Author: Donna Chandler

Family, Humorous

AM I The Only One . . . who dreads making phone calls to any business?

Donna Chandler

By Donna Hale Chandler

It doesn’t matter if it is your doctor’s office or a company to ask for information. Keep your fingers crossed that you aren’t stuck in a never-ending loop when you try to navigate, “Please listen carefully as our menu options have changed.”

I thought yesterday would be a pretty typical day for me.  I was wrong! First, my laptop was frozen with a message to call Microsoft for instructions as to how to become active again.  The message included an 800 number for me to call for help.  I have gone through a few nonsense messages and strange behaviors from my computer and thankfully, knew enough not to call the phone number given.

I opened my handy dandy book of phone numbers and found a phone number for Microsoft Tech Support.  Thinking I would be back in business in a couple of minutes, I called the number and of course, was met with a menu with a variety of choices.  Tech Support was number 4.  Ah ha, ‘I’m cookin’ with gas’, as my mother used to say.  A voice came on the phone and I quickly explained my situation.

“It’s good you didn’t click on that screen or call that phone number.  This is a scam that has recently been going around.  I’m sorry I can’t help you but I will connect you to someone who can.  Please hold.”

This is where my ‘cookin’ with gas’ mentality turns to severe dread because I knew what was coming next.  Yes, I was disconnected.  Rather than call the same number, I grabbed my phone and googled the ‘Microsoft Tech Help’ phone number.  This produced a list of various numbers for various services.  Looking down through the list, I found Tech Support and quickly called. A recording answered that instructed me to go to Microsoft.com/tech support.  Remember my computer was frozen so I grabbed my phone, opened up Google, typed in the web address, and was taken to a screen that offered different suggestions for different problems.  None of the choices applied to me, but I spotted a chat box.  Wonderful!

I typed in ‘My Computer is Frozen’ as my question.  A ‘bot’ replied.  (I’m sure computer-savvy people have had occasions to deal with the bot.)  I was asked a series of questions.  The reply was, “I’m sorry I can’t help you with that, please call 888———.”

This is a new number for me so I called.  Recording answers with a menu for various situations, then, “For Tech Help please go to Microsoft.com/Tech Support”.  I’d already been there so I decided to call one of the other numbers that was listed in my Google search.  I tried 3 more numbers and each one had the same recording to go to the web page.  Yes, the home of the bot that couldn’t help me.

A light bulb appeared above my head suggesting that I switch tactics and call a local store that offers tech services.  It so happens, we have a service contract with them so I was confident in their ability to clear up this situation.  Why didn’t I think of this first?  Probably because I automatically followed the instructions on the screen that said ‘Call Microsoft’.  I already have this number in my phone, didn’t even need to search for it.  I was feeling pretty positive that I was close to a solution. When the phone was answered, a recording told me the hours they were open and for me to call back during business hours.  Again, my positive attitude tanked as I looked at the time.  It was 9:00 am and the store didn’t open until  10:00.   Dang, a delay.

Determined not to allow myself to get discouraged, I watched the clock and at 10:02, I called the number again.  Guess what?  A real person answered!  Shocking, I know.  He asked several questions.  Then I heard the dreaded, “I am going to transfer you, please hold.”  (sigh) I was doomed.  Surprise, surprise, within a couple of minutes another human being came on the phone.  Naturally, I was asked the same questions again.  It took some time, but I followed the instructions given to me, and finally, about 20 minutes later, I was up and running.

Whew, I felt like I’d already put in a day’s work.

However, once again, all on the same day, I was wrong.

Later in the day, when I turned on the TV, it also was frozen.

That is a story for another day.  I’ll just say that we still don’t have a working television. And I’m exhausted.

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Family, Humorous

AM I THE ONLY ONE WHO . . . is grateful to live to see 2025

Donna Chandler

Looking back over my 75 years on this earth, I can remember getting my first clothes dryer – no more hanging clothes out on the line, in Michigan, in the winter.  My first microwave was incredible, although my mother told me not to stand too close to it when it was running.

I can also remember:

  1. Cars with no air conditioning – rolling down the window wreaked havoc on the hairstyle
  2. Cars with a standard gear shift – I learned to drive with a Volkswagen Bug.  Dad had to replace the clutch 3 times before finally putting a truck clutch in it.
  3. Cars with headlight dimmer on the floor – was actually pretty handy there
  4. Cars with no window washer fluid – we had to get out of the car and wash our own windows.  (With all the conveniences, I do miss the full-service gas station where your tank was filled, your windows washed, and your oil checked.)
  5. A person, even my children, could be gone for hours with no cell phone – now I literally cannot leave home without it.  It is close to my right hand until I go to bed at night.
  6. And computers!  Wow!  I use my computer for many hours each day. 
  7. I love e-mail but miss getting personal letters in the mail (hand-written thank you notes and birthday greeting cards are nearly a thing of the past.)
  8. No more getting out to play in traffic and struggling with crowds in the store.  Just go to Amazon and order whatever you want.  It usually is delivered to your door the very next day.
  9. Grocery shopping is a breeze these days.  At first, I discovered an app that allowed me to put in my grocery list, plus the name of the store I would be going to, and the list was organized by aisle. 
  10. Even better, now I order the grocery store items online and they are delivered and brought into my home at the time of my choosing.  What could be better than that?
  11. Yesterday, I found a new app that takes my grocery lists and tells me which local store has the better price on each item.
  12. Of course, we can’t forget Alexa.  Alexa reminds us when to take our medications, the date and time of our doctor’s appointments, and when to take the clothes out of the washer/dryer.  She will answer any question we ask and will play our choice of music.  She will turn the lights on or off.  The same with the ceiling fan.  It is amazing all the things she can do that make humans lazier and lazier.
  13. We now have 3 Alexa units and if I am in one room and my other half in a different room, I can ask Alexa to ‘Drop Into the office’ or wherever and we speak to each other without shouting and without getting out of our chair.
  14. The modern conveniences we have compared to 75 years ago are too numerous to list – from smart TVs to cars that park themselves.

I AM LOVING MY LIFE.  What do you love about this modern age and what do you miss?

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Family

AM I THE ONLY ONE . . . who realizes that happiness does not depend upon the number of gifts received?

Donna Chandler

Honestly, I don’t remember Christmas when I was 5 years old.  I’m sure the gifts were few and probably handmade.  I don’t remember being unhappy at Christmas time, so that is a good thing.

I do remember my children when they were young.  They chose one favorite item for Santa to bring.  (Think Pound Puppies and Cabbage Patch Dolls) and as parents, we gave them clothes, etc. And I don’t remember either child being unhappy.

At 75 years old, the children have families of their own.  What do I need for Christmas at this age?  I don’t need a single thing.  A phone call for each child is enough.  I am in good health.  I have a home that shelters me from the weather.  I have clothing to wear and food to eat. 

Leaning back in my recliner, looking at my surroundings, remembering days gone by, and resting my tired bones seems like a perfect Christmas to me.  I certainly won’t remember the 2024 Christmas as an unhappy one.  My life is good.

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Family

AM I THE ONLY ONE . . . with dreams that didn’t come true

Donna Chandler

On 12/4/24, my sweetheart and I were sitting on our patio talking and laughing about days gone by. We agreed that we’d made some questionable decisions and had plenty of funny stories to share. As we were preparing to go back inside our home, still snickering a bit, he suggested that I write about my dreams, plans, goals, and funny stories that were part of my very much younger life.

So here goes:

I was probably around 12 when I dreamed of being a background dancer, maybe even dance with the Rockettes. When my parents heard this, they asked if I wanted to be on American Bandstand.  Of course, this would not compare to the Rocketts so somewhere along the line, this dream was dropped.

When I was a senior in high school, I was assigned to do a paper on the Training of an FBI Agent.  After much research, I decided I wanted to be in the FBI.  At the time, females weren’t allowed to be agents.  But I felt that someday that would change in the future. So, I thought if I could get in as a secretary, or a receptionist, or any FBI job that would hire females. That way I would have my foot in the door waiting for the day to come when I would be able to apply to be an agent.

I applied, and behold, an agent called one of my teachers, my minister, and a neighbor, asking lots of questions about what kind of person I was. Next, I received a letter that Agent Somebody or Other would be in my hometown of Ashland, Kentucky, the week of ——- and would like to set up a time for an interview. I wasted no time. I immediately called the phone number and made the appointment.

It was at this point that my parents, who had always told me that I could be anything I wanted to be, put on the brakes and said they absolutely would not allow this.  No amount of arguing would change their minds.  So, my trust in my parents was shattered.  Evidently, I could do anything I wanted as long as they approved.  Huge disappointment for me.

A point for their side was the fact that the position I was applying for was in Washing DC and I would need to move there alone.  They weren’t going to let me go to a strange new place by myself, find a place to live, and work. This was 1967. Fortunately, the attitudes of parents have evolved.

Even though life led me down a different path than I dreamed of, At 75 years old I am happy, content with the decisions made, and right where I am supposed to be.

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Family, Humorous

AM I THE ONLY ONE . . . who learned to drive a car with a standard, also known as a stick shift?

Donna Chandler

A very long time ago, I was 16 and learning to drive.  My parents owned a brand-new red Volkswagen Beetle with a gearshift on the floor. Way back then Driver’s Ed was not offered in schools, nor were there classes that you could pay for and go to away from school. (at least where I lived anyway, which was the great state of Kentucky) This meant one of my parents would have to teach me to drive.  Note:  I have put a dent somewhere on every car I have driven from the age of 16 to 60.  Perhaps I needed more teaching?  Or more learning?

My dad worked long hours at the steel mill so my mother took on this scary chore.  It didn’t help that my mother, in my opinion, was a bit on the bossy side and was hardly subtle with criticisms, which was proven the second time she took me out to drive.  Long story short, within 15 minutes, she had insisted I get out of the car and walk home.  Nothing was ever mentioned again about her being my driving instructor.  She had firmly resigned from that job.

Dad took over and honestly, had the patience of Job.  He at least stuck with me long enough for me to take and pass by driver’s test.  Over the next several months, my dad had to replace the clutch three times.  The last time he put in a truck clutch, hoping it would live through my constant ‘riding the clutch’.  I also did a few doughnuts one rainy day in the middle of the street and slid into an embankment.  I pulled forward, got myself back and the road, and went on home.

I had barely pulled onto the carport when Dad came flying out of the house to see what was going on.  You see, every tailpipe from the VW was lodged firmly in that embankment.  That little car sounded just like an airplane was pulling into the driveway.

At some point the VW disappeared and a car with an automatic shift appeared.  That is another story.  Not having a clutch did not mean that the car was safe when I was driving.

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