Good morning! I miss not blogging during my work weeks. I'm hoping that the extra energy that the sun will bring me in the spring will help.
So, when I say that nothing much is going on right now, I do mean it. I've been trying to work on the wood pile these mornings before I head in to work (if I can wake up early enough). I was ill prepared in regards to cut wood last fall, but I've been pleased that I was able to stretch it out until now. I'm nearing the end, and so I've been working on either digging out the cut lengths that never got stacked (easier said than done given this winter's amount of snow!) or cutting up the 8' lengths of birch that were delivered last spring. I've finally mastered starting the chainsaws (knock on wood), and I feel like I learn more about them with each use. My sweet daddy (Papa Pea of Mama Pea fame) has been maintaining them for me (sharpening the chains, tuning them up), but I realize that I NEED to learn how to sharpen the chains myself 'cause this needs to be a regular part of up-keep. And, from everything I've heard my whole life, that's NOT a fun (read "easy") thing to do. But, I'll be learning from the best . . . I need to make an appointment! :)
It was 12 below yesterday, but I've been able to pack the road and then creatively plow enough (so as not to scrape the packed snow from the ice underneath) to warrant finally trying the little car again. It puts SO much strain and wear and tear on the frame of the plow truck to drive around with the full weight of the plow on it (raised, of course, when I drive down the main road and highway) that I hate to drive it when I don't have to. (Plus, there's that whole gas mileage thing as the price of a gallon goes up and up and up.) So, even though it was cold yesterday, the sun was out, and I drove the truck to where the car was parked a little over 1/2 a mile away and coaxed 'er into starting ("My goooood little car", I crooned!). Then there was the usual transfer of dogs and bags and pulling one vehicle out and backing the other in . . . and I was off! Tomorrow, the dogs and I will walk out and drive the truck home. How good it will feel to have BOTH vehicles back in the yard!
* * * * *
I just haven't had the time at work to hook up the new computer, but after a productive business meeting with clients yesterday afternoon, I decided the time had come to treat myself. I cleaned the desk and made room for the new tower and plugged everything in. Got the old systems cleared away that I've been limping along with, too. Then I sat down to hook the new computer up, wirelessly, to the building's router. FRUSTRATION and AGGRAVATION ensued! I won't bore you with the details, but, while I AM (technically) hooked up to the Internet, the new computer's still not "speaking" to it. After struggling MUCH too long with it, I was "saved by the bell" to end my day and pick up the dogs.
You know that saying "you can't see the forest for the trees"? Yup, I needed to STEP AWAY from the problem. As I drove home last night, contemplating how I would work with the new system today w/ no Internet access (which would be nearly impossible), I realized, "Uhh, duhhhh? Just hook up the Ethernet cable again, you dummy!" That's what I'll do today . . . and, instead of fighting it, I'll put a word in to my computer guru to stop by in the next week or so to fix whatever I'm doing wrong with the wireless aspect of it. (I just get SO stuck in the "you're not stupid - you can figure this OUT" kind of thinking sometimes that I don't realize that it would be so much EASIER to let someone more experienced take over! Dumb, da-dumb, DUMB!!)
It's snowing lightly today and overcast although it's still chilly at 8 above. I've overheard a lot of people in town saying, "It's going to be March in less than a week!" . . . as if that's the "finish line" we need to make it to in order for this winter to be over. ;) Historically, though, March is our snowiest month . . . since the temps are warmer then. Time will tell. In the meantime, Swamp River Ridge is still laying under its mid-winter blanket.
And, with that, I'm off. Hope you have a great Sunday and can take at least a little special time FOR YOURSELF! :)
Showing posts with label Technology. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Technology. Show all posts
Follow-Up
Oh, who the #@#! am I kidding?
I just spent over an hour in futility downloading a keystroke recovery program onto that laptop (I'm now on my big computer in the office), then carefully selecting the (close to 100) files I'd used or modified today and finally clicking on 'Recover'. I was brought to a screen that said, and pardon me if I paraphrase here, "Oh, if you actually want to RECOVER these files / keystrokes, you NOW have to upgrade to a paid-for program vs. the free one you downloaded. The free version will show you the modified files, but to actually recover or read them, you have to pay us for it, SUCKER!"
It's not too early to start drinking, is it?
In a much briefer overview, here's what my lost post said . . . .
I have a schedule, but it's not one that works with the hours of the universally accepted Work Day. This is because I'm a Night Owl. Definitively and conclusively NOT a Morning Person. Fortunately, I do have some options. Namely, I am fortunate enough to be able to do some of my office work here at home.
Also, because I am not "allowed" (wrong word, but true) to have gallery hours until after 4:00 or 5:00 PM on weekdays due to the nature of the other businesses / Non-Profits in my building, I think I need to change my heretofore work week from Tuesdays - Saturdays to Wednesdays - Sundays in order to capitalize on the hours I CAN be open to the public (there are no restrictions on me in the weekday evenings nor weekends).
Too, to take advantage of my folks' generous offer to watch the dogs during the day (I need to pick them back up between 4:30 and 5:00), I need to start getting the dogs to them earlier . . . and then, as a direct result, myself into the office earlier. Right now, my schedule has me dropping the dogs off around 2:00 or 3:00, working until 4:45 when I pick up the dogs and feed and exercise them, and then returning to work until 8:00 or 9:00-ish, but not much later than that since I don't like the dogs having much more than those couple of hours in the cold car at night.
So, the conclusion to all that I've outlined in the above abbreviated fashion, is here's my new "school day" (work day) schedule . . . one I hope you'll help me stay honest to. They say that if you're trying to make or break a habit, you need to do that thing for 21 consecutive days. That might be hard with Christmas and the New Year coming up within those 21 days, but I'm gonna try it.
- 6:45 / Alarm
- 6:45 – 8:00 / Feed Dogs & Cats, Shower, Ready for Day
- 8:00 – 8:30 / Chores, Abbreviated on Work Days
- 8:30 – 9:30 / Drive to Town
- 9:30 – 10:00 / Drop Dogs Off, Get in to Office
- 10:00 – 4:45 / Office
- 4:45 – 5:30 / Pick Up Dogs, Get Gas
- 5:30 – 6:30 / Drive Home
- 6:30 – 8:30 / Chores, Dinner, Whatever
- 8:30 – 10:00 / Blog, Unwind
- 10:00 - 10:30 / Bedtime
The 6:45 AM alarm is gonna be a killer . . . especially since it will still be dark at that time for many more moons! But, if I *DO* get to bed on time, that SHOULD help. Anyone out there have any “get up when the alarm goes off” tricks? I already do the “put the alarm on the other side of the room so you have to get out of bed” theory, but it doesn’t work: I hop RIGHT back into bed and snuggle under the warm covers. Hmmm, maybe I should take the time to boot the computer up each morning so I can post an “I’m UP!” note to you all! ;)
Those of you who know me well (especially my ex) are surely chuckling over this because I have made UMPTEEN schedules for myself over the years, and NONE of them stick. But, I do enjoy having one because it allows me to not have to think! Instead, I just look at the posted schedule, find out what time it is, and say, "Oh, look! I should be doing this right now!"
Aside from going to bed early on the day of the week that will end up being "my Sunday", I'll allow my two-day weekend to follow its usual, organized chaos schedule.
So, there ya have it. Aside from more detail, that's pretty much what my morning's post was about.
Misunderstandings
Okay, I hate it when I don't express myself clearly, and the beginnings of the previous post are just that: the beginnings. It doesn't reflect the conclusion as I worked out, via blogging, my problem. So, if you can, please ignore what I wrote and wait for the re-writing of the entire post. I've downloaded a keystroke recovery program on my laptop and am trying to retrieve the post. Believe me, I worked through the problem so comprehensively there that I think it's worth it to try to find it, in its original form.
Stay tuned.
A Problem (Of My Own Doing)
Un-freaking-believable. I just finished writing a post. A HUGE post. HUGE. Made myself schedules, talked about being accountable to you, my readers . . . when this STUPID #@!# computer froze up again. No problem, Blogger saves your work about every minute. Nope, the laptop must not have been transmitting to the Internet. All I have is what's above. I'm so frustrated, you have no idea. OH, the DETAILS I'd written down! Now, all gone. I'm sorry, but I can't try to recreate it right now, I'm too mad.
Until later, then. (Did I mention? I need a new laptop.) Unreal. AAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
Me (That's Right, It's All About Me)
There's repeat of a meme going thru Facebook right now: 25 Things About Me. I've done this one before, but, let's face it, it's fun, so I'm gonna do it again. (I wonder if I'll have any repeats? It would be interesting to see!) So, without further ado and in no particular order . . . .
25 Things About Me
- I used to hate cats. Hate 'em. Now I have three.
- I smoke. A pipe. On occasion.
- Fundamentally, I am a very lazy person. What keeps me moving are the examples set by my folks (the hardest working people you'll ever meet!), the desire to be "a good person", and doing what's required to live the life I want.
- With our wedding scheduled for (and held in) February, I convinced Tom to marry me in a civil service the previous June. I felt quite sure he would get cold feet if we waited. (Analyze THAT, why don't you, given the fact that we're now divorced!!)
- I think I (?!) believe in previous lives. At least, I believe that there is some unknown entity that connects us to certain places or lifestyles that we've never experienced in this life.
- I have two stoves in my kitchen, and I use the old, wood cookstove that raised a family of 13 local children 95% of the time. And, I wouldn't give it up for love nor money.
- If it weren't for the solitary fact that I'll be able to use it as a digital picture frame in my office/gallery once I can replace it as my laptop, I would use this computer for target practice. (Update: considering I had this list written up to Item 15 when this computer crashed, and I lost all of those [8-14], I may use it for target practice yet!)
- I wish I could be more organized. (That's actually my biggest wish in life.)
- I think I could be a very "good" rich person.
- If I was rich and didn't have to work to make money, I still don't think I'd have enough time to do ALL the things I want to do in life.
- Caffeine doesn't affect me. I can drink coffee right before bed. Conversely, if I'm tired while driving, caffeine doesn't help.
- You will never come to my house and find ALL the dishes done. Just . . . can't . . . do . . . it.
- I designed this Swamp River Ridge house and know every inch of it, down to the 4 1/2" difference between the "matching" bump-outs that are the kitchen and sunroom.
- I will forever be grateful to Tom for getting me through my depression / years of infertility struggles.
- I am very glad that Tom finally had the strength to tell me, that horrible January day, that he was not happy in our marriage. I never would have (ended the marriage), and we're both better, happier people now, because of that. For that, I thank him.
- I'd always wanted a big, commercial strength Kitchen Aid and got one, from an old boyfriend, for a wedding gift. It has sat, proudly, on the kitchen counter these past 10 years. I have used it . . . once.
- I have always wanted to live by myself, in a cabin in the woods, for an entire calendar year. No human contact other than, perhaps, two or three visits . . . but for no more than a couple of hours (mail & resupply & news). I don't think I'd want to do it w/out a computer connection to the world, though. Nor would I do it without the companionship of some four-leggeds.
- I have always wanted to live, for some period of time (at least two weeks), without clocks. I'm interested to see how my internal timepiece would adjust.
- I love art. I wish I had the money to spend on it. I would support a lot of local artists.
- I would like to travel across America in an RV some day. (With no time or money restrictions.)
- I almost lost the nearly 35-year friendship of my best friend following her wedding. I'm glad I didnt.
- I have been to only one open-casket funeral and touched only one dead person in my life. She was cold. (Go figure.)
- I have never been able to stick to any sort of diet (not just the lose-weight kind). If there's something I'm choosing to omit from my food groups, I can think of nothing but that treat / bready-goodness / alcohol . . . and immediately cave.
- I could never live in a part of the world where spiders were big and common.
- I've gotten the autograph of only one famous person, David Byrne of The Talking Heads. If a friend who "knew music" hadn't picked him out at the London airport, I would have had no idea who he was.
Now, dear reader, will you do the same? I l-o-v-e learning things like this about my friends!
Did You Hear?
Did you hear my colorful language punctuating the hours yesterday?
After just touting our relative happiness with ISP HughesNet to a blogging friend, I was tearing my hair out again yesterday. As I've said before and will say again, Technology is great when it's working, but it can REALLY screw you up (once you've become accustomed to it) when it's not. (And, it [not working] really illustrates just . . . how . . . MUCH we [at least I] do use it in our daily lives.)
I do everything on the computer. E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G. That's where my calendar is. I'm not sure if I'm missing something important if I can't access it. I shop (from printer ink to my new iron to Christmas presents), pay bills (and I like to check on the status of them pretty much every day), keep in touch with friends (Tom never uses our home phone, and I RARELY do), see what's happening in the world (we have no TV), talk to my mom (again, that no phone thing . . . but we send e-mails to each other constantly throughout the day), check the weather, do our banking and see what checks Tom's written each day (vs. asking him to bring his checkbook in from his office every night), do all the ordering & invoicing for the supplies / essential oils for a massage therapist, etc., etc., etc. And, that's all just the PERSONAL stuff! It's not even my graphic & web design business that I'm trying to get off the ground . . . for which I need 24/7 access to the Web!
UGH! Obviously, it was a very frustrating day. I was on the computer from about 6:45 - 7:45 yesterday morning, and then the modem just went belly-up. I tried everything. I even searched out the correct wrench size in Tom's shop and moved the satellite dish (did I mention that it was only 5 degrees yesterday?). Multiple times. And, with each hair's-breadth-move, I had to come inside to run diagnostics. Then, there was the shutting all systems down and rebooting. Multiple times. And swearing. Multiple times. (That helps! Not.)
Finally, I called tech support and got a lovely Indian man on the line. And, I only had to ask him to repeat himself 2 or 3 times, so I was pretty pleased about that! They couldn't fix anything from their end and so would have to send a technician. Of course. One would call us within 3 days to set up an appointment. Yeah, a 3-day wait to just MAKE the appointment. Oh, but he couldn't set that up until he spoke to "Thomas". That's whose name the account is under. Of course.
So, I talked to Tom at his desk 70 miles away, giving him all the details I'd just spent 30 minutes giving to HughesNet Tech Support.
Then, I called our friends - the Going To Have A Baby Any Moment friends - to ask if I could drive the 30 minutes to their house to steal some of their bandwidth for a couple of hours. Of course! But, only if I had a bowl of homemade soup while I was there. (Twist my arm.)
I hopped into the shower to scrub away the nasty pall that had surrounded me since 7:45 that morning and got dressed. Got the dogs fed early so they would be more content. Packed up all my bags and got my boots on. Started shutting down the house and walked into the kitchen last. Glanced towards the offending modem, ready to throw it through the window (I mean 'turn it off') . . . and ALL the lights were flashing merrily away at me shouting, "Hey! Lookit me! I'm working now! All's well with the world! Aren't I special?!"
By this time, Tom had already ordered a modem & satellite dish upgrade (something we'd talked with the tech about the previous time he'd visited) AND bumped our rate up $10 a month in order to get a much higher speed. It is a 24-month commitment, but he wants his wife to be happy. He hates to see her tear her hair out when life isn't going well. :) Besides, we're BOTH hoping that my web-based businesses will be able to take a good-sized chunk of the financial responsibilities off his shoulders . . . and I DO need reliable Internet access for that!
So after seeing that things were operational here at home, I unpacked my bags, told the dogs to "stand down", and called our friends back with a chagrined "thank you, but no thank you". I needed to get on the keys ASAP and while the service was still working. After I spoke to them, they - amazingly sweet, wonderful, caring, thoughtful, sweet, loving, wonderful people - talked to Tom and asked that he still stop by their house (where I thought I'd be) on his way home. "It's a matter of life and death!" (They wanted to send him home with a big Tupperware of the still-warm chicken soup. And a huge chunk of delicious summer sausage for Tom from their freezer.)
Have I mentioned that this young couple is ABOUT TO HAVE THEIR FIRST BABY??? Any . . . day . . . ?! And they're doing all this for US?
An aside, at the art festival this past Saturday, they stopped by in the morning for a visit. I, not thinking anything of it, mentioned that I hadn't had time to make a lunch that day. They immediately responded with, "Oh, we'll make you a sandwich and bring it back!" No, no, nooooo! Getting me lunch was NOT their responsibility! So, I said that I didn't feel comfortable eating sandwiches at these things, anyway, 'cause I was invariably caught taking a huge bite when a customer walked up and asked me a question. That is the truth, but I also didn't want them to go to a trouble like that for me!
Well, fast forward a couple of hours, and back in they walk - covered plate & cup in hand. In the cup? Egg nog. On the plate, perfectly cut & sliced into small pieces and lovingly displayed . . . fancy little pieces of flat bread; yummy, yummy cheese; crackers; and some of the previously mentioned summer sausage. Oh, and when they'd arrived for their visit in the AM, it was with a plate of fresh-from-the-oven molasses & spice cookies in hand . . . which I'd quickly commandeered and had been munching on all day. I tell you, these two - soon to become three! - are incredible.
And, speaking of incredible friends . . . .
I remember that I joked to the husband of a dear friend (and fellow art fair participant) when he brought lunch in for her & their daughter, "Where's mine?!" He said, "I can go home and make you something, too!" Again, I exclaimed, "No, no, noooo! I was just kidding!" And, I was! This was before the other friends had returned with my unexpected plate of goodies, and I didn't like that ANYONE was even THINKING about going to any trouble for me!
Well, an hour or so later, in rushes the friend's little (okay, not so little anymore) adorable son. He pushes a bag into my hands and says, "Here's your lunch!" WHAT??? I hug and hug and squeeze him. (Fortunately, he hasn't gotten old enough that he's beyond hugs . . . and in PUBLIC, no less!) And, I have to admit, I was starving. Mmmmm, Cheetos! (Gotta start with the good stuff.) And Sprite. Ahhhhh. (And a Diet Coke for Mom - smart men!) And a granola bar with a particularly heavy coating of rich chocolate. Mmmmmmm. Notice how I get to the good stuff BEFORE I eat the sandwich?
Tom lucked out, too. He devoured my ham sandwich when I got home that night, and there was even a little left of the summer sausage & crackers. And so, supper was taken care of, too.
Morale of the story? "I get by with a little help from my friends . . . ." And what friends they are! :)
After just touting our relative happiness with ISP HughesNet to a blogging friend, I was tearing my hair out again yesterday. As I've said before and will say again, Technology is great when it's working, but it can REALLY screw you up (once you've become accustomed to it) when it's not. (And, it [not working] really illustrates just . . . how . . . MUCH we [at least I] do use it in our daily lives.)
I do everything on the computer. E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G. That's where my calendar is. I'm not sure if I'm missing something important if I can't access it. I shop (from printer ink to my new iron to Christmas presents), pay bills (and I like to check on the status of them pretty much every day), keep in touch with friends (Tom never uses our home phone, and I RARELY do), see what's happening in the world (we have no TV), talk to my mom (again, that no phone thing . . . but we send e-mails to each other constantly throughout the day), check the weather, do our banking and see what checks Tom's written each day (vs. asking him to bring his checkbook in from his office every night), do all the ordering & invoicing for the supplies / essential oils for a massage therapist, etc., etc., etc. And, that's all just the PERSONAL stuff! It's not even my graphic & web design business that I'm trying to get off the ground . . . for which I need 24/7 access to the Web!
UGH! Obviously, it was a very frustrating day. I was on the computer from about 6:45 - 7:45 yesterday morning, and then the modem just went belly-up. I tried everything. I even searched out the correct wrench size in Tom's shop and moved the satellite dish (did I mention that it was only 5 degrees yesterday?). Multiple times. And, with each hair's-breadth-move, I had to come inside to run diagnostics. Then, there was the shutting all systems down and rebooting. Multiple times. And swearing. Multiple times. (That helps! Not.)
Finally, I called tech support and got a lovely Indian man on the line. And, I only had to ask him to repeat himself 2 or 3 times, so I was pretty pleased about that! They couldn't fix anything from their end and so would have to send a technician. Of course. One would call us within 3 days to set up an appointment. Yeah, a 3-day wait to just MAKE the appointment. Oh, but he couldn't set that up until he spoke to "Thomas". That's whose name the account is under. Of course.
So, I talked to Tom at his desk 70 miles away, giving him all the details I'd just spent 30 minutes giving to HughesNet Tech Support.
Then, I called our friends - the Going To Have A Baby Any Moment friends - to ask if I could drive the 30 minutes to their house to steal some of their bandwidth for a couple of hours. Of course! But, only if I had a bowl of homemade soup while I was there. (Twist my arm.)
I hopped into the shower to scrub away the nasty pall that had surrounded me since 7:45 that morning and got dressed. Got the dogs fed early so they would be more content. Packed up all my bags and got my boots on. Started shutting down the house and walked into the kitchen last. Glanced towards the offending modem, ready to throw it through the window (I mean 'turn it off') . . . and ALL the lights were flashing merrily away at me shouting, "Hey! Lookit me! I'm working now! All's well with the world! Aren't I special?!"
By this time, Tom had already ordered a modem & satellite dish upgrade (something we'd talked with the tech about the previous time he'd visited) AND bumped our rate up $10 a month in order to get a much higher speed. It is a 24-month commitment, but he wants his wife to be happy. He hates to see her tear her hair out when life isn't going well. :) Besides, we're BOTH hoping that my web-based businesses will be able to take a good-sized chunk of the financial responsibilities off his shoulders . . . and I DO need reliable Internet access for that!
So after seeing that things were operational here at home, I unpacked my bags, told the dogs to "stand down", and called our friends back with a chagrined "thank you, but no thank you". I needed to get on the keys ASAP and while the service was still working. After I spoke to them, they - amazingly sweet, wonderful, caring, thoughtful, sweet, loving, wonderful people - talked to Tom and asked that he still stop by their house (where I thought I'd be) on his way home. "It's a matter of life and death!" (They wanted to send him home with a big Tupperware of the still-warm chicken soup. And a huge chunk of delicious summer sausage for Tom from their freezer.)
Have I mentioned that this young couple is ABOUT TO HAVE THEIR FIRST BABY??? Any . . . day . . . ?! And they're doing all this for US?
An aside, at the art festival this past Saturday, they stopped by in the morning for a visit. I, not thinking anything of it, mentioned that I hadn't had time to make a lunch that day. They immediately responded with, "Oh, we'll make you a sandwich and bring it back!" No, no, nooooo! Getting me lunch was NOT their responsibility! So, I said that I didn't feel comfortable eating sandwiches at these things, anyway, 'cause I was invariably caught taking a huge bite when a customer walked up and asked me a question. That is the truth, but I also didn't want them to go to a trouble like that for me!
Well, fast forward a couple of hours, and back in they walk - covered plate & cup in hand. In the cup? Egg nog. On the plate, perfectly cut & sliced into small pieces and lovingly displayed . . . fancy little pieces of flat bread; yummy, yummy cheese; crackers; and some of the previously mentioned summer sausage. Oh, and when they'd arrived for their visit in the AM, it was with a plate of fresh-from-the-oven molasses & spice cookies in hand . . . which I'd quickly commandeered and had been munching on all day. I tell you, these two - soon to become three! - are incredible.
And, speaking of incredible friends . . . .
I remember that I joked to the husband of a dear friend (and fellow art fair participant) when he brought lunch in for her & their daughter, "Where's mine?!" He said, "I can go home and make you something, too!" Again, I exclaimed, "No, no, noooo! I was just kidding!" And, I was! This was before the other friends had returned with my unexpected plate of goodies, and I didn't like that ANYONE was even THINKING about going to any trouble for me!
Well, an hour or so later, in rushes the friend's little (okay, not so little anymore) adorable son. He pushes a bag into my hands and says, "Here's your lunch!" WHAT??? I hug and hug and squeeze him. (Fortunately, he hasn't gotten old enough that he's beyond hugs . . . and in PUBLIC, no less!) And, I have to admit, I was starving. Mmmmm, Cheetos! (Gotta start with the good stuff.) And Sprite. Ahhhhh. (And a Diet Coke for Mom - smart men!) And a granola bar with a particularly heavy coating of rich chocolate. Mmmmmmm. Notice how I get to the good stuff BEFORE I eat the sandwich?
Tom lucked out, too. He devoured my ham sandwich when I got home that night, and there was even a little left of the summer sausage & crackers. And so, supper was taken care of, too.
Morale of the story? "I get by with a little help from my friends . . . ." And what friends they are! :)
Howdoo . . . .
Good morning and howdoo! (As in, "how DO ya do?")
My laptop's been in the shop for a couple of weeks - more due to convenience of simply leaving it there in between small jobs than any single large repair - and so I haven't been able to enjoy the convenience of writing from a comfortable, lazy spot in the house (vs. my office). Until right now! Yayy!
I'm in the sunroom with a little fire cracklin' in the stove in front of me (which needs more wood, I see), my coffee next to me (which could also stand a refill), three dogs at my feet (yes, THREE), and a light dusting of snow visible on the big deck to my left. Now, if only all our bills were paid and there was an unlimited stash acruuing interest in the savings account . . . life would be perfect! ;)
We're dog-sitting the four-legged kid (soon to be "demoted" by a two-legged baby girl arriving in December) of our dear friends for the week. Tom picked her up on his way home from work last Thursday night, and she'll probably go home Friday morning. Aside from a set-to between Tucker & her (over a bone) the first day and the hatred that Annie Blue has for this interloper, all is well. She's a pleasure to have around: SUCH a well-behaved, well-trained dog! AND she's still a puppy at just over 1 year old! I think we'll send our future dogs to her parents for training. ;)
Yesterday, being Election Day, marked the end of a fairly intense lobby by a solid group of locals to vote 'yes' in a county-wide Broadband Initiative. As the name suggests, it was an effort at bringing broadband Internet access to EVERYONE in our large county who was on the (electrical) grid. Of 3,583 registered voters (in the county), a 68% turn-out was garnered with 2,425 people voting . . . which seems pretty good to me for a non-election (president, governor, etc.) year. This is in thanks, I firmly believe, to our mail-in voting system. See, in a county of such a wide-spread physical area,
- Didja miss me? Tucker just threw up. Twice. Have you ever tried to get one dog out the front door before the heaves turn into upchucks . . . with two other dogs "helping"? Yeah. I doesn't work. But, yes, Tucker is fine. He's gotta get that gravel out somehow. Yes, he eats rocks. Fortunately, small ones. Yes, we've tried to stop him. But, as you dog owners out there know, you can't be watching them 24/7. Anyway! -
Starting where I left off . . . .
In a county of such a wide-spread physical area, voter turn-out would be V-E-R-Y low if everyone was required to drive to a polling station. Then, there would also be the added hassles of STAFFING that polling station. And, blah, blah, blah. Long story short, ballots are mailed to all citizens who live outside the city limits for all elections. And, for special elections such as this one was, they are mailed to in-city residents, too . . . to generate that higher voter response.
The broadband issue, due to some special funding attached (which is how I understand it), required 65% of the 'ayes' to pass. It received 55.9%. Doh! While the proponents were, naturally, touting all the good that such infrastructure would do, they were glossing over the reality that a) it would only benefit those folks on-grid (and there ARE a decent # of us who are off-grid) and b) the utility would be run down a, say, county road . . . but it would NOT be brought in a person's 1/4 mile driveway! And, I think a lot of people weren't aware of that.
When they heard that it would "be available to all those who live on the grid", they assumed the wiring would come right to their house . . . alongside their electricity. Nuh-uh. Nope. Sorry! Sure, it'll be out at the ROAD, at the end of your driveway (EVENTUALLY, and the farther you live from town and highest population concentration, the longer that will be), but YOU have to pay the $15,000 or so it would cost to get it run down your long driveway. And, a "long" driveway is the only kind that most folks have up here!
So, all in all and even though I did vote for it (although it would have had NO effect on us out here at Swamp River Ridge), I think it's a good thing it didn't pass. I think a lot of folks who had voted 'Yes' would have been reeeeeeally upset when they learned the reality of it. Yeah, it sounded great on paper, but, in order to benefit from it, you would have had to pay a LOT out-of-pocket . . . an expense I think few realized. So, there ya have it. Election over. Let's get back to Real Life.
Tom had an incredibly productive, successful past weekend. A couple of weeks ago, while wood-working, he accidentally ran over his best chainsaw with the 1-ton . . . something that we've since discovered MANY men have done! Anyway, after the appropriate replacement parts arrived at the local Stihl distributor's, he had an innumerable number of chainsaw parts spread across his office workbench and one HECK of a job in front of him! I really wish I had taken a picture of it all. Without the telltale chainsaw blade visible, you would have been hard-pressed to guess what all the handles, levers, chains, and screws were supposed to amount to. But, after a few evenings last week given to cleaning each of the disassembled parts, he was ready to build a chainsaw Saturday morning.
I'll admit that I had my doubts. NOT because of his skill but because he was working WITHOUT A MANUAL! He had nothing to "go by", no guide, no illustrations! But, a couple of hours later and with "only one screw left over!", the chainsaw was fully assembled . . . and RUNNING! That afternoon, after a couple of hours of wood cutting, he proclaimed that it was better than ever. (And you thought he came by his moniker of 'Chainsaw Tommy' 'cause he almost cut his left leg off with it . . . . Silly!!)
The chainsaw success wasn't Tom's only that day, though. (I tell ya, if he could only experience days like this more often . . . !)
Before he started his afternoon of wood-working, I was roused from my work at my office desk by a loud muffler and a honking horn. I looked out the window to see Tom driving the back-up plow truck, the '77 Chevy Suburban, into the front yard! The very same truck that we were going to tow the 20 miles down to our mechanic's on Sunday!
He had been up by the Trapper Cabin working away on it and finally got the frozen gas line freed up so that the truck could start after sitting all summer AS WELL AS the plow working, too! (The hydraulics have a nasty habit of refusing to lift the plow up off the ground at the most inopportune of times!) Wow! My dear husband has always had the bad luck of 'if something's gonna go wrong, it probably will'. So, two HUGE sucesses in one day was really something to celebrate! As I said earlier, if these kinda things would only happen with even just a little more frequency . . . say, once every month or so instead of once every YEAR . . . life would be SO mucher kinder to him! :)
Anyway, that's the latest. As you can tell from the new header photo, Bleak November is here. And, since turning the clocks back on Sunday, 5:30 PM now feels like 10:30 PM. UGH. But, I heard yesterday that it's something like only 55 days until Christmas, so there's no doubt that the holiday frenzy is juuuuuust around the corner. Double ugh. ;p
My laptop's been in the shop for a couple of weeks - more due to convenience of simply leaving it there in between small jobs than any single large repair - and so I haven't been able to enjoy the convenience of writing from a comfortable, lazy spot in the house (vs. my office). Until right now! Yayy!
I'm in the sunroom with a little fire cracklin' in the stove in front of me (which needs more wood, I see), my coffee next to me (which could also stand a refill), three dogs at my feet (yes, THREE), and a light dusting of snow visible on the big deck to my left. Now, if only all our bills were paid and there was an unlimited stash acruuing interest in the savings account . . . life would be perfect! ;)
We're dog-sitting the four-legged kid (soon to be "demoted" by a two-legged baby girl arriving in December) of our dear friends for the week. Tom picked her up on his way home from work last Thursday night, and she'll probably go home Friday morning. Aside from a set-to between Tucker & her (over a bone) the first day and the hatred that Annie Blue has for this interloper, all is well. She's a pleasure to have around: SUCH a well-behaved, well-trained dog! AND she's still a puppy at just over 1 year old! I think we'll send our future dogs to her parents for training. ;)
Yesterday, being Election Day, marked the end of a fairly intense lobby by a solid group of locals to vote 'yes' in a county-wide Broadband Initiative. As the name suggests, it was an effort at bringing broadband Internet access to EVERYONE in our large county who was on the (electrical) grid. Of 3,583 registered voters (in the county), a 68% turn-out was garnered with 2,425 people voting . . . which seems pretty good to me for a non-election (president, governor, etc.) year. This is in thanks, I firmly believe, to our mail-in voting system. See, in a county of such a wide-spread physical area,
- Didja miss me? Tucker just threw up. Twice. Have you ever tried to get one dog out the front door before the heaves turn into upchucks . . . with two other dogs "helping"? Yeah. I doesn't work. But, yes, Tucker is fine. He's gotta get that gravel out somehow. Yes, he eats rocks. Fortunately, small ones. Yes, we've tried to stop him. But, as you dog owners out there know, you can't be watching them 24/7. Anyway! -
Starting where I left off . . . .
In a county of such a wide-spread physical area, voter turn-out would be V-E-R-Y low if everyone was required to drive to a polling station. Then, there would also be the added hassles of STAFFING that polling station. And, blah, blah, blah. Long story short, ballots are mailed to all citizens who live outside the city limits for all elections. And, for special elections such as this one was, they are mailed to in-city residents, too . . . to generate that higher voter response.
The broadband issue, due to some special funding attached (which is how I understand it), required 65% of the 'ayes' to pass. It received 55.9%. Doh! While the proponents were, naturally, touting all the good that such infrastructure would do, they were glossing over the reality that a) it would only benefit those folks on-grid (and there ARE a decent # of us who are off-grid) and b) the utility would be run down a, say, county road . . . but it would NOT be brought in a person's 1/4 mile driveway! And, I think a lot of people weren't aware of that.
When they heard that it would "be available to all those who live on the grid", they assumed the wiring would come right to their house . . . alongside their electricity. Nuh-uh. Nope. Sorry! Sure, it'll be out at the ROAD, at the end of your driveway (EVENTUALLY, and the farther you live from town and highest population concentration, the longer that will be), but YOU have to pay the $15,000 or so it would cost to get it run down your long driveway. And, a "long" driveway is the only kind that most folks have up here!
So, all in all and even though I did vote for it (although it would have had NO effect on us out here at Swamp River Ridge), I think it's a good thing it didn't pass. I think a lot of folks who had voted 'Yes' would have been reeeeeeally upset when they learned the reality of it. Yeah, it sounded great on paper, but, in order to benefit from it, you would have had to pay a LOT out-of-pocket . . . an expense I think few realized. So, there ya have it. Election over. Let's get back to Real Life.
Tom had an incredibly productive, successful past weekend. A couple of weeks ago, while wood-working, he accidentally ran over his best chainsaw with the 1-ton . . . something that we've since discovered MANY men have done! Anyway, after the appropriate replacement parts arrived at the local Stihl distributor's, he had an innumerable number of chainsaw parts spread across his office workbench and one HECK of a job in front of him! I really wish I had taken a picture of it all. Without the telltale chainsaw blade visible, you would have been hard-pressed to guess what all the handles, levers, chains, and screws were supposed to amount to. But, after a few evenings last week given to cleaning each of the disassembled parts, he was ready to build a chainsaw Saturday morning.
I'll admit that I had my doubts. NOT because of his skill but because he was working WITHOUT A MANUAL! He had nothing to "go by", no guide, no illustrations! But, a couple of hours later and with "only one screw left over!", the chainsaw was fully assembled . . . and RUNNING! That afternoon, after a couple of hours of wood cutting, he proclaimed that it was better than ever. (And you thought he came by his moniker of 'Chainsaw Tommy' 'cause he almost cut his left leg off with it . . . . Silly!!)
The chainsaw success wasn't Tom's only that day, though. (I tell ya, if he could only experience days like this more often . . . !)
Before he started his afternoon of wood-working, I was roused from my work at my office desk by a loud muffler and a honking horn. I looked out the window to see Tom driving the back-up plow truck, the '77 Chevy Suburban, into the front yard! The very same truck that we were going to tow the 20 miles down to our mechanic's on Sunday!
He had been up by the Trapper Cabin working away on it and finally got the frozen gas line freed up so that the truck could start after sitting all summer AS WELL AS the plow working, too! (The hydraulics have a nasty habit of refusing to lift the plow up off the ground at the most inopportune of times!) Wow! My dear husband has always had the bad luck of 'if something's gonna go wrong, it probably will'. So, two HUGE sucesses in one day was really something to celebrate! As I said earlier, if these kinda things would only happen with even just a little more frequency . . . say, once every month or so instead of once every YEAR . . . life would be SO mucher kinder to him! :)
Anyway, that's the latest. As you can tell from the new header photo, Bleak November is here. And, since turning the clocks back on Sunday, 5:30 PM now feels like 10:30 PM. UGH. But, I heard yesterday that it's something like only 55 days until Christmas, so there's no doubt that the holiday frenzy is juuuuuust around the corner. Double ugh. ;p
Blog Post 02-14-09
Creativity strikes at the strangest times.
Take tonight for instance. It’s 2:17 AM as I start to write. I’m cozied up in bed with my heating pad, a friend’s guitar music playing softly in the background, and the remnants of a hot cup of tea sitting here next to me on the bed.
I know my parents and I will never rectify our disagreement over bed times. They feel that the hours slept specifically BEFORE midnight are the best and most important. It’s a rare night that I’m in bed much before that. 11:00 PM would be a real push. So I, in contrast to their theory, think that we should do what feels most natural to our bodies. I think we’d all be happier people if we all did that. (Unfortunately, business days would really be jazzed up if people got up and went to work when they wanted, etc. So, the practicality of enacting that theory is slim. But I digress. As usual.)
My Valentine’s Day treat to myself was a movie in the late afternoon. I think I started it around 5:30. It was a slow one and not all that interesting, so I struggled to make it to the end credits with my eyes open. When they did roll, I clicked everything off with the appropriate remote controls, and snuggled deeper in the library’s couch . . . and closed my eyes. Ah, a “mid-day” nap. Bliss.
I woke up about 9:30 tonight . . . and that nap is what allowed me to still be up now, 5 hours later. I know I could go a while longer yet, but then I know I’d pay for it in the morning – still having to contour my schedule somewhat with the rest of the world’s! ;)
* * * * * * * * * *
My 20th high school class reunion is this summer. I find that a bit incredible since, when I remember watching the 20th class reunion float (usually a logging truck cab hauling a massive flat bed trailer) in our town’s annual summertime celebration, I knew that those folks were certainly middle-aged and obviously (due to the fact they were near 40) had their lives under control. Ha! And, generally-speaking, the men were pot-bellied & balding while the women were overweight and . . . saggy. Hmph. Anyway, the upshot is that the latter is unfortunately true in more than a couple of cases, and the former is . . . a joke!
Middle-aged at near-40? Pu-leeze. I’m thinkin’ that middle-aged is more like 60-65 nowadays. (Wonder if I’ll agree to that in another 20 years?)
And the theory that I’d certainly . . . CERTAINLY “be an adult” / have my life in complete order by a 20th class reunion is laughable! Do 99-year olds even feel that way?
Anyway, the point is . . . (do I have one)? Technology has made SUCH a difference in re-connecting with people. Even at our 10-year reunion, while we did have the use of e-mail, it was unheard of for people to build their own websites. So, information had to be distributed, mostly, the old-fashioned way . . . especially trying to find “lost” alumni. But now, we can create a website and put everything out there for anyone to access. We’re just in the initial stages, but I’ve found only one classmate who doesn’t “do” e-mail or the Internet . . . nor does his wife. So, there will be a couple of snail mailed invitations sent, but not many, anymore!
Okay, it’s 2:42 AM. Time for a little of my audio book ‘Q is for Quarry’ before I’m off to the
How's your FAS?
Did you know that you have an FAS? Free Access . . . something (I forget). Anyway, Tom and I spent a most aggravating 3+ hours yesterday TRYING to get the live feed for the Inauguration celebrations up on the computer and fed through our flat screen TV in the upstairs library. We finally managed to get the laptop monitor's picture pulled up on the TV, but the live feed was STILL not coming through . . . despite monkeying with the modem, the router, the Ethernet cables, the EVERYTHING! Finally, the coverage (which we'd been listening to, at least, on the radio) was over, so we threw up our hands in disgusted surrender.
The aggravations remained, though: any/all Internet access was still as slow as molasses in, well, January! What the . . . ?! Finally, at the exact stroke of midnight last night, I had gotten deep enough into the bowels of HughesNet (our ISP) to discover that there are these pre-set FASes. Basically, you get a certain amount of bandwidth based on which "package" you purchase through your ISP. Yup, makes sense. But, certain online activities (such as trying to access/download a LARGE live feed . . . or watching a movie online with Netflix, etc.) exceed your "purchased" bandwidth. Such was our situation.
BUT, wouldn't you think such an activity would generate an automated e-mail that would explain the situation??? TELLING you that you were now on a 24-hour "probationary" period and that, after that time had elapsed, your Internet speed would return to normal (or, they'd be happy to move you up a level in "packaging" for more bandwidth)? I mean, it certainly would reduce the time that Tech Support (and/or we, their unhappy customers) had to spend on this problem!
Anyway, just let it be a lesson for everyone: if your Internet speed suddenly falls off the map and you've checked ALL possible issues . . . check your FAS.
Okay, rant over.
This morning I'm preparing for BUTCHERING! We've had too many roosters in the coop and an improper ratio in the flock ever since last spring's chicks matured. The culling process is wayyyyy overdue. Egg production has been HORRIBLE for quite some time, too (despite the addition of artificial light to bring them up to their required 14-hours-of-daylight-to-lay), so I have high hopes that this reduction in stress* will bring about positive changes. I don't have the full count in front of me, but I'm guessing we'll take out about fifteen.
* I'm sure the "marked men" and old biddies wouldn't agree that today's activities will create a reduction in stress!
I'm going to "chance it" and take all but my one, good old rooster, Big Boy. The only thing I DON'T like about him is that he's not a pure breed. Instead, he's one of my 'Taj MaCoop Specials', bred (no idea who his folks are!) and hatched when we lived at Hastings-on-the-Lake. But, he's huge, gentle and a good leader of the flock. If I lose him due to some unforseen accident / tragedy, I'll be sans a rooster until this spring's chicks come of age, but worse things have happened. Besides, I'd still have Turkey-Durk and at least one drake (I'm going to take all but one or two of the male ducks) to be The Man of the House.
Okay, I just heard the generator turn on (actually, I "hear" the change in electrical current cycle in the fish aquarium's filter & bubbler motors in the livingroom), so I'll take advantage of that on this grey day to throw in some laundry or get some ironing done.
Have a great Monday! (And enjoy this latest, favorite picture of Turkey Durk / Tom the Turkey.)
The aggravations remained, though: any/all Internet access was still as slow as molasses in, well, January! What the . . . ?! Finally, at the exact stroke of midnight last night, I had gotten deep enough into the bowels of HughesNet (our ISP) to discover that there are these pre-set FASes. Basically, you get a certain amount of bandwidth based on which "package" you purchase through your ISP. Yup, makes sense. But, certain online activities (such as trying to access/download a LARGE live feed . . . or watching a movie online with Netflix, etc.) exceed your "purchased" bandwidth. Such was our situation.
BUT, wouldn't you think such an activity would generate an automated e-mail that would explain the situation??? TELLING you that you were now on a 24-hour "probationary" period and that, after that time had elapsed, your Internet speed would return to normal (or, they'd be happy to move you up a level in "packaging" for more bandwidth)? I mean, it certainly would reduce the time that Tech Support (and/or we, their unhappy customers) had to spend on this problem!
Anyway, just let it be a lesson for everyone: if your Internet speed suddenly falls off the map and you've checked ALL possible issues . . . check your FAS.
Okay, rant over.
This morning I'm preparing for BUTCHERING! We've had too many roosters in the coop and an improper ratio in the flock ever since last spring's chicks matured. The culling process is wayyyyy overdue. Egg production has been HORRIBLE for quite some time, too (despite the addition of artificial light to bring them up to their required 14-hours-of-daylight-to-lay), so I have high hopes that this reduction in stress* will bring about positive changes. I don't have the full count in front of me, but I'm guessing we'll take out about fifteen.
* I'm sure the "marked men" and old biddies wouldn't agree that today's activities will create a reduction in stress!
I'm going to "chance it" and take all but my one, good old rooster, Big Boy. The only thing I DON'T like about him is that he's not a pure breed. Instead, he's one of my 'Taj MaCoop Specials', bred (no idea who his folks are!) and hatched when we lived at Hastings-on-the-Lake. But, he's huge, gentle and a good leader of the flock. If I lose him due to some unforseen accident / tragedy, I'll be sans a rooster until this spring's chicks come of age, but worse things have happened. Besides, I'd still have Turkey-Durk and at least one drake (I'm going to take all but one or two of the male ducks) to be The Man of the House.
Okay, I just heard the generator turn on (actually, I "hear" the change in electrical current cycle in the fish aquarium's filter & bubbler motors in the livingroom), so I'll take advantage of that on this grey day to throw in some laundry or get some ironing done.
Have a great Monday! (And enjoy this latest, favorite picture of Turkey Durk / Tom the Turkey.)
All Hallow's Eve Eve
Hiya,
Not much to say lately. Halloween has me waxing poetic about our annual Halloween costume parties at the Hastings Inn Free House. MAYBE next year we'll have the (new) pub up and going in time? That would be nice . . . .
We're getting just around 10 hours of daylight right now, so I broke down and put a light out in the chicken house. It's on a timer that will turn it on at 3:45 AM . . . four hours before the sun rises . . . at which time it will turn off. Through the years, I've gone back and forth regarding trying to keep egg production up in the winter months with the aid of artificial light (chickens need 14 hours of daylight to produce) vs. giving the hens the natural rest that Mother Nature obviously thinks is best. And, now the issue packs a double wallop when you are running your electricity off-grid as we are . . . ! Anyway, I'm hoping that production will pick up a bit now.
It's a WARM day today (already 45 degrees), but, generally speaking, I've had to break the ice in the poultry yard (waterers and pond) each morning. Ahhh, the cold(er) months make me a happy camper! :)
I don't think I've mentioned it, but say hello to our local community radio station's newest board member! What a nice gesture and real honor that they asked him to join the Board of Directors!
Lastly, I was a bit stumped when I opened my last-ordered book-on-tape/CD from the library. This is what I found! Would YOU know what to do with it? Fortunately, the auxiliary cord from Tom's iPod fits this little contraption, and, with that, I can send the feed out through the kitchen stereo (where I do 99% of my books-on-tape listening). Fundamentally, it's a good idea (just kind of a bigger version of an iPod Nano), but the quality of this specific technological tool that they use isn't great. I.e., even tho you can tell that it's brand new, the buttons are not very quick to respond (if at all) to finding the chapter you want, etc. As with all new technology, I'm sure it will improve over time. BUT, until then, I'm gonna make sure my books-on-tape are either in cassette or CD form!
Not much to say lately. Halloween has me waxing poetic about our annual Halloween costume parties at the Hastings Inn Free House. MAYBE next year we'll have the (new) pub up and going in time? That would be nice . . . .
We're getting just around 10 hours of daylight right now, so I broke down and put a light out in the chicken house. It's on a timer that will turn it on at 3:45 AM . . . four hours before the sun rises . . . at which time it will turn off. Through the years, I've gone back and forth regarding trying to keep egg production up in the winter months with the aid of artificial light (chickens need 14 hours of daylight to produce) vs. giving the hens the natural rest that Mother Nature obviously thinks is best. And, now the issue packs a double wallop when you are running your electricity off-grid as we are . . . ! Anyway, I'm hoping that production will pick up a bit now.
It's a WARM day today (already 45 degrees), but, generally speaking, I've had to break the ice in the poultry yard (waterers and pond) each morning. Ahhh, the cold(er) months make me a happy camper! :)
I don't think I've mentioned it, but say hello to our local community radio station's newest board member! What a nice gesture and real honor that they asked him to join the Board of Directors!
Lastly, I was a bit stumped when I opened my last-ordered book-on-tape/CD from the library. This is what I found! Would YOU know what to do with it? Fortunately, the auxiliary cord from Tom's iPod fits this little contraption, and, with that, I can send the feed out through the kitchen stereo (where I do 99% of my books-on-tape listening). Fundamentally, it's a good idea (just kind of a bigger version of an iPod Nano), but the quality of this specific technological tool that they use isn't great. I.e., even tho you can tell that it's brand new, the buttons are not very quick to respond (if at all) to finding the chapter you want, etc. As with all new technology, I'm sure it will improve over time. BUT, until then, I'm gonna make sure my books-on-tape are either in cassette or CD form!
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