I COULDN'T OPEN IT!
For those of you who are fairly new followers on this blog I would like to get you acquainted with my video blog, "I Can't Open It."

It all started in August of 2004 when I told my son Steve, a video blogger, that I couldn't open a jar of coffee. That was the beginning of a fun and helpful series where I showed my son the trouble I was having opening an item and he showed me how to "open it."

I couldn't get the plastic wrap, started, couldn't get the perfume spraying, couldn't open up the jar of cookies, couldn't get the medicine out of the container and many more items that I needed help with. The series flourished!


Video: I Can't Open It | Aussie Awesome Shampoo

We did that for seven years and finally I can just about open anything.

The things that still give me trouble are those little packets of salad dressing or the small containers of butter.

I keep a small scissor in my handbag and that solves that problem!

The other day I found myself in a very bad situation! I was taking a shower which has sliding glass doors.


Shower with water drops by espensorvik CC BY

When I tried to slide the door open, it wouldn't budge! The door had come off the track. I tried, I tried and tried - finally I got it open a few inches but not enough for me to be able to get out. If I were a size 0, I could have slipped out!

Fortunately I was wearing my Life Line-Medical alert pendant, pressed the button and within a few minutes someone responded to me.

"We'll send help."

While I was waiting I still tried to open the door - no luck - then I started to try the sliding door at the other end. No, it didn't work!! I kept trying and finally I got it open!

"The help" hadn't come yet - I dried off and got my robe on - no help yet!

When they finally arrived I asked what took them so long. They were looking for unit PHP - I'm in unit PHB. Someone got their signals mixed!!

I called the company to verify what information they had on my records.

There were a few things that needed updates plus I think what might have happened was when they got in touch with the emergency service they took the B for a P!

Lesson Learned: If you do have a Life Line make sure the company has the correct information and that they relay it properly to the emergency service!

Looking back at it now, it's a good thing I got out before they came - no need for those six guys to see a naked lady, or for me to be seen by them!! ;-)

posted by Unknown @ 10:55 PM | Permalink | I LOVE COMMENTS >> 7 comments

 
A DAY IN PARIS
In my last post I wrote about "Keeping Old Posts Alive." Well, I got inspired to do it again.

Steve and Carol just came back from a week in Paris and I went along for the ride by tuning in to all his sites.



I didn't have to pack a bag, go on a long plane ride or spend lots of money. I got to see all that Paris has to offer by just being an armchair traveler!

Thirty years ago my husband and I were in Paris and saw many of the sights that Steve and Carol took in. That reminded me that I had made a post about one of the experiences we had.



I enjoyed all the photos he put up and what I found most interesting was when they were at Louvre viewing the Mona Lisa, there was an enormous crowd!



Maybe it was a free admission day or a huge group of people were brought there by bus or it just might be that the painting still draws large numbers of tourists !

Something else I found interesting was that when they went to a restaurant the menu was not only in French but in English also. When we were there it was all in French and many times we were surprised with what we were served!! Many times the food was good, sometimes not so good - like the time my husband thought he had ordered fish (with the help of a patron) and it turned out to be snails. I tried them and they really were bad!!

Now to keep this old post alive - A Day In Paris:

Saul Friedman who writes a biweekly Reflection column for Ronni Bennett's Time Goes By, recently wrote about a family African Safari to Botswana. What an adventure they had! That got me thinking, what trip could I write about - nothing could come close to the sights and sounds that he and his family experienced. 

The trips my husband and I took were pretty tame but there was one day in Paris that comes to mind. It was the last day of our stay and there was so much more we wanted to do.


Among the roofs and chimneys by claudesf on flickr. (c) All rights reserved

First, we had lunch at a neighborhood restaurant that was a "do not miss" recommendation. Ordinarily I don't drink at lunch but this was Paris and it just felt right to have a glass of wine. The service and lunch was as good as what we had expected.

We had a lot more on our adgenda so before leaving the restaurant I thought it would be wise to use the ladies room - aha -I had to communicate my wishes with the hostess who did not speak english, evenually she got the message.

She directed me downstairs where I saw a door but there was no light-switch. I cautiously opened the door and felt around for a light-switch - ok, I found it and what I saw was a HOLE in the ground!!! To this day I remember my reaction - I'll say no more about that!!

After lunch we had scheduled an english speaking tour of the Louvre Museum. It was our last day in Paris and how do you not take that in.

As we were walking to the Metro I started to feel very tired and couldn't hold my head up. I just couldn't see myself touring the museum in my condition. All I wanted to do was go back to the hotel and lay down. Forget the museum.

Instead of taking the metro to the museum, we were going to take it back to the hotel. Fortunately we passed a gift shop on the way to the metro. How can you pass up a shop like that, especially your last day in Paris?

I did a little shopping and started to feel better.


On the way to the Louvre pyramid by claudesf on flickr. (c) All rights reserved

We were able to keep the appointment for our English speaking tour of the Louvre! 

No more wine for me at noontime!!

posted by Unknown @ 11:26 PM | Permalink | I LOVE COMMENTS >> 5 comments

 
KEEPING OLD BLOG POSTS ALIVE
I wish I could tell you the name of the blog I came across recently that I found very interesting. Twenty lashes for me for not making a note or printing out the name of the blog.

There are times when I don't have anything of particular interest to write about, doesn't happen often but it does happen.

The main idea that this person put forth was, "Keep old blog posts alive!"

Your old post could be something that your new followers have never read.

Your old post could have some relevance to something new that you put up.

Your old post could show how times and your thinking have changed.

or

You could put up a post that your readers particularly enjoyed.

You could put up a post that meant a lot to you.

You could put up a post that shows how your style has changed.

Those are just a few of the ideas I remember.

Last week I made a post that had to do with using coupons - well - I made a post in July of 2008 about that very subject!



READ THAT POST: THE DINE-AROUND BOOK:

Years ago organizations sold what was referred to as a "Dine-Around Book." It was a very successful way to raise funds. As a matter of fact I think they still might be putting those books out but they are not as popular as they were years ago.

I must say, I enjoyed rereading about the fun day my husband and our friends had that day.

So, for the first time I will keep an old blog post alive!

Enjoy

posted by Unknown @ 9:33 PM | Permalink | I LOVE COMMENTS >> 11 comments

 
CHECK THIS OUT
The day after the storm I went out to do a few errands. As I drove to my destination I did not see any trees down or any other type of destruction. We were lucky in this area.



My first stop was to a CVS where I picked up some body wash that was on sale for $2.00. When I checked out, in addition to my receipt I was handed a coupon that entitled me to a free $2.00 purchase which had an expiration date.

In the past I would have taken that coupon, put it in my wallet and forgotten about it. By the time I looked at the coupon it would no longer be valid.

How many of us does that happen to?

After all these years I have finally smartened up. What I did was leave the store, put my bundles in the car, went back in and used that coupon for another bottle of body wash and got it for free!!

The next stop I made was to the supermarket.



The day before Irene hit this area I picked up a few things at the market. You know how that it is, you go in for a few things and you wind up with a cart full of groceries.

I've always wanted to try a certain brand of cereal and what do you know it happened to be on sale that day, good time to try it!

The store was extremely busy that day, lots of people, lots of noise and long lines at the cash registers.

Not until the next day did I look at my register tape. What do you know, not only did I not get the sale price but they had charged me even more than the sticker price on the box!!

A few days later I return to the market and got a full refund.

Lessons learned:
Watch those expiration dates!
Check the register tape - mistakes happen!!

Oh and by the way - that cereal wasn't that great. ;-)

posted by Unknown @ 3:47 PM | Permalink | I LOVE COMMENTS >> 8 comments