Thirty years ago we had a tiny slide pocket camera that I suppose ran on a replacement battery and I presume we carried a torch or two, which again occasionally required a new battery.
Today we have a large red zip bag that carries a plethora of electrical cords. These cords relate to the vast array of technology that we are carrying: the computer: the ipod: the two mobile phones: the digital SLR camera: the smaller digital camera: the voice recorder: the electric razor: the back massager (only joking); each of these have rechargable battery packs. Added to that is the hair dryer, the hair straightener and I'm sure other electrical beauty aides that I have yet to see. Then you've got card readers: USB cords: camera to card reader cords: camera to TV cords:etc, etc, etc.
Most of the above require power, and every country has different power sockets. So a vital part of the armoury are power adapters. We opted for a configuration that had a base unit that fitted Australian plugs onto which clicked the different plugs for different countries.
I hope you are with me.
You can imagine our horror when only after a few weeks the base unit died.
All communication is in danger of running out with the battery life.
Correspondence with the outside world becomes intrinsically tied to how many minutes are left in that no longer rechargable unit.
Its frightening.
Really it should be liberating. Thirty years ago Mandy wrote around 200 odd letters and cards to Jude and Dave, and received as many in return ( yes they did number them ) not to mention her other correspondence.
I believe I wrote a little less!
In those days Poste Restante was the home away from home......and we managed.
But not today.
The death of our small white plug was a disaster.
I did suggest wandering down to the local Walmart to find a replacement, a suggestion that was received with some amusement ( or was it disbelief). I am an optimist at heart and often I will suggest ridiculous solutions to our problems. I think it can be a frustrating trait at times!
However, I am not such an optimist to believe I could dismantle our little white plug and try to fix it, so I was amazed to walk into our bedroom to find Mandy doing exactly that. She was poised over the plug, Swiss army knife in hand, having already removed one brass screw.
I think I said something like " Darling, do you think that is a wise move?"
The question went unanswered, the brass screws removed, a critical eye run over the interior workings, some manipulation of said workings, screws replaced, a challenging stare, the plug was inserted into a socket and a rechargeable unit inserted into the plug...............................................
It worked.
Mandy is now "the electrician"
Steve,
ReplyDeleteYou should know by now that we women are logical thinkers and will give any thing a go, particularly if the thing had given up the ghost already what harm can be done. Yeah for Mandy, I'd do exactly that, you go girl.
Debbie