We live in a world filled with passwords. The only folks who do not have to remember a plethora of passwords are those lucky enough to be able to avoid the seduction of the screen. The rest of us have passwords for accessing our email, bank accounts, credit cards online, Facebook, Twitter, on and on.
I started counting up all the passwords I possess and stopped at 19 — and doubtless missed some. The proliferation of identity theft, and the fact that both myself and my Beautiful Mystery Companion have had credit cards hacked, forced me to get serious and change passwords regularly. I do not use the same...
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TAYLOR — We ended up in this pleasant Central Texas town in a roundabout way. Since our trip to Austin had been considerably delayed by an 18-wheeler jackknifed at Salado, I called TxDOT before we left A-Town to ascertain the I-35’s condition. “Everything is fine right now,” the nice lady said. “No wrecks or weather issues.” So we headed north, figuring to be home about 3 p.m.
We neared the excellent rest stop in Jarrell, built with a storm shelter after that little town was devastated by an F-5 tornado in 1997 that killed 27 people in a town of just 410 people. I planned to make...
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ON THE ROAD —It took three attempts to get out of Longview toward Austin after a long night of thunderstorms and sheets of rain that terrorized the dogs. They stood on the other side of the door leading into our second story, where all the bedrooms are located. Rosie whined. Sam thumped his tail nervously. I only know this because it awoke my light-sleeping Beautiful Mystery Companion. The noise-maker fan muffled the dog’s whining, but the thunder roused me frequently.
Sam and Rosie were not happy at our departure as the rain continued. A house guest would arrive by dinnertime to take over...
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I spend much of my waking hours in front of a computer screen, either at the office or at home. In my day job, I post items to Facebook, update the website, design fliers and brochures, process the photos I have taken in Photoshop, write press releases and other material. These are solitary endeavors for the most part, requiring the meager talents I bring to Thrive360, the nonprofit for which I handle communications.
Then I come home, and at some point in the evening return to the computer screen — either to write, process my personal photos, or work at my second job, which is as a newspaper...
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