Getting the Creative Juices Flowing

In a previous post, The Most Fun You Can Have With Your Clothes On, I mentioned that I had been taking an online class in Photoshop Elements 2 at LVS Online.

I finished that class and loved it so much, I signed up for two more classes, which start next week.

If that wasn't enough, my creative juices have been stirred enough to enter the MyJanee.com Art Challenge! Even if my entries don't win anything (and looking at the other entries, I don't think they will), I'm pleased I went ahead and entered.

As Janee says, one of the reasons she does these Challenges is to get people making art. If I hadn't been entering the challenge, I probably wouldn't have put graphics pen to tablet this week. Sometimes you just need a little nudge, and this was it for me.

You can see the entries for the challenge here.

I'm not saying which are mine until all the entries are in and the votes are tallied.

I'll be Happy When...

I honestly hadn't seen this until today. But it's like I've been living my life to these guidelines for the past year and a half. I can say that I truly do appreciate what I have in life and finally, for the first time in my life, I like the person I have become - or perhaps it's because I've finally become the person I should have been in the first place.

I can actually say I am HAPPY.

Anyway, I got this in the mail today and thought I'd share it.

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I'll be happy when...

We convince ourselves that life will be better after we get married, have a baby, then another. Then we are frustrated that the kids aren't old enough and we'll be more content when they are. After that, we're frustrated that we have teenagers to deal with. We will certainly be happy when they are out of that stage. We tell ourselves that our life will be complete when our spouse gets his or her act together, when we get a nicer car, when we are able to go on a nice vacation or when we retire. The truth is there's no better time to be happy than right now. If not now, when? Your life will always be filled with challenges.

It's best to admit this to yourself and decide to be happy anyway. Happiness is the way. So, treasure every moment that you have and treasure it more because you shared it with someone special, special enough to spend your time with ... and remember that time waits for no one.


So, stop waiting ...
Until your car or home is paid off.
Until you get a new car or home.
Until your kids leave the house.
Until you go back to school.
Until you finish school.
Until you lose 10 lbs.
Until you gain 10 lbs.
Until you get married.
Until you get a divorce.
Until you have kids.
Until you retire.
Until summer..
Until spring.
Until winter.
Until fall.
Until you die.

There is no better time than right now to be happy. Happiness is a journey, not a destination. So work like you don't need money, love like you've never been hurt, and, dance like no one's watching.

What a Difference a Year Makes

Hard to believe that this time last year I was packing up my worldly goods and moving from the little one-bedroom apartment into my very own house. I was lucky in that, even though I had no friends around to help me move, my parents came all the way over from England. They were happy to see me make this monumental change in my life and were eager to help any way they could.

I had been living in an apartment since I left my ex-hubby. Then F. moved in and he and I lived together for a few years. Things went bad there too and my life was a total mess for a couple of years. Then he left and there I was picking up the pieces and starting over.

I have to say that now, my life is pretty darned wonderful. I've finally got things in order, financially and otherwise. I have an incredible loving man (E.) in my life, my family have been great, and I've been getting to know the neighbors, so I have friends around me I can count on, which I didn't after F. left.

When I look around and realize that I've been in this house almost a year to the day (think I moved in on the 25th) I thank my lucky stars that I have been so blessed.

Don't Make Me Eavesdrop!

I think I was among the last people on earth to get a cell phone. I resisted it for a long time, for no particular reason other than, I don't talk on the phone that much and don't want to pay for two phones when I barely use one.

In the end, I caved in and got one when I moved further out of town. My dad made me - err, he suggested it. Since my driving commute is longer and, at the time, I had a car that was in imminent danger of crapping out at any given moment, he said it would be wise to a) get a membership in AAA and b) get a cell phone.

So I did. I got a pre-paid cell phone and charged it up with 90 minutes of airtime, which cost me $30. Within the first six months, the cell phone (and the AAA membership) came into it's own when I had a wreck and was able to call the insurance company, call AAA to arrange a tow and call my dad to cry in his ear. The 90 minutes usually lasts me approximately 90 days. I often end up calling my parents (internationall call) on a Saturday, from the parking lot of Walmart or somewhere, just to use up the "use 'em or lose 'em" minutes.

As I said, I don't talk on the phone a lot.

Which brings me to the topic of this post. Use of cellphones.

I didn't put this on my original list of Pet Peeves, but I have one more to add.

People that sit in crowded places, such as buses, trains, in line at the grocery store etc. and have what should be a private conversation, but at a decibel level that ensures that everyone on said bus, train or grocery line, can hear every intimate detail of their conversation. (talk about your run-on sentence!)

I'm sorry people - but I really don't want to all those embarrassing little details of your lives. I don't want to listen to you make excuses to a bill collector about an unpaid bill, I don't want to hear you discussing your divorce with a friend, I don't wish to hear the sordid details of your recent gall bladder surgery.

These sorts of conversations used to be conducted in private but now, it seems, nothing is private. And if you happen to be unfortunate enough to be sitting next to someone using their cellphone in this way, there's no getting away from it.

C'mon people! Let's keep private conversations private. My life has had enough ups and downs of it's own. Spare me the sordid details of yours.

Give Me Seasons!

I really miss having seasons. Even after living in Texas for almost half my life, I still miss having seasons. You know - spring, summer, fall, winter, each with it's own characteristics, not to mention temperatures.

Seasons in my corner of Texas run roughly as follows: a couple fleeting weeks of pleasant weather in the spring, during which we all rush out into our backyards and plant way too many high-maintenance plants; 9 months of summer, during which we allow our high-maintenance plants to wither and die in the heat; a few weeks of fall, during which we have another flurry of planting and trying to salvage what died during the summer; and finally Christmas, when we have the air conditioning on full-blast in order to have that essential fire in the fireplace on Christmas Day.

What I'd really like would be a noticeable passing from one season to the next, in a logical progression. What we actually get is hot and humid weather, well into October. Then we get a "cold front" (meaning the temps dip into the 80's and prompt us all to start thinking about the winter holidays and to pull our winter wardrobe out from under the bed. Then, just a few days later, we're dealing with a heat index of 103 F again. Often, we can be seen in shorts on Christmas Day.

Well, I'm sorry, there's just something not quite right about that. I think I'll have to start making it a habit to jet off to some snow-bound ski resort for the winter season.

In the chatroom I chat in we have a weather bot, and if you put in your zip code, it will tell you the current temps, precipitation etc. At 10 pm last night, when chatters in Calgary had temps of 27 degrees, and chatters in Ohio had temps of 45 degrees, the weather bot told me it was 82 degrees in my hometown in Texas.

Sigh.

A Hollow Victory

I'm not quite sure what I was expecting when I called to cancel my cable internet service. Perhaps I expected the customer service agent to throw themselves at my feet and beg me to stay with Road Runner.

Such was not the case though, and I hung up feeling vaguely dissatisfied, having confirmed that my internet would be turned off, but my cable television service would remain, and that I would receive credit for the two weeks for which I had no internet service.

Oh well, the deed is done and I've been speeding along the information superhighway via DSL since last Tuesday. This weekend I spent an hour tidying up the cable which was draping across the floor from the phone jack in the kitchen, to the computer in the spare room. Now it tidily crawls up the wall and across the ceiling, kept in place by neat little clips, courtesy of Radio Shack.

I have a new email addy now and I've got to say I don't miss at all the 30 or so spam emails I was getting every day on the old addy. We'll see how long it takes for the first spam email to creep into this account.

At least I have learned NOT to add my email address to my personal Web site or to add it to guest book entries. They don't tell you things like that when you get started on the internet, you have to learn the hard way!

I found a neat site at Broadband Reports which allows you to test the speed of your broadband connection, as well as providing comparisons, articles, and several other interactive tools.

Turdbirds

I love finding the wierd and unusual things you can find online. Turdbirds definitely qualifies as wierd and unsual.

Amazing to think that someone actually had the idea of selling cutesy little critters made out of laminated horse shit. Even more amazing that people apparently spend money on the things.

Sort of gives a whole new meaning to a T-shirt I saw in the Back In The Saddle catalog featuring a cartoon of a horse with hay going in one end and dollar bills coming out the other. The cation on the t-shirt was "Wishful Thinking."

Dr.Phil's test - I scored 34

Yet another of these things doing the email round that I love :-) I scored 34 and the profile at the bottom is me to a "T"

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Dr. Phil gave this test on Oprah she got a 38. Some folks pay a lot of money to find this stuff out. Read on, this is very interesting! Don't be overly sensitive! The following is pretty accurate. And it only takes 2 minutes. Take this test for yourself and send it to your friends, including the one who sent it, and let them know who you are. The person who sent it placed their score in the subject box. Please do thesame before forwarding to your friends. Don't peek but begin the test as youscrolldownandanswer. Answers are forwho you are now....not who you were in thepast.

Have pen or pencil and paper ready. This is a real test given by the Human Relations
Dept. at many of the major corporations today.It helps them get better insight concerning their employees and prospective employees.

It's only 10 simple questions, so.... grab a pencil and paper, keeping track of your letter answers. Ready?? Begin...

1. When do you feel your best?
a) in the morning
b) during the afternoon & and early evening
c) late at night

2. You usually walk...
a) fairly fast, with long steps
b) fairly fast, with little steps
c) less fast head up, looking the world in the face
d) less fast, head down
e) very slowly

3. When talking to people you...
a) stand with your arms folded
b) have your hands clasped
c) have one or both your hands on your hips
d) touch or push the person to whom you are talking
e) play with your ear, touch your chin, or smooth your hair

4. When relaxing, you sit with...
a) your knees bent with your legs neatly side by side
b) your legs crossed
c) your legs stretched out or straight
d) one leg curled under you

5. When something really amuses you, you react with...
a) a big, appreciative laugh
b) a laugh, but not a loud one
c) a quiet chuckle
d) a sheepish smile

6. When you go to a party or social gathering you...
a) make a loud entrance so everyone notices you
b) make a quiet entrance, looking around for someone you know
c) make the quietest entrance, trying to stay unnoticed

7. You're working very hard, concentrating hard, and you're interrupted, do you...

a) welcome the break
b) feel extremely irritated
c) vary between these two extremes

8. Which of the following colours do you like most?
a) Red or orange
b) black
c) yellow or light blue
d) green
e) dark blue or purple
f) white
g) brown or gray

9. When you are in bed at night, in those last few moments before going to sleep, you lie...
a) stretched out on your back
b) stretched out face down on your stomach
c) on your side, slightly curled
d) with your head on one arm
e) wi th your head under the covers

10. You often dream that you are...
a) falling
b) fighting or struggling
c) searching for something or somebody
d) flying or floating
e) you usually have dreamless sleep
f) your dreams are always pleasant

POINTS:
1. (a) 2 (b) 4 (c) 6
2. (a) 6 (b) 4 (c) 7 (d) 2 (e) 1
3. (a) 4 (b) 2 (c) 5 (d) 7 (e) 6
4. (a) 4 (b) 6 (c) 2 (d) 1
5. (a) 6 (b) 4 (c) 3 (d) 5 (e) 2
6. (a) 6 (b) 4 (c) 2
7. (a) 6 (b) 2 (c) 4
8. (a) 6 (b) 7 (c) 5 (d) 4 (e) 3(f) 2 (g) 1
9. (a) 7 (b) 6 (c) 4 (d) 2 (e) 1
10. (a) 4 (b) 2 (c) 3 (d) 5 (e) 6(f) 1

Now add up the total number of points.

OVER 60 POINTS: Others see you as someone they should "handle with care".You're seen as vain, self-entered, and who is extremely dominant. Others mayadmire you, wishing they could be more like you, but don't always trust you,hesitating to become to o deeply involved with you.

51 TO 60 POINTS: Others see you as an exciting, highly volatile, ratherimpulsive personality; a natural leader, who's quick to make decisions,though not always the right ones. They see you as bold and adventuresome,someone who will try anything onc e; someone who takes chances and enjoys anadventure. They enjoy being in your company because of the excitement youradiate.

41 TO 50 POINTS: Others see you as fresh, lively, charming, amusing,practical, and always interesting; someone who's constantly in the centre ofattention, but sufficiently well-balanced not to let it go to their head.They also see you as kind, cons iderate, and understanding; someone who'llalways cheer them up and help them out.

31 TO 40 POINTS: Others see you as sensible, cautious, careful & practical.They see you as clever, gifted, or talented, but modest. Not a person whomakes friends too quickly or easily, but someone who's extremely loyal tofriends you do make and who expect the same loyalty in return. Those whoreally get to know you realize it takes a lot to shake your trust in yourfriends, but equally that it takes you a long time to get over it if thattrust is ever broken.

21 TO 30 POINTS: Your friends see you as painstaking and fussy. They see youas very cautious, extremely careful, a slow and steady plodder. It wouldreally surprise them if you ever did something impulsively or on the spur ofthe moment, expecting yo u to examine everything carefully from every angleand then, usually decide against it. They think this reaction is causedpartly by your careful nature.

UNDER 21 POINTS: People think you are shy, nervous, and indecisive, someonewho needs looking after, who always wants someone else to make the decisions & who doesn't want to get involved with anyone or anything. They see you as a worrier who always sees problems that don't exist. Some people thinkyou're boring. Only those who know you well know that you aren't.

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Now it's your turn. Post a comment and let me know how you scored.

Remember the Spirograph?

If you're around my age, you should remember that nifty toy, the Spirograph. With a set of colored pens and a Spirograph, you could create some pretty neat looking pieces of "art."

Well, I discovered an online version, which you can see here. It's not new - David Little wrote the java applet in 1997 - but it's pretty neat and fun to play with.

Enjoy

Life's Little Oddities

Why is it that...

...On a six-outlet power strip, it's only ever possible to use four of the outlets because all of your peripherals come with honking great plugs that cover up the outlet next to the one they're plugged in to?

Because of this little anomaly, the area under my computer desk looks like Spaghetti Junction. Two power strips, two USB hubs, miles of multi-colored USB cables - I defy anyone to get it looking neat and tidy.

I might give it a try tonight. While I'm stringing Cat-5 cable like Christmas lights from the DSL modem in the kitchen to the computer in the den, I'll see if I can't get the under-desk area to look less like a bomb went off.

Mental Floss Quiz of the Day

I love doing online quizzes. Some are just too long, requiring 20 minutes or more of online brainteasing and clicking.

The Mental Floss Quiz of the Day appears to be just the right length though.

Sadly, I didn't do too well on today's quiz. I'll be back though, to try and improve my sorry score in the future.

Moving On

I have to say that I'm getting a warm and fuzzy feeling of satisfaction now that I have signed up for DSL internet service. I'm sure though, that it's nothing compared to the great feeling I'll get when I can call and tell Time Warner/Road Runner exactly what they can do with their crappy so-called "high speed internet" (but only when we feel like it) service.

The only down side is that it's going to take as long to get my new account active as it will for Time Warner to get my line fixed - another week with no internet, grrrrr.

If I'm figuring this out right, Time Warner/Roadkill will fix the line problem one day and the next day I'll be able to call them and tell them where to stick it.

I'll be sort of sad to lose the email addy I have had for six years, but not sad to lose the spam that it accumulates.

Just as long as those important emails from friends and family still find me, I'll be happy.

Road Runner... or Road Kill?

Permit me to vent...

I have had it up to here with Road Kill.. er, Road Runner!!! A little history... I've had Road Runner (along with Time Warner Cable) for around 5 years now and until I moved into my own house, further out of town, I had few problems with it.

However, since moving out here a year ago, my service has been sporadic at best. Everything came to a head today. Let me back up a bit... six weeks ago, my cable went out (as it has been doing on and off for the past year). This time the technician diagnosed a "return signal" issue. Apparently recent "upgrades" on the lines had created a situation where my computer couldn't send a strong enough signal back through the incoming signal. (Yes, I know, it's all Greek to me too.)

The upshot was, my cable modem couldn't get a lock and I had no internet. The service was out for TWO WEEKS until someone came out to balance the line.

I thought that was the end of the matter and my problems were behind me.

WRONG!

Last week, I couldn't get online on Wednesday or Thursday. The Help Line said there was an outtage in my area. No biggie, couple of days wasn't too bad. It wasn't until I called again and heard the words "service upgrade" that I started getting concerned.

Especially since, when I got home from work on Friday, I had no service again.

I couldn't believe it had happened again. I called Tech Support and managed to get someone scheduled to come out Monday (don't know why I wasted my time, he wasn't able to do anything but escalate the issue)

So when I called this morning, to find out when the line would be re-balanced, I was told it would be a week to ten days.

THAT IS UNACCEPTABLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I don't just play on this thing, I work on it, I take online classes on it (and ok, yes I do play on it) But the point is, it's not a toy - I need it. People pay me to work at home on it, and when I can't work it's not good.

So, today I went shopping for alternatives. I think I've settled on DSL, which is available in my area now, and appears to be compatible with my old Mac.

I'm so looking forward to the day I can call Road Kill and tell them they can come and get their piece-of-shit cable modem - I won't be using it any more.

It's a pity that the forums at TimeWarnerSucks.com are down for maintenance, or I would be over there venting.

This will have to do.