Thursday, July 17, 2008

Learing Curves

I bought an i*hone. It's like my third cell phone ever. I have never had an i*od, never logged into i*unes. My only e-mail account is my work account. I always just used the free cell phone that came with my plan. That phone only had about 20 phone numbers in it...no addresses, e-mails, birthdays. I use paper and pen for addresses, to-do lists, calenders. I play actual CD's (and a few tapes as well).

I have no idea what I am doing. No idea about syncing, playing music, etc. My learning curve will be steep.

Since Saturday I have imported all my CD's, had to type in my contact information THREE times (because I'm an idiot!), and decided to use Out*look for my contacts and calender cuz that's the only program I can get to sync with the phone. (Now I need to learn how to use Outlook). So much to learn.

My 18-year-old tech-geek step-son is useless because he constantly speaks over my head. Like most geeks he lacks the ability to talk to people in a way that is understandable or does not drip with disdain when they have to explain what their lingo means. They take it as some sign of your stupidity...but really, if you can't explain something in simple terms then who is the stupid one I ask you?

I'm so close to giving up on this but I wont cuz I'm not a quitter. I hate feeling stupid. I hate not knowing...I don't even know enough to know what to ask. I now have "cord management" issues. How did I get this behind? If I don't do this now I will never be able to catch up. I'll be some old technophobe. Must push on. Must learn. Must overcome.


While I was in line I noticed there were a-lot of teenagers and I thought, "Where the hell do they get that kind of money?" Including my step-son who hasn't paid us the money he owes us (rent, small car wreck) and yet bought the new phone the day it came out (never mind that his "old" i*pone is only a year old).

I asked the college student behind me in line which phone he was getting. He said the 16GB (vs 8GB). The 16GB is $100 dollars more than the 8GB. When he asked me the same I said I was getting the 16 as well. He was all, "Why do you need the 16? That's like 3000 songs". And I was all, "Why do YOU need the 16. I'm twice your age...that's a lot of music. We're talking Duran Duran and Peter Gabriel all the way to Coldplay". I guarantee I have more music than you.* Plus, I make a good living. I have money. What did you pull-downlast year, Jr.? Yea, I thought so." And all the adults in line snickered and nodded along.

*OK I really stopped talking here *. I did not chide him for being a money-sucking teenage-bum. But I wanted to. The adults still snickered and nodded. Plus, they were going to run out of the 16 right around ME so I figured why not get the big one? I will use this thing forever unlike teenagers who will only have it until the next one comes out. Plus, if I get to screw one of them out of a 16 that would be icing on the icake.

Sorry kid. You should have set your alarm for 9:30 instead of 10. Being old sucks but you do become an early riser and that does have some advantages.

The thing with arrogant teenagers is: Life has a way of humbling you. It does it to us all. If you fuck around you increase your chances of failure. Even of you work-hard and plan-well you might not get your heart's desire. Someday it happens to us all. And we look back at the arrogance of youth and say: just wait.

The key is to not let is kill you. Keeping your drive, spirit, hope and joy for life even after a few hard smack-downs is something not everyone learns to do.

That's one learning curve I'm happy to have behind me.

Oh and BTW College-kid, I already have 5GB on my phone and that's only music I already own. No new music downloads, movies, podcasts yet. I don't know how to yet.

22 comments:

Mrs. Spit said...

Very funny!

I'm a tech geek, and I found itunes and my ipod to be a bit less intuitive than they say it is.

I did eventually figure everything out. You may want to look online for a web support forum, a place where you can go and ask questions.

Marie said...

good for you! I just got a new phone as well and I do not have a clue how to use it. Oh well, I got time.

luna said...

I'm a slow learner too, but I've had an i-pod for a while and I love it. I can't believe I used to carry around a portable cd player with a whole big book of cds! I do have like 4 email accounts though... and, my new computer just came with an i-touch, so now I'll have to learn how to use that too.

good luck with yours.

Soapchick said...

OMG Amber you crack me up!!! How funny, I could imagine myself in that line listening to the exchange between you and that teenager.

I don't have an iphone, an ipod and don't see the need for a blackberry either. Sometimes I feel like my nieces and nephew are passing me by with their knowledge of technology.

Shelli said...

Thanks for stopping by my blog. Nice to meet you, and will be reading along. We have a lot in common it seems!

Joonie said...

You are hilarious! I'm sure you'll figure out the new phone in no time at all.

Kelly said...

Hi Amber - thank you SO much for you comment on my blog. It's so nice to hear from someone else who had the same "problem" and it helped reassure me. Thanks! :)

Marie said...

I am very happy to broaden your horizons Amber :)

kate said...

That's hilarious. I wish I could be outright snarky to teenagers, but I always just sit there and grumble to my husband about how I'm glad I'm infertile because if we could have kids easily, we might already have one that I was legally obliged to allow to survive teenage-hood, and after seeing X, I have changed my mind about having kids (X being whatever new irritating behavior the fucking high schoolers who have invaded my college for the summer have come up with).

I have some serious teenage hate right now. Little fuckers.

Katie said...

Thanks for swinging by me blog.

You crack me up. A couple of observations on your recent posts.

The whole half your grandma thing? Whoa. So I recently found out it took my g-ma FOUR years to conceive my mom. Back then it was always blamed on the barren woman, so who knows... but it took my mom about 4 minutes to conceive me... SO, I figure it should take me about two years to get pregnant. Guess whose two year TTC anniversary is next month?

The Wild Turkey and Bud Light post? That might have been me.

Oh, and BLTs? Maybe the best combo ever. Someone on the radio today said that putting peanut butter on a BLT (sans mayo) was the best sandwich ever. I find that hard to believe, but if you wanna mix it up a little... it looks like you could use some variety :)

Keep in touch...

Katie said...

Thanks for swinging by me blog.

You crack me up. A couple of observations on your recent posts.

The whole half your grandma thing? Whoa. So I recently found out it took my g-ma FOUR years to conceive my mom. Back then it was always blamed on the barren woman, so who knows... but it took my mom about 4 minutes to conceive me... SO, I figure it should take me about two years to get pregnant. Guess whose two year TTC anniversary is next month?

The Wild Turkey and Bud Light post? That might have been me.

Oh, and BLTs? Maybe the best combo ever. Someone on the radio today said that putting peanut butter on a BLT (sans mayo) was the best sandwich ever. I find that hard to believe, but if you wanna mix it up a little... it looks like you could use some variety :)

Keep in touch...

Paula Keller said...

I got the old iphone in April. I'm kind of bummed not to get the new one, but I still absolutely LOVE mine. And I'll probably have it until it dies. I went on vacation and it was VERY useful, I googled restaurants, used the maps a bunch, and listened to music.

I don't even have half of the 8G filled, and I have a LOT on there. I love not having to buy the whole CD, and just getting the songs that I really like.

It's pretty intuitive, I think you'll get the hang of it quickly. I just figured out how to change the icons around (lol!) You hold one down for a few seconds and when they all start wiggling, you can touch and move them around. Just press the home button to lock them in. I love that!

Pepper said...

Okay, this post Cracked. Me. Up! You are too funny. "Why do you need 16 GB" indeed, the little schmuck.

I'm thinking of getting one of those phones next month when my current cell phone contract is up. Several of my friends have them and I have some serious phone envy going on.

Pepper said...

I just realized that we may be cycle buds for IVF#2. Mine is in September.

loribeth said...

Found your blog via Lori's. This totally cracked me up too. I am totally clueless when it comes to technology. I mean, I surf the Internet, I even set up my own blog, I have a digital camera & download my photos. Like you, I have a cellphone with a few numbers programmed in. I know it can take pictures, send text messages, download music, etc., but I don't have a clue how to make it do those things. We only just got a DVD player about three years ago, & we had to call our teenaged nephews for help while setting it up. :P I'm adding you to my Google Reader! : )

Frenchie said...

LOL!!! OMG I too just got an iP*one and it is so beyond my ability level. My last phone was also the free one from the cel phone company, and it did not take pictures or do anything fancy. I too use an old fashioned paper date book for all my appointments, etc. and a Rolodex for phone numbers and addresses. This could be life-changing if I can figure out how to use it... haha!!

I love your observations about the arrogance of youth. It is so true.

Kahla said...

Now that is hilarious. I think I could definitely get along with you!!

Anonymous said...

Hysterical!!!

I teach this age group and while when I am off-the-clock I have no tolerance for them, they do come in handy when you get new gadgets that they instinctively know how to work. I had training marathons with some of my students with my iPod a few years ago. It was pretty funny. Great post!!!

momofonefornow said...

Hi, found you on the ICLW list.

I just got my first decent cell in May. All of the others have been bare bones. I love having music and taking pictures and the easy texting. It was definitely a learning curve for me.

edie & ella said...

Hi -- I'm here from ICLW!!! I bought the "old" i you know what for my husband and you would thing that for all that money it would come with a better instruction manual.

Dee.. said...

Thanks for dropping by my blog. : p
Youngsters need to check their ego.You'll do better with your i*phone, i*tunes, and all i*.
all the i*s are good with ibook/mac. So, if you have windows, it's a bit difficult sometimes because of incompatibility. not your fault at all!

Anonymous said...

I have an iPhone too. I love it (even though I call it my ball and chain). I probably won't give it up until it is dead or broken.

Here from ICLW.