lifelong learning endeavors
This month I’m trying to learn two skills: text messaging and ironing. It’s a funny combination, these two. One is something everyone younger than I am seems to know how to do intuitively; the other is something everyone older than I am seems to know. Both are things I never really gave a crap about until recently. And yet, here I find myself hunched over a cell phone pecking out words, face screwed up in concentration. And I find myself in the kitchen, cursing as I iron yet another wrinkle into formerly smooth work slacks. I’m getting better at texting. I continue to suck at ironing. Maybe this will be okay, because I could always get a helper monkey to do the ironing, but I don’t think I’d trust it to send my text messages accurately.
I will keep practicing until one of two things happens: I become the world champion at either skill, or I get bored and take on a new project. Feel free to place bets on which will occur first.
Everything will turn out fine as long as you don’t iron your pants while your cell phone is in the pocket. Actually, you may successfully text someone if you do that…
I’m betting on the fad factor. But follow the buzz while it’s there!
(I hate ironing sleeves. I even have cute albeit obnoxious mini-ironing board just for them. I feel about as right using it as a bulldog must feel gussied up in a banker’s vest and top hat.)
-cK
I think that if you memorize the how many letters are on each number then you’ll know I have to hit the 3, three times to make an f… and things like the t is 8 and stuff like that will help with your text messaging skills. You should have been less smart in high school, then you could have taken home ec and you wouldn’t be so domestically challenged now. Good luck.
I didn’t get no text message.
oh, and your mobile phone may not work so well for getting those wrinkles out. I mean, if you’re really serious about the ironing thing, you might try a different combination. ;o)
I never ironed until one day a guy at work asked me if my iron was broken.
I got the hint.
It takes me half an hour just to type one sentence in a text message.
I refuse to iron.
Lauren throws her clothes away as soon as their wrinkled. Also, she tosses take-out food as soon as she opens the bag ’cause, really, that first whiff of fries is what makes the whole thing special.
Mike is only telling you half the story. He got the hint but that doesn’t mean he’s taken to ironing. He brought his mint-condition 3-year old iron and smacked that guy right in the mouth with it. That guy didn’t say much to Mike after that. …he didn’t say much to anyone for 7 weeks and 4 days.
Oh hey… Lorie.. Could you take some pictures of your cats and post them on your flickr???… I need to know what they look like.
I can text without looking now. This comes from having a few friends that will only communicate through text messaging.
At one point I was using 1000 a month. Looking back, that’s a little obnoxious.
T9 (predictive text!) is definitely the way to go – make yourself learn T9 FIRST so that you’re not even more confused later. :)
What the hell is T9?
I feel old.
I think my phone does use T9. like it guesses which words I want…yes? is that right?
T9 is the way to go. Not only does it have a good starting vocabulary for predictive text but it learns as you build words. So, say there’s a word you’re trying to type and it balks ’cause it’s something like “Expialidocious”, well, once you build the word once (by typing “exp” space “al” space “id” …etc. and then clear the spaces between the parts of the words – giving you the word – you’ll never have to build it again, T9 will include it into its vocabulary. Also, words you’re most prone to using will come up first over time. Over time, sing it will just be like using the number pad on the right of the keyboard or the buttons on your phone for dialing.
Now, it needs to be said: Ginny, that last comment made my morning. Hilarious.
I love how you speak of T9 like it’s some new fangled thing.
no prob ~A … what are sisters for if not to pick on each other :).
What the hell is a phone?
when you learn how to iron let me know; i try, i really do; i even bought an iron that cost a whopping $100. but even though it looks great on the ironing board, as soon as i put it on, you’d mistake me for someone travelling across asia with all my clothes rolled up in a backpack.
Iron? That’s what dry cleaners are for. Seriously.
I love texting. With the two-year-old, I often have no time to talk, but can discretely text.
I have jumped on the T9 bandwagon since seeing this. IT’S RAD.
also, “not knowing” how to text seems a bit like parents not knowing how to use a CD player. i kind of don’t understand what there is to not know. ah well.
yes. T9 is predictive text. it rules. even though i got pretty effing fast with the three, three, two, two, one thing, T9 rules. except for when it REFUSES to let me say bad words or you have to spell a name.
but it remembers “jocelyn” and “flan” and “olay” now. which is kind of cool and weird at the same time.
and i didn’t realize and would get SO frustrated and pissed that its first guess just can be circumvented by pressing the “next” key (usually one of the bottom keys) and it will give you the next one. good/home/gone/hood. i used to get so mad and be all: how does it NOT have home?!?
it does, it’s just a secondary word, i guess.
ironing: i was JUST talking about this yesterday. i can’t tell you the last time i ironed. i *have* an iron, but no longer a board. i’d have to do the lots of towels thing. i don’t really have things that need to be ironed anymore, and that’s largely ON purpose. part of the reason is: i suck ass at ironing. i think i’m taking my time, really doing a good job, really being careful, and i’m finally done, and i look at the final product, and i think, “this still kind of looks like shit.” i mean, if something is super, super wrinkled; yeah, the wrinkles are out, but it just doesn’t look — crisp.”
so don’t beat yourself up.
The key to fantastic ironing is a product called Magic Sizing… (I think). I cant’ beleive i didn’t mention it earlier. I discovered it when I worked at Dollar Tree and this lady bought like 30 cans of it. It’s like starch but not as stiff… Spray it on… iron… it’s amazing.