$902.64

It was an average day of blog reading, net surfing and email checking when all of a sudden my laptop screen started blinking faster than a strobe light disco ball from the 80s. The more it flashed, the faster dollar signs passed before my eyes, as I watched my computer's screen slowly fade to black with a little sighing sound for its finale.

My beloved MacBook Pro computer died. I said a prayer, or maybe I cursed out loud, because I had a very bad feeling about the likelihood that my 3 year old baby would live to see another day.

Around that time my allergies also kicked in, got wonky, and my eyes swelled-- really big. Allergy season in my 'hood is not pretty and this one truly had its way with me. I spent the next several days looking a lot like Quasimodo minus the hunchback, scaring small children and takeout delivery guys who got a peek at my sad eyes.

This delayed me several days in taking my Mac to the Apple Store to see if they could breath life back into it without costing me an arm and a leg. Finally, with improved but still nasty allergies, and clad in the biggest pair of sunglasses I owned, I strolled into the Apple Store and bellied up to the Genius Bar.

I seriously think the Geniuses were a little uncomfortable when they saw me looking like a loon in those shades in their store, but I did quietly mention to my Genius guy that I had a "vision problem". The look on his face immediately registered that he was having a vision problem looking at me too.

Long story short-- Apple's Genius saved my you know what and knew immediately what was wrong-- It had a fancy name for what sounded like a "recall" part but it needed several days to be ordered and repaired.

When I picked up my new-and-improved, cleaned and spruced up laptop yesterday, it included an invoice indicating the cost was $902.64.

Whoa!

Then I saw my "Amount Due" was $0.00 because of the recall. Let's just say I heard the angels singing.

I was still wearing my sunglasses when I took my computer home but this time I almost skipped out of the store. A free repair on a high ticket item and getting my laptop back beats allergy season any day.

It feels like I've been gone from Blogland for months but I'll be making the rounds and catching up with everybody over the next week. I've missed you!

How's life treating you?

Welcome to www.TheFiftyFactor.com - Joanna Jenkins

Photo Credit: © Benn - Fotolia.com

Spring Break

Advice

Baby and bridal showers-- You either love 'em or you hate 'em. I for one, usually love the food, hate the games, and make a dash for the door after an appropriate amount of time with a fake smile plastered on my face while watching an endless stream of gifts being opened and passed around.

I know. I'm a party pooper. But for as long as I can remember, these loving rituals have left me colder than the Hawaiian Fruit Punch and Rainbow Sherbet concoction often served at these soirees.

Friends and family were threatened within an inch of their life if they dared throw me a shower when I got married. Same goes for birthday parties for that matter. I'm not a fan of being the center of attention or opening gifts in front of people. But I'm more than happy to pitch in and throw a rocking party for loved ones if that's what they're up for.

Recently, my family had a baby shower for my oldest nephew and his wife who are expecting their first child in late June. They've decided to keep the baby's sex a secret and find out in the delivery room so their shower was filled with lots of things yellow, mint green and very gender neutral.

Our Mom-to-be was specific about no games measuring the size of her belly or related to embarrassing photos from her youth. So we took a simpler, kinder approach to party activities-- We asked each guest to write a letter to the future Mom and Dad with parenting advice.

In attendance were two of the baby's great-grandmothers, both grandmothers, scores of aunties and numerous experienced mamas all loaded with fantastic advice. And then there was me-- The childless one.

I sat with pen in hand and racked my brain. I searched my mind for meaningful words of wisdom, cleaver advice and sure fire ways to spoil their child rotten. I'm telling you, steam was coming out of my ears I was thinking so hard. But in the end-- Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

My head was blank.

Shocking, considering I'm usually full of advice and opinions and never hesitate throwing them around at the drop of a hat. *ahem*

So instead of my Baby Scrapbook page being left blank, I'm asking you, dear blog friends, to please pass some parenting advice my way. Any tips, "dos", "don'ts" or "way-it-is" wisdom would be greatly appreciated by me and the future rug rat's folks.

I will print this post and your comments out as my "page" in the book. Thanks a million for your help!

What's your best parenting tip?

Welcome to www.TheFiftyFactor.com - Joanna Jenkins

Photo Credit: © Jonathan Cooke - Fotolia.com

Sundays In My City #67 - Unannounced

Travel the world with

Unknown Mami's

Sundays In My City

One of the negitatives of having a swimming pool in your backyard is the all too often unexpected pool party. You know the kind-- kids showing up unannounced but ready for a dip.

Since Mother Nature teased us mid week with record-breaking high temps before she slammed us back into cold, gray skies with rain forecast for the weekend, I wasn't all that surprised that a swim on a hot day was an appealing idea for some.

These kids snuck in and spent the morning sunning themselves and taking in a lazy, kicked back day....

They didn't make too much noise but they were not too happy when they realized their presence was known and they were breaking the rules--Swimming without any adult supervision. They immediately hightailed it out of the pool...

But after a while they figured out this lady of the house was cool and welcomed them back anytime...

*******

Please join bloggers around the world by sending a postcard to a very special teacher and her preschool class. Mrs. H, a treasure of a educator, is retiring at the end of this school year and the beautiful Se'Lah of The Necessary Room asks...

To provide the children in her classroom some perspective about the global connectedness o

f humankind, and as a gesture of loving-kindness, would you please join me in sending the class a postcard from your corner of the world? They will track each postcard's point of origin on a world map kept in the classroom. At the end of the school year, the postcards will be evenly distributed to the children as a keepsake from their classroom experience with Mrs. H.

If you'd like to join me in sending these preschool children a *Friends of Makeda* postcard, please email me at necessaryroom@gmail.com and I will gladly provide you their mailing address. Please note that I have Mrs. H's permission to do this. She would like to thank you in advance for your thoughtfulness.

For more about Mrs. H and Se'Lah's postcard request, click HERE. Postcards due by May 2nd please.

How's your Sunday?

Welcome to www.TheFiftyFactor.com - Joanna Jenkins