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Gratitudes and a few cute kid moments. All have previously appeared on my Twitter and Facebook.
( I like having friends, therefore I cut-tag )
( I like having friends, therefore I cut-tag )
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Thank goodness for doing this; reading back over these reminds me of many, many little good things that can otherwise be forgotten. And as I write them it helps me really look at, and find the positives in, my days.
So, here's February and March. (Well, except the first couple days of February were on the last one.)
( That's a lot of lines.... )
So, here's February and March. (Well, except the first couple days of February were on the last one.)
( That's a lot of lines.... )
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It is Friday the 13th. I am tired. It was not as restful a day as I hoped, though not bad. I therefore respond with the collected gratitudes I posted on Twitter/Facebook from January 1 through today.
( Behind a cut, for lo, there are a bunch and besides some of you have already seen them )
( Behind a cut, for lo, there are a bunch and besides some of you have already seen them )
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So, we got a Roomba. (We had one years ago, but it could not cope. This one seems to be hardier, although it has needed a couple brush cleanings already just on these two rooms.)
Tonight we are running it. Ray and Apple are...not impressed. Ray has been stalking it jumpily. Apple has been staring at it and jumping, with an occasional paw-swat. (Ray hasn't actually gotten close enough to hit it; Apple seems to be fear-striking, not hunting.) We have tried to reassure as best we can, but mostly they just have to get used to it.
Ray was calmer, so I got him up onto the chair beside me and was petting him, letting him get used to it and realize it CAN'T GET HIM UP THERE. He began the Snoopy vulture posture. I began trying to figure out how to prevent him - all "I must be at least partially Maine Coon" umpty pounds of him - from coming down on the Roomba like the Wrath of Cat.
The Roomba went under the chair he was vulturing from. Feline doom waited for it to emerge.
The chair in question is right next to the five-foot-high writing desk I inherited from my parents, helping to block access to it so that Drew doesn't open it repeatedly (only about twice a week). The doors on the desk no longer latch well, so a small heavy box sits in front of them, keeping the right-hand one closed (it is otherwise inclined to swing open).
Roomba, under the chair, bumped this box and shoved it aside. The door swung open. The box from my new web cam, tossed up there to keep it out of Drew-reach, fell onto Ray.
Ray abruptly appeared about halfway across the room, trailing a nearly-visible thought balloon: "I was above IT. How did IT get above ME???"
Roomba, meanwhile, jostled the chair a little and ended up stuck in a no-longer-exitable space between the chair, the box holding the desk closed, the web cam box, and an adjacent side table. Scott had to rescue it, because I was laughing too hard to save the robot. I was almost laughing too hard to BREATHE.
Tonight we are running it. Ray and Apple are...not impressed. Ray has been stalking it jumpily. Apple has been staring at it and jumping, with an occasional paw-swat. (Ray hasn't actually gotten close enough to hit it; Apple seems to be fear-striking, not hunting.) We have tried to reassure as best we can, but mostly they just have to get used to it.
Ray was calmer, so I got him up onto the chair beside me and was petting him, letting him get used to it and realize it CAN'T GET HIM UP THERE. He began the Snoopy vulture posture. I began trying to figure out how to prevent him - all "I must be at least partially Maine Coon" umpty pounds of him - from coming down on the Roomba like the Wrath of Cat.
The Roomba went under the chair he was vulturing from. Feline doom waited for it to emerge.
The chair in question is right next to the five-foot-high writing desk I inherited from my parents, helping to block access to it so that Drew doesn't open it repeatedly (only about twice a week). The doors on the desk no longer latch well, so a small heavy box sits in front of them, keeping the right-hand one closed (it is otherwise inclined to swing open).
Roomba, under the chair, bumped this box and shoved it aside. The door swung open. The box from my new web cam, tossed up there to keep it out of Drew-reach, fell onto Ray.
Ray abruptly appeared about halfway across the room, trailing a nearly-visible thought balloon: "I was above IT. How did IT get above ME???"
Roomba, meanwhile, jostled the chair a little and ended up stuck in a no-longer-exitable space between the chair, the box holding the desk closed, the web cam box, and an adjacent side table. Scott had to rescue it, because I was laughing too hard to save the robot. I was almost laughing too hard to BREATHE.
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I do not like eczema. I really do not like it on my hands where cracks on the knuckle result.
I do like watching Scott talk so much about how he doesn't really need a smartphone, just a new phone that works (his has been declining in speaker quality, to where it has to be on speakerphone held not more than 1-2 feet from your ear to hear the other person), and then buy an iPhone anyway. He is pleased, so far, so it works.
I am vastly amused and pleased that, when we ran late on our errands and stopped at the mall food court, Drew happily ate vegetables from Scott's sub...and bits of rice and meat and sauce from my (mild, but not completely wimped out) chicken masala. What did he reject? Scott's tomato, and my naan bread. Go figure.
Drew walked through a large part of home depot (back through one aisle and about halfway across the back of the store), "pushing" the cart (aka hanging on to it while walking).
Tonight we have dinner at Dar Essalam with Drew's honorary aunt, our good friend Elaine. Poor Drew is going to have a great day for neat foods today (and likely tomorrow on leftovers) only to return to normal fare next week. (Poor me is going to, as well. Heh.)
We finally got the tile table I wanted a couple years ago and decided to wait on, that couldn't be found anywhere the next year. Argh. This year it could and the perfect size - so now we have a table to go with our bench. (Good thing the budget could absorb it. I wasn't looking for it when we found it, I was buying drip lines for the veggies. Luckily, I also found those, so it's a straight victory and not a mixed bag.)
I need to process the photos and videos of Drew since mid-March. I still need to process them. There are some amazingly cute ones I want to send to family and friends, but that's really hard when they're still stuck on the camera. :D
I do like watching Scott talk so much about how he doesn't really need a smartphone, just a new phone that works (his has been declining in speaker quality, to where it has to be on speakerphone held not more than 1-2 feet from your ear to hear the other person), and then buy an iPhone anyway. He is pleased, so far, so it works.
I am vastly amused and pleased that, when we ran late on our errands and stopped at the mall food court, Drew happily ate vegetables from Scott's sub...and bits of rice and meat and sauce from my (mild, but not completely wimped out) chicken masala. What did he reject? Scott's tomato, and my naan bread. Go figure.
Drew walked through a large part of home depot (back through one aisle and about halfway across the back of the store), "pushing" the cart (aka hanging on to it while walking).
Tonight we have dinner at Dar Essalam with Drew's honorary aunt, our good friend Elaine. Poor Drew is going to have a great day for neat foods today (and likely tomorrow on leftovers) only to return to normal fare next week. (Poor me is going to, as well. Heh.)
We finally got the tile table I wanted a couple years ago and decided to wait on, that couldn't be found anywhere the next year. Argh. This year it could and the perfect size - so now we have a table to go with our bench. (Good thing the budget could absorb it. I wasn't looking for it when we found it, I was buying drip lines for the veggies. Luckily, I also found those, so it's a straight victory and not a mixed bag.)
I need to process the photos and videos of Drew since mid-March. I still need to process them. There are some amazingly cute ones I want to send to family and friends, but that's really hard when they're still stuck on the camera. :D
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It's not perfect (the lack of a stylus produced by Apple is a serious aggravation, though I understand there's a third-party-created option I may be able to get - seriously, guys, "fingers-only" is great except your keyboard is smaller than the fingers of most people over the age of maybe eight!).
But it is wonderful (the keyboard mostly works in spite of that). Today I used it to, among other things:
1) Remind me to take my antihistamine (as it always does, and in fact this morning I forgot until it chimed for that!)
2) As a phone, allowing me to coordinate a schedule change with the realtor (signing more disclosure papers, nothing exciting) for my parents' house.
3) As a map device, showing me traffic levels as traffic ground to a halt in front of me. And then, after it showed red into the far distance, calling Scott to get details on the web. I could have done that on the iPhone but NOT WHILE DRIVING. I only dared the map because I was, at the time, literally stopped - the web stuff would've taken longer and I was worried we'd start moving again. Net result of these two steps: knew I was facing an accident, left lane, several miles south of me at Nyberg. Was able to get into the exit lane, skip down the exits (considered switching to surface streets: even worse back-up for the only good route there hastily convinced me otherwise) to Tualatin, get back on. Took probably half the time sitting in the backup would have, but would have been futile if the accident had been a half-mile further south, as it would have made getting back on at Tualatin a sure route to being on 205 then - merging NOT trivial in that backup. (I'd have taken the Tualatin exit for real, and cut across 65th in that case - but not my preferred route when not needed.)
4) This evening, when my back and rib cage started screaming at once to protest that between standing, walking, sitting in one place for too long at a time, getting the ultrasound done and its attendant physical stresses, and emotional stressors today, I was going to give them a break, now, or pay for it in major discomfort...yeah. I went and settled in bed. And after finding a comfy position, I read and read and read. I could not have dealt with a laptop (both hauling it upstairs, and having anywhere reasonable to set it down that would work for any of the comfy positions), but the iPhone was very doable.
Also? I have read David Palmer's Tracking (sequel story to Emergence which is an excellent book; Tracking was in the July/August, September, and October copies of Analog) to the end now. I am...mostly pleased. And that is all I will say, because there are people who read this LJ who liked Emergence and are probably going to read Tracking, and I don't know if they have yet. Plus some of you might go read both, but I am told that finding Emergence (what is out of print) for as little as $25 is an impressive feat these days, so...mostly, I'm trying not to aggravate those as have already read the one and might read the other. ;)
And now it's time for me to go to bed, but I had to come downstairs first. For some reason, I seem to need the charger for this phone now.... :P
But it is wonderful (the keyboard mostly works in spite of that). Today I used it to, among other things:
1) Remind me to take my antihistamine (as it always does, and in fact this morning I forgot until it chimed for that!)
2) As a phone, allowing me to coordinate a schedule change with the realtor (signing more disclosure papers, nothing exciting) for my parents' house.
3) As a map device, showing me traffic levels as traffic ground to a halt in front of me. And then, after it showed red into the far distance, calling Scott to get details on the web. I could have done that on the iPhone but NOT WHILE DRIVING. I only dared the map because I was, at the time, literally stopped - the web stuff would've taken longer and I was worried we'd start moving again. Net result of these two steps: knew I was facing an accident, left lane, several miles south of me at Nyberg. Was able to get into the exit lane, skip down the exits (considered switching to surface streets: even worse back-up for the only good route there hastily convinced me otherwise) to Tualatin, get back on. Took probably half the time sitting in the backup would have, but would have been futile if the accident had been a half-mile further south, as it would have made getting back on at Tualatin a sure route to being on 205 then - merging NOT trivial in that backup. (I'd have taken the Tualatin exit for real, and cut across 65th in that case - but not my preferred route when not needed.)
4) This evening, when my back and rib cage started screaming at once to protest that between standing, walking, sitting in one place for too long at a time, getting the ultrasound done and its attendant physical stresses, and emotional stressors today, I was going to give them a break, now, or pay for it in major discomfort...yeah. I went and settled in bed. And after finding a comfy position, I read and read and read. I could not have dealt with a laptop (both hauling it upstairs, and having anywhere reasonable to set it down that would work for any of the comfy positions), but the iPhone was very doable.
Also? I have read David Palmer's Tracking (sequel story to Emergence which is an excellent book; Tracking was in the July/August, September, and October copies of Analog) to the end now. I am...mostly pleased. And that is all I will say, because there are people who read this LJ who liked Emergence and are probably going to read Tracking, and I don't know if they have yet. Plus some of you might go read both, but I am told that finding Emergence (what is out of print) for as little as $25 is an impressive feat these days, so...mostly, I'm trying not to aggravate those as have already read the one and might read the other. ;)
And now it's time for me to go to bed, but I had to come downstairs first. For some reason, I seem to need the charger for this phone now.... :P
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Still can't cook that well. No, not explaining, just sulking. But my roasted zucchini and mushrooms came out decent, at least.
I have started using Twitter again today. I do not know if this will continue but it seems more likely. The web interface on the iPhone is much easier than text messages from the old Samsung (plus? I never wanted to pay for text messages - and twitter was not the app to make me start - but the web stuff uses my required unlimited data service anyway!). No need to watch me there if you don't want to; it's for those who like Twitter and for my own notes. Anything I consider important/interesting will hopefully make its way into an LJ post (as is happening now), with more complete sentences/better typing. (I sometimes mess up on the little iPhone keyboard. Okay, I do it a lot, but only occasionally do I fail to notice and fix it. Oh, well!) (I'm at http://twitter.com/kyrielle if you do want to follow for some reason. Not that exciting. I don't get alerts sent to my phone so I may not notice replies/twitters/whatevers right away. Or at all, if I forget to check it or give up on it. *wry*) I'm trying not to let it interfere with my LJing, anyway. If it's just "the next shiny thing" then I'll get bored with it and wander away, otherwise, hopefully it will just be an additional quick thing. (And if you see Twitters in my account tonight, it means I botched the setting where I try to have them post private so I have a record of them. We'll see.)
Scott may have been delayed but everything went smoothly after that - he arrived about 15 minutes early in Indianapolis and is now settled in the hotel. He informs me that I am probably glad I'm not there, as he's on the third floor, about as far from the elevators as it is possible to get. Of course, if I had still been going, I'd every intent of calling the hotel in advance to make sure that didn't happen, trading on my pregnant status to get it (especially since that's why I would have wanted it), whereas he made no special requests for himself. Still, whether I'd have gotten what I wanted, who knows. I am glad I don't have to deal with that at the end of a long day at the con, I admit.
The plumber cancelled today, and will be doing tomorrow. So tomorrow I: take Babe to the vet, appointment at 9:30, go over things with them, and leave Babe there. Hopefully she gets the procedure done the same day, but maybe not - emergencies can preempt. Then I go out to the Ridge to meet the plumber (who may or may not be there ahead of me: I've given the access code for the lock box, so he can get in before I get there if need be), get that sorted out or started, possibly get other things done or not (as long as they do not involve coming back to MY house because after 9 am I can't drive on the street before the slurry seal dries, they think by 4 pm - we'll see). I pick Babe up, about 4 pm, at the vet. (If for any reason the seal isn't dry enough for the car, I park on an unaffected street or parking lot and carry her to the house, as foot traffic is allowed sooner and in any case I should be able to stay on the sidewalks if I pick the right route. However, I really don't wanna have to do that. I think they're sealing the neighborhood across the street also, and if so, I'd have to walk the equivalent of 4-5 long blocks. Babe won't enjoy that and, given the size and shape of a cat carrier as well as the 14-pound weight of the cat, neither will I.) As long as the seal's dry I can just drive home normally, which is an idea that I vastly prefer.
My dentist has lost my business. I expected him to do so, and it's nothing against him. It's just that I need a cleaning and they cannot schedule me in on a Friday (since they aren't open then), nor during my vacation given the short notice. (I didn't call sooner because I didn't get the reminder sooner and, in any case, didn't know far enough in advance that I wasn't going to be out of town during my vacation.) There's a perfectly nice practice in the same building that I saw once when my dentist was out of town for two weeks and I had some kind of problem (I forget which). I called them and they have me in for early September. On a Friday. Otherwise, I was going to hunt for a place that could fit me in Mon-Thurs in Hillsboro, but I admit I'm happier going with a practice I've been to before! (Yes, they know I'm pregnant. Skipping the x-rays. Yay.)
Did laundry today. Need to do dishes. Tomorrow is packed full. I'm not sure what Friday will bring. A chance to relax from Thursday's busy-ness and tension, maybe. That would be good.
Pleased so far with a couple apps I've added to the iPhone: DataCase for file copy/transfer/storage/viewing; Zenbe for lists, which integrates with the website - nice trick is, Scott can add things to the shopping list at the web site (I shared access to that one with him) and I can pick it up on my iPhone when I'm at the store; YouNote tentatively for note-taking. I haven't played with the last one much at all.
I got the shipping notice for my latest Fantasy Bath order today! Soon, soon. And glee. Bunches of fizzies I haven't tried (so I can), and a three pound bag of the Mango Tango fizzy (which I tried on a whim and was surprised to find that I loved it and found it very, very soothing). So that will be good when it gets here also. I'm for bed soon, though - with a soak first. (Not mango-scented, alas, but I've other Fantasy Bath scents 'til then.)
Remember the eggs I posted the other day? They are hatchlings now! Yes, I'm far too easily amused. If you have time and want to help them grow (or just find them amusing), look and click. :) ( They're behind the cut, to spare anyone who's not interested. )
I have started using Twitter again today. I do not know if this will continue but it seems more likely. The web interface on the iPhone is much easier than text messages from the old Samsung (plus? I never wanted to pay for text messages - and twitter was not the app to make me start - but the web stuff uses my required unlimited data service anyway!). No need to watch me there if you don't want to; it's for those who like Twitter and for my own notes. Anything I consider important/interesting will hopefully make its way into an LJ post (as is happening now), with more complete sentences/better typing. (I sometimes mess up on the little iPhone keyboard. Okay, I do it a lot, but only occasionally do I fail to notice and fix it. Oh, well!) (I'm at http://twitter.com/kyrielle if you do want to follow for some reason. Not that exciting. I don't get alerts sent to my phone so I may not notice replies/twitters/whatevers right away. Or at all, if I forget to check it or give up on it. *wry*) I'm trying not to let it interfere with my LJing, anyway. If it's just "the next shiny thing" then I'll get bored with it and wander away, otherwise, hopefully it will just be an additional quick thing. (And if you see Twitters in my account tonight, it means I botched the setting where I try to have them post private so I have a record of them. We'll see.)
Scott may have been delayed but everything went smoothly after that - he arrived about 15 minutes early in Indianapolis and is now settled in the hotel. He informs me that I am probably glad I'm not there, as he's on the third floor, about as far from the elevators as it is possible to get. Of course, if I had still been going, I'd every intent of calling the hotel in advance to make sure that didn't happen, trading on my pregnant status to get it (especially since that's why I would have wanted it), whereas he made no special requests for himself. Still, whether I'd have gotten what I wanted, who knows. I am glad I don't have to deal with that at the end of a long day at the con, I admit.
The plumber cancelled today, and will be doing tomorrow. So tomorrow I: take Babe to the vet, appointment at 9:30, go over things with them, and leave Babe there. Hopefully she gets the procedure done the same day, but maybe not - emergencies can preempt. Then I go out to the Ridge to meet the plumber (who may or may not be there ahead of me: I've given the access code for the lock box, so he can get in before I get there if need be), get that sorted out or started, possibly get other things done or not (as long as they do not involve coming back to MY house because after 9 am I can't drive on the street before the slurry seal dries, they think by 4 pm - we'll see). I pick Babe up, about 4 pm, at the vet. (If for any reason the seal isn't dry enough for the car, I park on an unaffected street or parking lot and carry her to the house, as foot traffic is allowed sooner and in any case I should be able to stay on the sidewalks if I pick the right route. However, I really don't wanna have to do that. I think they're sealing the neighborhood across the street also, and if so, I'd have to walk the equivalent of 4-5 long blocks. Babe won't enjoy that and, given the size and shape of a cat carrier as well as the 14-pound weight of the cat, neither will I.) As long as the seal's dry I can just drive home normally, which is an idea that I vastly prefer.
My dentist has lost my business. I expected him to do so, and it's nothing against him. It's just that I need a cleaning and they cannot schedule me in on a Friday (since they aren't open then), nor during my vacation given the short notice. (I didn't call sooner because I didn't get the reminder sooner and, in any case, didn't know far enough in advance that I wasn't going to be out of town during my vacation.) There's a perfectly nice practice in the same building that I saw once when my dentist was out of town for two weeks and I had some kind of problem (I forget which). I called them and they have me in for early September. On a Friday. Otherwise, I was going to hunt for a place that could fit me in Mon-Thurs in Hillsboro, but I admit I'm happier going with a practice I've been to before! (Yes, they know I'm pregnant. Skipping the x-rays. Yay.)
Did laundry today. Need to do dishes. Tomorrow is packed full. I'm not sure what Friday will bring. A chance to relax from Thursday's busy-ness and tension, maybe. That would be good.
Pleased so far with a couple apps I've added to the iPhone: DataCase for file copy/transfer/storage/viewing; Zenbe for lists, which integrates with the website - nice trick is, Scott can add things to the shopping list at the web site (I shared access to that one with him) and I can pick it up on my iPhone when I'm at the store; YouNote tentatively for note-taking. I haven't played with the last one much at all.
I got the shipping notice for my latest Fantasy Bath order today! Soon, soon. And glee. Bunches of fizzies I haven't tried (so I can), and a three pound bag of the Mango Tango fizzy (which I tried on a whim and was surprised to find that I loved it and found it very, very soothing). So that will be good when it gets here also. I'm for bed soon, though - with a soak first. (Not mango-scented, alas, but I've other Fantasy Bath scents 'til then.)
Remember the eggs I posted the other day? They are hatchlings now! Yes, I'm far too easily amused. If you have time and want to help them grow (or just find them amusing), look and click. :) ( They're behind the cut, to spare anyone who's not interested. )
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...I have an iPhone now! I have slowly come to covet one. It took me a long time to want one because, heck, I didn't want a cell phone this time two years ago. But having one has grown on me and I've wanted a data/smart type phone a little more over time. One problem: I disliked the form factor on every one I saw for some reason. I like the look and feel of the iPhone, and unlike a lot of the phones I've seen, it also seems usable as a phone. Of course, I've had it less than two hours and I may wind up hating it for some reason, but I don't expect to. (I had a lot of exposure to it - one of my coworkers has the previous-gen iPhone and has had since, basically, they came out. She doesn't evangelize, but she does quietly use it for all sorts of tasks, and it seemed pretty darned useful and cool.)
So yes, I'm excited. New toy for me to play with. Hopefully I like it as much as I think I will, but we shall see.
So yes, I'm excited. New toy for me to play with. Hopefully I like it as much as I think I will, but we shall see.
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Okay, not quite, but really. We went to Fry's for a new computer...and kept going. Oof. All the newer ones are crammed with media options (which I don't need) leaving them short of space for extra hard drive space (which I arguably do need, and definitely want).
I have wanted a new computer chair for my desk for some time. I've been using folding chairs which, besides less-than-ideal height and form factors, are not easy to get in/out of (the desk is in a corner) or to switch between the desktop and laptop (which are on different parts of the desk). I needed something taller, better padding, no arms, swivels. And now I have it and so far it is very, very comfy. It came in a box not much larger than a full-size tower computer, and it was on sale (which I hadn't realized when I picked it: it was just the only one that was comfy and armless). I am very happy.
I also have a new computer, or rather, I will have. I paid for them to deal with the hardware and OS upgrades, so 1-5 days from now they'll tell me it's ready. I ended up buying it at Best Buy, because that was the first place we got to that had hardware that could adapt to my needs (short of buying all the parts at Fry's and doing a ground-up build-your-own, which I am so not up for). It's actually a very nice desktop, way more than I need right now. I'm thrilled, because wow toy. It is, unfortunately, running Vista. No one was selling pre-installed with XP. That would have required either build-your-own or mail order, and given that the build-out for mail order usually lets you pick only one hard drive and I definitely wanted at least 1.5 terabytes of disk, too much for a single hard drive option, that was not a happy idea since I'd have to figure out (from entirely inadequate data, usually) whether there was room for another drive. At least in a store you can pester them to open the case and see!
I actually ended up with a Dell, quad-core. "Only" 3 GB of memory but it can go higher later (considerably higher: got the OS upgrade to Vista premium because it was on sale for an unholy-low price). 2.5 terabytes of disk. *meek* It came with 500 gig, I was only going to add a single 1 T drive, that was all I needed...but they were also on sale, and I gave in to geek greed. I probably should not have, as I don't need it, but I did, and I'm still thrilled with it despite the fact that it is arguably pointless at this time. It's still cool. And my consumer side was bouncing too happily by that point.
Scott's comment, on the way home, when I thanked him for being helpful and patient and all (and before I even suckered him into assembling my new chair!) was "I think I leveled up." Hee!
I have wanted a new computer chair for my desk for some time. I've been using folding chairs which, besides less-than-ideal height and form factors, are not easy to get in/out of (the desk is in a corner) or to switch between the desktop and laptop (which are on different parts of the desk). I needed something taller, better padding, no arms, swivels. And now I have it and so far it is very, very comfy. It came in a box not much larger than a full-size tower computer, and it was on sale (which I hadn't realized when I picked it: it was just the only one that was comfy and armless). I am very happy.
I also have a new computer, or rather, I will have. I paid for them to deal with the hardware and OS upgrades, so 1-5 days from now they'll tell me it's ready. I ended up buying it at Best Buy, because that was the first place we got to that had hardware that could adapt to my needs (short of buying all the parts at Fry's and doing a ground-up build-your-own, which I am so not up for). It's actually a very nice desktop, way more than I need right now. I'm thrilled, because wow toy. It is, unfortunately, running Vista. No one was selling pre-installed with XP. That would have required either build-your-own or mail order, and given that the build-out for mail order usually lets you pick only one hard drive and I definitely wanted at least 1.5 terabytes of disk, too much for a single hard drive option, that was not a happy idea since I'd have to figure out (from entirely inadequate data, usually) whether there was room for another drive. At least in a store you can pester them to open the case and see!
I actually ended up with a Dell, quad-core. "Only" 3 GB of memory but it can go higher later (considerably higher: got the OS upgrade to Vista premium because it was on sale for an unholy-low price). 2.5 terabytes of disk. *meek* It came with 500 gig, I was only going to add a single 1 T drive, that was all I needed...but they were also on sale, and I gave in to geek greed. I probably should not have, as I don't need it, but I did, and I'm still thrilled with it despite the fact that it is arguably pointless at this time. It's still cool. And my consumer side was bouncing too happily by that point.
Scott's comment, on the way home, when I thanked him for being helpful and patient and all (and before I even suckered him into assembling my new chair!) was "I think I leveled up." Hee!
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About to head out and run some errands. I got most of the boxes in the garage marked as to whether they are heading into storage. (Our garage is full of clutter. Most of it, we will likely get rid of, but we need to actually go through it. Thus, a storage facility to hold the portion not currently being evaluated. It will also get some items from my parents' house - mostly the books, which I need to compare to our collection, and consider. That takes time, so a storage facility will help keep us from being buried by these things in the meanwhile.)
Tomorrow we do a lot of juggling of stuff, hence the marking it today.
Got a load of laundry done. This is nice as I did not fancy wearing shorts outside today. It is not nearly as cold as some places (you people still have snow!?!) but it is still a bit brisk for shorts, and I'm planning to go to the Japanese Garden which is usually colder, being well-shaded.
I do not like the way the Creative mp3 player has to be pulled apart to use it in the computer, but because this one is larger than the last one I had, it is at least easier. I do like the playback quality, it handles the encrypted audio books just fine. I picked up one of those FM transmitters so that it can play to the radio in the car, which will spare me from having to get onto CD everything I want to hear in the car. (CDs are so cheap that actually, in spite of the low price of the device, it will be quite some while before there is a cost savings in having done so - but there's a definite convenience advantage!!) It remembers just fine where it was when I shut it off, which is a good thing as otherwise it would've been swiftly returned.
Babe is a sheddy little cat. But a sweetheart. If I sit on the floor with my legs apart a bit, she will lie between them with her paws, chest, and head on one of my legs, cram her little kitty head into the crook of my elbow, and purr while I pet her with the other hand. Basta is doing well, though she neither sheds nor acts like a burrowing creature, she simply sprawls and purrs and is cute and likes attention. All very suitable catliness. I'm so glad they are well-settled. I thought at first that the various things I'd bought them were being scorned - and perhaps they were at first - but now, the self-petter, the cat stand, the sharpening things - all are well into use and the cats seem quite happy. Basta ignores the cat tree by the window, but I am not surprised. The first level of it has no great view and the upper level is out of her reach, with her arthritis. Babe, on the other hand, likes to get up to the upper level and lie there, looking out at the back yard.
Speaking of the yard, in theory we will get a number sometime after Saturday to get someone to work with on a design for the back yard. My ability to actually cope with doing that, amidst the doing of so much else, is a bit low, but at the same time I would very much like for it to be done. Or at least begun. That would be worth something.
Ah well, errands - errands, and a stop at the Gardens. Nothing really torturous in the errands - go to the library, the post office, that sort of thing. If I have time on my way back from the Gardens, I think I may stop at Powell's also. I guess I will see when I get to that point. :)
Tomorrow we do a lot of juggling of stuff, hence the marking it today.
Got a load of laundry done. This is nice as I did not fancy wearing shorts outside today. It is not nearly as cold as some places (you people still have snow!?!) but it is still a bit brisk for shorts, and I'm planning to go to the Japanese Garden which is usually colder, being well-shaded.
I do not like the way the Creative mp3 player has to be pulled apart to use it in the computer, but because this one is larger than the last one I had, it is at least easier. I do like the playback quality, it handles the encrypted audio books just fine. I picked up one of those FM transmitters so that it can play to the radio in the car, which will spare me from having to get onto CD everything I want to hear in the car. (CDs are so cheap that actually, in spite of the low price of the device, it will be quite some while before there is a cost savings in having done so - but there's a definite convenience advantage!!) It remembers just fine where it was when I shut it off, which is a good thing as otherwise it would've been swiftly returned.
Babe is a sheddy little cat. But a sweetheart. If I sit on the floor with my legs apart a bit, she will lie between them with her paws, chest, and head on one of my legs, cram her little kitty head into the crook of my elbow, and purr while I pet her with the other hand. Basta is doing well, though she neither sheds nor acts like a burrowing creature, she simply sprawls and purrs and is cute and likes attention. All very suitable catliness. I'm so glad they are well-settled. I thought at first that the various things I'd bought them were being scorned - and perhaps they were at first - but now, the self-petter, the cat stand, the sharpening things - all are well into use and the cats seem quite happy. Basta ignores the cat tree by the window, but I am not surprised. The first level of it has no great view and the upper level is out of her reach, with her arthritis. Babe, on the other hand, likes to get up to the upper level and lie there, looking out at the back yard.
Speaking of the yard, in theory we will get a number sometime after Saturday to get someone to work with on a design for the back yard. My ability to actually cope with doing that, amidst the doing of so much else, is a bit low, but at the same time I would very much like for it to be done. Or at least begun. That would be worth something.
Ah well, errands - errands, and a stop at the Gardens. Nothing really torturous in the errands - go to the library, the post office, that sort of thing. If I have time on my way back from the Gardens, I think I may stop at Powell's also. I guess I will see when I get to that point. :)