Uncategorized – Page 35 – This Old House 2

Still looking for the silver lining….

There is major suckitude in the Adobe world, let me tell you a little something.

So…. I have taken back an old position as editor of a local publication, right? Let me be clear that I am thrilled to do so, grateful for the opportunity, thankful that others had faith in me to do it justice. BUT.. I haven’t done this for the past 10 years. * Things have changed.

For one thing, I can’t use Pagemaker, my long lost friend, to put the publication together anymore. Actually when you say that word to any tech store person, they laugh. Apparently, it’s a dinosaur. Extinct. Doesn’t matter, though!… Because I am no longer actually putting the publication together, so to speak, I’m just doing the editorial and -helping- to assemble!

So I’m saying to my little self – AWESOME NEWS!…

Except… there were still glitches. Apparently, the whole world uses ADOBE products now for this sort of thing and a host of other -things- that I might or might not have a use for. Apparently I have been living under a rock. Have you heard of Adobe Cloud? It encompasses a whole lot of capability – Indesign, Photoshop, ILlustrator, lightroom, Acrobat Pro… and there… right there… was were I came across THE RUB.

While in the process of learning the ropes with my new old job, I discovered I would need to get up to speed with those Adobe products in order to share work with my partner in our little publication. So I downloaded Adobe Cloud, which I will pay $30. per month for, because you can no longer just go to Staples and buy the CD… Nooooo… it’s a monthly charge thing that you download from a site! The Adobe site in this case. Yep, they figured out how to make more money off us. Anyway. I download it, right? And I start rummaging around in the Cloud on my computer. One of the key components in my job is the use of Acrobat Pro. It is supposed to come with the Cloud package. For some reason, it wasn’t there. *sigh.

How do you get in contact with Adobe for f*ck ups? Well, you can take your chances in the forums or search 250,000 help articles which they ask you to do ten times before they will actually connect you to a CHAT session with an Adobe tech.

How do I make a long story short here.

First tech:…two and a half hours of all kinds of diagnostics, not getting anywhere, only to have the internet connection cut off and chat session end. (really?)….

Before the disconnect, however…after a lengthy aggravating diagnostic check… We finally figured out one small thing and I said..

well, at least we cleared that up, “D”.. Need a Cigarette? ….

To which “D” replied.. We do not smoke here.

I don’t either, D. It was just a joke.

“D” says… Oh, that is good humor.

What country do you reside in, D?….

Bangalore, India.

Ok D, I’ll quit the American Humor.

*SIGH.

five minutes later, we’re disconnected.

Second tech:… two hours… all kinds of diagnostics, the same as tech one… still can’t figure out what the issue is. I’m red in the face at the end of this chat… which ends AGAIN… by internet disconnect. (Swearing profusely at this point).

Third tech a day later:…. I explain all that has come before this and he apologizes profusely for the inconvenience and he “understands my concern”. ( I don’t really think so ) He explains there are often disconnects due to the internet connection being dicey. Coming all the way from F-ing India, I am not surprised. But we go about the same damned dance one more time, and yet, at the end of another two hour struggle we have still gotten nowhere.

Only.. THIS time.. this tech has the brains to say..

May I ask you.. what Operating System are you using?…

Vista.

OH!.. he exclaims with just a little too much of an underscore of HAPPINESS!…. We can’t help you! Acrobat Pro is not compatible with Vista! You’ll need to contact Microsoft. Is there anything else I can help you with today?

Can you pass a Marguerita through that screen and coat the rim with Xanax? If not, there’s nothing more you can help me with today.

Internet Disconnect.

So where do I go from here? Apparently I have to upgrade my operating system in order to get the tools I’ve already paid for and downloaded to my computer. And apparently that would be costly and a royal pain in the a&&. Especially because I have an older computer. So.. this week I’m getting a new computer that has an OS that is compatible with the components I need to utilize in my new old position. THEN, I will need to go back into the black hole that is ADOBE TECH SUPPORT and hope the first tech I talk to can figure out how to install Adobe Cloud onto my NEW COMPATIBLE COMPUTER SYSTEM so that I can get back to work. And not charge me twice for it. What are the odds of that happening without a DISCONNECT-

Do you know why Adobe sucks? They have a monopoly on the design/publishing/photoshop/etc world. There is no other option if you’re in this business. How is that legal? Everyone and their brother and third cousin twice removed plus their dogs, parrot and pet skunk uses Adobe. So, if you want to be compatible with everyone else? You need the Cloud.

And you know what also sucks? That they hire all that tech help overseas. I know plenty of techies looking for a decent job right here in the states. I have nothing against the good people of India… but we have good people right here that need the jobs to stay .. right here. That’s the biggest suckitude in all of this.

I’ll keep you posted.. next time.. from my expensive new computer, hopefully equipped compatibly.

What Not To Wear After Age 50

I’m reposting this because it’s pretty awesome. Except I like Holiday theme clothes sometimes. I’ll also be wearing jeans, t-shirts and keds till I’m no longer. Just sayin.
_________________________________________________________________________________What Not To Wear After Age 50 by Michelle Combs, Huff Post Blogger

Google ‘what not to wear after age 50’ and you will have your pick of thousands of articles telling you what looks terrible on your old ass body.

I want to point out to the writer who wrote the ‘no-no’ article, you need to remember you are writing for over 50 women, not preschoolers. I don’t think I’ve said ‘no-no’ since my youngest was a toddler.

We could spend hours studying the clothes we shouldn’t wear and the slang we shouldn’t use and the makeup techniques we need to retire.

Here’s me, weighing in on this topic.

You are over 50 for fuck’s sake. Wear whatever you want. If you’ve made it to 50 and still need to consult articles on how to dress appropriately then you are so missing out on one of the best things about being over 50. One of the best things about getting older is realizing that we don’t have to spend our energy worrying what other people think and we get to be comfortable in our own skin with our own freak flags.

Still, there are a few things that women over 50 really shouldn’t wear:

1. The weight of the world.
When you wear the weight of the world on your shoulders, you age. If you like the feel of the world’s weight and don’t want to give it up, then try scaling back a bit. Perhaps just wear the weight of a few of the smaller continents. For instance, I am only wearing the weight of Australia and a made up country called ‘Michelloponia’. I think it they have a slimming effect.

2. Shame and regret.
So few people can carry this look off. Most of us just end up looking haunted or like we were forced to eat liver and onions. Shame and regret are especially hard to wear after fifty. Wearing shame and regret past fifty is one of those things that make your eyes all red and runny looking. The downward spiral just snowballs from there. Once the eyes get old lady looking, then you have to re-evaluate the wisdom of black eye liner. I say give up wearing shame and regret and fuck giving up on black eye liner.

3. Rose-colored glasses.
Oh, sweetheart, you know who you are. Those glasses do nothing for you. Not only do they make you look like you’ve been smoking weed for days, they also keep you from examining life and your surroundings realistically. Yes, reality sucks, but by the time we hit fifty, we need to suck it up, take those glasses off and dick punch reality into submission. Or just get some really big dark sunglasses instead. They cover all manner of sins.

4. Stiff upper lip.
There is a time and a place for the stiff upper lip, but damn, it can’t be worn all the time. Too much stiff upper lip causes those funky vertical lines between your upper lip and your nose holes. We don’t always have to be stoic. I’m not suggesting that you wear your heart on your sleeve, but that is a much softer look than wearing a stiff upper lip.

5. Too many hats.
Personally, I can’t pull off wearing one hat, much less many hats. I don’t have a hat head. My hair poofs out and my ears look like car doors when I wear a hat. Wearing too many hats just exacerbates these issues. When you wear too many hats, it’s easy to forget which hat you’re wearing. For instance, are you wearing the “no nonsense corporate” hat when you meant to wear your “quirky and kicked back” hat? We’re not getting any younger, you know. Sooner or later you’re going to accidentally wear your court jester hat to the gynecologist and then where will you be? I’ll tell you where you’ll be. You’ll be in an undignified position and wearing a stupid hat is where you’ll be.

6. Resting bitch face.
Hahahahaha. Just kidding. Wear that one all you want. Although, it wouldn’t hurt if every once in a while, you had a welcoming and kind look on your face. At least that’s what I hear from other people.

There isn’t anything wrong with getting advice about updating your look or what to wear, but we are just inundated with that shit, aren’t we?

Who says what is appropriate? From where I sit, it seems ‘appropriate’ changes based on geography, social status, income and size. After a while, the advice becomes a confusing blur. I think I’ll just keep wearing my Keds and jeans and black tee shirts.

Oh, I do have one real tip. Stop wearing holiday theme clothes. Seriously.

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Zero

Zip. Zee-Row. -0-

I’m about to head out into the arctic circle to chip away ice buckets and feed and clean stalls and curse a few times for good measure. I don’t remember a winter clutching tightly to such low temps and snow cover. It’s getting old.

The dogs yesterday.. helping me work in my office…

Did you catch Saturday Night Live’s 40th Anniversary Special last night? Loved it. So many greats showed up to be a part of it…. and oh, how we’ve all AGED.

Anyway… I spent a few minutes on Pinterest this morning to get my head out of the mope session I was having over this bitter cold dilemna we’ve got right outside the door. Are you a Pinterest person? I don’t visit often because it can be an awful time suck and I spend too much time on the computer as it is, but there are so many inspirational images, decorating, travel and recipes ideas. Here are just a few i have on my board…

I love this house.. on a lake.. perfect.

Oh, to be here right now….

Can you IMAGINE?….. although I can see my dogs flying face first into those glass walls at the first sign of a squirrel.

Lovely bathroom…

Whimsical dress….

Who wouldn’t be comfortable here….

I’ve often thought I was a mermaid in another life.

It’s a new day, all. Stay warm if you’re living in this snowglobe, enjoy the sunshine if you’re someplace we’re NOT…. and make it a good one.

The one where she can’t come up with a post title….

.. because I’ve taken back an old editorial job where I’m constantly trying to come up with better, easier, more creative ways to say something. Not that I’m particularly good at it!

We’ve got more snow on the horizon… feels like we’re living in a perpetual snow globe. There is a very small deck outside my kitchen sliders that has three steps down to the backyard and gardens. Sometimes on a cold winter day if the sun is shining bright, I can lay out on that little deck comfortably in a t shirt and jeans and soak up the warmth and light. The wood decking absorbs the heat from the sun and it feels glorious against my sore back muscles.

Currently…the snow is inches ABOVE the lip of the deck… that just ain’t right.

Despite the snow and cold temps, we’ve also had some glorious sunsets. This came straight from my iPhone… the sky was that amazing.

We had some fun with good friends on Sunday.. took a ride to the far corners of the State to see a very old house that needs restoration. What a glorious place.. I can’t share pictures with you at this point but I will when it’s OK to do so. You’ll fall in love, just as we have.

She was braver than I with her good camera in hand, climbing over a snow embankment to capture a snow covered garden yard.

So.. more snow. And because of that, I need some inspiration……

A beautiful spring CUPCAKE!… because.. …snow.

Dear Linda

A comment left by Linda –

To bad you had to get political-have you ever heard obama
speak…mr…teleprompter -aren’t you supposed to be a decorating blog…will
not follow…another angry liberal

-Linda

and then another after I responded...

Like I said – you seem to be angry – not interested in hearing your pathetic commentary… so don’t worry I won’t be following.. have fun in your small world.

Dear Linda – I’ve never been a decorating blog. Nor am I an angry liberal. My mother is a liberal and my husband is a conservative republican. I believe that sound choices for our country lie somewhere in the middle, and so that’s where I stand – no affiliation. Am I Angry? At some things, you’re damn right. I hope you are too as far as the state of our government. You assume and label pretty quickly… with your own anger. That’s small world living if you ask me.

I don’t write my blog for followers. I write as a journal for myself and my family, and the blog friends I’ve made along the way… the ones who I have become friends with regardless of whether we see everything in the same light… they are the icing on the cake, the treasure unexpected when I started this blog. It’s perfectly OK that you don’t want to be among them. The beauty of a blog is it’s my space to create and express whatever I choose. I also like to share things with anyone who WANTS to stop by and see whats posted.. like recipes, health tips, decorating ideas, family triumphs and tribulations. I like to support other bloggers who are going through a difficult time and I like what I’ve learned by seeing others points of view, even if they don’t match my own.

I would have been interested in knowing what you find redeeming about Sarah Palin and even what you find revolting about Obamas speeches or policy. Instead you throw insults. That’s what is so troubling about our political world. We don’t really know how to communicate and accomplish anymore effectively.. instead it’s arrow slinging.

– Just sayin.

Lets ramble through…

Feel free to chime in on any of the below mentioned items…..

How about them Patriots?!!!…. Yes I’m a fan.. and boy did they come through in a clutch, once again. I can’t stand the arrogance in the Seahawk camp and while it was very unfortunate that they made a really bad mistake at the very end of the game, they deserved it. As for deflate gate, funny video here. But.. they’re all lying… because I AM THE LOCKER ROOM GAL.

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Sarah Palin… I know some of my readers are fans. I have never understood the following, and the fact that she still has some support and is given any platform at all is just.. wow. But.. I’m going to venture to guess that the brave souls who still stand in her camp are quietly backing away at this point because… the freedom speech. And hey, if you’re going to defend her with “Her Teleprompter broke!”…. then my answer is…. Yeah.. so you got the REAL DEAL right then and there. Boom.

I get that we are all weary and want change. Change is needed, no doubt… but this -ain’t it – .

Didn’t catch the speech? Here’s just an excerpt.. one of the more coherent.

“Things must change for our government. Look at it. It isn’t too big to fail. It’s too big to succeed! It’s too big to succeed, so we can afford no retreads or nothing will change with the same people and same policies that got us into the status quo. Another Latin word, status quo, and it stands for, ‘Man, the middle-class everyday Americans are really gettin’ taken for a ride.’ That’s status quo, and GOP leaders, by the way, y’know the man can only ride ya when your back is bent. So strengthen it. Then the man can’t ride ya, America won’t be taken for a ride, because so much is at stake and we can’t afford politicians playing games like nothing more is at stake than, oh, maybe just the next standing of theirs in the next election.”

Ouch.

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It’s snowing, sleeting, raining again here in Connecticut. I’ve just come in from shoveling paths to the dog run, the barn, the chicken coop and rabbit hutch. These are the times when I ask myself the question… .”Why do I have all these animals again??”… but you know.. the consolation is.. I love to eat. Without all this work, I’d probably weight 200 lbs. And theres all the love. All you need is LOVE… and a dog. (.. or four….. and a few horses, rabbits, chickens and fish… apparently).

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I’m going back to an official work status and the task of turning my office back into an actual office meant we had to toss Bens queen size mattress and buy him something smaller, a twin. He’s still getting used to it. Most of the time he has figured out how to fit his entire being on it quite nicely.

Sometimes it’s just all wrong.

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Apple Chicken Sausage recipe HERE

Delicious, healthy, easy to make and comforting on a cold winters night.

Speaking of recipes.. I’m not much of a drinker.. but now and then

a good one is just refreshing and the load becomes a little lighter

with just a little buzz. I was recently introduced to this drink and it’s a winner in my book.

Dark & Stormy

Ingredients:

Goslings Ginger Beer

Goslings Dark Bermuda Rum

Lime, Ice

Fill a tall glass with ice. Pour in about an inch of rum. Fill the rest of the glass with Ginger Beer. Squeeze a large wedge of lime into the drink and drop the slice in. Stir.. enjoy. YUM!

It’s a new day, all!.. Let’s make it a good one.

Blizzard 2015 and prayer for a special person

Business as usual… weathermen all aflutter over what might be the Blizzard of 2015. If you live in the northeast, have you stocked up on the essentials yet? Toilet paper, bread and milk are the three things we apparently can’t live with out. Speaking of milk… we’ve discovered a new product that we love beyond whats reasonable, I’m pretty sure.. it’s called FAIR LIFE – read more HERE. I’m not being paid to herald it, we just really love the taste and the concept of cows living humanely and we consumers -consuming- a healthier product.

My thoughts keep returning to a blog friend. She is struggling greatly and if you’re so inclined, please visit THIS post and leave a kind word, send a little prayer. I cannot fathom what she must consider daily now and her grace under such enormous weight is amazing, a lesson for us all. It occurs to me as I type this that the concept of prayer might seem like hypocrisy coming from someone who claims she is not religious. I don’t know what to say to that… only that in times when it seems appropriate and necessary, I pray to the powers that be that there will be healing, peace of mind, comfort for those who need it, including me.

Theres an a$$ for every seat

To the GOP who stood up and applauded last night when the President mentioned in his speech that he had no more campaigns to run… You are a disgrace, as was your foolish, childish mockery. Actually, I think CHILDREN know better than to behave in such a way. As for anyone out there who thought that was appropriate behavior aimed at THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, your attitude is part of why our government is such an embarrassment at this place in time. And after being handed such an ignorant display of behavior, he is chastised for his response? If you approved the applauding but disapproved of his giving a response… which referenced winning both elections… you’re showing your true colors.

I’ll say it again as I have said here before.. I don’t approve of all ideas and actions President Obama has brought to the table during this two term presidency and I can say that about any politician elected to office that I’ve ever paid attention to. I think you can say the same. What we have before us now in our government is shameful behavior that brings to mind schoolyard tactics. Other nations are losing respect for us NOT because of any particular man who holds the highest office, but because of the way we do not stand together, work together, have respect for each other right here in our own home, America. Especially on the highest platform. We are ALL better than this… and yet we keep sinking further down that hole with our cheers and jeers and accusations and discord and idiotic behavior.

Enough said.

Atmosphere is everything

I’ve just returned from barn and coop chores… IT IS COLD OUT THERE! The guys stocked the feed room in the barn with more hay this morning so that if we’re whopped with a lot of snow any time soon, I’m ready. I also gave the chickens fresh bedding and the rabbits fresh hay. I’m still getting eggs from the hens, in part because I do have a flood light in their coop which gives them just a little warmth. Many people don’t believe in providing heat but I just don’t feel right about it when it’s 0 degrees out there. I do keep it moderate, hence the low watt flood light instead of a heat lamp, a trick one of the guys at the local hardware store told me.

This is the time of year when I take a look around the place and see what needs sprucing up, organizing, a little bit of change, some throwing out. So… I’ve glanced around the kitchen….. Have you ever paid much attention to the lighting in your living space? The right kind of lighting can make all the difference as far as atmosphere. While it might be tempting to put BIG light in areas that you will be working… I find it annoying and unsettling… i.e. florescent overhead lights for work spaces in the kitchen or recess lighting in ceilings that makes you feel more like you’re under surveillance. Yuck. Right over my kitchen sink.. where I spend a lot of time!…. there is a beautiful window with a big granite shelf. The lighting for this area is that recessed lighting I mentioned above. I hardly ever use it because it’s stark. I rely on the kitchen island pendant lights behind it and they just weren’t giving off enough light over at the sink. If you can believe it, it never dawned on me until last week that I could plug in a very small lamp on that shelf because there is an outlet…. right there… for that purpose! My grandmother did this and my mom has a small lamp at her sink window too. What a lovely glow it casts on the kitchen in the evening. We keep it on all night as the night light for the downstairs area too.

Little touches like this can make all the difference – warm lighting downcast with soft shades.

I also cleaned up the hallway between the two kids rooms upstairs. The old blue dresser that was against the hall window is now out of the picture and the once stark walls are now filled with artwork and photographs from the kids and I over the years. I also found these beautiful little glass and metal votives at Pier 1 and set them on the window. The small hallway is now open and colorful instead of cramped and stark.

It doesn’t have to cost much to bring a new vitality and warmth to the atmosphere in your home. All it takes is a fresh perspective. During these cold winter months when we are in more than we are out – why not take a look around and do a little tweaking. It’s good for the soul. Got some tips or tricks of your own? Share with me in the comments section –

Hellos and Goodbyes

Ms. Phoebe arrived in her new home with my daughter and has settled in very well indeed. She follows K around the apartment and frequently talks about whatever, maybe the weather. Just adorable, she is. Makes me want to go back to the shelter to adopt that little stinker who was just as pretty and loving but also sprinkled with a dash of crazy, I think. Mike says no, no, and ten more nos. So I think it’s a no go.

When you rescue an animal and provide the home and love they’ve never known, there is no question they realize their sudden good fortune, you see and feel their appreciation. Want a natural high? This is one of the best. For those of you who have adopted homeless animals, you know what I’m talking about.

Yesterday mom and I drove to Staten Island to say good bye to a wonderful, genuine, kind, no-bullshit, give- you- the- shirt- off -his- back kind of guy… My Uncle Guy. Loved him, miss him, what a gem. He lived a full 84 years, healthy until the end, still walking two-three miles a day, cooking for himself, visited his wife daily on his walks in the cemetery. Christmas Eve he was told by his Dr. the aches and pains he was feeling weren’t just old age, he had bone cancer. Everywhere. With the dignity and grace and common sense he’s always embodied.. he simply said to his doctor with his son by his side…..

“It’s OK. In every book and story I’ve ever known, there is a beginning, a middle and an end”. This is my end, and I lived a full life. I’ve traveled, I’ve shared my life with my wife of 55 years, raised two boys, had three wonderful grandchildren and knew my great grandchildren. Life Was Good”.

Not three weeks later he passed. This picture was taken at a family celebration for my college graduation and my sisters HS graduation. He was as proud of us as any father would be and at times throughout my life when I needed the advice of a Dad figure, he was often the voice of reason.

During yesterdays visit to the funeral home, I got to visit with cousins I don’t see often . This family of ours always manages laughter and keeping it real regardless of the circumstances. Now and again I am reminded of this and I’ll always be grateful.