Geocaching Luck

Signing the log

Today, I went to the Grower's Market with one of our cousins and two of her boys. After we had checked things out for a bit we walked over to a nearby park to let the boys play. I remembered that a geocache had recently been hidden in that park, so I turned on the GPS on my phone and my geocaching app to see if we could maybe find it (even though the phone is not even close to being as accurate as the GPSr is).

With the clues and my basic memory of where it might be, I sent my little cousin off to find it, and he did. He was so excited, even though it was a micro and we could only sign the log. We haven't been able to geocache since last summer so this was a real treat and he definitely has the bug again. I told him, that now since the weather was getting better, we would go more often, and I know of a few parks we can explore that have some in them.

This is one of my favorite hobbies even if I don't get to do it as much as I would like. It gives you the chance for exercise, fresh air and seeing a new place each time (assuming you aren't just doing it for numbers and like finding stupid micros hidden on guardrails).
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Eight Years Ago on In My Words...Geocaching Peeve

Virtual 5K And Overall Catch-up

Tomorrow marks the beginning of the period that I can complete my virtual 5K for this race. I did not officially sign up for this one, but I am participating anyhow and will post a race recap with photos when I am done. I have, once again, not had time to really train for this one....so hopefully, I will get it done a couple of times over the next 11 days and then do one for the books. We'll see how my time pans out.

I have a cousin coming into town this weekend that I haven't seen in at least 15 years if not longer. I am excited to see him and see how life has been treating him.

I am a little bit sore all over from spending about 40 hours over the last week or so working in our yard trying to get it looking okay before the weather gets dry and hot and the ground super hard. The dandylions and I are NOT friends.

I have been able to stay up on my picture taking (even if most of it is of DIY projects) but I am not currently doing any photo projects this year so I haven't been posting much other than to the house blog and some to my FB.

The time has changed and the weather has been terrific which means most inside projects have stalled out, but we are expecting some wind and rain in the next few days I might be able to finish up a few things.

I need to be studying for my computer test, and writing more than I have...thankfully my reading hasn't been too hindered since I still do that most nights before bed. I have another 5K in April (IRL one) and then an MS walk the following week that I am looking forward to, so that helps me to stay in shape, not to mention the hours of yardwork...haha.

Oh and last but not least, I am still on the job hunt....frustrating as it is, it has to be done. I know that at some point, I will get something but in the meantime, frugal is my middle name.
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Three Years Ago on In My Words...Car Crash

Google Is Dropping Reader

This is horrible news. I use Google Reader every day for keeping up on the things that I am subscribed to (blogs, news, etc) and as a diagnostic tool when volunteering on the Blogger Help Forum...what a great loss this will be.

I seriously don't know what they are thinking...why would you push customers to another service even if there is a decline in users...there is still a huge following. I truly think they are making a mistake with this one.

It is funny that for as much as I like Google, I only use about 5 of their products religiously and Reader was one of them...sad to see it go...
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Five Years Ago on In My Words...Perspective

Working Hard Sometimes Hurts

My booboo

I scrapped the crap out of the inside of my finger the other day working on the electrical at our house. Such is the cost of getting things done. I can't do electrical with gloves on, it just doesn't work for me so once in a while, I get a ding or two. This is definitely not the worst of my injuries in the name of DIY but definitely the most recent. It truly stings when stuff touches it...especially soap.



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Last Year on In My Words...12 Year Old Booboos

T-Mobile Outage Reporting

This is the report I filed today with T-Mobile because I really think that some improvements could be had...my phone battery is draining so fast because it is searching for the network.
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This morning, I had perfectly normal coverage for voice, messaging and data on my phone using the Monthly 4G plan on T-Mobile. At 8:30am PDT, my signal completely disappeared. I rebooted my phone several times thinking that perhaps it was a hiccup on my end, but this did nothing.

So I called the Contact Us number listed on T-Mobile's site after searching all the pages for a place to report an outage. I wanted someone to confirm for me that there was an issue in my area so I didn't have to keep worrying that something was wrong with my phone. The first machine that answered hung up on me because I didn't give it an account number. The second time I called back, I just said Customer Service over and over and finally got a human being.

The VERY FIRST THING I asked was if they could check to see if there was an outage in my area. I had to give them my phone number and go through a ton of troubleshooting of my phone before they said there wasn't a problem in my area. At some point they realized, even though they were looking at my account the entire time, that I was on the Monthly 4G plan and transferred me. The second person made me go through all the same loops to include taking out my sim chip, always assuming that there was something wrong with my phone rather than with the network. I explained to them that I had perfectly normal coverage, and then I just didn't, and I hadn't changed anything on my phone...but they still did not seem to believe that it could be a network issue on their end. I was then transferred to technical support and went through the same troubleshooting all over again, to included repeating the removal of my SIM chip. While talking to this last individual, he decided to file a report with engineering and this is when it was FINALLY discovered that there was a trouble ticket already submitted for my area and that there was an outage that was affecting all TMobile customers in my area. I do not know why, when I asked all three individuals repeatedly if this was a network outage, none of them saw this ticket but I spent 44 minutes on the phone, rebooting, removing sim cards and batteries and checking settings on my own phone that I could have been doing other things if someone had just been able to check the trouble tickets from the start.

I do not know how the ins and outs of your system work, and what would have kept any of them from seeing this trouble ticket from the beginning, but there has got to be a better way to let customers report an outage in the area (or even just look up that there is an outage). If I had been able to check the website to see a notice or even had a form to report the outage with a possible message coming back saying that they were already aware of this problem, I would have saved not only 44 minutes of my own time but also that of three of your own customer service reps.

It really shouldn't be this hard. I did request the number of this particular trouble ticket so that if I do call back (if it isn't restored in 72 hours), I will have a reference point to start with. I also was transferred back to the Monthy 4G people so that if I do end up without service for three days or more, I can get my account credited since I am paying for 30 days of service at a time.

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 Eight Years Ago on In My Words...Customer Service Miracle

New Hike

View from the trail

Today I was determined to find a geocache and the one I was looking for was supposed to be on this little trail near the irrigation ditch, however I didn't have exact coordinates. As I was driving towards where I thought the trail was, I came to the trailhead of another popular trail system in this area. There is no parking at the trailhead itself, so I decided to turn down a side street and check it out. I hadn't see the other trail, so I figured that the geocache would have to wait for another day (actually, I saw the trail on my way out of the area so I will be easily attempting that geocache soon).

I walked up to the trailhead and decided to give it a go...put my headphones on and started moving out. Little did I know that the trail was going to be very steep, so quickly, I was heading uphill quite steeply and decided to take of my headphones and just enjoy the hike. I felt so out of shape as I could hear my heart pounding in my ears and I was stopping at the top of the little hills to catch my breath and take pics. There were a lot of other hikers, many with their dogs and it was a lot of fun. Due to time constraints, I only went a little over a mile out (had to find a turnaround that I would be able to see on the map later) and about 500 ft in elevation change but it was a good first hike for that area. I also discovered that there are a few geocaches on the trail (although poison oak might be an issue for me in that regard too). My muscles were pretty smoked from the climb and the descent (sometimes coming down is harder than going up), and I am sure I will feel the new muscles I have built over the next few days.

I am looking forward to getting up there a few times a week if I can, until the poison oak becomes an issue, and know that it will be a great addition to my workout regimen. I saw a lot of people that were doing the same trail with no heavy breathing and some were even running up the trail so I know it is just a matter of determination and practice.
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Eight Years Ago on In My Words...Walking Lunges Kiss Ass (Literally) 

Another Virtual 5K

Unofficially doing this virtual 5K in March...unofficially, because I am not going to sign up with the site that is tracking it and giving away the prizes but I am going to do the run and do a race recap.

I signed up for a real 5K in April as well...figure that this will give me some motivation in the exercise department.

Kind of funny...unofficially signed up for a virtual race...how more vague can things get...haha. Anyhow, I am excited to get racing again, it is definite motivation, and I need motivation.
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Two Years Ago on In My Words...Racing Again

Oscar Dilemma

I just finished watching this past year's Oscars and now I have a huge list of movies to add to Netflix, not that they will all be rented rather than viewed in a theater. I use Netflix to just keep my list of "movies to see" so I don't have to keep a list anywhere else on paper, or heaven forbid in my recently rattled brain.

So many good choices were given this year...some I had already put on the list but so many more that I hadn't even heard of, and am so glad that I did. Of course, there are a few that I have to read the book first...big surprise.

And another surprising result of the viewing of the Oscars this year was that there were several movies that I was on the fence about and now definitely want to see. This isn't to say that the Academy knows only the best or that there aren't other great movies that weren't nominated (or even that some of the nominated aren't great movies), but the show is a great way to get some previews you might not ever see on TV or in the beginning of another movie. I do have to give it that.

Performances on the show were pretty good, although I have to admit that I only caught the second half because I had no idea it was on so early. One thing they could have improved upon in the performances was that in almost every case, the mike on the singer's was overpowered by the orchastra and it would have been nice if the sound person had pumped it up just a bit. Other than that, well done.

So you are probably wondering what the dilemma is...well, it is that there are so many movies that I need to see now, and so little time to do it in....
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Seven Years Ago on In My Words...Pre-Spring

Jaws

I am watching the first Jaws, for the millionth time, because it is a great movie and I love it. I have noticed in the many viewings of it that Spielberg did a very Hitchcock thing with it.

I didn't notice before really (not sure why)...it has really only been the last few viewings that it really clicked. I haven't checked any websites to see if it was intentional, or not but I really like the way it was shot and perspective you get from each character.

It is really so good from start to finish...the music, the characters, the plot. It just grabs me in, each and everytime.
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Five Years Ago on In My Words...Toenail Woes

Songs

Songs always hit me hard emotionally. I have heard this song now in two different productions (Grey's Anatomy and The Lucky One), and just love it. The way it is sung is just awesome...I wish I could belt like that. The first stanza really clicks for me. It goes:

All of these lines across my face
Tell you the story of who I am
So many stories of where I've been
And how I got to where I am
But these stories don't mean anything
When you've got no one to tell them to
It's true...I was made for you

I don't know that the rest of it fits, but that first part gets me everytime and just the way the artist sings it does too.

Song is called The Story and the words are written by Phil Hanseroth. I need to download it to my iTunes so maybe with some practice, I might do an okay version of it.

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Six Years Ago on In My Words...Midnight Salad

Maru Fix

My sister shared this video with me today...loved it and the Sunny Spot one right after it. Needed a little Maru fix for sure and here it is.
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Eight Years Ago on In My Words...Tolerance Is A 9 Letter Word
I wonder if we have learned anything in these eight years. Too bad the linked article doesn't exist anymore...

Adobe Flash Update - Do It Now

Saw this article this morning on Google News and posted a link to it on my Facebook and my G+ pages to alert all those I know that they need to do this update...doesn't matter what OS...just get it done.

I heard about this vunerability a few weeks back when dealing with the Java vunerability (which is on going), but it wasn't being exploited then and now it is. So get those updates done if you aren't on auto update.

I tend to not allow auto updates on my systems so I had to update Adobe on both computers but it was pretty painless (although it tried to reset the auto update feature...LOL).
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Seven Years Ago on In My Words...It's Cold Out There

Problems With Aliens

I have watched this movie a number of times and I do really like it, especially Bill Paxton, but each time I watch it, I am struck by a few things that I just have to document.

1. Subfloor 3: you see them go down to subfloor 3, a bunch of stairs but you never see them come back up the stairs.

2. Taking of magazines: when the Lieutenant tells Apone to remove the magazines from all the soldiers, several of them reload. Wouldn't he see them doing this on their little helmet cams? And in reality, why didn't they just explain at least to the SGT why they couldn't fire in there rather than making them think he was just an @ss.

3. Acid for blood: Okay (this one applies to all the Alien movies) you see people blowing away the aliens with guns and all sorts of weapons that would make the aliens bleed...so how come they aren't bleeding through the ship all over the place? There would be hull breaches all the time, right? It seems like when they are trying to leave via the tunnel system in Aliens, the blowing away of one would make the path completely impassable for any aliens coming up behind the first.

4. Antagonizing the alien: I mentioned this one in a Facebook post at some point in the past, but in this movie in particular, there really is no reason for Ripley to light up all the eggs as she is leaving the "hatchery"...all she does is make her own trip back to the landing pad, that much more difficult. We already know that the entire site is going to be demolished in a thermonuclear blast within minutes so there really is no point to it, and it frustrates the crap out of me every time she does it.
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Last Year on In My Words...Frustration

Maru Is At It Again

Maru's owner has quite a few new videos on there but this was my favorite today. I just love how determined he is. I just found out that Maru has his own Wikipedia page...looks like that kitty has created quite the career for his owner.

The look on his face when he accomplishes what he set out to do is just adorable. And even when he isn't completely successful, he maintains that he meant to be in the position he is in.
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Four Years Ago on In My Words...Tea Is Your Friend

Bravo Focus Features

If there is one thing that irritates me about renting movie discs, it is the tease that most of them are doing these days (particularly anything produced by Sony) regarding special or bonus features. Special features are part of the fun of renting a movie and the stinginess of the movie industry is just astounding.

It seems like to me, if you aren't going to let a user see the special or bonus features, then don't put the icon on the disc. I hate clicking on it thinking I am going to be able to see them, and then you get that nasty little note from them stating that "this is only a rental disc, and if you purchase it, you can enjoy the special or bonus features",...jackasses.

So I have gotten in the habit now of not even clicking on those links anymore because the mean message irritates me so. Imagine my surprise when I went to take a shower after a movie tonight, while the credits were running, and came out to see the disc on the bonus features page. And then I hesitatedly pushed the play button, and the bonus features actually played!! Isn't that nice?

So I wanted to mention that Focus Features was the producer and they deserve a huge BRAVO!!
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Six Years Ago on In My Words...I Got Lucky

Three Things I Love About The Italian Job (2003)

1. Mark Wahlberg....yuuuummmmy!
2. Kick ass safe cracker is a girl!
3. Bad guy is so evil you are just thrilled that he gets everything he deserves!
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Seven Years Ago on In My Words...Fashion Angst

Accomplishing

Felt good about some stuff I managed to pull off today. Didn't get some big things that I have on the list done, but a few small things and that still made me feel pretty decent.

Got some exercise in while making my way to the paint store so I could look at color chips...and think I have found the color for the downstairs hallway and the bathrooms. Need to find a white for the ceilings and then I can get down to it.

Put down carpet pad in the closet that was water damaged last spring and finally put the carpet back in place and rehung the closet doors. Measured and noted a few more things that closet needs before it can be called "done". Will be able to move the exercise equipment from the garage in that room soon!!

Replaced the fan and motor in an old exhaust fan in our downstairs bathroom (which didn't have attic access so really wanted this to work) with a motor and fan purchased at a local DIY...it was so satisfying to put it back up in the hole in the ceiling and have it work just like it should on the very first try. This was truly amazing since we are talking about a 30 year old exhaust fan. Now just need to find a replacement for the cover or paint the cover we have, because right now, it looks terrible.

Took pics of all the hard work to chronicle on the house blog...but don't have time to put up those posts tonight...now it is off to bed with my library book!
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Fourteen Years Ago on In My Words...Many Times (poem to my husband)

SmartWool Socks

I have been a SmartWool wh0re since my sister turned me on to them a couple of years ago. I have many of them...but can't seem to ever have enough.

This is not my first trip down the road of sock addiction. I have always liked socks. When I was in highschool I always wore 2 1/2 pairs, every day. Two on one foot and 3 on the other and they always coordinated with my clothes. These days, I can do all that coordinating with one pair of socks!

Okay, back to SmartWool...they aren't the only ones I like but they are in the top three (and that is only in the wool category, I have entirely different brands I like in athletic socks). I also like Wigwam and Goodhew socks but it seems like SmartWool has the coolest colors and designs.

Big draw back of all of these sock brands is that they tend to cost more than anyone would ever want to pay for a pair of socks. In fact as far as I am concerned, in most cases I could buy 5 pairs of socks for the price of one SmartWool pair...if bought at normal prices. I have to say that the price (and this goes for all three of these brands) is due to the fact that these are very well made wool socks that don't itch.

This is the trick. You don't buy any of these brands at full price. I tend to get all of mine from Sierra Trading and ridiculously low prices. I buy the irregulars, when they are running a big sale (like 75% off). These two pairs were actually purchased with a free gift card I got from Sierra Trading last time I made a purchase with them. They didn't cost me a dime, including the shipping. I am excited to try them out soon!
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Four Years Ago on In My Words...25 Random Things

Facebook Break

Last week, my sis decided to take a break from Facebook...a serious break, like she deactivated her account kind of break. While I don't want to do anything like that, the same day, I decided that I wanted to back away from it quite a bit.

I thought that after the elections the political crap would slow down and Facebook would go back to its normal stream of ecards, cute baby pictures, and actual updates from friends and family, but NO SUCH LUCK!

I am sick of all the political crap, and it wouldn't even be that bad if people didn't resort to name calling, hatred and putting everyone in a fucking box. I am not a box person....in fact, I have always absolutely detested being put in a box and have always gone out of my way to make sure that everyone around me knows I do not like being put in a box, and do everything in my effort to not be available for box status.

At this time, Facebook is nothing, but a box labeling place and I am sick of it, so I am staying away. I have a few places that I visit online, that auto post to Facebook and that is fine...I will continue to auto post my reading and my fitness, and perhaps even a few posts from my blog...but for the most part, I will be limiting my visits to Facebook itself.

This isn't an issue of time wasting...as I don't really spend much time there normally...it is just a matter of it being filled with negative crap that I don't need to see everyday. I joined it to stay in touch with family and friends and all of that gets hidden beneath all the politics and advertising so it just isn't worth much of my time. One of my closest friends says she only checks in once a week or so and finds that it is better because she sees the updates from those she wants to see, and is more easily able to ignore the idiotic crap. Perhaps that is what I will do, but right now, I haven't been on there for a week and it feels pretty good to not have that negative aspect in my life.
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Five Years Ago on In My Words...Done Messing Around

Un-natural Relationship

Okay, normally a post starting out this way would not be about a heating pad, but this one is. I have a SoftHeat heating pad that I just can't live without.

So I have had the pad for a while but it was only occasionally used when I had an issue with a pulled muscle from a workout or something along those lines.

A few months ago, I took it out because I had an ear ache and some of the home remedies I had seen on the web mentioned laying on the offended ear with heat and moisture applied. It seemed easier to use the pad (which is made to allow for use with a moist towel), than to run back to the microwave reheating a washcloth every ten minutes. The pad worked fabulously for what I needed.

So it was still out when the temperature outside really dropped, and I started to use it once in a while when I was working on something on the computer. I would put it behind me and it would keep me warm while I was writing. Last month I decided to lower both the daytime and nighttime temps on the furnace. I actually set up the program on the thermostat to warm the house back up just before getting up and to turn it down before bed. This means the house is a bit chillier inside but hopefully it will save some energy and money.

Needless to say, at night while reading, I have gotten in the habit of laying on the pad before bed and then within the last week (when we have been in the teens at night), I have even found myself snuggling with it in my sleep. It has an auto shut off after about an hour which is a great feature for safety and peace of mind. I am only days away from giving my pad a name...which should tell you something...right now, only the house and our truck have names.
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Four Years Ago on In My Words...Futenma Shrine Visit

Why I Love Kinsey Millhone

From G is for Gumshoe by Sue Grafton:

"What really bugged me was the suspicion that nobody would have even suggested that a boy detective do likewise. I didn't want to see that old lady again. While I admired her spunk, I didn't want to be in charge of her. I had my own ass to worry about. Why does everybody assume women are so nurturing? My maternal instincts were extinguished by my Betsy Wetsy doll. Every time she peed in her little flannel diddies, I could feel my temper climb. I quit feeding her and that cured it, but it did make me wonder, even at the age of six, how suited I was for motherhood."

This segment set me into fits of laughter while in a hot bathtub reading it. I just love the character Grafton has created here and she just gets better and better.
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 Seven Years Ago on In My Words...One Of My Best Rants

Amazon Kindle Fire 7 Inch Review

I am sorry, but all the hype about the Kindle products is just that. I am in the process of setting one up (thankfully it is not mine, I'll stick with Nook, thank you very much), and am so disappointed in it. It seems like the only reason Amazon even had this product made is so that they could push their sales on you more than just over your computer. Really the fact that the ebooks are proprietary, there is no charger for the wall included and that every time you turn it on, you are forced to deal with stupid ads just solidifies my belief that Amazon has gotten too big for their own britches.

I am trying to set this thing up so my Dad can use it for listening to his music (which he has on iTunes and isn't planning to move to the Amazon music store) and for searching the web. He received this device as a gift (didn't ask for it) so please no comments about how he shouldn't have gotten an ereader if he wasn't going to use it for reading...the point is that it is advertized as a tablet more than an ereader and the issues I have with it are not about the ereading part of it...it is about the money grubbing lack of consideration that Amazon seems to have for their customers.

Seriously? An over 11 hour charge to use the computer for this thing is just ridiculous...hopefully the charger for my mother's Nook Tablet (yes it was included in the box) will work for this thing too, because if they have to spend even a cent more on this, it is a cent too much.

Amazon, you should be ashamed of yourself.
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Three Years Ago on In My Words...Another Disappointment from Sony

Willpower

So I knew this entire week that we were going to have the warmest weather of the week on Tuesday so I made a plan to go exercise outside. I am trying to work myself up to a few workouts that involve miles.

So the sun was out and we were getting up to 48 degrees (which is warm for the last few weeks). I had to run an errand so I ended up at the park a bit later than I wanted, and the temp started to drop.

The loop I have at the park is about .8 miles so I really wanted to get 4 laps in so I would get over 3 miles in but I wasn't convinced that I was going to be able to pull it off. While on my first two laps, I kept telling myself, just get through the third lap, you can do it, and it will be almost the three miles. While on the third lap, I was congratulating myself for doing it but had this nagging in the back of my head that I need to just be tough and get that last lap in to get over the 3 mile mark.

Fortunately I started feeling pretty good near the end of the third lap, so I was easily able to just keep going (this was helped by the fact that the lap area was flat and not at the hill that I knew was coming up). Once I had committed myself to keep going, it was easier to just keep going.

I finished up the 3.36 miles in 48 mins or so, which was not my best time, but I only ran a small portion of each lap so that is why. I did some stretching at the end. I felt good that I pushed myself through it.

On another note, I parked under a tree and there was an American Robin party above my car so I had to wash it in the driveway, in thirty degree weather, once I got home so that I wouldn't have bird poop frozen to my hood and roof for eternity.
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Three Years Ago on In My Words...Slacker

Photo Projects Gone

It seems like both projects that I have been involved with the last two years have disappeared, or have become so complicated that it isn't worth my time anymore. I need to go to their flicker sites and pull down my pics too because I don't need them to be publically viewable but I don't want it to ruin any of my blog posts, so I need to think about what I am going to do first.

I also plan to a do a search on the web and see if there are any other photo projects I can do instead. Hopefully one that isn't only once a month...I can probably swing that...LOL

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Three Years Ago on In My Words...I Believe

Letter To Fox Television

This is a copy of the letter I wrote to the Fox Network today...I wanted them to know that I stopped watching any shows on their network due to their greedy idiocy (not that they care).

To Whom It May Concern:

I have been a loyal Fox customer for many years and I know I am not alone in this when I say how disappointed I am in Fox right now. Not only did you drop the ability for your loyal customers who might not be able to watch a program when it airs, from watching a show online the next day, you are no longer provided as an On Demand option on my cable network. I can only imagine that this comes from greediness on the part of the Fox network.
 

What I don't understand is how this benefits you in any way. The average person can watch any Fox show without even needing to have cable or dish service, for free with commercials (which is where you make your money). If the same user were to watch the program online the next day (as of last year), they would still be watching it for free and they would still see the commercials (so you are still making the same amount). Now, if they happen to miss that particular show, they have to wait 8 days to watch it (which means they can't watch the next show that airs since the shows are 7 days apart so now they are perpetually stuck having to watch online over a week late, over and over), it is still free and they still see the same commercials (so you are still making the same amount). So all you are doing is pissing off your customers, but not really making any extra money from the entire thing (except what you might be making from the 3 companies that have signed on to this new program you have). On top of this, a customer like me that pays for HD cable (a step up or two from standard cable), can't even get any Fox shows On Demand, where I would see the same commercials and you would make the same amount.
 

This makes no sense to me and doesn't get you any extra money. At this point, I have stopped watching all the shows I used to watch faithfully on your network. I pretty much only turn Fox on for sports now since it is not worth my time to try to coordinate online viewing of shows I might not be home to watch. So the result is no extra money for you and now to top it off you are losing customers. Please stop being greedy and just provide great programming like you used to do without making us (your customers) jump through hoops.
 

Thank you for your time.
Former loyal customer,

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Seven Years Ago on In My Words...Explanation Needed

2012 Reading Challenge

Woohoo! Just finished the book that puts me at my goal for 2012 (which is to read 40 books this year). It doesn't seem that we can set up next year's goal just yet, but seeing as I am reading two and have two more to pick up at the library in the next day or so, I would say I am well on my way!!

 

   

      2012 Reading Challenge
   

       

         
       

     

        Mishka has
            completed her goal of reading 40 books in 2012!
     

     

       

hide

     

     

        40 of 40 (100%)
     

       

          view books
       

 

   

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Two Years Ago on In My Words...Book That Changed My Thinking

Aunt Becky's Annual Meme

Thought I would add myself to the meme club...let's see how it goes...

1. What did you do in 2012 that you’d never done before?
Drove to Lake Tahoe...what a fun adventure that turned out to be!

2. Did you keep your New Year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I think it was to be more flexible and fitter...I am probably the same but I should get points for at least not being less flexible or less fit, right?

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
According to Facebook, several of my friends did...but no one close, close to me...LOL

4. Did anyone close to you die?
Fortunately, this was not a year for loss...whew!!

5. What would you like to have in 2013 that you lacked in 2012?
Floors would be cool...oh and a job!!

6. What countries did you visit?
Didn't leave the country this year, sadly...

7. What date from 2012 will remain etched upon your memory, and why:
June 29. First time ever pulling a trailer...complete success!

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Meeting my 40 books read goal and moving day...LOL

9. What was your biggest failure?
Still being unemployed???

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
I had a nasty chest cold that turned into bronchitus (my first time), that I would love to never repeat.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
My Makita cordless drill....love that thing!

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
My cousin Mynde who is fighting breast cancer with the most strength, poise and grace of anyone I have ever seen.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Pretty much the entire political engine...I couldn't wait for it to be over.

14. Where did most of your money go?
HOME IMPROVEMENT!! LOL

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Bunco!

16. What song will always remind you of 2012?
PSY – Gangnam Style

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder?  About the same...
ii. thinner or fatter? About the same
iii. richer or poorer?  Definitely poorer...haha

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Anything fitness related...I was a slacker for most of the second half of the year...

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Muttering under my breath at stupid former renters and property management

20. How will you be spending Christmas?
With lots of family

21. There was no #21. I don’t know why there was no 21.

22. Did you fall in love in 2012?
Nope, already there

23. How many one-night stands?
None

24. What was your favorite TV program?
Grimm

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
Nope.

26. What was the best book you read?
Let's Pretend This Never Happened: A Mostly True Memoir

27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
My Ipod broadcaster so I can listen to something other than the radio...

28. What did you want and get?
Didn't know I wanted them, but got a fantastic scarf from a friend, and a terrific golf club from Gpa.

30. What was your favorite film of this year?
The Help

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
Turned 43, and spent the day alone, watching movies, and playing games...nothing too exciting.

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Hearing from a long lost friend.

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2012?
Stripey socks rule!!

34. What kept you sane?
Jocelyn and exercise!

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
None.

36. What political issue stirred you the most?
The War on Women

37. Who did you miss?
The boy

38. Who was the best new person you met?
Shirley

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2012:
It is possible to eat too much chocolate.

40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
Work is never done...if it isn't part of a song, it should be...LOL
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Last Year on In My Words...A Year In Review

Snowflake 2012

This is my snowflake for 2012!! You can make your own on this site if you want...pretty fun! This is in addition to the ones I cut out of paper for our windows in front.

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Five Years Ago on In My Words...Mum Lights

Teeth Whitening

Okay, I have been using this recipe I found on Pinterest a month or two ago and it seems to work really well. I thought I would share it.

Please note that you do NOT want to do this more than once a week. I think if you did it too frequently, you could damage your enamel, so just be patient and only do it once a week or use some other method of whitening. I do not want to be responsible for anyone stripping their enamel.

Use a small dish (I use a soy/wasabi dish) and put in:

1 tsp hydrogen peroxide
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp water
Dab of toothpaste (for flouride and flavor).

Mix with toothbrush and brush teeth for two minutes. You do not have to brush hard...just brush like you normally would. Rinse well after (to get rid of the grit).

I noticed a difference after the first time and a ton of difference the following week, and I drink one cup of coffee a day and one cup of tea a day.

Super easy, super cheap and it works.
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Four Years Ago on In My Words...My Digital Snowflake...I need to do one of these for this year too!

Not The Best Labeling

I saw this carton of milk at the grocery store yesterday and I thought it was pretty funny. I am sure they did not intend for the message to imply 0% Organic but this is what it looks like.

What is funny is that the milk below it says 1% Organic and the next one down says 2% Organic but I am thinking that unless you purchased Whole Organic, you wouldn't be getting your organic money's worth.
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Three Years Ago on In My Words...My Christmas

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree

Here is a little look at the baby tree at our house. I just love this little guy...need to make sure I keep him watered so he doesn't dry out...am excited to put him in the ground in the spring!!

Isn't he just cute???

Full view

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 Seven Years Ago on In My Words...The Trees and Snowflakes

Jingle Bell Hell 2012 Race Recap

Borrowed from Jess

Distance: 3.27 miles or 5.26K
Elevation Change: 200+ft
Weather: 37 degrees, 11 mph winds, hail
Time: 47.5 mins
Laughed: Yes
Hell: Yes!!

This year I have been really terrible about my running (even terrible about my walking for that matter), so when I heard about Jingle Bell Hell 2012 from XLMIC and RunWithJess, I just knew I had to commit and see if it would help me get back on track with my outdoor exercising.

Reading Blog Update

Finally got around to updating my reading blog with my reads from November! Check it out when you get a chance!

Only read 4 books in November but they were really great reads and highly recommended.
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Last Year on In My Words...Last Year's Tree

Productive

Yesterday was a pretty productive day, even if I didn't find everything I was looking for. I had putting off the errand running I needed to do, but the lack of food in the fridge forced my hand and I figured if I was going to do it, I would try to hit as many other things I could.

I started out by treating myself to breakfast at a local restaurant (making sure to stick to the diet), and then I was off. I managed to hit two home improvement stores, three groceries stores, and one birthday gift stop. I got the truck oil changed, vacuumed and washed. I made an appt for January that I have been putting off. Stopped to check the mail and discovered my first a little surprise from a friend before heading home for the night.

Obviously, there are still things that need to be done errand-wise, but at least I made a dent. I am going to head out after lunch and see if I can find a small potted tree so I can finish our Christmas tree decor, and make a visit or two to folks I haven't seen in a while.

It was a nice feeling of accomplishment knocking out some small things that have been hovering.
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Six Years Ago on In My Words...Countertops

At Least One Thing

So I posted on one of my other blogs yesterday about how I am trying to focus on getting one thing off the "to do" list a day rather than procrastinating my life away because I can't get it all done today. Yesterday's thing was to replace a outlet in one of the bathrooms with a GFCI outlet, which I did. I managed to accomplish other things yesterday but that one thing was the "absolute have to".

Today, the "absolute have to" was to finish Christmas cards, and work on a scarf that I want to get in the mail. I knocked out the Christmas cards this morning, however not in time to get them sent since the mailman had already come. I also managed to watch a movie that I have had from Netflix for ages while doing it, which was great since keeping two movies for months at at time is not efficient use of my Netflix dollars.

I plan to catch up on The Walking Dead tonight while working on the scarf if I can. I know I have more than an hour's work left on it but it will at least be something. I will probably check in with the help forums for Blogger that I volunteer for as well just to see if any of the users I am currently helping have updated the thread. How is that for an exciting plan?

I don't know for sure yet what the "absolute have to" is going to be, but I am thinking it will entail a larger electrical project (6 switches and 3 sockets), mostly because I think they are all on the same circuit so if I am going to turn the power off, I might as well knock them out all at once. We'll see. If not, there is tons more on the list that can be the "absolute" for tomorrow.
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Eight Years Ago on In My Words...Bathroom Kitty (another great Chase story)

Is It Just Me

or does this gel shape light have a bulb that looks like a p3n1s? The middle part comes out completely and that is even worse. I left it in so that from afar the bulbs just look like bulbs.

I put a "string" of these faux lights along the top of our sliding glass door since putting lights up from the inside would limit the use of the door and there are no outlets on the front deck to use for powering lights on the outside of the door. If you want to see some of the other outdoor decor (except the lights), you can check out my post on The Bamboo Lagoon where I blog only about our house and the adventure it creates in itself.

Still have to get a small tree and carve some pumpkins (yes, that is what I said) to be finally done but it is coming along.
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Three Years Ago on In My Words...My Christmas

Bug Identification: Milionia basalis Kiobi-eda-shaku

This amazing looking moth lives in Japan...and we would see it every year that we lived there and I never knew the name of it...that is, until today.

I submitted the underbelly shot of it to a great website called What's That Bug? that tries, on a very small budget and staff to identify "bugs" that are sent to them via their form. I didn't have a lot of hope that they would get a chance to do this one (and I am actually waiting to hear on the inchworm I sent them too (see update below)), and was super excited to see a message from them in my inbox today.

Not only were they able to identify the moth, they wanted me to send them the dorsal image I have of it as well and I guess that means that there will be a post on their site about it too!! I'll post a link to it as an update to this post as soon as I see it.

So anyhow, the full name of this moth is Milionia basalis (Latin) Kiobi-eda-shaku (Japanese common name)　キオビエダシャク

Here is the link to the post about the moth on the What's That Bug's website!!
Here is the link to the post about the inchworm on The What's That Bug's website!!

Update: Turns out the inchworm image I have is actually the caterpillar for this moth!! How cool is that?!
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Four Years Ago on In My Words...How Often

Waiting On Christmas

Along with lots of other people, I can't stand it when people jump from Halloween to Christmas. I was irritated by the idiot companies that decided to start their sales on Thanksgiving and also by all the stores and people that put up decorations for Christmas before Thanksgiving had passed. For me, Thanksgiving is an important American holiday and it shouldn't be "jumped over" just because it is not as commercial as some other holidays.

One of our neighbors had all their gaudy Christmas decorations lighting up the end of the block days before Thanksgiving, and every time I drove by, I just wanted to roll down the window and scream "It isn't even Thanksgiving yet!" You don't even need a flashlight if you walk by that house in the evening because it is so bright, I am sure you can see it from outerspace. Now, don't get me wrong, I am not a bah humbug, but I don't think that decorations need to be a competition.

So I have refrained from putting up our Christmas decorations yet. I am determined to wait until at least December 1st, which means I have a day or more left to enjoy my fall. We still have beautiful pumpkins on the porches that I don't want to throw away...I might even decide to carve them with Christmas or winter themes so we can leave them out a bit longer. I have gotten most of my decorations organized (minus the little potted tree I still need to buy) and ready to go but I am using my will power to refrain...LOL.

We have a fresh swag for the front door and 15 ft of cedar garland to put on the balcony rail when the time is right along with lights for some of the windows...nothing too crazy but enough to bring a smile to my face when I see it.
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Seven Years Ago on In My Words...Steve Terrill

Most Fun On The Internet In A Long Time

I discovered this cool ass site because Jenny, The Bloggess posted about it after much consideration over racism and my sister saw it before I did and shared it with me. This was after she ran my blog (yes, this blog here) through it. So I did the same thing and had a great laugh about it.

Today, I went to Jenny's blog to read her post and the comments there before commenting myself and ran across this awesome comment by David Cutler (commentor number 175) and I thought he said it so well that I needed to repost his words here. He didn't provide a link to a site so I hope that giving him credit for these words by name is enough. This comment was in response to Jenny's inquiry on whether the site linked above or a post about that site would be considered racist.

I find neither the website nor linking to it racist. Calvin Broadus (Snoop Dogg) is a singer, lyricist, writer, actor, and general entertainer. He has also invented his own rather unique brand of slang. Many people are highly entertained by Mr. Broadus. Others are slightly entertained. Still other people find him somewhat annoying, and others find him highly offensive. The EXACT same can be said of Jenny Lawson. The linked website is, I think, a loving homage to Mr. Broadus’s slang, exactly as it claims to be. As a result some will be highly entertained, others less so, and others annoyed or offended by it. As would be true of any homage work to Mr. Broadus or Ms. Lawson.

The only aspect of this that could be considered racially offensive is an assertion that Mr. Broadus represents ANYONE other than himself or those who actively claim him to be their representative. Mr. Broadus does not represent African Americans, any more than Jenny Lawson represents white people. Many people reading this website (myself included) would say Jenny Lawson represents us. Not because of her race, but because of her writing and humor. We identify with her and are entertained by her, and it has nothing to do with the color of her skin. Similarly Mr. Broadus entertains many people and I am certain many identify with him, and presumably they do so for the same reasons I identify with Ms. Lawson. It IS racist to argue that African Americans identify with Mr. Broadus because of the color of their skin, just as it would be racist to argue that I identify with Ms. Lawson because of her skin color. It is not racist to be amused by either of them. It is also not racist to think either one of them are offensive or unfunny. That is a matter of taste.

Personally, I think the site is akin to a humorous translator such as the Pirate Speak on Facebook is....it is meant for humor and not to be cruel and/or degrading. Note too that if you read the page that explains why the creators made the site, you will see that they did so out of fanship of Snoop Dog and nothing else.

I had a ton of fun using the site last night to view other sites....serious sites like Wikipedia and excerpts from serious works of literature, to see how funny they would sound translated. It was hilarious. If you have time, run my site here, http://mishkaop.blogspot.com through the http://gizoogle.net site and see how it translates...and then check out some of your other favorite sites.

NOTE TO THOSE FAINT OF HEART: The translations contain swear words so if you can't handle or don't like to be exposed to swear words even in a humorous setting, it is best that you avoid using Gizoogle at all.
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One Year Ago on In My Words...Brand New Place

Jingle Bell Hell 2012

Image borrowed from Jess

So I have been terrible about exercising lately. Part of it has been due to busy-ness and part of it due to sickness and then of course part of it is just plain laziness.

In the course of reading a few blogs, I discovered a couple of running blogs. One of them is organizing a virtual 5K in December called Jingle Bell Hell 2012 and I have committed myself to doing it. I have to run at least a 5K locally, between December 8th and 16th. I have to post why it is "hell" for me and I have to laugh at some point during the race (that might be hard to pull off). Then I need to recap the race, post a link to it and call it good.

There aren't many local races, so this virtual option gives me the opportunity to race (myself) and have the motivation to get out there get running again. I mapped out a route on MapMyRun the other day, and I plan to try to walk it tomorrow if I can, so I am sure of it before I do it "officially". I will probably do it more than once during that time, and hopefully will get a better time each time.

I hope this will ultimately get my butt moving and get me started back on my fitness routines.
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Four Years Ago on In My Words...Mission For Fitness

My Birthday

So my birthday is today...Black Friday...lovely, huh? It is almost always during the week of Thanksgiving, in fact sometimes on Thanksgiving. This year just happens to be Black Friday. Since I don't do Black Friday, going anywhere seemed out of the cards so I spent the day at home chilling out.

I actually had the HVAC guy come out to do the fall service on the furnace in our house, and I called one of my cousins to get some painting advice for somewhere down the line and I am ready to start on painting projects around here.

My MIL came over in the afternoon to drop off a present from my grandpa that he sent to her house as a surprise. When I was in Nebraska last month, we played golf a couple of times. I used a driver he made for one of our cousins, and I was able to hit it pretty well. So Grandpa decided to make one for me...without me knowing. It was such a treat to get a completely unexpected gift on my birthday.

While mom was here, she hung out for a while and we worked on a puzzle I have spread across the table in the dining area. She really helped me make a good dent in it.

Tomorrow, one of my cousins is having a birthday party for her son who is turning one so I will get to see a lot of family then and it should be a ton of fun to watch the traditional chocolate cake mess!
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Five Years Ago on In My Words...A Fix I Could Live With

Knee High Socks!

Finally got around to ordering some fun knee high socks from one of my favorite sock stores...thankfully they are online since they only have one brick and mortar store and I am not near it.



I am wearing my first pair today and I am loving them...yeah!
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Four Years Ago on In My Words...Beautiful Moon

Losing It

Yesterday, I left the house without a bra on....that NEVER happens. I was uncomfortable with it, so since we were at the mall, I found a bra at the first store we stopped in and tried it on, wore it out of the fitting room, and paid for it. I felt much better after that.

Do you know how hard it is to find a bra in my size these days....I am one of those oddball girls that has a decent size across my back because I exercise regularly and have good upper body strength which makes me a 36, but I am small breasted and wear an A cup...finding a 36A is almost impossible for some reason. I am not sure if it is because women are just bigger breasted these days or if it is just that smaller breasted women don't lift weights anymore...but whatever it is, it makes finding a bra in my size very difficult.

I have no idea how I even left the house without a bra...hence the title. I must just be losing it....LOL
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Five Years Ago on In My Words...A Fix I Could Live With

Observations

Just some tidbits that are too small for a post, but just have to be noted:

-why does finding a old dried piece of renter spaghetti on the ceiling of the kitchen piss me off so much?

-does everything taste better with blue cheese dressing on it? I just ate left over chicken veggie soup (with no broth) with blue cheese dressing on it and it was glorious!

-how, if the toilet is being flushed repeatedly during the day, is there even time for a mildew ring to grow?

-why did my favorite used/new book store on the net stop supporting all types of ebooks except Kobo? Who even owns a Kobo reader?

-why does a head cold always end for me with a big nasty tasting chunk of snot finally falling from the back of my sinuses?

-how is it that my cable company (who will remain un-named) doesn't have On Demand for the Fox Network? This has pretty much guaranteed my dropping several programs from my list.

-how is it that gaining two pounds is so much easier than losing it?

-isn't going e-everything supposed to create more time in the day? Seems like I spend more time doing backups and updates than I ever did filing and shredding.

-how come the list of movies I want to see means having to read the books first?

-am I really getting my money's worth if I keep DVDs from Netflix for more than a few days?

-is is possible that I am so out of shape right now that I pulled a muscle playing the Wii?

Guess that is it for now...heading to the kitchen to get a salad put together with more blue cheese dressing on it.
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Three Years Ago on In My Words...Me, Myself, and I

Maru, Fat And Happy

I just had to have a Maru fix after this week of intense political BS. Even just watching this fat and happy kitty chase a toy makes me smile. His look on his face says he had to work for it...LOL


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Seven Years Ago on In My Words...What Happened To The Classics?

Catching Up And Cold

So the last two weeks have been pretty busy...left last Tuesday for a family visit in Nebraska. Weather was decent and the visit was awesome. Gpa and J are doing well and I throughly enjoyed my time there. Was able to get in two rounds of golf with Gpa at his favorite golf club. Flew back on Monday afternoon.

On the way home from the airport (and enroute grocery shopping trip), I got a call that my mom had hurt herself at Gma's. Turns out she broke both of her ankles, from tripping on the wrinkled carpet at Gma's. She had surgery on the left ankle (which was broken in three places) the next day and is now home recooperating. She can put weight on the right leg if she has the boot on so she is not stuck in a wheelchair, which is good. She has a two week appt with the doctor to have the surgery leg checked, and might have more mobility at that time (we hope).

I started feeling icky right after the flight back and over the course of the next few days, I developed a full blown head cold that I am still fighting today. I have been taking it easy for the last 3 days and might add on tomorrow too just to be sure that I am on the mend. Would hate to have anything like I did this spring happen again, if I can avoid it.

I have a ton of stuff hanging over my head that needs to get done around here, but I am trying to focus on getting better and not getting stressed out. One day at a time...LOL
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Seven Years Ago on In My Words...Thievery

Reading Blog Update

I track all my reading on Goodreads.com but like to post my reviews on my reading blog. Here is the link to my most recent update for October.
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Four Years Ago on In My Words...Beautiful Moon

Oracle Leaves Fix for Java SE Zero Day Until February Patch Update | threatpost

Okay, I was waiting for the October 16th update to be released before sending out an "all friends" alert but seems that Oracle is not concerned enough to fix this vulnerability in Java until they release the Feburary update.

So my advice to all, is disable Java plugins in your browsers. Not javascript, just the Java Add-ons/Plugins. Apple has already dropped Java from its browsers because of this vunerability. I have disabled it in both Firefox and Chrome on our two computers. In the case of Internet Explorer, stop using it altogether since you can't disable Java completely in it.

In Firefox, for the most part regardless of version, the Addons manager can be access through the Tools menu at the top of the browser. For Chrome, it was a bit more complicated to find at first but I have the shortcut for you. When you open the Chrome browers, just paste chrome://plugins/ into the address bar and you will be taken directly to the Plugins page where you can disable the Java plugins.

Hope this helps everyone!
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Five Years Ago on In My Words...Chase At Home

Posting From Phone

Figured out today that I could post to my blog from my phone via MMS without having to disclose my phone number.

Hope this gives me an option for posting when I am not on a computer or near WiFi.

Just have to deal with the phone service ads until I can edit the post (which I just did).
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Three Years Ago on In My Words...Amazing Colors

Fall Is Here

Yesterday evening was the first time this year I have felt Fall in the air.

Everyone, from family to the media, has been saying "Fall is here" for weeks but I refused to believe it. I wanted to hold onto summer for just a bit longer. The evenings were cool but the days were still warming up enough for shorts and flipflops so I was taking advantage of the late summer. I even managed to sit in the sun on the deck a couple of times last week.

But this all changed yesterday evening. I am not sure what it was exactly but perhaps the clouds moving in and the extra coolness as I was climbing the porch steps did it. I remember as a kid always being completely aware of the day the season changed for me, so I shouldn't be surprised it happened again. I did manage to wear flipflops and shorts today so it is still warm during the day but right now I am sitting here still wearing shorts but have a sweatshirt and socks on as well. I imagine my days of lounging around the house in sweat shorts are soon to be over and I will be breaking out the long black yoga pants instead.

This change in the weather also is lighting a fire under me for accomplishing a few Fall things that need to be done along with some that just want to be done (like decorating for Halloween). Some of the yard stuff has to wait until winter sets in, but there are definitely some "outside" projects I would like to finish up before it gets too cold or wet but that is a story for another blog...LOL.

I have been fighting a bug for a week or so....it is just hovering in my head but not taking hold (thank goodness). So I have been zincing and drinking Vit C but this new change in weather perception makes having soup and tea even more appealing. I need to stock up on a couple of my favorite clear Asian style soups...nothing like green onion or egg drop soup to warm you right up.
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Seven Years Ago on In My Words...It's Here

Some Maru Cuteness

This is exactly how Chase was when I would trim her nails...both front and back feet. So trusting and unbothered...


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Five Years Ago on In My Words...Packing Tape Monster

Big Fish

They were having a sale over the weekend...and I managed to get three new games, three free games, and filled a punch card which means another free game. I have already played one of them, and plan to make time for more. I have been really bad at time management the last few months and I need to get it together.

I want to see improvement in my body, in my house and in my job situation...and there is nothing stopping me on any of those accounts but me. At the end of the month, I have a short trip to see family in another part of the US and then it is back to the hard core job hunt. The body and house stuff will get tackled even before that. Getting on the plan is the hardest part...once I get going, I am usually pretty good about staying on task.

I did start a new scarf (feeling like I needed some kind of creative outlet) and I am almost done with it. It is going to be cute and I have yarn for a different one as well. I am reading pretty much every day (which is super important to me) via the Nook at night before hitting the hay. I have also been able to do some volunteering on Google, which was being neglected for a bit.

So besides getting on the plan, singing, more writing, geocaching and studying for my computer test are on the list...time management is key.
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Four Years Ago on In My Words...Halloween Decor