Friday the 13th

I woke up at midnight....well, actually five minutes until midnight and suspected that OUT OF THE BLUE, I had come down with a cold.  We'll see.  I spent about an hour feeling like I had bugs crawling up my nose. Way up my nose and I was stuffed up and miserable within minutes.  Got out of bed and proceeded to squirt nasal spray, take an allergy pill, set out the kleenex box, and spread a pat of Vicks under my nose.  Good ole Vicks!

Maybe I'll throw my pillows in the dryer for a few minutes. Never sure if that works but I keep thinking being in bed with my head buried in pillows has something to do with this as it's happened before.  Dust mites and all.  Eweeew.. Now that I think about it, I do have a plastic-like pillow cover around here somewhere. I'll have to hunt it down. It's a noisy thing, though. Too crackly.  Can you tell I don't have much to talk about this morning?  Ha Ha  I'm more interested in seeing how my cursor behaves as I type along.  Still can't figure out why it sometimes moves to a different spot. Perhaps I'm barely touching some function key and don't realize it. This keyboard does seem to take on a life of its own.

Like  now.  I paused after coming down here for a new paragraph and my cursor jumped back to the word "crackly" right between the c and k.  Anybody have an answer why that happened?  I know I didn't touch a thing.  Going to make a new paragraph now and pause to see where it goes.

Okay. We're playing games now. It didn't jump anywhere. Dang blast it!

My computer room (I've got to find another name instead of computer room)...like office.  Yeah, office works better. Now to try and remember to refer to it as the office.  Anyhow, it's slowly filling up with techy stuff.  I brought my old computer back from Jenni's and have it plugged in behind and below me along with my old printer and scanner.

In front.....okay....there...my mouse cursor was laying near the bold key and when I started to type, the key was activated. I moved the cursor to the abc key, and a cross-through occurred. That tells me that my mouse is trying to dictate my typing. Maybe I'll need to unhook it and use the laptop mouse instead.  I guess I'll continue to experiment and see why my plug-in mouse is thinking it knows better.

Anyhow, back to my techy gadgets....My thrift store stereo seems to play my cassettes very well. Much better than the two boom boxes I was using.  It has a radio too so I may continue to use it even after I figure out how to transfer my tapes. My son thinks the tapes will need to be transferred to my computer into a file of their own as he's not sure they'll convert to a format that Itunes offers.  Just more "stuff" for me to learn.....but I'm getting there.

I  brought my old computer back as I needed to download some files that  we neglected to transfer from Outlook Express.  I also decided I preferred my old printer and scanner as I was used to them.  Since they won't work without the computer, I hooked them back up too.  I still like my new printer/scanner; I just have to get to the point where it's not intimidating me.  Kind of nice to have two printers anyway.  Especially since I just bought color ink for the old printer and that stuff isn't cheap!

Okay, enough chatting about nothing. I'm off to the shower to see if I can't make the happy peppy Joyce appear. She usually emerges after a hot shower---until that is, she sees her happy peppy naked body in the large mirror facing her as she opens the shower door. Then she converts back to the real world quickly! 

Hmmm...my left fingers feel numb.  I wonder if that's because my wrists are sitting on the keyboard to type.  If it isn't one thing, it's another.

Doesn't look as frosty cold out there this morning. Weatherman says rain is due and then the white stuff. Guess I'll go hunt for my boots out in the garage. Maybe I'll clean out the garage today if it's not too cold. Might as well stir up the dust since it seems I've already got things stirred up while in bed. That means putting off the shower until afterwards.  Life is so full of decisions.  Ha!

Note from Linda Farina

 I asked my Doctor why do I & other people urinate (pee) so much at night time.

Answer from my Cardiac Doctor = Gravity holds water in the lower part of your body when you are upright.

When you lie down & the lower body (legs & other things) seeks level with the kidneys it is then that the kidneys remove the water because it is easier.

This then ties in with the last statement!
I knew you need your minimum water to help flush the toxins out of your body, but this was news to me.
Correct time to drink water... very Important. From A Cardiac Specialist!
Drinking water at a certain time maximizes its effectiveness on the body:
2 glasses of water after waking up - helps activate internal organs
1 glass of water 30 min before a meal - helps digestion
1 glass of water before taking a bath - helps lower blood pressure
1 glass of water before going to bed - avoids stroke or heart attack
Please pass this to the people you care about......

I can also add to this... My Physician told me that water at bed time will also help prevent night time leg cramps.

Your leg muscles are seeking hydration when they cramp & wake you up with a Charlie Horse.

 Thanks Linda! That's nice to know...Now if I can just remember it.  Think I'll write it down.

Been trying to get to know and understand my new computer this morning.  For a while, the keyboard keys and places where I was attempting to type started jumping all over the place like it had a mind of its own.  I won't repeat the words that were coming out of my mouth.  Certainly wasn't in the mood to lose control of something I had just spent hundreds of dollars on. 

I knew there was going to be a tough learning cycle, though, so I'll just remember to be patient.  Yeah, we all know how good I am at that activity.  At any rate, I'm feeling better today. Not 100% but I can't recall the last time I ever felt 100%.  Maybe never.  Ha!

Lookin' mighty cold out my window.  I am thinking about browsing Goodwill and Serenity House for a stereo but we'll see.  Maybe I'll hear from somebody who has one I can borrow. Worked on a jigsaw puzzle yesterday and sewed a few quilt squares together. Didn't have the energy to do much of anything else.

Well, time to get off now. Had to ramble on a bit to see if my keyboard is behaving. Have Paula Deen show on and she's making me hungry.  Cooking shows are fun to watch.

Later....
Just ran a few errands. Stopped at a new thrift store and found a stereo with the kind of jacks in the back I need. Have to get it cleaned up a little but we did test it and it appears to play tapes okay.  That will be a project while I'm housebound because of the snow we're supposed to get in a few days.

I stopped by Radio Shack to price adaptors for my old keyboard to this laptop or a new wireless keyboard and wireless mouse.  All $20 a piece. I'll wait on those. Not necessary now anyhow.

What?

Anybody have a clue why I scanned pictures yesterday without too much problem but today when I practiced, I got this calendar picture backwards.  I just don't get it.

Also, when I tried to scan a cross stitch page all I got was a black image.  I tried using document setting and photo setting, both color and b&w, but nothing would come through.  Same thing when I decided to bypass the scan and just make a copy.  Wouldn't show up.  (Yet when I laid a piece of copy down with typing on it, it did pick it up okay...so I know it's working but still not.....)

I was able to copy cross stitch patterns with my other printer/scanner. Surely this newer model will do the same functions.

Also....my sis is selling her "like new" bike for $250.  (Costs $400 new)  It's a fold up just like mine ideal for seniors who don't want to be too far from the ground when cycling.  I love mine. Let me know if you know anybody who's interested. It's really a good deal.

January bug

Felt a little punky yesterday but figured it was just one of those "let's clean Joyce out" days.  If you know what I mean.  ha ha

Anyhow, I wasn't sick but wasn't well either. Was kind of surprised to wake up at 4 this morning and discover I was still ailing.  I'm up and dressed and determined to sew or work a puzzle or read....something...but alas I can tell it's a little bug of some kind.  Feeling tired and achy so I guess I'll go with the flow and let it run its course.  Always thankful I'm retired when the germs come to the surface. I can lay around and wallow in self pity without inconveniencing anyone.

Looking mighty white and icy out there this morning. Sure am happy I'm staying in.  Weatherman is talking the "S" word for this weekend too.

Happy Birthday to my cousin Ilene Wailand up in Bellingham.  And get well soon to my cousin Lee Arey who is on the mend at a rehabilatation center in Bellingham.

Working the old brain

Been sitting here all morning long muttering (and using a few swear words from time to time) as I try to talk myself through the various steps needed to learn my new laptop, printer, and their available features. First thing I wanted to get under my belt was figuring out how to download pictures from my camera, edit them for viewing, put them where I could find them again, and attach in emails. I think I'm on top of it, for the most part, but I'll continue to play around all this month as I acquaint myself with my new toy.
Here's one of the first pictures I took to experiment with.



I can now sit and look out the window as I type--or glance up at the TV.  Am finding the TV a little distracting, however, as my brain is being called on to concentrate a little harder and it can't handle too much side stimulation.  As I look around the computer room, kitchen, and living room, I've become even more aware of how I'm surrounded with gadgets.

This is my Roku receiver on top of the television. (plus a really cool little plate that Mary Norton brought me from Africa). Next to my recliner are remotes for the tv,dvd,vcr, and now roku. Here in the computer room, I've got a mouse next to my laptop and I've picked it up more than once to try and change the tv channel.  I've got two television remotes--one for the tv and one for the vcr. I also have my WIFI receiver, my cable box receiver, and my external hard drive box.

I'm not  done with gadgets yet, though.  I need to borrow a stereo PLEASE from anybody who has one with external jacks on the back. (where you plug in those red and white knobs)  I'm kind of surprised how elusive a stereo with those jacks are.  I was at Mary N's house yesterday and while she had three stereos, none would work. I may browse Goodwill if I don't hear from somebody this month.

I picked up a pretty nice printer/scanner at Costco but it took a while to get it installed all the way through. (sorry Joe)  I had him on the line as he tried to talk me and Hunter through it but he was ready to pull out his hair after a while as he'd hear us pushing buttons.

"WHAT'S THAT SOUND? WHAT ARE YOU DOING? WHO IS PUSHING BUTTONS? STOP!"

I  finally had to hang up and tell him we'd try later. Too much stress for both of us.

Jenni just called to say Maddie is staying home today (or at least this morning) to see if she feels better. Apparently, she called Jenni at work to relate this:

"I threw up."

Where?

Behind the black chair.

Did you clean it up?

Well, I put a towel over it so the dog wouldn't eat it.

You have to clean it up.

I don't know how.

Get  paper towels and pick it up.

Eweeew.

hee hee

Well, I think I'll move on out to the sewing machi=ne for a while. Been at this screen too long and I'm getting tired.  Course I've been up since 5:45 a.m.  IMainly because my back hurt so much, I figured I'd be better off on my feet.  I did a few stretching exercises on top of the bed and EVERY move I made HURT!  I'm obviously way overdue for doing those stretching moves like I had planned to do on a daily basis. Will I never learn?!

Maybe I'll go investigate Roku again. Pandora (music channel) is featured on there and I do love my tunes.

I found it interesting this  morning that the news said statins might up your chances for diabetes and baby aspirins aren't as helpful as they originally thought.  It's no wonder I question everything I hear  about health these days. Nobody can make up their mind about what's right and what isn't.

I got a haircut yesterday. Way overdue, as usual.  I look better but not good enough to post my picture.  Course that's never stopped me before. Ha!

Oh..and HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY COUSIN JIMMY IN VANCOUVER, WA. Think I'll go browse my computer file and see if I can't find one of him.  Here's one of him and his sister, Linda.

Slow going

Got a new laptop this morning. I'm going to love it, I think.  Once I get more comfortable with the change. I have to go buy a special USB connection for my old keyboard if I opt to use it along with the laptop keyboard.  I didn't think I could get used to a new keyboard but perhaps I'll like this one fine. It's Dell w/Windows 7 and while I don't know all the other specs, Joe says it has everything I need to keep me happy.

Didn't take us long to pick out what I wanted. Once I decide to spend the money, I plow ahead and get it over with.  He spent close to four hours setting me up and teaching me little tricks.  Now we have to see how much I can retain.  Unfortunately, my printer and scanner are too old for this model so tomorrow I'll head back to Sequim and pick up what I need. I gave Jenni my old computer, printer, and scanner. She has a newer computer that she bought not too long ago but her printer hasn't been working and printer will work with my old computer. Plus it has Word on it which the kids can use for homework.

Joe also hooked up my Xmas present that he gave me--a ROKU machine that runs through my WiFi connection to the TV. It offers several free channels like Pandora Music, Amazon movies, Netflix, Disney, and others.  I'm not completely sure how it all works but I do know I'm going to have access to a ton of movies now and that makes me happy.
.
We tried to hook up my new gadget that enables me to move music on cassettes to my computer but I don't have the right kind of stereo.  I need to borrow one from somebody before I can do this. Does anybody have a stereo that has external jacks in the back?  I think they're red and white.  Well, I'm having problems maneuvering around so I think I'll cut this short and go practice some other steps I still need to learn.

I am going to post a picture, though, just to make sure I can do it.

Covered in threads

Spent a couple hours playing at the sewing machine and finishing up an audio book in the process.  Mainly just dinkin' around sewing little squares together but don't actually have a plan in mind of what I want to make.  My sewing area in the kitchen corner enables me to roll using my office chair from table to ironing board to sewing machine.  Makes for a nice trip but I do need to get up more frequently so I can get my legs under me again. Doesn't take any time at all these days if I dare sit too long for me to groan and moan about how my body doesn't want to move after sitting.

The kids (at least the daughters) headed into PT today for a belated Christmas with their dad. Sammy was dropped off here so he didn't have to stay home alone.  Joe is meeting me in Sequim tomorrow morning for breakfast and a browse around Costco to find me the computer of my dreams.

I plan on watching the Republican debate at 6 and working on a jigsaw puzzle at the same time. I haven't really decided who I'm voting for yet.  Definitely don't want Romney and while I can't say why, I just know I've never wanted him. Not enthused about Ron Paul either. I do like ole Newt, though.  At least he's interesting to listen to--a lot more than most of the others.

My grandson Hunter, who usually enjoys watching the news, can't understand why I insist on having politician shows running.  He especially thinks The O'Reilly Factor is boring beyond words.  And sometimes it is but it's entertaining to me a whole lot more than a lot of the TV fare we're offered.

I just noticed that CBS is going to start a new morning news show on Monday from 7 to 9.  That will give me one more place to channel hop to besides Good Morning America and Today.  I usually switch off in disgust once they give air time to yet another airhead.  CBS has hired Gayle King as one of the moderators and I've always enjoyed her a lot. 

My cousin, Marlee in Gig Harbor, sent me a bunch of pictures of her decorated house.  She's one of those people (like Linda Pedersen) who goes all out and puts a lot of work into the program.  Makes me tired just to think about it.  Here's Marlee's......

Well, off to the kitchen.  I made a turkey casserole with Chinese egg noodles yesterday so it's leftovers for me. Probably have it again tomorrow too.
The other night when I had insomnia I happened to turn on the tv and caught this part of Jimmy Kimmel's show. I thought it was hilarious.