Nothing But Time.....

Twice a year I visit my doctor, at 9 am on a Friday. He's always late, but he sees me first. One Friday I'm going to show up at 9:30 and he'll probably be on time. I go on Friday so Wanda can drive. I am capable of driving myself but as you may remember, my '91 Plymouth has seen better days. I suppose I could drive RAVA2E but we plan errands around the appointment. And you know what they say...it's birds of a feather that go to the doctor together.

Twice a year I have lab work for liver functions, it does. Also for my glucose levels, high normal since 2007. My doctor listens to my heart and lungs, pokes around my belly and pronounces me fit. "See you in six months," he says. Yesterday I checked the date of my next appointment. It's on a Friday at 9 am. We'll be on a cruise ship on the Pacific Ocean.

My doctor is computerized and has a very nice Web Portal. I'm not sure what a portal is; but it sounds like a doorway, or an outdoor game using large balls and a stick. I needed to reschedule my appointment so off to portal land I went. I could have picked up the phone but I am joining the 21st century whenever I can.

First I couldn't remember my password. I have my user names and passwords crammed in an address book, many of the websites no longer in service. I should go through it but there are so many I can't get motivated. I got my 'secret words' and logged into the site. My first problem, appointment times. My choices were 9 to 12 or 1 to 4. Not 9 but 9 TO 12. I didn't want 9:30 or 10 or shudder, 11:30. I wanted 9. I couldn't override the times. There was no place to add a message, so I left it blank. I figured they would call or e-mail here.

My first lesson was, you can't leave things blank. If they want an answer, you supply an answer. If you don't, the same damn page keeps coming back. "YOU MUST ANSWER REQUESTED APPOINTMENT TIME" until it finally wears you out. OK, Fuck it.....9 to 12. Happy Now? Next I forgot to "CHOOSE A PROVIDER" and finally I had to reenter "PREFERRED METHOD OF CONTACT". I would think that one would be obvious. I'm going through all this trouble, contact me here. By the time I finished thirty-five minutes elapsed. A phone call would have done it in two.

While I'm on a technology roll, how about our new cell phones?

Now we both have LG Sort Of Smart Phones with touch screens and full keyboard texting. I don't know how people text with their thumbs? I use one finger and am terrible. We set up Wanda's on Friday, mine a few days earlier. She and I have very different ways of learning. I study the owners manual and user guide. I try to master one thing at a time. Wanda just starts pushing buttons. Her way makes me nuts. But now I have to admit, I think it's better.

Two phones exactly the same. The name of the caller (or texter) comes up on her screen when she gets a contact. I get the incoming phone number. I spent a very frustrating day researching this issue. It's much nicer to see, JENNIFER or REBECCA rather then 1+9251234567.  (Girls, if you're reading this you're not calling us often enough.....nothing like a Jewish mother, or father). I finally realized I couldn't be the only person with this issue. So I went to the World Wide Web and I Googled: "Why does my LG840G Tracfone only display numbers not names?"

Bam.....the answer: When setting up your contact list use first names only. 

I didn't think of that. Wanda listed her contacts first name only and I used both first and last. I changed one and it worked. Now when my phone rings or texts I see Mike or Bill. It's a good thing I don't have many friends. I don't know how I would separate two Mikes. My next project is giving everyone a picture and their own ring tone. Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha.

I've been sending and receiving texts. Yesterday I heard a buzz like a hive of angry bees, then a tone. I went to check the front door and the house alarm. It wasn't the clock or the washing machine. I don't have a Life Alert or I would have checked that. Finally I realized I was getting my first call. I figure I should have this phone down cold sometime after the next ice age. 

A cousin recently purchased an iPhone. We were talking last Friday and she was telling me her son programed several apps for it. She was hoping to text her grand kids (I often text Nick, if I include the words Grandma baked cookies, he answers). Sometime after our conversation I thought it would be nice if my cousin and I exchanged cell numbers. We could text once in a while.

I sent her an e-mail.

Hi....I think we should exchange cell numbers. It may come in handy and I can text you once in a while. I also think a couple of semi-old-farts should get with the technology and join the 21st century.

Hi back....Yes, I agree. My number is 425-356-75 

Love SOF#2

Hi back again.....You are no longer a semi-old-fart but a full-on-old fart. Please send the last two digits of your phone number.

21st century techology? It may be a bit much for those of us born in the first half of the last one?

I had my new phone set up and it was time to erase the old one. 

Following the prompts I went to DELETE CONTACT then DELETE ALL CONTACTS and there I was asked for a password. I didn't remember putting one in. So I typed 1234 and saw another prompt: PLEASE RE-ENTER YOUR PASSWORD: I typed 1234. I was now able to delete all my contacts with one click. 

The system wouldn't let me delete contacts until they were password protected by a password I set up. I could have been anyone. What's the point here? The files, once deleted, wouldn't be accessed again. So why the password? I trust you are as confused as I was.

The more I learn, the less I know.