[ Home | All Archives ]

      Thursday, August 08, 2013


otherstuff
01:04 PM - 08/08/2013

The topic: I’m alive!
----------------------------------------------

I'm just having a hard time focusing on ANYTHING for longer that five minutes. Which is why I like FaceBook.

 

Heck, I even like Candy Crush Saga since I can lose five games in about five minutes then not be able to play for another few hours.

 

Anyway, I'm alive, we're all (knock on wood) good. Broker than hell, but we're alive.

 

Yay!

 

And, hey, it's hard to type when Georgie is splayed out on my desk, I have a hard time with the keyboard on my lap. Because when I'm not sitting up straight at the desk, I'll have a cat or two crawling onto me and purring themselves to sleep. 


catstuff
01:09 PM - 08/08/2013

The topic: Cats
----------------------------------------------

Sagwa and Richie have pretty much recuperated from their dentals last month. I call Richie "Toofless" now. Well, not all of the time. I'm pretty sure he's feeling lots better because he's way more affectionate, crawling on us and purring and drooling.

Sagwa's back to being an asshole. Chased Mario under the bed this morning. Mario's getting fat.

Mario sleeps on a towel on Brian's side of the desk. He'll hit Brian up for attention and when Brian stops, Mario bites. Brian yells. Brian will start typing and Mario decides to sit on the keyboard. Brian yells. Mario won't move. Brian tries to move Mario and Mario bites. It's lots of fun. For me. Not Brian. Sometimes when I'm feeling big hearted I'll call Mario over to me so Brian can finish what he's typing. But I don't do that very often. I'd rather listen to Brian yell at a cat who just sits there and stares at him.

I've had Opie on metronidazole for a couple of weeks now, I'm hoping an extended course of it takes care of his diarrhea. I know it works short term. One of the articles I read online says that using it for a full course will help get rid of the problem (if it's something that metronidazole is for). So, fingers crossed. Opie's putting on a little weight now.

Jackie is slowing down, he's the only cat who hasn't been neutered, he's fourteen and matted and looks really bad. He's had runny stool for years, he has no teeth. And I know when we're able to actually touch him and hold him, it will be time to say goodbye, because he'll be on his last legs at that point. He's never lost the feralness that he had when he came to us as an older kitten. We'd never be able to medicate him, he'd rip us up. It's sad, but at least he's had a better life here than he would have out on the street. And he's got his wives and there's no competition for their affections.

(Damned Sagwa just went after Mario again, I was loading the washer and heard some growling, Mario was just sleeping in his normal spot, Sagwa was up on the desk and being a jerk, I yelled at Sagwa in the garage where I'd chased him, he talked back to me, I swear from the look in his eyes he was telling me to "bring it", don't know where he is now....asshole.)

What else, what else...

Oh, yeah, the fleas are back. Usually we have a couple of months before they're back after everyone's dosed with Advantage, but not this last time. Not even five weeks and I need to do them again. I still get the big dog size and split it up, the six pack and the vet's office slips in a couple of extra, which helps out. So, that's on the "to do" calendar. Seventy-five bucks it is now. Send donations to nuttybuddy at catler.org. Seriously. Send money. Stamp out cathouse fleas.

Hey, Sunday there was a knock at the front door, the lady across the street had this absolutely gorgeous cat in her arms "is he yours? He's been hanging around the house for weeks". I said "no, but wait a minute". I go tell Brian, he said "okay" and I told her that we'd take him. Great, awesome cat, lots of hissing and growling, real PITA new cat stuff. I kept checking Craigslist, but no new posts for a lost cat. We started calling him "Duke", Monday morning I called the vet's office and made an appointment for Tuesday morning (8:45).

 

 

 


click for a larger pic

 

click for a larger pic

 

click for a larger pic

 

click for a larger pic

 

So, the first night he yowls and I end up putting him in the crate so we can sleep. Monday he was a lot better at not growling and hissing, spent time with Brian in the shop (the last three photos above this), just being cool. He didn't have a problem with the cat door, we figure he should be fine within a week's time. All settled in. The other cats were not happy, but what can you do?

So, Tuesday we opened the front door for our walk and he wanted out front. Nope, I ended up putting him on the patio (the cat door was available) so that we'd be able to go out front without him under feet. Get up to the street and I see a big neon green sign. Brian said "garage sale". On a Tuesday? He said "check it out on the way to the vet's office". I walked up to read it. I look back at him. "Lost cat" with a description of Duke. And a phone number. I call. Turns out the cat lives in the house behind the house where he was hanging around. Company let him out. (So why did the woman across the street say that he'd been at her house for "weeks"?) Whatev, he followed us to our house, came inside, got Duke (who's name is Fi (Fee)). Later that afternoon when the woman across the street got home I told her where the cat lives. And she rolled her eyes and you could tell it wasn't what she wanted to hear.

When I came back home, I asked Brian for his cell and got the phone number I'd called that morning. I called the cat's owner up and told him that if this woman got Fi again, there's a very strong chance she'd find someway else to get rid of him, not bring him to us (although we'd gladly keep him). He told me that they have four ferals who live at their garage, two domestic kitties and a rescued dog. They're animal lovers. Well, this lady ain't, even though she's got a cat of her own (that lives outside, go figure, but they do put her in the garage at night). He'd checked out our fence when he was over here, so there's a good chance he'll go that way so Fi doesn't have to stay inside.

*sigh*

 


otherstuff
02:34 PM - 08/08/2013

The topic: Yeah, so you’ve got my email address and my password….
----------------------------------------------

So what? You think you're gonna go over and login to my WalMart account and buy some Boost phone minutes with a totally new credit card that you've input and change my street address and phone number? A street address in Georgia and a phone number in central California? Ya think? And ya think you're gonna do that two days in a row, thinking I won't notice, that WalMart won't let me know how to pick up my minutes for my phone? Seriously?

Well, that's what happened. The first notification I got I thought "well, that's gotta be a scam thing" and I just deleted it. Then I got a second one the next day. Okay, now I'm concerned. I check my WalMart account, when I found what had been done. It was too late to contact WalMart, they quit taking calls after eight, so I called first thing the next morning. I'd already changed my password.

I explained the situation to the CSR and he said "well, I'll contact the proper department and those minutes will be canceled, thank you for letting us know".

Then I set up a new email account and changed my WalMart account to the brand new email account.

That next week I was checking out my Netflix queue (we get one video at a time) and I was asked "how did you like this movie?" I never saw that movie, I didn't know why I was being asked this. I go into my account information and check the streaming videos I've "watched". Oh, look at this. A whole week's worth of hours each day of watching streaming Netflix. Great. I change my password and email address.

I call Netflix. Tell them the situation. The rep looks at my account. "Do you have an XBox 360??"  Nope. "I'll go ahead and remove that device. You'll have to re-activate your Roku".

At least I wasn't out any money. But I'm seriously considering having a seperate email account and password for every place I login. And if something gets hacked, I'll know exactly which account was hacked.

Bastards.


geekstuff
02:58 PM - 08/08/2013

The topic: MagicJack
----------------------------------------------

I know I've mentioned having a MagicJack here at the house. Started with the lvdesigns phone number. Then last year we got the Plus for the new company. That worked so well that we got a Plus for the home phone number. And with his old company closing, we got one for that, why pay $50 a month? There were two phone numbers on the bill for the old company. The office line and the FAX line. Well, when I had the office number ported over, our phone company also shut down the FAX line. I didn't notice for a couple of weeks. When I did, it took many phone calls to rectify it. Not getting that line back in service, but getting the bill taken care of. We had a grandfathered bundle discount and they charged us for early termination, blah, blah, blah.

But the annoying thing was I couldn't contact the landline phone company from the MagicJack. Same area code, right? It seems that some exchanges MJ has to pay extra for (at least that's their story) and you need to buy prepaid minutes for that. Brian had this problem calling a small city in Alaska. He ended up using his cell phone. I did buy ten bucks of minutes for the new office line, but we haven't had to use them yet.

During one of my bored internet searches I found a work around using Google Voice.

Get yourself a Google Voice number. Have that number forwarded to your MagicJack number. Then, when you need to make a call that MJ pukes on, go into your GV account, and connect to that number via GV. Your MJ phone will ring, you answer it, it's ringing the other party. And connects.

Voila! Phone call made with no extra charges.

Cool.


foodstuff
04:01 PM - 08/08/2013

The topic: I’m making this tonight
----------------------------------------------

Crispy Cheddar Chicken

2 lbs chicken tenders or 4 large chicken breasts
2 sleeves Ritz crackers
1/4 teaspoons salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup whole milk
3 cups cheddar cheese, grated
1 teaspoon dried parsley

Sauce:
1 10 ounce can cream of chicken soup
2 tablespoon sour cream
2 tablespoon butter

Crush crackers. If using chicken breasts and not tenders, cut each chicken breast into 3 large pieces. Pour the milk, cheese and cracker crumbs into 3 separate small pans. Toss the salt and pepper into the cracker crumbs and stir the mixture around to combine. Dip each piece of chicken into the milk and then the cheese. Press the cheese into the chicken with your fingers. Then press the cheesy coated chicken into the cracker crumbs and press it in.

Spray a 9×13 pan with cooking spray and lay the chicken inside the pan. Sprinkle the dried parsley over the chicken. Cover the pan with tin foil and bake at 400 degrees for 35 minutes. Remove the tin foil, bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until the edges of the chicken are golden brown and crispy.

In a medium sized sauce pan combine the cream of chicken soup, sour cream and butter with a whisk. Stir it over medium high heat until the sauce is nice and hot. Serve over the chicken.

      Saturday, August 10, 2013


otherstuff
11:03 AM - 08/10/2013

The topic: I absolutely hate doing paperwork
----------------------------------------------

And because I hate doing paperwork, I don't do it very often. I started on some stuff about a month ago and, because we don't have much, I just put it off. Well, I'm working on it today, I want to get it done and over with.

It doesn't help one bit that the cats just have to be right in the middle of my stuff. Makes me crazy. I yell at them, move them and they just come right back and lay on my stuff.

I can be in here for hours with nothing in front of me and the minute I pull out my pile of paperwork, there they are.

I really hate paperwork.


geekstuff
12:10 PM - 08/10/2013

The topic: Something else that made me happy
----------------------------------------------

After two years of trying, I was able to get photos from my dumbphone sent over to my FaceBook page. Two years ago FB changed their settings and I couldn't figure out how to fix it.

But earlier this week I tried again and I'm good to go.

I signed up for the FB mobile, this generates an email address. I thought I had to use email to send the pictures and that cost data money and we don't have a data plan, so I never tried it. Well, last week I tried it because I read in a forum that this doesn't go against data.

And it doesn't! Sending a text to email doesn't count against data, it counts against my messages.

I'm happy!


otherstuff
04:29 PM - 08/10/2013

The topic: Brian has his work truck up for sale on Craigslist
----------------------------------------------

He gets a phone call yesterday and twice today. He didn't get them in time, so he calls back.

They can sell his truck! All he has to do is pay them $250 and they guaranty it will be sold within thirty days. If it isn't, they'll keep trying to sell it until it's sold at no additional cost.

Sounds too good to be true. He gave them his email address. They send a jpg of an ad. With a company name on it.

I look it up. It's a scam. I take his phone and block the number. And then I show him the little part at the bottom of the Craigslist ad where it states that it's not okay for people to call with services, etc.

Bastards.


geekstuff
07:45 PM - 08/10/2013

The topic: Remember my rant about someone having my login info?
----------------------------------------------

This morning I turn on my computer. The regedit window is up. Huh?

I reboot. Same thing. Weird.

I turn on Trend Micro, which for some reason hasn't been starting up on it's own. I didn't notice it right away, it must have been a couple of weeks before I did.

I scanned the computer. Ruh roh. It finds a problem. I delete the files. I run a deeper scan with malwarebytes (the free one). Great. One of the seven problems it finds is spyware.password. Guess what? I think that's how whoever got my information.

So, I spend all day running programs and cleaning my system. Amazingly, Trend is starting up on its own again. Looks like somehow something got onto my computer (I'm usually pretty careful, but these things can slip through) and it put spyware on my system and shared my login and passwords. Great.

I've checked the bank accounts and credit card websites, doesn't look like any damage was done there.

*sigh*

But I'm safe again.

And I got a bunch of paperwork done. All the deposits have been entered into QuickBooks. Tomorrow, I'll generate invoices and reconcile the bank account. Four months worth. That's always a laugh and a half.

      Sunday, August 11, 2013


geekstuff
07:07 AM - 08/11/2013

The topic: Well, that’s just swell
----------------------------------------------

Boot up this morning, the Windows malicious file thingy pops up, that trojan is still here. It stopped it, but I need to remove it entirely.

So, I've got the Microsoft Security Essentials doing a deep scan, as well as AVG's virus remover for Win32/ZBot. Hopefully this will take care of it.

And Trend didn't start by itself this morning, so that damned virus is stopping it.


otherstuff
09:22 AM - 08/11/2013

The topic: See this adorable little graphic?
----------------------------------------------

Of lisaviolet in a bunch of flowers? I'm trying to get this to show up on my FB feed, but it won't and it's making me crazy. I've spent three hours this morning working on paperwork and I've done three invoices and here I am trying to get this little graphic to show in my FB feed.

I have my priorities straight, that's for sure. I guess I'll just have to manually add it to each entry. Meh.


geekstuff
09:35 AM - 08/11/2013

The topic: testing atom time
----------------------------------------------

test


geekstuff
10:01 AM - 08/11/2013

The topic: posting 10:01 AM
----------------------------------------------

What will atom show?


otherstuff
02:39 PM - 08/11/2013

The topic: Yay!
----------------------------------------------

Yesterday I made all the payment entries into the check register for FitRite. Today, I got all the invoicing done that needed to be done (we've already been paid, I don't generate an invoice until the widgets are shipped). Forty-five invoices. They get emailed to the customer and I print them out for my files and attach them to all the paperwork (quote sheet, work sheet, payment sheet and shipping receipt - which all started out in their own messed up piles since I've not been keeping on top of them) and then I file them.

Now if a customer has a question about his link, I won't get frustrated digging through a pile of paperwork looking for it while Brian stands there waiting. I can just point at the drawer and tell him it should be in there. (I could have done that all along, but I knew the stuff wasn't in there....)

Now, four months of bank reconciliation!  I thought there was only two months until I started opening mail. Yay!  The most fun stuff in the world!

Not really.


geekstuff
05:58 PM - 08/11/2013

The topic: atom problems
----------------------------------------------

 

 

 

      Monday, August 12, 2013


geekstuff
07:04 AM - 08/12/2013

The topic: Left the computer on
----------------------------------------------

And the virus scanners running overnight. The ESET found a total of eight over all of my hard drives, the Windows Essentials found six. All cleaned up now.

And amazingly, the computer is running faster (at least my browsing sessions are). Nice.

Trend still didn't come up on it's own, though.

 

      Tuesday, August 13, 2013


otherstuff
05:12 PM - 08/13/2013
We found two cents on our walk this morning

The topic: I bet I had more fun today than you did
----------------------------------------------

Click for larger pic

Click for larger pic

Click for larger pic

Click for larger pic

Click for larger pic

Okay, so maybe I didn't have more fun than you did, but look at how pretty my freezer is. I tried to find the tube underneath and have it drain outside, but it was invisible, so I just put big aluminum roasting pans in the bottom, but it was still a mess. I did search online for instructions, but couldn't find anything. Oh, I did find one place that said if the ice is over 1/4" thick, it's time to defrost. That made me laugh.

It's pretty empty now since I've not been restocking, knowing I needed to do this.

Oh, and I still have four months of bank reconciliation to do, but freezer defrosting sounded like more fun. zip

 

 

      Friday, August 16, 2013


otherstuff
05:26 PM - 08/16/2013

The topic: Woohoo!
----------------------------------------------

Four months of much loathed bank reconciliations done! I fracking HATE working with the PayPal account. Took me about six hours to get them all done, but done they are and filed they be.

I was thinking about it and thinking about how Brian did glass for over thirty-eight years and now he's doing something he really likes to do, he's found his passion. And I told him that I've been doing paperwork since I was eighteen.

"So, what's your point?"

I hated it then and I hate it now. Almost forty-eight years later, I still hate it. Where's my joy?

 

 

      Friday, August 23, 2013


otherstuff
10:48 AM - 08/23/2013

The topic: I belong to MyPoints
----------------------------------------------

Where I can get points for reading emails, taking surveys and buying stuff (like using their Wal-Mart link, buying pee pads for the cats that are shipped to store) and joining websites. It's not really labor intensive and it's kind of fun to see the points slowly add up. I'm trying to get a $50 Visa rewards card for the upcoming Disney trip (our last meet).

Well, this morning there was a chance to get five points for listening to this online radio station and every half hour they have an ad and you fill in the blank at the end of the commercial (they're really short) and you get another five points. They'll be doing this through September 8th. I should be able to rack up a bunch of points in that time.

There are different stations to listen to and I chose the 70s. It was the end of high school and the beginning of adulthood, fun times for sure. smilie_lol

So far I've heard the BeeGees "More Than A Woman" three times. It dawned on me. We're talking Top 40! here! You know, where they repeat the top forty songs over and over? It's really kind of fun. I'm really enjoying these old songs, though, it's relaxing and I'm grinning. "I remember that one!" Some I even remember the words to. I bet by the end of the day I'll know all the words to "More Than A Woman". 

Hey, if you're interested in joining MyPoints, let me know and if you join via an email I send you, once you get 250 points, I get additional points.

 


geekstuff
11:02 AM - 08/23/2013

The topic: Cross your fingers for me
----------------------------------------------

I'm going to do something some of my peeps my consider "geeky". Tired of running out of ink for my Epson Stylus Photo R1900, I bought a CIS system. I just ran out of one cartridge of ink and instead of replacing that one, I'm going to replace them all. And if all goes well, all I'll need to do in the future is squeeze ink into the container. More efficient and less waste that way (I've got a box full of empty cartridges).

I'm kind of nervous about this. I have to break out the lid of the old cartridge system and I'm not looking forward to that at all.

Here's a video link for an idea of what I have to do.


geekstuff
01:45 PM - 08/23/2013

The topic: Up and running!
----------------------------------------------

I'm really happy with how it turned out. It was a little hairy, we couldn't get the door off, ended up breaking the hinge, then the the printer wouldn't recognize the new cartridges. I finally found the answer (uninstall them and turn off the printer, let it set for at least five minutes, turn it on, reinstall the cartridges) and it worked!

I tested it on photo paper with this photo:

Click for larger image

It exceeded my expectations. For OEM cartridges it's $108. For wannabe Epson cartridges on eBay it's $56.00. A set of refill ink for this cartridge set is $40.00. These bottles hold a ton of ink, way more than the little cartridges, so I'll be saving a lot of money in the long run.

I can't close the lid all the way because it would pinch the tubes. And the lid needs to be closed because the cats walk on the printer. Brian is going to sand down a part of the lid and a part of the case and the ribbon/tubes will not be pinched. 

I'm so excited! I feel like a real geek right now. *lol*

 

All Archives


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.

August 2013
S M T W T F S
        1 2 3
4 5 6 7 8 9 10
11 12 13 14 15 16 17
18 19 20 21 22 23 24
25 26 27 28 29 30 31



website design by

©lisaviolet 1996-2024
Photographic images are the property of the photographer,and may not be copied, printed, or otherwise reproduced on any other site or used in any other publishing medium without the written permission of each individual photographer and kennel/cattery owner. Cathouse privacy policy.