So, by personal choice, I pretty much don't read the newspaper, unless you count my eyes grazing the daily front page headlines of the Palm Beach Post as it lays on the mailroom counter at work....which is usually followed with the rolling of my eyes into the back of my head as I cringe with disgust. I also do everything within my power to avoid the local and national newscast each day on television (not difficult to do if you rarely turn on the tv). Why don't I indulge in one of America's favorite obsessions you might ask??? Well, that's a whole other story. However, I do make one exception to this self-imposed avoidance of anything newsworthy.....I tune in when a storm is approaching the southeast coast of Florida. Then all bets are off, and I'm glued to the set like the rest of the millions of avid-but-crazy hurricane watchers. Lastly, I only listen to XM radio in the car and have it tuned to the "Blue Collar Comedy" station during my 5 minute commute each day. I begin most days at work with a great big smile on my face after hearing incredibly silly jokes, which more often than not, cause me to laugh out loud. I sometimes sit in my car a minute or two after arriving in the parking lot, just to catch the punch line at the end of a comedian's set. Believe me, it is a great way to start the day...no one loves to laugh more than yours truly.
That being said, as a result of my decision to keep the oh-so-depressing and horrific reality of what goes on in the rest of the world, relegated to my peripheral vision, I've been known to miss out on the announcements of some of the new technological advances that enter the marketplace every few years. Back in early 2008, I had a slight indication that a new phenomena referred to as the IPhone was going to hit the techno world, and blow the pants off every other phone in the universe. Whatever! I didn't need a new phone and if it wasn't free, well then it was not on my radar or even a possibility. I dismissed it as I'd done in the past with other "latest and greatest" cell phone products. I'm one of those folks that was never over-the-moon about cell phones and, to the dismay of my husband, carried one for quite a long time without ever turning it on. HUH? Calm down...that was then...this is now. Up until recently, I had only owned the free phones that were offered by the service provider, at the beginning of each new contract. Pay for a cell phone....why....when they will give you a perfectly good one for "free"?
Little did I know that not only had my daughter purchased an IPhone, along with the other millions of Apple enthusiasts (ya, I'm hadn't become one of those either), she would have it with her when she came for a visit to South Florida to celebrate my birthday in September that year. She and I had set aside some time for a mother-daughter trip, with the intention of meeting up with the remainder of the family at the end of the week in South Beach. My first introduction to this shiny, sleek, miracle-in-a-protective-black sleeve, was all it took to reel me in....apps, Internet and photos...I was hooked. I ran her battery down at every opportunity, she rarely had it in her hand as my mitts were in constant possession of this new found pal. It was love at first sight, and as I sadly said goodbye to the phone at the end of the weekend, (and Stacey, Brian and Taryn of course), in my mind, I was already making a beeline to my local AT&T store. The rest is history....I purchased my own and we've had an ongoing love affair ever since we first met the fateful fall day. I have chosen to be faithful to my old (in techno years, it is now an antique I believe) 3G--no upgrades for this gal. I mean really who needs it, mine works perfectly fine...when I remember to sync it with my non-Apple laptop for updates. Yikes!
The following year, I once again hid my head in the proverbial sand (I live in FL--there is a ton of that stuff around here), and completely missed all the hubbub surrounding the introduction of the IPad. A new fangled Apple computer...I didn't need that, my laptop worked perfectly fine. Whatever....ummm.....not so fast. Although I had missed the long months of media buildup, pre-order madness, and then the initial world launch, I was just a little bit intrigued by what I was beginning to refer to as a jumbo, be-still-my-heart..... IPhone. It had the potential to, and just might actually, take the place of my 3 year old, heavy, outdated, cumbersome (oh come on...it sounded good) laptop. So, in mid-May, just for ha-ha's....I found myself in our local Apple store, which was a first for me...I had no idea where it was located and had to actually stop and ask for directions in the mall.
All I can say......it had me at "slide to unlock"
Unfortunately, the next question to present itself...3G or not to 3G (ya, I know I'm wearing that one out--humor me). Happy to say it was a question for a nano second....once you go 3G, there is no going back...WiFi??? I don't think so!!!! I placed the order, then waited (I am soooo not patient) 20 very long, painful days while it was shipped from the factory on a slow boat from China...well maybe not a boat, but it still took almost 3 weeks to arrive and it did come from the factory in China. Yes, that is my punishment for ignoring the techno news world that surrounds me on every level. But then again, I didn't get caught up in the year long (or however long it was), anticipatory wave of news media frenzy that the rest of the world was was floating along on...I made the decision to buy one and then 3 "short" weeks later (we were traveling out of state when it arrived--UGH), I had it in my hot little hands...so in my bizarre mind, I was ahead of the game. What you don't know about....can't cause you unnecessary angst, while playing the mind-numbingly endless months and/or years of the techno-release waiting game.
My IPhone now has a rival for my affection....it's name is IPad...they would soon learn to share my attention, but let's face facts....it's no longer necessary for me to continue to use my IPhone to its full potential.....as difficult as it is to admit....my IPhone would never again be 1st in my eyes...and that will just have to be good enough. My IPad goes with me just about everywhere and allowed me, with the greatest of ease, to blog my way through our 12-night cruise in the Mediterranean. I'm also pleased to say, that although it has now fallen to 2nd place in my heart, my IPhone continues to serve me well, gets regular sync sessions with my laptop, and will always have a place of honor in my heart as my very first Apple "I"
For someone who enjoyed apple picking as a child, attended high school next door to an apple orchard, and still looks forward to the nice crisp candy apple at Disney, I've only just recently learned a whole new appreciation for taking that first important "bite" of each techno season's "crop" of new Apples
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