Good things... And feeling really newbie.

The old computer has nearly had it.  I have tried my best to get all the 'glitches' out of it, but I suspect, between operator error and just plain it-was-bought-used, it was sort of on borrowed time.  I was borrowing Husband's computer to check my email, and otherwise, not doing much.  It would overheat, I think it may have some hardware problems, definitely had some software problems, and absolutely had operator problems. (Just ask Husband...)

So, Husband had been doing some of his horse trading, and came up with some funds.  He told me to get a computer THAT WORKED...  I will have to save up for a couple things I would like (MS Office, that sort of thing), but it works!  I also know that I better run the wheels off this thing, so to speak, this wasn't a planned expense, and while he didn't begrudge me getting it, I think he would have liked to do something else with the money.  But, I have the computer, and it works.

Now I just have to figure out how to use it.  It has Windows 7, and I don't quite know where anything is, or how to access it if I want something, and setting up the email has been interesting.  I know that I probably could do brain surgery as easily as I did putting in the email.  (Let's just say, I finally handed Husband the computer, and sat quietly.  He figured out I made no major mistakes, but I did, as usual, make enough to make the thing not work.  Of course...)

And.  Hmm.  I suppose I won't divulge names.

I have 2 members of my family going through some medical 'stuff'.  If I could have good thoughts for them, I would most truly appreciate it.  And for my parents and myself, who are in "hurry up and wait" mode.

So, if any of you get messages from me, it will be a sign that I am starting to make friends with my computer.

I am planning to name the thing, so I will have to figure out some fun thing for that on the blog.

 (The name Hal need not apply...)

The computer is holding... (frantically knocking on wood...)  So, what have I been up to? 

Of late:

I quit one of my volunteer jobs, I am still in the group, just not in a leadership role.  I was finding it, sadly, a waste of time, doing studying and work for no good reason that I could see, and there was a very pointed personality conflict between myself and another person, so I decided, enough is more than enough, and left.  This also lead to my finally deleting my Facebook page, which on a scale of importance, I placed about two degrees above absolute zero. 

Well, maybe one...

But I am still there, but in a support position.  We shall see if this alleviates some of the antagonism between the two of us.  I figure, I still want to help, so if I am a "grunt", I can just show up, do, and leave, I don't have to argue about every little thing.  Might be a cop-out, but at least I won't be grinding my teeth to the roots...  Adding to that, a lot of the things I have to do for this group include computer work, and my computer chooses when to work...

It wasn't going well.

I haven't taken a picture of it yet, but I have a fairly nice garden growing.  With the exception of a mole/gopher that is going through the pumpkin area.  I am getting ready to do something highly lethal to this creature if it doesn't leave my plants alone.  On the bright side, I planted, and after some discussion with Husband (read: I am doing it this way, dammit), I just water the plants, not using a sprinkler, but the hose, and I am pleased to report at this time, I have very few weeds.  It's supposed to rain tonight or tomorrow, so I will probably have a sudden infestation, but at least I am holding my own, for now.

I lucked out and got some fresh hay for this season.  The hay that I had was getting a bit... old and losing the seed, and had mice in it, and and and... So I had planned on getting some new hay.  Well, Mom and Dad negotiated with a neighbor that wanted the hay they had standing, and they "sold" it for 20 bales for me.  I got fresh hay, they got hay for their horses (I think), and we all seem to be happy about it. I have one old bale left, and it will be put in the chicken house temporarily, as I have run out of cedar shavings.  It works, in a pinch... 

I am going to be trimming llama hooves this week, hopefully.  This could be an experience.  I haven't done this before, so, erk.  We shall see.  First time for everything I guess.  If it gets too extreme, I still have the name and phone number of the guy that sheared and trimmed for me last year.  (I will be shearing, too, but it might just be for the relief of the llama overheating.  I only have done a very little shearing, so getting nice fiber for my spinning might be a long shot for me...)  For the obvious reason I can't take pictures and shear, this will probably be a before and after deal.  Blogs as events warrant.

I have a lot to do around the house and place tomorrow, if I keep my brain somewhere close to actually being in the "on" position, maybe I will take the camera with me and get some pictures for the blog.  Hope springs ever eternal.  And maybe be able to peruse/comment on other blogs, for a change. 

Where have you heard THAT before??? 

Hang on just a little longer...

Well, now that I have the cure for being able to write on my blog, and write comments on others' blogs...

My computer died.  

I believe this computer must be Hindu.  It keeps dying and coming back in a slightly different form each time.  (sigh)  So, right now, I have nursed it back to working again, for this short period, and will hopefully be able to get back on track for read/posting on blogs, as well as actually sitting down and writing my own!  I mean, I haven't written about the garden, about stepping down from one of my volunteer jobs, about... nothin'!  I really need to get going here on writing.

I have two cute things I will put down before I forget:

In the "I am so glad I am not the only one that does this" department, I was at the substation, and we happened to be talking about gardening, and what people had planted, how late the planting season was, and so on.  I mentioned that I had raised several plants from seed, and mentioned one of them being eggplant.

My boss piped up with "Oh?  You grew an eggplant from an egg?"

(She did quickly correct herself, but we all assured her that that phrasing was just hilarious.  I am sorely tempted to get an eggplant, and put it in an eggshell for her sometime!  )

Next incident, we had 4th of July dinner at Mom and Dad's.  Mom had several beverages at the table, including raspberry lemonade, and tea.  Dad looked at the tea, and the lemonade, and said, wonder what that would taste like?  Poured it about half and half, and I told him that would be an "Arnold Palmer" if it was regular lemonade.  I then thought about the pinkish color of the drink, and added, "I think that, however, might be 'Arnold Palmer in a Tutu'...

I have been reading several books, (TV is on the fritz, computer isn't far behind.  And people wonder why I don't care much for technology on occasion...), if you want to have a pretty good mystery read, I recommend Sue Henry.  I just read Murder on the Yukon Quest, and, like her other books, it was a story that goes from sedate to thrill ride in short order.  I wouldn't recommend this as a first book, although the books can be read as stand alone, she has a lot of  character background that would make more sense if you read them in order.

These aren't 'cozy' books, she has her main characters get hurt, and blood and gore, but not to the point of ridiculousness, but if someone is shot, she doesn't hide it under the rug, so to speak.  So, there is my 2 cent review.  I did read some others, but except for a cookie recipe that I want to try, I can't even remember the title at the moment, so I guess that I wouldn't call it a gripping novel... Cookie Murders, or something like that, it was definitely a 'cozy'.  Not that I don't like cozies, just some are... Not as thought provoking.

So, hopefully, I will be blogging and commenting more tomorrow! Or soon, anyway...

(I hope...)

Grrroooooaaaan! What did I do NOW???

So, perhaps you have noticed I haven't been on of late much.  Read, no blogs for a while.  Well, I took the advice of all of you that said I should "empty my cache", and I asked Husband how to do that. (Right after I asked him what it was, but I digress...)  So, he explained, and I emptied. 

I think I emptied the whole d*** computer!  I don't know what happened after I did that, but NOTHING would work right, I couldn't get my email, I couldn't log in to my own Blogger account, I had a horrible time getting on the Internet (unless I used Google Chrome... ???  And that was iffy), so I was busy the last little bit trying to get my poor bucket o' bits back to (some sort of) normal.  I have my mail back up, I am now working on Blogger, so if you are reading this, I hopefully solved part of the problem, at any rate, I was able to sign in and save my blog. 

Then I will hopefully be able to comment on everyone's blog again, which was the POINT of the exercise!  (eye roll inserted here!)

Unfortunately, this is where Husband's starting to make noises about me getting a new computer.  I am hoping that isn't going to be the case.  I like this computer, and what I am saving for at the moment is for a shelter for critters, not bits and bites storage.  But, as we all know, we make plans and the Universe holds its sides laughing...

The chicks are doing well, Husband put a big ol' block in front of the door of the hen house, so they won't run outside without Mom.  We have a stray cat here now... I seem to have the Devil's own luck with felines around here.  However, said feline hasn't strayed into the hen house, and I have a feeling, if Taurus would get a hold of him, he would be short one tail, and maybe 2 lives, so I am not really concerned.

Yet.

I got out the scythe, and cut some of the jungle tall grass in the garden area.  It's down enough that maybe I can get out the weed burner and take care of the rest of it...  Right now though, I don't think even THAT super torch will do too much, it is June 1st tomorrow, and it is 50-60's, and raining.  This area, that is SPRING weather. Early spring.  I still have all of my plants in the greenhouse.  I am afraid if I plant them, they will just rot!  Weather is amazing...

I have been getting set up with what things I will be doing as a Sheriff's Office Ambassador, and I think I mentioned one will be fishing.  I guess they have a group thing called Cast with a Cop.  Children who are in foster care, and have never fished, get to go out and have a fishing day.  We help with the worm insertion on the hook (or whatever they will use), and we get to clean fish for the kids.  (Or, I suppose, release, if they don't want to keep said fish.)  So, I am wondering, I am supposed to be in "uniform" for this.  Do you think they will supply an apron or some such so I won't manage to get fishy goo on my clothes?  Let's just say, I would like to have my outfit not have Ode du Fishgut as the leading smell...

I thought I would be fishing twice (!), the second, however, would be more on the order of handing out safety info to people.  That seems like it would be fun in its own way.  People watching is a cool sport, in and of itself.  And I guess there is several other events that I might be helping with, as time goes on.  So, I guess I will tell you more... As time goes on!

Have to share, I was at the substation, and one of the deputies, a Sgt., who always tries to be big ol' cop guy, had a visitor.  It was his 2 year old grandson.  I told him who was there, and he walks out all big ol' cop, then sees grandson. 

He leans way over, makes a big kissy face, and says, "How's my Booboo?!!??!?"  He then scoops up said grandson for the 'grand tour' of the office, which for some strange reason, stopped immediately upon sighting of cookies...  After a cookie break, Grandpa gave grandson a whistle.  Mom decided whistle was going into HER pocket, so there would be no surprise blasts in the car. 

Meanwhile, Grandpa was chatting away, holding grandson up on his chest.  Grandson discovered Grandpa's microphone on his shoulder.  This lead to some exceedinly dextorous moves by Grandpa to nearly simultaniously: turn off the radio, take the mike from grandson, and scoot him out of arm's reach of same, all while asking if he'd give Grandpa a kiss.  (Grandson did...)

After they'd left, I noticed that Sgt. was sort of a cross between big ol' cop and goofy Grandpa.  (But he did remember to turn his radio back on...)  It's fun to see when the guys there can slip into just "people" mode.

Especially when there are little ones involved, since it usually makes the biggest and baddest into the fluffiest and goofiest!

Warm tootsies, confusion, and... well, more confusion...

So what have I been doing while I should be doing housework, and other important 'stuff'?  Knitting socks.  And not just one pair...  I've been "power knitting"!  (Read:  when I am sitting, I am knitting.  Anywhere, anytime.  Ok, not when I am driving, but the rest of the time.  I say this, because I read an Internet thread about a person who did.  Wrong on SO many levels...)

I love the colorway on these, it came out just a smidge brighter in the picture...  Only thing is, almost everyone that's seen it wants the yarn.  Looked it up online...

Discontinued. 

PBBBBT...

These are my "Superbowl Socks".  I started them during the Superbowl.  This wouldn't normally happen, (if I get excited, I really don't want to impale myself with a dpn...), but sadly, I wasn't 'into' either of the teams, Mom and I commented this year's bowl was more about the commercials (of which I also wasn't wowed, but I guess I am getting picky in my dotage). ; )   I would have finished them faster, but got into a J.A. Jance book, and lost a couple good knitting days, haven't been able to read and knit effectively.  (And I didn't have that particular book on audio.)

This is a new(ish) pattern with some yarn I spun.  I will probably find another pattern, finish the other little sock as shown, then find one that I like better, this pattern was one of those, knit about yay much, then guesstimate the heel number, then when it looks good knit for a while even... 

YARK! 

I have knitted enough adult socks that I could do this alright, but I much prefer a more... specific pattern.  Playing with a pattern where I can write my own notes is fine, but guessing what the end result is supposed to be on a thing I've not knit before... No.  Little too much guess work. 

Oh, and you ask, why small socks?  I found a charity group that takes children's socks, that need to be wool, which is mostly what I spin, for orphanages in Russia.  Since Husband teases me about having enough stash of hand spun to raise the insulation value of the craft room at least 3 or 4 points, I figured it was a good use.  I have some other "me" projects planned for my hand spun, but this is for the 'oh, pretty, now what do I do with it?" stuff.  Especially when the stuff is plied, and I don't have a great lot of it.  I could make a hat, but this strikes me as more useful.  (Not that I haven't been asked to make hats, but the hats wanted need to be washable.  Unless they want a Barbie Doll Hat, my can only be washed once. In that case, acrylics rule...  And I haven't tried spinning acrylics, yet.)

I helped Dad fix the problem with his computer.  That was a strange thing.  The program had a major problem.  It was one of those, the more you try to fix x, then y, z, k, b, and r decide to not work, type problems.  He called a friend of his, who works on computers, and handed the phone to me.  After some serious talk on what was wrong, we came upon a brilliant solution. Blow up the computer. Get rid of the program entirely, and use a similar one that, wait for it...

Actually works! 

So, after ringing off, I uninstalled the program, showed Dad how to use the new program, which fortune would have it, worked almost like the other, and we had it solved.  He's happy, I am happy, and perhaps the other program will hold.  Dad doesn't 'tinker' with settings and things, so I think it should work fine...  But man, getting to that point, wow.  You would think a download FROM THE SITE would get the problem fixed, (and as fun as it is to rag on them, it wasn't a Windows product, in this case), but after loading and getting the "fixes" at least twice, wow, whatta buncha junk!  YEESH, even.  I don't consider myself to be a techie in the least, but gee holy horse crap, couldn't there be some sort of "tech inspection" before you can download something, do people not check these things? 

Sorry, grumbling... But still...

And scales.  I was truly figuring I'd blown it this week.  I didn't exercise two or three days in a row.  Didn't eat well.  My only attempt at negating that was trading.  For example, if I have a soda, I don't get a cocoa in the evening, stuff like that. Lots of salty foods.  Just wasn't good this week.

And I lost 1.8 pounds.  

Did someone really, really screw with the laws of physics or something?  This so does not compute...   I mean, heck, I am happy, will always take a loss, obviously, but...

HUH???

Life's little non-sequiturs.

(I was going to write about the Supreme Court decision today, about that "church" protesting at soldier's funerals.  I want to make a bit more thoughtful blog than my first snotty rage that I was going to put down.  So.  Less immediate, but hopefully more wise.  Or at least less vitriol.)

I yi yi....

iPod.


iPhone.


Now, iPad.



Am I rotten because,

iDon't really care?

Besides, has anyone notice that Wii, and iPad, sound more like bodily function items rather than electronics?



Or is it just me?


see more Epic Fails



Obviously not...

Technology. Yeah...

Husband traded out his super woo computer for the internet, allowing me to have my past tense woo computer, (hey, it was woo when I bought it, but since it is well past its "use by" date, it's not so woo...), and my computer is now the house typewriter and possibly game machine. I am surprised by how easy the transfer has been. The only problem is that the "delete" key is in the wrong place for me, and so I have been "alt" ing a lot when I should be "del" ing. But I am slowly learning.

We are still having some bugs. Husband's computer, it doesn't have a way to print. So if I want to print, I have to transfer it to the "OLD" computer, then print from that... Does this sound excessively complicated? You are so right. However, we don't have the printer driver in yet, and I am not TOUCHING any of the techy s*** that his computer uses. I seem to remember hearing Darth Vader's voice and some talk about the dark side last time I tried installing something on MY computer, so who KNOWS what would happen when I would try that nonsense on his.

Besides, it's like a truck or car. You borrow the spouse's vehicle, by G*d, they have right of first ding... You put a ding, the earth could stop spinning on its axis, but they do it, meh... So I am not doing any ding-able offenses on his stuff... I just type and play some games. Heh.

On the OTHER hand, I really am detesting my cell phone. I am tolerating it, as I can get phone calls while on line. (If anyone would call, that is. I think I have given out the number to like, oh... Mom....) But, I found out that it is a tinkery, persnickity bit of junk.

Example, it can't go in my pocket back down. The antenna is on that side, and my hip seems to be a signal sponge. I can't hold the phone certain ways, for the same reason, the stupid antenna will not pick up through my hand. It also is really, really variable on how well it works in the house. One room, pbbt. One room, half is great, the other, if you lay down on the bed, you are fine. If you sit up, you are officially dumped. Fun. I lost phone calls twice until I figured this out.

This follows to my truck, too. If I lean against the window, (when I am riding, I do NOT call and drive), I can usually get out fair... Then the other afternoon I called, and poor Husband had to listen to my near screaming, and the other party. "What? Is that you? I can't hear you..." and so on. I never did figure out why that one didn't work.

The topper though, is that the stupid cell phone interferes with both the land line, and my broadcast radio. I kept hearing this odd sound, like a fan or alternator noise, but there was no fan or alternator around! So, after working with my Dad on this (retired telephone tech), we worked out it might be the cell. He said to set the cell on the regular phone. SQUEAALLL! Oy. Yep, that's it all right. So now I have to be careful where the two phones are so they don't fight. Or keep it away from my radio, because it has a distate for NPR. Lovely.

Ya know, if the regular phone had problems like this, my dad would have been shot where he stood, for the quality... I personally think sometimes that technology is the biggest reason for stomach upset and headache in the US. At least mine, anyway...

Forward! Slog!!

Well, after bending my brain cells into a pretzel to solve the computer "problem", I started thinking semi-logically. (Which is, indeed, a problem for me where I get into things emotional, like wanting to use said computer for a olympic disc, or truck brace, that sort of ilk...)

So. Computer program won't let email in. Ok.

ISP doesn't care about emails, lets most all in. Ok.

I can get on line, just fine. Ok.

I have another email address, on line. Ok.

Tell everyone to use the on line email! Of course!!!

Now then, if that was so straight forward, why'd it take me several WEEKS to think of it? The only reason I can come up with, (besides being a doofus), is that I don't use the online email at all much, and so didn't think of it as a source of relieving the problem. But it works! I am able to send and receive mail, and so I am on the go, electronically, again...

Woo hoo! Now on to curing the common cold, world peace, and cancer. At this rate, well, someone's great great great great great great great grandchild will get the benifit of my genius. Oh. Well, as soon as I figure out the part about living that long.

I think I will go back to knitting now...

New Llama, hold the feed...

Ok, no idea what to write about, so I will amaze and amuse you with a doohickey my friend sent me, I now have 5 llamas... Sort of.

Hi! Can you read me now???

Haven't posted, right?

Well, I thought it might be Blogger's fault. Had a horrible time, couldn't get on, couldn't even dial up.

Uh, oh. Blogger shouldn't cause anything on my dial up...

SO, checked with Husband, did we do the change that MidLevel ISP suggested?

Yes, have you been getting any emails?

Nooo.

We checked. We tried to log on. Nada.

We called MidLevel ISP.

They told us, oh, well, the change we told you to make to go to the larger server? We sent you an email telling you not to.

When was this? Asks Husband.

Oh, about 2 days ago. (We, being worried about missing emails, had followed the directions THAT SAID WE WOULD STILL GET OUR EMAILS, about 4 days earlier.)

Husband then asked, OK, we've changed, now what?
Oh, simple, just set it back to the original parameters, you'll be fine.

So, after Husband, sweating bullets about what all was changed. Me, threatening oaths that will not be repeated, about MidLevel ISP and all who work there.

And finding out that ONE &*#@!!! box left un check marked, in a list of crap with which to make your Internet work, won't, in fact, LET it work...

We are back on.

We have email.

And MidLevel ISP said we don't have aaaaaaanything to worry about. Until December. When they change servers. Again.

Hi, Mom!!!

Well, if you are reading this, and you are NOT my Mom, you should know that my Mom is bravely working at finding out about computers, and taking a class. She isn't exactly afraid of computers, but doesn't know enough about them to be comfortable with them.

So. She and my Dad will take a class (Dad already knows a bit about computers, but wants to brush up...) and hopefully Mom will learn enough to be able to get info from websites she's seen on TV, or listen to music, or radio, or just... read my blog!

If you are my Mom... Hi, Mom! This is my blog, if you want to read 'stuff' from it, go to the left under "recent posts" and pick one.

Why has it been so long since I blogged last? I had a cold. A cold that lasted almost 2 weeks. BLEAH!!!! I am starting back to the land of humans again, so hopefully blogging will thusly get back on track. Maybe. If I feel like it... Then again, maybe not.