Northing Is Simple Any More

I have written before about how I am over whelmed with all the
technology in my new house and new appliances. Yesterday I added to
the complexity of my life. When I first moved away from home, my
mother gave me the toaster that had belonged to my grandmother. My
mother had bought it for my grandmother shortly before shed passed
away. It was a good toaster and never quit working. I bought a toaster
oven and stopped using the two-slice toaster. I eventually gave the
toaster to Goodwill. I never have liked the toast the toaster oven
produces.

After years of suffering with the toaster oven, I decided I needed a
two-slice toaster. I looked in Consumer Reports and found the
top-rated toaster was made by Cuisinart. I looked on Amazon.com and
found the Cuisinart toaster, but it said the toaster was no longer
available. I checked the Cuisinart website and could not find the
top-rated model. I then started searching for the next to top model
which is made by Krups. This model is still in production. I read the
reviews on Amazon.com, and there were a few complaints. This model is
a FEM2. I then looked at the Krups website and found their best
two-slice toaster is a FEM3. I checked Pricegrabber.com for the lowest
price. Amazon.com had the best price. I then placed the order with
Amazon.com.

This morning. I was looking at the Krups website again and saw that
the manual for the toaster is available in PDF format. I downloaded
the file and started looking at the instructions. This toaster has an
LCD panel. It takes a PhD to figure out all the settings. The panel
even counts down the seconds until the toast is ready. It
automatically centers the bread in the slots. Whatever happened to the
old toasters that you drop the bread in and push a lever?

I had been following the progress of my last package from L.L. Bean. I
did not email FedEx with the directions to my house this time. The
package was put on the delivery van on Thursday morning. I waited all
day for the delivery. It did not arrive. On Friday morning the
tracking site said "Incorrect Address", but it was out for delivery
again. It was not delivered. Yesterday morning the tracking site again
said "Incorrect Address." The estimated delivery date had been changed
to November 21. I called L.L. Bean customer service and told them what
was happening. I said I had received three previous orders from them
since I had moved but had emailed FedEx with directions each time. The
customer service rep. said I should call FedEx. She said they are
available on Saturday but not on Sunday or Monday.

I called FedEx and explained what was happening. The FedEx
representative asked me for my phone number and was able to find my
email with the directions. He said he would relay the directions. A
little later I checked the tracking information, and it again said
"Out for delivery". Around 5:15 yesterday evening the doorbell rang,
and at last my package was delivered.The package was in good shape. I
was afraid it would be all torn apart with all the extra travel. I
hope my new toaster has a better trip. When you use Amazon.com's free
shipping, you never know how the order will be shipped.

On Thursday the clock man brought my old New England Clock Co. clock
back to me. He had put a new mechanism in the clock. He even replaced
the second hand with a red one like the clock originally had. It has
been keeping perfect time. While he was here I asked him if he thought
he could fix the Seiko mantel clock. He checked it and said he might
be able to fix it. He said he would take it and take a look at it. He
said he would not hurt it and there would be no charge if he is not
able to fix it. I hope he can fix it. It is much simpler to have him
pick up the clock and bring it back to me rather than shipping it to
Seiko's repair service for an estimate.

Yesterday Del Webb had a tour of the amenity center which is scheduled
to open in January. The indoor swimming pool is huge. They are in the
process of digging the hole for the outdoor pool. I noticed the clock
has finally been installed in the tower on the building. I wonder if
it will have chimes--probably not, but that would be an interesting
feature. I was a little disappointed in the computer facility and the
space allowed for the library, but overall the facility is going to
be very nice.