My New Toy

I LOVE tech gadgets.  I always want to have the fastest, the best, the newest, etc, etc, etc.  I learned my lesson about that after purchasing my first Dell, but that's another story.  While my newest toy is one of the newest and best, it will be obsolete before I know it--so I will enjoy the hell out of it while I can.  And what is my newest toy?  My HTC Inspire smartphone!

And my feelings about this gorgeous piece of technology?  WOW.  Just WOW.

I have had a cell phone since 1996 and bought a Nokia every time I got a new one.  I LOVE Nokia products, but as phones got to be 'smarter,' Nokia wasn't keeping up--at least in North America.  (They have AMAZING phones that you can get/use in Europe, but for the most part, they are unavailable here.  And if you can get them here, the cost is prohibitive.)  It got to the point where I was using a phone that seemed like it was made for the 20th, not 21st, century.  I was beginning to feel left out when everyone else could surf the net and play games and get all sorts of 'apps' for their phones and my phone did little more than make phone calls.  (Really though, what is a phone for, right?  ;))  But I was jealous and wanted what everyone else had, so I started my research.  My contract wasn't up until August, so I had plenty of time to decide on my next phone.  I searched the interwebs and talked to people.  I read magazine articles and listened to talking heads.  I looked into Blackberry, Windows, AND Android phones.  They all had something to offer, but I liked what Android had the best.  And going with an Android phone meant I was part of the crowd and could have what I envied others having.  ;)  Besides, my carrier had some of the top-rated Android phones there are.  Then I was offered an early upgrade from my carrier and I was off and running.  I picked up my phone last Wednesday and I have been as happy as a pig in mud ever since!

I honestly don't think that the iPhone is better than what I have.  It is different, but I believe they are pretty equivalent.  A lot of people will point out that the iPhone has "SOOOOOOOO many more apps than Android does," but I say "So what?"  Yes, Apple might have 25 'fart' apps and Android only has 15, but I don't want any of them, so it doesn't matter.  With the apps that I CAN get--and I'm not even talking about the ones that ATT won't allow to be side-loaded--I am completely overwhelmed.  So far, I have found everything that I WANT and everything I NEED--and they have ALL been free.  When it comes to the 'free' part, I don't think iPhone owners can say the same--but I will retract that statement if I am misunderstanding something that I read.  With being able to have the apps that I want, I basically carry around a little computer in my pocket whenever I leave the house.  I have my email, my Twitter, my Facebook, my blogs--everything that I used to have to sit in front of the computer to do, I now can do anywhere I go.  And I thought the laptop gave me freedom!

So, for now I am one happy camper--I finally have the phone I should have gotten a long time ago.  I will use this thing to death.  But, I am already beginning to research the next one I buy.  I'm never satisfied, I guess.  ;)

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NOOKcolor Wallpaper

Here is the wallpaper that I have on my NOOKcolor right now:

 

It makes me giggle.  :)

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Using Computers and The Interwebs

If you are reading this, then you probably know how to use the interwebs.  And if you are reading this, you probably know how to use computers.  And if both of the previous sentences are true, you more likely than not have been asked by someone to find the answer to a question by using the interwebs.  A question they can find the answer to themselves, simply by using Google.  And that is why so many computer users--geeks, as well as 'normal' people--get livid when asked to 'find' answers.

I LOVE my computer.  While I'm not a total geek, I tend towards that description.  I'm not quite as computer-savvy as I used to be--a few years ago I KNEW I could build my own computer, but I'm not so sure these days.  That being said, I do have a knowledge that a lot of my friends and family don't.  I don't mind being asked to look up information for people--especially those who don't have computers or lack the experience I have.  I've often thought that I could make money by doing searches for others, but setting something like that up would actually take time and effort, neither of which I'm willing to do.  So, I will be content to search for houses to rent in the southwest for my sister-in-law and look to see if the knife The Husband wants is still being manufactured.  I have the time to do these things and it doesn't really take away from what I may WANT to do.  However...

I do have a problem when someone asks me to find out 'why is the sky blue?' or any simple, easily Googled question such as that.  I also have a problem when someone asks me to do a search for them, but THEY are on the computer themselves for 20 hours of every day.  EXCUSE ME!?!?!?  And just why can't you do it yourself?  And, obviously, many people feel the same as I do, because there is a site that has been developed called 'Let Me Google That For You'--http://lmgtfy.com/.  This is for those people who find it more convenient to bother you with their question than Google it for themselves.  It is an easy to use, step-by-step course in how to use Google to get the answers you are seeking.  So, if you don't want to pass on this link whenever someone asks you a simple question, make sure you say--in your MOST sarcastic voice--"Just wait a second and let me Google that for you."  It might help, but I doubt it.

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I Got It!

We are now home from our road trip and it can be revealed:  my anniversary gift this year is a nook!  So, "what's a nook?" you might ask.  A nook is an ereader--a gadget where you can read books and other printed material.  This is in place of reading an actual book.  (I'm not trying to insult everyone, if you all know what ereaders are--it's just that some people don't have a clue.)  There are several different ereaders other then the nook--Amazon, for example, has the Kindle and Sony has one, too.  After much research, I decided on the nook--for various reasons I will only mention if someone asks.  (I don't want to bore anyone.)

The nook is about the size of a paperback book--BUT it is only .5" thick.  It has enough memory in it to store about 1500 books.  And you can add memory with microSD cards.  There are over one million books available for the nook from Barnes & Noble--and there are more than can be found online.  This is quite a dangerous purchase for me, as I LOVE books!  And, for the most part, all of the books that you can buy for the nook are a bargain:  current bestsellers are about $10 each and there are many, many books for less than that or for free.  With the average hardcover book selling for $25 or more, the prices on ebooks are outstanding.

I haven't gotten the nook up and running as of yet--I have to charge it first--but I KNOW I am going to love it.  Being able to take numerous books with me at all times and being able to buy and download books WHEREVER I am at ANY time is amazing.  I'm definitely going to have to learn the meaning of the word restraint.  :)

Does this mean I'm done buying 'real' books?  Absolutely not.  I still will buy hard copies of my favorite authors and I have a few series that I intend to continue collecting.  Then, of course, every once in a while there will be another book that is special for one reason or another, so I will buy it.  All in all, I will have the best of both worlds when it comes to books--and I will probably bankrupt us with all of the books that I buy, in whichever form.  :D

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New Toys

In the last month I have bought myself a couple of new toys/tech gadgets.  I guess neither one was REALLY needed, but they were good upgrades to what I already had.

One day I was in our upstairs room and realized that the clock radio/CD player had died.  While I don't spend a lot of time up there, I do appreciate having a clock/radio/CD player whenever I AM there.  I had already begun thinking about upgrading my clock radio in our bedroom, so this was a good time to do so.  Once again, I did an enormous amount of research--really, the OCD is getting out of control--and decided on getting something that I can hook my music player to.  I finally decided on an iHome.

This has wound up being one of the best clock radios I have ever had!  It has TWO alarms and a display that can be seen across the room--even WITHOUT glasses--AND has the day/date on it.  The display also has varying degrees of brightness, for those who need darker surroundings to sleep.  But the best part of this is the sound--I, personally, find it pretty amazing.  My last bedroom radio was a Sony and it never sounded nearly as good as the iHome does.  I DO wish it wasn't made specifically for the iPod because there is a slot on the top that is completely useless for me.  I can hook up my non-iPod to it, which was one of the reasons I chose it in the first place.

My second purchase was a new camera.  I just bought a camera before we went to Vegas the other year, but it is quite large--about the size of a 35mm.  I felt as if I needed something tiny that I could put in my pocket whenever I left the house.  That led me to the Nikon Coolpix S4000.

This is one of the newest offerings from Nikon and it is AMAZING!  (It didn't hurt, at all, that I got a fantastic deal on a kit--which I bought for $50 less than the MSRP for the camera ALONE!)  It's 12 megapixel, 4X wide-angel zoom lens, and the LCD is a touch screen.  It is so thin that I will have NO problem putting it in the pocket of my jeans.  I am loving it.


Now, I guess I shouldn't have made the purchases right now, with my anniversary coming up, but that really doesn't matter.  I believe I know what my gift will be this year, but will wait until I actually have it in my possession before talking about it.  This will give you a reason to come back time and again to read the big announcement.  ;)

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This Weekend and My OCD

The Youngest is coming home for the weekend.  I'm so excited I can't even think clearly.  Her best friend from high school is graduating from college, so she HAS to be here.  Her husband couldn't get the time off to come with her and K will be working night shift, so it's just us two 'girls' together.  It has been so long since we have had one-on-one time--it should be a lot of fun.  And I know the time will go way too quickly.

When we bought our new computers, I sent the old laptop to The Youngest to replace her dying one.  It seems to be doing what she needs it to, so she is happy.  K wanted me to set up the old computer in our upstairs room for him to use.  I never did so, as there just isn't anyplace for me to put it up there, so we offered it to The Youngest and her husband.  Again, it will replace a dying computer for them.  It is, definitely, NOT a new computer, but it is serviceable--and if anything needs to be upgraded or replaced, it will cost much less than a new computer for them.  I'm happy the machine will be out of my way after this weekend.

Last night I reformatted the hard drive on the old computer.  I will let the son-in-law do the rest of the work on it.  After I was done, I went searching for a box/boxes in which to put the computer and all of the parts--anything to make it easier for it to be transported back to Minnesota.  It was then that I remembered that I probably had, at least, some of the original boxes it came in.  As it turned out, I had every original carton AND most of the protective coverings that came with the computer.  It is really great to be borderline obsessive/compulsive sometimes.  :D

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Hijacked Email

Last night, I began getting emails from places and people I had never heard of. The first one I got was from a company, saying it was an auto-reply to an email I had sent. Nope, never sent one. There were no hyperlinks or attachments, so I didn't feel as if this was a virus or anything else ominous. Before turning the computer off for the night, I had already received about 20 emails, all from different people. The only thing they all had in common: Nancy's Notions was the first recipient in all of these. Some of the later emails were from people who had been getting these same emails, so I knew something was up. Obviously, someone's email account had been hijacked.

When I turned the computer on today, I was expecting a ton of emails that I would need to delete. There were NO bogus emails in my inbox. ????????????? I have no idea what happened. Obviously, the problem was corrected, but why would any bogus emails just disappear? I can't believe that I didn't get any new ones before someone had a chance to fix the problem. So this leaves me with a problem: Did I get all of my mail today? This interweb business can be frustrating.

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Once Again

A full 1-2 weeks early, the new replacement tower came in today. I guess Dell wants to cover its own ass when giving estimated delivery dates, but really. So, this means I will be MIA for a time as I try to get THIS one up and running. I will be SO happy when all of this is over with!

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UGH!!!

Yeah, I spoke WAY too soon the other day when I said things were going well with the computer. Yesterday when I went to boot the beast up, I got a disk error and then everything went to hell from there. (This is the first time I have booted it up since yesterday--and I'm not sure if it will boot again if I turn it off. A brand new surprise every day!) I called the tech who had been here the day before and she recommended I call Dell and tell them I want a brand new replacement for this lemon--which I did. And they are happy to accommodate me--it is only going to take 2-3 weeks for it to happen! Oh, well. Hopefully the new one will work right out of the box and I won't need to deal with tech support--I'll keep my fingers crossed.

I don't really know where I can put the blame on this entire matter. I want to be mad at Dell, but they have been good about this whole mess. Unfortunately, when you make millions of computers, there will be some duds--this happens in ALL manufacturing. I want to be mad at Microsoft, but I'm not too sure there is an issue here at all with the OS. I want to be mad at FedEx and the possibility that the computer was handled too roughly, but I can't be sure of THAT, either. I still think the entire problem with this particular computer and all computers/software/etc can be laid at the feet of all of us. Consumers want the best, brightest, fastest, most powerful computer/software/peripheral/etc, and they want it NOW!!! THAT is why programs come out and they are buggy: People won't allow the companies to perfect anything before they are released to the public. We are our own worst enemies when it comes to technology--we allow companies to put out crappy products and we make excuses for them. This has to stop, but I don't see it happening any time soon. When we, as consumers, say enough is enough, maybe we won't have all of these problems with our technology--and then we won't need the tech support centers in New Delhi. In a better world, maybe. {sigh}

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A Short Post

Today the tech came in and replaced my motherboard on the desktop. So far, so good. She said this isn't uncommon, as things can happen when computers are shipped. The jostling and moving around of computers can--and do--cause all sorts of problems. Anyway, she was here for about a half hour and the new motherboard has fixed my sound issues. On another problem: I moved the mouse/keyboard receiver to a front USB port and THAT seems to have taken care of my mouse/keyboard troubles. The only thing I have to do, yet, is continue migrating what I want/need to the new machines. Now that things are okay, I'm more willing to take the time to finish up. I'm STILL thinking 2015 is a good target date for all things to be completed. ;)

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On Computers, GYN Appointments, and...A Little Bit of Hockey

New computers tend to be a pain in the ass--at least MINE always have been. I have been having issues--both minor inconveniences and major problems--on these new machines. And slowly I'm getting everything worked out.

First, my desktop. It worked as soon as I got it put together. I got it online with no problems and set up Microsoft Live Mail in no time flat. After that, things got a bit iffy. At some point, it occurred to me that I wasn't hearing much, if any, sound coming from the speakers. I did the whole troubleshooting routine, to no avail. This meant I needed to talk to tech support.

Despite what Dell may have said, I don't think they have moved their tech support back to the US--at least, not ALL of it. If you buy an XPS or Alienware, then there is no doubt you have US support--and at the prices charged for those systems, it BETTER be the case--but not so much for those of us with value to medium priced systems. And so I have to deal with someone with an Indian accent. But, I began our conversation by telling him that I will have to ask him to repeat himself frequently because of my hearing loss. He was okay with that, thankfully.

Anyway, after discussing my problem, he asked if he could take control of my computer from where he is. WOW! Talk about a surreal experience! We did various things and the conclusion is that the motherboard needs replacing on this machine. (Something else needs to be replaced, but I'm not sure what it is.) This took place in the early hours of Thursday morning and by noon I had a call telling me that the parts would reach the tech that will be doing the repair job by Friday noon. Of course, NO ONE understands just WHERE my town is, so THAT didn't happen. Around 1:00 AM on Friday, I got the call telling me that my replacement parts were in Milwaukee and the tech couldn't get here until this coming week. Fine--what else COULD I say?--and we negotiated an appointment time. The tech was willing to come on Monday, but I had an appointment, so we settled on Tuesday. I'm expecting to have ALL hardware issues fixed by Tuesday afternoon. Period.

So, on to the other things I'm having issues with. I'm having a problem with MS Works--which was supposed to come standard and pre-installed. It DID come installed, however, I never received the CD. And when I tried setting up MS Works, I NEEDED the CD to complete the installation. I have been dealing with Customer Service on THIS issue--and it seems to be resolved: I will be getting the CD in the mail. My OTHER problem is the keyboard/mouse that I bought. Now, you would thing there should be NO problem with a Microsoft product being used with a Microsoft-based PC. WRONG! This combo freezes, lags, and all-around drives me crazy! I have the feeling that I WILL be sending it back and getting a Dell brand--something I should have done in the first place. My last keyboard/mouse gave me NO problems at all. But, I WILL troubleshoot first and then make my decision.

I LOVE Firefox and Thunderbird--and I have used them for years. However, they are the WORST programs to migrate to another computer. After two days of trying, I FINALLY got Firefox installed and working right on the desktop. Sadly, I STILL haven't gotten it installed on the laptop and neither machine has Thunderbird yet. I don't know why this has to be such a difficult thing. I guess I could just give up and use IE and Live Mail, but I don't like to admit defeat. Besides, I have all of my contacts and saved mail on Thunderbird and there is NO WAY I could rebuild my bookmarks if I gave up on Firefox.

The only other issue I have had with the laptop so far: It took me a few times before LoJack installed. Other than that, it has been fine, so far.

I MUST praise some things about Windows 7. I think I will be very happy with the improvements as soon as I get used to everything. Setting up the wireless home network was SO easy that 'even a caveman could do it.' I was impressed with the fact that I am able to print from my laptop without being connected with wires/cables. All in all, I think this will be a favorite purchase for some time. As soon as everything is working right. ;)

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So, I have talked about my new GYN and my upcoming appointment. And that appointment was made for tomorrow. And then I got the phone call on Thursday--canceling my appointment. The only explanation was that the doctor 'took an emergency leave of absence.' There is no idea as to when she will be back, so I couldn't re-schedule the appointment with her. This left me with a few choices: Find a new doctor, wait for this doctor to come back--IF she comes back, or make an appointment with the nurse practitioner. There really was no choice for me--I NEED to see someone quickly because I'm running out of my meds--so I chose to see the nurse practitioner. And that I will be doing on 5 February. I'm really, really afraid I'm going to have to find a new GYN--I'm not having a good feeling about this office.

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And we get to hockey. I won't talk about the Red Wings. At this point, there is no reason to. If things don't change soon, they are on course to NOT make the playoffs this year--something that HASN'T happened in the last 18 or so years. It started with them losing two full lines and two top D-men to long-term injuries--ALL AT THE SAME TIME. They still need to get four players back in the line-up--and they won't be full-strength till after the Olympics. It's been quite an awful season.

What I WILL talk about is the Rangers--our local junior team. They are quite on fire and have bounced between first and second place all year. Right now, they are in second place, trailing by only one point behind the first-place team. We attend every game we can--I think we have only missed two games this year. And I am one of those people who wears her team jersey to every game, proudly. ;) I am very good, though--I am NOT loud, but I appreciate the team and all their efforts. And they put on a very good show. I have enjoyed every game we've been to--even the few they have lost. It will be great fun to see them in the playoffs--I hope we will be able to see some of those games.

There HAVE been several bad points to the games, though--and they have involved fans. Several opposing teams have had some very obnoxious fans, but there are a few that are just as bad--if not worse--for the Rangers. One fan, in particular, stands right over the opposing team's bench and locker room door. Throughout the entire game, he taunts the opposing players in an extremely loud voice. And he thinks he is great while doing it. Unacceptable, as far as I'm concerned. The other fans--who were pretty good last night--are new to the games. They are family of a new player on the Rangers--a local boy. The first game he played in, these people were so terrible, I almost said something. To begin with, they thought their boy was not getting the proper amount of ice time--even though his shifts were every bit as long as every other player's. They complained every time he was taken off of the ice, they bad-mouthed the coach, and they bad-mouthed the kid's teammates. I was absolutely appalled. I have been watching the kid and even though he HAS skill, he isn't as good as his family thinks he is. This past weekend it seemed as if he was struggling too much to 'prove' he is as good as his family thinks--and that kept him from playing his best. He seemed to calm down as the games went on, so he may do well despite his obnoxious family. I certainly hope this is the case.

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And I will end with the weather. We have had rain for a couple of days and now we are waiting for the cold/snow to come. It looks as if we will be paying dearly for the warm temps we had this past week. But, it IS winter.

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Updating

The FedEx site stills says that the new desktop will be here on Tuesday, but we'll see. I got the laptop on Saturday and have been noodling around a little, but there isn't all that much to do without being connected to the Gore. I want to wait and set up my network all at once, so I will wait till the desktop is up and running.

This migration has been a regular pain in the ass. This is partly due to the fact that I haven't backed up my data on a regular basis, but it is much, much more than that. I'm finding that the 'back up' app on this machine only goes so far and doesn't back up nearly enough of my data. So, that has meant a lot of searching, copying, pasting, etc, etc. I always worry that something will be forgotten and that I will lose it forever. (I plan on reformatting the hard drive on this ancient machine when I take all of the data I need off of it.) And it seems as if I am facing a deadline with this machine--it just isn't working right and is quickly going downhill. I think a lot of problems will be solved after the reformat, but time will tell. I'm STILL not sure what we're doing with this computer, but I'm sure K has something in mind. I will be sending The Youngest my old laptop--it is good enough for her to surf and do email. And they know enough people to help them upgrade, if that is the direction they want to go.

So, I will continue to be MIA for a few days. Other than reading as much of my mail as I can, I don't know when I will be back on here. Thank goodness for my phone--it keeps me connected. I just may double--if not triple-- my data usage in the next few.

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A New Keyboard and Mouse

Yesterday, I received the keyboard and mouse for our new desktop. I don't HAVE the desktop, yet, but I have the mouse and keyboard. I love the way things don't get delivered together. However, it could have been much worse: I could have gotten the desktop BEFORE the keyboard and mouse. ;)

Today I got an email saying that the desktop and monitor have been shipped. They are supposed to get here on Tuesday. This is much earlier than I was expecting. Before I put the order through, the preliminary shipping date was in February. Then it was 25 January when the order went through, but was changed to 27 January--until today. I don't ask questions, even though I don't understand this. The laptop is still scheduled to ship on the 19th, but that is subject to change, also. I have some work to do before I can make the switch to the new computers, but I should have the time to do that over the weekend. It will be nice to get it all taken care of, so I can start learning how to use the new operating system. The excitement is mounting! ;)


UPDATE: Got an email from Dell saying that BOTH computers will be here on Tuesday. But, as The Husband said, "Believe it when we see it." ;)

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Took The Plunge

It's only taken me over a month since we decided to do it, but last night I FINALLY ordered the new computers. I think I got the best prices I could on what I wanted, so we'll see when they come in what I think.

First, I got a laptop. This will be SO different from the one we already have, as it will actually be able to DO things! The laptop we have was a purchase that we didn't think hard enough about. While we knew we wanted a laptop, we took an offer and it turned out to not be as good as we thought. Live and learn, I guess. But it definitely made me realize that I would have a hard time NOT having a laptop OR two computers in the house. And here is the new computer:




It's a Dell Studio 15 and I think I should be well pleased. It's got Windows 7, 3GB of memory, and a 250GB hard drive. It also comes with the rest of the usual things: DVD+/-RW drive, a wireless card, and Microsoft Works. I also got it Bluetooth enabled so that it will work with my cell phone. I didn't realize till after that it comes with a built-in webcam (don't know if I EVER will use THAT). I'm supposed to get it on 20 January.

I also ordered our new desktop--a Dell Studio desktop. I SHOULD see a great change in how fast things happen on this new machine. After all, it will have an Intel Core 2 Quad processor, so it should be FAST. It, too, will have Windows 7 and 6GB memory, a 640GB hard drive, DVD+/-RW drive,and a 21.5" full HD widescreen monitor. I should get THIS on 27 January.



The other night I FINALLY backed up my present computer in anticipation of this purchase. After having the external hard drive for a only couple of years. (No one ever said I rush to get things done.) Before the new machines get here, I really need to clean up and organize my music and pictures. Whether I ACTUALLY do it, is up for debate. ;)

I don't anticipate everything being up and running right until the beginning of February. With the laptop coming in first, I won't be connecting to our network until after the new desktop is here. I want to set up the network for both machines at the same time, so I will just be using the laptop to learn Windows 7 for the first week. I think there will be a bit of a learning curve, as I haven't even used Vista. I'm sure it will take a bit of time, but I WILL master it eventually. Oh, the excitement.

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Let's get Ready To Ramble

When I was a child--don't know if it is still the case--our local newspaper would publish the outer page on green paper. They called it 'The Green Sheet.' I don't remember what the content was on the green sheet.

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How sad and disturbing is the news about the Billy Mays' autopsy? While the coroner still says he died of heart failure, it is now thought that the heart problems came from cocaine use. The tox report showed he had used cocaine. He reportedly also took several pain killers--including oxycodone--because of hip problems. You NEVER know what is going on behind closed doors, do you?

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One of the neighbors talked to a guy who works for the company that will pave our road and he said they (the workers) have NO idea when the job will be done. I guess it will be done before the end of October, because the snow will start falling by then and it is extremely difficult to pave during a snow storm.

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I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that The Youngest had a sick cat. It had to be put down. The ultrasound was inconclusive, but his kidneys failed and there was nothing more to be done for him. It is sad to think I will never see Sam again. He was a very sweet cat.

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On 5 August I celebrated ten years of being a non-smoker. Once again I gave myself an anniversary gift and went and bought the phone I've been wanting.



The Nokia E71x is about the neatest thing and I am having SO MUCH FUN with it. I don't even think I know half of what this thing can do and I've been playing with it for days. I didn't find the price to be all that bad, but my monthly plan increased by $15. I still haven't told K. I'm hoping he doesn't notice. ;)

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Let's Get Ready To Ramble

For the most part, I seem to be doing okay after Friday. However, today isn't quite as good of a day as yesterday was--I find myself tearing up for no reason at all. This whole thing hurt very, very badly and won't be better any time soon.

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I STILL am obsessing over my neighbor's lawn ornaments. She continues to take them into the garage every night. As I have said WAY too many times, I REALLY need a life!!!

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Because of the 'discovery' yesterday, I am now re-thinking the amount of food the cat has been eating. I wonder if we caught all of the mice that have been running around. Got to stop thinking about this--I feel itchy and have the willies all at once!

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Looks like we will be getting summer after all. This entire week should see temps around 70 degrees. It can't end fast enough for me. The warm weather, that is. :-/

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We STILL haven't gotten any planting done. But, the temps haven't been real helpful in terms of gardening, either. K is now going to be off for almost 10 days, so things should get done. I will NOT go the entire summer without tomatoes from our garden!

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Looks like we may be doing a road trip this weekend. We haven't done an over nighter but once since coming home from Florida, so it is time. I only hope it won't be too hot to enjoy myself!

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Five weeks into the Enbrel therapy and all seems to be going well. I still say that, overall, my skin has improved 75%. I don't have 75% CLEARING, but some areas ARE free of psoriasis. I continue to have injection site reactions, but the doctor said they will diminish and there is no reason for me to stop using the Enbrel. If things continue as they are, I WILL have massive areas of clear skin by the three month mark. At least, I hope so!

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There are less than two months till I reach my ten year anniversary of quitting smoking. And I think I now know what I will get myself as a gift: a smart phone! My youngest and her husband have Blackberry Pearls and love them to death, so that is a possibility. However, ATT has the Nokia E71x and I WANT!



I have never had anything BUT a Nokia, so this would satisfy me. Also, I REALLY miss my Palm and this would be a nice replacement. I will have to think about this--I do have time. BUT, I'm pretty sure I will own this phone two months from now.

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Some Geekiness, The Web, My Life, and...HOCKEY!

Did you know that there is the inTERnet AND there are inTRAnets? And they aren't the same.

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You don't need an online dictionary if you use Google. In the search box type: "define: (word)" and hit enter. The definition will come up! (Of course, you don't use the quotation marks or parenthesis--and you supply your own word! DUH!)

To see the time in any city or country, simply type "time (city)."

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You can get computer hard drives for home computers with 1 terabyte+ of capacity. That is about four times larger than what my computer hard drive has. I don't have half of my hard drive filled. My question is: Why would someone NEED that much storage space? I guess if you download movies, maybe, but it still seems like an awful lot of storage space for an individual.

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A couple of sites I have found recently:

--Awkward Family Photos. We ALL have 'those' pictures that we would rather not see again. That's what these are. Frightening.

--Not Always Right. These are funny--and maddening--stories about customers. Who aren't always right.

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The weather here in the UP:

--tonight: rain mixed with snow.
--Wednesday: a high of 74+

We have strange weather here.

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I gave my oldest her first sewing lesson on Saturday. She NEVER wanted to know a thing about it while living here, but now is eager to learn. She gave me a back-handed compliment: She said she knows a lot of people who sew, but wants to learn from someone that is anal-retentive like I am. That way she will be sure to learn the right way to do things. :D

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Referees for sporting events should be unbiased. Of course, they are also human and could, subconsciously, rule for or against a certain team. There is a certain ref in the NHL that was once SHOT while in Detroit. (Something to do with a mugging, I think.) Some of the most HORRENDOUS decisions against the Wings have come from this man. Coincidence? YOU decide. ;)

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Short Rambling Post

Not too sure how I will be feeling after tonight's game. I just found out that Rafalski will not be playing because of an 'undisclosed injury,' and is listed as day-to-day. Of course, we will never find out what the real story is until June, so whatever is going on is anyone's guess. And to add insult to injury, Chelios will be in the lineup. Don't get me wrong, I LIKE Cheli, but really. He hasn't played much more than a handful of games this season because of his broken leg and he IS starting to show his age. I really don't have many good feelings about the game. :(

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One of our neighbors up the street has a couple of lawn ornaments that look like full-sized sheep. The other day when we drove past the house, K had an idea: We should go every night and move the sheep. :D The trouble is, I would have to be friends with the woman first so that I could experience the meltdown that would follow. (Yeah, I'm mean like that!)

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I just saw an ad for a 32GB thumb drive. Unbelievable!! Our first computer had--at the MOST--a 16GB harddrive. I honestly think it could have only been 8GB. I wonder when they will finally hit the limit when it comes to technology.

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Talked to youngest daughter last night and the kitten is doing very well. With only three legs, she has adapted well enough so that she not only gets around, she RUNS through the house and plays with the rest of the critters. And she finally is gaining weight: she now is a little over a pound! Looks like she will make it.

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And So...

I am a very happy camper! Today we experienced what would normally be considered the first day of fall--if it was later in the year! The temp never got higher than 65 degrees and it is now 52. Absolute heaven. I know, there is something wrong with me. :)

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Talked to the youngest tonight while she was 'baby'-sitting. Her 'babies' were a male Westie named Itzhak and a female of mixed breeds named Delcie. The couple who own the dogs don't like to leave them alone for too many hours at a time, so they hire a babysitter for the evening. Unbelievable.

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Two months from tonight--9 October--I will be a very happy person: the Red Wings will have their season opener. The Stanley Cup banner will be raised that night, etc. Now THAT would be a game to be at! {sigh} It is getting harder and harder for me to go through a day without being able to look forward to a game. I need a life. :(

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I haven't been doing much online for the past few days, but I HAVE been on the computer. I finally decided to order--and received--my anniversary gift. I know I had a hard time deciding, but after realizing that I had some unwritten rules about the gift, the decision came easily. It had been suggested to me that I save up for a really spectacular gift at a later date, but my 'rules' wouldn't allow that. My 'rules' seem to be: the gift has to be something I WANT and not need; I must have immediate--or as close to--satisfaction as possible; and it has to be a bit of a luzury--as in an upgrade of something already owned, for example. So, this year, my anniversary gift wound up being--drum-roll, please--a Creative Zen X-Fi 32GB music/multimedia player. Awesome! Not only does it store 32GB of music, etc, but it also has a slot for an SD card--so even MORE room for music. There is an external speaker, so it can be listened to without earbuds--but the sound is much better (actually is spectacular) WITH the earbuds. It has an FM radio and enhanced X-Fi technology for sound. It also has wireless capability to transfer music from your home network. Quite a neat little piece of technology--and it is the NEWEST player Creative makes, so I am a happy little tech nerd! Here is a pic of my newest toy:
I have almost completed transferring EVERY piece of music that I own. I am loving this thing--it is nummy! :)

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Now for a few entries from the police log:

--10:23 AM, belligerent, cursing workers

Well, I guess if you have to work on Monday...


--10:57 AM, shirtless male yelling obscenities

I wonder if he knows the belligerent, cursing workers?


--11:35 AM, blue office chair found

I want to know where it was--and if 'a missing chair' report was called in.


--8:45 PM, used syringe needles found near property

SCARY!


--12:20 AM, bonfire in back yard

YIKES! And the area of the city where this is has houses EXTREMELY close together.

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It's Hard To Say Goodby

It is always a sad day when one has to break it off with a friend who has outlived all usefulness. Years of closeness, keeping of secrets, going everywhere together--all has come to an end. But I must move on.

Okay, before you start feeling sorry for me, I must explain. My friend is not a person OR a pet--it is my Palm Zire 72. After four+ years, I have had to put it to rest. It doesn't want to keep a charge anymore and the thing is just too darn big. It is more than twice as big as my cell phone and it feels like a brick sitting in my purse. And frankly, I don't use it very much anymore. Other than using the calendar to schedule appointments, it just sits.

The Zire is the third or fourth Palm I have owned--can't remember for sure. When I got my first one, I thought it was the greatest invention ever. I carried around every piece of vital information I could possibly ever need PLUS I always had a game or two on it for whenever I got bored. With my Zire I also had a music player--which I only used a couple of times--and a camera--which I ALWAYS forgot I had. I had a program where I could write Word documents and much, much more. It was my lifeline and I always felt 'naked' without it.

It is unbelievable to think that the Zire had more processing power than our first computer. And yet, it seems so slow to me these days. My cell phone does things faster--even though it is in a much different way. The last couple of days I have transferred all of my contacts, calendar, etc, to my phone so that the Zire can retire in peace. I will have to be satisfied with the differences between the phone and the Zire--that is until Nokia comes out with a smartphone!

Rest in peace, my friend. I'll miss you!

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