Category Archives: Technology

Random Notes

This was a work weekend. Husband did most of the outdoor work, cleaning and raking the back yard, replacing rotted wood posts, and generally making the space habitable for Bean and me to play. I raked and swept, but much of the credit belongs to him.

I noticed today that plain unleaded gas is $4.39 a gallon in my neighborhood. Just four days ago I paid $4.19 — I’m sure it will get much worse.

I unpacked and stored our emergency food supply — enough to last us a month. We purchased 30 packages of Mayday 3600 calorie food bars; these are good for five years (and probably longer). They are stored in our cars in the “go bags” and in the home emergency supply bin. We don’t have enough water for the county’s recommended timeframe of two weeks, but we’ll amend that soon. Some day there will be a disaster here, most likely an earthquake, and we’ll be (I hope) somewhat prepared to deal with primitive conditions. Beyond gathering supplies and creating a plan, there’s nothing one can do. So it’s done (we’ve had the kits for years but the food got stale), and now we can focus on other things.

I also spent the weekend on Ravelry. It is the BEST site ever for knitters and crocheters. I recorded all my knitting and crochet needles, my entire stash of yarn (which is teeny compared to my friends), my knitting books, favorite patterns, my queue of projects I intend to make. This way I will always know how much yarn I have so that when I find a pattern I love, I can figure out which yarn to use. For non-knitters this may be of little interest, but it is THE BOMB for those who do.

Bean had long naps this weekend — one was 2.5 hours! She was sweet and chipper and her usual beautiful self. She cuddles more and more. We giggle and do nose kisses and generally enjoy our existence. We love her so much. 🙂

I need to go pick up the living room (it’s strewn with toys) and knit a little while before bed. Happy new week!

Ooo, Flickr Has Video Now!

Flickr is offering Pro users the option to upload short videos. I tried it, and it worked!

For people who friends and family contacts of mine on Flickr, you can go to my photo stream and view the video. In order to see the video you need to log in to your Flickr account first.

If you haven’t become a friend on Flickr and you’re curious, and if you’ve been reading awhile and/or have commented here, you can become a friend to see photos and videos. You need to log-in or create an account at Flickr and make me a contact (designate me as a friend too).

This Is News?

Compassion can be learned in much the same way as playing a musical instrument or being proficient in a sport, U.S. researchers said.

Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison found that brain circuits used to detect emotions and feelings were dramatically changed in subjects who had extensive experience practicing compassion meditation.

–United Press International, Study: Compassion can be learned

The article is short; for more details, click the link.

Bloggers Needed

I received an email this morning announcing a study. I participated. Here’s the information:

ATTENTION BLOGGERS!

I am a doctoral student in Communication Studies at Kent State University. For my doctoral dissertation, I am studying bloggers. Would you be willing to participate in my survey?

This online survey should only take about 15 minutes to complete, and it would mean the world to me. If you participate, you will be entered in a drawing to win one of ten $20 Amazon.com gift cards.

To participate in this study, you must be at least 18 years old, and you must currently maintain a blog that is primarily about your personal musings about your life, internal states, opinions, thoughts, or attitudes. Finally, you must write in your blog at least once a month.

If you would like to participate, please visit the following website: Survey Monkey.

Thanks so much for your help!

Sincerely,
Erin E. Kleman
Doctoral Candidate
School of Communication Studies
Kent State University
eekleman@kent.edu

The Good, The Bad, The Ugly

The good:

  • We paid off our car loan and the title arrived today.
  • Bean discovered the delight of knocking a tower of cloth blocks over. Repeatedly. And she laughed each time.
  • I repurposed a basket that came with a floral arrangement when Bean was born, converting it into her Easter basket. Not that she’s old enough yet for it, but it will make a nice decoration.
  • Bean’s low-grade fever broke.
  • To reduce the risk of credit fraud, we completed the paperwork (quick and simple) to permanently opt-out of prescreened, pre-approved credit card and insurance offers. (You can too; go here.)
  • My free book arrived today.
  • Every Thursday morning Bean and I watch the garbage truck haul away the garbage (since it happens right outside her window, that’s unavoidable), and now the guy who works the truck looks up and waves at us each week.

The bad:

  • Husband thinks he is having a reprise of The Crud that he just got over.
  • Sometimes I miss the validation of shared experiences with coworkers one gets from an outside job. Sometimes the delight of a moment (such as Bean and her block tower) feels also a little lonely.

The ugly:

  • I ate an entire bag of Dove Promise dark chocolate eggs in the past two days. Oink.

At least the good outweighs all the rest.

Music Every Day

We want to provide Bean with a variety of musical exposure. The Music Together songs are an excellent start. We listen to a classical music radio station sometimes. And we have a huge collection of music on CD which is stored also on our computers. (Ain’t technology grand?) So I made seven CDs of music (no classical but pretty much everything else) to spice up every day life. We listen to regular rock stations too, but I like the idea of having personally created playlists for her. Husband made one for her the night we returned from the hospital; it’s called Bean Dance Mix. I haven’t listed that here, since it’s his compilation. If you’d like to see the (very long) list, you can see more. I’ll probably make more over time, since we have thousands of songs. (Ain’t technology grand?) Continue reading →

Recipe For Fun

Ingredients:

1 nearly five-month old baby
Pet store
Parakeets in a big cage
Yourself

Take the baby into the pet store and push the stroller in front of the parakeet cage. Tap gently on the cage containing about 12 blue, green, and yellow parakeets. Say the baby’s name to get her attention and encourage her to gaze toward the cage. Observe the baby observing the parakeets as they flit, screech, tweet, twitter, and hop from branch to dangling toys to feeder. Notice baby’s rapt attention. When she turns to you with her first smile of enjoyment, exclaim how fun it is, smile back, and act excited. Watch her smile and giggle, then turn her attention back to the birds, then look again at you giggling and smiling. Continue for as many minutes as the baby finds it interesting.

Savor. Have as many as helpings as you can as often as possible.

—

Other fun: machines that do nifty things such as clean rug spots by themselves. Now that our cat is becoming older and has more, ahem, stomach and potty issues, and now that we have a child who will soon be eating solids and who drools a lot now, this seemed like a good purchase.

what parents buy for fun

Five Things In My Fridge

Eden tagged me, and I haven’t played a meme in awhile, and so why not?

A Texan’s (and yes, we still consider ourselves as such) diet must include some of this:

5thingsinmyfridge1

Good with carrots and other veggies:

5thingsinmyfridge2

This stuff really is better than boullion. It’s not as good as stock from scratch, but it serves well:

5thingsinmyfridge3

Husband eats the salsa like it’s manna from heaven, and I drink the V8 (an easy way to get some veggies):

5thingsinmyfridge4

Standard fruit supply:

5thingsinmyfridge5

Now it’s my turn to tag five people. How about:
Gerry
Shirley
Donna
Marta
Fran

…and anyone else who wants to play (leave a comment on the post).

Useful Technology

In my last post I mentioned Husband and I felt woozy, which prompted a comment of concern by Laurel. She didn’t specify her concern, but I imagine she was thinking about carbon monoxide poisoning. However, there were four reassuring reasons this was not the case: Grandma was feeling fine, the baby was doing better from her tummy trouble, the cat proceeded with her day as usual, and the carbon monoxide alarm did not go off. Everything in this house, including the water heater, is powered by electricity (but we do have a rarely used fireplace).

Yes, we own a carbon monoxide detector. Carbon monoxide is an odorless, deadly gas. In Austin, our house was fueled by gas for cooking, and we had a gas fireplace. So Husband bought one and plugged it in. One holiday — I forget if it was Thanksgiving or Christmas — we had my brother and his wife over for dinner. We were cooking a turkey and played Trivial Pursuit while we waited. At one point, we all commented on how lethargic we were feeling. We attributed it to the warmth of the room and hunger. Shortly after, the detector went off. That jarred us up and out of the house, opening windows and doors on the way. It turns out the oven wasn’t operating properly.

Now, I don’t know what the outcome might have been if there had not been a monitor, but it’s possible a tragedy was averted. Carbon monoxide detectors come in a range of prices and are worth every dollar, especially if you use gas, a fireplace, or a wood-burning stove for cooking and warmth. Research it and buy one if you don’t have it.

Christmas Comes Early

Our household has a new digital camera (though technically it’s Husband’s gift to me this year, since I use it 99% of the time). It’s a Canon Powershot A720 IS. I haven’t had time to play with it much yet, but so far I like it!

On a different topic, while I am not a believer in Christianity, I was raised in that tradition and have read much of the bible. Many readers here know I’m fond of LOLcat humor. Well, an effort is underway to translate the bible into LOLcat. It’s humorous reading, and not necessarily disrespectful to the religion. If you don’t know what LOLcat is, visit here first. I thank my brother for sending the LOLcat bible link.

Is Christmas really only one week away?

A Christmas Gift Like No Other

Update: New photos of Bean on Flickr!

One year ago today I learned I was pregnant. For those who haven’t been reading my blog long (or who might have forgotten), here’s the back story. After two miscarriages in 2005, we tried in 2006. I became nervous about the lack of progress, and Husband and I decided to see a fertility specialist. (My husband is ten years younger and had not the sense of urgency I felt about the waning opportunity.) On November 13 we met with the doctor, who advised that because of my “advanced maternal age,” the likelihood of successful in vitro conception with my own eggs was less than 10% per attempt. In other words, my eggs were old, tired, dried up, and probably rife with genetic misinformation. Those were bad odds, so I made peace with the idea of using egg donation. We agreed to have testing done (for both of us) and begin in January.

A week later I had another FSH hormone test done which showed the levels to be normal (the previous one had been a “tad” high at 11). The specialist wanted another, more invasive test done to check the health of my uterus, but my HMO insurance would not cover it because the specialist was out of network. No problem; we switched to a more expensive PPO for 2007 and would wait to do the test then.

Then we proceeded to just live. My period came and went at the end of November. I relaxed knowing we would be doing something constructive in the near future and focused on preparing for my favorite holiday.

On this day last year, I was having tea with Eileen. I had not been feeling my best the previous week. I felt bloated, tired, a little green around the edges sometimes, and had to pee every five minutes (at least, it felt that often). During tea I confided to Eileen and wistfully said, “I really wish I were pregnant. These are the same signs from past pregnancies. I would prefer not to go through the torment that is in vitro.” She agreed that this would be a preferable, happier outcome.

After tea I came home to a letter from our landlords asking us to vacate the house by mid-February. This was completely unexpected. We knew the house was intended for their son someday, but we had the impression that “someday” was years off. Yet we’d also been talking about moving, because the house was one room shy of enough space for a child. Well, this was a fortuitous kick in the pants to get started, because…

I still had one pregnancy test left from the last package. That night on a whim I took it. My attitude was: Well, I may as well use this up. I’m not pregnant, I’m sure, but what the heck. Then I saw. TWO LINES!!! Holy macaroni! Oh, the confirmation line wasn’t strong, but it was there. I was stunned. I ran into the other room waving the wand in Husband’s face. He was tentatively thrilled. We agreed, though, that we’d act like this wasn’t a big deal and say nothing until after we’d passed eight weeks (the latest I’d miscarried). But my oh my, look what a present I ended up with!

Later in the week I took two more home pregnancy tests, each with a stronger result. Then one day I had cramping and spotting. I resigned myself to the probability of miscarriage. It turned out that was implantation bleeding, and this was a good thing. We departed for Syracuse to spend holiday with family, and upon arriving home December 30th, morning sickness arrived full-blown and all day long. (We house-hunted throughout that time. You don’t think Pixie will be hearing about that in later years, do you?) It wasn’t until we saw the OB in my 11th week that we fully relaxed into the reality of this, but we didn’t share the news with family officially until after week 12 (some from my side guessed during the holidays at week 6, but we did not discuss it), and with the rest of the world until after week 18. It was very difficult to remain mum about this, but I’m glad we did; it made the sharing quite enjoyable.

So this year, I’ve decided I want a million dollars. Just one million will do. 😉

(Not really. I wrote about what I want for Christmahanakwanzayule.)

In closing, how fitting, then, that this evening I’ll attend the baby shower for my friend Nathania, who knew about my pregnancy losses, my fear, my hope and my joy, and who in her second trimester assisted my labor and the arrival of Bean.

Backtracking

We think the formula change from hypo-allergenic to normal isn’t working. She’s been increasingly fussy the past few days. It could also be that she’s not getting enough day sleep, and Grandma is here, and the world is full of lights, and she’s just growing. But we’re switching back, for the sake of her comfort and my sanity. Husband isn’t convinced, but who’s alone with her (usually) all day long?

Meanwhile, for your paradigm-busting pleasure, and for info junkies, saunter on over to the blog Strange Maps. I’ve not dared do this yet, as I have a child to care for and she’ll starve if I do. 😉

[Thanks (I think) to Dale for the lead to the link.]

Wish List For Christmahanakwanzayule

For Christmahanakwanzayule, I want:

  • to be freed of fear;
  • to be freed of limitation;
  • to be freed of doubt;
  • to be freed of denial;
  • to be freed of loneliness;
  • to be freed of anger;
  • to be freed of pain;
  • to be freed of suffering;

in other words, not to be bound by my ego anymore. And:

  • I want to take the love that comes my way, even if it comes from people I don’t relate to very well, whose values and choices I cannot fathom and don’t agree with.

I don’t think Santa can deliver these. They are gifts only I can give myself.

Failing that, I would like a massage and a new digital camera.

LOL For Geeks

I’m sorry I’m posting so many images today (for those who have dial-up connection). But this tickled my geeky-bloggy funnybone. Since I’m a master of bad HTML coding, I must share. For those who don’t know, these are hexadecimal color codes used to make the pretty colors on the blogs you read.

funny pictures
moar funny pictures

P.S. I should post when I can now, right, because as soon as Pixie’s able to move on her own I’ll have no time to blog.

Dare I Say It? Also, Camera Advice Sought!

Bean is seven weeks old today. Wow. It feels as though it’s been a year.

Today is the end of my first work-week as Mom-In-Charge, and it’s gone much better than I expected. Part of this is because a friend has come over every day to hang out with Pixie and give me a chance to run errands. The other part is that I think the change in formula is working. I hope the Zantac is too, but that takes longer, and we just started it Wednesday night. But all week, Bean has had days of eating, sleeping, a little play time, and just a little fussing. No hours-long arias of woe. (Well, Monday and Tuesday evening she cried for an hour, but that’s far different from three or more!)

I’ve taken to tracking her waking and sleeping times, with notes on what she was doing during the wake time — feeding, playing, crying, other (i.e., outing, bath). Over the past nine days she averages about 14.5 hours of sleep daily, with her worst day being 10.5 hours –the day of most misery as we dealt with the consequences of Nestle Good Start — and her longest sleep being 18 — her first day on Alimentum. I’ve really been attentive to her cues, but even when she’s not been much stimulated and she’s obviously sleepy, she fights it sometimes. She drowses, but doesn’t completely let go.

Oh, but she’s so much more social! We play a game where I stick out my tongue, wiggle it, and make funny noises, and she turns her head to the side while looking at me and smiles hugely. It’s very coy and adorable. She then mimics me by sticking out her tongue. I praise this, which makes her grin hugely. She’s also become more expressive, vocalizing different coos and aahs. I echo them, and she kicks her legs in delight. When she’s crying, there are times it really sounds as though she’s trying to say something — the “yah yah yah” or “owowow” mean something. I’m just not always sure what. She’s also discovered she can put her fingers in her mouth and that they’re fun and handy (pun! ha!) to chew on.

And I need advice. My digital camera just isn’t fast enough to capture an active baby. There’s a pause between the time I press the button and the shutter click. Husband and I are thinking of investing in a new camera. What would you recommend as a good investment? My current camera is a Nikon Coolpix E2100 (2 megapixel, 3X optical zoom, 4X digital zoom). We originally bought it for about $200. I’m not sure how high we’re willing to go; let’s say nothing over $600. So tell me what you use!

Daily Shower Cleaner

I hate cleaning. I especially hate cleaning the shower (it’s huge). Yet nothing is more gross than showering in a scum-filled, mildew-ridden cubicle. The point is to get clean there, right?

I use a daily shower spray to help, and it really does work. But damn, I go through a lot, and the refills aren’t cheap. I found a recipe to make my own that works.

Mix together and put into a spray bottle:

One-half cup of hydrogen peroxide
One-half cup of rubbing alcohol
Six drops of grease cutting dishwashing liquid
Two teaspoons of liquid spot-free dishwasher rinse
Twenty-four ounces of water

Use daily.

Three Dozen Reasons

(This post is more for myself and may be of zero interest to you.)

I Am Grateful For/That:

  1. I have a washer and dryer inside my home and don’t have to lug laundry to a laundromat.
  2. Ditto for the dishwasher to save us from hand washing dishes constantly.
  3. The invention of the baby bottle dishwasher basket.
  4. I’ve got good quality ground coffee on hand (and it’s even fair trade coffee).
  5. Bean is growing and is over her cold.
  6. Slipping into deep, sweet sleep with the occasional help of Dr. Ambien.
  7. It doesn’t matter that the house hasn’t been vacuumed in a month, because I have a newborn, and that’s a reasonable excuse.
  8. Managing to put clean sheets on the bed and clean towels in the bathroom last night.
  9. Husband and I got long hot showers last night.
  10. Tivo. Costco.
  11. The 30 minutes I had yesterday to finish my pregnancy journal entries, complete with photos.
  12. The white noise CD Husband made (he found the sound files free on the web); when Bean is swaddled, rocked, and the volume is turned up sufficiently, it calms her immediately and helps her fall and stay asleep.
  13. Learning that noise comes in different colors.
  14. Other free stuff on the web, such as black and white shapes to print and show to baby.
  15. My sister-in-law is planning to visit from Austin sometime in the next month.
  16. Getting myself and Bean out for a short walk yesterday by myself (meaning I was able to lift the stroller and carrier and get us up and down the front stairs).
  17. Blogs such as: Cheerio Road, Antique Mommy, Cute Overload, I Can Has Cheezburger?
  18. Husband being such a collaborative and patient co-parent who is capable of seeing humor in many situations.
  19. Heating pads (and electricity) for my sore back.
  20. The magic of the baby swing. And D batteries.
  21. The look of recognition that I see glimmering in Bean’s eyes when I pick her up.
  22. Swaddling.
  23. Friends who come over on short notice to take a walk with me and Bean.
  24. Friends who bring us meals (home-made, deli, take-out, restaurant gift cards).
  25. The ten zillion old cloth diapers my mother sent us to use as burp cloths.
  26. Eucerin Aquafor healing ointment (great diaper rash preventive and general baby moisturizer).
  27. Adjusting to Bean’s crying (still challenged by that, though).
  28. Bean’s fascination when I read aloud to her; she turns her face toward me if she’s in the swing and looks intently in my direction, although I know she doesn’t see clearly.
  29. Generous family leave benefits from Husband’s employer.
  30. No more itching of my C-section scar.
  31. Stella the cat and her equanimous personality.
  32. The many gifts, cards, and flowers we (including Bean) received celebrating Bean’s birth.
  33. I’ve lost all of the baby weight and now weigh less than I did at conception last December. It’s good to wear my old clothes again.
  34. The pain in my left knee has gone, as has the hip joint pain, thanks to the Relaxin being out of my system.
  35. The pregnancy-induced carpal tunnel syndrome is abating; I still can’t knit, but my hands don’t go numb holding a pen or the phone anymore, and there aren’t shooting pains up my forearms anymore.
  36. Bean smiles!! Real smiles in response to ours. She also coos and vocalizes more.