What's wrong with this picture?

Ok, that's a saying cause clearly I don't have a picture here; but wait a minute. You're driving to and from work every house you pass has snow melting; but still plenty of snow piled up along the walk and drive. Businesses have mounds still in parking lots from the plows piling it up storm after storm. You here kids voices, they're walking home from school BAREFOOT! BAREFOOT and wearing SHORTS!!! Not one or two, lots of them. I saw them all the way home. Smaller age kids playing in their front yards the same thing. Are people nuts? It's not summer, it's not even Spring. There's still Snow...you know the cold white stuff on the ground. Yeah I know teenagers do stupid things and might have gone nuts over the fact that the sun had finally come out and the snow was finally melting. I know they think they can do whatever they want and probably where wearing the gym shorts, and had shoes in their bookbags....but come on. It was pretty, the sun was out; but it was just barely 50 for a few hours. We had frost again that night, it's still winter.

And what the heck is wrong with parents? The small children, some younger than school age dressed the same playing in yards didn't just do this themselves. They are home with adults, they are playing barefoot next to a pile of snow!

I can't tell ya how disgusted I was. Parents and teachers are suppose to be teaching kids to be responsible. What adult thinks it's responsible behavior to be barefoot in the winter time with snow still about?

Any idea how many will get sick, not be able to go to school because of it? I shake my head. Parents have a job, and sometimes you're suppose to lead by example and sometimes you're suppose to say no. When the welfare, safety and health of your children is a stake you most certainly are suppose to put your foot down.

Gonna have to grab some yarn and relax a bit. Almost finished with a scarf for the homeless and I can guarantee you as nice as the sun was that one day for them, they weren't running around shoeless wearing shorts.

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?

I Won, Really, I WON!

I see lots of contest on line on blogs. Some require lots of steps, some require techy things be done on blogs that go right over my head. Therefore I don't often enter them; but have become increasingly more aware of fun quick ones as I made my way around blog walking.

Through the above process, blog walking found Brenda. Her blog is fun! I'm looking forward to getting to know her better through blogging. She's involved in something called a 29 day give away. She gives something away everyday for 29 days! I won day 1 of 29. Here's the post which shows you a picture of what I won. You can read about it and still get in on her remaining days. Who knows, maybe you'll win something to. It's fun!

But, the best part is, you get to know another blogger and isn't that what we all do this for? For the fun of blogging, the fun of getting to know each other. I know it is for me.

So, don't wait, click HERE and go check out Brenda, her blog and her contest.

AND...don't forget to swing over to my Travel Blog to enter my contest. It runs through the end of the month, so you still have time to get your name into the hat to win.

Winning is fun, but so is playing!