The Wealthy Barber

Do you remember the book “The Wealthy Barber” that came out in the 1980’s? Well he’s back with an updated version of the book. I wonder what new suggestions he will have in this book? Will there be a whole chapter dedicated to electronic gadgets and how much we should really be spending in this area?

I noticed a commercial yesterday that tells us that if we have a 4 year old computer we are obsolete. Really? You mean instead of hearing a “ping” in the middle of the night I will hear Mozart? How does that enhance my typing out my blog? Earlier this week we got a new PC rollout that upgraded us to Windows 7 and Office 2010 a move that I seriously dreaded. As it turns out it wasn’t as horrible an experience as I expected but still other than looking pretty what has really improved in creating a ribbon instead of a toolbar? I knew Word and Excel inside out and could whip through my toolbar like magic and do my work in no time. Now I have to search and think things through. Don’t get me started on the numbering (I have to say that Microsoft has not got a handle on this function, it appears worse than ever before but perhaps the training will tell me something different. I await with bated breath this revelation.)

My carpool buddy’s wife joins us three days a week. For the last month while she sits in the back seat she is fussing away with her new toy, a Samsung Gargoyle (cellphone). Half the time she isn’t getting her messaged, it’s breaking down, she has no internet and God only knows what is else going wrong with this gadget. I sit quietly in the front but inside my brain is going WTF? Who needs this kind of frustration? First of all I don’t see an urgent need for a cell phone but why would a mature woman with n infant need to have a gadget to play Angry Birds or whatever? Why does she need to know how many calories are in buttercups while driving home after a long day at work? You can’t wait until you get home to look this information up? While she is battling away with this sucker she is missing out on all the exploits along McLeod Trail. Neal and I are puzzling over a license plate CRTRMNI – what does that stand for? We pull up alongside the vehicle and Neal makes me roll down my window. Then he signals to the chick at the wheel.

“Hey, what does your license plate mean?”

The girl laughs and says “Even my mother didn’t know what it meant. It’s my mini (some kind of dog) name – Carter Mini.”

We laugh, wave and drive on when the light changes green. Lisa missed all that and asks “what was that about?” She was buying an App. OMG, buying an App.

At work our payroll department sent out a notice saying that Sunlife now had an App. I sent Lori back a note saying that I wouldn’t get excited until they have an App for “WORK”. When an App comes out that can let me do all my work from the comfort of my bed I will run out and get the latest cellphone gadget! Lori said if I could invent that one I wouldn`t need to work, I`d be a Wealthy Admin.

You heard it hear first, folks. I have the BEST ideas.

Meanwhile, stop and look at the sunrise this morning!