Life According to Me

To Jamie Oliver

2011-04-19T19:24:00.001-04:00

If you only feed our children sticks and twigs, and they do nothing but sit on their butts and watch TV and play video games, they will still be fat.

I grew up in the 50s and 60s. We ate whatever our mother put on the table. We ate potatoes. We ate potato chips, we ate cookies. We ate hot dogs. We ate whatever. But, from the time we got home from school until dark (or dinner time and then after dinner) we played outside. We ran and rode bikes and walked and never stopped.

I just have a very big problem with everyone blaming child obesity on food only. There's much more to it than that!

Some Days

2011-04-03T16:03:00.004-04:00

I've really kinda been feeling down the last few days. I miss Rusty, who went to the Rainbow Bridge in November, 2010. He's kind of left a hole in my heart. I know those of you who are pet owners understand exactly what I mean. More than anyone else in the world, next to small children, our pets love us unconditionally. They never criticize us, never tell us we said or did something stupid. They just love us completely no matter what we do. We will never find that in any person. They all have their judgments of us. They never completely accept us for who we are. That's just how it is. And, for those of you who have never had a pet, well... I feel you really have missed something.

Rusty passed away November 6, 2010. He lived to be nearly 20 years old. He was something. Those last few days were hard for me, I knew he wasn't doing real well, and that last day when he stopped eating everything, including his beloved whipped cream, I knew. I took him to the vet hoping there was a quick fix, but I think deep down in my soul, I knew. He deteriorated so drastically that last day, and the next morning I called the vet and took him in. Now he sits in a wooden box, today he's on my computer desk. I originally put him in the window where he liked to sit, but now he's here with me.

I miss him a lot. I know some people would wonder about that since he did become a quite crabby guy in his later years, but as I age, I think I understand that too. It's not easy getting old. Don't let anyone kid you. There's no gold in those golden years, they're quite tarnished these days. No one wants to deal with or be bothered with you when you get older.

And for anyone who's interested and would like to meet my Rusty, his blog is here: Rusty's World. He was such a part of my life for a very long time.

Morgan

2011-02-22T17:16:00.004-05:00

We were invited to our daughter and son-in-law's for Valentines Day. We all decided that it would be nice if Manda and Nathan could spend a night, just romancing and having fun without the responsibility of Morgan-care. Not that Morgan-care is a bad thing, in fact, I think it's WONDERFUL! So, they went out to dinner on Saturday and spent the night at a hotel, just having fun and time away. And, Poppa and Nana took care of Morgan.

I was a little nervous, at first. Not that taking care of a baby is difficult or hard, but I didn't really know Morgan's habits and all her likes and dislikes. Manda told me specifically, "Mom if she gets up during the night and wants a bottle, don't talk to her, except in a whisper. She needs to know that this is night time, not play time." So, I followed Manda's advice. I did all she said, and sure, when Morgan woke me up around 4am or so, she thought going to the kitchen and making a bottle was fun. But, I didn't talk much (a difficult thing for me as most my friends know) and I just said a lot of "shhhhhh... shhhh..." to her. She had her bottle and then I put her back in her bed. And, off to sleep she went. No problems.

In the morning, we all got up and played. I'm glad that Manda and Nathan got together time for themselves. I'm glad that Poppa and Nana got the time to spend with beautiful Morgan.

She is the light of my life (well, after her mother, well maybe before her mother... heh heh). But, she is my joy. I watched her turn from a baby-bump full of promises and plans to a real person who is now walking and having such a good time with life. She is the best.

I never really knew how much fun a grandbaby could be. Now I do.

Why Does Any Company Choose FedEx?

2011-01-04T19:48:00.000-05:00

I know I don't post much anymore. But, I have this question floating around in my mind. Why does any company choose FedEx for shipping? I mean really. There ARE better choices out there. I think even the US Post Office is a better choice and probably much cheaper than FedEx. Ok, I guess I should clarify here. Maybe it's just FedEx out of Perrysburg, Ohio that's so bad. Here I am at 7:40pm, after waiting ALL DAY for a delivery from FedEx, and it's still not here. Sure glad I'm not running a business from this address. FedEx out of Perrysburg, Ohio has to be the WORST shipper in the business. Not only did they screw up my delivery last year (lost my package, I think the driver couldn't read and delivered my package to the WRONG CITY!) but they take FOREVER to get here. They only have about 15 minutes to make it before their 8:00pm last delivery time (who has delivery time until 8:00pm? Certainly not the boys in brown). If I had to ship anything anywhere, FedEx would be the LAST service I would choose. They really do suck.

Life Changes

2010-11-30T16:48:00.002-05:00

I have not been here in a long while. I'm sure that no one even looks at this blog anymore. But, whatever, I feel a place to express my thoughts, for what they're worth.

Rusty, my beloved kitty, was gently helped to the Rainbow Bridge the beginning of this month. It broke my heart, but as explained on his blog, he deteriorated so quickly I knew then that there was no bringing him back. He lived be be nearly 20 years old, I never dreamed that he would live that long. But, I didn't take it quite so easily, and it still breaks my heart losing him. And so... we listed our house for sale, the house we've lived in for nearly 32 years. This is also breaking my heart.

But, I keep trying to tell myself, this is not something you're leaving. This is something you're going towards. Going towards my family. My daughter, son-in-law, and granddaughter. That going towards my granddaughter is the important part. She is the light in my life. She is my joy these days when I am losing so much.

Sometimes, I think, if it wasn't for her, I might go down that lost road that my own mother went down when she got old. She is my heart, and I know I want to be closer to her as she gets older. She is my one joy in life these days. I am so grateful for her to be here.

New Arrival

2010-04-01T09:45:00.000-04:00

We have a new arrival in our family.

Morgan Elisabeth made her debut on March 28, 2010 at 6:56am. She weighed 5lb 14oz and is 19 inches long. She's beautiful.

Yahoo Groups

2010-01-03T15:01:00.000-05:00

My husband wanted to join a yahoo group regarding Heathkits. In fact, the group name was heathkit, http://groups.yahoo.com/group/heathkit/, and they denied him membership. He only wanted to post a message asking to see if he could find a part for a heathkit, but guess it's only special people that can join this group. They claim to have 1,843 members, but I surely don't know how that can happen if they're denying people on a regular basis. I belong to a lot of Yahoo Groups and this is the first time I have ever seen denial of joining before they even have any idea who you are or what you want. They must be a real private group of people.

More on Walmart and Other Things

2009-12-13T10:57:00.000-05:00

Well, I feel I need to be fair to Walmart. It appears that they quickly credited my Credit Card account for the misplaced camera. I was surprised at that since some of their documentation that I received from them said it could take as much as 60 days to issue the credit. So, I've got to give them good points for issuing the credit so quickly in only a few days.

As I previously reported, FedEx finally located the package and is currently in the process of retuning it to Walmart. I've kept documentation of that for my records, just in case.

I got the flash unit that Walmart shipped by Mail Express. I discovered that in this case, it is more effective to go to usps.com and enter the tracking number there rather than use the link provided by Walmart in their shipping email or on their website. I found out the flash was going to be delivered yesterday and it was. (And my mailperson knows to open the porch door and put the package inside, just as UPS knows that too.)

Costco.com quickly shipped the camera I ordered from them to replace the missing camera from Walmart and I expect delivery on Tuesday. Let's see, I ordered it late on December 10th and I will get it on December 15th. With a weekend in there, I think that's pretty good. And, the camera is costing me nearly the same as Walmart's deal (only 2 cents more) and I get a free memory card too. I also imagine that if I have any problems with the camera Costco will make it right, just as they have done with other products I have purchased from them. Guess it's a good thing to be a member rather than just a customer.

FedEx

2009-12-11T14:24:00.000-05:00

So, guess who shows up today at 1:51pm with a delivery? You got it, FedEx. I told them, sorry you need to send that package back to Walmart. I'm not accepting it. A few minutes later they came back asking me to sign to return it. That's fine. I don't care. You'd think after all the conversation with them, someone would have called me this morning to tell me when they located it rather than just show up with it.

You know, I don't mean to be a bitch about this, but I believe that FedEx should have handled this much differently from the first minute I made the call telling them that I didn't receive the package they claimed to have left at my front door. I got so much run around from them it's ridiculous. Besides, I don't know where that camera was all night last night in temperatures less than 10 degrees F. Did it sit out all night on a doorstep somewhere?

Meanwhile, the delivery status on their website for that tracking number still shows it being delivered at 11:03am yesterday morning.

Walmart.com and FedEx

2009-12-11T12:14:00.000-05:00

Well, the saga continues.

I talked with a Walmart.com telephone representative and managed to get them to refund my money for the lost camera. Not sure how long the credit on my Credit Card is going to take, but I also phoned my Credit Card Company and they put a dispute on the charge so it's virtually off my bill until the credit hits.

I talked again with a phone representative (#4) at FedEx. I took the 3rd person's recommendation and asked to speak with a trace agent. She didn't seem to want to do this and she told me that she could look up the information instead. Fine. I'm not arguing with those people. This morning, they apparently still did not know where the package was, she told me that the trace had only been put on it yesterday and would take a day to find out what happened. Well, as of this time, it's been nearly 24 hours since I first called them to tell them I never got the package and they still don't know anything. I told her that when or if they found the package that they should just return it to Walmart and do not attempt to deliver it to me. We'll see what happens.

So, last night I went to Costco.com to order the camera from them. Guess what? Even though on their item description page it said the camera kit with the extra lens was $1,539.99, when I added it to my cart it came up as $1,499.99! And, I get a 2GB memory card for free on top of that! The final cost of my order at Costco.com including tax (shipping was included) was $1,589.99 only 2 cents more than the order from Walmart.com!

Goes to show me, I should have gone to Costco.com in the first place. Try to save a couple bucks and you might just get burned.

Walmart.Com

2009-12-10T15:30:00.000-05:00

Boy, what a mistake I made this holiday season ordering from Walmart.com. First, I ordered a Nikon D90 Camera with an additional 70-300 telephoto lens. Great package deal, $1,499.00. Same package at Costco was $1,539.99 with a memory card that wasn't included in the Walmart deal. But, I felt I didn't really need a memory card since I have lots on hand that I've used with my older Nikon D40.

So, it takes Walmart.com nearly a week to ship this order (no 24-48 hours here). Then, they ship it Fed Ex and I was expecting the delivery today according to the tracking information provided. Imagine my surprise when I see on the Fed Ex website that my package was delivered at 11:03 this morning and left by the front door. I rushed out to the door, no package. I've been home all morning sitting in the living room which has a very large, almost full wall window, and I never once saw a Fed Ex truck. I saw the UPS truck, I saw the garbage truck. I even saw a city truck used by some workers to pick up tree branches that had fallen down during the wind storm yesterday. But, no Fed Ex truck.

So, I immediately called Fed Ex. The first phone rep that I spoke with said she would contact the driver to see where he left the package (remember, this is a $1,500 item) and she would call me back. So, I waited a while and called Fed Ex back. The second phone rep that I speak with tells me that they can't find out anything from the driver until he returns tonight at 5 or 6 pm. What? Don't their drivers have cell phones? She can't call him? Remember, this is not a small item, it is a $1,500 camera!

So, I call Walmart.com. The number I had was a billing number which was on my caller ID because they had called me previously to verify that I even placed the order and it is impossible to find a phone number on the Walmart.com website to contact them. The gentleman there that I spoke with told me to wait until I hear back from Fed Ex, then he gives me a different phone number to file a claim if the package doesn't turn up.

So, I call that number. It turns out that phone number is a computer operated number and you never get a live person to talk to. So, now I'm wondering how I'm supposed to file a claim and tell someone I never got the delivery? There's no choice about talking to someone about an order you never got. So much for Walmart.com.

My husband says I should immediately call American Express, which I used to pay for the order and file a dispute with them, which is what I figure I will probably have to do if Fed Ex can't find the package.

Second mistake. I ordered a Nikon flash from Walmart.com for my daughter for a Christmas present. This is a $200+ item and they ship it with something called Mail Express. Now, I get an email with a tracking number, but every time I try to check that tracking, Mail Express tells me that there's no available information on that shipment. It's been 5 days since it was shipped. I'm wondering why Walmart.com insists on using such shoddy shipping vendors to ship expensive items? This isn't a $10 item that if it gets lost, no big deal. I wonder how much money Walmart.com loses by using all these dubious shippers? Oh, that's right, I forgot, they don't need to worry about it because it's nearly impossible to talk to a real live person when a shipment doesn't make it to you.

Guess this will be my last experience with shopping at Walmart.com. In the future I will stick with Costco.com, BestBuy.com or anyone else. They're all better and offer better service than Walmart.com.

Good Night's Sleep

2009-04-16T09:58:00.000-04:00

We finally broke down and got a new bed. We bought a sleep number bed. The biggest selling point for us? It comes in pieces and you assemble it. We have a partial circular staircase that goes upstairs and getting a box springs and mattress up has always been a nightmare. I have to confess, the box springs we were still using was nearly 40 years old. They had such a difficult time getting it up there when we moved in, no one ever wanted to try getting it down and a new one up. So, it just stayed. I woke up every morning aching. Now, no more! With the new bed, it came in just three boxes, which we were able to open up downstairs and carry the various pieces upstairs. Since we decided to save the money and put the bed together ourselves, it was an interesting experience, but we succeeded. Now I wake up in the morning and no more aches! I don't know if I can attribute this to the sleep number bed, or just the fact that we finally got a new mattress and box springs.

It was a nightmare getting the old box springs down the stairs, now we have to do some painting in the stairway where we gouged the walls trying to get it down.

As I said, for us, the real advantage to the sleep number bed was the fact that we could easily get it up the stairs into our room. For that reason alone, it was a good investment.

A lot has happened!

2009-02-10T12:35:00.000-05:00

Since the last time I posted. My husband finally began receiving his retirement money. At Last! We got the first deposit the beginning of November. It really helps out around here these days. He's still working though. Doesn't mind it a whole lot and I'm still collecting unemployment (maybe, I'm now up for my first extension).

Things are falling apart here in Michigan at a fast clip. Unemployment is up to 11% and jobs are being lost on a daily basis. There's no available jobs at all here in the County I live in. The newspapers are just full of foreclosure notices. It's like falling into a pit. Michigan has been going downhill for a long time, much longer than the rest of the country.

We dealt with a lot of death in the family last year. First my mother passed away in June and then my sister in November. My mother died from pneumonia, my sister had a brain aneurysm that burst and caused extensive damage to her cerebellum and brain stem. Irreversible damage. They pulled her off life support on November 1st and she passed away immediately. She was only 51 years old. It was a difficult time for the family, since she was the baby of the family.

This winter has been so horrible! I will be so glad when it's finally over and spring comes! Way too much snow and COLD! What happened to global warming????? Today is supposed to be near 60 though, which is great since we surely need a respite from the cold.

That's about it in a nutshell for now.

Life Continues

2008-10-14T16:58:00.000-04:00

Life continues on. We're doing ok, not fantastically, but ok.

The market has crashed, and while I'm sure our money is out of there, I hope that's truly the case. If the market can stay down for just a few more weeks, we can get our money in there and hopefully, next year, can come out like bandits. Not a bad proposition, if you ask me.

I've tried to stay out of the political arena, but I have to say, that so far, for my life's circumstances, Obama is offering much better options than is McCain. So, I guess that's the direction I'm leaning in these days. That's all I'm going to say about it.

Manda's wedding plans next May continue on. She's got the hotel booked in St. Thomas at a very good price and we've got our plane tickets scheduled. I'm looking forward to a fabulous Caribbean vacation in the spring. I've never been there and I've heard that St. Thomas is fabulous. So, I can't wait.

Finally, finally, life is beginning to look up for us. It's been bad these last couple years, but I guess not as bad as it could have. But, then, we have only ourselves to congratulate for that. We kept ourselves out of debt, managed our finances very closely and kept ourselves on track. Granted we did without a lot of things we would have liked to have had, but that's what happens when the economy kicks you in the butt. You've got to tighten up those purse strings and keep yourself afloat. Hopefully, next year will be better (I keep telling myself that).

It's been a long time

2008-10-08T17:39:00.000-04:00

Ok, so it's been a long time since I've been here and written anything. I mean, really, no one really cares what I think anyhow, do they?

The summer was busy, I lost my job in August, a complete surprise to me, I never thought THAT would happen. But, it did. Just like so many of us here in Michigan, the lost state. No one really cares what happens to us. John McCain decided we weren't worth him spending money here to campaign (no great loss).

We're finally, FINALLY, going to get my husband's retirement money! After waiting nearly TWO years for it! We're supposed to get a check the end of this month which will be turned over into an IRA that he can start drawing on with no penalties. It will come in very handy these days, now that I'm not able to find another job (who wants to hire a 57 year old lady, with only a high school education and an A+ certification?) Doesn't mean much these days, although the freaking state thinks I'm highly employable. (Yeah, right! When's the last time they checked the ads?)

So, here we are, still surviving after the last two years of hell.

Finally!

2008-04-06T13:53:00.000-04:00

The weather has FINALLY gotten nice! This weekend sunshine and temps in the lower 60s. It's about time! I'd just about had enough of those last snowstorms in March.

Coney's got the Alfa running now and we took it for a spin yesterday. No top down, yet, I'm afraid it's still a bit too chilly for me.

Soon we'll have to get out in the yard and do some real cleanup and get the herb garden ready for spring planting. I've already gotten some potted herbs, basil, cilantro, and mint. They're just sitting in front of the living room window waiting for it to get warm enough to be planted outside. I can't wait. I've really missed my fresh herbs all winter. I still need to get some rosemary, oregano, thyme and Italian parsley.

Spring Is Here!

2008-03-13T17:36:00.000-04:00

I know it's been a long time and a long, yukky, dreary winter. But, IMO, spring is finally here!

My favorite restaurant is open for the season. They usually close around mid-December and open sometime in March. AND THEY ARE NOW OPEN!!!!!

http://www.webbersrestaurant.samsbiz.com/

Best Long Beach Ice Tea I've ever had. Best crab-stuffed mushrooms and other wonderful seafood.

I remember wonderful sunny afternoons sitting on their outdoor patio enjoying a Long Beach, watching the boats cruise by on the Ottawa River and thinking, "I must be in Heaven!"

So, if you're in SE Michigan or the Toledo, OH area, stop by Webbers and enjoy a seafood feast (and the best Long Beach Ice Teas in the world).

Pittsburgh

2007-08-19T12:31:00.000-04:00

Manda, Nathan and Bastien are all in Pittsburgh. They left Grand Rapids on Friday. We're going to visit them next weekend and we're looking forward to it. Manda said Bastien made the move ok, although she called me a few times when he was crying and acting funny in his carrier. She had gotten some tranqs from the vet, so most of the time he slept. Poor guy, it was about an 8-hour trip in the moving truck. They still are working on moving Nathan's stuff from New Jersey. Nathan doesn't start his new job until Tuesday, so they have today and tomorrow to get reasonably settled in.

So, now she's without a job or internet service, but she does have a couple job interviews this week. I'm sure she'll find something pretty quickly.

Labor Laws

2007-08-18T13:11:00.000-04:00

Do you know that in nearly all states, you can be required to work the whole day on your job with NO breaks? Not for lunch, not for bathroom, not for any reason. You can imagine my surprise when my husband is starting a job working in a factory through a temp agency for only $9.00/hr and he gets 2 fifteen minute breaks over an 8-hour period. I always thought that employers were required to give 1/2 lunch hour break after each 6 hours worked. At least that used to be the law mandated by the Federal Department of Labor. My, my, how things have changed! Since our government is so pro-company, they are basically condoning practically slave-labor practices. Why, if they had no laws governing paying people, companies probably would not pay anything either! This is from the Michigan Department of Labor website:

Employees under 18 years of age may not work more than 5 continuous hours without a 30 minute uninterrupted rest period. There are no requirements for breaks, meal or rest periods for employees over 18 years of age.

Which means, in the state of Michigan, if you're over the age of 18, an employer is NOT required to give you ANY breaks. Period!

Geeze, now I'm wondering when they'll bring back sweat-shops? Seems like it's all perfectly legal now in most states. You can find a list here of the states that do have laws regarding lunch breaks at work:

http://www.dol.gov/esa/programs/whd/state/meal.htm

If your state is not listed here, perhaps it's time to write to your state representatives to ask why there is no requirement in your state for workers to get lunch breaks.

You know, I've never been pro-union. I always felt that the government had labor laws to protect workers. Now, I'm not so sure anymore. Goes back to what I've said in the past. Our government only cares about companies and the wealthy CEOs running them. Sad, this is so sad. Our country and our legislators should be ashamed of themselves.

Retirement Plans..... HA!

2007-08-05T16:27:00.000-04:00

You know that retirement plan you THINK you have at your company? Beware, you might not get it.

My husband's company offered a Profit Sharing Plan. They took all the tax breaks they could because of this plan. They put a small amount of money into the plan for each employee, but over the past 30 years through investment, my husband's portion grew substantially. We always thought we'd have that when he retired. Now that he lost his job in February because his company went out of business, we thought that we could take that money and live on it with an early retirement. And, yes, IRS does allow for that after age 55 following some rules they have set.

That said, we figured we'd be ok in a few weeks. NOT! The company owner refuses to do the necessary paperwork to release the funds. And, there's evidently nothing we can do. It's been nearly 6 months since we requested the funds and no payment in sight.

Because the company went out of business, the plan needed to be terminated. Ok, I understand that. Some paperwork needs to be filled out and submitted to IRS with the plan, for a determination to make sure that the plan is tax compliant. However, when you can't get the person in control of the plan to take care of this, you're screwed. Yes, IRS has rules about this sort of thing. I've talked with an agent at IRS, according to him, this paperwork was supposed to be submitted by the end of the plan fiscal year. Well, that didn't happen. The end of the fiscal year has come and gone and still the paperwork just sits on the company owner's desk, gathering dust. I also read on the IRS website, that the money must be distributed within a year of the plan close date. That date was this past April. But, what happens if that doesn't happen? Evidently nothing, just like nothing has happened when the plan hasn't even been submitted for review yet.

Yeah, It's Been Awhile

2007-08-05T01:07:00.000-04:00

I know I haven't been around for a long while. Life is still too crazy. Husband's still out of work, no jobs in sight. I'm doing the best I can trying to earn enough to support us.

I'm studying for my Network+ Certification now too. I'm doing ok except for subnets. Trying to understand all this and how it goes together. It is all confusing at times. But, I've got a lot of learning tools, so hopefully within the next year, I'll be certified (if not certifiable).

In Memory of Grady (03/1991 - 01/18/2007)

2007-03-18T15:16:00.000-04:00

On January 18th, Grady passed away. He was nearly 16 years old. He was so sick and had lost an extreme amount of weight. While we never got a confirmed diagnosis the vet felt that, more than likely, he had liver cancer.

This is in his memory, he was a very special cat. I miss him every day.

Grady came to live with us on April 10, 1991. He was the cutest little thing. He weighed 1lb 14oz. He was born in the attic of a store downtown, not too far from my home.

He grew up to become a very large cat, and a very handsome one.

And, he spent a lot of time those hot summer days, lying in the catnip, his favorite spot in the garden. We buried him there. I sprinkled catnip into his grave because he really loved it and I wanted him to have it in the afterlife.

When he got older, he really became a sun-worshiper and liked lying in the sun that shone through the living room windows.

I guess he felt warmer that way.

Rusty misses him too.

He was such a special, wonderful guy, who said very little. His eyes always spoke volumes so I guess he never really felt the need to speak. I know, deep in my heart, that he now rests in the arms of the angels.

I miss him so much and I know I'll love and miss him every day of my life.

Grady (03/1991-01/18/2007)

New Plans

2007-02-25T18:44:00.000-05:00

Well, adjustments in life require new plans. I was able to get health insurance through the company I work for. That's one very big relief that I'm thankful for.

Retirement plans have changed, though. My husband will begin collecting on his retirement. In order to avoid any tax penalty for drawing early before age 59 1/2, he'll have to take a set amount for the next five years. Right now, the estimates show that he'll be able to collect approximately what he had been currently earning. I will continue to work for five more years and retire when I am 60. *sigh* Not what I wanted to do, but it will keep us in good health insurance and my income coming in until my husband is then able to collect a larger amount to make up for my income when I stop working.

So, like it or not, that's the new retirement plan.

Life sucks!

2007-02-18T15:34:00.000-05:00

Well, my husband lost his job. After 30 years with the same company, they've gone out of business. The company had been in business for 5o years, but thanks to all the manufacturing jobs going overseas (his company's largest customer, Eaton Corporation, went to India) the company could no longer survive and they closed.

No more health insurance, no more paycheck, no more nothing. Sure sucks after giving your life to a company for 30 years. He never took sick days, always had perfect attendance and for what? He got the same crap that the guys who called in sick every week got. What was it all for? F**king nothing. Sucks, don't it?

What do I do now? An insulin-dependent, Type 1 on an insulin pump? I am so screwed. I recently had to put my beloved kitty, Grady, to sleep after 16 years when he was too sick, there seemed to be no more help and I couldn't afford any more additional tests that may or may not have provided a solution to his health problems. Maybe someone just needs to put me to sleep too. As Jane Fonda once said in the movie by the same name.... "They shoot horses, don't they?"

Diabetes Sucks!

2007-01-08T20:42:00.000-05:00

My sister has Type 1 diabetes and was diagnosed nearly 45 years ago when she was 4 years old. She's in ICU in the hospital now. She had an infection in her leg and has one in her arm. My BIL took her to ER the week before Christmas and she had to have her right foot amputated a few days before New Years.

We visited her a couple times and she's hanging in there. She had a biopsy done on her arm to check to see what kind of infection is there and to check to see if it's in the bone. I haven't heard the results yet. The infection in her arm doesn't seem to be clearing up with antibiotics.

Right now she has congestive heart failure from too much fluid in her system and she also has pneumonia from not being up and around. I think the pneumonia is not surprising, since bed ridden people tend to get it more easily that do those that are not. She's on diuretics to try to get the excess fluid out of her system and antibiotics for the pneumonia.

They need to do more surgery on her foot to neaten it up so that she can be fitted with a prosthesis, but they can't do that until the pneumonia and congestive heart failure have cleared up.

My sister is only 49. She's got a long road ahead of her for recovery.

Diabetes really sucks.

Happy Holidaze!

2006-12-22T18:15:00.000-05:00

Happy Holidaze to everyone!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2006-11-23T10:19:00.000-05:00

Just wanted to stop in for a few minutes before everything gets crazy today and wish everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving.

What's with the Tigers????????

2006-10-28T10:53:00.000-04:00

They played awful last night! What's with Verlander? Is he the only pitcher they have? Did all the others die or fly back to Detroit? I can't believe they left that guy in. He had no control of the ball, all he could do was throw fast balls, too bad they didn't go where they were supposed to. His pitching arm was so out of control. Looked to me like he was too inexperienced and too nervous to pitch in such a high stakes game. Maybe they should have given him some Xanax to calm him down a bit. No wonder they lost the game last night and the Series along with it. I had to quit watching after about the 5th inning. I knew they were done for. Too many wild pitches, too many errors.

Yeah, it's been awhile...

2006-10-28T01:40:00.000-04:00

The weather's been crappy, the Tigers are losing the World Series. My internet connection is acting up (cable lines must be too wet from all the rain we've been getting). Guess I just don't have a whole lot to talk about these days.

Hope things are going better for everyone else.

Oh No!

2006-09-04T11:42:00.000-04:00

This is from the news today:

"Crocodile Hunter" Steve Irwin killed by stingray

Steve Irwin, the TV host known as the "Crocodile Hunter," has died after being stung by a stingray off Australia's north coast. Irwin, 44 was killed by a stingray barb that went through his chest, according to police sources. Irwin was filming an underwater documentary at the time.

Oh no! I can't believe it!

I PASSED MY A+ OS EXAM! WOOHOO!

2006-08-15T20:20:00.000-04:00

I passed it. It's over. I've never seen so many obscure and ambiguous questions about operating systems in my life. I don't know who made them up or where they found them. But I passed with a score of 673. That's enough to get my certification, you only needed 505 to pass. I should have my Certificate in 4-6 weeks.

Right now, I've got Champagne chilling and I'm doing the happy dance!

I'm glad it's over now. The Network+ Class starts at the Vo-Tech Center in March. I think I'll take it and try to get my Network+ Certification too.

Kelleys Island and Other Fun Things

2006-08-04T03:20:00.000-04:00

Yesterday we spent the day at Kelleys Island in Lake Erie off the Ohio shore. We took the car ferry from Marblehead, but decided to leave our car on the mainland rather than taking it to the island. It was so hot, and even with the steady breeze off the lake, it was still like being in an oven. We walked from the ferry dock to downtown, which was just a short walk, and knew we weren't going to be able to do a lot of walking on the island in all the heat. So... we decided to rent a golf cart. After shopping around for prices, we decided on a two-seater, sports car type golf cart. It's color was even British racing green. And off we went. We spent time just driving all around on the island (it's not a real large island) but we drove to the shore and turned down a road that went by their little airport.

At the airport there was a sign that said, "Airplane Rides. 3:30 - 4:30." Interesting, so we stopped and turned into the airport. It was 4:15 at the time, so we thought maybe we were too late, but the fellow with the plane said that we could go up for a ride. When I asked him how much, he replied, "$15 a person." I couldn't get out of that golf cart fast enough! And off we went. I got to sit up front with the pilot which was so cool. The plane was a single prop, 6-seater. Can't remember the make now, but the plane had been used for bush flying in Ecuador and Brazil by a missionary group.

The pilot took us up and we flew over and around the island. We could see Cedar Point in the distance. We were probably up for about 15 - 20 minutes and it was great. I've always loved flying. It was the best adventure of our day!

After the flight, we drove around a bit more and looked at houses for sale on the island. What a great little place to spend the summer, I think. Quiet and peaceful, with party-time on the weekends. There's a few gift shops and bar/restaurants in town, but other than that, it doesn't have a whole lot. But, just very scenic and peaceful.

We had dinner at the Village Pump, which was recommended to us by the young lady at the golf cart rental place. We had a HUGE perch dinner that we shared. It was excellent and way too much food for just one person to eat! After that I just had to go to the Bag the Moon Restaurant for a Strawberry Shot. They take a large strawberry hulled out and fill it with a shot of an alcoholic mixture (I think it has vodka in it) and top it off with whipped cream. You put the whole thing in your mouth (it's large, so you end up with a mouthful) and it is scrumptious! I wish I could have had a few more of them, but since we still had to walk back to the ferry dock, Coney was afraid he'd have to carry me if I had too many of them.

By the end of the day, it had cooled down some, so the walk back to the ferry wasn't as bad as the walk earlier in the day. We got back to the mainland around 9:00pm and headed to Sandusky to the Clarion Inn where we were meeting some friends who came to Ohio from Boston to spend the day at Cedar Point riding coasters (they are coaster addicts!) We had a great visit with Deb and her sister, Phyl and headed back home this morning.

Then back to work and the real world for me. Coney's still off until Monday. It was a really great short trip and I enjoyed every minute of it!

JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetes

2006-07-08T18:38:00.000-04:00

Hey everyone, we're doing the JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetes again. It will be in Grand Rapids, Michigan on September 30, 2006. Join us in spirit by making as generous a contribution as you can to any team member by visiting, www.mandakay.com/MissionForMom/. Remember, that your donation qualifies as a tax deductible contribution.

Thanks!

I Passed!

2006-07-06T09:18:00.000-04:00

As you know, I took my A+ Core Hardware Exam yesterday. I passed with a score of 827 out of 900 possible. Minimum passing score was 515. So, now it's on to the OS Exam which I hope to pass as well. I plan to take it sometime next month.

Halfway there to my A+ Certification!

A+ Hardware Core Test

2006-07-01T14:16:00.000-04:00

I take my test next week, on July 5th. I got my approval for special needs so I'm all set there. No one should make any fuss about my pump or glucose meter. Actually it was very simple to do, just have my doctor sign a form and fax it over to the Accomodations Department at Prometric. So, I've been cramming like crazy, I've got a long weekend because of the 4th, so extra time to brush up on things. I'm passing all my practice exams so I think I should be good to go. Then I figure I'll wait a month or so to work on the OS (Operating Systems) exam so I can take it. Hopefully by the end of the summer, I'll be certified (or certifiable *vbg*).

For anyone thinking about going for A+ Certification, they are in the process of updating the tests now. Since I've already worked so hard on this stuff, I've decided to just go ahead and do it now and not wait for the new tests to come out. I imagine the new tests will be more in line with the hardware and OSes that are in use now. Technology never stands still, it's always moving ahead, sometimes faster than we can keep up with it.

Rescheduled Test

2006-06-12T11:59:00.000-04:00

I had to reschedule my A+ Core Hardware test until July 5th. Turns out, because I wear an insulin pump and I wanted to have the ability to test my blood sugar during the test, if necessary, I had to fill out an ADA Special Accomodations form and have my doctor sign it. So, now I'm just waiting to see if they give me approval for that. I was also concerned that, if they saw my insulin pump, they would think it was a pager or cellphone and not allow me to take it into the testing area (no personal items are allowed in) and, since I don't want to be without insulin for 2 hours, I figured I was best off handling it this way. Ahhh, the joys of dealing with diabetes.

Test Scheduled

2006-05-22T10:31:00.000-04:00

I called Prometric today and got my A+ Core Hardware test scheduled for Tuesday, June 13th. I've got a little more studying to do, mostly on wireless networks, but I think I'm pretty well set. Now, I've just got to pass the test. Then after that I'll study for the OS (operating systems) test and probably take that sometime the end of July or mid-August. Wish me luck in passing!

Electronics and Computer Stuff

2006-05-19T19:29:00.000-04:00

I had a problem with my secondary scanner that I use for sending work faxes. My laptop wouldn't recognize that the scanner was attached. When I turned on the scanner, the little light flashed quickly and then went out. Couldn't scan a thing. So, I switched to my other scanner on my other system and sent my faxes, I hate to do that, though because the faxes are then saved on my non-work computer. I thought the Microtek Scanner was dead though and was thinking about what to do, whether to just get a cheapo to send work faxes or not. But, this scanner is the only one I have that will scan negatives and slides. So, I was bummed. Finally, thought, oh well, let's just reboot. So, I left the scanner turned on, rebooted my laptop and voila! it worked. The light came on, the laptop recognized the scanner and I'm back in business.

Moral of story... when in doubt, reboot. ;o)

Got the replacement motherboard for Manda's KT7-RAID that died a few years ago. Some history... there were bad capacitors used on many motherboards, the Abit Kt7s were one. Someone instigated a class-action lawsuit against Abit regarding these motherboards that failed and they won. So, Abit said that they would either repair or replace the motherboards that had failed. Manda and I each had the same KT7 model of motherboard. Hers failed completely, died one day. When she got home, dead computer. So, she ended up getting her new motherboard and rebuilding her system. I did the same thing, but I didn't wait until my KT7 died completely, but I could see the tell-tale signs of the capacitors on mine beginning to bulge so I knew it was just a matter of time. I registered both motherboards with Abit for the class-action lawsuit and sent them both back. Mine was replaced by another KT7-RAID board. For Manda's though, I was given a choice of a different replacement motherboard. I selected the NF7-S motherboard, which is comparable to the motherboard we both have in our systems now. I just got the board yesterday, and I'm rather excited about it (doesn't take much to get ME excited, I guess *vbg*) and I really want to build a new system using it. They sent me not only the motherboard, but all the fru-fru that goes with it. Even a serial ATA to PATA adapter for a hard drive. I just need to decide which of my many computers I want to replace with it and where I'm going to put it. I'd like to replace my $7 Compaq, but I'd need a desktop (not a tower) ATX case for it to fit it into my computer room. So, I've got a lot of decisions to make, but I'd really like to use it in a new system. I think it will be a great system when I get it built. I only hope I can find the case and necessary stuff to build it. I figure I can do it for less than $200.

Studying, studying, studying

2006-05-17T14:15:00.000-04:00

I am so sick of studying! My brain is ready to explode! I dream about computers at night now. I need to get right down to it and just go ahead and take those A+ Certification tests. I'm sure I can pass them fine, but you know, I hate taking tests. I've decided that I'll take the hardware core one sometime in July and the software one sometime in August. Then I just pray that I pass on the first try.

Cats in the Bedroom (not Bats in the Belfry)

2006-05-09T07:31:00.000-04:00

Last night my neighbor came over and said that she had a stray cat hiding under her bed. I went over to see, and yep, the tan and white stray that we've seen around the neighborhood was indeed hiding in the far corner under her bed. In the dark you could just see his eyes shining. She had already tried chasing him out with a broom with no success. And, by this time, after all her broom work, he was hissing and terrified. He wouldn't come out for food either. Finally Coney went over with his fishing net on a broom pole and managed to chase him out from under the bed and up into the window. Then, they decided they wanted to open the window and push him out (whaaaaat? It was the second story, I know cats land on their feet, but this may surely have caused some injuries and I was totally against it, so I went downstairs and sat in the dining room). All of a sudden I hear, "Here he comes, open the slider door!" And I did. That poor, terrified cat came flying through the house and right out the door. I think his feet barely touched the ground on his flight out and if I had not opened the slider fast enough, he would have crashed against the glass.

Moral of story... If you're a person, make sure you have the screen over your slider door before you open it. If you're a cat, avoid my neighbor's house, it's a dangerous place over there!

Blog Anniversary

2006-05-09T07:25:00.000-04:00

Today is my Blog Anniversary. My first post to my blog from one year ago today:

Monday, May 09, 2005
A beginning

So, Manda told me I needed a blog, not sure why, but maybe she's getting tired of my long, detailed emails about life around here. *grin*

Another Friday

2006-04-28T15:49:00.000-04:00

You know, if it wasn't for Friday, the week would be a total bummer. Fridays, for me, are great. Thursday is my busy day of the week, so when it ends and Friday begins, I can give a great sigh of relief that I've survived another week.

Hope everyone has a wonderful, fun-filled weekend! :o)

Quote for the Week

2006-04-24T01:53:00.000-04:00

We are what we do, not what we say.
Grace from the movie, "Music From Another Room"

A+ Certification

2006-04-10T17:37:00.000-04:00

I finally got my vouchers from the Vo-Tech School today to take my A+ Certification tests. I have to take two tests, one for hardware and one for software. My vouchers expire December 1, 2006 so I have until then to schedule and take my tests. Now, I've got to get busy and study, study, study so I'm truly prepared.

Fridays

2006-04-07T22:08:00.000-04:00

Fridays are great, aren't they? Last day of work for the week, beginning of the weekend coming up and we usually go out to dinner on Friday. Tonight we went to one of my favorite restaurants. It's called Webber's and it's located in Erie, MI. You have to drive down to Toledo, OH (Point Place) to get there, but you end up back over the state line in Michigan when you're finally there. They have the greatest food and the Long Beach Ice Teas are served to you in a half carafe (1/2 liter) wine carafe. Oh, man you only need ONE of those! They are on the Ottawa River and their dining room has very large window walls to show off the view of the water. Great dining experience. Great seafood and other items. If you're ever in the SE Michigan, Northwest Ohio area try out Webber's at 6339 Edgewater Drive. (This is not a paid commercial, heh heh...)

T.G.I.F.

2006-03-31T19:27:00.000-05:00

I am so glad it's Friday. It's been a stressful week. Work has been crazy as always and I'm looking forward to a weekend of just being away from it.

We've found something that we thought we might like to try for a vacation one year, Windjammer Cruises . They sound so fun and laid back, a lot more relaxed than your typical cruises. Something we'll probably consider doing one day soon.

Everyone have a great weekend.

Winter Blahs

2006-03-25T16:37:00.000-05:00

I know, it's supposed to be spring, but weather-wise it's still so much like winter. I am so tired of winter. The cold, gray days. I need warmth and sunshine. Gives me the blahs, don't really feel like doing anything, but don't want to sit around doing nothing either. I sure hope the weather gets better very soon.

Blog Reading

2006-03-23T18:27:00.000-05:00

Well, it's obvious to me that no one reads my blogs anymore. I must be terribly boring.

You know you're at the computer too long when...

2006-03-23T02:51:00.000-05:00

Your cat comes in from the outside and immediately runs through the house to your computer and looks at your chair to see if you're sitting there.

Freebies

2006-03-21T21:04:00.000-05:00

I got an email from XM-Radio about getting a special deal to get a second Roady XT with car kit and free activation for $39.00. We talked about it for a bit and decided it would be nice to have a second one to use in the truck on trips and when we don't use the truck, we'd just put it in the house to use and leave the one in my car (since I always forget to take the one from the house and put it in the car). Sounded like a pretty ok deal. So, I go to the website and enter in my "special code" number and after reading the terms of the deal (you have to agree to 6 months at $6.99 for this radio on the family plan... yada, yada, yada) which I click "I agree to" and then the website shows $29.00 for the price. Huh? So, now we're concerned whether this is the same deal and does this one come with the car kit and all. So, I call XMRadio to ask and make sure. Well I get this fellow with a strong accent (I'm sure he's in India) who proceeds to tell me I can have the radio free under the very same terms! Huh? This is getting better and better all the time. All I have to pay is $10.20 shipping, I'll get my new Roady XT in 8-10 days and I just have to call to have it refreshed when I get it since it's supposed to come already activated. Ok, I can do that. He tells me that this free deal is only one per customer and it's only for current XMRadio customers. So, this deal that started out $39.00 in an email and then became $29.00 on the website is now free when I made a phone call. What if I hadn't made the phone call? Would I have ended up paying $29.00? Probably. Hmmmmm.

Spring!

2006-03-11T14:47:00.000-05:00

They're back. We saw a Robin this morning. I knew it wouldn't be long once I starting hearing the geese honking on their way back north. Now, it's official, the robins are back. It means Spring is here! Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Finally!!!!!

Eye Problems and Getting Older

2006-03-09T12:30:00.000-05:00

I'm begining to think this getting old stuff sucks. There just ain't no grace in getting old. The other afternoon I suddenly experienced a large amount of eye floaters that looked like black spider webs in my right eye. Oh, oh. Having had diabetes for so many years makes me concerned about any changes in vision. A quick call to the Opthamologist and I was set for an appointment the next day.

Turns out I have what they call "Posterior Vitreous Detachment". As people reach middle age, the vitreous gel that fills the eyeball may start to thicken or shrink, forming clumps or strands inside the eye. It can pull away from the back wall of the eye, causing a posterior vitreous detachment. The doctor explained that normally the vitreous gel is smooth like saran wrap, but when it pulls away, it scrunches up and that's what the floaters are that I'm seeing. This is more common for nearsighted people as they age, and I am definitely very nearsighted. Great. When this condition becomes a serious problem is if the vitreous gel pulls on the retina causing it to become torn or detached. This can cause permanent vision loss if it's not treated quickly. So, I've been cautioned to watch for flashing light and any loss of vision in my right eye. Great. Something else to be concerned about, as if I don't have enough already.

Now, I don't want to alarm anyone because you've had floaters, floaters in the eye are very common, especially as we age, and are generally are nothing to worry about. Everyone pretty much experiences them and you see them mostly when looking at white or light surfaces in brighter light. But, if you notice a sudden increase in them, as I did, it may be a sign of a more serious problem and a visit to a good opthamologist may be in order.

My eye doctor also told me that the floaters I'm experiencing now may or may not get better with time. I hope they do. When you depend on your vision as much as I do, having this black thing floating around in my eye, in and out of my field of vision, is very distracting. I hate it.

So, that's my exciting life. I was hoping to grow old gracefully, but so far, there's been no grace for me in getting old.

I'm bummed

2006-03-02T23:49:00.000-05:00

The Vo-Tech Center I've been taking classes at called today to tell me my Network+ Certification class has been cancelled due to lack of enrollment. They needed to have a minimum of five people enrolled and there was only two of us. I am so bummed. So, now I'm checking around to see if there's other schools that have a similar type of training. I found a place in Toledo, but oh, they are so very expensive. Over $1,000 to take the Network+ Certification class there! Ouch! So, I'm still looking. *sigh*

Feeling Frustrated

2006-02-08T19:04:00.000-05:00

As you may know, I have been working on my A+ Certification. I know a lot about computers already, but I just wanted that piece of paper that said I knew. However, there is so much little stuff that they expect you to memorize, like... what's the on board cache in a Pentium II Processor? And, what are the minimum requirements cited by Microsoft to use Windows 98? Stuff that you never really need to know by heart when you work on computers, you can always look that stuff up very easily if you need to. My memory sucks. Big time. I'm not sure that I'm going to be able to remember all that trivial stuff. I've been able to pass the practice tests I've taken so far, but it scares me a bit anyhow.

The good news (or maybe it's bad news) is that I may be able to schedule my test at the school the end of March. Other very good news is the vouchers are supposed to be around $65 each and you need two to take two tests, hardware and software, so total cost is only $130, a real bargain! And, if you fail a test, you can still purchase another voucher through the school for the same price and take the test again.

I'm hanging in there. I just registered for the Network+ class, too. I'd really like to pass that, but I know I have a lot to learn about all the different network protocols and topologies. A lot to learn.

More Ice Cream

2006-02-03T21:12:00.000-05:00

Man-oh-man-oh-man. I'm really liking this making ice-cream thing. Last weekend we made mint cookies 'n cream ice-cream. Used the vanilla ice-cream recipe and broke up mint orea cookies to put in it. Manda said it was as good as Ben and Jerry's. Yum!

Today I took a dark chocolate candy bar I bought in Toronto this past summer (the expiration date was a few months away yet) and shaved it with a knife to make small pieces and put it in the vanilla ice-cream recipe. Really yum.

I want to make a Kaluha ice-cream yet. And strawberry. I'm going to have to get the treadmill out and start using it on a regular basis so I don't get fat eating all this great homemade ice-cream!

Making Ice Cream

2006-01-24T22:23:00.000-05:00

I got an ice cream maker, I've been wanting one for a very long time. Settled on a Cuisinart with the gel-type freezer. Today I made simple vanilla ice cream. It came out very good for a first try. What I like about it, is I can stop the freezing action when I want and have the consistency of ice cream that I like. (I like soft ice cream.) I just need to work with the recipes more, while the vanilla was very good, I thought it was a bit on the sweet side so next time I'll add a little less sugar. But, all in all, I'm very happy with it.

Mostly Computers and Other Things

2006-01-14T18:17:00.000-05:00

Manda's been having problems with her computer. She brought it home last weekend and we tested it out. It appeared to work fine here so she took it back home. When I spoke to her last week, she said that it rebooted, probably after installing the most recent Windows update, but got stuck at the "finding IDE drives" part of the BIOS POST. Her previous problems she thought were caused by the hard drive. We got her computer into the BIOS and it showed the hard drive fine there, and after that, it booted fine. I'm thinking that maybe her hard drive is on its way out, and sometimes works and not so she's supposed to be getting a new hard drive today and will install it. Hopefully that fixes the problem, if not, it's something else that's acting up, which I and she both dread. Her, because of cost factors in fixing it, and me, because it will be a pain to try to diagnose. The hard drive is the easy fix. Luckily when she was here over the weekend, we were able to transfer all her critical files across my network and burn them to DVDs from my computer. So she's set on backups.

I recently got myself a USB external hard drive. It's a Seagate 160GB (which is really about 150GB because of the true conversion from bytes to GB. 1,000 bytes is not really a KB, it's more like 1,024 bytes, and on from there.) Anyhow, I really like the drive. At first I had a little trouble sharing it with my computers on my network, but thanks to Chuck's advice in the microsoft.public.windowsxp.network_web Newsgroup, I now unshare it in Computer Management rather than Windows Explorer and it then will disconnect from my computer with no problems. I can back up all my files from all my computers to this hard drive and even will be able to take it to school with me and more easily bring home files that they allow us to take without having to burn them to a zillion CDs. Really cool.

About Newsgroups. For anyone who wants to get good information and help regarding thier computers, Newsgroups are great. All you need is a good Newsgroup Reader (Outlook Express has that ability) and subscribe to the newsgroups you're interested in. You need to check with your ISP and see what newsgroup access they offer so you can connect to that one. There are also many forums on the net that are full of info too.

More news. I talked to my boss Thursday and he agreed to pay for my classes. So, I got reimbursed for my A+ Class and will be taking the Network+ Class beginning in March. This is great. It's nice to get some education and not have to pay for it. And, in the end, it will benefit him since I'll have more knowledge to manage their computers and network in the future.

What a Pleasant Surprise!

2005-12-31T18:54:00.000-05:00

I just got a call from a friend of mine, who I had lost contact with some time ago. I had first met her in a chat room when I first got on the internet (back in 1997). It was so nice to talk to her and hear that she's doing well. What a nice surprise for the New Year!

Happy New Year!

2005-12-31T09:53:00.000-05:00

Wishing everyone a very happy, healthy and prosperous New Year!

Shopping Aggravations

2005-12-21T16:21:00.000-05:00

I try to avoid the long lines at the stores by shopping online. Some stores allow you to place the order online, then just stop in at the store and pick up the item, usually the same day you placed the order. This has been a wonderful thing. However, when they screw up, they screw up big time. I placed an order for a couple DVDs. Now, I went through a number of choices before I made my selections and made sure that the items were showing up as being available at my store. However, I get an email telling me that one of the items is not available after all and that I should call their Customer Service(?) at 1-888etc. So, I call. After dealing with a recorded idiot's voice on the phone and punching in a gazillion numbers, including the order number, I'm told I have to wait 20 minutes to speak to a Customer Service(?) representative. So, I listen to this crappy music for I don't know how long and some guy with a very strange voice gets on the phone. He asks me all the same information I just keyed into the phonepad! Why did I have to key it all into the phone pad if I now have to tell him the same information all over again? Why don't their computers SAVE THIS INFORMATION? He looks up the order and I have to read from my computer screen to tell him WHY I am calling! THE ITEM THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE AVAILABLE FOR PICKUP IS NOT AVAILABLE AFTER ALL! So, he asks me if I want to find it at another store. No, I am tired of shopping and dealing with this I just want to cancel that one item and pick up the item I ordered that IS available. So, he tells me he cancelled the order... I said, "Not the order, I still want the one item, I just want to cancel the item that's not available." So, he assures me that he's only cancelling the one item. We'll see when I go tonite to pick up the orders I have ready. Now I know why I hate shopping.

Nutcrackers and Other Thoughts

2005-12-15T16:42:00.000-05:00

I didn't get to see the Nutcracker Ballet this year. So, right now I have the CD of the music playing. Almost as good... almost, but not quite.

Christmas is a little over a week away. I haven't even started my shopping yet. I am so behind this year. And, with the weather, I may not be able to get out and shop until June! Yep, it's snowing again today. They're predicting 5-8 inches for my area. I have not seen this much snow before Christmas as far back as I can remember. I had hoped to go out tonight to do some shopping, but I think that's not going to happen. It may be gift cards for everyone this year.

I didn't go to work today either. I called my boss this morning and he agreed that the roads were pretty treacherous and that I should just stay home. I live out in a rural area too, which doesn't help. They don't get roads cleared here until days after a storm. *sigh* The other lady I work with made it into the office but bailed out between noon and 1pm. So, I guess payroll and the banking will have to just wait until tomorrow.

I hate winter, I really do. Even though I've had a nice day staying at home (I still worked, I have lots of things I can do) but still, I'd rather have stuck to my regular schedule and gotten things done rather than having to face it all over again tomorrow.

But, the music from the Nutcracker sounds very nice. And, I'm enjoying the glass of wine in my hand. Guess I can't really ask for better, can I?

Snow! Enough Aleady!

2005-12-10T11:24:00.000-05:00

Ok, so I don't like snow. In fact, these days, I HATE snow. We got about 8 inches Thursday night. I had an appointment Friday morning and had a heck of a time trying to get to the expressway. I tried one route from the town I live in and couldn't get more than a half mile from town. (Our terrific county can't get out this way to plow roads in a timely manner.) So, I had to turn around and head back to town or risk getting stuck somewhere. I tried another route from town to the expressway and had more success, got to the expressway but it took me triple the time it would normally have taken me. But, at least I got there. I made my appointment in time too.

That's the worst thing about snow, you know? You can very quickly lose your mobility with just a small amount of snow when you live in rural areas. I mean really, it's not like we got a foot or two. With the way the roads looked though, you would have guessed it was a real blizzard. Our county spends lots of money on equipment and payroll, but they can't get a job done quickly. To give you an example, everytime they're doing work in the summer you see their trucks on the side of the road. There's always one guy working and five watching him work. I think they could get jobs done much quicker if they ALL would work! But, that's not how things are done in the county I live in.

Back to the snow. I'm hoping we get all the snow before the holidays (no, I'm NOT going to say Christmas because I have a number of friends who are NOT Christians, and no they aren't going to Hell either because they have different beliefs) and then have a fairly snowless time the rest of the winter.

I can only hope, can't I?

Thanksgiving

2005-11-27T21:38:00.000-05:00

Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving and didn't overdo it too much at the dinner table. ;o)

Fun Quotes

2005-11-27T21:34:00.000-05:00

"Sometimes it's hard to tell what's love and what's only indigestion."
Valerie, Stephanie Plum's pregnant sister in To The Nines by Janet Evanovich

"The way I see it, life is a jelly doughnut. You don't really know what it's about until you bite into it. And then, just when you decide it's good, you drop a big glob of jelly on your best T-shirt."
Stephanie Plum, main character in Ten Big Ones by Janet Evanovich

Quote for the Day

2005-11-19T14:13:00.000-05:00

"Calories don't count if they're connected to a celebration. Everyone knows this."
Stephanie Plum, main character in Hard Eight by Janet Evanovich

Computers

2005-11-13T16:54:00.000-05:00

I've got an older computer that I use for backing up files. Nothing fancy, but it gets the job done on my network. And, well, the price was right ($7 for the box.) It's an older Compaq Deskpro SFF ENS/P600, it has 512MB RAM and right now, I have it running Windows 98SE. It's been having a time issue with Windows, every couple days it loses time. But, when you reboot, the time goes to the correct setting because the BIOS is keeping time just fine. Also, when the time gets funky, other strange things happen, like the mouse cursor gets a bit choppy and acts like there's a lag time between the computer and the mouse, so it doesn't quite move like it should. But, again, when you reboot, everything goes back to just fine. I know what you're going to tell me now. Change the CMOS battery. So, I finally got around to doing that today. Took out the old battery and looked at it. Oh, oh, a Renata brand battery. I've had some bad experiences with Renata batteries, they're cheap and well, let's just say in my experience they don't always work as they should. So, the computer has a brand new CR2032 Energizer on the motherboard now. We'll see how it does, however, when I tested the old Renata with my multimeter, it checked out at 3.13v. That means, voltage-wise the battery is good. CR2032s are 3.0v lithium batteries, so a check of 3.13v is not out of the range for good. So now we get to see if the new battery makes any difference or not. I'll know in a couple days.

I did come across a forum, can't remember where it was though, when I first began noticing this issue and read that others have also experienced it with these particular computers. One fix mentioned was to disable the Energy Saving Feature in the BIOS and allow Windows to handle it. I've tried that with no success either. Maybe I'll email Compaq Tech Support and see what they have to say. Besides, I haven't chatted with anyone in India for awhile now. ;o)

Sometimes, like Manda, I hate computers. ;o)

What happened?

2005-11-10T19:56:00.000-05:00

Got an email from my daughter who asked me what happened to my blog. I check it out and it was a BLANK WHITE PAGE! Did their maintenance on Saturday mess up my blog?????

Dentists

2005-11-02T02:05:00.000-05:00

I had to go to the dentist today to get a crown done. The molar had been bothering me for quite a long time, but with insurance and schedules we finally were able to start the process today. I have to make one comment right now.... "I HATE DENTISTS!" To me, visiting the dentist is like going in for medieval torture. I mean, the dentist could be the nicest, greatest guy/gal in the world but they still instill such dread in my heart. After 5 shots of novacaine in my jaw ("your jaw's gonna be a bit sore for awhile when the numbness wears off") we finally got things so that I didn't feel a lot in my tooth while the dentist was working on it. Ok, so I still felt a little bit, but after 5 shots I was just to the point of, "I'll grip the arm rests, just get this sucker done!" Well, there was a point when he was giving me the shots that he nudged my shoulder and said, "breathe, don't forget to breathe." Ok, so I WAS holding my breath. Now the temporary crown is on (it's a little high so my bite is off a bit) and I hope it lasts until the permanent crown is made by the lab. I have a history of losing the temporary crowns, and no, using toothpaste to stick them back on does NOT work, so my dentist sent me home with some glue and instructions to "mix the two, put a bit in the temporary crown and stick it back on." Since he's going to be gone for the weekend, I figured this was the best solution since I wouldn't be able to call him to put it back on should I lose it. I think I can handle this just fine. I'll be very glad when this one's fixed and I hope it's the last for awhile.

Halloween

2005-11-01T12:08:00.000-05:00

For those of you who have the erroneous idea that Halloween is an evil holiday started out by devil worshipping cults, here's a good read of the history of Halloween from the History Channel:

http://www.historychannel.com/exhibits/halloween/?page=origins

But, then again, anyone who considers that anyone who is not Christian is going to Hell and the devil might not care too much about the history of the Celts and others. Too bad. Personally, I think that having a closed mind is the worst "sin" a person can commit.

Oh well, I was going to try to keep my personal feelings out of this and just offer a link to some historical FACTS about Halloween.

Entertaining Reading

2005-10-29T03:08:00.000-04:00

Life is serious enough at times. There are days when I need to relax and have an entertaining read. I've found an author who fits the bill perfectly. Janet Evanovich and her Stephanie Plum novels. "What's so entertaining about them?" you ask. Stephanie Plum is a sort of bumbling bounty hunter. Evanovich injects so much humor and life into the stories. Her characters are so uncoventional and hilarious that you find yourself laughing out loud while you read. So, if you want a very entertaining read that doesn't wear your brain out, try Evanovich and the Stephanie Plum novels. The first one in the series is titled, "One For the Money" and introduces you to Stephanie and her friends. There are at least 11 novels in the series (there may be more) and they get funnier as you go along. So, if you need something to take the edge off of life a bit, give Evanovich a read.

Cooking and Mandolines

2005-10-23T00:33:00.000-04:00

I just got a mandoline. For those of you who don't know what a mandoline is, it's a french slicer. It's supposed to be the greatest thing for cooking since apple pie. ;o) I've been wanting one for a very long time and Williams Sonoma just put a very nice stainless steel one on sale, so I got one at the Mall tonight. Now I just need some stuff to slice and dice. *vbg*

Remembering Dauna

2005-10-13T17:25:00.000-04:00

A very dear friend of mine died three years ago yesterday. She was only 39 years old. She had Type 1 diabetes, but no serious complications. She had a difficult time controlling her bgs, however, even with the help of an insulin pump. She went to bed Friday evening and was gone when her husband woke up Saturday morning. We never did get any real confirmation from her autopsy as to why she died.

I loved her like a sister. I miss her terribly. I know many other friends do as well. Dauna, where ever you are.... I love you and miss you.

It's almost Friday!

2005-10-13T11:58:00.000-04:00

I need a break. Work has gotten pretty stressful lately. A nice long vacation in a warm sunny place would be real cool right now.

Manda and I did our JDRF Walk on September 24th. Donations were down, but thanks to everyone who showed their support and generosity to us by making a donation. The weather started out a bit iffy, but the sun eventually poked through the clouds and we had a very nice walk along the Grand River in downtown Grand Rapids. There was a fairly large turnout of walkers there too. All in all, it was a very nice day.

My A+ Certification class is coming along nicely. I'm learning a lot of technical stuff I didn't really know before, probably some stuff that you don't really need to know to mess with a computer, but the specifics on how it really works are pretty neat. You'd be amazed at what's inside that box on or next to your desk. I'm amazed at the people who dreamed all this up and got it all to work.

One more day and then a break. Manda said she might come home for a day or so this weekend. I hope she does. It will be nice to see her.

SPAM on Blogs

2005-09-15T09:01:00.000-04:00

This is disgusting. As soon as my last blog post hit the site, there was a comment. I thought, "wow, who even had time to read it?" Turns out it was a freaking SPAM message about buying music from some website.

Some people just have no scruples.

Watch out bloggers the spammers have found you.

Tough Times Ahead

2005-09-14T16:20:00.000-04:00

My husband came home from work today and told me that his hours have been cut. At least for the next two weeks and we don't know after that. My boss is seriously considering bankruptcy because business has been so bad, there's not many deals being made on sales. Looks like we can't be sure we're even going to have jobs long term anymore. And, yet the government keeps telling us how great everything is. Yeah, I guess if your last name is Bush, it is. Rose-colored glasses there in Washington? Wishful thinking? Not good to have your government run by people using those types of tools.

All these new jobs that the government has been reporting too. Guess we may all have to learn to say, "Would you like fries with that?"

And, they're reporting that heating costs are going to increase 70% this winter. 70%!!!!!!! Not going to help the inflation rate. Oh, that's right, I forgot, there is no inflation. Gasoline prices have gone up which will affect the prices of EVERYTHING. And, they're not gouging us? Yet, even in the last quarter before Katrina, the oil companies were reporting the LARGEST PROFITS THEY'VE EVER HAD!

I can understand why donations to my JDRF walk have been so bad this year. I have a feeling that this "great economy" is affecting everyone.

I think we need to get mad. I think we need to let our government, who doesn't give a hoot about the average Joe, know that we aren't going to take it anymore. Oh, wait, I guess we will since the majority of people already told the government how they felt by voting the rich peoples' bud back into the Whitehouse. Well, I guess you get what you asked for, huh?

Back to School?

2005-09-10T13:09:00.000-04:00

Ok, so it's been a long time since I've been to any kind of school and taken classes. Real long. Real, real long. But, I've decided to do it. I'm taking an A+ Certification Preparation Class at a local (well, somewhat local) Vo-Tech Center. I hope to get my certification and then maybe move on to Network Certification. What the hey, since I do so much with computers already, I guess I might as well get some kind of paper that says I know what I'm doing, right?

JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation)

2005-07-24T23:51:00.000-04:00

In September this year I'm taking part in JDRF's Walk to Cure Diabetes. I'll be joining one-half million other walkers across the country as we try to reach our goal of raising $80 million for diabetes research.

Type 1 (or juvenile) diabetes affects millions of people -- a large and growing percentage of them children. I've recently met so many parents whose children were diagnosed with diabetes, some of them as young as two years old. For the families, the diagnosis is devastating. The parents worry about whether their child will have a happy, healthy life. They fear that their child will suffer the serious complications that diabetes can cause. Complications such as blindness and kidney failure. The siblings have to learn to do without treats that they have been accustomed to in order to make life easier for their brother/sister. And, right now, diabetes is a life sentence. It never goes away. My heart breaks when I hear the children's stories of a life filled with finger sticks and injections when it should be a happy and wondrous time.

I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes when I was 11 years old. Now, nearly 42 years later, I still have hopes for a cure. Even though great strides have been made in the treatment of diabetes, more still needs to be done to find the ultimate treatment -- a cure.

Now, more than ever, you can make a crucial difference. Won't you please give to JDRF as generously as possible? Together we CAN make the cure a reality!

To make your tax-deductible donation, please click here. Thank you so much for your generosity.

End of Vacation Time :o(

2005-07-24T17:24:00.000-04:00

We've been on vacation this past week. This time we decided not to really go anywhere, just a "stay at home" vacation and take day trips if we wanted. We had never done this before, always had plans to go somewhere for vacation. It was one of the nicest vacations we've had. No rushing around to see sights or get anywhere by a certain time. We slept in and had leisurely breakfasts and just pretty much relaxed. I told my husband that this is what retirement will be like. Now that I've sampled it, I can hardly wait. We're looking at four years right now. My husband says it will go fast, and I know it will. I am really looking forward to it.

We did take a drive out along Lake Erie out by Put-In-Bay for a day. We also wandered around Michigan and even stopped in Hell. Not much in Hell these days just a party store, souvenir shop and a bar/restaurant and it sure was hot there! ;o)

TGIF!

2005-07-08T13:25:00.000-04:00

So glad that Friday is here, I couldn't take another weekday. Thursdays are always my worst days of the work week so when Friday gets here, I can breathe a sigh of relief and begin looking forward to the weekend. Hoping everyone has a great weekend!

Lilies and Peace

2005-06-20T19:48:00.000-04:00

I have this peace lily. I've had it for nearly 20 years, in all that time, it's never bloomed. Until this year. It has a white flower on it now. I'm hoping that's a good omen.

Grid.org

2005-06-12T16:49:00.000-04:00

Let your computer help to do research into Cancer and other diseases when you're not using it. For more info go to All about Grid . Right now we're involved in protein folding to help cure cancer and other diseases. If you're interested in helping out by using your computer's free time (the program only runs when your computer is idle) click on the download link. It's a good project and I have two of my computers running the program now. If you'd like to join a team, you can go to Find Teams and search for Insulin Pumpers. Join our team. It's a very good cause and maybe one day, we can make a difference.

Diabetes and Me

2005-06-08T23:50:00.000-04:00

You may be wondering about all my links on the left. I have had Type 1 diabetes for 42 years next month. That's most of my life. I was diagnosed when I was 11 years old around the 4th of July. I remember that day. It changed my life forever.

42 years is a long time to live with diabetes (not so fondly called diabeasties sometimes). I'm very lucky that I do not have any serious complications. So far, I'm reasonably healthy and hope to stay that way for many more years.

Diabetes does not rule my life. It never has. I rarely mention it. It's just a part of my life, an important part at times, but not the only part. When I was younger, no one ever told me I couldn't do something because I had diabetes. All in all, my life has been good. I can't complain. I have a wonderful husband and a beautiful daughter, both of whom I love with all my heart. Forever and ever...always.

For the last 5 years I've been using an insulin pump. First a Disetronic H-Tron+ and now an Animas IR1200. The pump literally saved my life. It gave me my freedom back. The freedom to eat whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted and also the freedom to NOT eat. This may not sound like much to someone without diabetes, but it was always so hard sometimes living by the clock: 7am - Breakfast; Noon - Lunch; 5pm - Dinner and all the necessary snacks in between. It's a wonder we don't all have eating disorders since our whole lives revolve around food and the correct time to eat it. The pump has saved me from all of that.

I found a lot of support from a great group of people I met online at Insulin Pumpers. Insulin Pumpers is a mail list that has over 4,000 members. It's a great place to go when you're searching for information on diabetes and insulin pumps. We share our experiences and try to help each other through the rough spots. They are a non-profit organization that depends on donations to cover operating costs. If you'd like to make a tax deductible donation, please feel free to click the link on the left. Your generosity will be greatly appreciated. Or, just drop by for a visit by either clicking the first link on the left or the link above in my narrative.

Some days life sucks

2005-06-08T22:43:00.000-04:00

You ever have one of those bad days? One that you think maybe you shoulda just stayed in bed and forgot about the whole thing? That was yesterday. What a sucky day. Started out ok, got up, didn't feel bad. Had my usual breakfast, then it started. I work from home as a bookkeeper for a small company. The day before, I had faxed the December 2004 Trial Balance over to the accountants in preparation for their visit on Monday to go over the books and get things ready to file with the government. Got a phone call first thing. It was Pete, the accountant. Seems there was something a bit funny on the Trial Balance. Something that should have taken just a few minutes ended up taking all day to sort out. Meanwhile, I had started to fill the bath to take a whirlpool and forgot. Ran into the bathroom just in time before the tub flowed over. The water had gotten cold so I had to drain it all.

I decided to have a hard boiled egg for lunch. Damn thing wouldn't peel. I gave up on it and just ate a piece of cake instead (helped calm my stress level).

I called DHL for a package pickup, they said they would be here between noon and 4 pm. At 4:15 I called them just to see if they were still coming. Turns out the jerk I talked to didn't complete the pickup request and they weren't coming after all. So, I had to reschedule.

Between the accountant's phone calls and waiting for the DHL guy that never came, I never got a chance to take a bath or shower. I felt icky and grubby and just plain tired.

Took a whirlpool bath that evening, was the best part of the day. I sure don't want to live that one over again.

Talk about Motivation...

2005-05-20T15:48:00.000-04:00

Saw this quote posted to a group I belong to:

"If you must have motivation, think of your paycheck on Friday."

~~Noel Coward

Dreams

2005-05-15T18:56:00.000-04:00

I had this dream this morning. I dreamt about my granddaughter again. She was a bit older this time, about 7 or 8 rather than 5 or 6 like she was the first time I dreamt about her (she's even aging in my dreams). She again was so much like Manda, but yet different. Blonde hair and blue eyes, but yet... didn't quite look the same as Manda did at that age. In my dream, she was cutting the grass with a child-sized lawnmower that really cut grass. She came into the house and told me how hot and sweaty she was from working so hard cutting the grass and she said that she was hungry. She proceeded to tell me about some place that made great hotdogs and she'd really like one of those (another Vince's fan? She MUST have been Manda's daughter! *vbg*) and I told her I didn't have the stuff to make one and I didn't want to drive all the way there (because in my dream they were located in Grand Rapids, rather than Monroe), so she settled for a grilled ham and cheese sandwich. Twice now, I've dreamed about her. I can't wait until she's finally born and I get to meet her in real life. She's a great little kid! Very outspoken and very intelligent. Look what you got to look forward to, Manda. *vbg*

Only bad thing was... we were still living here rather than somewhere else. Does that mean we're not going to make it to New Mexico or Arizona when we retire?

Smoking

2005-05-13T19:56:00.000-04:00

Saw this on TV in an anti-smoking commercial:

Smoking sections in restaurants make as much sense as peeing sections in pools.

Thank Goodness It's Friday!

2005-05-13T15:57:00.000-04:00

Another week bites the dust. They get rougher and rougher at times. I'll be glad when we can retire and the whole week will be like one big weekend! ;o)

Just some ramblings

2005-05-10T14:29:00.000-04:00

So, we got a chimnea and put it on the deck. It's pretty neat, on cool evenings we can have a little fire in it and Manda says she can roast marshmallows when she comes home to visit.

As you can see from the photo, it is pretty cool to have. A cabin we stayed at in Hocking Hills had them on the deck and we really enjoyed it.

So, the bathroom projects are pretty much done now. The downstairs bathroom shower floor has been tiled, which is great. And we just finished up the upstairs bathroom by putting in a shade for the window. The shade is one of those new ones that they call, "top down/bottom up" which means that you can lower it at the top and raise it at the bottom. Really cool. Sure beats my temporary pillow case curtains. ;o)

A beginning

2005-05-09T11:45:00.000-04:00

So, Manda told me I needed a blog, not sure why, but maybe she's getting tired of my long, detailed emails about life around here. *grin*