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right now

Nov 3, 2011

Aprons and Rants...

Count me in for the apron sew-off this month!  These are the patterns I had in the house to choose from:




I swore I wouldn't go buy and books or new patterns since we just spent so much on a computer.  Next I need to check out my fabric, good thing I have a good stash of that, too!  I'm thinking the top pattern, since I really don't like aprons that "tie" behind the neck, I like the simplicity of the old styles that just just require flopping over the head and that have big pockets.  What do you think?

Sparkless expressed that she needed a good rant from me :), and wow do I have some from the past month.  I'll be quick though since I don't really want to rehash the loss of the computer!  Okay, here goes...

You know what the worst part of the computer ordeal is?  The fact that the old computer is bigger than the new one, and that the style hasn't changed one bit!  There's something nerve wracking about spending money on something YOU ALREADY HAVE (albeit non-functioning)!!  One would expect "new" to be "different" - maybe a light show or that it now doubles as a serger machine...something!!

4 year old mac now resides on the floor next to stacks of Halloween decorations...


New, smaller (but faster and functioning) mac on the desk...


I guess it's good news in disguise, the design is so awesome that it hasn't changed LOL, the other good part is that I have more desk space!  The bummer part is that we did have to put it on a credit card, but at least we were able to score it at the Navy Exchange here which had 0% interest for a year, 10% off and no sales tax, which is a pretty big chunk of change on such an expensive purchase.  As far as choosing the computer, there was no contest for me, since macs are all I've ever owned and they are wonderful (the demise of my last one was due to a storm and my not taking proper precautions!).  The kids' old style iMac with the dome drive is still functioning and it's really old, but it's also really slow, LOL.  Hopefully this one will last, and lesson learned:  this time I sprung for the extended Apple Care warranty :)

Only one more hurdle to overcome, and that's the fact that my iPhone died the same day Steve Jobs did.  Consequently, right now I'm paying for cell service I can't use, grrrr!  It was kind of overdue though, since I'm one of the proud ones that was still using the 1st generation iPhone, it was getting to be kind of a badge of honor whipping that relatively big iPhone out and having people ask "that still works?"!  Well, no longer, and that's next on the list.  It's hard for me to upgrade the thing since I only text and hardly ever use the phone to actually talk, BUT I did like having it when I needed it...   

*  Side story here: as the 1st "smart phone", I thought it was pretty cool to have years ago when it first came out but thought "really, will I ever use it for what it is?"... After having it for only a month, we took a road trip home to MN and when we stopped at a rest stop at midnight in the Middle of Nowhere, PA I went to get Finn (then about 2 yrs old) out of his carseat in the dark, I noticed little pills scattered all over the backseat.  He had managed to lift up a bag off the floor with his foot, root around in there and come up with an irresistible shiny foil package of estrogen pills.  Oh yes, he had popped them all out and I had no idea if he had ingested any!  Now I'm screaming and freaking out, Charlie is sticking his finger down his throat trying to make him throw up, the dogs are barking in the back, it's the middle of the night and it dawned on me:  smartphone!  I was able to look up  poison control on the internet even as my "voice" calls weren't functioning, and was able to get an "online help" person.  She assured me it was not an emergency when I told her what the pills were which was a huge relief!  The real relief came when hubby retrieved all the pills from the floor, seat and Finn's clothing and found that they were all accounted for!  So there's my little story for the day, haha!  
The End

Not really the end, of course... I have questions for you!  To save some $$ and get my new cell phone, I've been thinking of dropping the land line to the house.  Have any of you done this?  I don't know why it's so hard to drop that historic "landline", but really it doesn't seem to serve much of a purpose anymore.  

Okay, next up today I need to start digging through my fabric.  Was that enough of a rant, Sparkless?  :)  And ooops, I guess I wasn't very "quick" about it, was I?!


15 comments:

  1. I vote for the top pattern, too. I love it! I also have vowed not to buy a book, pattern, fabric, yarn, or otherwise the month of November and beyond. Of course, the one book I wanted to read was not available through my library, so I had to get a used copy via amazon. The good news was that a used copy was .01. I am toying with ousting my land line. I am also toying with getting rid of my DSL. But I waver.

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  2. Okay, mini rant of my own here. Every time I hear someone say, "Money can't buy you happiness," I have an almost overwhelming urge to punch their lights out. Would you be stressing over the new computer or need for a new iPhone if you were very comfortably set financially? I rest my case.

    I know many people who have cut their land line phone and don't seem to miss it. I'm still a neanderthal who is concerned about the health hazards of "cell" phones.

    I vote for your top apron choice, too. I still haven't picked out the fabric for mine, but I've gotta get on that.

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  3. I am getting nervous with all this pattern talk. I have no patterns. This should be interesting. I would not drop my house line because I dont get the best cell service out here and often our cell towers can go out in a storm leaving you with no telephone at all if you dont have a land line. Plus I do not need to give out my cell phone number to everyone, and can have most calls go to the house. I am like Mama Pea, I like a good old fashioned hard line phone.

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  4. I like the top pattern better than the one on the bottom, doesn't seem so frilly.
    We still have our land line and there is no way we are getting rid of it anytime soon. We have vonage and with their monthly plan I can call my family in Germany as often and for as long as I like. But, hubby and I plan on going back to the cheaper cell phones. Neither one of us has an iphone (our daughter does however) and since we really don't use it that much, we'll go back to the prepaid cards. Seems like a step back, but works for us...

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  5. Susan, I hear you on those patterns, I only buy them when they are on sale for .99 now!
    ***
    Mama Pea, I guess it depends on how people get their happiness LOL! For me being a stay at home mom, this is usually the extent of my adult conversation for the day since hubby doesn't get home until long after dinner! Computers are a must here, stylish clothing? Not so much LOL!!
    ***
    Jane, I can't wait to see what you make! Our "land" lines here are actually through the cable company so when cable tv is out during the storm so are the phones, so they aren't very reliable. During a hurricane cell phones are our only communication. I definitely agree on everyone having the cell number, that sounds awful!
    ***
    Anke, with overseas calling you definitely need the land line. For us, when hubby deploys it's cheaper for him to get the "IM" feature on the cell phone which is fine since we he doesn't call home voice-wise.

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  6. I WISH I could give up my landline, but I'm in such a valley here, I get NO bars on my cellphone. I only have the cheapy cellphone that comes free from AARP---with 250 minutes a month for $20. It's for when we're on road trips....to warn my boy we are stopping or get a hotel if we're running late. So, I guess I'm COMPLETELY opposite of 99% of America. Sigh.

    And I liked the bottom pattern, and I'm outnumbered yet again. Geez, I'm different!

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  7. I like the top pattern too.
    We gave up our land line when we moved out into the country. The only thing we used it for in town was for our internet connection (it was a bundled package) and they don't have that package out here. Of course, I pay extra each month for lines for each child. We don't have any close neighbors so everyone needed their own phone in case they were home alone and needed help. But we don't miss the land line- except my MIL can't seem to get through her head that we don't have it anymore.
    Judy

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  8. I hate hearing Steven jobs name now since he had the same type of cancer Jerry has-it is actually sort of rare and even without his money Jerry is gonna last that long too. a little birdie told me so---now if I were a apron making lady which I won't be -i don't have a sewing machine or a blog. I like the 50's one with the black and white dress-that is artificial of me tho I am just looking at colors. MY DAUGHTER ONLY WORKS WITH A CELL PHONE -LOTS OF PEOPLE DO AND I'M WITH MOMMA PEA-I'M TIRED OF PEOPLE SAYING THE ECONOMY IS LOOKING UP-JUST LOOK AT MY FACE BOOK I PUT DOWN ALL THE STORES- I TRY TO RIOT AND START BOYCOTTS-I'M TERRIBLE JUDY,I AM.I-PHONE I-PAD I- TOUCH ,I JUST KNOW MY GRANDSON JUST WASHED THE I-WHAT CHMACALLIT IN THE WASHER-THE GEN 4 AND IT PLAYS MUSIC CAN GET INTERNET-I SHOULD HAVE WASHED THAT LOAD MYSELF

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  9. and Erin .its not just you .That guys name is on everyone's lips and with that last story from his sister that Steven's last words were "Wow--Oh Wow" 3x something like that I swear he asked for some acid for his last trip

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  10. You call that a rant? You need to come over to my blog and read some of my posts to learn how a real rant goes. LOL!
    Your pattern looks nice. I can't wait to see all those pretty aprons. I still don't think you need a pattern to make an apron but maybe for the more complex ones it would be best.

    We aren't getting rid our our land line just yet. Before I'd give up our land line every person in our house would need to have a cell phone. Can you imagine trying to call home and the son doesn't have a cell phone so I can't call him? It just wouldn't work unless we had two more cell phones. It's cheaper for us to keep our land line right now.

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  11. My favorite is the first pattern. The full length one, not just from the waist down. Never did like those. Seems to me, if you're going to wear an apron, just go ahead and wear the thing. Anyway, I vote for the first one!
    Sorry your phone died. I hate getting new phones.
    ~~Lori

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  12. I am a sucker for any pattern especially an apron pattern. I vote one of each, but that's from a girl that wears and apron most days.

    As for the landline we want to drop ours but our house alarm is tied to it so we can't. Check and see if there is a cheaper phone line option if you aren't sure about dropping it yet. I was able to get our internet, basic cable, and home phone for $70.32 a month total taxes and all.

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  13. I like the top pattern too. With my build, (bumpy on top) dirt never gets to my lap, but stops in the top half, so the one that starts at the waist would be a waste of time. When I wear an apron, it's at least got a bib on top to protect those protruding parts.

    On the phone, we gave up the actual land line and went with internet, Vonage, years ago. It's a flat fee for unlimited calls anywhere every month. We got an 800 number for my mother to call us free for another $5 a month. In bad weather, it does go out, but the savings is worth it. It's so nice to be able to call and never worry about long distance costs.

    I agree with the wonderfully designed Macintosh things. Wouldn't you love to have known what other amazing things Steve Jobs would have come up with if he hadn't gone so early? Oh, Wow is right.

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  14. I am in the 'keep the landline' club. Cell towers can go down, cell phones can be lost/stolen/broken, I like the whole 911/reverse 911 thing, and lastly as someone mentioned- there is a "home" to call. We don't have long distance on our home phone, no caller ID etc....just the basic service so that helps keep the cost down. Enjoy your new computer!

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  15. I'm just debating whether to drop my cell phone service and go back to a land line! I really have a love/hate relationship with cell phones. We're on our daughter's plan, so it only costs us $15 a month, but reception isn't always the best. Now that we'll be staying home 12 months of the year, I'm longing for a good old fashioned telephone. I'll probably bundle with cable and internet, and subscribe to in state service only. The few people I talk to out of state can call me on their cell phones ;-)

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