/internet plan.

You would think that it would be easy to give them more money - but no - it is impossible.  I have spoken to three different people (of course) and to date have no new plan or extra download. Luckily however, our usage reset on Sunday, so at least we have another month's usage - what a fiasco!

So after 2 hours of phone time and lots of energy, I will try again today to update our plan.

At least I have my computer back and can answer emails and post this 'moan & mutter'

Back tomorrow with a more positive, cheerful post.

Technology

My previous post illicited so many comments that I thought I would write a post about it.

In years gone by, I was totally against digital scrapbooking, but then I refused to see 'Toy Story' when it first came out, because it was animated by computer and not in the traditional Disney style. I admit it I am a little slow to catch onto things. I now look at things like 'Lord of the Rings' and even better 'Avatar' and believe that those worlds just have to exist. The computer technology and CGI (I think that is what it is called) is so much more real than real, that it is impossible to believe that it just doesn't exist in our non-virtual world.

I am completely in love with technology. I couldn't exist without my laptop. It is just amazing and I know that I will be keeping it up to date. It is one of the first things I switch on in the morning and the last that I switch off at night. I check my emails every few hours, check out Facebook and do a little digital scrapbooking. I work on my uni stuff and just check out the times for a movie. I am hooked on technology.

Digital scrapbooking has me totally hooked. I can take a photo and within minutes have it scrapbooked and shared around the world. I have a running 2010 album that I am doing photos on a daily/weekly basis and it is going to be a detailed photo journal of my life. I guess this is part of my passion and it is so much quicker than waiting to get photos printed, then having to find the time and space to traditionally scrapbook them. The other amazing part is the ability to journal. I can insert a full page of text - yes it doesn't have my handwriting (something I was always big on), but if I really want that then I can scan in a written page. Now isn't this all cool.

So in our house we have 4 laptops and an older computer and at times we are all using them. We do however, ensure that we still all make time to be together for family chats in the lounge. Communication is the most important thing - I can communicate with family around the world via technology, but nothing beats our family evenings filled with laughter and joy.

Vesta has been offline

We have been without a phone/internet line for nearly a week and finally today it was repaired. It has been driving me crazy and made me realise how dependent on technology I have become.

So for a couple of updates.

School is finished for the year, Matthew and Sarah are on summer holidays until end of January.

Ivan is overseas in York, PA and New York (wish I was with him), Elizabeth is working hard at her job and I am trying to get into the Christmas spirit with temperatures over 37 degrees Celsius for the past 3 days. A bit tough, although the children and I did make 14 dozen Christmas mince pies and 11 dozen curry mince pies on Monday. So now we are hot and fat!

The house is decorated and the shopping almost finished. I have ordered the Turkey and have begun planning the menu, so with just 2 weeks left, we are finally beginning to think Christmas will be here soon.

Inspiration!

I started my Blog about 6 months ago after being inspired by my dear friend Michelle http://joyexpress.com.au/ and each and everyday I would try and write a little something. At first I was so excited to have an occasional comment from friends and family and it inspired me to write a little more. I have neglected Vesta a little over the last few weeks, but thought I would share some inspiration that I have found.

This year I started following some amazing and inspirational Blogs and have really found that these has inspired me to work just a little harder at mine. The one that has really struck a chord has been a 365 day project by a lovely lady called Darlene. She lives in Canada and despite a really hectic lifestyle manages to take a photo everyday of her life and blog. Wow!

http://darleneslifeforayear.blogspot.com/

Darlene has even take the time to comment and inspire me, encourage my studies and I love reading her comments. So thank you Darlene. Just meeting new people over cyberspace is an amazing experience and life is now so different. To think that in my parent's generation, letters took weeks to travel overseas and talking to friends on the phone would have been unheard of, yet now I can share a life with a stranger who becomes a friend, all because of a computer, the Internet and a Blog!

My Mii spent a day on the Wii

I am sure that most of the world has at least heard about the Wii game system. Well Sarah got this for her Christmas gift this year and the children then all clubbed together to buy the Wii fit exercise system and game. I measured up and created a character about 16 days ago, but have never really had a chance to play. Yesterday however, I go hooked. I had a day of achieving nothing else. I ended up doing 1 hour and 31 minutes of exercise on the 'stupid, fun, exciting and enjoyable' game. I spent most of the day with the children as we did 'stepping, boxing, skiing, hula hoops' and lots, lots more. I even held the record for a very short while in the hula hoops. It was almost 4pm, before I finally got to my Uni work, but boy did I have some serious fun. What a special day! Thanks Matthew and Sarah.
What started it all was that Matthew, created a Mii (Character) for Granny and Grandad and Grandad had a go on some of the games. He loved the downhill skiing and the ski jump, doing really well, even setting a record.

It was so funny watching him play and you can see the grin on Matthew's face. The concentration on Dad's face was so funny. His hands were gripped holding his ski poles as he weaved his way through the slalom course. Then of course he decided to try the jogging. About 20 seconds into the course, he grabbed his calf muscle and yelped. Yes, he had pulled a muscle.

Mom had a turn as well, but with her sore feet (heel spurs) she could not do it for long. I think though that she had a great time.

What an amazing day. I must admit I now know how the children become so hooked that nothing else gets done. Not a good idea - I think the solution is a time limit or maybe just a day every now and then to have fun and be a Mii!

Sunday study!

Today has been a day for computer work. I was working on my computer in the study on my very first major assignment. A blog post for my World Religions course on the Papal apology issued at World Youth Day in Australia. It is a really interesting subject and I am finding that I am loving the research aspect of University.

Elizabeth was sitting in her room at her desk working on an essay on 'Women in Politics in Ancient Rome' - Heavy Stuff!

Ivan had set up his work computer at the dining room table (with the best view of the garden) and was working on his Board presentation papers.

It struck me how industrious we all were and also how privileged we are to have access to three computers in just one household. We actually have four of them, as Matthew has his own laptop as well. The computer has become as essential to work, as paper and pencil were years ago. We can talk to the world via email and blogs, research journals and books written in far off places and long ago and write amazing articles on anything we wish and publish them for the world to read via a Blog. I just love living in the 21st Century.

A sad farewell!

My trusty old hp deskjet 940C --------------- My new purchase!

Tuesday afternoon, my 8 year old printer, finally gave up the ghost and died. It has been playing up for weeks now, scrunching up pieces of paper and finally on Tuesday a struggle ensued between us both and after eating both my piece of paper and my fingernail, it won! It then shut down and died and won't even turn on!

Yesterday I popped into our local Harvey Norman to have a quick look around and the 'salesman' tried to sell me a $169 'special!' All I want is something that will print my uni notes and the occasional colour picture for the kids. Today I went into Office Works and the lovely lady suggested I buy this great HP for just $47. Quite a difference. She listened to my needs and sold me just what I wanted. I guess even if it dies sooner than the previous one, I will get my $47 worth of work out of it.

Now I need to figure out how to disentangle the previous baby from the computer and install the new one. I think a job for tomorrow!

My brain is a little tired after another great day at Uni, although I did discover after reading 47 pages of a 59 page reading that it was only the 'recommended reading' and not the 'required!' It was fascinating, but exhausting trying to finish a huge document like this before lectures. Oh well, now I am a little more enlightened about the origins of Christianity! In fact it was so interesting I might even print the 59 pages....

I also had the courage and conviction today to invite two more people to join our study group, they are really nice and seemed quite happy to join us. I think I am beginning to belong. Oh yes, and I also had someone from my other religion lecture ask me for help. Me! How exciting, I must have looked as though I knew what I was doing, so I got to meet Ben from my Meditation lecture. I now know: Matt, Hannah, Scott, Scott, Damia, Megan, Mandy and Ben - A huge new group of people that I have met in two weeks.

Frustrations with technology

This morning I have had one of 'those' mornings!

I decided to take my camera out into the garden to take some photos of the mushrooms that have sprung up overnight from all the rain and damp. They look so amazing all white and tall against the green grass.

First of all my camera is playing up, it needs servicing, so I struggled with it a little and then finally got it working.

I then came inside to load them up onto the computer and no-way was this happening. First of all the program bombed out half-way through the upload and now the card-reader won't work.

So instead of beautiful serene dew soaked photos of mushrooms, you get me ranting about the failure of my technology!!!!

I think back to bed is the best option for me this morning. Two sick kids, a dog that I am ready to kill and Friday at last, I think I will head back to bed for a few hours and try again later.

I hope your day flows better.