Playdate

I guess I messed that one up

Looks like I'm going to be taking back all my unopened HD-DVDs...

Rats.

End of the year...

So it's the end of the year, the traditional time to think about ... yes, you guessed it, charities. 

I mean, obviously.

I don't usually do this, but I thought I'd pass along one I found out about recently.  It's DonorsChoose.org.  There's been quite a bit of press about these guys, but basically, they provide funding to very specific education projects.  Teachers put together a one page summary of needs, and then people can browse the website and see what interests them.  I had some concerns about just random people posting on here, and I'm not totally convinced of the vetting process -- I can't imagine it's terribly thorough, but donorschoose buys the materials, etc., and sends them to the classroom instead of just sending them the cash.

What's nice is you can search by school district, age group, subject, etc.  I spent quite a bit of time the other night looking at areas near where I went to high school (which is very very poor) as well as around this area.

Here's some press, if you're interested:

From Fast Company:  43 Entrepeneurs Who are Changing the World

From ABC News: SchoolKids get what donors choose

Wikipedia entry  (Wikipedia calls their business model peer-to-peer philanthropy.  Ha.)

Charity Navigator on DonorsChoose

Anyway, I hadn't heard about them before, and I found their model pretty interesting.  Just thought I'd share it with you guys...

How much is that computer in the window?

So I should be in bed, trying to get over being sick (note to self:  going to the Olive Garden the day after having serious digestive issues -- not a good idea).  But a quick post before I go.

It's time for me to get a new computer -- it takes my current hand-me-down POC (piece o' crap) maybe 15 minutes to power up.  It's just frigging slow.  I had to buy a new external hard drive for my music, thinking that would make things better, but it turns out, no, not really.  And in reality, I think my computer is, conservatively speaking, about 900 years old, so really, it's time. 

And, related, my keyboard is something I snagged from my first library job, about 8 years ago.  It's kinda showing its age too.

And in a perfect world, I'd be getting a wireless mouse also.

Thoughts?  Suggestions?  And when is a good time to buy?

That is all.  Now, time to take some more Tums and go to bed.

Nightie-night, folks.

I'm so boring these days

I have been sitting here trying to think of something to write about....

My sudden zappos obsession?  Does anyone care about that?  (Do I want THESE super-expensive knee high boots?  Or THESE?)

Or...how funny I think 30 Rock is?  Last night I watched the entire episode and laughed so hard that I immediately watched it again.  And the second time I laughed so hard I cried.  Please please please go watch it on the NBC site if you haven't.  Seriously, whoever cast Alec Baldwin in that role should be paid a LOT of money.

Two short clips (not from last night's episode, cos I can't find it on youtube):

This one is with Will Arnett, from Arrested Development.

 

This one includes Wayne Brady (as a "Black").

In other news, mostly all I've been thinking about lately is the pharmaceutical industry.  I've been at work for a month now and I am learning a lot about how much I don't know about pharma, as well as how hard it is to juggle everything.  A lot of the people I'm working with are younger than me, and it's reminding me how I used to just go out after work, to dinner, for drinks, whatever, with co-workers and friends.  It was so easy back then, living in the city, only a short subway ride from home.  And back then I could stay out late and still make it in to work in the morning. 

Yeah... I don't do that anymore.  There are all these functions at work, and I just can never make them.  The logistics involved are just too much to manuever for me these days.

So instead I come home and watch 30 Rock... 

Sigh.  It's okay though.  Right?  Right?

Really? So Soon?

So, up until a few days ago, the kids' Internet activities had been limited to games and videos on Sesame Street Workshop, Nick Jr., and Noggin.

But this week we introduced them to YouTube. Why? Well, first we were letting Joseph watch some animated Dr. Seuss books, like Adam's all-time favorite, "The Sneeches."

Then, after growing tired of watching/hearing the same one Muppet Show DVD, Adam decided to see what he could find online.

He found a lot of good Muppets: Mahna Mahna, as well as a variety of full-length shows.

We left the kids alone with the computer, and before we knew it we were hearing foreign lyrics floating into the kitchen from the dining room. We looked at each other with eyes wide, "What are they watching?"

It turned out to be this harmless (if not completely boring) Finnish Polka.

We kept walking in and out of the room, somewhat nervously, to make sure that the video stayed as innocuous as it seemed at first glance. Then we heard techno.

"What are they watching now?"

It was only this:

But we knew FOR SURE that the next thing they clicked on might be something completely inappropriate. I mean, really, people just love to "f" with the Teletubbies!

Fortunately, it was dinner time, and we could relax.

But now, I guess, it's time for a filter. Really? I mean, I guess I knew we'd have to worry about what they were doing online at some point, I just had no idea it would be so soon!

Lost and Found

I lost my iPod.

Earlier this week Alicia waxed philosophic about what a great time they had on their vacation. And I must say, it was really kind of them to invite me up for the second part of their family vacation.  And it _was_ very nice and relaxing to see them in Lake Champlain.

But... I lost my iPod while I was there.  And once I realized it, I spent the rest of my vacation obsessively looking in, over, and under every conceivable surface.  Veeery relaxing.  For all of us.

I also lost my daughter's Leapster.  But that, having been left at the beach, was turned in by someone the next day.  The same cannot be said of the iPod.

And yes, I know it's just a scrap of metal and computer and can be replaced.  I have everything backed up, after all.  Blah blah.  It's not like I lost my _child_.  But I'll be honest.  I miss it.

Also, I'm not the kind of person who loses things.  A double, crushing blow.  I guess I'm getting old and forgetful.  Time to start doing Sudoku in earnest, maybe?

What makes this even better is that I _was_ planning on buying myself an iPod dock with speakers and a radio for my kitchen as a birthday present.  And now I'm going to have to take that money (and more) and buy the stupid iPod again.

Sigh.  But I have no one to blame but myself.  I could have lost it anywhere, it just happened to be on vacation in VT.  Where I may never be again.  I couldn't have lost it, say, at the Target on Rt. 10, where, you know, I go ALL THE TIME (today, for instance).

Maybe I can find it when those guys return next year and (hopefully) invite me back.  That's not too long to wait, is it?  Perhaps next time I will be able to see something besides that elusive, lost item.  And I hear it's beautiful there...

Update:  Ever since I wrote this, I've been remembering snatches of this poem I used to love.  I looked it up, and yes, I still love it.  Here it is.  If you're interested.

So where do you surf?

Websites I like:

Etsy
Amazing website featuring handmade goods.  You can find the most beautiful jewelry and art and supplies.  Mostly I daydream about all the things I would make if I had endless amounts of time.  Inspiring.

Pandora
When I first found this site long ago, I literally spent hours finding new artists I like.  Now I click on whenever I'm feel I need an infusion of new tunes in my life.  It's addicting!

eBay
Self explanatory.  Sucks up major portions of my free time.  Is it weird that my saved searches include things like "vintage blue geometric wallpaper" and "pansy canoe painting"?

whipup.net
Blog featuring everything crafty and handmade and design..there are links to artists and tutorials.  I check in daily.  Although this week is a little weird with the "Bra Wristlet Tutorial"  and duct tape prom dresses.

NYPL Digital Gallery
If you love old images and paper as much as I do, this is an excellent way to idle away a morning.  Archival images of cigarette cards and American sheet music are my current faves.

Bloglines
This is where I keep all my feeds, including ours.  It's easier to check on everything all at once.  I think I'm up to 20 blogs that I check in on.

It's pretty boring, but I realize these are the places I go the most.   I wish I had some secret, edgy place place to share, but honesty is the best policy, right?   Although I thought about pretending that I read slate.com daily.  How about you?

 

Keep the Children Away!

I checked the rating for our blog.

This rating was determined based on the presence of the following words:

• gay (3x)
• sex (2x)
• dangerous (1x)

Nice ladies.  Who said gay 3 times?  And I think they missed a few F-bombs.

I was robbed by two men

This may be the funniest (and weirdest) thing I've ever seen on youtube:

I was robbed by two men

And here's one from Zach Braff, watch to the end for a shout out to South Orange:

I'm taking New Jersey Transit... The Morris Essex line

Why blog?

I've been thinking about why I find blogging interesting.  Sometimes it's tedious enough to just live through the ordinary moments that make up a day.  It's seems extremely self-indulgent (with a touch of narcissism to boot) to think that anyone would want to read about those moments, much less comment on them.

Yet still I find myself checking in daily on twenty or so blogs of women just like me: 30-something, parents, sharing bits and pieces of their lives.  And it's fascinating stuff.  Knowing that they are out there making dinner, painting their living rooms,  creating art, reading books, kissing boo-boo's and living through those collected minutes just like me is empowering.   And inspiring.

Maybe it's because you are raised your whole life to expect validation: grades, degrees, paychecks, reviews.  And then it sort of disappears.  Blogs allow that validation to happen in small,everyday ways.  Yes, yes show me the first scarf you knit, share a great book, tell me what's going on this weekend.  I want to know! Maybe I'll do it too! It's all those small things that make up a life, and so that is what I choose to write about.  The ordinary as extraordinary.

So out of the group of women creating this blog I'm probably not going to be the political one.  Or the topical one. And certainly not the controversial one.  But that's what's so exciting about this blog.  It will be a collection of voices, of friends, a conversation of sorts.  And I think that is interesting.

So here is a bit of spring in my backyard and my fledgling garden.  Hopefully it will inspire you to go out and dig in the dirt a bit.