*pish*pish*pish* or That's What It Sounds Like When I Slap You in the Face Repeatedly...

Join us for a day away from the CRAZY (unless your family is crazy like mine and there is no escape) by joining the National Day of Unplugging.

The National Day of Unplugging is a respite from the relentless deluge of technology and information. With roots in Jewish tradition, this modern day of rest was developed by Reboot as a way to bring some balance to our increasingly fast-paced way of life and reclaim time to connect with family, friends, the community and ourselves. Shut down your computer. Turn off your cell phone. Stop the constant emailing, texting, Tweeting and Facebooking to take time to notice the world around you. Connect with loved ones. Nurture your health. Get outside. Find silence. Avoid commerce. Give back. Eat Together.

 So, Amanda and I have decided to take a leave of absence from the cyberworld.  We are going to go radio silent for one day.  We did modify the rules a bit but its the same general idea.  Join us and then tell us your story about your day away from the chaos.  Since we are both mothers and realize that sometimes stuff happens - here are our rules:

1. The event will start at 8pm on March 23 and last til 8pm March 24.
2. You can use an e-reader but any internet capabilities must be disabled.  If you don't know how to do that - turn it off!!!
3. Emergency Calls are immediately exempt.  (This includes calls from husbands more than one state away and kids not in your immediate eye sight.)
4. Since husband's are probably not agreeing to this, the TVs can be on but only for sleeping purposes.
5. This includes Nintendo's, Xbox's and PlayStation's of ALL generations.

Enjoy the weather.  Enjoy your family.  Make something.  Annoy someone.  Whatever you do, do it in person and be sure to tell us about it!  

Let us know if you plan to be joining us in the comments below!

 Disclaimer:  Have Friend Will Travel is not responsible for any mayhem that may incur while you are taking this challenge... you know who you are...

Why I am a Bad Daughter - or - How to Mess with a Loved One By Using AutoCorrect...

**UPDATE** As requested -

Disclaimer:  Do not attempt to drink liquids of any kind while reading this article.  Have Friend Will Travel is not responsible for trauma inflicted upon cats.  We actually dislike cats.  Nothing personal, we just prefer dogs.

By now we have all seen the screen shots of someone sending someone else a text message and instead of saying I love you it says I love penis - or something to that extent... The autocorrect function on today's smartphones can be a dangerously hilarious thing.  For the haters, and you know who you are, yes, you can turn it off, but why would you take the chance of getting to "accidentally" send someone a dirty word or two?  And also, shut up because your seriousness and lack of a sense of humor is making my head hurt...

Now, in the recent iOS 5 there is an option to take AutoCorrect and essentially make it your bitch.  For example, if The Hubs sends me a text while I am driving I obviously cannot text him - "You freakin KNOW I am driving, why would you text me at a volatile moment like this?"  So I grab my phone and type in WTFD (what the fword - driving), it will type it for me.  Here's how you do it... and bear with me because there IS a point to this explanation - and also, you will want to do this to your loved ones when they aren't looking as well.  I KNOW THIS!

Go into Settings -> Keyboard -> Add New Shortcut

When this option came out I almost lost my mind waiting for The Hubs to upgrade to iOS 5.  He STILL hasn't... that's right... I put it out there!  BUT WAIT!  There was light at the end of the tunnel!  My MOTHER received an iPhone from a couple that loves her dearly.  She had NO idea how to work an iPhone... no idea what AutoCorrect even was... let alone how to click the X so that it doesn't change what you are typing... and to further that... she had no idea you could create your own.  This was it!  My big chance!  So I told her I was going to check her settings (which I totally did), and I did the trick... I set up a couple of shortcuts for the words "Yes" and "No".  Below are ACTUAL Screenshots - I just blacked out my mom's name for privacy (and because she would smother me as I sleep if I published her name). 

Here is a Cereal Guy excerpt of our conversation... for some added drama...

Mom - did the kids brush their teeth?

Fo Sho

 Did you send that? 

        

 I typed fo sho

Yeah.    

 

That is what it is sending 

You didn't type that?  

 Hairy balls

 

 

 What!?       

I did not type that

It clearly says hairy balls

Fo sho

What is wrong with you?

 

Hairy balls

Not me

Stupid phone

  Please read the rest below -

So - I'm off to get strangled by my mother as soon as she finds out that I posted this.  ENJOY!!! 

OH... and I would love to know how your iPhone AutoCorrect shortcut prank goes... because I know you are going to do it...

My Heart Hurts

Dolphin MH-65 

On Tuesday, February 28^th, a United States Coast Guard helicopter went down in Mobile Bay during a training mission. No one knows yet why… but that is not what matters right now.

On that helicopter were four men: a pilot, a co-pilot, a mechanic, and a rescue diver. Immediately following the crash, the rescue diver was found and could not be resuscitated.  Since then, the members of the USCG along with local law enforcement and personnel have worked tirelessly around the clock searching for the other three men, and working to bring up the wreckage of the helicopter. The Coast Guard has put on a brave face and said, repeatedly, “This is a search and rescue mission. We are hoping to find these men alive.”

Yesterday, a local church here released the name of one of the missing. A local television station released the name of another missing. But the name of the one who died in service and one of the other Guardsmen still remain private to the general public.

Courtesy of al.com

But I can guarantee you… that to someone, their name is well known. They are someone’s son or brother, possibly someone’s father or husband, someone’s high school classmate… possibly a childhood friend. And even bigger than all these, GOD knows their names. He knows the number of hairs (however military style short) on their heads.

Last night, my pastor gave a Bible study on Numbers 11, which has NOTHING to do with missing Coast Guardsmen or rescue missions. It was discussing how the Israelites complained about how God only provided manna to eat, and not meat. They even questioned why they were ever brought out of Egypt. God told Moses he would provide meat for these people for a month, and Moses questioned God. How was he to provide meat for over 600,000 men and their families? Numbers 11:23 says, ²³ And the Lord said to Moses, “Has the Lord’s arm been shortened?”

MY GOD’s arms are long. They are capable to wrapping around you and encasing you in comfort, protection, and blessings. They are capable of holding you up through times of grief or sickness or exhaustion.  My God’s arms are capable to scooping up the entire ocean and holding it…

And my God can reach down and pick up three men from wherever they are and return them to their families.

He doesn’t always choose to do that. And we don’t know why, we can’t comprehend why HE does what HE does… but his arms are always there. And HE is always right.

And to my Coast Guard family, to whom I will always feel loyalty, “Semper Peratus”.