Dave gave me an MP3 player for Christmas. I've been wanting one for a while. I figured I could download some audio books and get my bookclub reading 
done on the run each day. Normally I read when I crawl into bed at night and read until I fall asleep - which often happens in less than one paragraph. This month we have quite a hefty book to read, The Time Traveler's Wife. The audio version is 17 1/2 hours long. Although I checked out the book from our city's audio book library, I have yet to figure out how to get it from my computer to my player. It doesn't seem like it should be a hard process, but it is.
done on the run each day. Normally I read when I crawl into bed at night and read until I fall asleep - which often happens in less than one paragraph. This month we have quite a hefty book to read, The Time Traveler's Wife. The audio version is 17 1/2 hours long. Although I checked out the book from our city's audio book library, I have yet to figure out how to get it from my computer to my player. It doesn't seem like it should be a hard process, but it is.In the meantime, I transferred all the music that is on our computer and I am listening to random music belonging to various members of my family. I didn't actually plan to do this, but when I started the software that came with the MP3, it automatically scooped up all the music on our computer. I am not smart enough to tell it what to do, I just blindly obey. (Sometimes I think I am a reasonably intelligent woman. Other times I realize I am just kidding myself.)
So the first day, I listened to AFI, then Akon, then Brittany Spears.
Then the second day, I listened to AFI, then Akon, Brittany Spears.
I repeated those artists the third day.
You know why? It was playing alphabetically and the the screen on the player is such a miniscule size I can't read the menu when I'm outdoors in the sun and the type size of the font is .3 and also I can't work the player's menu.
The fourth day, I finally read the menu at home in good light and then asked politely if it would please let me listen to different music. I had a lovely play list while I was out that day.
I didn't know what I was going to hear. I've got to say, I am quite pleased with the selections of music my girls listen to. I enjoyed some artists I had never heard and probably would never have purchased myself. A couple of times there were some songs with incredibly harsh lyrics that surprised me. I got home and had a talk with the girls about standards and lyrics. They told me they had already deleted those songs from their players, and "by the way, Mom, what are you doing listening to inappropriate lyrics"?
Here are three products that are missing on the market. There's got to be some big money made by servicing these specific demographics:
Electronics for the over 40 crowd. Large screens, large typeface. My eyes changed literally overnight on my 40th birthday. I can't read small type anymore.
Swimwear for 'tween girls. Here are the options that are available:
Swimsuits with C cups and plunging necklines.
Bikinis
Expensive team-style swimwear in specialty sports stores.
Swimsuits with The Little Mermaid printed on the front.
What they need are fun, bold colors and prints, that are modest for a 12 year old, and come in ALL sizes. Sixth and Seventh graders come in ALL sizes. Is that so hard?
Also - cute shoes in wide sizes. Enough said.
Well that is all that is in my head today. I realize only my siblings and 3 friends read this, however - here's hoping someone will hear my pleas for the cute shoes, K?
The end.
Oh, and I made some caramel apples for Superbowl snacks tonight, from scratch. 
Yummy.
9 comments:
Good luck with the mp3 player. It took me forever to figure mine out too, and I've never even attempted a book download. Good luck with that.
On the swimwear....I finally found cute suits at Lands End, LL Bean or Mini Boden. Much for expensive but no princesses and no high cut/low cut issues and some also have spf in the material.
Sorry no thoughts on the other two issues...good luck though!
Well Hello there, I am letting you know I am far more electronically and techno retarded than you and I have not even explored the world of ipods or mp3s yet! I have to switch my cell phone soon because Qwest is changing their cell service to Verizon and I am already starting to panic! For 1 my cell phone, I suppose is catagorized as a "dinosaur" and now the new one will be very small, with tiny button "spots", camera and tiny unfamiliar techno words. I did request no texting, I don't have the patience for that nor do I want to pay for it! Tha absolute saddest part is I will not have "one number" service anymore and that was my original reason to have a cell!
#l. How do you make apples from scratch? Last time I checked, they grew on trees.
#2. If they made mp3 players that an over 40 person could see, it would be as big as your car. Just memorize where the buttons are.
Amen on the request for swimwear and cute shoes in wide sizes. As for the MP3 player - you just need an ipod touch. They are so awesome and virtually dummy proof. Not that I'm calling you a dummy! But if I can do it, I'm telling you they are dummy proof, and plenty big on the typeface.
I agree about the ipod touch. Much simpler. As for shoes, I can't find any by driving around town except for Avenue. But their selection is pretty low. So I look on-line. Avenue.com and Shoes.com. Both have wide and a really great selection. Shoes.com also has free shipping and free returns! which is always awesome!
I LOVE my Ipod. I bought it several years ago as a backup against a catastrophic failure of the DJ equipment- I could get through an event. But it's such brilliant technology and so easy to use that it re-ignited my personal love for music.
About the failing eye sight- mine was age 43. I put myself through a quality control regimen for DJ jobs and one of the things is to practice names of the wedding party and family so that I speak conversationally like I am a family friend. I did a wedding recently and in the dim lights of the banquet room, I could not make out the names. I almost choked! New quality control measure- reprint notes in bigger font.
I know you figured out how to transfer the book and so you are ahead of me now! The more familiar you get with it the more you will like it.
Try shopping for the bathing suits and shoes on line. There are a lot more choices. I agree witht he lands end and L.L. Bean choices. They do have modest bathing suits.
Try Zappo.com for shoes. I've been hearing good things about it!
Hey! Did your husband tell you that I want to join your book club? Am I worthy? I LOVE that family pic at the top of your blog. So cute and creative. I might have to steal that some day.
Yes, yes, yes on the cute shoes in wide sizes! I'm not sure why that's so difficult to do!
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