My mobile phone, you tube ( although it’s banned where I live right now grrr ), wikipedia and the internet in general ( it’s improved dramatically since the late 90s).

My friend the computer, I am on my 3rd one . After I closed my antique shop most of stock goes on eBay , gives me some extra money. My new best friend is my Roomba it goes places where I no longer can reach , under beds and chests and works for me every day without complaining. In fact I have 2 and both are going to go to work in a few minutes and take care of the Corgy’s hair loss!

I can live without everything, except a computer. I am an expert researcher with Google! I must use it at least ten times a day. You might hear me saying, google is my god! Whenever anyone ask me a question I say, google it! It is all in the question you ask which brings you the answers you need. I have asked all kinds of questions from personal, to spiritual, to article research. I also can’t live without my Mac., or Digital camera. I had an I-pod I loved then it was stolen. Not sure what to buy next, probably a laptop.

Since receiving an emergency call (the 1st or 2nd time leaving the house with my very first cell phone) that my youngest daughter fell and needed to go to the ER for stitches, I have not been without a cell phone, so indeed I feel barren without it. My iPod is my saviour when I need to check out and regroup for 30 minutes or so. Music, books, podcasts - whatever. Of course, my laptop. Love it, not ashamed to say it. It connects me with the world in a way nothing else can. This is not to say I don’t love a conversation with my kids, a good book, a walk, a swim and many other things. Technology has brought some problems along with it, but the good stuff outweighs the bad stuff by a mile! It’s here to say, may as well get on board and stay there.

I can’t say that anything is essential, but I do use my computer for business. And the cell phone is convenient, but I really don’t use it that much. Frankly, I’d prefer not to have to use anything that’s been invented in the past ten years. I can’t figure out how to use most of them, anyway. I guess I’m “technologically challenged.”

I can remember when the first cell phone came out in the mid 1970’s. It was huge and invented with business in mind. Wow what a change. And PC’s were gifts of pleasure to the world of business as well as individuals. Although I love my computer and my cell phone, my most loved gadget is my GEORGE FOREMAN GRILL. Of the three important gadgets (Cell phone, PC and Grill), it is the newest, arriving in 1995. Everyone thinks George Foreman invented it, but he didn’t. This grill made it possible for people to have a bit of the popular outdoors grilling without even starting the fire. Impressively, stuff cooks on both sides at once….wow. And, most important to me, is that it takes so much fat out of the item being grilled…..that’s a life saver to me, and I mean that literally. Yay for the George Foreman Grill.

hehe… My Ipod is mine
It’s not just for music
I have tv shows and movies on it like Pat And Mike and Maude

My iPod, Laptop & “crack”berry! I do however utilize the lost art of handwritting on a regular basis; I even use “snail-mail”! Mugsy and Bonnie, great posts!

The portable DVD players my sons use on long car trips. They can watch different movies, with headphones on…this enables myself and my husband to hold on to our sanity and have great conversation. My cell phone is both a blessing and a curse…as it makes me feel like I can never really “get away”. I just spent six days with a dear friend, no husbands, no kids. We didn’t have our laptops and we turned our cell phones off. I was astonished at the number of messages we had when we turned them back on…people were incredulous…”Where are you?? Why aren’t you answering your cell??” Hehehe!! We spent our time reading, having the BEST talks, drinking good wine and martinis…and we didn’t count a calorie! We had a ball! Now its back to reality, with 102 e mails waiting for me!!

I would have to say the Garmin GPS system for my car. It has saved me so much time and money on gas! And you can take it out of the car and walk with it so when I travel I never need to buy maps or ask for directions. Its fantastic.

Online travel booking. I love that we don’t have to stand in line at the airport anymore. Now we can print confirmation, key # in at the ticket counter and get our seat, then board the plane. Also, Mapquest is such a handy tool on the internet for many women who just don’t care to read AAA trip tik maps while the husband is yelling for directions. http://www.weplantravel.com - feel free to browse anytime. or go to http://mapquest.com

My blackberry and my ipod. I use mapquest on my blackberry all the time. when i’m waiting for planes or doctors appointments i play games on it or read the news. and my ipod…. ten years ago I was trying like hell to go running with one of those supposedly skip free single cd players. prior to that i’d tried using a portable tape player and of course small am.fm radio. there is nothing like running or working out with an ipod. love it.

Doll Lady - that is hilarious! I was just at friends this weekend who have a george foreman grill and i’m buying one today! i was sooo impressed with it!

For its entertainment value and its introdution to new worlds, I would say my laptop. How else would I have met all you lovely ladies and Frank? Middle school story, please skip if bored. In a class with 7th graders, I was attempting a stimulating discussion that I considered of some relevance- I was sharing with them that the biggest invention that separated my parents’ generation from mine was the television. Of course, their eyes glazed over as they picture my mom and dad riding about on dinosaurs. But I forged on. And the biggest invention that separated my children’s generation from mine is the computer. Blond, blue-eyed epitome of sincerity shoots his hand in the air, “You mean your kids won’t let you use the computer at home? That’s just wrong.” I assured them I had permission to use the computer, and again pressed on. What do you think will be considered the biggest invention that separates your generation from your parents? Josh’s hand is up immediately. “Book socks!” Now these are cloth covers to be purchased to be placed on textbooks. At that point the bell rings, the kids are dismissed, and I’m thinking they missed the whole point. Then this tiny twelve-year-old with big glasses and little pink braces on her teeth, comes up to me and whispers in my ear, “I’m really sorry about all the separations in your family, Mrs. Willis.” You gotta love ‘em. Peace and grace