Monday January 05 2009 at 12:00 AM | Photography | Add a Comment | Don't you just love this entry? Share it! [-]
New Year's Eve, Click to view in gallery.
I am still doing well using my book, which is just... amazing. TWO MONTHS, you understand. Two months where I have not been sitting at my computer all day doing nothing. Two months of keeping up with the housework, the laundry, the dishes, school. It's awesome. It's wonderful. It has to be God.
I honestly have no other answer. And even that answer brings up a million questions for me, mainly, "Why now? Why not seven years ago? Why not five years ago? What were you waiting for, God??" But I may never know the answer to that, so I guess I'll just be happy that He decided it was time.
I've also been making huge strides socially. During the holiday season Mark and I attended several social events, three with people I barely knew. Normally that would result in me sitting in a corner, smiling about as big as Hamish, and not saying a single word all night. Instead I talked to people! I know you are all shocked. I even made new friends who, according to their husbands, later said they'd like to get together again soon!
I've also been calling, texting, and emailing my actual real-life friends. I was driving to pick up our dinner, and it occurred to me to call people. (Oh! I forgot to mention, I got a cell phone! Mark surprised me with it back in mid-December! It has GPS navigation so I won't get lost anymore, web browsing, etc., and it's on Sprint, which to me is a "real" cell phone. I just felt like Cricket was lacking; for example, I had text messaging, but I couldn't send or receive from those short numbers like Facebook or the church updates.)
One of the ways I have been keeping up with my real friends is by using Facebook. Wow. I did not get Facebook at first; I couldn't figure out how to do anything but send app requests back and forth and that was boring. In fact, I found Facebook to be even more boring than MySpace, which I've been on for ages but never really cared for. But lately I've started learning about all the cool things you can do on Facebook, and I either found or invited all of my real life friends, and they actually use Facebook, too. Even Sarah uses Facebook, and I have never had any luck getting her to do anything online! And since I have managed to find ways on Facebook to do all the things I like to do online, I have decided to quit all of the other websites and communities that I used to use. Mainly that means Flickr, since I haven't had time for much else lately. I will still post here on my blog, of course, but my posts are being imported to Facebook, too.
Wow, I just said "Facebook" like eight times. I sound like a schoolgirl with a crush. Anyway.
So, new things around the old homestead. We finally got our new fence today, so the dog and kids can actually go outside and play. Yes! Mark has given me a small allowance to buy some awesome Texas themed decorations for our living room, too. It's going to be great: a portrait of Sam Houston, the Gonzales "Come and Take It" flag, a Lone Star flag, possibly an old map, etc. I'm excited. There's also some very good news regarding our house that I am not ready to share, yet, but I can't wait to tell you when it's finalized.
Mark finally set up something cool that he's been talking about for ages. He took an old laptop and tricked it out with a version of Linux called Mythbuntu, which is designed to record TV and manage recordings and videos. It's like having Tivo for free. In fact, we canceled our cable account. We can rip all of our DVDs, download our favorite TV shows, and soon (when we get a digital tuner for the laptop) we'll even be able to record broadcast TV. And yes, it will still work when they move to digital broadcast. Mythbuntu also manages Mark's music collection and is capable of managing photos, being used as a phone, and playing video games. It's pretty darn cool. I've been having lots of fun watching old Veggie Tales movies that we haven't seen in ages because the kids broke the DVD player. ("Me you believe, but from God you want a sign?? Oy!")
Mostly Mark built our media system from things we had around the house: an old laptop, a remote control from a laptop we had a couple of years ago, etc. One of the few things that we actually had to buy was a 1TB (1,000GB) external harddrive so we'd have enough room for Mark's monster movie collection and our TV shows. (No, that doesn't include his music, that's on another drive!) Since we were already at Best Buy, and had some Christmas money to burn, Mark also bought me a camera bag! W00t! I can now keep my camera, both lenses, and all accessories all together so I don't have to worry about anything getting lost or not having something I need while out. Of course, that means that when I want to go out somewhere and I want to take photos, I have to carry at least two bags. See, I have this dream that I can fit all of my camera stuff, all of my diapering stuff, and all of my purse stuff into one bag. It's just not working out for me. So I figured I might as well carry my nifty imitation designer purse my mom got for me, and just give up and carry three bags. At least I don't need them all everywhere I go.
Anyway, skipping back a second, I mentioned that I canceled our cable account. I really only canceled the TV and phone, since we still need the internet. Comcast gave me major grief about it, because we are behind on our bill (which was a big reason that we set up the Myth box, because free TV + cell phone < cable TV + cable phone). I tried to explain to them that I can't afford to keep paying for these services, and that if they'd just downgrade my account I'd be better able to catch up on my bill and then keep current on the internet bill. (We're doing much better on our budget, being able to buy things we've needed for a long time and cutting back expenses we don't need or can't afford.) Finally I got someone on the line who promised to stop charging us for TV and phone if I brought in all of the equipment and traded them for a modem (it's a router) that only does internet and not phone. So I did that. And the internet died.
Yes, if you are having trouble getting online today, it's my fault. I killed the intertubes. Sigh.
Seriously, though, the only thing we have changed on our home network was installing this new modem (it's a router), but Comcast won't just admit that it must be the problem. They have someone coming to "look at it" tomorrow, because they don't trust that Mark actually knows what he's talking about. So someone will come down here, look at it, and replace the modem (it's a router). That'll be fun. In the meantime, our 'net is slow as... um, it's slow.
I wonder if we will even be home when they come tomorrow, since we are going across town to go to church with friends. Huh.
Speaking of, we have some cool new friends, the Stellhorns. They rock. He's a pastor, she homeschools, and they have two little boys plus her teenaged sister. He and Mark have been talking about this nifty church thing they want to do, basically a good old-fashioned Christian meeting with food and talking about God and worship. Sounds very awesome to me. I always thought we should have more of that kind of thing. I can't wait!
Saturday January 03 2009 at 05:22 PM | Family Life, Geek, Depression & Anxiety | 3 Comments | Don't you just love this entry? Share it!
[-]
I honestly have no other answer. And even that answer brings up a million questions for me, mainly, "Why now? Why not seven years ago? Why not five years ago? What were you waiting for, God??" But I may never know the answer to that, so I guess I'll just be happy that He decided it was time.
I've also been making huge strides socially. During the holiday season Mark and I attended several social events, three with people I barely knew. Normally that would result in me sitting in a corner, smiling about as big as Hamish, and not saying a single word all night. Instead I talked to people! I know you are all shocked. I even made new friends who, according to their husbands, later said they'd like to get together again soon!
I've also been calling, texting, and emailing my actual real-life friends. I was driving to pick up our dinner, and it occurred to me to call people. (Oh! I forgot to mention, I got a cell phone! Mark surprised me with it back in mid-December! It has GPS navigation so I won't get lost anymore, web browsing, etc., and it's on Sprint, which to me is a "real" cell phone. I just felt like Cricket was lacking; for example, I had text messaging, but I couldn't send or receive from those short numbers like Facebook or the church updates.)
One of the ways I have been keeping up with my real friends is by using Facebook. Wow. I did not get Facebook at first; I couldn't figure out how to do anything but send app requests back and forth and that was boring. In fact, I found Facebook to be even more boring than MySpace, which I've been on for ages but never really cared for. But lately I've started learning about all the cool things you can do on Facebook, and I either found or invited all of my real life friends, and they actually use Facebook, too. Even Sarah uses Facebook, and I have never had any luck getting her to do anything online! And since I have managed to find ways on Facebook to do all the things I like to do online, I have decided to quit all of the other websites and communities that I used to use. Mainly that means Flickr, since I haven't had time for much else lately. I will still post here on my blog, of course, but my posts are being imported to Facebook, too.
Wow, I just said "Facebook" like eight times. I sound like a schoolgirl with a crush. Anyway.
So, new things around the old homestead. We finally got our new fence today, so the dog and kids can actually go outside and play. Yes! Mark has given me a small allowance to buy some awesome Texas themed decorations for our living room, too. It's going to be great: a portrait of Sam Houston, the Gonzales "Come and Take It" flag, a Lone Star flag, possibly an old map, etc. I'm excited. There's also some very good news regarding our house that I am not ready to share, yet, but I can't wait to tell you when it's finalized.
Mark finally set up something cool that he's been talking about for ages. He took an old laptop and tricked it out with a version of Linux called Mythbuntu, which is designed to record TV and manage recordings and videos. It's like having Tivo for free. In fact, we canceled our cable account. We can rip all of our DVDs, download our favorite TV shows, and soon (when we get a digital tuner for the laptop) we'll even be able to record broadcast TV. And yes, it will still work when they move to digital broadcast. Mythbuntu also manages Mark's music collection and is capable of managing photos, being used as a phone, and playing video games. It's pretty darn cool. I've been having lots of fun watching old Veggie Tales movies that we haven't seen in ages because the kids broke the DVD player. ("Me you believe, but from God you want a sign?? Oy!")
Mostly Mark built our media system from things we had around the house: an old laptop, a remote control from a laptop we had a couple of years ago, etc. One of the few things that we actually had to buy was a 1TB (1,000GB) external harddrive so we'd have enough room for Mark's monster movie collection and our TV shows. (No, that doesn't include his music, that's on another drive!) Since we were already at Best Buy, and had some Christmas money to burn, Mark also bought me a camera bag! W00t! I can now keep my camera, both lenses, and all accessories all together so I don't have to worry about anything getting lost or not having something I need while out. Of course, that means that when I want to go out somewhere and I want to take photos, I have to carry at least two bags. See, I have this dream that I can fit all of my camera stuff, all of my diapering stuff, and all of my purse stuff into one bag. It's just not working out for me. So I figured I might as well carry my nifty imitation designer purse my mom got for me, and just give up and carry three bags. At least I don't need them all everywhere I go.
Anyway, skipping back a second, I mentioned that I canceled our cable account. I really only canceled the TV and phone, since we still need the internet. Comcast gave me major grief about it, because we are behind on our bill (which was a big reason that we set up the Myth box, because free TV + cell phone < cable TV + cable phone). I tried to explain to them that I can't afford to keep paying for these services, and that if they'd just downgrade my account I'd be better able to catch up on my bill and then keep current on the internet bill. (We're doing much better on our budget, being able to buy things we've needed for a long time and cutting back expenses we don't need or can't afford.) Finally I got someone on the line who promised to stop charging us for TV and phone if I brought in all of the equipment and traded them for a modem (it's a router) that only does internet and not phone. So I did that. And the internet died.
Yes, if you are having trouble getting online today, it's my fault. I killed the intertubes. Sigh.
Seriously, though, the only thing we have changed on our home network was installing this new modem (it's a router), but Comcast won't just admit that it must be the problem. They have someone coming to "look at it" tomorrow, because they don't trust that Mark actually knows what he's talking about. So someone will come down here, look at it, and replace the modem (it's a router). That'll be fun. In the meantime, our 'net is slow as... um, it's slow.
I wonder if we will even be home when they come tomorrow, since we are going across town to go to church with friends. Huh.
Speaking of, we have some cool new friends, the Stellhorns. They rock. He's a pastor, she homeschools, and they have two little boys plus her teenaged sister. He and Mark have been talking about this nifty church thing they want to do, basically a good old-fashioned Christian meeting with food and talking about God and worship. Sounds very awesome to me. I always thought we should have more of that kind of thing. I can't wait!
1. Do you like blue cheese? Yes, it's pretty good. I like it on hot wings.
2. Have you ever smoked? No.
3. Do you own a gun? *I* don't. That's all I'll say.
4. What flavor of Kool Aid was your favorite? Lemonade. I don't really like Kool Aid, but you can't screw up Lemonade.
5. Do you get nervous before doctor appointments? Yes, but sometimes only because it means I have to talk to someone I don't know very well.
6. What do you think of hot dogs? Love them, but I will NOT eat them plain. Yuck! Give me ketchup and mustard or chili.
7. Favorite Christmas movie? It's A Wonderful Life. And It's A Wonderful Life. Oh, and It's A Wonderful Life. (Hint much, dear husband??)
8. Favorite thing to drink in the morning? Hot chocolate or cherry limeade.
9. Can you do a push up? I can do "girl" push ups, LOL.
10. Favorite piece of jewelry? My wedding ring, a replica of Martin Luther's ring from James Avery. LOVE IT!
11. Favorite hobby? Photography. I like it better than coding because I take pictures of the kids rather than ignoring them for hours while I hammer out PHP.
12. Do you have A.D.D.? I don't know what I have. I'm messed up, though.
13. What is one trait you hate about yourself? See above.
14. Middle name? Elizabeth
15. Name 3 thoughts at this exact moment.
>(1) Trying to listen to the kids telling me about their pretend Christmas trees while I type.
>(2) No, you can't eat a real candy, cane, but you can eat a pretend one.
>(3) Ok, ok, I can only listen to two people at once!! Go watch your movie!
16. Name 3 drinks you regularly drink:
>(1) Cherry limeade
>(2) Coke (sometimes root beer)
>(3) Chocolate breakfast drinks
17. Current worry? Am I going to get my weekends under control like the week days??
18. Current hate right now? How messy my house is
<-- Gonna leave Julie's answer there
19. Favorite place to be? Houston
21. Where would you like to go? Anywhere, I love to go places.
22. Name three people who might complete this.
>(1) Gretchen
>(2) Shannon
>(3) Sarah
23. Do you own slippers? No
24. What shirt are you wearing? Blue pajama tank top
25. Do you like sleeping on satin sheets? Don't know
26. Can you whistle? Only kinda sorta
27. Favorite color? Used to be blue, but now I don't know. I like lots of colors.
28. Would you be a pirate? No
29. What songs do you sing in the morning? Kids' Sunday school songs, like "Father Abraham," and "Zacchaeus," and "This Little Light of Mine."
30. Favorite girl's name? I don't know. I guess I like MY girls' names: Aryanna, Sinead, and Aisling.
31. Favorite boy's name? I don't know. I guess I like MY boys' names: Aoghdan, Seamus, Hamish, and Diarmuid.
32. What's in your pocket right now? No pockets
33. Last thing that made you laugh? Some joke Mark made
34. What vehicle do you drive? 1999 Honda Odyssey
35. Worst injury you have ever had? Never had an injury that required anything more than a band-aid. Unless you count surgery, and then I've had two c-sections, which SUCKED.
36. Do you love where you live? I love my state; I love my city; I love the PART of the city where I live; I like my neighborhood -- but I am at best hopeful that my house could someday be nice, and at worst I loathe it.
37. How many TV's do you have in your house? One
38. Who is your loudest friend? Gretchen. She proved it.
39. Do you have any pets? A German Shepherd named Harley.
40. Does someone have a crush on you? He better.
41. What is your favorite book(s)? My favorite book is always whatever I am reading, which is currently the Little House series by Laura Ingalls Wilder.
42. Do you collect anything? Photographs
43. Favorite sports team? None
44. What song do you want played at your funeral? I can't remember. There was some hymn that Johnny Cash sang that I said they should play at my funeral, but I don't remember which one. Maybe "I'll Fly Away."
Saturday January 03 2009 at 12:12 PM | Blogging | Add a Comment | Don't you just love this entry? Share it!
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2. Have you ever smoked? No.
3. Do you own a gun? *I* don't. That's all I'll say.
4. What flavor of Kool Aid was your favorite? Lemonade. I don't really like Kool Aid, but you can't screw up Lemonade.
5. Do you get nervous before doctor appointments? Yes, but sometimes only because it means I have to talk to someone I don't know very well.
6. What do you think of hot dogs? Love them, but I will NOT eat them plain. Yuck! Give me ketchup and mustard or chili.
7. Favorite Christmas movie? It's A Wonderful Life. And It's A Wonderful Life. Oh, and It's A Wonderful Life. (Hint much, dear husband??)
8. Favorite thing to drink in the morning? Hot chocolate or cherry limeade.
9. Can you do a push up? I can do "girl" push ups, LOL.
10. Favorite piece of jewelry? My wedding ring, a replica of Martin Luther's ring from James Avery. LOVE IT!
11. Favorite hobby? Photography. I like it better than coding because I take pictures of the kids rather than ignoring them for hours while I hammer out PHP.
12. Do you have A.D.D.? I don't know what I have. I'm messed up, though.
13. What is one trait you hate about yourself? See above.
14. Middle name? Elizabeth
15. Name 3 thoughts at this exact moment.
>(1) Trying to listen to the kids telling me about their pretend Christmas trees while I type.
>(2) No, you can't eat a real candy, cane, but you can eat a pretend one.
>(3) Ok, ok, I can only listen to two people at once!! Go watch your movie!
16. Name 3 drinks you regularly drink:
>(1) Cherry limeade
>(2) Coke (sometimes root beer)
>(3) Chocolate breakfast drinks
17. Current worry? Am I going to get my weekends under control like the week days??
18. Current hate right now? How messy my house is
<-- Gonna leave Julie's answer there19. Favorite place to be? Houston
21. Where would you like to go? Anywhere, I love to go places.
22. Name three people who might complete this.
>(1) Gretchen
>(2) Shannon
>(3) Sarah
23. Do you own slippers? No
24. What shirt are you wearing? Blue pajama tank top
25. Do you like sleeping on satin sheets? Don't know
26. Can you whistle? Only kinda sorta
27. Favorite color? Used to be blue, but now I don't know. I like lots of colors.
28. Would you be a pirate? No
29. What songs do you sing in the morning? Kids' Sunday school songs, like "Father Abraham," and "Zacchaeus," and "This Little Light of Mine."
30. Favorite girl's name? I don't know. I guess I like MY girls' names: Aryanna, Sinead, and Aisling.
31. Favorite boy's name? I don't know. I guess I like MY boys' names: Aoghdan, Seamus, Hamish, and Diarmuid.
32. What's in your pocket right now? No pockets
33. Last thing that made you laugh? Some joke Mark made
34. What vehicle do you drive? 1999 Honda Odyssey
35. Worst injury you have ever had? Never had an injury that required anything more than a band-aid. Unless you count surgery, and then I've had two c-sections, which SUCKED.
36. Do you love where you live? I love my state; I love my city; I love the PART of the city where I live; I like my neighborhood -- but I am at best hopeful that my house could someday be nice, and at worst I loathe it.
37. How many TV's do you have in your house? One
38. Who is your loudest friend? Gretchen. She proved it.
39. Do you have any pets? A German Shepherd named Harley.
40. Does someone have a crush on you? He better.
41. What is your favorite book(s)? My favorite book is always whatever I am reading, which is currently the Little House series by Laura Ingalls Wilder.
42. Do you collect anything? Photographs
43. Favorite sports team? None
44. What song do you want played at your funeral? I can't remember. There was some hymn that Johnny Cash sang that I said they should play at my funeral, but I don't remember which one. Maybe "I'll Fly Away."
Christmas at Grandma Elaine's, Click to view in gallery.
Christmas at Grandma Elaine's, Click to view in gallery.
