Shopping and Company

I am so proud of myself.  I just can’t quit patting myself on the back.  One day about a month ago, my youngest baby, Kyle, came over and did some work on my computer.  I grumbled and complained to myself after he left because he “fixed” some things.  I am a traditionalist.  I don’t take to change very well.  Especially when it comes to technological stuff, and especially the technological stuff on my computer. 

Well, he had changed the program I used for my pictures when I download them.  Grumble, grumble, complain, complain. 

Today when I was looking for a picture in my photo files of Kyle and Ashley, I found one that was taken at mine and Jerry’s wedding from June 18, 2007.  It was very dark.  I discovered today that I could actually crop the picture and brighten it up in the new program he had switched me to.  I know it still needs more adjusting, but I amazed myself that I could get it to look like it does above.

Wow. 

I am sorry I complained and grumbled and resisted the change, Kyle. 

I like this new program.  I like it I do.  I like it Sam, I am.  (Ok, Dr. Seuss I am not)….

Jerry had a meeting at the VA today, so afterwards we went to Fry’s to take a look at all the gadgets we might want to buy.  Fry’s is a HUGE electronic store that has everything you could every imagine.  Phones, cameras, computers, tvs, stereos, electronic games, – all of it.  If you can think of it, they probably have it.

Jerry will be getting an increase in his VA benefits starting next month from a claim he had put in over a year and a half ago (due to being exposed to Agent Orange when in Vietnam – his diabetes is a result of that exposure).  He had a partial approval, the rest of the claim is still pending.  What the VA does is they back pay (or retro pay) from the date of your claim.  So you get a big chunk of money when you get your increase.  So…. we went dreaming today.

After getting caught up on the bills and other outstanding debt, we will have a little left to play with. 

We have been looking at either putting in central heat and air or buying the newer portable heat/air conditioners.  Today at Fry’s we found this.  It is a combination heater, dehumidifier, and air conditioner.  It was $100 more than the plain air conditioner at Lowe’s that looks just like it.  We ended up paying $580, with tax. 

For the air conditioner, you vent it out a window.  Jerry said it should cool the kitchen, dining room and living room (and heat those rooms during the winter).  When we came out of the store, on the radio it said that it will be getting into the upper 90s again mid week for us, so……..  we will definitely be seeing if it was a good buy here in a few days.

Like I said in a previous post, I love books.  I collect all kinds, including old textbooks.  One of the things I want to work on this coming fall is refreshing/re-teaching myself Spanish.  I took Spanish in junior high and high school, but alas…. I can only remember the basic stuff.  I love the Spanish language, it is one of the Romance Languages.  I have about 10 old Spanish textbooks I have picked up at book sales, yard sales and thrift stores.  I saw this at Fry’s and asked Jerry if we should get it, so… here it is.  I am eager to start working on it.

 

This program is for beginners, intermediates, and advanced pupils.  It comes with a DVD for your computer, CDs for the car and you can even download it to your MP3 player.  If you have a headset with a microphone, you can even speak to the program and it plays your recording back to you so you can hear where you need improvement so you don’t sound like a common “tourist” as you learn the language.

Neat, huh?!!

Kyle and Ashley are coming over for grilled steak, corn on the cob, salad and pie tonight.  Kyle said he wanted lemon meringue pie, so we stopped by CoCo’s Restaurant and Bakery and bought one.  Then we ran (well, actually drove, we probably should’ve ran to help loosen up some of this excess adipose that has wrapped itself around our bodies) to Ralph’s grocery store because they had T-bone steaks on sale, but I couldn’t find any.  Instead, I bought a package of porterhouse steaks that was marked $39, but I paid $14 for them on sale. 

I usually don’t shop at Ralph’s.  But as I walked through the freezer case section I saw that they have both sides of the frozen dinner aisle filled with selection after selection of frozen meals.  Lots of variety!!!!  Wow… I think I found my 300 selections!  Guess where we will be shopping the next few weeks for our frozen dinner meals???  I know we will be sick of them by the end of this month, but it will help me have more time to spend on deep cleaning the house if I don’t have to stop and spend an hour cooking several times a day everyday. 

Plus, it will be so easy to plan our calories for the day because everything is already figured out on the packaged meal.

Am I lazy or what???