Is it just me...

or is this not a little, well, weird?

I'm in work hell

The misery will never end.

I'll post when I see the light at the end of the tunnel.

What's this?

After installing my power supply today (Chad was right, all I needed was two opposable thumbs and a cheesey Phillips screw-driver), I realized it wasn't the problem after all.

Problem you may ask? Well, my cheeky friend, I'm so glad you asked. You see, my computer makes a loud obnoxious sound. Similar to a psychotic June bug. I've you've ever heard one, you know what I mean. Actually, imagine the June bug on crack that just sucked up helium. That's how my computer sounds. This has been going on for a couple months so you know I've had it up to here >< See the pretty pink arrow next to my hand? In case you missed it, this is the offending piece of hardware. When it wasn't plugged in, the helium-crack sound stopped. Of course, then my computer started to freak out and said something about the "master-boot"and the screen started displaying some sort of ugly boxy lettering...whatever. I'm sure it was important but I pretended everything was cool. I mean, the damage was done. I hate doing hard shut-downs. *sigh*

It appears helium-crack sound maker may have something to do with the power button. But what? Fill in the blank here: __________________________

Better yet, click on "comments" at the bottom of this post and let me know.

While you're here, I have a few more questions. Yesterday when I first took my computer in to Fry's to point and grunt at what I needed, the guy that was helping me askd why I had SDRM and DRM RAM. Good question. He suggested I remove the 64 MB of SDRM (how cute!!) and keep the DRM (see "1") since my computer can't read both at the same time and "see what happens." Well, so far so good.

Now that I have three empty slots (see "2"), what are they really for? Should my DRAM be over there? If so, what would take the place the DRAM is currently occupying? Somewhere, somehow, there will be some empty slots. I doubt that my computer, considering it's around four (4) years-old, would have that many empty slots. Thank you for reading. Don't forget to click on the "comments" link below and fill out your answers as to my questions.

PS - the new power supply actually seems to be doing something that the other one wasn't. It's blowing out air. Good to know, good to know.

Update: I've just received bad news. It appears this thing is the hard drive. VERY IMPORTANT. The decision I need to make now is whether or not I want to buy a new computer or install a new hard drive. The boys are leaning towards a new computer since this one is kinda old. *sigh*

If this car was a man...

...I would ask him out. And maybe act unlady-like. I've never felt like this about a car before. There's a Mustang at work that is similar to this one; I see him nearly every day. The weird thing is, I personally wouldn't buy this color. It's bordering on hideous...it's too orange for me. But every time I see him, I stop and stare. I practically drool. I can't even carry on a conversation when I walk by it.

Actually, this car isn't the same color as the one at work. This one is a nice, pretty red. I'll take a picture of the Mustang at work and show you. Anyway, I just wanted to show you my weird new crush. The Mustang. slluuurrp

Edit: I just learned who drives the Mustang at work! *EDIT*EDIT*EDIT*

Thanks Secret Pal jen!

She rocks! Yeah, that's right! And I'm not just saying that because I've had 5 cups of caffeine, I mean tea!! :)

I don't think Simba was too keene on my tea sitting so close to him while he was trying to sleep but hey, it's my desk.

See that metal chain running out of my tea? It's a heart shaped tea infuser that I have quickly put to use. My secret pal, lowercase jen, got it for me! She got me some other loot too. Yeah that's right LOOT! WHOO!

Look, yarn! There was some candy too, but as always, it was eaten before I had a chance to take a photo. Weird how that always happens. *innocent* They tasted pretty good...I mean, that's what I was told. hehe Sugar-free caramel covered with chocolate. Yum! Some knitting note cards (I think I'll use these when I give people their knit gifts, they can include handling instructions for their item), a cute person that jen suggested I use for carrying items such as scissors and stitch holders (this will be perfect for when I'm taking my knitting to work and I don't want to take the whole she-bang with me, thanks!), and some Lamb's Pride in Tahiti Teal.

Now I have to admit, I'm not much of a teal person. But this is a great color! The picture really doesn't do it justice. I'm excited...what should I make with it? Do I want to felt something? Do I want to try something new? I usually use a lot of acrylic/wool or alpaca blends but lately I've been thinking about using more 100% wool. Maybe this is just what I needed to get me going? By the way, this is the first brand of wool I ever knit with and I just love how it feels on the needles. You non-yarn addicts wouldn't understand, but it has a sort of natural give to it.

Last are some stitch markers that jen made herself. I think these are my favorite thing from the package. Partially because they're handmade by jen herself; I really do appreciate handmade gifts. I know a lot of work goes into anything you make yourself. Sure, you can buy them at the store, but it's just not the same. The other reason I like them is cause they're practical! And pretty. :) If you're looking for a gift idea for a knitter you know, these are always a good choice.

Check out the box, jen made it too. What a great idea!! I think I may have to steal it. :)

Thank you jen! I really appreciate all your gifts this season. It's always fun to receive a special package in the mail. I look forward to reading your blog and getting to know you!

Knitting? What knitting?

Some of you may remember, from the olden days, that I used to post pictures of knitting on here. I mean, that's why I am a part of the California Knit Blogs and San Diego Knit Blogs (see column on right).

You must be thinking, all this girl does is post pictures of cows, cars, and other miscellaneous garbage. Um, while that is true, I still knit! Due to the fact that I bit off more than I could handle, I'm still knitting and working on Christmas presents for '05. Some have suggested I save them for '06 and call myself "early." I will admit, I've given it some thought. But unfortunately, Faythe and Aimee are well aware of the situation. And since they read my blog, I can't post my progress. And because I'm working on a belated Christmas present, I refuse to start other knit projects.

I have, however, purchased some yarn. I recently had a bad day at work so as my reward, I decided to buy yarn. I could have eaten something chocolatey. Or drank a special alcoholic beverage straight from the bottle, as was my inclination, but...I decided to go for the yarn. It is much healthier, yes?

So, on the way home from work Thursday I cruised by two yarn stores - both closed. I was irritated and, well maybe I cursed them. GAH! Friday I went to a LYS and got some alpaca and a cotton blend. I'm not sure what I'm going to make but at least I have it. It's going into my, um, stash. Which reminds me, I need to either 1) Buy a new container for my yarn or 2) Sort out and get rid of some of my old yarn. HAAAAAHAHHAHAHAHAHHA Right *sniff* get rid of yarn. That's hilarious.

I intended on buying some Plymouth Baby Alpaca Brushed color #1004, but couldn't bring myself to do it. I've been obsessing and even, yes, dreaming about this orange yarn. I originally told Faythe it was pumpkin but let's face it, it's orange. Every time I go to the store, I look at it, pick it up, brush it on my face. But I never buy it. Yesterday I even walked around the store with two balls of it in my hand for about fifteen minutes. But I couldn't follow through. I'll probably buy it some day just because I need something orange for my stash, but as of yet my stash is orange free.

BTW, I stopped by Joann's yesterday to pick up a couple items for the finishing touches on Faythe's present when I saw wool. 100% wool! Sure, the website shows a lot of different wools, but this is the first time I've seen 100% wool that is reasonably soft at Joanns. Sensations Tesoro feels and looks pretty good. I'm not too excited about the pastels, though. If they came out with some winter or fall colors, I just may have some projects in mind. At $5.00 for 87 yards...I'm not sure if I'll be using this any time soon. I can get better quality wool at a better price at a yarn store.

I also saw some wool at Michaels. The even had a felted swatch of Patons Classic Wool next to a regular knit swatch. I was pretty impressed with the end result. Not too thick and the fabric was solid. At $4.99 and 223 yards, it's definitely worth checking out. Oh, and there were a lot more colors too.

Anyway, I have to take my computer in to get some work done on it today, but when I come back I'll be knitting like a fool. Hopefully by the end of the week (depending on my work hours) I'll have finished Aimee and Faythe's Christmas presents. :) And then I can cast on several other projects and finally post some pics.

The gift that keeps on giving

I almost got this for Faythe, seeing how much she loves cows n such. Check out the interactive tour here. You can also watch the commercial here.

LOL I crack up every time I imagine the look on Faythe's face when she opens it up, in my imagination, of course. Now THAT is a gift that keeps on giving!

Cool scarves

I saw these crocheted scarves at my local yarn store, Two Sisters and Ewe, yesterday and went back today with my camera to get some pictures for Janet and Faythe. Janet is house-bound due to her surgery (she's doing really good) and Faythe is Mistress Crotchety Crawcheter. You can get the pattern at Two Sisters (I'd give you their URL but oddly enough, it's broken) or if you write me, I can help you out. Take it from me, though, it's a simple pattern.

Anyway, I was attracted to these scarves from the beginning. I like that they're a mixture of media. Ribbon and yarn are two different media's, right? The scarf on the left felt like an acrylic but I could be wrong. The scarf in the middle used a cotton blend and the far right was a cotton. (I'm guessing) I liked that the cotton felt nice and heavy, but the acrylic was nice and soft.

The pattern uses two pieces of ribbin for each row and left a tail on each side to use as fringe.

The pictures just don't do them justice, they look much better in person.

LOST!! (no spoilers)

OK I'm definitely hooked this season! For those that have TIVO'd it, I won't spoil it. The two most important things that happened, in my opinion, were explorations of Mr. Eko's background(shown on the right with Charlie on the left) and a mysterious incident that most likely will reoccur. Oh yeah baby. The show was excellent!

To watch 3-4 minute recaps of the last season, check out ABC's "Lost" homepage.

On an interesting side note, Dominic Monaghan (widely known for his part as a hobbit in The Lord of the Rings, he now plays Charlie in Lost) and Evangeline Lilly (Kate) are supposedly dating. They seem like such an odd couple!

Anyway, I'm really looking forward to the next show!

Shown in the photo are Evangeline, Dominic and Mathew Fox.

Lethal Penguin

SnB Crochet?

OK First of all, "Happy Hooker?" That's funny! However, I'm concerned about the "40 totally cool original patterns." It seems Debbie Stoller, co-founder of Bust magazine and author of the popular Stitch n Bitch books, is trying too hard to be hip. But that's OK, I'm definitely going to check out this book. Still, it's funny having "bitch" and "hooker" together on one cover.

Meanwhile, if any crocheters out there know of any good crochet books for advanced, super-duper crocheters, let me know.

Faythe's Christmas present

It's the 8th of January and I'm finally blogging Faythe's present to me. I'm a bad friend. However, I'm lucky in that I have Faythe who always forgives me and continues to give me my presents each year on time.

Faythe had been crocheting since...well, a long time. She can whip up an afghan in a matter of days! Or at least, that's what it seems like to me. She can also make doilies like there's no tomorrow; I have to give her props for that. There's no way I can commit to something that tiny.

For more of Faythe's crochet projects, check this out. She used to have more on there, maybe we can bug her into including a few of her finished crochet projects on her blog? I haven't seen any in a while. I only see rants about Sandra Lee on her blog nowadays. Maybe I can start a petition here more crafty pics. Have you done any embroidery lately Faythe? Come on, where's your old lady sense!!

OK so I finally got batteries and took pictures of the shawl Faythe crocheted me. I have to admit, it looks much better in person. The close up pictures look great, but I had a really hard time taking a photo of the entire finished product. I'm including one anyway.

ARGH! I hate that this is such a low quality photo, but I wanted to show it to you in its entirety.

And now, because I'm so disgusted I couldn't get a good shot of the entire thing, I'm going for sensory overload with close ups of the shawl. Check out how she mixed the gold with the cream. The pattern sort of looks like flowers or leaves.

Nice edging too. Faythe mentioned that she had considered adding fringe. While I think fringe would have looked nice on it too, Faythe and I both acknowledged that I have this "thing" against fringe. But, I'm learning to like it. As long as it doesn't get in my eyes, I'll be ok. Meanwhile, I like this without fringe. I think it could go either way though.

I tried to figure out how it was pieced together but I couldn't. The mixing of gold and cream seems random, but I know it isnt.

And lastly, the bottom of the V. Pretty, huh? Thanks Faythe!

This just in!

Pictures of the 2007 Toyota Camry started popping up online in December of '05. This is of great interest to me because, well, I just bought a Camry. I'm also very interested in hybrids (something better than the Prius please! Toyota take note: make room for big butts! hehe)

I was bummed that I missed the auto show in SD last week, so I'm pretty excited to have found these photos. And because there are so many of them, I loaded them as small as possible. To view them larger, click directly on the image.

The Toyota Hybrid site is also worth taking a look at. They've recently done some redesigning and it looks great. Expect pop-ups.

Nice front. This must be the SE, it has that sporty grill.

It makes me want to drive fast just looking at it. I hope they have some better colors though. Though I like gray or silver cars, there's too many of them out there.

Is this one of those glow-in-the-dark panels? I noticed there's more buttons on the steering wheel. I love buttons.

Not sure how I feel about the blue.

Ooohh, shiftronic! At least, that's what Hyundai calls it.

These door handles look interesting. They're a combinatin of The Jetson's meets meat-locker metal.

Notice that big grill in the front...maybe an LE or other model. I've noticed that a lot of these big grills are popular in the new cars.

Boring shot of the back-end that reminds me of the Nissan Altima.
Another grill shot. Again, the front looks big and blunt. Or to quote Shawn, "burly." OK OK so he's describing his Infinity, but I like it.

I really want to drive the '07 hybrid Camry. I can't wait!

Bruxism

What is Bruxism?

Do you have Bruxism?

Did you know Bruxism is the third most common sleep disorder, behind sleep talking and snoring?

Is it bad for you?

More next time after some research...

It appears we're in for a little bit of precipitation

I have a new enemy...

...and it's name is Bird Poo.

Today after church, I discovered HUGE splats of bird poo on my car. HUGE I SAY!! I looked up and saw the pigeons sitting on the power line, laughing at me with their soft little coo's and fluffing of feathers. What jerks! The car had been parked there for about an hour and a half, so who knows exactly how long the excrement was sitting there. I stopped to get coffee and then went home immediately to wash off the poo. (Good thing I got coffee too because I ended up getting really wound up about the poo and the caffeine boosted my energy level.)

We spot washed the car (various neighbors came out to lend their advice) and noticed that the poo left behind funny colored potentially permanent splotches in the paint. In the paint of my new car!! After using a couple different cleansers, we were able to remove the splotches. GAH!

I never thought I would be one of those people that obsessed over their car. I also didn't know why people hated bird poo so much. I thought it was because it was ugly and...well...poo. Not because it has acid and grit in it. That's right! Acid! Grit! Rocks! Sand! First, the acid (uric acid) eats the paint. Then when you try to clean it, you rub the grit, rocks and sand into the paint, scratching it! ARGH!

So far, I've read a lot of different opinions online about what to do about the evil poo. By far, the first recommendation is to quickly remove the offensive bird acid by-product. Some suggest doing this with water. AskMen.com recommends using salt-free seltzer water. Whatever you do, be careful not to scrub it...the grit and other crunchies will scratch your paint.

I've also read that if you let the poo sit too long, you may get etchings in your car and will have to polish and/or wet sand it and then buff it to restore it to its previous shine. What a pain!

Next, you should neutralize the acid. A contributer on a BMW forum, bimmerfest.com, found that Dawn dish soap or rubbing alcohol neutralizes the acids and stops the corrosion of your paint. Note - do so at your own risk. I don't know if this is a good idea but will get back to you when I find additional information. Upon further research, these guys swear that rubbing alcohol is the best thing to neutralize the acid.

After removing and neutralizing the acid, let it sit for a few days and then wax your car. Apparently, waxing your car may help to prevent future bird poo problems by providing an extra layer of protection. There are also some sealants out there that claim to protect your car from bird poo and other car enemies. I'll let you know if I find any sealants that really do protect paint from the evil's of poo.

I think I may have a solution to this poo problem. It appears people eat pigeons. If more people ate pigeons, then suffice to say, there'd be less poo, right?

Either way, I have learned a few things today:

• Bird poo is a biohazard that should be disposed of immediately and properly.
• It EATS YOUR CAR PAINT!
• There is a right way and a wrong way to remove the poo and acid.
• We have confirmation that I like to ramble on and on.

Okay, I guess I'm done. The caffeine is wearing off.

New Years Resolutions

Do I even make a list? Who am I kidding?? I'm still trying to finish some knit Christmas projects!! I still have all my Christmas cards sitting here! ARGHHHH!!

2006

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

It's gonna be a good year!!