Family, Friends, Firefighters and....Rick Springfield

TGIF! Time to start looking toward the weekend. Well, to be honest, I am still reeling from LAST weekend. For me, so many things about last weekend truly epitomize why I truly believe living here is The Good Life.

Let’s start with Friday evening. A week of kids under the weather or on the mend, left us all tired and staying in for the night. What a blessing that turned out to be. My oldest son was home from college for spring break, so the other kids joined him around the kitchen table and we brought out the board games. That has always been a great way for our family to connect. From Head Bands to Clue, we enjoyed the competition and each other’s company! My family,?Tops in my Good Life.

And speaking of competition, boy, did our Minnesota State University Mankato Mavericks hockey team make us proud…by making history Saturday night! The Mavs won the WCHA championship title for the first time EVER and brought that Broadmoor Trophy back to Mankato. I was watching the game from the Legion in Lake Crystal. After enjoying a delicious rib dinner good friends to support  the Lake Crystal Fire Department, we found a TV playing the game and gathered around the set, watching our boys play their hearts out! I so happy I was with friends for that moment, friends that mean a lot in my Good Life. (And how thankful are we for all those brave volunteer firefighters throughout our region, they keep us safe in this Good Life.)

But wait, the weekend was only half over! I still had Sunday! One thing I have always enjoyed about my job is the many people I get to meet and interview. Regular readers of this blog are probably aware,  I have a bit of an affinity for Rick Springfield. ;) He has his debut fiction novel coming out in May and agreed to let me interview him about that before his show Sunday night at the Panteges Theater in Minneapolis. So, there we sat, face to face. I was a mere four feet away from an artist I’ve admired for 30 years (okay, maybe longer). He was gracious, and cool, and, frankly, very excited about his book. (Magnificant Vibration, coming out May 6!) I think he was also excited about being interviewed once again by me (okay, I’m making that part up.)

 But living in an area that allows me to so thoroughly enjoy, family, friends, and work, is truly a special place indeed. My special, Good Life.

Ode To Blackberry

After four good years together, I recently made a decision to let go of something that has been by my side 24/7. We have shared many a funny note, taken countless pictures preserving precious memories, and then together shared those memories on Facebook for all our close friends to see. But, more and more of my friends and family are telling me it’s time to move on, that this particular relationship is holding me back. They say if I would just start looking around, I might find something better that will open up a whole new world for me. So, I caved to peer pressure (yes, at my age) and decided to try to move on.  Bye Bye Blackberry.

So I went down to the AT&T store to see about what everyone was calling an “upgrade.”  The young man was very helpful, going over the feature of the iPhone versus the Android vs. a Windows phone. He told me about the speed with which I could browse the Internet, the number and quality of the pixels in the camera each phone had to offer, and how I could send an email, while watching YouTube, while live tweeting…yes, all at the same time! (Why is that even appealing?)

When he finished speaking, I had to ask, “But, can you actually make a phone call on any these?”

In his minutes- long dissertation on each device, he failed to mention if that was a feature.

I am now five days in with my new Galaxy. And I miss my Blackberry. I loved the way it fit perfectly in my hand (just the right size), the way I could quickly glance and see clearly if I had a text, email, Facebook or Twitter notification. (With my new “phone” the screen is too cluttered.)  I loved how just a quick slide of its backside and a keyboard was there for ease of typing out texts or emails. (Touch screens are too sensitive with my “fat fingers”) And I loved that I didn’t spend twice as long on these notes by always correcting the auto correct. Yes, I loved my Blackberry….cracked screen and all.

I do still carry my Blackberry in my purse. A reminder of the good times we’ve shared; kids sporting events, family get togethers, and countless Rick Springfield concerts (you knew I’d get his name in here SOMEWHERE). This gadget has been a big part of my Good Life the last few years.

Now, navigating with my Galaxy is a whole new universe to me. Hopefully in time I will find my way. There’s probably an app for that.