Stream of Consciousness Saturday – Prompt – “a phrase you grew up with.”

~ John W. Howell

A picture of a string with drops of water- the logo for SoCS

Sitting with a cup of coffee and staring at the PC causes the overwhelming feeling of wanting to get a hammer. No, not just a hammer but a big sledgehammer. A transition to a MAC pro back in 2015 caused the mind to relocate all Microsoftknowledge into that dark space of the brain reserved for things that go bump in the night. Now that the MAC has gone to the hospital to carry on, the PC must once again be worshiped.

Yes, the single keystrokes and immaculate interfaces with all things Apple have been displaced with the clunky stagger around in the dark until the answer is found system that is the legacy of Bill Gates. When you have to sign those user license agreements that often accompany a Microsoft product, the fine print has a clause that no one reads. We all promise to be Bill Gate’s cabana person if called upon. We also promise that no matter how difficult the program is to execute, we will keep at it until our hair falls out.

So staring at the 100-pound laptop that gives off enough heat to warm St. Louis will do nothing in helping to write this post. As the parents always said. “A journey starts with the first step.” My first step will be to the front door since the Ring camera just announced a delivery. It is a hope that nothing of the cartoon nature will pop out of some obscure place. As luck would have it, a package sits on the driveway totally flat and covered with the marks of a supersized tire. The thought of it being my  MAC Pro drove the hysterical reaction of going through the security protocols like a madman to reach my baby.

A gentle lift while the tears build to overflowing signaled a lightness of the package that could not be the MAC. Ripping the flap, there was only a message inside.  Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “a phrase you grew up with.” Include in your post a phrase your mom/dad/grandparent/sibling used all the time when you were growing up, or just write whatever inspires you based on that phrase. Enjoy!

If you would like to enjoy, visit Linda’s blog and read how easy it is. Here is the link

https://lindaghill.com/2022/05/06/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-may-7-2022/

A phrase you grew up with by John W. Howell © 2022

“Lost your MAC, huh?”

“Not lost. Just being repaired.”

“You MAC nerds drive me crazy.”

“Why’s that?”

“All the whining when you  have to use real computers.”

“You mean Microsoft operating systems?”

“Yeah. Takes raw courage to stick with ’em.”

“Seems like you  would want to live life easier.”

“Like you said, “A journey starts with the first step.”

“What does that have to do with  anything?”

“Living with Microsoft is a journey.”

“And the step part?”

“One at a time. Soon it doesn’t seem so bad.”

“Great way to live.”

“Besides.”

“Besides what?”

“PCs are much cheaper.”

“For good reason. Are you going to continue pitching for Bill Gates or want a beer?”

“Beer, please.”

“Good choice. Let’s go.”

“I’m buying.”

“Even better.”

“When’s your MAC coming back?”

“Don’t want to talk about it.”

“That soon, huh?”

 

63 thoughts on “Stream of Consciousness Saturday – Prompt – “a phrase you grew up with.””

  2. Have faith the Microsoft will get you there at least it’s not Cobolt or Linux …. I had to laugh when our eldest son admitted that work had given him a Mac yes he said he had gone to the “Dark side” 💜💜

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  3. Lol – I am feeling so sorry for the inconvenience, John! Wonderful written, but you always have to consider that the Mac is carved from one piece of extraterrestrial material, and needs to be reloaded in secret intervalls, like Romolus and Remus breastfeeded by their mother wolf. :-)) Best wishes, Michael

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  5. Good one, John and a good old standard phrase from the elders. As you know, I spent my career supporting the real players in the industry (IBM and Microsoft). I always had a MAC nearby, but the virus never took hold. My wife uses one, so I have to face scrolling in the wrong direction often enough to not forget it. Don’t worry, your MAC will return. Life will be good again.

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  9. I am a life-long Bill Gates user and I suppose there’s a support group for that. I wanted to switch to a MAC years ago, but the ex talked me out of it and now I’m not sure this old brain could support the learning curve it would take to publish my first post on it. I hope you get your baby back soon. It’s tough to be without it, so maybe beer will help ease the pain.

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  10. Computers and I have a truce — at best. It’s a love-hate thing on my part. I wish I had a few words of wisdom to share, but I only have frustrating stories. You’ll be triumphant, John. And, hopefully, you’ll find time this weekend to just have fun. 😊

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  13. Good one, John. My son-in-law is a died-in-the-wool Apple man and has tried several times to give me a Mac laptop. I always tell him I don’t have the time nor patience to learn something new, so I keep chugging along with my PC. I suppose it’s one of those things where once you go to a Mac, you never go back. 🙂

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  14. I had no problem with the steps I had to take with Microsoft it was all the falling down that went with it! I have a Mac desktop and a Mac air book. That’s my back up

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  16. Yep… last Apple piece I have is an ancient iPad… 2nd gen, I think. It’s what I use to beta-read my friends’ books… (hint, hint)… when the MacBook died, I switched to an hp laptop… When my iMac died, I switched to PC… when we switched phone providers, I had to give up the iPhone for a Samsung… Sometimes I wonder if it was a good or bad idea…

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    1. You saying you want to beta read the next book. I sent out an announcement but I think you were busy. Let me know what format you want if you are interested. Need input by July 1. 😊

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      1. You know I am… and I did mention it on your post calling for readers.
        I was in Florida when you put it out there 😉
        Doc, please… unless I can figure out how to get it on my Kindle using epub…

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  17. It’s always painful to do without something, especially a laptop! I used to be in the Mac camp but now I’m a PC-er. But family members use Macs and we all get along 😉 Hope you get yours back soon, John!

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  18. I feel your pain! My co teacher who is thirty-something and a computer whiz tells me I’m great with all this stuff for my age. Haha! Dear Lord, give me 500 children, but please skip the new technology. I was a PC user and now a MAC. I love that all my devices are connected.

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  20. We’ve always had PCs, John, until my PC died a couple of years ago. Then I bought a Mac because my son raved about his. The learning curve was small enough, and now I love it, especially with having an iPhone, transferring photos, etc. is easier. But my husband has a Dell laptop that works great, too. So, we support both. 🙂

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    1. I have a Dell which I think would make a good doorstop. Well, it has responded to the challenge. (I’ll give it that) My old ways of doing things are slowly being remembered. Thanks, Lauren

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  21. Oh dear. Computer problems are so stressful, John. I love Apple for games and flipping between apps, but I’m sticking with my tried and true MS laptop for writing. I hope your Mac comes back soon and working better than ever. 🙂

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