Kingfisher Cove

Got Me a Gateway!

Whew, almost as hectic as buying a car. I didn't get to "drive" this home with me, though; shipment arrives this Thursday and they're going to remove all the trial/spammy software (plus idiot software, such as "Works") and install Office 2007.

And no, I didn't get it at Fry's. Fry's just didn't have anything that yanked my chain at the price I was willing to pay (and yes, everything is glossy...) So we checked out Best Buy with a fair amount of trepidation because we've heard some yukky stories about that place. I have to say that we were very impressed and pleasantly surprised. The people who helped us were knowledgeable and informative, and despite the fact that it turned out that the laptop I selected wasn't in store stock, it'll be worth a few days' wait. If I'd ordered it online, I'd have to wait for it anyway.  This Gateway model is pretty much a workhorse:

Technical Details

• Intel Core 2 Duo P8400 2.26 GHz Processor
• 3 MB L2 Cache, 1066 MHz Bus speed
• 4096 MB DDR3 (PC3-8500) RAM
• 320 GB (7200RPM) SATA Hard Drive
• 17 WUXGA (1920 x 1200) Display

And for $1,150, it was by far the best deal we saw for all that comes under the hood. (heh heh). It's still glossy, but not quite as bad as many of them we looked at. This model is considered a "gaming" laptop, which basically means it has a very good video card and plenty of RAM to support it. I've had a lot of issues lately with my adventure games crashing and burning on me, or not being able to see the screen well because of a dark scene, so that'll be nice — it's not like I'm a major gamer or anything. But I do work with graphics programs and a 17" monitor and capability to run those resource-demanding programs is a must.  I was relieved to be able to purchase a new laptop this way (instead of online) because of the horror I went through when I bought Nate's laptop. It was through Amazon, but via a third party, and it was a major bait-and-switch scheme. Really an ugly experience! So this was relatively painless....except for one thing.

The new computers don't support my T-Mobile G3 card (for the cell signal internet access that I have to use at Harstine). Technology has progressed and T-Mobile hasn't kept up! Now, the laptops just require an "express" card, or even better yet, a USB device that looks like a memory stick. I ran across the street to the T-Mobile store and learned that they aren't coming out with their version of the USB device until the end of March. So, via Best Buy, I got a "free" one through AT&T, that will cost me double per month for two years of service. But the upcoming T-Mobile device would cost the same, and I had no choice but to upgrade the technology if I want internet access at Harstine. (I've since canceled my T-Mobile cell internet service, and even downgraded my mobile phone service since I don't come close to using my allotted phone minutes anyway). Man! It's like one thing leads to 100 other things!

And the thing I dread the most? Migrating all my s*%^%&t" from this computer to the new one. I did that once before (from my old PC to this laptop) and it was not fun. The migration software I used then was slow and clunky, and it didn't do a bang-up job. It doesn't sound like that type of software has improved much, if any, since then, based on reviews I read. Some of the higher-end software I have (Adobe Suite) I'm going to have to purchase and install separately, hopefully the educational version through Nate's school activity card (he's taking his FINAL CLASS at the community college, last chance to capitalize!). That will save me a ton of money. Everything else I'm just going to have to cross my fingers.

But overall I'm so excited. (Lots of new gadgets lately!)

One thing we sure did notice today? Both Fry's and Best Buy were ZOOs. There were freakin' people everywhere. And the roads were clogged and the mall parking lot was clogged and we were all, "What recession?"

Helloooo, Friday!

So very happy to see this week over and done with. So happy to see this month over and done with. It has been a rough one. Gah!

However, today was pretty darned decent. What a difference a day makes. Yesterday contending with slipping/sliding down the snowy/icy driveway, and today warmish with blue skies and a plugged in Mount Rainier. Today totally felt springish. Uplifting! I almost expected to hear bees buzzing. I bailed from work a little early and came home and took a nap. I've just been whupped lately, and it felt pretty good (even though I really didn't sleep all that well — haven't been lately). Also, ever since my cold has pretty much left the building (that cold was another reason February was so lousy), my voice has been so raspy and gravelly. I did a little research on the internet and learned that an herbal tea called "Throat Coat" was popular among singers as well as politicians on the campaign trail who develop larynx problems. (I thought, "Hmm, maybe if I drink this I'll actually be able to sing!" Ha!) Well, I picked some up on my way home today and I've had two cups and I'm still croaking (singing will never happen). But I'll continue to give it a try.

As they forecast, the clouds have moved back in and the weekend is supposed to be wet and cold. Again, didn't feel like being holed up in the camping trailer at Harstine. We are really hankering for deck fires and beach walks and that's just not in the cards quite yet. Although it sure would have been today!

Some observations:

• Wiener dogs have no concept of "full." You could give them steak bites until they exploded.
• The Kindle 2 is awesome. And I mean it!
• Very much enjoying Wally Lamb's new book.
• Really irritated that my beloved little Mojo-cat widget thingy in my right sidebar (he purrs if you "rub" his belly) suddenly has ads attached to it — that even cover up the cat! Pisses me off!
• I believe that tomorrow JDub and I are going to check out laptops at Frye's. They have the best selection. I have a good idea what I want, but I'm concerned about all the glossy/glary finishes. Hoping there are alternatives. I'm just having all kinds of problems with my 4-year-old HP Pavilion. (Damned thing won't even shut down!)

Uh.

I received my new Kindle-2 and it couldn't have come at a better time. Oh, it's been one of those godawful weeks that culminated this morning with waking up to at least 3" of SNOW on the ground! I'd heard it might "flurry" last night, but I certainly wasn't expecting it to stick. My car pretty much skidded sideways down our steep driveway to the busy road below and my heart lived in my throat throughout much of the day as a result of that trauma.

Thankfully, I met a daunting deadline yesterday (it wouldn't have been so bad if it hadn't been for one egotistical, passive-aggressive, condescending prick for a lame project manager whose inability to make decisions and stick with them throughout the entire process made me fantasize about murder).  Today was our quarterly in-person marketing meeting with all the marketing staff from all our offices, and my beloved boss, Ms. Jodie Foster, was the facilitator. She was great! And in the course of this meeting, I'm thinking I was sent a "sign" of sorts. That corporate position that I'd been agonizing over and ultimately didn't pursue? (The position would be responsible for the bimonthly corporate online newsletter, working with the corporate graphics designer, and doing fill-in proposal work across offices as needed, plus assist the company's communications director with preparing for trade shows and the company's collateral materials — the proposal work itself would be quite minimal compared to what I'm responsible for in my current position). Well anyway, they'd been interviewing for the position since December and they have not found anybody who fits the bill. Once again I sat next to our marketing director who I believe gave me a furtive-but-pointed look when she announced this situation. And after the hell of this week? I realize I do need to go for this. If I don't get it, ah well. If I do, I think it would be a very good fit for me. Don't think I could find a job that would be more up my ally. And all things are pointing positively to our company's stability — we do infrastructure engineering/design and the stimulus package will provide us with a lot of opportunities. (We're the ones who make it all "shovel-ready!") So I don't think now that this would be an expendable position unless things got really really bad. They are definitely serious about filling the position. So...hmmm. I sure do like my boss, though. But this is a change that could  do me good. I think. Who knows? And not actually being "under" Ms. Foster might actually allow a friendship situation to flourish that is difficult when you are boss/subordinate. I sense that we really do connect.

So...no Harstine this weekend (weather's supposed to suck). And I'll be updating my resume. For sure!

Groan.

Oh...it's been a rough week, which will continue. I knew it was going to be. I'm glad I accomplished a lot over the weekend (laundry, work, etc.) and that we had a nice time at my brother's place Saturday evening, finally getting their Christmas presents to them (and my niece's birthday presents!)  Poor JDub had to work all weekend long, which meant he had to get up at 4:30 a.m., so we couldn't stay very late. My niece, M, is holding up the Limoges hinged box I gave to her for her 9th birthday. I have a nice collection of them myself, but I haven't added to it for a long time (I'm due!) I give one to M every birthday, and I think when she's older she'll really get a kick out of them. Pretty, eh? (Not all of them are. I'm not fond of a lot of them, shaped/painted as vegetables, etc.), but the floral boxes really charm me, which is the style I tend to give her. I also have a few in my own collection that aren't floral but they mean a lot to me; like an old-style typewriter (just like I learned on), and a saxophone (that I played and so did Nate), and a weenie dog. But mostly I like the various-shaped floral hinged boxes. They are porcelain, made and hand-painted in France, and I think they make a fun and special collection.

So, yeah. Horrendous week. I said to my boss today: "You know? It's really a shame that there's such a dire penalty for murder." Because I've been dealing with idiots and egos that absolutely warrant murder. (Really!) I make light of it, but jeeze I've been down, stressed, and yearning for retirement (that's not gonna happen for a l-o-n-g time now). I could just scream.

Loved Obama's speech tonight! What an orator! (And what a rock star! Both he and Michelle! ) I love having such a refreshing First Lady. I think a President's choice in a wife says something, and except for Hillary, I haven't been impressed with ANY of them until now. (Hillary bugged me about a number of things, but I respected her intelligence and grit, and do even more so now). I had a major issue with  John Kerry's wife (couldn't stand Teresa) and Cindy McCain made me absolutely gag. Anyway, President Obama's speech was awesome. "We are not quitters."  "We cannot afford to govern out of anger." Another quote of his that he said yesterday that truly resonated with me was this: "The majority has to be inclusive. The minority needs to be constructive."

Need something uplifting. Oh! And my Kindle2 is on the way! I should receive it tomorrow or the next day!

Holy Moly

Yet another bone-crushing week. I'm whupped, I tell you! I'm not the only one, though, so there is a bit of comfort among shared misery. Ms. Jodie Foster (my beloved boss) has had a week from hell, too. Man. And next week will be even worse for me. (And I "get" to work this weekend! For free!) JDub "gets" to, as well (although he does get paid for it!)

Now and then, I have taken some escape time throughout the week, mostly to run and grab some lunch (or to slink down to my car and have a smoke). During those times I'd fire up my Kindle and read for a bit.  I'd downloaded Stephen King's "Ur", a novella he wrote exclusively for the Kindle — and it's ABOUT a Kindle. Oh, it was so good! A little creepy (SK, after all!) And it's true, I sort of view my Kindle in a different way now! I'm very glad it's white and not pink. (I love how "Ur" quietly tied in with the Dark Tower series). I've since downloaded Wally Lamb's new book, "The Hour I First Believed," and was immediately sucked in. I loved his previous books, and I'd forgotten what a super writer he is. So I'm good for an escapist weekend. That is, after I've tackled a Mt. Rainier of laundry.

I'm excited about Ken Griffey, Jr. coming back to the Mariners! It was heartbreaking when he left us — and right after Safeco Field opened — "The House That Griffey Built." At the time it felt like a slap in the face, except for the fact that it became truly evident that it was a family matter. (Alex Rodriguez still can't come back here without being booooooed, or have Monopoly money tossed at him). It's pretty well thought that what made him ultimately decide to come back here was after he played here in 2007 against us and the crowd went nuts and gave him an awesome Standing O and showed their love, and he was blown away by it. I don't think he'd felt that kind of fan love since he left Seattle, and it affected him deeply. It amazes me that Griffey is 39! I remember clearly when he first played for us — at 19! "The Kid." I reckon now he'll be referred to as "Da Man." Also weird to think that his little boy who used to run around the Kingdome locker room is now a high school star athlete. Anyway, it has put people in a good mood around here, which is something we need. I just hope he stays healthy for the year. And smacks the ball a number of times into the "Hit-It-Here Cafe," which again was named for Griffey.

So, last night I made Karen-over-at-Verbatim's Spaghetti and Tomato Fritatta. It was a little bit on the tedious side, but not too bad (I'm not the enthusiastic cook that she is!), but it certainly went over well. Both JDub and Nate really liked it, and it was very tasty. Not the most beautiful dish in the world, but perfect comfort food. And did I mention tasty? The only difference I made to her recipe is that I added mushrooms. (We LOVE mushrooms).

Tonight's a dingable night. (You know, because the microwave goes "ding" when the frozen entree  is done). Nice.

Ants In The Cat Dish

Not sure yet what to title this post. Not even sure yet what this post is going to be ABOUT! Which I guess is part of the fun of blogging. If I'm not liking where it's going, I'll just hit the delete key. (GOD we've come a long way since typewriters!)

While I'm sitting here picking chicken out of my teeth (I swear that meat makes an organic POINT to lodge between each and every tooth), I'll see what I can come up with that isn't overtly bitchy, which is the mood I've been in lately. Most of that has to do with the fact that WORK SUCKS. The savings grace is that it sucks for all three of us marketing folks in our office which tends to bring on rather humorous snarkiness. It's a survival thing. I've been uber-irritable, though, and Annoying Coworker is on my very last nerve. It's everything I can do to keep from being a wee bit too snarky at times...

I'm very much hoping that the stimulus package that President Obama (LOVE saying that) signed is a major success. Not only for the good of all of us and our economy, but so that it will prove the repubs WRONG. In fact, there could be a true test that could clearly prove/disprove the effects, and it's all about California. With their inability to come to a consensus on their dire straits, it appears that the state will take the course that the republicans were holding out for: no funding of infrastructure, tax cuts only, and to hell with state workers. So, California should be a true microcosm of the republican wish list. Let's watch! (I'll bet they'll happily grab a bunch of the federal stimulus offerings, though).

Hey, I've been trying to research laptops. I'm afraid my 4-year-old HP Pavilion is on it last legs, being wacko and unreliable (and overheating yet again) — plus the fact that my USB ports are dying. Before it totally goes kaput, I'm trying to educate myself on a good replacement, and it's totally overwhelming! Any suggestions out there? I do have some requirements, such as a 17" monitor; the ability to easily handle high-end graphics programs like Photoshop and InDesign; a decent video card to handle adventure games; speed and stability; wi-fi (of course); a slot for G3/Edge card for cell signal internet connection; and I DO NOT THINK I want one of those new-fangled metallic/glossy machines. I take my laptop outside during the summer and I don't want glare. For me, my laptop is a desktop replacement, so I want it to be full-blown and I don't care how heavy it is. I only transport it between home and Harstine. So any suggestions would be very welcome!

And happy birthday today to my nine-year-old-niece! (Hey, M, I have presents!)  :o)

~~~~~

Oh yeah! Yesterday I got a kick out of Mojo sitting up on his feeding perch (a file cabinet so the weenies can't get to his food) and he was humorously staring at his dish — just staring at it —which had a few chunks of Iams catfood sitting on it. I figured he was trying to "wish" those chunks into Sheba. (Just can't afford to have Sheba be his 100% diet! Jeesh!) This morning those Iams chunks were still sitting there so I went to put some fresh catfood in his dish....and I discovered that the dish was teaming with tiny ants. THAT'S what he was staring at last night! ANTS! My God, I was so grossed out! That's not happened before — something about Iams? (So, yeah, I came up with a blog post title).

A Harstine Valentine's Day

It was a great day! No, the weather wasn't super, but at least it was dry. (Cold, though!) After the installation of the antenna/booster was completed (and working!), JDub set up a deck fire in the fire thingy and we spent the afternoon sitting in front of it semi-bundled up, listening to tunes. Once it was dark, we went inside (too cold!), but what a nice way to spend an afternoon:

And watch a peaceful and lovely sunset:

Then it was time to prepare Steak Diane. It was not at all difficult and it was actually a perfect meal to prepare in the camping trailer. It was so good!  I kept it simple with just beans and no starch, because I knew it would be rich (complete with "heavy cream"!)

(Yes, I'm very accustomed to having an in-process  jigsaw puzzle as our table cloth!)

Here we are toasting our nummy Valentine's Day dinner (me with wine, JDub with milk!)

NOM!   

Temporary Heaven

For the brief time that I can, I'm soaking in this lovely and relaxing time at Harstine Island. Saturdays are the best (if it's just to be a 2-day weekend, which it is because we don't have President's Day off).  Like I've mentioned before, the time between New Year's Day and Memorial Day is One Long Horrendous Hellacious Haul. No holidays. We are considering maybe taking a couple of vacation days off at some point to make a long weekend. (JDub has tons of vacation time; me not so much). We haven't planned anything, though. It's just in thinking/wishing stages.

I've received the greatest Valentine's gift! JDub installed the super-duper-tall antenna in conjunction with the cell signal booster and it WORKS. It works great! True, it's not broadband (for instance, I still can't stream video from here, like watching Maddow's segments on MSNBC.com) but I have a solid 4 bars (sometimes 5!)  of cell signal (instead of one and maybe two bars) and stability. That's the main thing.

I'm fixing Steak Diane for dinner tonight for Valentine's Day. It's a recipe I grabbed from Mark Bittman (from the New York Times) and it just sounds doable and delicious. Oddly enough, I Twittered about my plans and I actually received a reply from Mark Bittman himself!  I'd best do this recipe proud! Gulp!

Mellow here. The birdfeeders are now well-stocked, but I haven't seen many birds out there. I did see a cat checking out the feeders, one I've never seen around here before. Striped and skinny. Hmm. Good thing Mojo nor the weenies saw it. Wonder where it came from? At first I thought it was a  skinny raccoon, but no.

There is actually Vitamin D sunshine happening outside!

Happy Birthday, Darwin

(And also Abe Lincoln!)

I thought this was totally fitting (and funny!)

Here We Go Again

Work is nuts. We're in that "transition labor" scenario again, and I'm feeling that fight-or-flight sensation that always tends to accompany these scenarios. JUST got a huge deadline out the door and now I have three more — two of which are due on the same day. I've got dozens of people coming at me from dozens of different directions and trying to keep these straight? "Which one of these are you referring to?" My God. (There really isn't enough money to make all this worthwhile. Well, maybe there would be, but I'm not seeing it). The only savings grace is that I do feel support from my boss. I even feel comfortable telling her "OK, I need a talking down here, I'm feeling stressed" and she's able to put things into perspective and make some valid suggestions. And simply calm me down. Plus the fact that her plate is full, too. (She most definitely carries her own weight — I have a ton of respect for her).

Yes, I'm wondering if I should have pursued that other job I mentioned a few weeks ago (in the corporate office). But it would be deadline-driven, too, and require proposals as well (from some of our out-of-state offices). I'm just not sure that it would be all that different. And at least Ms. Jodie Foster is a known positive factor in my current work-life. Not so sure what I'd be contending with at the corporate office (other than knowing a couple of people who could conceivably drive me insane).  So....I haven't pursued it. However, I don't think it's too late if I were to change my mind. (The other issue on my mind about this position is that it could easily be considered expendable, and in this economy that might not be a good thing).

I think what I need is something to look forward to. Maybe a trip to Vegas? Maybe just a long weekend at Harstine? Something! A road trip? (Where we can really enjoy the entertainment of that bitchy GPS woman's voice!) I need to have my eye on a prize to get me through all this. ('Course, I do have my new Kindle to look forward to....)