Blackberry and Kindle and iPod – Oh My!

I had a high tech weekend. As a combination Mother’s Day and birthday gift, my family gave me a Kindle–which I have been dying for–and an iPOD, so I don’t  have to sing to myself or aloud at the gym anymore. For the record, I only sing out loud when I want to scare away certain people so they don’t get on the treadmill next to me.  Anyway, in the past month I had to do this twice, so I am wondering if my gym called my family and suggested the iPod for the sake of their business survival.

I have to admit that I am floored that my family went to such expense for me. Not only did they buy these items, but they wrapped them up in pretty paper and attached cards to the gifts–cards not only from them but from the dogs as well which makes me think two things: They royally screwed something up and no one has the courage to tell me–or I am dying.

Yes, I know I should be nice and appreciative, and I am, but my imagination has run amok. Why? Because not only are the technology gifts expensive, but the decision to buy these items comes with a major commitment on their part.  Both my husband and daughter know that attached to these gifts is a month-long, 24/7 technical support line which they must man. So, no matter what time of day or where they are, they are on call to answer my every question be it a complicated technical query or a basic one such as “How do I turn it on again?”

To make matters worse, I took over my daughter’s Blackberry too this weekend. She got her beloved iPhone and so she handed me down her Blackberry Torch that is only a few months old.  So, last night, she gave me a brief rundown on the phone: texting, linking it to Facebook and Twitter, taking pictures and so on. I kept saying, “Just tell me how to answer the damn thing and make calls. The rest  I will fumble through on my own.”

So, a new phone, a kindle and an iPod puts me on technology overload. Will I learn all these devices?  Yes, I guess I will, but unlike my engineer husband or my technology-savvy daughter, it will take time and patience – neither of which the two of them possess.  I suspect within one week, they will both start to ignore my texts or calls for help and shoot me emails that say, “Sorry, in a meeting.”

But I will have the last laugh:  I will figure out the damn phone, and then I will take a picture of a fabulous dinner which I have made which will include all their favorites. Then, I will text it to them and post it on Facebook and Twitter. Underneath the photo there will be a caption that reads, “Looks good, right? – no answers; no food – your choice.”

photo Josephwmann

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8 thoughts on “Blackberry and Kindle and iPod – Oh My!”

  1. I can see that we’re from the same mold. When it comes to figuring out technology, simple as it may be for others, I’m usually at a loss. We wind up getting the family designated IT person to help us out….ie; teenager.

    1. Well see, I thought ahead.I thought technology might be an issue in my life so I made sure to marry an engineer. I knew that should also spawn technology-inclined children. Yes, I planned out well. 🙂

  2. “I have to admit that I am floored that my family went to such expense for me.”

    You know China makes some pretty cheap facsimiles don’t you. 🙂

  3. I want a Kindle so bad! Sounds like you had a great Mother’s Day. I think your food-withholding plan is very smart. Good luck. 🙂

    1. I absolutely love my Kindle. You can carry around a whole library in a simple gadget that’s about the size of a paperback book. Ain’t technology great!

  4. I bought myself a Kindle for Christmas, financed in part by me and in part by an Amazon.com gift certificate generously supplied by my family. My Kindle and I have become attached at the hip. Wherever I go, it goes. I’ll pass on the iPod, though. I already have partial nerve damage in my ears from years back when I had a Walkman. And I hate phones, so my almost-new fairly state-of-the-art cell phone will do fine. I admit, though, that I love gadgets and usually have no trouble figuring out how to operate them.

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