Today I Hate Technology

Yep, today I hate technology.

The recent purchase of a heart rate monitor (to improve my fitness training) and a digital camcorder are causing me to feel extremely stupid and, yes, old.

Normally, I do pretty well with new technology. OK, let me be more specific -- I do pretty well with improvements to technology I already know how to use. For example, I've been using computers and complex graphics software for decades. I've got that down.

But give me a heart rate monitor that needs me to determine my maximum heart rate and a watch that has tons of settings and options... Geez! How am I ever going to get this thing working in a way I can use? (I can use the chronograph and I can see my heart rate. It's a start.)

The camcorder is easier and harder at the same time.

To determine what kind of digital camcorder we wanted, we borrowed one from a family member. It recorded to mini DVDs we could not get to play anywhere except one laptop computer. (Yes, it took a couple of hours to figure that out.) Because of the mini DVDs alone, we ended up buying one that works similarly, but has a large enough hard drive it doesn't need DVDs, tapes or memory sticks. It is so easy to use!

Well, I thought it was easy until I tried to actually burn a DVD. After a couple of hours experimenting and tossing out several disks that didn't work or played the files in random order (can things be in random order?) I thought I would scream!

Many, many people use heart rate monitors and camcorders every day -- this is not rocket science! There has got to be a fairly easy way to bring me into the 2000s!

So, until I can find a 10-year-old who is willing to help me figure out how to use my newest technology purchases, I guess I'll just have to go about this the old-fashioned way -- I will actually read the books.