Yesterday I was frustrated to tears (literally) when trying to deal with usernames, passwords, extra security measures and all that other stuff that goes with keeping online transactions safe. I drove to three different banks in order to wire money to America and of course at each place I had to supply account numbers and passwords and cards and addresses etc. etc.I have mentioned before how absolutely idiotic I am about numbers and I rarely got any number correct nor properly recorded. Back at the computer in the afternoon I was trying to do online banking and get into Takumi, Leiya, and my American bank accounts. All with different usernames and passwords and extra security. And of course trying to get into Leiya's college website in order to pay bills with more passwords and security measures. And my own computer which I'm still getting used to kept asking me for passwords for the mail service, for the Google account etc. I took off on a long walk down the lane at around 10:00 at night just so I could cool down (in body and mind!) Oh the headaches of modern technology!
But oh the blessings it brings too!
The day before yesterday Leiya and I were "chatting" and I put on the web camera and the voice option. We got our business end of the conversation done and I said that I really needed to get off the computer since I had friends coming over and I wanted to bake some cookies and needed to clean the house.
"Don't turn off the camera. Leave it on while you clean and cook!"
So I arranged the computer to face towards the kitchen and turned the volume up and Leiya watched and listened as I did housewifely things. I could show her the steps to making my cookies, I could chat as I washed the dishes.
"This is so weird. I feel like I'm in a box on your kitchen table."
"Yes and anyone walking by the window would think I'm nuts because I'm showing the mixing bowl to the computer as I talk to myself!"
We had a very fun half-hour and who knows, if we live long enough Leiya may even be able to taste my cookies via the computer. In the meantime, Leiya and I are both thankful for the technical miracles of today!
Here are the cookies that you didn't get to taste Leiya!
Cheesecake SticksGraham crackers--120 gms. (the box had about 16 crackers in it)
butter -- 70 gms (half a block?)
eggs --3
flour --2 Tablespoons
cornstarch -- 1 Tablespoon
instant coffee -- 2 Tablespoons
sugar -- 1 cup
cream cheese -- 400 gms.
cream or yogurt -- 1 cup
chocolate bar 1
- crush crackers, add melted butter and spread on cookie sheet.
- mix cream cheese, sugar, cream and eggs
- add flour and cornstarch
- reserve 1/3 of the batter and pour into pan
- melt chocolate and mix with dissolved coffee. Add to reserved batter
- drop chocolate batter on to already spread batter and swirl with a toothpick
- bake 70 minutes at 140 degrees
I know, this is confusing for those of you who don't use metric. It's all I have. The cream cheese was two blocks of Philadelphia. The temperature is probably 280 degrees on an American oven...lower than normal heat anyway.
Nothing high tech about this recipe!
8 comments:
Oh dear me, yes, you're so right, I never knew what a love/hate relationship was until I met computers. I was in charge of the ICT at the school I taught at, so it was multiplied by about 60! Now I just have my Mac, which is wonderful, and my husband to deal with. I think I have a love/hate relationship with him too when he's trying to work with his laptop! I must try to get a live link set up with my son who lives in Brighton, it sounds like great fun.
Hi Tanya,
I have enjoyed reading your blog. As an American abroad (although not for much longer) I'm always interested in knowing how other expats are finding their experience.
And you always have so much quilty goodness on offer!
:)
passwords and usernames are the bane of my existence too -- Must admit to developing a "system" for passwords: choose a poem and use various lines from it; use street addresses and initials of friends; use # pages in abook along with part of the title... These "systems" all give a mix of letters and numbers and feel more memorable as there is some "rymne and reason" to them... :-)
How wonderful that you got to share cooking time w/your daughter. I'm sure she loved it and will ask to do it again soon!
I fully understand the frustration about having a password for everything. One thing I do that makes it a little bit easier is to limit my financial transactions to my bank account. I know many companies , utilities, etc. allow you to pay them by going to their website, etc. What I do instead is stick with outgoing. Everything comes out of my bank, so I don't need to get passwords for every bill that I pay. Plus it keeps it simpler for me to pay more than one bill at a time, and it tells me when I paid each bill last.
Computers - There is a love/hate relationship at times. You love them when they do what you want them to do, and hate them when they don't. But we can't seem to live without them!
I can relate to your frustations...computers will probably be the downfall of all. The cheesecake sticks look yummy, I am going to make them for our next Quilting get together. Neat that Leiya could watch.
I bet Leiya wished she could of eaten those cookies too! They looked good. I regularly struggle with technology as well to the amusement of my kids!!
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