Once again my very BFF, Sharon, is trying to make me loose the very few marbles that I still have rattling around in my head. I love this woman dearly. I could not ask for a better friend . It doesn't matter that we live thousands of miles apart. It doesn't matter that she leans one way in politics while I lean the other way. She prefers being around old people, I prefer being in the company of little children. She was a nurse, I was a teacher. I love to try different foods, she will stick with fried chicken and French fries. But some how or other when ever we get together on the phone or in person we laugh till we cry and talk till we fall asleep. And our visits are NEVER long enough.
I had not seen Sharon in about 8 years. Health, husbands, family and distance kept getting in the way of spending time together. But like all true friendships we would pick up right where we left off. We do seem to have a psychic connection because when ever one of us is going through something tough the phone will ring and there on the other end is the exact person we need to talk to right at that exact moment.
But it seems that in spite of this amazingly wonderful connection she still likes to find ways to drive me CRAZY !!!!
Perhaps you remember my blog about the "Dryer Balls" ? The marvelous gift that BFF Sharon sent me one Christmas? I am still chasing those silly things around my house every time I do a wash. And I always think of Sharon as I am cursing the damn things. (But I really do love them, just don't tell her.)
This spring the stars were in alignment. We were both healthy, we didn't need to stay home to take care of anyone and we both had the time free. So Sharon came to Florida to visit. Only 3 days because according to her "House guests are like fish. They stink after 3 days." I promised her she could shower every day so she wouldn't stink but she held firm and left way too soon for my liking. We didn't do much while she was here except eat, talk and LAUGH till we cried. It was so great to be with her.
One of her first observations when she arrived at my condo was that I did not have an ALEXA. She found it quite strange that I have existed all these years without the eighth wonder of the modern world sitting in my living room. I explained that I have enough voices in my head I really did NOT need another one. Over the next 3 days the topic of Alexa would pop up and Sharon would extol the endless virtues of adding this to my life. I politely listened and didn't give it another thought.
Until guess what arrived in the mail about a week after my BFF"s visit ?
Did you guess an hippopotamus ? I hope not because that would be silly ! It was ALEXA!!!!!!! My reaction was the same as when I opened the Apple Watch that my Son and daughter-in-law sent me a couple of years ago. "What the hell am I going to do with this??????" And like the Apple Watch that I wear EVERY DAY and love . . . Well . . . I'm really not to that point yet with Alexa but I am sure it. will grow on me.
Given time I am sure Alexa will become a regular visitor to my world but I am still not used to speaking to her. Living alone it seems weird to talk to nothing but I have learned she will play music that I like. That is awesome ! She will tell me what the weather will be for the day so I know if I need the umbrella for our afternoon monsoon. The most I use Alexa for is spelling. Spell check on the computer sometimes messes up or when I am hand writing a note to someone and can't spell Caribbean. (Not that I use that word often but living in Florida it does come up every so often. ). It is then that I turn to Alexa. And here is where the problem is. Apparently Alexa has been created by a person under the age of 80. When I ask for the spelling of a word Alexa spells it SO QUICKLY that I just about get the first 2 letters written and she is done with the entire word. So I ask her again, " Alexa, please spell Caribbean". And she repeats it again just as fast as the first time. Maybe I get 2 more letters but I still don't have the whole word. Was that 2 "R's" or 2 "B's" ? Let's try this again. Alexa, spell Caribbean SLOWLY ! And I get "Caribbean slowly". Oh Lord !! Again . . . Alexa, S L O W L Y spell Caribbean. She still rattles it off so quickly that I am still missing the last 3 letters in the word. Apparently S L O W L Y is not a concept Alexa has learned. Us old folks need people and Alexa to speak SLOWLY. !!!!!!!
I finally give up and rewrite my letter to not include the word Caribbean.
Thank you Alexa and Sharon. I think it may take me awhile to get used to this new addition to my life. Maybe I could use it as a target for when I am throwing the dryer balls.
