Paracord project Pt 3

I think I am finally getting the hang of it. Although, I still don't have any paracord the ribbon works well and is thin enough to not make a huge bulky lanyard. I actually re-did this 3 times in order to get the knots tighter and more uniform. Its harder to do with flat ribbon than round cord but I am happy with the finished product. The reason for this color selection is a representation of the "Thin Blue Line" You can read about it  here.

Paracord project Pt 2

Well, I am working on my paracord project. Its not exactly paracord material but still the same concept using ribbon or smaller string. The first run went well but there are some loose ends I need to figure out what to do with. I found that I underestimated the length of the oustide colors I needed. I figured this would happen but needed to get a feel for how much more I would need. So, the first round was an orange and white lanyard for my work badge. The next one is going to be blue and black which are the "Thin Blue Line" colors for law enforcement. I am hoping it will look good once I am finished. I am trying to avoid looking like a friendship bracelet from high school.

Clear for take off

I am here at work on a slow day *knock on wood* and I am listening to the live feed from the Georgetown Municipal Airport so I can hear my awesomely brilliant boyfriend take off. I am so excited for him because he is working towards his private pilot's license. I can't wait to fly with him. I am sure it will be one of the most exciting things I have had the privilege of doing in my lifetime. Of course, I worry a lot more than I should especially since I have been seeing so many airplane accidents in the past few months. I just have to keep reminding myself that he is completely capable and brilliant in learning. His trainer even told me that he is one of the best students he has taught and I believe him. So, if I brag too much its only because of how proud I am and because I love him so much.

Here is a video I took on my phone of his first solo flight landing. I got a little "misty" watching him do it like a pro.

A headset may cure your pain

I have been dispatching for roughly 13 years and in that 13 years I bet I have answered thousands of phone calls, all without a headset. I am constantly typing and talking on the phones even when I am dispatching. So, I put together a proposal for the department to purchase headsets for our administrative phone system for our 9 dispatchers. The officer who is on the "Equipment committee" who was helping me with this has recently left the department and my proposal never made it to the official committee for consideration.

I am completely jealous of employees who work for large corporations who can afford to provide headsets to them...ahem, I'm not naming names but their initials are Dell.

Well, since we have no departmental budget for such exorbitant equipment I decided to purchase a headset and amplifier out of my own pocket to try on our antiquated phone system. My neck is sore and tired of holding the handset between my cheek and shoulder while I type. I have even considered using a rubber band to keep the handset on my head between calls and while I am on the phone so I can hold my head upright. Like this:

I am keeping my fingers crossed that the headset I ordered will work with our antiquated phone system. The "telephone guys" here at work have told us that they don't make a headset which is compatible because it is so old. I spoke with the actual manufacturer and they said it will work. I really hope so or I will be returning it and going to Office Depot for extra large rubber bands.

4th Generation.

A few days ago I ranted a little about all of the issues I had with Apple products. Well, looks like the 4th generation Ipod may in fact be coming with a camera on it. I just read about case leaks on wired.com. Here is the link: http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2010/08/leaked-cases-reveal-new-ipod-designs/

Now, who knows if this is actually true since the "leaks"  were only regarding "possible" cases.

I am happy with my ipod so I probably won't be purchasing a 4th generation. Mine has sentimental value and is irreplaceable. :-)

Just Grumps

As the day goes on I am feeling more and more annoyed and grumpy. There is no real reason for this. No one has made me angry and is generally just as pleasant as usual. I kind of just want to be in a quiet room alone and veg out. I hope it gets better.

Are you a mac person?

Last week I updated my ipod software after many many tries of doing it at work and getting bumped off of the network I managed to get it done at home. I was really excited because for the first time I managed to do it without any major loss of itunes or my entire ipod blowing up.

I have a rather cheap aftermarket charger thingie that I bought at discount electronics. Well, since my update my ipod has decided to reject that as an "unauthorized charging device" WTF? It charged just fine last week. Nope. Apple loves to limit what you can do with THIER products. Holy crap, I thought when you paid money for a product it was yours!? Apple says, "Neener Neener"

If you know me, you know that I absolutely hate itunes. I have struggled through quite a few re-dos because of a few hard drive issues, and then making the decision to move it only to my laptop. This worried me because my laptop is over 5 years old and my good friend and "lil brother" Matt has had to reformat and save me from the "blue screen of death" So far it seems to be working. But if I ever purchase another laptop, here we go again.

I can't seem to get use to having to use a software program to get my device to work. This is what I hate about Apple products:

#1 No right click button. What the hell were they thinking?
#2 Itunes is such a waste of time, energy, blood, sweat and tears to set up.
#3 I want to connect my ipod, open up the files and throw all of my music into the file I want it in. PERIOD!
#4 Overpriced products.
#5 You can only use Apple chargers, cables, and pretty soon ear buds I am sure.
#6 SNOBBERY!
#7 I want to delete songs straight from my ipod and not have to wait to get to itunes, remove and then resync.
#8 For a snobby product that acts like its a Ferrari, the external speaker is below par.
#9 It'd be nice to have folders to put stuff in instead of just 4 flip screens.
#10 I'd like a camera on my Ferrari.

Now, I do want to say that I love all of the options I have with my Ipod Touch. Yes, I actually love my ipod. I love it even more because after I killed my last ipod with 24oz of Monster Energy Drink my awesome co-workers and boyfriend pitched in to replace it. How awesome is that?

So, now that I have to plug in my ipod with the "certified ipod usb cable" into my laptop to charge it, I may be asking to borrow your computer to get some energy.

Paracord project

So, I found these really awesome dog collars and bracelets made out of 550 paracord. I actually learned how to make them. The only problem is that I need money to buy the materials. 100ft of colored paracord costs about $7.00. Maybe in the next few months or so I can start. :-) I plan on making dog collars for my Fraggles and maybe key chains and bracelets. I will upload a pic of my own project as soon as I can.

Training

I am training the new dispatchers at work a very grueling 16 hours worth of technical information for one of our computer systems. I love training when I know the course material or I have developed it myself. The only bad part is talking for 8 hours. I have a sore throat and can't seem to get enough to drink. Hopefully I won't have to talk much tomorrow. Pretty non-eventful week and lets hope it stays that way.

#11 When a man shows you who he is, believe him.
#12 Negative ions are a good thing! C'mon rain!

He gave me the moon...and so much more

A while ago I met someone who gave me the moon and so much more. He swept me off my feet and I never believed that was possible. He showed me things I never considered and I have learned so much from him. I thank God every day for bringing him into my life.

Testing

Testing my iPod app for my blog.

Trying something new

So, here I am sitting at my console at work and I am thinking, "Is this crazy or should I jump on the bandwagon and blog?" Well, I have always kept a personal journal. At least since I was in the 8th grade. I am not sure I had much to say about life at that time other than what unfair practices were happening to me at the time. When I tell people I have kept a journal that long I either get one of two comments, "You keep a diary? Ha ha Dear Diary...." or "Wow, I bet that's really neat to go back and read what you wrote 5 years ago."  I have learned a few things in my 35 years. Perhaps I should keep a running tab to remind myself.

#1 Always be thankful for what you have and say so.
#1.5 (one of Mom's rules) Don't worry about someone giving you a hard time because what goes around comes around and you hope to hell you are around when it does.
#2 (one of Dad's rules) Always make sure the breaker is turned off before working on anything electrical. Never trust that someone has done it for you.
#3 (another of Dad's rules) When running for safety: Never go up unless you can fly.
#4 Never go into a deal where money or freedom is involved no matter how much you love your family member or friend.
#5  Credit cards are EVIL!
#6 Dogs remind us of how we should view the world and treat people.
#7 Keep your keys in your hand while you lock your car doors.
#8 Most of the time, the cure for insomnia is saying thank you to God before while your head is on the pillow.
#9 When in doubt: unplug, restart and start from scratch.
#10 Never overbake the cookies.

So, there you have it. My first few reminders of how to go about my day.