tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20407004.post-72963446171239024612008-06-23T08:22:00.003-08:002008-06-23T08:37:41.632-08:00On Friday I turned 58. It was a day full of communication with family and friends, and a reminder of how global and Internetty we have become. <br /><br />The day started early with a <a href="http://www.skype.com/">Skype</a> (via Internet) call with a friend in Uppsala, Sweden. Near the end of that call, I had a landline call from my brother calling to wish me a happy birthday. He was using Skype Out, so we hung up the regular telephone and had a much higher quality conversation on regular Skype. He was calling from a hotel room in Tokyo. <br /><br />Then I talked to my parents. They were sitting out in their backyard in Dallas calling from their mobile phone. They called our Seattle (<a href="http://www.vonage.com">Vonage</a>) line which tunnels from Seattle through the Internet to a router in our office which connects to line two on our business/home phone.<br /><br />Later, my sister called from Dallas as she was driving home from a gathering with friends. She was using her mobile phone. Our daughter called from her mobile phone from somewhere in Anchorage. <br /><br />Perhaps it's just having been born in the middle of the last century that makes me so aware of all the changes in communication and transportation. In any case, I am glad of these changes that makes possible contact with friends and family who are often so far away.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/20407004-7296344617123902461?l=awildolivebranch.blogspot.com'/></div>David in Alaskahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05576251518506124905noreply@blogger.com0