Please, please, please let this work

I am praying that I am not in the parallel universe

I'll be right back.....

*   *   *   

IT WORKED!!!!!
I got it to post from Picassa!

I'm not sure how but I'm not going to press my luck by poking around tonight. I'm going to bed now.
Goodnight All :)

I'm listening

Just a quickie tonight.

I'm thrilled that people are commenting...OK I know they almost exclusively my teachers at Betty Blogger, but it's exciting to come in here hit "sign in" and see "there are comments to be moderated"...thrilling I tell ya!

And it's not just because people are taking the time to comment but that they are sharing some great info. See Library Lady's comment in previous blog re: social networking. I know that it's all ultimately about marketing but her comment shows how harmlessly it is presented and how insidious it all is. This is yet another reason why I'm very selective about what info I give out.

You are probably saying to yourself, "What do you mean selective? You're blabbing about yourself in a Blog for Pete's sake."

"Ah, you're right." I would say to you. But, I choose the story and the info that I want to present from whatever perspective I want, which tends to be that of an amused witness. You won't find things I consider very personal, otherwise you'd be reading my diary and even I couldn't stand reading that s**t for very long.

My diaries were my form of therapy, written so that I might better understand the workings of my mind. That is, before I gave up trying to understand it and simply learned to accept it and go along for the ride.

Here's a sample of what went on in my mind as I (from the vantage point of my mid 40's) re-read entries  from diaries that I had loving lugged back and forth and back and forth with me between B.C and Ontario from my early 20's to my mid 30's. 

OK you've finally figured it out great! Then I read a little more...nope you didn't get it. And a little more...I can't believe you fell for that yet again. Further on...Oh man what the hell's wrong with you. You're certainly not the sharpest pencil in the box are ya!  Finally...I'm so done with this. Bury it so no one sees this record of self-imposed pathetic moments. Better still burn it!

And that's just what I did. I can hear you all gasping now. "You burned your diaries! Why, they are a record of your life and are priceless gems for you to look upon in your old age as you reminisce." 

"Oh please! Is reminiscence another word for torture? It was absolutely LIBERATING"!!! I have had more than my share of pathetic moments and "No I don't need to relive them". Instead I aspire to become an 80 year old crone weaving memories of a life filled with passion, adventure and wisdom.

I tore the pages of my diaries from their bindings; rolled them up into a gazillion "fire bundles"; took them up to a cottage and every night threw a bunch on to the fire and watched them and the person who wrote them go up in flames.

It was fitting because the day after I returned home from that holiday was my first day at Shiatsu School and the beginning of my new life.

my inner geek

I've been playing around a lot more with computer stuff since taking the Betty Blogger course.

I have found the Diggo bookmarking feature really helpful and am storing all of my "must see/must save" info on it. Since the info goes with me wherever I am or whatever computer I'm on, I'm sold. Now when I have to get a new computer I won't need a computer geek to transfer the info onto.

I've been on Facebook since my nephew's wedding in 2008. My sister-in-law posted her photos on it for all of the family to see. It was incredible - pics and text to boot. But, my site remained faceless and profile-less for about a year before I dared enter any info - I've got 4 pics; only 1 of myself. If I choose to "share" I do it through my blog where I am the master of my own universe.

Facebook. I love it and I hate it.

I love that I can pop on and get a quick update on friends' comings and goings and states of mind revealed in short sound bites. I love that I can see photos of my friends and their growing families enjoying themselves. Some friends have quite a photographic eye and talent for snapping pictures and I get to see the great shots they've taken. Lately, a friend of a friend shared breathtaking photos of stars in a clear night sky; and my friend is THE Green Thumb Queen Extraordinaire with the pictures of her garden and flowers to prove it.

I love that when I  ask "friends" a question through Facebook my chances of getting relevant info has expanded exponentially.

What I don't like is that, although you can adjust your privacy settings so that only your "friends" can see your profile info, anyone can see you dancing on tables buck naked at the company Christmas party if that's what somebody chooses to share with their "friends". When it comes to picture sharing what happens on facebook stays on facebook and travels around the world for all to see without your knowledge or control (I could be wrong).

In this day and age, it seems to me, Superman and all his masked and caped friends would need to develop new super powers in order to keep their identity secret cus sure enough one of their friends, most likely the cub reporter Jimmy (having had to many shots of booze) in a drunken stupour would find the urge to "share" his shots on Facebook. Before you know it you'd be surfing some friend of a friend of a friend's photo album, come across pictures 2 through 8 and recognize Clark Kent caught in a moment of wild abandon: tossing off his hornrims; unbuttoning his shirt to reveal the tell-tale blue, skin tight leotard and hint of the tip of a red and yellow emblem before flashing to his senses and clumsily fumbling to re-button his shirt and you'd say to yourself...Hey that guy looks a lot like... .

I also don't get Farmville and all that kind of stuff but then I've never been into the "games" aspect of computers, not even solitaire, so I don't really want to know that you've just adopted a baby pig...IT DOESN'T EXIST AND NEITHER DOES YOUR FARM. GET A LIFE!  Nothing makes me exit Facebook in disgust quicker. Besides, my hamster has been waiting for me while I've been following your exploits in virtual reality land. I visit my i-google homepage regularly to feed, water and exercise it...

HEY WAIT A MINUTE WHAT THE HELL'S WRONG WITH ME? I worked in animation for Pete's sake, I should know better. Thanks to some fellow Betty Blogger (who will remain nameless) who put the cool fish swimming gadget on her blog I explored aBowman and found my hammy - see how cute he is! 

There's another love/hate thing about Facebook and social networking, one can get hooked on an infinite variety of time wasting activity - which I consider most of the apps to be. Playing around with apps during a Betty Blogger drop-in I found that friends are on Marketplace and I noticed it on my list of apps in the more section below the ones I've chosen. I didn't choose it. What was it doing there? A few weeks ago I was just browsing, I thought. So I had to go into settings and block it. I find the amount of access to my information most apps want is unacceptable. Melissa (library lady's assistant) said that many of the apps are created by third parties - I don't know where else my info might go or if I'll end up getting a lot of crap showing up on my computer. If in doubt, don't go there.

I joined the Betty Blogger Summer School "group" as part of the exercise but I can't say that I'll continue to visit the group once the course is complete - it's all I can do to write blog entries and follow blogs I like.

I'll have to limit my vices and blogging's it...except for my hammy... and I'll have to figure out what TWITTER'S all about...but, I swear to God that's it!

What do you think?

I have to be honest about something. I'm not proud of it but here it goes.


You complete me.

Yes, I joined Betty Blogger to become social media savvy but now that people are commenting on my blog (my instructors mainly) well it all feels so right. Fellow Betty Bloggers you know what I'm talking about! Sure, friends occasionally comment on my blog entries in person, through e-mail or facebook, even over the phone but rarely do they do so in the blog itself.

I don't know why this is as it couldn't be more convenient.

Picture this. The moon is full, you've had a hard day and you're seeking some "me time"; time to be entertained; time for "brain candy". You don your flannel PJ's and fuzzy slippers, schlep off to your den, plonk down in front of the computer, set your cup of steaming, black brew on the table and start surfing the web. After a half hour of mindless fun you enter into blog territory; the arena of real people leading real lives.

Ah, what's this? You've stumbled onto a site containing such whit, wisdom, and beauty that OMG you are awe struck. Unbeknownst to you somewhere out there in the real world a lonely, forgotten, wanna be writer, taps away decoding the stream of consciousness flowing out of their brain for the public to behold. From the cold, dark, damp, depths of her basement (I know, I know. Lucky her it's frikin' sweltering out there today. At least she has a basement, I don't even have central air and I'm in this tiny apartment... I already said that you're in flannel PJ's imagine that it's winter OK) she huddles over the white glow eminating off her screen.

Aw, come on, send her some encouragement. A little, "Hello out there.", "I think your stuff is fun.", even send her your own perspective or experience regarding the topic of the day to let her know that she's touched a cord. It might even spur others on to comment as well and a nice little forum could take place - sort of like facebook only you could be totally anonymous. And, hey you're already on the blog what could be simpler.

Here's a slightly edited version of how to comment courtesy of the Library Lady:

"At the end of each post you’ll find space to comment. Commenting is a huge component of blogging. Please feel free to comment on my blog. To do so, fill in the box provided, select your profile (always select Google Account) and click POST COMMENT. If you’re not signed into blogger, you can post anonymously or you’ll have to sign in. Once you’ve completed the steps, you’re comment will appear. It’s a nice way to make contact between fellow students and myself."

Please note that some bloggers, like myself, choose to review the comments before allowing them to show up on their post. As ruling monarchs of our little blog territory we get to make up the rules.

See the "tell me what you think" at the end of my post well that's your opportunity to make a comment. Just click on it and follow the directions. Yes, you do need a google account but it'll only take a second. Come on, what do you say...I'm bloody freezn' down here, and it's dark, and I'm all alone, and...
Could I make it sound any more pathetic?
You could comment on that.

mucking about

Here I am pondering the wonders of the computer age. This is a pose I suppose I take a lot now that I'm addicted to blogging.

Just mucking about and not knowing what it does, I clicked on Photo Booth. BAM! There I was on the screen staring back at myself - it was a bit of a shock - didn't have time to prepare myself for what I was about to see. I preferred the pencil rendering to the photo style so this is what you see here. It sets a rather reflective tone, don't you think?

Rod said tonight, "just a few years ago we both said we'd never have cell phones or e-mail because we didn't want to be accessible 24/7. And now we can't even go a single day without using them. Who'd have thought that we'd have 2 cell phones and (as of a few weeks ago) 2 computers... and we've almost figured out how to use them!"

I'm amazed at how essential this technology has become personally and professionally. Many clients now make their appointments through e-mail. And, dare I say it, I'm actually getting to enjoy what this stuff can do.

Blogging has helped me so much. It motivates me to learn because I'm curious as to what I can do by experimenting. It's just me, the keyboard, my camera and my imagination. What can I do with all of this? I check out the work of others and am inspired by the work I see them producing.

The picture placement on my last post sucked so I am now trying out the new post editor; didn't realize that there even was a new version. My picture placement looked fine until I posted it and then it just got weird and so I consulted the help section of blogger and found out about the updated version.

Just yesterday morning, over a cup of coffee and a croissant at Pane Fresco, after a training walk in prep for Around the Bay, Candy told me to check out Julie's blog - A Really Good Yarn - (Julie owns The Needle Emporium in Ancaster). Candy, an avid reader and fan of knitting blogs, had seen some mention of picture placement in one of Julie's entries.

Wouldn't you know it, later that same day after a knitting session with Pam and Glyn, Pam and I decided to go to Julie's shop today to get some assistance with the Inside Outside Scarf that we thought would be so much "fun to do" but was instead causing us huge agro.

Fantastic! Today I was able to hit 2 birds with one stone getting not only knitting but blogging help too. Could a day be any better than that?

And, as you can also see, Flippy approves of the new computer. Here she is, last Friday, marking her territory rubbing her little saliva glands all over it. I tried to shove her away, but she was persistent.

As I took the picture I noticed Maya sitting patiently in the doorway. (Look really closely, she's to the left of Flip; you can see her silhouette against the green wall.) I lost track of time and, according to them, it was getting around dinner time. Maya (aka The Opportunist) was waiting for Flip to do her magic - bug the hell out of me until I give in to her demands.

Since the cats rule the household I was eventually forced to do their bidding otherwise I feared that the laptop would become a gooey mess, permanently anointed with kitty slobber. I'm still in the infatuation stage. I still store it in the box it came in and that's where it'll go now.

Good night...or rather, good grief I should say, "Good morning."

P.S. Thanks for the help Julie - it works great!