Technology almost defeats me

What a twenty-four hours! Yesterday afternoon, my printer wouldn't work because it told me the yellow cartridge was damaged. Bought a new one and installed it, and still the same message. After much frustration on a site I thought was Hewlett Packard and was really JustAnswer--and $26.00--I was told to clean the cartridge bottom and the carrier. Worked like a charm. And  you know what? That was a lot easier than hauling the printer down to Staples.
My cell phone wouldn't access my bank so I could digitally deposit some checks--bank's advice was not helpful. Christian asked me this morning how I fixed it, and I told him I turned the phone off and then back on. But I had two checks to deposit--one a nice refund from the IRS--and it still wouldn't take it, so Christian went off to deposit it.
My final trauma was that my publisher sent me a zip file of all the various forms of my new novel, Desperate for Death. I couldn't do a thing with it--have found that problem before--and Christian told me you need a special program to open zip files. So I sent it to Melinda at TCU Press and she decompressed them and sent me individual files, most of which I couldn't open--mobi for Kindle, and others for various digital platforms. All I really got was the cover and the pdf.
Still, Christian was my tecchie hero for the day. And I wish I could find the funny picture of him in a fringed Mexican hat clowning around--he swears it was taken at 10:30 in the morning yesterday.
So this morning I was riding high--thought I had all my tecchie problems solved--but the printer told me it was out of paper when it clearly wasn't. I hadn't got the back tray or whatever on properly. Fought with it for a long while...and managed to set off my emergency alarm, on a bracelet, so the alarm service kept demanding to know if I was all right, making me repeat after them that I was all right, making me repeat my address, etc.
Tonight I think I'm all over those problems. And other than that, it was a good day. Got a caricature of me that I'd ordered and will work into the blog sometime soon; got the cover to my chili book, Texas is Chili Country, which is due in November--the cover is really great. Good lunch with one friend and good dinner with another. My cup runneth over...and I am sleepy.

Saying goodbye is hard

My longtime friend Barbara and her daughter, Amy, left to return to Mississippi this morning but not before we gave them one last taste of Fort Worth spirit. Today was the annual Lily B. Clayton Walkathon, a fund-raiser for the school, complete with the Paschal High School Marching Band. It made for a colorful and lively spectacle right outside my front door, and I convinced my guests that they would be captive until after it got under way. So we parked ourselves on the front porch, sent Amy to the curb to take pictures, and watched the fun. Kids walking by and the little girl next door were dancing to the beat of the music, and everyone was smiling and happy. Our focus of course was on getting a picture of Jacob--Amy and I were both looking for his dad's plaid shirt, but this was the first year Jacob walked without a parent (Dad had too much to do at work). The result was pictures in which Jacob is barely recognizable, but here's one of him from behind.

Barbara and I mostly sat on the porch, two old ladies watching the children with great delight, though she did venture down one time--with her dog who was so anxious to be part of the fun--to point out to Amy that she'd just missed Jacob.

They left shortly after the parade headed off for the inner neighborhood and got out in plenty of time before I heard to band signifying the parade's return to the school.
It was hard to say goodbye after such a wonderful visit, but they promise to come back soon--maybe in the spring--and Barbara and I are talking about traveling together. I am so lucky to have such a close bond with a friend from high school. We have so much in common--I have four children, she has five, and we both are blessed with fine children who are a close family unit. As the years have passed, our values and our sense of humor seem to have grown in the same direction. I don't know when I had such a good time as these last few days.
I spent the rest of the day piddling at work things at my desk and napping. Not sure why but I was really sleepy. Jacob had a friend stop and play after school and before I knew it, it was time to take him to his mom's office. I came home, had a second nap, and woke up just in time to talk to Jamie who as at the airport ready to fly to Hong Kong. He knows I don't like him to go that far without my saying "Be careful" and all those other things mothers say, and tonight he said he was a bit offended that I hadn't called. Nice visit with him, while he simultaneously dealt with a Railhead BBQ person in the terminal and found to his dismay they didn't have ribs.
Had a good dinner with Kathie--lobster at Lucille's--and home. And sleepy again.