Progress

Remember how I posted about six weeks ago about how organized I was for Christmas and Chanukkah this year? How this year was going to be different? Huh. I'm not sure what happened, but all of a sudden, it is just about Thanksgiving, and I still have a ton of shopping to do.

I have gotten a few things out of the way - gifts for the girls and for my parents. I'm really excited because I got them a great gift - a digital camera. They have borrowed mine a few times and commented on how much they like it, so I know they're going to really like and use this gift. I use mine all the time - especially for capturing pictures of the kids. I can't really even imagine life without it anymore.

Of course, once I started browsing for a good price on digital cameras I realized how out of date mine is already. For about a third of what the camera I use (5.1 mp, 3x zoom) cost back when I got it (2004), I was able to buy my parents one with 7.x mp and 5x zoom. I would really like to upgrade mine, but ‘tis the season for giving, not for treating oneself, so it will have to wait. And, speaking of outdated equipment, don’t even get me started on our digital video camera. At five years of age, this thing is a huge, clunky relic already. And, I shudder when I think about how much it cost at the time…

Anyway, I’m really excited to give them this gift. So far, aside from the Sit N’ Spin (remember those?!?!) that I got for the girls, it is my bright spot in holiday shopping this year.

The Garage

When we bought our house, Evan and I were equally exicted about the fact that it had a garage. Our old house, in snowy freaking Massachusetts, did not, and I can't tell you what a pain it was to have to shovel the car out of the snow every other day for months on end.

So, I say that we were equally excited, but, apparently, we didn't quite have the same end in mind. I has assumed that the garage would, oh, I don't know...BE A PLACE TO PARK OUR CAR. Evan, clearly, had other ideas, and our garage, to date, has yet to have had a car parked in it. Instead, it is a mess of lawn equipment, patio furniture, grills, bicycles, garbage cans, tools, beach gear, an extra oven that we 'might want someday' and other such stuff.

I've pretty much given up on the idea that we will park a car in there, though I guess the mild winters here make that not such a problem. However, Evan informed me the other day that he's going to clean out the garage to make room for him to do the finish work on a piece of furniture in it. I'm hoping once it is clean and organized, and once he gets some good garage lighting in there, it will at least be a more useful storage space so that we don't have play a life-size game of tetrus every time we want to locate something.

The more time I spend around college students...

...the more I start to think that 18 is really too young to ask kids to choose a school, pick a major, begin planning a career and for some, live away from home. I'm teaching a freshman seminar course again this year, and I'm just astounded at how ill-prepared a lot of students are for college life. And, as a senior in high school, how well can we really expect them to properly research their choice of schools? I have a number of students in my class who really shouldn't be here -- the culture here is not a good fit for them, and it makes me sad to think about how much money they are spending to be here, and not thrive.

I think students (and parents) need to do a lot more research on schools before deciding on one. Sadly, I think for many, they are swayed by factors such as student loans or location of campus, rather than the things that really make or break your college experience. I definitely understand why those things are important, but I just think a lot of students end up at schools for the wrong reason - what a costly mistake.

Anyway, I generally don't like to write about work on this blog (for fear of being dooced!), so I'll just leave it at that, I suppose.

Doesn't this sound nice?

A skiing vacation in Europe. Don't you just picture amazing, Alpine slopes, gorgeous little villages tucked into the mountains, amazing coffee and hot chocolate, tasty food, and sipping wine by the fire? That's what I think of, anyway. Somehow--and maybe this is just complete fantasy on my part--the thought of a ski holiday in Europe just seems a little more glamorous and refined than say, the Poconos or the Catskills (our closests ranges).

While skiing may not be the first thing you think of when you think of vacationing in Europe, it is actually a pretty big deal in many parts of the continent. Courchevel, France, St. Anton, Austria, Meribel, France, as well as a zillion places in the Swiss Alps are all renowned destinations for luxury skiing holidays. I think it would be awesome to rent one of the luxury ski chalets in Courchevel, for example, and have a real, old-world style skiing vacation. I mean, everyone always complains that Europe is too hot and crowded in the summer, so why not visit in the winter?

Sadie is going to love this

Alyssa, Jim, and Kayleigh's birthday gift arrived yesterday - I'm going to wrap it and give it to Sadie on her birthday. She's been very interested in playing with our digital camera, and she's taken some pretty good shots, actually. I just know she's going to love it. And, I look forward to seeing what kinds of pictures she takes, given free reign over her own camera.

It is hard to imagine life without a digital camera anymore, isn't it? I know this blog wouldn't be half as interesting (it is interesting, isn't it? *insert worried, paranoid look here*) without the inclusion of the photos I take of the kids. In fact, until I invest in one of those digital picture frames I'm interested in, this place (and kodak gallery) are pretty much the only place I display them, since I rarely get prints made anymore.

What do you think?

Does this seem like it would work? The concept is 'cheating to lose', where you are allowed--required, even--to eat traditional no-no's like french fries, ice cream, pizza in order to lose weight. Sounds too good to be true, doesn't it? I guess, though, that the idea is that you'll kick-start your metabolism and trick your body into getting into the fat burning zone. My guess is that you aren't given carte blanche to eat and eat whatever whenever, but that you will be allowed strategic treats instead. Definitely an interesting idea. I'll be curious to see if the cheat to lose diet gets traction.

Save the Trees

Have you ever closed on a house? How about refinanced? Taken out an equity line? If so, you know how much paper is generated by these transactions. Tons of paper, tons of signing and initialing and all for a stack of papers that gets filed somewhere in your house, and generally never touched again. We refinanced twice on our Mass. house, and when we moved and I was cleaning out the files, I came across the closing packets from the original sale. Why did I keep them? More importantly, why did they have to be generated in the first place?

I think the idea of eclosing makes a lot of sense. It is an entirely electronic closing process for mortgages. I already do all of my banking and bookkeeping online, so it makes sense that these types of transactions should happen there, too. And best of all...say goodbye to the enormous stacks of closing documents cluttering up your important papers files!

Speaking of being back at work...

Things are kicking up again. This is really our busiest time of the year, not surprisingly. One of my big projects is to plan and execute an event that showcases innovative uses of technology in teaching and learning, by faculty here. One of the bigger challenges in putting this event together is driving the attendence numbers that we hope for. In the first place, it is hard enough to get the participants to visualize what the event will be, never mind the guests.

So, I'm looking into creating a site that details information about the event, in advance. Well, I'm actually considering using a template, rather than creating my own. I've looked at a couple of examples for conference registration sites and I think I know what I want.

The one I looked at--RegOnline.com--does a nice job of creating attractive sites that create the appearance of a custom-designed registration page. This is pretty much what I want. A lot of the stuff that is home grown where I work tends to look, well...homegrown. You know, people judge a book by its cover, and if the first thing a potential registrant sees is a shabby looking page, I think it can set the wrong tone for their perception of what the event might be like. I definitely like the polished look of RegOnline's Conference Registration Forms.

For example:



I'm going to have to add this to the list of things to talk my (interim) boss into paying for ;)

Get up and Do Something (good)

Every year, thousands of people develop early signs of Alzheimer's Disease. This horrible disease attacks the brain. It is the most common form of dementia. It is NOT a normal part of aging. In my opinion, it is one of the worst diseases a person can develop - because it robs them of their memories, and robs their loved ones of the person they know and love, leaving them with a stranger to care for. Evan's grandmother suffers from dementia, and I can say, it is truly a horrible thing to see someone who was once so full of vitality and personality wither away mentally.

As advances in medicine are allowing people to live longer lives, I think this will become a bigger issue for more and more people. Because of this, I think it is so important that a cure for this debilitating disease be found.

Every year, since 1989, the Alzheimer's Association has sponsored the Memory Walk, designed to get people out there gathering support and funding for Alzheimer's research. There are opportunities available now to start up a team. Team captains are needed! I know of friends and family members who have organized teams for other causes (Race for the Cure, Relay for Life), and they all talk about what a powerful experience it is to do so. I can imagine that being a team captain for the Memory Walk would be just such an experience. In addition, I think it would be fun, especially if you formed a team full of friends and family.

More and more lately, I've been thinking about and talking about setting an example for Sadie as far as civic responsibility. It is all too easy to sit back and ignore some of the bigger problems in society if they don't affect you directly. Just because no one super near and dear to me is suffering from Alzheimer's, it doesn't mean that I can't do something for the cause. As I like to say...if you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem.

Halloween in August

No, I'm not talking about the fact that all of the stores have had Halloween wares up since immediately after the fourth of July (but, isn't that annoying? I hate when stores rush the seasons). I'm talking about Halloween the movie, the remake of which will be released at the end of this month. How many of you have had your pants scared off by Michael Meyers? Halloween was the first really scary movie I remember seeing (well, sort of seeing - I think I hid my eyes for much of it). To this day, it remains up there as one of my favorite scary films. It is also the first movie I think of when I think of Jamie Lee Curtis.

Anyway, I'm pretty excited for this to be released. It is written and directed by Rob Zombie. I actually had no idea that he did anything other than make music. But, I was reading about him on Wikipedia, and it seems that he has (shows you how much I know). Given his love of gore and violence, it seems like this movie will be the perfect outlet for him. I'm kind of curious to see what angle he's going to take. The hype about the remake talks about Zombie's 'unique vision'...so, I'm intrigued.

I found a trailer of the movie:




Looks good, doesn't it? And, scary as can be. I'm certain that I don't have the guts to go see this one in the theatres, but it is definitely going to be on my must rent list, once it comes to dvd.

Pink Ribbon Campaign

One of my best friends, Lydia, and her husband are coming by this afternoon for a cookout. Lydia is a breast cancer survivor, and since her diagnosis (April 26, 2004), subsequent treatment, and recovery, finding (and funding) a cure for breast cancer has become a subject close to my heart. So, in honor of her visit today (and, since all the fall catalogues are starting to arrive and make me think about buying clothes for cooler weather), I thought I'd pass along this press release on pink pashminas charity donation:

Pashmina Sales Donate to Breast Cancer

Now when you pick up a pashmina, you can have the choice of donating to a well known and worthy cause - breast cancer research! To support the Pink Ribbon campaign for fundraising in the fight against breast cancer, for any order containing a pink pashmina, part of the sale value will be given directly to cancer research.

Pashmina International partnered with International Breast Cancer Research Foundation in July 2007 and is committed to helping defeat breast cancer. They will donate 5% of the total value of relevant orders directly to IBCRF. The pashminas are available in six different styles, from $25.99, including free delivery to any location in the world.

The scarves are of a high quality, and at a very competitive price, so there's really no excuse for not helping a worthy cause. "I just can't believe how soft it is" said Irene, from the UK. Camilla Field, marketing director of Pashmina International, is really up for the cause. "I buy a pink ribbon every year", she said.

IBCRF, currently in its fifteenth year, is committed to practical, cost-effective, breakthrough research that takes advantage of the most promising opportunities and ideas everywhere in the world. This research – especially clinical research – holds the key to understanding, preventing and curing breast cancer.

Pashmina International specialises in genuine cashmere/silk pashmina shawls and scarves. Free worldwide shipping is available on every order, and all the garments are fuzzy, soft, and lightweight. There are no artificial fibers in the scarves, and Pashmina International operates a strict no-child-labor policy, which includes strict standards and personal factory checks.

Full details of this Pink Ribbon offer can be found on the web at http://www.pashminainternational.com/pipara.html

Anonymity (or lack thereof) on the Web

Has anyone been following the news item about the CEO of Whole Foods? Apparently, in a bid to devalue a competitor's stock, he posted a number of anonymous messages on Yahoo's finance boards, prior to Whole Foods making an offer to buy the competitor. You have to wonder...how stupid is this guy, if he thinks that anything can really happen anonymously online.

I don't really have a problem with what you post being attributed to you (I think there are far too many people who I call "web wizards of Oz" -- people who feel empowered to be something they never would have the guts to be in a face to face situation-- trolling the Web). But, I do think that people should be able to browse/view/read whatever they want on the Web without it being traced back to them. Nowadays, that is becoming harder and harder to do. So, I'm interested in checking out this product--http://www.thebestvpn.net--that apprently offers a personal VPN service for anonymous browsing. I mean, after all, just because I disclose to my hordes ;) of readers that I check in on celebrity gossip on a daily basis, doesn't mean I want the powers that be to know.

Cool Stuff

Love the Police? By now, you probably know that I do. So, if you do, too, here's something to check out:



Please click on this to go and view an awesome banner where you can watch The Police's videos, listen to tracks from The Police's new 2 cd hits collection, enter to win a trip to NYC to see The Police in concert and even view details about their current world tour.

As I've mentioned in some of my other posts, summer is an incredibly slow time at my work. Well, slow for work, I mean. It is hopping for all of my 'extracurricular' activities, such as reading up on the world's news, catching up on some of the message boards that I post at, and just generally playing around on the Web. So, you know I was all over this banner and the stuff you could do there. They even have ringtones to download. My big decision of the day is which one to choose.

In addition, you can find the following there:

Videos

Track List / Jukebox Tour

Enter The Contest

Send To Friend

Ringtones

And, if you haven't already done so, make sure you grab a copy of the compilation Police cd that was released last month. I've had it on heavy rotation on my iPod lately - so many oldies but goodies on there. Anyway, happy exploring!

Like It?

This is what Sadie and I did this evening, in honor of our wonderful day at the beach. I will say, we've never managed anything quite so grand when working in the brick and mortar sand and water environment of the Jersey Shore. Anyway, Sadie got a real kick out of doing it. She loves to play on the computer, and loves to build Sandcastles, so it was a win-win for her.

The site was super easy to use, and Sadie wasn't the only one who got a kick out of making one. What can I say? I'm easily entertained. After we had made it, it found a spot in the site's gallery, so I showed Sadie how she was now an exhibited artist. I think the humor was lost on her.

I like to find opportunities for Sadie to 'play' on the computer, to practice her eye and hand coordination, fine motor skills, and ability to follow directions. We often go to some of the educational sites, but I'm always keeping a look out, too, for commercial sites that offer similar opportunities. Sadie doesn't care that this site eventually directs us to a solicitation to book a beach vacation (though, I should be careful letting her play unsupervised...who knows what we'll end up with!). She just thinks it is fun to make things with the mouse. In fact, in addition to the one I'm showcasing, she made three others (the one shown represents her 'best in show'), and I'm sure she'll want to play around with it again tomorrow. Of course, tomorrow is supposed to be a gorgeous day, so she'll practice her sandcastle building skills at the beach, but this is a nice thing to keep in mind for rainy day activities (see my post from yesterday!).

Free Music

I'm always looking for new, interesting, and whenever available, free music to download. Because I get so sick of the canned playlists that most of the commercial radio stations play and play to death, I'm especially interested in unsigned and independent bands. So, I thought this was worth passing along - a British unsigned chart with free music downloads. Definitely worth checking out if you like to stay ahead of the curve with new music.

Is your bedroom a retreat?

The way I see it, I spend more time in the bedroom than in any other room in the house. Granted, I'm not conscious for most of that time, but it is still time spent. This is the first place we've lived where I've actually put thought into the decor in the bedroom. Instead of a bland, neutral color for the walls, we painted them a calming (I think, anyway) deep olive green, and the trim and window treatments are a cream color. The result is a very serene room. The duvet we have is the one we brought from our last house. The color works (it is a muted grayish lavendar), but I'm ready for a change. So, I've been looking online for duvet covers and bedspreads and seen some nice ones. Opinions solicited...given what I've described about our color scheme, should we go for a bold (jewel tone, heavily textured) spread, or another neutral one? Suggestions welcomed!

My Guilty Pleasure

The other night, I was online when Evan came up behind me and asked what I was reading. I had to 'fess up. I was reading about how Paris Hilton is faring behind bars. He gave me a strange look. Yes, it is true...in the 17 years we've been together, I've managed to keep my dirty little secret hidden from him. Well, now it is out. My name is Deborah, and I am a celeb gossip hound. *hangs head in shame*

Well, now that you know that about me, let me tell you where I get my 'fix': CelebrityGossip.com. If, like me, you have some perverse need to know whether Lindsay Lohan's birthday party plans are still in the works, or whether TomKat are really expecting baby number two, this is the site to hit.

What would you do?

Can you imagine being stranded in an unknown city with no money or resources? Do you think you could survive? Would you forage for food? Beg for money? Sleep in unlocked cars and on park benches?

I'm pretty sure I wouldn't survive for very long in this scenario! Evan, on the other hand, would probably live to a ripe old age. He's just super resourceful like that. I swear, he'd be salvaging tomato seeds from the garbage and growing plants in a corner of some public park. He'd build a shelter out of abandoned car parts. He'd, of course, be befriended by sympathetic folks and probably offered a warm bed and a hot meal, if I know him.

On June 28th USA Network is premiering a new TV series, Burn Notice, that will show us how a former CIA operative deals with a similar situation. I think it should be a pretty interesting watch. I'm sure Evan will be into watching it, if I know him.

I would imagine, in some ways, it would be easier to survive out in nature, away from a city, if you know a bit about camping and wilderness survival. So, I'll be curious to see what tricks this guy has up his sleeve to survive in the urban jungle, sans food or money.

Check out USA Network's Burn Notice and maybe, just maybe, you'll learn more than Evan knows about 'surviving'.

Linus

My aunt and uncle have the sweetest little Beagle, Linus. He's pretty young still (about five years old or so), and was recently diagnosed with Lymphoma. He is currently undergoing chemo, and responding well, but I just feel so bad for him. He is the fourth dog that I know of to be treated for cancer. Back in 'the day', if your pet got really sick like this, it was just a death sentence, and the kindest thing to do was to have them put down once they became uncomfortable. Now, there are so many other options.

I think this aggressive treatment of illness in pets is a fairly recent phenomenom. I'm sure it is due, in part, to the fact that there have been so many medical advances in veterinary care that it is now a reasonable thing to consider when a pet gets sick. It seems like if you have a pet nowadays, it is a good idea to get pet health insurance. I was reading some statistics, and 2 out of 3 pets will develop a serious medical issue in their lifetime. Just as most (reasonable) people wouldn't willingly bring children into the world without health insurance, I would say that if you are considering owning a pet (or do own one), you should consider buying pet insurance. I know I would never want to be in the position of making a decision about my animal's care based primarily on what I could or couldn't afford.

Anyway, if you are the praying, meditating, well-wish sending type, keep little Linus in your thoughts.

wugh

The air conditioning has been out of service in my building for almost two weeks now. Last week, it was very cool, so I didn't really notice, but today it is hot, hot, hot, already (11am), and expected to get even hotter as the day goes on. We have fans running, so that is helping to move the air and keep it from being so still and stifling, but everything--from the air to the office furniture--has that damp, sticky feeling to it. It is so ridiculously quiet in the office this time of year, that it almost seems feasible that we could just take our laptops and work remotely (like, from the beach!). Ah, a girl can dream, right?