Technology

I just got back from Office Max, where I spent $10 to fax a 6-page contract for a small writing assignment.

I have an all-in-one printer that I could use to fax from home, and I used to have a dedicated fax number for it. But I found myself emailing so much more often than faxing that paying for the second phone line didn't make any sense, and that was cancelled.

Then the printer itself became a casualty of a home renovation project: when we put in our hardwood floors, we were no longer able to string the telephone line under the carpet from the phone jack to the cabinet that houses the printer.

So now if I want to fax something from home, I need to unplug the printer, move it near the telephone jack and plug everything back in. This wouldn't be so bad, except that the port forthe phone in the printer is located at an awkward angle. I have been known to spend nearly 30 minutes getting the thing to connect.

It's a pain.

So when I'm in a hurry (as I was today), I just suck it up and take the docs to the copy center at Office Max (which is conveniently located next to the Starbucks where I like to work on days when I'm on the run).

While I was waiting for someone to notice me at Office Max, I realized that I could solve this problem by permanently connecting an extra long phone cord to the printer port. Then, when I need to fax, all I would need to do is plug the other end into the jack.

D-OH!

Don't you feel stupid when you've been wasting time and money -- for YEARS -- on something that had a very simple (and cheap) solution?

This happens to me frequently, often several times a week. For instance, with NaBloPoMo nagging at me to keep on posting, I was curious to see what all my blogging friends were also doing. I have shirked my duties as a blog friend lately, having great difficulty finding the time to visit my friends blogs and comment on what they are doing.

So this week, I finally set up Google Reader.

I know. Welcome to the 21st century.

Why has it taken me so long to take up this wonderful program? I now know when my friends have new posts up, I read them quickly, and if I'm moved to comment, I can do so.

I've corresponded more with old friends this week than I have in the past year. It feels good.

I remind myself of my grandfather, who complained throughout the '80's that he couldn't get the clock on his VCR to stop flashing 12:00. I used to be an early adopter of every new technology, but age, time pressures and motherhood have slowed me down. That, and our budget. I just can't run out and buy every new toy I want, no matter how cool. I hate it, but I'm afraid that until Megan's out of college, that's the way it's going to be. I just hope that by that time, my mind is still sharp enough for me to care.

Now, if someone could only explain to me how Feedburner works.