Skype Me

Our neighbor Dave is an interesting fellow.  He owns no automobile, the pick-up he drives belongs to his son who has been in Mexico for the past year.  Dave hasn't worked a job in years and because of this many in the neighborhood either think him wealthy or a beach bum.  

"It's neither" he insists to me, "more like somewhere in the middle."

This summer Dave spent a month fishing in Alaska and in the next month he intends to spend the rest of winter somewhere in Central or South America.  He doesn't know how long he will be gone; he just knows when it's time to come back. 

Dave has never owned a computer, until that is, the day he came into my kitchen for coffee and met Hannah, my daughter and Lidia, my 20 month old granddaughter on the computer using skype.  Skype is a free video phone application you can use on your computer.  You can get the free download here.

Lidia hopped down from Hannah's lap during the conversation to show off how she spins on an office chair then gets off to dizzily stumble about the room.  Granddad laughed at her, Dave was amazed that he was watching this on a laptop.

"It's like visiting with your family right here in your living room."  he says.

An hour later he is back at our house with a handful of advertisements while Mary and I join him for a ride to the local stores to help him pick out a laptop.  Even in the stores I noticed computers that stated they were Skype ready. 

This will be our first Holiday season away from family but already we were able to join post-turkey dinner celebrations via skype, and you can bet that we will be part of Christmas celebrations as well thanks to this wonderful technology.  With the portability of the laptop I have even been able to give house tours of our seaside home!

For travelers, others than a plane ticket, I can't think of a better way of joining your loved ones for the holidays.

After you download Skype you can find me by using my user name "gcox1958" or my email address.  Be sure to give me a ring!