Intensely Inert

Here's my post on Christine Fonseca's An Intense Life:
http://christinefonseca.wordpress.com/2012/07/20/intensely-inert/

FO Friday Bernat Mystery CAL 2012 Finally Finished!

Finally! I'm done. I arranged the pieces differently than the pattern. I added some pieces on the sides so the edges would be a bit more even. used a different method to join the pieces. It was supposed to be an invisible join, but I wanted to utilize the deep red color more and I liked the idea of having each motif outlined. Lastly, my edging is different then the original afghan pattern. You may have to register and log in to view the afghans on the Bernat site.

But I don't want a NEW Puppy!

I want Lassie! At least that's what I remember Roddy McDowell saying when he thought Lassie was gone. I checked the transcript on Drew's Script-o-Rama and it seems there isn't a line like that anywhere. Oh well. I am sure I have heard a similar line somewhere before, even if a Google search didn't produce any immediate successful results.

This is how I feel about my broken Nook Color. My Nook turned off and it won't turn on. Yes, I have tried everything. Yes, I have visited many Nook Color forums. I have tried holding the buttons down, first one, then the other, then a combination of the two, for various lengths of time. Yes, I have tried plugging it in to my computer. Yes, I have tried keeping it plugged in all night. If you are reading this and you think I have left out something, I haven't. I might have forgotten to write about it here, but believe me, I have tried. I took it to my local Barnes and Noble and they tried. Fortunately, my husband got the two-year warranty, which expires in November. This means all I have to do now is call the customer service number and they will send me a replacement Nook Color. For free --as long as I return my broken Nook Color within 14 days, otherwise, they will charge my account. Normally, this would be fine and dandy, EXCEPT:  slightly less than one month ago, I drove from Murrieta, CA to Vroman's in  Pasadena, CA (with a recently sprained ankle) where I had John Scalzi sign the back of my Nook Color:

He even obligingly inscribed, "This Nook belongs to Donna Leonard!" He also autographed a hardcover copy of his latest book, Redshirts for my dad along with the inscription, "Guy --You have an awesome daughter!" (Thank you again, John!) So, you see why I don't want to just hand over my old Nook. I asked the customer service people (yes, I ended up speaking on the phone to Barnes and Noble customer service reps while inside a Barnes and Noble store) why they couldn't just repair my old Nook --just put fixed parts into the old shell. Bottom line, they aren't set up that way. Once the old Nook gets to the warehouse, they have no way of keeping track of it. I asked them what happens to the old Nooks. The answer: If they can be refurbished, then they get fixed and sent out to be sold as refurbished units. If they cannot be fixed, they are destroyed.

The first thing that came to my mind, was: How would someone feel if they received a refurbished Nook with  the back saying, "This Nook belongs to Donna Leonard!" and then an autograph, which, unless they are John Scalzi fans, they might not even know what they have. To be honest, if it can be fixed, I am sure they will just find a way to remove the writing on the back --which irks me even more --and don't even get me started about having it destroyed --if they are going to have it destroyed, why not just let me keep it? 

Yes, I realize it's "just" a signature. One of the women who works at Barnes and Noble was trying to be helpful and suggested I get the new one sent, and just have John Scalzi sign that one. Sure. I'll just jaunt on over to Ohio and have him do just that. There might at least be a chance if they could manage to get the new Nook Color to me before Comic Con is over in San Diego. I am only about an hour away. Maybe I could find a way to just get in there (even though tickets are sold out) and see if John Scalzi would be available to sign my new Nook Color. But no. They want to send it to me through the mail. Besides, getting into sold-out Comic Con would require subterfuge that might involve the possibility of getting arrested. Driving to Pasadena with a sprained ankle for a John Scalzi book signing: COMPLETELY worth it! Getting arrested at Comic Con while trying to bust in to get Mr. Scalzi (he is 2 years younger than me, it seems weird to refer to him as "Mr.") to sign the back of my Nook, NOT worth it.

So, here is my "brilliant"(?) plan: In September, my mobile phone is due for it's upgrade. If I can manage to get the Samsung (my) Galaxy (precioussss) Note, (because money might be an issue even at upgrade prices) I can download the Nook app to that device and all my pretty books will be in there. Then I can still keep my autographed $300 paperweight as a keepsake!  What do you think? Any better ideas?

Looking back on Childhood

Here is my bi-monthly post on Christine Fonseca's An Intense Life: Looking Back on Our Youth --At Any Age.