New Toy #3

We have finally come into the cell phone technology era. For years, hubby and I had just phones. Yes, the salespeople at the store would just stare at us when we requested a cell phone that just made phone calls-no camera, no data, no messaging. Well, with the end of our latest cellular contract, we decided to take the leap. Yes, that's right. We are Smartphone users with full plans.

It has been strange getting used to the new technology. I can text message now - so weird! I have to say that it come in handy. Just last night, I was able to send a message to a friend who was at a concert. He got the message - no screaming over the phone or disturbing those around him. The phone also has a calendar function. It has been fun getting all of my various events loaded into the phone. There has been a lot of syncing between the phone, my computer, and my ITouch. I have been working the past few days to update my "people" as well. I have been eliminating the duplicates and cleaning up my entries (finding those entries that make you say who is this person?) It has been a lot of work, but I think I am finally ready to get the most use out of the phone.

My biggest issue is with my ITouch. I love my ITouch. It is a great device, but lacks the phone and camera functions of my new Hero. For now, I am carrying both with me, but I am wondering how long it will last. I really don't need the ITouch any more -the phone does everything it does and more. I just don't want to part with it.

It is always fun to get a new toy. With the new toy, you also get to buy new accessories. I got a great hot pink case for my phone that makes it look less plain and helps to differentiate my phone from hubby's exact same model.

I am happy for now, but I wonder what the next great thing in cell phones may be. I hope we can just enjoy this one before it becomes obsolete.

Top Gearhead

I am totally addicted to the show called Top Gear. Bill and I discovered it on BBC America on Monday nights at 8:00 pm. One would think that this sort of show would not capture my attention, but it has.

Yes, the show is about cars. During the course of an hour, they will review cars, but it is so much more. There are 3 presenters, James May, Richard Hammond, and Jeremy Clarkson, who are absolutely hilarious. They love cars, but they also love to poke fun at one another and laugh. We frequently find ourselves laughing, too.

On last week's episode, Hammond and May challenged Clarkson to a race from London to Oslo. Hammond and May were to take a plane to Newcastle, then an overnight ferry to Norway. From the dock, they were to take another boat to Oslo. Clarkson had to drive a Mercedes super car through 8 countries (about 17 hours!). Who would win?

They pull crazy stunts like this one all the time. Hammond and May were shown drinking and dancing in the ferry while Clarkson was driving in the dark. All odds said the ferry would win, but the car actually took the title.

There is also a mystery driver named The Stig who races the cars on the test track. Sometimes, British celebrities show up as well to test drive a car. I have seen Dame Helen Mirren and Simon Cowell.

You never know what you will see on this crazy show. The British are so cool, too. I love listening to them talk. "This coupe has a small boot, but can go from naught to sixty in 3 seconds."

Check your local listings.