Photo Friday: Distant
January 31, 2010
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Sweet Roll 28/365
January 28, 2010
Unagi, avocado, and sweet sauce makes me a very happy woman. Lunch with Leslie at Gindi Thai was delish.
~~Annette -- please excuse typos, sent from my phone.
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Eye exam 24/365
January 24, 2010
My children are unique. They enjoy going to the eye doctor and getting glasses even though their prescriptions aren't very strong (in comparison to mine). Though neither one could be convinced to be dilated this time. This is the pleasure I get for having readers =)
I do admit, in Josh's case, he needs them for driving, so I am very glad he let me know he was having problems.
~~Annette -- please excuse typos, sent from my phone.
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GNO SEO Tweetup
January 18, 2010
I mainly posting this for my future reference since I was only able to participate in about 30 minutes of this GNO. There was a lot of good SEO information given through the video and also through tweets (this link due to expire soon since twitter is so real-time). Thanks to momitforward.com and seo.com for hosting this one. There should be more live #GNOs like this.
Part 1
Part 2
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Part 1
Part 2
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16/365 - Windows Vista display driver error
January 16, 2010
I'm going to scream. This Acer V173 says it works with Windows Vista. A friend rebuilt my mom's computer and installed Vista. Ask me if I know how to support Vista? The answer is no. Ask me if I know which version of Vista shes's running. The answer is no (ok, she's running Home Premium but I don't know if it's 32-bit or 64-bit).
So I'm doing the usual. Since it won't *automatically* install the correct driver for a *Plug-and-Play* monitor I went to the Acer website and downloaded the driver. Unzip it. Reboot. Computer finds hardware. Tell it where to find driver. Guess what?! It can't find the driver.
An hour later the correct driver for the _motherboard_ is installed and the yellow error question mark in device manager is gone. I reboot into regular windows and ... that damn display driver error is still there. And her monitor flickers, the keyboard and mouse stop responding and ... hard reboot. At least her system works in safe mode. Windows, I hate you now. I curse the engineers who came up with Vista.
I'm now downloading and installing Vista Service Pack 2. Cross your fingers. If/when I give up I'm just going to suggest that she run it in safe mode until I can find my XP disc and regress it. XP is better than Vista when the hardware is not built to support it. *headdesk*
~~Annette -- please excuse typos, sent from my phone.
Time with Josh 14/365
January 14, 2010
No, it's not bring your child to work day, though it might seem like it. Josh had an optometrist appointment litterally down the street from where I work. Afterwards we had lunch together. I had suggested Pit Fire, but ... the kid in him wanted a hot dog. @DC66Steps has told me they have some pretty good dogs. (There goes my diet for today). So here we are. And he's telling me about how he truly feels about pickles. You don't want to know. It will turn your stomach.
I love taking pictures of my son even if he doesn't appreciate my enthusiasm.
~~Annette -- please excuse typos, sent from my phone.
Give a Day Get A Day
January 13, 2010
In 2010 we want to inspire one million people to volunteer a day of service to a participating organization in their communities. So we're celebrating their good works by giving each of them one day admission to a theme park at Disneyland® Resort or Walt Disney World® Resort, free.
There's no better time to make a dream come true for others and let us make a few come true for you. Give a day. Get a Disney day. For terms and conditions and to register, just visit disneyparks.com.
Must pre-register and sign up for eligible volunteer opportunity at disneyparks.com. Ticket quantities for this program are limited. Other terms and conditions apply. See disneyparks.com
But hurry. This promotion is limited to 1 million people.
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Alyssa Milano Behind the Scenes with Castle
She was so cute in this week's episode! Two of my favorite actors, in one of my favorite shows. What more can a fan ask for? The fan response (at least on twitter) was hugely positive. If you missed it, you can catch "A Rose For Everafter" on Saturday on ABC, on abc.com or on hulu.com. Alyssa plays "the one who got away" from Rick Castle.
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Heifer International and Small Favors
January 11, 2010
I get the coolest things in email. Here's a contest to enter while also helping out a worthwhile charity.
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Pat Rothfuss, author of the extraordinary "The Name of the Wind," is orchestrating a massive fundraiser for Heifer International, a global charity that people raise themselves up out of poverty and starvation. All over the world, Heifer promotes education, sustainable agriculture, and local industry.
Pat has accumulated a truly staggering number of contributions from writers, publishers, and other creatives that are being raffled or auctioned off to fans. Among hundreds of ridiculously cool autographed books, special edition works from Subterranean Press, and ARCs from your favorite writers, you could win an autographed hardcover of Jim Butcher's "Small Favor."
So do the world a "small favor" and check out the Worldbuilders Blog, linked below! If you have any questions, be sure to check out the FAQ first (linked below), then ask them in Pat's blog comments rather than here.
The fundraiser ends January 15th! Don't miss out on this fantastic opportunity to contribute to a worthy cause, and perhaps win some cool stuff in the process.
- Worldbuilders Blog
- FAQ
- Heifer International
- Buy Rothfuss' "The Name of the Wind"
- Discuss this post on the forum
How to Embarrass Me in Three Easy Steps
January 8, 2010
1. Tell marketing executives that I'm on twitter.
2. Tell them that I have thousands of followers.
3. Also tell them that I'm a (mommy) blogger.
BONUS -- Have one of them ask "What do you tweet about?" Answer using the phrase "pimping" in relation to children's digital media.
I could have died right then. Especially since I was sitting next to a VP whom I am pretty sure raised an eyebrow. The room followed with nervous laughter.
But of course I didn't. I plowed right ahead listing the other things I tweet about (which can be found in my bio if you haven't looked recently).
One interesting point brought up in this meeting was the lifecycle of "mommy bloggers" -- how they are really into it and prolific while their child(ren) are young and then it dies off in the upper elementary - high school years, and now some older women are picking it up as their child(ren) go(es) off to college. The "empty nesters".
And I found myself thinking that yes, I blogged more when I was a SAHM (by the way, how many successful "mommy bloggers" out there *are not* SAHM/WAHM? Just wondering) and I tweet tons about the Teen and try to balance blogging/tweeting (well, it _is_ micro-blogging) between the kids .... and that train of thought just derailed.
Suffice it to say that the meeting gave me a lot to think about my own blogging habits. I was never in it for the popularity, recognition, nor money. I'm one of the few who uses it to express my opion, keep friends and family updated, and the occassional emotional and mental core dump.
And on that note, it's time to get Joy, a.k.a. the Intrepid Princess. More on (mommy) blogging later.
Leave a comment if you want to know other ways to embarrass me at the drop of a hat.
I was at : 5126 Klump Ave, North Hollywood, CA 91601,
Chuggington comes to Playhouse Disney
January 7, 2010
Disney Channel Schedules Chuggington for U.S. Debut | Animation Magazine: "Train-oriented British animation series Chuggington has scheduled its first stop in the United States, premiering Jan. 18 on Playhouse Disney.
The CG series about three friends who learn to explore work and play in a safe world is targeted at kids 3-6. Created by a team that includes Sarah Ball, director and writer of Bob the Builder, and Don Toht, a former exec at Learning Curve, the series debuted in September 2008 on BBC 2 and in January 2009 on CBeebies in the U.K.
The series also has been a ratings success in France, Australia, Germany, Japan and Canada"
--from Animation Magazine
Yup, it's true. Playhouse Disney has a new baby. The site launched today and the show premiere is January 18 at 10:30/9:30c. Tune in to the adventures of Brewster, Koko, and Wilson.
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"Two for 1" 6/365
I couldn't decide which one to pick for my 365. Yesterday was a long day, but pretty amazing. We had to get up early for a doctor's appt. for Josh and on the way down caught the sunrise. That in itself is a minor miracle. I hate getting up before the sun. Later that day I was surprised by the cutest flower arrangement that
definitely brought a smile to my face.
"Two for 1" 6/365
I couldn't decide which one to pick for my 365. Yesterday was a long day, but pretty amazing. We had to get up early for a doctor's appt. for Josh and on the way down caught the sunrise. That in itself is a
minor miracle. I hate getting up before the sun.
Later that day I was surprised by the cutest flower arrangement that definitely brought a smile to my face.
Time Management
January 5, 2010
The hardest thing about my goal to lose 45lbs (still holding steady at 190#) is finding the time to exercise. It takes me way too long to get started in the mornings, though this is partially due to what I call "Advil PM hangovers". My idea was to get up at 6, do Wii Fit till 630, and then start my day.
It took my mom and a friend calling me at 615 to get me even remotely started this morning, plus a cup of tea and lots of stretching beforee my brain cleared enough to even sit up. And now my work schedule has changed. I have to be in about 30 minutes earlier -- which translates to leaving the house about an hour earlier to make room for traffic. It takes me an hour to 1.5 hours to get ready in the morning. Yes, I am *that* slow! Not a morning person at all.
I think at some point this week I am going to have to evaluate my schedule. I just don't have enough time to do it all.
~~Annette -- please excuse typos, sent from my phone.
I was not disappointed. I have a new Hunk to enjoy on V-Day, some Swiss truffles that positively melt in your mouth and some kid-tested, mother-approved Snickerdoodles.
Onto the cookies. I don't make these but my mom does, so here's her review:
Pros:
- Throughly cooked. Neither over- nor under-done
- Not overly sweet
- Quote "For a store bought cookie these are pretty good. I would buy these."
Cons:
- Not much crinkle on top
- Needs more cinnamon. It should be evenly distributed over the surface of the cookie, not concentrated in the center.
Kid (that would be me) tested - cinnamon and sugar in a cookie. 'Nuf said. Crumbly, sweet, delicious. Now where's my cup of milk?
These would probably taste even better slightly warmed up in the microwave. The snickerdoodles are $2.59/8 count. Also, all natural so I don't have to worry about Josh eating them in the middle of the night.
Gourmet Swiss Truffles ($3.99/6.3 oz)
*happy sigh* Chocolate craving for the day satisified. O.K., maybe one more. The wrappers are mint and silver, denoting milk and dark chocolate. I'm a HUGE fan of dark chocolate these days, but the milk variety was just as delicious. Extremely smooth and I only needed one to satisfy my sweet tooth. That in itself is amazing.
One Huge Hunk $4.29/14.1 oz
I've had the Belgian Dark Hunk, and I can only eat one section of it at a time. The newest addition to the Hunk family (there's also a regular milk version) is a milk chocolate bar with candied pecans and fruit pieces. I may have to fight my mother for it. She saw "pecan" and her eyes lit up. I'll let you know how it goes.
~~Annette -- please excuse typos, sent from my phone.