Every household deals with things specific to them. Sometimes it's that two particular siblings argue about keeping a shared room clean (I was the clean one, Kandi was the slob). Sometimes it's that the old apartment in the attic area of a house where you rent has a floor so slanted, you lean when you sit on the toilet and can't fill the tub up all the way because is will poor out on one side (yep, an apartment I once rented when I lived in Greeley). Or it could be about someone's pet peeve, a car that always seems to have problems, the hair spray that gets on the bathroom mirror and smears when you clean it off. Only the first two apply to my life, but the point is, everyone has an issue or two to deal with all the time. Around here, it's not having my daughter's computer working.
She really does get very panicked and upset if her computer is on the blitz. Because of her depression and anxiety, she has found a safe haven in her on-line friends and some of the games she plays. Shoot, she's even teaching herself to create on-line games. So, yeah, you would have to say there is some pretty significant attachment for her there. And wouldn't you know, in the last two weeks, going on the blitz is exactly what happened. And it wasn't pretty, folks!
This is our Emergency around here!
The first time it was that her power source - whatever the heck that's called - was going out. Jay happened to be home at the time and so Daddy swooped in and saved the day while she was at school and I was at work. New power supply. Last night, I caught a whiff of something burning and sure enough, it was Rachel's computer again. This time, it was the graphics card. Again, Daddy was the hero, swooped in and found out what was wrong. Off to Micro Center to get a new graphics card. Her original one was very powerful and I was worried about finding something affordable. But a lot changes in 3 or 4 years. The earlier replaced power supply ended up being necessary for the replacement graphics card AND - get this - within our price range!! Again, Daddy was the hero who replaced it for her. It was only $60.00 and is better than the old card was. Amazing! She's pleased, to say the least.
Some people might read this and think, "Who cares about your kid not having her computer?" Well, there is likely something that's a big deal in your home that I can't grasp, too. It's all about dynamics in the home. I feel lucky that she doesn't smoke, drink, do drugs, is terrified to have sex......Yeah, seriously and that's fine with me. She's a great kid. So if a little bit of extra effort keeps her connected to friends she's met on line (one she's been friends with since she was in 4th grade and I've met her mom 'over the camera on the computer'), it's worth it. Happiness comes in many shades.
Monday, August 18, 2014
Music Fitting the Times
Am I a rock and roll mama? I would have to say yes to that. Not your tattooed, motorcycle leather lovin.' beer drinking and smoking, well, whatever, on the weekend with your hippie boyfriend
kind. Just a mama who likes her rock and roll.
That influence started with having older siblings who were growing up in the 60's. Okay, well, I started growing up in the sixties, too, but really was too young to be aware of music until sometime in the 1970's when I was old enough to pay attention. What I was aware of in our house were the hours my two brothers played Smoke On The Water by Deep Purple on their electric guitar - the only song they ever played, I might add. And not even the entire song. Just this part (you need only listen to the first 54 seconds):
Yes, that was it. That was the extent of their abilities on the electric guitar.
But then my brother, Kevin, started buying albums. If you are under 25, you likely do not know what that is, so let me explain. An album is the "old fashioned" vinyl records they put music on before the horrible 8-track tape and slightly less horrible cassette tapes were created and long before CD's:
This is a picture of the album on the record player. Just in case it seems confusing. I tried to find a recording of the obnoxious sound an 8-track tape made, often right in the middle of the song playing, but was unsuccessful.
My older sister actually played guitar quite well (folk/acoustic, not electric), and listened mostly to folk music like Peter, Paul & Mary, Joan Baez, Judy Collins, Jose Feliciano - just a few that I can recall off the top of my head. My mother played piano and she played hymns and music from the late '30s, early '40s and a few from the '50s. Every so often, we could talk her into playing some John Denver or Anne Murray. And she loved Kris Kristopherson but left that music to my sister. Dad liked big band music and had many 45's - also a vinyl record but smaller and requiring a special piece you put on the record player to hold it properly because rather than having a pea-sized hole, it had one about the size of a quarter or so. And both my parents enjoyed country music, too. Thus, I was exposed to all kinds of music and realized I actually liked them all!
Tonight, I pulled up a few YouTube videos that contained some of the songs I love. It's a huge variety and if you can guess their era, you are probably my age or older. I fell in love with music. I have a lot of this music in my own collection. I have the Woodstock album, some Jimi Hendrix, Carol King, Peter, Paul and Mary, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young The Rolling Stones, The Who, Stevie Wonder......this list could go on and on.
Over the years, I've been on a binge of liking female artists, then back to bands, over to male artists, off to trios, and so on. These days, I love John Mayer, Robert Plant & Allison Krauss, Akon, Ne-Yo, Jason Mraz, again, a mile-long list. How can you not love music?
kind. Just a mama who likes her rock and roll.
That influence started with having older siblings who were growing up in the 60's. Okay, well, I started growing up in the sixties, too, but really was too young to be aware of music until sometime in the 1970's when I was old enough to pay attention. What I was aware of in our house were the hours my two brothers played Smoke On The Water by Deep Purple on their electric guitar - the only song they ever played, I might add. And not even the entire song. Just this part (you need only listen to the first 54 seconds):
Yes, that was it. That was the extent of their abilities on the electric guitar.
But then my brother, Kevin, started buying albums. If you are under 25, you likely do not know what that is, so let me explain. An album is the "old fashioned" vinyl records they put music on before the horrible 8-track tape and slightly less horrible cassette tapes were created and long before CD's:
This is a picture of the album on the record player. Just in case it seems confusing. I tried to find a recording of the obnoxious sound an 8-track tape made, often right in the middle of the song playing, but was unsuccessful.
My older sister actually played guitar quite well (folk/acoustic, not electric), and listened mostly to folk music like Peter, Paul & Mary, Joan Baez, Judy Collins, Jose Feliciano - just a few that I can recall off the top of my head. My mother played piano and she played hymns and music from the late '30s, early '40s and a few from the '50s. Every so often, we could talk her into playing some John Denver or Anne Murray. And she loved Kris Kristopherson but left that music to my sister. Dad liked big band music and had many 45's - also a vinyl record but smaller and requiring a special piece you put on the record player to hold it properly because rather than having a pea-sized hole, it had one about the size of a quarter or so. And both my parents enjoyed country music, too. Thus, I was exposed to all kinds of music and realized I actually liked them all!
Over the years, I've been on a binge of liking female artists, then back to bands, over to male artists, off to trios, and so on. These days, I love John Mayer, Robert Plant & Allison Krauss, Akon, Ne-Yo, Jason Mraz, again, a mile-long list. How can you not love music?
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