Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Help Me, Ronda!

A week ago, today, after Woody’s and Rose’s visit, I decided to use up a little more of my government stimulus check, because I am almost certain, thanks to Publisher’s Clearing House last personal note to me—that I am going to be a $25,000.00 winner!

Seriously, their last note told me to be expecting them soon—at my front door. I can’t wait, in fact, I have already decided to officially accept their check to me in Outer Space! “Live, from Outer Space, we present Cousin Nancy with her winning check for $25,000.000!”

It was around eight o’clock, when I was at Apple.com, that I ordered the Apple iPod touch! Just as I had clicked the check out button, Tony came into the kitchen and said, “Are you still looking at the ipod touch?”

“Nope,” I answered. “I just bought one, and it will arrive Tuesday, the 24th—engraved with my name on it.” Tony left the room.

Friday afternoon, around two o’clock, Tony went into Outer Space, to tell me that he had just ordered an iPod touch, too, but his was not scheduled to arrive until Wednesday, the 25th.

Later that evening, I went to the Fed Ex web site to track our iPod touches. “Tony,” I said. “My iPod has left the plant, and is now in Shanghai, China, and yours is still at the plant, in a word I can’t pronounce, China.”

Saturday morning, “Tony,” I said. “My iPod is now in Anchorage, Alaska, and yours is in Shanghai, China!”

Sunday morning, “Tony,” I said. My iPod is now in Memphis, Tennessee and yours has left Anchorage, Alaska.” And, that is when I realized, I had turned into a FedEx tracking commentator—following every move, of our new, soon to be toys.

Monday morning, “Tony! Your ipod left Memphis, Tennessee, late last night and our ipods met up in San Antonio around two in the morning. And, they are now on a FedEx truck in Kerrville for delivery—today!” Tony was ecstatic with my news!

Around eleven o’clock that morning, Kinky called. “Tony, I think your iPods just arrived here. There’s something about Blue Tooth?”

Tony and I jumped into Buttermilk and went over to the Lodge! When we walked into the kitchen, Kinky was on the phone, doing a telephone interview, and he waved at us. Then he left the kitchen and went back into his office. Tony and I looked at the kitchen table, where Kinky usually leaves stuff for us—no FedEx packages! Then we went into the ‘great room’ and looked around—no packages! “Tony, where are they?” I whispered. “I’ve carefully tracked those iPods, all of the way from China, Alaska, Memphis, San Antonio, to Kerrville, and now we can’t find them!”

Kinky hung up his phone and walked into the ‘great room’, wearing a smile on his face.

“Kinky,” I said. “Where are our iPods?”

“What iPods?” he said, casually.

“Kinky!” I said.

Kinky left the ‘great room’ and we followed him into his bedroom. He went to his suitcase, opened the lid, and picked them up. “Is this what y’all are looking for?” Then we all laughed. “I got ya!”

Tony and I went to the kitchen, and opened up our packages! They were beautiful! Kinky invited us out to the Friedman Family Bone Orchard for a visit, and since, we didn’t know how to work our new toys—we went outside with him. After a fun visit, we went home, when his phone rang, for another Kinky interview.

When we got home, we quickly read the instruction manuals carefully, and followed the directions carefully. After doing everything it had told us to do—we turned them on!

“Hello, Houston. We’ve got a problem!” Our iPods would not connect us to iTunes, Safari, the GPS or anything else! ‘Help me Ronda,’ should have been the next song to play on my old iPod, but it didn’t, because I don’t have it on my play list! Instead, it played, ‘Don’t Worry Be Happy’ by Bobby McFerrin. Tony and I were like two little kids at a candy store—with no candy.

We then started over with our iPod touches, doing everything the directions told us to do—but no cigar—no nothing. I then went online to Apple troubleshooting—and it was all too confusing for me. I am not real good at high tech stuff.

Yesterday morning, after Tony and John had finished feeding the dogs, and cleaning their pens, Tony came inside the trailer and I dialed The Apple Store. We were immediately helped, by a friendly, patient service technician, and she spent over twenty minutes with us, trying to solve the problems—but, at the end of our conversation, she suggested that we first go to a nearby Star bucks, which is a ‘hot zone’ to see if we could connect to the internet from there. Then, she asked us to call her back, and we would proceed from there.

Tony and I jumped into Buttermilk and drove to the only Starbucks in Kerrville, Texas!

I have been to a Starbucks only once in my life, and that was in San Antonio, years ago, before a protest. Tony has never been to a Starbucks, so when we arrived at Starbucks, Tony and I ordered two small coffees, and then we sat down at a small round table in the corner. We quickly turned on our iPod touches, and they worked! Hello, Safari, hello iTunes, hello GPS! We were so happy—like two senior citizens, using their senior discount cards, at the movies, for the first time!

We stayed at Starbucks for about thirty minutes, and that is where, we fell in love with our new handheld computers! When we arrived back home, I booted my iPod, hoping that it might just work—nope. It showed I had a Linksys signal, but it would not get me online. So, now after taking care of paperwork and returning phone calls, Tony and I are fixing to call Kimberly back at The Apple Store for more help.

I think the problem has something to do with our Linksys wireless router, and we will find out soon enough. Wish us luck!

P.S. Tonight's the Fort Worth Bonefit at The Flying Saucer at 8:00 pm!

1 comment:

Simply Cindy Lou said...

I love your new toys! My son sold me his old Zune earlier this year and I love it. Now I can carry pictures watch movies and listen to my music. I don't think mine does the online thing. I'm jealous. Naw
Have fun with them and I hope you get the Linksys thing figured out.