Out with the Old, In with the New

Symptoms: Failure to boot. Loss of records. Black screen with error message. Recovery system missing approximately 2,000 files needed to run Windows.

Diagnosis: Hardware failure. Specifically hard drive failure.

Reasons to panic: 5,000+ music files*. Three and a half years of pictures**. Word documents full of writings posted and UNposted for the blog. The beginnings of a story I am trying to write. Numerous letters and old writings from school or prior years.

Solution: Ask boss for the day off, have that granted, go to the local Mega Electronics Retailer (MER) and pray for tech guys to solve the problem if I provide enough plastic.

Result: MER has my old hard drive right now and they are able to do data rescue to provide me all my music files, my pictures, and Word documents. The old computer system still has some working parts, but I did not pick up a new hard drive. Instead, I have a shiny new laptop computer. Friday was one of those days where things can go wrong, really, REALLY wrong and I can stay happy by treating myself with something special. Call it spending money, but I prefer to think of it as mental health recovery.

What sold me on the new computer? The idea of wireless Internet. It is that simple. I’ve been debating purchasing a laptop prior to another great vacation (and with the mini-trips in May, it will work out) so that loading pictures from our camera cards would be an option. Now it is an option. Nice, huh? But the wireless Internet. Here’s the cool thing. According to the man at MER, the wireless Internet should have a pretty decent range. As in I could possibly be online at Perkins or even the Chalet***. I could bring this computer to my mom’s or dad’s and still be connected to CABLE Internet. How nice! Is technology not amazing?

I also picked up a wireless mouse, since adjusting to a touch-pad is something I’ll get mad at myself for ages. I have a ten-key pad (wireless) that also goes with the system. A few months ago, I purchased a headset and it is compatible with this system.

While I lost a bit of software from the big problem, most of it is recoverable for little cost. Adobe Photoshop Elements is a program I have on disc**** and there was a nice deal on Microsoft Office (student version – I am still in school although this is not my main purpose of the computer). Once the tech guys come over on Sunday afternoon and set up my virus protection, my spyware protection, my wireless Internet, and do a nice clean up of all the junk the factory places on the computer (how many different Internet providers/services need to be pre-installed?), I will download the latest version of iTunes and be rather content.

Adjusting to the new keyboard is interesting and I’m trying to find the best way to be comfortable with the new system.

Oh, and this thing has a cool feature. There seems to be some new technology in DVD-burners. It has a feature called, “LightScribe” and it will burn labels right onto the CD/DVD. How cool is that?

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*Granted, over 4,500 of these are backed up. It was more the thought of having to reload all my CDs and reorganize the backed up files on old discs.
**While all the pictures up to September 2005 are backed up and the majority of the newer pictures are loaded onto Flickr, this caused more than a moment of panic. At least all the pictures from Portugal are on 2 DVDs somewhere in DM’s possession.
***The range is something to test. I don't think I'll have that great of range with the router I have. But I can use other networks, if the owners have not secured them. I'll have to see what is available in different areas.
****If I can find the disc for Adobe. I have the box, the manual, and the tip card. But the disc itself is missing. This is bothering me to a great extent.

Es ist Toet

Kaput. Dead. Gone. It has ceased to be.

What am I referring to? My computer. The one that worked so wonderfully, up until the moment I pushed publish on last night's post. It took the post, froze, and now is a lump sitting in my living room. The screen went blank, the system tries to reboot to no avail. Safe mode start up does not work. Recovery does nothing. The computer is dead.

And now I'm at work, calling a computer repair service to see if anything is salvagable. I could be looking at a new baby. (And if I have to buy a new computer, I'm getting a laptop. That's all that is to it.)

For those who like pictures, I've got you covered. If you don't like pictures, you're covered too!

Can you believe I used to post something every night? I can hardly believe it. It is amazing how life can fill up your time!

Before I really get started, I just need to "vant" for a moment. The people who live above me, the loud, obnoxious ones they are, have decided that tonight is the night for throbbing drums. I don't think they are watching television or listening to music, no, both of those might actually have a decent rhythm! I think they are actually trying to learn how to play the drums at 2:30 in the morning. Whenever I mention this to the office, they look at me like I'm insane. Blah! Just venting.

On the photo front (because my goal is 5 pictures a day!), I have been doing well about 5 days a week. My camera never left my purse on Tuesday, but I managed a few shots on lunch break today. They were not spectacular in any way shape or form. To satisfy my itch, I played around with a few photos on Adobe Photoshop Elements*. Here are a couple I liked tonight (all from DM and my walking tour of Alfama, almost one year to the day, oh, how I miss Johnny and being in Portugal. The beauty of that trip calls to me in the night.)



Honestly, I think I liked these ones tonight because they are so different in tones, hues, and highlights than the originals. It's like Andy Warhol or something (which it really isn't, but I can pretend.)

Other recent creations included some more mosiacs:
Sunsets
Flowers
and Clouds

Adobe also allowed these creations (more practice in outlining a part of the picture to enhance it or enhance the remainder of the picture):
I like the last of the roses the best.

Enough of the pictures, right? I was figuring that if a picture equals a thousand words, I wouldn't have much left to write! But then, I can always be longwinded if need be. It is a gift, and a curse (homage to Monk right there).

My last couple of days have been rather busy. I arrived at work yesterday to discover I had forgotten about the job fair. All the supervisors and even upper management were running around interviewing people at great length. I did three interviews, none all that impressive. Sorry to say it, but when a person's objective on their resume is phrased the equivilent of, "I want to do more," I wonder. One of the applicants also answered a question about hitting sales goals on the job with the response, "One time, I needed a car. [Internal commentary: I was thinking the person was going to tell me that it motivated her to be a top performer on the job, but NO!] So I didn't buy shoes." We did actually get a lot of great applicants, I just didn't get to interview them. The rest of that evening, after the job fair had ended, was unproductive for me. I was completely brain dead.

On the flip side, all the energy I had lost yesterday came and brought five of its closest friends today. I was bounding all over the place, without the aid of the lovely, lovely caffeine I am so fond of drinking. Because of the excess energy, I was able to go to a teleconference today (and learned about some new things coming down the pipeline), get a couple of coaching sessions done around quality assurance, talk with a bunch of bankers, prep other calls for quality feedback, and meet with Steve to grab lunch and discuss the team's performance. With his new schedule, it is a good idea to go to lunch at least once a week to check in, see what ideas are forming in our heads, and keep our communication lines open. We always end up with full bellies and full minds. Today was subs and ice cream!

On the family front, Chip is doing well. He had to go back to the vet's a few times to get checked and this included an emergency trip to another vet on Saturday evening. Once Chip's stitches are removed, my mom is refusing to go back to our family vet. They really messed up this time and it caused quite a bit of pain for our lovely, adorable, sweet, kind, wonderful family member. Besides the fact the vet tech had no clue what she was talking about and didn't bother to double check after my mom asked her three times (causing Chip to suffer through the itch of being shaved for the surgery), the vet also, pardon my language here because there is really only one true word to define how monumental this guy hurt Chip, FUCKED up the stitching and incision which ended up tearing almost immediately and caused an infection. While the vet is a nice guy, my mom always figured he didn't graduate at the top of his class in school. Half the time he gives half-hearted guesses at what is the ailment and then looks to my mom to decide a course of action. But the good news is that the tumor was benign and discomfort aside, Chip is doing well. He's actually trying to run around the house, even with the cone on his head. As funny as this looks, I still feel bad for him. He keeps hitting the side of the cone onto the walls and flipping over his water dish when he's done drinking:


One more topic. I think. I bought some new music again (yes, it is an addiction, but I have not found the right 12-step program to ween myself from iTunes yet). What I purchased was not my usual mixture. Oddly enough, I bought the soundtrack to the movie, Chocolat. I was watching it the other evening (because honestly, it is one of my favorites). The music is mostly a guitar picking assortment and it is relaxing.

The other bits of music I got were two albums. One is a Fred LeBlanc (singer in Cowboy Mouth) album called "Double Dammit." It's older, but one I did not have. The other album is "Heartlight," a Neil Diamond album. I find that I'm appreciating his music more and more each time I hear it. If I can find the newest album, I'll buy it. Not too long ago, I bought the KT Tunstall album and a new Cowboy Mouth album. The album is called "Voodoo Shoppe" and there is a great song on the album called, "Home." It is about New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. Hearing the passion for New Orleans in this song helps me understand the value in rebuilding the city.

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*Adobe Photoshop Elements is an awesome program. I bought it by accident one day. While living with Adam, I wanted something to make cards. I saw this program at our local bulk retailer (yes, it might be tied to the evil retailer whose name we shall not mention) and bought it. The intended purpose didn't pan out. The program also did not run well on my old computer. So it sat in the box, waiting for me to upgrade my system and finally made it to this computer. I never did anything with it for the longest time. And then... one night... I decided to see if I could use it to remove the color from some pictures. It was then a new love was sparked.

Truly, the most frightening search that produced this site yet:

"Cannibalistic pictures"

The searcher did not stay long.

I'm so afraid. So very afraid.

My Newest Addiction

With the spring weather making the days longer and warmer, I've been bitten by the bug. The bug that I'm speaking of is the one that makes me want to try out photography skills (which I lack) and practice, practice, practice taking pictures. My newest goal for myself is to take 5 pictures a day. I'm at about two.

While searching through Flickr, I found a new website. It is FlagrantDisregard. It allows you to take your pictures and create other, creative items. The mosaic maker is my new favorite toy, although I'm hoping to make (de)motivational posters. Towards the bottom of this post, you'll see some of the creations I've made on this site, experimenting with different tags and different searches.

Ellen asked a question in one of the comments about my photography. She asked what type of camera I use. My camera is a Sony Cyber-shot. It has 7.2 mega pixels. The camera I used in Portugal was a Cyber-shot as well, only 5.0 mega pixels though. That one was stolen last July. Both cameras also have/had a Carl Zeiss lens, which I've been told is good. I don't know. I just like the pictures. When I bought the first one, I asked the guy which camera would help make good 8 x 10 prints. I had memory cards that fit the Cyber-shot model, so I bought it again, happy with the quality I'd received before. With the higher mega pixels, I can enlarge prints even more, helpful in scrapbooking.

Here are some of the projects I've created using my pictures and Flagrant Disregard:

A mosaic of the pictures I feel are some of my best:


Another mosaic. This is of grapes from my dad's backyard (and this picture prompted someone to invite me to their photo pool):


A mosaic of the monastery in Belem, Portugal:


A mosaic of Taco and Chip and a walk in the woods:


Cheesy motivational picture (without a cool tagline because I'm blanking on what to write):


Another cheesy motivational picture:


I want to go back to Portugal. I also want to travel to many, many places. And yet I'm here.


Monastery mosaic:


Meeting the Sea mosaic:


Frosted Frame on a picture my mom thinks should be in a photo contest:


A mosaic of Taco. I still miss him so much. I probably always will.


Ocean mosaic:


Extremely cheesy motivational poster:


Mosaic of art from the Gulbenkian museum in Lisbon, Portugal (Clockwise from top left: Statue of Diana, Monet "Breakup of the Ice" painting, details of Rembrandt's "Old Man", detail of Islamic star tile):


Flowers from Las Vegas mosaic:


Mosaic of pictures tagged with "Blue" in my photostream (I don't like this one at all):


Mosaic of pictures tagged with "Black and White" in my photostream (little better, but still not what I like):


Mosaic of the Cloister, from the monastery in Belem, Portugal:


Mosaic of the Se Cathedral in Lisbon, Portugal (this one also prompted someone to invite me to a photo pool):


Mosaic of the nightshade that grows in my dad's backyard (and I found some at my mom's house too):

Spring Seems to Have Sprung!

The weather has gotten brilliant here and today I felt like taking a stroll outside, enjoying the light (for once), and exploring the neighborhood.

It is odd, I know, but wandering the neighborhood has never been something I've done since I moved into this place almost two years ago. Minnesota is known as the Land of 10,000 Lakes (more when it rains) so it shouldn't be a surprise that I live right next to a lake. I was surprised though.

I suppose I should do more than go to work, go to karaoke, and scrapbook, huh?

I grabbed my cell phone, my camera, and my iPod and headed out for a walk. I didn't need the phone, but I figured Mom usually calls on Monday afternoons. I found the path near the lake and started to walk around it, not going all the way around. I probably walked a mile and a half, but I have not idea how long this path would be.

Here are some of the pictures I took while walking. The leaves are not back yet, but wildlife is returning. The snow is gone. Many of the downed trees in these pictures are from storms we had last year. Enjoy:



And here are some pictures I took on Saturday:

(I just enjoyed the shadows.)
(Can you see the rainbows on both sides?)

An Email Forward I Received

These are actual bumper stickers out there.

"If they make you laugh, good. If they make you cry, good. If they make you angry, that's good too."

At least in Vietnam, Bush had an exit strategy
BLIND FAITH IN BAD LEADERSHIP IS NOT PATRIOTISM
IF YOU'RE NOT OUTRAGED, YOU'RE NOT PAYING ATTENTION
IF YOU SUPPORTED BUSH, A YELLOW RIBBON WON'T MAKE UP FOR IT
POVERTY, HEALTHCARE & HOMELESSNESS ARE MORAL ISSUES
*OF COURSE IT HURTS. YOU'RE GETTING SCREWED BY AN ELEPHANT
BUSH LIED, AND YOU KNOW IT
RELIGIOUS FUNDAMENTALISM: A THREAT ABROAD, A THREAT AT HOME
GOD BLESS EVERYONE (No exceptions)
BUSH SPENT YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY ON HIS WAR
PRO AMERICA, ANTI BUSH
WHO WOULD JESUS BOMB?
IF YOU SUPPORT BUSH'S WAR, WHY ARE YOU STILL HERE? SHUT UP AND SHIP OUT
FEEL SAFER NOW?
I'D RATHER HAVE A PRESIDENT WHO SCREWED HIS INTERN THAN ONE WHO SCREWED HIS COUNTRY
JESUS WAS A SOCIAL ACTIVIST - THAT IS A LIBERAL
MY VALUES? FREE SPEECH. EQUALITY. LIBERTY. EDUCATION. TOLERANCE
IS IT 2008 YET?
DISSENT IS THE HIGHEST FORM OF PATRIOTISM -- Thomas Jefferson
DON'T BLAME ME. I VOTED AGAINST BUSH -- TWICE!
*ANNOY A CONSERVATIVE; THINK FOR YOURSELF
VISUALIZE IMPEACHMENT
HEY BUSH! WHERE'S BIN LADEN?
CORPORATE MEDIA = MASS MIND CONTROL
STOP MAD COWBOY DISEASE
GEORGE W. BUSH: MAKING TERRORISTS FASTER THAN HE CAN KILL THEM
*KEEP YOUR THEOCRACY OFF MY DEMOCRACY
*DEMOCRATS ARE SEXY. WHOEVER HEARD OF A GOOD PIECE OF ELEPHANT?
ASPIRING CANADIAN
CORPORATE MEDIA: WEAPONS OF MASS DECEPTION
DON'T CONFUSE DYING FOR OIL WITH FIGHTING FOR FREEDOM
STEM CELL RESEARCH IS PRO LIFE
HATE, GREED, IGNORANCE: WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION
HONOR OUR TROOPS; DEMAND THE TRUTH
REBUILD IRAQ? WHY NOT SPEND 87 BILLION ON AMERICA?
FACT: BUSH OIL 1999 - $19 BARREL 2006 - $70 BARREL
*THE LAST TIME RELIGION CONTROLLED POLITICS, PEOPLE GOT BURNED AT THE STAKE
I'LL GIVE UP MY CHOICE WHEN JOHN ROBERTS GETS PREGNANT
SUPPORT OUR TROOPS; IMPEACH BUSH
HOW ON EARTH CAN 59,411,287 PEOPLE BE SO DUMB?

Finding Other Avenues

Joe, I hope that you read this.

I've been trying to comment on your posts "Big?," "Things to do in Vegas," "Salad Bar," and "Traveling Artists." I have been unable to pull up the comment window.

I wanted to let you know I'm reading and that the pictures are darling! I hope I can comment soon.

Free Entertainment

One of the beauties of going to karaoke is the entertainment intoxicated people can create. A Thursday evening, a couple of weeks ago, we had such entertainment.

As the evening progressed, we were able to hear the name of the woman. Heidi had us all smiling and enthralled. She is a nice reminder for me to NEVER.DRINK.AGAIN. She arrived with a group, all of them pre-drunk. Heidi also brought her own beverage into the place, a foreign beer in a can resembling an energy drink.

The first time I really noticed her wandering around the bar was during a song I was singing. As I was trying my rendition of "You Can Leave Your Hat On," she found our table and started to give Steve a lapdance! (This is Steve the team lead, not Steve Angie's boyfriend.) Katie, Steve's roommate, thought this was rather funny. So did Dana and Liz. When Steve did not respond to her lapdance, she turned on Liz!

When I returned to the table, we watched as Heidi tried to use a push door to hold herself up. Yes, you know it is coming. She fell out of the bar. Upon return, she grabbed the first thing in sight to use as a dance partner/microphone. Unfortunately, it was a bottle of ketchup.

The ketchup number was followed by some air guitar, complete with what I can only refer to as "around-the-world air guitar". She whipped her arm around in wide circles, much like the path a yo-yo would travel during an around-the-world trick. Another singer was done and she randomly found her way onto the stage.

Bryan called Joe Funko to sing and then noticed the woman. Here's the announcement he made:

B: Next, Joe Funko! [Pause, slightly puzzled look] Apparently, it's a duet.

The woman ended up getting upset with Andrew and showed her rage by using that pesky middle finger and then Ki came over to help out. As all this was going on, Joe is singing Sweet Caroline on the stage. Heidi became bored of Ki and started dancing right in front of Joe. The laughter may have escaped a couple of times before he became afraid.

Her dancing included a form of dancing that I believe is affectionately referred to as, "grinding." This dance required a partner. This time ketchup was not sufficient. The karaoke monitor was a better fit. This is when she managed to find herself back on the stage with Joe trying to crawl into the corner.

"Oh, look! She's a can-can dancer now!" While doing can-can kicks, Heidi tries to grab Joe in a place where he wouldn't appreciate her grip. If he had Spider-man's powers, he would have been on the ceiling. As it was, I was rather impressed on how high on the wall he was able to climb.

Heidi was allowed to sing one song. She and a friend put in the request to sing, "Folsom Prison Blues." Her microphone was on, even though she couldn't determine this. We all knew it though. Want to know how we knew? Because we heard, clear as day through the speakers, "Is this thing on? This is really f***ing cool. Start it over! *tap! tap! tap!*" As the song progresses, she sways in front of her friend many a time, blocking the words on the monitor.

The group she arrived with soon left, with her thankfully. And we were all amazed at the fun, free entertainment.

And that is the story of free entertainment and condiments.

When Did it Become April?

Why is it that time seems to move faster and faster? Am I just getting slower?

The past weekend was a bit of fun. I know that I have a few things to post about (remind me to write up the night of karaoke where free entertainment was even better when condiments were added to the mix). This weekend flew by. I picked DM up after work on Friday to meet Char at the pool hall. The three of us played a few games and then DM and I went to the grocery store to get some snacks for the weekend.

The unique part of that entire story is the fact I went to the grocery store. I don't shop for food often. My lifestyle tends to dictate that my socializing is done at the time I would eat so I tend to go to Perkins with friends. I do eat at home on occasion, usually when I have leftovers or when my parents send me home with food.

After shopping, DM and I got back to my place and scrapped for a bit. On Saturday, I went to work and afterwards, we scrapped some more. It's odd to scrapbook when I am low on pictures, so tonight I broke down and ordered some more prints to be delivered. I think I've finally ordered all the pictures from Portugal that I need to finish my albums. I may actually be done within one year of the trip! Then I can start on the 2005 album.

On Sunday, DM and I scrapped a bit more and then got ready for karaoke. Missing an hour of the weekend made it a bit difficult to get everything in (like visiting my dad). Karaoke was fun on Sunday night. We avoided talking to Pete and Guru. We also enjoyed the company of Angie, Steve (her boyfriend, not the team lead - we need better names for the Steves), Amy, Sara, Dan Lang, Bryan, Liz, James, and Stephanie. The bar was rather barren so we went to the wheel and played Secret Santa karaoke. Secret Santa karaoke involves getting someone's name and picking a song for them. I got Dan Lang and picked 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover by Paul Simon. Bryan got me and put in Long Black Veil. DM got Bryan and tried to get him to sing Candy Man, but trying is not the same as doing. He did actually sing Mama Told Me Not to Come and it was fantastic!

Today, I slept extremely late and then headed to my mom's to wish her an official happy birthday. I didn't know what to get her and she decided that she'd like some of the pictures I've taken developed and framed for certain rooms of her house. That makes me feel pretty good. These are the pictures she wanted:


Mom simmered brats in beer and onions and then Scott (her boyfriend) cooked them on the grill. It was absolutely delicious. With brats tonight and watermelon on Saturday, I'm getting more and more excited for summer. I can't wait for green beans and corn on the cob. The weather is starting to warm here, each day feeling a bit better than the last with the occasional cold snap coming back. Maybe we'll be in the 50/60s soon. Most of the snow is gone for good and the grass will start to turn green again. As much as I love winter, I wish it was a bit shorter. Even a couple of months off of winter would be good. Spring and autumn are quick seasons here and I'd love to enjoy them longer.

Work should be good this week. The new quarter has started and it is time to refocus (okay, that happens all the time. It's just a new topic each week) and be #1. We're getting better all the time and it feels good. Steve (the team lead, not Angie's boyfriend) was commenting the other night that we've finally gotten used to his day schedule (which I still dislike but it won't change) and we're working better as a team again. We even have a banker being promoted to another department. Her last day with us will be Thursday. Hopefully I'll remember to get a cake and a card.

I'm looking forward to Lost this week and Thursday night karaoke. Also, I'll be going to Perkins on Tuesday like normal with Sarah and anyone from work who wants a bite to eat and good conversation. Char should be back to nights in a week or two (yea!) and hopefully it will mean more pool playing. I could use the couple of hours walking around each night.

On a completely different note, today would have been Taco's birthday. I still miss him every single day.