Living for the weekend

What a BEAUTIFUL one. Tons of plans and I'm so excited about all of them. Tonight we are headed to D&D for dinner with lots of friends and that makes me so HAPPY. Tomorrow morning I'm headed to my sisters for breakfast with the kids, and then some friends M&R are coming over for the game (which one... beats me) and some grub. I went shopping this morning and was mortified at the prices at the store... for reals people... CRAZY. Last night we had some delicious Japanese food with my in-laws, and got to check out the progress on the addition to their bedroom and bathroom... looks
great. I'm taking a vacation day Monday to spend some much needed time with my ladies L and Ali.
So I can't, shouldn't, won't complain (which we ALL know I'm really good at).

Here is a list:
Here's to...
- no lines at the grocery store (or anywhere for that matter)
- snuggles with the hubby after a trying week
- old friends, new friends and bloggie friends
- beautiful sunshiny days
- babies everywhere (congratulations to G&K and good luck to S&G)

Love to you all,
Ciao
S

Nice Matters and White Noise

Hi,
I've been nomiated for the "nice matters" bloggie award. My loveliest mama Ali nominated me in the sweetest nicest way. No wonder she was nominated and sent it my way.



Right now I don't feel like being nice. My MAC is being mean and has the weirdest white noise in the background. Some times I think it the speakers, but the sound is not there all the time. I've talked to tech support and we did a p-ram something and that seemed to work... until I hung up. OF COURSE. I have to say that I'm lucky and talked to some great peeps so I'm not complaining... yet.

So in case my computer gets taken away for a bit here are some pics.

It was Kyle's b-day yesterday... 7 people! We celebrated with cake.


I know... super freaking cute. What can I say... my sister's got good genes!


Joe's birthday next week... 13. I'm old and he's a TEENAGER! argh.


So funny... they decided to blow out the candles before we even sang. We had to light them again. This is take two.


This little patriot tuckered himself way out.

Note to self... do not sing songs with lyrics in them that you don't want kids repeating and repeating and asking what that means. They hear everything and will remember EVERYTHING. All I can say is... "Blinded by the light, wrapped up like a deuce..." hahaha.

Love to you all and send me good computer vibes.
Ciao
S

Hey there peeps!

From one extreme to another!

What up? What's shakin'?
I think I'm finally starting to feel like myself again. I'm almost afraid to say it in case I jinx myself. I'm still takin' it slow because that seems to be the key. Having said that I have a really busy weekend. It is open house at the theatre this weekend, Saturday 11am-4pm. Sunday we have a family dinner to celebrate my aunts' birthday.

Fall is here and it is GORGEOUS out! I'm wanting to go out and walk, picnic, pick apples, have a bonfire, grill peppers, visit with friends over coffee and cider donuts. I LOVE LOVE LOVE this time of year.
My anniversary is coming next month and the hubby and I are trying to make some fun Fall plans... leave a comment with some ideas if you have any.
Okay my peeps, here's wishing you lots of warm days and crisp nights for good sleeping under a warm blanket.
Ciao
S

Friendly Neighborhood Computer Goddess - part 2

So here comes the installation saga...
I leave the cable company office with my DVR and modem to hook up at home... alone.
I stop at the neighborhood electronics store to pick up the router that I need to fulfill my wireless needs. As I'm in the store, of course there is no one to be found to ask any questions to... and my phone rings so I start talking to Leah and check out of the store with said router in hand. Head home. G is home so we decide to hook up the DVR first so that he could at least watch TV while I struggle with the modem. Ok, fine. Directions are fairly simple but where we will put it. I think we spent more time rearranging electronic devices than hooking up the damn thing. We finally get all the right cables in the right spots and call the cable company to send the signal so we can have CABLE. It was super confusing on the phone because of course they can't find my account and the guy can't freaking spell STEFANIA. After about 20 some odd minutes on the phone DVR is connected.
GREAT.
I head directly to the computer becuase I just want to get it all over with but we are also STARVED as it is dinner time. So I try for about 20 minutes to do both at once. Put the modem disc into the computer and that seemed to work just fine. Put the router disc into the computer and it is asking me to hook the router to the computer. My first thought is that, hmmm this can't be right. I assumed that the router and the modem could essentially be hooked up to each other in a completely different location than the computer because a) I work mainly on a laptop and b)there is no cable hookup (or phone line for that matter) that is even remotely near the computer. So I think... hmmm maybe I can hook up this up through the laptop (that is MAC, by the way) and of course none of the installation discs work on.
At this point I'm super annoyed that this isn't working and much harder than the cable company claimed it to be.
I call tech support. I get a rep and the first thing I tell him is that he is probably gonna hate that he got me as a caller!
First things first he can't find my account (this sounds vaguely familiar). Then I try to tell him what my deal is and he says (literally word for word), "oh boy, you are not gonna like what I have to say. this tech support does not support routers or networks you are gonna have to pay for that kinda of support, can I transfer you to sales?"
WHAT! OH MY FREAKING ... YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME. ALL THE CABLE COMMERCIALS TALK ABOUT 24/7 TECH SUPPORT AND NOW YOU CAN'T HELP ME!!! OF COURSE.
I calmly ask him to at least try to steer me in the right direction and at least tell me if I'm barking up the right tree. He very nicely agrees and we realize that I bought the wrong router. OF COURSE!!! I hang up, pack my bags and head back to the store. Get there and realize that they close in about 13 minutes so I better make it SNAPPY! I get behind the LONGEST TRANSACTION IN THE HISTORY OF THE STORE. I SWEAR THE GUY ASKED FOR THEIR BLOOD TYPE. I start to walk around the store to locate the correct router and a very nice guy comes and asks me if I need help and I ask him all the questions that tech support DIDN'T SUPPORT, FREE!
As I suspected I was on the right track with the wrong equipment and I grabbed the right one. I pay, leave, head home determined to get this done.
Head to the computer and insert the correct router disc into the computer and it asks for... ready for this one... an internet connection. OMG... AT THIS POINT I THINK THAT THE UNIVERSE IS PLAYING TRICKS ON ME. No wonder G leaves this all to me because he lasted oh about as long as it took the guy to not be able to find my account when we were hooking up the DVR.
I head upstairs (where we want to hook the modem and router up), start ripping open packages, splitting cable wires, hooking lines in where they fit... being a total crazy woman. I press power, all the lights light up and it looks like we are in business. I turn around to the laptop hit internet and BAM it hooks up.
I start running around the house so proud and that is when my husband names me computer goddess of the house.
I decide to install the cable internet cd get about half way through it when it asks for a username and password that I got when I bought the service... YEAH RIGHT!
It's been 3 or 4 days and I haven't gone back.
That's my story and I'm sticking to it!
Ciao
S

PS. I have a really great picture to go along with this post but blogger has a bugger. I'll show it to you next time.

Friendly Neighborhood Computer Goddess

That's me!!! I can't even tell you how frustrating life was yesterday... well at least I'm gonna try.
It all started a couple of months ago when we kept getting mail about the new AT&T cable/internet deal. They have a new digital cable that is supposed to be awesome. We wanted to upgrade our cable and internet so it seemed great. Then one day my husband changed his mind and said all at once, DON'T DO IT! Let's just call our regular cable provider and upgrade to their high speed internet and digital cable. So I called...
This is where everything starts to go downhill, and anyone who has ever called would know this. I called and spoke to a great sales person got all the details that I wanted and decided that yes we would do this.
She (salesperson) was really nice and helpful and we went through everything and in the end told me that I needed to pick up the DVR, and the modem and install it all myself or pay a hefty charge. This was not acceptable but ok. Then she said, BUT... if you get digital telephone then someone will come out and install that and the modem for free and the DVR for 1/2 charge. I was very happy with that checked with the husband and decided that YES indeed that was a great deal and I would take it. We even then were allowed an even better deal and got some premium channels for the digital cable.
So the appt was made for a week later (yesterday) between 8:30am and 10:30 am.
Happily I spent the week waiting for the extra channels, the all hallowed DVR that everyone who has one says they can't live without and the high speed internet.
So 8:30 comes around and I wait... and wait... and wait... and then 9:30 comes and I think, boy they never confirmed with me yesterday, hmmm... I should call and make sure that someone is even coming. So I call... and talk to another customer service rep to make sure that there is indeed an appointment, and she confirms that YES someone is on their way to install the digital phone. Well what about the DVR and modem??? They are scheduled for a self pickup and install. ARGH! I was so pissed and made sure she knew it too!!! The last woman I spoke to said that everything was going to be handled together at once and .... ARGH... fine, fine, FINE! I can do this. Hang up the phone and continue to WAIT. 10:29 comes and I am about to walk out the door and who shows up... the phone dude. Way to wait til the last possible minute huh!
It took about an hour and the dude was at least nice.
All day I'm pissed and finally after work (what was left of it) I head out to the cable company to pickup my DVR and modem to install MYSELF. I get there and tell them how pissed I already am and ask, "The modem is wireless, right?"
HAVE I LEARNED AT ALL? AS SOON AS I ASK QUESTIONS, I AM DOOMED!
The lovely gentleman says no. ARGH!!! I need a wireless system and would have NEVER okayed anything else. At this point there is actual steam coming out of my ears. The woman at the desk hands me 5 free on demand movies for my "TROUBLES" and tells me that I am probably better off just buying a wireless router because their wireless system is "pricey"!!! ARGH... what did I just sign up for?

Come back to read "Friendly Neighborhood Computer Goddess 2" coming soon, where you can read all about the installation process!

Ciao
S

This is Bridget at her 2nd birthday party last weekend. ADORABLE!!! Needless to say she is not the pain... read on.

I'm finally feeling better. I went to the chiropractor yesterday because I had gotten to the edge of insanity. The pain was shooting down my legs and because I was working and walking and basically not doing much different all the rest of the muscles in my back were trying to keep me doing all those things and they had gotten to the point of spasming and seizing up. Why do you ask did I wait so long??? HMMM... that is a good questions. Because I'm a pain in the @ss and don't know when to say enough is enough.
Well... enough is enough and now I'm starting to feel better... thank goodness. I went to the gym this morning and got in the pool and moved and stretched and tried not to over do it...
I'm gonna try to take it easy the next couple of days.
Otherwise... hmmm not much else going on. Fall is coming on strong. I noticed some leaves are starting to change and there is a slight chill in the windy bits.
It almost feels like now should be when we make resolutions... not in January when everything is so bleak and cold and raw... now seems like there is so much more opportunity to keep a resolution... Really the only problem is there are so many that I want to make.
(On a side note I'm listening to India.Arie and every time I pose a question she is answering them through her songs... very creepy and wonderful at the same time. I feel like a friend is sitting here with me.)
Have a happy and labor free labor day.
Ciao
S