Winter Projects

I’m listening to the beep beep beep of the sander out in the parking lot and have resigned myself to enduring a long cold messy winter. As I do each year at this time, I preoccupy myself with winter projects. My intentions are always good, but projects do not always unfold as I would like them. For example, last year I purchased a combo VHS/DVD recorder capable of dubbing VHS tapes to DVD. The idea was to copy all the family video tapes to DVD. My first mistake was not purchasing a name brand. The thing did not work “out of the box” as it should have, and by the time all the warranty issues were resolved, it was time to go out and ride. End of winter project.

You would think I would pick up where I left off last year and this thought wouldn’t be misplaced if I were of a different personality type. However, we have just said goodbye to Ana Log and hello to Di Gital, and hence are currently enjoying satellite television. The television being preoccupied with full enjoyment by husband has left it unavailable for the time being for tape dubbing. Not a problem because a new scanner was teasing my mind and my desire grew so that I had to own a new one.

Welcome to the family HP G4050! This new baby is beautiful! When I say beautiful, I don’t only mean to the eye, but in ease of operation and user friendly capability. The old photo albums are now off the shelf and finding there way to the scanner. The capabilities of this photo digital scanner are wonderful. The quality is magnificent! Even the old faded photos can be color corrected and given renewed life. I think this project will move forward nicely.

The photograph theme continues with two other additions to the family. One 15 inch digital photo frame and one 3.5 inch digital photo frame are now being put through the paces. For the 15 inch, I loaded every digital photo I own onto an external hard drive. The hard drive is tucked behind the frame and I can view any or all photos to my hearts content. This particular frame also plays video clips and MP3 files. Have I died and gone to heaven? The 3.5 inch frame I have taken to work. So that I have plenty of photos there, I dug out every last media card I had hanging around the house and loaded them up with my favorite ride and grandbaby pix. Is the boss getting on your nerves? Just glance over at the photo frame and get a gander of Chipmunk Cheeks at 5 months old, or a view from a bike trip on Skyline Drive, and your blood pressure drops a few significant points.

In between all this fun and to crowd out dreary days is the continued search for new wheels. That dream is stronger than any desire to shield the glare of snow and ice from my view. I’m working hard on the family budget and carving it to the bone. The husband thinks I’m being frugal. HA! Do not stand between a girl and her new ride! All in all, if the plan works out, the winter will quickly fade away, and I’ll be waving a greeting from astride my new road companion, chrome glinting in the warm sunshine.