§ The Best of Times...the WORST of times...

§ Two Days of H E double L

Wow!!! The last couple of days have been a royal nightmare!! At least as far as the internet goes. Since we no longer have cable [going on 7 years now], I use our cellphone provider's hotspot when home, and wi-fi when out and about if need be. Or even the cellphone itself to login for emails and getting on blogger. Well, the last time I posted a blog, I was telling y'all about leaving comments in your blog comment form and not knowing if my comment went through, and that if there were repeated comments, I didn't know!!! So, after two days of getting disconnected after getting on a secure hotspot connection, and not being able to check emails either over the laptop or our phones...I called our cell phone carrier and got a REAL LIVE PERSON to chat with...after giving some info and discussing the disruptions for days...I'll call her M&M...she discovered that it was just in our area of the city, and they were repairing as we talked. GOOGLE  was even suspicious of my getting online/disconnected/logging in/disconnected all the time!! Come to find out, someone damaged a cell phone tower!! Lord have mercy. If I'd known that I would have gone to another part of town, like the library or Starbucks...somewhere, and did my blogging from there. Anyway, this morning, we watched a couple of TV programs over our hotspot, and everything is again, hunky dory!!! I hope...I haven't even tried to save this yet.

animation not mine - found thru google search engine.

§ ...by the sea, by the sea

WILD BIRD WEDNESDAY

link on sidebar

Well, I can get some images loaded this morning now that I have a new cable modem!!

These are the nesting terns I posted about yesterday. Tho I didn't see any babies, I did see some immature Least Terns with the adult Terns, so I'll share the photos I took:

This is the area of the roped off beach where the terns' nesting took place. The photo, taken from a goodly distance 'cause the city roped off the area to protect the birds and nests, shows the 'long shot'. The small white 'dots' in the photo along the sandy beach area of the bay are Terns! Both adults, some laying on their nests, while others are immature terns barely getting the adult colorations. Yes, there is trash on the shore also...afterall, tho it doesn't excuse the mess, it IS near the Texas A&M Campus and on campus apartment complexes ---usually a good area for college activities and parties. For some reason they expect the city to come in and clean up after them. :::sigh:::

...zooming in on the area:

Immature Least Terns

Adult Least Tern [left] Immature [right]

___ * * * ___

WEDNESDAY HODGEPODGE

link on sidebar

1. What's something people might ask you for help with? Since it's just the two of us these days, it's usually Bud asking for help with his new phone right now. He is not smartphone savvy with the ins and outs of setting preferences. The rest of the 'people' would be family and they usually call when they need 'know how' on computer issues and/or home repair work. That's about it.

2. What's something you might ask someone else for help with? For the most part, I try to be as independent as I can be. Probably what others would call stubborn. It's in my blood. LOL -- -- I do know that if I can't retrieve something that I need stored higher than my reach, and I'm too lazy to get the step ladder, I call Bud to get it for me. When you're married as long as the two of us, we are each others 'extensions' in thoughts and actions.

3. Did your family take summer vacations when you were a child? If so, where did you go? If you're a parent, did/do you plan summer vacations with your own family? Did/do they resemble those you took as a child? To answer in sync here, Yes, we took vacations. We went wherever my parents chose to go. Sometimes across the country to see a particular sight in another state, or other times we would travel for miles/days to see a family member, or maybe a camping trip. As for planning vacations for Bud, me and the kids...we traveled in the summer quite often [had vacations in Autumn and Winter at times also]. Our vacations never seemed like the vacations I took as a child with my parents. Bud, the kids and I most always flew to parts of the USA and Old Mexico, with reservations in hotels and itineraries that were never melded around visiting family nor camping/fishing trips. They were always geared toward sight seeing, historical, or just lazing a week at a beach with room service.

4. Pool, lake, ocean...which one is most appealing to you on a hot summer day? A swimming pool has never impressed me. It's nothing but a cement pond, and only adequate if you're land-locked - costly upkeep too. Lakes are great if shaded and heavily wooded --and especially the mountain lakes where you can sit on the bank and look out from there at a distance and still see a snow-capped mountain framed amidst the pine...in mid-July!! But, ocean-------they've always been a part of the world that draws me to them!!! I love the sound, the smell, the misty salt spray, the color, the sunrises and sunsets. Standing on land, watching a tropical storm come in from the horizon, the emotions of the sea, the turbulence, the calm, the fog--you name it, the ocean is by far the best of nature along any coastal region.

5. Have you ever justified using the expression, 'you gotta be cruel to be kind'? Was it really necessary or were you rationalizing? The expression itself is new to me. Is this something like tough love? If that be the case, then, yes, I've used it often raising two children. I was a strict disciplinarian. If one of my two kids went out of their way to disobey, tough love was the answer often; and justified. There is a part of love when it comes to teaching about rules and regulations as children or teens grow; which is a kindness in the long haul of things. And both Erik and Irene have thanked me several times since they are now adults. This expression tho, in the terms of your question, makes me think that "rationalizing" sounds to be a bit one-sided...a topsy-turvy emotion of your cruel action - your cruelty was on the verge of revenge? Maybe I'm reading into this differently than intended? If you have to rationalize your action after the fact, it wouldn't be justified. Would it? Like I said, I've never heard of the expression before now.

6. The Journal of Psychology recently mentioned the results of a survey identifying the ten most hated foods as-liver, lima beans, mayonnaise, mushrooms, eggs, okra, beets, brussel sprouts, tuna, and gelatin. Of those foods, how many do you actually hate? Anything you'd add to the list? I like 'em all....but one! And that is OKRA. Just this past Saturday when we arrived at the Farmers' Market, standing in line with all the other patrons to pay for our purchases, so many had bags of fresh okra and I cringe at the thought. Ewww.

7. What's your favorite book or movie set in a beach or lake town? Oh I love this movie. The story, the romance, the scenery, the music, the innocence of "Baby" yet her bravery helping a pregnant friend and her own daring secret - all revealed at the end; it's a CLASSIC....

By the way, the movie is "Dirty Dancing"...Added note: I like "Jaws" also! And as for a book, John Steinbeck's "The Pearl" was a good one.

8. Insert your own random thought here. Well, the good connection only lasted about 30 minutes yesterday. Yes, several times I unplugged and rebooted, to no avail. At 9 a.m. I was at the cable company's door; returned the bad modem and got a replacement. It's up and running like a charm. I kinda figured it was the cable modem. Finally -- Fast, furious, and fine!! OH AND BY THE WAY, THE PACIFIC OCEAN IS BY FAR THE PRETTIEST OCEAN!!

§ I'm Sooooooooo Confused!!!

Yesterday, all day, I was diligently working on the computer. Trying my best to get the connectivity through the cable modem to actually allow me to access everything online. For hours, I went through every diagnostic measure I know of. Reconnecting the router through the modem, going through each and every software program to see if any was playing havoc with the modem, even going into Windows SAFE MODE with NETWORKING [it worked for a short period, then....no connection and no server found message]. At one point about mid-afternoon, I was tempted to pick up the modem and throw it through the window!!! I finally just gave up, flipped the whole entire computer, hard drive tower, keyboard and modem off....shut it down, with the greatest intentions of disconnecting the cable modem and router and take it back to the cable company and demand a new replacement.

Now, just out of darned curiosity, I booted up the computer...lo and behold --- IT CONNECTED WITHOUT ANY PROBLEM!! What gives? Y'wonder. I don't have any clue as to why it's working fine this morning, but it is, and I'm taking advantage of the situation and getting some online stuff done. First thing, I made some new ringtones for the new phones. Well, Bud's anyway. He lost his in the mix-up and the SD card replacement when the phone company erred on setting up our individual phones. At the time, I said "No worries, I can make you some new ones sweet cheeks!" Little did I know I wouldn't be able to until this morning. Got that done. Will get them on his phone today sometime. I have a ringtone of the USMC Hymn for Erik's incoming calls, Daddy's Little Girl for Irene's incoming and Annies Song for in case I need to call Bud. It was easy to make the ringtones from mp3s, just the whole concept of getting into the site and software available online yesterday was the culprit. After that was done, I actually was amazed and very pleased I was still connected online and Firefox remained available! LOL ---So, I finished next Saturday's Birding blog post and have that ready and prescheduled to post Saturday at noon. Yay!! Even got the linky tool added with no problems whatsoever. Now, you find me here...writing!

I read in the smartphone local news over the weekend that there was an area on the bay where some Least Terns [shore birds] were spotted, nesting. And that the city roped off the area from human invasion. We could go so far and then stop to watch at a very safe distance without disturbing the terns. Of course, being who I am, I had to go see 'em. I finally found the area where they were nesting, and took some photos. Even at the far distance I was there with the camera, there were a few terns flying over my head and trying to distract me from the area...wanting me to leave. I saw no eggs or little ones as in 'chicks' [but a couple of immature ones], but I did see a few 'on their nests'. Of course, that's Bud sitting under the gazebo roof...this area of this particular trail has several lighted gazebos for hikers, bikers, and birders who utilize it in the heat of the day, or if they care to be in the area at night...the trail is lighted. Anyway, he was hot, and I wanted to continue walking around the bend to get a better viewing of the terns. As I returned, I saw him spying me through his binoculars.

Nesting Least Terns

And to end this post, and hoping I can go visit some special bloggers, you know who you are... I just wanted to share a few images that have been collecting dust in my image folder, so I constructed a couple of collages of various, eclectic images --

Left to right: Sunrise over the beach, the lighted Harbor Bridge, an Oil Rig at dusk, a Mermaid Fountain on the Island [curio shop], Corpus Christi on the Bay at dusk, Palm Trees at sunset, and the first spotted dragonfly of the season.

Left to right:  Our Lilac Colored Crepe Myrtle [or crape if you wish], Sunrise on Padre Island National Seashore, Our Pink Crepe Myrtle, Palm Tree at Sunset, lilac and pink crepe myrtle, and a Hummingbird at our Lantana Bush.

...wish me luck today, keeping connected with Blogger and being able to continue my daily routine.  I have some catching up to do.  But trust me, I have the modem quite accessible to unplug and take it in as planned all along.  Just in case!!  ;o)

§ When you gotta go...you gotta go [aka Nature calls]

connecting photo to:

Wordless Wednesday

_ _ _

HODGEPODGE

...this week, Joyce has these questions for us:

1. What is ONE thing or area in your home or life you hope to report is completely organized when 2013 draws to a close? Do you have a plan to make it happen? Hmmmm, this stage of life, organization up and left...flew out the window to never return. Seriously. I can think of one thing that I've already begun to work on...organizing the computer and getting 1000s [over 800 bird photos at this point] of photos burned on DVDs/CDs. But it will only take a few days...not the entire year. To spend a year organizing, it would be a waste of a good year, and life is just too short.. Why bother? Perhaps I should consider organizing my thoughts then?!!?!!

2. What's the worst uniform you've ever had to wear for a job? Well, I can honestly say, I have never had to wear uniforms. My first job was head receptionist at a Chamber of Commerce [wore my own clothes]. I resigned from that position after my first child was born, and didn't return to the outside work force until both of my children were of school age...I then worked as a supervisor at a local high school so I could have the summers and holiday vacations when the kids were home...[again, my own clothes]. From that point after the last graduated and entered the Marine Corps, I worked at a doctor's/psychiatrists' co-op, as a patient coordinator where I assigned a patient after interviewing them to the most qualified doctor that specialized in the patient's needs... until Bud retired and we moved to Arizona whereupon I retired with him. There too, I wore my own clothes. Now my uniform is jeans, shorts, sweat pants.

3. What was your last kitchen 'mishap'? As far as I can recall, it was a broken glass mug that cut one of the floor tiles -- hence, a whole new floor was laid.

4. How do you protect yourself from other people's negativity? Smile a lot. Sometimes giggle at the insanity of some. roflmao

5. Who in your family do you most resemble (physically)? If you have children, who do people say they favor? Do you agree? I look in the mirror each day and see my mother. As for children, my son favors my looks; poor kid!! In fact, after Erik was grown and on leave from the Corps, there once was a time at the store that the cashier thought we were twins. Lordy!!!

My mom [top left] and me [bottom right]

I'm proud to look like my mother, even tho it continues to shock me with my mirror's reflection. She was a beautiful woman, inside and out---if I'm even close to her in any way, that's a good thing!!

This photo, is of my dedication page on my genealogy book. Naturally, I dedicated the book of 300+ pages to my mother. Afterall, if it weren't for her, I'd have no genealogy, right?

6. January 8th is National Bubble Bath Day...will you be celebrating? I haven't had a bubble bath in years. I don't particularly like sitting in water that is full of body residue. Showers I prefer.

7. Some of the 'world's best winter festivals' are - Mardi Gras (New Orleans), Quebec Winter Festival (Canada), Sundance Film Festival (Park City, Utah), Rio Carnivale (Brazil), Sapporo Snow Festival (Japan), Venice Carnivale (Italy) and the Harbin Ice Festival (Northern China). Of those listed (and if cost were not a factor) which would you most like to attend and why? New Orleans, I've been. Tho it's a fun city...it's a grubby one. Each morning, really early, the streets where Mardi Gras is celebrated are scrubbed and sprayed with city trucks...filled with disinfectants/soap. What with the smells of human vomit [and other unmentionables] mixed with the city cleansers...it's NOT something you hear about; ever. And the odor is not too pleasing to your senses either. I guess my druthers would be either going to Japan or China...always wanted to go to the Orient.

8. Insert your own random thought here. Right now, it's raining again. I'm lovin' it. Of course that'll be a whole 'nother story when it comes to keeping up with the yard maintenance when the rain makes the grass grow more quickly. Got a mower? LOL

connecting to:

Wednesday Hodgepodge

§ I've contracted CRABS?

Click button to join

Someone
once told
me I had
"Crabby"
jeans genes...
Is this
an
Omen then?

I'm not
gonna
lose
any sleep
over
it...

A BROKEN CRAB CLAW

If you'd prefer to skip over my tidbit below on how to enable the Blogger Embedded Comment Form, 'hassle free' to leave comments in blogs, with Internet Explorer, Firefox, or Google Chrome, and you'd like to leave a word or two for my Ruby Tuesday only....

COMMENT HERE





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Recently I had a comment in my blog that told me they couldn't post a comment unless using I.E. --- the commentor was using the new Google Chrome browser. Thing is, there IS a 'cure' to this. It's all done with cookie preferences. While the Embedded Blogger Comment Form was new several months ago, there was a time, using my favorite Firefox, I couldn't post a comment to the sites/blogs because of a simple thing, and there is a simple remedy!!! Back then, I did some research, and went into forums with my query and got help. Much needed help.

Now, I'm sure that y'all know what a cookie is, working with your browsers. Using the comment form through Internet Explorer, it could 'read' my comment and I was allowed to publish it with no hassle. Then, when I would return using Firefox, the comment form would not work.

You see, it was the different preference I had in my settings with both browsers...I E settings were different. And the simple fix is cookies!! Yes, those delicious help rendering cookies!! The non-fat kind. And it's very easy to reconfigure the browser cookies in Firefox. And you CAN have options to only accept cookies with Blogger if you fear damages to your computer.

First off, cookies CANNOT, cannot I repeat, put viruses on your computer!!! Cookies are just harmless files. Cookies cannot look into information stored on your hard-drive. It is technically impossible for cookies to read personal information. Cookies can only store data that is provided by the server or generated by an explicit user action. Cookies only allow a small amount of memory to enact your information from the site to allow it to load much quicker...by use of the cookie/a bit of memory!! Somewhat like..."Oh I've met you before, welcome back". It's a tracker. Just like what is used on site meter, or favorites in your bookmarks...etc. etc. etc. And you can also set your Firefox to clean out your cookies daily...or weekly...or monthly...or keep them forever. And yet, if you set your Firefox to accept these, whether you clean them each session...the cookies will again reload if you visit and use a comment form from Blogger!!! Simple.

After the comment was left for me, I did some experimenting with Google Chrome by downloading and installing it to my own computer. With my preferences set to allow the cookies, the comment form works!! I was able to leave comments on other blogs with the embedded form; along with my own in a test run. Remember, to save your preferred settings when finished!!

With Firefox:
TOOLS/OPTIONS/PRIVACY/Accept 3rd Party Cookies






With Internet Explorer:
TOOLS/INTERNET OPTIONS/PRIVACY/ADVANCED/Third Party Cookies "Accepted"




For the New Google Chrome:
TOOLS/OPTIONS/UNDER THE HOOD/CONTENT SETTING/security/Make exceptions:

Click on the Tools menu and select Options
Click the "Under the Hood" tab and locate the "Security" section
In the "Cookie settings" drop-down menu, choose your preferred settings. Google Chrome allows all cookies by default, but you can restrict the behavior of first-party and third-party cookies or even block them completely.

Click on the Close button when you've finished.



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Now, the Blogger Comment Form should work for you without any hassles or delays or revamping by switching browsers. Try it. I've had it set up this way for a long time now, and it works perfectly each and every time.









POSTED: Tuesday, April 20th, 2010
12:40 A.M.

Thursday, January 29th, 2009
5:46 A.M.


First off today, let me tell you about a blogger I enjoy visiting. I love her quick wit, her sense of humor and her complete honesty and demeanor. She's a lot of fun...I also must tell you I enjoy Arthur and all her other furbabies' antics. But...now this is something...her online signature is Gattina. And she always signs the comments as such. Her profile name for her blog is Gattina. The other day, as you know about Blogger's security word on some blogs that some have for spam and keeping the robotic comments at bay...let me say some of the words are difficult to decipher and I've had to redo a few because I couldn't tell an "i" from an "l" sometimes. Anyway, here I am, sitting, typing away at composing a comment for someone [I can't remember who it was], but there in front of my face, the security word....



...altho it lacks a 2nd 't' it was just too darned close to not get a screenshot of if and share it. Especially with Gattina. I do hope she drops by today. That one was more fun than a barrel of monkeys! You don't think our dear blogger is trying to take possession of our psyche do you? Where IS SHE, anyway? [insert me looking over my shoulder] Is she here?


- - -

Then, I thought I'd share a little tidbit about how to go about the character map you may not know of having on your computer. It's been posted on my sidebar for many months now, but I don't know how often anyone would actually take time to read my tidbits. So, try this; nifty!! Following the pink arrows

1] Go to the "Start" icon, click on it.


2] Find "Programs" and click on it


3] Find "Accessories", click on it


4] Find "System Tools", click on it


5] Find "Character Map", click on it


6]This will load...the Character Map--


7] Use scroll bar to the right, and find the character you wish to use, DOUBLE CLICK ON IT...you'll then notice that it shows in the bar below:




<——scroll bar on map, not your browser







8] Once the character is chosen by double clicking it, you then submit to copy by clicking on the "Copy" button to the right of the map.


9] The last step...where you want the character to be in your blog post or document....Say I want the copyright symbol to show at the end of this text...I'd go through the steps above and then "PASTE" by right clicking my mouse at this post as follows: ©




YOU'RE DONE! Publish your blog post, or save document. The copyright character [or any you choose] remains in the text.


<><><>



Storyteller sent me an award in the email. One I had missed from her blog. She writes: "5. Hootin' Anni - always keeps me thinking and entertained with her well written posts ... amazed at her wonderful graphics!" Wow...thank you so much for the great compliments...AND for the wonderful award. Much appreciated.

- - -



And, Toni Lee...she sent me to pick up an award from her too. She posted in my comments that it was healthy for me. I found this: Blogger Toni Lee said...

"I have something for you and it's not fattening...0cal...0carb..0fat.
Stop by and pick it up."

It's delicious!! And yes...healthy and oh "so sweet of you" to share it with me. Thank you so much.


<><><>

And last but not least, Jen @ Jen's Chronicles has awarded me with a couple of wonderful accolades!! I thank you so much dear lady for thinking of me. You always bring some sunshine my way. And for that, I am very grateful.



Jen also tagged me:
Here are the rules of the game:

Link to the person who tagged you.

Share six random things about yourself.

Tag six people and let them know they are tagged on their own blog.

Feel free to play the way you want.


Here are my six things:
1] I love deviled eggs
2] I secretly feed a neighborhood cat
3] I love fast cars
4] My popcorn MUST have butter! [I think I've posted this before]
5] I love tea...hot tea, and ICED tea.
6] For the first six years of my life I was hospitalized ---off and on, like two or three times a year...A LOT!!

Friday, January 9th, 2009
5:25 A. M.

My whole computer froze yesterday. I started to visit with bloggers and the system froze. I couldn't get OUT of programs, the mouse was frozen, and I couldn't even get out of Windows Vista!! Dang. So, I had to unplug, wait the normal 30 seconds and then plug the power cord back in and had to wait for about an hour for the Check Disk [CHKDSK] to go through the entire file system for a normal reentry!

With that happening, I'm behind, and I was too frustrated to actually make use of the computer online time at all yesterday. Normally by this time of day I've finished blogging, and I've visited friends and ready for my juice and getting ready for my walking as the daylight breaks on the horizon.

Well, in the meantime, a few days ago, I upgraded to the new version of Firefox. And I've noticed a bit of lagging with some pages loading and the mouse not scrolling smoothly since the upgrade. Yesterday, I did some tweaking, and I think I figured it out. Since the upgrade to the latest version of Firefox, my Ad Block Plus addon has a Filterset G updating. The Filterset G [which is an automatic updater for new ads to block] is not compatible with the new version of Firefox!! I disabled the Filterset G, and for now anyway, it's operating at normal speed. I can type faster, the keyboard isn't hesitating, and the mouse is smooth, everything is quicker. I will have to go out on the 'net to find out how I can update the ads manually. If this works that is...it's too frustrating to have such long hesitations in the operating system. I'm spoiled.

Addendum: The disabling of the Filterset G for the Ad Block Plus addon is also controlling the updated Firefox's frequent crashes and freezing!! Yay!!! So far, so good.

- - -

That said and done!




I just didn't feel up to getting back online at all yesterday, so I'll need to catch up with my visitors. I try to make sure I go and visit my neighbors in blogland...what I call the 'hood.... when they are kind enough to leave me a message. It's only the right thing to do. Y'know? Well, I truly apologize for not stopping by yesterday with a return visit. I got busy. I said I felt lazy yesterday, well I did....but I soon got bored too. There is one closet, just a very SMALL closet that was so stuffed full of junk it was really beginning to 'bug' me. It was full of things I didn't want to throw away, but it was still chocked full to the point where I had a difficult time closing it sometimes. It's the coat closet in the foyer off the front door. And it hardly has any coats! LOLOL

We have a three bedroom home, but I swear we need a fourth bedroom for the extra room being just storage space. Besides the attic, which we would need use of a ladder all the time to get into it, we have only closets for storage.

I used to have a metal filing cablinet, but found that during hurricane season around here, I can't possibly take the cabinet with us if there is a need to evacuate. So, what I did the first year we lived here was to get stackable plastic filing boxes and separated the more important things that I could just grab and put in the car's trunk if evacuation is called. They are see through boxes so I know just which one's to grab on a minute's notice. They are in the foyer closet. Stacked from the floor to the shelves. The boxes were outdated. By that, I mean I had insurance policies in some that had expired...you know, the six month policies that are no longer valid? Stuff like that.

BEFORE



Bud and I took everything out...EVERYTHING. And started to liquidate. Going through each and EVERY piece of paper in the boxes!! It took us all morning and part of the afternoon to complete the job! We made a donation box for coats and sweaters we haven't worn since we moved here four years ago, got rid of some of the boxed games we haven't played since living in Colorado. There were some toys of Erik's that I want to save for him [even tho he will probably throw them away when we're gone]. Oh and one thing I just couldn't get rid of....his Marine Dress Uniform!! Of course Irene, when she left home years ago, she took all her belongings with her. But I still have some of her notes to me, pictures that she drew for me...things like that. Paper stuff. And they're all in a filing box where I can grab them and keep them in my possession if the need arises that we need to get out of the path of a hurricane.

AFTER