Welcome to Elakand

Welcome to Elakand. There is my life where I pay bills, check e-mail, visit with friends, read, watch movies, and snuggle my cat. Then there is the life of my life where I have adventures in the medieval kingdom of Elakand with my troubadour, Sir Loriano of Vayne, and his whitewood kitarra.

Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Of Mice and Mice

My new, latest bells and whistles, computer came with a wireless mouse. Thinking I really should get into the 21st Century, I sent off my precious wired mouse with the old computer.
     $%^#! wireless drives me nuts! I go to highlight-cut-paste and the page jiggles and slithers from under the cursor. I try to read on-line articles, and it zips up and down opening pages. I click on a date in Calendar—and set the appointment in the next month.
     Called AppleCare (bless ‘em!). When the tech's eye is on the screen, the mouse behaves, (of course). When he looks away, pages start slithering. My wireless mouse has a bunch of “features” I don't want checked in Systems Preferences. I uncheck them and set the mouse to S-L-O-W. 
     Problems persist.
     AppleCare again. Turns out you can't turn the Scroll “feature” off in the wireless mouse. Since I want to use it like a wired mouse, I should get a wired mouse.
“You still have wired mice?” I squeaked.
   "Yes, you can swap yours for one at an Apple store."
    "Thank God." I almost wept. 

   Next morning a friend picked up the wireless mouse to exchange.
   When I went into my bathroom, the drain stank of a dead mouse. Seemed symbolic somehow.


Friday, May 16, 2014

Bookshop Santa Cruz Newsletter

The Dark Lady's Stone is in the latest on-line newsletter from Bookshop Santa Cruz and it is also featured on their website http://www.bookshopsantacruz.com/book/9781491200995 This wonderful independent bookstore is a great place to hang out and browse. Every time I go through the doors I end up spending more than I ought. They are supportive of local authors, and their regular events often include some big-name writers.