PCs and Macs and other things...

I priced a macbook to use for graphic type stuff and it could be a while before I buy one. A long while.

In the meantime, I think I will upgrade the ram on the Sony and get a wacom tablet of some variety. Found a reasonably priced one and it would be so nice to do modify stuff with a "pen" rather than a mouse. Also, I'll be able to draw with it. That is the best part. I'm a doodler/artist at heart and being able to draw straight to the computer will be a beautiful thing.

Combine that with the printer that I got last weekend, I will be set for a while. I know. Sounds like a lot but not so bad. All told, less than 1/4rd of the cost of the macbook I was looking at.

........

finishing the post a day later and after my computer at work has been stupid and sent stuff here that shouldn't have been here. *sigh*

Placed an order for a wacom intuos 3 tablet (6x8) and a MSI Wind netbook.

I'm going to find the RAM to upgrade my Sony. I learned tonight that I have 512M of RAM on the computer and need at least 2 Gig!!! No wonder it's locked up so much!

anyway, I'm outta here for now. Kids are staying with Debi tonight.

ohhhh

I like this layout. All I need to do is make a title header to replace the text header.

I'm sitting outside the church waiting for everyone to get here for practice and finish preparing for the Christmas program. I'm getting a better signal sitting outside than I do when I'm inside. *grimace*

One more week of school. I have to say I'm totally ready for it. I hope and pray God opens a door for me to be somewhere else come August of next year. Breezy will be finished at the school in high school. Chaz is already there. It's time for a change.

Still need to finish Christmas shopping. I returned the shirt I got for Chaz while in Alabama. I'm going to order him a replica Alabama jersey for his big gift. Still not sure what Breezy's big gift will be. She hasn't given me any clues. Go figure.

Anyway, I'm still alive and kicking. On Twitter and Facebook more often. I use text messages to update Twitter which updates my Facebook account. That way I don't need to be logged in as much and can just use my phone. Good idea huh?

Oh yeah, I got my 1099R from the military today so I'm 1/4 of the way ready to do my taxes!

too much....

to remember it all.

Our tax refund came in. Both Chaz and Breezy got the money I owed them for various things over the last couple months. A and I placed a bead order. Those should come in on Monday. We all tithed on what we received.

I got a new phone, a Moto Q. It wasn't what I went in. I wanted a LG Scoop, but after looking at the things I can do with a Q, I decided to go route. I have to keep an eye on our any time minutes. Normally, we only use 350 of our 1000. Now we only have 500 any time a month. My poor cell phone service though, the battery wouldn't hold a charge... for anything. So they replaced the battery, then they replaced the phone and finally, they put the mother of all batteries (MOAB) on the back of it. It's keeping a charge now. The salesman kept asking if I had ever been struck by lightning. Nope. Been shocked but not by lightning. Guess getting shocked/electrocuted can affect how batteries & watches work around that person. heh.

Later today, I'm headed to Hobby Lobby to pick up the supplies for "Chick Night" at church. I'm going to help the ladies make a bracelet. "A" suggested getting about 10-16 inch strands of beads, 20 charms, and toggles to make 20 bracelets. She said if all the bead strands and charms weren't used, I'd be able to return them. Good idea. I may even look into ordering them from Fire Mountain. Never know.

I've gotten to catch up with a couple friends over the last week. One of them has a beau. I'm excited for her. She's such a sweet lady and so deserving of a wonderful godly man in her life. The other friend has recently suffered a disappointment in her ministry and needed encouragement. I believe that whatever God has for her is bigger than the disappointment. God's time, not ours. That's the hard part.

More later. I'm thinking.

Visit Mugs of Truth




Busy busy week again. Last week was FTE week. Don't ask me what it stands for. I have no idea. But in that week, we total all the medications we give, all the special procedures, tally all the allergies, adhd, etc numbers, and add in the number of students actually visted the clinic and turn them in. Final total: 348.

Saturday was WinterJam at the Mitchell Center in Mobile. Phenomenal!!! 10,500 people inside. The estimate for those turned away because there was no more room was 3,500-4,000!!!! The artists were amazing. I went mostly because I wanted to see MercyMe and NewSong. The worship was incredible. I have to admit that Skillet was probably my favorite. The pyrotechnics were WOW!! 15 foot columns of fire along with water mist and some sparkler type thingies. And I actually knew 4 of the 5 songs they did. Way cool. We went up with a group of 45 and another 40 or so from our church joined us there.

I managed to get my taxes filed finally. The free efile from Turbo Tax wasn't working for me this year due to a change in the way I had to file the bonus from the school so I used H&R Block as a friend recommended. Very good. We should have our refund back by the 21st. Yah! Part to the church, part to the kids, a bead order, and possibly a down payment on a car.

We are praying about a car. New or used? I don't want a huge payment so it's really weighing on me. We have got to replace the van. It needs a transmission and there is something seriously wrong with the undercarriage/frame.

I've also been sort of agitated lately. The single life and singles ministry has been on my mind. I'm torn between if the agitation is that I'm still single after being alone with the kids for 8 years or just agitated because something is missing or I'm waiting for something to happen.

I also realized I'm starting to pick up on other's emotions/feelings again. For a while I believe God softened how strongly I reacted to others emotions/feelings. But it seems to be getting stronger again.

I've been reading my Bible in the mornings after I get to school. I usually have 20 minutes or so of quiet time before my day officially starts. It's been good.

There's a song out that I think is just the bomb-diggity and I can't find it to download from iTunes or Zune. Paul Alan's "To bring you back." Awesome song. Now if only I can find the lyrics or at least the download so I can type out the lyrics.

whoa...

God is good all the time. Even in the middle of my stuff, He's good.

School is going well. Report cards come home this week. Chaz made the soccer team. He'll be alternating between the Varsity team and the Junior Varsity team. Breezy is singing with a youth band at church and they'll get to sing at the church's FunFest on Wednesday. They've been practicing hard.

I'm actually typing this entry from my laptop. Yes, once upon a time I said I'd never own a laptop and if given one, I'd sell it and buy a desktop. But over the last few months as I think about college and convenience, a laptop was looking more and more sound. 2 weeks ago today, I thought abut that vow (yes, that's what it was), I realized I needed to break the vow. So I prayed and asked God to forgive me for making the vow and broke it. A few days later, I was visiting a friend and the conversation turned to computers. I told her I was looking to buy a laptop with my tax refund check in February. She offered me a computer to use until then and pulled out a Sony Vaio laptop. As we were cleaning her stuff off the hard drive, she looked at me and asked if I would be offended if she offered me the laptop. She said she'd understand if I said no because I wanted to pick out my "own" laptop later. I accepted! This computer is so much more than anything I would have bought with my tax refund. The screen is huge! There is still warranty left on it and it's transferrable. (Already got a new battery for it) What a blessing! She's the bomb-diggity! She told me that since she uses an apple it's harder to transfer back and forth to the Windows platform. Yah! Thank you for my friend and thank you God!

Casting Crowns is coming in concert next month. A friend and I decided to go but had not purchased tickets yet. Today, I got a phone call from someone who said he had 3 tickets to the concert that were available. They had been given to him to bless someone else. Whoa! Yah! So, my friend and I and the friend who gave me the laptop are going to see Casting Crowns next month. My favorite group!

We are doing the Truth Project at the church. Last night we saw the "how great is our God" video done by Louie GiglioThis" is a great description of it by Kyle (google is your friend). WOW! God is so cool. And to think the stuff that holds us together is Laminin and it's shaped like a cross and the cross holds us to God. Dude. Way cool.

Work has been busy. But I discovered something last week that I didn't think about for the first two months of school. My computer was changed out over the summer from a full size (HUGE) monitor to a flat one. What a difference in the clutter on my desk. There is none! I moved my pampered chef pen/pencil holder to a side desk and when I come in the office, my desk is clean. It's a pleasure to come to work and see the desk empty. The days have been flying by. I'll look up at the clock and it'll be 12:20 p.m. and I wonder where the first 4 hours went! It is good!

Anyway, that's enough for now. I am wonderfully made and wonderfully blessed. I have two healthy children (one of which turned 15 last week). I have a great job that I like almost all the time. I'm part of a beautiful church that preaches God's word and reaches out to others. We have a great home, a vehicle, amazing friends and family. God is good!

VOICE RESPONSE SYSTEM NIGHTMARE!!!

VOICE RESPONSE SYSTEM NIGHTMARE!!!

I again attempted to contact Gulf Power concerning my bill.  I have been transferred into voice response system hell.

 

My email to Gulf Power:

 

"I do not have a current account number as I was transferring my account during the month of January and it was not completed due to MY failure to bring in a copy of the lease. 

 

However when I called today and attempted to get in contact with someone, I had to use your NEW voice response system. 

 

Since I did not have an account number, it wants me to IN PUBLIC give my social security number.

 

THIS IS WRONG!!!"

 

This aggravates me to no end.  I now need to drive to the office to take care of the paperwork in hopes that my power is still on and I won't be charged a service fee to reinstate service.  I truly forgot to take in a copy of the lease and my landlord gave me a copy yesterday. 

 

It's pretty bad when I'd rather have to go through the menu option and press buttons to get to speak to someone.  *sigh*

 

Onto other things....

 

Our washer and dryer works wonderfully.  Getting clothes dried the first time through is a novel approach to laundry!  LOL

 

My tax refund came in.  Chaz bought a Nintendo Wii.  Breezy got a digital camera.  Both are the bomdiggity!  I liked Breezy's so much, I bought the same camera. 

 

Chaz and Breezy went to WinterJam on Saturday.  They had a blast.  Breezy took tons of pictures.  She got great pictures of the lead singer of Hawk Nelson who she thinks is the best.

 

I, on the other hand, chose to stay home this year.  My intent was to visit the local flea markets/thrift stores to see what I could find.  After the first one though, I decided I needed a haircut.  Made a quick call to the lady who usually cuts my hair and she could get me in.

 

By the time I left, I had a new hair cut and hair color!  She mixed the loveliest shade of golden/red.  It's gorgeous!  I feel like a new person when I look in the mirror!  I may have to take a pic and let ya see too.

 

Saturday night was the singles get together.  We played Apples to Apples.  What a great game.  It's meant for up to 10 players, but we played with 21.  We made teams of 2 (and one team of 3) to play.  The interaction was amazing.  Best get together in forever for us.

 

I also volunteered to host a movie night sometime in the next month or so.

 

Anyway, nuff for now.