You can’t imagine the number of
photographs we have at our house. The oldest, I think, is a group photo that
features my great-great-grandparents. In effect, we have photos taken over 100
years or so. And they are all over the place. What I want to do is to
systematically organise them. Buy albums of the same size, the modern ones you
know where it’s easy to insert pictures without dirtying your hands – arrange
them either yearwise or think of some themes. Birthdays, Ganesh festivals, our
trips et cetera. Label each of the albums and number them. I can imagine how
nice they’ll look ranging from number one to say two hundred – all standing
like army soldiers in the showcase. I want to do this. It’s simply a matter of
finding time. In fact, I would love to scan them as well. Maybe not all – but
certainly the oldest ones. The yellowing ones. It’s such a wonderful gift of
technology. It’ll take only a few seconds to convert to electrons the picture
of my great-great-grandparents. Next Sunday, after lunch I must try to do that.
Same Sunday I want to write down
all the numbers in my cell phone. My cousin had his phone stolen last week. It
reminded me I’d planned to do this for a long time. If my phone is stolen god
forbid I’ll lose some of my friends for ever. I want to note down all the
numbers, and yes I want to delete all unnecessary messages. I think my box is
full. That should be easy. I can do it when sitting in a traffic jam. But
noting down the numbers somewhere is a priority. Someone said you can transfer
them directly to your computer. Yes I remember that’s the reason why I
postponed writing them down. But I need to find out which cable to use. And
how. I have no idea how to do it myself.
My cell phone and our television’s
remote control look very similar. And they both keep getting misplaced inside
the house. No problem if I can’t find the cell phone. I simply go to my
landline, and call myself on mobile. I know it sounds silly, and I must be the
only person in the world to call myself from one phone to another. It’s such a
pleasure to anticipate the familiar ringing from some corner of the house.
Normally the mobile is hidden under a newspaper or my wife’s purse or something
like that. Once, to my embarrassment, I found it in my trouser pocket. (Yes, I
was wearing those trousers). Finding the remote control is more painful. We
must search and find it because the knobs on television are no longer working. (If
we press the volume up, it goes down.) Remote control is the only thing that
keeps our TV going. Which reminds me I have to change its batteries. They are
smaller in size. Every time the remote becomes dysfunctional, I take each
battery out and rub its head on my shirt - vigorously. You will be surprised
how well batteries get charged by rubbing them on a cotton shirt. I’m afraid
one day they won’t respond to my shirt. I’ll then change them.
It’s strange how you find things
– when you are not looking for them. The other day I was searching for the
remote control and I found the manual for my digital camera. This manual I’ve
been searching for more than a year now. Since the time I bought my Sony digital.
My brother tells me I don’t use more than 5% of the functionality. That may be
true. For more than a year, I’ve kept the initial setting. I must say I do
manage to get the pictures. I take them only in the daylight. That’s why I
wanted to read the manual, understand all the different signs (P, S, A, M,
setup, AE lock, Ω, SCN, ∆… so many of them). I must read the manual to start
using my camera properly. I tried once or twice to press the Menu. Whenever I press the menu, what
was working also stops working – be it the digital camera, remote control or
computer.
Talking about the computer, I
must call a computer doctor. Every time I open my computer, there is this
message flashing – your system may be at
risk. This copy of windows did not
pass the genuine validation. I don’t want that message. It keeps appearing
every few minutes. What’s the point in telling me what I already know? I keep
deleting it. I want the computer doctor to clean up my computer; I think it has
far more temporary files than permanent. I wonder if he can help me unblock my
blog as well. That is another embarrassing thing – like finding the cell phone
in my trouser pocket. I had a blog, and I wrote on it on and off. I came back
from a two week trip and tried to log in. I couldn’t remember the password. I
have so many logins and passwords now – and they are all fairly similar to one
another. I haven’t written them anywhere, because you’re not supposed to write
down passwords. Now my own blog has got blocked and I don’t know what to do.
Talking of passwords reminds me
of the bank matters. The three-digit security code at the back of my credit card
is apparently a huge risk. I’m told waiters note that number and start using
your card in the internet. I don’t know if I can scratch the three digits off.
If I do, I’ll have to remember the number, because I can’t write it down
anywhere. And remember it for each of my credit cards. Currently I pay my
restaurant bills by cash – until I find a solution. There is the HDFC bank
matter to be settled as well. The bank sent me a card without my asking for it–
must be six or seven years ago. I never used it. But in the first year, they
still charged some amount. And now each year I get a bill with 18% added. This
year it’s become a sizeable amount. I write to the bank every year denying all this,
cursing the manager and the bill keeps mounting. That’s one thing I must sort
out-urgently.
The other urgent item is the
dentist. I haven’t been to the dentist for, I think, more than a year now. I
read somewhere you should go every six months. But it doesn’t happen if nothing
happens. Now, though, I feel something is wrong in the upper left corner, I
hope it’s not a cavity. It’s not hurting or anything – just a funny feeling
when I eat on the left side. I must take an appointment urgently. For the last
four months I’ve been eating exclusively on the right side of my mouth.
If I get an appointment this
week, I could also go to the car mechanic next to the clinic. Both the back
doors have child locks, even when we don’t want them. (My daughter sits in the
front). The other day, I wanted to escape from a wedding and go to the gym. I’d
decided to change to the gym clothes in the car. I changed at the back side of
my car, and then couldn’t get out. Somehow I squeezed myself over the top of
the gearbox to fall in the driver seat, but my back is still hurting. I must
get the child locks unlocked.
Dentist. Car mechanic. Plumber.
I must not forget. They’re all located one after the other. For months now, the
tub in the bathroom is leaking. I can’t see where the leak is. But it must be
fixed. Of course, tub bath is out of question. But I’ve found an angle. If I
take shower from that angle, the water doesn’t leak. I don’t know what the
connection is. This is only a temporary solution. I must call the plumber to
get the leak fixed.
These are small matters, and
given time most of them will get sorted out quickly. I’ve now made a file in my
computer where I note the pending item, and write a deadline by which it must be
resolved. Some are pretty minor. Like buying a pen stand. I’ve decided I must
have a pen stand next to my land line. Or maybe hang a pen to a string next to
the phone. Alternatively I can buy some twenty cheap pens and keep them in the
drawer below the phone. And a notepad next to it.
In the computer file, everything
I have mentioned here has a deadline of 31st December. But today is 31st December. And I’m
busy. I’ve to attend a party this evening. I’m afraid the new deadline will
have to be the end of January.
Ravi
