A friend recently sent me another virus warning. The message began: “Don’t open anything with Hallmark in the subject line even if it comes from someone you know …” (sic) It went on with how Microsoft couldn’t solve it and techs were tearing their hair out and it would totally destroy your computer and it had been checked out by Snopes and who all …

Well, I have been embarrassed before by posting alerts of this kind only to find out they are old stuff and also not true, so I checked Snopes for myself and they said it was, indeed, a hoax. That’s a lesson learned: check for yourself.

Elsewise, I am trying to re-invent the me of yore but it ain’t easy. I did all my routines yesterday – weights, stretches, the walk, the bike ride, the supported ballet jumps. And I fell off my bike when I stopped to see a friend thinking I was on level ground. My bike is just a bit too high for me, and even a tiny grade will foul me up. So I hurt my right arm and shoulder bracing myself on concrete. Today I am sort of undone, but I will walk. I skipped the weights because I want to give my shoulder a chance to recover.

Nothing much else got done although I did go around picking up cat hair. You know, the fun stuff.

My friend Sonia gave a lunch yesterday for a bunch of her women friends that includes our little group, but I couldn’t go because the only way to get there was 45 minutes by car. My bff, Nadine, is up the street so I always ride with her. But this time, she wasn’t going as she is stressed out taking care of her ailing husband. Ed said last week he would take me, leave me there, and pick me up three hours later. But then he forgot and made commitments regarding his guardian work. Then he was so tired, he changed those and told me in the morning that he could take me. By the time I could get through to Sonia, she had already planned her menu excluding extra people, so I let her off the hook. She was serving quiche and I am actually relieved I did not eat the quiche because I have to cut back on rich food. (Yes, I do.)

I missed the 3-month deadline on my Boost phone minutes and I lost them, about $30 worth. Then I added minutes by phone and credit card and chose to automate the plan by having them charge a credit card $20 that I thought would be applied every 3 months. But at the end of the process I learned they would do this whenever the balance went to $5 and the deadline still applied. This doesn’t help me. I only use the phone for emergencies and as a convenience when I am out of the house. It is not my social mainstay.

I haven’t been able to reach a person at Boost yet, but did get their E mail and sent them my request. They are one of these outfits that offer customer support that does not work. Their code to get a person did not work. Their website template would not accept my typing. They did answer my E mail but wanted me to use the website. So I answered their E mail. If they can’t solve this problem, I am switching to another phone company. If they don’t deal with this, I will cancel my current credit card on file with them. It is a New York Times Credit Union Visa and they are very good about replacing my card that I have had to do, like, 5 times for one reason or another. I love the NYT.

xx,Teal