Relax. It’s only a game…or is it?

Do you have a person in your life who’s just a little bit…off? You know, the uncle who is convinced that there really are aliens living among us? The neighbor who is stockpiling food, just in case? Or the guy at work who will, if you let him, explain how there is a massive conspiracy, spearheaded by a shadowy underground network, to demoralize and ultimately destroy the very fabric of our society? And that they are doing it through such a simple and innocent vehicle, that we’ll never notice until it’s too late?

I always laughed at that one. First of all, who are ‘They’ exactly? How on earth could they possibly get to so many people at the same time? And what could ‘They’ do that would be so demoralizing?

Yeah, I always thought that guy was particularly crazy. But then, I downloaded a seemingly innocent game called Candy Crush Saga, and I’m beginning to think, after a few weeks of playing, that maybe, just maybe…that guy is right.

Candy Crush Saga first came to my attention because some of my Facebook friends were playing and were posting their results. They also asked if I wanted to play with them. Listen to me now, people – these requests are NOT from your friends. No friend would seek to ensnare you in such an evil time-suck. They are trying to recruit you, yes, so please – heed my warning.

Step away from the screen.

It looks so innocent. Pretty colors, bright animation, a sweet little cartoon girl to guide you along. And at first, you think, hey – why not? After all, it’s free. And it doesn’t look hard. The game is just a simple grid, filled with colored ‘candies’. It’s just like playing tic-tac-toe. You move the candies to get three in a row, those three vanish, and you find three more. So easy, right? And when you’ve completed a level, you see a banner come across the screen that says, ‘Wonderful!’

And really, don’t we all want to be wonderful?

But – what happens when you DON’T complete the level? Well, then you get a different banner.

Level failed.
You did not complete the goal.

Wait – I failed? That’s not what I’m about. I succeed. And what’s this crap about not completing the goal? I ALWAYS reach my goals. That’s what being an American is all about, reaching higher and farther, and achieving whatever we want. What’s this little animated girl, crying for pity’s sake, telling me I FAILED????

So, you try again. Of course you do. And maybe this time, you complete the level. Or not. So you try again. And again. And here is where it gets tricky. Yes, of course playing the game is free. But – want a little Booster? Something to help you along? Or, do you want a few extra tries, even after time has run out? Well, that sort of thing you can buy. And here’s another twist – you’re only allowed so many tries in a certain period of time. If you’ve used up all your tries, you have to wait. 30 Minutes. There’s even a cute little clock that show the time for you. Unless, you want to buy another ‘Life” then and there.

See what I’m getting at? This could cost you a bundle.

And here’s the thing – as you’re trying to race against the clock, or complete the level in only so-many moves, you think, ‘This is impossible’. But it’s not, and you know it, because suddenly you’ve done it, you’ve moved on to the next thing, and you’re feeling pretty good about yourself until…’This is impossible’.

Only now, you know the cold, hard truth. It’s not ‘impossible’.

You just can’t do it.

You keep trying. You stare at the screen and try to maximized your every move. If you get four in a row, you get a striped candy with extra power. Five in a row equals a round chocolate ball covered in sprinkles. If you combine two of these together, you get a super-candy. So – how can I get this from all the way over here, and combine it with this one…

Did I mention this is a real time-suck?

And then, you get to the levels where the chocolate squares actually spread, COVERING up your choices, making it that much harder!

Oh my.

Last month, I had two projects due. I finished another romantic comedy, which was sent off to an editor’s desk. I also finished my YA project that I’ll be launching in June. So, although I felt bad about not being able to post to this site in March, I had a few pretty reasons. I was busy. I was working.

I was also playing Candy Crush Saga.

I’m so sorry. Really. But how could I find time to read a book to review, or compare the screen/book versions of Silver Linings Playbook, when Level 35 was taunting me, calling out in the middle of the night, daring me to spend $.99 on an extra try?

I’m up to Level 65 now.

I’ve made it this far without buying any boosters or extra lives.

I’ve given up walking the dog and raking the yard so I can find time to work on those pesky edits.

So far, I’m failing. It’s impossible.

No, it’s not impossible. That’s the thing – I know that it’s me. I’m not good enough… no matter what I do… no matter how hard I try…

…’they’ are starting to wear me down.

Not Again!

There’s nothing like a computer crash to inspire a person to organize and back up their data files.  This terrifying experience has happened to me twice now, and you’d think I would have learned my lesson from the first scary time it happened.  Well, I did change my habits, but not necessarily for the better.  Rather than having almost nothing backed up, I went to the other extreme of having multiple backups everywhere, with none of them kept up to date.  So over the past few years, I’ve managed to create a confusing glut of duplicate files.

Basically, my data files have become just as cluttered as my house.  And since I have yet to “conquer” my house clutter, I’m feeling a little doomed.  In fact, with the most recent incident occurring a few weeks ago, I can already feel the impetus to do something about my computer clutter slipping away.  Not that I’ve given up completely.  It’s just that my progress has slowed down, and the new data continues to pile up.

The most important thing I learned this time was what my current priorities are.  The data files I care about most are my personal photos.  (Naturally, my very first concern was all my Chris Isaak concert pictures.)  Now that I’ve gone digital, all my photos are stored on my computer—in multiple spots in a completely disorganized way.  So after I recovered my files, I spent several days reorganizing my picture files and backing them up.

The fact that I did recover my files should be somewhat reassuring.  If this type of disaster strikes you, don’t panic.  Secondly, don’t do anything stupid.  The inclination, of course, is to first panic and then do something stupid because you are panicking.  So try to remember that unless your computer or hard drive was physically destroyed, it’s likely your data files are still there and can be saved—if not all of them, then at least most of them.  How they get recovered (and how much it will cost) depends on exactly what happened and your level of expertise.  If I had panicked and done something stupid, I could easily have made the situation much worse, requiring paid professional help to get my files back.  Fortunately, I was able to recover everything myself, using a free program I found on the Internet.

Once recovered, then what?  I know what I should do.  I should continue my efforts to clean up my files and set up a good system for keeping them both organized and backed up.  But the problem has always been—and still is—finding the right system that works for me.  I have a massive amount of incoming data because of the variety of my interests and activities.  And I have yet to figure out any way of correctly funneling all that information to where I’d like it to end up.  Such a system also assumes that each piece of information I receive already has a place set up where it should be, something which would only be possible if I never again developed a new interest or allowed an old interest to expand beyond its original parameters.

Real life is simply not compatible with computer organization.  For instance, every single thing one writes does not belong in one huge generic “document” folder.  This is true even for people who are not authors.  Pictures require an even more flexible system.  Some belong in a dated folder, while others are easier to group by topic.  All major interests need their own folder, which can then be subdivided into organizational categories suited to each interest.  To complicate matters even further, the operating system and every program you add all have their own annoyingly different ideas of where your data files should end up.  Just finding where they stuck a file can sometimes be a challenge—which is why I frequently end up with multiple copies of files scattered about in various obscure places.  If I don’t pay close attention to where they decide to store the file, I can’t always find it and have to save it again.

I keep all my data files in a completely separate partition from my operating system and programs, so I’ve set up an “All New” folder on it.  Although this folder is subdivided into the usual subcategories (documents, pictures, downloads, etc.), sometimes documents do end up in the pictures folder and vice versa.  But at least most new files end up somewhere in the “All New” folder.  Of course, the files still have to be manually transferred to their final location.  That’s not ideal, but neither is the default organizational structure when you’re dealing with tens or even hundreds of gigabytes of diverse information stored on your computer.

Setting up an efficient, customized structure for organizing your data does save you time in the long run.  All you have to do is figure out what works best for you.  (As if that’s easy.)  Then you need a good backup plan—usually the more automated the better.  And it might not be a bad idea to have a second backup of your most important files—either some type of online backup or perhaps a portable drive or DVD that can be stored in a safe place.

Whatever you do, don’t wait until you have all your data files organized before you create a backup.  If you’re like me, that’ll probably never happen.  The best I can hope for is a semi-organized system with separate folders of messiness.  Instead, learn from all my mistakes and back up your files right now.

And if my experience doesn’t persuade you to take immediate action, perhaps this video about how vulnerable your data files are will be sufficient motivation.

The Art of Making Tea…

Though my mother and father were pretty heavy coffee drinkers, and most of my older siblings followed suit, I never developed a taste for it. Which is probably not such a bad thing; being one who doesn’t sit still for long, adding caffeine to my diet was likely not a good idea.

In my later years, the social aspect of having a hot beverage began to have appeal. I’d always loved hot cocoa but the sugar required to make it palatable didn’t seem a healthy choice, either. Besides, not every pantry has cocoa in it. Tea seemed a logical choice and I quickly became a fan.  At first I bought tea bags and made individual cups, experimenting with blends. Earl Grey was an early favorite and remains so today. Soon I had several teapots and an array of tea cozies to keep them warm.

As time went on I discovered the joy of brewing loose tea. I owned a small furniture/home accessories shop at the time and brought in several different types of tea pots with built-in infusers, which invariably sold well. I took a few of these home for my own use.

When I closed the store, I decided to launch a tea shop. It was so much fun. We sold tea pots in every shape and size. I loved discovering new designs. There were elegant glass ones; some of ceramic (many colorful and whimsical); sophisticated brushed stainless steel with a thermal layer to keep tea hot longer; hand-painted enameled pots from Europe; and beautiful hand-made cast iron from Japan. Many came with their own hot plates to keep the tea warm.

              

 

 

 

 

Of course our raison d’etre was selling the teas. The entire back wall was filled with shelves of large canisters of every type of tea imaginable. Each time we opened one to fill a bag or give a customer a sample sniff, the fragrance burst into the shop. Goldie Hawn had a home in the ‘hood in which we had the store and I will never forget one Christmas Kurt Russell coming in to purchase a gift for a friend. He was fascinated with the variety of teas and when he saw we were flooded with customers, he asked if he could buy the large canisters and could he help himself. He had a great time coming around back of the till and opening the canisters, scooping his choices into bags or smaller canisters and stuffing the whole into the large canisters once they’d been rung in. He swaggered out with a couple of armfuls, followed by many pairs of star-struck eyes.

I also learned a thing or two about making tea. The best way to make black or herbal teas is to oxygenate the water by bringing it to a full rolling boil for at least 10-30 seconds, which brings out the flavor. For delicate teas such as green, white or oolongs, bring the temperature to about 185 degrees. Always start with fresh cold water for the cleanest taste. Brewing times, too, vary. For black tea, 4-5 minutes; for delicate teas, no longer than 3 minutes. Herbals may require 5-8 minutes to release the full flavor.

 There are many rituals relating to tea. A Japanese tea ceremony can include confections or a meal and last for many hours. For a casual gathering, my all time favorite tea party features flowering tea. Each little ‘bud’ comprises a dried flower in the middle around which tea leaves are painstakingly hand rolled by master artisans from China, then left to dry. When infused, the bud slowly unfurls into a beautiful flower before your eyes and emits wonderful fragrances. They are best made in a glass teapot set in the middle of a table, or served individually in large stemmed wine glasses, brandy snifters or the recently popular wine tumblers. Typically made with green or white tea leaves, the blossoms can be infused several times without losing their distinctive flavor. Afterward they can be placed in the tea pot or a rose bowl with cold water and enjoyed as decoration for a few days.

I sold the tea shop a few years ago when I decided to devote myself to writing full time. It was probably my smallest business venture but it provided great joy.

Writing is a solitary thing, with no mandated breaks for coffee or lunch. I found myself always with a cup of tea at hand. Getting up and making a new pot was occasionally a welcome break, but mostly it became an unwelcome chore. I bought a large thermos carafe and began to make my tea in there. Last year my daughter ran across an automatic tea maker. She suggested I have a look. My family always buys me one larger gift for Christmas and she thought I might like it. I did finally get to see it but chose another gift instead. This year she began hinting at a couple of things I might like. But I’d been thinking of the tea maker all year and delved into some research. There were really only two choices and I decided on the one my daughter originally found.

Although not perfect, I love my new device. There are handy pre-set brewing times for various tea types, though I prefer to customize for my own tastes. There are enough settings options to satisfy even the fussiest brewer and it always remembers the previous settings.  The basket travels up and down a few times during the brewing. If one wants to brew for longer, it has an option to lower the basket for as long as you like. As much as 1 ½ litres can be made at once.

The tea maker is a bit fussy; one has to be careful not to get water down the sides as it could cause an electrical short. But that is still far and away better than having to get up, put on water to boil, wait for the whistle, and get up again to measure and steep the tea.

I recently began using the automatic brew feature, which can be prepared the night before and set to turn itself on at a given time. It’s a delight to wake up to fresh tea and saves precious time before sitting down to write.

The biggest flaw in the device is the keep-warm feature, and it is threefold. Back in the seventies my friend’s mother had a saying I have long adopted: That thing was designed by some dumb man. Not very PC in the world we now live in, what she meant was the designer (who in those days had a high percentage of being male), had probably never set foot in the area or use for which it was intended (also a high percentage of being true then of males). But I digress. The maximum temperature of the warmer is 175 deg. F, which to my taste is tepid. The maximum time it keeps warm is sixty minutes. Who is going to drink 1 ½ litres in one hour? Certainly not me. And worst of all, once you have lifted the pot to pour a cuppa, you must re-set the warmer button. See, some dumb man who does not drink nor make his own tea designed the device. Of course I don’t necessarily think the designer is male, but ‘person’ and ‘their’ does not have the same punch, and some sayings are simply better left non-PC. I have taken to making a second pot in the morning. The overnight brew I pour into my thermos carafe, which does keep the tea hot enough for hours. The second pot I sip until it is too tepid to tolerate then slip the remaining cups into the microwave to heat (oh, sacrosanct!). This way I have enough tea for the entire day. I often alternate between caffeinated tea and herbal (my faves are Rooibos and Honeybush, both from South Africa, and have the look and feel of ‘real’ tea), depending on my whim.

I sometimes make fresh ginger and lemon tea for a break and it is fabulous for that. Much less fussy, and as mentioned elsewhere I am a lazy cook. I used to wrap the chopped ginger in pieces of cheesecloth, which I had to cut from large sheets as I could never find a proper size gauze, and tie up with string so the pieces didn’t enter the cup. The basket eliminates the necessity for all of that and furthermore there is a fine mesh strainer attached to the lid at the spout which catches any stray bits, cleans easily and is pure genius!

A bonus is the machine can be used as a ‘variable temperature’ kettle, however I’m not sure how useful that would be, as the tea is brewed in the carafe and would inherently impart a residual flavor.

But it is not just the convenience of it all that sold me. All types of tea (and yes, I sometimes toss in tea bags) made in the maker have and retain that crisp, clear taste only otherwise found by throwing a handful of tea straight into the pot of boiled water and dealing with the mess later. That is golden to me.

It seems I am not the only one who sips tea all day. Recently Richard Branson posted a piece on LinkedIn entitled, Where I Work: Surrounded By People (and Swimming in Tea), about his casual outdoor office on his island, with staff and visitors coming and going. Beside him was not a cool iced drink as one might expect. He mentioned that the mug on the table beside him contained tea and that he always has some at hand. I smiled, imagining his staff fetching tea for him all day long. I wonder if they have discovered the magic of automatic tea makers…