Trivial thoughts

About this time of year, I start to meditate on the Meaning of Life. My conclusions? Your life can change overnight.

Once upon a time I thought my life would continue along its pleasant but uneventful course. Mr Charm and I would attend concerts and visit with friends and I would work in the library. All that came to a sudden end, without notice. The friend I had the most fun with died and I was not ready to lose her. I was supposed to go to Atlantic City with some friends who were great fun to be with, but he got sick and couldn't go, and suddenly, he too was dead.

Even the college I enjoyed attending so much had morphed into a huge university. I went back to visit and found the place unrecognizable--they had moved the river which was a prominent feature of the place.

And I found myself in Delaware, where the only person I knew was the real estate lady who sold us our house.

On a lighter note; I have had so much vexation with Verizon, who unexplicably keep misplacing my payments, not to mention billing me $45 for viewing a World Wrestling Federation event. Now do I seem like a person who would watch a WWF competition? After hours of voice mail, I spoke to several rude individuals about all of this. All of them had ingested their daily I Don't Care Pill that day. I was so upset that I woke up in the middle of the night thinking about Verizon.

Today, I decided to give it one last try. After being re-directed to the wrong person no less than three times, I finally spoke to someone who understood what had happened and was in a position to do something about it. Hallelujah!

I am one of Macy's best customers: They send me so many coupons that it doesn't pay for me to shop anywhere else. After I apply my $25 off coupon, my $50 off coupon, my just for today coupon which gives me 20 percent off on every purchase, and a voucher they sent me which is just like cash, I pay a little less than I would at K-Mart, and I like Macy's better.

It would be nice not to be crazy...

or at least any crazier than I am.

I am thinking that the only way to preserve what shreds of sanity are still clinging to me would be to give up the computer. The combination of increasing computer dependence and complete electronic ignorance is potent. Is it just me, or have I been attacked by an especially malign group of manufacturers? Verizon, for instance. Apple Computers, for another.

I was just on the phone to Apple for about an hour. During that period, they were unable to figure out how to install: 1) my Olympus digital camera; 2) my HP scanner, and 3) my Lexmark printer. I asked the customer service rep to consult her peers and call me when they had figured something out. However, Apple does not call customers. So there you have it. I got a little snippy and inquired if anyone could figure out how to make the Mighty Mouse (!) work. She wanted to know what was wrong with it. I told her using the mouse is like typing with mittens on. I asked her if buying a wireless mouse and keyboard would improve things. She didn't know.

Then the Internet connection dropped dead. Verizon couldn't figure out what was wrong. It simply would not connect.

An hour ago, I disconnected the telephone and tried to connect to the Internet. Voila!

Why not just give up? I'm beaten. The forces of American industry have crushed me into a powder. These evil capitalists with their undoubtedly obscene salaries!*

* Salaries are obscene when they are more than 10 percent more than my income.