Unsecured Wifi

If you find yourself in need of a wifi connection – at a doctor’s office, or somewhere else that isn’t home – and you don’t have a way of turning your phone into a Wifi hotspot*, if you search for available connections and you come upon an unsecured wifi connection – is it ok to use that connection?

Is it fair game because it’s unsecured? Like listening to a neighbor’s music through the open window?
Is it stealing because you have no permission and because you slow down the bandwidth?
If your use doesn’t slow down the bandwidth is it still stealing?

Curious as to your thoughts.

(*or you have no idea how to use that option on your phone because it NEVER works for you.)

Dr Slice and Dice Says I am Structurally Sound

So, you all know I had surgery last September. I was in agony and miserable before the surgery, and when waking up in the recovery room it was as if a miracle had occurred.

3 months later I started to experience some of the original symptoms that led me to seek out the Neurosurgeon in the first place. I dismissed this return as insignificant, because, well, I was not interested in even thinking about going back to Dr Slice and Dice, awesome though he is.

Within the last month I have regressed to pre-surgery symptoms. Not fun. I had an MRI done, and X-rays, and went this morning to see Dr Slice and Dice.

Apparently it can take up to 18 months post-surgery for me to be “normal” again. The honeymoon period – no pain or symptoms – is common for a lot of patients post-surgery, and the return of some symptoms within 6 months is also common. My spinal cord went through a trauma and it is not realistic to expect everything to bounce back to 100% so soon. Truthfully, I may always have some degree of weakness in my left side. I may not. There is no way to tell.

The Xrays and MRI show that the bone graft and titanium plate are all in the right place doing what they are supposed to be doing. Structurally, my neck is sound. However, I am in tremendous pain 24/7.

Doc has suggested I do physical therapy, massage, go to the gym, and get as active as possible. It won’t cause me harm to work out – something I have been avoiding as I hurt too much. The idea even now of working out when I am in so much pain makes me just whimper.

Ergonomically, I need to fix up my office so that the way I sit at my computer puts as little strain on my neck as possible.

I should probably look around for a better pillow too.

It’s not an easy fix, but thank God I don’t need more surgery. That was my biggest fear.

So, Planning to get back to the gym next week, maybe will swim too, will make an appointment with the local physiotherapy center, and will start to feel better soon. I will. I WILL.

Desperate Measures

My pens keep disappearing. My desk caddy thing has always been well stocked with pens so I can find one when I need one. Yet, they keep walking away. NO ONE (that pesky fifth child of mine) is responsible for helping them walk away.

I bought PINK pens. No boy of mine would be seen dead using a pink pen. I am thinking everything I don’t want them to touch should be pink. My chocolate stash, my cookie jar….. Hmm, the possibilities!!

Verizon Customer Service FAIL

I am fit to be tied. Phone died, they ordered me a new one (see yesterday’s post). It arrived today. Set it up, installed all my apps. Yay. Connected once more.

After two hours my phone started to overheat. Plus it refused to charge. Plus the SD card wasn’t recognized.

Back to the Verizon store. Oh, ok, we’ll order you a replacement phone. NO. I don’t want a replacement refurbished piece of junk phone. I want a new phone that actually works. The DROID 2 Global has many known issues – the dude at the Verizon store admitted as much to the KoD. The manager was not nice at all. No give in her. No understanding of my frustration. Tried to blame us for the phone not working. “We can’t do anything. If you want a new phone”, she says, “you can pay full price”.

Listen. I bought a new phone not even 12 months ago. The phone that I had to return today was the 4th phone, the 4th Droid 2 Global in my possession. All I did was turn it on and it misbehaved.

All I want is a phone that works and does all it’s supposed to do. I don’t want a piece of useless junk. I really feel they should have upgraded me to the DROID 4 – a goodwill gesture. But no. Policy dictates that the customer has to get screwed.

I am ticked off beyond belief. I pay through the nose for my cellphone service and what the heck do I get for it? Total aggravation. I will be speaking to corporate, mark my words. I will be putting as much pressure on Verizon as I can so that they replace my phone with a NEW (not refurbished) phone that will work like a dream.

I am 1000% sure this would not have happened at the Apple store.

Do I look like a guy?

Sheesh! My Droid died. AGAIN! Second time in three months. Instead of the keyboard dying this time, the touch screen passed out and refused to be resuscitated. Getting a new one, yay, but no upgrading to the 4 because that’s mucho dinero…. 😦

Anyhow, I shlepped to the phone store, registered that I was waiting. Small insignificant fact – my phone account is joined together with the KoD’s. Makes sense, if you think about it, as he was here eons before me and had everything set up long before I needed a cellphone, so I piggybacked on his account. No biggie, right? That’s what marriage is all about – share and share alike.

They call my turn. Except they called “Ira” – KoD’s actual name. (Shockingly, it does not say KoD on his birth certificate!). I explain to the dude that Ira is my husband, and my name is HaDassah. He notes it down. It should already be in the files, but OK.

Over the ten minutes that I was in front of PhoneDude he called me Ira seven times. The first two times I gently reminded him he’d written down my name, and that I would rather be called by my own first name than my husband’s name or just call me Mrs Milner. Sorry HaDassah. Blah blah blah, Ira, blah blah. After a while, I just rolled my eyes and kept my mouth shut because the eejit was just not getting it.

Seriously? Even though it says Ira on the screen, AND the WOMAN in front of you has told you her name – can we not be flexible enough to use MY name? Or even be polite and call me Mrs Milner?

I love the KoD and his name suits him. It doesn’t suit me. At all.

And now I am without a cellphone until the new one shows up tomorrow. Color me grumpy. Pass the snarkitol and the grumpitol, and throw in some coffee and chocolate too.

(I am so starting a fund for the iPhone 5. I have had enough of this Droid crapadaciousness).

Tzitzit Belts?

Came across this interesting concept, called Tzitzit Belts. For women and men. Now I knew that there are women that wear tallitot – not my thing, but they are more than welcome to do what they want. I have NEVER heard of women wearing tzitzit.

From the site:

“The Tzitzit Belt, (patent pending) is a new, innovative garment breaking new ground in Covenant-loyal communities! It’s a modern adaptation of the Tallit Katan but without any of the inconveniences associated with attaching your tzitzyot. Not only is this ideal for women, but we had you ladies in mind when designing it! We didn’t forget about the fellas. We’ve got styles that we think you’ll like as well!  Nothing like this has ever existed until now! The entire family can wear these with any outfit and look good doing it!”

Thoughts?

UNLESS

I will remember.

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Shlissel Challah

Many Jewish people will be baking challah for Shabbat this week either in the shape of a key or with a key added inside the challah. This is supposed to bring parnassah to the household.

It’s an interesting custom – not something I ever did, but what’s the harm, eh? My beloved relative sent me this link to an Academic Paper on the Origin of Shlissel Challah. In this paper, which is well written and researched, the myth of the shlissel challah is disected. Is it based on ancient pagan practices? Does that make it bad juju (can I use that word?) to bake challah shaped like a key? Or is it just something that has no real effect but what harm can it do?

Please read the paper and discuss below.

(I am not baking it this week. I will bake my regular challah in the braided loaves and that will be it).

Stop N Shop Customer Service – FTW!

We are loyal Stop and Shop (New City) customers. We aren’t such fans of their produce section but the rest is reasonably priced. One reason we keep going there is their customer service. I blogged a year or two back about them when they opened, and they haven’t let their standards slip since then.

We did our back-to-chametz shop yesterday, and I picked up an eyeliner to add to the cart, as well as a nightlight for the puppy.

We got home, unpacked it all, bag after bag after bag. Then we realized – no eyeliner, no nightlight. (The idea of me walking around without eyeliner was just horrifying…. 😉 ) However, we did pay for them.

We called and they told us to come in. We did so, showed our receipt to the clerk, picked up a new eyeliner and nightlight, and they waved us through. We could totally have been lying in the hopes of getting stuff for free, but they trusted us.

Truth is, if the other items show up, we will return them to the store. I was just so surprised at how trusting they were.

Feeding Tube Before Shidduch Dates

Hey Ms Halberstam – here’s another idea for your twisted ideas of perfecting girls for shidduchim. Bear in mind this is an article about girls getting thin for their weddings, although, I am sure this idea could gain momentum if you mentioned it in your next shidduch manifesto.

The K-E Diet: Brides-to-Be Using Feeding Tubes to Rapidly Shed Pounds

What the heck is this world coming to?