It’s out of control …

Actually, we’re out of control.   And if you’re paying attention, as in living life with your eyes wide open, you’ve noticed it too — and if you’re not guilty yourself, I’m guessing you’re as fed up as I am.

A few weeks ago I had a meeting.  It was the first time we’d laid eyes on each other.  They called me.  I was with them for an hour.  One of them texted the entire time I was there.  His device never left his hands.  He may have spoken once.  Maybe.  He made eye contact with me twice — when I arrived and again when I left.  That was it.

It took all the discipline I could muster to stop myself from reaching across the table, grabbing the offending item, tossing it on to the floor and jumping all over it.  Just before I sailed out of

Moments in time …

Have you ever thought about what it would be like to have a camera with you at all times?  Well, technically, with camera phones we do, but I mean to use it?  Constantly.  Every minute of every day.  Freezing all the moments in time that become your life.

Keeping them intact, as it were.  A limitless panorama, there for you to look at, whenever you felt the need or the desire.  An opportunity to review, re-live, enjoy again, remind yourself of the lessons you learned, wonder what might have happened if you hadn’t stopped to take that, particular photograph.  What might have happened

Day 263. Great Escape

Last December, Claire over at Word By Word reviewed “The Bridge Club”, Patricia Sands’ first book. Claire’s a fabulous reviewer and, the more I read, the more I wanted to read it. So, thanks to modern technology, it was downloaded and on my iPad in mere seconds.

It’s a book about a group of women and their friendship. A friendship they began as young women. Over the years the friendship grew stronger and stronger; and they became closer and closer. They were there for each other through thick and thin. Heartbreak and happiness, marriage, divorce and widowhood, sickness and health. The more they went through, the closer they became.

I loved the story because I saw my own friendships in it. I loved it, because the older I get, the more my friendships mean to me. The more I appreciate them. The more I count on them. And depend on them. I also loved it, because it takes place in Toronto, which I didn’t know when I bought it. So as I read, I visualized. I was there, with them. I could see exactly where they were, all the time.

The story was set here because the author, Patricia Sands, and her husband live here. And lo and behold, because she had read an exchange between Claire (Word By Word) and me, she (Patricia) decided to check out my blog. Happily she liked what she read and started following me. And one day, she commented we should meet for coffee. Which we did; and we talked and talked and talked. Like old friends. Like women do.

That’s when she told me she had another book, “The Promise of Provence”, coming out, in the not too distant future. She was at the

Day 183. Both Actually

I had a meeting with a client yesterday afternoon.  Not long after I arrived something requiring his attention cropped up; and I had to wait for him.  Usually I have my computer with me.  In which case, I could have done some work.  But yesterday I didn’t.

Luckily, I had my iPhone; and I was able to pass the time reading a book.

Ironically the topic of yesterday’s Daily Post was about reading preferences:  eReading or paperback.  A poll was also included.  There were two choices.

1. ebooks — you can get new books in a flash and bring multiple reads with you everywhere you go
2. paperback — nothing beats opening up a brand new book or rummaging through a bookstore

In my case, it would have been ideal if there’d been a third choice:  Either, or, depending on the circumstances.  

Day 135. New Reality

I need a new power cord/charger for my iPhone.  I’ve been staring at exposed wires for weeks now.  You’d think I’d have twigged.  Nope.  It took incessant ‘dinging’ every two seconds while I had it plugged in, ostensibly charging the battery, for me to figure out something might be amiss.  Well, that’s not quite true.

It was when I went to use the phone and it was dead.

Before I go too much further with this story, you should know the photo is NOT one I took of my cord.  Even I would look at this and understand procrastinating isn’t an option.

Most of the Apple stores in Toronto are in suburban malls.  I’m a city dweller.  I gave up my car years ago.  The good news is, there’s an Apple store in the Eaton Centre.  Right downtown.  A quick subway ride away.  The Eaton Centre is the largest mall in downtown Toronto, home to 330 stores, spread over 148,000 square metres (1,593,058.7 square feet).  Actually it’s both a shopping mall and an office complex.

Sadly, it’s also been the scene of several shooting sprees.  A la Columbine, Colorado and now, Connecticut.  One lone gunman.  All kinds of mayhem.  Innocent people killed, while they were out shopping and having fun.  For