Random 5 for December 2 – Stupid, Kindles, electronic prices, delivery methods, family, death

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My new Kindle cover from Fintie

I hate stupid – Especially on me. I recently replaced my wonky Kindle. The new one is awesome. It has Alexa but except for information commands I need subscriptions (music, movies, etc). Boogers. I hate to throw things out so I was looking to see if I could fix up the old one for my sis-in-law to use for games. One problem was the cover. The auto wake/sleep function no longer worked. I emailed the company. After a few middle of the night emails I had no answers except to buy a new cover. I went on-line and started reading reviews. Something started percolating in the back of my head. “Cutouts line up perfectly.” “I can turn it on and off without taking off the cover.” I took my old Kindle and nothing lined up. At all! Not even imperfectly. I had the damn cover on upside down and that was the whole problem. *bangs head on table* It’s not like I didn’t spend hours googling my issues. Argh! (I will never again mock those customer service people who ask me if I have my computer plugged in!) Now I have two wonderful Kindles, one of which will tell me what the temperature is anywhere in the world.

Not all is bad – During this fiasco I pulled up my receipts from the old Kindle purchased 4-1/2 years ago. I paid $220 more for that one than the new one which is bigger and better (so they say). Wow! I know electronic prices have dropped but that’s a lot (60%). Makes me feel better for being stupid.

Unconventional? – The Kindle was handed to the beloved husband at 9 p.m. from a guy in a nondescript SUV driving by. All he said was that it was unconventional but here it is. Any port in a storm. Reminded me of the guys with the raincoat on the streets of New York City. “Want a Rolex cheap little girl?”

Family – I had dinner with the women in my family this week. We do this a few times a year and it’s always fun. Three of us are blood relation and two are long-tenured in-laws (and I say that in the most loving way). The related portion has a vague family resemblance but we all are very similar. We all range from lily-white to off-white with some age spots thrown in. We have vastly different interests which makes it all interesting. I am lucky to be part of this group.

Surprised or not – Two men we know lost their wives in the very early spring. Both deaths were preceded by a few weeks to a few months of a devastating diagnosis. Both were shockers. One was middle-aged and the other older. Both had great marriages. Both men were in other relationships by the end of the summer. A long time ago someone told me that men who are in happy marriages are anxious to remarry while women not so much. It always surprises me but I am very happy for both of them. (As a public service announcement, people are still dying of cancer. Many forms are not detected early enough for effective treatment. This includes people who take care of themselves.)

So how was your week?

59 thoughts on “Random 5 for December 2 – Stupid, Kindles, electronic prices, delivery methods, family, death”

  1. I have the original Kindle that the pilgrims brought over on the Mayflower. It has a physical keyboard at the bottom and no touch screen. It doesn’t do anything except let me read books. It’s great for public transportation but at home I usually read Kindle books on my android tablet. When I’m done with the Kindle I’ll donate it to the Smithsonian.

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  2. Your Kindle experience reminds me of my recent Apple sync issues. Change the password and nothing jibes like it did just two days ago (before I was prompted to change the password!). Ugh. You seem to have more grace than me, I’m ranting and raving about it and muttering to myself all over the house. Vexing technology irritates the @#$% out of me. Sorry about the loss of your friends wives. Cancer is such a horrible disease; I hope we see a cure for it soon.

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  4. I bought a new Kindle too. I like lots of things about it, but there are others I can’t figure. Guess I’ll have to read the directions. Alternatively, I could just muddle along.

    I like your plum blossom Kindle cover. When I studied Chinese brush painting, we spent the first few months learning different ways to paint plum blossoms.

    I’ve noticed the same thing about the difference between widows and widowers. Maybe a wife is more necessary than a husband.

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    • I took a class in Chinese painting too. We spent a lot of time painting chrysanthemums. It’s not as easy as it looks. When you watch it, someone is putting slashes quickly here and there and it’s beautiful. When I do it not so much. I have an original watercolor I bought a long time ago of a rabbit with flowers. I love it. It’s one of my favs. I have many widowed friends and while they don’t mind an occasional “gentleman caller,” they have no interest in getting hooked up with someone and taking on the household burden again.

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  5. I have struggled and struggled to like my Kindle. I think I have an unspoken resentment that it’s not an iPad (well, unspoken until now apparently). I wanted an iPad but didn’t want to spend the money, so I bought the Kindle instead. I used it on a trip last August and promptly put it in a drawer on my return, where it has sat ever since. But now you’ve got me thinking perhaps I should give it more of a chance. You obviously like Kindles! Glad you figured out that whole cover thing — exactly the kind of thing I’d do. – Marty

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  6. I heard a story on the radio that the post office no longer has that special “this is the busiest day of the Christmas season” like you used to have for years when people lined up at the post office to mail out packages on the last available day to do so, and it was also the day most people sent in-state Christmas cards, BUT, if you expecting packages from via U.S. postal delivery that you should leave your porch light on as they will deliver in the evening. That surprised me, about as much as when Amazon started fulfilling orders by having the U.S.P.S. carriers deliver on Sundays. So perhaps UPS is doing that as well but subcontracting out to night drivers – I think that UPS and Fed Ex took a lot of heat when they did not get their packages delivered on time a couple of years ago. I would feel it is too early for a relationship as it is like being “on the rebound after losing a beloved spouse but I have a lot of old-fashioned views.

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  8. Your Kindle story falls in the ‘Oops’ category. It’s so easy to assume that a 4 year old piece of technology has a serious problem and therefore miss the more obvious issue. I’m someone who has called Apple tech support because my iPad was working …. it was shut off 😆

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    • I always snort when they ask me if it’s plugged in. Guess I can’t do that anymore. I was surprised that the tech didn’t ask me to check the position in the cover. That would have resolved it quicker. I am thankful for all the geeks who write those epic reviews. I learn a lot from them.

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      • Me too. In fact yesterday I read a blog post that resolved an issue I’ve been having for weeks with liking and commenting on certain blogs.
        It seems that the last upgrade on MAC created a setting that was preventing certain blogs from seeing my credentials. It was SO frustrating.
        … but now I’m baaaaack 😉

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  9. Glad you got to have a get together with the other women in your family – sounds like a blast! Sorry about the Kindle situation. But now you have a backup. So when the old one does go – and they all do eventually – you have your new one in place 🙂

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    • That’s my side of the family. My husband’s is spread far and wide. Some we haven’t seen in years. His kids we see once a year. It’s just the way it is. Maybe my side isn’t as adventurous.

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  11. I’m Kindle ignorant, preferring that old fashioned piece of pulp, nestled in my lap. Oh well. This is also the woman who doesn’t preen or socialize on Facebook. She’s a self-admitted cyber groundhog.

    Nice you want to recycle the old. I like that a lot like. Practical and thoughtful. So you!

    Men, yes I agree that they don’t always do well alone which is why they get rehitched so fast. I think women do better in the solitude department and of course, we are the designated caterers. I’m just sayin’. It’s been my experience.

    Have a great week Kate.

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  13. How wonderful that you get to have mini reunions with the gals in your clan! Sounds like fun. Our families are too spread out to do anything like that . . . so I’m a tad envious.

    LOL about the Kindle. Or as Homer Simpson would say, “DOH!”

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  14. I love my Kindle, but sometimes there’s nothing better than an old fashion paper book. When the book has a nice cover, I miss it on my Kindle. That definitely seems to be the norm when it comes to men more like to remarrying after their spouse dies or a divorce. Maybe some women feel “been there, done that.” Happy Sunday, Kate!

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    • Maybe men don’t like doing their own laundry. However, my husband still does his own (very fussy) so who knows. In any case I am always happy when others find happiness. If my husband finds someone after I’m gone, I’m OK with that.

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  18. Glad you got your old kindle working. Simple error.
    The week started OK, with 5 jabs from the dentist as he filled my broken tooth. Still feel bruised, but eating well on the side! Must be a left handed chewer.
    Hubby has not fared so well as you know, what with trips to the hospital practically every day. The GP is now out of the loop in his treatment processes, which is a relief . Blood tests again for him tomorrow, but at the surgery, and if he has any problems, he’s to ring the hospital ward direct where the head nurse will sort them out. Hubby says she takes no prisoners. Nice to have a professional person in our corner on this.

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    • It’s about time someone took up the cause for him. There is something going on or he wouldn’t have pain. Here’s hoping your week is much better and that’s good news on the tooth. Saving them is so much better than pulling them.

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      • I’ve got complete faith in my dentist, he doesn’t hurt me and understands I’m a bit of a wimp.
        As for Hubby, we are getting there. The kidney stone is too small to be giving him the pain, but the hospital doctors are taking no chances so he is having a complete overhaul. If we had to wait for the GP, it would be a month before we’d get an appointment.
        Once we’ve got him sorted, we intend to complain to the NHS authority about one GP in particular. He’s the same one who kept him waiting for four hours in the sit and wait clinic with chest pain a few months ago, is adamant Hubby has a hernia (negative), and insisting he goes on statins when he reacts badly to them and a consultant in another hospital has prescribed something that is working, though the GP (arrogant ass) denies that!

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          • We only have the one surgery here, and the closest in thr next town is actualy the same people. You cannot make an appoiintment in advance to see the same GP, unless they put a note on your file to say that, you cannot get an appointment by ringing or using the online booking system and the daily sit and wait clinic takes patients names at 8, but doesn’t start until 9 and is fully booked by 9.15 – 9.30. You will be seen, but we discovered the G we are going to complain about picks and chooses who he sees, so you can waste an entire morning (and we have) waiting to see someone. We hope to get transferred to a practice some 12 miles away, even though they told us we were out of their catchment area. We’ll get it sorted anyway once Hubby is in the clear.

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