What made me happy today?

[Luxuria]

I have an Olivetti Lettera. I did write a story on it. It made me really appreciate all the comforts and conveniences our word processors provide. It also made me realize that my writing process is highly dependent on erasing sentences a lot. It seems that often, I'll type and erase a sentence until it feels right. You can't easily erase on a typerwriter. Not on mine anyway.

One thing that's nice about them is their singular functionality. They don't have a browser window to distract you! It's just the keys, the page, and your story.

That's cool! I love that you have a typewriter, too. I agree somewhat. I was appreciating the backspace on my keyboard; but I really, really liked being able to hold my words right after I wrote them. I think the typewriter made me more thoughtful and I later typed up what I had written. But it's easier than writing by hand and it also works without electricity. Which is nice, because I have had a few blackouts due to storms in the past few years. Anyway, I agree. I love the singular functionality. I also have a stereo so I play music when I write. Haha.

 

[Dogberry's Watch]

I've gotten to spend the weekend with my brother and his family and it's been so good. I got to hang out with my niece while everyone else went to church and we went to the park, too. Best part of the whole day was swinging beside my niece while my nephew held court in the baby swing and looked unimpressed with the rest of the world.

 

[Rath Darkblade]

This didn't make me happy, per se, but it did make me smile. I woke up early this morning (it's a workday for me) and put on the news, and they were inviting people to text or email, and tell them about their favourite film with the late Terence Stamp. Then they would read some of the answers on the air.

Anyway, one of the TV hosts then said "iloveyou87 wrote..." and I imagined this person saying "I love you" to the number 87, and the number blushing, shuffling its feet, and saying "D'awww, I love you, too." (It's a small thing, but it made me giggle).

Speaking of which, I wonder if numbers ever get tired of people saying "I love you" or "I heart you" to them. It would be refreshing, to say the least, to see a username like "idespiseyou908" -- but that would hurt 908's feelings, and what has it ever done to you?

It would also be nice to see people sharing the love with unusual numbers. I'd love to see "iloveyou_a² + b² = c²", or "iloveyou_√-1", or "iloveyou_pi" ... though some would ask what kind of pi. Is it a peach pi or a pecan pi? 'Cos some people want to know.

Anyway, just some random thoughts. Don't mind me.

 

[Dogberry's Watch]

Less than a month till the music festival!!! I'm having a craft night with my friends and we're going to make bracelets and have junk food.

 

[Night Herald]

I'm happy to be staying at my sister's place, which is damn near a villa, while she's away. Happy to be in the company of her wonderful cats, who love me and won't stop pestering me for cuddles. Happy for the inexhaustible supply of wine. Happy for the gargantuan TV on which to watch my shit. Happiest of all I am for my sister's sake, who literally built all this (no, she didn't actually build the TV, I speak of the house, but she'd probably build a TV no problem). The kind of childhood we had, we were never destined for greatness or even baseline comfort, but I'm so proud of what she's accomplished. She really made it in life, financially speaking at least, and I'm happy to say that nowhere did she compromise who she is or diminish her beautiful spirit. Even though I'm the elder sibling she's a role model and inspiration to me. I know I've inspired her also, and I'm so glad of that. It's wonderful to have one person who's always on your side, come any storm.

ETA: Another thing that happifies me is I had occasion to talk to my cousin about books. She's the only person in our family who values the kind of writing I do, the only one who has a personal library to put at my disposal. Truly I am blessed to have these people in my immediate orbit and they're really more than I deserve.

 

[Rath Darkblade]

This happened to a coworker of mine, not me, but I couldn't resist not passing it along.

Our accounts department has five workers (me and four others) plus our boss. One of the tasks that they all do is send out weekly bills and statements to customers - standard stuff. (I don't have customers, but I deal with payments, among other things). When I run out of stuff to do, I help them with the mailout.

Anyway, she told me that if I find more than one bill for any given customer (John Smith or Jane Robinson, etc.), I should not put them in separate envelopes, but stuff one envelope with them all. Naturally, I asked why.

Then she told me that the last time she put two bills in two envelopes for one client, he shouted and complained along the lines of "You sent me TWO envelopes instead of ONE! You're wasting paper!! How dare you not be more environmentally conscious?! YOU'RE RUINING THE PLANET!!!" etc.

I felt sorry for her, but neither of us could help cracking up.

Dude. It's an ENVELOPE. Something that costs all of 10 cents. The planet will be fine. But I think you might need a hobby.

 

[Set2Stun]

Bet dollars to donuts this same person eats meat and drives a car.

 

[Naomasa298]

Paper bills? It's the 21st century, dude.

 

[big soft moose]

i was thinking that email or text surely

 

[CatrionaGrace]

We still get paper bills and pay them with a paper check by snail mail.

 

[edamame]

A relative unexpectedly dropped by! Unloaded some worries and then moved onto a fun chat.

 

[Rath Darkblade]

Paper bills? It's the 21st century, dude.

i was thinking that email or text surely

Personally, I agree with you both. But I work in the healthcare industry, and some of our clients (and their families) are elderly and prefer a paper bill.

Others prefer a paper bill for other reasons, e.g. one of our client refuses to have an email account at all. (See below for why).

It may sound weird, but we help everyone, regardless of what we personally think of their technological choices.

We still get paper bills and pay them with a paper check by snail mail.

Fair enough. I still get one or two cheques from clients every so often, especially if they live in remote areas of Australia, where internet access is spotty or unreliable, or even non-existent.

I can quite understand that. If you can't get a reliable internet access, then having a paper bill (and paying with a paper cheque) is an alternative. (We also give people other choices: they can call and pay over the phone with a credit card, or write down their credit card details on a payment slip and mail it to us).

Sure, it's slower than email. But it's better than nothing!

 

[GrahamLewis]

Finding a large ripe cucumber tucked away under some leaves, after we had given up on that patch for the year.

 

[Dogberry's Watch]

Got to have breakfast with a very good friend. I'm gonna go watch some Star Trek with another friend in a few hours, and then I'll be hanging out with my sister to round out the day. Currently going to type up something I wrote a few years ago because I want to look at it printed out.

 

[CatrionaGrace]

The temperature will not break 80 today.

 

[Homer Potvin]

Watching live horse racing at Saratoga Springs. It's fun... the people who are into it are crazy!

 

[Rath Darkblade]

Not today, but two days ago ... I got a raise. 'Twas only a modest one to keep up with the CPI, but it's still better than nothing. Yay!

 

[Naomasa298]

Finally got round to fixing my Windows installation. My computer was getting more and more unstable, and a lot off programs had become unusable. It seems to have gone smoothly, and most of my issues have gone away. My VPN still isn't working though, so I can't watch any pr0n.

Also, I had an amusing comedy-horror nightmare last night with Richard Pryor as a vampire who was trying to fang some young guy who wasn't falling for it.

 

[CatrionaGrace]

Rain. Rain is making me happy this morning.

 

[Louanne Learning]

My house is getting a complete wash today! All soffits, eaves, deck, windows...