Taking a look at my blessings.....

It's very easy during the Christmas Season to get tired....tired of the same old songs, the frantic rush to the stores, the cold of winter sneaking in - the frantic pace of it all. So, I'm sitting here with a nasty case of Bronchitis and feeling physically "not the best"....but have decided to focus on my blessing which are many. Family and friends, pets and companions - some here, some no longer here but in memory, take the sting out of the bad parts and flood the gates with the good. Thanks for taking the time to visit our web log, and Merry Christmas and a great New Year from the Payette's of Preston!

Click on the montage for a larger image.

 

Seaport Sams Christmas Party

Seaport Sams held its 2009 Christmas Party on December 6th, 2009 at the PortN'Starboard, Ocean Beach Park in New London CT. Good food and great friends make for a great afternoon.

Click the collage for an enlargement of the collage photo.

Click the Title to view a Picasa web album from this event.

 

Why I continue to shop at Wal*Mart…

Last April I went to Wal-Mart in Lisbon CT and purchased an electric leaf blower-vacuum. The plan was to use it here in Preston, and bring it back with us to the campground in Titusville Fl when we return in Feb 2010. It was a name brand item, had a two year warranty and on firing it up we were impressed with its power. That lasted about an hour, until sparks started shooting out of the electric motor housing. I immediately went back to Wal-Mart for an even exchange. The replacement one seemed to work good…we used it a few days, and then put it away for the season.

This morning I fired her up to do some late leaf blowing from around the yard and foundation. She worked fine for ten minutes, than the same thing as happened to the original occurred…sparks started to shoot out of the motor housing.

This time we didn’t have the original packing or box, just the owner’s manual and the receipts showing the original purchase, the same day replacement in April etc. The in-store replacement policy is 90 days, but after hearing from me what happened they gave me a full refund. We used that refund to purchase another leaf blower made by a different company. They did NOT have to do this…it was well beyond the 90 days, but their customer service exceeded their contractual requirements. And THAT folks, is why I continue to shop at Wal-Mart. They care about servicing their customers and it shows.

Thanksgiving, 2009

We have a lot to be thankful for on Thanksgiving...starting off with wonderful friends and family.

Click photo for a larger view of the collage.

 

The Dark Side of my Amazon Kindle – What happens when it dies?

I am what is often referred to as an “early adoptee” of technical things in that I do like my electronic toys. Here we are at the end of 2009 and I look around my cluttered “office” and see digital cameras, notebook and desktop PC’s that were unimaginable 15 years ago, and chargers and plugs for multiple Kindle’s, I-phone’s, still and video camera’s…it goes on and on. It’s all a LONG way from my very first Apple IIE with the duel 140k floppies that we used to notch so you could use both sides. But I digress…
Both Alice and I are avid readers and we’ve found the Kindle to be a wonderful way to read. Luckily our reading “tastes” are more similar than dissimilar, so we can share e-books under the same account with Amazon. We’ve found it’s a great gadget to bring with us on our camping jaunts (motor home) as we can carry a substantial library with us, and add to it through the wireless connection through the “wisperjet” cell-like built in connection. The value of it (the Kindle) has grown tremendously with Amazon’s release of the i-phone application where we can read our selections on the i-phone, and have the books synch back and forth as we switch platforms.
There has always been that worry, in the back of my mind, of “What happens if it breaks?”. Like all Kindle users we’ve had the occasional freeze up, but with the reset button on the back of the Kindle 1 we’ve always been able to bring her back to functionality. A few weeks ago Alice’s Kindle started acting a bit weird in that the page advance key wasn’t working, but we attributed that to an “aftermarket” cover she’d purchased with light that somehow caught up the advance lever. It was fixable just be taking the cover off and than putting her back on. But, it did give me pause and start to think “What if something serious does go wrong with them..what are our options?”. So, I’d gone to the Help pages at Amazon and looked up the options and was dismayed to find there really are none. Once the unit is out of warrantee not only do they not service it, but they do not direct you to any place that will help. It appears you’re literally on your own with a brick for an electronic device. So now I knew that if a bad event happened, I was pretty much on my own….but they were both operating OK and I put it aside as information that’s nice to know but not of immediate concern.
You guessed it…yesterday my Kindle apparently died. She wouldn’t “wake up”, and after doing a reset she froze at the main page. I wasn’t clever enough to suspect the battery because the “gauge” showed it at about 80% of a full charge. We went onto the Amazon troubleshooter pages and tried it all….could not wake her up. Now I was motivated to see what Amazon’s policy is with bricks that used to be Kindle’s as we not only have the investment in the hardware (the Kindle reader) but a LOT of books we own the digital rights to in our library. Again I was faced with the fact that there really is no policy for broken Kindle’s after the warrantee period. So, I fired off a nasty gram to Amazon Customer Service, and they sent me back a form e-mail telling me about the wonderful NEW Kindle’s I could purchase….but no, there is no “trade in” policy on the old bricks. I was, and am, less than happy although it was not unexpected since I’d looked at their Help files earlier and could not see any sections on what to do with a dead unit.
Going on line I Googled the issue, and found there are a lot of people out there with dead Kindle’s. There were also some other suggestions that I hadn’t tried, one being to plug the unit in (disregarding the battery charge indicator) but prior to that physically remove the battery from the unit, wait a bit than re-install it. I did that and like Lazarus she awoke from the dead. I kept her plugged in and started reading Wally Lamb’s newest (Wishing and Hoping) which I’m really enjoying. Prior to that I went back to the Amazon site and ordered a new battery (about $23.00 including shipping) which is VERY reasonable considering my Sony camera batteries are $50.00 a pop. It seems to be working now, plugged in, so I’m making the assumption that the battery had gone South and the new one will bring me back.
The issue though, has NOT gone away. I read on-line of people who have dropped their unit and shattered the reading pane or cracked the case etc and they have no place to go. In this modern age electronics are more “throw away when broken” than fix due to their initial low costs, but with the Kindle tied to a digital library you’d think Amazon would formulate a policy that would soften the blow a bit to allow people to access their purchased library after the reader dies. Yes, you can read your purchased books on the i-phone (if you have one) and on your PC through the new Kindle PC Application, BUT…..we’re really talking about some kind of sensible Kindle hardware continuity policy for those people who’ve invested into this proprietary medium. Come on Amazon, lets see some REAL customer service and NOT a form e-mail saying in so many words “Sorry for your troubles”.

Robert R. Payette ,
Preston CT 11/16/2009

Updated: Amazon CS has contacted me and in the interim my Kindle has come back to life...see posts below. The problem, IMHO (what to do about dead Kindle's) has not changed.

Hello,

I'm very sorry to hear your Kindle isn't working. Please give us a call so we can try some real-time troubleshooting and see if you need a replacement. If it is necessary to replace your Kindle we do have several options for you since your Kindle is outside warranty.

You can reach us by phone by using the Contact Us option in the right-hand column of our Kindle Support pages (www.amazon.com/kindlesupport). Contacting us through the website allows you to verify security before a call is placed and ensures we have your account information ready when we call you.

If you're not able to use the Kindle Support page option, you can still call us:

U.S.: 1-866-321-8851
International: 1-206-266-0927

We hope you can call us soon so we can help solve this problem quickly.

Please let us know if this e-mail resolved your question:

If yes, click here:
http://www.amazon.com/rsvp-y?c=ydvdafth3238273203
If not, click here:
http://www.amazon.com/rsvp-n?c=ydvdafth3238273203

Please note: this e-mail was sent from an address that cannot accept incoming e-mail.

To contact us about an unrelated issue, please visit the Help section of our web site.

Best regards,

Sarah
Amazon.com
We're Building Earth's Most Customer-Centric Company http://www.amazon.com/your-account

---- Original message: ----

CUSTOMER: Robert R. Payette
COMM ID:yrddrveh3251970098
EMAIL: r.payette@snet.net
COMMENTS: I understand that in todays world it is often impractical to repair low cost electronics. That having been said, the Amazon Kindle is directly linked to a proprietary Amazon library that has been purchased from you, so we're not JUST talking about a low cost electronic gadget. When the gadget dies, the library's main access dies with it much like a house burning down and taking the owners books with it. If you want to consider yourselves an excellent customer service customer you have to find a way to help protect the investment your customers have made in your technology. Saying "Buy another one..isn't this exciting" doesn't do it. I don't know WHAT the solution is, but I know the once you've chosen (avoidance of the issue) is NOT my idea of good customer service. If you look at posts on line on this very issue you'll see you are getting HAMMERED on this. Please come up with a solution before you lose your potential new customers who will NOT come on board with this adverse publicity. Bob Payette

A lazy day on a train and in a boat....wonderful!!

Alice and myself went on the Essex Steam Train & Riverboat Cruise on October 22nd...a beautiful autumn day on waters of the Connecticut River and in the countryside. Click the title link above to view a short YouTube video & still shots from this "Summers Last Hurrah" event :).

Seaport Sams last campout for 2009 - Oak Embers, October 17-18, 2009

Click the headline link to view a short YouTube video with stills from our last scheduled camp out in 2009 with the Seaport Sams Camping Club.

Country Aire Mohawk Trail Campout October 2009

We went to Country Aire Campground with our camping Club, the Seaport Sams, over the extended Columbus Day weekend. Click the headline link to view a short YouTube video we posted from this event.

Picasa raw video and snapshots from the Deer Haven Lobster Cookout

Click the title link to view the raw video, and still shots, from the 2009 Seaport Sams Lobster Cookout. Our earlier post was a ten minute YouTube clip; this link has all the video we shot and the still shots.

Just returned from our Deer Haven Campout with the Seaport Sams....

Alice and myself camped with our Seaport Sams Camping Club the weekend of Sept 11-13 at Deer Haven CG in Lisbon CT. Click the heading link to view a YouTube video clip from this event we've just posted.

Ginny-B campout with Seaport Sams, July 17-19, 2009

Click the title link to view a video from our recent camping jaunt to the Ginny-B Campground in Foster RI.

Norwich Hospital bus tour Saturday June 27th, 2009

On June 27th Alice and myself were part of a group of 80 people who participated in a bus tour of the former Norwich Hospital property that the town recently acquired from the State of Connecticut. Click the title link above to view a short video of this event.

Finally activated by AT&T on Monday morning.....

Click the headline link above to view the first video we made with the new i-Phone 3GS on Fathers Day 2009

On Monday morning I finally rec'd a phone call from AT&T regarding activation of the new i-Phone 3GS. They claimed the problem was internal with my account and not a network problem, and they had to manually enter some data for the activation to take. They then asked a bunch of questions that were answerable from the new i-Phone General settings menu and we were activated. The transition over did not bring over my visual voice mail password, and I had to call to have that reset. While on the phone with them I whined a bit about their service, comparing it to Apple where people were offered an i-Tunes credit because of activation delays. They were good enough to waive the upgrade fee of $18.00 which isn't much,but at least a decent token that they're trying to pay attention?

Since I love the new i-Phone I can't stay negative about the activation bumble. The Apps run noticeably faster, and things such as real-time baseball are almost instant. I'm pleasantly surprised that in our Preston Woods the 3G Network of AT&T is very strong..the new phone dropped down to 2G (Edge) once in Norwich, but generally is picking up a good 3G signal 99% of the time.

Still waiting for Activation :(

Well, the stores ARE true :(. I rec'd the new phone mid-afternoon on the 19th as scheduled (pre-order from AT&T)and we're not activated yet. The word on the street is it could take a few days.

Video on I-Phone 3G s

Click the title link for a video on the I-phone 3G S that is available tomorrow June 19th, 2009.

We've just returned from the Connecticut Good Sams Samboree in Brooklyn CT.....

We've just returned from the CT Good Sams "Crazy Hat" Samboree in Brooklyn CT. Click the title link to view a short YouTube video we made from this event or the photo for an enlargement of just that image.

New fur ball additions to the household June 2009

We haven't totally given up hope on our missing Clifford cat, but our most realistic wish now is that he's found a new home and is being well taken care of. There's not going to be a day that goes by when we're not checking the back door, or the front porch, looking for his return....

After much thought we've adopted two 8 week old kittens from Petpals in Canterbury CT. They are Gwendolyn (background) and Ginger (foreground looking up).

Over the years many a cat has adopted us, but this is the first time we've had "brand new out of the box" kittens and I have to say they are truly wonderful! We're very glad we got two as they spend most of their time playing and tormented each other with a youthful glee and abandon that is amazing and precious.

Clifford has gone missing :(.......

Posted May 26th, 2009: L O S T !! The webmaster has lost his best buddy Clifford. Clifford is a male Maine Coon Cat, who is distinguished in appearance by his having two different color eyes due to a macular issue. He is large(around 20 LB) yellow-orange in color, VERY friendly, and was last seen in the vicinity of his home on Branch Hill Road in Preston just before the Memorial Day holiday on May 22nd, 2009. A reward will be paid for information that leads to Clifford’s recovery and return home. Contact Bob Payette at 860 892.5484 or r.payette@snet.net with any information. Thank you!

Update: He was reported seen on Anna Farm Road West in North Stonington on Thursday May 28th.

Just returned from Mineral Springs Campground....

We just returned from Mineral Springs Campground in Stafford Springs CT where we spent the weekend with our camping club the Seaport Sams. The weather was a bit "iffy" but we still had a good time catching up with old friends and relaxing.

 

Spring has sprung in Preston..

Today we spent less time on the computer and more time getting dirt under the nails...Spring has Sprung, and we're doing some plant and yard work to get into the seasonal mood.

Just returned from our first local campout of the season with Seaport Sams....

Click the title link to view a small Picasa album from our Seaport Sam's Camping Clubs first campout of the season to Deer Haven Campground in Lisbon, CT.


You can also click this link to view a slide show of this event we uploaded to YouTube with background music (A Salute to Irving Berlin).

Easter 2009 at the Payette's

Click the title link to view a few snapshots from our Easter festivities. Great food and wonderful company!

Big Band Concert, Melbourne Florida Community Band

On March 18th, 2009 while camping at Manatee Hammock in Titusville Florida we were invited by Seaport Sam members and friends Ken and Sandy Wood to attend a Big Band concert in Melbourne Fl. Click the title link above to hear some excerpts from this Big Band event, which featured the music of Harry James and his orchestra.

Getting to the end of our vacation in Florida.....

All good things have to end, and we're fast approaching the end of our vacation in Florida. The weather has been wonderful for the entire trip and we've seen and done the things we wanted to for the most part. Our plan is to leave Manatee Hammock on Tuesday March 31st and head North...no great hurry and we'll be home in two to three days from then. We've kept our Picasa web-album updated and if you click the title link you'll be able to view our snapshots. The Picasa Slide Show format makes it less painful:).

Shuttle launch (STS-119) and Manatee Hammock still shots, March 15th, 2009

Click the title link above to view a YouTube video we've just uploaded that shows the launch of Space Shuttle STS-119, as viewed from Manatee Hammock Campground in Titusville Fl. At the end of the clip there are some still photo's of the campground, were we're camping for the month with a group of friends from the Seaport Sams Camping Club.

Camping in Florida at Manatee Hammock in Titusville

 

Click here for the latest photo's of our Titusville Fla jaunt...courtesy of Picasa

Alice and myself are on a camping vacation in Titusville FL for the month of March. We drove down by way of Atlanta Georgia where we visited relatives, then left just in time to beat the snow that hit the Atlanta area the same time the Nor'Easter hit New England.

Click the photo to see an enlargement of the collage.

We're on the road again....

We're leaving today with the camper to Florida by way of Atlanta (Norcross) Ga. We'll post some photo's once we've started to explore our new digs in Titusville at Manatee Hammock CG.

Just finished reading "The Shack" by Wm. Paul Young

I just finished reading "The Shack" ...click title link above to go to their website or Amazon.com to order or your Library to get on the waiting list. A read that is really quite wonderful and worth the wait!

Amazon's New Kindle has arrived..........

Click the permalink in the title for information on Amazon's Kindle 2. It looks like a significant upgrade, especially the new ability to have the Kindle actually read the book/blog/magazine article.

Starting to think about heading South....

It doesn't seem possible that it is January 20th, 2009 and we're scheduled to leave for the Southland the middle of February. I just came back from the Preston Library and took a snapshot of the motorhome, which is parked down the hill from the house. We haven't been driving it because of the extreme winter weather we've been having, but I'm going to have to fire her up this weekend and check out the systems. Time is sneaking up on us!