Friday, September 21, 2012

Oh My Gosh! How Does This Thing Work?

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A reminder of a time when a phone was just a phone

Wait.  Where did the screen go?  How do I get it back?

Quick, it’s beeping.  It’s notifying me of something, but how do I find out what?

Arrrrgh!  It’s ringing .  What do I push to unlock it to answer?


Pardon me for freaking out in your presence, but I just became the newest member of TechnoWorld.  I just bought a fancy new smartphone.  I’m learning to swipe, flick, pinch, and everything beyond just making a call.  Did you know nobody buys ring tones anymore?  They customize their own with music they’ve put on their phone.  Crazy.

And so, because I spent an entire afternoon just trying to figure out how to locate and turn off all the factory preset notification beeps before I stab a fork deep into my ear, I didn’t have time to write up the blog topic I had originally planned.  Here’s a post from 2009 that takes you on a bike ride along the canals of the Burgundy region in France.  Take your time.  Turn off your cell phone.  Enjoy the scenery. 


Read and share in the comments box your favorite backroad pleasure trip.  Or . . . tell us what annoys you the most about the world of cell phones.


Along the Burgundy Canal
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The best way to experience the Burgundy region is to get out of the city and into the country. Cities like Dijon and Beaune offer so much in terms of food, shopping, and culture, but the smaller villages entice the traveler as well. In the United States if you got off the main highways and took the backroads, there would be a lot of uncertainty as to when you hit a town of any size and if you’d find anything to make you hit the brakes and explore. America has so many small town treasures, but finding them takes real effort and research or a touch of luck.


In the Burgundy region of France, however, enchanting historical villages are strung out along the roads like pearls on a necklace. You rarely go more than 5 kilometers before seeing a sign with an arrow pointing to another one just around the bend. Each one makes you want to stop and spend a few hours relishing the gardens or the history or lunch while watching the local traffic, which is frequently measured in bicycles or pedestrians.


Read More Here…



4 comments:

Lee I said...

I'm sure I will feel your pain should the day I must succumb to a smartphone come (when my phone that calls and texts and will take pictures once I get to the function and remember to press SAVE that grainy scene). As it is, it's not cost-effective out in the boonies and there are lots of old fashioned data alternatives.

Nadine Feldman said...

I got a smart phone about a year ago. I'm still trying to remember to turn it on! People still can't get in touch with me. I like checking e-mails away from home and getting appointments on my calendar rather than getting hand-written cards that I just lose. Still, I don't use it to its potential, not by a long shot! It would help if I liked reading directions!

Bella said...

Julie, this post had me laughing and sighing. The smart phone antics had me giggling because I can't for the life of me operate the Son's smart phone. Would you believe I still have one of those basic Nokia cell phones? The Son says it's for a reason considering I don't know how to swipe the screen! ha!The pictures of the Burgundy Region whisked me away to dreamland! Oh my. How utterly lovely! :)

Julie Farrar said...

I still haven't heard it ring or heard a notification for a text. Don't know what I'm doing wrong. And I signed into Facebook to post something, but when I tried to logout it gave me a message that sounded like I was about to delete my entire FB account. So I need to learn how to turn it off before it uses up all my battery or data plan with its constant updates.

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