Thursday, February 03, 2011

Different types of technology

After school the kids and I were in the front yard making a snowman. It is the first time this year the snow has been sticky enough for us to make one. Dratted Calgary and its dry dry weather. We were almost done when an oldish transamy type car (I don't know my cars so I have no real clue what it was) pulled up and a young man in a toque jumped out. It wasn't alarming as I was expecting a visit from a computer tech. I didn't expect him to be 19, but I guess this is how these things go. He was not Canadian born (this matters in this story).

I showed him in to the dreaded dead machine. He looked at it and said, "Wow, this is old." I said, "Not that old, we got it just after my son was born, he's only 6. I have bed sheets that are twice as old as that!" After much inspection he announced that the mother-board was "toasted." I suppose that is tech speak for not working and not likely to work ever again.

As I saw him to the door and asked him to say good-bye to our snowman. He said, "I've never made one, how do you make one?" I didn't understand him at first, it was such a strange concept he was sharing with me. Finally, in my sock feet I went out to the sidewalk and made a snowball and started rolling it to show him how it sticks. I explained that it had to be the "right" kind of snow.

So, I gave him a lesson in making a snowman and I didn't even charge him!

3 comments:

Brandi said...

Ummm, possibly the weirdest thing I've heard today.

But ya know what? The kid is 19 for cryin out loud!! What do you expect of kids these days, with their constant video game stimulation and hello kittys and such. Whatever happened to playing in the snow with a good ole stick??

Anonymous said...

Roberta, no one can say that your not generous with your time & talent! You gave him a Canadian lesson - I'm proud of you. Showing this (I'm assuming) immigrant who most likely has never seen snow and then taking the time to show him how to make his own snowman...you are the most kind, nuturing woman that I know. Good job! Gerri

Drew and Erin said...

Ha! Love it! New business venture maybe?