Category: Things

Self-Quarantine Adventures

Carol Dois WoodwardLeave a comment

Today is day 2 of my self-imposed, self-quarantine. Actually the day is just beginning. It has already been productive.

One of the more interesting aspects of this COVID-19 experience has been watching all of the reporters and TV news guests calling in on Skype or some similar application. At some point yesterday I became aware of a nagging personal issue. I had not been able to do video calls on Skype.

I had tried many times to figure it out but, always short on time, I had never carefully worked through the process to give Skype access to my camera. I didn’t want to be left out of the Skype world. What if someone wanted to interview me? I would be voice only. That would have been embarrassing.

I arose this morning with resolve to join the video Skype world. So, sitting in front of reporters calling in via Skype, I actually followed instructions and successfully gave Skype access to my camera. I feel so accomplished. So techie. Now I have the confidence to tackle some other tasks …

  • watch CANVA tutorials
  • learn how to use the tablet feature of my Lenovo Yoga
  • troubleshoot the sound issues on my iphone video function
  • clean out the pantry
  • find my shoes with the cat’s faces
  • make a tamale pie
  • go back to work on the CERT website
  • and so on
  • get Grammarly to work on my WordPress blogs

I think I need a break from self-quarantine.

Hijacking of tunes

Carol Dois WoodwardLeave a comment

Ode to Joy … no real problem

In the midst of humming, I realized I was humming “Ode to Joy” or at least these most well known bars. Well my musical tastes are becoming more refined as I ages, I thought. I have been known to hum “Ode to Spring” often, but Beethoven?

I was feeling quite proud of myself until I realized the genisis of my new found cultural behavior … a car commercial was playing about 6 times an hour relying on Beethoven’s classic in the background. Ok, bemused I wrote it off as our exceptional American #MAdMen culture. Afterall, how many cartoons did we watch in childhood which used the “William Tell Overture” as the musical theme?

My Mad Men Avatar

But the Cranberries & Enya? No Way

Having become more alert to the musical propensities of modern advertising, I became aware that one commercial was using the Cranberries’ early anthem “Changes” and another was using an Enya tune (can’t remember the name”) as the musical motif.

Outrageous! How dare Madison Avenue co-opt, kidnap my perosnal tunes? These tunes had been among my companions on my long (90 mile one way) drives to and from law school in Oklahoma, my commute into my law practice into Richmond from verdent Prince George County, my house cleaning tunes when I still bothered with cleaning house.

This is a crime against my tunes.

Twilight of winter in Prince George VA

Carol Dois WoodwardLeave a comment

March, already?

Prince Georgians are rarely really ready for winter. This Prince Georgian is never ready for spring.

I haven’t cut back the crepe myrtle, clipped the hydrangeas to the ground (nearly), picked up winter twigs, or ordered a new load of crush and run to have graded in my long circular driveway.

Some of my hydrangeas in late Spring blook.

We had an odd winter of mostly days’ long bouts of rain, here and there sunshine and wind, and a humdinger of a snowstorm. We were out of power for 17 hours for that event. The time was never quite right for me to traipse into the yard and start the chores.

Speaking of power outages. We had just ordered the installation of a whole-house backup propane generator when we lost power for 17 hours during that snow storm. We knew there was a backlog in their installation schedule. Well, yesterday they called and will begin the week-long installation process today. Now strangers, not just my neighbors, will see how neglected my property is. Well, hopefully, that is all they will see and not see the state of my housekeeping.

Interestingly, Amerigas Propane just arrived to refill my tank. Little did I know the tank was down to 25% before the delivery. I would have been a royal nervous wreck if I’d checked the tank and seen how low we were.

Summer, where are art thou?