Weird Science

(Ok, so that was as close as I could come first thing in the morning with a movie reference to a technology-oriented post.)

I love my gadgets. A lot of women prefer flowers or jewelry for birthdays and anniversaries. One year DH bought me a DVD player. I was in nirvana. Of course, I'm a movie and TV geek too, so it all ties in.

I began my college career in photojournalism, discovered I was so-not-outgoing enough to go get the who-what-when-where-whys and hows of the photos I shot. I was more of a hit-and-run photographer. "Who's that?" "I have no idea. Isn't that a great shot?"

I quickly meandered over to Telecommunications where I concentrated on Broadcasting and Media Writing. I discovered I could make stuff up with the best of them. Unfortunately, there were not a whole lot video production companies out in the middle of the corn fields I was living in and I was finding it difficult to set off for parts unknown on a hope and a prayer of finding a job.

Now you have to remember that I was in college from 1988-1992, and CDs were a fairly new thing. The You Tube and digital media craze was barely haze on the horizon. Now you can shoot and produce virtually anything anywhere. Back then I was hesitating about moving two hours away for the gritty streets of Chicago, and even then there was not a great demand for AV people outside tv stations.

Part of me thinks about what it would be like to go back to college and do my Video Production and Writing over again. Then again I like getting paid too. Maybe I'll just invest in some Photo Shop and Video Editing software for my computer and make believe I'm George Lucus again. I always wanted to edit scenes from the original trilogy to the song "Night on Bald Mountain." Pesky copyright rules.

Anywho, last night DH and I bought our latest little toy - our first DVD recorder. It's nothing fancy, I assure you. No need to track me down and break into my house. You might be tempted to bring some of your own stuff over. "Good lord, they still have a turntable. Fred, give them your MP3 player."

Our VCR has been taunting me lately. It's annoying. I can't put my finger on it, but I think it's planning a revolt. I'd better record my wedding video to DVD before it eats everything in sight.

And since DH and I are feeling old, we got ready for bed at 10:00 last night, leaving the DVR in the box. A few years ago, that never would have happened. We would have been recording infomercials at 2 AM, just to see it work. Naturally, I couldn't help myself and set the thing up this morning.

I missed breakfast and was nearly late for work. Oh well :)

This is dedicated to the one I love ...

Happy Anniversary, sweetie!

Ok, you guys. I'll come out and play with the rest of you tomorrow.

Move along. Nothing to see here ...

This city girl would never make it in the wild.

Gorgeous weather yesterday. The temps were just below 80 degrees, the sun was shining, the birds were singing, children were laughing.

I mostly stayed inside. I did have the windows open though. Does that count?

Every year I complain that I never see the spring. I feel like I go straight from my winter coat to my air conditioning. I love 70 degree weather before the humidity blankets the area like a suffocating blanket. This year I remembered why that is.

Oh, it all started innocently enough. DSS announced the flowers on the side of the house were starting to sprout up. (The landlord must have planted things that come up every year because I certainly have no talent for it.) There is a little wooden fence along the front sidewalk and right next to the sticker bush springing up, I saw the most adorable tuft of green capped with little purple flowers.

How pretty! I thought. How come I always seem to miss this fun stuff? Winter is being washed away and revealing fresh springtime. The grass is getting green again. The dog is frolicking is Bob-only-knows-what in the back yard. I'm actually thinking about how much mulch we are going to need for the flower beds.

Then it hit me. Saturday we had rain. In it's wake, thousands of these little red buds from the trees covered our cars and driveway. My smile began to falter. It. Was. Those. Little. Darned. Buds. Again.

I hate those little red buds.

Sure enough, my allergies hit me like a freight train. My eyes watered. I sneezed. I sniffled. I hacked. I even prayed (it was Sunday, after all). To no avail. I'm even on year-round allergy medicine. I had an allergy induced migraine hit about 4:00 AM this morning. In a flash, I was reminded why I hide indoors until it was too hot to do anything. I hide from those darned little red buds and whatever else is in the air when they hit the ground.

Curse you, tree pollen!

Maybe it's a sign. The reason our Spring Break vacation was canceled was that those little red buds were coming out, determined to wreck havoc in my life again.

Of course, this is always the time of year things get interesting between DH and I. He's an outdoors person, and I hide from tree buds. Sometimes there is more than a little friction over my desire to stay indoors just as spring fever hits him like a steam roller.

I guess I'd better get that secondary allergy medicine refilled today. You know, the script that's been sitting in my purse since last week and just might have prevented half of all this. But then I'd have nothing to post about.

Don't you hate it when that happens?

I sat down, ready to enter a post that was funny, light and fun.

Then *poof*! It's gone. I have no idea what I was going to say. Not one clue.

If it comes to me, I'll let you know.


So ... what's up with you folks?

Must think positive

Ok, so our family Spring Break vacation was just cancelled. So what if the ex is once again rearing her Medusa-like head. So what if certain aspects of my life are lazily circling in mid-flush in the Great Comode of Life.

Pfbt. I'm trying to remain positive here.

1. I have ice cream in the freezer.

2. I live in a decent neighborhood with lots of sidewalks where DH and I can take nice long walks like we did last night. We almost got eaten by only one hellhound, at that.

3. I have a new stereo and am getting new tires on my car.

4. I have a spare car that despite having earned every one of its 201,000 miles, still runs ok.

5. My step-son is generally a pretty decent, good-hearted kid.

6. The bad brake on DH's car did not turn into something more serious before it was found and fixed. (Um, yikes.)

7. My folks are in good health. And I get along with my in-laws who are also in good health.

8. My sisters, despite throwing themselves whole-heartedly into being pains in my behind, threw themselves whole-heartedly behind me, indignant in my behalf, when something sucky happened.

9. I have on-line friends, that despite distance, ability, or even knowing what I truely look like, will rally around with shovels, if necessary.

10. My dog adores DH and I no matter what is going on. Especially if we are holding a piece of cheese.

Ok then. I feel better already. And I will think positive. Because I gave up stress for Lent.

Astounding! Decent weather on my Birthday!

Ok, folks. In my now thirty-seven years on this planet, I've had my birthday in every freak snowstorm imaginable, sub-zero temperatures, and even tornados. This year, IT WAS GORGEOUS. Temps in the mid-fifties, the sun was shining, birds were singing. For March, let alone my birthday, this was just short of miraculous. Of course, it was Sunday, and I did go to church, so maybe someone is trying to tell me He's noticed that I'm trying a bit harder of late.


And here is photographic proof that yes, the sun was shining. That's us: DSS, Sister #1, DH and me in the black jacket. Sister #2 is taking the picture. Hacienda is my favorite restaurant, and worth every second of the 40 minute drive to get there. Actually it is the only mexican restaurant I like, and has a shredded beef wet burrito that will melt in your mouth. That, and I think I ran them out of chips and salsa.

It's been a very good weekend. DH got me/us a new car stereo. My car on a daily basis, but ours on weekends and family trips. I LOVE my tunes. I am a complete diva in the car. Of course, reality is always a harsh blow. For example, the time I was singing along, waiting at a stop light with the windows down, and the @#%$! radio conked out. Let's just say I amused way more people than normal that day. So, yay to the new stereo!

I had a very good day, topped by the banana cake with buttercream frosting. Oh my Bob, is there any wonder I'm still full? Well, except for another slice of cake. There is always room for more cake...

Let the Party Begin

Yes, I'm feeling giddy, punchy and - can you believe it - happy today. Of course, some of that could be the meds I'm on, but I'll take it.

DH gave me the best present last night - a new car stereo. (Picture Snoopy Happy Dance or Steve Martin's Happy Feet here.) The old one would conk out all the time. Hit a pot hole, no music. Urgent news flash, it would go out. We drove home during a tornado once because the stereo went out and we didn't hear the thing was RIGHT THERE. If it wasn't for the tornado sirens and the bushes rolling down the street, we would have just thought it was another thunder boomer. Fun.

I gotta have my tunes in my car. For the short drive to work, I pretend I can actually carry a tune. Yes, I'm in full American Idol mode. I, too, think I can sing like Aretha, Dusty, and the Righteous Brothers. And hence, my acute embarrassment when I was singing along with the stereo with the windows down last fall, waiting for the light to change, and the stereo went out, leaving me the object of more than a few amused looks.

Of course, right now the clock is off by 7 hours and the demo keeps flashing on the display, but I've got my tunes now. I can read the instruction manual later.

I'm a happy camper.