Celebrate the Small Things:Online forms

The online form wants to verify my identity, and it must do this in a number of ways in order to protect me with added layers of security. Like thick, soft blankets to help me sleep in comfort and space on cold winter's nights.

This particular form had to assign me a colour for my online account, and a three word screen as well as my user name and password. (I chose orange by the way.) Next there were three security questions. The first one asked for the name of my eldest nephew. This sounds like a joke, doesn't? I dutifully filled in all the spaces, and was then taken to a page called the verification page. Here, I needed to add two forms of ID. I had a choice of driver's licence, Medicare card and passport. Medicare card was an obvious choice, but it wasn't clear to me why they asked for the colour of the card. I didn't actually know they came in different colours, and I'm a little bit upset that I've only ever been offered a green one.

Are we there yet? Next, I attempted to add my driver's licence number, but it was rejected on the grounds that it had to be a nine digit number. My license number is 4 digits followed by two letters.

To cut a long story short,  I was then locked out and unable to finish. The company does not have a telephone, and their online chat service is a computer program, not a person, so I had to send them an email asking for help. They'll get back to me in five business days or so.

I think life has become ridiculously complicated, so I am going to switch off this computer, after I post this, and put on some good old fashioned heavy metal music. I'm thinking Black Sabbath or Metallica...these tough choices are the nuts and bolts of life, aren't they?

I don't know what I'm giving thanks for today. Oh, I know! My daughter passed her driver's test, so after over 120 hours of supervised driver training, she can now fly solo. Hurray!

Photo source:
https://www.zoho.com/creator/online-form-builder/

Celebrate the Small Things: Shoelaces

Today I had occasion to hurriedly remove my shoes, and I did so without undoing the laces. To my credit, I did undo them before I put the shoes back on, and then re tied them. That's what you're supposed to do with them.

They're a very old idea actually. Thousands of years before Christ men were lacing up, and although shoes have taken on all manner of weird and wonderful forms, the laces with which we tie them haven't changed much at all.

Anyway, how many times have you chastised your children for slipping their laced shoes on and off? How many times have you done it? Is it really the serious concern that some have made it out to be? Are these questions important to the future prosperity of mankind?

I like undoing and doing shoelaces. I find comfort in the well practised routine. It's an orderly and proper thing to do, and I like orderly and proper things. That's why I was inspired to write this trivial blog...because I circumvented the right process. Shame on me. I'll never do it again.

Celebrate the Small Things: Words

Today's blog is brought to you by the letter 'F'. (Hats off to Sesame Street - what a great show!) In the A-Z Blogging Challenge, each day began with a letter and the opportunity to choose any word beginning with that letter, or any theme, and write about it.

In language, the smallest units are called graphemes, and these combine to make phonemes which in turn unite to form morphemes, and morphemes collaborate to form words. And words, as we know, are put together in such a way as to communicate a meaningful message which we call a sentence. It's beautiful, isn't it?

Most people take words for granted. Not me. I love them. I like playing with them, using them, and discovering new ones. I love putting them together. I get excited when I hear or read others do it well. I feel proud when I do it.

Yesterday I wrote another chapter in the first draft of what will be my fifth novel. Chapter 37 contains these words: Did she love Angus? Did she want him back? Forgiveness. Easy to say, hard to do. Nice word. Potent word. Terrifying word. The last adjective in that triplet did not come to me immediately, but when it did, I stared at it with a big smile on my face. Forgiveness is a terrifying word.

Today I give thanks for words. Do you have any favourites? I still get a thrill when I hear someone say pulchritude.

Celebrate the Small Things: Tags

Have you ever tried to dress in the dark? You rise early to work, leaving your partner in bed to slumber on, and you don't want to disturb them. You're very considerate. You can find you clothes. You may have even arranged them just so, thus facilitating potential ease of donning said clothes. You understand the theory of dressing in the dark. You've practised it many times. You are no novice 'in the dark' dresser.

However, it's hard isn't it? If you miss one of those leg holes on the first thrust, you are gone. You could end up on the floor: contorted and ensnared.

Naturally, I can't speak from a woman's point of view. Not only am I not a woman, but I have never attired myself in women's garb. However, there is no doubt that ladies wear, being occasionally less orthodox than men's, also presents challenges.

Today, I am giving thanks for a little thing which makes a difficult task somewhat easier: the tag.

If I can feel the tag, I know I have found the back of my pants or shirt, and knowing the front from the back significantly aids the putting on of said garment. I want it right the first time. I can't be expected to leave the sanctuary of my bedroom for the glaring spotlight of my empty living room with my shirt on back to front. Neither do I wish to end up on the floor of my bedroom with my head in the cupboard. Come on. Thank you tags.