Z doesn’t RTFM

I’ve been playing with the controls of the car today.  Not the driving controls, they’re pretty clear, but every set-up seems to be a bit different when it comes to highly important matters like tuning in the radio, putting the clock right and working out why, when I plugged my phone in to charge, it not only automatically switched from the radio to iTunes, but played on shuffle too.

Now, that was quite annoying.  I can’t bear shuffle.  It’s all just too bitty.  First, it played something by Hoagy Carmichael – that was all right – but then it switched to Mozart, one of his Divertimenti, I can’t remember which but it’s one I never learned to play – that might have been all right too, but it was just one movement and the transition was too abrupt from Hoagy.  Next, it went on to John Adams’ Short Ride in a Fast Machine, which didn’t seem entirely appropriate when I was tootling along at a sedate 30mph.

I know now, of course, to choose my playlist/album or turn off the music before I get to the end of the drive, so that I’m not driving along being indignant, a bit.  And I worked out how to do various other things, including linking the phone to the car, so now it tells me how long it’ll take me to get home.

I could, of course, just read the manual, but that hardly exercises the little grey cells, innit?

The tea Advent calendar that I’ve replaced as my header picture has, you can see, just a few numbers, but they’re in the ‘right’ order.  I don’t open the little boxes, each with one teabag, in order – I mean, darlings, am I likely to?  Moi?  I usually open the *right* box on the numbered day, but otherwise open them randomly, because that’s what Advent calendars have normally, the numbers dotted about so the eager little child has to search for the right one to open.  Tim thinks this is a bit odd of me, which is true, I suppose.  I asked Ro what he does with his and he said that ‘of course’ he opens his in order too.  I clearly didn’t raise him right, but it’s no wonder he and Tim get on.  Ro said that I have to check whether a box has been opened or not, but that’s part of the amusement, surely?

On the other hand, iTunes shuffle is a randomness too far.  I don’t even play shuffle on a single album, let alone the entire repertoire.  Makes me twitchy.

This evening, I discovered that the balance owed on a piece of china I sold after the auction to someone in Taiwan had been paid.  I’d taken £100 deposit and paid out the full amount to the vendor, knowing that I’d not lose anything if the chap didn’t pay up – very glad he has, though, we’ve become quite friendly by email.  So I’ve got it all packed up and ready to go tomorrow.

6 comments on “Z doesn’t RTFM

  1. tim

    Never having possessed, never mind operated, an Advent calendar, I can’t really presume to offer advice, except for the application of logic, which Ro and I clearly have in common. But I know you’ve been enjoying the tea anyway, randomly.

    Reply
    1. Z Post author

      Not even as a child? Those totally pointless things that sadly hopeful children opened each day, just for the dubious thrill of a tiny picture of a vaguely Christmassy scene – superseded, sometime in the ’70s by calendars that actually contained chocolate? Your parents were truly enlightened, then. When my children were young, we made Advent calendars and grandparents bought them ones too. And anyway, I am enjoying the little ritual of unwrapping the teabag each morning, it’s true.

      Reply
      1. tim

        I don’t think my parents were particularly enlightened, more insulated probably. Of course, it may just be a lapsed synapse in my memory. We’ll have to ask my sister.

        Reply
  2. Liz

    It’s taken me 3 years to get to a point where I can re-set the clock in my car without having to look in the instruction book.

    I love the random play feature on my little MP3 player. I still find it amusing to be taken from a bit of fluffy 80s pop via some heavy metal to a bit of 90s indi rock and then onto some Simon and Garfunkle all within 10 minutes. Mine does have an unfortunate tendancy to play the same song again as soon as it has finished though, which is less amusing.

    Reply
    1. Z Post author

      I was like that with my last car, but we’ll see how it goes with this one – I did work it out without resorting to looking it up, which has to be progress.

      I seem to take music rather too seriously. I can cope with iPod playlists within a given genre, but I still prefer whole albums, especially with classical music.

      Reply

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