My Very Own Time Machine!

For Mother’s Day, I received my very own time machine! It is sleek, compact, has a touch screen and beautiful curves.  It has the capability to take me from everyday life into a myriad of new places waiting to be explored. The possibilities are endless. As I plugged it in, I giggled with glee and began making plans for all sorts of new adventures. 

I don’t usually make big purchases on my own. A couple of weeks ago, I bought a Pandigital Novel e-reader. My heart raced as I walked through Best Buy to make the transaction. I was reassured that if I didn’t like it, I could bring it back within thirty days. I really thought that it was going to take me places. (Well, honestly, I thought that it was going to save me fuel for the weekly trips to the library, both of which are on opposite ends of town from us.) 

After a couple of weeks of use I really just wanted to throw it at the wall and be done with it. It was one of the hardest devices to figure out. No stranger to new electronics, my husband and I both felt it was difficult to use. Being the indulgent man (okay, maybe observant would be a better word after the many sighs and groans that I emitted while using the reader) that he is, Wayne offered to upgrade it to the Nook Color. 

I had originally wanted the Nook Color, but went with the Pandigital Novel for most of the same features with a lower cost. The Pandigital Novel was most definitely a time machine in itself. I consumed many hours trying to figure out how to use it, download books to it and where everything was. I also spent a lot of time trying to get it to load or reboot, just turning pages. That doesn’t even count the hours that I spent troubleshooting on Google. I was really bummed, because I put a lot of time and thought into this new toy. 

Thankfully, Best Buy was good to their word and exchanging it was quick and efficient. On top of it, they gave me a $25 gift card! Boosted by their goodwill, I went home to plug it in and see what I had been missing. When you have done things the hard way, the easy way is a very obvious transition! It was like going from a gas guzzling here to there car to a luxury ride. 

I was so pleased to spend less time working on loading my expansive reading material and more time actually reading it! It worked! I troubleshooted a few of my questionable files and was able to build an enviable library in one compact little screen. My doubt in my technical skills was immediately eliminated. But the return of my ability to travel from the Paleolithic era, through early American History and into the future was the most valuable.  

As I sit here just about to dive into another session of reading on my Nook, I want to take the time to say: 

Thank you Wayne, for your love, your support and being my partner in crime in this Mom thing! Thank you for the thoughtful addition of a bouquet of flowers, running errands, helping with the household tasks and breakfast. You're the bestest... ;)

Thank you to my three funny, strong, independent kids who keep me on my toes and fill my blog with funny and sometimes satirical experiences of being a Mother. You aren't just work, you are my specialty, in all of your unique ways!

To my mother, my mother in law, my sister, my friends, who are wonderful mothers, to the ones that are mothers in their own way, to all of the women who nurture, provide and protect those who they consider their own: Happy Mother’s Day. May you find the time to travel new paths that sustain you and bring you to the next adventure, through books, through song, through sewing or just being you!