FunnyBlog

Obsolete Skills

My mother-in-law, Faye, and her friend, Jean, stopped by the house on Tuesday. I got my digital camera out to capture Jean’s adorable grandson Whit. I was just shooting away when Jean asked me if I was using a digital camera. I assured her that I was, and because I was, I could snap away as generously as I desired.

Faye then started to tell us about her recent visit to her niece Becky’s house. She had taken her old 35 mm camera and Becky’s children were very disappointed that they couldn’t see themselves in the camera immediately.
I got to thinking that we had that instantaneous luxury when I was a child, it was called Polaroid, and the 3 minutes we had to wait for picture development really did seem immediate back then.
So, on the radio this morning, they were talking about obsoleteskills. And then it occurred to me that even though we have upgraded to digital photography, we really aren’t as advanced as we should be.
Here are some obsolete skills that still have their place at the Gold household:
1- Adjusting rabbit ears on top of a TV.
2- Operating an old-school 70’s air popcorn popper.
3- Letter writing.
4- Rewinding.
5- Programming a VCR to record your favorite show.
6- Blowing the dust out of GameBoy cartridges.
7- Caulking the shower.
8- Grinding wheat.
9- Handwriting and spelling.
10- Using the Dewey Decimal to search for library books.
11- Making your own ice-cream.
12- Baking homemade bread.
13- Ripping the little holes off the sides of computer paper. (my motherinlaw gave the girls a huge box of the stuff to color on)
14- Using WiteOut.
15- Using fountain pens.
16- Mending and hemming your own clothes.
17 – Playing an instrument
18 – Getting off the couch to change channels on the TV (our remotes aren’t the most reliable)
19 – Getting to know your neighbors.
Wow! I guess we aren’t doing too bad when it comes to the counsel from our pioneer ancestors: “Fix it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without.”
Here are some obsolete skills that we are glad we don’t need:
1- Changing your own oil
2 – Repairing your own small appliances.
3 – Darning socks.
4 – Loading film in a 35 mm camera.
5- Looking for a job in the classifieds.
6- Making an operator assisted phone call.
7- Remembering passwords (this is a sore subject at our house ~ LG will not write his passwords down)
8- Using a punch card (oh yeah, we don’t have to work for the man!)
And here are some that LG or I will gladly hold on to:

1 – Mastering the use of a joystick.
2 – Building your own computer using individual components.
3- Mowing your own lawn.
4- Growing your own vegetables.
5- Cheating at video games using a loader or binary patch.
6- Driving a manual transmission. (everyone needs to learn how to do this)
7- Knowing what part of town a person lives in by their phone exchange. (this is useful)
8- Lighting a kerosene lamp. (when camping of course)
9- Paying with cash (because this would mean that we actually have some)
10- Talking face to face (This one is not so much something LG may want to keep)
11- Tying a tie (oh how dignified)

WHAT are some skills that you are attached to, glad not to have, or need to hang on to?

FYI for Potter fans


It has been announced that there will be two movies to give us, the book readers, the whole end of the story from the last book! Yahoooooo!

I am very happy about this. I am the kind of Potter reader that doesn’t remember the book’s details long enough to be aware of what is missing when I get to the movie.

But, I will be glad to have one more movie to view!

The longer I have to watch Potter, the longer he will stay alive (and those of you that haven’t read the last book will just have to wonder if I am talking about Potter dying in the series) Don’t give it away commenters!

Long live Harry Potter in all of our hearts…oh, if we all could just write like JK Rowling!

A daughter’s wedding

I was reading George W’s thoughts about his daughter Jenna’s upcoming wedding.

LG dreads the day the girls get married. I have always told him that he can just plan on me going overboard to make up for the simplicity of our wedding! (another post) I am just going to make this promise to LG now. I will try and elleviate the pressure that Pres Bush has experienced. I will try not to let you have one decision to make when the day comes that your daughters get married…in fact, I will even make the decision of how much money to spend! Won’t that be so nice of me? HA!

Let it Be

I was thoroughly entertained by AI’s Top 12 last night. Here is a good article with all the scoop.

Brooke White sang a great reminder to me personally last night. The message she brought to my living room from The Beatles was “Let it Be”. What a great reminder to me with some stuff I have been going through lately. I never recognized the spiritual message embedded in this song.

My other favorite, dredlock boy (I can never remember his name) did wonderfully last night also.

As for David Archuleta, I have to quote what I overheard a random Harley rider tell his friends over lunch at Applebee’s today. “Man, my man forgot his words last night. I was so bummed. I couldn’t believe it, he just choked. I hope he comes back strong next week.”

Do you think that David Archuleta understands how much this whole country is rooting for him?I mean right here in Knoxville, TN, there was a table full of rough tough looking guys right next to a table of Mormon stay home moms who all consider him “our man”! C’mon David, we are all praying for you. And as for last night, my advice to David, “let it be”.

Wow, that message is really universal….I am going to focus on letting things be this week.

Gender Roles
The gender roles: thank goodness they don’t have to be black and white.
When we were newlyweds, (10.5 years ago!!) LG and I took a sociology for the family class together. Of course, LG humored me by taking the sociology class. Soft sciences aren’t really his thing. (He had no idea at the time, that he married a girl whom would take him on a complex psychological journey) I forgot how fun that was to study together. We also took a health class together. (I had no idea at the time that we should have paid better attention to our health instruction)
Anyhow, I remember learning about gender roles in this sociology class and how their definitions are getting more and more intertwined. I was somewhat happy at the time feeling like it would be o.k. that I married a man who was more nurturing than me.
I also felt extremely validated because I had married a man who appreciated me for the strong willed girl that I am. I sometimes kid when I am trying to explain my differences from other women that I am a “manly girl”. (not in a gay way) I just enjoy doing things on my own and not being that damsel in distress.
Last night as LG and I were discussing our friends’ baby, LG said how impressed he was with our friend Dave’s ability to be nurturing. I said to him, “I love it, you are the exact same way.” and then I added, “I am not so nurturing, huh?” LG said, “You are with the babies.” (I will take that in a complimentary sort of way and add the realization that I can do a better job with my big grown babies – including LG)
Even though LG and I are still constantly trying to work out our gender roles, I am still a firm believer that the women were meant to be the nurturers and the men the protectors. (What else explains the fact that he can’t handle throw up and I couldn’t “kill off” that injured bird outside) I love it when I find scientific things that support the teachings of the church.

I miss Bob!

This article says that it is wonderful to have Drew Carey replace Bob Barker as the host of The Price is Right.
It is as if the article’s author is trying to convince himself that having someone so UNLIKE Bob Barker is a good thing.
I don’t want to be mean, but I do not think that this is a good thing. LG and I have watched the show maybe a whole combined 3 times since Carey has taken over and we think he stinks.
Carey belongs back on Whose Line Is It Anyways or The Drew Carey Show. We loved him as an actor/comedian, but, really, we need Bob back.
It used to be my dream to be a contestant, but, now, I can’t even stand to watch.