Sharing

It's not that communication is difficult.  It's just that we have to be creative.  I've told you about using our iPads and the wonderful Facetime app on Valentine's Day.  What I didn't tell you about was that on our wedding anniversary we each went to Applebee's, got take-out, came home, set the food and iPads on our respective tables, poured a glass of wine, and toasted to 39 beautiful years together.  But I digress.

What I meant to tell you about this time is Dropbox.  It's not an iPad app.  It's a website that lets you share files and photos from one computer to another.  I use it between my home and my office so I don't have to lug my laptop with me every day.  But it's also proven to be useful in our current bi-coastal situation.

One thing we are trying to do it make sure this is working for us financially.  I mean, maintaining two households can be a bit tricky.  So I try to keep very meticulous records of what we're spending.  I mean down to the penny.  I've created spreadsheets with all of the categories that I care to keep track of.  And because it's done in wonderful Excel, it keeps tallies as we go.

And it's all kept in Dropbox.  I can see his spending and he can see mine.  We know where our money is going.  We share pictures as well.  I wanted to see the new apartment he is moving into before I fly out there next week, so he created an album on our shared site.

I love this age we live in.  "Picture phones" used to be a novelty we played with at Disneyland.  The US Postal Service used to be the only way to send files.  Like my grandmother, I never long for the "good old days."  They were good, but these days are good too.  And without these gadgets and modern inventions, my husband and I could not be doing what we're doing.