Why I Do What I Do

Three words: Margaret and Helen.
This is why I love technology and why I love doing what I do for part time work — IT Consulting. I have a small group of clients for whom I provide IT services. These range from supporting a small medical clinic, to teaching classes at a local school district for children and adults, to private citizens seeking some one-on-one in-home training for general or specific tasks.

IT Consulting is a broad term that includes a bunch of things technical, but to me, it means I help ordinary people, both young and wiser than me, with Information Technology. I tell them which button to press or which button to click (because there IS a difference) and how the whosawhatsit and why that thingamajig does that thing with the thing that tells the other thing to dial the phone number, sort of, and connect to that machine over there — through "the air" — even though you can't see it or hear it. If requested, I also attempt to explain, in plain English and with a bunch of metaphors and analogies they can relate to — why. I do this all while speaking clearly, slowly, and repeatedly if needed. (Being from the east, sometimes I tend to talk a little too quickly, but I'm working on this!) Most importantly, I try to be as honest and forthcoming as possible about why tech is what it is. If I don't know an answer, I try my best to find one for them. I show them how to modify the settings on their computers so they can enlarge the type and icons to make it easier to see and navigate. Much of what people learn, retain and produce is dependent on how comfortable they are with the tool they are using for the task.

My goal is to simplify complicated processes in the least amount of clicks.

Lucky for them, I'm just old enough to remember rotary telephones and vinyl records. I even know what a victrola is!
(See, I put a hyperlink there for the really young kids in case they're curious hoping linkbait will get them learned!)

This post was insprired by geechee_girl on twitter who linked to a post on Margaret and Helen's blog. I read it as well as the rest of the entire blog (finally! a blog that's more my speed! LOL). Political arguments aside, I was so enamored with Helen and Margaret that it reminded me why I do what I do and inspired me to write a little bit about it.

It's the individual house calls where I feel the most comfortable and have the most amount of fun. Just like their grandchildren who help them out, I too service "senior netizens" and show them how to use their computers. I've even made a mini-career out of it so far. It's a bit of a niche clientele.

I'm like the "rent-a-grandkid" I suppose. I'm the "kid" who comes over when their own kids or grandkids don't have the patience to teach them what they want to know.

Reading Margaret and Helen's blog was very refreshing to me. To think they are over eighty years young and so willing to emrace this technology known as blogging so they can communicate with one another across the country just warms my heart. What am awesome example of social networking this is. I hope more like them will blog about their opinions and life experiences. I think this country needs more of it at times like this. I think they call it wisdom.

They've actually been there and done that. We just make the T-shirts.

Right now, my clients are mostly interested in learning how to work with digital photos and word processing. They've got E-mail down and are still working on navigating the internet using web browsers and understanding what the individual parts are and do. Most of my clients travel frequently and too busy enjoying their retirement to sit very long in front of a computer, but I plan on introducing them more and more to social media tools and blogging resources like Ning, Alltop, Blogger or WordPress, just to quickly name a few.

I might just even have to introduce them to Margaret and Helen, too!

Boobs Are The Best

Even though it should be October every month, in my opinion, we have this one time in particular each year where this great month is recognized as Breast Cancer Awareness Month. In honor of all of the women in my family, my friends and all across the world, I'm going pink for the month of October. Will you join me?

Boobs aren't just neat to look at, they're important!
Breast health is very important, because my breasts are not only an important part of my body, they're an important part of my life. Now, more recently, they're an important part of my family's life since I've been nursing our young son. I don't know what I'd do if I ever lost them, but at times like this, it's comforting to know there is a growing network of people out there who would help me out if I needed it.

I love my boobs and what they mean to me and to everyone else!
They've been through some really tough times, but they've always been with me, leading me, out in front and by my side (well, you know how motherhood changes that a bit). My boobs really know the ups and downs in life. They've been through a lot. They have uplifted me and they have let me down. I've done the same for them in return. They have drawn attention to things that matter most to me in life. When I was a teen, they drew attention to boys — as well as girls. (This goes out to all the chics in the 5th grade who accused me of stuffing my bra and who cornered me in a bathroom stall to prove it. Ha ha on you!) When I became an adult, they showed me that life isn't always fair and sometimes your brain gets overlooked when the boobs get in the way. Sometimes, I swear, these girls have just had minds of their own. They're not easy to hide.

Lucky for me, in all the time that I've been breastfeeding my son, I've never been made to feel like I had to hide in a dark corner while nursing in private or in public, but it's a real shame that hasn't been the case for some women I know. I did have issues (long story for another time) when it came to working and pumping and I have left a job in order to care for my boobs though, because that's how important they are.

Boobs are the best!
Funny how when they're young,
the public can't get enough of 'em;
always wanting to see them squooshed
in bras and bikini tops on magazines pushed
bigger than life on the billboards,
everyone knows they feed the hoards.
Whether it's at a burger joint or a bistro,
Hooters and booties in the YouTube video
from a baby on it's mamma or a bottle from the tap,
there's something for everyone and for that we can all clap!
But when they're not as elastic,
We're compelled to replace 'em with plastic.
And when they are ill and we need to make a choice,
That's when we no longer rejoice
in the lace and the fills
where the cup runneth over till it spills
Let us not forget what is best
Check early, check often and get that test!
Love your self, love your mother
Help support one another
Remember the boobs, save the breast!

You can help for free, encourage awareness and donations. Click on the Go Pink image above or visit these fine links:

Susan G. Komen for the Cure

Pink for October.org

Pink your Twitter

Much thanks to Natalie, designer of the beautiful twitter patterns, for raising my awareness and helping to give me to tools to Go Pink!

I'm passing this on. Now it's your turn!

(Leave a comment if you decide to do this, I'd love to see your blog all decked out in pink.)

The Eyes Have It

Just a quick update on Lucian's eye status. He needs glasses. Not the greatest news, but hey, it could be a whole lot worse. If this is the least of our problems, I'm grateful. The eye doctor said she wants to see him back in another 6 weeks to see how he's responding to this course of treatment for his strabismus.

So now we have to find a pair of glasses suitable for a 2-year old and try not to go bankrupt doing it. He tried on a couple of pair at the "boutique" across from the ophthalmologist's office. (I don't know what else to call it.) Those pair were around $300.00. Yikes!

I called my insurance company and they gave me some alternatives and a discount card I can use. So, I think we'll go with Oma tomorrow or sometime this weekend to pick some out for him.

Until then, here's a little sampling of some pics we took not long ago for your enjoyment.

Here is what he looks like wearing his Daddy's glasses:














And here is his best Elvis impersonation to date:

The Hardest Word

"I'm s-s-s-s-oree-ee da-d-dee," he said with tears streaming down his chin, snot swiped across his cheek, and in the most adorable whimper that nearly broke my heart.


We're trying to teach our very young son about right, wrong, consequences and rewards. It's not fun. Except for the rewards part. Which, right now is picking him up out of the pack-n-play where he's served his time-out, cuddling him and soothing his misery and reexplaining to him just what he did that was wrong and that even when he's bad, Mommy and Daddy still love him no matter what, but that being bad upsets us and the result is a time-out (or a swift smack on the hand if he did something dangerous).

Tonight's bad choice: spilling salt from a salt shaker all over the floor that we had just vacuumed. I don't think he really knew it was such a big deal but he knows now.

Teaching a child at this age to apologize is not easy. He's probably much too young to even comprehend the concept of feeling remorse, but I think it's important to introduce this to him early on. Too many children today, it seems, get to skip this part, but I won't have it.

As much as I dislike this part of the parenting experience, my favorite part is loving him and reassuring him that I love him no matter what. I love to snuggle him and console him. I love the part where he hugs me and says "I love you, Mommy," and then goes back to playing without holding a grudge.

Our son is blossoming and absorbing so much right now. I'm so very proud of him each and every day.

Smooch Gone Awry

That's it! No more dog cartoons for this kid. I suppose he's into the "imitating dogs phase" of toddlerhood because the other night during dinner at Oma & Opa's house he ate his food off his plate by mimicking how "Ooooh" does it. ("Ooooh is his pet name for Joschka, the Siberian Husky) This morning he climbed up to snuggled on the couch with me while watching Clifford and acted like he was going to kiss me. As you can see, I got duped!

Don't Need a DogI don't need a dog, I've got a toddler! I don't know what's up with the licking but I suspect it's this stupid dog cartoon he's been watching.

Apple of My Eye

I've been wanting to post this video clip for some time now. It's one of my favorite memories from our cross-country road trip this past summer. It's a little home movie of us and our visit to the Boylston Street Apple Store in Boston, MA. I hope you enjoy it.


Apple Store Visit from TheMacMommy on Vimeo.

One of the many highlights of our cross-country road trip this summer (July 2008) was a visit to the Apple Store on Boylston Street in Boston, MA. Lucian was just learning how to navigate steps so the glass spiral staircase was a real treat! It was lots of fun watching him play with an iPod Touch. Someday, maybe we'll have one of our own.

P.S.
I swear I did not coach him to say "Apple" but I'm hoping Steve Jobs will find it cute anyhow.

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