Everybody Has a Bug!

Yikes! I didn't feel well last night and didn't sleep well at all... didn't get anything done, either. What a way to spend the night. I couldn't sleep, just tossed and turned, and got up, paid my respects to the throne room, came back and went through the whole routine again.

I know friends of mine have been ill, and I know I was ill (and still partially feeling it this morning), but... did you guys have to pass it on to my computer?

I think it's sick, too! Yesterday, items weren't going to the printer. It (the printer) kept "refreshing" itself. I mean, come on! How much does the printer have to primp to make things come out pretty? Pretty much, it took forever to print something, then took forever to cancel it.

Then, I tried to "crop" a photo. I had accidentally left Rey's full name in the photo (see Wednesday's entry) and had to take that out. Silly me. I know better than to put that kind of information in a post, don't I? And I preach so much to my girls about internet safety... You would think I would've thought of that before I posted the picture... Nevertheless, it is fixed, now. However, it wouldn't "fix" at first. The ill thing (the computer) kept telling me I did not have enough memory, and shut down the program. "You've got to be kidding!" ran through my mind. So, I did a system clean out and freed up enough space to fix the photo. Posted it (everything ran extremely slow), and moved on to more tasks.

I consider myself fairly computer savvy. Mind you, I'm no tech-y, just a normal average "joe-ette", who can do a lot, but not everything. So, I thought I'd clean out my system even more and ran some bot checks. Something that usually only takes a half hour to an hour took over four! Since this binds up the system a lot, needless to say, I didn't get much done on the computer yesterday. The bot checks got done, and I restarted the computer, only to have...

THE PRINTER GO BERSERK AGAIN! Hey! I just deleted and cancelled every pending document in that thing. It just started doing what I call "the slug." It prints out a little bit on one page, pauses (for a long time), then prints out a little, and on and on. And the stupid thing keeps blinking, like it's actually working! P-shaw! Ugh!

So... I shut everything down. Then I felt ill.

This morning, I try a different tactic. I am (tired and grumpy) but trying to "act" like I'm calm and serene. It's really easy when you are very tired... So I calmly walk to the computer and turn it on. "There, now, baby... you've had a long night's rest..." (Sigh...) It decides to wake up slowly and takes its time to boot. (Sigh...) Log in... (Sigh...) "My this is taking a long time!" The hour glass (cursor) seems to be in that position for much longer than normal, and most of the Desktop icons are still in their larval state.

Some things just never started. Skype didn't start up automatically, neither did Yahoo Messenger, or the WeatherChannel (but hey! I already know it's cold outside!), or Smilebox... then what happens?

THE PRINTER WENT BERSERK AGAIN! What the heck? It starts spitting out stuff I could swear (but I won't) that I deleted yesterday. And guess what... I had even turned off the printer to clean out the cache. Yikes!

Hmm... let's review the symptoms. When did they start? My computer is old in comparison with a lot of others. Put it this way... there is no USB port on the outside of my tower. Uh, I had to add a card to get a USB connection to hook up the printer, when we got that. My memory is almost full... too full to do a defrag... Ok, so I have not exactly contributed to the health of my computer. However, all systems were go until I added Skype the other day.

No, don't get the wrong idea, it is not Skype's fault. I noticed that my headphones didn't work, so I can only "chat" through the keyboard and not actually talk aurally to someone. The sound would not register, and my computer did not pick up audio hardware. Could this be the beginning of something serious?

I will have to take it for a check up, especially since more things happened yesterday and today. For now, I will just have to baby my computer, and take it slowly. I think I'll let the two of us "sickies" take a little nap. After all, they are such children, and growing so quickly!

Toodles for now! lisa

Here Comes the Rain Again...

That may be so, but it is sunny inside! I feel great. I feel wonderful. I'm probably annoying you. Oh well, such is life!

Tuesday's water polo game was a gripper! It was actually the most exciting game I've been to all season. The other team was extremely aggressive and totally tried to overpower our players. However, our girls took it in stride! It was a hairy game, with lots of "dirty" things being done by the opposite team (like face slaps), but our girls lost. They did play an awesome game, though!

Monday night was an all-nighter. I have a "bug." In the scrapbooking world, that's what it is called. In the general public's world, it is called a "personal die cutter." It is way too cool! Anyway, I used my bug (called a bug because of its name -Cricut [pronounced like cricket]) to create lettering for one of Rey's book reports that was due. It turned out fairly cute. The book was about hockey, so I input letters and numbers for section titles, her name, date & the period into a "ticket" form. Cute, if I don't say so myself. She said everybody liked it, but she had not yet received a grade on it. She doesn't strive for perfectionism, but at least she did a better job than last time. (I had a cow last time! It was handwritten and SLOPPY!... not a good thing for a child with crafts in her genes!)

I made a new friend yesterday. We met online via a job center and have much of the same likes, even the same television shows! This will be a good relationship, both business and personal. Please wish us well together, as I will be writing for her about something I love to do... SCRAP! My kids are excited for me, as well.

Yeah! I am finally beginning work as a freelancer! How can it be "working" when it is so much fun! I am doing what I love to do... writing, researching, etc. and about topics that are near and dear to my heart! Hopefully, we will get my name out there and all will be well with the world, at least in our part of it!

Today is a Sylvan day with practice for both girls. So... while I have lots of spare time sitting in the car, I will be reading and learning knew info. It is always fun! Toodles for now! lisa

Ugliness, but Beauty (too) Rains Outside

It has sprinkled off and on here for most of the morning... Juan turned the sprinklers off this morning when he got home. The sky ranges from a dull grey to a brilliant blackish-silver with puffs of smokiness in it. The cold air chills me when I walk outside, so I do absolutely everything I have to do (outside) quickly. I don't do cold well... It is ugly when I look south, but looking to the north, I see the beauty I described above. We need the rain. My plants need it, and the whole city needs to be washed, fresh and clean again. The wind and the rain clear the air, leaving it crisp and cold, but invigorating, ready for something better.

I look at the new pink blossoms on my peach tree (there's finally more than one, with many blossoms ready to burst open). They are so pretty, such a light pink color... so new, so young... Hopefully, this year, the peaches will reach maturity. The squirrels have been my enemy for the past two years, letting nothing on this precious little tree survive. I'm sure it's the squirrels and not the birds, as when I lost all of the new fruits, the branches were broken from the weight of them climbing the wood, not yet strong enough to hold something so large and heavy.

The grapevine is finally dry, waiting for me to cut it down. I don't want to throw it away, once cut. I read somewhere the wood from the vine lends a different flavor when smoking meats. I think I might give it a try. Either way, I hate to see such an effort of nature go to waste. I hate to waste, yet sometimes I have no choice...

Cilantro is now abundant, growing tender and young, ready with pungent fresh flavor and aroma. This crisp greens are tasteful, even while only smelling them. Yum... now if only I had some tomatoes... Unfortunately, the squirrels destroyed those fruits as well, and they hang half-eaten on the vines. The cold has not killed them off yet. Hopefully, this will be another year where they can over-winter, as they are really good plants. The squirrel problem should hopefully be resolved by spring when the tomatoes will blossom once more. I hope that I will not have to pull them all out again; I hope they stay green and continue to thrive.

I realize some of you may be thinking I'm crazy, that your fruits and vegetables are long dead, due to the weather... But, that is (used to be, at least) one of the benefits of living in Southern California - the weather is fairly nice to us here. We can enjoy the cold (snow) when we want to "visit" the mountains. We don't have to endure the more harsh winters that some of you do. Like I said, I don't do cold well...

Happy birthday to MLK! He was a man with a dream... this year's presidential election sure does look like his dream coming to life... I guess dreams really do (and can) come true...

As the schools were closed today (and so was the library - so no "Storytime" for Marissa), I managed to get Stacy to practice and the rest of us to my friend's house. So, it was a different friend, as the original plans got put to rest. Poor Karen got sick... I wish you better! But, after Marissa cried that she wasn't going to see her little friend, Margaret came through and said we could visit with her. Marissa was instantly joyous once more. Isn't it amazing how resilient a child can be? I wish it was that easy for the rest of us.

I'm sure Stacy was quite frozen, but they needed the practice. They have a big game tomorrow against a team they had previously beaten. The "other" high school claims our team only beat them because they "hadn't practiced that day." Yeah, right! Their team has been practicing together since the summer. Our girls only started right before the official season started! You go, girls! Stacy's unsure if she wants to play again next year. I think she should. It really suits her, and she's good at it.

Rey, on the other hand, simply states she is not going to play water polo, at all. "I don't want to get hit in the face!" is her response. I think she would enjoy it, as well. She doesn't realize that so far, the only person she has seen get "hit in the face" is the goalie. That comes with the territory of the position. It is a very aggressive game, much more so than I originally speculated, but extremely fun to watch! It would be good to see the girls together again on a team, playing at the same time, and not running back and forth between swim heats.

Don't get me wrong... I love to watch them swim, but that is more of an individual effort, not a team effort. Team work is very important to me. I believe it involves more than the sporting issue, but prepares our youth to work together to build better futures, as well.

Time to kick them into "teamwork" gear and get their room finished... Toodles for now! lisa

Weekend's Almost Over... boo hoo....

This was a cooking weekend! Yummy! On Friday night, I made my famous pizza! My bread machine is one of my most useful (and time-saving) tools in the kitchen. For all of you Atkins (Adkins... whatever!) fans out there, WE LOVE CARBS! As long as we (I) eat them in moderation, I will be ok! I usually top it off with some fancified Prego, some mozzarella cheese, and other toppings.

Pizza dough:
1 c warm water
3 T olive oil (or vegetable oil)
1 1/2 T granulated sugar
1 t salt
3 c bread flour
1 1/2 t active dry yeast

Put it all in the bread machine (in the order stated above) and set to "dough" cycle. Voila! In approximately 50-75 minutes, you will have pizza dough... ready to roll!

Trust me! It is absolutely fabulous, and inexpensive to make, too! Try it... You'll like it!

And Saturday morning, I made pancakes, both traditional and banana, with bacon, sausage, scrambled eggs, and orange juice. Heck no! I did not squeeze the oranges myself! Frozen concentrate works just fine for me... However, the banana pancakes were not IHOP style... the bananas were actually mashed with a fork and added to the batter, prior to griddle-baking. I would like to thank my wonderful workers who helped with breakfast - all three of the older girls helped, Renee, Stacy & Rey-Rey! Congrats ladies!!! You did a great job.

Saturday night, we had... (drumroll please!)... fettucine alfredo with grilled lemon-marinated chicken breast, broccoli on the side, and two types of bread (love that bread machine!)- rosemary-olive oil french rolls, and soft butter-top rolls. The kids (and Juan, too!) absolutely loved it all. Marissa ate her "own" food... but the rest of us filled our tummies. I know this is a totally fatty dish, but once again... in moderation, all should be ok...

This afternoon, we had chicken and dumplings (one of my all-time favorites for comfort food). It was totally delish! Easy enough for me to make, some people find it daunting. It was good, and we all enjoyed it. I pretty much only like dumplings "strip" style. I really don't like globules of uncooked dough that comes in the center of "drop" dumplings. Yuck! Anyway, we all liked it, except Marissa, who once again, ate her own food.

I've never had a picky eater. This is absolutely remarkable to me. I am astounded that Marissa could "not like" some of the things we eat. Way back when, I used to think picky eaters were developed from parents not giving their children a variety of foods. However, due to recent circumstances, my thoughts and opinions have changed dramatically. Marissa loved and ate everything as an infant. New foods that were introduced were not a problem... However, now they are! Yikes... what to do!

Tomorrow is MLK's birthday, so the kids have the day off... well, sort of. Stacy still has practice in the morning, so the rest of us will spend time at a friend's house scrapbooking and/or crafting for 3 hours, then come back home to complete some more decluttering.

Yahoo! Everything I listed on Freecycle is GONE! EVERYTHING! Now I can start on another little pile...

OK... enough rambling! It's almost 4am here, and I'm kinda tired... don't even realize what I'm saying or what I've already said... Did I forget to mention those yummy Krispy Kremes that Juan brought home Friday night? Uh... that's probably because there aren't any left! Those dang kids! lol! Yeah right... I didn't eat a single one, did I? Hmmmm........ Yummmm....... 'Night, 'night... Toodles for now! lisa

More De-Cluttering...

Hopefully, the people who say they will pick up my stuff will pick it up! Yay! Less for me to clutter my home and less to dust (or collect it!).

And while I was doing that computer updating (phone numbers, addresses, e-mails, etc.), I happened across some belated birthdays (they weren't in my computer!). Got those cards addressed and sent out, too! I'm on a roll... (don't roll your eyes!)

However, from this little itty bitty stint, I found 3 more things that should have been put away with the Christmas items! Yikes!!!!!!!!! Does it ever end? It is almost like an invasion of the Christmas stuff! I thought, once again, that I had it all taken care of, but no! That snowman candle just had to come out of hiding on my mantle. I think I've gotten it all now. I'll put the "found" items up when we "rearrange" the rafters next month.

I missed the boat on a sale I forwarded to everyone else! How does that happen? It's called procrastination. I could have paid only 10 cents for each photo, but didn't bother to take the time to finish them and upload prior to the sales' expiration on the 12th. Sorry me! Next time. I will put it on my calendar and have the event "pop" up at me as a reminder. Otherwise, I will just keep overspending $$$. And who has that? Not I!

It's tax time! Don't forget! And the sooner you file (if you are getting a return...) the sooner someone else can stop collecting interest on your $$$. Don't let it happen to you, and don't let them charge interest and penalties (which they do...) on money that should be returned to you. Make sure you file on time!

Well, back to work... Toodles for now! lisa

De-Cluttering Me Finding Freebies

Today I am finishing up the laundry (oh fun!), and other miscellaneous items that I've been neglecting...

One thing I really like is http://www.freecycle.org/. This is a wonderful site where you can get rid of (or find) items that you don't want to through away, but don't want to pile up for a yard sale, either in hopes that someone else may be able to use it. It is a great way to help someone else help you. I was "piling up" items to "freecycle" items and finally realized... I need to get rid of it, not just store it, so... I finally posted things that have been sitting here, just waiting for me to do just that. Hmm... maybe next week I'll finally get to taking pictures and listing stuff on e-bay or another site... One thing crossed off my list!

Another... today is the 27-fling paper clutter boogie! (Check out the link of the FlyLady to the right...) And so, I boogied 2 sets of 27 items, some of them being magazines! Yay me! I checked out one of the magazines, though... I just got it this week. It is called Successful Living. Very interesting, had some quick tips and thought to get yourself organized, had some easy recipes and a little bit about a lot. If you would like a FREE charter subscription to this magazine, subscribe to it online: www.tslc.com/magazine. It is pretty good for free...

Also, on the inside cover of this magazine was an ad for Coleman Natural Foods. If you go to their website, and fill out a quick survey, you get a booklet of coupons and a FREE apron: http://www.colemannatural.com/. The survey only took one minute of my time, and for those of you who like it really organic, they are the brand for you!

And those scraps of paper that I had written phone numbers, addresses, and e-mails are NO MORE! Typed them into the computer and waa-la! Gone is the little clutter of little papers... By the way... send me your phone number, address (e-mails, too!), and birthday, if you don't think I have it. Technology makes it so much easier to keep in touch, free of charge!

Love those freebies! I'll keep going... Toodles for now! lisa

Another Day with Calliou

"Who's 'Calliou' (pronounced Kie[like pie]-you)?" you ask? He's a bratty little four-year-old on the PBS stations who whines all of the time to his parents and learns good lessons. I can get through his whiny-ness, since he does learn to respect and share, laugh and learn, etc. Otherwise, he is really annoying! But Marissa loves it and laughs and plays well (well, sometimes).

She likes to listen to the show as she plays, like now. At this very moment, she is playing with her new Little Tikes kitchen, a gift to her from her friend, Ashley. How it came to be in our house is a cute story... Ashley's mom had asked Ashley if it was time to "move" the kitchen to another area (she hardly ever played with it anymore - she's 8!) or was she done with it... much to Ashley's mom's surprise, Ashley announced, "Mommy! I only keep it so Marissa can play with it!" And so, they asked if we would like it for Marissa, and we all know what I said... "YES!!!" It is quite a little gem, and Marissa loves it.

Today will be another busy day. I think all people's days are really busy, even though they don't think so. There are lots of people who felt they haven't accomplished much during a particular day or any other time... I say to them, write down each and every thing you did, even your normal routine things, like making lunch, making breakfast, putting away the dishes, getting ready (even in that there are a whole bunch of little itemizations...). Do you see how much you truly do? It is a lot! So, if you are feeling blue and having "one of those days," do this. It is sure to make you feel a little bit better.

As for my day... I've just finished making Juan's lunch/our dinner and putting it away for further packing/consumption. Other than that, I've been playing with Miss Marissa, doing dishes, reading a couple of articles, getting ideas, and have so much more to do. I keep going back and forth to this entry! Don't think it all gets done in one shot! Sometimes, it does, but today isn't one of those times. I still have yet to pick up Rey (I cancelled Sylvan for today-sitting on the west side of town for over almost 5 hours just really does not appeal to me...), then go pick up Stacy/take Rey to practice. Thank goodness I've gotten my menu planning together and am on the ball with dinners! Yeah!

I actually have everything until my menu is up on Friday! I'm on a goal to budget better and am actually putting a dent in my frozen food stash. I am gradually getting to the bottom of my freezer, I hope... But we all know that I will still put stuff in, but I am using up what I already have and am only buying what I truly need. Not bad, if I do say so myself! This has been in effect since last Tuesday. ...and I'm still hangin' in there.

As for other things, yeesh! Okay, I started fairly early last year (July) with my making of Christmas presents. I went through moods where I got nothing done towards that, and didn't get everything done that I had planned... Whelp, folks... as soon as I get another project done that I'm currently working on, I'll be off on this year's presents, much earlier. I figure this should give me time to go through my "moods." I have so much in my brain with things I want to do, it's hard to get them all done. I mean well, and maybe I'm just dreaming, but I hope to at least partially succeed with that goal.

But... on another note, I'm currently looking for inexpensive Valentine's Day-type crafts to do, so send me your ideas and/or links! Thanks!

Stacy's game was pretty good. The other team was way aggressive. One player from the visiting team even head-butted one of our players, in an effort to get the ball. It wasn't necessarily "legal" but she was only called foul, not ejected from the game. I thought it was pretty dirty, but hey... those are our kids out there...

Rey didn't anticipate going from school to game to swimming and so was not prepared with swim bag in tow. Bottom line: she didn't swim. But! She will swim tonight. We are back in the water, people!

As the first day back, both of the girls were happy. They didn't get much homework assigned and got to see all of their friends. I sure hope the "happiness" with school will last! Here's hoping. Toodles for now - lisa