Testing, Testing

Testing inserting a picture from webshots. They provide the URL so here goes:
Hmmmm nothing happens when I click the picture icon - what could I be doing wrong?
picture
instead I made a link - but that is not what I want. But I will see if it works.
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yes - the picture link brings me to the picture but it shows all of webshots stuff around it. I want just the picture to show.

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OK. I uploaded a test photo to a web album in Picasa. I then got that URL and pasted in the add photo URL link - but still no photo... Hmmm. I must really be dumb.

Quite an undertaking

Wow. This is going to take me quite awhile. The picture taking alone will be a big undertaking. I got some good shots in yesterday. The sun was shining brightly, so no flash was needed and I could just lay stuff on the floor and shoot. Coming home from work when it is nearly dark is not so good. Since I'm still learning to use my new camera there are so many settings I have to carry the manual around with me but, thank the heavens (I quit saying thank God because I know he really doesn't give a crap about camera manuals or probably most the stuff I'm always thankful for) the manual is written all in English. I got a separate manual with all the other languages - so I could just throw that one in the trash and I don't have to flounder around searching for the English version of what I'm looking for. It would be helpful, though, if they could have explained the little itsy, bitsy icons better. Most of them don't make a lick of sense to me - but that could be because I don't know much about photography and international icons. What I'm trying to say is - I'm still learning all the flash settings. So this is slow going. But I'll learn a lot after this project is done.
I did come up with a cool design. Now I'll go see if I can use the design in this blog - or if I have to have a website. I love the design so much, I just may spring for the site, just so I can use it. Hey, I'll learn a lot about web sites that way, too. Gosh (again notice I did not say God), I'll be so smart!

Creating a new website

It's time for a change. A new year = a new blog name and direction...
I'm getting bored playing spider solitaire. I've played 3,586 games. It's time to move on. I've been stumbling around the internet ( I love to stumble - have you tried it? If not, sign up. I'll give you the link but, please, make me your friend. I only have two friends: my sister (you know who you are) and my son. So here's the link http://www.stumbleupon.com/
After stumbling around and seeing so many great websites, I got inspired to make one myself. Since I don't want to pay for a site just yet. I'm going to set it up here and see how it goes. If it goes good, maybe I will spring for the cash and go all out - and actually publish my site.
I got a new camera for Christmas. It has a gig of memory, so I am going to incorporate taking pictures and putting them on my site. I also want to try to organize all the crap I own - so I am going to incorporate that mission, too. Can you see where I'm going with this? It will be a cool website, right? I thought so, too.
But before I can get started. I better go take my first pictures. I will need 100 pictures to work into my web design. I am going to model my design after 10x10 - I love that website. Except mine will be all the junk I've accumulated in my life. I may haave to make mine 1000 x 1000.
Hmm - maybe this project is too ambitious for me....?
Off to the photo shoot.

Old Photos

Organization has never been a strong point of mine but I am trying to organize the boxes and boxes of old photos I have. I have them all in one spot (at least the large majority of them) and now the daunting task of 'what to do with them'. I would like to scan the photos and make a digital book or two. I found some cool spots on the web that will 'publish' personal books. This site, Lulu.com will publish a full color, soft cover book for a great price. The base price is $4.53, and color pages are 15 cents and black and white pages are 2 cents each. I haven't gotten a scanner yet but Ken Rockwall has some really good information on scanners. Ken recommends the Epson V100 for the price and he recommends buying the equipment from Amazon.com because they have a 30 day return policy (for any reason).

May Flowers

A new month - a new beginning.

It's time to start blogging again.

Teisha had her new baby boy, Owen. You can view the photos, here. You will have to sign in. If you don't have a Kodak Easy Share Gallery account, you will be required to sign in - but you don't have to make a password (unless you want to). The pictures are worth the effort. He is a gorgeous, little thing.

Thanksgiving - plan making

Tents from eBay:

Tents are 10 x 30.
More information can be found at the eBay store:
WPIC-PREMIER-OUTDOOR-LAND

This store is located in Frisco, Texas. The store is willing to add just a 'handling' charge of $50.00 if picked up directly from the store. This saves the postage charge of apx. $50.00 to $60.00.

Chairs - Rentals
Chairs can be rented for apx. $1.15 per chair from Alexanders in Austin.
See: http://www.alexandertent.com/extras.htm

It's back

I've been out of the blogging world for quite some time - and a lot has changed. Vacation time is over and New York was wonderful! I didn't make it to the Long Beach Island house but everyone who did had a good time – and, hopefully, everyone made up in the family (there was a misunderstanding that – whew! was awful... I moved to a third floor apartment and I love it. (Mimi's house may be sold. We are keeping our fingers crossed). It's been hell moving. I slipped in vomit and I broke my back. I had two skin cancer surgeries. I got a promotion with a good raise. My car got repossessed (that was a total shocker and major pain in the ass! Thank you, Kevin!). I participated in my first dog show (badly). And the drudgery continues but on the really good side ~ Jake should be home next month! Let’s keep the prayers coming. Who knows what that dope in Washington may get us into next. I still wish the leaders of the packs had to duke it out in a ring while the rest of looked on. Wouldn’t that be a good site to see?

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I am just praying that Jake will be home in time for Thanksgiving! We are late in getting the plans going this year, but think we came up with a good one. We will buy a tent – one of those cool tents that have sides and windows (they have some totally cools ones on eBay) – and have the big dinner at Debbie’s house. She has a great back yard for such an event. And she’s a dang good cook. I have major days of vacation time left – so I should be able to take off and help with the preparations. I hope, hope, hope that Jake will be home safe and sound! I would really have so much to give thanks for!

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more to come...

Competitive Creativity

Ever feel like a sheep being herded along? Fashion dictating what you wear? Stupid commercials breaking up your TV shows? Music giving you nothing but a head ache?

Here are some creative competitions to help break you out of that rut.

Grab your notebook and pencil and check these sites out.

Design your own T-shirt and/or vote for your favorite designs at http://www.threadless.com/subs. This is a totally cool T-shirt competion and store. The current competition ends June 1^st so hurry on over to http://www.threadless.com/loves/blik to get all the details.

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Create your own Mastercard commercial and have some fun doing it.
You can enter 10 times a day. But hurry, the competition will be over soon. Go to http://www.priceless.com/promo/e1.html to get started.

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Or are you feeling totally inspired? Think you can write a John Lennon song? Get that tablature over to the John Lennon Song Writing Contest at http://www.jlsc.com/.

Deep Impact for Sisters

Deep Impact for Sisters
teeth, comets, turds, feelings, opinions, sisters, MoPac...
.... and the 20,000 dollar pyramid answer is ..... ?
THINGS THAT ARE IMPACTED!!
ok....Beiderman the comet.. and betty beiderman, and ummm.... betty beiderman and ... i'm sorry, i can't think of anything else...
....and the 20,000 dollar pyramid answer is ....?
THINGS THAT ARE DEEPLY IMPACTED!!!

I dont know if this is how you post a blog or not, but i am trying...
aunt Janice is gone to heaven... i guess she musta married someone else after uncle richard... i didnt realize that she was only 16 years older than me... she was that much younger than our parents... daddy would be 81 ...
does anyone know how i can post pictures of the adorable geer girlies from snapfish.com on this blog??
betty beiderman, i just want to say what a blogspiration you are to all of us sisters! you blog my mind with your commitment to this site!

Gadgets

Tonight I went driving around looking for a pay phone. I know, you’re right. Why would anyone need a pay phone in this day and age? The phone company must feel the same way because I couldn’t find one. But I wanted to call Jake in Korea and since I gave up my home phone I had to find a land line because I didn’t think my cell phone had international capabilities (I was wrong about that – but that’s another story). On the drive back home I was thinking about all the gadgets we have and wishing that I had just one gadget to carry around with me that could do everything I need. Right now I carry my rio Forge mp3 player and my cell phone and my work wants me to start carrying a Blackberry, too. Being severly directionally handicapped, I wish I had a portable navigation system. Yeah, I have a compass in the car – but not OnStar – which is what I need. Even at work, I don’t leave my desk without a map of the building – no kidding! So when I got home I decided to google “gadgets”. The first site that came up was http://www.gizmodo.com/. There I learned that Comm Korea 2006, which is billed as Korea's Largest and Longest Running Telecommunications/IT, Networking, Wireless/Broadband and Internet Technologies Exhibition and Conference, is going on now. And Samsung (where brother-in-law- Robert works) is one of the major presenters. They have a very nifty gadget called Samsung Anycall SCH-B540. Except for the navigational system – it has everything I want in a phone – even blue tooth technology. I want one.