Friday, September 21, 2007

Loose Ends and Friends

I can’t believe that September is almost over, where ever did the time go? I have been thinking recently that I had mentioned certain things in previous blogs and then left them dangling. Just lately I seem to have been so busy with online friends and ongoing business. Loose ends and friends, it’s time to tie a few knots and clear the decks for more stuff.



You will remember a little while back, that we ran into some transmission trouble with the truck and this, after we had, had a front end brake job done.

With the transmission if you remember where we left off, I was holding my breath that the problem wasn’t a serious expensive job. The o/d light was flashing and that could be indicative of anything from a hamburger to a steak. The good news turned out to be that it just needed the bands adjusting and they replaced a ‘Shift Kit’ for it appeared that it was skipping 3rd gear. The cost for that was sufficient, but certainly better than a new Tranny.

Some very good advice I received along the way with this saga was: Never take your tranny to a franchise dealer, for it is assumed that you could get set up etc. etc. The advice is to always pick a small non franchise dealer, you will fare a lot better, it certainly paid off for me at least.

For an encore to the transmission I was endowed with the plague of ‘Vista’ on my new computer.
There was of course the initial problem of no email service, which was resolved after much harassment of a number of people, ranging from Hewlett Packard, Internet explorer types and even the giant, Microsoft itself. So after much gnashing of teeth and resetting of half the hard drive, it seemed. “We Got Mail” since then the only problems we get with email is, sometimes they are just so slow to go anywhere, and other times they just go into orbit never to be seen again by man nor beast!

I have read and heard a number of times about that most elusive word, (usually found in divorce courts) Incompatibility, a week ago I ran into that monster full tilt.

We use a digital camera like most folks do and for us we run the Kodak easy-share program. Easy? Ha! Not when you hang out with Vista. It downright refused to accept the disc that came with the camera. I was almost ready to need a gasket job of my own! So off I went with my newly working email to get in touch with Kodak. After much detailed conflabation, we achieved success with another download. However I celebrated too soon at the newly installed Kodak program. As always when you get an upgrade, they always seem to mess something up that used to work oh so well with XP. With XP I used to be able to email out my pictures in varying sizes, which works great for the things I like to do with them. Not any more! What a botchup!

Between the differing ‘My Document’ files set up with Vista compared to XP, the Kodak too has to bring in its own set of file mis-management and manipulation as well. Trying to get the two to work efficiently together is so far, still out to lunch.

I am determined to get the better of these two adversary’s, by hook or by crook. To that end I got the Vista Dummy book from the library, I realize now though I will be better off to buy my own book, I cannot resolve all the challenges of Vista in just a 3 week span. At the present I have the 'Windows Vista book for seniors', which gives you more visual oriented explanations, until I get to the store. The battle continues.

October 21 is supposed to be closing day at the park we go to so much. We are going to miss that place tremendously over the winter months, but we will be ready with the ‘Bit firmly between the teeth’ come opening day in April 08. My thanks to all the volunteers that make Willow Park the haven that it is.

The final loose end my friends belongs to all of you, the friends and people who daily come along and visit my blog with such regularity, wondering no doubt or I hope, what did he do today!
Without the people to come and read/look/post, there would not be a lot of incentive at times to try and write anything. I don’t have a set piece that I do when I write here, but I do try to provide a little variety in an effort to keep things interesting and at times provide a chuckle or two. So to all of you out there a big, big thank you for all your support, interest and comments keep coming back ya hear!

C’ya

22 comments:

david santos said...

My friend, Eric! Nothing of concerns because in 21 of June of 2008 the Summer goes to come back. Have good weekend

DarkWing said...

Is that y'alls truck? Glad to hear the fix wasn't too bad.

Hope you get comfortable with Vista soon :)

Eric Valentine said...

David, such a surprise, it's always nice to get a visit from you.

Hope things are going well with you my friend, you too have a good weekend.

Janice Thomson said...

I was going to upgrade to Vista but after reading this I think I'll stick with good old XP. I post poetry and do art every day and could get quite cranky if out of commission for too long. Have enjoyed being a visitor to your blog Eric.

Eric Valentine said...

Thanks for the visit again Janice, you're always welcome.

I do agree with you, XP is more suited to the kind of work you like to do. I certainly found it better to work with.

Vista will be ok eventually, meantime people wrestle with the bugs..

drips of paint said...

Hi eric

You are the one doing all the writing & I should thank you ...

I have Vista too but so far no problem because i do not do any of those task you mention...I drag for the day I am going to ..... Nowaday i doubt I have the patient like you to read up the how to book and I probably would just keep cursing and got really mad.

Glad truck is fine now and you have left over money ... haha

It will be sad when the park close.

great weekend Eric:))

Eric Valentine said...

Hi Tim, words can be just like the strokes of the brush my friend, both can present such a fine picture.

Happy & productive Painting Tim over the weekend. :)

Singing Stream said...

Reading you becomes more of a pleasure with each passing day. If it's possible you get better all the time articulating your thoughts, and knowing you, makes it all the neater...betterer....cooliest....geeeez, neatier, aw dawg gone it, you know what I mean. ;^D hehe

Leon said...

Ah, so the photo is not your truck. And there I was drooling. Being a native of Detroit, I have long had a love affair with antique vehicles. . . until, that is, the cars I drove as a youth started showing up in antique car shows. ;-D
---
Well, at least the new computer is now up and running. And if your experience with Vista parallels my wife's, the system will pick up some speed after a few of their patches are added. At least, for your sake, I hope that's what happens.
---
When you mention that the park is closing for the winter months, I realize how spoiled I have become in the nearly 26 years I have lived in southern California. Winter is our most beautiful season (if we actually get some rain) and I can't imagine a park being closed for any part of the year. But I guess you appreciate it even more when it is open and as beautiful as many of your recent pictures indicate.
----
Take care Eric and enjoy the rest of the weekend. :-)

Eric Valentine said...

Hey SS! thanks so very much for your compliments on my progress. I am pleased you enjoyed my work.

I like that word Articulate, gives me a good feeling.

Eric Valentine said...

Hello Leon, I understand your love of antique vehicles. My very first car years ago was a 1937 Austen 10, in appearance it looked a lot like the model T ford, big lamps and wide fenders n running boards. Wish I had that now it would be worth a fortune.

In reality with the Vista, it is settling down and I make new discoveries with it almost daily. Now if I could only get over that Kodak differential, but I will.

That is the thing with living North here in Canada. The seasons are very clean cut & distinct from each other. The plus is I guess if there is such a thing, each season brings with it many different things to delight the palate.

It is funny in a sense how things can be so different in differing parts of the continent and how people percieve them.

Have a good day Leon, enjoy your celebrations my friend. :)

Shades said...

eric,
i too had some difficulties with vista, especially when making powerpoint presentations...
good piece of writing..
:)

Eric Valentine said...

Hello Shades nice seeing you again and thank you for visiting.

I see many people are unhappy with Vista for a while. :)

Augs Casa said...

Good news on the truck mate. believe me, it gets expensive, especially when 4 wheel drive comes into play. Also Vista, ugh! I dislike like it. The wife has the new machine and old laptop is mine and I'm running XP. I do not even want to play with Vista. I don;t have the time or patience.

Eric Valentine said...

I hear you Augs, you and I are in unison re the 4x4 and vista ~ I'm not exactly in love with a laptop either! ~ hahaha

Better days ahead my friend. :)

swenglishexpat said...

Love the photo of the truck, beautiful! As for Vista, well you have read some of my posts, so you know. I'm sure "they" make things incompatible to make more money, my little conspiracy theory. BTW great photos of you two in the previous post. Enjoy while it's open!

Eric Valentine said...

Hi Swen, nice to see you here. Yes that truck is an oldie alright, that's when they knew how to build vehicles. Hope your car is behaving itself. :)

I hear you on the Vista, I just plug away and grumble like heck if something acts up, it should get easier as we go. I agree with you though on the conspiracy theory LOL

Thanks for the compliments on the photo's my friend. Yes we do try to make the park twice a week now, for we are fast running out of time and the leaves are falling fast. Have a good week Swen. :)

GaP said...

Salut, Eric...I was checking the old version of my blog and I noticed that you commented on the Alamo. Many thanks. Found your blog through The Frumpy Professor. A good read...GaP

zirelda said...

It's nice to meet you Eric.

I'm not ready for Vista. I'm thinking of skipping it completely like ME.

I briefly looked at your poetry site. How awesome. I used to write poetry. Would like to start again.

Thanks for peeking in to my blog. I hope you come back.

Z....

Eric Valentine said...

Hi GaP, thanks for remembering me and for your visit here, I will have to come over again to your place and have a read, take care. :)

Eric Valentine said...

Nice to meet you Z, vista is maybe a little ahead of other programs & will have to wait & play catchup. :)

Glad you like my poetry site, I always encourage people to write, for you just never know what comes out of the scribbles, works for me. :)

Eric Valentine said...

You are funny Newnorth, I wish we had what that oldie is worth, it's a 1931 T-Ford.

Yes it was nice to get off a little easier. :)

September 21, 2007 5:00 PM