Author Archive
It’s been a while…
Posted on: December 20, 2011
Every year since I started this blog, I make a New Year’s resolution that I will post every day (read: more often than I currently do). I think I will continue making that resolution for next year. Who knows? With the Temporary Salary Reduction next fiscal year, I may have more time to do so.
Yesterday, was a figurative “shot heard ’round the world” as news of Steve Jobs’ passing spread on various digital devices and mediums that would never have been created if he hadn’t thought of it first. Even I am writing this on my iPad, a tablet computer more portable than my laptop computer, in the comfort of my bed.
In homage to the great icon, I wore to work a black turtleneck (for lack of a mock), blue jeans, and tennis shoes. Ironically, I find that others will pay the same tribute on October 14, when the iPhone 4S is released. At least I can say “I thought of it first.”
I hear stories on the radio and TV, read articles using news apps. One question that was asked by reporters to pedestrians was, “What was your first Apple device?” Most people would answer the iPod or iPhone. My first Apple device was the Apple IIe. Okay, it’s not a device but a computer. It was the most incredible thing back in the 80s. I was living on an air base in Japan. I learned very early and rudimentary MS DOS program coding. Quite tedious in typing, but very cool to see what the program you wrote would end up doing. It’s probably why some of my computer teachers gawked when I moved back to the States and said that I already understood how to use the Apple IIe in the classroom. A lot of people here had the Commodore 64. It could also explain why I’m a bit geeky with gadgets.
By the time I reached high school, all the computers were IBM compatible with Windows 3.11. I never had a relationship with Apple again until my husband got me an iPod for Christmas a decade or so ago. I later got a video iPod, the hubby a nano, the kids each got an iTouch, now the hubby and I have the iPad2. I can carry this with me almost anywhere since it can fit into my purse.
So, thank you, Steve Jobs. You have changed my lifestyle and made it better. My nonverbal son is more vocal because of apps that were made available on the App Store. My developmentally disabled daughter is able to find videos and entertainment easily on her iTouch because of it’s simplicity and ease of use. And my family can have a bit more quality time together as we sit around the glow of our individual screens.
Ouch, that’s f-ing painful!
Posted on: August 12, 2011
Why do we have to have more health problems as we get older? And in the weirdest ways and moments? Thursday started as any other day, except when I got up from a chair, my lower back twinged. As I walked down the hall, insufferable pain exploded in my lower back region, mid-step no less, and I couldn’t move. I think I scared my co-workers/friends a bit, one said I turned gray. A colleague wheeled my office chair to me, another helped push me back to my desk so that I could call my husband, and two of them grabbed an ice pack and wrapped it in a t-shirt.
Luckily, my hubby was able to come get me. Our health service office still has an old wheelchair so that I could be wheeled out to the car. The car ride home was painful as all get out: bumps, starts, stops, etc.
I know I was supposed to discard old meds, but it’s times like these where they become very useful. Muscle relaxants and a horse pill of ibuprofen. I generally have a high tolerance for pain, so I don’t take these types of pills often, and they definitely help take the edge off the pain. Helps with sleep too.
Ice packs are good too. Numbs the area so I can move without feeling pain. Going to the bathroom can be difficult, especially trying to get up, so it’s good to have that handy.
Upside to all this: Managed to watch the first season of “Game of Thrones.” Very good series. Gruesome and violent, but good. AND no kids. 🙂
Retail Therapy
Posted on: August 7, 2011
Had a fun afternoon full of retail therapy and then some. Wish I could do more, but this type of therapy is expensive, so now I’m broke until after payday and bills. Got my first pedicure at the mall (of all places), but regret not getting an additional flower or some other cute decoration paint job. I could probably do it myself, just need to get the right size paint brushes and get the right color of nail polish. Sigh, I might need to get another job.
Didn’t win. Darn.
Posted on: July 28, 2011
Well, I didn’t think I would. That would’ve been some beginners luck! Now all I need to do is haunt blogs and magazines with my submissions, right? Yeah, because I have lots of time on my hands and lots of disposable income. Ahh… If wishes were horses, I’d own a farm that someone else could run.
Card submission
Posted on: July 26, 2011
I’ve been absent from posting because I have a new toy and have been having lots of fun playing on/with it. I’ve also been trying to work on school work. Occasionally, my friends and I will get together and do some card making. One of them challenged me to submit to publications. Well, to start, I will submit to an online blog, which of course requires me to submit from my blog. So here it goes.
Paper trey Ink is one of our favorite place to shop online. They have a creative crew that designs stamps, die cuts, and one of our favorites things, coordinating inks and paper. Here is one of my creations that I’m quite proud of.
Survived day 1
Posted on: April 28, 2011
I survived day one taking care of my kids all by my lonesome. Wow, that sounds extremely pathetic. I normally have my hubby or mother-in-law to lean on if I need something, or call hubby to get something on the way home, but I’m totally without any supports through Sunday. I don’t know how single moms manage. I did fine, except I gave myself a stomache because I was so worried about making sure the kids got to the bus stop on time, and that I’d meet them on time. Good ‘ol phone alarm. Tomorrow, the boy stays home with me, only the girl gets to go to school. I’m contemplating whether or not to stay up for the royal wedding. After V gets on the bus, I could go back to bed. 🙂
Happy news, sad news
Posted on: April 25, 2011
Happy news… my brother, the Colonel, came out for a quick visit. It was really nice to see and spend time with him over the weekend and today. I need to take a couple of weeks and visit him while he’s still in the D.C. area.
Now for the sad news… my mother-in-law’s mother (my grandmother-in-law??) left this corporeal world for another dimension. Another sad part, my m-i-l was planning to go for a visit in a couple of weeks. My hubby may accompany her to the funeral this weekend.
Birthday thanks
Posted on: April 22, 2011
Thanks, everyone, for the birthday wishes!
2010 Taxes… done!
Posted on: April 18, 2011
Ok, I actually completed ours last week. I really wished I had done them a lot earlier considering we ended up paying more this year. We apparently made more. All right, all right, what I really did was claimed more on my W-4 so less was taken out. I need to change that at some point (procrastinate now!).
What’s really neat is the Federal Tax Receipt on http://www.whitehouse.gov/tax-receipt. I heard about it on NPR and then saw it posted on a friend’s facebook status. This is a great educational tool for all of us; it’s important for all citizens to know where their money is going. You’d be surprised how many students on financial aid don’t know that it’s everyone’s taxes paying for their education. Several people living in Washington State don’t understand that revenue is generated by sales tax only and that the State’s sales tax base is 6.5%. Everything else is for initiatives that voters added within their county or city. Good luck getting any of that back.
nothing original 