Gone are the days!

It is not easy being me…but then you already know that. I am almost 80, my husband is 83 but most importantly, I am trying to see the logic of actions at my age.

For example, I am working out if I really need two big iMac computers. The ones I own now are 10 years old and have basically quit functioning in real sense. Most things are the same as a new computer BUT just extremely slow. For those of you that have been dealing with computers for many years there is an understanding that a Mac is not designed for adding memory in a tower so when you reach your max, you are just done and done.

So what I am doing now is using an iPad Pro that my husband bought for me about 4 years ago. So far I have been able to keep updating and am even finding soft….no…apps that work better and better. I just installed a Blogger iPad app that seems to work pretty good. We will see. They want me to upgrade to the pro but we will see about that too. I probably will because I cannot publish unless I buy the app. Sigh!

Actually I have had this iPad long enough that I have worn out the protective cover/keyboard. I shopped for one that might be good and cost less than a new Apple cover…those things are really expensive. I finally found one that is ok. The keyboard is small in comparison to the first one but I am slowly getting used to it. It is call Fintie. It has a backlit keyboard that helps some. It is not a bright as I had hoped but it better that nothing.

The case itself seems to be heavy but the iPad is heavy to begin with so I am not sure if it adds weight or it is just my imagination.

Do you think that going from a computer it a iPad or a device like it is expecting too much? I am new at editing photos with apps but I am managing to get some good results. I would like it to be professional but I am not one so there is that. 

Do you have ideas or suggestions for me? I am listening.

Retirement Saving: Cutting Another Cord to Save

Are you retired and trying to make your money go a long way? How informed are you? Do you keep up with technology and all it has to offer? AND how old is your TV or do you have a TV with a ROKU already installed?

Why do I ask? Well, I am a newbie to TV Apps but boy am I catching on to what is available and how much money I can save.

We had tried cutting the TV cable cord many years ago but it was not a good thing. And we have tried several choices for cable service but there really is no way to get a reasonably priced cable service. Going without was not what we wanted. We like our TV.

We have used a ROKU for several years now but never really taken advantage of all it had to offer. Our TV here in Oregon is not new so it is not as tech savvy as it could be. The Roku has given us a lot of choices but streaming tv service is a wonderful upgrade!.

We were missing the boat. When we were in to our AT&T store recently to upgrade our phone, the sales rep mentioned Directv Now streaming tv server. Where have we been? I did not even know there was such a thing. I had done a trial of one of the other streaming servers but never explored the possibilities.

When the rep told us that we could try it. We could cancel at anytime and that our tv entertainment bill would drop to half as much as we had been paying, I was interested. So we signed up and resolved to simply not use our dish for a week to see if we could get what we wanted.

Here is where the technology comes in...do you want to use all those apps on your ROKU or TV? If you are not using your computer, wireless network + a streaming server to get what you want, you are missing the boat. It takes a little learning but it is well worth it...money wise and quality wise. The picture is great and the money saved is a good thing.

The only upgrade we have purchased is the PBS APP.

So now we have cut the phone line and only use cell phones and we have cut the cable tv line...both are gone forever. It is a very nice feeling.

Give it a try!

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Note: Other streaming services like HULU and SLING would work just a well I think. They may even be cheaper.

How hot was it in Tucson Arizona this summer?

If you think it doesn't get hot in the desert I've got some information for you. Here is a picture of a poinsettia that survived the summer with our sprinkler system on. It looks like something that Charlie Brown would have or maybe the Adams family. I don't have any idea how. Above it you can see the picture of the thermometer that hung in the sun this summer. 

Blogging with my phone:

This is the most unhandy thing I have ever done. Blogging with my phone is not a good way to get things done. I am still waiting for Cox Communication to install our Internet. I'm not sure if it was their fault or if it was mine but whatever the case may be this Techie is not happy.

Tomorrow afternoon I'll be back doing what I love to do, maybe.

Hang in there with me please.

5 Techie Gift Ideas for College Age Student

iClover - Bundle of 9 PCS SHORT Colorful Stylus Pen Set 

It has occurred to me that we need to talk to our older grandchildren more.  They really are very nice people. And when it comes to gift giving they know what they want...that is a good thing.

One of my teen grandsons asked for a longer cord for his iPad...who knew there even was such a thing.  That made me realize that maybe I was missing out by not just asking.  What do you think?

Here are a few ideas that my conversation with Sam sparked:

(1) 10 ft. iPad Charger Cable

(2) iPad Cover

1. 10 foot charger cords for iPhone and iPad
2. Updated ipad covers
3. Design Your Own Cell Phone Cases
4. Stylus Pen Bundle - Three 3 in 1 Laser Pointer, LED Flashlight, and Stylus Pens - Compatible with All Touchscreen Devices including iPhone, iPad, Android Phones and Tablets / plus 1 ECO-FUSED Microfiber Cleaning Cloth (Black, Red and Silver)
5. Anker Astro Mini 3000mAh Ultra-Compact Portable Charger Lipstick-Sized External Battery Power Bank Pack for most Smartphones and other USB-charged devices (Apple Adapters- 30 pin and Lightning, NOT Included) - Black




Portable Charge Stick 




(3) Design Your Own Cell Phone Cases...I have done this and it is easy,
fun and functional. No one has one just like it!

3 Great Ways to Record a Celebration

Let's get straight the point. I know a few cool things that you may not know. For example, there are some wonderful ways to record celebrations with your cell phone that do not take a lot of expertise. No big camera is needed.  Here are three ways that I use to capture all the fun.

• There is a new app on you iPhone called Takes. I allows you to use your iPhone camera to record a series of photos/video to create a montage of your day. You open the app and your camera automatically is recording what it sees but does not keep anything until you snap the photo. You camera saved the photo but Takes saves a video a little before the photo and a little afterwards. It has to be the coolest thing I have ever seen. It is like magic.  Here is the one I took on a day spent with my grandchildren.

• I also have an app on my iphone called Camera SX. It takes a picture for you and you can record all the back ground noise that goes with the photo.  Lets say you are at your grandchilds school just watching in the classroom.  You can take a picture of your grandchild and then record some of the background sound. I am working on getting this to work so I can download it into iPhoto on my computer. 

• I never get tired of my iPhone. I took the video below on my iPhone. When I upload the pictures to Blogger, they have a cell phone choice. When you open that, it not only shows all the photos you have taken with your cell phone, it also shows if they are a video. This very short clip below is funny but we love it anyway. Our baby Shay is one of a kind.
  
  
   
  
  
  I just thought you would want to know. 
  
  
  What to you know that you would like to share?
  
  
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Free Stuff for your NON-Profit from Tech Soup

Tech Soup Partners

AARP recommends that we volunteer whenever possible.  I know that many retirees give time to their churches, schools and communities across the country.  If you are one of those people, here is something you may not have heard about.  There is an organization called Tech Soup that finds partners willing to donate technology nonprofits and libraries.

At TechSoup, nonprofits and libraries can request and receive technology products donated by TechSoup partners, and they can find tech-focused content and community tuned to their needs. We're a nonprofit with a clear focus: to make it as easy as possible for other nonprofits and libraries to obtain and use the technologies they need to achieve their goals. As part of that mission, we provide access to over 400 products donated by more than 40 companies — including donor partners like Microsoft, Adobe, Cisco, Intuit, and Symantec.  

Twitter:  

https://twitter.com/#!/TechSoup

I have been a follower of this group for quite a while.  I am always very interested in the service they give to organization.  You really should take the time to look their webpage over and see if there is anything they can do for you.  At the very least, pass the word along.  This is a very good thing.

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Technorati Tag:  technology, non-profit, AARP

Should you "friend" your children on Facebook? There are rules you know!

The letter style post on Crazy Baby Momma's Blog was like a glass of ice water on the face! The blog post was called Six Rules You Need to Lay Down Before You Friend Your Parents on Facebook. Obviously her parents were under the illusion that Facebook was their private space and they could just comment on their daughter's love life and complexion without a worry.  The daughter didn't like her baby picture on a bear rug being posted for all her friends to see so she asked Mom and Dad to stop.  The parents were on the edge of being unfriended and removed from the Facebook account unless they cleaned their act up. The list of no-nos included some of the following:

• Everything is PUBLIC on Facebook...absolutely everything!
• Please quit trying to play match maker...it is embarrassing.
• There really is no need to comment on everything.
• If the daughter removed a comment or note it means they didn't want the world to see said comment or note.  Please Mom and Dad, she said, don't add it back in case I missed it. I removed it for a reason.
• There is no need to submit a written evaluation of every photo.  Yes there may be a weight gain but you don't need to point it out.

I think there was more but you get the idea. Soooooo, the question is should you friend your children on Facebook? Showing your children how techno-savvy you are is one thing...hanging out on their Facebook account is another. I think the trick might be to take a look to see what is going on but don't let them know you have been there. What they don't know can't set them off.

Just a thought!

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Links: Tech, Style, Free Stuff, Cosmo for Men & PDX Happy Hour

Note:  All these links came from site I follow on Twitter.  I will provide a list of the Twits I follow.

Faster Internet: with Clearwire:  My husband and I have used Clearwire for two years now.  When we began using the service we were given $20 monthly price for life...a good thing it seemed.  Clearwire would reset the modem when the speed dropped and we got by for 6 month of the year.

But I did not like it.  It was not fast enough to suit me.  The last spring I finally went to the Clearwire website myself and began looking at what was available to me.  I found lots of good idea for checking on speed, coverage area and plans for service.  In fact that was where I found the Global Speedtest. After I ran the speed test I called Clearwire and upgraded my service!  The pace of my connection was so bad I wondered why we were being charged at all.

Now we have moved to a new location in Hillsboro.  After an initial surge of speed on the first day the download speed has dropped off to .88 mbps  and upload is now at .06 mbps.  When I look at the comparison of the speed to the national average we are at 8% and globally we are at 14%.  Should we expect better than that?  Well I think so.  Comcast is coming tomorrow so we will see how they stack up to the averages.

Computer Setting for Apple TV:  We have a Apple TV in the park model we own in Tucson.  We can connect to Flickr through our computer.  This post on Unplugged over at Apartment Therapy is something I will be referring back to and using to increase the streaming speed for movies.  Hopefully, we will not get hiccups in the stream if I follow the directions.

Lovely Clusters:  Blogger chose Lovely Clusters as Today Blog of Note.  If you love beautiful clothes and colors that make you want to sing, this will be a good stop for you.

Free Stuff:    I love free stuff and coupons!!! I can't help it.  The Frugal Girls are on the ball when it comes to the good things.  Check it out and follow them on Twitter...I do!

Cosmopolitan Magazine now has a magazine for men called Cosmo For Men:  It is ONLY available on your ipad.  I just thought you needed to know!

Donate your Brain:  TechSoup's Donate Your Brain (DYB) is a microvolunteering initiative. It allows anyone, anywhere, to help nonprofits and other community organizations with quick answers and suggestions for their Internet, software, and other tech needs.

Facebook Portland Happy Hour:  Now I am done!

Happy Monday!

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Cell Phones...a luxury or necessity!

Life of a Retiree:  Do you remember the days when we actually functioned without a cell phone?  It was was a piece of cake...right?  No one got lost.  No one missed getting information.  Back in the day I actually waited till I got home to use the phone and, because I was really progressive, I had an answering machine.  No problem.

Now, if I don't take my cell phone with me the cable service man comes and I don't get his call.  I get lost on the freeway, not because I don't have my cell phone but  because my husband leaves his at home.  I are totally and completely lost without my cell phone.  In fact, I don't even have a land line!

My husband and I took our son to the airport today and used both cars to transport all his families luggage.  As the two of us headed home the agreement was that I would follow him to a place he knew about for breakfast.  It was on 42nd...or was it 82nd?  I really didn't pay attention...I was going to follow him.  Accept we forgot to consider one small detail.  Traffic is terrible at 8:00 am!  We were separated immediate and the gap between us increased with every mile.

I ate breakfast alone at a small restaurant.  Then I set out to find the appliance store he mentioned yesterday.  It is a good thing I was paying attention when he talked about that.  Even with my iphone maps I wandered around in the Hollywood district in NE Portland for 45 minutes.  That is 45 minutes of my life I will never see again.

So back to the cell phones.  I suppose we could function without them again but once we become accustomed to a luxury it is hard to give it up.  Much like my washing machine or dishwasher I don't even want to try to give them up.

Related articles

• Life without a (my) Cell Phone. (boredommagnified.wordpress.com)

How to fit technology into a small space!

Feeling a little crowded?  Have too much stuff but still want it all?  Sharing an apartment with a friend?  Let's talk about living a studio/loft apartment or even in your bedroom.

My first apartment was a studio on the top floor of an apartment house in La Grande, Oregon. I had a view down the alley of Mount Emily. I loved that apartment with it's drop leaf table and small alcove that served as our bedroom.

I wonder now why we ever thought we needed more. Had it not been for children we could have spent our entire life in that apartment. We could have upgraded the furniture and painted the occasional wall.  That small space was so perfect for all ages. I have a feeling I might live in something like it again before I am gone.

However, the next time I live in that kind of space, I will find a way to fit in my computer.  Things have changed a lot in the last 50 years. In fact, in the world of technology, a lot has changed in the last 6 months. It is hard to keep up with the trends.

Here are two toys I spotted at the Apple Store the other day.

1. There is a device called Eye TV out now that allows you to watch TV wirelessly on any computer in your house.  The device works through your outlet for your cable. Imagine yourself in a very small space with only enough room for one TV.  Now imagine you have to share that one TV. Yuck!  My husband loves sports and I don't so much. One or the other of us will retire to the bedroom where our second TV is located. But, what if we did not have a second TV or even a separate bedroom?  Wouldn't it be wonderful if our computer station would become a second place to watch TV? We could add noise canceling head phones and pull up a very comfortable desk chair.  Bang! We have a second TV. I can see it now.



image from engadget

2. I talked about the magic track pad for my Mac computer the other day...I want it now. All the space I would need near my computer keyboard would be the space the track pad consumes.  My mouse requires a pretty large surface. These little babies sit next to the keyboard seamlessly.  Not only do they do what I would want, they also look good. I like that a lot.

I have also seen a few other ideas that would make small space living techno cool. It is all about finding room for all your toys. Making it beautiful is nice too.

Apartment Therapy Cable Decor

• Apartment Therapy's idea for making all those cords work for you in the small space...gorgeous. It is called Cable Decor. You can create this look by taking that very long unsightly cord and painting it. Then you create a design on the wall using clips that you can buy at your hardware store.  I think those clips we use for the lighted cords would work. If you don't want to make a sculpture on the wall the cute little Power Curls help keeping the cords corralled.
• While we're at it, let's talk again about the ipad keyboard dock. You can make that ipad your only computer with this device.  When you need to type on your computer, your ipad converts with the keyboard dock. While it is charging, you can type away.  It is small and works like a charm. We gave one of these to my son as a gift.  He is using it while he works on his masters program.

It is raining here (still) in Portland Oregon.  I have spent the week shopping and dreaming about what we might do next in our smallish home and computer life.  It has been lots of fun.  AND tomorrow is another day.  Friday dreams are the best of all.

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Technology and Travel...smart phone apps at work!

     Travel is always hard...especially when you want to see our country and don't want to follow a set route or plan.  Reservations are fine as are going back to the well know restaurants with a menu that has the foods that you need for conditions you didn't want nor ask for.  Senior citizens know exactly what I mean.
     My husband and I are no exceptions.  We need to follow rules and get our rest!  Thankfully we can still go for a long time without eating and not have a problem.  It allows us to make our own rules when we are on the road.  But, at the end of the day, we need to find a place to lay our body down and I tell my husband "Even Grandmas need to eat!"  So how do we go about this?  We use my iphone and it's wonderful apps.
     Frugal Traveler from the New York Times may be brave enough to stop at a cheap roadside motel without a worry but I just need some assurance that the bed will be clean and Bed-bug-less.  Sorry. That is why I have an app. on my iphone called Around Me. It is the perfect go to place for the last minute seeker of a haven and food. It was the one I went to last night in Carson City, Nevada.  I knew we wanted to stay downtown near the capital of the state.  We have been to this part of the world many times but usually we just pass through. Looking for a safe motel in this small city of casinos and state government can be a trick.
      Gambling can bring out  the worst in humans.  Casinos attract desperate people that are willing to stay in any motel just so they can be across the street from a gambling hall.  That was what I think we found when we looked at the Nugget Hotel across from the Carson City Nugget Casino.  We noticed the place when we drove into town and my first reaction was one of resignation. OK, I thought, this will probably do.  Then I clicked on my Around Me iphone app to look at the reviews. BEDBUGS???  YIKES!  I turned to my husband with the news. It turned out he was not willing to stay in a place that MIGHT have bedbugs either.
     We found a motel room at the Carson Station Best Western a few block away. It cost less than the Super 8 we stayed in when we were in Wickenburg.  My Around Me iphone app. said it was okay.  It had a cute little casino and the restaurant across the street, again reviewed by Around Me, turned out to be a winner.
     So there you have it.  Around Me got me where I wanted to be.  Four Square app. allowed me to post a picture and note so my family could see what I was up to.  Facebook and Twitter were updated on my iphone and I called my daughter to say we were going to be home.
      Now I am in the Grants Pass, Or. Best Western using their wifi to write this blog.  How did I ever figure out how to do this without all my cool technology?
      I hope you are having a wonderful day.

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Tomorrow:  Small surprises on the road!

   

Wanted: Pre-thinker. Must pre-think fast!

Image via WikipediaDear Boomer+ friends,

I wrote a blog yesterday about the fact that my blog header disappeared as I was thinking about replacing it.  I found it very strange and wrote a blog called Can Google Read Our Minds?  Then I got this comment:

  Don't laugh- I have a friend who works for  Microsoft. His job is to "prethink" for the consumer. 

Microsoft actually has a "pre-thinker" on the payroll!!!  Maybe he is the guy that erased my header yesterday. He pre-thinks what I am going to think before I actually think it.

The internet has gotten so fast... if it gets much faster it will be preloading before I actually turn it on.  My blogs will be written and I will quit thinking and wait from my pre-thinker to tell me what to think.

John C. Havens' over at iMedia  is of the opinions that we even are becoming prethinkers...without wages of course.  By following websites like Whrrl or even twitter, we begin to a instinctually get a feeling for where the story will go next.  One begins to wonder how our minds are being changed by our ability to constantly follow the world as it evolves.

This process of collective intuition is amplified by AR [augmented reality] applications like Pelago's visual storytelling tool, Whrrl. The service, according to CEO Jeff Holden, is a "real-time storytelling product for people's daily lives," which aggregates multiple tweets, posts, and updates to form a kind of visual Twitter. These communal events are also shared to the larger community, which can comment while stories take place. This process creates a form of public prethinking known as group awareness. And it's the data culled from these multiple communal stories that will form the basis of future interactions in commerce and culture at large.

So there you have it...Google does know what we are going to think...there are people out there in the world that watch, note, graph, input and analyze everything we are doing.  Every FourSquare, Twit, Facebook checkin is noted.  They can then predict when we are going to buy blinds or revamp our blog!  You heard it first right here on Retire In Style!  Smile!

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Related articles

• Foursquare or Whrrl - Where do you Check-In? (bloggingtips.com)
• Pelago Makes the Whrrl Go 'Round (chris.pirillo.com)

Downsizing meets Technology or learning from the college student dorm room!

GOING HIGH TECH
I love when a plan begins to come together. Take living in a small space/downsizing because of aging and its relationship to going high tech and compare it to the college student and their first ever home of their own.  If at all possible both of these groups want a space that is beautiful and comfortable.  But don't think that a small space being cool looking is going to replace the technology students need to function in a their dorm rooms or small apartments.

Now let's think about you and I moving into a small apartment. The decor may need to be good but it is not going to be enough. Just like the college student, we will need our space to function as a high tech space too. Now all the technology assisted living facilities are using is being offered by vendors to homeowners. It is very exciting.

Retro Small Space

So it seems that college students and downsizing seniors have a lot in common. They both want their space to be beautiful and high tech. Living like a college student, like our old furniture, is back on style again. Technology and downsizing! Who knew!

The picture on the right made me smile...it seems that all that stuff we lived with as young adults is in again. We could actually use those things and be very cool...if we hadn't traded it in 45 years ago!  I  owned a stereo and clock just like these.  The computer monitor looks perfectly at home don't you think?

Keeping track with a bulletin board!

GETTING ORGANIZED
Retire in Style Blog offered an article on low cost organizationing. As I was reading the article it hit me how important writing things down is as we get older. College students have nothing on us in this regard. My mother kept a calendar that looked like the typewriter had run amok on it. When I saw this bulletin board I thought it might work better than the calendar did for my mom.

Chalk board painted wall from Unplgged

I like the new chalkboard paint that can be painted on just about any surface even better. It looks good and serves a useful purpose.  The paint is available in a variety of colors so can be matched to any decor. There is a magnetic primer that you can apply your chalkboard paint over and get a multipurpose use for the wall. I actually think I will try this myself.  Keeping track of a busy life can be very hectic...especially when you are past 70 (smile)!  Just give me my chalkboard and a little technology and I am good! I'm feeling younger already.

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Skype Keeping Retirees Connected or Grandpa Lives in the Computer

Image via CrunchBase

I know I have told you that our grandson aged 2 years thinks Grandpa lives in the computer.  It may just be so...who knows.

Because of a family emergency and my need to help my son as his new born gets a stronger hold on life, I will be home for three weeks.  Skype is my link to my husband who has stayed in Arizona with friends in the sunshine.  My husband and I both have Skype accounts and we own three computers.  Two are in the desert with my husband and we leave the old laptop here in Hillsboro for use during holidays and times like this when we are without the other computers.  So the Skype accounts can be used on any computer with the program...I am learning more about this wonderful FREE service all the time.

When I began trying to reach my husband I realized that his account was not only on this computer but also on his computer in Arizona.  Skype was not going to let me call...it said I could not talk to myself.  It was just a little frustrating...I talk to myself better than the average person.    I have been thinking about how to make this work for a week now.  I was looking at my Skype contact list this morning when I realized that at the top, where my husband's name was, there was a button that allowed me to choose a different account. (Where the red minus is in the picture.)  Sure enough, when I clicked the little green button there was my account.  When I signed into my account, my husband appeared in the contact list....yeah!!!  I dug out my old isight camera, connected it to the computer and I was one connected Grandma again!

So this evening while I was having my wine, we chatted as though we were in the same room.  He watched the basketball game over the top of the computer screen and I blathered on and on.  I liked it...that is my comfort zone!

Brayden could be right...Grandpa may live in the computer.  Thank heavens, when we apart, I know just where to find him.  I just thought you would want to know.

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NEW iConvert® Slide and Negative Scanner...just right for our needs!

I couldn't decide...do we look forward to a wonderful new year OR do we look back at what the old year had to offer?  Then my husband got the best Christmas gift ever.

The little box sat in his lap weighed almost nothing.  It was about the size of a package of large crackers.  When he opened it we were both delighted to see that he had received the iconvert device sold by the Brookstone Company.  The iconvert is a wonderful little machine that will convert all those old slides we have been storing... not only our own but those of my parents...for a gajillion years.  Truly many of these slides are over 40 years old.  The company describes the device in the following way:

Discover the fast, easy way to convert old slides and negatives to high-resolution digital files before they fade and crack. Just connect iConvert® to your computer, insert a negative strip or photo slide, press the negative scan button or slide scan button—and get instant digital pictures! It’s a simple, welcome alternative to paying a professional.

Powered by, and connects to, your computer.

Connect iConvert® to your PC or Mac® with the included USB cable and download your slides and negatives. iConvert® captures the images as high-resolution (600, 1200, 1800 or 3600 dpi) digital files you can save, edit and share. Compatible with Windows® 98/XP/Vista®, Mac® OS X 10.4 and later (with Intel® processor).

We had wanted to get the slides into our computers for years.  Not only are they great memories of family members that are gone now, they also give us the window into the past that we wanted.  Many of the slides are ones taken by my father of places around the United States that we are just now getting around to visiting.  It is fun to compare what was and is.  

I do recommend this little machine to you.  It really does work.  While storing slide boxes may be your favorite use of space, it isn't ours.  We will sort through and keep the best and dispose of the rest.  And it allows you to look back while moving into the future.  Wow, the best of both worlds.

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Available on Amazon for $99.95