thoroughly modern mona

after a Mexican feast

Thanks to all who sent me happy birthday wishes. Many told me "Happy Birthday" in person. My mom sent a card by snail mail. My baby sister, Melissa, texted me birthday wishes via cell phone. My big sister, Debbie, posted birthday wishes on her blog. Others sent e-mails and e-cards. I received wishes, smiles, angels and cards on Facebook. My sister-in-law, Mary, even sang Happy Birthday ala Marilyn Monroe to me by posting a video on Facebook. My friend, Barb, shared lunch and champagne with me. Bill took me out to dinner at The Left Bank. When we arrived he asked the hostess for a table near an electrical outlet where he proceeded to plug in my gift – a digital photo frame. We watched a show personally prepared for me throughout dinner. Photos from all our years together. My son, Jay, and his girlfriend, Sara, drove from Rochester to share a meal at our favorite Mexican restaurant. He presented us with e-tickets to see and hear the Trans Siberian Orchestra in December.


some of my birthday presents

I received birthday wishes by so many different mediums that it got me to thinking about our modern technological world. When I was in college I was first introduced to computers through a computer language class that I took one summer. B and I had to go to the math and business building where we used key punch machines to punch cards. If you made a mistake on a card you had to punch a new one. Then we took our rubber-banded stack of cards to the giant computer where we handed it over to a student worker who would put it through a card reader machine. A day or so later we returned to pick up a big green and white striped pin-fed paper print-out. If a mistake had been made the whole process had to be repeated. At my first job the computer was housed in a special glass-walled room. The temperature and humidity had to be kept constant. I would leave my desk to sit at one of the three or four monitors to key in information and miracle of miracles only hours passed before I received my print-out.
At work today we are paperless. I scan and fax and peer at dual monitors on my desk everyday. In October I took another step toward being modern when I embraced blogging and Facebook. I started using my camera more and started down-loading photos nearly everyday. So I guess there is no looking back. Better face reality. Everything today is thoroughly modern. Everything today makes yesterday slow.