Tag: computers

Saturday thoughts

Our washing machine became possessed last night just before we went to bed. It turned itself on. Then the control panel wouldn’t light up. Tom unplugged it with a prudent “I’ll think about it tomorrow” attitude (though he also did a little research online and hoped he knew the problem). So far, we haven’t washed a load, but he does seem to have found the magic process to exorcise the demon. Fingers crossed.

While he was away volunteering today, I continued the manic need to organize and purge stuff. The end result is a much better organized cabinet in the writing sanctuary; many things put away after MY having that “I’ll think about it tomorrow” attitude for a few months; and a lot more reorganizing and labeling in my corner of the office.


You’ll have to take my word for it that my desk drawers are cleared of unnecessary stuff, those shelves are arranged much better, and that little green caddy, still loaded with office supplies, lost a lot of useless things and what’s left is better organized.


My little “fun” table where I blend essential oils, do a lot of my intentions rituals and random other things, all while overlooked by Superman, Darth Vader, and Batman, not to mention two Yankees and Cubs baseball fans, is cleared of random stuff and ready for whatever’s next…clearing crystals, looking at oracle cards, or enjoying breathing/meditating time.

In that first photo, maybe you noticed Aerosmith’s Joe Perry watching you from the wall on the upper left. One of the things Tom has been doing is moving photos (so far more than 25,000) from older, still working computers (I have one more that requires a consultant before we’ll know if those photos can be recovered). Today, he focused on my old HP laptop. I’m not sure it’s been turned on since 2017, unless David used it when he visited. The wallpaper on it was a great shot from my former job. It’s a nice photo, but three years after being laid off, I’ve long-since moved on. Tom decided to be funny and create a new wallpaper from among the laptop’s photo files, which apparently included a scan of the Joe Perry photo (I mean, why WOULDN’T IT? It’s Joe Perry!).

This is what greeted me the next time I glanced at the laptop.

Probably Tom’s just glad when one of my musical crushes is still on the planet. (RIP DW, TP, EVH, SRV, JL, GH, DF, and TH).

This week, sadly, we lost another legend. Tina Turner overcame one challenge after another and never seemed to lose her zest for living, her hope and optimism, her strength, and a phenomenal magic unparalleled by any performer in my lifetime. The tributes being paid her by her peers and her fans from every spectrum show the kind of impact she had. She truly was simply the best.

Button Sunday

Today’s project was working on some gifts that have been in the planning stage since Christmas. For late 2022 Christmas that’ll eventually happen with a couple of people. And also starting a small bottle-cap art project, because it’s been a while since I did those.

And other than posting about it now, no computers involved. At least my blog’s caught up, but I have little idea what’s going on in the rest of anyone’s world. Maybe that’s for the best.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DEBBIE! (Not my sister Debby; my other Debbie.)

No, seriously

I was trying not to be dramatic, but apparently I need to clarify. I’m not on a fun break. Looking at any screen on any device is triggering migraine clusters. So if you are texting or messaging or commenting or whatever, any time I look at a screen on any device, I’m experiencing vision problems and headaches. I also can’t drive, watch TV, write on a computer (the only way I write fiction), etc. My eyes and my head need a break, and even when this resolves, I will be seriously curtailing screen time.

Thanks for understanding.

Break


I’ll catch up later. For now, no blog, no social media, no comments and replies, no scrolling, and–ugh–no devices like phones and iPads and computers, so no writing.

Still thinking, though. I AM an Aries.

ETA: The two books I read last month.
   

Please stand by…

More technical difficulties with the site and a spate of insomnia has me behind. I’m doing this post mostly to see if I can post, and if I can edit a post, or if I need to seek tech support again.

When I wrote, those times I could, this was the music I heard. Hopefully all this stuff will be cleared up and I can get back to whatever normal is. Thank you for your patience.


Marvin Gaye, Gold 2-disk set. Nobody like Marvin Gaye. <3

Couldn’t choose only one of Marvin Gaye’s spectacular grooves, so I’ll link to this old Commodores tribute to Marvin Gaye and Jackie Wilson (both died in 1984). I have Commodores-related stories, but I’ll save ’em for my memoirs. =)

Mood: Monday

Previously, I posted a photo here of Machine, a pencil on paper work by the artist Stefan Zsaitsits from 2013.

The first six-plus hours of my day have been spent dealing with tech issues…and certainly not writing or any other fulfilling activity.

Even if you don’t have a mood guess for the art, feel free to drop a comment so I know you can see this and your comments are being published. Been dealing with website issues. Thanks!

Productive


An amazingly productive writing day yesterday, YAY! Without intending to, I got through the “B” CDs in the binder. (Well, I haven’t checked the back of the binder. There could be more there that were purchased later.)

Pictured are: The Black Crowes, $hake Your Moneymaker and Amorica; Boss Drum, self-titled; Jackson Browne, Saturate Before Using, Late For The Sky, Running on Empty, and I’m Alive; Ry Cooder, Buena Vista Social Club; The B-52’s, Whammy! and Cosmic Thing.

Fun facts:
1) Boss Drum is the band Timothy was in when he lived in New York. He was a lyricist, vocalist, and keyboard player.

2) Many years ago, when I wrote three (unpublished) novels, the title of the first only coincidentally had a title that was also the title of a Jackson Browne song. When I began to rewrite that first book, I still wanted to use the title, but rewritten as a series, it’s the title of the fourth novel. When I needed titles for the others, I looked at and listened to the full body of Jackson Browne’s work. (By the way, I’ve replaced his albums I lost in the flood with either vinyl or as part of my iTunes.) Now six books: six Jackson Browne titles and counting. He has great titles that match my themes plus he’s one of my favorite singer/songwriters of all time. =)

Take your inspiration where you find it, and know that titles can’t be copyrighted.


ETA: And then on Saturday… Computer problems in the morning slowed me down, but finally I just put in the first CD, started writing, and was so glad to progress on the chapter I’m writing. A new character has arrived on the scene, the return of a favorite character is imminent, and I’m as giddy as if I’m really reuniting with someone after…91 pages! My listening pleasure today was Carpenters, The Singles (my gosh, Karen Carpenter’s voice); Johnny Cash, American IV: The Man Comes Around; Rosanne Cash, Hits 1979 — 1989; Tracy Chapman, Let It Rain; Ray Charles, Anthology. A lot of great music, and I know no one really cares, but doing this and posting it is helping me with my writing process, and *I* care a whole lot about that.

Button Sunday

Wikipedia was launched by Jimmy Wales on January 15, 2001, and its birthday is celebrated each year on Wikipedia Day. I don’t know how you plan to celebrate, but I’ll do what I do every day: Use Wikipedia for research, research, research for my fiction.

Information is accessible to all and is free, but it’s wise to remember that Wikipedia is a user-generated site. Anyone can input, remove, and edit information. It’s where I start, and then I find other sources to corroborate my findings. I’m mostly looking for cultural and historical information related to certain time periods, and I can do it from my own space with any device that gets Internet, no matter how weird my schedule is.

If I made a list of everything I’ve researched in the last two hours…

Thank you, Wikipedia, and happy birthday!

ETA: Today’s do-over consisted of some better equipment to play music to write to. I did write (and started work on a coloring page when I needed to stop to think), and here was the playlist. I got through the “A” artists in the first binder.

Adele, “Nineteen”; Adele, “Twenty-One”; Allman Brothers Band, “Martin Scorcese Presents The Blues: The Allman Brothers Band”; Allman Brothers Band, “A Decade of Hits 1969 – 1979”; Fiona Apple, “Tidal”

It’s funny that the three female vocalists are Tom’s, and the Allman Brothers are mine. This is a case where we each enjoy music the other has purchased. (Gregg Allman’s music is downloaded into my iTunes library.)

Tiny Tuesday!


Tuesday turned into a BIG errand-running day, because everything seemed to take longer than it should have. The only small thing I have to offer is a sketch from the coloring journal Lynne gave me last May. I’ve only done a few entries in it, and I’m enjoying it. After all, I blog here every day, so I don’t necessarily need to journal a lot. (Speaking of blogging, I did get my 2023 banner changed today! 😁)

I wish the people in my life believed in themselves as strongly as I believe in them. The truth is, I don’t always believe in myself as much as I believe in them. Maybe we all need to work more diligently to be the friends to ourselves that we hope to be to others?