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allie1804-fan · 4 years

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Please Assist Me (Chapter 8)

Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7

She Said

When I woke up the next morning my head was aching slightly from the wine. As memories of the night before flooded back, I felt butterflies in my stomach. The secret was out now, what next?

I rolled over and grabbed my phone to check the time and noticed the little red number 1 by my messenger app. It was from Keanu.

“Morning sweetheart – hope you’re OK and not regretting what we shared last night. I’m glad it’s out in the open but what now? I read about social bubbles - can we form one? I promise I’m safe – not seen a soul in person since I got back and I think I qualify as lonely!”

I didn’t reply right away. I needed to think about the bubble I’d already formed to help keep the kids sane. There were 2 other families with similar age kids and we rotated round our homes on week days. Each day there were online lessons in the morning and in the afternoon, whoever had the kids would entertain them with cooking, crafts, quiet play and some TV time. The system gave each set of parents some alone time to help with work as well as their sanity with coping with home schooling. The bubble relied on honesty about who you were seeing if anyone outside the bubble. It needed not to be too leaky and you needed to agree on other things about covid like masks, hand washing, how much shopping you did out of the home etc. They all already knew who my boss was but I didn’t think I could claim that physical contact with Keanu was essential to me doing my job! And if we started dating (which I guess was the natural next step from what we’d shared the night before), if the kids knew, they could not be relied upon to keep that a secret and I wasn’t sure how I felt about that.

“No regrets - social bubble a good idea - would just need to run it past members of my kids’ bubble am in already for school. Chat later? I’ll be free after 10”

I took the kids to Julie’s as it was her school day that day and got back home by 10 ready to talk to Keanu. I propped the ipad on the kitchen counter and dialled.

A shaggy, shower fresh, wet haired Keanu appeared on the screen wearing tight jeans and a blue t-shirt – this didn’t help my composure much - nor did him kissing his fingers and blowing me a kiss but it convinced me we needed to find a way to see each other in person. I said as much:

“You know, I watched “The Lake House” while you were away and I was thinking that maybe we should be like Alex and Kate and write each other chaste letters until there’s a vaccine but seeing you like that has changed my mind!”

He laughed and blushed – that’s all we seemed to make each other do since we started talking about our feelings.

“no, no, no and no” was his firm reply “I know I played that guy but in real life I am not that patient …….. or chaste!”

I laughed at that and went onto explain how the school bubble worked, reassuring him that I trusted the other moms and dads broadly – and since they already knew I worked for him, the excitement of a celebrity connection had lost some of its drama.

“But we’ll need a credible reason to ask them to let you into the bubble - I don’t think I can claim it’s necessary for work! But like you say, I can possibly plead for helping out my lonely boss / friend. No-one is seeing elderly parents other than over a garden fence or on zoom so they’ll know you can’t see your Mom, you have one sister in Italy and maybe we could say you can’t see Karina either as she has a vulnerable partner.”

“you should go into writing! You’ve built me a credible backstory for why I have no other social contacts and can plead loneliness!”

“But I don’t want people to know there’s anything more to it than helping a friend OK?”

“You embarrassed by me?”

“Ay Dios mio, no! don’t be ridiculous!”

“I’m kidding” he laughed, I love when you resort to Spanish by the way.

I touched his lips on screen with my fingers. He smiled back.

“No, I agree let’s keep it low key, we should take it slow”

“And for the kids - I don’t want to confuse them”

“Right of course …… “This is crazy” he exclaimed out of nowhere.

“What?”

“I know It’s right to take it slow but God this pandemic is making everything feel so heightened, so urgent”

I giggled and instinctively put my hands up to my face, peaking out at him from between my fingers, embarrassed.

“Am I freaking you out?”

“No but it’s just like you can read my mind!”

“Oh?”, he cocked an eyebrow at me

“I want to kiss you “

“And I want to hold you “

“And do everything else ‘normal people’ do in normal times”

“Jesus that show has l lot to answer for” He ran his hand through his hair making it stick up in crazy directions.

“Mmmmm nice do!”

And so it went on like that for a few days - we either phoned, face timed or messaged and what we said was often turning suggestive.

He Said

After admitting we had feelings for each other, we talked and decided to try and get me into her school moms bubble. When we communicated, whether via phone, facetime or messages, it was always turning flirty. She was so damn sexy and I was getting desperate.

Fortunately her group chat with the other moms went well and they were agreeable to helping out a lonely man and allowed me into the bubble – apparently their only request was that I would have to meet them at some point in the future when we were allowed.

I told Karina that I wouldn’t be able to see her other than in a socially distanced way and why. She was so delighted to hear that Sophia and I had admitted we liked each other that she didn’t mind the sacrifice!

Our first date was by necessity a dinner at Sophia’s house - that was about all we could do given the stay at home ruling and the kids. A night alone could be some way off though I can’t deny I was thinking about the times when the kids would be at one of the other parents’ homes on a school day leaving the day-time clear as an opportunity to get connected!

Sophia made sure that the kids had the same story as the moms about the reason I was joining the bubble and coming to dinner. When I arrived at their house, they hugged me so tight to say sorry that I was so lonely and Eva had made me a cheer up card.

After dinner (lasagne followed by brownies -of course), we set the kids up to watch some TV while we got on with the clearing up. In the kitchen, I stood behind Sophia at the kitchen sink, sliding my arms around her middle and leaning in to kiss her neck. She groaned but quickly pushed me away urging me to wait till later.

“Those kids have a 6th sense for walking in when you don’t want them to” she said so I backed off and picked up a tea towel. Straight after that, Eva walked in right on cue and Sophia raised her eyebrows as if to say “told you!”

Later, when we were finally alone with the kids in bed, we sank onto the sofa with wine in hand. It was reminiscent of that first time I had stayed at her house, only this time, my feelings were far clearer in my mind!

Now can I kiss you?

She Said

The anticipation of our first kiss was delicious ………..and the actual kiss perfect.

Ever since he’d arrived that evening, I hadn’t stopped thinking about it. We’d hugged hello – a big squeeze - and he’d kissed me on the cheek, lingering just a little longer than he’d done in the past and as he talked over dinner, I swear I looked more at his lips than his eyes!

When we were finally alone after dinner, sitting on the sofa, he asked if he could kiss me.

“God, yes please!” was all I could manage to say. He took my wine glass from my hand and set it on the table. Then he placed his hands on the top of my arms just below my shoulders and leaned in, touching his soft lips to mine, just closed lipped at first. Our eyes were open at first but then his hands slipped round to my back, gently pulling me closer. I opened my mouth slightly and felt his tongue slip between my lips and probe my mouth. I gave into the intensity and closed my eyes and as the kiss deepened, my hands rose up to his face. My fingers traced the silky skin behind his ears and moved to his neck. The soft contrast of his skin compared to his rougher beard against my face was driving me wild.

My heart was racing and I needed to catch my breath – I pulled back and opened my eyes. I’m sure I was panting a little and we were both flushed.

“That was worth the wait” I murmured.

“Intense huh?” He offered

“Mmmm”

I needed to get myself together so I patted his chest and asked

“Can I put my head here? There’s things I need to say to you but it’s easier if I don’t look at you.

“Ok” he said with a nervous rising inflection.

“You know I said I watched “The Lake House” when you were way, well I’ve been day-dreaming about kissing you ever since”

I could feel him chuckle underneath my cheek.

“Well, I’ve been thinking about it since our kiss goodbye at xmas, when we bumped noses!

I smiled and gave him a little squeeze.

“That intensity, it doesn’t bother me exactly, that’s the wrong word but I AM kind of wondering, you know, why it’s so intense, I mean is it the pandemic making our human connections seem all the more precious or is it because I’ve been single for almost 2 years or is it because, if I’m honest, these feelings I have for you have been building since the autumn? Especially after Miguel’s accident and I know I was jealous about Anja.

He chucked again “you were?”

I nodded my head slightly against his chest

“I didn’t want to admit it to myself and I didn’t like myself for it either”

His reply surprised me

“Well I basically went out with Anja as an avoidance tactic so don’t beat yourself up too much!”

“You did?”

“Uh huh - Alex told me months ago he thought I was sweet on you AND your kids and I was all ‘no no it’s just because she’s so good at her job that I mention her every second breath’ and then there was the whole boss / employee thing so I told myself “this can’t happen” and then Anja asked me out and, well you know the rest!”

By now I’d started to shake with laughter against him

“OMG we are so Marianne and Connell!”

“Yup!” He agreed

He Said

Oh Wow, that first kiss took my breath away.

Afterwards, she was so sweet. She said she’d been day-dreaming about it after seeing “The Lake House” whilst I was away. That was weird given I know there was a part of me channelling some of my past on screen roles and kisses when kissing her. Pulling her to me was both a natural instinct but also something I’d rehearsed specifically for “Something’s Gotta Give”

The feel of her tiny, soft hands on my neck was driving me wild and she was flushed and panting slightly when she pulled away.

When she lay her head against my chest and talked it was the weirdest feeling. It was kind of like hearing the machinations of my own mind over recent days spilling out.

She was trying to analyse her feelings and what was making us have such a powerful connection, expressed in that first kiss. Was it the pandemic, was it her single status or that our feelings had been brewing away for months now with no release valve. Laughter ended up being a kind of release – laughing about her confession of jealousy and me basically dating Anja as an avoidance tactic!

When I said that maybe the feelings were just normal for a new relationship, I think I was partly trying to convince myself that we shouldn’t worry that circumstances were unnaturally heightening our feelings. She said she hadn’t felt this way about her ex husband and of course then bounced the question straight back at me.

I had to admit that this was knew to me, especially for a first kiss. Maybe I should have started singing “It never happened before” but I just sank into another kiss enjoying the dance of our tongues and the sharp contraction in my groin.

When she pulled back a second time, she softly brushed my cheek with the back of her hand and I held it to my face and sighed. I could feel tears pricking at my eyes and buried my face in her hair to give me a moment to control them. She was right, this was intense.

@fortheloveoffanfic @kindainlovewithkeanu @omg-imagine @iworshipkeanureeves @fics-not-tragedies @ficsnroses @keanureevesisbae @penwieldingdreamer @witty-wallflower @paperplanesandwallflowers @bitchyslut99 @ladyreapermc @toomanystoriessolittletime @fanficsrusz @keanuficfiles

#keanu reeves fanfic #keanu reeves fanfiction #keanu #keanu reeves #romance with boss

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oboevallis · 4 years

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the watch

“You didn’t think it would be a good idea to tell me my mother was in town?” Amelia halfway shouted at Meredith in the hallway near the daycare where they just dropped their kids off.

“Well, I got busy and it slipped my mind. I’m trying to get used to you not living in the house anymore, so you don’t get all the information I have the minute I have it.” Meredith defended herself losing her patience.

“Are you mad I moved out?” Amelia asked still mad about the whole situation.

“No, it’s just an adjustment. I depended on you.” Meredith was trying to deflect her true emotions, she really missed the neurosurgeon.

“I’ll still help with the kids when I can. I’ll always be there for them don’t worry about that.” Amelia tried to reassure her sister in law.

“I know, I just m-you know never mind I have surgery. And your mother will be at my house at 7 to have dinner you better be there.” Meredith said as she walked away to go start her morning.

“Awww, were you going to say you missed me?” Amelia asked as Meredith walked away, a wave was the only thing she had gotten in return.

________________________________________________

“Mils, there is a baseball game on tonight. I know your not the biggest fan of baseball, but I was thinking the three of us could watch together. You know Scouts first viewing experience of baseball. I mean it’s nothing like when we take him to his first in real life game, but it should be a lot of fun!” Link enthusiastically said wrapping his arms around his girlfriend who was filling out a chart at the nurses station. Amelia placed the IPad into the charging slot and turned around in her boyfriends arms.

“I wish I could, but my mothers in town. So I have to go to Mer’s to have dinner with her and the kids. Even though all I want to do is watch baseball with you and our baby.” Amelia pouted.

“Oh, umm do you want me to go with you or?” Link questioned.

“No, no I already put you through enough with her.”

“Amelia you know I don’t feel that way.” Link smiled at his girlfriend.

“I know, but I will tell her about you and Scout...eventually. But there is something I need to pick up from home so I’ll come home with you two and feed Scout before I go over. Please put him to bed at a reasonable hour though.”

“Deal-io” Link smiles kissing his girlfriend.

_________________________________________________

Amelia rummaged though the jewelry box that was under the bed she shared with her boyfriend. It was a mess, necklaces tangled together, loose earrings floating about, and broken bracelets. She really had to clean it out and organize it but this wasn’t the time. Her hands then felt leather. It belonged to the watch her father owned many years ago. She shoved it into her pocket and made her way to the kitchen where her boyfriend was popping popcorn. She went up to him and kissed him.

“Are you sure you’ll be alright?” Link asked.

“I should be asking you that. You’ve never been alone with Scout a long period of time before?”

“We’ll be just fine.” Link reassured his girlfriend giving her another kiss. “Good Luck!” He shouted as she exited their apartment. He silently prayed everything would go ok between his girlfriend and her mother and that he would be able to handle Scout.

_________________________________________________

“Auntie Amelia!” Bailey shouted as he ran to engulf his aunt in a hug almost knocking her down. She had forgotten how big Bailey was getting.

“Hey, Bails how are you doing?” She asked as she picked him up, the weight difference between him and her son catching her off guard.

“I’m good, I miss you though when are you coming home?” Bailey innocently asked.

“Well, we’ve talked about this I moved out. But I’ll still see you all the time.” Amelia said quietly hoping her mother wouldn’t hear her. In response she got an aspirated sigh from her nephew.

“Hey mom.” Amelia said walking into the kitchen and her mother engulfing her in a hug.

“It’s good to see you kiddo.” Carolyn kindly smiled to her youngest.

The family sat around the dinner table eating the dinner Meredith surprisingly prepared with Zola’s assistance. The kids were soaking up every moment of their grandmother who they didn’t see to often and when they did it was usually via video chat. Carolyn heard all about their favorite activities and how they enjoyed school. Though reminiscing Derek was the main topic of the night. The three older women shared stories about the man. All three kids soaked up every word about their father. Amelia was appreciative about that, that had distracted the kids and they didn’t ask any questions about their cousin or her boyfriend and if a question seemed like it was about to arise she would mention another story about her brother.

“Thank you very much for dinner Meredith. I think I will call a cab though and call it a night.” Carolyn said engulfing her daughter in law in a hug.

“Of course Carolyn, anytime. I can drive you if you want.” Meredith politely responded.

“Mom I’ll drive you.” Amelia suggested.

“Oh don’t worry about it.” Carolyn told her daughter.

“No it’s ok mom.” Amelia reassured her mother. She was finally able to convince her mother to let her take her to the hotel. Amelia asked if she could come in the room to talk to her mother. Which her mother complied, hiding her enthusiasm to be able to talk with her daughter. Her mother sat on the bed and Amelia situated herself in the desk chair in the room. After a couple minutes of silence Carolyn spoke up.

“Is there something you want to say dear?”

“Umm well I had a baby.” Amelia blurted out, immediately regretting it.

“I know, Addison had told me.” Carolyn said solemnly.

“Wait what? She doesn’t know?” Amelia was confused until she realized what her mother knew.

“She had called when she first found out about the pregnancy, before she knew about...And then she told me about the diagnosis and how you didn’t want me there or anyone. That was conflicting, I never knew what it was like, well at least then how it felt to lose a child I was clueless as to how to help you. So I just stayed back and pretended to be oblivious.” Carolyn admitted patting the bed next to her signal her daughter to sit next to her. Tears streamed down her face as she sat next to her mother.

“Well that’s not what I was talking about. And I don’t really want to talk about at the moment.” Amelia said as she wiped her tears and took out her phone showing her mother a picture of her living son.

“Who is this little guy?” Her mother asked gushing over the picture.

“Link and I’s son.” Amelia said smiling at the picture.

“The man you brought to dinner that night?” Carolyn questioned.

“Yeah.” Amelia said while chuckling. Carolyn stayed quiet as Amelia flipped through the baby photos.

“What’s his name?”

“Augustus, but his middle name is Scout and that’s what we’ve been calling him.”

“Can I meet him? I would also love to see Atticus again.” Her mother smiled at her daughter.

“Of course.” Amelia smiled sadly thinking about Christopher. And how he should of had the opportunity to meet her family and be happy and have so much love surrounding him like Scout was able to have. “Umm I have to give you something. I wrongly took it from you years ago and I’m truly deeply sorry.”

“Oh wow. Your fathers watch.” Carolyn was taken aback as her daughter handed her, her late husbands watch. “I thought I lost it.”

“I know and I’m very very sorry. I shouldn’t of taken it and I wish that I didn’t. It had a significant meaning to you and it was one of the only things you had left from Dad. And it also wasn’t right Derek never got to have it I’m sure dad meant for it to be passed on to Derek at some point. I was going to eventually give it to Bailey, but it’s not my place to do that.” Amelia said wiping away her tears. Carolyn sat in silence rubbing her fingers against the leather band of the watch.

“I forgive you.” Carolyn said ten minutes later, after she had processed the information she was just given.

“Mom you don’t have to forgive me.”

“Holding onto it made me upset and I think if I had it for any longer I would’ve gotten mad. What that man took from us, your fathers stubbornness, and I think that giving it to Bailey is a good decision.” Carolyn said handing the watch back to her youngest.

“Ok.” Amelia said softly wiping her tears. “Well I should get going.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow?” Carolyn asked as she hugged her daughter goodbye.

“Yeah, I have the day off.”

“Ok I love you have a good night.”

“Love you.” Amelia said softly as she closed the door to the hotel room.

________________________________________________

“You look exhausted.” Amelia chuckled climbing into bed with her boyfriend.

“Yeah, Scout was a little more difficult on my own then I expected.” Link said kissing his girlfriend after his statement. “How was it with you mom?”

“It was good, umm she wants to meet Scout.” Amelia said playing with the neck of Link’s T-shirt.

“Ok, that’s good! Right?” Link questioned.

“Yeah, it just caught me off guard because apparently she knew about Christopher.”

“Mothers always have a way of knowing I guess.” To this Amelia chuckled in response.

“I love you.” Amelia said softly shutting off the lamp next to Link and laying down.

“I think I love you more.” Link resounded.

“Impossible.” Giggled Amelia in response to their cheesiness.

#baby amelink #atticus lincoln #amelink #mama shepherd #amelia shepherd #greysanatomy #amelia and link #meredith grey #greys anatomy fanfic #baliey shepherd #derek shepherd #grey s anatomy

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vsplusonline · 5 years

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Agony and anguish: Patients fear dying alone from COVID-19 isolation rules

New Post has been published on https://apzweb.com/agony-and-anguish-patients-fear-dying-alone-from-covid-19-isolation-rules/

Agony and anguish: Patients fear dying alone from COVID-19 isolation rules

TORONTO — There is perhaps nothing more harrowing than dying alone. But for many of the sickest victims of COVID-19, this may be how it ends.

Once unfathomable, it almost became a harsh reality for 81-year-old Bernice Fiala and her three daughters: coming to terms with the knowledge that Fiala’s final days would be spent alone after the hospital banned visitors to protect its patients.

“It’s like a knife. I don’t know that it can get worse than this,” said daughter Joanne King, who stayed connected with a nightly phone call after she was no longer allowed to visit.

“It’s agonizing and gut wrenching. I can’t even put it in words what it feels like.”

Fiala was admitted to Chatham-Kent Health Alliance, a hospital in Southwestern Ontario, on March 16, where she tested positive for COVID-19. She is now on life support and her daughter Joanne was the only visitor allowed until this week when the hospital initially said visits with her dying mother were now banned.

The hospital appeared to have a change of heart after it was contacted by CTV News, saying all patients who were imminently dying could have a loved one with them.

So if Fiala is taken off life support, her daughter, Joanne, will be there.

But not everyone is so lucky.

When Mubarak Popat became infected with COVID-19 earlier this month, it took just over two weeks for the disease to claim his life. Popat’s daughter, Nooreen and his son-in-law Rick, are both doctors and work in the hospital where he died.

It was heartbreaking, they said, not being able to be with him in his final moments. The experience was “devastatingly isolating” and heartbreaking for Popat’s daughter, knowing that his father would have felt alone in his final moments.

It is the cruelty of this virus — to stop its virulence from spreading, to protect loved ones, it forces everyone to stay physically apart. It deprives the dying of comfort from loved ones, and the healthy from saying goodbye.

Medical ethicists say what would once have been considered inhumane is now the reality in this new pandemic world. There are no national guidelines for how hospitals should handle end of life COVID-19 cases.

“As deaths from COVID-19 increase, more and more families will face this situation,” said Ron Butcher, a medical ethicist based in London, Ont.

For Fiala at least, she will have her family with her via an iPad in her final moments, with her daughter Joanne by her side.

With files from CTV Toronto’s Sean Davidson

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#Health

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plogan721 · 5 years

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Tech Wars: Time to get an upgrade Part 2

Disclaimer: P. Lynne Designs is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

This is the camera edition of “Tablet Wars: Time to get an upgrade”. In the last “Time to Get an Upgrade”, dated June 13, 2015, I talked about upgrading my Ipad and my phone. What had happened at that time: I was grocery shopping. Grocery delivery had not come to my area and I needed some vittles (southern talk for food-trying to be funny, bear with me, people). Anyway, I knew it was about to storm, but it looked like it was so far away.

Photo by: NDTV Gadgets

If you know anything about Ohio weather, you know that it could be sunny one minute, raining the next, followed by snow, sleet, and hail, topped off by a tornado warning in a split second. I can see some of you from other states nodding your heads as well. Anyway, I thought I was safe.

The purse I was carrying at the time had pockets on the side and for convenience, I went into the store, grabbed a cart, and started shopping. In the middle of my grocery shopping, down came the rain. I was not too worried because I thought that the rain would stop by the time I checked out, but I started to hurry.

I carried my Samsung Galaxy SIII in one of the pockets.

I paid for the groceries and started outside, but stopped because the rain was harder than before. My car was too far away to do a full sprint to it, but I attempted when it lightens up. Running to the car I go, popped the truck, grabbed my purse to toss inside to the passenger side of the car, not thinking that the USB hole on my phone was exposed to all that water. I tossed the groceries in and left. No worries (at least I thought).

I got home, put the groceries in the house, then put them away. I thought that I had to turn off my phone, but it died from all that water going inside. I took the battery out, put it in rice, and let the rest of the phone air out. I could not believe it, my precious phone, gone. The rest of the story is on that blog post, and even though it is an old post, it is still a good read. I even upgraded my Ipad the day I upgraded the phone. The bad side of the story was getting the bill, which Verizon charged more than I was willing to pay when the rep told me another price.

For today’s Post

I am interested in another phone. The one that replaced the SIII phone is dying a slow, painful death. It is slow, and it is painful for me to watch as I decide to take a picture, video, or add a new app, and the memory isn’t there to support my forever growing social media presence. I want the new Galaxy 9 phone, but the money does not support it, and not only that, my dad is the owner of the account and told me to forget about getting a phone anytime soon. Same goes if I decide to switch up and get an Iphone.

I also need a new Ipad. The current one is still ok, and I still can do all the things, except drawing. I can draw on it, but I do not have the proper stylus. Plus, I would love to hook it up to the new laptop or the desktop, then I can see what I am drawing. Enter the New Apple Mini Ipad 5, which I played with today at the Apple Store. I was asking about a stylus that I could draw with my current mini Ipad, and the rep pointed me to another person who showed me the Ipad 5. I love the price, $389, which is the same price as my Cricut Maker, and actually, come to think of it, the current Mini Ipad. I also love that I do not have to pay for the Procreate software that I would have to get for my current Ipad. ($9.99, yikes!!!)

Last, I need a new camera. The last camera, which was a baby camera (I will call Pocket), is lost somewhere in the condo. This is how tiny it is or was, I cannot decide which is which, and it depends on if I can find it or not. If I can, then it will be a backup camera, but if not, Oh well, I am not crying over a lost tiny camera.

I have been thinking about getting the Canon G7x, Mark II camera or the Canon Powershot Camera. I tend to get cameras that I am familiar with or have heard good reviews on. The Cannon G7x, Mark II camera is currently being used by one of my favorite YouTube families, Gabe and Chad Rader, and have been using it for a couple of years with success. The only problem has been for them was Chad accidentally leaving the camera on the top of the family car and driving off. The camera immediately fell off, and the screen broke. Yep, sounds like me, but lucky for them, they have a warranty, and Gabe (as is Gabrielle) seen off the camera this week for a replacement. I would also choose the Powershot Camera because at $369 it is a cheaper version than the Mark II’s $669. I am not sure I will be taking that many pictures between now and my trip to Disney later in the year.

Yes, I did it….

Photo by: www.wdwsecrets.com

I am creating a new series over on my At Home with Tricia's Baskets blog and it is properly (I think) says, “I’m Going to Disney World”. The story starts like this: Have you ever wanted something so bad until you can taste it? Well, that has been me for the past 8.5 years. (as long as my youngest nephew has been alive, he will be 9 in August.) This trip was actually 16 years in the making. I started planning my next trip (in my head) at the end of our last trip in 2004. We went in 2007 to Disneyland, but it was part of the California trip. If you are a true Disney fan, you know that any trip to Disney is not a proper trip if you add on going outside of the park, but while me, my oldest nephew (then 11), and my mom were at Disneyland, my dad took in a Dodgers game. It worked out for all of us. My sister was at home tending to my middle nephew, who was 2 months old at the time, and not able to travel. Tip: ladies, your little one can get on the plane at 3 months. He was so cute in the Disneyland onesie I bought him. Now at 12, I think he is a little bit too big for it, LOL. We flew out on one of the now defunct airlines, which I forgot the name of.

Anyway, sidetrack moment, and a good lead-in.

I do not give out full trip details for privacy reasons (See protect yourself from Unwanted viewers-July 23, 2018). I will say that I and the family, minus three dogs (Strype, Chewy, and Duchess) and a cat (Gizmo) will be staying in a 3-bedroom Grand Villa at Bay Lake Towers at Disney World. It is part of a package deal that includes the deluxe dining plan.

To get details on the series, go to At Home with Tricia's Baskets soon.

My only takeaway tip for today is to research what you need and watch your camera budget. Sometimes suggestions are just that…. suggestions. It could be that these cameras are out of your price range. That is ok. There are plenty of camera choices out there but go in knowing what your price range is, what you plan on doing with the camera. Is it for photography? For videos? What about both? For this, my plan is for all of it, but I need a phone that allows me to do Instagram and Pinterest posts as well.

As for trips, the same thing. You do not have to go to Disney, nor have my package. I will give more details on how I got my package in the first place, and how you can get it cheaper at a later time on both this blog and on At Home with Tricia's Baskets.

Until then, I will have to clean out my phone. Goodbye and God Bless.

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#IFTTT #Blogger

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danielphowley · 7 years

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The most important iPhone features ever

Apple CEO Steve Jobs holds up the new iPhone during his keynote address at MacWorld Conference & Expo in San Francisco, Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2007. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)While it may be difficult for Google’s (GOOG, GOOGL) Android fans to admit, Apple’s (AAPL) iPhone has become one of history’s most influential consumer electronics devices.

Today’s iPhone 7 and the upcoming iPhone 8 — or iPhone 10, or whatever it’s going to be called — is an amalgamation of the best aspects of its predecessors, as well as a number of ideas the company ��borrowed” from its competitors.

But the additions Apple has made to its iconic handset don’t all carry equal weight. These are the most important iPhone features to date.

The Home button

The iPhone’s Home button has evolved a number of times over the last 10 years, and we might soon be saying goodbye to it.

The Home button has been with the iPhone since Apple launched its first handset in 2007. A simple circle designed to cup your thumb, the Home button has evolved significantly over the years. Today, the Home button is a solid-state button with an adjustable pressure sensor. Apple also did away with the small square located at the center of the Home button, and could kill off the circle entirely with the iPhone 8.

According to rumors, the next iPhone might use an on-screen Home button thanks to the handset’s edge-to-edge display. It’s not exactly a new idea, though. Samsung started using on-screen Home buttons with its Galaxy S8, and Google’s Pixel, as well as other Android phones, only use on-screen Home buttons.

EarPods

Apple’s EarPods are easily the most recognizable headphones in the world.

Apple’s EarPods are technically an add-on to the iPhone, but the clean, all-white design of the in-ear headphones were hugely popular during the iPhone’s early days and continue to be used to this day. Apple’s decision to include the EarPods with every iPhone ensured consumers could show off how hip they were by letting them subtly show off the fact that they owned an iPhone without waving it in the face of every stranger they passed on the street.

Apple even included a pair with the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, though it’s unclear if that tradition will continue with the iPhone 8, as Apple is pushing consumers toward its wireless AirPods.

The Retina display

Apple’s Retina display has long been one of the most beautiful on the market.

When Apple’s late co-founder and CEO Steve Jobs took the wraps off the original iPhone, the most impressive feature was its display. While other manufactures were still slapping physical keyboards on their devices, Apple decided that you’d only be able to use a multi-touch panel to interact with the iPhone. And while physical keyboard traditionalists turned their noses up at Apple’s handset, the iPhone ended up the ultimate winner.

Over the years, Apple has steadily improved the iPhone’s panel, first by developing the high-resolution Retina display, then by stretching the screen’s size from 3.5 inches to 4 inches and finally to 4.7 inches with the iPhone 6 and 5.5-inches with the massive 6 Plus.

The iPhone 8 is expected to get an edge-to-edge display, which means its screens’ sizes could see significant increases. And who wouldn’t want a larger display to browse Snapchat?

Touch ID

Apple’s Touch ID fingerprint sensor not only added an extra layer of security to the smartphone, it also opened up the opportunity pay for items using Apple Pay.

The iPhone 5s was the first iPhone to feature Apple’s Touch ID fingerprint sensor. The feature, which turned the Home button into a fingerprint reader, allowed you to unlock your phone without having to enter an annoying pin, and is, generally, more secure.

The following year Apple rolled out its Apple Pay mobile payment service, which allowed users to pay for items online and at cash registers using their fingerprints.

There is speculation that Apple might change up the implementation of the technology with the iPhone 8 by positioning the reader under the phone’s display. Doing so would allow the company to create a larger edge-to-edge screen without having to do away with the reader or move it to the rear of the handset.

The camera

Apple’s iPhone camera helped bring smartphone photography to the masses with an easy-to-use interface and excellent capabilities.

Apple has always given special attention to the iPhone’s camera, and for quite some time it was easily the market leader when it came to overall quality. Samsung’s Galaxy family of smartphones and other competitors like Google’s Pixel have closed the gap over the years, but Apple pushed the boundary further with its iPhone 7 Plus and that handset’s dual-lens camera.

Apple is expected to make even greater improvements to its cameras with the iPhone 8, with rumors indicating the phone will get a 3D sensor for augmented reality apps and a super-fast facial recognition camera up front.

Siri

Apple’s Siri was the first of the new breed of virtual assistants.

The first of the new breed of virtual assistants, Apple’s Siri started out with the ability to tell you the weather and check sports scores. Since then Amazon (AMZN) has successfully jumped into the virtual assistant arena with its incredibly successful Alexa and Echo speaker. Google’s own Assistant and Home speaker have followed with success of their own, but Siri started things off.

What’s more, Siri is available across Apple’s multitude of devices including the iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Apple TV, Home Kit, and Car Play.

Apple will soon release updates to Siri via iOS 11 with a new voice, brighter information cards and further Siri Kit integration with additional apps. Then there’s the company’s own HomePod smart speaker coming later this fall. In other words, don’t sleep on Siri.

The App Store

Apple’s App Store has been instrumental in the spread of apps and services ranging from Instagram and Twitter to Uber and Tinder.

Apple’s App Store wasn’t available on the first iPhone, but it arguably helped make the handset as important as it is today. Thanks to the App Store, we use our smartphones to do things like find dates, order food, play games, stream movies and, of course, download apps that make fart noises.

The App Store hasn’t been without controversy, though. Apple’s notoriously strict guidelines and its “walled garden” approach to how it allows apps to interact with the iPhone have been criticized throughout the years. But there’s no denying the App Store has been critical to the iPhone’s success.

For Apple’s iOS 11, the App Store is getting a new look and improved curation via the store’s own editorial team, as well as daily updates to the day’s hottest apps. The App Store could soon be its best yet.

iOS

Apple’s iOS operating system has won praise throughout the years for its simple, but attractive user interface.

It’s the foundation of Apple’s iPhone, not to mention the iPad, and helped launch the mobile revolution, so it goes without saying that iOS, Apple’s mobile operating system, is the most important feature of the iPhone.

The operating system made it easy to navigate a supercomputer using your fingers and had a direct influence on Google’s Android — and vice versa. Through the years Apple has dramatically expanded iOS’ capabilities, and with iOS 11 the company will further broaden the scope of the operating system by adding additional capabilities for things like machine learning and AR Kit, which will enable augmented reality applications.

From the moment you turn on your iPhone to the moment you put it down at night — and then pick it up again to check Instagram one more time — you interact with iOS. Without it, the iPhone wouldn’t be anything close to the device it is today and will be in the future.