P2P

PS3, Let’s Fight

Me and that thing?  Are about to fight.

It just irritates the fire out of me that you have to BEG Scott to turn the volume up on the TV normally.  I mean, literally, beg.  PLEASE, I CAN NOT UNDERSTAND THE WORDS COMING OUT OF THEIR MOUTHS.  I have to put the closed captioning on whenever possible just so I catch everything.  His ears are sensitive and he can’t handle it.  But last night after he hooked that thing up?  He had it up so loud that the bass was almost knocking my glass shelves off the wall in the bathroom.  I am not even joking.  What gives?

Also, it may irritate me a bit that he has barely left his recliner since getting it.

If I knew how to turn it in to this.  I would.

Except I wouldn’t be grilling whatever that is on the grill.  Gross.

P.S. I realize I’m being hypocritical and all since I rarely leave my computer.  Which this post pretty much confirms because I’m taking the time to post a picture of a PS3-turned-grill.  But just let me complain.  Please?  I have PMS and I’d rather not yell at him because he really is a great husband and deserves some fun time.  OK, whew, I feel better.  Therapy session OVER.

P.P.S. After he got off the game this morning he cleaned the whole kitchen and put in a load of clothes to “stay out of trouble”.  We might keep this thing after all.  Bwa ha ha ha.

P.P.S.  He’s playing again.

Expectations

Wednesday night was spent on the large part doing two things.  One, I went to the gym with Melissa to struggle through Week 4.  Two, I recorded a Friday Night Lights podcast with Kaitlin and the hosts of another FNL podcast.  You might not think those things were related at all but I found one common theme: expectations.

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I think I figured out that C25K is even harder than I thought this week because I truly expected that each week would be very doable, comfortable even.  I thought they’d work us up slowly enough that it would seem easy as we went.  In fact, week 3 actually did seem a little easy.  But as I talked to Melissa and read a little on it, it appears that every workout is doable, but it WILL push my body.  So I think if I step back and look at the fact that it has been both doable and challenging and that it will continue to challenge me every step, I can brace myself for the run better.  I didn’t expect a challenge, but I got it and I can do it.

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You don’t have to watch Friday Night Lights to get this but we were doing reviews of several new characters.  And for one of them, I had high expectations. I expected a full-on bad boy with a lot of grit and push-back.  But for me, he didn’t live up to those expectations.  He’s much more compliant and warm-hearted than I imagined.  I expected one character and got another.  But it’s ok.   I think I’m going to like this new person they’ve created.

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Both of these things rolled around in my head right before drifting off to sleep last night and I realized how expectations relate to life.  Maybe you got something you didn’t expect or maybe you didn’t get something you expected.  Can anyone relate to a missed promotion, an unexpected sickness, blissful marriage, unruly children, the loss of a friend?  But while you’re in it, if you take a step back and take your expectations out of the equation and look at what’s in front of you, it’s ok.  Maybe you need to see what’s in front of you for what it is and not what it should have been.  I think you’ll find it’s a lot easier to deal with.  It won’t change it but maybe it will change your perspective.  Perhaps you can become more appreciative even though it’s not what you wanted?  Prepared for what’s to come?  Accepting of the past?  And maybe, just maybe, you’ll find it’s better than expected.

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I can’t think of a better day other than the first of a New Year to take stock, evaluate and maybe shift some perspectives.  And no matter what our expectations were, we all have something to be thankful for from 2009.

For me, today is going to be a day to appreciate all God’s blessings this past year and to be hopeful for what He has in store for 2010.  Things I can always expect and never be disappointed in His love, mercy and grace. May we all experience it richly in 2010.

Happy New Year!

Back Door and More

You may remember when I painted my back door black after being inspired by this post.  One thing left to do was the lettering.  Shelley from Wonderfully Wordy did the vinyl lettering for Just a Girl.  Once on Shelley’s site I found lots of stuff I’d like to do.  My plan was to do the numbers on the front door and the Welcome sign on the back.  Well, the way my front door has 8 panels instead of 6, I wasn’t positive I’d like the spacing.  So I ended up leaving the front door clear.  And as much as I liked the numbers, I felt like a Welcome sign was more appropriate for us in our garage.

But of course I couldn’t just do that!   When Sally visited our house, one thing she said we needed to do was group the frames in our hallway and add our name to the top.  I loved these signs that Shelley had available.

We had a mix-up in my order and Shelley was fantastic and sent some extras with new shipment so I got this “Bubbles, steam, serenity” sign.  I love it on my bathroom door as I see it behind me as I get ready and as well from my bed.

Shelley was fantastic to work with.  She gave me all kinds of options and advice for what I ordered.  The items were shipped promptly (and adorably).  Her customer service when there was an issue was impeccable.  Can’t recommend her enough!  Go check her out!

Using Gmail’s Quick Links and Tasks

This seems so random today but I’ve been wanting to do this post for a while.  Anyway, hope it helps fellow Gmailers!

I love getting email, especially when it’s from an actual person! But if there’s one thing I love after reading them all is seeing my Inbox completely free and clear of any emails.  Some of you may be wondering how I do it and sure that your box could never be empty.  But if you have Gmail, I have two features I started to use this year that should make it quite possible.

I find that there are only two reasons that I keep an email in my inbox and not archiving it.  One is because there is something I need to do and need the email as a reminder or need info from it and the second is if there are links/info I know I’ll need in the future or on a consistent basis.  Tasks will solve the first and Quick Links the second.

Here’s how.

Quick Links

I love Quick Links.  Basically these are bookmarks to an email.  These are great for emails that you need to consistently open.  For example, one of mine is Scott’s 2010 work schedule that I will refer to often throughout the year. Instead of keeping it cluttering my inbox, I created a Quick Link.  It shows up in a list in the bottom left of Gmail.

When I click on it in my Quick Links list, the email pops right up.  So it’s just as accessible as an email in my inbox.  In fact, since you get to give it a customizable name, I’d say it’s even easier to find!

So how do you add a Quick Link?

1. Expand your Quick Links menu in Gmail (Plus sign to the left)
2. Open the email you want a quick link to
3. Click Add Quick Link on the bottom right of your Quick Links list
4. A dialog box will pop up with some weird name like “inbox/234234”.  Just type in the name you want to see in your Quick Links list.
5. Click OK
6. Archive your email to clear it out of your inbox.

And voila!  Your email is easier than ever to find and your inbox is one step closer to being clear!

Tasks

Tasks are great for quick hit things you need to do.  Maybe a reply to someone that you need to take the time to do later.  For me, I have a lot of reminders to myself to do a blog post.  It may be an appointment or a request from someone to fax something.  There are infinite possibilities here.  But the difference between a quick link and task is the task can be checked off and when it’s done, you’ll never want to refer to that email again.

You can see my Task List on the bottom right of the screen shot above.  To add an email as a task list:

1. Select the email in your inbox by either clicking the checkbox in Inbox or simply opening the email.
2. Click on More Actions in the top level Gmail menu bar.
3. Click on Add to Tasks.
4. Archive your email to clear it out of your inbox.

To see your Task List, click on Tasks in your left sidebar in Gmail.  It should be right above your Quick Links.  From the Task List, you can mark off the task by simply checking it off.  There are lots more to Tasks as well.  You can give yourself a due date, put it in a customized task list, make notes, delete it, all kinds of things!

I think you’ll find by using just these two features you can keep your Gmail Inbox free and clear of hundreds of emails!

Google Wave

I’m guessing a lot of non-techie people have no idea what Google Wave is.  Honestly, I didn’t either.  I mean, I’d heard of it.  And I knew it was Google’s latest project.  And I knew I was a fan.  I’ve been a huge fan since 1999ish.  But this Wave thing, was waving right over my head.

This week, 100,000 invites went out.  I think I might have requested it but apparently it didn’t help because I haven’t gotten an invite yet.

While waiting, I’ve been trying to figure out what in the heck it does exactly.  I knew it would help with communication and possibly replace Gmail and Twitter.  That’s about as far as I got.  I’m still not sure of the details but this little video was fun to watch and gave a good high-level idea of what it’s trying to accomplish.

And if you have an invite you’d like to extend, my Gmail account is always open.

If you want a little more detail, check this video out:

Katharine McPhee Gone Blonde

As an avid American Idol fan and one who bought Katharine McPhee’s first record and a proud Brunette, I feel that I have a right to an opinion about this topic.  May I say I dislike Katharine’s new hair with much fervor?

I followed the switch at Rickey.org and immediately was not a fan.  I mean, she went from this

to this

Theoretically it looks good:

But I recently watched FunnyorDie’s latest video and I did not even recognize her one bit and only knew it was her when I read the tagline.  This is a screencap from it:

Doesn’t it look like a horrible wig??

I’m not one to bash celebrities but I just feel I have to take this little corner of the blogosphere to say NO to the blonde and say bring back the beautiful, long brunette hair!

Anyone with me?

All that being said, I feel it’s only fair that I say I do like this song from her new album:

In Which Amy Fails

These are snippets of an email conversation from one of my other blogs.

Hi Amy,

I’m a lurker.  I’m disabled and can’t join the discussion group, but  I really enjoy the camaraderie the girls have with each other.

I don’t think I disabled you….can you try posting a comment again?

amy

Amy,

Just to clarify things, I am disabled (ill)…

FAIL

Go ahead, read it again.  It’s only funny the second (and third) time you read it.

He sees

I stand at the kitchen counter.  It’s late but we haven’t put the blinds down yet.  I reach for another dirty dish in the water and stare at my reflection in the window.  Did I ask for this?  When we were young and carefree did I know I’d be here like this?

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I carry another basket of laundry in my hands.  I pass the kids playroom and don’t bother to remind them to clean up again.  I catch my reflection in the mirror at the end of the hall.  I’m still wearing the same clothes I wore yesterday.  Was this part of the deal?

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I leave my computer to answer calls from the playroom for food.  Again.  I am speechless at the door as they’ve pulled all of their toys in the floor.  It was spotless ten minutes ago.

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Lord, help me.  I can’t keep doing this. I’m so tired of doing everything over and over and over.

You’re right.  You’re too pretty for this.  Too smart.  Wouldn’t it be better all on your own?   Can you imagine how great that would be?

Lord, I know those are lies but help me.  I’m drowning and I’m tired and no one sees.

Beloved, I see.  I see.

“And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men.”

Colossians 3:23

Taxes Smaxes

As you might recall, I’ve been dreading tax season.  With a nice lump of extra income last year, I was definitely not looking forward to getting them done.  I dropped them off last Friday and went today.  I was STUNNED when the first words were “From federal you’re getting back…”  and THEN she says “From state you’re getting back [even more]…”  Now, we didn’t get the HUGE return we’re used to but I thought I would be paying the same amount this year.  I was ecstatic to hear we’re not just not paying but getting about $1,000 back.  Now, Scott’s been saying this whole time “If taxes turn out ok, I’m getting a new TV”.  And I guess it is “his turn” since the last big purchase was my mac.  SO.  We’re on the hunt for not only a big flat screen but also debating on whether to build a custom cabinet or buy one.

I love tax season again!

The cups

#1 You can tell Scott has not been home to make me clean out the van

#2 This is why Honda’s have 182 cupholders

And just for Rocks in my Dryer readers, other lovely things found in here  AFTER round one of cleaning:

1. 5 dirty tissues
2. Toy sheep
3. Toy ring
4. 2 bookbags
5. 2 pairs of flip-flops
6. Koozie
7. Bible
8. 8 cups
9. Mother’s Day card
10. coupons
11. ice cream maker
12. baby doll
13. lens cap
14. 2 gift cards
15. umbrella
16. map
17. door full of trash
18. broken sunglasses
19. CD case
20. dirty pair (of toddler) panties

Bartholin’s Gland Cyst

Boys, go away, you don’t care about this.  And for that matter, if you don’t like graphic medical talk, you go away too.

But I have to say, reading about someone’s medical journey can be interesting too.

Plus, I wholeheartedly believe knowledge is power and so many people are searching the Internet these days for medical info so I’m going to add this on here for Google’s sake. (Do I get extra points in my Google rank if I actually use Google’s name several times??)  Furthermore, you wouldn’t believe the amount of 13 year olds searching on forums about lumps in their vaginas which really turn out to be their cervix.  Not helpful.

Anyway.

Saturday I started feeling sore “down there”.  Sort of felt like I had been cycling for too long.  Except I haven’t done anything even close to exercise for months now.  I brushed it off seeing how clumsy I am and thought maybe I had bruised myself somehow.  And no, there’s no way it was some freak sexual maneuver…Scott’s been gone for 7 days now.

By Sunday, it was hurting bad enough I got curious enough and found a gumball size lump to the right of outer labia.  It was sore to the touch and hurt when I sat down, bent down or when I wiped.  Otherwise it didn’t hurt.

Well, by Monday it had grown to about the size of a cherry tomato and it was hurting all the time.  Not so much that I was taking any pain pills but I knew it wasn’t right and I had never had anything like that.  And well, when you go searching on the Internet about lumps, the Cancer word tends to come up and freak you out.  I made an appointment to see my GYN for this afternoon.

It didn’t take him long to determine I had one of my search results…a Bartholin’s Gland Cyst.  Basically you have a duct that produces lubrication and it can get clogged up.  And when it does that, it may or may not get infected.  My doctor told me there was no good way to tell if it was infected or not so they like to go ahead and drain it but they’d go ahead and put me on antibiotics to see if that helped.  If it hadn’t helped in 2-3 days, they’d put gel on it to numb it, give me a shot of Novocaine, cut the cyst open, drain it then stick in a catheter that I had to wear for about a week or until it fell out.

FABULOUS.

And guess when my appointment is?  Roughly 7 hours before Scott returns from his 10 trip out of the country.  And I’m going to have a catheter for 7 days.  He’s going to love this one.

They say out of the mouths of babes but…

out of the mouths of teenagers can be funny too.  Wednesday night at church the worksheet had this question: What would happen if you intentionally spent time with God every day foe one month?

Everyone joked “What’s a foe??”

This conversation happened between a youth and J, another youth worker

Youth: It’s a deer!!

J: That’s a doe.

Youth: Oh Really?? I didn’t know that.

Nice.

That’s a South Carolina education for ya.

And on the subject of mistakes on brochures/worksheets, J said she’d never forget a brochure for a ministry which was trying to state “pork and beans” but instead said “porn and beans”.

Nice.

Oh, creative people..

Someone MUST help me figure out how to make one of these!

Around the house

Hey, guess what hasn’t come in yet?? Our hardwoods! Ding, ding, ding! I don’t know why I got a little hopeful that they’d actually be on time yesterday. Scott was to supposed to call yesterday but never did. I’m hoping he makes another visit to the big orange box to find out when and if they got shipped yet. At least we would know if they’re on the way.

*Update – Scott called and they HAVE shipped and have a date of 4/19 to be delivered.

Also I think we’re finally getting our landscaping friend to come spray some sort of very expensive chemical in our yard today that kills everything but our grass which means our yard is fixing to be dirt. We’re supposed to plant seed soon after doing this so I hope all that rain comes back and we might actually have real grass in our yard this summer.

Scott put new mulch out for the year last weekend and bought the boards to finish our deck around the pool. We still have a few other things on the list like painting the trim on the back porch door and repainting the concrete on the porch.

Whew. Looks like we (as in Scott) has a busy spring around here.

Friends for a Season

I was texting with one of the youth members last night and somehow it got onto the conversation about moving on through life and having to leave friends.  As we get older, we see we have friends only for a time and we should not take them for granted.  Yes, a few friends I’ve had almost a lifetime but at certain times we are closer than others.  I started to think of a few friends that I don’t hardly speak to anymore but at the time we were inseparable most of the time. These certainly aren’t a full listing of my friends and none of my closest ones are listed, just ones that from each step in life I’ve realized I don’t connect with anymore.    There’s nothing happened that I don’t talk to these people any more but simply life.  I’ve moved or they’ve moved or we just don’t have certain places or things in common anymore.

Ages 6-8.  Kristyn.  We went to school together. I took piano lessons from her mother.  “Everyone” thought we were twins.  I remember her dad having an Apple computer and cutting my leg on a chained link fence (I did that, not her dad lol) at her neighbor’s house.

Ages 11-13 Sallie.  She was my middle school friend.  She was the sleep-over, theme-park go-er, Wayne’s World watching, first boy-girl parties friend.

Ages 11-17 Shelley.  This was my youth group friend.  Besides Heather, she was the one with whom I did everything at church and a few times outside of church.

Ages 18-21 All my college friends.  I ate lunch with them, studied with them, went to class with them, went to cultural events, even worked with one of them.

Also Penny was a friend during that timeframe.  Penny was even my bridesmaid.  It’s sort of odd looking at wedding pictures now and seeing someone I don’t really talk to anymore.  Not that we wouldn’t talk, it’s just we don’t.

I got married right at 20 years old and since then, I’ve worked in the same job and have gone to the same church.  I didn’t go to graduate school so my circle of friends have somewhat stayed the same.  I’ve gained some new friends from working with the youth, both adult and children.  But even some of those have moved on and we don’t talk on a normal basis.

I don’t know why I share this except to say enjoy your friends.  I truly miss some of those relationships and they probably won’t ever be restored or replaced.  Some friendships are there for a lifetime but others are but for a season.  Enjoy your friends today.