The good and bad of technology!

Easy come - easy go!!! We just had a dump of snow last night, and I'm scheduled to work out at the gym this morning, then I'll be back to shovel snow!

But that's OK -- I've had another productive day!!! Maybe not quite as much as I would like, but then, when do we ever complete what we set out for ourselves? 

I spent the morning on the computer and managed to get the most urgent stuff out the door. I still have one document to write, and then I need to get back to some serious writing. 

I now have both computers up and running, so that is good news. It didn't take much to find a spot for it on the corner of the desk. 

My two computers at the moment

So for any group emails, I'll write them on the new computer because that's where any attachments, etc., reside, and then I can send them to myself. Once it arrives in the old computer's email, I can forward it to the group. A bit convoluted - I totally get it, but for the moment it works. And once those distribution lists are transferred, then all is good. I still need to check the download folder on the older one for anything. 

I know—I should keep the download folder empty, but alas, I did not. So I know there is stuff in there that I may need. However, you'll be happy to know that I'm keeping the download folder on the new computer empty! I'm like a new person! But going back to fix things is a nightmare - well, not a nightmare, but something that I shouldn't have to do. However, it's the situation, so let's just suck it up and move on!

I noticed that the Outlook Archive folder is staying empty - WAIT - I found one email in there this morning, that I had deleted. What's that all about? At least, not all emails are going in there. There are 5000 files in the Delete folder that I can't empty. Sigh........ I swear there is something in this Outlook software that just isn't right! But I'm going to persevere. Next week, I can spend more time on it. 

I didn't have room for the keyboard on the desktop, and I was going to get a small TV table, but WAIT -- there's a drawer that I can pull out when I need it. Perfect solution for a temporary fix. And I had to laugh because there's even room to the right of the monitor to put stuff - something that I've always wanted on the other computer!!! I am NOT putting anything there!

Temporary spot for the keyboard

Two other things happened to the computer yesterday. I had purchased a code for the 2026 Conqueror to keep track of my steps for the year. However, I wasn't able to use the code and kept getting an error. I ignored it until yesterday, when I finally faced it. I had contacted support, and they told me to just retry it. So after several days, I did that. Guess what? It worked this time. 

All set to track KM for 2026

Their system was probably overloaded and couldn't handle everyone signing in at once. I went back to having the system automatically log my steps, and it asked if I wanted to apply those steps, and I said yes!!! So there I am, right on target - 10 km every day for 365 days. 

I had to print something. OH - the printer isn't connected to the new computer. I needed some code from the printer in DH's office. He's on a Teams call and doesn't need me in the background messing with the printer. I left it for the moment and shuffled the files to the old computer to print! I know -- stupid, but it works for the moment. 

Then I was mandated to call our communications provider. I needed to make changes to my MIL's phone, which is on our bill. She had all kinds of long-distance calls that she used at one point, but no longer does. My job was to reduce the bill. I called to see what I could do. I was supposed to do this several months ago. 

The bill was $105 a month. I know that the call center people are trying to be polite, but OH MY GOODNESS, the preamble they go through. "Thank you, Miss Elaine. We appreciate your business. What can I do for you today?" Then they repeat my question, and then, well, they are so wordy, it drives me mad. But wait - it gets worse. She comes back and says she can drop the bill to $95 per month. WHAT??? Are you telling me that unlimited long-distance calls between the US and Canada only cost $10? Not true -- come back with a better offer. 

She comes back with an offer of $75, and I tell you that isn't good enough for a phone that is only needed to let people into the apartment. She has a cell phone. So while I was waiting yet again, I checked the website and found something called Home Phone Lite for $58. While not perfect, it's almost half of what she was paying. 

When the call center person came back on the call, she said that $75 was the best she could do. OK -- I admit - I lost it! I told her I found the Lite service FASTER than she did and that I wanted it. She said, " Let me check if you qualify for that. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? 

Apparently, we now have Home Phone Lite. No services - just a phone. SIGH......

Then DH had two questions regarding the TV: the remote we struggled to get wasn't working, and he had gone through all the troubleshooting suggestions on the TV, but it still wasn't working. That "NEW" box has been a thorn in his side since he wanted that upgrade. So I asked her about that, and she said, "No problem, I'll place an order for a new one to be delivered." I was highly skeptical at this point because the last time they said that, it took months for a new one to come, and only after three failed attempts was it finally delivered by the technician. The other thing he wanted was to get access to a service we are paying for, but he has never been able to connect to the new box. 

Well, imagine my surprise when a package arrived yesterday. This is what was in it. 

A NEW remote

YES -- that is a new remote, and it arrived within 24 hours of me chatting with the call center. Now that DHe has a new remote, he should be able to install the service. What I'm going to do is write all the information - account number, etc., and put it on a sticky note on the TV. In the future, when he needs something with that #$$^&^&%^ box - he can call himself!

They could cut the script in half and take a whole lot less time. And I'm not knocking anyone, but I don't think the call centers are in Canada, and I'm OK with that. But there are two issues with that— I don't think they listen, or perhaps I should be more specific—I don't think they understand what we ask. It takes several iterations to make that happen. And since English isn't their first language, they are slow, and with the long script -- it's frustrating. 

However, after my successful morning at the computer, I got myself downstairs and got lots of work done. I completed all the work for one of the three classes and now just need to load a few pictures into a presentation. One down - two to go! And I'm making significant progress on the UFO stuff, so that is good, and I can't wait to get these piddly things done and out of the way. 

I don't think I even care about getting them done - I just want them out of the way and off those tables. I need less visual clutter, and by golly — I'm making that happen. Trust me -- I'm super excited about it, and I look forward to emptying that UFO bucket each month! I'm not sure I'll be able to complete all the small things, but if not, I'll just continue right after the call and try to finish it that day. 

I got a quilt quilted—one of mine! Only 300 other ones were shouting at me while I was quilting it, saying they wanted to be next! 

My quilt - quilted!

I like dense quilting on my quilts, so of course, it takes quite a while, but I was able to take it off the machine last night. Yeah!!!!

The quilting

And I got to use my "new" tool that I almost bought a duplicate of. When working on a white quilt, it's a hassle to get all the threads out of the way. Trust me, it seemed to take longer to remove or move threads than it did to quilt. And the backing is very light as well, so I had to check both sides of the batting. 

However, I spotted a red and a green thread in the first row. How the heck did that happen? 

Two missed threads under the white

So I took the very tiny tool and managed to slide it between the sewing stitches, then pulled the thread out!! 

The tool allowed me to remove the thread

There was still a green thread in there, but I wasn't able to grab it; it was less noticeable, and I moved it closer to the stitching so it virtually disappeared. 

Threads disappeared

What miracle tool is this? It's called Soft Touch Thread Pick, and that little hook on the end is tiny, but it works!!! I found it with my knitting tools, but it's too small to help with dropped stitches - it needs to be with the long arm tools, and that's where it is now!

Soft Touch Thread Pick

I also managed to get a lot of HSTs sewn and trimmed. 

More HSTs trimmed

The tray still looks like I haven't touched it! But it's so easy to find pairs to sew together, and yes—I have made a dent, but you just can't see it yet. I love it when I find a solution to a problem, and that makes it so easy to deal with. A jumble of triangles in a drawer wasn't inviting to work on! 

The tray of HSTs

And Miss Murphy! That dog is just a busy girl. They are both sleeping in the office with me at the moment, but during the day? Murphy just needs to be on the move. Inside, outside, inside, outside. Play ball, upstairs, downstairs - she is active! And she's over 10 years old!! 

Then she decides that it's OK to throw her ball into Lexi's bed. Sigh...... That's because I won't play ball with her while I'm eating my lunch! 

MOM -- I need you to play ball with ME!!!

Well, it's going to be heads down today. The local ladies from our Monday Sewing group were going to have lunch today, but there is a lot of snow, so I don't think that is going to happen. And the few customer quilts and my quilts can wait until next week. It's going to be heads-down for the next two days, minus shoveling snow, to get everything done and into a presentation. I should be able to make that happen! 

And on that note, I'm off to the gym to see what torture that Brooke can throw at me today. I have to say that now that I've settled into a 20-minute after-spin class stretching routine, I'm good. I need to keep working because it's not my knee joints that hurt - it's the tendons that are killing me! Some days are good, some days are bad. But I'll keep working, and hopefully one day, I can loosen all the tendons and muscles that are locking up those ujoints!

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!