I broke down, couldn’t handle it any longer. This sense of creative suppression, this feeling of being trapped by devices that seemed to be closing me in, and cutting me off from every artistic spark I had, piece by piece, bit by bit.

First world problems, as it were, but annoying as hell.  Over the course of the last few months, both of my eReader/tablet and laptop quietly, gradually, died. I’ve had to adjust, and then adjust again. And again. Until recently.

Bought what I wanted. Mind you, a cheaper version of what I wanted.

Never the less, it serves me. It is an investment in me. Plus, Dad and MsB gave me my normal cheque for Christmas, so I can shave that off the bottom line. I’m not a fool Mom.

Anywho, it’s one of these new-fangled devices – part tablet, part mini laptop. With a 10″ screen and detachable keyboard, I now have my portable writing desk.

After the laptop died, I turned to my little 7″ ereader/tablet thingy. With its little harddrive of 32gb, I did just fine.

So sacrificing the harddrive to get what I want? Priceless.

I know, I know, that’s all gobble-de-gook to you. Well, in a nutshell, what it lacks in storage capacity, it makes up for in form and function.

AND, I can use the cloud.

What is THE CLOUD you ask? Of course you ask, you died over fifteen years ago.

Well, get a load of this, it’s OFF-site storage for the many. Yes, what once was solely the provenance of the large corporate entity, is available to the plebs, like moi, for peanuts. Or free. All depends on what size of storage you need.

So I’ve done my homework, and I have taken the plunge and believe I have a rather cool plan. I’m going to use the cloud for storing ALL my files, photos and otherwise. The harddrive on this thing will only serve to store the apps I need locally. All other shite will be uploaded to one of two cloud accounts I’ve set up.

Plus, I already have a 1 terabyte (aka a moderate amount of storage) portable harddrive for backup, so I think I’m set.

Again, I know, more gobble-de-gook. Let’s just say, I’m diversifying my assets, and covering my ass with a backup, just in case.

Mom, what you would have thought of all this, I have often wondered you know. All the info at your fingertips, all the music you love, available in one single click, or tap of the finger. Friends, colleagues, photos, files, movies and anything one may desire to see, read, or watch, you can access from anywhere via the internet. And believe me, unless you live on some rural route (or otherwise), will have access, of some sort.

Your granddaughters are not completely enraptured by their smartphones, regretfully, most young people are. Barely raising their eyes to acknowledge other souls walking amongst them, many young people seem to live their entire lives in the cloud.

Even so Mom, I still do prefer my clouds of the fluffy in the sky, sort. Tis technology only, a tool, a way to access, and define perhaps, certain aspects of our lives. Yet, not all.

Folks are enamored, for certain though. But I’ll take the real thing any day.

Love,