To anyone who isn’t blessed with Kim Komando’s Cool Site of the Day in their daily e-mail, you just don’t know what you’re missing! Kim has four newsletters, all of which are free, and I’ve been getting her Tips and Cool Sites for almost as long as I’ve had a computer. Although she is a very savvy computer techie, she knows how to talk to the novice as well as to the expert. It is quite obvious to me that much of what she talks about is way over my head but I can get an idea of what is possible with digital technology even if I’m not about to use it. From long association, I feel that if Kim recommends something, it is OK; if she warns against it, beware.

Kim is not only quite beautiful, probably quite rich by now, but also quite down to earth. She comforts me by her very presence. She answers questions and has resources for the seeker. Apparently she views oodles of videos in order to give us a Video of the Day–sometimes funny, sometimes informative, sometimes inspiring. And I’d be willing to bet they get a lot more hits after Kim has recommended them.

Today her Cool Site presented a virtual pedometer. You can fill in your city and state or your zip code and the map will jump to your local area. Move the map up or down as you please by holding the left click down and moving this way or that. Zoom in to locate the streets or roads you will be walking along, click start recording, and double click on your starting point. Up pops a little red balloon to mark the site. Move along your route and double-click again at the first turn. Not only will you get another balloon but a red line highlighting your path so far. Continue on double-clicking at each turn until you’ve reached your destination. By the wonders of satellite GPS (global positioning system), the virtual pedometer will tell you how far you’ve traveled, and you can print out your path if you wish.

Today I discovered it is about 0.67 miles around my block, and just about the same distance to my church. Who would think this old lady would have so much fun first thing in the morning even before going outdoors to have the additional fun of getting ice off the windshield? Yes, I used to walk the 0.67 miles back and forth each day, but no more.

Go for virtual walk on Kim’s cool site. Then do it for real. It’s a beautiful day and the sun is shining. I might even take my own advice.