I finished my Africa Travelogue today. Got the write-up done and spell-checked, the pictures chosen and arranged properly, and the captions all figured out. Now we're just waiting on my brother to put it together on my brand new website!
Keep your eyes peeled... it'll be up and running soon.
The link is to your right >
Monday, December 07, 2009
Sunday, December 06, 2009
That's Just Wrong
I wrote something today, fully intending to post it on my blog for all the world to see. What stopped me is the realization that my family would all see it, and read it.
Isn’t that funny: I’m okay with the entire world knowing personal things about myself, but I’m not okay with the people who are supposed to be closest to me knowing those same things.
That’s backwards… don’t you think?
Isn’t that funny: I’m okay with the entire world knowing personal things about myself, but I’m not okay with the people who are supposed to be closest to me knowing those same things.
That’s backwards… don’t you think?
Monday, November 30, 2009
Blog Updates
Check out the new links located to the right of this posting.
My brother is unemployed for the winter season, so is keeping himself busy on the computer. I benefit by not only getting my computer serviced and upgraded with new software, but also by getting my Blog updated as well!
Let me know what you think... and sign my Guestbook.
My brother is unemployed for the winter season, so is keeping himself busy on the computer. I benefit by not only getting my computer serviced and upgraded with new software, but also by getting my Blog updated as well!
Let me know what you think... and sign my Guestbook.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
The Best Part of a Vacation
Mother says "The best part about going on vacation is coming home." and I have to say, I tend to agree with her.
Not that I had a bad time, or anything. I really enjoyed my vacation: great people, awesome place, interesting work. Really, it was fantastic.
There's just nothing to beat sleeping in your own bed, you know? Or, better yet, taking a shower in your own bathroom! With water, even. Hot water. Water that washes out all the soap from your hair.
And I get to eat all my comfort foods again: Soup. Fresh baked bread. Tea out of my favorite ceramic mug. Liquid chocolate shared with a good friend.
It almost makes up for the 85-degree temperature drop I experienced in roughly 24 hours.
Not that I had a bad time, or anything. I really enjoyed my vacation: great people, awesome place, interesting work. Really, it was fantastic.
There's just nothing to beat sleeping in your own bed, you know? Or, better yet, taking a shower in your own bathroom! With water, even. Hot water. Water that washes out all the soap from your hair.
And I get to eat all my comfort foods again: Soup. Fresh baked bread. Tea out of my favorite ceramic mug. Liquid chocolate shared with a good friend.
It almost makes up for the 85-degree temperature drop I experienced in roughly 24 hours.
3 Gallons
I recieved a certificate in the mail the other day from The Blood Bank of Alaska saying that I'd reached the 3-gallon mark!
That's a lot of blood.
I'm rather proud of myself, actually. I just might have that thing framed.
That's a lot of blood.
I'm rather proud of myself, actually. I just might have that thing framed.
Friday, November 20, 2009
I'm Back
I arrived in Anchorage late last night after about 34 hours of travel time. It was quite a shock to the system to step out into -3 degree temperatures after having spent the past 18 days in 100 degree temps! I was not dressed for it... I will be posting more on the expedition soon, I promise.
I have a ton of stuff to do now. I need to unpack everything and get settled in. I have to snuggle with the kids and reassure them that I did not abandon them. I really need to find a place for the boys; they are such sweethearts, they deserve a loving home.
I need to go thru all the photos I took and create a travelogue of my trip. I also need to create two power-point presentations of the expedition: one of Earthwatch in general with Africa tacked on at the end for the Eagle River Nature Center talk I'm giving on the 16th of December (all are invited!) and one of the trip exclusively for any other talks I'll give in the future. Perhaps the zoo will let me present? I want to show my family the trip, as well. My brother has a big screen TV that will work just fine: a great way to kick off our Family Movie Night perhaps.
All the paperwork and receipts I came home with need to be organized. Earthwatch is a nonprofit organization which means I can deduct the whole thing off my taxes this year! Airfare to and from Africa, the cost of the expedition itself, as well as any taxis and/or food = it all adds up.
I have to re-register for unemployment again, since being gone for 3 weeks closed my account down. I also need to get an add up at the University offering a room to rent. And I really need to work hard at finding myself a job. I have plans for my next vacation, don't you know - a job would really come in handy for funding that!
My Christmas cards are all ready to go - they just need to be addressed and stamped. The Christmas letter needs to be written up, however. I had hoped to do that before I left but never got around to it.
Then, to top it all off, I really should take a look at all my investments, banking, and money issues to make sure I have things as organized as I can get them. I have limited funds available so really need to keep on top of it all to make sure I don't run out unexpectedly.
I have a ton of stuff to do now. I need to unpack everything and get settled in. I have to snuggle with the kids and reassure them that I did not abandon them. I really need to find a place for the boys; they are such sweethearts, they deserve a loving home.
I need to go thru all the photos I took and create a travelogue of my trip. I also need to create two power-point presentations of the expedition: one of Earthwatch in general with Africa tacked on at the end for the Eagle River Nature Center talk I'm giving on the 16th of December (all are invited!) and one of the trip exclusively for any other talks I'll give in the future. Perhaps the zoo will let me present? I want to show my family the trip, as well. My brother has a big screen TV that will work just fine: a great way to kick off our Family Movie Night perhaps.
All the paperwork and receipts I came home with need to be organized. Earthwatch is a nonprofit organization which means I can deduct the whole thing off my taxes this year! Airfare to and from Africa, the cost of the expedition itself, as well as any taxis and/or food = it all adds up.
I have to re-register for unemployment again, since being gone for 3 weeks closed my account down. I also need to get an add up at the University offering a room to rent. And I really need to work hard at finding myself a job. I have plans for my next vacation, don't you know - a job would really come in handy for funding that!
My Christmas cards are all ready to go - they just need to be addressed and stamped. The Christmas letter needs to be written up, however. I had hoped to do that before I left but never got around to it.
Then, to top it all off, I really should take a look at all my investments, banking, and money issues to make sure I have things as organized as I can get them. I have limited funds available so really need to keep on top of it all to make sure I don't run out unexpectedly.
Sunday, November 01, 2009
I'm Off to Africa!
I fully intended to write this long fantastic post to send myself off to Africa with, but I just never got around to it. So, you'll have to make do with this last minute one...
I leave tomorrow morning, bright and early! Hard to believe I'm actually going. But, everything is in order and I'm ready to go.
My bags are packed: I got everything in to one carry-on even! This way I don't have to worry about Lost Luggage, extra fees for checked baggage, or things getting stolen out of my bags. I also don't have to wait around for baggage claims - I can just step off the plane and head out into the world.
My friend Lorna is going to drive me to the airport early Monday morning. She is being extra-generous as it will be 6:00 in the morning. But she insisted, and I certainly don't want to take a taxi. She will hopefully wait around till I've cleared security in case I have to unpack the bug dope. I'm not sure if they'll let that go thru since the container is larger than 3 ounces. If it doesn't go thru, I'll give it to her and just buy some more when I reach Africa.
My niece Katy is going to meet me in Seattle for my layover there. I don't have enough time to go anywhere, but I have just the perfect amount of time to sit in a cafe at the airport and chat over a cup of tea! I'm excited to see her again - it's been a whole month.
For my 22-hour layover in London, I have a friend who said she'd meet up with me and show me the sights there. I don't actually know her, but have spoken to her on facebook for several months now. I'm so very glad that she agreed to meet up with me. Contrary to what you might think, given the evidence on hand - I am not a very brave travelor! Knowing that I will have a freindly face waiting for me in an unfamiliar city makes me a lot more comfortable about going.
And finally, once I arrive in Nairobi, I will have a whole day to myself and plan on seeing the sights there. More than likely one or two of my fellow Earthwatch volunteers will be there early as well, and will hopefully like to join me. Nairobi is not exactly a safe city to be wondering the streets alone, unfortunately.
When I get back in to Anchorage my friend Heather has said that she will pick me up. It's late at night and is also 3 weeks away - we'll see if she remembers!
Till then - I hope everybody has a great November - be well, be safe, and I'll talk to you later.
I leave tomorrow morning, bright and early! Hard to believe I'm actually going. But, everything is in order and I'm ready to go.
My bags are packed: I got everything in to one carry-on even! This way I don't have to worry about Lost Luggage, extra fees for checked baggage, or things getting stolen out of my bags. I also don't have to wait around for baggage claims - I can just step off the plane and head out into the world.
My friend Lorna is going to drive me to the airport early Monday morning. She is being extra-generous as it will be 6:00 in the morning. But she insisted, and I certainly don't want to take a taxi. She will hopefully wait around till I've cleared security in case I have to unpack the bug dope. I'm not sure if they'll let that go thru since the container is larger than 3 ounces. If it doesn't go thru, I'll give it to her and just buy some more when I reach Africa.
My niece Katy is going to meet me in Seattle for my layover there. I don't have enough time to go anywhere, but I have just the perfect amount of time to sit in a cafe at the airport and chat over a cup of tea! I'm excited to see her again - it's been a whole month.
For my 22-hour layover in London, I have a friend who said she'd meet up with me and show me the sights there. I don't actually know her, but have spoken to her on facebook for several months now. I'm so very glad that she agreed to meet up with me. Contrary to what you might think, given the evidence on hand - I am not a very brave travelor! Knowing that I will have a freindly face waiting for me in an unfamiliar city makes me a lot more comfortable about going.
And finally, once I arrive in Nairobi, I will have a whole day to myself and plan on seeing the sights there. More than likely one or two of my fellow Earthwatch volunteers will be there early as well, and will hopefully like to join me. Nairobi is not exactly a safe city to be wondering the streets alone, unfortunately.
When I get back in to Anchorage my friend Heather has said that she will pick me up. It's late at night and is also 3 weeks away - we'll see if she remembers!
Till then - I hope everybody has a great November - be well, be safe, and I'll talk to you later.
Wednesday, October 07, 2009
My Kindle
I got my Kindle the other day! I love it – it’s so much easier to use than the other electronic book reader I had, and not just because this one actually works.
First thing I did when I got it home was plug it in to fully charge it. That was Sunday night, and I’m still going strong without having to recharge again. Of course, it’s been off a lot. We’ll see how well it holds its charge on the planes when I’m reading it for hours at a stretch. The manual says it should last several days minimum. I’m not sure what I’ll do with it while out in camp – but perhaps I’ll be so busy with the African Wildlife and my job there that I won’t have time to worry about reading anything.
On Monday I got the manual out and read thru it with my Kindle in hand, familiarizing myself with all of its functions. As I said, it’s very easy to use. The keyboard is really small, though: I’ll have to get used to clicking on teeny tiny buttons if I want to download any new books. But honestly, it’s not that difficult. I could use a pencil eraser if I really got concerned about fat fingers.
Once I figured out how to use the thing, I went shopping! That’s one feature on this Kindle that is just the coolest thing ever: you don’t have to be at home on your computer - you can shop for books from anywhere. It’s all built in to the unit.
The price of books is really cool, too: the new releases are typically just $9.99, and some of the older releases (equivalent to paperbacks as opposed to hard bounds) can be as low as $1.00. I think I even saw some that were free – can’t beat that price.
So far I have the following books, for which I only paid $34.95 (which averages out to be $5.83 per book):
The Lost City of Z by David Grann
Brooklyn by Colm Toibin
Claws by Stacey Cochran
The Walk by Lee Goldberg
Origin by J.A. Konrath
The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown
My credit card gives me points for each dollar I spend (as I’m sure most everybody else’s credit card does). The reason I mention this is because one of the rewards available to me is a gift card to Amazon.com. I got all excited about that, and ordered one so that I could use it to buy books for my new book reader.
Unfortunately, now that I actually have the Kindle in hand, I find that my idea just isn’t going to work. There’s no way to use a gift card when downloading books directly into the thing – it just automatically gets charged to my credit card without giving any other options. I suppose I might be able to shop on-line at home and download the books later - I honestly just now thought of that and haven’t had a chance to see if that’s an option or not.
But what I’m thinking I’ll do is purchase the leather holder that’s made specifically for the reader. It’s a nice black leather thing with special clips to attach to the reader, while still allowing you access to all of its functions. It protects the screen from any scratches or dings, and even provides a mental “feel” to the reader, as if you’re holding a book rather than a screen.
There’s also an Extended Warrantee available that I probably need to get. After having gone thru that whole mess with my last one, I can definitely see the benefits to having a warrantee, and will even make sure it’s valid prior to needing to use it.
As for transporting the Kindle to the opposite side of the world, I have a pouch that fits it perfectly (even with the new leather covor). My friend Shelly made it for me a while back. She actually thought I would give it away as a gift to the Africans, but I’ve decided I’ll keep it instead. It’s made of a red tapestry material, with a red trim that turns into the strap that fits just perfectly over my shoulder. It even has a zippered pocket to hole the chords for recharging it!
Thank you, Shelly!
First thing I did when I got it home was plug it in to fully charge it. That was Sunday night, and I’m still going strong without having to recharge again. Of course, it’s been off a lot. We’ll see how well it holds its charge on the planes when I’m reading it for hours at a stretch. The manual says it should last several days minimum. I’m not sure what I’ll do with it while out in camp – but perhaps I’ll be so busy with the African Wildlife and my job there that I won’t have time to worry about reading anything.
On Monday I got the manual out and read thru it with my Kindle in hand, familiarizing myself with all of its functions. As I said, it’s very easy to use. The keyboard is really small, though: I’ll have to get used to clicking on teeny tiny buttons if I want to download any new books. But honestly, it’s not that difficult. I could use a pencil eraser if I really got concerned about fat fingers.
Once I figured out how to use the thing, I went shopping! That’s one feature on this Kindle that is just the coolest thing ever: you don’t have to be at home on your computer - you can shop for books from anywhere. It’s all built in to the unit.
The price of books is really cool, too: the new releases are typically just $9.99, and some of the older releases (equivalent to paperbacks as opposed to hard bounds) can be as low as $1.00. I think I even saw some that were free – can’t beat that price.
So far I have the following books, for which I only paid $34.95 (which averages out to be $5.83 per book):
The Lost City of Z by David Grann
Brooklyn by Colm Toibin
Claws by Stacey Cochran
The Walk by Lee Goldberg
Origin by J.A. Konrath
The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown
My credit card gives me points for each dollar I spend (as I’m sure most everybody else’s credit card does). The reason I mention this is because one of the rewards available to me is a gift card to Amazon.com. I got all excited about that, and ordered one so that I could use it to buy books for my new book reader.
Unfortunately, now that I actually have the Kindle in hand, I find that my idea just isn’t going to work. There’s no way to use a gift card when downloading books directly into the thing – it just automatically gets charged to my credit card without giving any other options. I suppose I might be able to shop on-line at home and download the books later - I honestly just now thought of that and haven’t had a chance to see if that’s an option or not.
But what I’m thinking I’ll do is purchase the leather holder that’s made specifically for the reader. It’s a nice black leather thing with special clips to attach to the reader, while still allowing you access to all of its functions. It protects the screen from any scratches or dings, and even provides a mental “feel” to the reader, as if you’re holding a book rather than a screen.
There’s also an Extended Warrantee available that I probably need to get. After having gone thru that whole mess with my last one, I can definitely see the benefits to having a warrantee, and will even make sure it’s valid prior to needing to use it.
As for transporting the Kindle to the opposite side of the world, I have a pouch that fits it perfectly (even with the new leather covor). My friend Shelly made it for me a while back. She actually thought I would give it away as a gift to the Africans, but I’ve decided I’ll keep it instead. It’s made of a red tapestry material, with a red trim that turns into the strap that fits just perfectly over my shoulder. It even has a zippered pocket to hole the chords for recharging it!
Thank you, Shelly!
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