I'm a PC ....

"I'm a Mac and I'm a PC" .... most of us have seen the commercials produced by Apple.  The theme of those commercials is Macs are easy to use ... for anyone .... and they just "work".  They imply the same cannot be said for a PC.  I am painfully aware of this since I spent Wednesday in the office working with the desktop team in an effort to get my "new" laptop from July up and running again.  I have never been one much for Macs .... it might stem from days at the Helpdesk where we routinely got trouble tickets for them. I hated troubleshooting issues on them - at the time they didn't make sense to me.

Then came the iPod, iTunes, iPhone, iMac and the iPad... all the brain child of Steve Jobs.  I have 2 iPods and an iPad .... all of which I won. Lucky me!

I have to admit I can't remember when I "knew" who Steve Jobs was.  I think it was probably when his illness was made public.  It is no secret, Steve Jobs had pancreatic cancer.  It is also no secret that raising funds for cancer research is near and dear to my heart.  For years, I volunteered on the planning committee for our local Relay For Life and was the captain of a team.  Brooke and Kristen were pushed or carried around the track before their first birthday and over our years of involvement, our team raised in excess of $15,000 dollars.

As Apple and Steve gained more and more popularity ... I figured out how to use my iPod and iTunes.   My sister and brother in law got iPhones, my cousins got iPhones and then Macbooks.  Then my Aunt ..... and then I won my iPad.   And then I fell in LOVE with my iPad.  We take it on plane trips or long car rides.  The girls can use it without any help.    Hmmm, maybe this Jobs guy WAS onto something.  I mean my Dad retired and got himself an iPhone and he can use it.  Even if he did buy an iPhone after I spent 35 min on the phone telling him why he should go with the Droid, I hate to say it, but I think he made the right choice.  I need to replace my phone and I'm considering an iPhone. 

I'm not ready to dump my IBM Laptop anytime soon .... I mean I did just get a brand new one Wednesday and, so far, it is working great.  So, I'd still say "I'm a PC" ...... but now add with Mac tendencies. The vision and brilliance of Steve Jobs is responsible for that shift for me and SO many others.

The passing of Steve Jobs reminds me that life is precious and unpredictable. That you can have plenty of money, be a technological genius, in your 50's, and have incredible determination yet your life can still be taken too soon.  It reminds me that we still have so much work to do in the research for a cure.  Hug your kids a little tighter, kiss your spouse and tell them you love them, don't sweat the small stuff, oh and don't forget to charge your iPhone!

Kindergarten 101

It is a little hard to keep up with things around Romanskiville these days.  Packing bags for daycare, school, making dinner, getting to dance class and oh yeah, there's WORK !!! Brooke starting school was actually a really good thing for us.  It totally "up'd the ante" on time management and being religious about an evening routine.  We seemed to be firing on all cylinders until last week ....

Monday was school picture day.  I reviewed, completed and included payment made out to Lifetouch as the instructions stated.  Brooke choose to wear a navy jumper and not the tan, I even ironed her little cotton light blue blouse ... I HATE ironing ... but she looked adorable with her little lace ruffled socks and school shoes.  I reminded Brooke that she had an order from in her backpack and to remember to take it when it was time.  She asked if she could wear the new shirt she received for her birthday from Aunt Judy a few days earlier and I reminded her it was a school day and she needed to wear a uniform.  Off she went.  Later that day I arrived at daycare to pick her up.  I asked how pictures went and she says "All the other kids had on different clothes" ..... "CRAP " I thought .... I knew that I should have asked someone.  She had already been written up on the 3rd day of school for wearing sandals ... how was I supposed to know? She is in Kindergarten and she is my "first" ... the paperwork said nothing about deviating from the dress code and there had been the issue with the sandals ....

Tuesday night while I am emptying her backpack I find a notice from the Cafeteria that she owes a $1.00 .... how can she owe $$$ she is in HALF DAY Kindergarten and she eats a snack (that I pack in the morning) in her classroom .... how can she owe money??? Did anyone tell her that you have to PAY FOR THAT STUFF if she did actually take what IS available for purchase or does she just think it is a buffet???? I thought that was all sorted out and then I got a automated phone call from the Cafeteria tonight .... still looking for the buck ... AHHHHH !!! Score one for the Food Service Office, I give up and I'm paying the flipping dollar.

My third strike occurred on Wednesday, yep batting a 1000 I was.  Packed the usual healthy snack that morning - part skim mozzarella string cheese, yogurt and 100% juice drink box.  We are chatting about the day while I'm cleaning up from dinner and another blow .... "Mom, you didn't give me a spoon in my lunchbox.  I couldn't eat my yogurt, but I ate my string cheese and drank my juice.  I ate a BIG lunch when I got to Jeanne's house"  Apparently, she did not mention to her teacher that she was missing a spoon, I am certain she would have been able to solve Brooke's dilemma.

I was on the receiving end of that face more than once last week.  I wonder what this week will bring????