Technology

I am getting old...not a grandmother...yet....but I am getting old.  So technology is starting to make me nervous.  I don't understand BluRay and how it makes you look like you could reach out and touch Buzz and Woody.  Even if we had a Wii, I am not sure I would want to be able to download movies instantly and watch them....well, I guess I would like it - but then it makes me feel like someone could be watching me all the time through my Wii.  Know what I mean?  I can text, I am just not too fast at it, I don't really like it...AND....I spell all the words the right way.  I still like to hold actually paper books and not curl up with my Kindle to read. 

I think you get my idea. 

I like technology, but I am kind of late to the table on the new, exciting stuff.

I am happy to say that the "new" technology I love is the web cam!

For those of you who are new here, or aren't related to me, we got transferred to Georgia about 18 months ago, after spending a lifetime in Minnesota.  And most of that time was spent within about 20 minutes of the grandparents farm, just like almost all of my cousins.  Moving was traumatic for me.  My sixth child was just 2 weeks old when we left.  My sisters Kandi and Karen were my best friends. 

Fast forward 18 months and I am loving Georgia.  The only bad part really is missing the people I love from Minnesota....like my sisters.

One of the things that my sisters and I started about 6 or 7 years ago, was getting together for an Oscar party.  We would eat, talk about what everyone was wearing, mute the speeches so we could talk some more, eat some more, etc.  We even have a traveling trophy for who picks the most winners!

 
The last few years, my sister, Karen has been hosting.  She is the one with all the ideas.  So as the years have gone on, our event has gotten more organized and fancy.  Although we still wore our sweats! She creates swag bags for us and we have elaborate dinners, snacks and drinks served by her husband and sons.

In theory, we thought that I would just fly up and join them every year for our annual party.  But it didn't work last year....or this year.  Last year I snuck down to the basement and called them and we stayed on the phone for the entire telecast.  I couldn't hear very well.  They would laugh and I had no idea what they were laughing about.  My brother-in-law served them a wonderful dinner while I had my popcorn and Reese's peanut butter cups.  I ended the night feeling sad....although I did win the traveling trophy!

Fast forward to this year, I had tried to figure out a way to get myself up there...without kids....with just a few kids....with the "baby" who refuses to stop nursing....rental car....where to stay....it just got complicated in a real hurry, so we all just decided that this just wasn't the year for us to be together yet.

Late last week, my friend, Debbie and I were heading to the Farmer's Market and she asked me if I had a web cam.  I said that none of my computers were new enough to have one built it and I didn't have a free standing one either, but that one day I would like one.  I explained to her how people had been telling me since we moved that I should get one so we can stay in touch with people in Minnesota easier.  My old boss kept in touch with her daughter's family when they moved to Miami this way.  They had a weekly chat, so they got to see all the missing teeth and school projects.  Sounded great, but we were on a budget, so I didn't even check into them.

Debbie said that she thought that she had one just sitting around because she had recently upgraded her computers and they all had built in ones now.  She drove over to my house special on Friday to hand me the web cam so I would have time to play around with it in the hopes of getting it up and running by Oscar time!  Have I mentioned how much I love my friend, Debbie?  Not because she gives me stuff....but because she thinks about me.

So, this is a long story to tell you all about how my sisters and I watched the Oscars together via Skype.  I heart Skype!  We had to switch the venue to Kandi's house to use her laptop webcam....so, as a bonus, I got to see my two nieces up close and personal!  Karen had sent me my swag bag earlier....so I had that with me...

Click here for Karen's GREAT sugar scrub recipe.

My kids wanted to get in on the trophy action too....so they filled out their ballots and made their own traveling trophy...

A Barbie mummified in tin foil!

We did not have the best of internet connections and I still couldn't hear every snarky comment that was made - but it was ALMOST like being there.  I had a great time.  I love them.  I love that I got to see my nieces dancing around and waving in my computer screen....even if they were just waving at themselves on their side!!!

So, I guess this old fogey is coming around....maybe I will go out and buy one of them new fangled Sony Walkmans....oh, too late, huh?  How about and Ipod then....am I too late for that craze?!?!?