Prompted by a friend's blog, I googled "Manders' Musings."
My blog came up on the first two hits, followed by. . . someone who does adult fan fiction.
Yikes! Just so you know - THAT IS NOT ME!
Friday, May 30, 2008
Orienting the Parent
Tuesday was Braeden's kindergarten orientation - but I had the distinct impression it was the parents they wanted to orient!
I didn't expect the experience to be a walk down memory lane. The hallway from the office to the kindergarten classrooms was a long one, and it brought back a flood of memories from my days in elementary at Florence Mattison. I felt like a six-year-old again - one who could barely contain her excitement and struggled to restrain her skip into a walk.
You see, I was one of those kids - the kind who absolutely loved school. Learning was fun for me - I don't recall ever dreading a single day of elementary. The school was fortunate to be staffed with wonderful teachers, and there was never a doubt in my mind that they cared about me.
Braeden was pretty dang excited, too! The elem apparently was having small groups of kids + parents come in so they could easily answer questions. There were two other kids there; one was a boy who was utterly silent, and the other was a small blonde girl who liked to talk. She and Braeden took one look at each other and became instant friends. It was the cutest thing to see. When the teachers led us to the classroom, they even wanted to sit together!
Speaking of classrooms - this school is enormous compared to the one I attended! I was floored at the size of the room, and I can only imagine it was intimidating to Bebo. Of course, he didn't let on! We were given a huge stack of papers, and lectured on all the applicable rules - no peanut butter, pick the child up between 2:30 -3:00 pm, wear appropriate shoes on gym day, no, we don't have room mothers but yes, you can volunteer, teach them to write their name, here is a recommended reading list - you get the idea. Braeden happily scribbled all over the paperwork and was actually pretty quiet, although he wouldn't hold still for long.
Then we went for a tour. . . and it was that point that I feared Bebo "marked" himself as a problem child. He and the little girl went nuts! As soon as we stepped into the gym, they looked at each other and without a word started running in circles together around the room! *sigh* I can hear the parent-teacher conferences now! We went into the cafeteria, and they did the same thing.
For the life of me, I cannot figure out how my child is ever going to sit still from 8am - 2:30pm every day. I can only hope that he will follow the lead of the quieter kids and that we won't have too many calls from the teacher. It makes me sad that he has to go a full day instead of half a day like I did.
Ah, well. I'll try to teach him to write his name this summer - he seems to enjoy playing "school" - and beyond that, I'm just going to let him be a boy as much as he wants. Because when August rolls around, things are going to change quite a bit for the little guy - and his Mama!
I didn't expect the experience to be a walk down memory lane. The hallway from the office to the kindergarten classrooms was a long one, and it brought back a flood of memories from my days in elementary at Florence Mattison. I felt like a six-year-old again - one who could barely contain her excitement and struggled to restrain her skip into a walk.
You see, I was one of those kids - the kind who absolutely loved school. Learning was fun for me - I don't recall ever dreading a single day of elementary. The school was fortunate to be staffed with wonderful teachers, and there was never a doubt in my mind that they cared about me.
Braeden was pretty dang excited, too! The elem apparently was having small groups of kids + parents come in so they could easily answer questions. There were two other kids there; one was a boy who was utterly silent, and the other was a small blonde girl who liked to talk. She and Braeden took one look at each other and became instant friends. It was the cutest thing to see. When the teachers led us to the classroom, they even wanted to sit together!
Speaking of classrooms - this school is enormous compared to the one I attended! I was floored at the size of the room, and I can only imagine it was intimidating to Bebo. Of course, he didn't let on! We were given a huge stack of papers, and lectured on all the applicable rules - no peanut butter, pick the child up between 2:30 -3:00 pm, wear appropriate shoes on gym day, no, we don't have room mothers but yes, you can volunteer, teach them to write their name, here is a recommended reading list - you get the idea. Braeden happily scribbled all over the paperwork and was actually pretty quiet, although he wouldn't hold still for long.
Then we went for a tour. . . and it was that point that I feared Bebo "marked" himself as a problem child. He and the little girl went nuts! As soon as we stepped into the gym, they looked at each other and without a word started running in circles together around the room! *sigh* I can hear the parent-teacher conferences now! We went into the cafeteria, and they did the same thing.
For the life of me, I cannot figure out how my child is ever going to sit still from 8am - 2:30pm every day. I can only hope that he will follow the lead of the quieter kids and that we won't have too many calls from the teacher. It makes me sad that he has to go a full day instead of half a day like I did.
Ah, well. I'll try to teach him to write his name this summer - he seems to enjoy playing "school" - and beyond that, I'm just going to let him be a boy as much as he wants. Because when August rolls around, things are going to change quite a bit for the little guy - and his Mama!
Sunday, May 25, 2008
I am Supermom
I think I could conquer anything - I just survived a weekend with my niece and nephew, and didn't have to kill anyone!
Okay, I know those of you with three-plus kids are not impressed. But it's different when you are only used to one kidlet! This morning I packed the kids things back up, put the finishing touches on my bible class lesson, coifed three heads of hair, painted the fingernails of a wiggly 2-year-old, fed them all breakfast, got myself through the shower, curled my hair and put on makeup without them setting off the smoke alarm, and we got to church 15 minutes early.
We certainly attracted some attention at church - as well as a few smart-aleck-y remarks. I was amazed at how many people (including Mom) asked me if I still wanted a houseful. After this weekend, the answer is only a more emphatic, resounding "yes!" Of course I do - this weekend simply proved that I can handle it. I've watched them before at Mom & Dad's, but it was a much easier job on my home turf, where I can easily find important things such as apple juice, legos, and band-aids.
I'll some amusing pics later, but for now let me leave with a couple of stories.
Katie is a prissy little thing. When she put on her dress this morning she said, "Look! I am so pretty!" (I wish you could hear how unbelievably articulate this child is!)
And last night, as she said prayers, she thanked God for (in this order) milkshakes, Jesus, God, and Santa Claus. :)
Good day!
Okay, I know those of you with three-plus kids are not impressed. But it's different when you are only used to one kidlet! This morning I packed the kids things back up, put the finishing touches on my bible class lesson, coifed three heads of hair, painted the fingernails of a wiggly 2-year-old, fed them all breakfast, got myself through the shower, curled my hair and put on makeup without them setting off the smoke alarm, and we got to church 15 minutes early.
We certainly attracted some attention at church - as well as a few smart-aleck-y remarks. I was amazed at how many people (including Mom) asked me if I still wanted a houseful. After this weekend, the answer is only a more emphatic, resounding "yes!" Of course I do - this weekend simply proved that I can handle it. I've watched them before at Mom & Dad's, but it was a much easier job on my home turf, where I can easily find important things such as apple juice, legos, and band-aids.
I'll some amusing pics later, but for now let me leave with a couple of stories.
Katie is a prissy little thing. When she put on her dress this morning she said, "Look! I am so pretty!" (I wish you could hear how unbelievably articulate this child is!)
And last night, as she said prayers, she thanked God for (in this order) milkshakes, Jesus, God, and Santa Claus. :)
Good day!
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Coconut.... lovely, blessed coconut
I've had more than one person ask me if I was pregnant when I said I had been craving coconut lately. I can assure you, I am not pregnant - I just have hated coconut my entire life. When I was young, Dad said it tasted like grass, and that cemented in my mind that coconut was an evil thing to be avoided at all costs.
Until Valentine's. Jeff bought me a box of Ferrero candy, which included a coconut-encrusted truffle. I immediately fell in love. Before I knew it, I was seeking out other elegant (and not-so-elegant) coconut offerings, including Nutty Coconut ice cream from Baskin Robbins, and pretty much anything else I could get my hands on.
This past week I stumbled on a recipe from a Quick Cooking book, and I am declaring it my favorite candy. Ever.
Because it would be wrong of me not to share, allow me to indulge your imagination in a delightful, chewy, decadent treat that will have you dreaming of more and sneaking to the kitchen for just one more bite.
Chocolate Coconut Candies (Totally lame name for a wonderful dessert. I need to improve it!)
1 3/4 c. shredded coconut
1 3/4 c. powdered sugar
1/2 c. sweetened condensed milk
2 c. semisweet chocolate chips
2 tbsp. shortening
In a bowl, combine coconut, sugar and milk. (This will be sticky.) Shape into balls and transfer to cookie sheet covered in wax paper. Refrigerate until hardened, approximately 30 minutes. In a double boiler, melt chocolate chips and shortening. Coat candies with chocolate and allow to harden. Store in airtight container.
I cannot wait to go back to the grocery store to make more!!!
Until Valentine's. Jeff bought me a box of Ferrero candy, which included a coconut-encrusted truffle. I immediately fell in love. Before I knew it, I was seeking out other elegant (and not-so-elegant) coconut offerings, including Nutty Coconut ice cream from Baskin Robbins, and pretty much anything else I could get my hands on.
This past week I stumbled on a recipe from a Quick Cooking book, and I am declaring it my favorite candy. Ever.
Because it would be wrong of me not to share, allow me to indulge your imagination in a delightful, chewy, decadent treat that will have you dreaming of more and sneaking to the kitchen for just one more bite.
Chocolate Coconut Candies (Totally lame name for a wonderful dessert. I need to improve it!)
1 3/4 c. shredded coconut
1 3/4 c. powdered sugar
1/2 c. sweetened condensed milk
2 c. semisweet chocolate chips
2 tbsp. shortening
In a bowl, combine coconut, sugar and milk. (This will be sticky.) Shape into balls and transfer to cookie sheet covered in wax paper. Refrigerate until hardened, approximately 30 minutes. In a double boiler, melt chocolate chips and shortening. Coat candies with chocolate and allow to harden. Store in airtight container.
I cannot wait to go back to the grocery store to make more!!!
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Toot (Part 3)
I thought I was out for this round, since the toots had gone up on the 2ps message board. But last night, there it was - sitting neatly in my inbox, a congratulatory email from Digital Scrapbook Mag. They want to print another one of my pages! This time it's a layout I did of our Thanksgiving meal last year. I took close-ups of the dishes, and if I do say so myself, the pics were quite nice - almost as yummy as the food!
Fun, huh?
Fun, huh?
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Officially Mom of a Boy
Oh, he's always been a boy, but yesterday Braeden proved, unequivocally and with great finality, his Boyhood.
Allow me to explain.
Monday evenings bring the great Grocery Trip. I sit at the table and plan out my menus for the week (that I rarely stick to, but that's beside the point), then dutifully prepare the list, adding food items in the order they appear in the store aisles. Last night, my head was bent to my task, and I was ignoring everyone else in the house. Jeff was playing a computer game, Buddy was barking at some unseen speck of dust, and Braeden was playing trains.
At least that's what I thought he was doing. Suddenly he appeared at my side, proudly waving. . .
Are you ready for this?
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
A dead roach. Oh, yeah.
"Mommy!!! Look!!! This bug is DEAD!!!"
And he dropped it on the table in front of me. Right on top of my grocery list.
The bug was dead - and Mommy almost joined it. I screamed - twice - and sailed out of the chair, halfway across the room. This scared Braeden half to death, and he crawled under the table in retreat.
Jeff managed to peel himself from the computer long enough to see what the commotion was about. I was still hyperventilating - y'all know how I hate bugs, dead or alive, right? - and Braeden was still under the table. He promptly sheltered in Daddy's arms, baffled as to why Mommy wasn't utterly thrilled with his prize.
When I finally managed to speak, all I could say was "go wash your hands, Braeden."
On my post-traumatic to-do list for today? Call the exterminator. We don't need more dead bugs to tempt the resident 5-year-old.
Allow me to explain.
Monday evenings bring the great Grocery Trip. I sit at the table and plan out my menus for the week (that I rarely stick to, but that's beside the point), then dutifully prepare the list, adding food items in the order they appear in the store aisles. Last night, my head was bent to my task, and I was ignoring everyone else in the house. Jeff was playing a computer game, Buddy was barking at some unseen speck of dust, and Braeden was playing trains.
At least that's what I thought he was doing. Suddenly he appeared at my side, proudly waving. . .
Are you ready for this?
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
A dead roach. Oh, yeah.
"Mommy!!! Look!!! This bug is DEAD!!!"
And he dropped it on the table in front of me. Right on top of my grocery list.
The bug was dead - and Mommy almost joined it. I screamed - twice - and sailed out of the chair, halfway across the room. This scared Braeden half to death, and he crawled under the table in retreat.
Jeff managed to peel himself from the computer long enough to see what the commotion was about. I was still hyperventilating - y'all know how I hate bugs, dead or alive, right? - and Braeden was still under the table. He promptly sheltered in Daddy's arms, baffled as to why Mommy wasn't utterly thrilled with his prize.
When I finally managed to speak, all I could say was "go wash your hands, Braeden."
On my post-traumatic to-do list for today? Call the exterminator. We don't need more dead bugs to tempt the resident 5-year-old.
Monday, May 12, 2008
Cal Marching Band
Someone posted this on the 2ps message board, and, well - you just have to see for yourself, okay?
Randomness
What to blog about today?
- I am disgusted by the government in Burma/Myanmar. It is reprehensible that they are allowing their people to die in such a manner.
- Mother's Day was a little wild. I spent the weekend at Mom's. One kid had strep throat and the other two were determined to irritate the snot out of everyone.
- The Impala is running again, but the Lumina is not. This means, once again, that I am grounded until we can find money to fix the Lumina.
- I finally got to see my first published page in print. Mom & Dad were impressed, and wanted to know what my chances are of being published again. That much, I do not know.
- I got my first pair of Crocs. Okay, they're really Wal-Mart rip-offs, but I cannot believe how comfortable they are. Well - mostly. They're a little tight across the top of my feet, but they are so comfy on the soles of my feet, which have been rather sore of late and feel like I'm walking barefoot on gravel all of the time.
- Yesterday Braeden was exasperated with me over something, and he told me I was "causing him nuts." Irritated as I have been at him, I had to laugh at that.
- Jeff is hoping to get a job at Memorial Hospital soon. If it all works out, this will be a very good thing, indeed.
I suppose that's it. Not much to tell, really - at least nothing of great value. Good day!
- I am disgusted by the government in Burma/Myanmar. It is reprehensible that they are allowing their people to die in such a manner.
- Mother's Day was a little wild. I spent the weekend at Mom's. One kid had strep throat and the other two were determined to irritate the snot out of everyone.
- The Impala is running again, but the Lumina is not. This means, once again, that I am grounded until we can find money to fix the Lumina.
- I finally got to see my first published page in print. Mom & Dad were impressed, and wanted to know what my chances are of being published again. That much, I do not know.
- I got my first pair of Crocs. Okay, they're really Wal-Mart rip-offs, but I cannot believe how comfortable they are. Well - mostly. They're a little tight across the top of my feet, but they are so comfy on the soles of my feet, which have been rather sore of late and feel like I'm walking barefoot on gravel all of the time.
- Yesterday Braeden was exasperated with me over something, and he told me I was "causing him nuts." Irritated as I have been at him, I had to laugh at that.
- Jeff is hoping to get a job at Memorial Hospital soon. If it all works out, this will be a very good thing, indeed.
I suppose that's it. Not much to tell, really - at least nothing of great value. Good day!
Monday, May 5, 2008
The Real Story
If you were to come to my house on any given day (without warning), this is most likely what you would find. In fact, it might be worse. I try, I promise I do - but housekeeping is just not my forte, and with Jeff & Bebo to clean up after, I am fighting a losing battle anyway.
Just for fun... because it's Monday and all. :)
Just for fun... because it's Monday and all. :)
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Our Day out with Thomas
I don't know what happened to the pictures. . . hopefully this will work now.
Braeden took his third Day out with Thomas last week. This year, Gabe & Katie were able to go with us, and Jeff also tagged along for the ride. The weather had us a bit worried, but the rain held off in spite of rather menacing clouds. Actually, the overcast skies made for fabulous color in the photos. I had to do very little editing to them.
There was a petting zoo which was much better than last year's. We got such a kick out of the baby goats nursing - their tails were little spinning they were so excited. Gabe wanted to play on the mini golf course that had been set up, and Braeden was content to play in the tent with all the track set up while Katie colored.
I'll post more pictures on my photo blog later. These are the ones that show more of what the kids did Friday.
Braeden took his third Day out with Thomas last week. This year, Gabe & Katie were able to go with us, and Jeff also tagged along for the ride. The weather had us a bit worried, but the rain held off in spite of rather menacing clouds. Actually, the overcast skies made for fabulous color in the photos. I had to do very little editing to them.
There was a petting zoo which was much better than last year's. We got such a kick out of the baby goats nursing - their tails were little spinning they were so excited. Gabe wanted to play on the mini golf course that had been set up, and Braeden was content to play in the tent with all the track set up while Katie colored.
I'll post more pictures on my photo blog later. These are the ones that show more of what the kids did Friday.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
WOOOOOT!!!
I have waited for this for a very, very long time. . . .
My work - one of my early digital scrapbook pages - is in print! Okay, so it won't hit newsstands for 2-3 more weeks, but still - ME - one of MY pages - in a magazine! If you feel so inclined, it's on page 77 of Digital Scrapbook Magazine.
AND. . . yesterday I had a very flattering request regarding my scrapbooking. More details on that later. :)
Wooooooooooooohooooooooooooo!!!!
My work - one of my early digital scrapbook pages - is in print! Okay, so it won't hit newsstands for 2-3 more weeks, but still - ME - one of MY pages - in a magazine! If you feel so inclined, it's on page 77 of Digital Scrapbook Magazine.
AND. . . yesterday I had a very flattering request regarding my scrapbooking. More details on that later. :)
Wooooooooooooohooooooooooooo!!!!
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Faith Issues
I'm really struggling right now with my faith. I've blamed God for things that He didn't do. It seems we are in yet another financial crisis, and I'm tired of it. I'm sick of the constant stress and worry of how we will pay for everything. I hate that the minute we save a little money, we have another crisis that saps it all. I hate that people keep screwing us over and leeching even more money out of us. I hate it. I hate it. I hate it! Is it ever going to end?
Yeah, I'm struggling. So today I was listening to James McDonald, a radio pastor. He's always been inspiring - but he also has a proclivity for stepping on my toes. He has a daily radio program, and I like to listen on the internet when things are quiet. Today I heard an entire series about how God is always at work in our world, regardless of our ability to "see" him working. I needed that. I needed to be reminded that God does not work on my schedule.
Then I listened to the start of another series about finances. Unusual preaching for him, but again - I needed to hear it. I look forward to listening to the rest in the morning.
I have a long way to go. Sometimes I think I am so spiritual - and then I realize I'm just fooling myself. Think I'll ever figure it out?
Yeah, I'm struggling. So today I was listening to James McDonald, a radio pastor. He's always been inspiring - but he also has a proclivity for stepping on my toes. He has a daily radio program, and I like to listen on the internet when things are quiet. Today I heard an entire series about how God is always at work in our world, regardless of our ability to "see" him working. I needed that. I needed to be reminded that God does not work on my schedule.
Then I listened to the start of another series about finances. Unusual preaching for him, but again - I needed to hear it. I look forward to listening to the rest in the morning.
I have a long way to go. Sometimes I think I am so spiritual - and then I realize I'm just fooling myself. Think I'll ever figure it out?
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
I Love Speakerphone
I just had one of those epiphany-moments.
As I was talking to Mom, I put her on speakerphone. This allows me to freely "talk with my hands" while chatting to someone who can't see me.
Yes, I am one of those people who can't complete a sentence without waving my hands in the air like an idiot. Speakerphone is good for people like me. :)
As I was talking to Mom, I put her on speakerphone. This allows me to freely "talk with my hands" while chatting to someone who can't see me.
Yes, I am one of those people who can't complete a sentence without waving my hands in the air like an idiot. Speakerphone is good for people like me. :)
Monday, April 21, 2008
Fortune Cookie
My fortune cookie said now is the time to tell my long-distance family and friends my news. Problem is, I haven't got any news. At least not anything anyone would care about, or I haven't already told everyone.
Guess the fortune cookie was wrong.
Guess the fortune cookie was wrong.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
The Incident
I am a creative paranoid - by that, I mean that I can envision all kinds of crazy, horrifying scenarios of things that might, but probably never will, go wrong. One of my favorites (should I use that word?) is that Jeff winds up in a disastrous car accident on his way to school or out delivering pizzas.
So yesterday, I was three minutes from getting off work and enjoying a snooze, courtesy of a NyQuil hangover, and the phone rings.
"Amanda? I've had an accident."
(My heart sinks below the level of my chair.)
"Are you hurt?"
"No, and the car isn't too badly damaged."
"Is it driveable?"
"No, I have two flats and busted-up rims."
"What happened??"
"The road was narrowing into two lanes and some idiot decided to whip up in there and he cut me off and I could either hit him or run up onto the curb."
"I take it he didn't hang around for the aftermath."
"Oh, no. He's gone. And no one is stopping to help, either. I have to get to school! I don't know what to do!"
"Are you in the middle of the road?"
"Yes."
"Call the police. They can get a wrecker. You at least need a cop there to divert traffic so you don't get run over. Then call one of your classmates and see if they can pick you up. I'll have my cell phone and you can call if I have to come to Chattanooga and get you."
"Uh, yeah. Okay. [insert unintelligible muttering] Bye."
So I ran to the bank to deposit the money we'd been squirreling away for several weeks so we can pay for a tow truck and tire repair. So much for the emergency fund. We can't even save $1000 without wiping it out. Later Jeff called and told me that one of the tires is repairable, but the rim is bent too much on the other. He wound up putting the donut back on and limping the car home.
I give up. I'm trying to consider myself blessed that we had the money stuck back to cover the expense, but I'm so irritated about having to spend it on tire repair when it really should've gone for brakes and tuneups that I can't see the "blessed" aspect of this right now.
Back to Square One. For the thirty-thousandth time.
So yesterday, I was three minutes from getting off work and enjoying a snooze, courtesy of a NyQuil hangover, and the phone rings.
"Amanda? I've had an accident."
(My heart sinks below the level of my chair.)
"Are you hurt?"
"No, and the car isn't too badly damaged."
"Is it driveable?"
"No, I have two flats and busted-up rims."
"What happened??"
"The road was narrowing into two lanes and some idiot decided to whip up in there and he cut me off and I could either hit him or run up onto the curb."
"I take it he didn't hang around for the aftermath."
"Oh, no. He's gone. And no one is stopping to help, either. I have to get to school! I don't know what to do!"
"Are you in the middle of the road?"
"Yes."
"Call the police. They can get a wrecker. You at least need a cop there to divert traffic so you don't get run over. Then call one of your classmates and see if they can pick you up. I'll have my cell phone and you can call if I have to come to Chattanooga and get you."
"Uh, yeah. Okay. [insert unintelligible muttering] Bye."
So I ran to the bank to deposit the money we'd been squirreling away for several weeks so we can pay for a tow truck and tire repair. So much for the emergency fund. We can't even save $1000 without wiping it out. Later Jeff called and told me that one of the tires is repairable, but the rim is bent too much on the other. He wound up putting the donut back on and limping the car home.
I give up. I'm trying to consider myself blessed that we had the money stuck back to cover the expense, but I'm so irritated about having to spend it on tire repair when it really should've gone for brakes and tuneups that I can't see the "blessed" aspect of this right now.
Back to Square One. For the thirty-thousandth time.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Hallelujah!
Hooray! We have ignition - the computers are all networked!
Okay, not all of them. The old laptop is dying a slow, painful death. I haven't even attempted to network it, and probably won't, either.
AND - I found the MIA recipe files! Hooray!
Okay, not all of them. The old laptop is dying a slow, painful death. I haven't even attempted to network it, and probably won't, either.
AND - I found the MIA recipe files! Hooray!
More Miscellany
Ugh. I hate being sick. The drastic change in weather in the last week has left me snorting, sniffling, coughing, and aching. I think the allergy attack spawned by the 30-degree drop in temperature has morphed into a full-blown sinus infection and goodness knows what else. Last night I felt like crap. I actually was in bed at 10pm, which is sooo early for me. Today I'm chilled and generally feeling icky.
*sigh*
Still haven't got the blasted computers networked. I can get internet access to them, but the networking is not cooperating. It's probably the difference between XP & Vista, but I am too tired to think clearly enough to deal with it. I did manage a work-around to get the necessary files moved from one computer to the other. Now I can at least do my digital scrapping again. Yay!
Incidentally, I have to thank Jeff for something. He insisted on a huge monitor - 22 inches - and I thought he was out of his mind. No way we could possibly need such a large monitor, I thought.
I was wrong. Very, very wrong.
I cannot tell you how nice it is to have this monster moniter for digital scrapping! Especially when I'm doing a 2-page spread - I can actually see the whole thing without having to constantly zoom in on one spot, then scroll over, then zoom out, then scroll some more. . . you get the idea. It's also quite nice for working in large spreadsheets (yes, I am an Excel fanatic). Plus, having the larger monitor has greatly reduced the eyestrain I was experiencing. It's not that the type onscreen is any larger. I guess it's just a better quality monitor overall, and my eyes have quit hurting. I can't tell you how much of a relief that is. Seriously, I was afraid I was about to need bifocals!
In other not-so-interesting news, I am not having a good Weight Watchers week. In fact, I'm feeling terribly discouraged about the whole process. (More to come on my WW blog.) Sometimes I wonder why I even bother. Worse - I lost my ENTIRE recipe folder in all the computer hoopla! I had literally hundreds of pages of recipes, and poof! - they are all gone. I just want to cry. Included in the MIA files was the recipe book I put together a couple of years ago, and my tried/untried list. So now I'm back to the drawing board. Maybe it's for the good. I probably need to reformat the recipes, anyway.
And on that note, this is long enough and I am bored with blogging for the moment. Off to find some DayQuil. . .
*sigh*
Still haven't got the blasted computers networked. I can get internet access to them, but the networking is not cooperating. It's probably the difference between XP & Vista, but I am too tired to think clearly enough to deal with it. I did manage a work-around to get the necessary files moved from one computer to the other. Now I can at least do my digital scrapping again. Yay!
Incidentally, I have to thank Jeff for something. He insisted on a huge monitor - 22 inches - and I thought he was out of his mind. No way we could possibly need such a large monitor, I thought.
I was wrong. Very, very wrong.
I cannot tell you how nice it is to have this monster moniter for digital scrapping! Especially when I'm doing a 2-page spread - I can actually see the whole thing without having to constantly zoom in on one spot, then scroll over, then zoom out, then scroll some more. . . you get the idea. It's also quite nice for working in large spreadsheets (yes, I am an Excel fanatic). Plus, having the larger monitor has greatly reduced the eyestrain I was experiencing. It's not that the type onscreen is any larger. I guess it's just a better quality monitor overall, and my eyes have quit hurting. I can't tell you how much of a relief that is. Seriously, I was afraid I was about to need bifocals!
In other not-so-interesting news, I am not having a good Weight Watchers week. In fact, I'm feeling terribly discouraged about the whole process. (More to come on my WW blog.) Sometimes I wonder why I even bother. Worse - I lost my ENTIRE recipe folder in all the computer hoopla! I had literally hundreds of pages of recipes, and poof! - they are all gone. I just want to cry. Included in the MIA files was the recipe book I put together a couple of years ago, and my tried/untried list. So now I'm back to the drawing board. Maybe it's for the good. I probably need to reformat the recipes, anyway.
And on that note, this is long enough and I am bored with blogging for the moment. Off to find some DayQuil. . .
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Getting There
Slowly... not so surely.
I am trying to network the two pcs so I can transfer files. Let's just say it doesn't seem to like me. I am definitely past my expertise level on this one.
Hopefully Jeff's computer-guru/friend can figure it out before my headache progresses to migraine level.
I am trying to network the two pcs so I can transfer files. Let's just say it doesn't seem to like me. I am definitely past my expertise level on this one.
Hopefully Jeff's computer-guru/friend can figure it out before my headache progresses to migraine level.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
New Computin' Machine
I am typing this from my brand-new PC. The emachine had been subjected to 10-12 hours a day for more than four years, and was showing signs of virtual Alzheimer's. It was a great computer - I'd recommend an emachine to anyone.
However, the new computer is an Acer. Emachine just didn't make one powerful enough for the massive amount of photo/digital scrapbooking files I use. It runs on Vista, which makes me nervous - but so far, so good.
I guess this is the fourth new computer I've had. They've come a long way since the one I bought my senior year of high school that ran on Windows 3.1 and had ClarisWorks for the word processing program. That one lasted 5 years, then we "upgraded" to a Gateway. I will never, never, never buy another Gateway. Ever.
After that came the beloved emachine - an excellent computer for $450. We aren't retiring it - I'm just going to buy a wireless adapter so we can move it to the living room and Jeff can use it to download music and surf lyrics sites - both of which have a tendency to create virus issues.
This means we now have four computers in our household - two PCs and two laptops! Granted, one of the laptops belongs to Chatt State, but still... it's a lot of technology. It amuses me to no end when I think that 25 years ago, when I was Braeden's age, a Commodore was cool stuff! (Remember those? LOL) Using a computer was a novelty, to say the least. Fast forward 25 years, and I have a preschool-aged kid who can successfully navigate the internet!
My, how things change! What would our great-grandparents have thought of our progress, I wonder? Would they find it intriguing, or just think we were wasting our time?
I suppose we'll never know. I, for one, am quite fond of my computer and would not be willing to give it up.
However, the new computer is an Acer. Emachine just didn't make one powerful enough for the massive amount of photo/digital scrapbooking files I use. It runs on Vista, which makes me nervous - but so far, so good.
I guess this is the fourth new computer I've had. They've come a long way since the one I bought my senior year of high school that ran on Windows 3.1 and had ClarisWorks for the word processing program. That one lasted 5 years, then we "upgraded" to a Gateway. I will never, never, never buy another Gateway. Ever.
After that came the beloved emachine - an excellent computer for $450. We aren't retiring it - I'm just going to buy a wireless adapter so we can move it to the living room and Jeff can use it to download music and surf lyrics sites - both of which have a tendency to create virus issues.
This means we now have four computers in our household - two PCs and two laptops! Granted, one of the laptops belongs to Chatt State, but still... it's a lot of technology. It amuses me to no end when I think that 25 years ago, when I was Braeden's age, a Commodore was cool stuff! (Remember those? LOL) Using a computer was a novelty, to say the least. Fast forward 25 years, and I have a preschool-aged kid who can successfully navigate the internet!
My, how things change! What would our great-grandparents have thought of our progress, I wonder? Would they find it intriguing, or just think we were wasting our time?
I suppose we'll never know. I, for one, am quite fond of my computer and would not be willing to give it up.
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