A Conversation In Which I Learn Something About E-book Readers, I Guess

April 10, 2015January 9, 2017 / Ally Bean / 37 Comments

Make no assumptions…

IT’S BEEN STORMY here this week. Some days the sky has been as dark at 11:00 a.m. as it is at 11:00 p.m. This weather phenomenon has been the talk wherever I go.

As you would imagine.

ONE THING THAT I’ve learned during these exceptionally dark mid-days is that my Kindle Paperwhite does what it claims that it’ll do. That is, it automatically adjusts to the changing light conditions, making reading an easy pleasant experience.

I’m rather impressed by this.

SO I’M CHIT-CHATTING with two acquaintances, a man and a woman both in their early 50s. And I mention, in passing, as a way of having something topical to say, that I’ve enjoyed my Kindle during these dark days. And both of my acquaintances said: “what’s a Kindle?”

They did not know about e-book readers. Any of them.

I WAS STUNNED, and started trying to explain what a Kindle is– what e-book readers are– how you use them– the different brands of them. Et cetera, et cetera. But while I talked, hoping to inform, these two seemingly normal people just stared at me like I was talking Martian gibberish. Which to them, I was.

Can you even imagine?

# # #

[Hello FTC! Please note: I’m opining here about an object that I bought with my own monies and just happen to like. I received no compensation of any sort for this review, such as it is. I mean really, who would pay me to say this?]

I’m Not Obsessed With Logic But…

November 6, 2014February 25, 2015 / Ally Bean / 20 Comments

I’ve no doubt that some people have wondered the above about me. [For the record, I tie my shoelaces all by myself.] We all have our moments, don’t we?

Uh huh.

So it is with the foregoing in mind that I tell you the gist of a conversation that I had with a casual acquaintance. It’s a conversation that didn’t make sense to me, but then I was having one of my logical days while my casual acquaintance wasn’t.

Oh well.

~ ~ • ~ ~

ACQUAINTANCE: Congrats on your success. I see that you’ve accomplished something.

MOI: Thank you.

ACQUAINTANCE: Did you do something different this time that contributed to your success?

MOI: Yes. {I explain how I did what I did.}

ACQUAINTANCE: {Acquaintance asks 2 or 3 clarifying questions.} Wow, so you did something entirely new?

MOI: Yes I did.

ACQUAINTANCE: WELL THAT WON’T WORK. YOU CAN’T DO IT THAT WAY. YOU’LL FAIL.

MOI: Huh?! But you just said…

ACQUAINTANCE: {Lots of explanation about how what I did will never work and how wrong I was to even try.}

MOI: Well, thanks for telling me this.

ACQUAINTANCE: Oh sure. Just trying to help.

MOI: Uh huh.

~ The End ~

[Source for the above image is anyone’s guess. I found it on FB. I’ve seen it on Pinterest, stumbled over it on many blogs, but have been unable to find its original source.]

Pondering A Neighbor’s Nutty Behavior

October 17, 2014November 19, 2015 / Ally Bean / 29 Comments

You know how sometimes when you’re walking along a downtown city street and a person, who is nuttier than a fruitcake soaked in rum, starts shouting nonsensical things at you from the other side of the street?

Well, here’s my suburban equivalent of that city experience.

# # #

Woman on other side of street pointing at passersby as she shouts for no discernible reason.

{ Source: Folger Shakespeare Library Digital Image Collection }

# # #

I was sitting outside on our deck, mid-afternoon, reading a catalogue, enjoying the mild October weather.

When BAM-BAM-BAM the neighbor woman who lives behind us on the other side of the wooded ravine started clanking metal objects together. This went on for about a minute.

I was startled, of course, so I looked up from my reading to see what was going on that required this much noise. I saw nothing out of the ordinary.

So I went back to reading my catalogue.

# # #

Me outside my house heading toward the deck to enjoy a bit of fresh air.

{ Source: Folger Shakespeare Library Digital Image Collection }

# # #

But that was not the end it. About a minute after she stopped clanking metal objects together she yelled to no one in particular: “Don’t. Feed. The. Birds.”

Then I heard her stomp into her house and slam shut the sliding patio door, leaving me to ponder what the heck she was talking about and who she thought would hear her.

It also made me realize that I needed to thank my lucky stars that the nuttier-than-a-fruitcake suburban neighbor lives way over there on the other side of the ravine.

Far away from me. Forsooth.

# # #

My nutty neighbor decreeing from afar that which we are to do henceforth.

{ Source: Folger Shakespeare Library Digital Image Collection }

# # #

Someone Likes My Laura Ingalls Wilder Blouse & It Isn’t Me

September 24, 2014July 29, 2015 / Ally Bean / 18 Comments

{Sub-titled: Never Underestimate The Youthful Appeal Of Calico}

Personal style is such a fickle thing.

I was in the grocery store about 10:00 a.m. standing near the deli counter, but not at it. I was looking for a particular brand of taco chips, not sliced meat.

A woman behind me started talking to me. She said: “Oh, it’s you! I always know when you’re shopping in the store because of that blouse you’re wearing.”

I turned around to see who it might be that was aware of my grocery shopping ensemble, which I apparently wear quite often.

• • •

Standing there, in her Kroger uniform, was a women who works full-time behind the deli counter. She is, as you can imagine from her unexpected chatty hello, a happy person who always gets my order right.

I like her.

I thanked her, and then not knowing what to say next I shared with her that this blouse, which I think of as my Laura Ingalls Wilder blouse, came from the Lands End at Sears sale rack years ago.

I didn’t explain to her that I bought this blouse, not because I thought that it was pretty, but because it fit perfectly, the price was right and the blue/periwinkle colors of the fussy pattern flatter my skin tone.

• • •

The woman went on to tell me that she liked my blouse because: “I had one just like it in junior high when I was 14 years old. And now when I see you in yours, I feel young again.”

Now isn’t that sweet?

The only problem here is that this faded summer blouse, which I do not like, is living on borrowed time. Come cold weather it’s leaving my closet permanently and going into the Goodwill pile.

I hate to disappoint the best deli meat slicer in the store, but honest to goodness, I’ve seen enough calico print on me to last a lifetime. I only hope that my decision to part with this blouse does not adversely affect my future deli counter service.

Only time, and a half pound of turkey sliced thin, will tell.