moving along

My French neighbour Monique has a group from France visiting, drinking l'aperitif on her deck - overhearing from next door is like being in France. Makes me want to go out and buy cheese. Especially as I bought a Paris "Elle" today and am reading it as I listen.

So, my friends, I'm a bit better health-wise - I got out of bed for a bit today, got my face in the gorgeous sun. And I'm a bit further ahead with the cell-phone, because my daughter came over this morning to get me started. I can do basic things; she sent me a text saying, "Welcome to the 21st century!" and we've been texting all afternoon - at one point, I was on Parliament Street and had to sit on a bench to respond. My son called as I was buying cold medication in Shopper's Drug Mart. I'm one of them! I thought, the people always jabbering on the phone or concentrating so hard on texting that they walk into walls. Anna and I are texting as I write now. Thrilling.

The first time I encountered this new technology was about seven years ago in London; I was riding on the tube with my goddaughter Jessica, and watched her communicating with her boyfriend, who was miles away, by tapping on her phone. I was mystified and impressed. It has only taken me 7 years to begin to do this myself. Oh, she's a fast learner, folks.

This phone, however, is way too complicated for me - I took it in to the nearest Roger's office and they couldn't figure it out either. I just downloaded the manual on the LG website - it's 80 pages long, with stuff about video conference calls and music sharing. When I'm just trying to input numbers and a little message or two. But then, I also have a stunning silver MacBook Pro, and use about 5% of its capacity, I'm sure. My stove, even, has all kinds of amazing possibilities, including - believe it or not - a kosher component that lets you turn it on and off remotely, so it can cook your shabbat meal without you defying the word of God. I myself can set the temperature, and that's it; it took me 5 years to find out where the timer was.

All this fabulous technology, in the hands of a clueless luddite. What a waste.

I walked home this aft with my cellphone in one hand and my take-out tofu noodle soup from Ginger's in the other, feeling, yes, very 21st century. I guess that's a good thing. Is it?