Some Perspective Thinking on this 300th Blog Post

This post marks my 300th post of this blog. Sandy's Space covers knitting, crocheting, family history, family, and well...a variety of "STUFF". It began as only a place to post items I crocheted or knitted for charity, an aid to help me keep track of what was made and sent where. I didn't post all that frequently as it wasn't a particularly user friendly blogging format in those days. It was titled Crocheting and Caring Cause I Can. Notice the 4C's? Look at the url of the blog. Though I've been able to successfully change the title and everything else about the blog over the last several years, I've never been able to change the url. Troublesome, cause I would like to. No one looking at the url of 4ccccs.blogspot.com/ is going to remember know or care what it is. Back in those days I had a yahoo 360 blog, a multiply one after 360 went crazy. Prior to both of those I had an msn spaces blog, and heck before that I had an aol blog. I had several group pages on msn as well. Things change, just like the cell phone's above.

Sadly, the above photo of cell phones is a bit incomplete. It doesn't show our first phone. Our first mobile phone that was in a bag, that one plugged into the cigarette lighter in the car. That was really meant to be used in the car and be less portable. It's like a time line of technology. The phone on the far left is the first one we bought our daughter, it had limited minutes and was only to be used for emergency and so we could call her during her many after school activities back in the day. It was a huge thing for us to do that. It was her birthday gift when she turned 16. Each month, you purchased x amount of minutes. Now people think their kindergartners need cell phones. Or maybe they don't think they "need" them, but they want them. They want them to play games, to have apps, to take pictures. They have no realization that a phone is a tool, not a toy; that it's not cheap. Most, don't even have restrictions on when, or how to use it. And then kids get into trouble because of what they're doing with the phones....maybe not quite that young, but as they get older. Perhaps parents should reverse the time line with regard to cell phones and buy one that does less not more. What child needs a smart phone? What child needs a droid, what child needs the ability to access all that stuff in the adult world 24 x 7? I think, none of them do. Give them a phone you can reach them on when needed. Give them a phone that doesn't allow apps, pictures, texting etc.

We've donated all our previous cell phones, but am glad I took a picture first. The phones are reconditioned and given to women in shelters who've been battered.

Projects in the works:
Close to finishing Opal Ghan (started way back, frogged and restarted and stitches counted HERE
6 or 7 ghans designed and being edge and joined for Bridge and Beyond
Baby blanket in the works seen here

Recently completed projects:
Buckeye Baby (in the works pictured here)
Scarf for homeless pictured here
Recent ghan repaired...post pending
3 Oddball Baby Blankets Mossy Delights pictured Here, and Pumpkin Patch & Sweet Pea HERE

Cell Phone Software, who knew?

My cell phone and blue tooth. The cell isn't brand new; but then I've only had it a few months too. It keeps turning itself off. Makes me crazy. I use it as a watch when at work. I keep it on vibrate so it doesn't ring, but in my lab coat jacket where I can periodically check time. I work in food market research and need to keep track of how the tests are running against the schedule for 1. I'm able that way also to see if I've missed a call.

Yesterday I had it. The silly thing turned itself off 5 times during the course of my work day. What a nuisance. It's also not uncommon for me to have phone in hand or on my desk and it not ring with incoming call; but seconds later it rings I've missed a call. Weird, my other phones never did this stuff. This is suppose to be a better phone, more hi-tech etc. I've also been getting lots of folks who say I'm breaking up and they have a hard time hearing me. I have it turned up and so do they at their end.

What gives? Headed right to Verizon after work to get to the bottom of things. Bob, nice guy there hooks into his computer and tells me I need software updates. I have version 3 and 6 is available. Meaning I've missed a few updates along the way. He was pretty certain that would fix the problems I was telling him about. 10 minutes later I was in the car and on my way. The phone has not shut it self off since. And 3 people who often have have said I'm breaking up have called and said they hear me better, and the connection is improved.

I asked my new BF, Bob if this was something I could do myself and he first said he could show me how. Then after messing with the phone (which he did before he put it on the computer), he said...hum your phone thinks it's updated so probably best to come in and let us do it on the computer. A friend told me she regularly (like monthly) dials *288 and gets updated. That she had been told to do that when she bought the phone. No one has ever told me to do that with all the various phones hubby and I have had. So, I looked things up on line and do see that recommendation although on blogs and other sites; not the actually Verizon site, nor do I find it in the manual.

You're suppose to dial 288, when it asked if you want to update roaming you take option 2, then again option 2 to update your programming. You receive either a beep (according to one site), or a visual text (according to 2nd site) telling you to click ok which then turns off and restarts your phone....reboots. My friend does this monthly as I mentioned; though the sites suggested once every 3 months. She says she even does when out of town; however both sites recommended you not do this except in your home calling area.

If when you try the 288 you have problems call Verizon Customer Service by dialing 611. However, in my case Bob apparently did the above and that's when he got the message the phone was current with updates...............clearly it was not. My recommendation, take your phone and let the experts do it for you. It's easy, and it's free.

Who knew? I didn't, did you?