Technology Woes

Recently, we changed cell phone providers. The main reason was that Derek needed a new phone – his had broken – and our then provider refused to help us out with replacing the phone. Even though we had been faithful customers for years. And Derek really wanted the iPhone, so we made the switch and we are now draped in orange fabric. (Surely you have seen the commercials.)


When we originally switched, I determined that I didn’t need a fancy data package. I ordered myself one of the phones that you could get for free as a new customer. But as the early days under our new cell phone provider drug on, I realized that I was coveting my husband’s new phone. It could do the COOLEST things. I felt so cheated and wronged! But, since I had been such a strong advocate for the fact that I didn’t need a fancy-schmancy phone, I kept my mouth shut as much as possible.

*I know that if my MIL is reading this, she is laughing right now because apparently I was not as suave in the department of hiding this phone jealousy as I thought I was*

Anyway, about 30 days in, we found out that the great orange one had a buyer’s remorse program – you could trade in the phone you originally got and get the same deal you would have been offered on day 1 of your plan. Off I headed to the store and I got my very own iPhone.

I must say – I HEART MY iPHONE!

The apps are amazing. I can find out the name of that song that I love on the radio. I can use the coin toss app to make an important decision. My Magic 8 Ball has become obsolete because I have one on my phone (that, by the way, I can customize the answers and include things like “Don’t even bother POAS! Your body is just F’d up!” for when I feel the desire to ask it if I am PG this month)

If I need to check my email, I can. If I need to look something up on the internet, I can. Any time I want. (As long as I have service, that is…) This is great for me – especially since internet is on lock down at my job. For any of you who know me personally – it isn’t as if I spend all day surfing the net on my favorite device. But if I am trying to think of the name of the actor that played in that movie, I don’t have to spend 4 hours with half of my brain trying to figure it out. Or if I know that one of my OBIFs (Online Best Infertile Friends) is having a BETA or is POAS, I can check for an update rather than having to wait until I get home.

The only downsides to my new found love?

It has become so easy to follow everyone else’s blogging on the run (while eating lunch or waiting at the Dr’s office or standing in line in a store) that I find myself logging on to my PC to catch up very rarely.

This means that I read – but I don’t comment – because typing in those damned security words that aren’t really words when you can’t see the spelling is a pain in the ass. And typing on an iPhone, while not as frustrating as texting on a number pad, is still much more time consuming than typing on a keyboard and autocorrect kills me.

AND

I don’t blog as much as I would like. I find myself writing a post in my head – one that I would love to share with all of you – that never makes it into blogger-space because I never pound it out on the keyboard. When I get home, the laundry (or that damned grout) is calling my name and I don’t have this burning desire to log on to read someone else’s blog because I already READ it while I was doing XYZ.

Hi, I am Carli – and I am an iPhoneaholic.

I am going to try to do my best to break my addiction with my iPhone and will be trying my best to be a better blogger/commenter in the future. I can’t promise I won’t relapse, but I will try to do better.

Maybe there is an app that I can use to create blog posts without having to type? I will be right back. I am going to check the App store…

The Number 13

13 is typically considered an unlucky number. I actually looked it up today on Wikipedia (yes, on my handy dandy iPhone) to see why it is considered unlucky. It turns out there are several reasons - even one that is related to the end of the Crusades and the 13 Templar knights. In Italy, when your luck has turned for the worse, you say “tredici” which translates to 13. In some buildings, owners even skip the number 13 when the floors of the building are labeled. Apollo 13 was a disastrous mission – an oxygen tank exploded on the 13th of April in 1970, ending any chance to land on the moon. There is even a phobia associated with the number 13 that is called Triskaidekaphobia.


You may be wondering about my current fascination with this number.

I decided to call last week to check to see where we were on one of our paths towards parenthood. That number, my friends, is where we currently reside on the list for donor embryos at our clinic.

When we signed up over a year ago, we were at position #21. Just a few months ago, we were at position #19. We are moving on up.

I must tell you. For some reason, I knew in my gut before I even called this would be the number that we currently resided at. Perhaps it was my fear that this would be the number. (13 was the number of embryos we had during our fresh cycles of IVF. BOTH TIMES. And we know how well that worked out…)

I don’t know if I should take this as a good sign (the fact that we are now 6 spots closer to #1) or if I should take this as a bad omen.

Luckily, Wikipedia also references some situations in which 13 is considered a lucky number. Italians do consider it a lucky number (which is perhaps why they say it when their luck turns for the worst). Many successful sports figures have proudly displayed the number 13 on their jerseys. It is the number of cookies in a baker’s dozen.

Maybe I should ask the Magic 8 Ball...

Ahhh, Relaxed and Refreshed

So our weekend away was just what the doctor ordered!

We watched "It's Complicated" on Friday night (hilarious movie BTW) and then got up Saturday morning, packed our bags and headed out.

We took a scenic route from our house to Asheville, NC.  We arrived at The Grove Park Inn and Resort in the early afternoon.  We hung out in the Great Hall and listened to a live band and had a few drinks and then headed to dinner.  After a delicious meal, we went to a piano bar where 2 pianists played requests on the pianos and patrons sang along.  We requested a few songs, had a few tasty beverages, laughed, and sang late into the night.

Sunday morning started early with a trip to breakfast.  Then we headed to the spa for a day of pampering.  We started the spa off with a delightful and relaxing couples massage and then spent the next few hours partaking in the Spa amenities.  We floated in the mineral pool (where there is music that plays under the water), took some deep breaths the eucalyptus infused steam room with chilled towels infused with mint oils on our faces, increased our circulation in the contrast pools, baked in the sauna, and hung out in the therapeutic waterfall hot tubs.   (I am sure Derek's sperm count is the lowest it has ever been after all that hot water activity!)

We went to our room, watched "Shutter Island", took a nap, and then got ready for dinner.  Dinner was served on the Sunset Terrace with marvelous view of the mountains.  After that, we headed to a bluegrass concert.  We met a delightful couple who was there to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary.  After the concert, we met the band members.  Then we headed back to the Great Hall for a night cap.  We actually met a really cool couple at the bar who live in the Atlanta area and we talked to them for a long time before heading off to bed.

The next morning, after sleeping in, we had a nice breakfast.  We checked out of the hotel and headed over to the North Carolina Arboretum to walk around in the pouring rain, arm in arm under an umbrella.  We seemed to be driving out of the rain, so we worked our way over to the Blue Ridge Parkway to drive along the mountain tops, stopping for a short side hike and an ice cream along the way.  After that, we meandered through a couple more small towns before heading home.

Neither of us was ready to go back to work today.  Nor were we ready to be back home.  But we truly enjoyed our trip.  And it was just what we both needed to recharge our batteries.

I know I have mentioned that stopping TTC has been a wonderful thing for our marriage because it let us focus more on us as a couple.  But then we jumped into more remodelling (you know us, all or nothing!) and the stress was getting to us.  This trip was a wonderful reminder of just how much fun we can have together and I am so thankful to have had such a wonderful holiday weekend with my hubby - just the two of us.