GROWN UP LADY CAMP & COMPUTERS

I have never been one to go out and buy some gizmo just because it's new and exciting. In fact, I'd probably still be using my pink Princess phone that I got for my 13th birthday, a TV with no remotes, and a Hi-Fi with a turntable, if it were up to me. Nope, I'm usually the very last one to jump on board with new technology, waiting for everyone else to test it first, work out the bugs, and prove to me beyond a doubt that it will actually make my life better. Which is why I don't have a tablet, an e-reader, an i-pod, or even a laptop.

When I first became obsessed with writing, my sister kept saying "I can't believe John hasn't bought you a laptop yet, so you can hang out in coffee shops while you write." Well, believe you me, he'd be on it like white on rice, if I gave him the least bit of encouragement. However, 1) I prefer blogging at home in my jammies, and 2) I don't even like coffee. That being said, my desktop computer is starting to bug me a bit.

The first time I questioned its position as the center of my universe was when we took that river cruise in southern France, and it refused to go with me. Two whole weeks sans blogging, email, or facebook was much tougher than I expected. I was dying to share things with y'all as they happened, but couldn't! I'm afraid it made me just a wee bit crazy. I tried using my hubby's tablet gizmo to check email a few times, but I was utterly hopeless with that touch-screen keyboard.

Now it's my computer that's gone a tad insane. Hubby has been nudging me to replace it for some time, as he considers things to be obsolete after two or three years, and I've had this since back when I still lived in Houston -- before I had around 2,500 blog posts and a bazillion photos saved on it. He thinks it's giving me all this trouble because it only has one meg of doohickies , and he can't add anymore to it. He says I really need a computer with double that amount.

The nifty "origami" bag that sister Gus made for me last Christmas, with all those little pockets, should be perfect for carrying my art supplies to class at camp this week.

The whole time we were in San Antonio last week, I kept thinking how wonderful it would be if I could access my photos right away, and type blog posts while everything was fresh in my mind -- from that bagel shop where I had to kill a couple of hours each morning while waiting for Hubby to wake up. I'm sure it will be the same at Lucky Star Art Camp this week, when I'm up and at 'em hours before they start serving breakfast, and just bubbling over with things to tell you!

She even made a nifty zipper pouch to hold all my brushes, pens, and markers.

Plus, the stamp carving class I signed up for didn't make, so at the last minute I switched to Vivienne McMasters' self-portraiture photography class. Though it's not mandatory, she said it would be helpful if you had a laptop for downloading your photos. Otherwise, I guess you just have to wait until you get home to see how they turned out.

All these supplies are for my one, all-day, Happy Painting class with Juliette Crane.

In a weak moment, after it had frozen up for the fifth or sixth time in a row, I told my husband "Well, if they would just invent a portable computer that would let me access my photos wherever I happen to be, but which still had a regular keyboard, maybe I'd let you replace this freakin' dinosaur!" I knew I was in trouble when that wicked grin appeared on his face. "Guess you are unaware" he replied, "that most businesses these days use laptops that can be placed in a docking station on your desk, and used with a regular keyboard and monitor if desired." Er, no. I didn't know that.

Too bad I didn't find out in time to take care of it, before leaving for my "grown up lady camp" TOMORROW!