ClogLines?
Uh, so yeah.
So I'm working 23 hours per week. It shouldn't interrupt my life all that much, but somehow, it has! How is that?
Anyway, the job is going well so far. Don't think I can do it for the rest of my life, but there are worse things I could be doing. I finally have A job, and the Estate is close to being over forever—yes, it is STILL open, but now it's just a technicality. We're waiting on a couple of big refund checks to put into the Estate account, then we can close up shop. All the other stuff is done. (Warning: boring estate update to follow.)
While I was in Southern Ohio for ten minutes last week, I drove past the old place, fully braced to see an empty lot.
Nope. House looks just like we left it. It's oddly comforting to know that.
When I say ten minutes, I mean that that is exactly how long it took to resolve The Property Tax Nightmare at the Board of Revisions. That's right. I drove three hours (one way) for ten minutes of work. But had I not gone down, we would have forfeited by lack of appearance. The good news is, we won. The FMV was restored to the original amount for 2008 and will equal the actual sales prices for 2009 (which is only about a $3,700 increase in FMV or about $35/year payment extra—which doesn't even matter to us, because the new owners will be paying it).
In addition, because of the fire, the Auditors Office did us an enormous and generous favor. Had we been aware of it, we would have filed a document after the fire to have the FMV of the house reduced due to damage. But we didn't find out about this option until long after the papers should have been filed. The Auditor unexpectedly decided to allow the 50% reduction in FMV on the house ANYWAY!!! I was happily floored.
All in all, the FMV on Grandma's property dropped $128,000 in that meeting! We'll be getting a refund for the property taxes that were overpaid at the last lot closing. No, not $128k. That's the FMV. We'll be getting a couple thousand back, though, that we shouldn't have had to pay.
I walked out of that office feeling about 90 feet tall and a tad bulletproof, LOL! That attitude went with me to the bank where the first lot closing was to sort out the taxation fallout on that closing. You probably don't remember, but there had been a deed mixup, and the man buying a 3-acre lot accidentally was deeded the entire 8.7 acres. Whoopsie there, Title Office!
What we didn't catch at the closing was the tax proration. It had been prorated and deducted from both sides of the closing statements. It was my first property sale, so I just trusted what the realtor said. I know better now. Take a calculator and add up the figures yourself, and KNOW approximately what your prorated property tax should be.
Turns out, the proration the Title Company did was based on the ENTIRE LOT. Not 3-acres of it (about 1/3rd). That means we received less in our proceeds than we should have. Whoopsie.
The attorney from that closing says if we show payment of the taxes made by us, once we know the actual FMV for that year, we are due a refund. Luckily the buyer is an honest decent man. He'll likely make good on it. I feel bad asking, but... it's business. And it isn't much, but... it's business.
Anyway. End of boring Estate update. I promise there won't be too many more of these. If any.
At the moment, I'm just getting used to being an employee again, and enjoying the relief that comes with having an income AND suddenly having the financial cushion again. This time, though, I won't be complacent. I've learned my lessons the hard way, and I'm better prepared this time. I know it all happened for a reason, and as hard as it was, it was GOOD for me.
Maybe one day there will be knitting content in here again. And maybe I can relax now, knowing that at least one post appears in Bloglines tonight (nothing! no posts! freaked me out).
Labels: estate nonsense, gratefulness, nothing important
Death By Chocolate
Man Dies After Falling Into Vat of ChocolateAnd I'm surprised nobody has used the obvious headline (though I did).
Yes, my sense of humor is perverse at times. (I do feel for the man and his family, of course.)
So. Anybody else glued to the TV yesterday for the MJ Memorial? It was nicely done, I thought. Classy.
Progress report on my garden: I haz tomatoes and peppers. My six tomato plants all have at least one green 'mater on them, and my nine pepper plants are all producing. There will be some food this fall! The corn looks good. I planted nine little plants, and someone promptly munched down one of them. But it recovered! I can't even tell it was ever munched. They are growing nicely, though nowhere near as tall as what I pass on the way to the barn.
My grass is also growing nicely, heh.
That's all. Might have a stash sale this month, so stay tuned.
Labels: breaking news, nothing important
Just A Bunch of Random Thoughts
FIBERSRight now, I'm crocheting rather than knitting, and dyeing yarn rather than buying yarn. So there isn't a lot to show at present. The crochet project is Damknit's
Ugly Blanket, which I didn't think was ugly at all. I emailed her about the pattern, played around with color combinations in PhotoShop as usual (or FreeHand, I forget which), bought the yarn (Ack, last year), and started in on it. Mine is in fall colors: brick red, forest green, pumpkin orange, pale yellow accented with a variegate in those fall colors, and bordered in deep coffee brown.
It'll be awhile.
HORSESI've been playing with my horse now that the weather is nicer, and preparing to FINALLY videotape our Parelli Level Two Audition so I can submit them before the May 1 deadline. It's free until then; afterwards, a fee will be charged. They haven't said how much that might be, and I'm all for free, so...
The Parelli organization made some changes to how the program materials and assessments are being handled—I was ready to tape last fall, but in light of the changes, I opted to wait. I'm glad I did. Now, I merely need to put on some music and play with my horse for up to 10 minutes each (Online "groundwork" and Freestyle "riding"), and include a few compulsories. Much easier in some ways than the old task-based assessment.
The former Level Two Assessment to include 25 tasks that HAD to be shown. The downside was, you could be great at all but one task, have stelllar L2++++ skills, but that one task would hold you back from getting your blue string (like karate belts). The upside was, you could tape each task in order, edit the tape, and go at your own pace.
The new Level Two Audition is more lenient. You show off what you CAN do, make sure you can do the handful of compulsories, and the staff watches to see how you handle things when they go awry, how you relate to your horse, how your horse responds to you—it's more about relationships than tasks. The downside is... for those who like checklists, it's daunting to put together a plan and just go for it. The upside is, it's only 10 minutes for each Savvy (Online, Freestyle, Liberty, Finesse) and for Level Two, it only covers the first two Savvys. If there is anything that you shouldoughta be able to do, but isn't a compulsory, but can't quite do yet, you don't have to show it. And, they can rate you at beyond L2. Instead of being limited to just passing L2, you could, if you really demonstrate profound skillz, get a L3 pass in that Savvy. You can be L4 in one Savvy, L3 in another, and solid L2 in the others.
I like that.
I don't like that I only have until May 1 to get this done. Especially with a horse who has suddenly decided to have other plans. (Don't get me started about yesterday's play session.)
EMPLOYMENT (*snort*)I've also been looking for a job in between. Dudes, there are
plenty of graphic design jobs.
In FLORIDA.
Bit of a commute, that.
I've come to the frightening realization that NW Ohio is void of any job that my skill set would fit into. If I want to work, I need to move. But I can't afford to move until I get a job and make enough money to afford to move. Catch-22, anyone? And the estate has to close, houses have to sell because I refuse to add a third vacant house to the list, thankyouverymuch.
The other three Ohio quadrants have more jobs than we do. This is so wrong. Short of flipping burgers, my options are limited.
Just for fun, while nosing around on Monster Dot Cahm, I plugged in "veterinary" and let it search the entire US. There was one awesome job I wish I could take. It's a Patient Care Manager at a major equine diagnostic hospital. It sounds SO awesome, and the pay is great and the hours would allow me to have the earlier part free for horseplay. But it's in Massachusetts.
BIG SIGH.
MY NUMBER ONE GOALIt's made me realize one thing, though. It's a definite on the career change. I'm through with graphic design. Let's just admit, I made a mistake going into it. I like the creative part, but I don't like the job. Honestly, if my most excited reaction to a potential graphics-related job is merely that for once I don't feel like vomiting as I read the description, doesn't that say something?
I want to do something that allows me to work with animals—especially training and care, but not directly surgical (or lab rat stuff)—and/or to write, and in a sense "minister" to people. I'm very big on promoting positive thought and alternative perspectives—part of the reason the Parelli thing is so appealing. When I watch shows like Dog Whisperer, DogTown, Animal Cops and of course my Parelli stuff, I get all worked up inside. Something says, "I'd
love to do something like that with my life". I'd love to help make this a better world for the animals and the people who love them.
Apparently, it might be a bit of a stretch trying to do it in NW Ohio, especially if I think I need to make actual income from it, without further education.
FAITHThis has been such a transitional time for me. I'm also trying to find a church that fits my personal dogma—you'd think it would be easy, but when confronted with Church of this and United that... it's confusing! Every single denomination views things a bit differently, and has a different way of going about it. I know one thing. It has to be liberal. I might be straight, but any church I'd belong to MUST have a very progressive stance on homosexuality, abortion (right to choose), family, women's roles, etc. I'm very much about acceptance and tolerance, even if
I don't personally partake in certain activities.
If I can wear jeans and tennis shoes to the service and/or it's more contemporary, all the better. This month, once the Big Holiday is out of the way, I'm going to start checking out options. If anyone has a suggestion, comment or email me.
That's all for now. Just didn't want y'all to think I'd run away. I haven't. Yet! LOL!
Labels: nothing important
GAH! At Least It's Not Snow...
It is pouring rain. Lovely. I guess I'll go to Knit Night next week, because the prediction is for quite the dark and stormy night. And I still haven't gotten out the door. (Pam, your yarn will be mailed out Weds at the latest, I promise!) But I still need milk.
I think I'll just curl up on the couch with a sock for a change. Or a book. Or both.
At least it's not snow. And the tulips are emerging. All good signs.
Oh, crap, there's the thunder...
Labels: nothing important
Happy Birthdays
I can't let today go by without wishing my own happies to my cat, Zander, and my mare, Shaveya, as they were BOTH born on this day in 1998 and are BOTH turning 11 years old today.
I didn't plan that. It just happened. They're both bi-colored, also, rust and white.
Just think. Eleven years ago today, in locations very distant from each other, two new lives entered this world at the same time (ish), and both were intended to come to me. Weird.
I first saw Zander when he was just two days old at my friend's house—momcat was friendly, so I was able to pick up the kittens and hold them, and he fit perfectly into my hand. Zander rolled upside down as I held him, displaying his white belly. I petted it with one finger, he was so small! He wiggled and "swam" with his front feet, enjoying it. A few weeks later, he came home. Who knew he'd grow into such a ginormous thing! Top weight, 23 pounds, though he's slimmed down to a svelte and healthy 16 pounds.
Shaveya (shuh-VEY-yuh) came to me later, after Wildflower died in 2005. So she was already six years old. Of course it was the whinnying that got to me. She saw me, and whinnied. I'm a sucker.
Coming up this month are two more coincidental birthdays—Cheerios and Jake are within a day of each other, but different years. My Mother never got over the fact that she shared a birthday with them. Sorry, Mom!
Labels: cats, horses, nothing important
Song Title Meme and Blather
I know, I'm meme-happy lately. All I've been doing is riding my horse and playing with him, and trying to convince my mare that I'm really still her friend (she's decided to be elusive again). Unless you are as horse-crazy as I am, my escapades aren't all that interesting. And they aren't related to knitting.
But it's going well. Now that we've broken the cantering fear issue, we're cantering all over the place, and yesterday, I found I can break into a canter from a dead stop, rather than work up to it from the trot. Working up to it is actually harder than I thought! I had it in my mind that it was like changing gears—walk is first gear, trot is second, canter third, gallop fourth. Nope! It's like going from smooth four-beat walk to bouncy two-beat trot to smooth three-beat rocking horse. MUCH easier to just smooch and canter off into the sunset.
In other news, Jupiter finally went direct after several months of retrograde, which is GREAT news for anything that has been stalled out because Jupiter is the planet of expansion and growth, so the stagnation should lift now. I fully expect to be hearing from my realtors this week about house sales. I checked back, and the timing of the slow-downs and fall-throughs coincided with Jupiter going retrograde. HMMMmmmmm. There is another planet that was off-kilter for two years and just changed direction, too.
I'm tellin' ya, this is the week. On to the memes. Do it if you wanna, consider yourself tagged.
- Choose a singer/band/group
- Answer using ONLY titles of songs by that singer/band/group
- Tag 7 more people. Or not.
I choose:
Journey1. Are you male or female?
Walks Like A Lady2. Describe yourself.
Happy To Give3. What do people feel when they’re around you?
Don't Stop Believin'4. How would you describe your previous relationship?
Separate Ways5. Describe your current relationship.
When You're Alone (It Ain't Easy)6. Where would you want to be now?
Still They Ride*7. How do you feel about love?
Faithfully8. What’s your life like?
Sweet & Simple9. What would you ask for if you had only one wish?
Change for the Better10. Say something wise.
Be Good To Yourself
*Well, I had to work in some sort of horse reference and this was the closest thing.
Labels: memes, nothing important
Falling
I'll have you know, today is the first day I'm wearing sweatpants rather than shorts around the house. Legs is cold, peeps! But the thermometer says 73—WTF? Cloudy, grey, a little rainy at times—
Oh, that explains it.
Black Swamp Arts Festival is this weekend. (Swamp. I do live in one.)
Oh, My, GOD. My local paper finally got with the program and went online. Bully for them.
Do I have any non-Meme news? Oh, nothing substantial just yet. Just
waiting expecting and dealing with occasional uncertainty. But that could be a good thing. Deepak Chopra says that
if you're experiencing the uncertainty, it is a sure sign you are getting closer to its manifestation.
Good.
The majority of my activities of late have been horse-related. OKAY. FINE. I ADMIT IT.
I'm wishy-washy. Please don't ask me what I want to be when I grow up because chances are it will vacillate between Rock Star, Professor and Horse Trainer. I committed to Horse Trainer in April. Then I changed gears this summer. Then I entered a 45-day challenge online, chose my music career to focus on, and lasted about 7 days before I lost interest. Now I'm back to the horses. (Professor finally went away when I realized I was just trying to live my parents' lives for them and that it would take 6 years to get a PhD in Philosophy and then get a job and, well, bleagh.)
Truthfully, all I wanna be is a multimillionaire lottery jackpot winner.
You think I'm kidding.
I'm not.
I believe the Ohio Lottery debuted the year I turned 10. Around age 6, I'd declared my wish to be a horse trainer. My Mom snorted in disbelief and said "well, you'd better have a really good job then, because horses take a lot of money!" I put 2+2 together and realized if we couldn't afford one on Dad's very good salary (as I was often told was the reason rather than the complex adult fact that Mom's worst allergen was horse hair, she had terrible asthma, and since Dad worked full time she'd be the one taking me to the stable...), I'd better figure out how to be a millionaire.
Somewhere between 6 and 10, I noticed that the people who sang on TV variety shows were rich, and I could sing, so I determined I should exploit my musical talent and I'd be a shoe-in for fame and fortune.
Then I heard about the Lottery. I distinctly remember hearing about it—TV, radio, newspaper—forget which. But when I realized it took 50 cents to buy a ticket and you could win $10 million dollars, that was IT. I KNEW. Without a single doubt, I KNEW that THIS was the way I'd become rich one day. When I was old enough to legally buy the ticket, that is.
Wide-eyed, I turned to my Mom and Dad and said with absolute conviction, "THAT is how I'm going to get rich. I'm going to win the lottery."
Guffaws.
OK. Be skeptical. But, it
does happen. Someone just won $133 million last week (not me, yet), and on average, five people win the $250,000 5-of-5
every drawing. That's twice a week. So, why not?
What if I
did win?
Even the current cash option of $9.8 million would buy a lot of horses and hay. I think I'll go dream about it for awhile.
Labels: nothing important
Phriday is Phor Phil-Ins
Yep, it's definitely Friday. And that means, fluff! From Janet at
Friday Fill-Ins comes this (my answers in mauve):
1. I'm looking forward to
warmer weather next week.
2. I don't handle
confrontation very well.
3.
Indian Food is something I could eat every day.
4. Warmth and sunlight
bring joy to my heart.
5.
Look out, rock radio, here I come!
6. I
have one tattoo
already and am considering a second.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to
working on music, tomorrow my plans include
working on music and Sunday, I want to
work on music!
For a musician, I'm so "one-note" in that last one. *cough*
And more fun. I nevah woulda guessed (first photo, 1995; second, last December):
Labels: memes, nothing important
Give ME the Time of Day, Willya!
But of course I am. LOL! Ironically, 3:15 PM is about the time I really feel motivated to start my day. Granted, I go to bed around 5:00 AM and wake around noon, so for me, this is the equivalent of rising at 6:00 AM to be functional by 9:00 AM.
Musician's hours.
I've been in situations where I had to adjust (when employed 9-5 or in school), but left to my own devices, this is the schedule to which I default. My Mother once told me, however, that as a baby, I was an extreme early riser, that she and Dad had to condition me to sleep in to a "reasonable" time. These were folks who got up willingly by 7:00 AM. And I was waking THEM up. But Mother thought they'd maybe been a bit too effective at retraining me, because ever after I was impossible to get to bed, thinking I'd miss something if I didn't get to stay up til 11:00 PM. As a four year old.
So there it is. Am I a night-owl because I was trained to be? OR because it truly is my nature? No matter, it's who I am NOW.
And for the most part, I love it. Except during winter, when daylight is a high-dollar premium because contrary to common (vampire) belief, I actually LIKE sunshine. I once thought moving to California would mean more sun. Until I realized that the days grow shorter in Cali just as they do in Ohio. But I'm not ready to pack for Alaska or Greenland, thankyouverymuch.
So it was 50 degrees and sunny/melty today, and just now it started pouring. Ohio. Love ya.
Anything good on TV tonight? Something I can knit through? I FINALLY restarted the CPH in different yarn. If you remember, the initial plan was to knit it with this:
And I got as far as this on the back before realizing the striping/pooling would not match on the fronts unless I tricked it out:
So I put it in hibernation while trying to determine whether to knit it all at once on circulars, maybe steek it, two balls at once, egads....
Then I ran across nine skeins of Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride in Old Sage that I'd bought in the mid-90s for a sweater that I'd started. I found the first 8 inches of the sweater, too. As a new knitter doing her first proper garment, I was advised to choose an "easy" pattern. I was counseled strongly against the charted design I'd chosen but I bought it anyway.
No, it wasn't too complex for a beginner. The opposite. IT WAS TOO BORING. All it consisted of was rows of ridges formed by purling. So it was knit a bunch, purl a bunch, knit a bunch... they step as they go up but GAWD. After a few inches I'd gotten the hang of it, and I could not fathom continuing another 18 inches, then repeating for the front, then sleeves... so I stopped.
With me, they should have realized that MY first sweater should have been a fisherman's cabled monstrosity to keep my ADHD brain occupied and interested.
I thought perhaps this yarn (Lamb's Pride) would serve the CPH well—and save me having to buy an entire sweater's worth of new yarn (the Di Ve Autunno will eventually find its way to a different garment). The CPH is a nice knit—the cables break up the monotony, the pattern is easy to commit to memory (esp with stitch markers) so it's a good "public" knit, and it's still "mindless" enough that it can be done in front of the TV. So I cast on. Two repeats in and I frogged it because though my swatch said
OMG if I make the largest size it'll be like a tent on me, the next size down in actual stitchiness was absolutely undeniably too small.
OK, I'll admit I didn't wash or block the swatch.
I knit another swatch because, *ahem*, I, uh, wanted to conserve yarn so I, uh, *blush* frogged the first one. This time I swatched with the cable motif, AND I washed it AND I blocked it. I've already cast on the stitches for the back for the next size up, but only knit one row of ribbing. I'm about to pull the swatch from the blocking board and give it a measure.
Stay tuned...
Oh, PS: Happy to report that Tyler not only is no longer puffy-looking, but is back to his obnoxious, overly-excited happy little self thanks to FUS (Feline Urinary Supplement). He's a big pile of happycat now, and he comes running for his FUS "treat" when I shake the bottle.
Labels: CPH, nothing important, WIP
Happy VD
I'm going to be different. Rather than references to medical issues, I would like to take this opportunity to point out what this day is REALLY about.
HAPPY VALIDATION DAY!!!
That's right.
Today is the day when others are required by H*llm*rk Law to provide tangible evidence that validates the importance of our existence in their lives.
The other "lesser" days set aside for this validation purpose are Birthdays, Anniversaries, and ChristmaKwanHukkah.
Therefore, I graciously validate that each and every one of my readers and friends is important to me.
In other news, I made a few adjustments to my sidebar. That horoscope feature was malfunctioning. It was talking about the week of September 2008 in the blurb next to my avatar, then when I linked over, it said something completely different. So I euthanized it. That I managed to do it without killing the avatar that
actually does look like me is a miracle. That I was able to convince the clock to play nice with it and share quarters is another miracle. The birthday cake was just too obnoxious having top hierarchy, so it got demoted.
What do you mean, I must not have any blog fodder? I have plenty of fodder. Just it's all personal, and none of it is appropriate for the blog. Sorry... you'll have to wait for the book to be published. Not that I'm publishing one. Maybe someday. I am keeping a journal of my fodder, however, and it has book potential. But no, don't get excited. Nobody has knocked on my door and offered to squeeze my ramblings between two sheets of pressboard.
Yet.
Happy VD, now go hug yourselves.
Labels: holidaze, nothing important
Tpyo
Er, Typo.
Thank you for condolences re: MommaMonkey, but really, they should go out to the knitting world moreso than to me. The knitting world has lost a fantastic sock knitter and designer.
In other news... I took a typing test. I was disappointed. I used to type 90 WPM. But then,
74 words
...ain't too bad for someone with rampant carpal tunnel.
Labels: nothing important
Mo-o-om, He's Googling At Me Again!
It is interesting to note how people come to visit this page. I just checked my stats for S's & G's and learned that many people (a surprising amount) arrived here via a search for:
how do you remove butt crack hairbutt crack outbutt crack calendarI must remember to watch how I title my posts (
Cosmic Butt Crack).
It is comforting to know that not all searches were for something that obviously arose from the juvenile mentality of a bored 14-year-old boy on a Friday night. Some are actually looking for a life path:
parelli career(s)
Labels: nothing important
NaNo NaNo
Oh, and at the very last minute, I signed up for
NaNoWriMo.
Well, it
is a new year, according to the pagan calendar. Apparently this is my year to say "no more of this 'one day, I'm gonna' crap—today IS 'one day' and I'm DOING".
All right. For the "new" year beginning on November 1, 2007, these are my resolutions:
- write a novel via NaNoWriMo
- get my voice and body back into stage-worthy shape
- polish my guitar playing skills back up to where they were or better
- finish my CD (finished= written, recorded, mixed, mastered, duped and available for purchase)
- move to Nashville
- give myself permission to be an organized person
- win the MegaMillions jackpot*
- get married**
* and **: Admittedly, these last two might take some doing, but I've got 12 months, right? Lots can happen in 12 months. All I need is the right six numbers and for
him ("We Know Who") to get on the same page. Naw, he doesn't read this.
I hope.
Labels: nothing important, positive thinking
November, the Ninth—er, 11th Month
All right, so there used to be 10 months. That makes sense. Why they changed it? Must've been Bush's predecessors. Only someone like that would do something so sweepingly inane. Speaking of, I saw a bumper sticker today that said "01-20-09: Bush's Last Day". Interesting.
Well, as it is now November in the eastern part of the the US where I am, is it even worth it to mention the holiday that has passed?
Oh, all right.
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
I went as a hermit. It was easy. I just hid inside my house behind closed drapes and didn't get dressed today. LOL!
Really, though, sarcasm aside, I'm feeling good. Rocker Boy called (about effing time, he left the 13th) and we had a good chat. All is well with us. I miss him like crazy, but... I have a feeling life will be swinging our boats into the same shore again very soon.
Hope you all had a good one and got lots of CHOCOLATE.
Labels: nothing important, ron
Numbering Error, Random Rants
As I glanced at the calendar today, wondering how this month flew by so fast, something stranged occurred to me and I wondered if anyone else has ever noticed this.
SEPT = seven
OCT = eight
NOV I can only assume = nine
DEC = ten
Why then, is SEPTember the
ninth month, October the tenth, November the eleventh, and December the twelfth? Why isn't October the EIGHTH month?
And why is it January February March etc through August, then...
-ember
-ober
-ember
-ember
Anyone? Bueller?
And
when is this new time change supposed to occur again? Wait. We fall backwards. So that means... if darkness comes at 7 PM... and we turn 7 back to 6... hmm. Well, I guess it'll be dark when I wake up.
Man, I hate this time of year. Even if I did manage to wake up in a GOOD mood this afternoon.
Oh, and one last thing. Pet Peeve: 700-page software manuals that come only in PDF form. Meaning in order to have this necessary reference on hand and visible while working in the software, one must either:
- buy enough ink cartridges and paper to print out the epic (and buy a notebook or two large enough to hold a ream-and-a-half of paper, thank you)
- buy a book someone wrote that is similar to having the manual but not available from your LBS meaning shipping cost/time
- have a second computer available and running at the same time to hold the PDF (because we don't want to put stress on the main CPU running the music software by having an "unnecessary" application open nor does it help to have to switch back and forth from PDF to program to PDF to program when you're trying to look at the screen shots AND the monitor at the same time)
Personally I HATE trying to read manuals on screen. I like having the book propped open in my lap while I work. I don't like trying to balance the laptop while attending to, uh, eliminatory matters (my best reading time). It tends to burn the skin. Not to mention the threat of dropping it in the toilet accidentally. Or the bathtub. Books can dry out. Laptops? Not so much. (No, I don't know this from experience; intuition tells me so.)
What happened to the good old days when you got that big 3" x 11" x 8" box of software and it contained something substantial, not just air and a DVD and a whole lot of filler cardboard?
Enough whining. Besides. I have to go to Wal-Mart™ for another ream of paper and some ink.
Labels: musings, nothing important
Ankle Update I
Since it's not an emergency, I'm seeing the doctor at 2:15 PM Thursday.
I can walk. I can also, apparently, drive, though I wish now that I hadn't. But I was receiving a large cosmic nudge to head to the music store for a software app called Groove Agent (the virtual drummer) and absoposi had to go
rightnow. Ouch.
You know it's sore when your cat lays on the floor at your feet, casually flops one delicate hind leg next to your ankle, and you flinch.
OK. I promise. I won't move any more furniture today, nor will I drive, nor will I lift heavy bins full of comforters, nor will I engage in tap dancing lessons. I'm done. Going to bed. I think.
Or I might stay up and create some wicked beats.
Or maybe not *yawn*.
Labels: injuries, music, nothing important
Missed It
Well, by golly, I missed Tuesday Insaknitty—Insanknitty—In—how the heck is that spelled, anyway?
My facial started late due to a mishap in the facial room at the salon involving a lit candle and a box of Kleenex. Did you know that Kleenex is extremely flammable? Neither did I. Neither did my poor facialist. Luckily we caught it just before it got to the curtain. Trial by fire, whoo boy! After she cleaned that up and aired out the room, it was down to business. My face feels and looks great if I do say so myself. But it put me off schedule. And traffic in Toledo was terrible today. Lots of idiots pulling out in front of me. One complete asshat in an SUV was in the lefthand lane at the light. I was on the right. We were both stopped by the red light. The green arrow came up—for the ones in MY lane to turn right if they chose.
Asshat actually blew through the light and turned!!! Right in front of me!!! A right-hand turn from the left-most lane!!!!!! Good thing I wasn't turning or I would be a squashed puppy.
Ass! Hat!
Then I got some news today I did not ever want to hear. Brace yourselves.
Tommy Hilfiger is no longer available in stores, according to the kind folks at Elder-Beerman and Dillards. AGGGGGHHH! This pains me greatly, as my very favorite jeans (Tommy's Boyfriend jeans) have developed holes in a most unsightly place. I will be sitting cross-legged from now on if I wear them in public again. I'd gone to E-B for a replacement pair only to hear this news. *sob* Nothing in their stock fit me well enough or looked nice on, so I changed course and went to Kohl's. This was not on the list of To-Do's. This was, however, on the way to another To-Do (return unopened music software I'd purchased last week).
Kohl's was having a sale, how thoughtful of them. I'm amazed. I found THREE pair(s) of jeans that fit, look nice, and are comfy. And they were on sale. Yay! This is good, because there will be events upcoming for which new jeans will be required. Then it was on to the music store to return the software. What happened was that I had purchased a lesser version of it at one store, not realizing it was not the most
current version despite what I was told. (Big Box Guitar Store. Hate it.) Happened to call Old Haunt guitar store to inquire and confirm this, and found out the truth. Headed over to Old Haunt to buy current version of more expensive software. (Why I didn't just go to Old Haunt in the first place was because I'm "known" around there, haven't been there in over a year, and wasn't in the mood to share "whatcha been dooin'" stories that day.) Got a discount. :-) So today I attempted to return lesser software to BBGS.
Entered store. Waited an interminably long time for the Receipt Police to acknowledge my presence at the door. They must frisk you coming and going, you know. Wouldn't want a guitar pick to escape unpurchased.
Did you know that anything returned to BBGS before the ten day period cannot be refunded? You must return it precisely between Day 10 and Day 14. Excuse me while I sneeze (
*bullshit*) —ah, that's better. Because I'd paid with a check, I would get a check in return. IF I returned it after Day 10. Make another special trip up to Toledo to return it after Day 10. The other option was to get a credit account for stuff in the store. I asked if I could get a refund on that later. I was told the guy was pretty sure I could.
I said "OK. Would you please confirm that before we process it?"
"Sure", says the guy. "I'm pretty sure they'll do it."
*ahem*. Pretty sure? Sorry, not good enough. Before I sign over the rights to my money, I wanna be SURE, not
pretty sure, that I'll be able to get it back in greenbacks when I want it, not take it in guitar picks and strings because I have no choice.
One more time.
"Yes, but I'd like to have that confirmed as an absolute, please, before processing it. If you wouldn't mind." *big smile, bat eyelashes*
Guy looks nonplussed. Blinks. Picks up phone. Dials number. Asks question. It's confirmed. Thank you, go ahead and process it. Wait an interminable amount of time for a receipt.
Then head over to Target because my toilet paper is on sale (hey, ya can't beat a deal where you get two 12-packs for $12 bucks, right?).
Then darnit I was on E, so off to the gas station. Well, by this time it was after 7:30 and I was starving. I resigned myself to a knitless night and headed for home. So, here I am. I wonder what juicy news I missed tonight? Sadly I am all out of juicy news for the time being. Hopefully that will change. Soon.
Labels: breaking news, knit night, music, nothing important, things that piss me off, whines and rants
Tires
In CarsVery interesting thing I learned about the "Low Tire" sensor in my 2001 Buick Regal aka The Mothership. Apparently, the
old style of sensors only measure overall air pressure, whereas the newer models actually calculate the pressure of each individual tire. The Mothership has the old style.
As my very patient mechanic (VPM) explained to me when I whizzed into the shop in a panic for the forty-thousandth time this summer, unless all four tires have EXACTLY the same amount of air in them, the Low Tire sensor will go off. When one tire has more (or less) air in it than the others, it spins at a different rate from the others. The tire pressure sensor picks up on this, registers it, and sends out a LOW TIRE!!!!!!! warning to scare the bejeebus out of the driver with visions of high-speed blowouts in the middle of the night on a highway somewhere in Michigan. Only one tire was a tad low but not dangerously so.
My VPM evened up the pressure, reset the sensor, fixed the right windshield wiper (every now and then it gets a loose screw and refuses to do its job) and sent me on my way.
For free.
Gotta love that.
Must be why Dad patronized their shop for 40-some years.
In the
Band Update department, major discussions have been occurring regarding the process by which we shall commence the recording. All are in favor of doing a test track with parts to be recorded in the following order: drums, bass, geetar (that's how Ron writes it), keyboards, vocals, rough mix for critique. Each of us has an older version of
Cubase™ and the computer and modem power to handle file transfer, so it's up to the RandMan to start us off. I imagine it will take a few false starts to make it go smoothly. Hopefully we can hold off buying the latest version of one of the variations of the software until a bit later but if need be, we're all up for it.
I've been learning how to convert VHS to DVD to MPEG/MOV for uploading to YouTube (more to come on that later when the bugs are worked out) and cleaning the hell out of the house. Take that either way. Either I'm cleaning like hell, or I'm cleaning out the hell. Your call. ;-) Oh, there has been a bit of
knitting. I got past the scalloped edge on the
Waving Lace sox, just turned the heel, and am processing the gusset right now.
Weather
Oh, crap. There goes the thunder and lightning again. Gotta go—
Labels: gratefulness, nothing important, the band
Grilled
The burns are better. Yes, I can knit. The worst of it is an ugly hard white blister at the base of my middle finger and a rough spot below that, but otherwise the rest of the burns are greatly improved and really don't hurt today. I can't get over how weird the skin there feels, though. When I open my hand, the burned areas feel tight and stretched. Strange.
Not much went on around here today. I drove down to the gallery to pick up my piece from the Spring Show, a good hour's drive down then another hour back. The gallery owner showed me an old loom that someone had donated—it's in pieces, and it looks fairly old, but for one missing treadle I think all the parts are there. He said the person who donated it claimed it cost $9,000 originally. Looms are rather expensive, when new or when used but in good condition, but I think that was long ago and far away for this loom.
The gallery owner wants to sell it to whomever will make an offer because nobody at the gallery has any idea how to use it, let alone put it back together. Somehow I managed to leave with my pocketbook intact. Having a car that is too small to hold it helps, too. But it was interesting. I only looked at it briefly but didn't find a brand name. Some of the structural parts are metal but the rest is wood and it looks solid.
I'm half-tempted to make a low-ball offer and bring it home and see what it might be. It could always be auctioned off on eBay. Except I think he thinks he can get some "real money" for it, and honestly? It's in pieces. It has a treadle missing (unless it was in one of the boxes of parts). It may not be repairable. I'd give him $50 for it to take it off his hands. If he wants more, he'll have to find someone to reassemble it and see if it's salvageable.
Hmm. I wonder if he'd take fifty for it?
Like I have room. Or time.
I had a hankering for grilled burgers when I got home and since the store FINALLY restocked the Black N Blue burgers last week, I decided to try my hand at it. I'm proud to announce my virgin foray into the world of grilling was successful. It took three tries before I got the thing lit properly—it kept going out and cooling off so I added more lighter fluid (I know, I know, I was careful) and relit it and on the third try I think I overdid the lighter fluid because it caught, and the flames were a tad higher than I was comfortable with, but they eased off and finally, I had a grill going.
Though I was considering the
green bean casserole in honor of Crazy Aunt Purl's cat Roy, the call of the grill was too loud. The casserole will have to wait. Instead, I had a Corona for Laurie and a yummy BnB burger with grilled onions, green & red pepper strips, and grilled corn on the cob.
I'm so proud of myself. Hey, Dad, I did it. I grilled burgers on your grill. All by myself.
Labels: injuries, loom, nothing important
Elizabethtown
Elizabethtown was on Showtime tonight. WOW. What a great movie. I'm sure I liked it partially because I can really relate to Drew having everything that he counted on in life just implode upon itself and having to choose whether to pick up the pieces or throw in the towel.
Wonderful movie. I think I want to see it again. No, it has little to do with
Orlando Bloom. He's not hard on the eyes, but I wasn't gawking at the eye candy, I was totally wrapped up in the feel of the movie and the storyline. Singer
Patty Griffin has a cameo and Loudon Wainwright II is in it. I was floored when, during one of the scenes close to the end, I heard the beginnings of Moon River—my Mother's favorite song, the one we played as her casket left the church. The correlation between the movie characters and my life met at that moment, crashed in mid-air.
I think I need to do what was suggested to one of the characters in the movie: take a solitary cross-country road trip, just me and the right music, and "
get into the deep beautiful melancholy of everything that's happened". By far, my new favorite quote is:
If it wasn't this... it'd be something else.
If you haven't seen it yet, go rent it. It's a well-written, extraordinarily-acted, poignant, funny, enlightening, feel-good life lesson movie written and directed by
Cameron Crowe (who, as I just found out, also wrote and/or directed several of my all-time faves, including "
Almost Famous" and "
Fast Times at Ridgemont High"). The soundtrack, of course, is amazing.
Labels: nothing important
