Sean Needs Music Help

I’m writing this blog post in 2018, not 2008 or even 2000. When it comes to music, I am a dinosaur. No, I’m not talking about the music I listen to regularly. Actually, maybe it is. I tend to listen to the radio as background noise at work. I’m not in the car much, but when I’m by myself (meaning not long family car trips where we play Magic School Bus and Curious George episodes for the kids), I generally listen to podcasts or, again, the radio.

You may have noticed that I haven’t written anything about my phone or computer. I got out of college before Napster got big and everyone downloaded music. I missed that wave. I never had an iPod and don’t have music on my phone or computer.* I’ve never paid to download any songs. Sure I have tapes and CDs, but I don’t think I’ve purchased a CD for myself this decade. I’m not sure I even know how to create a digital music collection. How do you get music from a CD to my phone?

(This is not a photo of me. I typed "confused" into Google Images and this iStock photo was one of the results.)

This is where I need your help. I am years behind the digital music revolution. If I save songs to my computer (which I’m not exactly sure how to do), where can I save them as a backup? Basically, where do I even start?


* Actually, I have a total of one song on my phone. The Foo Fighters released five songs available to download for free several years ago. I still have a song named Sean. What a great title for a song!

Trivia Tuesday: What Should I Do?

I need some advice. In late 2010, we noticed water damage on our dining room ceiling due to a leak coming from our shower. In talking with our insurance company and a company we’ve used to do previous work (let’s call them company #1), we determined that the shower would need to be replaced. While company #1 replaced the shower and tile in January 2011, company #2 installed the frameless glass door in February 2011. I’m not using either company name at the moment, but I reserve the right to do so at a later date.

Anyway, in October of this year, we noticed that the spots in the ceiling below the master bathroom shower returned with part of the bathroom carpet stained and possibly other areas of the bathroom that we cannot see damaged. Company #1 determined that the seal that company #2 installed was worn and was no longer water tight. Specifically, the company indicated that "the section of the seal that goes below the fixed pane of glass is loose and long. When you splash water in the corner, you see the leak coming out where the door meets the seal." Company #2 visited our home and also noticed that a piece was out of place. Therefore, they took the piece, stated that they would order a new part, repair the shower, and be in touch in a few days.

After nearly three weeks of leaving numerous phone messages, company #2 finally returned, recaulked part of the shower and left without replacing the seal. Although there is no visible leak, we think that the leak is still there, though not as prominent as before.

So that’s where we are. I’m not sure what to do next. Essentially, company #1 blames #2 for the leak while company #2 blames #1. While I don’t trust company #2 since they failed to return my calls, I’m not convinced that the leak is their fault. I'm also not pleased with company #1 since they did an awful job caulking the tile outside the shower. Any suggestions on what to do? Should we get a third opinion? If so, does anyone have suggestions about folks in Northern Virginia we could ask? Feel free to provide any advice in the comments section below or e-mail me at seanramblings at yahoo[dot]com.

Sorry that this isn't an entertaining Trivia Tuesday!

Digital Camera

In preparing for the upcoming vacation, we thought it might be about time to join the 21st century and purchase a digital camera. Unfortunately, I know absolutely nothing about digital cameras, how to upload pictures, and if you need to buy specific software to do this. There are probably other digital camera questions that I don’t even know enough to ask. So whenever I need advice, I turn to my blog and specifically people who read this for help. HELP!

I have no idea where to start. How much do digital cameras even cost? Does anyone have recommendations about specific types or brands of cameras? Are there features I should look for? Do I need to buy film or a battery separately? Do digital cameras even have film? (Sadly, this last question is not a joke.)

Thanks for any assistance. Of course, I may fall back on my usual way of taking pictures: disposable cameras.