I cracked open a monster when I wasn't even tired. BAD idea. I'm bouncing off the walls! Hopefully I can deflate before my 3pm meeting.
Did I mention my Sidekick has spell check? Yep! I misspelled "deflate" and it set me right again :) I love my Sidekick - I should name it!
The other day I was browsing through the download catalog on my Sidekick and found some half-way decent themes as I don't really like the default ones. However, I could never pay $2.99 for a theme ($1.99 if all you want is the background image) if I didn't have to - which I don't. If your Sidekick has a memory card - which the Sidekick iD didn't - then you can just create your own!
I went hunting for my old Sidekick theme creator site. I assumed that they would update their site to reflect the new Sidekick settings - but I was wrong and a bit bummed. The new Sidekick has such a better screen resolution that the old themes I'd used were over pixelated when I tried to use them. Upon closer inspection, I realized that there was a secondary site - different from the first - made just for the Sidekick LX which has the same screen resolution size as the Sidekick 2008. Browsing through these sites are nightmares because you can create whatever theme you want and upload them and most are terrible. The images are badly edited, some are NSFW, and there are THOUSANDS.
I found one good one and followed that one to many other good ones by following the creator. This guy really does a good theme because instead of just making a background image he also added custom bubbles (those small icons that sit behind the application icons in the half circle to the left), a different background for the folder screen and even a keyguard picture. In short, the full package. The only thing he didn't do was add sounds for when the screen is opened & closed but I'm a bit glad because now I can do that myself :) I was happy because it even matched my shell colors - as I'm using two different ones that happen to look well together.
The following is a selection of pictures and a couple videos from the last few months.
Splish Splash
Video
Spring
Golf
Randoms
Dian's Birthday
Camping
Summertime, it is oft joked, is the best 2 weeks in Seattle.
Boy howdy.
I write in the darkness, illuminated solely by the bluish light of my 3 year old Gateway, a glass each of wine and water to my right, my home to my left, from my Kick Ass Awesome New Deck. My windchime is tinging just enough to be pleasant, there is a slight breeze, and I can hear the sirens of Sammamish PD in the distance pulling over someone for going 37 in a 35. Yes, it's summer in suburbia.
After I put the SC to bed I tore apart my craft bag and redid it: I made it bigger, better, faster, etc. The bionic pockets are something else. It will get its first use this weekend, as we are going to Ms. Lisa's farm and I need to have something to keep me busy whilst everyone is asleep in the morning (including the SC). You see, I have discovered I am a morning person.
Never was there a more unwilling and reluctant morning person.
I don't *want* to get up. I *want* to sleep. But my brain wakes up and will not let me go back to sleep: the day's duties, excitements, potential pitfalls, etc. waft through my head in a never ending stream, usually to music (like Coldplay's Viva la Vida or U2's Beautiful Day or Carbon Leaf's Boxer or Weezer's Pork and Beans). That, and the urgent need to pee actually get me out of bed, guilt from the indulgences of the night before usually get me on the treadmill. Once I do that it's all over: the endorphin high wakes me up and keeps me up.
To think that in 2 months I'll be shrouded back in denim and sweaters, and Docs. A little bird told me that I can expect a new set of docs soon, I may faint with delight :) I'm already planning on taking in a skirt I have (it's too big now) and shortening it (I've been told I can get away with it) to accommodate them.
Because planning, and projects, are what I do.
]]>This past weekend was busy, but relaxing; stressful, yet happy.
Let's start with the schedule and plan for the past week. Tuesday night: Snacks and beverages with longtime friends. Thursday: A birthday surprise for one of my dearest friends (that I have known since Grade 1). Friday: Pack and load up my car all morning, then drive to Sterling, Michigan to go camping on the Rifle River. Saturday: Canoe down the river and consume a number of beverages. Sunday: Sit down by the river and veg. Monday: Drive back home and pick up our munchkin at Grandma & Grandpa's.
This is what actually happened:
Tuesday: Good evening with friends, went really well.
Thursday: Another smoothly executed and thoroughly enjoyed evening out. I did, however, forget my camera in my car.
Friday: This is where things get dicey. We got all packed and loaded and made it across the border, but my car did not want to take us any further than Pine Knob. The transmission was leaking oil like a sieve and it could not make the rest of the journey. Thank goodness we pulled off I75 at an exit with an actual service station. The mechanic put it up on the hoist and we discovered that there was no quick, easy or inexpensive fix. Had it been up to me, I would most likely have come home, but Barry rented a car and the station let us leave mine around back for the weekend. We unload my car and load up a PT Cruiser, not the largest vehicle in the world. I would not recommend it for anyone that needs to transport more than 2 people or a large amount of cargo on a regular basis. When we arrive at our destination, we have taken 6-7 hours for a 3 hour trip. Oh well, at least we made it. We set up our tent and enjoyed good company and hot dogs and hamburgers. There were 8 other couples on the trip, and sharing a double campsite. The site was very large though, we parked 1 very long trailer, a pop up trailer, 8 vehicles, set up 5 tents and still had a very large fire pit area and more than enough room to play camping games ( I don't know the name of them).
Saturday: Back on Track. We get up and have a small toast breakfast and head down to the river as a group. We board the bus and get dropped off at a spot along the river that has canoes waiting for us and is supposed to be about a five hour tour back to camp. I totally did not know what to expect as I have never actually canoed before. Not to worry there was only 1 location along the river where the water was even 6 feet deep, the rest of the way was 0-2 feet deep mostly, with a lot of bottoming out and getting stuck. Barry and I did make the mistake of paddling some of the way. I guess the whole thing is to pretty much just float down the river with water cannons and spray other people with water. This was fun, but there is something inside me that feels like, if the task is to go from point A to point B, shouldn't we try to get there? It's not that I want to race, I just want to complete the task. I guess that's part of my inability to relax lately. It was a large amount of fun though and I would do it again, minus the transmission thing. It took us 7-8 hours to complete the 5 hour trek, but what else did we have to do?
We got back to camp and showered (the river water is fairly gritty, since the water isn't that deep). We then played camp games and talked, built a fire and had a fish fry. The people we went with have been doing this for a few years and boy are they prepared and organized. The food was delicious all weekend.
Sunday: I was thinking I would either go shopping or hang out at the campsite, but the other women didn't feel like shopping this year and if they don't shop, they go down to the river and hang out in a beach like area along the bank. So, down we went to the river and I attempted to stay out of the sun as much as possible, because I've had heat/sun stroke when I was younger and that makes you more susceptible to it afterwards. It was actually more relaxing for me than the canoe down the river. I think I will be more relaxed next time, because I will know what to expect and I will have interacted with the other wives before. We came back and had a small nap and then had steak dinner.
Monday: Back to Reality. We packed back up and headed back to the broken down Taurus. Thank goodness for CAA Plus membership, and a dad that's willing to come across the border to pick us up.
The car is now at Cottam Transmission and hopefully being fixed so that we can drive it for at least another 6 months until we can deal it in on something else. It looks like we will not be ditching Barry's car for a while yet. On a positive note, we will not be making any long, long journeys in it either.
That's me officially off the hook for the rest of the summer, aaahh, I can relax a little. Barry seems to spring these trips up north on me half way through every summer. I believe I have our trips and summer planned out so that I can work on my lectures and then he'll tell me we're going up north again, even though I've said that I didn't want to, or had no idea about it at all. He also seems to get this indignant air about him when he's doing it, like of course we're going up there, I'm not, not going to see my parents and the, you knew we were going up there attitude. This year, he had just started trying to plan another trip up there for August a couple of weeks ago, to which I replied, what are you talking about, we were just up there in May and I am NOT going up there while your sister is there, period, and once your sister is back, your parents will be down here for Sean's birth. He then states that he has a bad feeling regarding his Uncle Rick. Ugh, the guilt, but I was so relaxed about our plans for the rest of the summer and sure of what we were doing and we were just up there in May, when I was sick as a dog and my inner ear infection is still coming and going. Right now, I can barely hear and am slightly vertigo. I had no plans, or really desire, to go back this summer. That is now out of the question and I do not have to be the bad guy.
All in all, it has been a crazy busy, but very enjoyable week.
]]>What a wonderful weekend. Terry and I sent Myles off to camp Sunday. We had to go to Bayfield so that meant going thru the wonderful tat-fest which is Grand Bend. Why would anyone really want to go there if said person was over 30. We went thru a 1 hr traffic am to get past the strip and were amazed by the number of older people. Amazing, as Grand Bend offers nothing to me. Well we were late so we managed to drop Myles off at 4 so it was time for an early dinner/late lunch. Bayfield is a wonderful place. Great restaurants and shops, kinda what I thought Niagara on the Lake would be prior to going there. I realize that the wineries have restaurants, but I was truly disappointed with the town. I really don’t think fine dining involves souvlaki.
Well, I didn’t feel like French food, so we found a little Bistro… The Black Dog. Really nice yet the wine-list was expensive and not my favs...but mainly Ontario so that’s good.
I had the trout...very nice and Terry, the curry. Both were excellent and the service was very good. With appetizer and drinks it was ~90 so not bad.
Why am I talking about this….tI think that Bayfield could be the model for the “Gateway to Wine Country”: the title I think A’Burg wants. Good restaurants, shops, and simplicity..no pomposity like Niagara on the Lake.
The cars were domestic but nice so It wasn’t a BMW crowd. Just slightly older normal people who obviously have money and taste. I am doing a study of vehicles at wineries and there are differences. It is very interesting.
Nice shops casual, and not too pricy..a good combination.
This may be the way to go.
ALSO.1:
We also went by a Meadery in Alviston. Munro’s Meadery. Mead???? Honey wine. Possibly the oldest alcoholic beverage. This stuff predates beer. They make various types and you would be amazed at the taste. Not what you would expect. The Blueberry blend tasted like good Sherry and it didn’t give me a migraine (the last one gave me an immediate one) and just so neat.
I will test one soon. They are obviously a honey farm and make all sorts of honey products. Why do I talk of it??? I just want to impart the idea of trying something new. Fruit wine, cider, Belgian Trappist Beer, sake, or even white wine. Try...you may like it.
Take me...I hated Chardonnay then had a good one and said oh I like this (stupid me had like Burgundian White...aka Chardonnay for years...oi). If oak is used judiciously it is very nice.
Don’t be stupid like me.
ALSO.2:
Saturday was Highland Games day. Very good event. These guys have it down. But they are the oldest Highland Games in North America. Its alot of fun and again we saw some great bands. Tartanic was great and check them out if you see them…...really energetic Celtic music with a twist and NeedFire, from Dallas. I just wonder how one gets bagpipe lessons in Texas. Modern Celtic….love ‘em,,,bought 2 cd’s,
The point of this is we went to the Oak Cafe for burgers and cider. A cool place in Wyandotte, which is a ‘beer of the world’ place. Why, oh why, does uncle dalton not let us get a medium rare burger??? I know he knows what is good for us. The province is going to hell in a hand-basket and I have to go to Detroit to get a decent burger. Dalton, I am an adult and can make a decision….just make it job 1 to put violent criminals in jail….let me worry about burgers.
Why can’t we make craft brews? Our Yankee buddies are making really neat beers and ciders all over the place and obviously having fun with it. Dalton, are you listening cos all I hear are vintners bitching about the lickbo system. What I don’t see is a micro brew culture...we used to be proud brewers. I sound sour but I’m not.
Oh well...hope our weekend was as fun as mine.
So I drank the kool aid, and spat it out. I'm not a fan of BrightKite, it didn't really accept my Verizon service and was intrinsically clunky from my perspective. I'll keep Twitter.
I've also killed most of my ancillary facebook apps, updated my linked in profile, and am about ready to tank myspace.
All in the name of simplicity.
In other project news, I don't like the straps on my craft bag so I think tonight I'll reconfigure them. I also suspect I'll be futzing with my sewing machine as it has decided to do this really weird deep-loop stitch on the top side, but keep the underside stitch really tight, resulting in a really crappy look. I need to fix that before I start on GH's window panel.
You needed to know all that.
]]>I'm tired today. Sunday night I went to sleep at around two in the morning (so I guess I should say Monday morning) and so I was determined to go to bed at a decent hour last night. However, I got my second wind after eating dinner - I couldn't sleep and started reading bit more of Breaking Dawn which hadn't been thrilling me.
But then it got good :( I was up until eleven and dropping in and out of sleep because I'd forgot to turn my Sidekick volume down and the little beeps from new mail & text messages (a girlfriend of mine was in panic, her beloved dog was having puppies - 11 in all but only 7 survived) kept interrupting my sleep but not enough for me to get up and turn it down.
So I'm tired & hungry (already ate breakfast - why am I still hungry?! I'm always hungry these days!!!) and its only 9am.
Rumor has it that Apple plans to release a new iPhone Nano just in time for the holiday shopping season. If this is true, will you buy the smaller, cheaper iPhone for yourself or as a present?
Neither - I have a phone I like very much and I'm not about to shackle someone I love with an AT&T contract or a phone that will be outdated a month later thanks to Apple's greedy self.
A new pill claims that it can eliminate the need to exercise. If that were true, would you take it and throw your running shoes away for good?
Um, I haven't put on running shoes in a while so... yes. I think the new pill is bunk - there's a lot more behind it then meets the eye. Like that diet pill that makes it so you don't absorb fat? Yeah, you'll explode into your pants if you eat too much fat though so where's the real benefit?