Thursday, March 12, 2009

Helas!

That's French for "oy vey iz mir!", which is Yiddish for....Well, let me tell a little story to illustrate the meaning of oy vey iz mir .

It was Bridge Club day. The table was set, there was a lot to nosh on, and right at 3:00 her three friends arrived.

They hung up their coats, the coffee was poured and each filled her little plate (heaping - "you should go away hungry?"). As they settled around the table, the first said, "Oy!" To her left, her friend said "Oy vey!" Across the table her partner said "Oy vey iz mir!" Sighing, the hostess picked up the cards to shuffle and said, "Hey, I thought we agreed not to talk about our children this week."

THAT's what it means.

In this case - it refers to the fact that there seems to be a little problem here in my personal den in the blogosphere, in the form of three miles .... nine yards ....well, a real LOT of white space between the end of the text and the end of the post - for which I apologize. When I began investigating I discovered that it's not just me, and therefore not ME , which makes me feel much better, at least. I have accordingly left pleas and messages in several places and am hoping to learn either a) how to repair this; or b) how to find a very tech-savvy kindergartener how to straighten it out.

I do wish I was more knowledgeable about the whole computer-innerwebs deal - but think about it: when I began my working career the typewriters I used went from manual to electric (BOY was I glad!) and I remember well my introduction to the self-correcting electrics. I was taking the typing test for a job with The Department of Industry, Labor and Human Relations (DILHR)... the supervisor said "Are you familiar with the SELF-CORRECTNG TYPEWRITER ? Ladies and gentlemen - true story! The ceiling of the office opened, the skies split and beams of light shone down from heaven on high. Down the shafts of light came an angel choir, singing. They were holding those little eraser wheels with the brush on, and as they settled to earth they threw them away......

I've used mimeograph machines where we had to wave the sheets around to dry and we got high as kites from the fumes; I've been introduced to Xerox machines (same angels, but holding bottles of mimeograph fluid, which they threw away).

And I remember the installation in our office in the English Department of the "dedicated word processor", which really was a computer. (We had NO IDEA of anything like the innerwebs, I can tell you.) My colleague in the next office, more advanced in years than I, was resistant and declared she wasn't going to use it unless they got her a lead apron to use. (She came around eventually.)

And I remember being introduced to Compuserve (using Procomm Plus...remember the black screen and green letters?) - there were no angels on that occasion because they were all hanging out in their own offices having real-time chats with angels in the UK and stuff.

I've referred to my unbridled joy upon receiving the laptop - and when I got turned on to the whole WiFi concept and took my laptop of a local coffee house...well, by then the angels barely cast a bored look at my old-fashioned self.

My Lovely Daughter declares I'm being dragged into the 20th century ( yes, I DID say "twentieth" century) kicking and screaming. I unabashedly agree.

Now, where did I put that list of kindergartens........?!!

Your hostess begs your pardon and thanks you for our patience. Watch this pace.

Note: Mr Dearling most earnestly thanks everyone for their kind birthday wishes!

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh dear - LOVE it! Thanks for the giggles, I'm glad I'm not the only one who's been there, done most of that. There's actually still a manual typewriter lurking around here on which I used to do what now gets done on the 'puter.

Anonymous said...

I went through all those technological innovations, too, although I wasn't necessarily working with them every day. Loved your description.

Did you see that La Harlot linked to you today? You are famous!

Anonymous said...

For what it's worth, I didn't notice a thing as far as unusual amounts of blank space at the bottom of posts go. *impish* As for anything technology related... er. I was born in the mid-80's, so that probably says enough right there. :)

Yarnhog said...

It's kind of a rite of passage when your kids become more tech-savvy than you are. It happened around here about seven years ago, when our older son turned four.

Molly Bee said...

Hey DH! Remind me to tell you the secret of the white space when I see you next.