Can we have a forum for "older" people with bc?

Wren ... love the sign thought.

Now Mimi, maybe it's just ME, but I would wear that beautiful litle paint job on that little girl!  It's a "sign".... we're going to meet my SIL and BIL at the Farmers Market today!  So see? I could have it painted and walk around like THAT!  Ha, ha! 

Isn't it good to laugh?  It's usually after the "hard part" has passed, but then to make something funny about it, just helps!  

Sorry about your computer being in the garage repair station!    I just have gotten so used to my computer, and I think it's about 10 years old, and still working great.  I would hate to try navigating around one of those new ones, with "touch-screen" and speed faster than the sound of light, and me sittin' there going "Whoa!  Wait just one second, while I figure out  WTH is going ON here!" 

Remember those old Remington typewriters, or Underwood that we learned to type on?   And how many times I sent the carrieage flying across the machine, and knocking over my drink?    And in order to pass the class we had to be able to type 40 words per minute!   I nailed it! 

Chevy, my 8-yr-old niece was here at my house yesterday.  She pulled out a brush from my container of pens and pencils and odds and ends and wanted to know what it was for.  It was a brush for cleaning typewriter keys!  I had to explain to this child what a typewriter was!  She asked if I had one because she wanted to type on it!  I still have a box of carbon paper.  Talk about antique possessions!

When I was writing my romance novels back in the 80's, I used the printer paper that was all connected into one mile-long strip and you had to separate the pages and tear off the margins with the little holes.  As time went on and technology changed things, I started sending the manuscripts on discs.  Then the discs became obsolete.  Now I guess writers use flash drives or CDs or some other direct method of transmitting from their computers. 

Amazing what has happened in our lifetime.  Not to mention my 91 yr. old mother's lifetime.

Mimi, I just told my dh about you and showed him the picture of the child with the painted face. 

Hope everyone has a good day.

Oh its a wonderful day in the neighborhood and why???  Well, because there are all kinds of wonderful, inspiring people stuck somewhere inside the screen I'm looking at and I get to share life with them everyday.  My idea of Nirvana.

Mimi....oh can I relate to that computer stuff.  I am so very much addicted to computers now.  Many, many years ago.....when I was graduating high school and computers were just starting pretty much ( they were the type I think that had several large machines doing who knows what ) to be something some women might want to parlay into a job.  They took up a huge amt. of space and look  ( at least to me ) quite forbidding. 

Well, a few years later....I did work at a large X-ray facility and they did all their billing by computer.  So, on my desk were several long trays of punch cards.  Never did fully understand the whole process. 

Fast forward to 1996 when hubby got our first computer.  An old nearly used up one and I kept thinking this home computing thing would never fly.  They seemed so expensive and were using the DOS format then.   I struggled with it.....waiting for it to literally blow up, belch out a black smoke cloud and then roll over and gasp its last breath.

Of course that didn't happen, but I really did think....one wrong move and its OVER.  We graduated to a newer one and at that time, they were not using DOS.  I still thought it very difficult, but I was able to do a bit more...not much, but not having to use DOS did help me improve a slight amt.  Still terrified.

Now.....what I can do ( not all that much in reality ) is just wing around and flit here and there and deal with this thing with a huge amt. of impunity.  I know it won't BLOW sky high now......but often there is so much frustration.  I am thankful that it ( windows 7 ) seldom locks up and has a lot of virus blockers in the system.  You still need some sort of protection, but they make it a lot harder for something to find you and install its nasty self.  I can pre-set a lot of things I want done automatically.....when I'm not using it. 

So, when in doubt call Chevy.  She can help you laugh through the frustration....she and Cammi. 

Teacher, hope we haven't scared you away with all our silly antics.

And last but not least....laughter, even forced ( your body doesn't know that ) turn on good health giving responses in your body......which is a good reason that no matter what is happening....hopefully, we will all get to a point where we can just let it go "whatever" it is and laugh. 

Beauty of a day out and out temps will get near 70.......and I'm so hoping that you all will get some of the sun and warmth. 

Blessings

Jackie

We still have an IBM selectric typewriter that has moved with us to three houses because my DH cannot part with it. When I started teaching, we had to use mimeograph machines and now students in the district where I retired all have their own iPads to work on and send work to their teachers. The times sure changed and here I sit communicating with people all over, grateful for the technology that keeps my heart beating and is giving me back a semblance of my body. The new girls are only 8 weeks old, so they don't sag...yet. Gravity will win eventually and we will probably be moving the typewriter whenever we move again.

When I went to the University of Oklahoma, they had punch cards for enrolling. And I switched jobs once to get to use a selectric. Loved that typewriter. Later I was used to computers for airlines. When I applied for a job they gave me a typing test on a typewriter. I'm sitting there thinking OMG, return the carriage, listen for the bell! After I got the job (where I never ever used a typewriter, always a computer), I asked how I'd done on the typing test. The boss said they thought I had an edge due to my age and experience. I'd done the best! I've used both Apple and windows and can switch between them. I prefer Apple, but I sure wish their price would come down to my affordable range. I have my late BIL's Apple now. DH brought up an apple keyboard, but it was Dvorak. I decided not to try to learn.

Okay, this is an "Electronic" Typewriter...Ha!

,"http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41W17YKS64L._SX425_.jpg":[425,422],"http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41W17YKS64L._SX355_.jpg":[355,352],"http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41W17YKS64L._SX450_.jpg":[450,446],"http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41W17YKS64L._SX466_.jpg":[466,462]}' ]<="" unselectable="on">

And the funny thing is, we went out to the huge Farmers Market today.... (Flea Market( and I SAW this Electronic typewriter....  !!!  I just stopped, and couldn't help but laugh! 

Also Mimi, near the produce isle, was a face painting booth!  How fun!  I of course thought of you!

Yes Carole, I remember you posting like almost 5 years ago, on this thread....  I started posting in November, of  2009  And I knew you were a proficient story-teller!  I haven't read any of your books yet, but I DID try and figure out which one was the most popular when I was ordering Nook books from Barnes & Noble!   I think I even sent you a PM, asking which one was your favorite.... But sounds like you have moved on.... and your love of traveling has taking over! 

I remember going to Sears, before I got a computer at the flea market, for $100.... Anyway, it was a "word processor"....  ( I think)....  And you could save your work on floppy disks!  But it seemed like such an advancement from the regular old typewriter!    Yes.... the carbon paper, was such a mess! 

Oh SURE Jackie!  Like I know what I am DOing with this Dell Vista.... Ha, ha!   Or Cammi!  I mean she hardly knows what a key-board IS, much less  spell-check!   She can hunt & peck, and smack that monitor into submission, but don't expect any expert help from either one of us! 

We are just good at taking showers, chickin' sittin' and drinking chocolate cokes....  And she sleeps a lot.... with Katey-Kat, and our little Joey.... I have since adopted him, and I'm his "other Grandma"..... I say.   He takes care of Cammi, because I can't be there all the time.... and boy does she need help! 

Hi Anne and Teach!  We called the gal that, who trained us for the Mountain Bell, as a Long Distance Operator in 1955...  We called her "Teach"...  Such a great job, but soooooooo  BORING for a young 18 year old, who just wanted to get off work.... and not SIT at a switch-board all day.  I met DH that November, started going steady, then 9 months later, got engaged, and FINALLY in Sept. 1957 we had saved enough money to get married!  Got pregnant 3 months later, and quit that job when I was 8 months pregnant!   But what a fun life!

Been married for almost  57 years!    But wait!  I only FEEL that old.... not what I really am....

Sally, writing was my fulltime job for 21 years, during which I had 35 paperback romance novels published under the pseudonym Carole Halston.  My publisher was Silhouette Books, now owned by Harlequin Romances, the biggest publisher of romance fiction in the world.  I retired in 2000.  The main thing I miss is what most retired people miss--getting paid! 

I took Typing in high school and we learned on manual typewriters.  Typing is a very handy skill. 

Mommarch, I hope your motorhome turns out to be reliable and that you have a good trip.  It's nice to sleep in your own bed when you're travelling and to have a refrigerator to hold some food.

Today was a gorgeous day.  But the weather is warming up again.  I came home this afternoon and closed windows and doors before switching on the a/c.

Jackie, I've heard of making the kale chips but haven't tried it.  I'll have to give it a try.  I think I'll have some popcorn tonight.  Have I mentioned the method I've been using?  I pour about 2 T of kernals (Orville R.) into a large pyrex bowl, cover with a plate, and place in microwave.  Set on high for 5 min. and wait until the popping subsides.  Take out bowl with oven mitts since bowl gets very hot. 

I transfer the popcorn to a lightweight "popcorn" bowl, spray with butter-flavored cooking spray and sprinkle with a little sea salt.  Much cheaper than buying the popcorn in the bags and just as good.

Carole, I have read many Silhoutte/Harlequin books, so I bet I have read novels you have written.  

Jackie, thanks for the kale chips recipe.

Anne, like you I took typing as an elective ... and boy have I been glad I did.  I think my parents made me take it, so it was only kind of an elective.

I took one semester of typing and got a C. But I took a typewriter to college and typed zillions of papers (history/philosophy major). I remember the joy of getting a Xerox machine, so carbons were not needed. I remember typing a government grant application with 8 carbons.

Typing....  Oh, my - such a loooong time ago - I think it was the summer of 1958, a friend & I took a summer course at a secretarial school on manual typewriters - we were 15.  I remember how weak my little fingers were....  They did play music and I think that really helped build up my speed once I learned where all the keys were.  It did help with the rest of high school and my almost one-year of university.  I didn't have a "real" job until 1963 & only for a couple years because I stayed home with our kids.  I went back to work in 1978 where I was thrilled to have an IBM Correcting Selectric II & I thought that was hot sh!t.  I kind of grew into computers on-the-job.  Our 1st home computer was an Apple II+ with dual floppy drives - we thought it was fantastic - we got it for our son & he taught us as he learned at school.  At work, I used to make a lot of the forms we needed - at 1st, I'd just copy forms that I couldn't get copies of, or if they'd been xeroxed so many times they were a complete mess - then I got to where I'd design them for our office's needs.  Other secretaries would ask for copies and it got to where I was even making letter heads and business cards for each office.  I was still doing that up to when I retired 2-years ago.

Now I can't imagine doing without our puters - DH is into flight sim & does a lot of photo-shopping with airplaines and scenery; I spend my day on FB & surfing the web.  And, yes, I have an IBM Selectric, too....  hee hee

I took all the courses in high school to prepare me for working as a secretary:  typing, shorthand, bookkeeping.  But I was a good student in all my courses and made mostly A's.  So I ended up 3rd in my class of more than 100 students.  My favorite subject was English because I loved to read and was good at writing.  I had no plans for college for I knew my parents couldn't afford to send me and that must have been before the era of student loans.  BUT...  I qualified for a full scholarship at a nearby 4-yr college in Hammond, LA.  It's now a university.

This FULL scholarship was for the huge amt. of $300 a semester.  That paid for tuition, dormitory room, cafeteria with a little money left over to pay for textbooks.  SO I went off to college instead of getting a secretarial job.  I majored in English and skipped the regular freshman English courses because I already had learned all their content in high school.  I studied cool stuff like Greek drama. 

But I had to study really hard to pass chemistry and geometry because I hadn't taken those college prep courses in high school.  To keep my scholarship I had to make a B average.  I loved college and decided to keep going to school.  So I applied for a teaching assistantship at the U of GA and got it.  Went on to earn my Master's and got some experience teaching freshman English. 

I would have continued and earned a PH D at Auburn University, where I was awarded another teaching assistantship but I met and married my dh and got off on another track that involved travel and having fun.

Off to WW meeting this morning.  Looking back on my week, I did not do well with my healthy eating plan. Hope to do better this week.

Wishing everyone a good Monday.

Chevy, your Coors time sounds like it was a wonderful adventure as well as a job ... and you were an operator too.  Would you continue the story to include how you transitioned from one to the other?

Carole, how did you start your book career.  Like, I think it was Jackie, I bought a book about how to get published, but never followed through.

Good morning Wren44, MinusTwo, and mostlymom ... everyone else, of course, too.

Jackie, today's quote is calling me more than usual ..."Blessings on this day - may I make it special in some way."  As always, thank you for sharing your daily quote.

One blessing of the day was that my DH let me know FAST that there was no hot water. After his chilling wash, he checked and pilot light on the water heater won't stay on. Since a cold shower wasn't on my schedule for the day, I heated some water. It was my homage to pioneer days. Then I got on the computer (thank goodness for technology) to find a plumber. Turns out 3 of 5 I called won't work on water heaters that use propane. One fellow asked in a condescending tone if I knew if there was propane in our tank or if I knew where to look. Of all things. I may be retired and live in the country, but I'm not stupid. The other two companies said they would replace the heater for $1200-$1400. Doesn't anyone repair or is the first impulse to just throw the broken thing away. Still searching.