Kindling

Nope, not the firewood, but the e-reader!  Of course, you knew that. 

I was reading this article today about the Kindle and all the things it can do that Amazon doesn’t really advertise.  You can read it here: Things Amazon Should Tell Us About the Kindle.

The Kindle does have a lot of cool features.  I decided to go with a tablet for a lot of reasons.  I like that it’s backlit.  I love the swipe.  I love that I can do so much more with it than read.  Nothing like reading in bed, and then remembering that I forgot to add something to a grocery order after the computer is off for the night.  With my tablet, all I need to do is click the grocery app and add whatever it is I need, no getting out of bed, waiting to boot up the computer, then the browser and all that.  Just a couple of clicks on my tablet and voila!  Order updated. 

I know, it seems like such a luxury to have a grocery delivery service.  But when you realize that I don’t have a car, a service like that is more necessity than luxury.  Plus, what I pay in delivery fees is less than what I’d pay for gas and insurance and car maintenance, so not that big a luxury after all. 

We got my husband a tablet for Father’s Day.  He doesn’t seem to like his as much.  I am flabbergasted.  I am aghast.  I am appalled.  How can he not love it as much as I do?  Okay, just kidding.  Different strokes and all that.  When he’s ready to read, all he wants is to read, he doesn’t want all the things that come with a tablet.  That’s why he has a computer.  He’s more … compartmentalized, than I am, I guess would be a good way to describe it. 

One of the cool features that a Kindle has, that the Kindle app on a tablet does not, is text-to-speech.  (Those Amazon bigots!)  For someone like my husband, who loves to read but suffers from tired eyes in the evening, being able to hear a book would be such a boon.  A couple of years ago he borrowed a spoken book from the library, and really enjoyed that.  Except for the batteries in my little portable CD player, finding earphones that were comfortable, etc.  If he had a Kindle, all he’d have to do is hit play.  How awesome would that be?

Now, for all the years we’ve been married, my husband has refused me the chance to get him a birthday gift.  I’ve always tried to honor his wishes.  Mostly.    But this year, I think I’m going to put my foot down and get him a Kindle.  His birthday isn’t for a few months yet, so I have time to save up for it.  I think he’ll love it, don’t you? 

But don’t say anything to him about it – it’ll be our secret. 

Get your copy of my husband’s books!

Buy J Dane Tyler’s Fiction now!

Want?

He asked me what I wanted for Mother’s Day and I froze, like the proverbial deer caught in the headlights.  Me?  Pick out something?  But but but … how am I supposed to pick out something I want?  Isn’t that forbidden in the mommy rule book?  Somehow it just seems so wrong for a mom to choose, request, beg, demand, long for, something for Mother’s Day.  It goes against the grain.  My grain anyway. 

I didn’t choose.  Couldn’t, actually.  “C’mon,” he insisted, “I know there are things you want – I’ve seen you bookmark tons of stuff!”

Well, sure.  But those aren’t Mother’s Day sorts of things.  Those are practical things, and shouldn’t a gift be outside of practical?  What mom wants to get a cleaning tool for Mother’s Day?  That’s why flowers and candy are so popular.

But no flowers or candy for me.

No candy on Atkins and really, I’m coming to the distinct realization that sugar and HFCS are poison for me because I react so badly to them. 

And my gardener’s heart only wants to weep at the sight of cut flowers.  A few years ago I actually asked my husband to pretty please never again buy me cut flowers.  Plants, yes.  Cut ones, no.  Thank you for being so sweet and thoughtful and remembering special days but please, no cut flowers. 

I love jewelry but when would I wear it?  In the future I’ll probably be out and about more where that sort of thing will be more important to me, but right now, not so much. 

So I didn’t choose a gift for myself on Mother’s Day.  We picked out some food to eat so I wouldn’t have to cook.  Regrettably.  Whatever we got made both Darc and I feel terrible.  We really just can’t do that anymore! 

But Darc put his foot down eventually.  That man simply cannot do anything for himself without doing something for me as well.  He was finally able to treat himself to something nice.  Which meant there was no way he was not going to do something for me.  He knows me well enough to know one of the things I secretly wanted. 

My Tablet PC arrives next week. 

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