Life is too short........................

I have to say that my phone behaved beautifully yesterday. I guess the threat of being run over by the car made it realize that I wasn't messing around!

HOWEVER - I decided to do a bit of paperwork and the first thing I needed was to print ONE page. Just one page. NOPE - that printer wasn't going to budge. I did a test and YES - it was connected to the network. Got an IP address and everything. The computer said the printer was ready, albeit OFFLINE. OH crud - well I have that service contract with the folks in India so I decided to bite the bullet and call them.

Have you ever wondered what those call centers look like?????????   How about this.............

Support guys in India!!!!!!!!

I have NO IDEA what they look like, but Pat D sent me this picture and I LOVE IT. I wasn't talking to Microsoft though, there is a third party support group called iYOGI and that is the one I have the contract with.

In a very short time, the printer problem was fixed. Although the printer had an IP address, the computer wasn't picking up THAT IP address and so they couldn't talk to each other. PROBLEM SOLVED!!!!!!!  Then I asked the support tech about another printer problem. When photocopying something (but not always), the printer recognizes only 1/4 of the image. Then I have to go in and reset the paper to 8 1/2" by 11" rather than automatic. I mean - really!!!!!!!!!!!!    The default is supposed to be 8 1/2" by 11".

Since that is an intermittent problem, I have no idea if the problem is solved or not. Let's hope!!!!!!!!!!!!


BUT then I opened up a can of worms. I was complaining about how SLOW my computer was and how I keep getting messages about low disk space on one of my drives. You know  - you have heard it all. Twenty minutes to reboot if I am lucky, slow response time, programs not responding and on and on. So the tech guy had a look and started messing around. Then I got upgraded to another tech guy who was more experienced. Appears I have VIRUSES on my computer?????   And then they keep telling me that I need to call them once a month to get rid of all the excess stuff in my computer. WAIT A MINUTE!!!!!!!!!!!  

Do other people have these same issues?????   I mean - there are buttons you can set so that when you exit internet programs that they are supposed to erase the temp files. That does NOT seem to work for me and these files are filling up BOTH hard disks and making a HUGE mess in my computer. Why is that? Am I the only one?????   I think I will keep my external hard disk UNPLUGGED unless I need it. Just to be safe!


Well after THREE (Yes THREE hours) on the phone with them, I was finally referred to yet an even higher tech level because the issue just doesn't seem to be resolving itself. OH BOY - what is the matter with the stupid thing????????????   They are calling me this afternoon to try and get the issue resolved. But even though I have called them in the past - I don't think they completely resolved the issue (or are they part of the problem so I will keep calling back????). Now - I am going to make a reminder note to call them on the first of the month EVERY month to optimize the computer. I have paid for the service  - I might as well use it.

And for the record - my computer seems like a new person this morning. FAST - no balking. The question is "how long will it last???"   It amazes me how much we put up with. Well how much I put up with. I am too easy going!!!!!!!!!!!!!


So what does one do when on the phone for three hours???   I cleaned up a LOT of paperwork. Hey - this computer stuff is actually a good thing. I went through piles and piles of paper. Sorted it out, filed a bit - threw away a LOT and found a few things I could or should deal with before I leave. Now - I just need TWO full days of that and I would be completely DONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!     But I have to be in the mood for that. Oh dear - I so want that to get cleaned up. I MUST make it a priority.

Don't worry - I do have other pictures. Remember this blog is sometimes more for me, not for you!  Last year, I spent a LOT of time doing quilt blocks for other people. This year, I decided that I was NOT going to participate in anything like that. I do have seven postcards to finish making, but they are almost done. This year though I seem to have spent or am spending HUGE amounts of time volunteering. I MUST rethink that. There are the guilds and in all cases, I am on the executive(or will be)  in some form or fashion. I do charity stuff, the Ride to Conquer Cancer which involves fund raising. I need to look at what I am doing and then make a decision as to how much time I want to spend each month with those "freebies".   While I enjoy all the activities, I also want to get some stuff done for ME and that doesn't seem to be happening - well not much anyway.


Life is too short to say - Oh I should have!!!!!!!!!!!!!    Case in point - my notebook. Here is my current notebook. A cheap thing that I believe I bought for M a LONG time ago. She never used it so I did.

My notebook

I love this notebook - it has a spiral binding, the pages get all crinkly when you write it in.

See - crinkly pages - well it is hard to tell, but the pages come alive with the writing. The texture is awesome. I think because the paper is thin and cheap. 

BUT I have a LOT of cute little notebooks that I have also purchased for ME and I don't use them. So I dug one out ---------

A NICE journal. Well - I am not calling it a journal - it is JUST a notebook. 

It has a nice leather type cover, a bicycle on the front. I don't like that it doesn't have a spiral binding and the pages are much better quality than the other one. Oh well - I will just have to live with that. The important thing is that I am using it!!!!   It is like the good china - if you don't make use of it - why do you have it?????


That is my new philosophy (well has been for a while in most things). Especially in fabric - hey - why save the good stuff. You might die tomorrow and the good stuff will get cut up by some fellow quilter who doesn't appreciate it as much as you do.

So what do you have around your house that you are saving????   Get it out and use it today - those new sheets or towels or dishes or whatever?????


I was back in shopping/gardening mode yesterday. Went to Homesense and we found these cushions..........

New cushions and they are for ???????

Well we have a sort of secret garden in our back yard (along the side of the house). Hidden in that secret garden is this............

A garden trellis seat

Yes - I know it needs to be cleaned up and I have to get rid of the DEAD vine that is on top (that I cut off the other day). Once it is cleaned up the cushions will go here. I think they will look nice and will be a very inviting spot to read. Oh dear - I won't even have time to enjoy it this year. But NEXT year I will.

But it will look nice for our upcoming backyard party.

Here is the rest of the secret garden. The part I was cleaning up the other day. The trellis seat is just to the left of the wheelbarrow. These trees (whatever they are) grow very fast and will completely obliterate this space if left on their own. 

The above is AFTER I did some pruning. Still needs more, but will have to suffice for the time being.

Nothing (not even a severe pruning seems to kill them off). Although next year - I am going to cut deeper to the base of the tree and see what happens. Many are getting very spindly and too tall. May end up having to replace them, but we'll see.

That white gate is one of TWO gates that Sammy escapes from (hence the buckets and a log in behind that) to keep her in. Beyond the white gate are MORE overgrown shrubs. They are not the appropriate shrubs for that space. Looked nice when they were first planted (not by us), but now they have to be trimmed back severely or eliminate altogether.

Speaking of trimming - this tree/shrub is in my front yard - against the front window. It has grown so much on the back against the house that we can't open the window. I usually get in there with the pruners and clip it back. When I was peering in last night, a robin flew right up in my face. ACK!!!!!!   I don't know who was more scared. But I believe there is a nest in there. So I must wait a bit before I get in there.

And this is my periwinkle in the front yard. While I love the periwinkle and it has managed to remain contained in a particular space, the grass has started to invade it. DRAT. I tried pulling out the grass last night and it isn't going well. I think I will rip up the grass and the periwinkle. I can always replant the periwinkle, but will be very hard to get rid of just the grass. I need to more aware of edging the bed alongside my neighbour's grass.


And we got rid of the grass because??????   Well - we don't have to worry about brown grass in the summer, but there is a LOT of work in maintaining this other stuff. Actually it isn't that bad and not like we need to do a lot once, the initial tidying up is complete.

So what bizarre use do you have for your quilts?  Well here is a good one. See this quilt (it is the dogs quilts) and it is rolled up into a ball which was tossed into the electrical room in the basement???   Any ideas????

Well last week in the middle of the night, our carbon monoxide detector decided to announce a low battery. OH MY GOD. I was exhausted and what do you do with a thing that will keep beeping until you deal with it. I removed the screw to the battery case, but because I was so tired, I could NOT release the battery case lid. I know - I was half asleep. So I rolled it up in the quilt and shoved it in the electrical room. For a week - I have heard that faint BEEP  every thirty seconds whenever I was in the basement. I told you I put up with a LOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 But yesterday when I was cleaning, I came across the instruction manual and read all about the detector. I got it out and removed the battery and now have to get a new one so the detector can be useful again.

Yes - I know about the importance of these detectors. My brother was having some work done on his house and the furnace exhaust was accidentally covered up. The carbon monoxide detector saved them, but they had to get out of the house for a bit. At least they knew why they were getting headaches and feeling pretty lousy the week before the levels got so high, the detector went off.

Often times when I go to Ruti's Needlebed, she has sales rep in the store. It is always exciting - getting to see what's new and sometimes getting to help pick the fabrics. The other day - a yarn sales lady was there. Now isn't this just lovely yarn. I know you are yawning - what is the big deal - it is just solid colour yarn.

Yarn

 BUT WAIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Look at the size of the balls..................

They are teeny tiny. Just the cutest things. Perfect if you are making those tiny animals. 

LITTLE ANIMALS


or how about these...............


MORE ANIMAL PATTERNS


I just love these, but a hassle to purchase a HUGE ball of yarn to make ONE animal. NOW you can buy little bits and pieces. I have reserved one ball of each colour!!!!!!!!!!!!    They will be here in August - better reserve now or it will be too late. There are variegated ones as well - acrylic, wool and cotton.    I don't think they will last long.



OK - on that note - I have NOTHING left to say.


I have to get ready for a class this morning.


Have a great day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Ciao!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!