Martha's Blog

I know people can do some pretty dumb things. I see that every day on the news. I see it in the newspaper all the time. Sometimes I see or read something that just leaves me flabbergasted.

Like today! A famous designer whose name I refuse to mention has made a purse that costs $52,500. No, that’s not a typo! Apparently only 24 are available worldwide and at least one of them has been sold to a celebrity. (A celebrity with more money than sense!) I have no doubt that there are 23 more idiots that will buy the rest. I say idiots, because that is what anyone who spends that kind of money on an ugly purse is an idiot! The picture shown in the paper is of a purse that I wouldn’t have if it was given to me.

For that kind of money you would think it should at least be gorgeous!

It gets worse! A competitor for this designer is making a bag that will cost $260,150! But at least this purse will have diamonds adorning it. I keep thinking of that old phrase “A fool and his money are soon parted”. In my wildest dreams I simply cannot imagine paying that much money for something as trivial as a purse. If I was rich I could see myself paying that much for a car, (maybe!) but a purse? No way, never, never!

Now I know that celebrities are always doing things to get noticed, including stupid things. That’s why some of them are famous. Anything to get more ‘press’ seems to be the norm. However, being a member of the ‘super rich’ for some seems to give license to another phrase “I have no common sense”.

Martha 

Nearly every modern home has one. For years this monster lurks, just waiting. Then one day when you least expect it, you are attacked!

If you have a dog, the dog knows this is a devil just waiting for you to let down your guard. The dog will bark trying to alert you; if only you will listen! Sometimes the poor dog is so overcome with fear of this beast he will just hide some place until the monster goes back to his lair, usually in a closet.

The monster in my closet finally showed his true colors one day not long ago. Fortunately I made the right move and escaped unharmed. I will now be on guard and hopefully this beast will not entrap me as it did my poor sister-in-law.

She did escape with only a broken bone in her hand, but now she is suffering from pain and bruises as well as an itchy cast. I think we have all warned her so that now she will leave the monster in the closet.

So for all you unwary owners of the dreaded beast known as a vacumn cleaner, beware! The long tail of the monster waits to wrap around your legs and trip you. (Worst of all, you actually have to use it before it will clean!)

Martha

Sometimes I put minor computer problems off, waiting for the right time to fix.

Guess it was that time. Back in April I got the latest version of Corel’s Paint Shop Pro to use on Vista. I uninstalled the trial and then installed the full retail version.

Every time I started Paint Shop Pro, I got a splash screen telling me I had thirty days left on my trial.

Not funny!

Editing the Registry, deleting all the files for Corel I could find was to no avail, every time I used PSP that stupid splash screen came up and I had to click OK to get the program to load. Corel’s support just told me to do what I had told them I had already done. ‘Support’ means different things to different people, and that was not support.

I uninstalled PSP and again, deleted everything I could find with the name Corel on it. By this time I just decided to install it on another computer and forget about it. (Folks who know me will figure out this won’t be the end of this.) This was in April.

Fast forward to August. I still hadn’t installed PSP on my other computer; it already had an older version installed. By now I have found more of the little nooks and crannies where Vista hides things. So once more I do a hunt for all things Corel and sure enough; I found another Corel folder. It contained that screen that kept popping up telling me about the trial. I deleted it and reinstalled Paint Shop Pro. It installed nicely and now when I open it there is no aggravating trial notification.

Martha

I recently saw an ad for a cookbook containing secret recipes from a number of restaurants such as Red Lobster, Olive Garden, etc.

The come-on to buy the cookbook is how much money you can save by cooking these recipes yourself and not going out to eat.

I suppose you could save some money this way, and it might be nice to see what goes into those dishes you like. But I don’t understand something about this.

Isn’t the whole point of going out to eat is so you don’t have to cook? I know that’s the reason I want to go out to eat!

Martha