computer glitch

More often than I care to admit, if I try to e-mail a picture to someone or recommend a web site I forget to attach the picture or include the link. I just did it again this morning! Usually the person receiving it is kind enough to blame their computer for not being able to open the attachment, even though I'm 98% sure they know whose fault it really is. 


Scary things can happen in the fickle world of computers. (I know, computers can't be fickle, but humor me here.) One of the worst things I can think of is sending an e-mail to the wrong person. I've heard quite a few horror stories about this, ranging in gravity from catty gossip to job-ending e-mails to one's boss. The show Modern Family (Wednesday nights at 9:00p.m. EST) recently addressed this problem in classic Modern Family fashion; with utter hilarity. 


The link below shows Gloria's reaction when she mistakenly sends a scathing message to her husband's grown daughter, Claire. It's not surprising to me that Gloria and Claire have a love/hate relationship, although it seems to be more love than hate. 


Copyright 2011 K.K.R.

http://www.etonline.com/tv/106597_Gloria_Gets_Into_Serious_E_mail_Trouble_on_Modern_Family/index.html

For those of you who have yet to discover this amazing show, the following synopsis from Wikipedia explains the main characters. 

 "The show revolves around three families that are interrelated through Jay Pritchett and his children, Claire Dunphy and Mitchell Pritchett. Jay Pritchett (Ed O'Neill), the patriarch, is currently in a May–December marriage with Gloria (Sofía Vergara), a passionate^[21] mother, who with help from Jay raise their son, Manny (Rico Rodriguez II). Claire (Julie Bowen) is a homemaker mom married to Phil (Ty Burrell) a self-professed cool dad; they have three children: Hayley, the stereotypical teenager,^[22] Alex, the smart middle child^[23] and Luke, the offbeat only son.^[24] Mitchell (Jesse Tyler Ferguson) and his partner Cameron (Eric Stonestreet) have adopted a Vietnamese baby"., Lily -  

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modern_Family

sometimes a song is all you need

enjoy this fun song and video....


"Fireflies" by Owl City - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rO3gg2cVfxg

where is my dining room table?

Part I in a series on clutter......


As soon as I was old enough to walk, I realized how useful horizontal surfaces could be for storage of miscellaneous items. The floor was my first discovery. If you have a large toy box, it's very difficult to find the Barbie who has scheduled an appointment for a dramatic short haircut. However, if you dump the toys on the floor, they are all easily accessible. Taking the logical next step, I realized that putting the toys back is simply a waste of time if you plan to play with them again the next day. In case you suspect that I learned this behavior from my parents, you will be sorely mistaken. I grew up in a house that was always spotless and clutter free. I believe this behavior is not learned but possibly a genetic characteristic that skips a generation.


By the time I was in high school the increase in autonomy merely fueled my cluttering addiction. And, as long as I kept my door closed the clutter didn't affect the rest of the family. Ironically, my closet and drawers were the epitome of organization. Only the visible part of the room resembled the aftermath of a crime scene. A psychologist could probably have a field day with that.


For awhile, after I moved away from home, things got a bit better, but by the time my first son was born, the clutter returned with a vengeance. I had every new parent's built-in excuse of less time and more "stuff",  and yet, against all evidence to the contrary, I assured anyone who would listen that I was on the verge of getting my act together.


The one thing that comforts me is that I am not alone. People have confessed to me that they struggle with the same horizontal surface dilemma, but no one can come up with a solution. I may have to clean the dining room table off periodically for family dinners, but slowly things begin to migrate back there. Yesterday's mail, a roll of duct tape, the camera, sunglasses, an Ipod, you name it. The allure of that huge empty space is just too much to bear.


It's my conclusion that we're approaching the problem from the wrong perspective. Maybe we should embrace the chaos instead of resisting it. It's not our fault anyway. Isn't this an example of a natural phenomenon called entropy?


Copyright 2011 K.K.R.


"Good Intentions" - Toad The Wet Sprocket
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VT2Mz0G52Yg

made in China

People often complain that everything is made in China, but I'm happy that my "Mini Bonsai Kit" was made there. And before you purists tell me that Bonsai is a Japanese tradition, according to Wikipedia, "similar practices exist in other cultures, including the Chinese tradition of penjing and the miniature living landscapes of Vietnamese hòn non bộ.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonsai

memory issues

Since almost everyone I talk to these days complains that they have trouble remembering things, I have come up with a few helpful tricks. For those of you who are prone to leaving your grocery list on the kitchen counter, begin reciting the list as soon as you realize that you don't have it. For instance, the other day I needed coffee, juice, bananas and butter. Coffee, juice, bananas, butter...coffee, juice, bananas, butter. Luckily I didn't have to converse with anyone as I walked through the aisles and it worked like a charm. The only sticking point was that I picked up the things based on their location in the store, not the order in which I was reciting them. I had to keep looking in my basket to confirm what was already there. Actually, that's not sounding like such a good trick after all.


Many people have told me they've gone to get something from another room only to forget why they're there. This happens to me almost every time I go to the basement. Again, a variation on the above mentioned repetition is helpful. "I'm going downstairs for scissors, scissors, scissors." As long as you don't get distracted by putting a load of laundry in the dryer, you should be fine. Please don't ask why the kitchen scissors are downstairs. That's a topic for another day.  


The last problem I'd like to address is forgetting someone's name. Volumes have been written about how to overcome this challenge, but here is my suggestion. You need to have a list of people whose names you routinely forget stored in your cell phone or in a tiny notepad that you won't leave on the kitchen counter. If, despite this precaution, you can't remember the name of the person coming your way, simply do the courageous thing and run as fast as you can in the other direction.


Copyright 2011 K.K.R.




"Forget About It" by Alison Krauss
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMmpBsIzaB8

!!!!!!

I have always been a huge fan of the exclamation point. In e-mails particularly, I overuse them to the extent that I have to proofread before pressing "send" to remove the unnecessary ones. I laughed when I read a quote from the very helpful site eHow stating that "The often overused exclamation point can add punch to a sentence when used judiciously."   Yeah, no kidding!! This is why I love the internet. You can find out ANYTHING there! 


I realized the other day how powerful punctuation can be. I had just finished writing and noticed that after clicking PUBLISH POST it said "Your blog post published successfully!" That little exclamation mark made me feel so proud. "They're right, I DID just successfully publish my post!" I said to myself. It was so satisfying, like a virtual high five. 


Copyright 2011 K.K.R.



Enjoy the link below...
http://www.google.com/images?client=safari&rls=en&q=exclamation+point&oe=UTF-8&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=univ&ei=_xtATdSwDM_2gAfg_ZjtAg&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=2&ved=0CD0QsAQwAQ&biw=1323&bih=851

Here we go!

Just as they have championship hats at the ready for each team before their feet even touch the field, I tried to be mentally prepared for either outcome in Sunday's game. I can't tell you how happy I am to shout "Pittsburgh's goin' to the Super Bowl!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"


We may only take a couple of days to bask in the glow of victory and then it's time to get ready for the big game. The team knows what they have to do to prepare, and as fans, so do we. There are so many things to buy at full price.......Terrible Towels™, jerseys, flags, jewelry, and yard decor, inflatable and otherwise.  Just pay a visit to the official Pittsburgh Steeler merchandise web site and click on "Novelties" in case you think you already have everything you could possible need. Do you have a Steeler Mr. Potato Head™, a Steeler shower curtain? How about Steeler salt and pepper shakers? 


This is no time for complacency. I'm counting on each and every fan out there to give 110% in order to bring home a win! Here we go!


Copyright 2011 K.K.R.

GO STEELERS!!!!!

You would have to be a hermit living in a cabin not to know that the Steelers play the NY Jets tonight in the AFC championship game. If you live within a 30 mile radius of Pittsburgh there is no escaping this fact because the whole town turns black and gold. The thing is, this is not just a play-off state of mind. Sure, the excitement amps up during the play-offs, but you will encounter this phenomenon on any game day throughout the season. 

Although the grocery store and parking lot will be inundated with people buying party food for the game, I must venture out for the coffee that I am addicted to. Nearly every person there will be wearing Steeler gear and displaying their paraphernalia. There will be little flags flying from car windows or decals on the bumpers. All of the store employees will be wearing jerseys and 9 out of 10 customers will be similarly attired. There will be couples of all ages holding hands, babies in strollers, and teenagers each wearing something to show their devotion. I once saw a young couple shopping for a Steeler shirt for the 1½-year-old that they had in tow. They obviously knew that children need to be taught the important things as early as possible. Someone from a less rabid football town might walk around bewildered at the sight. The allegiance to our team bridges every barrier; politics, race, age, gender, religion, EVERYTHING.

There will be an ocean of tailgates in the stadium parking lot today no matter how cold it is. Bars will be packed and there will be parties at people's houses where more flags will fly. Plug "Steeler songs" into your computer's search bar and you will find 13,900 listings for Steeler fight songs, 5430 listings on YouTube. 

I've always known that the "Steeler Nation" extends across the country. There are Steeler bars in many cities for those displaced from their homeland either by choice or necessity. However, I was amazed to find out from my son, who had the great fortune to travel with a friend to the Bahamas this year, that the small island they stayed on was full of Steeler fans!

This got me thinking about the idea of "belonging". We start out as part of a family and then, as we go through life, we become part of larger spheres through church, teams, clubs, colleges, and companies. I'm proud to be part of the Steeler family.


Copyright 2011 K.K.R.

I have to go with two songs today-how could I possibly choose just one?

"Here We Go Steelers 2010" -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmW78BX7dtI&feature=related

1978 Steelers Fight Song by Jimmy Pol

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFgiRAHCGRU&playnext=1&list=PL4B71317BC13DE2CF&index=42

the scariest words in the English language

"What's for dinner, Mom?" Let's face it, I am a pretty bad cook. My family is well aware of this fact, as are all of my friends. There is not one aspect of the process that I enjoy. First of all, I'm not known for planning ahead, which is integral to success in cooking. Most of my friends are great cooks and they plan their meals ahead, sometimes days in advance. I  guarantee that if I call one of them around 4:00 p.m. on any given day they will be starting to cook dinner. They know you can't start most recipes at 5:25 when your family will be hungry by 6:00. 


Another hurdle, grocery shopping, is something best avoided until almost everything is gone, including two of the most important food groups, peanut butter and ketchup.  


Once I have some ingredients to work with,  I only have 3 or 4 "go to" meals. These include spaghetti, "Old El Paso Gorditas", chili, steaks on the grill (no matter what the thermometer says) and the recently added chicken parmesan. 


The funny thing is, when I begin cooking, the thought occurs to me that "this isn't so bad after all". However, you can't rest on the laurels of a single meal. This cooking thing has to happen every day! As for my expertise in the kitchen, I suffer from extreme anxiety. My sons really like the new chicken parmesan recipe, but browning the breaded chicken is always a crap shoot. Will it burn this time, or worse, will I not cook it long enough and thus poison my whole family?


The endearing thing is that my sons continue to give me the benefit of the doubt by asking "what's for dinner, Mom?", perhaps hoping that the answer will be chicken parmesan!


Copyright 2011 K.K.R.

SNOW DAY!!!!!!

No matter how old I am, I always feel like a kid on a "snow day" when waking up to a driveway completely hidden beneath several inches of snow.  Of course if you have to shovel out to go to work it lessons the excitement, but if you're like me it may be the only exercise you get. Instead of cursing the shovel as it gets caught in every crack, grab a handful of really clean-looking snow and taste a little of it (acid snow be damned). While it melts on your tongue you will recapture the memories of snow days, sledding and hot chocolate with mini-marshmallows. Going out to shovel!


Copyright 2011 K.K.R.


song for today-  "Crash Years" by The New Pornographers
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KZANuDcRO4

scattered thoughts

You know how you lie in bed sometimes and thoughts pop into your head? Well, in no particular order, these are the thoughts that made their way into my head last night........ in this unstable economy, why are there so many mattress stores per capita?.......I wonder if Jesus would have been a proponent of universal healthcare....I'm so excited that there's a Target coming to my neighborhood....did I set my alarm?


Copyright 2011 K.K.R.

I missed an appointment today.

I finally went back to my contractor helper's job today after a month off.  The change in routine really threw me.  I was 7 minutes late and forgot to take my tool belt, goggles and gloves which I needed for my most favorite of tasks, demolition. Luckily, my boss doesn't mind loaning me the necessary equipment. I'm happy to report that the demo of a wall that had suffered water damage from a burst pipe went smoothly.


When I got home, one of the messages on my answering machine was from a doctor's office wondering if I'd like to reschedule the appointment I had missed. Ugh!! You see one of my organizational shortcomings is that I never write things on my calendar. I just try to keep them in my head, or write the information on whatever loose envelope happens to be laying on the kitchen counter. Obviously, this method has it's drawbacks. I called the office expecting to be met with a chilly reception and possibly even the expectation that I would pay for the missed appointment. The woman who answered couldn't have been nicer and she commiserated with my ramblings about just not being able to get my act together since the new year began.  After assuring her that I would not forget it a second time, I hung up thinking how differently I would have felt if she had been a jerk. She had the power to either make my day or ruin it and she chose the former. So thank you, (nice person whose name I forgot to ask), and I will try to "pay it forward".


I'm sure you are all waiting with bated breath to see if I finished the FAFSA form yesterday and the answer is a resounding and frustrated NO. When I went to the site, I was informed that my browsers were either not compatible or not updated. I then tried to update them to no avail. This is where computers and I just don't see eye to eye. I follow the prompts and things happen, like downloads or uploads or whatever, but the initial problem still remains. I'm still hoping the whole thing will magically resolve itself, but I think the FAFSA deadline is in February, so I can safely put that off until the night before it's due.


Copyright 2011 K.K.R.


Song for today - "I Got You" by Split Enz

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xv6oOxn1axw

FAFSA hell

It's that time again, tax season, Valentine's day, and time to fill out the dreaded FAFSA form. For the uninitiated, FAFSA stands for  Free Application For Student Aid. College students must fill it out each year in order to apply for financial aid. They even have seminars at high schools to help first timers negotiate their way through the process, and thankfully, it's less complicated than it was 10 years ago. 


Anyway, I've been avoiding filling out the form for days now. (For anyone thinking that my son should be doing it instead of me, see my post from yesterday.) Actually, he would be happy to do it, but that would involve gathering all the pertinent information for him in some intelligible form and by then the deadline would be long gone. Organization is not my strong suit.


Writing this post, however, is giving me sweet respite from the task for just a few more minutes. I think many people suffer from avoidance of things like this, so I take comfort in this knowledge. I could really use a personal assistant to keep me in line, but that's a luxury I can't justify since I am only marginally employed as a contractor's helper.


Hmm......... I guess I have to go to the FAFSA web site now. Wish me luck!


Copyright 2011 K.K.R.


Oh, one more thing; a nice song for you called "Gentle Arms of Eden" by Dave Carter 
and Tracy Grammer ....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ejon5osePqU

The universe of the 3-year-old

Well, it didn't take long to see an example of parenting gone awry. At our local home improvement store this evening I saw a poor man pleading with his 3-year-old to "go pay for our things". The child was sitting on the floor in front of the plumbing aisle and he looked pretty comfortable and not at all in a hurry. As I walked past, I heard the dad calmly say again "let's go pay for our things, O.K.? Don't you want to go pay for our things?.... PLEASE????" I'm sorry to say that this pathetic scene is repeated many times each day across our great nation. And, I think it's time to spread the word to all young parents that they have the right, if not the duty, to take back their lives.


I was dying to see what tactic the dad would resort to in order to encourage his son to comply, be it the classic bribery of ice cream/ extra TV time/ latest popular action figure, or the empty threats of NO ice cream/  TV time/ latest popular action figure. However, not wanting to embarrass the man and possibly risk an escalation of the stand-off, I walked discreetly away toward the back of the store. I spent about 7 minutes looking around, but just had to see if they were still there. Much to my relief, they were nowhere in sight upon my return. My only regret is that the means by which the toddler was convinced to leave will forever remain a mystery.


Believe me, I can empathize with parents hoping to avoid a "scene" while out in public.  However, I think there is nearly universal agreement among professionals that children of all ages need limits to be healthy and happy.  So, "PLEASE!!!!!" all young parents out there, give your children the best parenting in the world by letting them know you're in charge.  One or two "scenes" could be infinitely preferable to a lifetime of caving in to your child's whims.  In fact, if you give your child healthy limits from birth, you may not have to worry about a "scene" at all!


Copyright 2011 K.K.R.

I'll get to that right after I.......

I have opinions about everything, but not everyone is as interested in what I have to say as I think they should be. So I said to myself, why not share my thoughts with a broader base and maybe one or two people will be amused or at least temporarily relieved of boredom? Knowing that one should be passionate about one's blog, I thought about my interests, but couldn't zero in on one topic. Consequently, you will find everything here. Rants about clutter, politics, environmental issues, or really stupid commercials. As the mother of 3 grown boys, I will surely give advice (that I should have followed) on parenting. You see, at age 53, I am an "expert-through-hindsight" on just about everything. Although it was purely by chance, I am pleased to have started writing on the day dedicated to Martin Luther King Jr., whose message of tolerance and non-violence continues to be relevant. That's enough for my first time out. Hopefully some of my meanderings will strike a chord. 


As often as possible I would like to share a favorite song with you..... below you'll find the link for "Big Wheel" by Tori Amos   I read that this video was the winner of a "green-screen contest" Tori Amos held in May of 2007


Copyright 2011 K.K. R.




http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khpRlPyfLaU&feature=related