Beauti and the Blog

Cookin' at the Casa

2011-10-15T08:35:00.000-07:00

My dad and Kathy came for a visit last month. My dad is a fan of VRBO, Vacation Rentals By Owner, and through them found Casa de Siesta. What a find! Richard's card states he is the Owner/Entrepreneur, but that doesn't tell the whole story.

What a warm, welcoming man Richard is. He truly opens up his heart, as well as his home, to his guests.

If you come to Albuquerque and want to stay in your own little casita, well stocked with guidebooks, pamphlets, good coffee, comfy furniture and plenty of DVDs (in case you happen to find yourself NOT enjoying the outdoors), this is your casa.

Now to get to the subject of today's post - the cookin'! Richard is a native New Mexican, taught to cook by his beloved mother. I was honored to be included in the fun the night he took my Da, Kathy and me to the chile market to select red chiles and other ingredients for the Red Chile Enchiladas we would prepare together.

After the shopping, on to the cooking.

The red chiles come dried (sun dried - nothing but the best). They are put into hot water to soften up after most of the seeds were removed.

After they are softened, they are put into the blender with some garlic, salt and seasonings (secret)! Notice the fire extinguisher - this stuff is HOT!

After blending, the mixture is put back on the heat to cook for a bit, as the chiles, although dried, are raw when the process starts.

Now we are ready to assemble the enchiladas!

First, Richard softens up the corn tortilla by frying it quickly in a little olive oil. Then it's into the sauce to get deliciously drenched . . . . ahhhhhhh . . . . (I am referring to the tortilla here, really).

It was triple-deckers for this hungry crowd! With a fried egg on top for those who like that. Oh, and I forgot to mention the homemade guacamole! All so fresh and tasty, with just the right amount of heat to cure what ails ya!

Sharing it with my family and my new-found friend made it extra special.

After cleaning up, it's off to the living room to retire to watch "Dancing with the Stars."

If you come to Albuquerque and for whatever reason are not staying with us, I hope you will stay with Richard at Casa de Siesta. (He lives in the house next door, not in the casita.) Find him at vrbo.com listing #339304. I told him I was going to plug his business but I sincerely recommend it and no money was involved in my decision. (Food, on the other hand . . . . .)

Things Are Going to Start Happening to Me Now!

2011-09-04T11:06:00.000-07:00

I haven't written in a long time. It's not for lack of anything to write about; I'm still having new adventures here in Albuquerque. Now that I'm employed, my schedule is not as flexible as it was when my job was to find a job.

It's finally starting to sink in now. (Yeah, I know, I'm a little slow.) I live and work in Albuquerque, New Mexico! Our dream is becoming reality. It looks like the house is all but sold, and Kevin will be hiring a mover to come pack up our stuff while I move into a bigger apartment and get it ready for our whole family (although it has occurred to me that I have NO furniture, so there is not much to set up! Good thing I enjoy camping and sleeping on the ground!)

(my new avatar!)

When we started this process, we knew it would not be easy. Nothing worth doing ever is. Being out here on my own can be very exhilarating at times, but the longer I'm separated from my family, the more I want them to be here with me, experiencing all the newness, the wonder, the joy of my new environment.

Parking is cheap here

and grasshoppers are big.

Our next apartment has a pool and a hot tub,

and is within walking distance of a good pizza joint and a nice pub.

Public art abounds,

and I never tire of seeing the balloons.

What's not to love?!

Rudy gave us a terrible scare with some sort of unexplained health problem, but seems to be doing well now (TG). The next adventure will be when the 3 of us pile into the car and have one hell of a road trip! Stay tuned for pics and stories.

Thanks for reading!!

Love to All,
kat

Kat Borrows a ZipCar

2011-07-13T20:06:00.000-07:00

As soon as I got my ZipCard in the mail, I was rarin' to go! I joined up with ZipCar, a car sharing service. The deal is, you reserve a car online (the car is parked near the University, in my case) and at the appointed time, you go to your car and unlock it with your special, secret ZipCard. (Okay, it's not secret, but it's more fun if I think of it that way.)

So, off I go, schlepping a half hour or so to the U, camera and TomTom in hand, eagerly anticipating driving. Yes, I have driven a car before, but I had to leave Buggy, my beloved Celica, in Marysville and have been carless for some time now, as you know. I carefully planned out my route the night before, entering all the addresses into my TomTom so I could make the most of my limited time (this is car sharing, you know; I had to return it on time.)

The directions to the car said take a left on Vassar. That would have been entirely possible were I a bird. Seems Vassar is not a through street. I kept schlepping.

About a half hour later, I noticed I'd missed a call on my cell phone. How nice, the folks at ZipCar called to tell me the previous driver was running late. What a stroke of luck! I could still get my car and not have to pay for the 30 minutes of touring the campus on foot that I had just done.

So, where's the car, again? Oh, yeah, behind that construction barrier.

The nice guy directing traffic told me to go behind the fence and jump over the concrete planter. While I have to admit I was flattered that he thought I could do such a thing, it did not seem prudent at this juncture.

I took the long way, not really knowing where I was going.

At about the 2-hours-of-schlepping mark, I was at the end of my rope. Turns out I'd missed another call from ZipCar, telling me the prior driver finally had returned my car; it was in Lot A. Could they give me a hint as to where Lot A is located? Not a chance. I decided to bag it and try again tomorrow.

Everything looked better after a good night's sleep (and a good, long look at a map). I figured out where Lot A was and introduced myself to Ray (not RudyRay, but maybe a good omen).

Please don't tell Buggy I'm having an affair.

I felt like a teenager with her first learner's permit. TomTom was very helpful in getting me to where I needed to go. First stop: a very nice market where I purchased -- simultaneously, mind you -- frozen, bulky, and heavy items that I could never have dreamed of while on foot or even on Dan (my bike).

Put THAT on your shoppin' list! Frozen veggie tamales included!

After dropping all the loot off at home, it was back out on the open road to look at Real Estate! I suppose I could have wasted my agent's time and made him drive me to these homes, but I'm glad I didn't. I don't want him to hate me before we even meet. 2 out of 3 were losers. (But one . . . . . )

I really wanted to stop for a slice of pizza at Fastino's, but time was running out. I will not be like that *#!$%*^ yesterday who kept me waiting for Ray. After filling up with gas (Ray, not me) (and all covered by my Zip Gas Card!) it was back to Lot A to say so long for now.

'Til we meet again, Ray, I say good day!

Kat Gets a Bike

2011-06-23T13:08:00.000-07:00

My New Wheels

People have told me this isn't the best town for biking. Maybe ignorance is bliss, but I'm not letting that stop me. It looks pretty great to me. I picked up this nice bike from an even nicer guy in Nob Hill. It was VERY windy the day I bought it (Father's Day). I was nervous about finding my way home, even though I had a good bike map. I hadn't really ridden in a long time. My old bike, the one we let go for next to nothing at our moving sale, had some cobwebs on it when we parted ways. Aaron was kind enough to strap his kids in the back seat, put the bike rack on the back of the car and deliver me and my new ride back home! People here are like that.

Well, not all people here are like that, or so I'm told. They say Albuquerque has a little theft problem. My bliss has its limits. I decided I'd better keep my new bike in my apartment where I can keep an eye on him. This is where living on the second floor presents a bit of a problem. Have you ever seen such a narrow stairwell? Me, neither.

And steep! Did I mention steep? I think I'm getting more exercise getting the bike in and out of the apartment than I am riding it!

(I practically have to bend the frame to get it around this corner!)

I thought my map-reading skills had improved since I'd gotten here. Not so. I somehow managed to get lost on my first time out. A carefully planned 18-minute trip to a local bike shop turned into a 2-hour ride all over town. At least I managed to stumble onto a paved path, closed to vehicle traffic, that could very well turn out to be my new route to work! (ahh, optimism!)

I finally did find that bike shop, a nice little place run by a couple who look to be in their 70s. They could not collectively remember how long they have had their bike shop, "37 or 38 years? What did the commercial say?....." The old guy installed a nice new basket on the front of my bike so I have somewhere to put a bag of groceries or a package of toilet paper, as the case may be. I also picked up a good lock and insulated water bottle. Look out, world, I'm ready to roll now!!

Upon arriving back home, exhausted and starving, I still had to get that beast up those stairs. Ugh. I have a lovely neighbor, Rose, whom I often run into in the hallway or out in the front yard. She both opened and retired from the local K-Mart store. She admitted that she retired 11 years ago at age 62, so I quickly deduced her age. (I'm better at math that at maps.) I ran into Rose again on this day. After we chatted for a few minutes, I politely excused myself, mentally psyching myself up for the job I had to do before I could eat lunch. I trudged around back so I could enter on the landing, avoiding a whole flight of stairs.

The next thing I see is Rose, opening the back door for me! I tried to act cool. No way am I asking a 73-year old woman to help me push/pull a heavy bike up a narrow flight of stairs. Then again, no way am I stopping her if she starts helping me, either! And help she did! I am continually amazed by the people here.

Don't worry - I have seen her since and she is fine.

I, on the other hand, have not taken the beast out of the apartment since then.

I think I'm rested up enough now to give it another go. Just gotta wait 'til I see Rose outside.....

Kat Takes the Bus (Viewer Discretion Advised)

2011-06-17T08:48:00.000-07:00

I had a second interview today at what looks to be a good company (I'll leave out the name for now). The location is on the edge of town, a whopping 15-minute commute by car, but since I don't yet have a car, I had to work out some form of transportation that did not involve walking.

I have been studying up on the bus system and actually had a successful trip into town yesterday by bus, but I was still a bit trepidacious of relying on my trip planning skills to get me to such an important meeting. Besides, if there were any walking involved, I could end up looking and smelling . . . how shall I put it? . . . unprofessional.

So I hired a cab and gleefully paid the $30 plus tip to get me there in style. Talking with cabbies has been a good education. I mentioned to the lovely woman who was my limo driver today that I was considering getting a bike to get me to work, should I be so fortunate as to be hired. "DUDE!," she said, "that's FAR!" Evidently I do not have the aura of a cyclist. Or a woman.

Getting to an interview looking pulled-together is worth 35 bucks to me. Getting back home to an empty apartment looking pulled-together, however, is not. I decided to try my hand at taking the bus home.

I left the building, immediately removed my heavy suit jacket (purchased in Washington), and headed off toward the bus stop. The first thing I noticed was that the bus stop consisted of a bench in the dirt by the side of the road - not a square inch of shade for miles around! Until now the 90+ degree heat did not bother me; in fact, I have been enjoying it. The black dress and patent leather pumps changed all that. I glanced up to see the BUS, barreling up the street, straight toward me. There was NO way I was going to make it to that bus stop in time, and who knows when the next bus will come along?

I did what any self-respecting woman of a certain age would do under these circumstances: I ran across the street in front of the bus, arms flailing, mouthing to the driver to stop! Let my sorry ass on that bus!

Much to my delight, the bus pulled over, coming to a stop right beside me. I climbed aboard, smiling. The driver, a gruff old guy with a monotone voice, said, "This bus did not stop for you. It broke down." I smiled and giggled a little. How cute that the old guy broke the rules for me. Wink, wink. Okay, I'll wait at an approved stop next time.

We pulled away and, I must admit, I felt pretty special. Until the bus pulled over again. I heard the driver calling his base, explaining how the overheating light keeps coming on. We sat. I felt less special. "Another bus will be along in about 25 minutes," he announced.

When the next bus (mercifully air-conditioned) came along, it was smooth sailing once again. This driver was chatty, giving my good advice about bikes ("'Get one you can lift.") and talking about Seattle. I successfully transferred to my third and last bus, being thankful for the patch of shade to stand in while waiting. I could feel my feet swelling withing the confines of my cute shoes. I just kept reminding myself how much money I was saving by not taking a cab.

After I had gotten comfortable in my seat and could enjoy the scenery, a man in a wheelchair boarded my bus. The driver helped him get situated and strapped in securely. This gave me time to look around. Hey! There's Whole Foods! And K-Mart! I'm only a 10-minute walk from home! Cutting 5 or 10 minutes off my walk home very nearly saved my life, as you will soon see. Thank you, Wheelchair Man!

Words alone cannot describe the pain of walking half a mile in black patent leather pumps. Be warned: the following picture is not for the squeamish.

If you want good walking shoes, I do not recommend these:

You must admit, they are pretty cute, though!

Moral of the story? What, does every story have to have a moral? What are we - in kindergarten or something?!

New New Mexican

2011-06-14T08:38:00.000-07:00

After 3 days as a resident of Albuquerque, I took a few minutes to be alone with my thoughts. This adventure is starting out so well, yet suddenly I realized how hard it is on me (and on Kevin). I had a good job interview yesterday and my fear of failure has been replaced by a fear of success! Slowly, I am teaching myself to be gentle on me, but it doesn't come naturally.

The new digs are really something! I have one, big room all to myself. I cannot believe how little I need to be comfortable. I've since "rearranged" the furniture (put the little table and lamp on the other side of the couch so I have a place to put my alarm clock). Not that I need an alarm clock! On the bed I have a little fake Rudy to keep my company. For reasons of good taste, I won't show you the fake Kevin (just kidding)!

Cooking in the kitchen is quite possible; food preparation, however, is not.

My office consists of this table under the window. There is a dresser built into the closet. As small as this place is, I sometimes think of stories I've heard about entire extended families living in a room like this, and I feel like royalty.

Some Parting Thoughts

2011-05-26T14:29:00.000-07:00

I get the impression that some of my friends think I am moving away because I dislike Washington or, worse, that I do not appreciate their friendship. I've been thinking a lot about this recently as I plan for my future life. There are so many things I will miss about living in the Northwest: the green that surrounds me, the awesome hiking all around the area, the water, my annual trips to Bumbershoot and Marrowstone Island and, most of all, my friends and family. I have met so many interesting, fun, insightful people here. I've shared festivals and parties, running and hiking, beach-combing and picnicking . . . if it weren't for Washington, I probably would not have met my husband, partner, love-of-my-life (those are all one person, by the way).

I may be focusing on the bad weather and my misery lately, because the grey skies do seem to be affecting me in a negative way much more deeply than they used to. The depression is obvious to me, although I do try to hide it.

But the move to New Mexico is more than a seeking of sunshine. There is a real pull happening to me - to us, Kevin & me - as we approach 50 years of life. It's not just a change of scenery; it is a change of attitude. It's a chance to reinvent, to grow, to learn, to get outside our comfort zone and push ourselves to new heights, with new challenges.

I do not dwell on how deeply I'll miss my friends & family. I know it will hurt. I'm thankful for technology that will allow me to keep in touch and come back for a visit now and then. I'm also hopeful that friends will want to come visit us in our new home. Who knows? We may have a thriving food cart by then, or at least be able to make you a taco at our apartment!

So, please take no offence if you choose to live in this beautiful, lush, green part of the world. I support your choice. I'll never forget you.

Mountain of Memories

2011-05-15T18:26:00.000-07:00

The pile is taking over the downstairs room! I'm excited to lighten my load and embark on my new, minimalist lifestyle. I'm not too excited about sorting through and pricing all this stuff, however. Sale One is scheduled for Saturday, May 21st. I have never held a garage sale (can you believe that?), but I'm looking forward to it.

Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow

2011-05-15T18:20:00.000-07:00

After close to 50 years together, my beloved stuffed animals and I had to part ways. I took this last picture of them all together so I would remember (not that I will ever forget any of them). What strong emotions came to the surface as I lovingly placed them in a plastic bag to be taken out with the trash. I found myself crying as if a friend has died. Even worse, I felt like they died at my hand! How cruel and evil am I? I'm very thankful Kevin was understanding and didn't make fun of me.

To tell the truth a few of the guys who weren't too moth-eaten or stained ended up in the moving sale pile. I'm hopeful some kid will be able to give them a good life.

Goodbye, my friends. May you rest in peace.

STUFF

2011-04-28T18:14:00.000-07:00

You are able to clearly see where you're heading now and could become the person that everyone depends on because of your solid sense of direction. It's wise to rely on your instincts because you know where you are, and how to get where you are going. But you must pay careful attention today since everything seems to be moving so fast. Update others with the details often so everyone feels included in the process.

That is my horoscope for today. Since I always do what I'm told (ha!), I'm going to update you now so you feel included in the process. What a crazy process it is, too! Everything does seem to be moving so fast, yet so slowly at the same time.

I'm in the spotlight
ohh does it feel right
ohh the altitude
seems to get to me

I'm up on the tight wire
flanked by life and the funeral pyre
putting on a show
for you to see

(with thanks to Leon Russell)

It's tiring, going through years and years of STUFF, trying to make logical decisions about emotional attachments. Not that everything has emotions attached to it, but I do tend to get attached to the most absurd things. There is a name for assigning human characteristics to inanimate objects. I can't think of the word but, believe me, it's a real problem. Stuffed animals are the worst. I just can't bring myself to discard a living thing, a childhood friend, as if he were so much garbage. Sheesh, I can hardly bring myself to discard garbage! (I'm one of those crazy obsessive-compulsive recyclers that that insurance company mocks on their TV commercial.)

I'm getting better, making progress, and the more I let go of, the better I feel. Really!

I may be moving into a small studio while job-hunting in Albuquerque. I'm reminded of George Carlin's routine about STUFF - of how our house is just a place to keep our STUFF, and if we go on vacation we decide what STUFF to take with us. . . my list of STUFF I must have with me does include one stuffed animal, I must admit, but it's a pretty short list. It makes me think of what is most important to me. Turn out that my relationships with others tops any and all STUFF. I sure will miss Kevin and Rudy. My stuffed animal is a replica of Rudy. I guess I'll have to get a blow-up doll to replicate Kevin! (sick, I know)

and so it goes . . .

Moving to Albuquerque!

2011-04-17T18:09:00.000-07:00

Wow. My first blog post about our big adventure. It was about a year and a half ago when Kevin said (out of the blue), "We should move to New Mexico!" I just laughed. We were sick of the weather here, the horrible traffic, the lack of a social life up here in the 'burbs, but moving? to New Mexico? Is he crazy? All these months later, here I am, preparing to sell or give away most of my worldly possessions and move out of a home I've lived in for 11 years, a home where we got married in our back yard. Am I crazy?

The downstairs looks like that of a hoarder. The sauna has been sold to someone who owns a health food store on Whidbey Island. Rudy's favorite scratching posts (aka the old red chairs) have gone to a good home. Saturdays are spent packing, sorting, deciding, cleaning. Soon it will be time for the moving sale. Then the house will officially go on the market. And so it begins . . .

Test Picture

2010-10-25T19:36:00.000-07:00

I went to Google images, found this photo (which I hope is okay for me to copy - I am aware there are copyright laws - but this is from FreeFoto.com) I copied the pic onto my own hard drive. Then I came here to update my blog with it. I simply clicked on the "insert image" icon at the top of my New Post box (where I'm writing now), and browsed to the saved pic and uploaded it. This post is specifically for Linda, who asked me how to put a picture on her blog. I hope it helps, Cuz!

Test Podcast

2010-08-27T15:36:00.000-07:00

I don't know if this will work.

Podcasts

2010-08-24T20:41:00.000-07:00

Maybe some day soon, there will actually BE a podcast linked to this blog. Kimm has tempted me to try to learn how to do it, so perhaps I will! What I'd really like to be able to do is record my mom's CDs so people can enjoy them. My mom, at the ripe old age of 70-something, taught herself how to record CDs. She wrote wonderful stories about Prince Rudolph (aka RudyRay) and recorded them on CDs. They are so precious to me. I think they would also be wonderful as children's books (if only I could find an illustrator). My mom was so talented. I hope to be able to share some of her talent with you, my friends, soon.

Just Sit

2010-08-22T12:09:00.000-07:00

This hasn't turned out to be much of a blog about spa and beauti products (as in BeautiControl), has it? It is nice, though, to have a place I can come to write about random topics. I see there are a few people who actually look at it, and that makes me happy, for some reason. I don't know if I have enough material for a book, but I do fantasize about writing one some day. My mom once told me I was a good writer; that has stuck with me. Writing may well be the only talent I have, if indeed I have it. I'm still searching.

So what's up with this rambling post today? I've been suffering from overstimulation lately. I feel addicted to Twitter and Facebook. I could lose an entire day clicking on links and trying to keep up with everything the everyone is doing, and everything that everyone is interested in. Some of it is very informative and interesting. If I'm not connected, I wonder what I'm missing. There is always something going on.

There is real beauty in just being. Just sitting, meditating, I guess you could say (although I find it impossible not to let my mind wander and thoughts race). In our world today, we have to schedule time for that. At least for me, it rarely happens spontaneously. Try to just sit, staring into space, or closing your eyes. It's not easy, is it? I love that brief moment in time between wake and sleep. I wish I could make it last longer.

I cannot control time, I cannot control events, I cannot control others. What I can do, though, is just sit. Ooops, I cannot control falling asleep.

Live As If . . .

2010-04-27T11:19:00.000-07:00

Live as if you were going to die tomorrow. We hear that a lot, especially after someone dies. When you think about it, though, it's pretty impractical. If I knew this were my last day, I would not have come in to work today. I certainly don't have the bank account to quit my job and fly around the world, doing all the things on my bucket list. Who does?

I've come up with a better idea: live as if you are going to relocate in a year. It's easy to get in a rut and take for granted all the beauty that surrounds you in your daily life. If you think you will be leaving it behind in 12 months, you see everything with fresh eyes. You find yourself thinking, "I'm going to miss this."

I really appreciated seeing a wild bunny and a Great Blue Heron during my morning run around the neighborhood today. I'm gazing outside now, during a rare sun break, and savoring every moment of it. I'll sure miss watching Bald Eagles outside my kitchen window in the morning. I may even miss being shocked out of a sound sleep on the weekends by that crazy Northern Flicker that thinks he can get food out of our satellite dish!

Am I really planning to relocate in a year? That is a topic for another day. For now, I'll keep dreaming and savoring and living . . .

My Gift to the World

2010-04-13T11:18:00.000-07:00

I get the feeling that, when some of my friends (at least the ones who follow me on Facebook and Twitter) see my posts about BeautiControl, the little hairs on the back of their necks stand up. I understand this reaction. I get turned off when I sense someone is trying to coerce me into making a purchase. I am very particular about how and with whom I spend my money. I even go so far as to boycott certain companies if I feel their philosophy is not in tune with my belief system.

The person who eventually recruited me into BeautiControl worked on me a very long time! Even after I joined, I had no intention of starting a business and actually trying to sell products to other people; I just wanted to get the stuff at a discount. After being introduced to BeautiControl, I discovered high quality products that produced real results. Naturally I wanted to share the news with everyone I know. The best way I have to accomplish that is to demonstrate the products and allow people to make up their own minds. And the best way to demonstrate the products is at a home spa party.

I feel the home spa is a fun and relaxing way for people to experience some of BeautiControl's many skin care, spa relaxation, and anti-aging products. The way I conduct my spas is very low-key. Remember, I never wanted to be in "direct sales" - I don't even like the sound of it! So I just allow a group of friends to try stuff, ask questions, relax and enjoy each other's company. What's not to like about that?!

Sometimes I have parties where guests buy little or nothing. That's okay! I still have fun treating people to a relaxing and fun time with their friends. That is my gift to the world. It's not much, but it's about all I have for now.

So please consider my gift of spa treatments just that - a gift. A free offer, no strings attached. So maybe next time you see a post of mine that mentions BeautiControl, the relaxation response will kick in and you will smile . . . .

My Husband

2009-05-10T20:37:00.001-07:00

My husband is the best!

Mother's Day

2009-05-04T12:36:00.001-07:00

This will be my first Mom's Day without my Mom. I am discovering that it is actually getting more difficult with time. Maybe it takes a while for any change in my life to really sink in. I still have not opened the jar of caviar and bottle of champagne I planned to have in Mom's honor. Perhaps I'll do that Sunday. Too bad I can't find copies of Dynasty on DVD. We always enjoyed having our champagne & caviar while watching Dynasty! All I can say is, enjoy, cherish, honor your mom (and dad, too) while you still can. Life really is short.

Rant of the Day

2009-04-27T14:41:00.000-07:00

Lately I've heard a lot of peple using the word "concerning" when I think they mean to say "disconcerting." I find this trend disconcerting.

Use Your Imagination

2009-04-07T13:38:00.000-07:00

I wish I had a camera good enough to capture the view from our kitchen window. We have a pair of nesting bald eagles in our back yard. Now that the hummingbirds are back, we get a lot of them visiting our feeder next to the kitchen window. Standing at the sink, you can look out and see hummers at the feeder in the foreground, and an eagle or two in a tall tree in the background. Very cool. Use your imagination . . .

Financial Ruin

2009-03-31T12:39:00.000-07:00

It occurred to me that this financial mess we have gotten ourselves into just may change the way we live in this country. I think we need to adjust our expectations and possibly even (gasp!) lower our standard of living! If we are "fixing" it by getting it back to the way it was before, it's like someone who smokes all his life, gets lung cancer, and thinks, "I'll go back to smoking 3 packs a day as soon as I get myself some oxygen!" I did, however, see a sign on a house in my neighborhood advertising "buy this house with no money down and no payments for 3 months." Okay, how is this different from all those loans everyone is defaulting on? Crazy . . . .

Running with the Squirrels

2009-03-31T10:03:00.001-07:00

This is dedicated to my sweetie, who is a squirrel whisperer!

This Is Important!

2008-09-25T11:04:00.000-07:00

Focus on the facts and you will see Obama is our only hope!

Leukemia Team in Training

2008-08-21T15:01:00.000-07:00

I've added a link to my friend, Jenny's, Team in Training blog (see list of favorite blogs at left). Jenny is not a hard-core runner (yet), but has signed on to do a 1/2-marathon in January. This is a big deal as far as I'm concerned. I've done this before (for the Arthritis Foundation). The fundraising part is as tough as the running part. If you would like to follow Jenny's progress and/or sponsor her, please visit her blog.

Ragnar Relay

2008-07-28T13:26:00.001-07:00

Reflections on Web 2.0 and Stuff

2008-07-16T13:04:00.000-07:00

It's been a very long 20 weeks. When I started, I had no idea where this journey would take me. Today is my mom's birthday. If you would have told me back in March that Mom would not be here to celebrate her birthday, I would not have believed you. But here we are . . . a little older and a bit wiser, too. Losing my mom has made me think hard about life . . . about priorities. Much of this Web 2.0 stuff is a lot of fun and even useful. Much of it is just a new way to use up what few minutes I have left on this planet. Blogging has been great; I think I'll keep it up even if no one reads me. Friend networks have come in handy, too. I just may be attending my 30-year HS reunion, thanks in part to Facebook. Online applications and maps have been helpful to me while planning (with my teammates) our 185-mile relay race. As for the rest, well, I may not use a lot of the "things" very often, but I feel a bit younger and a little less like a Luddite for having learned them. Thanks to Sno-Isle for being so cutting-edge. Libraries need to change constantly to keep pace with today's society. This course was extremely valuable in keeping our staff informed and on the path to lifelong learning. I absolutely would participate in other programs of this sort if offered to me.

Games People Play

2008-07-16T12:53:00.000-07:00

I'm not much of a game player, at least not on-line. When my mom was ill and I was spending a lot of time with the family, sitting around most of the day, we worked the daily crossword puzzles together. That was fun. Then my sister-in-law introduced me to Sudoku puzzles and I was hooked! When I was introduced to Yahoo!Games, I immediately went for the Sudoku daily puzzle. It was kind of cool in that you could set it to not allow you to make mistakes. It's easier to type over an answer with the keyboard than it is to erase and re-write it on paper. That being said, I still prefer the good, old-fashioned method. I like being able to work the puzzles while I'm sitting in a waiting room or just hanging out with the family. There is something so cold about doing them on the computer. Maybe if I had a laptop . . . . hmmmmmmmm . . . . .

Google Earth - Scary!

2008-07-14T14:33:00.000-07:00

Holy cow, this is the wildest thing I've seen in a long time. At first I was against it due to privacy issues. Now I'm turning into the average American ignorant moron who is willing to give away all my rights so long as I'm comfortable and things are convenient for me. This is scary. Go to Google Earth (you have to download software) and you can plan a vacation, see the actual places you are considering staying at, read reviews, check local traffic and weather . . . . it's almost like being there! Amazing, really, and a lot cheaper than driving.

Second Life? Who Needs It?!

2008-07-14T10:40:00.000-07:00

Okay, it was fun to create my avatar, I admit that. But when it comes to having a second life, I must draw the line. I hardly have time for my current life. Maybe if I were single and looking . . . no, actually, I would not trust anyone to create an avatar or on-line personality that was a true representation of himself. I wonder if divorce stats will change as a result of the increasing number of people who met on-line. So much is superficial in today's society. Maybe I'm just in a bad mood today, but I'm moving on from avatars; it's time to learn about maps. I think I'll get more out of that.

2008-07-11T12:55:00.000-07:00

Free Stuff!

2008-07-02T12:01:00.000-07:00

Free web-based applications! (Reminds me of that joke about the college students lining up for blocks because they saw the sign: Free Nelson Mandela!) But seriously, who will need to buy Microsoft's products when they can access word processing, spreadsheets, and more FREE on-line? I tried out Zoho; it looked cooler than Google Docs at first, but I found Google Docs easier to navigate. Google allowed me to set up a spreadsheet and, based on my column headings, it set up a form that I easily sent via email to my relay team members. As they filled out the form, the spreadsheet was filled in automatically with their info! How cool is that!?! Now if I could just get Google to run my 19 miles for me . . . .

Search Me . . . .?

2008-06-27T10:44:00.000-07:00

This week's "thing" is search engines. There are many search engines out there besides the Big Three. I tried a few of them, and then went back to Google and Ask.com for comparison. I like Ask.com the best. Another reason to use Ask: they are not in cahoots with the US government in keeping records of our searches and turning them over on demand (spying on us). I know, I know . . .

Joined the Ranks of the POD People

2008-06-25T14:13:00.000-07:00

I had heard of podcasts, but figured one had to have an i-pod to listen to them. Since I still own a Sony Walkman, I didn't jump on the podcast bandwagon. Who knew I could download all this amazing info right into my Outlook mailbox here at Sno-Isle! (Apparently, a lot of people knew, but let's not get into that right now.) There is so much information out there; it really can be overwhelming. I wonder how this will change library service (the need for people to go to a librarian for help). It makes me question the commercial media, who (supposedly) sort through all this info and presents some of it to us. I'm listening now to a podcast (yeah, multi-tasking) by an animal rescue group. It is fascinating and not reported in any commercial media that I know of. I'll attempt to post a link to it on this site so my loyal readers can check it out. I think yhou just have to click on the title to this post, above. Thanks for reading . . . .

More on Libraries (or Moron Libraries?)

2008-06-24T13:06:00.000-07:00

Sno-Isle ROCKS!

2008-06-24T11:17:00.000-07:00

So, I've been gone for a while. More on that later. Now I'm trying to get caught up on my Web 2.0 "homework." Before I left, I got on Sno-Isle's site and discovered how easy it was to download a book. They even have books you can download and burn to CDs. It was an easy process and quite fun. Now, if only I had time to listen to my book . . . . this is another reason, however, to get a faster internet connection at home. All this Web 2.0 stuff just doesn't work with dial-up. Why can't fast internet connections be a free service? I'd be willing to pay a bit more in taxes and have the city provide it. Oh, here comes my Socialist side out to play again!!!

It's delightful, It's del.icio.us

2008-05-14T11:45:00.000-07:00

Thank you, Sno-Isle, for introducing me to all these way-cool things the Internet has to offer! The latest offering, del.icio.us, is a social bookmarking site. While it is very nice (and can be helpful) to see how other people have tagged certain sites, I think the really great part is, you can download your own Favorites into it and access them from any computer! It applies tags to them (based on the folders you had them stored in, I think); they are not shared with the general public unless you choose to share them. Of the many useful tools out there in web world, this is one I think I will use often. I also like the option of clicking on popular tags; it's like going to the library and browsing in the stacks. This is another reason to get up early and get some exercise. Once you sit your butt down and get into all this web stuff, you may never get up again! Enjoy!!

Update to Bikkies

2008-05-06T11:48:00.000-07:00

Okay, do not look this up in the American Urban Dictionary. I think in Australian it means cookies or something (it's short for biscuits). In American, it does not mean cookies.

What the Heck is a Bikkie?!

2008-05-06T11:30:00.000-07:00

I've been trying to compose a short post to let you know how I feel about my latest discovery - wikis - that is more descriptive than simply, "OMG!," but I cannot do it. Seriously, this has to be the coolest thing since Velcro shoes. Any old Luddite can use the Internet to create a web page that can be shared with and updated by others. What a way to collaborate. I only wish I had an immediate use for this. THAT's why Wikipedia is called Wikipedia - it's a wiki! Who knew?! (Well, perhaps everyone but I knew, but that's another story). I did have an opportunity to check out a wiki that is being used to plan a library unconference. I think I'd like to join this unconference because, for one thing, it's in Australia and, even better, they are serving tea, coffee, and bikkies. Now, I don't know what bikkies are, but I bet they are cool. Everything Australian is cool, no?

Popovich Pet Comedy Theater

2008-05-01T10:03:00.001-07:00

Just got back from seeing him in Vegas. If we ever go back to Vegas, this will be the show we go back to see again! All the performers are very talented, but the fact that all these wonderful animals were rescued from shelters is very touching.

Will You Be My Friend?

2008-04-22T11:23:00.000-07:00

Okay, I have to admit, for my assignment this week I did not sign up for a third friends network site. I already have MySpace and FaceBook pages. I have no friends, but that's another story. I thought of joining eons.com, but decided to wait 'til I'm a little older (at least old enough to join AARP). I have, however, changed my MySpace page a bit. You see, my youthful friend, Sarah, who is 23 I think, made my original page for me to use for my BeautiControl biz. Now that I'm learning all this cool new stuff, I'm going to take charge and make it more personal. Not that Sarah didn't do a fantastic job, but she didn't have much info about me at the time. I'll keep working on this little project in my "spare" time. I'm realizing just how time-consuming it is to keep up in the 21st century.

Schlitz Hat a Hit at SCOTS Show

2008-04-21T14:02:00.000-07:00

You know you've had a good time when you arrive home Saturday night to find the Sunday paper already in your driveway. Thanks to my Da for the gift of his Schlitz hat, which I wore with pride to the Tractor Tavern on Saturday, where we were front & center getting our ears blown out by Southern Culture On The Skids. I'm sure the Seattleites thought I was a poser - until they learned I was from Marysville.

As a result of my husband's Wisconsin upbringing (he talks to strangers!), we met some nice folks who just happened to have connections in the industry, so to speak. Before we knew it, we were backstage, schmoozing with the band and posing for pictures. The Little Debbie Oatmeal Pies had stopped flying by then, but the atmosphere was still buzzing.

I think the hat really opened some doors for me! I came close to giving it to Mary (the bassist, below), but I knew it would never fit over her Big Hair. She is a truly lovely person, not to mention talented.

Lest you think I'm getting too old to carry on like this, I'll have you know that, after a solid 5.7 hours of sleep, I literally ran up Twin Falls trail with my relay team. More on the relay later. I need to take a nap now . . .

Photo Sharing and Snooping

2008-04-16T09:54:00.000-07:00

Thing #7: Flickr. I have to say, it's quite fun browsing all the (mostly ridiculous) photos people have taken of their cats. I could waste an afternoon snooping in other people's photo albums. I do find this fascinating. Whenever I'm at someone's home for the first time, I always look at the photos they have on their refrigerator and hanging on their walls. Now I can do this without leaving my desk or having to make nice to people. How convenient.

Here are some photos of life at the Sno-Isle Library Service Center.

As you can see, this is a fun place to work. Now my friends & family can share in my joy (virtually, at least) through the magic of Flickr. This has once again brought up the ugly subject of having to pay a lot more out of pocket each month to get a faster Internet connection. More bitching about that later. Back to snooping . . . .

Music to My Ears

2008-04-09T13:54:00.000-07:00

Streaming music . . . my own radio stations, playing only the songs I like and with NO commercial interruptions . . . . a forum for me to discuss music and my favorite artists with others out in cyberspace . . . . a whole new world has been opened up for me! Now if only I had the time to take advantage of all this! I have found that I get too distracted while listening to music and trying to work simultaneously. I know, I'm a bird-brain. Deal with it.

This whole experience has caused me to think about how our world is changing. You see, we don't have DSL or cable internet at our house. (Are you done cracking up yet?) We really can't take advantage of a lot of cool stuff with our dial-up service. Used to be, you saved your pennies, bought a TV and an antenna for the roof, and you could watch TV -- free -- whenever you wanted. Granted, there were only 3 or 4 channels, but that was good enough. Now we have to rent our lifestyles. Monthly bills for subscriptions to TV (whether cable or dish), internet, telephone, even radio (if you want satellite service). Used to be, a VCR was good enough. Now we have to get TIVO and pay a monthly fee.

The cool thing about blogging is that I can rant on and on like this. No one will read it, but it makes me feel better. When you get down to it, it IS all about me, anyway, right!? Here's to the 21st century!!

RSS Feeds - My Latest Obsession

2008-03-31T15:12:00.000-07:00

I'm so thankful to Sno-Isle Libraries for providing this great on-line learning experience. I learned about RSS feeds today and my life will never be the same! It's just mind-boggling to have access to so much information these days. My only fear is that I'll end up like that guy on The Twilight Zone who yearned to read and read and read . . . . then ended up being the last man on earth, and in a library. His life-long dream was about to be fulfilled . . . . until he broke his glasses! What if my computer dies?

Global Freezing

2008-03-28T15:21:00.000-07:00

Okay, it's the 28th of March and it's snowing. Not just a little, either, but coming down like in January. I felt so cheated last summer, since we didn't really have many hot days and the ones we did all happened to fall on Wednesdays. I was really hoping for a nice warm spring. Instead I get SNOW. I'm actually starting to get a little worried about the changes in the weather. I suppose, though, weather has always been weird (are you listening, Susan?)! I guess I have something to blame for the fact that only one lone daffodil has had the guts to bloom in my garden. The others are staying safely underground for now. I'm thinking of joining them.

Web 2.0, Continued

2008-03-24T13:34:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm now into the amazing world of Instant Messaging! How does anyone get any work done any more?! Seriously, in my parents' day, everyone showed up for work and put their noses to the grindstone for at least 8 hours. No personal phone calls, of course no email or Internet access. If my mom stayed home sick from the Metropolitan Insurance Company, the co. would send a nurse to her HOME to check on her! I have a feeling that US productivity has suffered some with the advent of all this cool technology. I'm sure it has sped things up in some areas, too. I think one's life (family, second jobs, household activities) is so much more integrated into one's work time nowadays. There really isn't a clear line between work and personal life like there used to be (and I'm happy 'bout that)!

Web 2.0 and The 20 Things

2008-03-17T09:58:00.000-07:00

I'm up to Week 3 in my 20 weeks of learning 1 new "thing" per week about Web 2.0 here at Sno-Isle. This is way cool (or whatever the latest way is of saying I like it)! I'm about to venture out and look for the blogs of some of my co-workers and leave comments for them. I'm sure they will appreciate that. I wonder if anyone will read mine?

Team Sno-Isle successfully completed the Big Climb yesterday. What a great cause (Leukemia Society) and a great reason to get together with friends and enjoy a good meal afterward. Thanks to everyone who supported us financially, and to Jinnie's husband for being our official cheerleader and photographer.

St. Patrick's Day

2008-03-13T15:13:00.001-07:00

March 17th -- Tradition holds that Ireland's patron saint died on this date in AD 493 at the age of 106! The anniversary of his death is celebrated in Ireland as a national holiday, with green, the color of the day, signifying undying gratitude to the memory of St. Patrick, who brought Christianity to Ireland. The shamrock is worn to commemorate its use by the saint as a symbol of the Trinity. St. Patrick's Day is celebrated by people of Irish descent all over the world as an expression of pride in their heritage.

I lifted that, word for word, years ago from some list of holidays and events (so shoot me for plagiarising). I have carried it in my daytimer all these years, hoping some day to have some forum to publish it. Now I do!

Happy St. Patrick's Day, Everybody!!

The Big Climb

2008-03-12T15:19:00.000-07:00

Team Sno-Isle (a group of 15 people, some of whom may not even know what Sno-Isle means) is getting ready to climb the 69 flights of the Columbia Tower in Seattle this Sunday. I'm not sure anyone is training for the event. It's not easy to train for this. Where do you go to find a hot, stuffy, smelly stairwell to practice in? This event is a fund-raiser for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. If you would like to sponsor us for this cause, please go to Kim's fundraising site: https://www.active.com/donate/2008bigclimb/bc08KWester

Daylight Saving Time (Stinks)

2008-03-11T09:30:00.000-07:00

Why do we have to keep changing the time? My body can't handle this. I used to like Daylight Saving Time, but I've changed my mind. Kevin & I fall asleep by 9:00 PM anyway, so having it bright at night does us absolutely no good. I'd much rather have it be bright in the morning so I can enjoy my AM run outdoors. It's been so long since I've run outside on a weekday. Having a treadmill is great, but it does get a little boring. When running outdoors, my mind can wander. I have some of my best ideas while running outside, early in the morning. (Of course I can't remember any of them long enough to write them down when I get home!) There has been a lot to think about recently.

Web 2.0 for Luddites

2008-03-10T11:47:00.000-07:00

Wow. Sno-Isle is giving me all the tools I need to get with the 21st century and allowing me to do it on work time! This must be the best library system on earth. Who woulda thunk I'd have my own BLOG?! I wonder if anyone will read this. I doubt I'll save the world, but perhaps I'll get a few things off my chest. I'd like, also, to introduce more people to my other career - that of a skin care and spa consultant with BeautiControl. Relax and say Spaaaaaaaaaaaaaa . . . .