Computer's demise brings reminders of a simpler, technology-free time

You never realize how much we all need computers until they die.

My G4 Macintosh went TU (Terminally Unusable) a little more than a week ago and took with it hundreds of addresses, thousands of stories, more financial data than I want to think about, hundreds of filed e-mail notes and notes for a book I have been working on for seven years.

I felt violated. I was mad. I wished for a simpler time like when I used to keep notes on scraps of paper scattered from here to Bonners Ferry. I still remember typewriters and White Out and the Rolodex that used to sit on my desk. Oh, for the good, old days.

I've decided I am going back in time. I'm taking a step back and updating my FranklinCovey day planner, the one not plugged in to anything, and I am going to use it more religiously. I'm going to find a manual typewriter and actually start writing letters that require stamps and envelopes again. OK, probably not.

Having written all of that, my 17-inch, G4 Powerbook with the Adobe Creative Suite, Microsoft Office Suite and more bells and whistles than my 1994 Escort, is headed my way and will be on my desk by next week. OK, so I am not quite going cold turkey on this whole anti-computer kick.

And I know you are thinking it. The answer is yes, the new programs will include spell check. You couldn't resist, could you?

I decided to sneak out of the office last Friday to spend the day at Schweitzer. I had the opportunity to ski with some of the greatest kids around who are all receiving a world-class education right here in Sandpoint.

One of the benefits of attending the Carden School is that my son, Austin, and the rest of the school have the opportunity to go skiing every Friday in January and February. The Sandpoint Christian Academy and other schools also take advantage of including Schweitzer in their curriculum.

I was lucky enough to hook up with Dr. Dan Meulenberg and his lovely daughter, Jennie, during a ski lesson Friday. Since the entire mountain was covered with fresh powder snow the lesson revolved around skiing powder.

It wasn't pretty. While Dr. Meulenberg caught on quicker than I did, we both feasted on heaping helpings of snow for the better part of an hour.

As we were skiing down for the last time, Dr. Meulenberg said to me: "All of this falling down stuff stays just between us, right?" Right.

Although as far as secrets go, he has more on me than I have on him.

You see, he did my vasectomy.

Congratulations to Georgia Shonk-Simmons on being named Citizen of the Year by the Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce. She was out of town during Winter Carnival but husband, Howard, filled in at all of the functions and had a great time doing it.

You will remember a few weeks back that the staff of Sandpoint Magazine challenged the Daily Bee to a spell off at Sandpoint's first adult spelling bee held on Sunday. SM Editor Billie Plaster had been hunkered down over the practice book for weeks prior to the event and SM Publisher Chris Bessler had been calling me out every chance we he had.

We took the bait. The Spell Chicks and Spell Chaps from the Bee took on the Sandpoint Magazine squad. There were 13 teams, including the Cedar Post students.

After a first round of entirely too easy, mostly monosyllabic words, the competition heated up.

In the second round, the Cedar Posties were bounced when they failed to spell ennui correctly. We had to spell connoisseur to stay in. In the third round, the competitors fell fast and hard. But the team I need to single out that fell the furthest was the Sandpoint Magazine crew that misspelled aileron.

As Bessler and crew departed the stage, he looked up at me and said, "we are still in the same round and if you miss, it's a tie." We didn't miss. It wasn't called a spelling BEE for nothing.

We hung around for another round or two but we were finally done in by a group of beehive-wearing Realtors from Century 21 On The Lake.

The word that finally did the Bee in was … dirndl. Ouch.

For a first-ever event the spelling bee was a smashing success. For one upping Bessler and crew, the event was priceless. That's spelled p-r-i-c-e-l-e-s-s.

As I looked around the crowd at the Taste of Sandpoint Thursday night, I couldn't help but wonder of this would be the end of this event. Coldwater Creek is leaving the Cedar Street Bridge in February and who knows what will be in the facility this time next year?

The Creek has done a great job hosting this event over the years and it might be asking a lot of the future owners to make way for hundreds of people and 15 restaurants to crowd into the facility for one night.

Stay tuned …

Every once in awhile, someone will absolutely make my day. Sally Brunsell, 88 in March, did just that recently.

She stopped by the Bee office and was hoping to meet me. Of course, I instantly liked her at that point.

"I just love you," she said and she took and held my right hand. I really liked her then. "I love that column."

She brought with her a book titled "Prose Quotations" that was printed in 1901 and a book titled "Uncle Ben's Quotebook," circa 1976. She gave me the books and a copy of The Potter Leader-Enterprise, a newspaper she has subscribed to for more than 50 years.

Managing Editor Donald Gilliland ends stories and straightens up misaligned columns in his weekly newspaper with an assortment of proverbs.

The Bee used to do this to, that was before the invention of computer pagination. The computers we use now can neatly square off copy so it fills all of the allotted space.

"People, especially old people would really like this," she said. "I don't know about the teenagers but even they might learn something."

Since I officially have the first member of my fledgling fan club, how can I say no?

Starting today, we will use the proverbs given to me by this sweet woman as space allows. Let's call them "Sallys."

If you have any proverbs, or Sallys, and would like to see them in the Bee, drop me an e-mail at dkeyes@bonnercountydailybee.com.

Who has given up on the youth of today? Not me. And I'll bet this story might change your view about some of these youngsters that get a bad rap.

Peik Wahl, is a good soccer player and has been playing competitive soccer for several years even though he is only in seventh grade.

He, Kanyen Bauer, Lane Smith and a host of other Sandpoint athletes traveled to Boise in November after they were selected to be on Idaho's Olympic Development Program for soccer.

See KEYES, Page 12

During a little free time, the trio went to a video arcade to play games. Peik took out his wallet and left it on a game. The wallet disappeared.

"This is Peik's first trip away and he loses his wallet," said Mom, Dyno. "He wasn't having a very good time and this wallet was a special gift." The wallet had $21 in it.

A little more than a month went by and a white envelope with a Mountain Home cancellation stamp on it arrived at the Wahl's home. Peik's name was on it. He opened the envelope and his wallet was inside. There's a note.

"Dear Peik,

"My name is Steph and I am the one who found your wallet.

"I was with two friends at Gameworld in Boise on Nov. 12, 2005. I wanted to turn your wallet in but my friends pressured me into keeping it and splitting the money three ways.

"We even showed one of the moms but was told we should keep the money but I couldn't feel good about spending it.

"When I got home I showed my mom and explained what happened. She said that what we did was wrong but was proud of me for telling the truth. So I am returning your wallet along with the only money left that I had any control of saving.

"I am sorry for any problems this may have caused you.

"Sincerely, Steph"

The online question of the week was: "Do you support the proposed Pend Oreille Recreational District?" There were 217 votes cast: 45.2 percent yes; 46.5 percent no and 8.3 of those voting were undecided.

This week's question: "Do you think the state legislature will address the property tax issue this session?"

E-mail of the week:

On the first day God created the dog. God said, "Sit all day by the door of your house and bark at anyone who comes in or walks past. I will give you a life span of 20 years." The dog said, "That's too long to be barking. Give me 10 years and I'll give you back the other 10." So God agreed.

On the second day God created the monkey. God said, "Entertain people, do Monkey tricks, make them laugh. I'll give you a 20-year life span." The monkey said, "How boring. Monkey tricks for 20 years? I don't think so. Dog gave you back 10, so that's what I'll do too, okay?" And God agreed.

On the third day God created the cow. God said, "You must go to the field With the farmer all day long and suffer under the sun, have calves and give milk to support the farmer. I will give you a life span of 60 years." The cow said, "That's kind of a tough life you want me to live for 60 years. Let me have 20 and I'll give back the other 40." And God agreed again.

On the fourth day God created man. God said, "Eat, sleep, play, marry and enjoy your life. I'll give you 20 years." Man said, "What? Only 20 years?!

Tell you what, I'll take my 20, and the 40 the cow gave back and the 10 the monkey gave back and the 10 the dog gave back…that makes 80! , OK?"

"OK," said God, "You've got a deal."

So that is why the first 20 years we eat, sleep, play, and enjoy ourselves; for the next 40 years we slave in the sun to support our family; for the next 10 years we do monkey tricks to entertain the grandchildren; and for the last 10 years we sit on the front porch and bark at everyone.

Life has now been explained to you.

David Keyes is publisher of the Bee. His column runs weekly.

Be slow in choosing a friend, slower in changing.

— Benjamin Franklin, Poor Richard's Almanac

The greatest of faults, I should say, is to be conscious of none.

— Carlyle: Heroes and Hero Worship