The work load I have chosen for myself does get over whelming at times.

As of today:
The packed boxes that my sister, Jan, will take to my Mother and to a recently married niece, Meghan, have been dropped off. Methan gets a quilted-table-top set and cookbooks for her wedding presents and Mother is getting some fabric remnants for her tote-bag designs.

Jan and Rich leave this afternoon for Tulsa, Ponca City, OK and then to St. Joseph, Missouri where they will, in order, visit a Remington Museum, attend a wedding reception and stay with Mom. When they return to NC, Mother comes with them for an extended visit here. Jan and I spent some time yesterday looking a the calendar for Mother's visit and deciding who gets to do what with her each day.

That's one quilting project done and the next deadline is not far off. Jen and Doug's quilt has been on the dining room table for two weeks and still needs binding and labels for the Quilt Show; deadline is Monday, October 13. Actually Mother will be here that same weekend and can see all the fantastic quilts.

Two weekends ago I was consumed by a quilt workshop with Gayle Bong of Wisconsin. Her "thirtysomething" workshop was a great learning experience. While I have no plans for making a triangular pieced top at this time, I did learn how-to so I will not be so timid about triangles in the future.

Progress continues on PowerPoint 2007, and bookmarking DVD's for the DANCE IN AMERICAN FILM lecture series planned for January 09. I have declined to be in the OLLI catalog for the Winter term as I am just not ready to announce. I was helped last week by Robin and Corinna at the Seymour Senior Center's theater but had so many problems and technical notes that I forgot to test out PowerPoint. The SSC theater is so great that is what inspired me to begin this project in the first place. Out of six lectures, 1 and 2 are sill loose, 3 is just beginning to get attention and I wanted to have the first three "in the can" before announcing. Back up will be the listing in the Senior Times for the first-quarter calendar, and on the OLLI Spotlight E-news for the OLLI members. Those deadlines come in November and that gives me a couple more months to perfect my slides, film clips and research.

But I swear, if I have to get one more "something for Dummies" to understand how to pull this off, I'll - - - scream! Have just arrived at the point where I feel comfortable doing outlines and new slides in PowerPoint, but still working on importing still frames from the movie scenes. Soon!

This week has seen two doctors appointments. Monday the dentist replaced an old filling and added a 'porcelain boot' to the upper right molar. Thankfully the pain in that side of mouth is gone. Today I had a thorough review at the eye doctor's. Next up, a trial for a different contact lens and a new left glass lens. Both doctors have confirmed that body parts get old long before we are ready. And my husband reminds me of the Medicare deductible which we will undoubtedly exceed this year.

Tomorrow, Thursday, is Dance Day at UNC Wellness. Thursdays have become my mega workout day with two of Claudia's classes. First is a continuation of the jazz class, followed immediately by the new Tap dance class. Yes I bought new tap shoes (first in 50 years), and am hoofing into a new routine. That means my legs will ache Thursday nights and I will be stiff on Friday morning but I like that better than walking four miles (not going to happen). I put a lot of energy into this and that gets me through the weekend. This came about after the center's Pilates teacher left, just when I was getting up to speed. Bummer.

Back to the study of dance musicals from mid-century. Loving Gene Kelly, James Cagney, Fred Astaire and learning mucho-info about choreographers.

Did you watch DANCING WITH THE STARS? They were not kind to Cloris but I was impressed with Susan Lucci and Tony Delovoni (sp?), she chose the right red dress.

Thought for today: Life is what happens while you are making other plans. John Lennon.


until later, b

TUESDAY TRIALS

What began this morning at 5:36 am, as a peaceful entry to "Morning Pages," (a la Julia Cameron), turned left somewhere around 7:45-8:00 am. Coffee on, MSNBC headlines done, dear hubby and I were already in a prolonged discussion about the art theft in Zurich; the why's, why didn't they, and who might have. Next up for my discussion was "how am I going to present my blogging course* at OLLI**?"

The course outline had been submitted weeks ago, the holidays, cruise and real life have taken over since then and now I realize: few weeks left to prepare. Naturally I need a laptop for this. Naturally, HIS laptop is not available. I have taken a couple of courses in OLLI's the Computer Lab [really Duke U's]before, I have NOT taught a course there. How to get started?

This led to his suggestion that I use PowerPoint.
I don't have PowerPoint.
Yes, you do, it's part of Microsoft Office 2000.
I never found PowerPoint before, I've looked for it.
Look again. . . .
OK, I found Office 2000, where's PP? According to the 'Office Assistant' I need the Office 2000 CD to find a PP-Tutorial.
A what?
Where's the Office2000 CD?

We pause now for a file search to find the original installation discs and instructions.

OK, here's the disc, insert this.
The computer tells me this disc is blocked because the Security Wall is set too high.
What?

Some minutes pass while Dear Hubby is checking the security settings.
OK, here. Just open PowerPoint and just read the menus.

I begin to save a file and create title page 1. The box tells me I have to insert the Office2000 CD.
What again?
As I insert the disc, a new window opens and tells me how to continue.

Now I realize what today will be. Another one of those Learning Curve introduction days to gaining mastery over a computer program that until this morning, I did not know that I needed to know. And this because I had the bright idea to teach other OLLI's what I know about blogging (?). I should have enrolled in a course on PowerPoint before doing anything else. This calls for another cup of coffee.

Forward the clock: after about two hours I now have a PowerPoint presentation (15 slides in all), that will get me through at least the first three classes. As Spring term is only six weeks long I do not see a problem generating the second half of the class later. Whew! That much much simplier than I thought and was accomplished before lunch. Now I can put the PowerPoint class outline on a CD and take it to the lab. But I will I still need a laptop...? Isn't this where I came in?

This story related to you because I just know someone will identify with the married-couple-morning-computer scramble. Am I the only one married to an IT department? And to think there was a time when I was a consulting designer-colorist-stylist and survived without a computer. But that was long ago in another world.

Tonight we dance at Judea Reform Congregation social hall to Dick Levin's band. Dick and 'his friends,' have been playing together for about 40 years (really) and on occassion decide to play for a special dance. This will be our Valentine holiday-dance as we missed the biggie last weekend and by next weekend, Valentine-anything will be over. I will really need to dance by tonight!

* Really Simple Blogging, Monday April 21, for six weeks at The Mill Computer Lab.

**Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Duke University.
see: http://www.learnmore.duke.edu/olli/
bb