Saturday, August 09, 2014

Nothing is ever as it seems...

Windows 8.1 is here and mom and dad needed a new computer. Did I want to set them up on a totally new platform -- no I did not. However, buying a computer they are going to keep for the next eight years, I felt they needed to be on the latest OS there is.

Thankfully for the simple pc user, i.e. email, Facebook, home banking, it's okay. At first glance things look radically different but when you get to the nuts and bolts if you can get to the desktop - things seem the same. The Apps page is what I call mom and dad's "fun page."

"You need a new computer," seemed innocent enough but .... you don't think about the all the work that goes into the moving and installing.

First they had no need for Microsoft office so they used Works that came with their old computer. Now I have to try to find out a program that will open and edit their Works files.

Then I learned that Quicken 10 which they use for their checkbook register was not compatible with Windows 8. So I download a free checkbook register and mom started using it. Neither of us liked it,  so I tried installing their Quicken 10 on their new machine and viola it worked. A lot of aggravation for nothing, if you own old software that you like try installing it and see if it will run before hunting for a new solution.

Warning! If you buy a cheap computer that comes complete without an optical drive or monitor connections - your going to have your work cut out for you. First  their old monitor only has VGA and DVI connectors. I purchased an HDMI cable first only to discover the monitor would not accept that. Then I purchased a connector to USB off Amazon only to discover that I purchased a serial connector not VGA. Okay go in a talk to someone, so off to Staples I go and got a converter that will work with VGA and DVI and convert it to USB - $50. Then I got the idea that if there was a HDMI to VGA or DVI so once again I check Amazon and there it was! $11 and return of the USB converter.

How to install the software off a CD without a drive? Open the CD on a computer with an optical drive and copy the files off the CD and transfer them to the new computer in the method you have to transfer. On the new computer perform the auto install as normal by clicking the auto install file.

I am sure I will have weeks of working out the bugs but right now they are up and running, yeahhhhhh.

Enough for now...

Saturday, July 26, 2014

Cleaning up my life or not

Charles Schwartz Snoopy and Pig Pin carton characters

Today must must must be a productive day. I have pulled the car out the garage and pulled the trash can in. I plan to clean and de-clutter as much as possible. Since Dad got this new illness and my crazy work scheduled, I have allowed the house to fall apart.

When I was in my 20s I learned quickly that I hated to do laundry so I made sure I had enough girlie small clothes to last a month. I have not altered that and so I must do laundry, sweep, mop, and general clean. Yeah meeee.....sigh.

Merlin and Winston are just lazing around but will start following me from room to room as I begin cleaning.

I am really not in the mood to move. I really have not fully recovered from my weirdo illness. I woke up on Monday with my world spinning. I barely made it to give the boys their breakfast before I had to go lay down on the couch. I ended up taking Dramamine and missed three days  of work.

The week ended with arriving a Mom and Dad's on Friday to learn that Home Health called and said that they were coming to take out Dad pick line. The problem was that no one had told the family anything and quite honestly we don't trust Home Health with any of his care. We did not know if the doctors had talk with the surgeon who wanted to leave the drain in his gut in for another month. We did not know that he was done with the antibiotics. We knew nothing.

The problem when you go on hospice they tell you not to go the doctor or it will throw you off hospice and if you have any problem not associated with your original illness to go to the ER. The whole problem with this is that ER doctors do not provide follow up care. And no one is following Dad's illness to ensure its going as planned.

On Monday, mom is going to find out if we can get a doctor to take care of his new illness, diverticulitis. We are not sure that he should be off antibiotics - no one has examined him since his original diagnosis. If he wasn't on hospice, we would have had a specialist tracking his care.

Lesson learned...find out if you family member is on hospice if you can still go the doctor and demand to be able to do so. IF they say no, then demand that THEY exam and track his illness in a follow up manner that would normally be done. We have been too timid with the first round and now the gloves are off!


Enough for now...

Saturday, July 19, 2014

Worn Plum Smooth


This is my new motto. When bad things happen, such as WWII, the reasoning is quite sound. But in reality when bad things or just stressful things happen what else can you do but carry on - we all have to live through the tough stuff but how we do that is up to us. I want to KEEP CALM.

Work has been hard over the last six months, I have had to learn Drupal, a content management system for websites There are many things about the new system I love and the ease of some things. I love that other people can post their stuff to the web. I hate that many things are very complicated that involve php. If you don't know what php is then you know how I feel!

Once I started the conversion, it was full boar on. We decided not to add anything new to the old website and I ended up with two looks for the web, which is not a good thing. So the stress was on to move things over as fast as I could. In hindsight I think that I would have just let the old website go stale versus do that again. Yet at the same time, I would not have finished as fast as I did because the pressure would not have been as great.

With all that going on, my Dad develops diverticulitis and has been in the hospital three times. So in between work and hospital visits my life has gone to pot. Today, I will schedule the two vet visits that where supposed to be done in June. I will schedule my 5,000 mile and 10,000 mile car tune up and ask if I can have the 11,000 mile tune up.  I hope that I get my dentist called on Monday.

Here's to keeping calm and carrying on...

Enough for now...

Thursday, June 12, 2014

Life - school that never ends

I have of late been teaching myself how to use Drupal. It's a content management system for websites. It has been such a struggle and fight but I am getting there. When I graduate from OU with my Journalism degree, never in  my wildest dreams did I think my world would turn out as it has.

I have become rather an expert in web design, publications and now video. The only thing I can not do is audio. I sound like a dead fish (as my co-worker says and its okay because I do) .

I am blown away how much I have learn and how little my college courses are now. Next, I will be learning how to turn my publications into ebooks. Hears to perpetual learning!

Enough for now...

Sunday, June 08, 2014

Merlin's World - A New One Everyday

I love my little guy but he has been more work than any dog I have ever known. He barks and the hateful neighbor complains to the city. He hunts all the time and tries to jump into the trees. He kisses much more than one would like but he's a great dog.

two beagles in the yard  next to the fence

He painted the fence with mud...you never know what the new day will bring with Merlin.

Enough for now...