The sun is out! The sun is out!!!
May 24, 2008
After a miniature heat wave last weekend, followed a week of cold overcast rainy days, we have beautiful sunny weather for the long weekend. I plan to spend some time outdoors, getting a mild sunburn (and soaking up plenty of vitamin D). When it gets dark, I’ll be writing about the mineral makeup I’ve found. I am now surrounded by pots and pots of colors, and am ridiculously giddy. Yesterday I got an organizer with two pull-out trays and removable compartment dividers. I will probably spend a large chunk of the evening figuring out which things go where, grouping makeup colors, regrouping them, and then changing my mind and starting all over again. (I’m a strange, strange person. Between my love of organizing and my love of office supplies, I’m hell on wheels at preparing to do things. I just never seem to need to actually -=do=- them. Once I’ve chosen the materials, bought them, and organized the work area, I’ve gotten all the pleasure out of a project that I’m ever going to get. There’s got to be a twelve-step program for people like me...and once we find the program and register, we never actually go.)
Stay safe, have fun, and next weekend (closer to the actual Memorial Day, rather than the observance) take time to remember everyone who’s fought for the ideals they believe in.
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And I'm going to share it. Implementing it, though...that's another story.
May 09, 2008
I’m launching another blog - this one for my hosting and development businesses. I get plenty of compliments on my writing, and I’ve been published in internet-industry magazines, so I know that not only will I have things to say, I’ll say them well.
My concern is that no one will comment. In several forums, I was The Thread Killer: I’d make a post describing my opinion about a certain show, or situation, or character, or plot twist...and all activity in a formerly active thread would come to a screeching halt. One of my friends told me that this happened because I expressed myself so well, that they didn’t just want to post “Me too!!” While I appreciate knowing that I express myself well, blogs and forums are supposed to be somewhat interactive. After a certain amount of time spent shouting into the void, one begins to feel a bit like Typhoid Forum-poster.
Another worry is copy theft. It’s happened before, and given the nature of the internet, I’m sure it will happen again. Still, while I’ve got no objections of people quoting my work, or even writing their own articles based off of ideas they got while reading my writing, I don’t like the idea of some startup hoster taking my articles wholesale and representing them as their own...either for public consumption or for their clients’ benefit. I may start out dividing the content, and anything that could be useful to the reseller clients will go behind a membership-login.
If nothing else, though, this will put activity on a domain I own. I’ve been using subdomains for the servers in my network, but the main site hasn’t been actively used in quite a while...and so I get a lot of requests to purchase the domain. I don’t want to sell the domain, but I’m getting tired of wading through all the offers. (Hey - there’s an idea for a post. Why I won’t sell, or what price will make me consider selling. Would $500,000 shut most of the speculators up?)
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Sometimes, you've just got to laugh.
Mar 26, 2008
Good things, bad things. And some more good things.
My friend got her publication date, and the pretty cover art for her book. Last Friday a bunch of us met up at the pub and shared nachos, chocolate cake, and drinkstuffs in celebration. (This has been a long, incredible process; this is her first book; and we’re all fairly jazzed. [And the cover art is very nice: she got the Michael Whelan of the romance cover art world. That cover art will catch a lot of peoples’ eyes, and hopefully will result in more sales.]) So go check it out, stop by her author blog, and say “hi” from Laughing Muse!
I got the billing software configured, populated, and integrated with the hosting site. I’ve run a few test transactions, and gotten them through. There’s one long slog finished! (And another beginning; but that’s how it goes, yes?) I’ve got the plans for revamping the hosting and support site content, and will be able to start migrating my clients over next week - right on schedule.
The first check for my document production is due in about two weeks, and I’ve gotten more documents to proof and edit.
Since I’ve gotten all these things accomplished, I splurged today. I hit the makeup store, picked up some pretties, did some damage to the bank account, and came home and painted my nails. (I’ll be stuck in an all-day meeting on Friday, so part of the splurge was also to give myself toys to play with. I do so love being a telecommuter. Sure, the meeting starts at 7:30 ack emma; but I can roll out of bed at 7:15, feed the cats, brush my teeth, stay in my PJs and drink my morning coffee. And paint my nails again. I’m thinking a metallic coral pink. Or lavendar-blue.)
As I was driving home in the rain, it began to snow. While it was raining. That wacky Pacific Northwest weather! Last week was all daffodils and cherry blossoms; this week, the flora is highly confused.
(And naturally, as I’m recognized by one of my daily reads as one of their favorite blogs to visit, I proceed to put forth a fairly pedestrian entry. *meep* Check for scintillating content mid-April. I may be able to manage something by then.)
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In other news, I'm getting older. Damnit.
Mar 03, 2008
A client with whom I’d been working to get set up, has finally finished setting me up. I’ve got the work description, I’ve got my initial reading material, I’ve got a purchase order. Yay!! (And hopefully the delay in getting me set up won’t imperil the team’s deadlines.) This is money I didn’t figure into my budget for the year even though I’ve been working on this deal since December, so as far as I’m concerned, it’s all gravy. Well, I’ll have to pay a big chunk in taxes on it, so there goes about...oh, half of it (just to be safe)...but still, the additional income is nice. Next up: CDs, or a money market account? Which will earn me more? (The ‘rents had the suggestion of setting up a series of CDs that mature domino-fashion, month after month after month. Then each month I can either roll it over or have more liquid assets to handle emergency expenses.)
In other news, Wednesday should be interesting. First time in my life, I’m going to dye my hair. (My hair’s long enough that the grey shows fairly much, on top; and the bottom is, of course, quite a bit lighter. I want to be a teeny bit less obvious.) Hopefully, the weather will be nice enough to open the windows and let out the ammonia-oid smell.
If nothing else, this should be entertaining.
The cats are going to hate me…
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Lyrics and playable track (embedded player)
Feb 27, 2008
I've owned this particular CD for several years, but only now have really gotten around to listening to the rest of the music on it. I originally bought it because Lisa Gerrard composed and performed two tracks...which are, in actuality, kind of meh. This one, though, is lovely."Song to the Siren" was originally written by Tim Buckley, and was covered by (among others) the 4AD musicians' compilation This Mortal Coil.
Song for the Siren (words: Tim Buckley)
On the floating, shipless, oceans I did all my best to smile
'Til your singing eyes and fingers ddrew me loving to your isle
And you sang, "Sail to me, sail to me, let me enfold you;
Here I am, here I am...waiting to hold you."
Did I dream you dreamed about me? Were you here when I was full sail?
Now my foolish boat is leaning broken lovelorn on your rocks
For you sing, "Touch me not, touch me not, come back tomorrow.
O my heart, o my heart shies from the sorrow."
I am puzzled as the newborn child. I am troubled at the tide.
Should I stand amid the breakers? Or should I lie with death my bride?
Hear me sing, "Swim to me, swim to me, let me enfold you;
Here I am, here I am...waiting to hold you."
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At least that's what I keep telling myself.
Feb 25, 2008
I’m back in my place, after being chased out so that the kitchen counters and bathtub could be resurfaced. The kitties and I decamped to a local hotel for two nights, and returned yesterday. However, things are not quite done.
The caulking around the bathtub was removed for the resurfacing, and was not reapplied. I can’t use my tub, because any water that gets back there could contribute toward dry rot. (Not that it’s my property or anything...but there’s the general principle of not making a mess when avoidable.) While the bathtub would cure and dry in less than 20 hours, the kitchen counter won’t be usable for at least three days after the resurfacing. Last night I left the oscillating fan in the kitchen, in hopes of speeding things along. This morning, the counter is still ever-so-slightly tacky to the touch.
I wiped down the walls, wiped down all surfaces in the bathroom, mopped the kitchen and bathroom floors, and vacuumed 85% of the apartment with my new vacuum (bought yesterday as part of my Grande Splurge.) I put everything back in the kitchen cupboards and drawers (I can’t use the countertop, but I could put the dishes away.) I called the management office to have them send someone to caulk the tub two and a half hours ago, and no one’s shown up. I can’t shower. I can’t put my coffeemaker back. Things are reaching critical levels here, folks.
More..!
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