Cooler and out on the scoot!

OK, I know I can never convince any Apple owner that a PC is even close to the beloved Apple.  So that is a fight that I don't choose to pick.  My wife likes her Ipad too, but I can't begin to figure out what key strokes will do what I want next.  I just sit and look at it.......it doesn't even have a back button or a mouse.  The big button on one end returns you to the main screen cancelling all programs that are running.  I am lost!!!

So if macs never need updates ever, ever, ever, so be it.  But I am not sure how anything can be up with the latest developments if it is never updated.  This big update on W7 is service pak number 1 and W7 has been out for three years now, so perhaps windows has saved up for years with new stuff to put on all at once.

Remember I usually run Linux and do not support Windows much either, because they also take over your machine and do things for you from their home office.  But this laptop has windows, and I didn't want to just toss out something I paid for.

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Thanks for all the nice comments about the new hat.  It is made by the Head n Home company in Monterey Bay, California.  It is not considered, a cowboy model, but rather reminds me of the boonie hat we wore as part of the military uniform over in Viet Nam.  

The hat company claims that it is a Monterey Bay, California hat with the addition of western scallops around the vent mesh.  But where does cowboy stop and western begin.    They do make a line of what they refer to as cowboy and that has a rounded top with a crease in the middle where this hat is flat on top and doesn't have any crease.  I made the name clickable above if you are curious to look at their other styles.

Our day here was supposed to be sunny and nicely warm, but mid morning a deck of clouds came rolling in, and the warm up slowed.  We finally made 70 but it took much longer.  I stalled around wondering if it would rain, but didn't see anything on the radar.

So finally I went out on the scooter, riding up to the center of Apache Junction.  The main street is crossed with nasty expansion joints, that made my surgery cry.  I stopped at Harbor Freight.  Needed some small needle nose pliers.  Of course they had an assortment for cheap...

Next it was Wal Mart in the older part of downtown.  This Wal Mart has a really big host of characters that frequent it as clientele.  I thought about Al, and his camera taking pictures of folks that are unusual, but just can't bring myself to do that.  I had quite a bunch of stuff under the seat when I returned home.

For the rest of the day, we just hung around here at the motorhome.  Our computers kept us busy, until the afternoon required a nap.  We never did start the car....  

It was after dark before the sky cleared of the clouds, but we are sill in the mid 50s long after all our neighbors went off to bed.  Of course I am a night owl............

Retired Rod

A hat and another Quilt Show

OK, first of all, I must explain that I have the automatic update feature of Windows 7 turned off, and only allow updates when I want them.  Most windows systems are set to automatic updates, and happen behind the scenes when users never even know it is happening.

This is also true of Apple machines and to some extent the Linux OS that I use at home.  So, for you Apple owners that tout that you never ever even have to update your OS, that is because Apple controls your machine and updates it for you.  And that may be just fine, if you do not want this responsibility.

But please be advised that Windows will do all of this for you too, unless you take over and want to do it for yourself, like I do.

Now why do I do this?  Because we are on a measured line with the Verizon Aircard, and may be just about to go over our limits during a month that a biiiiiiiiig update is scheduled to be executed.  So I control these updates when I have the excess band width at the end of a monthly cycle.  Or do them at home, where we have no measured limit on band width.

And no I did not start the day out by updating windows 7...................LOL

It was country store day again here in the park, and I had decided that I was going to go buy that suede leather hat that I didn't purchase last week.  Since we didn't go to Quartzsite, I am allocating that gas money toward the new hat.

So I got cleaned up and went up on the motorscooter.  But........... I couldn't find the hat vendor!!!  What?  But I noticed another vendor with the right hat on, and asked him where the hat guy went.  OH,  you mean my brother?  He thought sales were poor here last week so he is over at View Point RV today at their store.

We talked for a while, and I told him to tell his brother that he was missing sales today here at Valle Del Oro.  Of course the vendor here pointed out that it was only about three miles over there, and why not just go get one?

And since I was on the scooter anyway, that was what I did.  View Point is about 2 miles North of here on Ellsworth Rd and about a half mile back to the West on University Drive.  Even in traffic I think it was only about 10 minutes up there.  But parking once I was in the park was entirely another matter!

I drove around and around looking for that illusive spot to open up.  Even the corners and half spots were full of golf carts, but finally I lucked into a spot as the car in it was leaving.  I marched right into the ballroom.  Man these parks are all just alike.  The main building is a little older and looks more like Mesa Spirit than VDO but still you almost have to have a sign to know which one your in.

My hat man was right in the middle of the room, and as I walked up, and he remembered me from last week.  He said "Steve called and said he sent you over!"  And in just a few minutes with a charged amount on my Visa card, I owned a new hat.

But I'm not too sure that his business was any better over there than it was here at VDO.....

When I got home, Loyce was all ready to go to the Phoenix Quilt Show at the Arizona Fair Grounds.  But I had left a note before I went so she was waiting calmly......  The fairgrounds are back over in downtown Phoenix where I 10 and I 17 merge.  17 heads North towards Flagstaff from that corner.  We were there by noon.

Now I had to become scarce again for a couple of hours, and the fairgrounds charges $7 to just sit in the car.  It costs $10 to get in the door, and since I didn't care to stay or go in anyway, that was extra money to apply to the new hat.

But.... North of that corner is a Ham Radio store, and every year I go up there and look at new radios.  So off I headed.  Biscuit was still in the car, so she rode along too.  I am happy to report that I didn't buy any new radios...........and really wasn't tempted by any either...

Then, of course, it was back thru a Wendy's and Biscuit had her doggy kibble and before you know it, time was up to go back and get Loyce.  She had another big bag of goodies when we met.  I didn't even ask what was in the bag..........

We sat outside under the dining canopy when we returned and absorbed the 73 degree day.........Ahhhh!

Retired Rod

More W7 updates and Shopping with Loyce

I started in doing updates on windows 7 again this morning.  I spent about an hour or more with varying success.  Adobe PDF file reader was causing me some trouble and no longer would update itself.  I had a version 9 something.

I used the revo uninstaller and completely removed it from the computer.  Then when the machine was completely clear of PDF readers, I went back to the internet and installed what I thought was the latest Adobe reader.............Not......some off brand thing was substituted.  So Revo again to remove the impostor.  Now read that selection a little more carefully before down loading the actual Adobe reader, which turned out to be a version 10.  And it seemed to live under the W7 service pak 1 environment much better.

I went after the official updates from Microsoft for a while loading groups of programs three different times.  But finally Loyce wanted to go over into West Mesa at Dobson Road to the Jo Ann's fabric store there.  Something she was looking for was only at that store.

But as I dropped her off, I told her that I was going to the Bass Pro shop up in the North end of the shopping complex.  And I would be back after while........ I walked the entire store but didn't see anything that I really wanted, well other than several new guns and fishing rods......  But those things get really expensive so I came back to Loyce's store.

She wasn't even close to being ready, as it takes her over an hour every time she goes in.  The stores are like Wal Marts as they all have the same things, but things on sale seem to vary.  Loyce should go to work for this company because she is so familiar with their business.

Once she was done, I surprised her by taking her back over to the Bass Pro telling her that I needed to check on one more thing.  But parking in front of the Islamorada Fish Company.  She still was in the dark, as we entered the store, and it turned out to be a side entrance to the restaurant.

She ordered the big burger and their fresh made potato chips, but I had fish and chips, which was cod and french fries with a side of ranch dressing for dipping.  Came with some slaw as well.  It had the same options on the chips that the burger did but opted for the regular french fries.  Ya, I know I'm boring.

We messed around in the store for some more time after we ate, and eventually came back home.  Since I saw 70 degrees on the car thermometer, I decided that it was time to go ride the scooter for a while outside of the park and at regular speeds.

I was gone for over an hour and was up to 50 mph at one time, but mostly it seems like you sit at the lights waiting for the traffic to go again.  At one point I found a really bumpy part of Meridian Rd South of the old downtown Wal Mart here in Apache Jct.  It shook my insides and the new surgery wasn't liking that very much, so I had to get off of that road.

Anyway I came back home, and I am not seriously pained tonight after the experience.  So with some judgement, short trips to go get things and eat at Wendy's are back on the menu with the scooter.....

I'm sure as the days press on, I will be able to ride longer and stand the bumpy roads better, but for now I am just satisfied getting to go out at all.

Retired Rod

And I just moved the cursor over the update Icon on the task bar, where it stressed upon me that I need to get two more W7 updates......  Will it ever end???????

Car wash and the bread maker arrives.

Too much fun, as I booted the lap top, and windows 7 continues to ask me to run yet more updates.  I just declined to get started today because I was afraid that it would become another all day deal.  I still have enough band width left on our Verizon Air Card this month, but my will power just wasn't into it.

I jumped on the motor scooter and motored up to the office here in the RV park.  I was told to report up at the office when I got back.  This morning, I thought it was about time that I went up there and did what they wanted.

They asked when I got back, and I answered last week.  They asked what day, and I wasn't sure, perhaps it was Thursday.............  Heck, I don't remember, I'm retired........  So they just recorded it.  But Loyce was telling me it was Monday when we got here and I wasn't all that truthful.

All they are going to do is prorate a $30 charge, what's a day or two one way or the other.....?  Well she was going to go straighten it out, but then I saw on the email that Wal Mart's site to store had received my bread maker......  I grabbed the car and headed out.

Stopping by the car wash, I ran the very dirty car thru the automatic wash.  They have an area where you can dry the car and have free vacuums.  We had a mud rain again last night, where you get about a tenth of an inch of very muddy rain.  Man I was glad to get that cleaned up.

Back to the site to store experience.  I had to go to the back of the store where the service desk is used mostly for prospective employees applications.  I showed the email on my phone to the clerk, and she typed in the numbers.  Excusing herself, she headed back into the warehouse.  Returning with a box, she began attacking it with scissors.  She explained that the product was inside the brown pasteboard box and she is supposed to inspect it that nothing is damaged.

We were in luck as the breadmaker box was almost pristine.  She printed out a ticket and I had to sign that I had received the product, and then another receipt to get out of the store.  But I had other purchases, so I had to go thru the cashier checkout.  That gal wanted to ring up the breadmaker again, so I had to explain the site to store and show her the receipt.

She wasn't sure, and had to call a supervisor cashier.  They discussed the propriety of my paperwork, and decided that if I could get past the guard at the door, they were good with it. I paid for the yeast and flour to make bread and headed out.

Folding up the tickets for the site to store in my pocket, I just waved the receipt for the groceries at the door guard, and he waved me right thru.    Man that was easy...........

The poor motorscooter sat all afternoon, as I was away with the car and then as we opened and cleaned the new machine.  Tonight we had fresh honey wheat bread along with our supper.

After dark, I went out and covered the scooter.  It hasn't left the park yet as I am not completely pain free, and willing to do battle with the local traffic.  Every day is an improvement, but I'm not out of the woods yet.

I had hoped to go over to Quartzsite for the show this week, but riding for 3 hours over and then walking the show all day seems like too much.  Especially when you consider that it is 3 hours home again.

We are to have temps again in the mid 30s tonight, so the heaters are on!  The local news claims that warmer weather will be here tomorrow!  Yea............

Retired Rod