September 26, 2014
Dear Everyone:
Last night was our first ARMA meeting with me as the “new” President.
A typical evening consists of “networking” while everyone shows
up, followed by dinner and the Speaker’s presentation.
Then the Speaker gets to eat his/her dinner as members and guests
troop out and the Board holds its meeting.
Some Board members groaned that my Agenda was “…four
pages long!!!” Not
entirely true, but there was a lot to cover after the usual Summer
Break. We don’t hold
meetings in July and August because too many people take vacation while
the kids are out of school and, thus, aren’t available for meetings.
One of the first things on the Agenda was “Succession Planning”.
This is where we discussed the fact that our Board had no Vice
President. That was my
position and, when I stepped into the President’s role, it left a void.
I pointed out that, if something happened to me, it wouldn’t be
my problem; it was the Board that would suddenly have no President, the
one Board position that cannot be appointed by a Board vote.
That’s when “Irene” raised her hand and volunteered (bless her!)
“Irene” had been the Chapter President before and knew just how
much, or how little, a Vice President needs to do.
So we promptly took a vote and appointed her the new Vice
President. And quickly moved
on to the next item on the Agenda.
That would be Sponsors.
Sponsors are vendor companies that agree to give the Chapter money in
return for considerations, such as having their company logo on our
Website, or the opportunity to stand up and give a five-minute
presentation (i.e., “commercial”) at a Chapter meeting.
I had been working on a list of potential Sponsors earlier this week.
The first thing I needed was a way to contact said Sponsors.
That usually meant going to their Website and taking down some
information.
That’s when my Web Browser, Microsoft’s
Internet Explorer (IE), started
having colic. Many
interruptions about “…is not working…looking for a solution…” which, of
course, just got in the way.
I realized the problem was probably less with IE and more with the
computer itself, which froze and had to endure a “hard reboot” less than
a week before. That’s when I
began to wonder, “When did I get this one?
How old is it?”
A couple of months ago, I was asking the exact same questions about the
printer.
There was a time, when a printer stopped working, for whatever reason,
you took it to a repair shop and they would fix it.
In the meantime, of course, you were out a printer.
Not a good situation.
And the cost to fix it would turn out to be just about what it would
cost to get a new one.
So I went down to the Big Office Supply Warehouse Store and got a new
printer. And agreed to pay
an extra $25 for the “extended warranty.”
The “extended warranty” basically states that if the item, in this case
a printer, breaks or otherwise stops working, in less than two years,
the store will…not fix it; not replace it; but “extend” the original
purchase price towards buying a new one, at that store, of course.
In other words, the store doesn’t expect the item, in this case a
printer, to last more than two years.
How old was the previous printer?
Just over two years old.
How old is the current computer?
Just about two years and one month old.
Obviously, it’s time to start shopping for a new computer.
This one will last a little while longer, but why wait until it
breaks down right in the middle of something really important?
Like having the
refrigerator conk out on
Easter Sunday when you
have two dozen guests coming to dinner.
So I’ve started looking at what’s on the market, computer-wise.
Lots of stuff about “touch screens”.
Not really interested in touching the screen.
Apart from the “ick factor”, I use an external monitor that is
big enough for me to see without squinting and leaning forward a lot (so
bad for my back, you know.)
And Windows 8, of course.
Can’t wait to start playing with that.
Another reason to replace the existing computer before it dies:
It gives you time for the
Learning Curve.
And you don’t have to transfer
everything all at once.
Actually, I’ve been using a version of Windows 8 for a while, as it’s
the operating system on my
cell phone.
Come to think of it, how long have I had that cell phone?
Almost two years. Are
we seeing a pattern here?
I have started a “gadgets log” to list all the things that we can’t live
without and how long ago I got the last one.
Like the aforementioned refrigerator.
I know exactly how old that one is.
I bought it right before moving in to my current place in April,
2009. Since the average
fridge lasts about seven years, I have some time before it will need to
be replaced.
Pop Quiz! How old is your
water heater?
In other news… (literally)
Be careful what you hear.
As I was driving to the store to get a
Starbucks gift card for ARMA, I
turned on the radio. The
announcer intoned: “…US
airstrikes target
ISIS in
Siberia…”
I thought, “Really? ISIS has
bases in Siberia?
When did they do that?
And wouldn’t the Russians take a dim view of the US dropping
bombs on Siberia?”
Then I realized the announcer had said, “…ISIS
inside
Syria…” and the words
blurred just a bit. Easy
mistake.
Love, as always,
Pete
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