Catching Up - Weekend Planning

Thanks for all of your great comments yesterday. I'll get caught up today and respond to each and every one today, I promise. Yesterday, as I mentioned, I was running all over town before opening up for business, and it was a busy day from the time I awakened to the time I finally went to sleep. But everything got accomplished, so I'm grateful for small favors - LOL.

Yesterday's errands took my time from early morning until
late in the night. It was a crazy day, but it was nice to
finally get to bed at the end of it all. 

I hate to do two picture blogs in a row. I really prefer my blog to be more substantive and even, on occasion, thought-provoking. But I'm a bit brain-dead right now and I'm focused on attending the American Crafts Council Show tomorrow and the silent auction at the Minnesota Mineral Club meeting tonight. It's about time DH and I have some fun for the weekend since we managed to accomplish so much over the past few weeks.

The ACC Show always had wonderful quality goods. This picture features
a glass sculpture by Dan Barnes, a fabulous ring by one of my favorite
jewelers, George Sawyer, and a cup by Julia Timm.

The American Craft Council Show is one that we attend every year. We are members of the ACC and always enjoy looking at the variety of high-quality hand-crafted art and crafts that are presented at the show every year. The St Paul show is not as large as their Baltimore or San Francisco shows, but it has good attendance. Since the ACC moved from New York to Minneapolis several years ago, I'm fairly certain that the St Paul show will always be on their calendar of events. We'll go to the show and then head on for a late breakfast afterward.

Carol Long produces exquisite pottery. I'm really looking forward to
seeing what she's come up with. Chickie and Chickie Mama will also be
attending, so I'm sure we'll run into them, although they usually move through
faster than we do. I love taking my time looking at each exhibitor's talent. 

The Minnesota Mineral Club has its monthly meeting tonight. We've been thinking about joining the group for several years and now that DH is getting more involved in working with stone, we thought it might be fun to meet up with these folks more often than the one time a year we attend their annual show. The meeting is held close to where we live, so it is easy for us to get to. Tonight they are holding a silent auction. I won't be buying, but I hope we'll have an enjoyable time.

I love working with find stones in my jewelry and art projects. Now DH wants
to start slicing and polishing these for me. Call me happy! 

So on that note, I hope all of you have a fabulous weekend. I'll be diving back into my writing tomorrow, but today is still a day with minimal words. Enjoy friends, family, pets and fun times this weekend and I'll be back on Monday.

A Topsy-Turvy Photo Blog Day

DH is up and my workflow is being impacted (and not in a good way - sigh). I'm going to put together a topsy-turvy photo blog for all of you today. Hopefully I can catch up a bit more later in the morning, although I'll be driving all over town before I have to open the shop today. Arghhhh! I just hate it when my days are so busy and messed up before 4:30 am....

I'll start out with the Topsy-Turvy bus. Built to bring attention to
the owner's belief that the budget is upside down, it's a great
visual. Wouldn't it cause you to look twice? 

I've always loved these types of drawings. It is a single drawing, viewed from
two different perspectives. Fun, isn't it? 

Although I saw a lot of plants growing from top down (tomatoes
most frequently), I loved this topsy-turvy flowerpot arrangement.

Sometimes life is a bit topsy-turvy. That's what it seems like
for me this morning, so I think I'll cut this short and head out for breakfast. 

Have a totally fabulous Friday!

So Wednesday Was Fun...A Synopsis of My Day

Wednesday turned out to be a look at, touch, and experiment day and I had a great time playing, even if I did have to go all over the city to do so.

From one end of the city to the opposite end. Yesterday I felt a bit
like I was running in a hamster wheel...

I started off (after a nice breakfast) deciding to check out the Mazda SUV I'm thinking about buying. The photographs on the website just didn't give enough detail about the interior and I wanted to know what it felt like inside the car, how the gauges looked from my perspective as a driver, and I also wanted to take a test drive if possible.

All too often car salesmen assume that since I'm a woman, I'm only interested
in the color choices, the seat materials and the entertainment features. No.
I'm interested in the engineering, the fuel economy and the handling. After
those criteria are satisfied, then we can discuss the appearance choices. 

I couldn't have had a much better experience - so different from the test drive I had with the Kia Soul a few weeks ago. This salesperson was perfectly happy to let me look over the car at my leisure, but answered questions when I had them. He offered me a test drive, not even requiring that he come along with me although I wanted him there to answer questions that I thought about as we drove. He was respectful and non condescending and I love the car. He left me with a brochure, pricing information, etc. and I went onward to the next look-over with thoughts of a new car swirling in my head. I think I may have found the car I want. Now to figure out when and how to arrange for the financing. I don't know if I want it soon or if I would prefer to wait until later this year, but I'll know more when I get my Cruiser looked at by my repair shop within a week or so.

I'm looking at the Mazda CX-5. The interior is lux and is actually fairly well
plotted out. As with any car, there will be a learning curve. But I liked
what I was seeing. I will absolutely do at least one more test drive before
making my final decision. 

After a quick stop at the grocer and at home to drop the ice cream into the freezer and start my first load of laundry, I drove south - far south - to Mall of America to take a closer look at the Surface Pro 2 by Microsoft.

I think this would be my final configuration for my Surface Pro 2. The
stylus on the right comes with it, the keyboard/cover is extra but
mandatory for my needs as a writer. I'll get MS Office Professional
installed and I'll be good to go. I still am reading reviews, though...

I'm really liking this tablet. As a laptop replacement it seems to work exceptionally well. I won't be doing my storage on it - not a lot of room there - but I do a lot with the Cloud already and I really want this as a carry-along backup system to my desktop computer which is my main system and where all of my items will eventually reside. I need a laptop that is (1) lighter than the one I currently use, (2) able to run Microsoft Office Pro 2013 and (3) which is closer to a tablet size. I've looked at convertibles - Dell, Lenovo and HP - but I haven't been overwhelmed with them. My laptop is on its end game - it's old and it still runs Windows XP which is now not supported, so the writing is on the wall. I need something else. I'm just not 100% sure this is the solution yet. But probably. But maybe not. But maybe.

Windows 8 will take a little getting used to, but I've been getting used
to software upgrades for many years now. It's just another system and
another way of getting data in and out. I'll figure it out and it'll be fun. 

I spent more than half an hour talking with the salesperson, asking questions, looking at specifications, trying out the various parts. I really liked the system. Then I sat for another 15-20 minutes just playing with the system on my own. Yeah. It's really nice. I know that at least one of my LJ friends owns a Surface and loves it, so that's helpful too.

The joy of income taxes. They are due on Tuesday, so we need to get everything
filed, paid, and mailed (or e-filed) quickly. 

After a stop at my local grocer for salad fixings, yogurt (on sale - SCORE!) and other sundries, I returned home and settled down for ... an hour. I continued with the laundry, but then DH called and said our accountant had phoned and our taxes were ready for pick-up. So...I ran over there to pick them up and then was finally able to relax for an hour before Aearwen called and we lost ourselves in our weekly chat. FUN!

I love my weekly chats with Aearwen. We never know what we'll end
up talking about, but we always enjoy the journey. 

So, I had a really nice Wednesday. I found a car, I found a computer, and I linked up with a friend again, and through all of that, the only money I spent was on my groceries (and The Hobbit - Desolation of Smaug, of course - LOL).

I usually don't leave my laptop hibernating for two days! I hope it
starts up properly later this morning...

So now it's Thursday and the week is progressing. I guess I'd better get some writing going. I haven't even cracked my laptop open for the past two days. I hope it starts properly since I've had it in hibernate mode... Have a fantastic and fulfilling day!

Yippie! Oy! and Yawn!

It's my day off - yippee! I'm really looking forward to having the time to take for myself, but I also have errands to do and places to go. My car is dripping oil since I hit a large pot hole in the road a couple of weeks ago, so I need to set up an appointment to get it looked at. But...not today.

Wal-Mart opens down the street from my home at 6:00 am this morning. 

Oy! My local Wal-Mart is opening a new store down the road from us. My DH is very excited about it, but I'm not really a Wally World fan so I can take or leave it. It opens in less than an hour and I think I'll skip going there. I'll leave it up to my DH to visit and tell me how wonderful it all is *sigh*.

I like the series, but can't watch it in long sessions. DH, on the other hand,
would happily watch hours at a time. There's a lot of violence in it, but I
read all of the books and at least know what is coming. 

He bought the set of Game of Thrones Season 3 DVD's last week, but there is an error in disk 6 and it stops the DVD player at that point. We tried it on two different players and had the problem at the same place on both of them. So I'll be off to Target today to exchange it for a different set. While I'm there, I'll pick up a copy of The Hobbit DOS while I'm there (and hopefully remember the other items I have on my shopping list).

He can watch his Game of Thrones, I'l watch The Hobbit - The
Desolation of Smaug. We'll both be happy. 

Yawn - it's always a late night on Tuesdays with both "Face-Off" and "Jim Henson's Creature Shop Challenge" shows. I'm dragging a bit today, so I'm grateful that I don't have an armload of errands to do. I need to get to the bank, my local restaurant is offering a great text bargain which expires tomorrow so that will be breakfast, and I'm tempted to drive out and take a close look at the Mazda I'm thinking about buying. I have to go to Target (see above) and I have chapters to beta and stories to write. This afternoon I'll be grocery shopping and finally I'll be chatting with Aearwen.

This has been a great show so far. It's only their first season, but it's
based on a Face-off style and it's working well. I like it, even though I
have a totally exhausted Wednesday because I only get five hours of
sleep after watching it. 

I'm absolutely sure that my time will be quite filled, so I'm going to end this here and get my trash and recycling together for today's pick-up. It's going to be 70 F in the Cities today so I'm really looking forward to some warm temps for a change. Have a great Wednesday!

Paperless? Ptah! I Say ... Ptah!

One of the promises of our electronic, computerized world was that we would become a paperless society. Although I see that in many things - email, facebook, twitter and the other social media methods of reaching out primary among them - I don't really see this coming through in spades throughout my life. I would LOVE to rid myself of paper, but I don't think it is possible, at least not yet. My notes and instructional manuals, my alternative keyboards for odd fonts such as my Egyptian Hieroglyphic fonts, and my other odd keyboard instructions are all are printed in hardcopy because I need to refer to them. My weekly and monthly story prompts are printed because I take them with me to work on a variety of different computers while composing the storylines. Forms, legal letters, etc are sent via email, but printed out, again for easy reference. Every time I print, I hear a tree cry. But...I have to print these things to make sure that I catch everything. My memory isn't as good as it used to be, I guess.

What happened to our 'paperless' society? 

It's a real Catch-22. I want a paperless office/life, yet my unreliable or overloaded memory and my lifestyle demand pieces of paper to remind me of things like passwords, account numbers, instructions, and procedures. For example - today I printed out the exhibition times for an art and crafts exhibit I'll be attending on Sunday. Although I know the times, my DH won't take my word for it, so I'll have to back it up with proof *sigh*. One tree.

Maddy Haggith put together this paper mountain of an average year's worth of
paper waste. It's a really interesting article if you follow the link. 

The second tree was sacrificed by my printing out the addresses of the Mazda dealers near me so that I can go and take a closer look at one of the autos I'm thinking about purchasing. I want to check it out from top to bottom, and I'll probably request a full brochure also so that I have all of the statistics at hand. Two trees...

I will admit that I read almost all of my books in e-versions now. I use my Nook
or my Nook App on my phone and cruise through my usual 2-3 books a week
on those. My house appreciates the fact that I don't have to find space for more
paperbacks and I love the fact that I can read practically anywhere with more
ease. My Nook app on my phone gets used to the max daily. I LOVE e-books. 

The third tree was sacrificed printing out the instructions for the B2MeM Compilation Ebook. I want my story and artwork included in this, but I've made a couple of very important text changes to my story since the original submission and must make sure that the version used is the most up-to-date one. I need to read through the directions carefully to make sure I'm doing everything correctly and submitting the proper required information. Sometimes it is easier to have a checklist, and that's what this basically is. Nonetheless - it is my third tree of the morning.

Are we trapped in paper? Is the dream of a paperless society just
a pipe dream? 

My DH was contacted by the attorney who is working on the income taxes for his father's estate. He needs one more bit of information phoned into him this morning. I printed this out and put it on DH's keyboard where he'll see it first thing this morning when he awakens. This particular tree was an important one, but nonetheless, was my fourth tree of the morning.

What things would we miss in a paperless society? Paper airplanes, certainly,
but also things like the morning newspaper and catalogs. I hope to always enjoy
handwritten letters and cards from dear friends, however, and I will continue
to design, make, and send my annual Solstice cards in December. 

My final felled tree for the day was used to print out the April Challenge Prompt I had received in my email for my monthly LOTR Community story. Again, I work on my stories on several different computers (thank goodness for Dropbox) and need to remind myself about prompt words, deadlines, and headings so that my submissions meet the criteria. I carry these with me until I've submitted the story, then shred them. Tree number five.

Of course, if you must use paper, please recycle the pages when you
are through with them. So few things actually need to be archived in physical
form these days. 

Now, I also admit that I am a HUGE fan of recycling, and that all of these pages will be shredded and added to my recycling bin. But still ... the paperless office is a joke in my life. How about in yours? Have you managed to eliminate most printed paper and leave lighter footprints on Mother Earth?

We can all dream of living in a new Emerald City of clean air, pristine water,
ample food and supplies for everyone throughout the world.
If we stop dreaming, halted by the immensity
of the challenge, we won't make the slightest dent in our future. Work
for progress in your own life and it will impact the lives of others. 

Sorry for the rather 'preachy' post today. Have a fabulous Tuesday...

Baseball, a Truck and a Tribute

It's opening day for the Minnesota Twins baseball team. Although the season opened last week, today is our first home game. Yes, we had eight inches of snow late last week, but the field is ready, the temperatures will be in the 40's and 50's and it's perfect weather to play ball. Whoo hoo!

Our opening game was last week in Chicago (we lost). It's one
of the first signs of Spring - baseball is being played again.
Play Ball! 

We want a small truck. We don't want an SUV, we don't want a van and we don't want a full-sized pickup truck, we want a smaller one. Ford used to make the Ranger which was just about perfect, but they discontinued it. The few small trucks available in the marketplace have very poor reviews, We're stymied. So, I guess we'll switch our focus from a new truck to something used, although small trucks still don't come up often. It's frustrating, though.

The Mazda CX-5 is a good looking car, but not exceptional. *sigh* I don't
think any other car will ever match up to my PT Cruiser...

At the same time we're looking for a truck for DH, we're checking out new crossovers for me. Although I adore my PT Cruiser, it does have almost 120,000 miles on it and the maintenance is getting more and more expensive. It's time to look at buying a new car for me. My cars tend to be our major method of transport, so choosing a good one will be important. I'm looking for good gas mileage - although I'd love an electric, it just wouldn't really work for us right now - and something where I can easily haul things. I'm thinking about possibly getting a Mazda CX-5, although the Subaru Forester is also in the running along with the Toyota CR-V. But I need to take a much closer look at these before I get any closer to a decision.

The Kia Soul is a bit more unique looking and has a great and fun
interior, but it's a bit small for what I want. 

I really loved the Kia Soul - cute, peppy, a little stiff to drive, but well within my budget. These other crossovers are more expensive, but also a bit larger and probably better for our needs. But new transport is becoming important. My DH drives a 1992 Saturn that I inherited from my mother upon her death, and my PT Cruiser is an original 2000/2001 model, so also has some serious years. We need reliable transportation so looking at things realistically, a new car or two is becoming mandatory.

Our only hope will be buying a smaller truck used - if we can even find one. 

I think what is bothering me the most about the car selection is the lack of fun design. The cars are all looking similar, changes are minimal, and they are all rather boring. I'm hoping that I can at least get a decent paint color - LOL.

Mickey Rooney had a long career in the entertainment industry. I enjoy
the classic films he was in during the "Golden Age" of  Hollywood the most. 

And in news from yesterday is the death of Mickey Rooney at age 93. He was such a fun actor, always quick with a smile and a quip. Your next curtain is rising for you, Mister Rooney.