When I saw this Pickles comic strip I had to laugh because it reminded me of when our son first told us that he was going to be a Peace Corps Volunteer in Mali, West Africa.
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| © 2013 Brian Crane, used by permission |
I'm sorry to say I didn't even know where Mali was. When we looked it up on the map we saw that Timbuktu is in Mali. (Malians spell it in French as Tombouctou.)
Jon did spend more than two years in Mali and even spent time traveling to Timbuktu and sent us this postcard. He said it was a rather dusty, weather beaten town but he found it interesting anyway.
I loved it when people asked me where Jon was and I could tell them, "Someplace out in Timbuktu."
All this had Art wondering where he'd saved the files he'd created when he typed out all of Jon's Traveling Through Africa journals and added photos and maps to illustrate his son's adventures.
Art had printed hard copies with a lot of editing that he planned to finish... some day with Jon.
However, when we moved to Hawaii he saved a bunch of his files on disks and someplace on the computer (maybe the laptop that died?) and he couldn't find them.... which brings me to the subject of organizing your files so you can easily find them. We even called Jon in Baltimore to ask him if he might have a copy of the files on a disk. Nope. Jon only had the hard copies that he was going to edit someday too.
I know how I think, but it was a trick to figure out how Art organizes and saves things because well.... let's not go there.
Art was so upset at the loss of all his work that the relief he felt when I found the missing files was palpable.
He was so happy that he felt I should get a lovely reward...
and I enjoyed every bite!
Impressive detective work. You certainly did deserve that rich reward!
ReplyDeleteGood thing you found those files. It would be sad to lose those memories. I knew Timbuktu was a real place, but I imagine there are many who think it is a fictional place.
ReplyDeletelost files, I have those too...
ReplyDeletethat would make a wonderful book! Lovely reward too!
ReplyDeleteActually there are a number of books written by ex-Peace Corps volunteers.
DeleteOh, you are one in a million! I'm sure Art thinks that number might be low. Congratulations on figuring it out. Nice treat! :-)
ReplyDeleteI didn't know Timbuktu was a real place! I also need someone to help me find things after awhile, I don't have a good filing system, being mostly visual. A well deserved ice cream cone I'd say!
ReplyDeleteSeems the urge to organize and writing about traveling is a genetic tendency. Losing computer stuff is why I hate the thought of not having paper. But then, a tornado could whip away the paper. Sounds like both is best. Glad Jon's adventures were found. DrumMajor
ReplyDeleteJon has had some interesting adventures hasn't he? Glad you were able to find them and put Art's mind at ease. You deserved your reward :)
ReplyDeleteWishing you a great day,
Denise
An English Girl Rambles
I'm glad you found the files - precious memories.
ReplyDeleteGOOD ONYA, KAY! And good for Art, writing up all those letters for posterity.
ReplyDeleteI think this is the first time I see photos from Timbuktu.
And good for Jon, of course, for being a brave and self-sacrificing Peace Corps man in Mali.
ReplyDeleteJon has always liked to challenge himself. You can see proof of this by the number of gray hairs on my head.
DeleteOh yes, I know the feeling well. You are amazing.
ReplyDeleteWell deserved dessert for finding the deserted files from the desert. That's not what I started out to say, it just blurted from my fingers.
ReplyDeleteToo funny, Joanne! I love it.
DeleteAt least the pay is good. Well done.
ReplyDeleteInteresting about Timbuktu. I thought it was from some author's imagination. Good to know.
Well done, Art will be able to have some fun now sorting his files out. I don't try and find things for C, I leave him to sort it out for himself. Not kind I know, but he has over 1000 emails in his in-box and I've shown him countless times how to open folders to sort them out, but he has never got round to it. He keeps telling me it's 'on the list'. And I don't think he's worked out yet that you can save documents into different files. He's just not computer savvy I fear.
ReplyDeleteIsn't it a wonderful feeling to find something you thought you've lost?
ReplyDeleteL...w
I was darn euphoric because I know how hard Art worked on that project.
DeleteYou are just such a winner of a person. I'm so glad you found them. :)
ReplyDeleteAwww... Thank you Mage.
DeleteIt's got to be your teacher background. We spent many hours trying to figure out how other people think. Well done!
ReplyDeleteThe Grandpa in "Pickles" needs a bit of your skilled teaching. Kalamazoo really is a real place, right down the highway from our home. I posted about its unique name some time back, and that post has attracted more readers than any other item posted over six years. Check out my blog if you want to join the fans of kazoo. There's a link to it in the right-hand column.
ReplyDelete