Siri, Meet Robin

Robin was eager to talk to Siri, so I let her.

What Robin said:

Set the timer for three minutes.

Siri's translation:

I don't know what you mean by, "Set the time that to ornamented I love call a cab pop."

Guess Siri doesn't speak toddler.

Thankful for warranties

We bought a new iMac in November.  It's already in the shop.  I probably should have taken it in a few months ago because it was having strange connectivity issues with the router and the wireless keyboard and mouse from the get-go, but I'm pretty forgiving of technology.  The issue finally got so bad that every time the computer would wake after "sleep" it would need to search for the internet connection for a minute or so, then the keyboard would drop out for a few minutes, then the mouse.  I had self-assessed the problem via iMac forums to be a configuration file issue, but took it to the Genius Bar nonetheless.  It is a new, expensive computer still under warranty after all.  They suspect a hardware problem. Hopefully we'll have it back in a few days.

Now, at this point in my life I loves me some Apple.  Our house is lousy with iThis and iThat.  But I think I've visited the Genius Bar about 10 times in the last 2 years.  I mean, I go there so often that they guy I usually got has said, "Wow, Robin is getting big."

Just ranting here.

Restore my hard drive, restore my faith

Good ol' Computadora de McMiller was on the fritz yet again. Our iMac, purchased just about 2 years ago, fizzled out on us when I was in labor with Robin. Maybe something about the coming of a second child sent it into hiding. I took it into the local Genius Bar to get it fixed. One day, one rebuilt operating system, and $85 later it was as good as new. Well, close enough anyways.

Then over the last few weeks things on the computer got progressively slower, just like right before it died the first time. So, I made the appointment, luged a toddler and a baby into the Mac store, and set them to work. There's really not a big story here, just after a lot of miscommunication between the Genius and me (apparently the term senescence is not generally applied to computers. Who knew?) the computer was repaired. There were some glitches with the hard drive that got smoothed out. A few observations about the local Mac store:

1. They have two computers, at mini tables, set up near the genius bar with lots of kid games loaded. Brilliant.

2. They apparently have no bathroom needs. Or at least they determine a recently potty-trained toddler not worthy of using their bathrooms. Maybe they have an iMop nearby.

3. The Geniuses will talk to you in english. With very simple terms. So simple it becomes redundant and void of information.

4. If you have a cute baby, they spend extra time with you.

Jojo!

Erin loves Jojo. Watching videos of Jojo is one of her three favorite things in the world. Here they are:

1. Drinking milk: with two hands outstretched making the ASL sign for milk: "Malk? Malk?"
2. Being outside: at the front door, pointing to the handle emphatically: "Owtiiide? Owtiiide?"
3. Seeing movies of Jojo: in front of the computer, patting the chair for me to sit down and show her videos of Jojo: "Sit? Jojo? Mo Jojo? Peeees?"

She also loves to imitate Jojo. Erin hits all of her developmental milestones thanks to Jojo.

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McMiller Technology Update

New Box!

So, around 8:30pm on Saturday, we decided that Erin was calm enough for... for bed? for having a story read to her? for cuddling? No. We decided that she was ready to head out into 30F weather and biting winds to go to the mall and replace our old Dell with an iMac.

It went something like this: after a restful evening, apropos of nothing:

Me: "Hey... want to go get a computer?"
Ash: "Hell, yeah!"

Feelin' Quite Unhip

The Apple story was hilarious. No employee there was over 17 years old. All were so hip I felt like I was back in high school the minute we walked in the door. Instead of saying "Hello! May I help you?" they said things like "Hey, what up? You got questions about that iPod?"

So, we walk in, we're sort of in a hurry to get back home. I just want to pick up our box and go. So, I look for someone to talk to. Ah! I spy a counter. People behind counters can help, right? Wrong. That's the tech support desk. "Oh, this is the help desk. You'll want to talk to people out on the floor." OK, sure. So, I go to someone in an Apple shirt who looks available, "Hi, I'm looking to by an iMac.". "Oh, sorry, I'm the iPod guy, I can't help you with the computer that's 4 feet away. I'll get someone to come help you."

iPod guy: "Why don't you go post up by the Mac you want, and I'll get someone to come help."

Me, not understanding "post up": "Excuse me?"

iPod guy: "Go post up by the Mac."

Me: "Yeah, I'll just go post up by the Mac I want."

Sadly, and very unhiply, I scurried home to go look up "post up" on Urban Dictionary. Oh, the shame of it all!!

Want to Talk to Erin?

The pic above is a snapshot from our first video chat with Grandma and Grandpa McFeely. Anyone who wants to see live video coverage of the most beautiful baby in the world, just send me an email and we'll hook you up.