Butting Heads with Technology

I dig my heels in every time new technology arrives, and something 'new' seems to pop up almost every week. Now let me start out by saying I love the Internet! How else would I have come to know all of you lovely people? And since there are no phone lines out here, I like my cell phone now that they have built a tower on the ranch. Before that, no service. There was a phone in the house - the kind with a cord that hung on the wall - but it was just a glorified bag phone. There is a small tower behind the house with a little box that stores the bag phone. Once everything went digital, the analog phone no longer worked. Before that, we had a party line in Texas.

I do text so that is my nod to technology.

However, we only have one television. No DVR. I do not have a smart phone. I don't get picture mail. I don't have a dishwasher. We just installed central air 2 years ago. We drive a 14 yr old truck and when I test drove a couple of new ones, I balked because I felt like I was driving the space shuttle. I did not like it at all! I do not need a heated steering wheel cover nor do I need a step that folds down so that I can get into the bed of said truck. I am plumb happy with my old truck thank you very much.

Now, I don't begrudge anyone all of the bells and whistles that technology provides, but I am a simple gal. And yes, you can be a simple gal with bells and whistles, but the following is a true example of what happens when technology and I collide.

After 4 hours, in two days, and after lovely, lengthy conversations with Alex, Henry, Dustin, Alexis, and Melody, I finally have iTunes downloaded into my computer. Yes, the downloading is set to be stupid proof. No, I could not download it. But, in my defense, it took 2 senior advisers from Apple to finally get it done. Not to mention some finger, toe, and eye crossing. No bad words. I'm pretty patient when it comes to this kind of stuff, but it does make me want to weep. It should not be this hard.

Oh, my goodness! I just wanted to listen to an audio book from a library. Our library doesn't offer that so I had to get a card through my mom from her library. It came with 3 pages of instructions.

When the kids left, I inherited our girl's old Nano. It's a pretty lime green. The first time I tried to hook it up, I wiped out her entire library. Over 2000 songs. Poof. Gone. No, I do not know how that happened.

I thought it would be perfect for listening to audio books while I was trotting down the dirt road. I told myself, "I got this". Humph.

Just hit download. Do you see the box that pops up? No. It's right there. On the screen. No. Sorry. No box. Uninstall Bonjour and Quicktime and temp files. No. Can't download it on Chrome. Sigh. Error messages. Feel sanity slowly draining away.

Finally! Success...along with a message that I have used up all of my cell phone minutes.

Install Overdrive for WMA books.
Adjust AAC import settings.

Honestly! This book had better be AMAZING because I'm probably going to forget how I got it installed and  it'll be the only book I'll ever have on here. What book? Killing Lincoln.

That reminds me that I have to return it at the end of the month. How do you return a virtual book? Here we go again. Sheesh!

I'm going to play in the dirt. Just me, seeds, dirt, and a little whining to the good Lord about how this technology was supposed to make life easier.

I might be burying that Nano too...right next to the carrots.

Maybe they can get it to work.