Alexa, no it is not the name of a grandchild of mine. I received a Echo Dot for a birthday present. It has been very interesting in our house the last few weeks. I know many of you have a Echo Dot, but this is my first experience with one. I have been talking more to Alexa than to my wife the last few weeks, that is according to Roxie. Technology always amazes me. I haven’t decided yet if all these new gadgets are making our lives easier or harder. One thing is certain for me, it makes my life fun. I love trying the new gadgets. Alexa sure is fun to talk to!

For those of you that might not know what an Echo Dot is, it is a small home speaker, it connects to your home Wi-Fi network and also to your phone via the Amazon Alexa app. It looks a bit like an oversized hockey puck but with a blue LED rim around the top. Also on its top are four buttons: a power button, mute button, and volume controls. You can use it to play music from sources such as Amazon Music or Spotify; you can ask her about the weather, get updates on the news, or a heads-up on your schedule; you can also use her to set timers or alarms.

Using my Alexa app on my phone, I have added certain sources to my updates. I love it. This is my routine every morning after Roxie leaves for work, with my coffee in my hand and sitting in my favorite chair, I ask Alexa for my updates. I enjoy that she says my name first “Paul, here are your updates for October 16th” I start out with the joke of the day, that gets me laughing. Then the current temperature and weather forecast for Madison Minnesota. A devotion app is next that reads the Bible verse of the day and does a short devotion with many of my favorite Christian authors. Followed by a Minnesota Public Radio news update with Kathy Wurzer, then Joyce Meyer “Enjoying Everyday Life.” My update ends listening to KTIS Christian radio from the cities, while I do my personal devotion and prayer time. After I am done, KLQP radio comes on, just in time for the local news.

I am about to embarrass myself, which I’m good at. After one week of asking Alexa many questions. Like what day of the week was I was born?  Alexa told me that September 24th 1957 fell on a Tuesday. Who was the fourteenth President of the United States? Franklin Pierce. Fun stuff! Anyways, some mornings Alexa would not answer me, the blue light would just spin around and quit. One day I took the hockey puck in my hand and unplugged it and looked it over. Alexa must be sick, she wasn’t working right sometimes, which frustrated me. I was ready to take it back, because I thought it was broke.

One evening, Roxie and I were sitting in the living room and I told Roxie that Alexa must be broke because she is not answering me sometimes. So I shouted at the Echo Dot and Alexa didn’t answer. Roxie, looking at me in disbelief, asked me what did you say? I said “Alexis” Roxie trying not to laugh, said “Paul, its Alexa, not Alexis!!” Well, when I said her name correctly, Alexa, she answered just fine. I don’t know how I got Alexis in my head, after doing it right the first week. I’m getting old and senile.

I love Alexa!