Different

Have you seen those commercials for Comcast phone service?  The ones where some doofus is saying “But now I’m calling you on my new Comcast digital phone!” But of course that makes no difference to the situation at hand – which results from the caller being a hopeless screw-up and isn’t curable by a change of phone service.

Well, people, today I’m writing my blog entries using my new iMac.  

Which doesn’t make me any smarter or more articulate.  But does indicate that I’m living through a world-shaking transition in my technology life – from Windows to Mac.  

I’m proficient working in a Windows environment:  organizing files and folders, using my favorite programs, knowing what’s located where and how to do what I want to.

Now I’m in Mac World, and I barely speak the language here.  I have to learn how to do things here, that were second nature in the Windows Universe.  Simple things, like closing windows and applications – which means a click on the upper left corner vs the upper right. 

Working with photos?  Not yet.  I’m still working on the basics.  Like learning that the Delete key = backspace, and forward delete requires the fn key + Delete.

I’ve learned that I’m too used to using a trackball to enjoy the Apple Bluetooth Mighty Mouse.  Mainly because the menu bar is waaay up on the top left of this 24 inch monitor screen and I have to move the mouse nearly halfway across my desk to get the pointer up there.  Too much wrist and arm movement involved.  So I plugged in my trusty old trackball, and it works!  I can maneuver around the iMac Half-Acre display without wearing out my wrist.   Wireless mousing is nice, but avoiding another carpal tunnel experience is better.

It’s going to be a nice world, I think, but a brave new one for me.

LATER EDIT:  Finally, after downloading a trial version of Photoshop Elements, I’m working with pictures here.  I’m not sure about this huuuge monitor, though.  I can’t seem to resize Elements to occupy less than the entire screen and I’m going to have to change the ergonomics here so that I’m not craning my neck to see the top part of the screen.  In the meantime, I’m adding a picture of my puppy and my new iMac, in the same shot.

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Scurried

Yesterday Jasper and I went to Washington Park for the Furry Scurry.  So did 10,000 other humans and 5,000 other dogs.

It was a hoot.  I got there early enough and hung around our corporate team area but none of them ever showed up there and I didn’t see any of them in the crowd elsewhere.  Which doesn’t mean they weren’t there.  

As we had first walked into the park and toward the event area, Jasper was scared by the noise and the crowd.  I picked him up and carried him then, and for almost the first time ever I felt him shaking a little.  

The time we spent hanging out in our designated corporate team area turned out to be good for him.  It was a safe spot where there were friendly people and dogs to meet, and after 20 minutes he seemed to lose the anxiety.  Despite the absence of our teammates, we had a good time.  Jasper’s so cute that many people talked to us, and were impressed that he was only 4 months old.  

He walked a lot more of the 2-mile course than I’d expected.  It was a breakthrough on his learning curve about being out on a leash and walking along with me in a straight line.  I suppose it’s the pack thing – he was doing what the other dogs were, learning from them.  And he definitely wanted to be in the middle of the pack most of the time, after we got going walking the course.  I started to worry that he was going to blister his pads walking so much on pavement, because he’s used to wandering around on turf here at home.  

I wish I had pictures, but handling Jasper was all I could deal with.  After all, I did carry him for probably half of the distance all told.   I do have the memories, including Jasper and the big sweet Newfie we walked with for awhile.  And Jasper and a bunch of dogs about his size playing tangle-the-leashes in the corporate team area.

We got home at 11 am, both very tired.  He could use a bath after all that, but I’m not an experienced dog bather so I may wait until I have time later this week, then give it a try.  In the meantime I’ll wipe him down again with a damp washcloth to see if I can remove a little more of the dirt.

Thanks for all the good wishes, donations, and moral support.

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