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      Monday, January 01, 2007

otherstuff 03:41 PM - 01/01/2007 The topic: A new year ---------------------------------------------- Time to play catch-up with the stuff I didn’t get done last year.  Or the year before that.  I got the kitchen and laundry room floors washed and waxed, I’m doing some laundry, too.  I’m finally transferring the DV tapes to my hard drive.  I bought another one of those disk storage things that you can connect to your computer and know at a glance what’s on each disk.  I got one a while back and it doesn’t work with the new computer.  I emailed support and never got a response.  I think that sucks.  Anyway, I want this to be the year I finish getting organized. Heh. | Permalink

tales from the parkside 03:44 PM - 01/01/2007 The topic: Update on my mom ---------------------------------------------- Well, she hasn’t had a cigarette or beer since last Sunday, Christmas Eve. We had an ongoing discussion during the week about my concerns over how she was that night.  She ‘fessed up to having only quit smoking for a couple of weeks after her surgery back in 1999.  She said she probably was smoking a pack a day every since.  She tells me this and I do my best to not let my disappointment show in my voice.  She has so much and those damned cigarettes just won’t let go of her.  And to think she’s been keeping this a secret for over six years is just unimaginable.  Never knowing when I might just drop in, although I’ve never been much of one to just drop by. All the things she’s complained about, the always being cold, the fact that food just doesn’t taste good so she doesn’t eat (and keeps losing weight), I just keep going back to the tobacco.  After all, people have a hard time quitting and not gaining weight.  Mom can most certainly USE the weight, she’s skin and bones. Brian and I went to breakfast this morning and stopped by her house on the way home.  We went up to the back door and it was locked.  I called her on my cell and she almost yelled “where were you?”  She was upset that I hadn’t called her like I usually do on weekday mornings. I said “we’re at your back door, let us in.”  We gave her the Sharp’s non alcoholic beer we picked up for her at CostCo last week. She showed me the nicotine patch and proudly told us that she’d not had a cigarette or a beer since last Sunday.  I praised her and gave her a big hug (can’t do a tight one since she’s so thin, don’t want to break anything).  She said she’s feeling better than she had been.  One of the things she’s been complaining about is this cold she’s had that just won’t go away, and along with it, a queasy feeling.  Maybe an empty tummy does that.  I dunno. But if she’s truly feeling better, that would be a positive reinforcement for what she’s doing.  I’m very proud of her for even trying.  She’s a tough old broad and I know she can do it if she really wants to. | Permalink

      Tuesday, January 02, 2007

catstuff 07:34 AM - 01/02/2007 The topic: It’s TUMMY TUESDAY #24! ---------------------------------------------- Today’s tummy is a twofer from April 6, 2005.  Here we have a young Ross with an even younger Joey stretched out on the bed. ================================================ If you’ve got a Tummy Tuesday blog entry, feel free to post the link in the comment section or trackback to this entry. And if you put a link back to this page, then more kitties will get to show off their tummies!   | Permalink

      Friday, January 05, 2007

otherstuff 12:34 PM - 01/05/2007 The topic: Problems with graphic programs ---------------------------------------------- The past couple of weeks, I’ve been having some annoying problems with my graphic programs.  (One of the reasons I’ve not been posting much.) Like, they wouldn’t run.  Corel support was pretty much useless, they advised uninstalling and reinstalling the programs, which didn’t help at all.  I finally narrowed it down to the USB tablet I’ve got hooked up to the computer.  Somewhere along the line, the driver became corrupted.  After I reinstalled the driver for it, the programs loaded up. Except PSPXl doesn’t save the EXIF information when you make copies.  I found a workaround.  I save the copy, then close out of PSPXl, open PSPX, open the original and the edited copy, put the copy on top of the original as a layer, merge the two, and save with the name of the copy.  The EXIF information is saved.  What a PITA.  Corel really screwed up PSP.  I wish JASC had never sold out. | Permalink

catstuff 12:51 PM - 01/05/2007 The topic: Little Bit ---------------------------------------------- Little Bit likes to get high. She likes to lay on the top of the cedar swing in the morning and catch the first rays of the sun as they come into the yard. Brian moves the swing around the yard each time he mows the lawn.  He does this to prevent big ruts in the lawn from the legs of the swing.  I guess Lonee doesn’t care too much for the latest position. She found a new spot to catch the rays.  Even sooner than before. click for a larger pic click for a larger pic click for a larger pic click for a larger pic   (Gah, I have to redo the bigger pictures since I unthinkingly used pictures I'd save in PSPXl.) ================================================ Be sure to check out this week's Carnival of the Cats being smartly hosted by Leslie's Omnibus, where the Divine Miss Marilyn struts her stuff.   | Permalink

      Saturday, January 06, 2007

otherstuff 09:02 AM - 01/06/2007 The topic: Hershey’s syrup ---------------------------------------------- Way back in the olden days, before marriage and long before I had to wear a “wide load” sign on my butt, when I got ready for work, I’d have a half gallon of vanilla ice cream open, pour on some canned Hershey’s syrup and get a big spoon and eat while I did my hair and makeup.  Ah, those were the days. And that canned Hershey’s syrup always tasted good.  Way better than the stuff in the plastic squeeze bottle, in my opinion.  What about yours?  Do you remember canned Hershey’s syrup?  Are you a Hershey’s syrup connoisseur?  What’s your opinion? (If you haven’t tried both, then don’t vote.) | Permalink

      Sunday, January 07, 2007

graphicsstuff 08:39 AM - 01/07/2007 The topic: Roadtrip pictures ---------------------------------------------- Looking through old pictures, I don’t know why I never posted some of them, they’re pretty nice.  The day we caught the Little Bit’s last batch of kittens and I had them safely installed in my bathroom, we went for a drive through the mountains down to the desert.  In search of rain. We missed most of the rain, but saw some of the after effects.  There was quite a bit of flooding down in Borrego, run off from the thunderstorms in the mountains.  I took some pictures of that and I’ll have them up in the photo gallery later.  Anyway, I really liked these two (remember to click on the image for a larger photo).     ================================================ The rest of the photographs from that trip are now up and ready for viewing. | Permalink

catstuff 10:47 AM - 01/07/2007 The topic: Vet appointment ---------------------------------------------- I made an appointment for Bart.  He’s fifteen now, not a youngster and he’s slowing down.  He’s also been looking a little scruffy. We’re going in Tuesday morning. He eats okay and does everything else he should be doing, but since he’s fifteen, I’ve been thinking I should take him in for a geriatric blood panel.  Just in case there’s something going on, like maybe kidney disease or something else and we can catch it in time before it’s too late to do anything about it. He’s such a good boy. When I was feeling so bad last month, he stayed right by my side, keeping me warm and comfy.   | Permalink

salestuff 01:23 PM - 01/07/2007 The topic: New category ---------------------------------------------- Beside the new category for showing off my graphic stuff (like pictures), I set up a new one for “stuff for sale”.  This one will be to showcase things I’m selling at my own little teeny tiny auction page.  Like the jewelry I make, as well as some other things.  I was going to post some examples, but it would appear I’ve lost all of the photos I’d taken, modified and had ready to upload. *sigh* | Permalink

otherstuff 01:40 PM - 01/07/2007 The topic: I love this weather! ---------------------------------------------- It's a gorgeous day today, the kind that makes me appreciate Southern California. It's a nice breezy mild day, the wind blowing in from the desert, a Santa Ana wind. All of the doors and windows are open to take advantage of the fresh air. But these winds bring something in that bothers the hell out of my sinuses, giving me one booger of a headache. (Get it? Sinuses? Booger? ) But Excedrin will take care of the headache, then I can really enjoy this day. Brian's up at the property and I've run the Roomba in the living room, dining room and kitchen. I've got some laundry going and when the current load has dried, I'll test out my brand spanking new iron. A Black&Decker "Digital Evolution" (which I can find NOwhere online), 1500 watts. And I'll use it on my brand spanking new ironing board. That oughta be fun.   Georgie likes a warm dryer   And I've got the usual stuff to do. Like litterboxes. Blech.   | Permalink

      Monday, January 08, 2007

catstuff 07:09 AM - 01/08/2007 We found a penny on our walk this morning The topic: Kitty Movie Monday ---------------------------------------------- Last week, I finally started getting my videos transferred to the hard drive in preparation for getting them burned to disk. I came across quite a few that have cats as the stars.  This one was taken last year, August, I think, when Ron and Rory were just little tykes. ================================================ Check out the one and only original Kitty Movie Monday! ================================================ This movie was made with SwishVideo. | Permalink

otherstuff 09:38 AM - 01/08/2007 The topic: Housework ---------------------------------------------- I didn’t get the ironing done yesterday. Instead, I spent a couple of hours trying to figure out how to get PSP v.8 as an action option for Windows when I plug in a memory card.  That was a waste of time.  The Micro$oft website said if your software came with your computer, then contact your computer manufacturer for help.  Oh, well. So, this morning I’m going to iron.  Brian’s final words out the door were “get my shirts ironed so I can stay warm”.  I have this incredible urge to get a loose house dress, put my hair up in big plastic curlers,  put on some slip on slippers, make a humongous pot of coffee, and buy a pack of cigarettes to have a lit one hanging out of my mouth, with the ashtray sitting on the ironing board.  And turn the television to soap operas. Because that’s how they always show ironing housefraus in the cartoons. Every once in a while it’s fun to think about stepping into the stereotype. | Permalink

      Tuesday, January 09, 2007

catstuff 06:21 AM - 01/09/2007 The topic: It’s TUMMY TUESDAY #25! ---------------------------------------------- Click for a bigger pic It’s a baby Richie Cunningham tummy!  Wasn’t he just the cutest thang? ================================================ If you’ve got a Tummy Tuesday blog entry, feel free to post the link in the comment section or trackback to this entry. And if you put a link back to this page, then more kitties will get to show off their tummies!   | Permalink

otherstuff 10:22 AM - 01/09/2007 The topic: Postcards ---------------------------------------------- I used to have free postcards available from this website.  But when I enabled the hotlink protection, the javascripts no longer worked. And then I found that people were just taking the images and sending them to their friends, not using the card site at all.  Just going in, finding a card and sucking my bandwidth, stealing the images and sending them along.  That was the final straw.  I ended the postcards.  It just really pissed me off, since there were disclaimers on every page that these images were copyrighted and not for general use.  People just didn’t care. I spent a lot of time on that site when I first got it up.  Had some fun javascripts and fun pictures.  The winner of Dorissimo's Kitty of the Month contest had their picture up, available as a postcard.  People could upload their own image and their own music to send to friends. But as time went by, I lost interest in it.  Found other things to do online.  Found games that wasted way too much of my days.  Found out how very easy it was to spend money online.  (One of my most favoritest things in the whole wide world! *lol*)  Way back when I first started my website, even over at GeoCities, I used MyPostcards.com service.  I paid by the year.  The images and music and card codes were all on my website, but the cards actually moved through their website.   And they did a pretty good job.  They had advertising for the various postcard sites and were very, very friendly and helpful.  But it go to the point that I didn’t want to have to depend on anyone to do what I had on my website.  I got this hair up my butt (where on earth did that saying come from?) that I didn’t want anything hosted remotely.  I’d have my own guestbooks, thank you very much.  I’d have my own forums, too.  I figured I wanted control over them and I was real tired of the remotely hosted applications changing owners, changing rules, changing prices. And so, I found a nice little postcard script, a friend (Melanie of Some Moore Cats) did some major script hacks for me and made the nice little postcard script even better.  And everything was good, until I disabled hotlinking. So, I get to thinking I might like to do the postcards again.  And you know what?  I’ve changed my feeling on remotely hosted.  I’m going with MyPostcards.com again.   I paid for a year.  If I don’t like the way it works, I can always cancel.  And maybe, if you, dear reader, like the postcards and use the postcards, you might add a little to the tipjar.  To offset the cost of the cards. | Permalink

catstuff 10:51 AM - 01/09/2007 The topic: Bartholomew ---------------------------------------------- Well, $250 less in the bank account, $200 of that for blood tests. Bart has lost a pound since last August.  Other than that, the vet said he was looking really good.  But the weight loss is a concern.  I’m glad I took him in for blood tests.  He’s being tested for thyroid problems as well as a full comprehensive blood panel (which includes kidney).  He was a real trooper while having the blood taken (they did two places, leg and neck).  I was real proud of him. The results should be in this afternoon. The vet took his blood pressure (with a little kitty cuff and everything!) and it’s fine. The vet said the weight loss could be thyroid, could be kidney, or could be because Bart is just getting old, which is a common thing (aging and weight loss). The vet said I’ve done a good job of keeping the eye problem under control (herpes in the eye, thanks to NotWally).  He said we’ve done a good job of taking care of him since he seems to be doing so well.  I said “good genes”, thinking about the cats we lost last year. Ciara, mostly, she wasn’t that old. All of our cats get the same treatment and care here at home, so there’s more to it than just taking good care of them. Keep your fingers and paws crossed that’s all it is. When we got home, I let him out of the carrier, he went outside.  I put the carrier up, then went outside after him.  We walked around the yard a bit, then he found a nice spot of dirt and took a bath.  Lovely, a dirt covered kitty cat, ready to come inside and take a nice kitty cat nap. He’s happy this adventure is over. | Permalink

catstuff 12:48 PM - 01/09/2007 The topic: Vet just called ---------------------------------------------- And Bart’s bloodwork came back great!  No problems, everything is working as it should. Yay!  He did say we should probably do this once a year, just to be safe.  Sounds good to me. | Permalink

      Wednesday, January 10, 2007

otherstuff 08:37 AM - 01/10/2007 We found a penny on our walk this morning The topic: Postcard nightmare ---------------------------------------------- So, I found the ancient backup of my original postcard site.  I upload the cards.  I test a couple.  The java cards did not work. Just like they did not work with my most recent cardshop script.  I disabled the hotlink protection and they worked.  So, I disabled sitewide hotlink protection and added it to each individual directory. But what I’m gonna have to do is split the java card images out from the other images, having two directories. And I can hotlink protect the regular card images, but not protect the java card images.  I think that might work. I’ll be testing it as the day goes on.  And if I can get it to work that way, I’ll start setting up the cardshoppe.  If it doesn’t work, I can upload the java images to the MyPostcard site and get them to work that way. What a PITA. | Permalink

      Thursday, January 11, 2007

otherstuff 07:08 AM - 01/11/2007 We found a penny on our walk this morning The topic: Open letter to Donald Trump ---------------------------------------------- Dear Mister Trump, Let me preface my letter by saying that I’ve never seen an episode of the Apprentice.  I don’t watch reality shows, I have a life. I have no need to watch other people live.  I watch television to be entertained.  I don’t find reality shows entertaining.  I’ve never seen an episode of Survivor, American Idol or anything of that ilk.  Nor do I watch talk shows or soap operas. My tastes run to crime shows and scripted comedy shows. That said, I’ve never seen an episode of the View and I’ve never seen a full episode of the Rosie O’Donnell Show. That out of the way, I’d like to know what grade you’re in.  Elementary school?  Middle school?  Because you sure aren’t acting like an adult.  The way I see it is I’d never have known that Rosie said anything on the View to bruise your tender ego, had you just taken the high road and let it blow over. I don’t care what Rosie O’Donnell thinks about you.  I don’t care what she thinks about your pageant.  (I don’t care what anybody thinks about anybody’s pageants, for that matter. )  And along the same lines, I don’t care what you think about Rosie O’Donnell.  I know if you’d kept your yap shut to begin with and not felt this burning need to bring it to the public, how she done you wrong, and escalated it to the point that you have, I’d still be clueless about the entire thing.  I liked being clueless about the entire thing. So, just STFU about it already.  An asshole with money is still an asshole.  Quit acting like one. And you have an open invitation to come sit in my kitchen and let me work my Flowbee on your hair. Sincerely, Dianne | Permalink

      Friday, January 12, 2007

otherstuff 09:29 AM - 01/12/2007 The topic: Hehehe! ---------------------------------------------- I’ve got both of my Roombas going right now.  One in the dining room, one in the living room. A couple of weeks ago, I did a fair job of cleaning up the sensors and what have you on the old Discovery.  It seems to be doing a much better job of cleaning up the little stuff.  After their done in those rooms, I’ll move them to other areas of the house. And I don’t feel a bit guilty. Some of the cats think they’re fun.  Sagwa and Ross look like they’re kind of playing with them.  Cute. | Permalink

tales from the parkside 11:06 AM - 01/12/2007 The topic: Mom update ---------------------------------------------- She’s doing much better. She’s on day seventeen of the patch, first step.  She was planning on going to CostCo today and pick up the next step.  Earlier this week I got a booklet of CostCo coupons, one for the patch.  A fifteen dollar savings and you can get up to three boxes with this savings.  She stopped by here to pick up the coupon. She was thrilled that she’s had absolutely no craving for a ciggie.  I told her “That’s the patch working; you quit wearing the patch, the craving will come back. The patch is to wean your body away from that craving.”  She’s just so proud of herself, and rightly so.  Her 75th birthday was Wednesday.  I got her a candy bra (gag gift) that had her laughing so hard she almost peed her pants.  She didn’t realize it was candy, though.  She told me later she took it down to the clubhouse to show her friends and the assistant manager asked if he could have a piece of it.  She didn’t believe him when he told her it was candy and thought he and the manager were trying to pull something on her when they told her to try it.   When she got home, she said, she licked it and it was really candy!  I also bought her ten pounds of fruitcake.  Yeah, an odd thing, but she loves it and I figure it might help get her back interested in eating.  The ten pounds is really ten one pound boxes.  I got five of dark fruitcake and five of light fruitcake.  She told me Thursday she’d already almost finished one box.  She’s sounding much better and looking much better.  More clear and bright eyed than she had looked.  When my father died back in 1987, he left her in a major bad financial mess.  She sold their house the year after he died, since the upkeep was too much for her.  She made a little bit of money on it, enough to buy a mobile home in a senior citizen’s mobile home park. She pays a space rent and utilities, about $700 a month, give or take.  She gets a social security check and a benefits check from the government, that dad had paid into when he was alive. Her medical coverage is from the place he was employed when he died; I’m not real clear if she gets a stipend from them, other than the medical care.  I think, all told, she gets somewhere around $1500 a month.  Since he died, she paid off all of the creditors and now boasts a savings of over a hundred thousand dollars.  She thinks about how much more there’d be if she’d handled the finances when dad was alive (he was real bad with money).  She had set a goal of a hundred thousand a long time ago, saying “when I reach that, I can die in peace”.  I tell her “no, a hundred thousand isn’t enough; I want at least twice that, so you have to stick around a bit longer”.  She’s a great old lady.  I’m real proud of her.  She’s come a long way.  After dad died, she didn’t think she could do it, but I knew how strong she was and I had confidence in her.  It was well placed confidence. I love that old broad. | Permalink

otherstuff 01:03 PM - 01/12/2007 The topic: Music downloads ---------------------------------------------- They’ve been around for a while, but I only ever downloaded midi files.  Then, I got the 256K little refurbished SanDisk MP3 player from Woot. Well, in the package was an offer for free music downloads from this place calle eMusic.  I figured what the hell and signed up for the monthly minimum.  Less than ten bucks a month.  Downloaded some tunes.  And you know what?  I liked it!  After a few weeks, I tried some other download places when I was looking for some Disney tunes, but the ones I tried out had limits on the music.  One of them I bought and downloaded two albums.  Then the computer crashed and I lost the music.  To get them again, I’d have to have another license generated and for some reason, it wouldn’t work for me.  Luckily, I’d already bought those same two albums on CD so the download license crap limit wouldn’t be a problem.  I can make as many compilations as I like.  Brian’s two trucks have CD players.  The Mustang has a CD player.  The little Bronco has a CD player.  My Escape has a CD player.  We’ve got CD players in the bedroom, the living room, the exercise room and the office.  If I want a CD of the same music for each one, damnit, I want a CD for the same music for each one.  To hell with this limit crapola.  I won’t buy from iTunes and I won’t buy from Pure or whatever the name of that place was.  DRM be damned.  I’m not making these to sell or give away, they’re for my own personal use. Well,  eMusic doesn’t have those restrictions.  There’s no sort of magic coding on the downloads that prevent me from burning ten disks of the same album.  The idea of magic coding chills my blood.  Big brother on my computer, if you like. So, I checked out some of the other music available at eMusic.  Found some really relaxing covers of favorites.  Artists I’d never heard of before.  And some very soothing guitar music, Celtic music, instrumentals and the like.  I haven’t done much searching for well known artists, but I haven’t seen the need.  I like the off brand artists. *grin* (By the way, the little ditty behind the little kitten video came from an eMusic download.) Anyway, I’ve decided to finish out my BMG music club membership, get the freebies I’ve got coming, maybe buy one or two more CDs so that I can get the additional three points for one more freebie and once they’re all used up, I’m done with them.  I upped my eMusic membership to the max and I’ll stick with them.  I get seventy five downloads a month for $19.95, the cost of a CD.  I get the music I like.  It’s a win-win situation. So, if anybody would like to join, let me know.  The minimum is $9.95 a month.  I think it’s something like thirty downloads, maybe more.  And if you decide to join and use me as a reference, you get 25 free downloads and I get free downloads.  And they have a thing where if you want to download more, you can pay for more.  The membership amount runs out each month if you don’t download them all, but the extras stay until you use them all up, there’s no time limit on those.  If anyone had told me I’d like this so much, I’d have laughed.  But I do.  I like it a lot. I like free stuff, too. | Permalink

      Saturday, January 13, 2007

otherstuff 03:32 PM - 01/13/2007 The topic: CD Baby loves DIANNE ---------------------------------------------- One of the artists I really liked over at eMusic is Brother Andrew. I did a websearch and found he has another CD out, available at CDBaby.com. I bought it. I just got this notification confirming the order has been shipped.   Your CD has been gently taken from our CD Baby shelves with sterilized contamination-free gloves and placed onto a satin pillow. A team of 50 employees inspected your CD and polished it to make sure it was in the best possible condition before mailing. Our packing specialist from Japan lit a candle and a hush fell over the crowd as he put your CD into the finest gold-lined box that money can buy. We all had a wonderful celebration afterwards and the whole party marched down the street to the post office where the entire town of Portland waved 'Bon Voyage!' to your package, on its way to you, in our private CD Baby jet on this day, Saturday, January 13th. I hope you had a wonderful time shopping at CD Baby. We sure did. Your picture is on our wall as 'Customer of the Year'. We're all exhausted but can't wait for you to come back to CDBABY.COM!! Thank you once again, Derek Sivers, president, CD Baby the little CD store with the best new independent music   I thought that was pretty darned cute. | Permalink

      Sunday, January 14, 2007

otherstuff 10:18 AM - 01/14/2007 The topic: Cold! ---------------------------------------------- It got cold last night.  It’s almost ten thirty right now and it’s only 44° outside right now.  Brian went up to the property this morning and loaded the truck with stuff that needed to go up.  He came in and told me to bring the camera outside and take some pictures. The sprinklers on the bank came on last night and we had ourselves a little freeze of sorts. juniper (click for bigger pic) pine needles (click for bigger pic) Bird of Paradise (click for bigger pic) ice tree (click for bigger pic) It’s pretty neat.  But I wouldn’t want to live in it.  *lol* | Permalink

otherstuff 08:06 PM - 01/14/2007 The topic: Chargers lost! ---------------------------------------------- Chumps.  With the way they were playing, they sure didn’t deserve to win, that’s for sure. It would have been nice, but on the other hand, it’s nice that they lost because now we can get back to life as we know it. No more feeling the need to have football games, no more watching the playoffs. Whew.  I’m a if life gives ya lemons make lemonade type of person. *snort | Permalink

otherstuff 08:08 PM - 01/14/2007 The topic: Postcard site update ---------------------------------------------- Well, I got the basics figured out.  Now comes the time consuming part.  Doing all of the thumbnail picture pages.  And the java code. It took me over ten hours to get the backgrounds to work and once I was able to do it, it was a headslapping doh! time. | Permalink

      Tuesday, January 16, 2007

catstuff 06:43 AM - 01/16/2007 The topic: It’s TUMMY TUESDAY #26! ---------------------------------------------- Click for a bigger pic Celebrating a half year of Tummy Tuesdays, Georgie shows us how to keep warm on a cold day. Find a dryer that is running, find the best spot on top with the sun shining in, and take a snooze! ================================================ If you’ve got a Tummy Tuesday blog entry, feel free to post the link in the comment section or trackback to this entry. And if you put a link back to this page, then more kitties will get to show off their tummies! | Permalink

catstuff 10:01 AM - 01/16/2007 The topic: Cat problems ---------------------------------------------- Gah.  Oliver went after Mystie this morning.  Chased her through the house.  I was really surprised at how fast he can move when he wants to. I had to use the water spray to get him to knock it off. Then, on the cover over the catcam chair (which has many, many vice grips holding the sheets and bedspreads in place, the covers help keep the light from bothering us at night) Lorelei hurked.  It was so watery, it leaked through onto the stack of blank company checks on the bookshelf below.  Bleh.  That bedding is now in the laundry.  Maybe it’s the dry weather.  Or the fact that the house has been shut up the past few days because of the cold.  Kitty cabin fever maybe? I don’t know.  I do know I’ll be watching Lorelei for any other problems. | Permalink

      Thursday, January 18, 2007

otherstuff 03:23 PM - 01/18/2007 The topic: The light blogging ---------------------------------------------- is because I’ve been working on the postcard site.  It’s scary how much I’ve forgotten about code stuff.  Real scary.  I’ve got a couple of the template pages done, I have to relearn how to do the coding for the java applet cards (you know, that stuff that looks really cool, like a lake effect or snow or rain or a jigsaw puzzle or…or…or…). And I realized how very, very bad most of the original photos look.  When I originally did them, it was at a time when there was no such thing as cable or DSL internet.  Everybody was on dialup.  So, I compressed the graphics so that they wouldn’t choke a browser and not load up.  Since my scanner’s pretty old, I did a search and found a nice one, should be here next Monday.  Yep, I’m going to rescan all of the pictures and redo them. Something I found out today from one of my Bay area buds, that there's a problem when you save a JPEG. Not when you open it and close it, but if you do something to it and save it.  No matter what you use as a compression, from 100% to 0%, you lose some quality.  Pretty surprising, huh?  With my digital images, I usually make a copy (recall my complaints earlier this month about PSP v.11) to work with and don’t mess with the original at all.  But even just downloading a JPEG from the camera, you lose some of the quality (note to self, see if there’s another option for saving images on the camera).  Most are invisible to the human eye, but still….  And I still have the end of the year payroll reports to get done.  Shouldn’t take a lot of time, I’ve got the basics done, just have to fill in the forms and sign the checks. I did some ironing this afternoon, I can’t believe how long it takes to iron one long sleeved shirt.  I did eleven of them. Brian should be set for at least a week. Anyway,  that’s about it for now. | Permalink

      Sunday, January 21, 2007

otherstuff 12:35 PM - 01/21/2007 The topic: Did you ever really like a song? ---------------------------------------------- So much that you could listen to it over and over?  I’ve got a song like that.  The name of it is “Little Martha”.  The first time I heard it was on an Allman Brothers CD.  Then, it was on a Leo Kottke CD.  And I’ve found a couple of different artists’ versions over on eMusic.  I’ve downloaded every single one of them. It’s nice little bubbly guitar tune.  I really like it. | Permalink

      Tuesday, January 23, 2007

catstuff 06:19 AM - 01/23/2007 The topic: It’s TUMMY TUESDAY #27! ---------------------------------------------- Click for a bigger pic Today’s model is the lovely Lorelei, stretching out in front of the monitor after a little catnap. ================================================ If you’ve got a Tummy Tuesday blog entry, feel free to post the link in the comment section or trackback to this entry. And if you put a link back to this page, then more kitties will get to show off their tummies! | Permalink

otherstuff 02:49 PM - 01/23/2007 The topic: I hope they needed it more than me ---------------------------------------------- I found a recipe in one of my AllRecipe.com cookbooks for a dish called “Mexican Lasagna”.  It looked good, I needed a couple of things to round it out.  I don’t have much cash and I grabbed one of the hundreds my mom gave me. I got what I needed at the grocery store, plus a few other items and the total was $52.00 and change.  He hands me the paper money and receipt and the change comes out of one of those change things.  I put the change in my pocket.  I get out to the car and realize I don’t have the paper money. Forty-seven dollars worth of paper money.  I retrace my steps.  It’s gone.  Nobody turned it in. I hope whoever found it needs it more than I do. | Permalink

catstuff 06:58 PM - 01/23/2007 The topic: The leaves aren’t appealing ---------------------------------------------- We’ve got a bunch of leaves on the grass and I mentioned to Brian I was thinking about raking them up in a pile and seeing what the cats would do.  Imagine what a surprise I got when I went outside to find he’d raked them up for me. I grabbed the camera and started calling for the kitties to come play.  They weren’t interested.  Fine.  I went into the house and grabbed the catnip.  Came outside and sprinkled it throughout the leaves.  That worked.  I took the nip back inside and put it away, safely, then went back out.  There were many cats sniffing the pile of leaves.  Just as I was getting ready to start getting serious about taking pictures, one of the neighbors started revving up his car engine and the cats scattered.   But I did get some other shots.   Opie dashed over to the swing and stretched out to sharpen his claws (and no doubt leave a little Opie scent behind)     Oliver shows some interest in the catnip. He did venture in a little farther, but wasn't there long.       Wally keeps his distance from the leaves, the camera and me.     Marco hangs out on the cathouse. I guess you need more kittens to have fun with a pile of leaves.   | Permalink

catstuff 07:10 PM - 01/23/2007 The topic: Baby, it’s cold outside ---------------------------------------------- Click for a bigger pic And the question of the evening is “where am I supposed to sit?”  Ben and Rory are on the back and from left to right on the bottom, we have Mickey, Sagway, Kirby, Mystie, Sammy, Richie and Bart. I’m the one standing with the camera. (Hey, naf, recognize that folded up quilt behind Bart?) | Permalink

graphicsstuff 07:52 PM - 01/23/2007 The topic: Playing with filters ---------------------------------------------- Using the photo below of Marco, I played with the filters a little and came up with the following two images. I think either one of them would look good as a small image (maybe three inches tall) on the middle of a shirt.   | Permalink

      Wednesday, January 24, 2007

otherstuff 02:00 PM - 01/24/2007 The topic: Little Martha ---------------------------------------------- You want to hear this song that I rilly, rilly, rilly, rilly like? Click here. Here's more about it on Wikipedia; I found this very interesting. | Permalink

catstuff 02:36 PM - 01/24/2007 The topic: Keep a positive thought for KittyMeeze ---------------------------------------------- KittyMeeze wasn’t here for breakfast and I haven’t seen him all day.  Could you please send a positive thought his way that he’s okay?  Brian found out last month that he likes to play with the cat across the street, so it’s possible he’s over at his buddy’s house.  You never see this cat out front, he’s always out of our sight, so he might be over there. I’m hoping that’s where he is.   Update: KittyMeeze showed up around six.  I yelled for Brian, went into the kitchen to dish up dinner.  He came out from the office and looked at the door and KittyMeeze wasn’t alone.  The cat from across the street was with him.  (The cat who belongs to the guy that called Cleo a whore so long ago and whom I haven’t spoken to since.)  Brian went back to the office. I looked for myself and I could hear Blackie’s owner outside, talking.  After dinner, I started the dishes and Brian checked again and Blackie wasn’t there.   Brian fed KittyMeeze.  When I was finished cleaning up, I looked out and KittyMeeze was digging into the food.  I’m glad he has a friend, I just wish he didn’t have to cross the street.  Funny thing, he used to hate Blackie. | Permalink

      Friday, January 26, 2007

disneystuff 12:02 PM - 01/26/2007 We found a dime and five pennies on our walk this morning The topic: Quick trip ---------------------------------------------- The past couple of years when I made our October reservations, I made them through the Walt Disney Travel Company.  And got free coupons for stuff. Well, I never got around to using them and the expiration date has passed on most of them.  I had one left, for a pin and lanyard.  Most likely, since I’ve been kinda sorta disgusted with the deterioration of the hotels during our past few visits, I don’t see us staying on property for a while.  And I won’t be getting the free coupons. So, yesterday, Brian calls home about nine yesterday morning and says “let’s go up”.  I had to go get him at the shop (his brother was still going to work and needed transportation), we came home, I got dressed and got most of the cats in and he washed the car. We were up there at 12:30.  Originally, he’d wanted to leave around four or five, but the parks had no crowds to speak of and most rides were walk on.  It was like old times.  We had such a good time, we didn’t leave until seven. Well, we left, but wee stopped on the way out by a survey taker.  We pulled onto the freeway at 7:37, got home at 9:10. Brian, being the affable fellow he is, likes to start up conversations with others in line.  One woman told him while we were in line for Pirates of the Carribean, that she had been on Pirates earlier and there was no line, she had a whole boat to herself.  And that she’d been on Haunted Mansion and could have stayed on the ride because there were so few people waiting in line. It was just like old times. | Permalink

      Saturday, January 27, 2007

otherstuff 09:00 AM - 01/27/2007 We found a nickle on our walk this morning The topic: Latest government conspiracy theory ---------------------------------------------- I think the United States government is giving Ford Motor Company funding to install some sort of chips in various new vehicles.  These chips affect traffic lights. They affect them so that when the vehicle is at just the right distance from the traffic light, the traffic light immediately turns amber.  Leaving the driver no option but to run an amber light or to stop. I believe we have one of these vehicles.  There is no other explanation for the great amount of lights we hit turning amber. It doesn’t matter if I’m driving or Brian’s driving (and we both have different driving styles). This is the only reasonable explanation. The government is doing it. Our Escape is at the local Ford dealership right now getting an oil change.  I asked that Brian request this traffic light chip be removed.  I don’t think he did. | Permalink

      Tuesday, January 30, 2007

catstuff 07:11 AM - 01/30/2007 The topic: It’s TUMMY TUESDAY #28! ---------------------------------------------- Click for a bigger pic So, we’re shutting down the machines last night and I realize I don’t have a tummy picture for today.  Sagwa had been laying behind me on my chair and you know how we cat owners are trained, we kind of scootch our butts to the edge so as not to disturb his or her royal highness. Just as I realized that here’s the belly I need, Brian turns off the lights.  So, I turn them back on, grab the camera and tell Sagwa, turn just a little to your left, yes, that’s it, just a little bit more and I start shooting pictures. I got my Tuesday Tummy. ================================================ If you’ve got a Tummy Tuesday blog entry, feel free to post the link in the comment section or trackback to this entry. And if you put a link back to this page, then more kitties will get to show off their tummies! | Permalink

      Wednesday, January 31, 2007

tales from the parkside 12:40 PM - 01/31/2007 The topic: I’m so proud of my mom ---------------------------------------------- I had to take a check to the post office to get it overnighted to Massachusetts.  On the way home, I pulled up mom’s street and took the Sharp’s almost beer we picked up at CostCo last Friday to her. She wasn’t expecting me and I had a hard time getting the gate open and I called her.  She came out (during which time I realized I should have been pushing on the gate, not pulling) and I took the case of Sharp’s into her house. She’s looking and feeling pretty damned good.  She’s put on a pound (after months of losing) and she thinks that’s because of the ten pounds of fruitcake she’s eaten.  The stuff I gave her for her birthday. She said it’s been a month today since she quit smoking.  She tells people she’s “quitting for her daughter”.  I’d really rather she quit for herself, but hey, if quitting for me gets her to quit, I’m all for it. She started smoking at fourteen.  She’s seventy-five. She had quit for about three years when dad was still alive, but then his heart stopped and she started smoking again because of the stress she was under (my father was very, very bad with finances; he liked to spend more than they had).  And once she started, that was all she wrote.  75-14=61 61-3=57 She’s smoked for fifty-seven of her seventy-five years.  If quitting for me does it, go for it mom! One day at a time. | Permalink

otherstuff 12:49 PM - 01/31/2007 The topic: Last December ---------------------------------------------- I ordered two modification kits for my iRobot Roombas.  Just some different brushes and accessories, which are designed for pets. They are supposed to do a better job of fur and litter clean up. I’ve been looking forward to getting them.  The tracking shows they left the warehouse on December 23, 2006.  And that they were delivered to the Main Lakeside Station on December 28.  And that’s where it stopped. They never made it here.  I called iRobot a couple of weeks ago and they put a trace on the package. This morning, when I had to get that check out (a supplier who’s going on vacation and he said to overnight the check to him so he could get the order started), I printed out the tracking information for my iRobot parts.  Took it with me. They have no idea what might have happened to it.  Said it never got there.  Okay. When I got home, I called iRobot. They put a trace on this order on the 16th of January.  Unfortunately, the supervisors are all out for ten working days.  That I should call back in a week to ten days to get the status.  *sigh* I just want my brushes. | Permalink

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lisaviolet is seventy something, married with no kids, takes care of lots of cats, likes taking photographs, loves Southern California weather and spends altogether too much time avoiding her responsibilities. In her spare time, she makes pretty things to sell in her store.

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