Did I figure this out?
problems and confusion. trying to use windows live writer. i think i figured it out. weird that i can’t post from my amyhaha account to the getoutphilly blog.
now i need to figure out how to send an RSS feed to friends with minimal pain and suffering (and time investment)…
Pre-Trip Insanity
Kristin and I are leaving in SIX DAYS!!! aaahhh so much to do still! Mostly packing and getting cleaned up around my house…but still final details like figuring out how we’re going to get to the airport (BOLT bus or Greyhound?), and filling the rest of the days with activities!
I had started to plan things on TripIt, but I really found that annoying. Microsoft Works has a great "Vacation Planning" Template is much easier to use, and more comprehensive too it looks like! I was sitting in a really boring training at work on Monday, and I made a list of everything I needed to do before I left!!
Ordered a bunch of books from Amazon, so excited! One is a general reference book about the history of Peru, it’s huge. Also a book on what to eat and how to order it in Peru, and a couple of travel guides. I wanted to order the Cusco city guide as well, but it would need to be ordered through the South American Explorers Club and I don’t know if I’ll get it in time!! I’m hoping the hostel or the SAE Clubhouse in Cusco will have the book that someone left (and also a Lonely Planet or a Rough Guide :)
Ok, time to focus and get some more done….gonna figure out how to update the blog and send out an email link to friends at the same time…
new exciting beginning
I just got a new computer! so stoked. its teeny, takes some getting used to such a small keyboard. But being able to sit outside and work is awesome! Have just gotten soo much more done! Obviously I got the computer for the trip to Peru, it will be great to keep in touch & blog while Kristin & I are on the road. Just have to get a plug adapter now….
Of course, I also got it to WRITE!!! This is most what I’m excited about. I’m hoping I can squeeze in more time to work on some of these unfinished stories….but first I have to get caught up on some of the stuff I didn’t get to do last week. Ugh. Guess I have a week of sneaking in half an hour at lunch to look forward to. Not that I’m complaining, it actually worked out pretty darn good on Friday! Typed whatever it was I was working on in the MS Works Word Processor, then uploaded it to whatever web page when I got home. I forget what it was even now…yikes.
I’ve already booted IE and am not going to buy Word software. I like Works just fine. Hoping that compatibility issues will not come back to haunt me…. It does end up running ridiculously slow when I have facebook up. Will have to see how that goes…
AND the computer has a webcam! I look atrocious on the screen, LOL. If I ever take videos I’m going to have to get a really good light source and put on a ton of makeup!
Conversations like this early in the morning ruin my equilibrium for the day
Phone rings @ 8:50 am. I just got off the Commodore Barry Bridge and am negotiating the Flower Street construction (stressful enough!).
Me: Hello?
Girl on phone: Hi, my name is Lindsay and I’m calling from RenStaff, I just saw your resume on Monster.com and am wondering if you are still looking for work.
(A pause as I comprehend this)
Me: I’m sorry, did you say RenStaff?
Girl: Yes, RenStaff, we’re a worldwide staffing company.
Me: Um, yeaahhhhh, I’m actually employed by RenStaff right now….. (almost blow a red light watching the backhoes across the street. sip coffee)
Girl: Oh yeah?
Me: Yes, I’m assigned to This Bank as a mortgage processor right now, I worked with the Sugar Mills office.
Girl: Oh yeah??! That’s where I am!
Me: Er….
Girl: Well, there’s a new class starting Wednesday…do you think you have any friends who….(trails off)
Me: Um, well, I do know one person who I was going to refer, but (crap, I think she got a job) actually wait, I DO know someone else who has a job (but I’m not giving you his number) so uh, I actually have Lauren’s contact info, so I could send her info on to him? Lauren…Smith, she’s the one I worked with.
Girl: Oh, yes, she and I are working together on this project. That would be great!
Me: (totally lost now) Ok, um, I’m at work now, I’ll ask him if he’s interested and pass along the info.
Girl: Great, thanks so much!
Me: ….Bye?
I am not sure if I should find this conversation amusing, or be concerned that they are going to replace me….names have been changed to protect the stupid….
old friends, old feelings
Was just scrolling through the profiles of some of my “friends” on facebook and something occurred to me. Okay, two things occurred to me.
1. I am surprised to see that I have “29 friends in common” with someone. I don’t know if this has to do more with the whole living in the moment thing or with my hopelessness with numbers, but I’m surprised that I know 29 people period, let alone 29 people who know someone else I know. My mind boggles at the bigness of the world.
2. As I glance over profiles from friends from a long time ago (college, before….some of those I can’t even call “friends,” I think), I wonder what their feelings and memories toward me are. Like, when someone sees a friend request from me, do they only add me because they don’t want to hurt my feelings? Or do they think, hey I haven’t seen her in awhile, miss hanging out with her, oh I remember that time when, wonder what she’s been up to…..?
I’ve found some people that I’m glad to be back in touch with again. “In touch” via facebook often meant very loosely–they haven’t sent me a single personal message but I get their status updates all the time. Can’t help but wonder what they think when they “add me.”
I really only add people that I am interested in communicating with. Facebook is much too nosy to broadcast life to relative strangers (at least the new version is). But I don’t always reach out, mostly I guess because I am worried about what their real memories of me are–did I annoy them to death? Was I mean or rude? Was I selfish? Honesty like that is kind of rare, so I guess I won’t ever know.
I think I should write a story on this.
Finished
Patrick’s Birthday sweater
Now to make a matching one for Allie. Glad Andrea doesn’t know about this blog LOL.
Giving up but not quitting
So after a long hike in the Wissahickon this morning, I’m pretty much sure I’m giving up on making 50,000 words in November. (I’m wiped! Good times though.) But I decided not to give up on 50,000 words total. Just gonna keep plugging away, a thousand at a time, every day, until I hit the “end.” (Which is only going to be 50K at this point.)
I’m over 7300 now, today’s goal is 8400. Then I’ll reassess, add a thousand and round up to the nearest hundred, then make that my goal for Sunday.
The character is driving herself cross country. I’ll try to update here. Give me extra motivation, maybe. Kim put Graceland off for a while; I stopped her in Asheville, North Carolina, to do some whitewater rafting in the paddling capital of the east! (Google says its only about three hours away from Charlotte, so why the heck not. She’s got three months to travel. ) Am thinking of doing this in the form of a travel diary, but that might have to come later at this point.
Be back when I hit 8400…
Until you make a decision, you have nothing at all
“I know it feels like you have all these options and when you make a decision, you lose a world of possibilities. But the reality is, until you make a decision, you have nothing at all.”
Quote from Janet Fitch in a pep talk for National Novel Writing Month. Am trying to write 15,000 words today. Haven’t written one yet. Am also looking for another quote about how procrastination is just waiting for perfection. And I also need to do a little research on Graceland for the story. But so far I’ve chatted with Kimmee about The River Wild and A River Runs Through It and looked up the trailer for the new Shopaholic Movie (doesn’t come out until February 13! Why are they showing trailers already? How are we supposed to wait that long?!) NOW I just got off the phone with Renata, and she wants to do stuff tonight, and I am checking out the Wissahickon hike tomorrow…..aargh.
Word Count: 6019 Need 21019 before i can say i made the goal for the day. Oof.
I know it feels like you have all these options and when you make a decision, you lose a world of possibilities. But until you make a decision, you have nothing at all.
Quote from Janet Fitch in a pep talk for National Novel Writing Month. Am trying to write 15,000 words today. Haven’t written one yet. Am also looking for another quote about how procrastination is just waiting for perfection. And I also need to do a little research on Graceland for the story. But so far I’ve chatted with Kimmee about The River Wild and A River Runs Through It and looked up the trailer for the new Shopaholic Movie (doesn’t come out until February 13! Why are they showing trailers already? How are we supposed to wait that long?!) NOW I just got off the phone with Renata, and she wants to do stuff tonight, and I am checking out the Wissahickon hike tomorrow…..aargh.
Word Count: 6019 Need 21019 before i can say i made the goal for the day. Oof.
