Friday, January 26, 2007

I'm Whole Again!

Thank God for "Op Shops"! There is a wonderful little "Op Shop" up here on the mountain run by the RSPCA. Periodically, on a Thursday afternoon, I fill in for a couple of friends when either one or the other can't perform their charitable duty. I was to go in this past Thursday afternoon, but I "pulled the plug" on going in as I had a few other things that needed my attention. Around 3.30pm, I received a phone call from one of my friends who was in attendance at the shop. A Canon printer had just been brought in to be placed on the shelves for sale. Knowing my need of a printer, because mine had died and gone to printer Heaven, my friend rang to inform me of its momentous arrival. I've been putting off and putting off buying a new one, reading catalogue after catalogue in search of one. Only this week, I almost grabbed my passport and visa to head off down to the Gold Coast to purchase one, but put it off, again, because other bits and pieces of life came in the way, also because it's been so damn hot and humid, a trip down to the nether regions below, didn't enthrall me. Fortunately for me, as it turned out! Regular readers of my blog understand my hesitation (dislike) of venturing out of my mountain greenery where the air is clear and fresh, to join the madding throngs of humanity hustling and bustling their way through over-bearing, over-stocked shopping centres where temptation is rife, not to mention cars after cars greedily and impatiently hogging the motorways.

I jumped into my trusty little coupe....well, 'trusty' might be a slight exaggeration as it's making very weird noises lately. I drive it with my fingers and legs crossed, (which is no mean feat, I can tell you!) along with flattering words and silent prayers with the intention, hope and desire of encouraging it to keep going as I can afford neither a new car nor an expensive repair job. I'm straying from my original path...sorry.

To "cut to the chase", albeit a noisy chase, there waiting for me with a wide smile on his 'face' was a very good-looking Canon printer. Upon his rosy cheeks (you have to use your imagination here as his cheeks are actually grey) was a price tag showing $20.00! I promptly exchanged a paper note for my handsome grey and steel-blue 'new' printer, which, by the way, leaped gratefully into my welcoming arms. Happily, gratefully united, we raced back to my cabin, where I immediately installed 'Kenny, the Canon'. Perched upon as set of drawers alongside my computer desk, he lived up to his dapper, well-proportioned appearance. 'Kenny' performed brilliantly at the first push of his button, eager to please, he presented me with clear, precise, crisp print. I jumped for joy as I patted 'Kenny' on the head, thanking him for coming into my life. We are now on the best of terms with the hopes of remaining so.

27 comments:

  1. "Kenny the Canon" -- I love it! Reminds me of an old clunker of a dot matrix we used for years for running reports at the office. Everybody called it "Jed" (as in "Jed Clampett" ie Buddy Ebsen ie Epson printer). Bad pun, but we all loved that old printer. We had a brief but solemn ceremony the day it died.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Welcome to my blog, Kyle...so nice of you to pop in...please don't be a stranger. :)

    I call my computer "Edgar" after the computer in "Electric Dreams". I loved that movie when it came out. I haven't seen it in years but the name remains here on my desk! ;) I see you're an LST guy...now all I have to do is guess your other 'personality'! :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Oh, Lee, I'm so glad someone else gives names to their machines! Wishing you and Kenny a very happy life together....

    ReplyDelete
  4. I hope it will be a lasting relationship, Welsh. I'm quite smitten and by his performance so far, I think he is, as well. I've passed your good wishes on to Kenny. He's very eager for me to push his button again today...as I went out yesterday to friends for a barbecue, I didn't have a chance to play with him! He's primed and ready to perform!

    ReplyDelete
  5. my first printer was a canon and it lasted forever..noise and all lol.. I hope yours does as well.

    ReplyDelete
  6. My first printer was an Epson...then I had a Canon for a little while (long story) and now this Canon.

    ReplyDelete
  7. And I must admit, Kenny is very quiet as he goes about his business.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I've got Lexy the Lexmark printer and as I have an HP computer, he's Horatio Performer. Are we all mad, or what? My car is called Holly, my daughter's car is Roxy and I had a friend who called her ute James.

    Sounds like your Australia Day was as exhausting as mine, Lee. Good fun, though. Gotta watch that tennis!

    ReplyDelete
  9. I'm watching it now, Robyn...the tennis, that is. I hope it's a quick match so I can have a nap! lol

    This sure is a hard-hitting battle out there on the courts. Glad it's them and not me!

    Yes, of course, we're all mad...but I wouldn't have it any other way. It makes life more interesting! ;)

    ReplyDelete
  10. Hi Lee, I can certainly understand your reluctance to journey down here, it's hot, it's humid, and there are people EVERYWHERE... even down at our southern end, the traffic is peak wherever you go.

    mmm, maybe I'm just not the sentimental type, my computer is 'the machine' - come to think of it, so is my printer, I am on a canon now too, always used to be a HP, till the last one I bought never got it's act together, the canons have a good reputation.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Hiya Della, I can imagine how hot it is down there as it's bloody hot up here today. I'm sweating like the proverbial (if pigs do sweat, that is!)

    Good to see you out and about again! ;)

    ReplyDelete
  12. Hi Lee ~~ Congrats on acquiring
    Kenny. I have a HP but it has no name, unless it misbehaves !!
    Glad you had a good Australia Day.
    Thanks for your visit and kind words.
    Did you read Warren's sister Denise, the artist got an award. He's so proud. I shudder to think of what my little bro and he will get up to this weekend, but I fear liquor will be involved. Take care Lee, Love, Merle.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Remembering that a recent film 'Kenny' related to things that were a heap of brown stuff, I hope your Kenny is perfectly behaved!

    ReplyDelete
  14. I can imagine some of the shenanigans going on between Peter & Wazza this weekend, Merle. I'd love to be a fly on the wall. Yes, I did read about Denise, Warren's sister. How wonderful for them. He is very proud of her and rightly so.

    Lee...he had better be or he will have to deal with the wrath of me!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Well Lee, things wouldn't have worked out so well if I tried to buy a used printer. I'd be lucky to get a new one to work.
    I have a Canon i560 and love it.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Hi Lee, Congrats on the "new" printer hope Kenny continues to behave, the movie Kenny was excellent BTW.
    Any flies on the wall here are in grave danger of being eaten by the Gecko's so that may not be the place to observe from, don't take too much notice of my sister's comments... you know how "old people" get.
    BUGGER... Wazza just knocked a bottle of red over, thank goodness it was empty.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Our little "Op Shop" up here on the mountain is quite exceptional in the stuff that gets donated to it, Cliff. I bought a brand new keyboard, never used, still in the box (and it's still in the box) one day quite a while back. I've bought many good items from the shop. I was never a person who frequented Op Shops until I came across this one up here on the mountain...it's a little beauty as the saying goes!

    I love geckos, Peter...have you two been to bed yet? Glad to hear that bottle was empty! Nothing worse than wasting a good red! ;)

    ReplyDelete
  18. Lee,
    A delightful narrative with a happy ending. Those are the best kind.
    I do, however, want to see you drive your buggy with your legs crossed.
    I've never gotten into the habit of naming my machines or any other inanimate objects. Don't know why, just didn't.

    rel

    ReplyDelete
  19. Hi there Rel, I used to have a wonderful old MG Magnette saloon car, complete with leather interior and polished wood dash board which I bought from an elderly friend. It was varitone...grey and high-gloss black...I called the dear little thing, "Remy" after Remy Martin cognac. I no longer have the car, but now I have a very handsome black and white male cat who I call, "Remy"...and sometimes "Remy Martin". He perks up when I call him the latter!

    ReplyDelete
  20. Lee, good luck with your printer. I am now looking for one to replace my HP Laserjet4t. Nothing wrong with the printer, except it won't "plug" into my new computer! I have a big HP at the office and have been using it for 14 years with no problems. Think I'll stick with HP.

    ReplyDelete
  21. How annoying your printer won't plug into your new computer, neo. I thought they were all compatible but obviously not...damn! Yep, good to stick with a brand you know is reliable from first-hand experience.

    ReplyDelete
  22. I'm wondering when we get to see some of the pictures you're taking. Now you have a printer, too, for your own hardcopies.

    Just an aside, but good on ya for the Australia Day flag displays. Imagine telling Aussies NOT to show the flag.

    I bet it was a plot by flag makers to boost their sales, really.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Soon, soon, Don...getting closer by the minute!

    You would lose on that one particular bet, Don, I'll bet. The organisers of 'Big Day Out' were more afraid of trouble breaking out than the flag-makers were of making money. Nice to see you by the way. :)

    ReplyDelete
  24. Oh, yeah... I forgot:

    Greetings from Brazil. ;)

    ReplyDelete
  25. RSPCA store , it did create
    Bargain for a loyal mate
    Printer was for sale that day
    Printer just for Lee I say

    Le e zooms in from her retreat
    As traffic snarls in a humid heat
    Twenty bucks, was a asking price
    Lee’s IOU, sure to suffice

    Kenny’s rests in Lee’s estate
    Scrap no longer Kenny’s fate
    She kindly pats his printers head
    Dare you breakdown my friend !!


    Best wishes

    ReplyDelete
  26. Good one, Lindsay! I think we're all in a rhyming mode lately! :)

    I hope you're shakin' your tail feathers down there, Don! I figured you were still thereabouts! Thanks for popping in...as always, it's nice to see you! :)

    ReplyDelete
  27. I call my computer Fred and I thought you might like to read this poem I wrote.


    He or She?

    Is a computer a He or a she?
    It all depends on what you are, you see!
    Computers are fascinating and so are the ladies.
    But then like men, they can drive you to Hades
    They need to be turned on, and of course, so do men,
    They are very frustrating, you need to count ten.
    I agree they can be, like women, contrary,
    And if you 're a newbie, you have to be wary.
    They have so many annoying glitches,
    With knobs, whistles, bells and switches.
    And if you don' t know which ones to use
    You could be accused of computer abuse.
    I love my computer and also love men,
    So I don't mind sometimes, counting to ten,
    The best thing I like about my trusty puter.
    Is that when I find something that I think is cuter,
    I can turn the thing off, with the flick of a switch,
    And turn it back on , with hardly a hitch.
    I love the expression Booting up, it's a gas,
    Though I could boot it sometimes in the ass.
    But after 4 years, I'd hate not to have it,
    Because it's become a really great habit.
    My puter is Fred, when he behaves like a gent.
    But when he behaves like a man, he is sent
    To, Hell and to Hades, but just in my head,
    It's a pity he is just no darn good in bed!!

    Vee. 2002.

    ReplyDelete