Janky Machines and Marvelous Technology

Haircut from a "janky" machine

I was a little worried how things were going to go down today with our communication with TMFKATB. He's been getting online at about the same time for the last three weeks so I've been able to schedule accordingly. Today was going to be challenging. I flew back home today while the stunningly patient and mighty fine SML is staying on for a few days. My connecting flight home was scheduled to depart at the same time he normally gets online. I was hoping we might get delayed, but my chariot of choice, Our Lady of the Perpetual Widget, is all kinds of committed to operating an on-time operation, and we departed on-time.

This is where the marvelous technology comes into play. As soon as we hit 10,000 feet, the wi-fi kicked in and found myself online and texting SML to see if she'd yet heard from him. She hadn't and we continued our texting as the plane ascended to 33,000 feet. About an hour later than his normal time, his letter appeared in my inbox. So from my seat, 11E (a window seat, in Coach - my upgrade didn't clear - let's not speak of it again), I began a back and forth with our son in southernmost Mexico and continued texting with my wife. I couldn't help but marvel, just a little, at the technology. It's a marvelous thing.

TMFKATB's letter this week was a good one. Sounds like he and his companion spent a lot of time talking with people and he continues to build his love for the people of Mexico. He seems to be getting more and more comfortable each day. He seems to be growing bolder in his confidence in the language as well. He tossed a reading assignment our way, which was something we wondered how long it was going to be before he began giving us 'homework.' Well, that time has arrived.

While I marveled at just how cool this high tech world is, he did lament the more rudimentary technology he's got right now. He said that he and his companion gave each other haircuts with, and I quote, "a janky machine a member lended us." I don't even know what 'janky' is but from the above picture, he didn't come out looking like JoJo the Dog-Faced Boy, so how bad could the janky machine have been?