I’ve been perusing some of the freebie and low-cost options to improve my iMac and my MacBook and to make my iPhone a better organizational and entertaiment all-in-one tool. I found some really cool stuff, and I thought I’d share!

Fluid – Tired of having that slow-down-to-a-crawl experience in your current browser when you have a slew of web-apps open at once? Me too! I was looking for a way to shortcut some of the more essential ones (like Google Apps) onto my Mac’s dock when I tripped across this little gem. It’s a free download and saves a great deal of time by turning your favorite URLs into great little custom-icon encrusted goodness!

iPhone Explorer – Wanna drag and drop stuff onto your iphone from your Mac? Yeah, me too. Here’s a freebie program for just that purpose. Why carry an additional flash drive? Not only for Macs, it’s also available for PC platforms.

HuluDesktop – stay logged into this sleekly designed desktop (adjustable sized) one-stop for your favorite TV shows, clips and full-length feature films. It also allows the use of your iMac remote (or the remote on your iPhone). Keep it in your dock, you’ll need it. Now, if ONLY they would make an iPhone app for Hulu… pretty please?!?

VLC media player – I discovered this during my Linux days and I keep a copy of this on EVERY machine I’ve touched since then. Why scramble around looking for something to play this format or that format in audio or video when this one plays (almost) all of them?

HandBrake – fruity little video decoder and wonder tool that lets me rip that DVD I love and move it from the dusty shelf into a properly formatted and awesome iPhone format so I can take it with me and actually FINALLY get around to watching it — something I seldom have time to do in one sitting or in front of a big screen. I’m all about the mobility and the “being entertained” instead of being frustrated when I find myself in situations where I have to wait on anyone or anything. (Also good for other formats, btw, and works on Linux and PC as well as Mac. Try it, you will like it!)

Seashore – A quick image editor. Want to crop and change an image a little without having to learn an entire manual of stuff (like you do with GIMP?) If you are working under the 80/20 rule you are probably going to want to try this little gem.It’s quick, it’s easy and it’s not for big hairy jobs — but it may be JUST what you need.

Stanza – Making your Mac work as a master library server to get every ebook you ever imagined on your iPhone. Love it, love it, love it. Did I mention I love it?!? (Also works for PC.) Download the app for your iPhone too!

I hope you enjoy these as much as I do! And here are some Free Fonts for Mac too, so you can expand your fonts with these free fonts (available for commercial use).

The last couple of months have been extremely busy. Business is a bit slower than usual and I’ve picked up work with the Census on the side. Sooooo…

When I’m not working on client stuff, and I’m not cooking meals and being domestic, and I’m not working on my second job (I still can’t believe how much I’m enjoying working for the government), I’m taking the time to write.

I’m carving out tiny bits of time here and there. I’m feeling overwhelmed on a regular basis. Family life has changed dramatically in the last month as our household has grown to include three additional souls. We moved in September to a larger place (which was, as it turns out, done just in the nick of time!)

I love the new place, but wish I had time WITH my man to do little things like finish arranging furniture to be more “us” and to hang a few pictures on the walls. That would be nice.

Right now, it’s not happening. We are barreling down on the holiday season, so I don’t think it will be happening any time soon. There are a slew of other unexpected demands on our time that keep pulling us away from the tasks we would like to start (or complete).

Overall, life is pretty sweet, despite all the challenges. And, as always, I cope by writing. When I get so stressed out that I can’t bear my own company, there is only ONE cure — I must write.

I realized the other day that writing is the one thing I do that can turn a horrible day into a great one. That’s quite a feat! It’s not something I’ve always known, I had to be taught. I have always known that finding the time to write made me happy, but I didn’t know that stopping everything else and TAKING the time to write could turn around a crappy day.

My boyfriend helped me figure that one out. He always asks me how my day is — not the kind of “how are you” that people ask you on the street and never pause to hear the answer and not the “how was your day” which is just a segue for many people to endure one or two sentences from you before driving a truck over you to tell you about their own. He really wants to know. And when I’ve had a rough one, he asks why. And when it’s been good, he asks why.

Sounds simple, huh? Well the other day, my morning was horrid. And by the afternoon, it was good. He asked me what turned it around. I told him I took off an hour to write on my novel. I went to a restaurant, sat down, ordered myself something to eat and typed. This was a luxury I’d never permit myself on a normal day.

I didn’t stop and I didn’t slow down. I just typed. I stopped only to eat my meal and in between bites, I typed some more.

I left the restaurant with an inspired feeling and a short scene to my novel in first draft form. And, I felt like I was walking on clouds! Even the guilt for eating out alone didn’t blemish my joy… much.

So now, I try to squeeze in some time to write. This is the first year in the last three that I didn’t stress out trying to do the daily blog in November. And that “write a novel in a month” deal is insane for me (it depressed me before and made me feel like a loser of gargantuan proportions.) I didn’t want to feel that way again this year. I’d do it if I were independently wealthy and didn’t have the kids all at home (not to mention the other demands on my time.) I just can’t even bear to try it again this year. Maybe next year.

Now, I’m using my iPhone’s recording feature to capture ideas when I’m driving down the road, I’ve loaded up podcasts of famous writers and writing topic courses and inspiration from iTunes University. I use the Amazing Note app to capture snippets of thoughts when wake up in the middle of the night with something on my mind, and no pencil or paper in sight. I carry a book with me everywhere I go. I purchased a small moleskine to keep with me again (I’d gotten out of that habit some time back), and I pay extra close attention to the people around me and the environments I find myself in each day. I notice how people walk, how they talk, what attitudes they radiate, how they weave their words and what makes them smile or scowl.

The Census work gets me out of the house (I’m actually doing recruiting and giving tests for them now before the big push in the spring.) It’s keeping me busy and is taking me outside of my usual element — and sometimes even my comfort zone.

Yeah, recruiting in some of the downtown areas in Lexington is a whole new world. But coincidentally, the novel I started nearly a year ago with a few rough notes and a hope for time to continue… is based in a town about the size of Lexington. How great is that?

So, the Census work is helping me to shape and sculpt my novel. It’s still in novel infancy, barely a bookish zygote, but it’s there. It’s real. It’s finally happening. And, discovering that it can turn a day from hell into a day of joy encourages me to give myself permission to write instead of doing all the other myriad of things that I really “should” be doing.

The fact is, I’m a better person when I carve out some time to write. I feel better. I’m a better mother, better daughter, better girlfriend. I’m just better.

So, my blog may be sparse. I’m still around kicking and scratching in the Internet world… just not with the same frequency that I once was.

I’m online updating FaceBook nearly every day, since that’s something I can do on the fly (I LOVE my iPhone!!) but I’ve not taken the time to blog properly.

I should probably say that I’m going to try to remedy that, but, as long as I’m feeling inspired, I’ll write on the novel. That’s the fact.

In the meantime, catch me on FaceBook. I don’t have the time or desire to twitter so much these days. From a marketing standpoint, with Google’s recent decision to spider the tweeting masses, I probably should — but that’s not what makes me happy. Not right now.

Right now, meeting my obligations, helping the kids, spending a few stolen minutes with my sweetie and running my business and holding down a second job is what I do. And when I have a few extra moments that I can sleep or write… I write.

It’s more than a hobby, it’s more than a desire, it’s a compulsion. And, it’s a compulsion that’s finally garnered my attention.

I guess, if I’m middle aged now, it makes sense that life is gaining momentum and the days, weeks, months and years are whizzing by with alarming speed. But, I must admit…I resent it.

I’m finally at the age where I know what I want. I don’t just THINK I know and I’m no longer juggling a million options to fling myself into auto-overwhelm. Nope, now I know. Narrowing options is actually pretty liberating. Weird, huh?

The surprising thing is that it’s pretty simple.

I’ve never been horribly domestic. Don’t get me wrong, I have my moments and some of them are even extended… but it’s never really been in my nature. Now it seems like cooking a good meal and having a clean, comfortable living environment is as important as any personal project on my list. WTH? My housework has always been the FIRST thing to go when life stresses me out. The house falls to shambles while I dig out the “important” stuff like client projects and calls from family and friends asking for help. Now, it’s the one thing I try to maintain when life hands me a mini-maelstrom.

Maybe, it’s because I don’t really have much left to prove. I’m comfortable with my own company (and boy, THAT took a lot of years!) I like the life I have inside the four walls at home.  I’d love to roll out of bed without an alarm each morning (or even ONE morning) and think to myself “What would I like to do with my life today?” instead of the typical, “Oh HELL, I’m going to have to push to get it all done today!” I’m tired of being behind before the blur has lifted and my eyes are able to focus.

I want to have lazy days – not once in a blue moon, mind you, I want that to be the rule rather than the exception. I want to throw myself into a single project and follow it through to the end without having to juggle dozens of others in spurts while trying to finish any single one to my satisfaction. I’m just too old for this crap.

It seems that, at this point, the struggle should have subsided a bit. Instead, I find that I’m pulled in even more directions and I’m tired.

I’m not spending enough time with my family, I’m not accomplishing enough for my clients to suit me, I’m taking on additional work not related to my long term goals (dang economy) and all I really want to do is gear down — even as I find the need to ramp it all up.

I had managed to get to a point in the not-so-distant past, when I could get up and decide what I wanted to do today. It was glorious. It was also short-lived. I made decisions that changed my life. They were good decisions that made my life richer and more fulfilling, but today is much more hectic.

I’m selfish… I want both.

At the moment, I’m too tired to even do the “full scale evaluation” that always makes my children, family and friends duck and hide. (It’s the process during which I tear apart everything in my life, usually starting with the house and including everything that has EVER been on my “to do” list and strive to create some new system that’s going to fix it all and get me organized on some bloody cosmic level.)

It scares people. And, it is about as attainable as that “perfect purse” I have been seeking for decades. I just don’t see the point in any dramatic, sweeping overhauls anymore. So, I plug away while the term “quiet desperation” comes to mind, which I find morbidly depressing.

I find myself counting down to when I’ll have all the kids out of the house. THAT has become a goal. Sad, isn’t it? Parenting exhausts me. Working exhausts me. Very few things DON’T exhaust me. And I find myself wondering if punching someone else’s clock would be easier, less stressful and more palatable at this point in my life.

Then, I listen to people who DO work in traditional careers. I hear them complain and recount the “workplace” dramas, the stress and the lack of control over their schedules and their lives… and I realize that although my boss can be a bear, I’ll take life I’ve built, thank you very much.

After ten years, I know that the truth of “working for yourself” is actually working for multiple bosses (clients), but since I get to pick them, I’m pleased with the results. But, I do sometimes wish I could punch a clock and then let it all go when I got home. I wish that making dinner , blogging, helping with homework or taking a shower wasn’t something that I had to do when I “should” be working. I’d managed to overcome that before the economy tanked and, like all other freelancers and independents out there, I’m finding it more difficult right now.

So, once I manage to catch up… if that ever happens again… maybe I’ll find a way to reach my goals. Perhaps, I’ll be able to gear back a bit, raise a garden, decorate my home, write my novel and enjoy life a bit more. Until then, I’ll probably continue to feel old and overwhelmed and resentful that something I have no control over (the economy) has reached in and has shaken things up at the point I’d just started enjoy calm waters.

Writing the "wicked" way

I’ve been looking for the perfect word processor for the Mac for quite some time. When I first broke free of MS Word, I was loving the open-source community and I was all about OpenOffice.

Then, when I made the jump to Linux, I simply adored Abiword and wondered why I had dealt with the bloat of Word and even OpenOffice for so long. (I still use Open Office for other features, but don’t like waiting for the launch for a word processor.)

When I went to the Mac platform, I traded in my OpenOffice for a Mac-specific version of the same called NeoOffice. Frankly, I got tired of waiting so long for it to launch to jot down the idea that I was trying to wrestle, so I started looking for faster options. I looked at Mellel (which was reportedly a favorite of many writers). It came in one of my MacUpdate packages, which pleased me. I liked it ok. I used it for quite awhile. But it always seemed to be a bit lacking. Couldn’t quite put my finger on it, but it wasn’t exactly what I wanted.

I considered getting one of the “blackout” programs that turned the full screen into a writing surface without any distracting menus or pop-ups. I test drove a couple. WriteRoom (with the Windows version being DarkRoom) and even got the iPhone app for WriteRoom to try that one on the fly. Neither worked as I had hoped, I needed it to do a bit more than just blacken the screen for $25, so when the Mac trial ran out, I left it.

I also started looking into notes options that would launch quickly… something like the notepad gadget on Windows… but something with a bit more umph. From there, I discovered TextWrangler, TextEdit (which came with my Mac), and even played with Stickies (also came with the Mac) and a dozen or so others, all in an attempt to find a quick way to keep up with my notes.

I gave up finding the perfect tool(s) and hobbled along, busy with all the other balls I was juggling. Finding these holy grails joined the mass of items on the “I’ll get back to it” list. I find that locating the perfect tools (software) on a Mac can become a full-time hobby all by itself. There are so many options! There are dozens of options that I tried that didn’t even make it into the top contenders list.

But, recently, I found my perfect option. I have a four-pronged approach to the office suite thing – one is for quick notes on my Mac, one is for word processing and “darkening” my distractions, one is for full featured word processing (which I seldom touch these days) and one is mobile.

First, I have a quick-launching multi-note system in XPad. It offers a quick way to get the thoughts down and to make lists for specific projects, ideas and writing projects. It also offers a “slide out” list of all the mini-documents contained therein. It offers cool tools like fonts and highlighter and color options without cluttering the interface with more stuff than I need or want. XPad launches when I turn on my Mac and stays “at the ready” for me to use. And, it’s FREE!

Second, I have Bean. Bean is an oddly named, but beautifully built word processor that launches quickly and handles 90% of what I need. In addition to being there in a couple seconds (literally), it also offers bullets, formatting, highlighting and several advanced features. It even offers a “full screen” mode that blacks out the rest of my computer and helps me to concentrate on the business of writing. I changed the blue background with white text to the retro black background and electric green type of my youth. I love it. LOVE IT. And, it’s also free.

I keep a copy of NeoOffice on my machine, although I seldom launch it for anything other than the spreadsheet app. I don’t really do much with advanced features like mail-merge and the like, so I don’t need those “hefty” features because I don’t do admin work. And, I don’t want to sit and wait. I hate waiting for a program to launch. I despise it.

On the “mobile” front, I absolutely adore that feature-rich note system in Awesome Note for my iPhone. I love that it’s wherever I am, and that it’s able to sync with Google Docs — even the Google Apps version! So I can backup and restore my notes from any location. It’s richly textured and as graphically beautiful and visually appealing as it is functional. I may like bare-bones programs on my computer – clean and crisp is fine there – but on my iPhone apps, I expect beauty. I can’t explain that, but the graphics (even the icon for the app) seriously affects how often I’ll use an app. I’m iPhone shallow, I guess.

I’m a writer by trade — mostly a content and marketing writer for my clients. I write, do web work, and SEO submissions. That doesn’t take much word-processing power. It takes a little knowledge and a lot of creativity — and the ability to capture the creative sparks when they fly. I find that having to wait for my software to launch actually discourages my productivity. If it’s a quick launch, I’ll add a thought or an idea on the fly. If I know I have to sit and wait for it to launch — even for an additional 5-10 seconds — I think, “Oh, I’ll just remember this and jot it down next time I’m working on that.”

The fact is… I don’t remember and I’m not patient. I’ve quit trying to pretend that I will or that I am. I know my foibles and I now find the tools I need to work around them. Resistance is, after all, futile. It’s particularly so when fighting my own nature. These tools make my life better and my business stronger and for under five bucks, I have them ALL.

Even in this economy, that’s a GREAT deal!

So, I’m working today, minding my own business…when someone calls the house phone. I answer. (Mistake number one, I should NEVER do that while trying to work.) The lady on the other end asks if I know the neighbor down the street. I don’t.

She wants to know if I can get a message to her. I say, “That depends, what is your company?” She says she can’t give out that kind of confidential information. (Hmmm… but she wants me to carry messages for her down the block?) I asked how she got this number. It was “listed” as a neighbor contact, she says. I think that maybe my significant other knows something about this that I don’t, so I continue the call.

I told her that the kids knew her kids, but before getting them involved, I needed to know if they were attempting to collect a bill (I just had that feeling). She said no, that she is not collecting a bill, she’s unable to verify references for this neighbor and is trying to help her. She says it’s really important.

I said, “So you have THIS number, but you don’t have a number for the neighbor you are trying to reach? And none of her references are verifying?” She said, “Yes.”

I asked, “Did she give you THIS number?” She said, “No.”

I asked how she got it. She said she looked it up.

I said, “Ohhhh, so you looked her up online and are calling based on our geographic proximity to her?” “Yes,” she finally admitted, “but it’s imperative we get in touch with her.”

I take the name, extension and number and then tell her NEVER to call here again and hang up.

I look up the number she gave me, it’s (best I can tell) a collection agency. I also look up the number on the caller ID (865-687-8993 – Divis O). Apparently that’s not a name, it stands for “Operations Division.”

I have to wonder if having neighbors spy and give messages and information out is a legal (I know it’s not a moral/ethical) way to get information to collect a debt.

Geeze!

For more information on these jokers, check out these sites:

• http://whocallsme.com/Phone-Number.aspx/8656878993
• http://www.budhibbs.com/collectorpages/gc_services.htm
• http://www.complaintsboard.com/complaints/gc-services-c10510.html

(Image courtesy of morguefile.)

One Sunday harvest from one tomato vine.

The economy sucks. It’s horrible out there. People are losing jobs in record numbers. The “basics” cost more now — a LOT more — than they did just a couple years ago. It’s harder to make ends meet than it has been in recent memory. And, according to the “experts” (and my own gut), it’s not going to get better anytime soon.

So why am I enjoying this mess?

It’s put me back in touch with some of the things that it’s easy to forget… like how to enjoy the simple pleasures. It makes me remember that it’s much easier to save money than to make it. It becomes glaringly obvious how much better life is when people pull together to make things easier instead of wandering apart.

Case in point — I’m cooking again. Dating someone with kids and having my own grown children nearby has expanded my “standard” meal from a quick two-person deal (for my daughter and me this time last year) to a five or six-person meal… often expanded by one or two more than that!

I’m keeping a tight rein on the health aspects of the cooking for varied (and necessary) reasons. I enjoy seeing the differences in the way the people around the table are trimming down, pumping up with energy, and feeling as good as they look. I’m cooking from scratch most of the time. Almost nothing goes to waste.

Despite the tough economic times, I’m not pushing as hard as I once did. My client load has lightened and I’m taking it in stride. I enjoy expanding my “daily” work to things outside the office. I don’t spend 16-18 hours in front of the computer these days. Honestly, it’s nice.

I have a tiny garden to tend. Mostly it’s just herbs, tomatoes and chard (oh, and weeds) … but it’s amazing how much has come out of that little patch of earth. My Roma tomatoes have escaped the blight that many gardeners in the area have endured with their own tomatoes. That one vine has produced enough for us to have fresh tomatoes at one or two meals a day, and I’ve had extras that I’ve used in cooking. The other vines haven’t done much — other than provide some HUGE green tomatoes for deep-south lovin’ green fried tomatoes (only once this year, so far.)

I’ve probably spent less money on fluff in the past four months than I have in years and I don’t miss shopping… at ALL. I like finding ways to make our food budget shrink while our food quality soars. I enjoy scouring Craigslist and the local Goodwill for the things we need or want around the house.

Yeah, I’m nesting. I know this. I have an appreciative audience, which helps enormously. And the best thing about all of this? We all sit down three times a day together and “break bread.” We have family time without a television or even a radio. We sit and eat and talk. Yeah, TALK. We do this several times a day… EVERY day. We are getting closer all the time. It’s nice and I notice the effects on interpersonal relationships around the house.

I think the speed with which we are accustomed to living life has not been a benefit to family life. I think grabbing something at a drive through, munching whatever can be found in the fridge while watching TV and sink-hovering to devour “fuel” for our bodies has starved our souls.

I like working together, pulling together to make life better with less. Yeah, I’m a simplicity girl… but it’s nice to have a whole group of people working together to make the most of everything. It’s truly joyful.

So if you wonder why I’m smiling so broadly while everyone else is cursing the “hard times” — now you know.

I love Hulu. Yeah, I know, I’ve said it alot. I don’t bother with cable, I get all my content online. It’s a good place to be (and is cheaper than paying cable and Internet bills, IMHO).

Google Labs is always coming out with something cool and new (if ONLY they had the same stuff for my google apps paid account!) and now my favorite video site has a “labs” offering too.

So if you want to go check it out, you can play around in Hulu’s Lab too!

You have heard the old query… “If you had 24 hours to live, how would you spend them?” And I’m sure that thinking about this semi-regularly is probably a good idea. At the very least, it’s humbling.

Sure, I’d like to say that I’d go skydiving or something that I’ve always wanted to try. The fact is, I wouldn’t.

When you are a parent, it seems like a luxury to even CONSIDER doing anything for yourself for 24 hours… much less to actually DO it — even if those were the LAST 24 hours you had.

Heck, I’d be running around trying to figure out how to make sure my kids were ok once I was gone.

Besides, I reason, I’m at an age now that I’d probably break a leg or something if I jumped out of a plane to try skydiving and would spend my last few hours on earth in an emergency room. So, my future in hell would begin early.

If time is all we have, then why is it always so disposable, so hard to hold onto, and so “grabbed at” by everyone else? Why isn’t it more sacred? More appreciated? Considered more valuable?

Labor saving devices don’t really give us any more free time. Time management systems just frustrate us and require us to learn new software, carry more stuff around, and/or read a bunch of books on the topic from “so called” professionals in the time management industry. The fact that an industry has popped up around this should be a dire warning to anyone taking “time management” too seriously. I think “time management” is an oxymoron, like “quality fast food” or “fair taxes” but I’d have to study it more to be sure.

The digital world takes more time than the pleasure it offers us in return. We create and/or buy machines and services… EXPENSIVE machines and services… that we have to work longer hours to afford, to help us more creatively waste the time we do have. Think TV, think cable, think cell phones, think high-speed Internet.

Communication takes a great deal of our time, even if it’s been truncated into flat, textureless, flavorless, one-character words and images sent via thumb-presses over a cell phone. There is no time when we are “unconnected” and there is no “downtime.” We are omni-available. We are always on call. We are at everyone’s mercy and seemingly take no personal control to say… NO!

When do we rest… really rest… in this modern world? Why do we feel guilty if we want to unplug and become unreachable for even a few hours or *gasp* a few days?

I love my technology and I love my life, most days. But I do wonder what it would be like to disappear for some well-deserved “me time” — and I wonder if it would be worth the joy it would bring, of if I’d spend the whole time worried about what was happening while I was gone… or what I’d have to face and the messes I’d have to clean up when I returned.

Maybe it’s not a technology or a modern life thing… maybe it’s just me.  Maybe I’m incapable of slowing down and letting go. Maybe I need to begin smaller and learn to mediate for a few minutes a day. Maybe I need to take a walk (without the iPhone) more often. Maybe I need to carve out a little time each day that belongs to just me. Maybe I just miss the farm and need a “farm fix.”

All I know is that I need something, something peaceful and sweet, something refreshing and fulfilling, something selfish.

Being a remote professional often involves travel and work in… ahem… unusual locations. You may find yourself working on the road, in your car, at a library or coffee shop, onsite with a client, or anywhere in between. Desktops are great,  but they will tie you to a single work spot. They are usually stable and cheaper than the portable alternatives. That is, until recently.

If you are a power-user and you need to multi-task, keep a slew of windows open, and often push the limits of both your CPU and your RAM, your mobile options won’t be low cost.

If, however, you have started using some or many of the online options for thinks like book keeping, email, calendar, etc., a netbook may bridge the gap between portability and pocket-sensitivity.

For under $400 (and even below $300, as of today) you can now get an amazingly lightweight, highly portable, low-power computer with longer battery life than was possible just a year ago.

The first netbooks were rather light on HD size, but there are better options today and 120-250 gig drives aren’t uncommon. Promises of upcoming (June 2009) Ion-based CPUs will make these lightweights heavy-hitters in the remote professional market. Dual-core netbook options are rumored to be in the works and should be available by year end.

Some options have optical drives, others require a USB drive to load software. Alternatively, you can drop the CD or DVD into a network drive and load software via Ethernet or wireless connection.

If you can’t wait that long, look at the sale on the ASUS Eee PC 1002HA 10-Inch Netbook at Amazon (with a $50 rebate) — which has recieved excellent reviews from customers and techies alike. Today, Dell has released their own low-priced netbook called the Mini 1011 Bear with a base price of $299 and several upgrade options, according to a review article on Engadget.

So, if you plan to buy a portable machine in the near future, your options may be more diverse than they were the last time you looked. Weigh all your options and come up with the best option for your needs. If you buy a netbook,  be sure to get a 6-cell battery and max out the RAM options (2 gig minimum), for the best performance in these machines.

Have fun!

Well, spam has finally moved from my computer to my cell phone. I’m hating this crap! I get probably a dozen calls a week from various numbers all over the USA with an automated voice telling me that this is my second and final notice that the warranty on my car is about to expire.

If only this really WAS the final notice, it wouldn’t be a problem. The problem is… It never is the final anything.

They are also using my toll-free number, which transfers to my cell when I’m out of the office, so I get the joy of paying twice for each blasted call.

And the best part? My car is so old that no one would EVER offer a warranty. Ditto for my trucks and my beep-beep. I’m just not a new car gal. I’ve never owned a new car, and I never plan to. Why would I do that? It’s fiscally irresponsible, IMHO. But back to the calls…

I’ve done a bit of research and there are many others enjoying the same harrassment, and there seems to be no remedy. I’ve been blocking the numbers I can, but they change daily and it’s becoming a full-time job just to try to do so. The numbers are apparently spoofed, since you can’t call the numbers back.

If anyone has found a solution for this, I’d love to hear it. In the meantime, I’ll continue to grit my teeth.

I’ve been through a slew of iPhone cases in my quest for the perfect one. SLEWS of them. I love my iphone, ask anyone who knows me… but, trying to keep it safe and in excellent working order isn’t always easy when you take it everywhere. (Heck, I even listen to music on mine in the bathroom while taking a shower — so I needed a moisture-resistant, shock proof, tough case for it.)

Yesterday, the ideal case finally arrived. I got mine on eBay, but it’s available on Amazon too. I got myself an Otterbox Defender Semi-rugged Case for my iPhone in girly pink. It’s also available in white, in black and in black with yellow trim, for those of you who aren’t that interested in going all girly.

It doesn’t maintain the sleek, thin lines of the iPhone. It adds a great deal of bulk and weight — but I don’t care. I love it. It seals it from the elements and from my daily abuse. It’s even got a well-functioning screen protector (unlike those that inhibit my ability to use the touch screen on those ever-so-delicate game sessions when I’m waiting in line or in a waiting room). These things matter!

The holster is also pretty cool. I wish it had been available in pink too — but the pink case comes with the standard issue black holster. It’s quick and easy to slide the phone in and out to answer it, and it keeps it protected and at the ready.

The holster clip can also be adjusted to become a defacto easel back so you can watch videos in landscape mode (which is really nice!)

The only thing that bugs me about this solution is how hard it is to get it in and out. It no longer slides easily into my iHome for extra speaker boost, and it’s required me to get more creative with the Griffin WindowSeat Windshield car mount I just got for my car. Aside from those small issues, it’s the best protection I’ve ever seen. I’d probably not even have a heart attack if my precious iPhone went skidding across a parking lot now — so long as it was in the case.

It’s also uber-easy to find in the bottom of my cave-of-a-purse with the bright hue!

If you are looking for the best possible protection for your iPhone, check it out. It really rocks!

I know, I know, I’m always complaining about these things…

But I got a referral to a dermatologist recently. Not a big deal, just a little bump that needed to be checked out. I traveled two hours to get there because the referral was made before my recent move North. Not a huge deal, but not much fun early on a Friday morning.

It also decided to snow that morning. After 70+ degree temps, it decided to snow. So be it.

My iPhone mapping program apparently didn’t have the most recent maps and sent me to BFE instead of to the new medical plaza area in Somerset, KY. I arrived on time, but barely.

When I arrived, I was asked for my insurance card. Not a problem. I was then asked for my social security number. I’m used to avoiding this issue. I’ve not had to raise my voice or tilt my tone over this in many months because I selected an insurance provider that doesn’t require that I use this as a form of identification. I like that. I refuse to give such info to just anyone. It’s unnecessary.

I explained that my group and member number would suffice. They disagreed. They also asked me for a copy of my drivers license. I asked why they needed it. They needed a photo ID. I asked why.

Because, I was told, it would protect me from anyone claiming to be me walking in and getting my private records. It was for my own good, they said. I asked how that would protect me. They said that they made a copy of the photo ID and put it in my file and it was in their computer so they would compare it to anyone asking for my info. I told them I understood and handed them a copy of my business card, which has a photo image on the front.

They said that was unacceptable. They needed an official photo. I regurgitated the reason they had just given me and said (holding the image up to my face) that this should suffice to visually identify me should that need ever arise.

They said it was a new mandate and was going into effect next year. I told them we could discuss it next year. They said that it had to be in order by April 1st for their office. I pointed out that it was not yet the end of March, so I shouldn’t be affected. Long story short… I was denied service because I would not produce my drivers license.

I didn’t really care for their privacy policy either, which stated that I could request that they not share my information, but they had final say on that and although they would take my wishes into consideration, they would do as they pleased. Isn’t that cool? I’m so glad they would consider my wishes about my information. They are so thoughtful!

Might I also add that they got all squirrel-ly when I asked to see a copy of the privacy policy that I was signing the paper to say that I’d been provided. They finally handed me a framed copy under glass, rather than one I could keep with my own records.

They were also a bit huffy when I prepared to leave and asked that my papers (the ones I filled out with my personal information before I was declined service) be returned to me. I was told they would shred them. I told them no, that they would hand them over to me and I would shred them myself. I stood there unmoving, unflinching until the receptionist rightly determined that I’d be less trouble if they just handed over the papers in question than if she continued to decline my request.

I cannot possibly be the only person in the world that refuses to cough up every piece of personal information requested when seeking services. Note that word… SERVICES. I’m paying for them, I should be treated accordingly.

When I went to the local hospital later that same day for some x-rays (it was a whole tripping over the dog in the middle of the night, catching myself in the dark and subsequently spraining my thumb and knocking it completely out of socket incident)… I was not treated like an idiot when I declined to give them my social security number. They always ask, I always decline. It’s not a big deal. They don’t decline to offer me service.

Are people so eager to share this info that they assume that if it’s requested that it’s required? Does no one question these things anymore? Am I just bringing drama to my door by refusing?

Ok, anyone who knows me knows that I love a bargain. I love treasure shopping. I love the “hunt” for cool stuff. I also adore Goodwill and other thrift shops. (I would have been a pirate a few hundred years ago. Not for the stealing part, but for the finding of the loot.)

For years, I’ve said that you can find ANYTHING you want at Goodwill if you look hard enough and are patient enough.

Now I knew there were some exceptions to that rule, but only the obvious ones. I’ve wanted a platinum or 18K diamond ring for awhile now (I love ebay for trying to find those types of items) and I know that Goodwill isn’t hte place to find that… or at least I thought I did.

Last week, while looking for a few final “necessities” for my new apartment with my son… he found some jewelry that appeared to be sterling in the mass tangle of the jewelry basket. I checked it and it was, indeed, sterling.  So we start digging.

What we found, essentially, was an estate collection of sterling jewelry along with a couple pieces of gold. The most impressive piece was found by my son… it’s an 18K white gold band with a beautiful (and perfect) diamond in a tension setting. Simply lovely. He had it checked out at a jewelers and has since “loaned” it to me to wear.

The cost for this treasure? $1.00

So, I have to amend my earlier statement to include everything — not just nearly everything — is available at Goodwill if you look hard enough and are patient enough. I’ve picked up leather coats, gold and silver jewelry, crystal, sterling flatware, designer purses, down comforters and an assortment of other delightful items at Goodwill in my travels. During this economy, it’s nice to know there’s a place you can score a $2,000 ring for $1 — isn’t it?

Have a great day and happy hunting!

This last week was an interesting one for people in Kentucky. The weather took an twist and I must say I actually enjoyed the whole experience. I know many people were without basic services, and my opinion may be slanted by the fact that I didn’t lose electric or water. I only had a short stint without the Internet.

I spent the time visiting, cooking, relaxing and generally enjoying my little weather-induced mini-vacation. The weekend brought temperatures in the 50s and 60s and all the ice and snow that was frosting my world is gone. The weatherman says we may be in store for a bit more snow today and tomorrow, but nothing will match the huge silver-dollar sized flake-clusters that fell from the sky or the uber-thick coating of ice on each tiny sprig of grass on the ground, branch on every tree and everything else.

I hate that there was so much destruction. (My parents lost most of the old trees (and many of the younger ones) in their yard.) But the natural world in turmoil sure adds a new facet to things. It was so pretty and so deadly. That mix is oddly compelling. I spent much of my time out taking photos and the one posted here is one of my favorites. I hope all my friends are recovering and that everyone has power back.

And regardless of how it makes me sound… I miss the ice.

Ok, my new printer is a nice one. It’s an all-in-one and does everything but serve my lunch. It is a wonder of modern technology… so why do I hate it?

• I have determined that there are some areas where I am exceedingly simple.
• I discovered recently that printing is one of those areas.
• I don’t want any more wiz-bang in my technology than I can properly appreciate — and not a whit less, either.

I love the networking/wireless feature. That’s way cool! But other than that…

I think that the rub here is paying all that extra money for the fancy printer and the expensive multi-part inks all to end up not being able to print a single sheet of black and white text simply, quickly and in a fashion that if it gets a little damp — it won’t run in rivers, which leaves my text MIA.

(What’s with the sounding like a plane on the tarmac revving engines for a full two minutes before the first sheet of printed material finally emerges? I’m an instant gratification gal — I don’t like that.)

So, while I love most of my technology, I long for a compact, inexpensive LASER printer that can meet my needs economically and simply without all the noise, expense and hubbub.

Seriously, is that too much to ask?

It’s been awhile since I’ve posted a rant. So, if you want kindness or technical assistance this is not the post for you (use the search box to find a less angsty post on the topic of your choice.)

If you like a good rant… you are in luck!

I have my roots in media. One of my most enjoyable, challenging and rewarding professional stints was as a reporter and later as a managing editor of a small newspaper. I ponder that time of my life fondly now (in my dotage) and wonder at the amount of energy I had to do all that way back when. Gee what I wouldn’t give for some… even just a little of that now!

Today, the written word is my favorite tool and past time and passion. I think it always will be.

But what I see in the media now absolutely curls my toes (and not in a good way!) There is no relationship between truth and what is written in the mainstream publications. Particular offenders are local newspapers and television newscasts.

Larger papers, assumed to be more reserved with stories more carefully crafted and with a team of fact-checkers on staff, are now slinging sensationalism too. It used to be that I avoided even looking at the “weekly” rags at the checkout line at the grocery store. I’ve NEVER purchased one (nor do I ever intend to). But today, even the local papers use those same reporting “techniques.”

If I had been the editor when some of the recent news stories were submitted, some reporting “heads” would have rolled. I would have benched them or fired them. Period. There’s not even a half-hearted attempt to get facts right in “news” stories…even to the point of the basics (who, what, where, when, how)… even THESE they get wrong.

As far as reporting voice and tone — it’s more like a Stephen King novel than a report. A reporter, people, is supposed to REPORT — hence the name. Capture the reader with your headline, sure, but tell the facts in an unbiased and well researched way in the body.

There, I said it.

A writer of FICTION gets to make it up and “fill in the blanks” between the missing bits of reality strung together for entertainment purposes. This type of writing is not reporting. See the difference?  If you have an opinion, it belongs on the OP/ED page — not on the front page.

If you must create stories (which isn’t a bad thing… at all… so long as you don’t try to pass it off as truth) — then write fiction. As a fiction writer, you can play free and easy with the facts as much as you like. It hurts no one. It’s not unethical or immoral then. Then, it’s properly seen as entertainment. Then it’s fun.

And if you are an news editor, and you are letting this half-baked crap be sent to the press you should be ashamed. Where are the Publishers, to fire the editors who don’t fire the reporters for this shameful work product?

Does life not have enough real drama? Must more be created by our “news” outlets? Are the traditional, once respectable, news venues so desperate to hang on financially that they have sold out their rightful role as the watchdog of our society just to sell a few more papers? Are the continuing education classes for journalists now being sponsored by The Enquirer?

How disgusting I find it all.

Every year, every January 1st, I have this great hope that the upcoming year will be a bright and beautiful one. For years, I’ve been less than pleased with the results. This year, I’m already happy with the new year.

Well, that may be a bit misleading since my life started getting REALLY good (for no particular, identifiable reason) about the middle of last month. Decembers usually suck for me. It’s a fact. But this one was lovely.

I’m not sure what it was. I’m not sure what was different. Maybe it’s that I worked to eliminate stress. Maybe it’s that I actually completed my taxes before going on a two week vacation for the holidays.

Maybe it’s that I’ve quit stressing over the fact that I’m not living on the farm. I realize now that despite the fact that I have to wait for Internet to reach the farm (and not the slower-than-dial-up satellite I can get there now), before I can move there full-time — that it WILL happen. I’ll live there again.

It’s hit me that knowing my “end game” — that I’ll end up on the farm — makes when that happens less important. It could be next year or in three decades. It doesn’t matter. What matters is that between now and then, I’ve got a life that should be viewed as adventure. And I have a place to land when I’m ready to quit adventuring. A place that belongs to me.

I have one child still at home and my biggest concern for her is her education. If I have to move to get her what she needs, I’ll do it. It’s an adventure.

If I need to home school her (although I prefer not to do that, since she’s soon going to need much more depth and breadth than I can do easily while working full-time), I’ll do it. I’ll do whatever is in her best interest.

I have seven more years before she’s out on her own, and my job as an active parent is over. Then I’ll be more of an “adviser” parent to her — like I am to the boys. Of course, she may want that advice more than they do… or she may not.

I’ve spent my life planning for tomorrow and failing to really live in the today.

Suddenly, in the past three weeks or so, I’ve gotten much better at living in the now. I’m doing what’s required to lessen my debts, the mass of details I’m juggling, the number of belongings I have to maintain. The whole process has been quite liberating. I’ve simplified my business life considerably. I’m working now on continuing the progress on the personal side. Simple is best. Always has been.

I’ve preached simplicity for years, but I’m just now making real headway toward it on an elemental level for myself.

So life is good and 2009, despite my misgivings over the economy and politics of the current day, is looking pretty good for me. It’s ironic. I’m not going to investigate the why too long. I like things the way they are now and feel no urge to over-analyze it.

Now THAT’s new.

I’ve been remiss in my blogging duties this month. (That always happens after a grueling round of “every day blogging” in November.) So, it’s probably a good time to be tagged with a blog meme, right? I just got tagged by Kris Rowlands over on Fresh Focus.

Guess that’s ONE way to get my butt more productive, eh, Kris?

So here we go with the dirt on me…

1. I’m a bit of a conspiracy theorist. I can’t help it. It’s in my genes. Today, my eldest son told me that the reason he’s a weirdo is because I made it impossible to avoid, genetically. So be it.

2. If I found out I was dying, the first thing I’d do is go buy a pack of cigarettes and smoke them all. I used to smoke… alot. I started smoking at age 15 (although I tried it several times before then). I continued to smoke until I was in my 30s when I put down my two pack-a-day habit. I never smoked in front of my kids or while I was pregnant and stayed “in the closet” all that time. There isn’t a week that goes by that I don’t miss it. During times of stress, it’s a daily urge.

3. I’ve been married for 18 years — just under half of my life. This marital longevity was made possible through three marriages (and divorces). I’m a serial monogamist, methinks. Horrific isn’t it? I can now say that I’m completely cured of any lingering romantic notions or illnesses. I’ll not walk down any aisles again. (Heck, even long hallways give me the heebie-geebies.)

4. I recently developed vertigo when in a high place, that was something new to go with the terrible motion sickness I get and the fact that I’m a tad claustrophobic. Needless to say, I’m all KINDS of fun on those huge cruise ships. Especially in the tiny cabin rooms on rough seas.

5. When I finish raising my youngest (who will be 11 in a few days), I’ll probably throw a backpack and a one-man tent on the back of a motorcycle and head out west to see some of the stuff I’ve not yet seen. I expect to be gone for several months. If I get really brave, I may do it before then and make it a larger bike (with a passenger seat) and a two person tent. Time will tell.

6. I’ve learned to quit jousting windmills and spend my energies in more productive manners, most of the time. I no longer fight city hall just because the fight needs to be fought. I figure I spent most of my teens and twenties and (especially) my thirties doing that. I’ve taken my turn and it’s time for the younger crew to take a shift. I’m not saying I won’t fight… I just don’t go in search of a war anymore. (I do, however, reserve the right to reverse that particular decision at any moment.)

7. Organizing my surroundings, eliminating what’s not essential and reducing my personal use of resources isn’t just a thing I do, it actually gets me all excited. I love it. And tiny houses/living spaces are the coolest. It makes me happy. I know… more weirdness.

Now you know seven oddities about me (trust me, there are many MANY more).

Now, I’ll call out seven people who I suspect of being closet weirdos — or who desperately need to make a fresh blog entry. I just won’t identify which is which!

Don’t hate me, folks… just spreading the meme love (and looking for something juicy to gossip about!)

Jeff Aughey | follow him on twitter

Jodi Diehl | follow her on twitter

Tim Kulig | (Poor guy, hasn’t discovered twitter yet)

Whitney Bishop | follow her on twitter

Anna Baron | follow her on twitter

Rocky Turner | follow her on twitter

Nan (aka RoguePuppet) | follow her on twitter

With the economy being what it is, we are all budgeting a bit more carefully. Saving money and eliminating waste have become matters of fiscal need for many small business owners.

Making more money isn’t necessarily as important as making the right amount of money and saving whenever possible. Buying in bulk may no longer be the best way to save. Eliminating the need may pay bigger dividends. Elimination of debt in your business is as important as eliminating it in your personal life during “lean” economic times.

Scale back if you must, but don’t go into debt for your business. Pay as you go and weigh all the options carefully before any major (or minor) purchase. Barter and trade for services with your peers. Consider buying reconditioned and pre-owned items when that’s feasible. Check eBay, Craigslist and your local classifieds before buying new.

Sell the things you don’t need and eliminate the time, money and hassle of storage, give away items using FreeCycle, or offer them to your peers and/or startup folks who may need or want them.

During difficult times, the help you give others and the pulling together as a local or online community can make all the difference. And, as a client told me not too long ago…

We are the entrepreneurs. We are the survivors. We are able to recreate ourselves as the market changes to come out on top.

So while other people may have to worry about if they will have a job… we need only consider how we will maintain our edge and better serve the market as it grows, shrinks, evolves and changes. After all, it’s what we do, it’s what we have always done.

Google Apps is a “software as service” option for small (and large) businesses. My favorite feature is a paid version of Gmail. It’s worth the $50 per year I’m spending to use it. (I don’t really use the other features, except for the calendar.)

You may wonder, especially during these interesting economic times, why I would want to pay for something that I could get for free…

Simple. Because you can’t brand typical Gmail. Sure, you can “sort of” brand it by placing your business name before the @gmail part and you can set it up to “send on behalf of” your business email, but it’s still got the stigma of a freebie account. It makes you look like you are less than serious about your business.

I only wish the cool Glabs stuff available for Gmail would be made available on a quicker schedule for Google Apps. That’s a bit bothersome.

You get much MUCH more space with a Google Apps account. Google Apps offers 25 gigs for a paid account, whereas Gmail only offers 5 gigs.You can easily upload all your email accounts to this one place, and enjoy the benefits of an archive of all emails from all time.

The apps version allows you to change the CNAME records on your hosting account so you can send from Gmail and “originates” from your website domain. Not an simple automatic setup, but once you do the steps, it’s bulletproof.

The joys of Gmail are many. It’s got a kickin’ search feature (you would expect no less from Google, right?).

You may, like me, be one of those “nested folders” people with your email. That’s “old-school” once you have Gmail or Google apps. With creative use of tags and the search, there’s no need… in fact now WAY… to use folders anymore. That may rock your email world for the first few days, but you quickly begin to wonder why in the HECK you had all those folders within folders and how you ever found anything that way.

I keep a backup of my mail on my computer by using the download feature (without removing the items from the Google server) into my resident mail program. I don’t send and receive from that resident program, but I know that I have a backup of all my mail, should something unforseen happen. Within just a few minutes I could re-upload it all.

I like web apps, but I’d not want to rely on them without a personal backup. I’m just too paranoid for that.

My iPhone is set up to fetch my email and I can send and receive with ease, while on the go. I use Google Apps mail as my primary contact management database too and pull down a copy in vcard format once a month as a backup.

The nice thing about using Google Apps is that you end up with a branded email that isn’t tied to a particular host, a particular computer or a particular operating system. Universal email is now on tap from anywhere! And when you work remotely, that’s really nice. It’s good to be mobile and flexible. Once you have a connection to the Internet — ANY connection to the Internet — you have access to your email and your contacts.

I’ve tried, tested and used a plethora of email programs, services and software over the years. I can’t imagine changing to anything else. Google apps mail trumps the competition. It’s just too convenient, mobile friendly, and too easy to search to have any real competition right now!

(Photo courtesy of seabreeze)