Time and Other Changes....

The cats are a little off kilter.

Sparky usually waits for Wanda to get up before he starts grousing for food. Since he can't read a clock and is totally oblivious to the recent time change he listens to his stomach. This morning he sauntered into the bedroom yowling for food at 3:45. It took me several minutes to wake her enough to get up and feed him. 

I think one of us should check his bowl to make sure the bottom is full before calling it a night.

Steve is so happy we're home the last two days he's hidden small piles of cat barf for us to find when walking through the house barefoot. 

He's concerned we left him in the care of The Very Scary Small Person Who Grew-Up.

I should explain.

When Grandson Nicholas was about the size of a Chucky Doll the cats would hear him coming up the walk and scatter before he got to the front door. Favorite hiding spots were the garage rafters, behind the dryer or washing machine and occasionally the top shelf in the linen closet. Nick had pets at home. He lived with cats, dogs, turtles and a lizard named Ron. He was always gentle and kind to animals but he thought our cats wanted to play hide and seek and that made the furry guys nervous.

These days Nick is all grown-up, he drives a car, has a job and will be entering his last teen year in less than two weeks. He knows the alarm code, the Wi-Fi password and how to operate all three of our remote controls. He has become our go-to person for house and cat duties when we travel. 

Before we left for Nevada City his Grandmother Wanda wanted to leave him last minute instructions and (as they say) touch base with him. Recently we've had discussions about the best way to communicate with family. 

Whether we like it, or not, whether we acknowledge it, or not, we are the elders. We are the parents and grandparents and sooner or later, if not now, we need to adapt to the ways of young people.

When I grew up telephones had tails; they were hard wired into the walls. The most versatile thing you could hope for was a long cord. I can not begin to explain and describe the joy and excitement when homes and equipment changed connectors to four prong plugs and we could move one telephone from room to room.

Back in those days a telephone, firmly ensconced in a wall or mobile within limits did one basic thing, it made noise to alert you someone wanted to talk. There was no advance warning who it was or what they may want. Unlike today when caller I.D. has become so sophisticated my television screen flashes me information when the phone rings. I was taught to answer and never ignore the telephone. My mother would say if someone was calling it must be important.

"Shulak residence Charles speaking. How may I help you?" Get that...may not can...five-years-old and I was taught to be humbly obedient to strangers.

No wonder I feel compelled to answer a telephone when it rings or immediately respond to a text message. Unless of course when I'm driving which as you know is seldom as possible.

God, remember pagers and answering machines. 

I bought my first answering machine when I was newly single. I wanted to be sure and receive all the important return calls for dates I'd set up. I got rid of it after three months. I hated coming home and knowing (rather then simply assuming) no one called. It was incredibly depressing. 

Now we have children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews and they all communicate the same way.

Not long ago I'd leave voice mail messages until I realized no one listened to them.

"Did you get my message?" I'd ask.

"Obviously, I'm calling you back."

"Yes, but did you listen to my message?"

"Why? You're just going to tell me again."

Now I just call and hang up. It saves minutes, it saves data. 

In July my two year commitment to Xfinity ends. I will be a free agent. I'd better start doing my research and learn all about alternative home entertainment like Roku, Chromecast and Apple TV. And data plans, I'll need to know all about data plans. Tell you the truth I'm not sure what officially constitutes data but I don't think I need much of it.

I would love to sever the cable and home communication system and go with new and different equipment. I really hate to admit an inanimate object has more intelligence than I do but I think it may be time for smart phones. It would be nice to have a camera, GPS and translator in one device. And I'm sure if I forget my hat a new phone would be large enough to wear on my head.

Back to Grandma Wanda and her communication with Grandson Nick. 

She didn't bother to call and leave a message that he wouldn't listen to anyway so she sent a text, it was a short text. 

Please check your Facebook messages.

She wrote a summary concerning house care and cat feeding over the week end. Detailed instructions were provided with the fridge and freezer contents, extra candy location if needed for Halloween children and where to find money for pizza. She explained; for the fourth time, the alarm system, garbage days and hidden locations for hide-a-keys should he lock himself out like his grandfather does on a semi regular basis. She wrote the names of the neighbors next door and across the street and listed phone numbers in case of emergencies. She added the vets name, phone and address. Wanda also reminded him where to find proof of insurance and the car registration. 

Wanda wrote for quite a long while compiling somewhere close to seven hundred words of instruction and concern.

At one point I heard her say, "I'm such a grandmother."

Later that afternoon Nick responded to Grandma Wanda via Facebook.

"Ya, I can do that."

He's such a grandson and we're so glad he is.

I feel like I'm on the cusp or sitting on the precipice of something.

We bought our first computer fifteen years ago. I was fifty at the time. Too young, I felt, to plead ignorance for the new and rapidly emerging technology. Now I'm sixty-five and utilize a larger percent of my brain (which isn't saying much) than the computer CPU. I've been working on this six year old lap top daily and after one full year I have yet to master Windows 8.1 on the desk top.

Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, Tumbir, Vine, Yik Yak, Yo., Whisper, WhatsApp, Kirk Messenger, Omegle and Wanelo I don't need to know about but can someone explain what a data plan is and how much I need.

And please, tell me like I was a five-year-old.