Oh, what a beautiful day!

I don't know if everything's going my way just yet, but I do know it's a beautiful morning to a beautiful day. The rain and snow have stopped. Temps have dipped and the view out my two windows up here makes me want to hurry outside and enjoy it all.

I'm working upstairs once again during blog time, and that will probably be the case in the future. Over the past several days, I've been putting together all the aspects of a newer desktop computer. It's not new, but compared to my Windows 98 Hulette Packard Pavillion, it's just a babe in arms.

Annie gave me a nice monitor and a mouse for Christmas. I was successful at installing a sound card and getting some new speakers to work, but none of us could ever figure out how to get it to find the Internet.

Turns out when Joel, owner of Sandpoint Satellite, came last night, he discovered we didn't have the complete system loaded. So, great, wonderful, talented and brilliant Joel offered to take both the newer model and the old model back to town with him and get me set up with everything I need, including my life in journalism and writing, which is almost all on that Windows 98 hard drive.

The scariest part of the old computer is that its CD drive quit working a few years ago, so I haven't been able to back up recent material. It will be a good feeling to have it all loaded on the newer model.

Also, the new set-up offers a much more pleasant working area up here in this room that multi-tasks as a bedroom, storage area and office. I don't feel nearly as claustrophobic as I did with the older computer and it huge, imposing monitor. I've used my laptops for downloading photos.

Now, I'll have an updated desktop with an external hard drive, which means most work can be done up here in the 'office' rather than blogging downstairs.

This posting may sound all too 'techno' but I think most of us elder geeks have reached a stage in life where a working computer system is among the basic needs of life. To enjoy that many improvements in functioning on the Internet these days is, indeed, a welcome milestone.

Last night my sisters had Sandpoint Satellite come out to set up satellite Internet at their home. They've been hanging in there with dial-up and not particularly liking it, especially because they both get to use higher speeds at school. Barbara told me that Laurie had checked blogs, email and Facebook and finished in ten minutes.

Barbara also takes exquisite photos, just like Annie, so it will be neat for her to feature more samples of her work on Flickr and Facebook.

Stay tuned. When she has something up, I'll post it here. I think readers will enjoy her talents. She is the photography teacher at the high school, by the way. AND, Annie is one of her students.

Before signing off, I must post this dispatch from Phoenix, sent to me by my longtime friend Cathy Parkins. Also, I tip my hat to another longtime friend Karen in Bend for her efforts in cheering on the Broncos.

Here's what Cathy had to report from on location at the Fiesta Bowl: The game was WONDERFUL!!!! We were in a sea of orange and the sound was deafening. What fun! We are so proud of the Broncos. They completely out played them and wasn't that trick play great!! Idaho has had a great showing this year. I can't forget to mention the Vandals.

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I think the pride will last for a long time. And, it looks like this day will be nice all day long. Happy Wednesday and Zippidy doodahday to all of you.