Nope, we did not get a new computer. We both have Apple laptops and, though I might say that I’m hoping for mine to crash so I’d have to replace it with a new one with a ‘retina display’, I’m perfectly happy with what I’ve got. I’m not actually wishing for it to crash, you know since that would mean that I’d have to spend money, something I do only when pigs fly. Nope, we’re picking up a new one for Gary’s dad, Lug. He’s actually been working on Mac’s for about 10 or 12 years and enjoying it thoroughly. He’s got all his pictures in it and he writes letters all the time. He’s actually trying to keep the Post Office alive - just on his own. But, here’s his current model - and this is pretty old. Remember these? We could probably put Lug’s into an Apple museum.
Unfortunately, as Lug ages, and he’s 90 now, his eyes are slowly deteriorating to the point that he has trouble seeing the 10” screen on this one. He spends countless minutes trying to find the curser. Yes, we know that newer models have the option of making the curser much larger but his is so old that the software won’t work in it. Thus he’s pretty frustrated and cutting down on his letter writing. How is the Post Office ever going to survive? How is he ever going to survive?
In 2009 we took him into the local Apple store and his eyes positively gleamed when he saw the new monitors: large, clear and easy on the eyes.
We almost had him talked into buying one but he backed off. Actually, I’m sure he thinks he’s too old to learn a new computer, too old to be buying something so costly and that his eyes are getting too weak for such an investment. However, his frustration is growing.
Then he had his cataract surgery on both eyes this spring and I think he sees new hope. He’s got a new lease on life. He’s actually sent us some letters in which there are no misspellings, no extra spaces and no extra letters. He must be able to see the screen ever so much better. And, he let drop the idea that he’d really like to get a new computer with a larger display and the ability to make the cursor larger. Of course, Gary was all over that idea and began to put together some prices for it. For about $800 Lug could get a new 21” monitor, a new computer (an Apple Mini) and software to make the cursor much larger. Whoop-de-do.
Thus, today is our shopping trip.
But, first a digression. (And, don’t I have a lot of these?) Last week when I went in for my mammogram, the receptionist noted that my license had expired - on July 2, my birthday. Oops. We had planned to go in right after the exam but it was a Monday and the DOT is closed on Mondays. I’ve got 60 days but I’d rather get it done sooner rather than later and, besides, we leave the Des Moines area in a month. And, I’d rather have a valid driver’s license.
Thus, driver’s license is part of the trip. Now, you’ve got to know that, if the DOT is closed on Mondays, Tuesdays are going to be packed. And, we were not disappointed: it was SRO there. I looked at my number and figured at least an hour. Luckily, the office was not air conditioned. Let me repeat that: NOT air conditioned. At least not until 10:30 when one of the clerks went over to turn it on. 60 people at least, SRO, and they finally turn on the air conditioning.
The guy in front of me had trouble reading the screen. The clerk asked him to read the letters on the line and there was a long, 45 second pregnant pause before he hesitatingly read some letters. He took only 32 seconds on the next line but the silence was deafening. There was another older gentleman who couldn’t read the lines correctly and the clerk sent him home to get a doctor’s note. Sent him home in his car. Oh, boy. Gives me a warm and comfy feeling about getting out on the roads with these two. And I thought texting was a problem.
I was right about the time. We didn’t leave for an hour or so. 2 more errands and we’re heading on our to the Jordan Creek Mall area where we’re going to do some serious shopping - by that, I mean above $50. We tried Costco first to see what they might have but, all they had was - a Very Berry Sundae. Sounds good to me and so we had ‘lunch.’
On to Best Buy to check out printers for Lug. And, here we found a talkative, knowledgeable sales person who gave us all kinds of hints and - VOILA - we picked up the whole she-bang: the computer, the monitor and the printer. What a deal. All Apple products.
I also bought an Apple Shuffle. Not that I’m trying to tune Gary out when we walk but, hey, a nice jivin’ tune keeps my feet moving just that much faster. I had a Dell player but that runs with Microsoft Music and we’ve got Apple ITunes now and I can’t load any new music into it. Somehow I’ve got Lynyrd Skynyrd, Van Halen and Led Zep on the player now - I must have been putting a song list for my brother on it right when we switched to Apple products. I can listen to these three but only for so long. Thus, this is useless for me. So, I’ve got a Shuffle now.
Now over to the Mall where Gary thinks he can walk now. He’s still hurting and gets little twinges but, that’s usually when he moves sideways and bends over. Getting into the car where he has to lift his legs and getting out of bed where he has to raise up and turn are still difficult. He thinks he can walk in a straight line with only a little trouble. Our first pass of the mall took us by the Subway shop in the Food Court. Gee, a $5.00 Black Forest Ham footlong on flat bread sure sounds like it would hit the spot. Big Gar was hungry too, seems like the Very Berry Sundae was more an appetizer than ‘lunch’ after all, and we found ourselves sitting there eating a sub.
Back at home, after a salad for dinner and showers, I was loading some songs into my Shuffle when I heard a low moan and a loud ‘shucks.’ Guess what - we might have bought a monitor, a computer and a printer but what we didn’t have was a keyboard. Well, we’ve got two keyboards, but they are on our laptops and not much use on Lug’s computer.
We used to have a keyboard that we used with our desk top computer but we took all of our computer stuff to Best Buy several weeks ago for recycling. We filled 2 shopping carts as we unloaded the car and rolled them into the store - lots of stuff. Sure enough, there was the a keyboard in that lot. Oops, we need that back now.
Now what? Tune in tomorrow.
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