You always learn something new.

Recently I went to a local pharmacy to purchase a pill splitter as my pug needed half-dosages every 12 hours for a malady I won’t disclose due to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, even if it doesn’t apply to dogs.

When I got there, I discovered the splitters were on metal pegs with small devices that prevented me from getting it off the pegs. I spoke with an employee, who informed me that people kept stealing these for whatever reason.

I never thought of pill splitters as being a contraband item, but I’m guessing people use them for nefarious reasons, such as spreading out illegal drugs for a bigger return on investment.

Anyway, she freed up a blue pill splitter for me and I was on my way. And if anyone wants to know, I used the device solely for cutting pills in half and hiding them in wet dog food to cure my pug of her ailment. Nothing nefarious there.

I wonder what else I don’t know in life.

I’m getting used to two recent major purchases in my life: a 2018 Buick Encore and a new iPhone 14 Pro. Although their new technological features come in handy, it’s not the same as buying a car from the 1970s with just an AM radio, or a simple rotary phone.

Things were a lot easier to decipher in those days.

I’ve gotten used to the push-button start on my car, meaning I’ve come a long way from my first foray into this technology while trying to figure out how to start a rental car a while back. As long as I have my foot on the brake when I start, I’m good to go.

I do, however, miss having my plethora of keychains dangling by my knees while I drive.

With my new Encore, I appreciate being able to see what’s behind me as I back out from a parking spot, although I get beeped at if I get too close to something. The car also seems to notice when I’ve taken my eyes off the road, and gives me a gentle warning. When this happens, I am truly ashamed, and vow to never do it again.

You have to love a vehicle that keeps you honest.

Now regarding my new phone, that took a while to set up, although the helpful store staff person performed the hard part: moving most of my stuff from my iPhone 7 to the new model. I had to input a few passwords on some apps, which would have gone a lot smoother had I remembered the answer to a security question — What was your mother’s occupation? — and moved on.

My mom basically was a homemaker for much of her adult life, but I never got the impression that was her true calling in life. Later on she became a zoo volunteer, but I couldn’t recall the exact answer I had for that question. Zoo volunteer? Zookeeper? Upper or lower case? So, my security questions were reset to something I could remember: my siblings’ middle names.

I also have to learn different ways to swipe for various actions, although I find I have to swipe in the right direction and at the right pace to access things such as my flashlight and calculator. You never know when you might have to solve a math problem in the dark.

I was grateful, though, for my iPhone 14 Pro when the aurora borealis made a spectacular appearance recently. Although I wish I had researched aurora/iPhone photography tactics before I ventured out, I did get a few decent pics to mark the event, which I shared on Instagram to make my siblings jealous.

Now if I can get a tripod or make my cold hands less jittery, I might get even better pics, although my phone actually told me to hold still.

You have to love a camera that keeps you honest.

I will say that as you get older, learning can be challenging. Maybe you get set in your ways or your cognitive skills decline, but sometimes it’s easier to watch a movie you’ve seen 10 times instead of making the emotional investment to view a new one.

However, you don’t pick up new ideas as well that way. Although I always can find new things to enjoy about the famous “pickle episode” in “The Andy Griffith Show,” watching a non-linear, dark-themed, feature-length movie might add to my cache of knowledge.

Now if I can watch that movie while splitting pills in the dark using my iPhone, I will have reached new heights of intellect — and learned something new.

Christie Mastric can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 250. Her email address is cbleck@miningjournal.net.