Let's Communicate...

First item:  Last weekend I received a message while trying to use Facebook. It seemed strange at the time. I later got an eMail from Facebook stating something in reference to this message. Clearly it appeared someone was trying to hack into my Facebook account. Facebook suggested in their eMail to change my Facebook password and my eMail password. Thus began my adventure.

I changed my passwords. Everything seemed to be going fine. A few tweeks with my Outlook and I was working great. Then, after a bit, I realized I was not getting eMail's on my Blackberry.

I'm honestly not just sure now all the steps and I went through Monday evening. It seemed my Blackberry wanted the new password validated. Hmmmm...which password. The old eMail password first, the new eMail password first, or was it some password associated only with my Blackberry. I know from past experience I have 10 chances to get that password right or I'm locked out of my Blackberry.

I found two places on the Blackberry to change your eMail. I tried both to no avail. I'm not sure how many tries I did and I didn't want to get locked out. Eventually, I just decided to let it be and wait another day and see if my number of chances reset so I had 10 again.

Over the next few days I tried to log onto Blackberry's home page. Apparently none of the passwords I had would work for that either.

Yesterday morning (Wednesday), I called AT&T at 10am. I explained my situation and concern and asked for help getting my eMail back. I had everything else on the Blackberry working, just no eMail. These people were very, very nice. It took three of them to help me through my process. Eventually I had eMail working.

Ryan, the third person I spoke with, asked me if there was anything else I needed help with. Hmmmm...I told him I was not able to send myself a Word or Excel document and then be able to open it, read it, and save it for later reference on my Blackberry. This was a feature that should be available on the Blackberry. I told him in July 2010 (I've tried to correct this problem for a LONG time.) I downloaded from DataViz the DocumentsToGo software to my Blackberry. This should have fixed the issue but it didn't.

Now, I started this phone call at 10am. By 1:45pm Ryan finally isolated the three issues that weren't allowing me to get these files and save them to my Blackberry. This guy had me in the bowels of my Blackberry checking out all the files that make up DocumentsToGo to be sure they were loaded on my Blackberry correctly. But he got me working properly and it was definitely a fix I couldn't not have done on my own.

Through this whole process I ended up losing all my data on my Blackberry. This was not a problem since I did a Sync on the Blackberry last Sunday prior to all this stuff happening. I had all my data on my computer and could get it back with another Sync. We also uninstalled the old DocumentToGo software and reloaded using my authorization code from July 2010's download.

I am grateful for those wonderful AT&T people that spent all that time helping me get these things to work right. Claude and I are both amazed at how connected we are with these silly cell phones now. It is hard to believe we ever lived without them. I even remember 'party lines' being the only way to make a phone call. I remember 4 digit phone numbers, then 7 digit phones numbers, then living in the DC area where you had to use an area code for all local calls because there were sooooo many people and phone numbers.

I'm happy I can send and receive phone calls and check my eMails and Facebook on my little cell phone now.

Next item:  I found an advertizement in AARP for a 'Lifeline' item that I felt strongly Papa needed to have. It is a button gadget that you wear on your wrist or around your neck. If you fall, you press the button and they will respond with an ambulance or calling your relative for you. I did the Internet research on it and learned all about how it worked and the two different styles you can get, etc.

Last Saturday I took Papa to lunch. After I finished eating I shared my findings with him. He said he had seen the advertizements and thought about it but didn't feel like he wanted to use one right now. I tucked the paperwork back in my purse knowing that if he didn't buy into the idea this alert system wouldn't be worn by him. I saved all my paper research away for future reference.

This week on Monday Papa had a bad dizzy spell. He did not tell me about this. It scared him enough that he started a quest for a different place to live where he could be watched over a bit by medical personnel if needed.

Tuesday Papa and Claude were to work a shift at the Family History Center in the afternoon. My visiting teaching came that morning and I didn't call Papa to remind him. When my visiting teacher left, I called Papa's apartment to remind him that Claude would be there to pick him up and to be ready by noon. No answer. I waited 10 minutes and tried again. Still no answer. I left messages both times.

Claude left at noon and went to Papa's apartment. There was no Papa there. Claude headed to the Family History Center and I called the nursing home to see if he was there feeding mom lunch.

I got Kim on the phone. She told me about Papa's episode and his concern. He had inquired about their apartments attached to the nursing home. She was very concerned about him and asked him several times if he talked to me about all this. He told her he had not. I told Kim about trying to get him to order a Lifeline alert system on Saturday. We agreed she would share with me things he told her and might not have shared with me. I explained that he was supposed to have been picked up by Claude and taken to the Family History Center and he had obviously forgotten. She said she would tell him.

Papa left the nursing home after Kim talked with him, went to his apartment and called me. I explained that Claude had gone on to cover their shift. He tried to explain that he and I needed to talk about the Lifeline thing again. I asked if he felt safe enough to drive himself to the Family History Center. He said he did and he would go there now. I assured him I would let Claude know he was on his way.

Wednesday afternoon I went to Papa's apartment before we were to sing. We discussed the episode Papa had on Monday. He was working at his computer and needed more paper for his printer. He has a swivel chair at his computer. Evidently he twirled on that chair and then got up to get the paper on a shelf across that room. When he got up he was very dizzy and it only got worse. At one point after he got the new package of paper and was headed back to his chair, he even felt like he was laying down when he knew he was standing up.

I suggested it my be something to do with his inner ear or with needing to regulate his meds for his atrial fibrilation. He has an appointment with his doctor for his next checkup in a few weeks and will cover all this then. Unless he has another spell, then he'll make an appointment immediately.

We also decided to purchase the Lifeline alert system for him.

This morning Papa came out to our home and while he was here we came down to my sewing room and called and ordered the system. It will be here in about four days.

I'm very happy about this move. It will give me more peace of mind. It only works in his home and within a football field radius of his home. But he can wear it 24/7 and even in the shower. He will press that button and they will answer and ask if he wants family called or an ambulance. He can even press it if he smells smoke or thinks there is an intruder. This should help Papa and me both feel better about his living alone longer. One of Papa's big concerns has always been if something happened to him, how long would it be until someone recognized it and got Tiny to take care of her. This should give him some measure of peace of mind regarding that as well.

Next item:  March is a big birthday month in our family. Aubrey Anne's birthday was Monday, Andie's birthday is today, Nissa's is on the 26th and Paul's is on the 27th. We called Aubrey Monday evening just as their family was about to sing Happy Birthday to her. We joined in on the speaker phone. Today Claude and I called Andie to sing Happy Birthday to her. It was the most awful rendition of Happy Birthday you ever heard. We both started on a different key, Claude cleverly changed some words, it was just pathetic. But we sang and Andie had a chuckle. She said this gives us time to practice for Nissa and Paul.

Next item:  Wednesday afternoon Papa and I sang at the nursing home. They rolled Ray in during the program. After every song Ray would say, "That's a good song." It was just good to see him enjoy the music that much. Another lady called Papa over as we were leaving and told him how much she enjoyed singing along with us on these 'old' songs. Geraldine was having her 89th birthday and we all paused after she got in the room to sing a rousing Happy Birthday to Geraldine.

So much good comes of these little music sessions. It is so very good for Papa to still do that thing that he loves, music. It fills his soul and means a great deal to him. It is so very good for those residents of the nursing home. They are very forgiving of any mistakes we make. They just love the music and time spent with other people. It is so very good for me. I've always played the piano and done the accompanying. I love singing but my voice is very low. Singing with Papa, he can change that key on the guitar and I can sing lead. I know when my father passes away, I am going to treasure these memories of singing with my father for these dear people on Wednesday afternoons.

Next item:  One of the fun things about being a grandparent, is that your grandmonsters call to share things with you. 

Last Saturday Hayden called all excited because his tadpole arrived in the mail. He got a habitat to raise this tadpole in for Christmas. He shared with me all the rules of raising a tadpole so it grows into a frog. He assured me it needed a special kind of water called 'spring water'. That was the only kind the tadpole could have and Pa and I could bring him some if we wanted, as long as we were sure it was 'spring water'. Bailey came into his room and got her first peek at the tadpole as they let it into the water. She pronounced it as 'bootiful'.

This week we also got a happy phone call from Katelyn. She had good news and called to tell us she had a job and an interview for another possible job. This is very good news for a college student needing money for gas, insurance, books, etc., etc., etc.  Michigan is a hard place to find employment now and we were very happy for her. And we were even more happy she wanted to call and share this great news with us.

So there you have it. Communication from the cell phones, to the alert systems to give us a bit of peace of mind, to the joy of music, to grandmonster phone calls. Isn't it grand that we have words and ways to share those words with each other? I just went to bed last light reflecting on all the communication that goes on during any day. It is quite a neat thing.