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Is it me or do my stats look like they are flipping me the bird?

Birthday Musings

This Friday is my birthday (October 30th). Now that I am over a certain age, I no longer feel its necessary to tell people exactly what birthday it is. But its my birthday. A few years ago, I started an evaluation period of my life. I choose to do it around my birthday rather than around New Years Day. For the week leading up to my birthday, I start making lists of important accomplishments and goals for next year.

I try to evaluate each year taking into account the various events that have taken place* (war, birth, death, etc) to see how I did. This years asterisk is definitely the effect the economy had on my job, financial aid opportunities for Andy, and his continued difficulties finding part-time work.

This year was definitely a ‘mixed blessings’ kind of year. My layoff in allowed me to re-prioritize the things in my life. But it also had a terrible impact on my 401k and our savings. I was able to take classes at the community college that I had been eyeing for the last year or so. I’ve developed great relationships with individuals who saved me during the months I was laid off. Andy and I were able to have a pretty great time this summer camping, splashing around (I refuse to call it swimming!), and traveling to get oysters. And I now have a job that I enjoy!

I don’t want to lose any momentum that I’ve gained. I need to continue taking classes on Adobe Creative Suites4 because it’s definitely a use-it-or-lose-it type of skill. Photoshop will be the next class that I take. I also want to set up a few websites for myself one of which will show case some of the work I have done in the last year. And of course there is the marathon.

I’ve put some of my writing and craft projects on hold for the time being. I recognize that at times I do bite off more than I can chew. I want to be able to devote the time, energy and passion to projects that I take on. I am also electing not to volunteer with the Portland chapter of the American Marketing Association again this year. I do think that I might volunteer with the Oregon Road Runners Association.

I am channeling a lot of time and energy into a side work project that is providing me with a lot of valuable experience. I’m also getting to work with a small company which I absolutely love! The vast majority of the project will be complete at the end of the year (or I will have figured out how to better juggle all the activities I’m involved in) and I will then take some additional classes. At that time, I will probably reevaluate what I’m spending my time, energy and passion on. So stay tuned!

Letter to My Younger Self

I’ve been concentrating on my other blog, school stuff, and an important project. Andy is stressing out that half of Spring Term is over. He has so many important projects to complete: hydrogen torch, poster for Microbiology, and a national test he has to take for chemistry. We’ve been so busy that we’ve both been going into school on Saturdays! Andy goes into open lab and I make use of the computer lab to complete my InDesign homework.

I’ve been trying to think up a good, positive blog post for all the loyal readers out there. I decided to write a letter to my younger self. Okay, okay I got the idea from watching two minutes of “Lake House” (before I turned the channel to something worth watching). I thought how interesting it would be if I could warp time and space and send a letter to the Aleta that is ten or even fifteen years younger. What would I say? Well, let’s take a look:

Dear My Younger Self,

Don’t freak out. This is a letter that is defying both time and space to give you important advice. Pay attention and focus. First off, that outline you created at age sixteen detailing what you would accomplish at certain stages of your life wasn’t too realistic. Take it out, laugh at it, and put it aside. You aren’t going to win the Nobel Peace Prize for Literature by age 24. I’m sorry. And that also goes for the Pulitzer too. Maybe at age forty or fifty.

Second of all, it doesn’t matter if your family understands you or not. They love you. That’s what is important. Get over all the petty injustices that your brother and sister put you through. It doesn’t matter. Remember that you aren’t the center of everyone’s universe and everyone is basically figuring this stuff out as they go along. Most people are just doing the best they can. Give ‘em a break.

Learn all you can about different pieces of software and computers. It will come in handy when you get older especially the spreadsheets. Say you’re sorry when you mess up. Sometimes that’s all it takes to make amends. Don’t listen to all the naysayers. Follow the path that you are interested in. In the end, it’s your life.

Don’t spend all your cash on beer. Buy stock in companies like Exxon Mobile and ConocoPhillips but stay away from a company called Enron. It’s too good to be true. Go to more concerts (but wear some earplugs when you stand near the speakers!!) and remember that life is a marathon not a sprint. So be good to your knees!

There are tough times ahead of you but there’s a hot guy that you haven’t met yet. You’ll know him when you see him. Try to buy him a beer.

Try to get more sleep and quit smoking as soon as possible. It’s a nasty habit.

Yours,
Your Older Self

Twittering or twattering? Our survey says… – iMediaConnection.com

I posted this article link because I thought the article was pretty interesting. There are so many people who profess not to ‘get Twitter’ or don’t understand the value. I think it depends on what examples you are looking at. Some people on Twitter only worry about pure numbers: how many followers they have, how many people they are following, and how many tweets they have posted.

I think with that mindset, Twitter makes no sense. Twitter is an interactive microblogging site that lets people all over the globe network with each other. You can share photos and ideas virtually. Because it restricts tweets to 140 characters it allows its members to receive and send quick pieces of information.

During the election, I could see what people all over the world were saying. Sometimes I have a question about a specific topic and can quickly and easily send that out to my followers. 95% of the time, I get an answer from someone who is almost an expert in that field. I can share links to recipes, promote my blog, and perform research on companies all over the world-for FREE!! I love technology. Please click on the link below to read the article.

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Andy update

Yes, Andy is still alive. I apologize for not posting photos of the master in action. You can say that I have been pretty focused on myself lately.

If you haven’t heard yet, Andy was accepted into Oregon State University. Being that Andy wants to work with yeast in a brewery, this is the college for him. Oregon State has been working with hops for years and have developed new varieties by crossing different kinds.

Now we haven’t completely worked out all the kinks on how this will ultimately work but are exploring all of our options. Maybe we move to Salem and we both compute to work/school (Andy to Corvallis and Aleta to Portland).

But for now, we’re staying put and Andy is busy with his chemistry and brewing class. He’s also in the process of trying to get our home computer back up and running which judging from the angry calls to Microsoft and Semantic is much harder than it looks. Thank you for the hard work, Andy!

Computer Crashed

Over the weekend, (after Andy finally got the router to work) our home computer crashed. Andy is in the process of trying to resurrect the old girl so once again please be patient. I am conducting my business on public computers which is not always reliable or available when you want/need it.
Thanks All!!

New Uses for Technology

Recently we got our cable switched from regular cable to digital cable. As you’ve read in past posts there were a few difficulties in our transition. I wish I could say that all of our technology problems have been solved but no, they aren’t. It’s almost funny at this point. But our technology issues are not the focus of this blog post.

We now have On Demand. I was somewhat familiar with what this service offered: buy and watch movies that they offered rather than going to the video store or signing up for Netflex and waiting for the movie to arrive. Comcast offers quit a few free movies! Oh yeah. They refresh the list frequently so it’s not a static offering.

But one of the coolest things I found On Deman was a section on Health and Fitness. Wouldn’t you know it!! They have free workouts that you can watch. Eating my brunch yesterday, I surfed through a couple of different workouts looking for one that might be up my alley.

They offer everything from 3 minute toning tips for specific body parts, pilates, walking tips, and cardio workouts. I worked out to one of the trainers from Biggest Loser. (Not the scary looking woman-the guy with the tattoos.) I did try a dance based cardio workout with less than desirable results as I am pretty uncoordinated.

I gotta say that I am really impressed with this feature of On Demand. The workout I completed was 23 minutes long. They have longer ones and shorter ones. I have been trying to vary my usual workout which usually consists of a gym visit: run on treadmill and lift weights. What a fantastic use for technology!

Technology Issues: Day Two

Yesterday I went over to the Verizon store and they gave me a new phone. Have you been to a Verizon store lately? They have an employee who greets you on your way in and finds out what you need: customer service, technical support, or sales. They put your information into a computer program and you wait for the appropriate person to come and help you. If you’re just browsing, that’s fine. It seems like a good system but the wait takes forever! I was in the store for over an hour. But hey I got a new phone which works great.

We keep losing our connection to the Internet which isn’t great. A Comcast contractor just left after attempting to diagnose the issue. I didn’t personally experience the lost connection but Andy did. He’s actually taking a little nap right now as he worked all through the night on his paper. It’s kinda creepy to wake up four hours after you gone to bed to find your husband in the exact position with the exact expression on his face as when you left him four hours ago. Hopefully the connection will stay put… Time to go cook some dinner.