From my e mail:

Gary wakes up at home with a huge hangover he can't believe. He forces himself to open his eyes, and the first thing he sees is a couple of aspirins next to a glass of water on the side table. And, next to them, a single red rose!

Gary sits down and sees his clothing in front of him, all clean and pressed. Gary looks around the room and sees that it is in perfect order, Spotlessly clean. So is the rest of the house. He takes the aspirins, cringes when he sees a huge black eye staring back at him in the bathroom mirror, and notices a note on the table: "Honey, breakfast is on the stove, I left early to go shopping--Love you!"

He stumbles to the kitchen and sure enough, there is hot breakfast and the morning newspaper. His son is also at the table, eating. Gary asks, "Son...what happened last night?"
"Well, you came home after 3 A.M., drunk and out of your mind. You broke some furniture, puked in the hallway, and got that black eye when you ran into the door."

"So, why is everything in such perfect order, so clean, I have a rose, and breakfast is on the table waiting for me?"

His son replies, "Oh THAT!... Mom dragged you to the bedroom, and when she tried to take your pants off, you screamed, "Leave me alone, lady, I'm married!"

Broken furniture - $85.26
Hot Breakfast - $4.20
Red Rose bud -$3.00
Two Aspirins -$.38

Saying the right thing, at the right time.........Priceless.

Technorati Tags: humor

Read More...

Another tutorial:
This one is courtesy of Kate, who was once again kind enough to share this with me --- twice. I'm going to post it here so that maybe it will not get lost.

The Code:

javascript:(function(){var a='';var t=prompt('Enter Tags:','');var tr=t.split(' ');a+='Technorati Tags: ';for(var i=0;i 0){a+=', ';}a+=''+tr[i]+'';}a+='';prompt('Copy this code, press OK, then paste to your blog entry:',a);})()

Go to Bookmarks>Manage Bookmarks>New Bookmark. Give the bookmark a title such as Technorati Tags. Copy all of the above code into the Target/location field, and click OK. You may want to put the bookmarklet on your bookmarks toolbar for easy access.

To use the bookmarklet:

Create (or edit) a post; then in the html window, place the cursor a couple of lines down from the last line of your post. Click on the bookmarklet; a window will open. Insert as many tags as you like in the text field of the window, separating each tag with a space (not a comma). Click OK.

The next window that opens has the code for your tags in it. Higlight the code, and copy it; click ok. Paste the code into your entry in the edit html window.

Technorati Tags: Technorati, bookmarklet, tutorial

Read More...

"imitation is the sincerest form of flattery."

I just came across a cool site: Copykat Creations. This site has recipes similar to those used in restaurants that you can make at home. Imagine serving a cheesecake like one from the Cheesecake Factory. . .that you made yourself. I love to cook, and I'm always on the lookout for sites like this. I can't wait to try;

Mason Jar Mesquite Chicken
KFC Fried Chicken
Outback Steakhouse Aussie Fries and Bloomin Onion

There are dozens to choose from. Anybody want to come for dinner?

Technorati Tags: restaurant, cooking, party

Read More...

I've just discovered the Greasemonkey extension for Firefox ! This is incredible. I've already used it to enhance Blogger significantly, and it can be used for many other sites I visit all the time.

If you decide to use the extension (and I've decided I won't be without it, ever, if I can help it...can you tell I'm excited?) This page has a tutorial for using it...

And you will find user scripts ready to install and use here!

When I first saw this extension a while back, it just looked too confusing, but it is surprisingly easy to use and is now an indispensable extension on my "must-have" list.

Read More...

Almost everyone who has a computer (and some people who don't even own one) have gotten them. Now, there's a good way to deal with those unwanted, unsolicited and sometimes unwelcome AOL promotion CDs. Click the link in the title of this post to find out more.

Read More...

Can a person be allergic...to an odor? I think so. The odors of cigar smoke and tar, for example, have always made me physically ill. I used to dread being in a closed car with my father when he lit a cigar. I could count on having a raging headache and an upset stomach every time.

I don't know if you've ever had the highly questionable privilege of smelling burned tea leaves. I have, and I didn't think there was anythng more repugnant...until now.
I began noticing a "gassy" odor in the dining room a couple of days ago, but we could'nt figure out where it was coming from. My husband, bless his heart, got up at 6 AM today to take out the kitchen trash after having a virus all day yesterday, but the odor did not change. I went to rest after having been up all night (see my other post for today), and he decided he was going to clean up a bit. When I got up, he told me he'd found the source of the odor. Spoiled onions. Trust me, it's worse than burned tea, and nearly as bad as cigar smoke and tar.

Read More...

For some time, I've been trying to build up the courage/energy to reformat my hard drive. If you've ever done this, you know it is not a task to be undertaken lightly or when there is not much time. It generally takes me two days to get everything restored since I don't yet have disk imaging software. (I wish!) So yesterday, I decided to take the plunge. Everything was going well, and I was re-installing my software, when I suddenly realized...there was no sound. The sound had been working perfectly, and I hadn't opened the case. I couldn't figure out what the problem was. I decided to try reformatting yet again...of course, the same issue arose. I needed to copy a driver and I finally did figure that out and I found it on one of my other drives. By this time, it was about 6 AM this morning. I had been up just about 24 hours. I was frantic to get the computer back to some semblance of usability, since I do have to use it tomrrrow for work.

Anyway, I did finally get it sorted. I don't yet have everything the way I want it, but I can work on it now in odd moments. I'm determined this time to maintain better organization, and I'm determined not to just re-install everything I had before. To do that defeats the purpose of the reformat. I'm going to reformat at least twice per year; the last time I did was last November.

I need to work on my profiles for Firefox, along with about two dozen other tasks I can't think of currently. So, yes, Virginia, there is life after the dark side of a reformat.

Read More...

I've got a new blog going. See the left sidebar for a link. Its purpose? to share inspirational pieces I've collected while browsing, or have received in my e mail from time to time.

Most people I know read the Lord of the Rings trilogy in middle school, right along with The Hobbit I'm a late bloomer, so to speak, in many ways, and I didn't get to read the books until the movies came out. I saw the first movie, and immediately went to the bookstore across from the theater to buy the books. (I got the last set on the shelf, and two women behind me were disappointed and offered to buy them from me. I declined their offer. All of this is just for fun, because I just took one of those online quizzes, and this is the first time I've posted one here.

This particular quiz's results are relatively shallow, in my opinion. Yes, Aragorn did what was expected of his, like it or not, but I think he was probably rather successful as King of Gondor.

Which Lord of the Rings relic should you own?
created with QuizFarm.com

You scored as Anduril. You should own Anduril, the sword made out of the shards of Narsil. You accept what you need to do and do what is expected even if your thoughts differ.

Which Lord of the Rings relic should you own?
created with QuizFarm.com

Technorati Tags: quizzes, fun, entertainment, LOTR

Read More...

New tools and new image
It sometimes takes me a while to get everything "plugged in" when I'm trying something new on my blog. I've found that perseverance is an asset.

I've added my photo to the blog. It's not a recent one, but it is me. I did this by viewing some source code, editing it, then copying and previewing it in the template editor before saving the changes and republishing the blog.

Firefox is proving to be indispensable even when it comes to blogging. It is helpful to be able to have my template editor open in one tab, the sites I'm working with in another one or two, and switch between them as needed. I've been able to view source code, make notes in my notetab editor, then copy and preview the code, without getting lost in the process.

I've decided to use the same approach to more completely restore my posts from my previous blog, My Day. I love it when things come together!
Technorati Tags: Firefox, blogging, photos

Read More...

I noticed an odd thing after the cable modem was in place: I could load webpages lightning fast...just as I expected...but I could not load the homepage for my new ISP. So I sent an e mail asking for help; they replied saying I should be able to load the page in any browser..and they had no information on Firefox, which is my default browser, so I should ask someone familiar with Firefox about the issue. So, off to the support forums I went. I posted there and got the help I needed, and now the page loads perfectly. The settings for my QuickTime plug-in needed tweaking. Sometimes, being tenacious can be a pain, but I find it pays off more often than not.

Read More...

The cable technician finnally did arrive. Our phone had been disconnected by the time he tried to call to say he was on the way, and Jay had to call to say we were waiting for him. It didn't take very long to get everything set up, and it's working great. We now have features on our phone for free that we used to have to pay extra for, plus a lot of other cool services that are included in the package...for less than we were paying before. It's a win-win situation; I'll take those anytime I can get them.

Read More...

Today! We're getting a package deal from our cable company that will save about $100 per month on telephone, cable, and internet access bills. We've had our cable back for six months, and there was an ad for the package, so Jay called and set it up to be installed after we discussed it. Competition is a wonderful thing.

I'm up earler than usual...not entirely by choice. Let's just say I had medication for breakfast. You don't want the details.

I did some preliminary work on my recipes blog (kitchen classics) last night. At least the misadventure has pushed me to create a folder for the recipes instead of having them scattered. Organization is a good thing. When I've got it done, I will put the link back in the sidebar; I haven't yet decided what to do about the Firefox one. I may or may not resurrect it (does anyone read it?) Besides, most of those tips have come from other sources, and I've just pulled them together. Still, it may be worth doing. Food for thought. I was amazed how panicked I felt when I thought I'd lost this blog. I've gone from "I'm never going to have a blog. Who needs them?" to "I'm never going to be without a blog." It's right up there on the must-have list with internet access.

Read More...

I've tried to make a link for this site on my blog....
For just about as long as I've been tinkering with the template, and I haven't been able to get it to work as a link...so here's another route. This is a site where some of my friends hang out. You may or may not agree with them, but it is a fun site. The name of the site is somewhat tongue-in-cheek, and has a history behind it that I won't go into here.

Read More...

Here's a list of software I've recently installed, in no particular order:

w.bloggar
Stick
AutoPlay Repair
Bubbler
TweakUI
NoteTab Pro (re-install)
KeePass
Celestia
AlleyCode
InTouch
Pretty Good Solitaire
FlashPaste
Crimson Editor
Simply Safe Backup 2005
E-Sword
Irfanview
WindowBlinds
FileZilla
Ultra Hal Text-to-Speech Reader
I need to burn some files to CD's soon...

Read More...

Yesterday I mentioned I had e mailed the creators of NoteTab Pro about a support issue. I got a response today, and the problem has been successfully resolved. (The help files were missing from the program.) What I needed to do was to re-install the software. The e mail I received contained clear and helpful instructions for doing so, and everything is back to normal. I consider the support to be excellent. This is a versatile text editor for all kinds of tasks, and I use it multiple times per day. I would not want to be without it, any more than I ever want to be without AlleyCode, Filezilla, Firefox or a number of other favorites. I'm a very loyal user, and I don't hesitate to recognize the quality of support, good or bad. I tend to delete software for which the support is indifferent or bad; who has time or the desire to use software for which there is poor (or no) support? Certainly not moi.

I've even burned the application's exe file to a cd for safekeeping, so now I can reinstall when necessary. No more worrying about hard drive crashes/upgrade issues nuking my file...(I know, I know...I also back up my other files!)

Read More...

I did spend some time working on my web page, but WebBuilder is turning out not to be as easy to use at it appeared it would at first glance...so I don't know if I'm going to work on it more now or not. I tend to become easily frustrated, since I can clearly "see" how I want the page to look in my mind...and yet, it's not so simple to get there. So I get impatient. You should see my bookmarks lists...they are massive, because I collect so many on a daily basis for later reference. Seems like I'm just determined to remain a packrat, one way or another! I'd like to do some baking today, since I didn't get to it yesterday.

I had to get some help from our unit timekeeper to figure out my time and leave this week. Good news is, I'll have 20 hours of leave built up by the end of this week; not so good news is I had one hour of Leave without pay...sigh. I think my most recent bout of bronchitis is responsible for most of that.

Read More...

Today really is much better than yesterday. For one thing, I did get my banana bread (two loaves) baked first thing. I had to use the bananas before they got too ripe. I dislike black bananas intensely.

I decided for now to shelve Webbuilder. So I went looking for other software that I can use to create webpages. I found Alleycode. It's a silly sounding name, but it does work well. I particularly like being able to actually edit the code, nd the Synchroview feature is handy because I can watch the page develop, step by step. Webbuilder would enter anything I typed, but I couldn't edit if I made mistakes. Plus, Alleycode has a full tutorial and much better help documentation. I completed most of the turotial, and successfully reproduced the example page. Which reminds me, I e mailed Fookes software last night about an issue I'm having with NoteTab Pro. I suppose I won't have a response until sometime this week.

I also got into "my" site at f2o using FileZilla. That in itself was gratifying, since I have zero experience with most of this currently. And none of it costs a cent!!! I've found tutorials, scads of resources and lots of utilities online.

I even had a good chat with Lauren on the phone this morning; she called as I was about to finish the batter for the bread. Dylan even said "hi", although mostly he just smiled, according to Lauren. Her reply when I asked if she and Dylan wanted to come over and have some of the bread was, "save me some!" That's partly why I made two...but there are no guarantees.

Read More...

It promises to be a stormy night here...welcome to spring. We've been under severe weather advisories/alerts all day. I've finished work, and the weekend is going to be educational, to say the least. I am going to do some coding for my own website...which should fill up a lot of tomorrow. So much to learn!

I'm also going to work on Bubbler just for fun. My sister and I may collaborate on a website; it's a topic under discussion currently.

I've decided not to have Dylan over this weekend, so it will be easier to focus on these plans; it's not fair to him to try to do it when he's here.

I'm also going to bake, probably banana bread.

Jay had a meeting yesterday with his attorney to prepare for his Social Security hearing next week. I went along for moral support, and he said I was a help to him during the appointment. I hope so.

Read More...