scam or virus alert?

So, I got this weird e-mail...

   It has been drawn to our attention that one of your computers is at risk from a virus attack. Please
   remove all your personal data from all of your home computers and mobile devices.
   Also visit this url to rectify security problems
   https://bitly.com/
     -The Gmail Team

And it was "via" my OWN e-mail address.

 

I didn't even open it because I could read the first few words that g-mail shows you before you open it. Instead I had H come upstairs to see this weird message... H decided to alert g-mail that this virus alert (from myself) was spam... Except that he accidentally alerted g-mail that a different message in my in-box was spam.  I could tell that he had done it wrong, but he wouldn't let me sit at my own computer to see.  I was asking him, "Did you check the box by that virus alert?"  And he was saying that he had, but I was pretty sure that he hadn't.     Ha ha - You can just imagine the scene as us old-folks freak out about this new type of scam.

 

Then L comes up the stairs saying, "You got a spam message from yourself??  The only time I've seen that happen is when somebody leaves their e-mail open on sombebody else's computer!" 

 

Ha ha.  I'm not that slow.  I got the joke right away.  Well done...  We went for it - hook, line and sinker.  (Always log out of your e-mail).  But, seriously, L does not know how many times I have resisted the temptation on his e-mail.  Oh, I did once use his facebook to view all of his brother's posts and I left a message which made reference to my "secret identity" which L did not find at all funny.  I had to swear never to do that again.** 

And once I did add a very loving description of myself to a paper that L asked me to proofread for him.  I found it so hilarious that, as usual, I couldn't stop laughing.  It makes it hard to really do any practical jokes. 


** On my honor as a mother, I have always resisted the temptation to peruse L's  facebook when he leaves it open.  The most I have ever done is see the most recent messages (the ones he has left on the screen when he leaves the house with the page still open). 

In which L walks to the doctor's office full speed ahead

So today L had a doctor's appointment to get his HPV vaccine at 10 am.  The doctor's office is only about 10 blocks from our house and when we were ready to leave, I said we were walking. 

L: Why?
M:  Because I need the exercise.   
L:   But I already worked out today!  C'mon!...  I'm tired.  Why do we have to walk.  (keeps insisting)

The above conversation clearly isn't our exact  words;  I'm trying to convey that L is a bit on the confrontational side.  Plus he has some trouble with please and thank you.  This is something I've been trying to explain to L: the "catch more flies with honey" concept.  V is especially sensitive to L's tone and she responds to it with a complete unwillingness to make concessions, and that is not who she usually is...  That's not a complaint about V; in fact I'm grateful to her for keeping me aware.  It's hard to explain how easy it is to just stop noticing the tone except when it goes waaaay overboard, and I'd miss a chance to work on a life-lesson.

Back to today: I refused to drive.  and I told him that I wouldn't change my mind. 
L:   "You're showing me that you'll stick to your guns when faced with a reasonable request."
M:  "I'm showing you that I won't reward rude behavior."

So, L walks out the door full speed ahead calling over his shoulder, "Okay, let's go to the doctor's."
I was out the door 30 seconds later or so, but L was walking fast.  I managed to catch up to him at one stop light but then he pulled ahead again and I was 1/2 a block behind him the whole way.  I was getting that terrible stress-response laughter that I get and trying not to giggle so that I could conserve my oxygen... but, of course, there was something funny about it.

Anyway, in the doctor's office they asked us to stay for 15 minutes after the shot to make sure L wasn't going to have any reaction/dizziness especially since it turned out that he hadn't eaten any breakfast (Oops... maybe I should have driven, I was thinking).  Plus it was hot  hot  hot.  But when we left there, we were fine.  All was forgiven for everyone.  

I made him a lovely breakfast... cheese omelet, sliced potatoes heated in a bit of olive oil with salt and pepper and fresh garlic, whole wheat sour dough bread from the farmer's market, toasted with butter.   When I asked him if the food had been good, he was picking up the last crumbs... and he said, "Okay." 

I will continue to try to get the message to L: trite but true - a little manners go a long way.   He is a good kid but he has been blessed with the adolescent sense of (I'm stopping because it is just too complex to describe here).  You'll have to take my word for it that he can also be a doll.

And I really do need to do more exercise.  puff

WATCH cool movies

I went to a film festival in Brooklyn this weekend and it was really a blast.  Oh, plus it was free.  Very cool.  I took son L and met up with niece JB in the city and then son P met us at Prospect Park where the festival was held. 

Aren't you jealous?  Anyway, you can enjoy some of the fun by going to this link and watching the movies.  The entries for this film festival have to be under 7 minutes long and had to include a bridge... that's the way Tropfest keeps out random  entries: they want movies made for their competition. 

http://tropfest.com/ny/category/films/2013-finalists/

takes you to the FINALISTS (the movies that 20,000 people watched in the park that night). 

My personal favorite is Innocent creep.  Watch it.  I loved most of the rest of the finalists... ( Bridget made me laugh).  I wasn't as impressed with the winning film, Unlikely Maestro.  But I seriously urge you to take a look.

I apologize to JB and L for the lame picnic.  I took hamburgers ... except I forgot the buns, so we had to eat them in lettuce.  I baked delicious oatmeal cookies and I forgot to take those too.  Burp... Ug, I'm so full because I just finished off the oatmeal cookies for breakfast this morning.  I kid you not.  Seriously, though, there weren't too many left... maybe 5... Still, too many is too many and this explains why I'm feeling too foggy to write anymore.  Just watch the movies, kids, and go easy on the cookies.

PS Next year's entries have to include a KISS somewhere or somehow (read what I said above about bridge).  I seriously have an idea... I feel like I could make a movie.  You think?