Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Figuring electronic devices out
I have all of this fabulous stuff that I am trying to figure out how to use. Back in July we bought a small hand held camcorder...very small. I have not really gotten the hang of it yet. With it you have to have superior lighting and every time I take video it's too dark to post.
Also, this month I bought a Nikon D-40. The picture this camera takes is so very awesome. The thing about it is, it can do sooooo much more and I am trying to figure it all out. I am a visual and hands on learner so all of the web sites and tutorials I have checked out don't really click with the way I learn. Plus most of them assume that you have some knowledge of the camera...which I DO NOT. I have always just had the simple point and shoot digital cameras. Compared to the one's I have had before this one is the Lexus with all the features... if that makes sense.
I hope you are all enjoying our journey with us. I am loving this blog and all the things I am able to do with it. I think Jason, who writes 15 blogs a day, likes it even more.
So today, Jason woke up sick. He has been working for Monarch School for 6 months and today is the first day that he has called in. You know Jason is sick if he is puking, which he is. SOOOO, I am trying to take care of him.
Jakub had cowboy day at school today, He came home all dresses up with a cowboy hat and hand made spurs (made of pipe cleaners and a jingle bell, great idea).
Jack, I don't think he feels well either. He has been sorta cranky and having tummy troubles too. I actually got him down for a nap... He needed it so bad and was fighting it.
Hope you are all doing well!
Also, this month I bought a Nikon D-40. The picture this camera takes is so very awesome. The thing about it is, it can do sooooo much more and I am trying to figure it all out. I am a visual and hands on learner so all of the web sites and tutorials I have checked out don't really click with the way I learn. Plus most of them assume that you have some knowledge of the camera...which I DO NOT. I have always just had the simple point and shoot digital cameras. Compared to the one's I have had before this one is the Lexus with all the features... if that makes sense.
I hope you are all enjoying our journey with us. I am loving this blog and all the things I am able to do with it. I think Jason, who writes 15 blogs a day, likes it even more.
So today, Jason woke up sick. He has been working for Monarch School for 6 months and today is the first day that he has called in. You know Jason is sick if he is puking, which he is. SOOOO, I am trying to take care of him.
Jakub had cowboy day at school today, He came home all dresses up with a cowboy hat and hand made spurs (made of pipe cleaners and a jingle bell, great idea).
Jack, I don't think he feels well either. He has been sorta cranky and having tummy troubles too. I actually got him down for a nap... He needed it so bad and was fighting it.
Hope you are all doing well!
Day one of year 37
Result: puking and general malaise. I hate throwing up. Hate it. Started feeling bad about last Thursday: congestion, drainage, way deeper voice than normal. I was managing okay.
Yesterday, we had a good day in that we shopped and hung out, no major mishaps. Last night, though, I started feeling pretty cruddy in my stomach. Something didn't seem to sit well with me. I can't figure out what-the shake or the chicken last night.
Either way, I am not going into work and am making my first trip to our local health clinic since we moved. I don't like missing work; I hate feeling bad. Feeling bad won today; we'll battle again tomorrow.
Yesterday, we had a good day in that we shopped and hung out, no major mishaps. Last night, though, I started feeling pretty cruddy in my stomach. Something didn't seem to sit well with me. I can't figure out what-the shake or the chicken last night.
Either way, I am not going into work and am making my first trip to our local health clinic since we moved. I don't like missing work; I hate feeling bad. Feeling bad won today; we'll battle again tomorrow.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Zoho and Open Office and shopping tips
If you read this at all, you've read what a fan I am of Google and anything free, especially quality free items.
Two things come to mind: Zoho and Openoffice. Both are good quality items that are free. Zoho is a web-based office package that has email, calendar, documents, presentations, etc. Openoffice is a downloadable Microsoft Office compatible program. With it, one is able to have an office suite that is MS-like yet free.
It saddens me to hear "sales" people recommend the extra few hundred bucks for office packages such as MS. People are looking for answers and may forget they're in a store where people are paid to sell things. This could be why I struggle with the concept of sales.
My suggestion is researching what you are after online. Even then, I believe one is far better off to make a sound decision financially. One may review customer reviews via Amazon and compare prices and items. When reading the reviews, however, be mindful to peruse both good, bad, and ugly versions of the customer reviews.
Sometimes it's hard for me not to buy on impulse; however, when I take the time to shop using these suggestions, the experience is usually better overall, and I end up being more satisfied in general.
Peace
Two things come to mind: Zoho and Openoffice. Both are good quality items that are free. Zoho is a web-based office package that has email, calendar, documents, presentations, etc. Openoffice is a downloadable Microsoft Office compatible program. With it, one is able to have an office suite that is MS-like yet free.
It saddens me to hear "sales" people recommend the extra few hundred bucks for office packages such as MS. People are looking for answers and may forget they're in a store where people are paid to sell things. This could be why I struggle with the concept of sales.
My suggestion is researching what you are after online. Even then, I believe one is far better off to make a sound decision financially. One may review customer reviews via Amazon and compare prices and items. When reading the reviews, however, be mindful to peruse both good, bad, and ugly versions of the customer reviews.
Sometimes it's hard for me not to buy on impulse; however, when I take the time to shop using these suggestions, the experience is usually better overall, and I end up being more satisfied in general.
Peace
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Traumatized
Yeah so you would think I would get used to the sound of a childs gurgling vomit in the middle of the night. I heard it about 100 time with Jakub as a baby. He was the one who would "varmit" over EVERYTHING. There were many nights that I woke up to that sound and dodging it just as it hit my pillow. Many nights that I have stripped a bed, thrown a kid in the bathtub and started loads of laundry at 2-3-4 in the morning. All because Jakub had a VERY weak stomach and super sensitive gag reflex.
Jack-man has never been one to vomit...in fact, he has never vomited...till last night. Why did he do it? I have no idea. There was no fever, and afterward he seemed just fine.
Yet again, I had uncanny hearing and dodged the "varmit" just as it hit my pillow. But with this child it didn't stop at that. He continued to puke all over the bed...and me...mummmm.
Jason, pooooor Jason, has NO STOMACH for "varmit". He has always just stood there in a panicked state praying to God that he doesn't follow in suite (he describes the kids vomit as "vivid nightmarish quality"). He doesn't do well at all in situations where bodily excretions "smell". He can't handle it. So, that leaves me to "Mommy up" and keep my own gag reflexes under control. I am really good under pressure when it comes to my men.
So I Mommied up last night, actually this morning at about 4AM. The bed was stripped in a matter of Moments. The Child was stripped, washed and back in bed in a matter of 30 minutes. I can thank Jason and Jake for putting new linens on the bed. That really helped!
Jack is doing fine this morning. He is awake, no temp, asking for milk (I cringed). I think I have my Vomit PTSD in check. No ticks or flashbacks...well except when he asked for more milk. I just thought I would share with y'all one of my many Mommy super-powers. Now, go ahead and laugh.
Jack-man has never been one to vomit...in fact, he has never vomited...till last night. Why did he do it? I have no idea. There was no fever, and afterward he seemed just fine.
Yet again, I had uncanny hearing and dodged the "varmit" just as it hit my pillow. But with this child it didn't stop at that. He continued to puke all over the bed...and me...mummmm.
Jason, pooooor Jason, has NO STOMACH for "varmit". He has always just stood there in a panicked state praying to God that he doesn't follow in suite (he describes the kids vomit as "vivid nightmarish quality"). He doesn't do well at all in situations where bodily excretions "smell". He can't handle it. So, that leaves me to "Mommy up" and keep my own gag reflexes under control. I am really good under pressure when it comes to my men.
So I Mommied up last night, actually this morning at about 4AM. The bed was stripped in a matter of Moments. The Child was stripped, washed and back in bed in a matter of 30 minutes. I can thank Jason and Jake for putting new linens on the bed. That really helped!
Jack is doing fine this morning. He is awake, no temp, asking for milk (I cringed). I think I have my Vomit PTSD in check. No ticks or flashbacks...well except when he asked for more milk. I just thought I would share with y'all one of my many Mommy super-powers. Now, go ahead and laugh.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Google Voice
First, I'm a huge Google fan. I use Gmail, Google Calendar, Blogger, and Google Maps. I recommend any and all of those services. The customization and ease of use that those services allow as well as the price (FREE) and quality are all things I love and look for in services. (By the way, if you are looking for free software, that's a huge hobby of mine, and chances are, I have some suggestions for you.
In my post, Skype, I suggested trying this out if you want to maintain contact with friends or obtain cheap (about 30 bucks a year) long distance services with good quality. It's how we call relatives and friends or anyone else for that matter. So, tying in the beginnings of this post with the mention of Skype leads me to this: Google Voice.
I'm excited about this. Currently, it's not available unless you were using a different program. I signed up to be notified, however, once it is available to anyone. I find Skype to be great; I'm really intrigued by Google Voice, though.
I suggest giving it a look and see what you think. Maybe you can save you some cash along the way.
In my post, Skype, I suggested trying this out if you want to maintain contact with friends or obtain cheap (about 30 bucks a year) long distance services with good quality. It's how we call relatives and friends or anyone else for that matter. So, tying in the beginnings of this post with the mention of Skype leads me to this: Google Voice.
I'm excited about this. Currently, it's not available unless you were using a different program. I signed up to be notified, however, once it is available to anyone. I find Skype to be great; I'm really intrigued by Google Voice, though.
I suggest giving it a look and see what you think. Maybe you can save you some cash along the way.
Whew, I'm out of shape...
Okay, so about 3 weeks ago, I bought a brand new bike. I had given my old Giant Iguana that I got used around 1989 to my cousin. The bike was in good shape, and I never had any problems. I researched bikes for about a month or so and dragged Dez and the boys to several shops spanning a few hundred miles.
I had narrowed my search down to a Giant or a Specialized. Given my luck with the old Giant I had, I opted for a Giant Rincon. Initially, I was looking at a much cheaper bike, the Boulder. When I visited the shop in CDA, I opted for a Rincon. I tried Craigslist for months, too, and I thought I had one a time or two. Each time, no go.
I contacted the shop in CDA via email after visiting the store. I became aggravated when I didn't hear from them. Dez told me to chill because not everyone checks email like I do. Bah, I say! Anyway, I coaxed Dez into contacting a shop in Spokane. Coincidentally, if you believe in such things, this guy had the bike, the size, and the color I wanted in stock-no special orders, etc.
So, off to Spokane we go. We decide for some crazy reason to take a different route, which turned out to be a scenic route. It ended up taking longer, and did I mention that it was blizzard-like conditions? Um, yeah, it was. We make it and actually locate the shop, Spoke n Sport. Once again, we're not paid advertisers, but I recommend the shop. We couldn't ask for better service and friendliness.
As we are walking into the store, I notice the sign that says "closed" as the gentleman, Rob (I believe) my wife spoke to is walking out the door. He offers to help us; we tell him we were interested in a bike. He recalled speaking to my wife, showed me the bike, sized it up, prepared it for me, and gave me a $40 discount upfront. Coincidence? Nah, I think not.
Today, I finally ride the bike. It's smooth and comfortable, shifts well. The only problem I noticed was the lack of energy from the rider. I pooped out not far from our place on a steep curve. I ended up walking it back to the house on jelly legs. Now, my goal is to make it a little bit further until I'm able to ride it all the way back from the post office.
Zennioptical
So, Jack broke Dez's glasses. I think she stated she paid about 300 bucks for those. After growing tired of watching her squint and complain about not being able to see, I decided to research inexpensive eye wear available online.
I came across the site Zennioptical. I realized how scary it can be ordering things online, especially something as necessary as vision wear. After seeing the prices, we decided to check it out. She was able to get a new pair of frames with transition lenses and protective coating for about 60 bucks. It took approximately 3 weeks total. In a recent interview with Dez, I asked her how her new eyewear was going.
"I love 'em," she said in her steady Southern style. "I'd recommend it [Zennioptical]. The only thing they need to know is that they need their prescription and the distance between the center of one pupil to the center of the other pupil in millimeters." We were able to use a tape measure and convert the measurement using a Google search (e.g., converting inches to millimeters).
There you have it, folks. We are not paid advertisers for Zennioptical (although we should be!). We are just regular folks bringing you our experience.
Dog
So, we have this dog. We got her almost 2 weeks ago now from the Panhandle Animal Shelter. We were very impressed with this place first of all. Extremely nice people and facility. We went in looking at two dogs, Brown Sugar and Willow. Willow won out because she seemed more intelligent and listened better. Both dogs were amazingly good with our kids. Willow was sweeter and prettier.
We get her in the truck and try to figure out a name for her. Jake ran through his usual Mississippi pet names such as Miley and Kiki to which we said no. He then offered up Hannah. I had thought about Hannah a lot actually. I like the name because it's a palindrome and also because there was a related story from one of our school kids. And, let's not forget Hannah Montana. Vital stuff since we are in Montana.
Apparently, she has a bit of separation anxiety. She barks a lot when we are not here. So much so that I am able to hear her at school. The problem is we have neighbors-all of whom we like and would like to maintain good relations. Barking became a problem.
Last night, we went to Walmart to find a bark collar. We got one and are in the process of trying this out. We hope it alleviates the barking so that we can maintain peace on all accounts.
We get her in the truck and try to figure out a name for her. Jake ran through his usual Mississippi pet names such as Miley and Kiki to which we said no. He then offered up Hannah. I had thought about Hannah a lot actually. I like the name because it's a palindrome and also because there was a related story from one of our school kids. And, let's not forget Hannah Montana. Vital stuff since we are in Montana.
Apparently, she has a bit of separation anxiety. She barks a lot when we are not here. So much so that I am able to hear her at school. The problem is we have neighbors-all of whom we like and would like to maintain good relations. Barking became a problem.
Last night, we went to Walmart to find a bark collar. We got one and are in the process of trying this out. We hope it alleviates the barking so that we can maintain peace on all accounts.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
When does it STOP???
So, this is Dez. You will be able to tell because Jason is much more eloquent when it comes to putting together thoughts, where I am a little ADHD and jump around a lot.
We have nearly been in the PNW (Pacific Northwest) for 6 months now. Time really has flown, even though the snow has pretty much had us trapped all winter. I spend most of my days doing the same general thing...it's my work schedule. I wake up early in the morning and take Jakub to school. He attends Noxon School which is a fabulous K-12 school. It is also about 15 miles away, and yes, it is the closest school around. So far at Noxon he has been able to paticipate in anything he has wanted to...or been forced to (we had him in wrestling and he HATED it). He has been signed up for t-ball for the spring, which in their words is "When the field melts". His teacher's name is Mrs. Fitchett and she is awesome. He is learning to read, and does a great job with it. The work he brings home on Thursday's is always surprising. I am very proud of him and the way he has adjusted to the move. Which reminds me, he only goes to school Monday - Thursday. After this year he will go Monday - every other Friday, I really like how it is set up here.
Well when I get back from Taking Jakub to school it's me and Jack time. Jack is so much fun to be around. He is funny all the time and it is very neat to see him learn something new everyday. Most of the time he plays, want's a pop-cicle or pop-tart, watches Noggin (his favorite show is Wow-Wow Wubzy...I have no clue why) and then he naps till we go pick Jakub up from school. I am either playing with him or picking up after him :).
So the title of this was When does it stop??? I am referring to THE SNOW. Over the last few weeks it has been raining a bit and melting everything off. I start getting excited at the prospect of "SPRING" and then it will dump a foot on us. I woke up this morning to find 4 new inches on the ground. After a while it does start getting a bit depressing. We have been covered in snow since the first of December. It isn't like the south where it snows and then melts off by noon. When it snows here it piles up...and piles up...and piles up... and well you get the drift. I am so very ready for someone to leave the freezer door open and let Montana defrost.
Other new stuff over the last week or so... We got a dog. Her name is Hannah and she is a Husky/ Alaskan Malamute mix. She is beautiful and sweet. We wanted a dog for companionship, but also for when we start camping and hiking. It helps to have an early warning system for Large animals...such as GRIZ, Black Bear, Moose and Elk... none of which I want to meet up alone with in the woods.
Jakub, like I said, will be starting T-Ball when the snow melts. Also, He has his first loose tooth. We discovered it yesterday. I was excited for him, but at the same time wanted to boo-hoo because my little big boy has met yet another mile stone. I tried to stay excited for him and not show him my angst.
Other than that...not much else is new. We are looking forward to the "big melt" and can't wait for the big Newcomb family visit in July. If anyone else wants to come up you are ALL welcome and we would love to see you. We have bunk beds that barely ever get used...cause the kids prefer to sleep with US!!! We also have a pull out. Get yourself up here and we will take care of the rest!!! If you fly, the best airport to fly into is Spokane.
We love you all!
Dez
We have nearly been in the PNW (Pacific Northwest) for 6 months now. Time really has flown, even though the snow has pretty much had us trapped all winter. I spend most of my days doing the same general thing...it's my work schedule. I wake up early in the morning and take Jakub to school. He attends Noxon School which is a fabulous K-12 school. It is also about 15 miles away, and yes, it is the closest school around. So far at Noxon he has been able to paticipate in anything he has wanted to...or been forced to (we had him in wrestling and he HATED it). He has been signed up for t-ball for the spring, which in their words is "When the field melts". His teacher's name is Mrs. Fitchett and she is awesome. He is learning to read, and does a great job with it. The work he brings home on Thursday's is always surprising. I am very proud of him and the way he has adjusted to the move. Which reminds me, he only goes to school Monday - Thursday. After this year he will go Monday - every other Friday, I really like how it is set up here.
Well when I get back from Taking Jakub to school it's me and Jack time. Jack is so much fun to be around. He is funny all the time and it is very neat to see him learn something new everyday. Most of the time he plays, want's a pop-cicle or pop-tart, watches Noggin (his favorite show is Wow-Wow Wubzy...I have no clue why) and then he naps till we go pick Jakub up from school. I am either playing with him or picking up after him :).
So the title of this was When does it stop??? I am referring to THE SNOW. Over the last few weeks it has been raining a bit and melting everything off. I start getting excited at the prospect of "SPRING" and then it will dump a foot on us. I woke up this morning to find 4 new inches on the ground. After a while it does start getting a bit depressing. We have been covered in snow since the first of December. It isn't like the south where it snows and then melts off by noon. When it snows here it piles up...and piles up...and piles up... and well you get the drift. I am so very ready for someone to leave the freezer door open and let Montana defrost.
Other new stuff over the last week or so... We got a dog. Her name is Hannah and she is a Husky/ Alaskan Malamute mix. She is beautiful and sweet. We wanted a dog for companionship, but also for when we start camping and hiking. It helps to have an early warning system for Large animals...such as GRIZ, Black Bear, Moose and Elk... none of which I want to meet up alone with in the woods.
Jakub, like I said, will be starting T-Ball when the snow melts. Also, He has his first loose tooth. We discovered it yesterday. I was excited for him, but at the same time wanted to boo-hoo because my little big boy has met yet another mile stone. I tried to stay excited for him and not show him my angst.
Other than that...not much else is new. We are looking forward to the "big melt" and can't wait for the big Newcomb family visit in July. If anyone else wants to come up you are ALL welcome and we would love to see you. We have bunk beds that barely ever get used...cause the kids prefer to sleep with US!!! We also have a pull out. Get yourself up here and we will take care of the rest!!! If you fly, the best airport to fly into is Spokane.
We love you all!
Dez
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