What's on my mind?

I need to rant. Today, I'm down ON technology. Absolutely hatin' it. Now, I get the time saving advantages, social networking, blah blah, that it allegedly brings to our lives. But, today I fought technology, and technology won. Example #1. Today, one of my co-workers called me to asked me if I had got a voicemail she had left me and if I needed her to assist me with anything. I innocently replied "What voicemail?" She had left me a voicemail a few hours earlier, but my little voicemail red indicator light wasn't lit on my phone. So, I enter the voicemail system to discover to my absolute dismay that I had 17 (yup 17!) new voicemail messages dating back almost 3 weeks. Now, keep in mind, I'm new at my company. Not returning client and vendor voice mails; totally uncool. Funny enough, I was grousing incessantly about a client last week who wasn't returning my calls...You guessed it folks, 2 of those 17 messages were from her. Now, according to another co-worker, inadvertently turning off that indicator light in the labyrinth that is the automated VM attendant is very easy. I think she just felt sorry for me. I honestly don't remember being anywhere even close to that menu choice. I say the system did it without me cause it hates me. That's my story...I'm sticking to it. Example #2. Tonight, I came home and begrudgingly went onto Facebook mostly to try and block a few so called "friends" who refuse to stop telling me how many chickens they have raised on their damn farm. So anyway, needless to say, I can't figure out how to block these people's posts without defriending them. However, as I'm rooting around on the FB, I see that I have a new message that I swear wasn't there a few days ago, but is from early March. It was from a neighbor of my friend Karen in Minneapolis asking if I could give her some advice about some good stores in Milwaukee where she could possibly sell her jewelry line. She was planning on being here at the end of the month and was hoping I could help her. Well, it's the end of the month and I never responded because I didn't see it. So, I guess you could blame that one of on me and my total lack of competence. Whatever. Seven year olds understand Facebook. Maybe, I should just bag the whole thing and go totally Amish. I just might....they seem so peaceful...probably because they don't use technology. Please don't comment on this blog. I'm sure I won't be able to figure out how to access the comments. Sigh.

Johnny, what do you make of this?

I read that Peter Graves died yesterday. He was an actor known to most older people for his role in the TV series, Mission Impossible, but I remember him best as Captain Oveur in Airplane! I distinctly recall the first time I saw the movie. I was a freshman in college. I was supposed to be studying for a test but wandered into the living room to hang with my dad for a few minutes. He was channel surfing and came across a late night showing of the film. I thought I would just sit down for a few minutes and then get back to studying, but two hours later, Dad and I were still there. I'm not sure how I did on that exam. Probably not as well as I would have had I not got distracted. It was all completely worth it. Dad and I were both night people. I have so many found memories of staying up late with him when I was a kid, watching The Tonight Show, or a baseball game, or an old movie. We had a lot of laughs that night, watching Airplane! The best part of that movie, obviously, is the dialog. All these years later, most people can still quote at least one line. Here a a few of my favorites:

"Johnny, What do you make of this?" "Well, I can make it a hat, a broach, or a pterodactyl"

Joey, have you ever been in a Turkish prison?"

"Guess I picked a bad week to stop sniffing glue."

Hanging Lady: Nervous?
Ted Styker: Yes
Handing lady: First time?
Ted Stryker: No, I've been nervous lots of times

Elaine: "There's no reason to become alarmed, and we hope you'll enjoy the rest of your flight. By the way, is there anyone on board who knows how to fly a plane? "

Johnny (after unplugging the runway lights): Just kidding!

Young Boy with Coffee: Excuse me, I happened to be passing, and I thought you might like some coffee. Little Girl: Oh, that's very nice of you, thank you. [takes coffee] Little Girl: Oh, won't you sit down? Young Boy with Coffee: Cream? Little Girl: No, thank you, I take it black, like my men.

Elaine Dickinson: Would you like something to read? Hanging Lady: Do you have anything light? Elaine Dickinson: How about this leaflet, "Famous Jewish Sports Legends?"

A picture is worth a thousand words

The Rech Family is extremely excited that there is going to be another little Rech in the world in about 6 months. Andrea is due the first week of September, and after 14 years since Peg's kids were born, we are all thrilled to have a new baby to spoil. Right now, at about 13 weeks in utero, the baby is about 3 inches long. It's hard to tell much from this ultrasound picture except that I think the baby has his/her Auntie's Mary's cute nose. Congratulations Steve and Andrea!