I love spring and fall, really I do. They are my favorite seasons. I love the change of seasons when winter warms up to spring and then when summer cools down to fall.
What I don't like is the allergies that come with these seasons. In the fall, it's hay season. In the spring, it's pollen.
Today, my left eye cried all day. My makeup was off that eye by about 10 am. The right eye had sympathetic tears periodically, but mostly it was the left. Tear, tear, tear. About 5, it suddenly occurred to me that maybe the cause of the moisture was pollen. So I tried taking some allergy medication. My eye didn't stop crying, but it did slow down a little.
Just in time for my head to start pounding. Basically, it feels like someone has a pair of pliers at the back of my head, just above my neck, and is squeezing. Most of the time, the pain starts above one eye or the other, and then spreads across my forehead. Lovely.
Fortunately, my allergies will not last long. A week or two and then I'm usually in the clear. So to speak.
In the meantime, my left eye is still crying.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Keeping My (Political) Mouth Shut
So here's the question? If a friend posts something on Facebook that you completely disagree with, should you comment on it? That is, start a controversial discussion? Or should you just leave it alone?
My modus operandi is generally to leave it alone. I have several Republican friends, including an aunt who registered as a fan of Sarah Palin. And I think Sarah Palin is a complete idiot and actually an embarrassment to women everywhere. I think my aunt is a great lady, a strong woman, so I have to say that I was surprised that she was a fan of Sarah Palin, even though I know that my aunt has Republican tendencies. But I didn't comment on her post that she's a fan of Sarah Palin. I left it alone.
Another friend posted that he had watched The Blind Side and that it was a great movie with important Christian values. Now, I haven't seen the movie and so I don't know how the Christian values come into play. But if it's because this family opened their hearts and their homes to a young man who needed a home, then I don't quite get how that's exclusively a Christian thing. It seems to me that other religions and those who are not religious at all still do kind things in the world. But I left it alone.
A third friend posted that he was a fan of the healthcare reform bill. And some of our mutual friends posted negative responses. And I found it disconcerting. A lesson learned, perhaps? I think I'm going to just leave it alone.
My modus operandi is generally to leave it alone. I have several Republican friends, including an aunt who registered as a fan of Sarah Palin. And I think Sarah Palin is a complete idiot and actually an embarrassment to women everywhere. I think my aunt is a great lady, a strong woman, so I have to say that I was surprised that she was a fan of Sarah Palin, even though I know that my aunt has Republican tendencies. But I didn't comment on her post that she's a fan of Sarah Palin. I left it alone.
Another friend posted that he had watched The Blind Side and that it was a great movie with important Christian values. Now, I haven't seen the movie and so I don't know how the Christian values come into play. But if it's because this family opened their hearts and their homes to a young man who needed a home, then I don't quite get how that's exclusively a Christian thing. It seems to me that other religions and those who are not religious at all still do kind things in the world. But I left it alone.
A third friend posted that he was a fan of the healthcare reform bill. And some of our mutual friends posted negative responses. And I found it disconcerting. A lesson learned, perhaps? I think I'm going to just leave it alone.
Friday, March 26, 2010
Listed!
Today my home went on the market. How interesting that it somehow feels odd to have a For Sale sign outside my home. I feel like a displaced person. Which is strange since it was my choice to move and I haven't gotten an offer or anything yet even. After all, the house was only listed today.
I have written before about my cat-like qualities, and this is another area in which I and cats have a lot in common. I'm not a fan of change. Not really. I like to rearrange my furniture periodically. Buy some new art and reposition the existing art. Change my hairstyle. Buy new clothes. But big changes, like moving, scare me more than a little.
I suppose it's a control thing too. Whether and when the house sells is not really in my hands. I have done all that I can do to make it attractive. I have replaced almost every element of the house in the past eight years. New hardwood floors on the main floor. New carpet on the other two floors. New interior doors to replace the cheap construction grade ones. New windows to replace the cheap construction grade ones of those too. New paint in most rooms. New air handler. New gate for the fence. New upstairs shower. New kitchen with granite countertops. Lots of improvements. And I must admit most of them were done not only to meet my aesthetic but with sn eye toward what another owner might like. So I have relinquished control now to the realtors. And the home buyers. And it's a little scary.
It's also a little like dating. Your home is a reflection of your tastes. If no one else likes it, does that mean you have bad taste? I'm told that many home buyers can't envision what the home will look like with their own touches. That's why you have to put in new carpet and paint to sell. Which I think is absurd. Maybe it's the architect's daughter in me, but I see the bones of the house - not what the owners have done or not done. If I like their paint choices, all the better. But those things are changeable. Where the walls fall is not. Still, I want prospective home buyers to like my taste. Much as I would like a date to like the way I look.
The last thing that makes this process so weird is that my house has been de-personalized. Gone are the family photos. I've taken down a lot of my artwork. My personal stuff is tucked away in closets and drawers. It's also very neat. I keep a clean house most of the time. But there's usually a certain amount of clutter around. Bills to be paid. Magazines to read. Books in progress. CDs from the car that haven't been put back in the racks yet. Random diet coke bottles that are partially drunk. None of those things are in evidence right now. Counters are bare. Carpets are vacuumed. Shoes are in closets. Books are on their shelves.
I don't know how long I will be living like this. Some homes have been selling in a week in my neighborhood. Which is also scary. Because it means I have to find a place for me and the cats to go next.
Change is strange. Change is good. There's no turning back. I'm listed!
I have written before about my cat-like qualities, and this is another area in which I and cats have a lot in common. I'm not a fan of change. Not really. I like to rearrange my furniture periodically. Buy some new art and reposition the existing art. Change my hairstyle. Buy new clothes. But big changes, like moving, scare me more than a little.
I suppose it's a control thing too. Whether and when the house sells is not really in my hands. I have done all that I can do to make it attractive. I have replaced almost every element of the house in the past eight years. New hardwood floors on the main floor. New carpet on the other two floors. New interior doors to replace the cheap construction grade ones. New windows to replace the cheap construction grade ones of those too. New paint in most rooms. New air handler. New gate for the fence. New upstairs shower. New kitchen with granite countertops. Lots of improvements. And I must admit most of them were done not only to meet my aesthetic but with sn eye toward what another owner might like. So I have relinquished control now to the realtors. And the home buyers. And it's a little scary.
It's also a little like dating. Your home is a reflection of your tastes. If no one else likes it, does that mean you have bad taste? I'm told that many home buyers can't envision what the home will look like with their own touches. That's why you have to put in new carpet and paint to sell. Which I think is absurd. Maybe it's the architect's daughter in me, but I see the bones of the house - not what the owners have done or not done. If I like their paint choices, all the better. But those things are changeable. Where the walls fall is not. Still, I want prospective home buyers to like my taste. Much as I would like a date to like the way I look.
The last thing that makes this process so weird is that my house has been de-personalized. Gone are the family photos. I've taken down a lot of my artwork. My personal stuff is tucked away in closets and drawers. It's also very neat. I keep a clean house most of the time. But there's usually a certain amount of clutter around. Bills to be paid. Magazines to read. Books in progress. CDs from the car that haven't been put back in the racks yet. Random diet coke bottles that are partially drunk. None of those things are in evidence right now. Counters are bare. Carpets are vacuumed. Shoes are in closets. Books are on their shelves.
I don't know how long I will be living like this. Some homes have been selling in a week in my neighborhood. Which is also scary. Because it means I have to find a place for me and the cats to go next.
Change is strange. Change is good. There's no turning back. I'm listed!
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Love and Controversy
All of us - each of us - seek love. Love for and from family and friends is one of the most important things in our lives.
Recently a couple of my friends have made the news because of their love. Because of controversy surrounding who and how they chose to love.
Keith and Andreas have been partners for a long time. I don't know the specifics of how they met or how long they have been together, but Keith has been cutting my hair for several years now, and he was with Andreas long before that. Keith and Andreas are a committed couple. In fact, Keith legally changed his name to take on Andreas' last name. Such is their love for each other. The fact that they are men in no way diminishes their commitment to each other, their desire to be mates, and their love for each other, their families, and their friends. There are those who would find controversy in the simple fact that these two men love each other. Ridiculous! Finding a partner in life is something most of us strive for and all too few do well. A couple of years ago, Keith and Andreas adopted twins - Georgia and Peter - and formed a family. There are those who would question whether Keith and Andreas should be parents. Again, ridiculous. These children needed a loving home; Keith and Andreas are providing that home. Would that all children in need of a home could find parents as loving of each other and their children as these two. Recently, in early March, when same-sex marriage became legal in the District of Columbia, these two loving family men became legally husband and husband. There are those who believe that marriage should be only between a man and a woman. Ridiculous. Marriage is an ultimate expression of commitment, and more than a few marriages between heterosexual couples fail to live up to that commitment. Why shouldn't anyone - ANYONE - who is willing and able to make that commitment to another human being be allowed to do so? Why should that create controversy? Ridiculous.
Another friend lost his first-born son in 2002 to a rare blood disease. His wife recently published a book about their experience trying to save their son. Why would this story generate controversy? Because in trying to save their son, Allen and Laurie chose to undergo IVF to have a child who would be a genetic match for their son, to be the bone marrow donor he needed to live, and yet not have the same disease that was killing him. There are those who would question the ethics of such a decision. Ridiculous. Laurie and Allen loved their child. They loved each other. They wanted to have more children anyway. If they could have another child who also could save their first child, all the better. (In fact, they did have two other sons in the "normal" way.) The book details the challenges they felt, the strength of Henry's character, and the success that other families have achieved because of their trailblazing down this path of genetic embryo testing. Unfortunately for Henry, all the embryos created for the IVF either were not a genetic match, were a match but also had the same genetic disease, or just didn't take. And so Henry died. But other children lived. And the love of this family radiates through the book, through the Hope for Henry Foundation, and through Allen and Laurie's continued love for their children. All of them.
Love can be ephemeral. Love can be damned hard to find. Let's recognize the love of these families and skip the controversy.
Recently a couple of my friends have made the news because of their love. Because of controversy surrounding who and how they chose to love.
Keith and Andreas have been partners for a long time. I don't know the specifics of how they met or how long they have been together, but Keith has been cutting my hair for several years now, and he was with Andreas long before that. Keith and Andreas are a committed couple. In fact, Keith legally changed his name to take on Andreas' last name. Such is their love for each other. The fact that they are men in no way diminishes their commitment to each other, their desire to be mates, and their love for each other, their families, and their friends. There are those who would find controversy in the simple fact that these two men love each other. Ridiculous! Finding a partner in life is something most of us strive for and all too few do well. A couple of years ago, Keith and Andreas adopted twins - Georgia and Peter - and formed a family. There are those who would question whether Keith and Andreas should be parents. Again, ridiculous. These children needed a loving home; Keith and Andreas are providing that home. Would that all children in need of a home could find parents as loving of each other and their children as these two. Recently, in early March, when same-sex marriage became legal in the District of Columbia, these two loving family men became legally husband and husband. There are those who believe that marriage should be only between a man and a woman. Ridiculous. Marriage is an ultimate expression of commitment, and more than a few marriages between heterosexual couples fail to live up to that commitment. Why shouldn't anyone - ANYONE - who is willing and able to make that commitment to another human being be allowed to do so? Why should that create controversy? Ridiculous.
Another friend lost his first-born son in 2002 to a rare blood disease. His wife recently published a book about their experience trying to save their son. Why would this story generate controversy? Because in trying to save their son, Allen and Laurie chose to undergo IVF to have a child who would be a genetic match for their son, to be the bone marrow donor he needed to live, and yet not have the same disease that was killing him. There are those who would question the ethics of such a decision. Ridiculous. Laurie and Allen loved their child. They loved each other. They wanted to have more children anyway. If they could have another child who also could save their first child, all the better. (In fact, they did have two other sons in the "normal" way.) The book details the challenges they felt, the strength of Henry's character, and the success that other families have achieved because of their trailblazing down this path of genetic embryo testing. Unfortunately for Henry, all the embryos created for the IVF either were not a genetic match, were a match but also had the same genetic disease, or just didn't take. And so Henry died. But other children lived. And the love of this family radiates through the book, through the Hope for Henry Foundation, and through Allen and Laurie's continued love for their children. All of them.
Love can be ephemeral. Love can be damned hard to find. Let's recognize the love of these families and skip the controversy.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Wireless: Round 2
The day I was leaving for California - see entry Murphy's Law - my home wireless network decided to suddenly stop working. I'm still not sure what happened there. My new laptop all of a sudden needed the security key for my wireless network again. And of course, I had no idea what I had used. In the hubbub and rush to get to the airport, I wasn't willing to figure out how to reset my network key or start over again. So for the past week, I haven't had a wireless network. It's amazing how quickly you get used to have one, and therefore how much I missed it!
Read the instructions carefully and found the instructions to set my router back to the original specifications. It was pretty simple really. Except that the instructions said to use the Reset key on the router. Which was supposed to be on the back of the router. Looking...looking...looking. Hmmm....there are no buttons on the back of the router. But then, I remembered one of my colleagues told me that it was probably a hole, not a button. Looking carefully at the plastic on the cover, I found it! Stuck a paper clip in the hole for longer than 10 seconds. Router reset. Whew!
Took my laptop over to the router, reconnected the internet, and put in the wireless configuration CD. Started the instructions again to set up the wireless network. Got it working on the first laptop. Whew!
The instructions said to try the other laptops before setting the security for the network. So I tried that. Couldn't get the network to connect on my old laptop. Hmmmm....What's going on?
Decided to skip to the security key step. Set up the security key (and wrote it down this time!). This time, I got the step that said "Copy this security key to a flash drive to put on other laptops?" I did not remember getting this message the first time. Good sign. Put in the flash drive. Information copied to the flash drive.
Went to the second laptop. Put in the flash drive. Nothing happened. Hmmm....
Opened the flash drive. Saw all the files I had backed up when I was moving files from the old laptop to the new one a while ago. But nothing that said anything about a security key for the wireless network. Hmmmm....
Disconnected the flash drive. Inserted it again. This time, the dialogue box said
"Copy the security key?" Yea! Copied. Done. Tried to connect to the internet. Worked.
Yea! All done. Right?
Picked up the new laptop from the floor where I had put it to set up the wireless network. Brought it over to the desk. Plugged it in. Opened IE. Couldn't connect. What?????
When in doubt, turn off the computer, right? There was an update for Windows that needed to be installed. Computer shutdown. Started it up again. For good measure, I put in the flash drive and installed the security key again.
Opened IE. Fingers crossed. Did it work?? Yes! Success. I have a wireless network again! Woo-hoo!!
Read the instructions carefully and found the instructions to set my router back to the original specifications. It was pretty simple really. Except that the instructions said to use the Reset key on the router. Which was supposed to be on the back of the router. Looking...looking...looking. Hmmm....there are no buttons on the back of the router. But then, I remembered one of my colleagues told me that it was probably a hole, not a button. Looking carefully at the plastic on the cover, I found it! Stuck a paper clip in the hole for longer than 10 seconds. Router reset. Whew!
Took my laptop over to the router, reconnected the internet, and put in the wireless configuration CD. Started the instructions again to set up the wireless network. Got it working on the first laptop. Whew!
The instructions said to try the other laptops before setting the security for the network. So I tried that. Couldn't get the network to connect on my old laptop. Hmmmm....What's going on?
Decided to skip to the security key step. Set up the security key (and wrote it down this time!). This time, I got the step that said "Copy this security key to a flash drive to put on other laptops?" I did not remember getting this message the first time. Good sign. Put in the flash drive. Information copied to the flash drive.
Went to the second laptop. Put in the flash drive. Nothing happened. Hmmm....
Opened the flash drive. Saw all the files I had backed up when I was moving files from the old laptop to the new one a while ago. But nothing that said anything about a security key for the wireless network. Hmmmm....
Disconnected the flash drive. Inserted it again. This time, the dialogue box said
"Copy the security key?" Yea! Copied. Done. Tried to connect to the internet. Worked.
Yea! All done. Right?
Picked up the new laptop from the floor where I had put it to set up the wireless network. Brought it over to the desk. Plugged it in. Opened IE. Couldn't connect. What?????
When in doubt, turn off the computer, right? There was an update for Windows that needed to be installed. Computer shutdown. Started it up again. For good measure, I put in the flash drive and installed the security key again.
Opened IE. Fingers crossed. Did it work?? Yes! Success. I have a wireless network again! Woo-hoo!!
Monday, March 22, 2010
Sanitation
The last time I sold a property, I was no longer living in it. In fact, it had been a rental for a couple of years and the last renter had moved out. Rather than find another one, I opted to sell since, by then, the market had recovered somewhat (this was 2002).
This time around, I'm living in the property. With the two cats.
I'm using the same realtors that I used in 2002. I liked their attitudes, and since they are a team, it's usually pretty easy to get one or the other on the phone or showing properties, etc. So when I started thinking about putting my place on the market and searching for the next home, they came over and did a walkthrough to give me some advice on pricing and staging for homebuyers.
It's a weird thing to stage the home you live in. Staging, for those of you who may not watch house-hunting shows as I do, is making your home appealing. If the home is empty, that may mean renting furniture to show what the house would look like if it weren't empty. In my case, it means de-personalizing the home. Which is just a little weird.
I rented a storage space and have moved a bunch of stuff into it. Most of my books, for example, so that the wall space can look more open (I didn't move the bookcases yet, though, so maybe that's not the ideal). I collect vases, and the realtors suggested having fewer on the shelves, so that they looked more open, too. Cleaning extra things off the kitchen counters was not a surprise. I would have done that anyway. Getting rid of some of the stuff in the closets was an interesting twist, though. Again, the idea is to make it look like there's a ton of space. If your closets are crammed, then it looks like they don't hold as much. I get the idea, but it's still a little weird.
As a result, at the moment, my house doesn't look much like my house. 10 boxes of books have been moved. That's a lot of boxes (I probably still have 4-5 boxes of books in my living room bookcase, though). I emptied a lot of the storage space under the stairs downstairs, and put those boxes in storage. I took pictures off the walls and put those in storage (but kept some up to look nice). This past weekend, I moved my humidifiers to my storage space. Didn't really want to give those looking at my home the idea that it's dry in the winter. Though it is, of course. But then aren't most homes?
The house should be listed as of Thursday. Which will mean that every day, before I leave the house, I will need to make sure it's ready to show. Clean off the kitchen counters if there's anything that has gathered on them. Clean out the cats' litter box. Make my bed (not just throw the covers up). Check that the guest room bed is still neat and tidy. Tidy up my desk downstairs. Fix the pillows on the couch. Run the vacuum quickly. Wipe down the kitchen and bathroom sinks. Whew!
What fun!?
This time around, I'm living in the property. With the two cats.
I'm using the same realtors that I used in 2002. I liked their attitudes, and since they are a team, it's usually pretty easy to get one or the other on the phone or showing properties, etc. So when I started thinking about putting my place on the market and searching for the next home, they came over and did a walkthrough to give me some advice on pricing and staging for homebuyers.
It's a weird thing to stage the home you live in. Staging, for those of you who may not watch house-hunting shows as I do, is making your home appealing. If the home is empty, that may mean renting furniture to show what the house would look like if it weren't empty. In my case, it means de-personalizing the home. Which is just a little weird.
I rented a storage space and have moved a bunch of stuff into it. Most of my books, for example, so that the wall space can look more open (I didn't move the bookcases yet, though, so maybe that's not the ideal). I collect vases, and the realtors suggested having fewer on the shelves, so that they looked more open, too. Cleaning extra things off the kitchen counters was not a surprise. I would have done that anyway. Getting rid of some of the stuff in the closets was an interesting twist, though. Again, the idea is to make it look like there's a ton of space. If your closets are crammed, then it looks like they don't hold as much. I get the idea, but it's still a little weird.
As a result, at the moment, my house doesn't look much like my house. 10 boxes of books have been moved. That's a lot of boxes (I probably still have 4-5 boxes of books in my living room bookcase, though). I emptied a lot of the storage space under the stairs downstairs, and put those boxes in storage. I took pictures off the walls and put those in storage (but kept some up to look nice). This past weekend, I moved my humidifiers to my storage space. Didn't really want to give those looking at my home the idea that it's dry in the winter. Though it is, of course. But then aren't most homes?
The house should be listed as of Thursday. Which will mean that every day, before I leave the house, I will need to make sure it's ready to show. Clean off the kitchen counters if there's anything that has gathered on them. Clean out the cats' litter box. Make my bed (not just throw the covers up). Check that the guest room bed is still neat and tidy. Tidy up my desk downstairs. Fix the pillows on the couch. Run the vacuum quickly. Wipe down the kitchen and bathroom sinks. Whew!
What fun!?
Saturday, March 20, 2010
First Date Etiquette?
A little advice for men on what to do on a first date.
1) When we agree to meet, if we don't meet through mutual friends, assume that I'm going to want to meet in public and minimize the amount of personal information I give you. That's just smart behavior for females. I don't want to give you my email address, cell phone number, tell you where I live, tell you where I work, or anything else that would give you the opportunity to find me again if we don't get along. Sorry, that's just the reality of today's world.
2) When we do meet, you don't need to pay. I know that's the male way, but really, you don't. At 47, I can pay for my own meal. And it's easier than trying to "pretend" to pull out my wallet and either offend you for trying to pay or pay my way. I split the bill with most of my friends when we go out. Why should a first date be any different? I don't really know you yet. Just go with the flow, okay?
3) Don't make sexual jokes on a first date. People who know me well can make those kinds of jokes. But you don't, and honestly, most women find that kind of thing offensive unless we know the crowd well. And especially, and this I really mean, don't take something I say innocently and make it into a sexual thing. Again, that's the kind of thing that people do when they know each other well. I'm not a prude. But it's really not cool to go there so early in a relationship. Ever.
4) Keep up your side of the conversation. I want to get to know you as much as you want to get to know me. But don't dominate the conversation. It's called a conversation for a reason. We both get to talk.
5) Don't try to kiss me goodbye unless we've really hit it off. I know they say you need to kiss a lot of frogs before you find a prince, but kissing is also a very personal thing. Kissing is actually one of the things I miss most about not having a man in my life. So, no, I don't really want to kiss just anyone.
Other than that, let's just chat and see what happens. You just never know. Maybe we won't hit it off. Maybe we will. That's what first dates are all about.
1) When we agree to meet, if we don't meet through mutual friends, assume that I'm going to want to meet in public and minimize the amount of personal information I give you. That's just smart behavior for females. I don't want to give you my email address, cell phone number, tell you where I live, tell you where I work, or anything else that would give you the opportunity to find me again if we don't get along. Sorry, that's just the reality of today's world.
2) When we do meet, you don't need to pay. I know that's the male way, but really, you don't. At 47, I can pay for my own meal. And it's easier than trying to "pretend" to pull out my wallet and either offend you for trying to pay or pay my way. I split the bill with most of my friends when we go out. Why should a first date be any different? I don't really know you yet. Just go with the flow, okay?
3) Don't make sexual jokes on a first date. People who know me well can make those kinds of jokes. But you don't, and honestly, most women find that kind of thing offensive unless we know the crowd well. And especially, and this I really mean, don't take something I say innocently and make it into a sexual thing. Again, that's the kind of thing that people do when they know each other well. I'm not a prude. But it's really not cool to go there so early in a relationship. Ever.
4) Keep up your side of the conversation. I want to get to know you as much as you want to get to know me. But don't dominate the conversation. It's called a conversation for a reason. We both get to talk.
5) Don't try to kiss me goodbye unless we've really hit it off. I know they say you need to kiss a lot of frogs before you find a prince, but kissing is also a very personal thing. Kissing is actually one of the things I miss most about not having a man in my life. So, no, I don't really want to kiss just anyone.
Other than that, let's just chat and see what happens. You just never know. Maybe we won't hit it off. Maybe we will. That's what first dates are all about.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Who Understands Men?
It's clear to me that men think differently than I do. Now, I know that a lot of women probably think differently than I do, but it seems to be much more common with men than with women.
Example #1: Men don't seem to understand when they are pushing a joke just one step too far. Having a laugh at someone else's expense might be okay once. You might even be able to point to the fallacy of someone's behavior a second time. But a third time? That's really beyond the pale. Why don't they understand that?
Example #2: I am trying this online dating thing again. The response has been very slow. But in the past two days, I have finally heard from a couple of guys. And there's a process that the dating site calls for. You exchanged your feelings about certain relationship deal-breakers - how much to watch your budget, whether religion is a big deal, that kind of thing. Then you send some questions back and forth. Pre-chosen questions. Then you get a chance to email through the service. That way, you are protected from exposure until you really get a chance to talk. But these two guys - both of them - sent me their email address as soon as they could and expected me to use it. Do they not understand that sending them an email to their personal account means exposing my personal email account to them? If they turn out to be crazy or a stalker, they have a way to get a hold of you that you can't just turn off. I've had the same email for a really long time. I don't want to give it up because of some guy that I didn't even know.
Example #3: My married male friends always ask me, within five minutes of the start of a conversation, whether I'm dating anyone. When I called one of them on it, he said that he was trying to live vicariously through me. I think really each of them just wonders what it would be like to be single again, even the ones who are happily married. About what it would be like to date again. And I'm happy to tell them that it sucks! My women married friends don't ask me. Or at least not as much.
Maybe I'll understand men if there's one in my life again for any length of time. But if they all follow Example #2, that's not going to happen.
Example #1: Men don't seem to understand when they are pushing a joke just one step too far. Having a laugh at someone else's expense might be okay once. You might even be able to point to the fallacy of someone's behavior a second time. But a third time? That's really beyond the pale. Why don't they understand that?
Example #2: I am trying this online dating thing again. The response has been very slow. But in the past two days, I have finally heard from a couple of guys. And there's a process that the dating site calls for. You exchanged your feelings about certain relationship deal-breakers - how much to watch your budget, whether religion is a big deal, that kind of thing. Then you send some questions back and forth. Pre-chosen questions. Then you get a chance to email through the service. That way, you are protected from exposure until you really get a chance to talk. But these two guys - both of them - sent me their email address as soon as they could and expected me to use it. Do they not understand that sending them an email to their personal account means exposing my personal email account to them? If they turn out to be crazy or a stalker, they have a way to get a hold of you that you can't just turn off. I've had the same email for a really long time. I don't want to give it up because of some guy that I didn't even know.
Example #3: My married male friends always ask me, within five minutes of the start of a conversation, whether I'm dating anyone. When I called one of them on it, he said that he was trying to live vicariously through me. I think really each of them just wonders what it would be like to be single again, even the ones who are happily married. About what it would be like to date again. And I'm happy to tell them that it sucks! My women married friends don't ask me. Or at least not as much.
Maybe I'll understand men if there's one in my life again for any length of time. But if they all follow Example #2, that's not going to happen.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
12 Hours Of Tennis
I went to the Indian Wells ATP/WTA tournament this past Saturday.
We started at a little after 11 am with Verdasco versus Delgado. We arrived at 3-3 first set. Pretty competitive match in the first set, though Verdasco was able to close at 6-4 6-1.
Next was Kuznetzova seeded #1 versus Suarez Navarro. Who beat Kuznetzova in straight sets. Apparently she's an up and comer from Spain. She beat Venus at the Austrailian Open.
Then Kim Clijsters showed that she is back in form. Beautiful tennis. Such power and placement. Serve was a little off but overall very impressive.
Next was Nadal. Interesting outfit but then he often wears different attire. Checks are just not what one expects in tennis gear. He played well against Scheuttler. There were a few tense moments. It certainly wasn't an easy rollover, though it was 6-4 6-4. But Nadal had also played in the charity event the night before with Agassi, Sampras, and Federer. Do wish I had seen that!
Next match was a young American Sloan Stephens versus the defending Indian Wells champ Vera Zvonavera, who I'd never heard of. Guess I haven't really been following womens tennis much lately. Anyway it went to three sets. Stephens is someone to watch. Reminds me of Venus.
Final match was Djokovic versus Mardy Fish. 6-1 to Djokovic in the first set so I thought we weren't going to see much tennis. Fish was just being very inconsistent, which is typical for him. Then it was 6-0 in the second - for Fish! Djokovic completely fell apart and Fish got it together. It was night and day from the first set. Weird. Then 6-2 in the third set much like the first. Fish had some nice plays but really isn't on Djokovic's level. Could be though. The talent is there in spurts. Oh well. Match ended about 11 pm.
Anyway it was a fun, long day of tennis. Our seats were great. On one end of the court about 15 rows back. Glad I spent the money on box seats, rather than being up in the bleachers (where my acrophobia might have been a problem, too).
Do it again next year? We'll see!
We started at a little after 11 am with Verdasco versus Delgado. We arrived at 3-3 first set. Pretty competitive match in the first set, though Verdasco was able to close at 6-4 6-1.
Next was Kuznetzova seeded #1 versus Suarez Navarro. Who beat Kuznetzova in straight sets. Apparently she's an up and comer from Spain. She beat Venus at the Austrailian Open.
Then Kim Clijsters showed that she is back in form. Beautiful tennis. Such power and placement. Serve was a little off but overall very impressive.
Next was Nadal. Interesting outfit but then he often wears different attire. Checks are just not what one expects in tennis gear. He played well against Scheuttler. There were a few tense moments. It certainly wasn't an easy rollover, though it was 6-4 6-4. But Nadal had also played in the charity event the night before with Agassi, Sampras, and Federer. Do wish I had seen that!
Next match was a young American Sloan Stephens versus the defending Indian Wells champ Vera Zvonavera, who I'd never heard of. Guess I haven't really been following womens tennis much lately. Anyway it went to three sets. Stephens is someone to watch. Reminds me of Venus.
Final match was Djokovic versus Mardy Fish. 6-1 to Djokovic in the first set so I thought we weren't going to see much tennis. Fish was just being very inconsistent, which is typical for him. Then it was 6-0 in the second - for Fish! Djokovic completely fell apart and Fish got it together. It was night and day from the first set. Weird. Then 6-2 in the third set much like the first. Fish had some nice plays but really isn't on Djokovic's level. Could be though. The talent is there in spurts. Oh well. Match ended about 11 pm.
Anyway it was a fun, long day of tennis. Our seats were great. On one end of the court about 15 rows back. Glad I spent the money on box seats, rather than being up in the bleachers (where my acrophobia might have been a problem, too).
Do it again next year? We'll see!
Friday, March 12, 2010
Inconvenient. Period.
Ask just about any woman what one of the most "inconvenient" elements in her life is and she will likely say having a period.
As we get older, we learn how to manage having a period. We learn to schedule life events to hopefully not coincide with this inconvenience. First dates. Weddings. Trips to the beach. Those kinds of things.
It is not just that there can be pain and bloating, which can make the idea of putting on a bathing suit - not an ideal for most of us at the best of times - just sound truly awful. Particularly in the beginning of adolescence and sometimes randomly when we are older, you just don't feel "cute" those first few days.
It's also the other physical manefestations. Tampons and pads make it harder to be discrete about what is happening with your body. Men can give us a hard time about how often we need to use the ladies room, and a period just adds to that. To avoid leaks, we just need to have access to these things. And it's inconvenient to have to broadcast to others about this somewhat embarassing topic.
Birth control pills not only help prevent unwanted pregnancy, they also add an element of convenience to the otherwise inconvenience of having a period. When you're on the pill, you usually know exactly when you will have your period. Which makes planning for a wedding or a trip to the beach much easier. Even if there are others involved and you can't dictate which week might be better or worse for you, you can at least plan. And taking the pill for a long time also reduces the duration and intensity of your period. Which also can be a nice thing.
Not having your period, however, can be a scary or wonderful thing. If you are trying to have a child, that first month of not getting a period can be a source of great wonder and speculation. If you are not trying to have a child, not getting your period may be very scary. If you have been having sex, it might mean an planned pregnancy and then lots of decisions from there. If there's no chance of you're being pregnant, then not getting a period can still be scary as it can portend health problems.
When you get older and start hitting menapause, having a period can make you feel like a teenager again. Not from the perspective of still being "young" enough to have a period. But having more trouble knowing when you are going to get one - with no control or foreknowledge of what's coming. And the duration and intensity change too from one month to the next. Or you skip a month or two. And then start again for no apparent reason. Inconvenient.
All in all, periods are not fun. Never pleasant. Even if they can be managed sort of for certain times of your life. But overall inconvenient. Period.
As we get older, we learn how to manage having a period. We learn to schedule life events to hopefully not coincide with this inconvenience. First dates. Weddings. Trips to the beach. Those kinds of things.
It is not just that there can be pain and bloating, which can make the idea of putting on a bathing suit - not an ideal for most of us at the best of times - just sound truly awful. Particularly in the beginning of adolescence and sometimes randomly when we are older, you just don't feel "cute" those first few days.
It's also the other physical manefestations. Tampons and pads make it harder to be discrete about what is happening with your body. Men can give us a hard time about how often we need to use the ladies room, and a period just adds to that. To avoid leaks, we just need to have access to these things. And it's inconvenient to have to broadcast to others about this somewhat embarassing topic.
Birth control pills not only help prevent unwanted pregnancy, they also add an element of convenience to the otherwise inconvenience of having a period. When you're on the pill, you usually know exactly when you will have your period. Which makes planning for a wedding or a trip to the beach much easier. Even if there are others involved and you can't dictate which week might be better or worse for you, you can at least plan. And taking the pill for a long time also reduces the duration and intensity of your period. Which also can be a nice thing.
Not having your period, however, can be a scary or wonderful thing. If you are trying to have a child, that first month of not getting a period can be a source of great wonder and speculation. If you are not trying to have a child, not getting your period may be very scary. If you have been having sex, it might mean an planned pregnancy and then lots of decisions from there. If there's no chance of you're being pregnant, then not getting a period can still be scary as it can portend health problems.
When you get older and start hitting menapause, having a period can make you feel like a teenager again. Not from the perspective of still being "young" enough to have a period. But having more trouble knowing when you are going to get one - with no control or foreknowledge of what's coming. And the duration and intensity change too from one month to the next. Or you skip a month or two. And then start again for no apparent reason. Inconvenient.
All in all, periods are not fun. Never pleasant. Even if they can be managed sort of for certain times of your life. But overall inconvenient. Period.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Murphy's Law
Today I am traveling. And just about everything that could go wrong has gone wrong.
First, I had work to do this morning. An urgent press release. I understand that's how things go sometimes but I had other things that I needed to do this morning. Like get cash. Take clothes to the dry cleaners. Things I could not do but that still need to be done.
Then one of my cats decided to run into the laundry room and get behind the furnace. It's one of her favorite things to do and I don't let her do it. Because then she just cries and cries and won't come out. Again I did not have time for this today.
I decided to try to ignore her for a while and print my boarding pass instead. My home wireless network couldn't connect to the laptop. It wanted the security key. Which I can't remember. And there's no way to reset it that I can find. I gave up.
Tried to get Mia out again. No luck.
Turned on my work laptop which connected to the network with no problem. But then I couldn't print my boarding pass because that laptop doesn't have the printer software. Joy. I tried anyway, but American kept asking me for my AA number. I don't have one of those. I made the reservations through Expedia. But can't get a boarding pass from there. Joy.
Got the press release out. Thank goodness.
Then Mia finally deigned to come to the door.
Ate lunch. Back on track.
Until...cab was late. 15 minutes. Just enough to annoy me. I actually got in my car to pull out when the cab pulled up. So I got in and we took off. Had to pay by credit card of course because I had no cash, not having made it to the bank.
Now my flight has been delayed - three times! And the gate moved twice. They are now boarding.
I had a three hour layover. Now one hour. Murphy, I give up. Just let me make my connection and actually get on vacation. Please. Pretty please?
First, I had work to do this morning. An urgent press release. I understand that's how things go sometimes but I had other things that I needed to do this morning. Like get cash. Take clothes to the dry cleaners. Things I could not do but that still need to be done.
Then one of my cats decided to run into the laundry room and get behind the furnace. It's one of her favorite things to do and I don't let her do it. Because then she just cries and cries and won't come out. Again I did not have time for this today.
I decided to try to ignore her for a while and print my boarding pass instead. My home wireless network couldn't connect to the laptop. It wanted the security key. Which I can't remember. And there's no way to reset it that I can find. I gave up.
Tried to get Mia out again. No luck.
Turned on my work laptop which connected to the network with no problem. But then I couldn't print my boarding pass because that laptop doesn't have the printer software. Joy. I tried anyway, but American kept asking me for my AA number. I don't have one of those. I made the reservations through Expedia. But can't get a boarding pass from there. Joy.
Got the press release out. Thank goodness.
Then Mia finally deigned to come to the door.
Ate lunch. Back on track.
Until...cab was late. 15 minutes. Just enough to annoy me. I actually got in my car to pull out when the cab pulled up. So I got in and we took off. Had to pay by credit card of course because I had no cash, not having made it to the bank.
Now my flight has been delayed - three times! And the gate moved twice. They are now boarding.
I had a three hour layover. Now one hour. Murphy, I give up. Just let me make my connection and actually get on vacation. Please. Pretty please?
Monday, March 8, 2010
It's Important To Spoil Yourself Once In A While
I'm a firm believer in doing nice things for oneself.
I always buy myself a birthday present. Something that I know no one else will buy for me. Even if there were a man in my life, I think I would still buy myself a birthday present. Because I wouldn't expect him to spend that kind of money on me. But I would expect him to allow me to spend my money on me. He, of course, would be allowed to spend an equivalent amount of his money on himself for his birthday. Only fair, after all.
I also tend to spoil myself when I get my Federal tax refund. Because I usually claim almost no deductions, I usually get a fairly hefty deduction back. In some years, that's my vacation fund. I've gone to the Caribbean a couple of times using my Federal refund. Sometimes I do other things to spoil myself. Buy jewelry, for example.
This year, I'm putting most of my refund into my house fund. I'm going to house-hunt soon, and I am trying to have enough in the bank to cover my closing costs so I have that much more to put down on the next house. Or you can look at it as adding to the amount I have for a down payment. Either way, I've been trying to save money for the past few months - in large quantities.
But I also need to spoil myself. Just a little bit. So I bought a new pearl ring to go with a pearl necklace I bought three years ago in Hawaii. Another time I was spoiling myself - as well as mourning and celebrating the life of a friend who had just died. So my pearl necklace is a sort of memorial to him. But I don't wear it much because I don't have anything that goes with it really. Hence, the new pearl ring. So that I will honor my friend.
And spoil myself.
I always buy myself a birthday present. Something that I know no one else will buy for me. Even if there were a man in my life, I think I would still buy myself a birthday present. Because I wouldn't expect him to spend that kind of money on me. But I would expect him to allow me to spend my money on me. He, of course, would be allowed to spend an equivalent amount of his money on himself for his birthday. Only fair, after all.
I also tend to spoil myself when I get my Federal tax refund. Because I usually claim almost no deductions, I usually get a fairly hefty deduction back. In some years, that's my vacation fund. I've gone to the Caribbean a couple of times using my Federal refund. Sometimes I do other things to spoil myself. Buy jewelry, for example.
This year, I'm putting most of my refund into my house fund. I'm going to house-hunt soon, and I am trying to have enough in the bank to cover my closing costs so I have that much more to put down on the next house. Or you can look at it as adding to the amount I have for a down payment. Either way, I've been trying to save money for the past few months - in large quantities.
But I also need to spoil myself. Just a little bit. So I bought a new pearl ring to go with a pearl necklace I bought three years ago in Hawaii. Another time I was spoiling myself - as well as mourning and celebrating the life of a friend who had just died. So my pearl necklace is a sort of memorial to him. But I don't wear it much because I don't have anything that goes with it really. Hence, the new pearl ring. So that I will honor my friend.
And spoil myself.
Friday, March 5, 2010
Flotsam And Jetsam
Today is Amy Graff's birthday. I have no idea why I remember that. I haven't seen Amy since 9th grade. But my brain remembers that today is her birthday. Happy Birthday, Amy.
The memory is a remarkable thing. Not only in that we can remember things like the birthdays of our childhood friends, but that we remember anything at all. There was a movie that came out some years ago - again, there's my memory at work - called Momento. In this movie, the main character has no long term memory. He remembers only what happens in the short term. I never saw the movie, but it's an interesting concept. It's been done in other movies, as well. Groundhog Day is a sort of variation on the theme - the same day repeats itself again and again - though in this case, Bill Murray's ability to remember what happened in the previous day's incarnation of Groundhog Day allows him to change the events in the next one to better meet his needs. There was a movie with Drew Barrymore and Adam Sandler a few years back in which they have many first dates (I think that's actually the name of the movie too - I could look it up, but I'm not going to) because she forgets having the first date over and over again. Again, no long term memory.
I have a ridiculously good long term memory for stupid things. Like birthdays of childhood friends. Lyrics of songs. I can sing along to a song on the radio that I haven't heard in 10 years. Remember every lyric and inflection. Why? Why is this a useful skill? No idea.
I also remember trivia amazingly well. When Trivial Pursuit first came out, I played it quite a bit with a woman who was then my best friend. There are two particularly memorable times that we played (see - again - memory). One was the first time she beat me. We'd played for years at this point before she was able to beat me. Not that she didn't have a good collection of trivia in her memory too. Just not as good as mine. The second was the time I beat her without her even getting a turn. I answered every question she put to me. With a few guesses, but mostly I knew the answers. Because she and I had played enough that I knew the answers to questions I hadn't known when we started to play - but I remembered after having played and gotten the question perhaps only once. Because that's how my memory is wired. For stupid stuff.
Sometimes I have a hard time remembering the important things, though. Which I find incredibly annoying given that I remember all kinds of useless information. For example, I am horrible with years of events. I couldn't tell you, for example, what year I bought this house. I know it was after 2001, because I wasn't living here when 9/11 happened. And it was before 2003, because I got laid off in 2003 and I was trying to figure out how to the pay the mortgage on this house. So it was sometime between those two dates. And it was December 31 when I closed, which I remember because I wasn't focused on that at all when we tried to go out to dinner (those of us who had moved me) and couldn't find room in a restaurant. So by process of elimination, I think I bought this house in December of 2002. But I can't be sure. I really don't remember. And don't ask me to tell you how long or when I lived in previous houses. I can reconstruct - as I did here - but I don't remember.
Same thing with jobs. I started in my current job in 2008, which I remember because it's still pretty new. I can even tell you that it was November 2008. Because my first day was delayed by Veterans Day, which my company celebrates (and my old company - a HUGE defense contractor, ironically, did not). Before that, I was at that defense contractor, where I think I started in 2004. But for most of my job history, I use my resume to come up with dates.
I have a couple of friends who are whizzes at remembering dates. Not just years that we did things together, but actual dates. Yeah, not my thing.
But the lyrics to a 70s one-hit wonder. No problem. That's what is caught in the flotsam and jetsam of my memory. Lyrics. Trivia. Really useful stuff.
The memory is a remarkable thing. Not only in that we can remember things like the birthdays of our childhood friends, but that we remember anything at all. There was a movie that came out some years ago - again, there's my memory at work - called Momento. In this movie, the main character has no long term memory. He remembers only what happens in the short term. I never saw the movie, but it's an interesting concept. It's been done in other movies, as well. Groundhog Day is a sort of variation on the theme - the same day repeats itself again and again - though in this case, Bill Murray's ability to remember what happened in the previous day's incarnation of Groundhog Day allows him to change the events in the next one to better meet his needs. There was a movie with Drew Barrymore and Adam Sandler a few years back in which they have many first dates (I think that's actually the name of the movie too - I could look it up, but I'm not going to) because she forgets having the first date over and over again. Again, no long term memory.
I have a ridiculously good long term memory for stupid things. Like birthdays of childhood friends. Lyrics of songs. I can sing along to a song on the radio that I haven't heard in 10 years. Remember every lyric and inflection. Why? Why is this a useful skill? No idea.
I also remember trivia amazingly well. When Trivial Pursuit first came out, I played it quite a bit with a woman who was then my best friend. There are two particularly memorable times that we played (see - again - memory). One was the first time she beat me. We'd played for years at this point before she was able to beat me. Not that she didn't have a good collection of trivia in her memory too. Just not as good as mine. The second was the time I beat her without her even getting a turn. I answered every question she put to me. With a few guesses, but mostly I knew the answers. Because she and I had played enough that I knew the answers to questions I hadn't known when we started to play - but I remembered after having played and gotten the question perhaps only once. Because that's how my memory is wired. For stupid stuff.
Sometimes I have a hard time remembering the important things, though. Which I find incredibly annoying given that I remember all kinds of useless information. For example, I am horrible with years of events. I couldn't tell you, for example, what year I bought this house. I know it was after 2001, because I wasn't living here when 9/11 happened. And it was before 2003, because I got laid off in 2003 and I was trying to figure out how to the pay the mortgage on this house. So it was sometime between those two dates. And it was December 31 when I closed, which I remember because I wasn't focused on that at all when we tried to go out to dinner (those of us who had moved me) and couldn't find room in a restaurant. So by process of elimination, I think I bought this house in December of 2002. But I can't be sure. I really don't remember. And don't ask me to tell you how long or when I lived in previous houses. I can reconstruct - as I did here - but I don't remember.
Same thing with jobs. I started in my current job in 2008, which I remember because it's still pretty new. I can even tell you that it was November 2008. Because my first day was delayed by Veterans Day, which my company celebrates (and my old company - a HUGE defense contractor, ironically, did not). Before that, I was at that defense contractor, where I think I started in 2004. But for most of my job history, I use my resume to come up with dates.
I have a couple of friends who are whizzes at remembering dates. Not just years that we did things together, but actual dates. Yeah, not my thing.
But the lyrics to a 70s one-hit wonder. No problem. That's what is caught in the flotsam and jetsam of my memory. Lyrics. Trivia. Really useful stuff.
Behind!
The real problem with traveling so much is that you don't get to do the things that you need to do in your "real" life. Grocery shopping. Dry cleaners. Banking. Paying bills. Between the snow-filled January and beginning of February and traveling for the past week or so, I feel like I haven't had many weekends lately to catch up on life. To slow down long enough to get some of the extras of life done.
For example, I am supposed to be putting my home on the market in a week or so. After I get back from California.
Except that I still have a bunch of pictures to put in storage. I still have touch-up painting to do. And a couple of other little tasks. Nothing major. The major stuff has been done. But I haven't had a chance to deal with the little things yet. There's either been 2 feet of snow on the ground, I've been out of town, or I've been running around trying to take care of the critical items of life - rather than the minor ones.
It's interesting how that works, actually. My boss travels a lot. She's on the road 2-3 days a week. Most of the time to Arizona where our business offices are located. But also to California and other places. Today, for example, she was in Iowa. The first 3 days of the week, she was in Atlanta with the rest of the McLean office.
I sometimes wonder how she gets her life taken care of with traveling so much. Doesn't she need to do all those errands that I need to do on weekends. And then I realize the difference between her and me. She doesn't do her own errands. She has people to do them for her.
Grocery shopping? She has a woman who does that for her. Not that she's home enough to really need much in the way of groceries. But presumably there is some food in her home for the times when she is there for a meal.
Dry cleaning? Again, she has a "helper" for that.
Banking? Paying bills? There are accountants for that.
One thing I find quite interesting though about her lifestyle. She doesn't pick up her mail. For months at a time, apparently. Checks have come to her that she hasn't cashed because she never got around to getting her mail. And yet, she has someone to do her grocery shopping, clean her home, tend her garden, and pick up her dry cleaning. Could they not pick up the mail, too?
This weekend, my plan is to catch up. To blog more (I only have 10 entries for February - for shame!). To do a thorough grocery shopping run. To drop off a whole bunch of suits at the dry cleaning. To pay my bills online (oooh, I can do that from bed too - see previous post). To get life on track again.
So I don't feel quite so behind. Till the next trip.
For example, I am supposed to be putting my home on the market in a week or so. After I get back from California.
Except that I still have a bunch of pictures to put in storage. I still have touch-up painting to do. And a couple of other little tasks. Nothing major. The major stuff has been done. But I haven't had a chance to deal with the little things yet. There's either been 2 feet of snow on the ground, I've been out of town, or I've been running around trying to take care of the critical items of life - rather than the minor ones.
It's interesting how that works, actually. My boss travels a lot. She's on the road 2-3 days a week. Most of the time to Arizona where our business offices are located. But also to California and other places. Today, for example, she was in Iowa. The first 3 days of the week, she was in Atlanta with the rest of the McLean office.
I sometimes wonder how she gets her life taken care of with traveling so much. Doesn't she need to do all those errands that I need to do on weekends. And then I realize the difference between her and me. She doesn't do her own errands. She has people to do them for her.
Grocery shopping? She has a woman who does that for her. Not that she's home enough to really need much in the way of groceries. But presumably there is some food in her home for the times when she is there for a meal.
Dry cleaning? Again, she has a "helper" for that.
Banking? Paying bills? There are accountants for that.
One thing I find quite interesting though about her lifestyle. She doesn't pick up her mail. For months at a time, apparently. Checks have come to her that she hasn't cashed because she never got around to getting her mail. And yet, she has someone to do her grocery shopping, clean her home, tend her garden, and pick up her dry cleaning. Could they not pick up the mail, too?
This weekend, my plan is to catch up. To blog more (I only have 10 entries for February - for shame!). To do a thorough grocery shopping run. To drop off a whole bunch of suits at the dry cleaning. To pay my bills online (oooh, I can do that from bed too - see previous post). To get life on track again.
So I don't feel quite so behind. Till the next trip.
Blogging In Bed
So I finally got around to setting up a wireless network in my house. The great advantage - blogging in bed.
I think I've posted previously about writing in my blog from my iPhone. Now that's worked pretty well. But honestly, the screen is a little small, and it's a little hard to see what I'm typing.
Full laptop screen - much better
Full keyboard - much better
Touchpad - meh
Still, it makes me feel very high tech to be able to carry my laptop around the house and work from anywhere. Or blog. Or play FarmVille. Or check my email. Or whatever else needs the internet to do.
It's interesting how dependent I have become on having access to the internet. This past 9 days, when I was traveling to Atlanta, I thought that I had to pay for internet access in the hotel. (Turns out, they were giving it free to conference attendees, but I didn't find that out until halfway through.) The hotel, as it did for most things, charged an outrageous fee of $13.95 per 24 hours for access to the web. Nuts! So I was being very judicious about spending my company's money getting access to the web to do things like blog or play FarmVille. I can blog from my iPhone, but iPhones don't work with Adobe Flash, and that's needed to play FarmVille.
Not that I'm addicted to FarmVille. Well, except that maybe I am.
Anyway, when I got this new laptop and decided to install the wireless network, it was really to be able to work at my dining room table - where it's warm - rather than downstairs - where it's cold - when I'm working from home. Or on weekends. Before, I would have to disconnect and move the phone, DSL, and Cat5 cables upstairs to be able to use the laptop at the dining room table and connect to the internet and work email. Now I can use the laptop from anywhere in the house. Including in bed. So I can blog in bed.
Now if only I could remember the password I used to encrypt the wireless network - so I can hook up my work laptop to it too. Hmmmm....
I think I've posted previously about writing in my blog from my iPhone. Now that's worked pretty well. But honestly, the screen is a little small, and it's a little hard to see what I'm typing.
Full laptop screen - much better
Full keyboard - much better
Touchpad - meh
Still, it makes me feel very high tech to be able to carry my laptop around the house and work from anywhere. Or blog. Or play FarmVille. Or check my email. Or whatever else needs the internet to do.
It's interesting how dependent I have become on having access to the internet. This past 9 days, when I was traveling to Atlanta, I thought that I had to pay for internet access in the hotel. (Turns out, they were giving it free to conference attendees, but I didn't find that out until halfway through.) The hotel, as it did for most things, charged an outrageous fee of $13.95 per 24 hours for access to the web. Nuts! So I was being very judicious about spending my company's money getting access to the web to do things like blog or play FarmVille. I can blog from my iPhone, but iPhones don't work with Adobe Flash, and that's needed to play FarmVille.
Not that I'm addicted to FarmVille. Well, except that maybe I am.
Anyway, when I got this new laptop and decided to install the wireless network, it was really to be able to work at my dining room table - where it's warm - rather than downstairs - where it's cold - when I'm working from home. Or on weekends. Before, I would have to disconnect and move the phone, DSL, and Cat5 cables upstairs to be able to use the laptop at the dining room table and connect to the internet and work email. Now I can use the laptop from anywhere in the house. Including in bed. So I can blog in bed.
Now if only I could remember the password I used to encrypt the wireless network - so I can hook up my work laptop to it too. Hmmmm....
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