Podcasts...

 All went well with the operating system update on my computer.  I decided to update my iPad Mini to iOS 7.0.2.  Equally slick.  Well, until I went to bed...

I used to watch TV in bed.  I'd turn the sleep timer on and fall asleep before the TV went off.  The last few years, I seem to be a lighter sleeper - if there is noise or light, it wakes me.  I have a "white noise" app on my phone and iPad; shore sounds, forest sounds, even city sounds.  That wasn't as relaxing as the TV.  For the past year or so, I have been listening to podcasts.

What's a podcast?  Glad you asked - they are like a radio program that you can download from the internet (I use iTunes).  You play them back on your iPod, phone, tablet, or computer, at your convenience.  There are podcasts on all different subjects; the ones that interest me the most are about guitars, RVing, boating, scooters.  There are political podcasts, comedy podcasts, travel, photography, business... if you can think of a subject, it is very likely that someone has created a podcast about it.  Some are very professionally done, many lean more towards the amateur side.  And, the price is right: free.  Some podcasts have a sponsor, most are done for the love of the subject or to promote something the podcaster offers... there are podcasts connected with magazines, podcasts about travel experiences (by those who book trips)... again, the supply seems to be unlimited.  Most podcasters seem to do a few podcasts, then give them up because they are a lot of work - some do a weekly program that would be viable on broadcast radio.

Some of my favorites:
Living the RV Dream (about full-time RVing)
World of Boating (an actual radio program that is also put out as a podcast)
Just Gotta Scoot (about scooters and motorcycles)
The Guitar Podcast
Six String Bliss (another guitar podcast)

I will usually listen to a podcast in my free time, then put it on again (rerun) when I am about to go to sleep.  Except for last night... the update to iOS7.0.2 had the podcast icon showing on the iPad screen; when I clicked on it to start the app, it immediately went back to the apps screen.  Tried again, same results.  I could hear every sound in the house: Joan breathing, the clock ticking, the cat in her litter box, the fridge making ice... one of us thinks my hearing is diminishing (huh?), but I could hear the cat walking... and she is a 7 pound cat who walks lightly.  ;-)

When I got up this morning, I reloaded the podcast app and all is fine; I just didn't want to do that in the middle of the night.

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It was another warm day.  The weather weasels were calling for a high of 88º, mostly sunny, humid, with a "heat index" of around 100º.  Other than to take the garbage out, we spent the day in air conditioned comfort.

I spent some time with my guitars, and checking the rest of the apps on the updated devices.