RESTORATION

Ok, on more than one occassion (ok --- every chance I get) I make fun of my husband's undying and complete devotion to everything APPLE (talking about the company -- not the fruit people). I exaggerate not...the man is in LUV!
Anyhooo --- I'm starting to understand....last weekend I spent hours dowloading cds to my laptop then downloading to my ipod.
'Round 'bout the middle of the week I discovered, much to my chagrin, that I was missing all of the songs I had purchased on my ipod in the last year.
These purchases were not made on my laptap...backed up on my laptap....or burned to a CD.
OH! CRAP!
Now...Apple has a strict policy about downloading once...that's one time...numero uno!
OH! CRAP!
The only thing I did have was the emailed receipts sent to me by APPLE...
good thing the Spirit had moved me to save those.
So I emailed APPLE (there is no customer service number to call)...
Dear Hubby did tell me what to say to plead my case: "Be sure to tell them that you are new to APPLE products".
Well , within two days I had gotten no less than 3 emails (one of which was an automated reply).
The other two, however, contained explicit details as to how to re-download(traci's made up word here people) the more than 60 songs I had lost.
More than 60 songs --- all returned....no extra money...
Hallelujah!
Despite APPLE's strict policy(reiterated more than once in the emails) they made an exception for me.
WOW!
Now I'm back to groovin' on the Metro...
No longer worried that my many $.99 drops in the bucket did not go down the cyberspace drain.
Hats off to APPLE!
And to all you Steve Job devotees (Dear Hubby included) at whom I've poked much fun:
I BEG YOUR PARDON!

only in america

So on Thursday I am making my way to the train -- headed to the new job with the nice people and the work i'm still not 100% hooked on.
so i grab a seat (so far, so good i always get a seat)...
and i notice a man in a seat opposite and to the right of me.
he's wearing a gray hoody pulled closely over his face, slightly bent over and shaking a bit.
i also notice that the bottoms of his leg (his pants legs are folded up to his knees) are HUGE.
and when i say HUGE -- i don't mean fat...i mean elephantitis or genetic disorder HUGE. in other words the man has some definite medical problems.
he's also carrying a sign that says "needy, please help".
next thing you know i'm deep into "feeling sorry" for this man.
in my mind he is now the poster child for pitiful (as in to feel sorry FOR not sorry you Met) .
i wonder if he has ever seen a doctor ...if he was abused as a child....how everyone deserves dignity...can he walk (it has to hurt -- plus his only footwear are those things you probably get from the doctor -- a flat piece of material with a strap going across the top of the foot --- sortof a naked sandal)...anyway...i'm thinking about how we're all sitting here with our ipods and cell phones...and wearing our nice work clothes..coming from our nice homes..headed to our jobs..and he's sitting there -- rocking back and forth -- practically invisible.
we should all be ashamed!
but what can i do?
well, at least i could offer the man my breakfast.
so, i go in my tote...and i dig around looking for the bacon and egg sandwich i threw together and put in a plastic baggie.
and i dig...
and i dig.,..
until my digging produces the memory of me putting the sandwich on the kitchen counter...
and leaving it there.
score zero for me as hero to the homeless...
so i'm starting to tear up and wonder if this man will be riding the train all day...will he be there tomorrow...is someone going to lose their grip on the pole and step on his big feet.
and so it goes until my stop.
i get off..and get on with my day...
thinking -- here and there -- about this man...
and near the end of the day...things get busy...
then get crazy...
'poor man on the train' now pushed to the back of my mind.
finally...it's 7p and i walk out the door...
put on my ipod....
head to the corner...
dig around for my cell phone as i cross the street...
a block earlier than usual i might add...
as i comingle with rest of the evening's going-home-ers...
i glance in the shop windows...
the stationary store...
the chocolatier....
the place with the tables facing the window...
and sitting there scribbling in his notebook....
with his naked sandals...
is the man from the train...
sitting there...at a table ...
by himself...
looking way less needy than on the train
there he sits....
IN STARBUCKS!
Only in America people! Only in America!

Here I Am

If it seems I've been missing in action, in reality I've just been 'in action' elsewhere.
Kiddies, I've started a new full-time job and I'm getting used to my new routine.
I've only been there for four days.
Place is nice, folks seem to be nice (what exactly is nice really?).
But the verdict is still out on how much I like or love the new gig.