Wow! I made it out of an "account/which sign-in and password DID I use?" black hole. Need I say more vis a vis a comment on technology???

Well, I will. It's this. Don't make assumptions about how people ACTUALLY communicate. Most folks have a phone # (or 2 or 3 or more), an email account (or 2 or 3 or more), perhaps a blog (or 2 or 3 or more) and EVEN an actually physical address to which you can MAIL a letter (imagine that)

So, which technology to use for any given person you want to communicate with can be a crap shoot. For example, I have a cell phone which I rarely have on unless I need to call my son, or, I'm on the road and am expecting a call. If you call and leave a message I probably won't get it until my techno son notices and says "Hey, Mom, you've got messages" He, of course, at 15, will use any feature there is to use on his cell phone, which was purchased by yours truly SOLELY so that he can check in with me and I can track him down when he hasn't checked in.

Then there are those you ONLY use their cell phone (yes, ditched a home land phone)

Then there's email. The best thing since Silly Putty. Yet, I have found that there are folks out in the business world who don't use their email. They give it to you, it's on there business card and everything else associated with their job, but be dam*ed if they really use it. They are the phone people. They will play phone tag with you for days on end but never respond to an email. I find this very frustrating. But, what are ya gonna do? That's right - give 'em a call.

In sum, technology has to be used to be of value. We need a technology that keeps track of how each of the thousand people you know uses it. Any takers?

Plumeria

Plumeria, originally uploaded by ~So Cal Gal~.

This is a plumeria blossom. It's scent is called fragipani. It is a popular lei flower in Hawaii. Like most vegetation there, it's not native. It is very common, like a flowering crab is to us in Maryland. It comes in this and yellow and pinks and reds, plus some fancy hybrids.

It is my favorite flower. As a child I picked these all the time. Each flowers snaps right off cleanly, leaving your fingers sticky with a thin, milky sap. Then you string your lie, spritz it with water, put in a big baggy in the fridge to keep it fresh.

It's so beautiful in its simplicity. It's delicate looking, but actually the velvety petals are fairly substantial (it's a succulent) And the smell - light but full, clear,dreamy... I could go on. (Yes, I know, smells can evoke powerfully memories and emotions. I was a care-free kid roaming paradise with sand between my toes - not bad.)

Thanks for listening. MC

LLL test

First entry/test 71/2 habits


Z easiest, but of course, is # 71/2 --PLAY PLAY PLAY and PLAY.

However, I'll choose a second pick: believe it or not, # 3 View problems as challenges.

I certainly wouldn't have chosen this one 20 yrs ago, but age, childrearing, home ownership and grad school (incl. lots of commuting time to ponder everything from choosing a paper topic, getting the kid to stay in his own bed at night and changing the belt in the dryer) have enlighteded me on this way of tweaking a problem (oh, crap!) into a challenge (I can find a way to fix that!)
Disclaimer: cannot be held to this statement 100% - be real.

Hardest: # 6 Use technology to an advantage.

That is to say, it's not usually my first line of attack, even when it probably should be. For example, I've never set a blog until now (when I have to) And, my oh my, it was SO difficult.

Let's check this test/first posting - I have every confidence in this technology!