Hackers and other Modern Day Joys

I have four email addresses (my first one -- hotmail -- which I just haven't deleted because some people still send me emails there, a yahoo address that I mainly use for bill pay but occasionally use for personal emails, my gmail account, which is the one I use the most to send personal emails, and my school address). In the past year and a half, three out of four of these accounts have been hacked, and all of the people in my address book have received junk messages from me, presumably with viruses attached. The most recent incident was yesterday.

Sometimes I dream of abandoning the "perks" of the modern world, which often become annoyances. I regret signing a two-year contract on my satellite TV because the TV is on far too much. I wish I could cancel it and use the TV only to watch movies that we rent. I mean, I could, but I'd have to pay a fee. I wish I didn't need internet, but I do. I have to have it for school. I pay tons of my bills that way. We keep in touch with far away family that way. And I really just can't imagine not having it. Not having google at my disposal to find the answer to virtually any question? Inconceivable.

But in my head, it's lovely to imagine abandoning it all and living in some quiet country house with a beautiful garden, and writing, and watching my kids play outside all day without worrying about them being hit by a car or kidnapped, and reading, and painting, and gardening, and actually doing productive things. Who's going to hack my garden? My books? My typewriter?

Someone. Someone would find a way, because people are evil. My kids sometimes obsess over "bad guys," and they ask if there are bad people here, where we live...and that terrible part of me that just can't sugar coat things for my kids has to sigh and say, "Yes. Bad people are everywhere." Sad, but true.

Puppy Goes to the Gallows

I found this in the kitchen. How concerned should I be for the safety of my dog...and the rest of the family, for that matter?

Fun with Frogs

My sister and I took our kids to my parents' house a few days ago to swim in their pool. Thalia proceeded to rescue a tiny, tiny frog (toad?) from the pool.

I held him for a bit and the kids poked at him. They soon lost interest and jumped back in the water. Kristin and I, however, did what any mature woman would do...

We put the frog on a horse. Yes, that's a tiny, tiny horse. It was just Frog's size. How could we not take him for a ride? He enjoyed it quite a lot.

After a little gallop around the yard, he decided it was time to dismount...

...and find a more modern ride:

Yes, Froggy was big pimpin'. You can tell by the expression on his face that he was pretty full of himself in that car. Frog went a-courtin', and he did ride...he cruised around for awhile looking for a lady. Seems all the girl frogs had washed up dead in the pool's skimmer, however.

Frog's now on the lam, accused of murder. Good luck, Froggy. Godspeed.