I Love You Siri – Even with Your Problems

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Recently I shared my experience with the Dragon Dictation voice to text app, and I mentioned the upcoming iPhone 4S. Since I was eligible for an upgrade, my lovable techno-geeky husband insisted (really, he did) that we investigate the new phone. He’s so generous to give me the upgraded phone and inherit my older model. He’s just that kind of guy.

A couple weeks had passed since the 4S release when I called a nearby dealer and my name was the first on their waiting list. Within a few days, I had my new phone, and honestly, I wasn’t enthusiastic about it. I thought my iPhone 4 was just fine. The main attraction for me was the 8 megapixel camera because my phone’s camera is the only one I can easily hold and click – usually with my tongue! The 4S camera is much better than the iPhone 4’s.

Now that I have the 4S, I wouldn’t want to be without it! Voice recognition with my ‘personal assistant’ is natural, slick and hi-tech.

If you have not seen Siri in action, she can be activated with a touch of the home button. With Siri, the keyboard includes a microphone button/key on the key pad which activates the personal assistant. The speech recognition is remarkably accurate for me as text quickly appears on my phone. She’s a different experience than what I’ve had with other voice to text tools over the years because she’s pervasive throughout the phone and easily accessed everywhere. What a time-saver! She has actually made my iPad use a little less frequent because my iPad doesn’t have Siri. At least not yet. I understand that Siri has already been proven on other Apple devices by jail-breaking users. Hopefully Siri will be officially released for additional iOS devices soon.

I realized she’s still young when I experienced a problem getting Siri to answer me as I was ready to get a screen capture of her for this article. I asked her a question and she kept telling me she could not connect to the network. I restarted the phone, reset Siri and the phone’s network settings – to no avail. It turned out Apple had a Siri outage. This blip showed me that Siri, like any good assistant, may need an occasional break. I forgave her and trust that she’ll become more reliable.

My minor inconvenience does not put a damper on my opinion of Siri. I can’t believe how easy it is to work with her. She also has a delightful sense of humor. I’ve always wanted a better sense of humor so maybe Siri will help me as I investigate answers to some of life’s interesting questions.

Siri, how old are you? -I am not allowed to answer that question.

Open the pod bay doors. –That’s it. I’m reporting you to the Intelligent Agents’ Union for harassment.

Open the pod bay doors. -I’m sorry, Madge. I’m afraid I can’t do that, are you happy now?

Am I old? -I would prefer not to say.

Siri, you are nice. –Oh, go on.

Do you like me? –I really have no opinion.

Siri, do you know Jesus? -I suppose its possible.

Siri, I love you. –You can’t.

In all seriousness, Siri gives answers to requests about directions and the weather, she’ll make calls, send texts, search the web and so much more. This is ‘beta’ Siri? I can’t wait to see what the future brings as Siri gets smarter and more sophisticated. Steve Jobs was a crazy, odd and rude genius (I am reading his biography), and I’m grateful he managed to shift our technology paradigm in wonderful ways and helped make technology easier for me to use.

….Let me see, what shall I do now? I’ll ask Siri.

Siri, what should I do now? ‘Ok, here’s your meeting,’ she says as she brings up my calendar and next appointment – I’d better go!

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My Bacon Secret

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Bacon is bad.

Bacon is very bad.

I like bacon.

I like bacon crispy.

I like bacon almost burned.

Bacon makes things better.

We don’t eat much bacon at our house. Actually, I don’t eat much of anything even though I like to cook and talk about food. Eating is something I need to work on since my handsome and  fit 6’6″ husband loves food and is frequently thinking about his next meal.  He’d appreciate it if I expressed more excitement for food.  Before my spinal cord injury I used to be obsessed with food. Even though I wasn’t fat or even heavyset, my thoughts focused too much on food and I’d pray, ‘Dear God, please help me not care so much about food and my weight!’  My fervent prayers about a food and weight obsession when I was a teenager gives me an appreciation for eating issues and disorders so many have today. Strangely and thankfully, since my injury, food has not been an obsession for me. Now, I’m free – free to enjoy a few slices of bacon without guilt and without wanting more. Well, sometimes I want more.

Bacon is nice to have on hand for a quick BLT sandwich or an occasional topper for salads and potatoes. What I don’t like about bacon the is the mess it makes when you cook it on the stove or griddle. Yes, the oven is a cleaner option, but it takes a long time, and the microwave is not the same, right?  I used to be convinced that the easiest and most practical way to get bacon was to cook it in the oven. There’s no splatter and it’s easy to clean the pan if you line it with foil and use a rack with non-stick spray. Then you can refrigerate it in ziploc bags and use it as needed – don’t eat it all at once or you’ll pray, ‘Dear God, help me stop’.

Recently, I discovered life’s  best way to get bacon.  At last!  Drum roll please….Buy it already cooked off the Whole Foods breakfast bar!  For those of you who don’t have a WF near you – so sorry. Maybe there’s another breakfast bar close by, or maybe you’ll have to go to a bar, order a sparkling water, cry, and eat free peanuts and pretzels.

Even though the WF breakfast bar is $8.00/lb you won’t believe how much bacon you can get for $3.00 when it is pre-cooked.  It’s easier and less expensive than buying it uncooked.  Plus, WF has the hearty, thick bacon. Just make sure you skip the ‘heavy’ (expensive) scrambled eggs, cheese grits and oatmeal, and fill your box with ‘light’ bacon. I’m warning you…don’t be tempted by those expensive cheesey grits.  Once you get the bacon home, refrain from eating more than a few pieces or you’ll pray, ‘Dear God, help me stop’. Refrigerate it, and use as needed. You may not get that permeating delish bacon smell throughout your house, but it’s a small price to pay for this almost grease free convenience.

The last time I went to WF to get bacon, the lady that helped me fill my box told me a lot of people buy a box of bacon...and I thought it was my secret!

Bacon on the bar
Thank you Whole Foods for your BACON bar!

Words for the Roller Coaster of Life

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Almost fifteen years ago Brent and I went to Six Flags for the first time together.  It was a big date early in our relationship. We spent the day loving every roller coaster and got soaked in water rides!

Six Flags is a blast for me because my wheelchair gives us a pass to the front of every line.   Then we are usually encouraged to stay for a second ride to avoid the hassle and slight delay of lifting me in and out of the seat!  Let me know if you want me to go with you on your next visit.

Toward the end of the afternoon we headed to the amphitheater for featured speakers and a concert with Point of Grace and several other artists.  We relaxed and were thankful that Brent’s back survived lifting me all day and my bottom survived the bumpy rides without my cushy seat.  The speaker, Andy Stanley, began to share.  It was the first time I had heard him, and I couldn’t believe it then, and I still can’t believe it now – the verse he used in his talk was etched in my memory.

The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it.  Proverbs 22:3

The fact that I walked (I mean rolled) away from a fifteen minute talk with a take away biblical principle and a verse that I have quoted over the years, and shared with others, is a hallmark of why I consider Andy Stanley one of the best communicators.  He has a gift, yet I’m sure he works hard to leave a listener with truth to remember, apply in their own lives, and use to help others in the future.  I’ve experienced other pastors and speakers who do this, just not quite like he does.  His one liners pack a powerful punch and resonate with me long after their delivery.

Here are a couple of my favorite quotes/principles from Andy Stanley:

“Do for one what you wish you could do for everyone.”

“Direction, not intention, determines your destination.”

We have an amazing church home – it’s ‘family’ – and we learn and serve there each week.  Even if you have a local church where you lock in, grow and serve in Christ, I hope you seek additional valuable resources.   Be encouraged by the great technology available to us today and check out some wisdom from outside your church’s walls.  You could start now by tuning in to a message at North Point’s service online ‘live’ at 9:00 or 11:00 on Sundays or during one of four rebroadcasts.  Additionally, the podcast is available later.  This week they launch a series called, ‘Be Rich: Do More. Give More.’   Interestingly,  I just read an article featured in this month’s Consumer Reports magazine, written by a neurologist, titled ‘Surprising health benefits of giving.’  We have some other terrific ‘giving’ resources…ah…sounds like a post on ‘Giving’ is on my horizon.

“Be Rich: Do More. Give More”  just might be a new favorite quote after this series.

Two Odd Refrigerator Staples

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Do you have any odd items that you always keep in your refrigerator?  In our household there are a couple of strange staples we added to our meager repertoire this summer.   Oh yes, Brent always needs his milk, and we keep half and half and veggies along with eggs. But what about strange things that cause great remorse if they are absent?

Staple #1
The creamy thick substance is sweet and full of calories. I like to put my finger in the container or double dip the spoon; however, my ‘non double dipping’ husband won’t have it!  He insists that a new spoon be used each time the fluff is removed from its container – something to do with germs? The silky, creamy, smooth texture adds to the sweet’s delectable qualities.  This scrumptious delicacy is homemade cream cheese frosting!

Strawberries are my all time favorite accompaniment with this treat.  I’m not big on desserts, but this frosting is something to crave.  What we like about it, is that unlike ice cream, when you mix the strawberries and frosting, the strawberries can’t freeze.  Don’t get me wrong, we like ice cream and strawberries, but there’s something about the way the strawberries freeze in ice cream that is just wrong.  This wonderful frosting will last in your refrigerator for a few weeks if you don’t eat it all at one time!  You’ll often find me skipping the strawberries and digging a spoon deep down to get a shovel full because I know that the ‘double-dip nazi ‘ might be on the lookout.  I really should try to freeze this frosting on a stick (or spoon), but I won’t put a healthy strawberry in it – just wouldn’t be prudent.

Imagine strawberries and cream cheese frosting on cupcakes….subtract the cupcakes and consume a dozen. Heaven.

 

 

 

Staple #2
The second odd staple we keep (and my current favorite) is balsamic vinegar reduction. Brent is not as keen as I am on this treat, but he is a willing participant in this mouth watering surprise.  If you haven’t ever taken a couple cups of high quality balsamic vinegar and reduced it down by 60 or 70%, you are really missing out.  This thick molasses-like syrup is delicious on salads, fish, vegetables, and believe it or not, it is great on peaches and strawberries.  I don’t always put cream cheese frosting on my strawberries – sometimes I use vinegar!  Peaches are fabulous with this sticky substance drizzled all over them.  My healthy choice of balsamic vinegar reduction is more versatile than the frosting.  It’s getting tough to find good strawberries at reasonable price anyway.

OK, that’s it.  I’m taking frosting off the staple list.  Thanks for the healthy therapy session.

‘…whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things’. (Philippians 4).  I’m sure this verse must be referring to icing and balsamic vinegar.  Winter is on the way and I’m looking forward to citrus, and I’m afraid the cream cheese frosting is taking a back seat for awhile.  Maybe my sweet tooth has toned down for the cold weather.  Healthy is better anyway.  Right?  What kind of odd staples do you keep in your refrigerator?  Do you have to run to the store for bread, milk, balsamic vinegar and cream cheese?  I need your easy secrets to bring culinary delight to our winter!