A few days ago, my Sharp TV conked out.
My first thought was, "Geez, Louise! That TV is only fours years old! Well, I'm not going to just rush out and replace it only to watch summer re-runs. I can watch stuff on my computer or better yet, do more reading and practicing my piano and ukulele. Also, the house needs cleaning and organizing. My grounds need mowing and landscaping. Things need repair. Brush needs cutting. I should take more walks!"
Minutes later, I imagined spending the summer without Judge Judy. Minutes after that, I'd picked out a different brand of TV and set sail for Best Buy in Barrhaven, a suburb of Ottawa.
A sunny, warm day. Perfect for a little driving. Keyed the address into my Garmin GPS (a 2009 present from my sister) and pointed my Yaris north.
Well, that GPS had me going on three or four roundabouts -- over and over and over again!!! It felt like running a barrel race with no home barrel, just an endless loop around the same three (or four) barrels.
ARgghhhh!!! Finally I just ignored the silliness, headed off in the direction of the tallest buildings and found the store by educated guess. With a record high of $2 Canadian a litre for gas, the extra air pollution and wear and tear on the vehicle -- not cool!! I know I need to upgrade the maps but the Garmin maps upgrade would cost more than a brand new device. So, the next time I head off to parts unknown, I'll print out a map with the route highlighted and use the GPS only as a rough guide.
Now I'm training my fingers to forget the old remote control and work a completely different and much more complex one. And Judge Judy continues to remind her litigates how smart she is.
* * * * *
Of course I have to include a few shots of my current backyard fauna.
 |
| Hummers are back and slurping their feeder syrup. |
 |
| Oreoles also back and slurping their grape jelly. |
 |
| One of my many rabbits, helping mow the lawn. |
 |
| A Cooper's hawk plucking what I think was a Mourning Dove. |
 |
| A male house wren claims this box with twig deposits. |
 |
| He prepares several nests to attract multiple mates. |
