Journal Archive 

More fun with technology   

 

Sitting around the table and enjoying our dessert, we tried to remember a bit from a certain Monty Python skit. Wireless to the rescue! I grabbed my trusty iPAQ and found:

"Lobster Thermidor a Crevette with a mornay sauce served in a Provencale manner with shallots and aubergines garnished with truffle pate, brandy and with a fried egg on top and spam."

How can you argue with that?

My husband just asked me if I was surfing. "No," I replied. "Blogging."

12/31/2003 5:51:56 PM


 

From the "Are We Fortunate, or What?" Department:   

 

Yes, this is America, where the milk and honey flows in high definition through cheap, fat broadband pipes.

Okay, I am being somewhat cynical, but there is some truth to that statement, no?

12/31/2003 2:19:53 PM


 

Recovering...   

 

Itīs been a busy few days here at the Manor. Paul gifted me with the new P.D. James novel, "Murder Room," and I couldnīt put it down. I highly recommend it. The snake also gave me a new iPAQ. That was the gadget I was testing the other day. This thing has both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi built in. Now I can join the ranks of those who work from Starbucks, should I choose.

I also managed to finish another Ballykissangel story. Itīs linked from my home page. I really, really need to get to working on other, more serious stuff. I do enjoy writing these stories, though.

And I completely forgot that I should have been working on a project for a client. Tomorrow will begin with abject apologies. Said client is probably out of town anyway, but Iīll grovel.

12/29/2003 9:41:38 PM


 

Testing    

 

Merry Christmas again! Hadnīt planned to blog, but Iīm testing the capabilities of a handheld. The network adapter seems to work. Kewl.

12/25/2003 7:37:40 AM


 

Merry Christmas   

 

There. I said it. If you donīt celebrate Christmas, accept whatever PC greeting you wish. We celebrate Christmas. I donīt plan to blog tomorrow, though Iīll be home, enjoying the time with my family.

12/24/2003 9:32:01 AM


 

Pet Peeve # 2,496   

 

Am I numbering them now?

Yesterday was one of my biggies, although I am surprised to have encountered it only once during the annual ritual of shopping ītil one drops. Why the heck canīt people put their shopping carts in the corrals? The Kid and I hit one last store yesterday, opting to park around the side where entry and exit would be faster. Why raise my blood pressure trying to get the non-existent spot closer to the door? I probably spend less time in the parking lot when I just choose a far away space.

But back to the story. As I started the car, I spied a large metal shopping cart rolling in the direction of my car, picking up momentum as the wind pushed it. I let out an exclamation to damn the knees, full speed ahead, jumped from the car and ran to the cart, catching it inches from the front quarter panel of my car. Mission accomplished, which is more than I can say for last spring, when a runaway cart hit said front quarter panel right in front of the rear-view mirror. I have a (not-so) nice little dent to show for someone elseīs need to get home thirty seconds faster.

Online shopping looks better and better.

12/24/2003 9:24:33 AM

 

Merry Catmas!   

 

The new holiday greeting is now on the site. (Just try to get two cats to sit for a picture!)

12/16/2003 9:37:52 AM


 

Long time, no blog   

 

Yeah, Iīve been busy working on the new Catmas card. Iīll link it when Iīm finished, but if I donīt get around to it, youīll find it here.

So they got Saddam. There is no denying that his capture has some political significance, but Iīll hold judgment on the fallout for now.

12/16/2003 7:23:24 AM


 

Donīt forget these fine items:   

 

Here ya go: The Twelve Days of Kitchmas.

12/5/2003 10:34:37 AM


 

Please God...   

 

Donīt let me write like this.

12/4/2003 7:07:54 AM


 

No luck   

 

Well, I woke up in my own bed, with a heck of a cramp in my left shoulder. I suppose I slept crooked. On the other hand, I shot a 227 in my bowling league last night. We wonīt talk about the other two games. Yes, I bowl. A smoke-free bowling center is one of the few ways Asthma Girl can get in a little exercise.

12/4/2003 7:05:53 AM


 

Sigh   

 

This is one of those days when Iīd rather be almost anywhere but here. I donīt know if itīs the crud (which Iīve had twice even though Iīve had a flu shot) or the season, or just a plain mid-life crisis, but I need to be somewhere else. This too shall pass, Iīm sure. But if I could wake up in London or Nassau tomorrow, I probably wouldnīt be too upset.

12/2/2003 8:54:45 AM


 

More music   

 

I like The Whoīs rendition of "Behind Blue Eyes" much better than that of Limp Bizkit.

12/2/2003 8:50:46 AM


 

I need something silly...   

 

And the virtual Speak & Spell just may be it.

12/2/2003 8:43:32 AM


 

Letīs talk music...   

 

I canīt get "Re-Offender" by Travis out of my head, so I bought the CD this morning. It was an excuse to go walk around the store and try to get this weekendīs bout of the creeping crud out of my body. The CD sounds good so far. Well, the music does. I think I need new speakers.

Last week I picked up The Beatlesī "Let It Be...Naked. God, Iīd forgotten how much I love "The Long and Winding Road.

 


 

Before you fall into the gorge of eternal peril...   

 

Read this article on Estimating the Airspeed Velocity of an Unladen Swallow. Science at work for you, kiddies.

11/23/2003 10:13:31 PM


 

Say it ainīt so!   

 

Yet another Britcom may be remade in the US. The BBC reports that the producers of "My Hero" are in negotiations to produce a version of the show stateside.

I donīt hold out a lot of hope.

11/23/2003 9:29:49 AM


 

Hmm...   

 

So, is this what is called "boil your bum" curry?

11/18/2003 6:22:11 AM


 

Hmm...   

 

Okay, Iīll bite. Why name an airline Ted?

11/13/2003 9:58:59 AM


 

Truth in advertising?   

 

Turns out that Guinness may indeed be good for you.

11/13/2003 6:30:35 AM


 

Now THIS is news   

 

The widget has been voted as the greatest technological invention of the past 40 years. Pass me another Guinness...

11/10/2003 7:16:18 AM


 

Site changes   

 

Weīve made some changes to our webcams. We have a new cam for the Catcam, but be aware we are still tweaking the custom software. We also have a new cam for the Home Office Cam. Still tweaking it as well, but it certainly looks better than what we had. Stay tuned...

11/9/2003 2:07:47 PM


 

From the drinking may be good for you department:   

 

It seems that going out for a pint may be good for the mind.

11/6/2003 6:12:04 AM


 

Anyone get the number of that truck?   

 

Yes, Iīve had my flu shot. Yes, I have pneumonia jabs every five years as any good little asthmatic should. So what happens? I manage to acquire what my doc calls a flu-like bug. I plan to return to normal activites once the Dallas Cowboys defensive line decides to stop holding daily workouts on my chest.

11/6/2003 6:07:33 AM


 

What a dork!   

 

Man, I hate getting my picture taken. I love to take pictures, but put me in front of a camera, and I morph into a deer, staring into the headlights of oncoming doom. Iīm a parent sponsor for one of the groups at high school (can you say "masochist?"), and today was organizational pictures day. They took the shot in front of the school. The sun glared in my eyes. I had this "I-canīt-see-a-thing-but-Iīm-smiling-anyway" look on my face.

Yep, what a dork.

10/28/2003 6:45:29 AM


 

So I AM a pop culture slave...   

 

Okay, Coupling was better last night than I expected. Probably becasue it had some new material.

Also bought the new Indiana Jones trilogy, plus a DVD with both Robbie the Reindeer programs. But what killed me is that both versions had the American actors, but you can get the UK voices in an "alternate" track. It had better be in stereo.



10/24/2003 6:13:19 AM

 

Bad Air Day again   

 

The pollen count is high, and the lungs are in distress. But the weather outside is still lovely. Maybe by Monday (if the promised rain arrives over the weekend) I can spend the day working from the patio. I mean, whatīs the use of a laptop and wireless networking if one cannot sit outside and enjoy the day and still get a little work done?

But today I am so ragged out from not breathing that I am getting very little work done indeed. OTOH, it has given me the perfect excuse to watch the "Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" DVD set I picked up last weekend. Watching the programs reminded me again of how perfect Jeremy Brett was for the role. The entire series was executed incredibly well from the writing to the casting to the sets. Even this afternoon when I watched "The Final Problem," I still felt a pang of sadness. Iīd run out for the next series except that "The Vicar of Dibley" is due out on Tuesday.

10/3/2003 11:11:19 AM


 

Last nightīs "Coupling"   

 

I must admit that this was much improved over the first episode. At least the most of cuts made more sense. Still, thereīs this feeling that the characters are reciting their lines rapid-fire rather than acting. Will they ever settle in? Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps?

10/3/2003 11:07:59 AM


 

Hmm...   

 

According to a Reuters story posted on publicbroadcasting.net quoting the Hartford Courant, the numbers of eleven executives for the Direct Marketing Association appear on the National Do Not Call Registry.

All Iīll say is hmm...

10/1/2003 2:40:35 PM

 

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