I was duped.
I bought the hype.
UGH!
My old palm pilot died, and I got a Centro SmartPhone to replace it. Good thing it has a 30 day return policy because I hate it. Hate it. Hate it. Hate it.
So much so that I bought a "regular" Palm- a Tungsten E2 instead. I'm taking the Centro back tomorrow.
My top 5 reasons for hating the Centro:
1. No graffiti ("writing" on the palm, which allows one to use sticky notes and jot notes)
2. The only way to input text is via a keyboard that's the size of my thumb. Yep, the WHOLE keyboard. Gimme a break!
3. Every time I talked on the phone, my ear touching the screen turned the damn thing off. Yeah, I disabled that feature, but what a stupid feature!
4. It lost nearly all of its charge overnight. And no, I wasn't on the phone. I charged it to 100% and the next morning, the stupid thing wouldn't turn on the charge was so low.
5. I *still* don't know what the ON button does, since the END button turns the thing off and on.
Of course, if you're really into having email and the web at your fingertips 24/7, in addition to having your address book and a phone, then the Centro may be for you. I'm more interested in the other features, like being able to make notations quickly and easily. In my world, typing on a thumb-sized keyboard is neither quick nor easy. True, I have gotten faster in the week that I've used the Centro, but graffiti/writing lets you have shortcuts so I can type in CAB for Community Accountability Board- a board I'm on that meets bimonthly, etc.
So now I'm back to having a mobile phone and palm pilot separately. Not as tiny, but infinitely more satisfying.
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Dancing like White Birds
So the gf has her new computer all hooked and is she's online. She just saw my last post. Her response?
"Baby, I don't know if you're better than that."
Stop laughing!
"Baby, I don't know if you're better than that."
Stop laughing!
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Dance Like No One is Watching
I love to dance.
True confessions: I'm a terrible dancer. Ok, not terrible. But...
Well, I dance like, hmm....
Ok! I dance like a white girl. There I said it! I confess.
Luckily for me, some of my best friends are white girls (hehe) and the gf hasn't been too horrified while dancing with me.
Besides, at least I dance better than Snowball, although we have similar problems with rhythm. We're ok for a while, but then, we get into the music and get, well, lost.
True confessions: I'm a terrible dancer. Ok, not terrible. But...
Well, I dance like, hmm....
Ok! I dance like a white girl. There I said it! I confess.
Luckily for me, some of my best friends are white girls (hehe) and the gf hasn't been too horrified while dancing with me.
Besides, at least I dance better than Snowball, although we have similar problems with rhythm. We're ok for a while, but then, we get into the music and get, well, lost.
Monday, October 22, 2007
Friday, October 19, 2007
NotSoSmart Questions (even if you don't know the answers)
Who is LeBron James?
What's the Kremlin?
Why are they doing this at the Pentagon? (asked about a 9/11 commemoration being held there)
"WHO asked these questions?," you wonder.
A 10 year old? Someone from a teeny tiny island off the coast of Isle of NoWhere?
Nope. These questions were asked of my cousin, a news producer, by someone she works with.
the good news
Fortunately, that someone doesn't work with her all the time.
the bad news
That person is a journalist. Really.
An honest-to-goodness ontheTVnews journalist.
Sad, sad, sad.
=====
And while you may or may not know that the Moscow Kremlin is the Russian equivalent of our White House (it's where the Russian President lives), you knew it had something to do with Russian politics, right?
Right?
What's the Kremlin?
Why are they doing this at the Pentagon? (asked about a 9/11 commemoration being held there)
"WHO asked these questions?," you wonder.
A 10 year old? Someone from a teeny tiny island off the coast of Isle of NoWhere?
Nope. These questions were asked of my cousin, a news producer, by someone she works with.
the good news
Fortunately, that someone doesn't work with her all the time.
the bad news
That person is a journalist. Really.
An honest-to-goodness ontheTVnews journalist.
Sad, sad, sad.
=====
And while you may or may not know that the Moscow Kremlin is the Russian equivalent of our White House (it's where the Russian President lives), you knew it had something to do with Russian politics, right?
Right?
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Replacing Your Salary
Have you ever thought about how you're going to survive financially if you get sick or disabled for an extended period of time? As in- several months? years?
Consider long term disability insurance.
I'm serious.
=====
Imagine:
You haven't worked in 4 months. And, you're seeing a different specialist every week, have PT twice a week and bloodwork every month, not to mention the monthly "check-in" with your PCP, who's being wonderful by keeping up with all the paperwork from the insurance folks.
the bad news:
The long-term disability insurance your company provides only kicks in if you're disabled for more than 6 months.
the good news:
No, wait. You got a better policy. It kicked in at 2 months. Yippee!
the bad news:
It only pays 50% of your salary.
the good news:
Your employer has graciously agreed to "finagle" things so that your health insurance continues uninterrupted, and without an increase in the premium because they value you and your health.
the bad news:
All those appointments are gonna cost you an extra $350 per month.
======
Can you live on half of your salary now, nevermind after increased bills?
Consider long term disability insurance.
I'm serious.
=====
Imagine:
You haven't worked in 4 months. And, you're seeing a different specialist every week, have PT twice a week and bloodwork every month, not to mention the monthly "check-in" with your PCP, who's being wonderful by keeping up with all the paperwork from the insurance folks.
the bad news:
The long-term disability insurance your company provides only kicks in if you're disabled for more than 6 months.
the good news:
No, wait. You got a better policy. It kicked in at 2 months. Yippee!
the bad news:
It only pays 50% of your salary.
the good news:
Your employer has graciously agreed to "finagle" things so that your health insurance continues uninterrupted, and without an increase in the premium because they value you and your health.
the bad news:
All those appointments are gonna cost you an extra $350 per month.
======
Can you live on half of your salary now, nevermind after increased bills?
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Sunday, October 7, 2007
Saturday, October 6, 2007
Zoo, anyone?
Last weekend was a wonder. The gf's birthday was Sunday, and to celebrate, we went to the Bronx Zoo. In any case, I hadn't been to the Bronx Zoo since I was 4 or 5; what a riot. Of course, if my back had not been bothering me it would've been even more fun.
The biggest thing I learned at the zoo is that the gf reads every (every!) sign on the displays. And looks at me like I'm a nimrod when I ask things that I could've read- like "Why is that animal sitting like that?" Hmm, clearly the sign told us that it's hind legs have evolved, blah, blah, blah. And yes, she actually reads the Sunday paper while I go straight for the comic strips and circulars...
In addition to learning that I'm a lazy reader at the zoo, I took some pictures:
Hephalumps! The gf's favorite.
(Taken while we were on the monorail. Cool, huh?)
And a sleeping polar bear. I should mention that it was 85F that day. At the end of September. In the Bronx. Poor Polar Bear.
This guy cracked me up. Just stood there, patiently (and majestically, I might add) waited while the clumsy papparazzi got what they needed.
These turtles were a riot. The middle one kept pushing the turtle in front - like it was angry at him or something. And yes, I found that funny to watch. I tried to catch it mid-push, but no luck.
In the butterfly garden
More turtles. This time, in a pond (well, running away from the pond)
Some cousins of the deer.
And last, but not least, the Okapi. I'm fascinated by these animals. I'd never seen one before. Striped legs like a zebra. Dark body like a horse or donkey. But actually related to the girrafe.
I know it's hard to see the photos. Here's a better image.
The biggest thing I learned at the zoo is that the gf reads every (every!) sign on the displays. And looks at me like I'm a nimrod when I ask things that I could've read- like "Why is that animal sitting like that?" Hmm, clearly the sign told us that it's hind legs have evolved, blah, blah, blah. And yes, she actually reads the Sunday paper while I go straight for the comic strips and circulars...
In addition to learning that I'm a lazy reader at the zoo, I took some pictures:
Hephalumps! The gf's favorite.
(Taken while we were on the monorail. Cool, huh?)
And a sleeping polar bear. I should mention that it was 85F that day. At the end of September. In the Bronx. Poor Polar Bear.
This guy cracked me up. Just stood there, patiently (and majestically, I might add) waited while the clumsy papparazzi got what they needed.
These turtles were a riot. The middle one kept pushing the turtle in front - like it was angry at him or something. And yes, I found that funny to watch. I tried to catch it mid-push, but no luck.
In the butterfly garden
More turtles. This time, in a pond (well, running away from the pond)
Some cousins of the deer.
And last, but not least, the Okapi. I'm fascinated by these animals. I'd never seen one before. Striped legs like a zebra. Dark body like a horse or donkey. But actually related to the girrafe.
I know it's hard to see the photos. Here's a better image.
Monday, September 10, 2007
Sunday, September 9, 2007
Catching Up
For the last month, I have been, well, in a funk.
Ok, not a funk. But struggling. Emotionally. The hours at the "new" job are kicking my behind. But mostly, I've felt distant.
It has reminded me of when Mother Theresa died and an NPR commentator mentioned that she continued her good works even as she struggled in her inability to feel G*d. That even in her decades of feeling removed and untouched by G*d, she continued to do G*d's work.
Perhaps it's a sign (to me) that this very issue has come up in the last few weeks as her diaries are being published. This notion that those of us who identify as "religious" struggle in our ability to "feel" G*d. That we struggle in the "absence" of G*d.
Of course, we all know the piece "Footprints" and how G*d says that in those times of our deepest struggle is when G*d carries us, but that doesn't change how we felt in that moment.
I have hesitated to share in this forum- for all kinds of reasons. But the simple truth is that I miss the connection of having my friends (all 5 of you) read my rantings.
So there you have it.
Ok, not a funk. But struggling. Emotionally. The hours at the "new" job are kicking my behind. But mostly, I've felt distant.
It has reminded me of when Mother Theresa died and an NPR commentator mentioned that she continued her good works even as she struggled in her inability to feel G*d. That even in her decades of feeling removed and untouched by G*d, she continued to do G*d's work.
Perhaps it's a sign (to me) that this very issue has come up in the last few weeks as her diaries are being published. This notion that those of us who identify as "religious" struggle in our ability to "feel" G*d. That we struggle in the "absence" of G*d.
Of course, we all know the piece "Footprints" and how G*d says that in those times of our deepest struggle is when G*d carries us, but that doesn't change how we felt in that moment.
I have hesitated to share in this forum- for all kinds of reasons. But the simple truth is that I miss the connection of having my friends (all 5 of you) read my rantings.
So there you have it.
Books about Dogs?!
Remember this?
"...I also read "wilderness/adventure" books written by a man whose name I cannot remember. It starts with a K and is likely German or Scandinavian...I think the second letter in his name is a j..."
Thanks, Bibliodiva for supplying the missing letters: Kjelgaard. As in James Arthur (Jim) Kjelgaard.
Ring any bells?
How about books like Big Red, Irish Red: Son of Big Red, Kalak of the Ice?
What's frightening is that when I read the list of his books, I don't actually remember a single one. Did I really read a bunch of adventure books (most of which were about dogs)?!
Not only didn't I have a dog, as a kid I wasn't really an "animal lover" or especially inclined toward dogs. Besides Curly, the neighborhood stray my uncle fed, I'm not even sure I knew any dogs.
No wonder my mother thought I was odd...
"...I also read "wilderness/adventure" books written by a man whose name I cannot remember. It starts with a K and is likely German or Scandinavian...I think the second letter in his name is a j..."
Thanks, Bibliodiva for supplying the missing letters: Kjelgaard. As in James Arthur (Jim) Kjelgaard.
Ring any bells?
How about books like Big Red, Irish Red: Son of Big Red, Kalak of the Ice?
What's frightening is that when I read the list of his books, I don't actually remember a single one. Did I really read a bunch of adventure books (most of which were about dogs)?!
Not only didn't I have a dog, as a kid I wasn't really an "animal lover" or especially inclined toward dogs. Besides Curly, the neighborhood stray my uncle fed, I'm not even sure I knew any dogs.
No wonder my mother thought I was odd...
Friday, July 27, 2007
not in high school (or in college)
What I'm reading now: Lady Chatterley's Lover. I've never read it and It was on the bookshelf in the gf's bedroom. Besides, DH Lawrence wrote one of my favorite short stories: The Rocking-Horse Winner.
BTW, the gf is a voracious reader. Eclectic too. Oh, and have I mentioned that she thinks I'm adorable?
BTW, the gf is a voracious reader. Eclectic too. Oh, and have I mentioned that she thinks I'm adorable?
Friday, July 20, 2007
Good, Bad, Fabulous
The good news is that the long anticipated Harry Potter book is coming out at midnight tonight.
The bad news is that I was a dismal failure at getting an early copy of the manuscript for Grayson's daughter.
The fabulous news is that she's around to read it along with everyone else. Woo-Hoo!
The bad news is that I was a dismal failure at getting an early copy of the manuscript for Grayson's daughter.
The fabulous news is that she's around to read it along with everyone else. Woo-Hoo!
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
How Many of Me?
Have you ever googled your own name, only to find someone (of several someones) besides yourself? I know this may frighten those who know and love me, but there are 18 people in the US who share my first and last name, including an (apparently) famous make-up artist.
How do I know? Click here to find out.
Of how many are you?
How do I know? Click here to find out.
Of how many are you?
Monday, July 16, 2007
Montana and Idaho?
In a recent phone conversation, my sister commented that she'd never read a Pultizer-prize winning book. Once establishing that this is untrue, we began discussing books we read as children. Being avid readers, we thought we'd read many Caldecott and Newberry medal winning books.
Well, it turns out that Caldecott is an illustration award (and I certainly didn't read "picture books" past age 7). And as for the Newberry list, boy were we surprised! Sure, some of our books were there, but the list that really resonated for us was the Pacific Northwest Library Association's Young Reader's Choice Award.
According to Powells.com, this award was established "in 1940 to promote reading for enjoyment."
Good, good. We liked (ok, loved) to read.
Wanna know how these books were chosen?
"Children and young adults of Alberta, Alaska, British Columbia, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington select the winners from nominees submitted by librarians, teachers, students and others."
Alaska? Idaho? Montana?
Are you kidding? Me, nice little black (ok, I started out Negro, according to my birth certificate, and since 1989 I've been African-American) girl is reading a bunch of books selected by the loads of loads of readers out in Montana?
Yeah, yeah- you can talk about the universality of children and reading and all that, but really, what MUST my mother have thought? Yeah, I read Mildred Taylor and even Alice Childress, but I also read nearly every book published by Scott O'Dell, and let me tell you, there are a ton of 'em! I loved Island of the Blue Dolphins!
Montana? No disrespect, but really, how many children were even in Montana in the 1970s?
Aside: I also read "wilderness/adventure" books written by a man whose name I cannot remember. It starts with a K and is likely German or Scandinavian. My mouth keeps saying "Kierkegaard" but I know that's not right. Actually, I think the second letter in his name is a j. Anyone? Bibliodiva? Lisa K? Mellanye?
I really did look, and even went to the children's section of my local libe, but the librarians weren't very nice and seemed perturbed that I was interrupting their construction paper craft project (I'm serious). My library isn't staffed by friendly folk, but I go anyway...
Well, it turns out that Caldecott is an illustration award (and I certainly didn't read "picture books" past age 7). And as for the Newberry list, boy were we surprised! Sure, some of our books were there, but the list that really resonated for us was the Pacific Northwest Library Association's Young Reader's Choice Award.
According to Powells.com, this award was established "in 1940 to promote reading for enjoyment."
Good, good. We liked (ok, loved) to read.
Wanna know how these books were chosen?
"Children and young adults of Alberta, Alaska, British Columbia, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington select the winners from nominees submitted by librarians, teachers, students and others."
Alaska? Idaho? Montana?
Are you kidding? Me, nice little black (ok, I started out Negro, according to my birth certificate, and since 1989 I've been African-American) girl is reading a bunch of books selected by the loads of loads of readers out in Montana?
Yeah, yeah- you can talk about the universality of children and reading and all that, but really, what MUST my mother have thought? Yeah, I read Mildred Taylor and even Alice Childress, but I also read nearly every book published by Scott O'Dell, and let me tell you, there are a ton of 'em! I loved Island of the Blue Dolphins!
Montana? No disrespect, but really, how many children were even in Montana in the 1970s?
Aside: I also read "wilderness/adventure" books written by a man whose name I cannot remember. It starts with a K and is likely German or Scandinavian. My mouth keeps saying "Kierkegaard" but I know that's not right. Actually, I think the second letter in his name is a j. Anyone? Bibliodiva? Lisa K? Mellanye?
I really did look, and even went to the children's section of my local libe, but the librarians weren't very nice and seemed perturbed that I was interrupting their construction paper craft project (I'm serious). My library isn't staffed by friendly folk, but I go anyway...
Saturday, July 14, 2007
Mail for Mom
Today she got 2 entry packets from Publisher's Clearinghouse, a magazine, and a couple of begging letters.
I got a renewal notice from AAA.
For the 3rd day in a row, my mother got more mail than me. And only one of us is alive.
How pitiful is that?
===
Anyone wanna tell me how to get her name off these blessed mailing lists? And no, she doesn't want to contribute to the American Diabetic Association or renew her subscription to AARP.
I got a renewal notice from AAA.
For the 3rd day in a row, my mother got more mail than me. And only one of us is alive.
How pitiful is that?
===
Anyone wanna tell me how to get her name off these blessed mailing lists? And no, she doesn't want to contribute to the American Diabetic Association or renew her subscription to AARP.
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
New Beginnings - An Update
3 months into my "new" job and I'm back at my primary site fulltime, loving that I finally have an assistant (as opposed to a string of temps) and well, settling in nicely.
Today I even reconnected with a lab technician I used to work with. I'm excited to go back to working with him (although my current lab is quite good).
Life is good.
Today I even reconnected with a lab technician I used to work with. I'm excited to go back to working with him (although my current lab is quite good).
Life is good.
Saturday, June 30, 2007
LMNOP
Remember a million years ago when I told you I got a huge box in the mail with a tiny bit of quilt and a boatload (ok, boxload) of batting?
Also in that box was one of the funniest books I've read in a long time: Ella Minnow Pea, by Mark Dunne. Fun!
Also in that box was one of the funniest books I've read in a long time: Ella Minnow Pea, by Mark Dunne. Fun!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
