I have finished with my .mac experiment. After I received another email yesterday that my link didn't work, after I had already fixed it twice, I decided that the service Apple were offering just wasn't good enough. Plus I tried to sub to myself using bloglines to see how the blog came up, and I letters were substituted for symbols making the (new) title of my blog unreadable as anything that's bears a resemblance to a word. I had photos attached to all these posts too, but they required more work than just 'copy and paste, so at this stage I haven't updated the pics.
I have another post I want to upload, from yesterday plus I have a new post floating around in my head.
Thanks for persevering with my moving around..........
Saturday, January 12, 2008
The glass is always half full
I have used that thread name somewhere down the line before. But it’s something I remind myself of often, and generally I am pretty good at thinking that way.
Yesterday, I was becoming more and more frustrated about the fact I couldn’t develop a new workflow! How hard can it be? It’s a brand new, beautiful computer, you aren’t daft, you should be able to figure it all out.
Thank goodness for the internet, user groups and forums. They have given me a wealth of information. I learnt yesterday, that even if I create a document in Word for Mac, I need to add the .doc file ending to the file, so it can open in Barbi’s PC - opens fine in my PC and my Mac, but not hers........I wish these things were easy to explain.
So today, I decided to focus on the positives of this awesome machine rather than focussing on its shortcomings. I read lots of posts about the great things that Leopard can do, and I felt my feelings toward the computer changing again. In between my day’s jobs of washing, changing beds cleaning the bathroom, unloading the dishwasher, playing junior monopoly, keeping kids happy, I was able to develop a new workflow.
>view photos in finder, using quicklook to enlarge image. This is much better than using iphoto as I can’t open another application from iphoto, but I can from finder. The browsers for viewing images in all the programs I downloaded were so inadequate in this area, as the images were all too small, and when you take many many photos of the same thing, it’s really hard to select the one you want when you can’t see them properly. The answer was right within Leopard itself, so I was very pleased
>Duplicate image (save as)
>adjust levels
>Save images in one folder, use filename to give size required for printing.
>Use EasyCrop to resize images, and enable cropping of distracting backgrounds
Voila..........sounds a little longwinded,but I think it will work quite well.
Dinner tonight was a delicious Green Curry. It was quite spicy, so the kids ate bread with their’s as well as I didn’t give them much sauce.
I had some Christmas pudding for dessert, (it came in the Chrisco) which I shouldn’t have eaten, because I am beginning to look like one.......
Yesterday, I was becoming more and more frustrated about the fact I couldn’t develop a new workflow! How hard can it be? It’s a brand new, beautiful computer, you aren’t daft, you should be able to figure it all out.
Thank goodness for the internet, user groups and forums. They have given me a wealth of information. I learnt yesterday, that even if I create a document in Word for Mac, I need to add the .doc file ending to the file, so it can open in Barbi’s PC - opens fine in my PC and my Mac, but not hers........I wish these things were easy to explain.
So today, I decided to focus on the positives of this awesome machine rather than focussing on its shortcomings. I read lots of posts about the great things that Leopard can do, and I felt my feelings toward the computer changing again. In between my day’s jobs of washing, changing beds cleaning the bathroom, unloading the dishwasher, playing junior monopoly, keeping kids happy, I was able to develop a new workflow.
>view photos in finder, using quicklook to enlarge image. This is much better than using iphoto as I can’t open another application from iphoto, but I can from finder. The browsers for viewing images in all the programs I downloaded were so inadequate in this area, as the images were all too small, and when you take many many photos of the same thing, it’s really hard to select the one you want when you can’t see them properly. The answer was right within Leopard itself, so I was very pleased
>Duplicate image (save as)
>adjust levels
>Save images in one folder, use filename to give size required for printing.
>Use EasyCrop to resize images, and enable cropping of distracting backgrounds
Voila..........sounds a little longwinded,but I think it will work quite well.
Dinner tonight was a delicious Green Curry. It was quite spicy, so the kids ate bread with their’s as well as I didn’t give them much sauce.
I had some Christmas pudding for dessert, (it came in the Chrisco) which I shouldn’t have eaten, because I am beginning to look like one.......
Game of Life
Today’s been a good day. A continuation of this wonderful relaxing time. Last night at scrapbooking was great fun. Barbi and I had KFC for dinner which was a change from our routine Thai dinner. I actually did a layout last night.
My darling man is getting better at handing over the money. I was most impressed, and pleasantly surprised - actually he’s been great the whole holidays. He knows my income is down to virtually nothing, so I have no expendable income.This time last year, he really struggled with me having to ask for money. He was such a tightarse that it was almost humiliating for me to ask for money. I like my own funds, my own bank account and I don’t want to rely on anyone for my financial independence. I was bitten once, very very badly, and that will never ever happen again. During the year he’s really worked hard to be more appreciative of what I do with ‘my’ money and therefore is generous when I ask him for money. It works both ways. He can’t just take for granted all the things my income buys and pays for without giving in return - and he knows I appreciate it very much. So anyway, I did digress there a little. He came home from a job he had to do this morning and I knew he’d gotten paid. I have money put away now for the kids stationery and books, and I said I wanted to look at some new board games for the kids, plus Billy-Joe needed some new shorts. I am very lucky with kids’ clothes as I get so many hand me downs, but sometimes it’s nice to have something new to wear.
I got the kids Junior Monopoly which they have already played. My kind of game.....nice and quick but still fun. Billy-Joe enjoyed it, and Sammy liked it too. I also picked up a Connect 4 type game that Mickey really likes. I wanted the new ‘Game of Life - Twists and Turns’ but Toyworld was sold out, but I got it at an online store. By the time I added in freight it cost the same as Toyworld, so I decided to get it now rather than wait until maybe the end of the month. If this wet weather is going to start again, it would be good to have new games.
I also bought a new image editing program. Finally I have found one that will certainly tide me over until I can get Photoshop Elements 6. It was $AUD71 which isn’t free, but does everything I need a program to do. Who knows I may not even need PSE6. I bought the program from here .
My darling man is getting better at handing over the money. I was most impressed, and pleasantly surprised - actually he’s been great the whole holidays. He knows my income is down to virtually nothing, so I have no expendable income.This time last year, he really struggled with me having to ask for money. He was such a tightarse that it was almost humiliating for me to ask for money. I like my own funds, my own bank account and I don’t want to rely on anyone for my financial independence. I was bitten once, very very badly, and that will never ever happen again. During the year he’s really worked hard to be more appreciative of what I do with ‘my’ money and therefore is generous when I ask him for money. It works both ways. He can’t just take for granted all the things my income buys and pays for without giving in return - and he knows I appreciate it very much. So anyway, I did digress there a little. He came home from a job he had to do this morning and I knew he’d gotten paid. I have money put away now for the kids stationery and books, and I said I wanted to look at some new board games for the kids, plus Billy-Joe needed some new shorts. I am very lucky with kids’ clothes as I get so many hand me downs, but sometimes it’s nice to have something new to wear.
I got the kids Junior Monopoly which they have already played. My kind of game.....nice and quick but still fun. Billy-Joe enjoyed it, and Sammy liked it too. I also picked up a Connect 4 type game that Mickey really likes. I wanted the new ‘Game of Life - Twists and Turns’ but Toyworld was sold out, but I got it at an online store. By the time I added in freight it cost the same as Toyworld, so I decided to get it now rather than wait until maybe the end of the month. If this wet weather is going to start again, it would be good to have new games.
I also bought a new image editing program. Finally I have found one that will certainly tide me over until I can get Photoshop Elements 6. It was $AUD71 which isn’t free, but does everything I need a program to do. Who knows I may not even need PSE6. I bought the program from here .
Love these rainy, lazy, quiet days
The photo above is from playing in Photo Booth, as you can see the kids love the little inbuilt camera in the mac, and I get to play with all the wonderful little effects. I played with GraphicConverter a little more today, and I love how it edits, but can’t find the crop tool where I have all the control. There’s another program called Phoenix Slides which I will download late tonight. I have used over 70% of my usage allowance and I am only about 50% through my account period. I barely ever go near my limit, but this is the second month now since I have gone too close. Optusnet, slows my speed down that it makes internet browsing near on impossible. I don’t get charged for the extra, but I can only really use it for emails. I hope I remember to download the program during my off peak times, which is from midnight to midday the next day.
The rain seems to have stayed away today, but it’s still cool and overcast. Blissful, compared to what we are normally experiencing at this time of the year. Bunny has finished painting the verandah, and it looks fabulous - can’t wait for him to be able to start the front.
The kids are happy and are continuing to behave fantastically well. Today they even have their heads out of the gameboys/playstation/computer/nintendos.......and have spent nearly all day playing a WWE DVD board game. It’s quite heartwarming seeing Billy-Joe teach his younger brothers how to play the game. He will sleep well tonight, as he has been kept busy, organizing, paying out the money, counting out the money, reading all the questions and generally keeping the two younger ones under control. I take my hat off to him. Sometime he can be so mean, but today, he has done a fantastic job.
I have watched my first DVD of the Prison Break episodes. I was up late last night watching it. Love it, couldn’t believe that my little ipod would give such a crystal clear image for movie viewing. I never did get that people want to buy TV series on DVD, but I have never been so fascinated with a show before either. I have already filled in gaps, which make the whole thing make more sense. I still have so much to go. Can’t wait for season 3 to come out on DVD and for Season 4 to commence on TV.
Yesterday after many months of putting up with a sore neck and shoulders from my tired pillow, I went out and bought a beautiful latex contour pillow. My old pillow was a good one from a physiotherapist, but had become too flat, and needed replacing. I had been putting it off, because the new one’s I was eyeing off were around $100. I went into the store yesterday and didn’t actually like the $100 ones, so came away feeling quite smug because I’d found an $82 one which suited me just fine. The lady was very helpful and took it out of the packet, put a ‘bluey’ on it and then laid it onto the massage table so I could try it. I didn’t sleep too badly on it last night, but know it will take a few nights to become really comfortable. I know the last pillow took me nearly a week..........I don’t think this one will take as long.
Might head off and have a shower. Barbi is waiting for me, and is always anxious when the weather is crappy, because she knows I hate going out in the rain.
I wonder what we will have for tea. Not sure if I feel like Thai. I am trying to eat better.......at least all my baking is gone.
The rain seems to have stayed away today, but it’s still cool and overcast. Blissful, compared to what we are normally experiencing at this time of the year. Bunny has finished painting the verandah, and it looks fabulous - can’t wait for him to be able to start the front.
The kids are happy and are continuing to behave fantastically well. Today they even have their heads out of the gameboys/playstation/computer/nintendos.......and have spent nearly all day playing a WWE DVD board game. It’s quite heartwarming seeing Billy-Joe teach his younger brothers how to play the game. He will sleep well tonight, as he has been kept busy, organizing, paying out the money, counting out the money, reading all the questions and generally keeping the two younger ones under control. I take my hat off to him. Sometime he can be so mean, but today, he has done a fantastic job.
I have watched my first DVD of the Prison Break episodes. I was up late last night watching it. Love it, couldn’t believe that my little ipod would give such a crystal clear image for movie viewing. I never did get that people want to buy TV series on DVD, but I have never been so fascinated with a show before either. I have already filled in gaps, which make the whole thing make more sense. I still have so much to go. Can’t wait for season 3 to come out on DVD and for Season 4 to commence on TV.
Yesterday after many months of putting up with a sore neck and shoulders from my tired pillow, I went out and bought a beautiful latex contour pillow. My old pillow was a good one from a physiotherapist, but had become too flat, and needed replacing. I had been putting it off, because the new one’s I was eyeing off were around $100. I went into the store yesterday and didn’t actually like the $100 ones, so came away feeling quite smug because I’d found an $82 one which suited me just fine. The lady was very helpful and took it out of the packet, put a ‘bluey’ on it and then laid it onto the massage table so I could try it. I didn’t sleep too badly on it last night, but know it will take a few nights to become really comfortable. I know the last pillow took me nearly a week..........I don’t think this one will take as long.
Might head off and have a shower. Barbi is waiting for me, and is always anxious when the weather is crappy, because she knows I hate going out in the rain.
I wonder what we will have for tea. Not sure if I feel like Thai. I am trying to eat better.......at least all my baking is gone.
New Year's Resolution
I don’t make make resolutions generally at this time of the year, although I do think about things I’d like to concentrate on, which in some ways is the same thing I guess, but without the pressure from when things go awry.
I am going to be more organized. Now from a week to week I am very organized. My bestest friend, who is also the least organized domestic goddess I know, laughs at how organized I am. Normally at this stage I have all the kids’ school uniforms ironed - well before term starts, actually last year I had them all done before Christmas!! She laughs when I tell her that I have my meals worked out, working with my latest food magazine (A good Taste, or Good Food Ideas). I go to bed at night and get everything ready for the next day. Cereal bowls, spoons, cereal container out, lunch boxes out with biscuits and stuff already packed. The lunches are made up a week ahead and frozen and Billy-Joe gets them out in the morning. If I know I am working, I organize my lunch too, and get my plunger and travel mug ready, so I can drink decent coffee on the way to work. I try to do most of my housework during the week, so that I don’t have it all for the weekends. I try to do half of the ironing during the latter part of the week, so I don’t have to do it all on the weekend. I hate knowing I have to iron on a Sunday.
So, today, I bought a new ‘We are waiting for Santa’ sign, as our original one, rotted -and they were half price at the junk shop. I also got wrapping paper for next Christmas too. I also bought dh’s Valentine’s Day card already, as I try to make them but that doesn’t always happen, and then I end up picking one which is the best of a bad bunch. At least today I got a beautiful card with many many to choose from. I wanted to buy a new diary too. I got a lovely one for Christmas, but it’s not practical for me, as I like a week for view, and this is two days per view. (A page per day), and I need to be able to see the whole week. I wanted to have a look at the Women’s Weekly diary, but it was sold out before Christmas............who is that organized that they buy them before the year end??? I did see a couple that I liked, but I will wait. Thankfully they are not as dear as they once were either. I can remember paying around $30 for a diary in the early 90’s. The one’s I liked to day were around $7-$15 - pretty cheap.
The kidlets are at holiday care today, much against their chagrin. I disdecorated the Christmas tree this morning, so now my lounge is back to normal. Hopefully said kidlets won’t protest overly much. They weren’t putting the lights on anymore, and my cramped lounge was becoming annoyingly so, so I decided it was time to put it away.
I bought some chicken thigh fillets today, and have a Yellow Curry in the crock pot. It’s so cool here, (while my southern counterparts are stewing!!) so I have decided to cook a meal usually saved for a winter’s night. I have bought some pappadums too.
I have spent some time, working out how to get my delicious Prison Break DVDs onto my ipod. This whole mac thing changes everything, but that was something I’d never tried before, as I don’t own anything that I’d care to watch on my ipod. That is until now. I downloaded a program called ‘Handbrake’. Three hours later, and voila I had a version I could import into my itunes. After I deleted a few songs to make room for the DVD so it could fit lol....... I sat and watched a bit and was amazed at the clarity of video and sound - fantastic. I have already watched the first episode and its’ starting to fill in some gaps already.
As I am very sad that I don’t have access to Photoshop Elements on my new computer, I have decided to hunt around for something temporary. I downloaded Apple’s Aperture.........accckkkkkk, pity I didn’t check to see how much it would cost after the trial finished before I downloaded it and put strain on my already high usage for this month’s broadband!!! It looks like a program I could like to use, but at $450 it’s not that good. I will hang out for Elements. I did download a program called Acorn, which looks fantastic, so might help me out until I can get organized properly. I want to get started editing all my Christmas photos, otherwise they will pile up too quickly.
I am going to be more organized. Now from a week to week I am very organized. My bestest friend, who is also the least organized domestic goddess I know, laughs at how organized I am. Normally at this stage I have all the kids’ school uniforms ironed - well before term starts, actually last year I had them all done before Christmas!! She laughs when I tell her that I have my meals worked out, working with my latest food magazine (A good Taste, or Good Food Ideas). I go to bed at night and get everything ready for the next day. Cereal bowls, spoons, cereal container out, lunch boxes out with biscuits and stuff already packed. The lunches are made up a week ahead and frozen and Billy-Joe gets them out in the morning. If I know I am working, I organize my lunch too, and get my plunger and travel mug ready, so I can drink decent coffee on the way to work. I try to do most of my housework during the week, so that I don’t have it all for the weekends. I try to do half of the ironing during the latter part of the week, so I don’t have to do it all on the weekend. I hate knowing I have to iron on a Sunday.
So, today, I bought a new ‘We are waiting for Santa’ sign, as our original one, rotted -and they were half price at the junk shop. I also got wrapping paper for next Christmas too. I also bought dh’s Valentine’s Day card already, as I try to make them but that doesn’t always happen, and then I end up picking one which is the best of a bad bunch. At least today I got a beautiful card with many many to choose from. I wanted to buy a new diary too. I got a lovely one for Christmas, but it’s not practical for me, as I like a week for view, and this is two days per view. (A page per day), and I need to be able to see the whole week. I wanted to have a look at the Women’s Weekly diary, but it was sold out before Christmas............who is that organized that they buy them before the year end??? I did see a couple that I liked, but I will wait. Thankfully they are not as dear as they once were either. I can remember paying around $30 for a diary in the early 90’s. The one’s I liked to day were around $7-$15 - pretty cheap.
The kidlets are at holiday care today, much against their chagrin. I disdecorated the Christmas tree this morning, so now my lounge is back to normal. Hopefully said kidlets won’t protest overly much. They weren’t putting the lights on anymore, and my cramped lounge was becoming annoyingly so, so I decided it was time to put it away.
I bought some chicken thigh fillets today, and have a Yellow Curry in the crock pot. It’s so cool here, (while my southern counterparts are stewing!!) so I have decided to cook a meal usually saved for a winter’s night. I have bought some pappadums too.
I have spent some time, working out how to get my delicious Prison Break DVDs onto my ipod. This whole mac thing changes everything, but that was something I’d never tried before, as I don’t own anything that I’d care to watch on my ipod. That is until now. I downloaded a program called ‘Handbrake’. Three hours later, and voila I had a version I could import into my itunes. After I deleted a few songs to make room for the DVD so it could fit lol....... I sat and watched a bit and was amazed at the clarity of video and sound - fantastic. I have already watched the first episode and its’ starting to fill in some gaps already.
As I am very sad that I don’t have access to Photoshop Elements on my new computer, I have decided to hunt around for something temporary. I downloaded Apple’s Aperture.........accckkkkkk, pity I didn’t check to see how much it would cost after the trial finished before I downloaded it and put strain on my already high usage for this month’s broadband!!! It looks like a program I could like to use, but at $450 it’s not that good. I will hang out for Elements. I did download a program called Acorn, which looks fantastic, so might help me out until I can get organized properly. I want to get started editing all my Christmas photos, otherwise they will pile up too quickly.
Happy New Year
We spent New Year’s Eve with just our family. I made a really yummy dinner. We had chicken schnitzel crumbed with a yummy seasoned crumb mix, I made a potato salad, a cucumber salad and we had tomato supreme as a sauce on the schnitzel. It was a very German meal, accompanied with a german (I think) champagne which is my absolute favourite.
We slept in this morning, gosh I love not having to be anywhere and just being able to clean, tidy, and then please myself. I am enjoying cooking for enjoyment and taste and not worrying about dieting, although I know that will have to change very soon.
I have just put on a pot of chilli, and I got Billy-Joe to help. I make the seasoning from scratch and he thought it was pretty cool seeing all the things that really went into making the delicious flavours. I will serve it with guacamole and corn chips - I don’t have any sour cream and don’t see my chances of getting any on New Year’s Day.
Bunny is outside painting under the verandah. The only place where the rain isn’t able to get to. It’s a pity we couldn’t have got the house finished, ah well there’s always another opportunity. Just I know my husband, and I have to strike while the iron’s hot so to speak. I have to get him while he is feeling motivated, so the rain isn’t a good thing at this stage. At least we have bought the paint, that’s a step in the right direction.
My .macexperiment, I am not sure how it’s travelling at this stage. So far it’s definitely easier, but I want to see blogs of others to see what else is possible. Mine is a very simple one thus far.
The people on my mac users group are a very friendly and helpful bunch, and so far all my queries have been assisted.
Will upload and publish and see what happens now.
Arrggghh, I can’t work out how to just put a photo in the midst of my text..........
We slept in this morning, gosh I love not having to be anywhere and just being able to clean, tidy, and then please myself. I am enjoying cooking for enjoyment and taste and not worrying about dieting, although I know that will have to change very soon.
I have just put on a pot of chilli, and I got Billy-Joe to help. I make the seasoning from scratch and he thought it was pretty cool seeing all the things that really went into making the delicious flavours. I will serve it with guacamole and corn chips - I don’t have any sour cream and don’t see my chances of getting any on New Year’s Day.
Bunny is outside painting under the verandah. The only place where the rain isn’t able to get to. It’s a pity we couldn’t have got the house finished, ah well there’s always another opportunity. Just I know my husband, and I have to strike while the iron’s hot so to speak. I have to get him while he is feeling motivated, so the rain isn’t a good thing at this stage. At least we have bought the paint, that’s a step in the right direction.
My .macexperiment, I am not sure how it’s travelling at this stage. So far it’s definitely easier, but I want to see blogs of others to see what else is possible. Mine is a very simple one thus far.
The people on my mac users group are a very friendly and helpful bunch, and so far all my queries have been assisted.
Will upload and publish and see what happens now.
Arrggghh, I can’t work out how to just put a photo in the midst of my text..........
A .macExperiment
I am trying out the new .mac facility. I want more flexibility with my blog and I want my photos and blog to be able to ‘speak’ to one another. So this is part of a test which I will run for about the next month to see whether or not I will switch my blogger blog over to this one.
I have much to learn though, as far as my mac goes and of course this new .mac stuff.
Yesterday afternoon I spent quite a bit of time playing around with photos, trying to create a collage so I can use it on my posts. I finally did it using a tool found on http://bighugelabs.com/flickr/
I am not sure of the colours on this blog as yet. I can’t even seem to find where to pick my font, and as you can see, it’s just changed from a serif to a sans serif font, and I haven’t even knowingly done anything. I love that about computers, never a dull moment lol......
I have much to learn though, as far as my mac goes and of course this new .mac stuff.
Yesterday afternoon I spent quite a bit of time playing around with photos, trying to create a collage so I can use it on my posts. I finally did it using a tool found on http://bighugelabs.com/flickr/
I am not sure of the colours on this blog as yet. I can’t even seem to find where to pick my font, and as you can see, it’s just changed from a serif to a sans serif font, and I haven’t even knowingly done anything. I love that about computers, never a dull moment lol......
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