Wednesday, July 25, 2007

Blog Snoopers

Yep, thar be blog snoopers out there. I did an experiment yesterday. I took my profile out of privacy mode.

30 people read my blog yesterday. I can subtract my 3 regulars as they are subscribers. 27 strangers read my blog *slap hands to cheek*.

I guess there are people out there who just spend their days reading about the lives of others. I wonder what the person gets out of my blog.

Oh well, no more adding spice, if any, to their life. My profile has gone back into privacy mode. Oh wait, I know *looks down at blog options*. I'm going to set some of my blogs to "friends only". This way my profile is still public. That's what I'm going to do. Gonna to drive some blog readers crazy *evil grin*

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

Toilets Finally Fixed

Yes, both toilets are finally fixed. I fixed one and the other one magically fixed itself.

The powder room toilet I had to fixed myself. I finally did it after several tries -- darn flapper and chain. I even read a book in there while doing it Well, I had to pass time somehow after each flush while the tank filled up again.

Pointy came running downstairs on Saturday screaming "My toilet flushes!" I looked at her and she said, "Really". I guess flushing it everyday finally did soften whatever was stuck. If not, I was going to make a trip one weekend up to Bro to pickup the extra snake he had. I did buy another plunger, but it did not help because there was not a proper seal to create vacuum. Pointy was so happy. She called Bro to give him the great news. I told Pointy not to use it yet for the weekend and to keep flushing for awhile. She can't wait to clean it and to use it.

This leaves one last major thing to do -- get the fridge back to its home

Monday, July 23, 2007

Were in the Office

I dug up a tiger. He was just hanging around. Really, it was hanging from a picture frame off one of my shelves. The picture was just stuck into the exterior frame. I thought I would share.

This was taken at EPCOT Imagineering where KODAK provided a whole series of photo stations in 2002. You take your picture and then combine it with a whole bunch of other images. When done, you can email it to family and friends who are not with you. If I remember correctly, it also sends you a copy so you have a keepsake.

I need to hunt for the one with BEE in it. I think she chose a monkey. It was real cute. There are a couple of other pictures from the 2002 trip that are fun. Maybe they will pop up in my travels through piles of paper.

I was back at EPCOT in September 2006. They have a whole new set of photo equipment.

Yes, that is my face on there. I did not know what was going to be done with my face. I chose a tiger. Why? In the Chinese zodiac, I was born in the year of the tiger.

Hey, notice my glasses :D In human form, I'm in disguise with glasses like Clark Kent.

Given my love of Sherrilyn Kenyon's Hunter Legends, it made me think of were-tigers LOL. I could be a cousin to Wren ;)

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Paper, Peanuts, Bubbles or Air Sacks

Did you figure out what paper, peanuts, bubbles and air sacks have in common?

The Fedex Man dropped off a box full of TimTams (yum yum yum) today. It also came with peanuts as extraneous packing material. This was the second box I got in the past week with peanuts. I also got a box last week that I finally opened and knew it will have paper as the packing material. It just got me thinking about the packing materials that are used.

Some companies, like Disney, has started to use paper, the stuff that comes on rolls, as packing material. Bubbles are either mini or large, the bubble wrap. Companies use it to protect delicate stuff (yeah, Disney uses this, too). Peanuts, of course, are those styroform stuff in many shapes like pasta that goes all over the place if you don't open the box properly. They are also very clingy items. Air sacks are humongous plaqstic sacks that contain air, like bubbles :D

I don't know which I like. They all create a lot of extra trash. Though I don't throw majority of it out. I recycle what I can.

I use to have bags and bags and bags of peanuts. It's funny because I open a closet that I don't use often in the basement. It seems my mom on one of her visits decided to organize my basement. She threw all the bags into the closet. I went in there looking for something. Darn, there were lots of bags to take out. I finally got rid of them by dropping them off at my local packaging/shipping/mailbox store. They were more than happy to take them. This is a great way for you to recycle those darn peanuts if you're not saving them for yourself. Just find a local packing store.

The paper is also recycled, but what a pain to do as I have to straighten out long long long sheets of paper and fold them neatly so it can go with my paper recycle pile. Oh, many many moons ago I use to save the paper cause they came in pretty colors. Still have rolls. It will make pretty wrapping paper. And I did use it once. With a rubber stamp and ink, you can make your own wrapping paper.

The bubbles :) I pop some for stress relief -- these wind up in the trash bag. The unpopped ones get saved for when I need to mail stuff out -- I do the occasional sell on ebay. Boy do I have a lot saved. There are some bags of those in the closet, too.

I guess the air sacks are the least friendly as I pop them and then stuff them into the garbage. What else are you suppose to do with the air sacks. I'm not saving them.

What do you do with the packing material?

Monday, July 16, 2007

*VBG* New Toys

I love new toys. Pointy likes one of them.

When I was getting out of the dinosaur age and moving to DSL, my Bro said not to get wireless box as technology is not there yet to keep outsiders out of your stuff -- snoopers or people driving by looking for a connection. I got a wired DSL model and connected it to a hub so Pointy and I can be on at the same time. That means we're stuck in the living room and dining room. I always wanted to wire upstairs but that means pulling cable or running long wire all the way upstairs (not very good look). I solved my problem. I came across a Linksys system that uses some kind of signal. Plug one box into the hub. Plug the other box into your computer. Your computer can be anywhere in the house. Pointy loved it this Friday as she was able to do work-work in the kitchen. This is one toy. Good toy because I can go upstairs now.

My other toy came today. I'm all hooked and playing with it. It's a Graphire (the 4x5 one). It's a pen, mouse and tablet combo. It also comes with Adobe PhotoShop Elements 3.0, Corel Painter Essentials and Nik Color Efex Pro. Now, I can upgrade my Elements. Can't wait to see what I can do graphically with this. *rubbing hands together* Need to see if I can sneak in time between work. Oh what FUN!

Sunday, July 15, 2007

Netflix Catchup

I've been bad. Pointy said I had movies sitting since January. Even though Netflix does not charge a late fee, it's still a waste of money when movies are not watched and sent back on a timely manner. I have the $17.99 plan/3 at-a-time. Pointy also has a 3 at-a-time plan. She's better at watching her stuff. Well, we caught up on movies this weekend.

Norbit - The many personas of Eddie Murphy. It had funny moments here and there. If I remember correctly, Eddie played husband (Norbit), his bully wife (Rasputia) and his orphan home surrogate father (Mr. Wong). There were many scenes where husband and wife played side by side. In the special area, it explained that Eddie played each part a day and talked to a tennis ball.

Zathura - A very good movie dealing with two young brothers who do not get along as they are both dealing with recent parent divorce and are vying for father's attention. They find a game that takes them into outerspace and have to learn to deal with each other in order to get back to earth. It was a shame to watch a beautiful mission style house get destroyed.

Click - Adam Sandler tries to balance work/family life using a remote. Poor guy, what a way to learn what is important. There was a scene that reminded me about Norbit :D. I enjoyed it.

That's all folks. Still have 3 more to watch: Eragon, Hannibal Rising, and Freedom Writers. Maybe next weekend. But three more movies will arrive. What a viscous cycle :D

Friday, July 13, 2007

Wishing Well

I came across these two photos in shoveling out my office. You can click on the pictures to see larger images.

One of the items found at a bridal shower is a wishing well. I looked at renting one but they were all so frilly looking and just did not look like a wishing well -- thinking Snow White at her well. Did I really want to spend the time and money picking it up, getting it to the party and then returning it again? No. How hard could it be to make one myself?

Yep, I built me a wishing well. The neat thing about this creation, the bride-to-be was able to use the innards. The well and roof is a plastic clothes hamper. The rods are from the broom and dust shovel combo. A bit small but I found a citronella candle in a pail. Poster boards (red and black I think), garbage bag, paper towel cardboard tubes, napkins, ivy, paint, sponge brushes, glue stick, wire/string and some ladybugs later... TA DA... a wishing well.

I look back on this picture which is about 7 years old and feel good about myself. I'm not the artistic one in my family. That goes to my Bro and other sisters. If I remember correctly, I was not too happy with it when it was done. As they say, your worse critic is yourself. It came out good *big smile*. Pointy says I'm crafty *blushes*. I especially like the ladybugs.

And here's what it looks like filled up. It's not as deep as you think it is. I think I stuffed a box at the bottom for the dust shovel to rest on as the pole is only so long. I did not want anyone to fall into the well to reach the gifts that could have fallen to the bottom of the well.

The bride-to-be, my SIL, was very happy. When I visit their home, I come across the hamper. I don't think I've seen the broom/shovel.

Sunday, July 1, 2007

Unknown Caller

I've been meaning to write this blog for the last several days. Since my bro got me up at 5:30am this morning to drive him into the city (NYC) to fix his car that broke down two days ago and I'm still up, I might as well get this one done. Pointy keeps asking me did I do it.

"Unknown Caller" is what comes up on the home phone caller id. We don't answer the phone if we don't know who it is.

I've been working from home for the last two weeks. Like an alarm clock, this unknown caller rings once in the morning and again in the afternoon. If it really is important, you should leave a message. Oh no, it rings and rings and rings until the answering machine picks up and UC hangs up.

I got fed up on Wednesday afternoon. I answered the phone and put UC on speakerphone. I did not say a word. I had Paula Dean from Food Network on. UC can be entertained by Paula. I kept on hearing UC asking for me UC finally hangs up.

Thursday morning. I'm on my laptop. I'm streaming Z100 radio station. UC calls. answer the phone and put it right on top of my laptop speakers. I continue working. UC must have finally hung up because my phone tells me what to do if I want to make a call . UC calls again in the afternoon and do the same thing again.

It's Friday. No sign of UC. They must have finally gotten the message that this is not a worthwhile household to call

SOUTHNET is on the caller id. I don't know anything about Southnet. I think I'm going to give them the same treatment. They will either get silence, music or my fingers tapping on the keyboard.