The DailyGs

Friday from the Swamp

noreply@blogger.com (Barb and TheDailyGs) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 09:24:00 +0000

We had another lovely sunrise yesterday morning here at the Swamp. Morning skies are one of my favorite things about living here at the Swamp. Always so beautiful and yet so different!

This shot shows Gandalf taking one of his many morning stretches. I'm not sure where his head has gone but I assure you, it is still on his shoulders! You can see the Swamp was also covered by a low fog which lifted not long after sunup.

So it's Friday and I have a few errands to run early this morning. Then it's back to the office for a day which I hope will be full of lots of lovely orders.

As you may have heard, they have finally opened an Olive Garden here in Hicksville. Just this Monday, in fact. I haven't decided yet if we'll be going for supper tonight or for lunch tomorrow. I guess we'll see how the day shakes out and, of course, whether or not MotherDear and Dad have a preference.

Don't forget to put some YAY in your day! And me, too!

I am still That Girl

noreply@blogger.com (Barb and TheDailyGs) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 08:30:00 +0000

The Reunion Committee has booked the hall for our 40th High School Reunion.

That can't be right.

But it is right. I DID graduate from high school in 1972.

I feel like I just blinked and now I am this old woman. With Arthur Itis, gray hairs and knees that burn if I move just a little bit wrong.

I know I am this old woman because my SisterDear who is younger than me is a Grandmother. And MotherDear is a Great Grandmother. Seven times over with another one due in March.

Every one of my 60+ classmates whom I've reconnected with on Facebook are old women and old men. I've seen their photos! I've eaten Chinese Food with some of them!

Old!

Blink.

But I am still that girl.

No. Not the one with the beret being tossed in the air.

That girl... the one who was young, and tall, and skinny, and athletic, and crazy in love with Brad.

I am still that girl.

In my mind.

Well... I'm still tall.

Sit, Ubu. Good dog.

noreply@blogger.com (Barb and TheDailyGs) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 08:54:00 +0000

Can you believe that in, lo, these many years MotherDear had never once opened a bottle of wine? Somebody else has always done it for her.

Well, that just won't do! Last night I gave MotherDear a crash course in Wine Pull 101.

I let her use my good wine key... the green double-hinged Pulltap that was given to me by Miguel, the maitre d' on board the Carnival Glory on the very last night of the BC4 cruise last year. It's my favorite!

I am pleased to report that MD pulled, and pulled well! She passed with flying colors!

Who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks?

Shoot! Before you know it she may yet pump her very first tank of gas.

OK. Don't hold your breath on that one.

It's Tuesday, right?

noreply@blogger.com (Barb and TheDailyGs) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 10:30:00 +0000

One must have their priorities!

Yesterday was consumed with little nit-picky things that really should not have taken near as much time as they did. Don't you just hate days like that?

But I did get a couple of lovely orders so it wasn't a total wash.

Everybody keeps saying Whitey seems better. I keep wiping his nose, which is not quite as boogery. He still still sounds like a Snuffy (Mr. Aloysius Snuffleupagus). He is talking more and he's also more demanding about getting attention.

And just a few minutes ago he came out of the bathroom, jumped up on my desk and lay down next to me. Then he meezed at me. I looked over at him and burst out laughing. His whole head was covered with water droplets.

So the little dude gets kudos for starting my day off with some YAY! I wish you all a perfectly lovely day! And me and Whitey, too.

It wasn't pretty, but it still counts

noreply@blogger.com (Barb and TheDailyGs) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 08:03:00 +0000

The New England Patriots booked a berth in Super Bowl XLVI
after Ravens kicker Billy Cundiff failed to kick a 32-yard field goal
that would have sent the game into overtime.

My Pats won. More accurately, the other team's kicker lost it in the last few seconds, meaning we didn't go into overtime... Like the other game did.

We are goin' to the Super Bowl!

We'll be playing the NY Giants.

What time is the Super Bowl?

The 46th Super Bowl will take place on February 5th, 2012. Kickoff time is scheduled for 6:30EST / 5:30 CST on NBC.

And that's as close as I'm gonna get to writing a sports post! =:-0

You may recall that a good many months ago I gave all of the cats 'the boot' out of the bedroom and office half of the house. Well, Whitey was given special dispensation yesterday so he could watch the game with me in my bedroom and help me cheer on my boys!

I'm sure Whitey helped the Pats! Aren't you?

Can you believe I almost watched the game in my recliner in the living room on that tiny 20" TV? I totally forgot that I have a new 40" HD TV in the bedroom! This was the first game I've watched on it and it was great! It would have been way more comfy in my recliner though. I may have to sell all my living room furniture - which totally does not work for this house - and get what does work. Except for my comfy recliner! I should also sell my huge bedroom set and get a set that fits the bedroom. Really. I should.

Where's the closest Ikea?

In other moderately exciting news, Valdosta is finally getting an Olive Garden! It opens today. Any bets on how soon I'll be eating there? Honestly, there is not too much good stuff in this Hicksville Hole of a town. No wine club. No concerts on the lake. No major airport. No cruise ship port. No good restaurants. Who knew?

Not me. I miss Lakeland. A lot lately.

I ended up doing a bunch of changes on my web site yesterday. About 10 hours worth of changes. Changes that wore a tender spot on the ball of my mouse-hand.

See. I have this thing. Once I figure out how to do something better than I used to do it I just can't leave well-enough alone. No. I have to go and change all of the now crappy second rate stuff.

Stuff which most people not only won't notice that it's better but stuff which won't make one bit of difference in whether or not they place an order with me.

But I feel better. :)

Have yourselves a lovely Monday. And me, too.

Sunrise over the Swamp

noreply@blogger.com (Barb and TheDailyGs) — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 11:00:00 +0000

The colors in yesterday's sunrise were so pretty!

The Whitey update: We're now 2 full weeks into this nasty whatever it is. This morning when I got up Whitey didn't have as boogery a nose. Usually I have to take a soft, warm, wet wash cloth and unplug the dam. Not so much this morning. I don't know yet if that's actual progress or if it's just different. He still is totally stuffed up and making very snuffy, snotty nose noises. Bless his heart.

So, to give Whitey a bit of a modeling break, here's a shot I took of Gandalf out on the patio the other day.

And it's Championship Sunday! This afternoon I can be found in my recliner watching the Patriots play the Ravens. I have it on pretty good authority that there will likely be a cat or four in my lap. They'd better be cheering for the Patriots, and that's all I have to say about that.

I hope your day is lovely. And the Patriots and mine, too!

Hello, gorgeous!

noreply@blogger.com (Barb and TheDailyGs) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 09:16:00 +0000

The weekend here looks gorgeous - high 70's! Yes, thank you! It's been rather chilly and I'm quite sick of it. Oh, sure... a small chance of an isolated thunderstorm on Sunday, but 78 degrees? I'll take it. :)

Whitey is still a boogery boy. I'm still using a warm cloth to 'unclog the dam', wiping his nose, going through hand sanitizer like mad and running the vaporizer several times a day for him. However, he was present and accounted for this morning for wet food. He ate a bit and headed back to the office with me. That's the first time he's wanted wet foods at all in about 5 days, I think. He also sang his mousie song quite a few times yesterday. I'm not ready to say he's turned a corner, but he is acting a bit more animated, so I am cautiously optimistic.

Today promises me several mundane tasks. The usual cleaning and laundry, of course. I need to get to the store for a few things and most definitely I must get to the wine store! I haven't been in ages and now the cupboards are bare! That just will not do!

I also need to install the DirecTV receiver in my mother's TV room and ship the bad one back to them. They've called me every day this week to see if I've done it yet. EVERY. DAY. Srsly? Their tech should have brought it and installed it rather than have someone call me every day to see if I've done it. That one wins the weekly "You're Walking on My Last Nerve Award", even given that I was looking for a new web host, moving my web site to said new host and getting a new PC up and running! Customer Service FAIL, dudes.

I also want to list my car on Craigslist and start shopping for a smaller car. I love my Lincoln Towncar, but I want to close in the carport and be able to park my car in there. The Towncar is just too long! I don't drive enough to worry about giving up the comfort the Towncar offers. In fact, I barely drive 1,000 miles a year anymore! Time for a change!

Tomorrow it's Football! My Patriots are playing the Ravens for their Divisional Companionship to go on to play in the Super Bowl on Feb. 5th. There will be no BWTB for me this week!

Enjoy today's trip around the sun, y'all! And me, too!

Friday, finally.

noreply@blogger.com (Barb and TheDailyGs) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 09:48:00 +0000

Experience

It's been a long week for me. I don't usually say that. I normally enjoy the work week. This one has been mentally tiring.

Not that I don't think every week, you understand. :)

On top of Whitey being sick - and yes, he is still a boogery boy this morning - there has also been lots of extra thinking, what with researching, finding and moving my web site to a new host and then getting everything loaded onto my new PC.

I've said it before and I'll say it again. I ♥ Carbonite. I initiated a full Restore from my Carbonite Backup in the sky onto my new PC. Since I have a HUGE backup, the full restore will take days, or longer, and it will all be done while I am sleeping (whenever the PC is idle). Well, I had a power interruption and had to restart the restore. I ran into a small snafu. I called Carbonite Tech Support and guess what? I got a real live technically savvy guru. (Hi, Kyle!) Kyle started a remote screen access session and stayed on the phone with me until we were both satisfied it was well on-track again.

I'll be getting Carbonite for my iMac today. It just occurred to me that it's not being backed up yet. Not that I've got much on it yet, other than my latest photos. But those are important! :) I don't know how (or if) y'all backup, but for $59 a year and I don't have to buy disks or worry about forgetting to backup important data... it's a no-brainer for me.

I got my packet from my CPA yesterday. I'm 95% ready to drop off all my tax stuff to him. I've just got one more bank statement to balance and I'm still waiting on one more 1099. I'm pleased with myself on that matter. It's not even February yet! :)

Well, it's Friday! The weekend is upon us. Have yourselves a YAYful day. And me, too.

Nineteen again

noreply@blogger.com (Barb and TheDailyGs) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 08:20:00 +0000

No, not me...The date. Can you believe we're two thirds through January already?

Al and my Dad both commented yesterday that they saw some improvement in Whitey. I haven't seen what they're seeing... But then, they're not wiping his boogery nose, either. I do hope they're right. Maybe today I will see improvement, too.

Honestly, if anybody had ever told me I'd be wiping a cat's nose...

Screenshot of Pandora on my iPad

Have y'all discovered Pandora? LOVE. I introduced SisterDear Lynda to Pandora during her visit. You can download the free app for your iPhone and iPad. If you haven't stepped into the light yet you can also access it directly from your computer on their web site. It's like creating your own highly personalized music mix, always at your fingertips. If you use the FREE version as I do - because I love FREE - you will get an occasional ad. Not near as many as you'd get listening to the radio, but more than the zero you'd get when you buy the CD or the song on iTunes. :)

I had a few lovely orders yesterday. I am hoping for more today. I got through about a third of the paperwork I had planned to get through. I had a guy here measuring up to give me a few estimates on some projects I don't want to take on myself. He was here longer than I expected and then I got a little bit lazy after he left mid-late afternoon. :) Not to worry... The paperwork will be waiting patiently for me when I return to it today. It has always been so.

Enjoy today's trip around the sun, y'all! And me, too.

Updated to add this link to yesterday's post on The Big Picture. The post is 34 photos of the Costa Concordia, many that I hadn't already seen.

Almost Wordless Wednesday at The Swamp

noreply@blogger.com (Barb and TheDailyGs) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 09:13:00 +0000

Since my post was so newsy yesterday I thought I'd give you a day off. Almost. :)

My TV is mounted! Woohoo. Unfortunately, I have to return the faux wood blinds. They are 2-1/2" deep... And the windows here at the Swamp... aren't. Bugger.

Whitey is still boogery.

And it's a rainy day here today. Great day for paperwork, which is exactly what I have on the schedule today. And of course, lots of lovely orders. Hope your day has lots of YAY. And mine, too.

Morning has broken

noreply@blogger.com (Barb and TheDailyGs) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 12:00:00 +0000

Yesterday morning was chilly, but we had a gorgeous sky to kick off the day.

Whitey continues to be a snotty nose kid. Very snotty and sneezy. The vaporizer seems to make him sneeze and he is getting some of the yuck out. I've been turning it on about 3 times a day for him. He is refusing wet food, not that he's ever really been a fan of wet food, but he is eating his dry food and drinking, so that's good. Every day I probably vacillate between "I'm taking him to the vet" and "I'm gonna hang in there and ride it out" about a dozen times. We're over a week with this relapse mess and there's no sign of him kicking it to the curb yet. It's really walking on my last nerve. My boogery boy is just so yucky.

And from what I've read online, he could of shared this mess with Gandalf, Grayson and Gracie and we could be in this crappy loop for a while.

Crap.

I hit a snag with my Carbonite restore last night. I interrupted the restore process when I had to shut down the computer to move some power cords. When I resumed it, it was not showing my old computer files but my new computer files. I'll be calling Carbonite when their Customer Service opens to help me get it back on track. I'm sure it's something simple. I seem to recall this happening on my other computer years ago. My backup is HUGE... about 160G. It takes a few weeks to completely download all my photos! And other data. :)

Yesterday's MLK holiday really put a damper on my business. I totally forgot it was a holiday. But I didn't get a single lovely order, and just a few phone calls. Al came by and off we went to Home Depot for paint. He finally got his spray painter working properly so we'll soon be starting all of the woodwork painting here at the Swamp. LOTS of doors and trim. And it all needs to be primed with oil base primer before we can come back and paint it with latex. Bugger.

I hate painting with oil base. srsly.

Which reminds me... Did you know Home Depot has all sorts of PRO programs which qualify you for discounts on every purchase? For instance, we got 15 gallons of paint yesterday and saved 10% - about $35 - off the paint. Once you reach $4,000 in purchases the discount goes up to 15%, and there's another level over that but I forget what it is because we'll probably never reach that level. Anyway. To get the discount just go over to the Contractor's Desk and ask about the PRO program if you've got any big projects coming up. You'll be surprised. It's like FREE money! I likey like.

While I was there I bought some faux wood blinds for my office. I'll be replacing all of the mini blinds currently on the windows, one room at a time until I get them all replaced.

And why do they call them Faux Wood? Why don't they just call them Genuine Plastic Blinds?

Faux wood

Faux wood blinds are an alternative to real wood blinds. Made of a composite of man-made materials and natural wood particles, faux wood is also a less expensive choice than natural wood. These blinds have become more popular as the products have matured, becoming cheaper and more versatile at the same time offering more of a natural wood look. Current faux wood blinds are more warp resistant than ever before, have UV ratings as high as 500 and come in many colors that would be hard to find in natural wood blinds. Because of their resistance to warping, faux wood window blinds are a great choice for areas of extreme temperature swings. They are also the ideal choice for places with high moisture, such as bathrooms and kitchens, since they do not warp as easily as natural wood.

Al is coming by again today to help me install the TV wall mounting bracket and the faux wood blinds (read: I am the Fetcher of Tools, Maker of Coffee and Hold this still person!).

It's good to have good friends. It's even better when your good friends are extry handy like Al!

Have yourselves a lovely day. And me, too!

PS. One of my facebook friends shared one of my Blackboard Quotations and I commented on the quote...

iPad? Huh? Anybody?

Sometimes I wonder if I'm speaking English. srsly.

Monday-itis

noreply@blogger.com (Barb and TheDailyGs) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 11:07:00 +0000

Back in my corporate world days the most common affliction was Monday-itis. Hands down. More people called in sick on Monday than any other time. But not my Whitey! He's present and accounted for. And shedding white furs all over my new keyboard. And me.

You can't call him a slacker.

Nosirreebob.

He's breathing in the soothing Vicks Vapors and the moist, warm air again today.

Which means I am as well.

Which means everything smells and tastes like Vicks.

Like my morning coffee. Ack!

And last night's glass of wine. Double Ack!

But it seems to be making him sneeze and hopefully that is helping to clear out all the ooky stuff, right? Right. I have not yet decided whether or not I'll be taking him to see Dr. Tad today or whether I'll be taking Dr. Tad's advice to "hang in there." Whitey is eating, very animated and demanding. As usual. I'll play it by ear I guess.

By the way, the Vaporizer has been rather nice in one way. No pesky static shocks yesterday. I hate it when that happens! I am eternally grateful to whoever invented heating and air conditioning, but heat always gives me static shocks and also dries out my eyes and sinuses. I may continue to use the vaporizer even once Whitey is all better for putting moisture back into the air that the heat robs!

But sans Vicks Vapors.

I hope today has me seeing Whitey improve while I takes lots of lovely orders in my newly reorganized and rearranged office at my 2 new computers, Mac and PC. I plan to have them working hard together to help make me a dollar.

Because Momma needs a new cruise!

Don't forget to put some YAY in your day. And me, too.

In search of a humidifier

noreply@blogger.com (Barb and TheDailyGs) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 07:58:00 +0000

Whitey is still no better, and even a bit more boogery today. Bless his sweet little heart.

Dr. Tad suggested that a humidifier might help alleviate some of Whitey's boogery nose discomfort so I was online looking up what kind to get and where. Who knew there were so many kinds! Lions and Tigers and Bears! Oh, my!

And yes, even Hello Kitty! Steam comes out her ears. Of course it does.

I'll be headed to CVS bright and early to pick up your basic garden variety humidifier, much like the one my mother use to have for us kids... along with some Shower Vapor stuff. I'll put Whitey in the bathroom with the shower running hot water with a Shower Vapor Tablet.

Shower Reliever effervescent vapor tablets react with the water in your shower to release non-medicated effervescent vapors of Eucalyptus, Menthol and Camphor. This temporary comfort makes your shower into a refreshing reprieve, especially during cold and allergy season. The CVS/pharmacy Shower Reliever effervescent vapor tablet uses the action of the effervescence to lift the fragrance into the air while you shower - a comforting way to start or end your day.

No, this is not a paid post, but CVS is right around the corner and they always seem to have what I need.

I'm just about done setting up my new PC. I think all that remains to be done before retiring the old relic is installing my other printer on it as a backup and telling Carbonite that I have a new computer so it can begin downloading and restoring all of my data and photos.

I ♥ Carbonite.

That is not a paid advertisement either. srsly.

Whitey and Gandalf, on a day where Whitey was feeling much gooder than he does right now

Other than giving Whitey some special attention, today will be not much in the way of excitement. Some cleaning. Some football. And Al, if you're reading this, I wouldn't mind it if you came over to help me install the TV Mounting Bracket. :)

Have yourselves a lovely day! And me, too.

♫♪ Hi-Ho, Hi-Ho, it's back to Dr. Tad we go ♪♫

noreply@blogger.com (Barb and TheDailyGs) — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 12:39:00 +0000

Whitey is not better. He's still a boogery boy after 4 days on the Z-Pack. And this morning he sneezed 3 times before he started eating his breakfast. That's a new symptom. Bugger.

I'll call this morning to get him back in to see Dr. Tad. Last time Dr. Tad gave me an estimate for what would be next if the 2nd round of Z-Pack didn't work: Sedation to take 2 x-rays and blood tests for kidney, liver, etc... $451.55.

Bugger! Bugger!

But it's time to see if there's something going on beyond a simply bacteria.

Bugger to Boogers!

Friday the 13th? So what! It's still Friday!

noreply@blogger.com (Barb and TheDailyGs) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 14:06:00 +0000

I was so busy yesterday I forgot to do a post. Totally forgot.

I went to Sam's last week to help Al choose a TV and a new computer. His computer is ancient. Older than dirt. And slow as molasses. The computer we decided was the best bang for the buck was out of stock but Al and I both ended up going home with a TV. The Sam's guy suggested we order the computer online but it was out of stock online, too.

One of the things we both loved about it is that it's wireless, with no box. The computer is in the monitor, just like my iMac. Plug it in. No tangled mess of a gazillion cords. Easy peasy.

We went back to Sam's the other day and it was back in stock and Al bought it. He had trouble setting it up so I told him to bring it here and I'd do it for him. Al brought it over yesterday and I set it up. The more I explored it, the better I liked it! It even has a touchscreen!

You know my original plan was to buy a Windows install disk, partition my iMac and install Windows and my accounting software and web authoring software. Well, I had already decided to keep them separate. I WAS going to get a Dell laptop, but after playing with Al's new computer I went to Sam's yesterday and bought the Dell Inspiron One... just like the one Al bought. It will do everything I need it to do and, because it's just a flat monitor and a wireless keyboard and mouse, I could put it in a carryon bag.

So today I'll hopefully be taking lots of lovely orders while I get the new PC set up. My old PC is about 7 years old and on its last leg. I've had to prop up the monitor with 3 books for a few years now and my DVD drive has been broken for about a year. Thank goodness for flash drives! But I can't even put a disk in it and have it recognize it anymore. Not good. Of course, I backup everything to Carbonite and the Cloud, but I can never install anything from a disk anymore. It's time to retire the old gal. :)

I started reading blogs before I did this post and after reading a post I hit Mark as read... but I hit the wrong one and marked every unread post as read.Yup, it must be Friday the 13th! I hope your day is full of YAY! And mine, too.

HD and other delights

noreply@blogger.com (Barb and TheDailyGs) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0000

I had my HD DVR box installed Monday for my cute, new 40" HDTV.

After a yummy dinner at Al & Barbara's, we drove home and went straight for our jammies. I crawled into bed to watch my new HD and to marvel at the larger, more fabulous high definition picture!

But it was very unfabulous. Bugger. Then I discovered the HD box was set to the lowest HD resolution. Duhr. Easy peasy fix.

I scrolled through the guide. There was was nothing on TV worth watching so I decided to pop in a DVD. Just then a screen came up that informed me that it had to download some new software. It also instructed me to be patient for a few minutes while it did its thing. When it came back up, my local channels were gone and my remote no longer operated my DVD player. Bugger.

I was on the phone with tech support for about an hour while I followed his instructions. We got the locals back. Somewhere in the process I thought I had unplugged something. There may have been some cussing and gnashing of teeth. But for some reason that turned a light on for the technician and it was an quick and easy fix from that point on. Don't ask me what I did. I was in a stress and sleep deprived coma by then. He helped me get the remote re-programmed to control the DVD player and the TV with just a simple push of the TV Input button. A fabulous little button, I must say. When it's programmed properly, of course.

Needless to say, by then it was way past my bedtime and I was totally frazzled. So no TV watching for me. Maybe tonight?

Next up... getting it mounted to the wall and off my bureau. The excitement never stops!

In other unrelated news...

Since I don't yet have a cruise booked so I can start a Countdown to Cruise Time even the Royal Crap Ribbons Cruise Line sounds pretty good to me! :)

Have yourself a lovely day. And me, too!

Crisis Averted

noreply@blogger.com (Barb and TheDailyGs) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 11:51:00 +0000

Not only did I manage to find a web host who is still compatible with FrontPage 2003 AND has the Server Extensions AND they don't care how many Gigs my web site is... They are cheaper than Walt, my long-time web host of 15+ years.

WAY cheaper.

And when I dialed the number they answered the phone!

Answered. The. Phone.

I can not tell you the joy that I felt when I realized it was not a machine!

Paul had my 30-day Free Trial URL, username and password set up and in my email in less than 3 hours. I'm still publishing to it... I have a lot of data. A Lot. :)

I got all of my Federal and State Payroll reports filed and paid electronically yesterday! Today I conquer Sales Tax. Watch out world, I'm a woman on a mission! ahahahaha!

Back in the Orchard... a view from the front porch just as the sun kisses the horizon

Last night we were at Al & Barbara's for a delicious Pulled Pork dinner. The photo above was the view from the front porch. I do miss the night skies from the Pecan Orchard.

Of course I have these splendid morning skies here at the Swamp!

Whitey Update: I called Dr. Tad yesterday. Just the Cortisone shot and L-Lysine just ain't doin' it. Whitey isn't any worse but he has not improved. Dr. Tad says that told us something.

Yeah, it did... my boogery boy is still sick!

Dr. Tad was phoning in a longer dose of Azithromycin than the initial 5 days. Dr. Tad says he wants him on it for at least 10 days, and he's calling it in with a refill because he may want to do 20 days just to make sure we knock whatever boogery bacteria it is out of him. I'm picking it up first thing this morning.

Bless his heart.

I'm hoping for lots of lovely orders today! Don't forget to put some YAY in your day, too!

The Bad News, Good News, Bad News Edition

noreply@blogger.com (Barb and TheDailyGs) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 10:18:00 +0000

The Bad News is that my web site was down all day yesterday.

The Good News is that Walt, my web site guru guy, emailed me back to tell me they were working on it. I checked it once more before I went to bed and it was back up.

The Bad News is that this morning Walt emailed me to give me an advanced heads up... in a few weeks they will be making "the Official Announcement"... At the end of March they will no longer be hosting.

Boom.

I've been using Walt to host my business web site for more than 15 years.

And now I have to go shopping around.

Are there any dependable hosts still out there that aren't big box, impersonal, email us and hope someone might eventually respond to you companies still out there?

One that will still allow me to use FrontPage to publish so I don't have to completely re-write my site or lose my rankings in the search engines?

Holy crap.

a moment in the life of a college niece

noreply@blogger.com (Barb and TheDailyGs) — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 23:05:00 +0000

A crappy sofa, an old trunk for a coffee table, mismatched chairs, students studying around a table, surrounded by the quiet, books, laptops, sparseness, determination, pizza, burgers, milk and coffee.

Heavenly.

She's the one wearing the Peruvian Hat. She almost never takes it off.

She graduates in May. Grad school next year. She's going to Law School.

A Lawyer in the family.

God help us.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled blogging.

Apparently I win the "You Move Your Blog the Most Award"

noreply@blogger.com (Barb and TheDailyGs) — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 13:40:00 +0000

Because I've moved back to Blogger, in fact back to my original blog, TheDailyGs.

Put some YAY in your day! I know I will! Big Hugs ♥xo

Sunday Sunshines

noreply@blogger.com (Barb and TheDailyGs) — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 09:20:00 +0000

Can you believe it? Another week ended... or another begins. Are you a 'Sunday starts the week' or a 'Sunday ends the week' kinda person? At any rate, today is BWTB with MotherDear. Last time out they had 'issues' with the Bingo computer, if by 'issues' you mean the bloody thing stopped working altogether. They had to do it the old fashioned way... without a computer.

Many biddies were not pleased.

There was much grumbling.

It wasn't pretty.

I told MD that I'm calling this morning to make sure they've fixed the machine.

I'm not going if it's not repaired.

Yeah. I'm THAT biddy. :)

Have yourself a lovely day. And me, too.

Catch-up time

noreply@blogger.com (Barb and TheDailyGs) — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 15:47:00 +0000

Lynda left on-schedule this morning. Her visit flew by so quickly. 12 days? Can it be over already?!

As you might imagine, I let slide lots of paperwork that didn't absolutely have to be done while Lynda was here so I'll be playing catch-up this week. All of the usual end of the month stuff as well as the end of the year paperwork. It all waited for me, just as I knew it would. :)

Somebody puh-leeeze talk me out of this next bit...

The house next door to Al & Barbara is up for sale. It's in the same sub-division as the Yellow house I just sold only it's in the back of the sub-division just around the corner. Almost a straight line behind the Yellow house. It's got 4 bedrooms instead of 3 and NO PECAN trees. It also has a screened in patio and a fenced-in yard. I could let the kitties outside without worrying. The AC is a new unit and the inside is move-in ready, according to Al.

I'm uber tempted to call the Realtor to show it to me.

Negatives... Moving again. Ack. And it has no garage. That's why it has 4 bedrooms rather than 3. It was built that way - it wasn't a remodel. It also needs a roof.

Oh... did I mention that it's listed for around $30K less than the Yellow house sold for? It's a foreclosure and I'm betting I could get it for much less, too.

Tempted? Oh, yes! I most certainly am!

Final Friday

noreply@blogger.com (Barb and TheDailyGs) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 13:14:00 +0000

Whitey had a relapse of his upper respiratory crap yesterday. Off to see Dr. Tad we went.

Last time Dr. Tad treated with a Cortisone injection AND Azithromycin and it cleared up beautifully almost immediately... and returned in 2 weeks. This time it's another Cortizone shot with L-Lysine (amino acids). Hopefully, it won't return again in 2 weeks... or much more expensive and extensive testing will be needed. MUCH more expensive. I told Whitey he'd better be a good boy and kick this to the curb.

Pronto.

Al helped me remove my big fat old tiny TV and set up my skinny new big TV yesterday! I used my new 40" TV for the first time last night and again this morning... Wow! It's HD equipped but the receiver in my bedroom is not, so I will be calling DirecTV today to upgrade the receiver! I also plan to get a wall mounting bracket for it, too... may as well do this thing right, eh?

Guess who won the first game at BWTB again? Yup. This kid. :)

Today is the last full day of Lynda's visit. We can barely believe it is nearly over. We will squeeze in as many more memories as we can today. Of course, I have work and she has her laundry and packing and MD and Dad have their naps, but we will still manage to enjoy each other.

Dad will be grilling up some pork tenderloin on the grill tonight. We'll have a glass or two of wine, reminisce about the good old days and perhaps even sing a few of the old favorite songs, before getting a good nights sleep before her early morning flight.

Sometimes, stuff happens

noreply@blogger.com (Barb and TheDailyGs) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 11:43:00 +0000

Last night was a perfectly lovely dinner at the Longhorn. Me, Al & Barbara, the parents and Lynda. Longhorn has a dish we ALL love. It's the Perfect Surf and Turf in my humble opinion... Flo's Filet and Salmon. To.Die.For. Srsly.

I forgot to take a photo of it. Sorry. :) But here's my glass of wine.

Yes, Miss Bee. I did use GarageBand to make the personalized Ringtones. How much easier can it get?!

Bill Gates & Windows need to take a few queues from Steve Jobs & Apple. Just saying.

Speaking of Steve Jobs, I went to Sam's Club last night right after dinner with Al & Barbara so I could help them choose a new (non-Apple) computer as theirs is ancienter than the ancients and about to explode into dust particles to float off into the universe to visit distant galaxies, nevermore to be cussed at. Unfortunately, the one we all agreed upon was out of stock so we left without a computer. However, I did buy a book I've been wanting to read, Steve Jobs, by Walter Isaacson.

Oh. And I may have accidentally bought a 40" HD TV for my bedroom.

Tonight is Lynda's last BWTB before she leaves early Saturday. I hope your day is perfectly lovely. And mine too.

DYAC - we has it

noreply@blogger.com (Barb and TheDailyGs) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 11:15:00 +0000

Last night out on the patio...

Then we came inside where it was warm and cozy and I had SisterDear Lynda and MotherDear sit at my desk to record personalized Ringtones for my iPhone. O.M.G. TOO FUNNY! I laughed until I thought I'd surely die from not breathing.

BTW... SO easy peasy on the iMac. I tried a dozen times to do it on the PC so SisterDear could have personalized Ringtones on her iPhone. Ultimately, I just wanted to kick the stupid out of my Windows computer.

Once again to review:

PC: Very frustrating after many tries and it still totally did not work!
Mac: Easy peasy and it worked the first time and I still don't even know how to use a Mac!

Oh. And the first Business Day of 2012? It totally Rocked! srsly.

Tonight we're going out for dinner to the Longhorn with Al & Barbara. I hope your day Totally Rocks! And mine, too.