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2013-05-24 19:42:52 (1 comments, 0 reshares, 4 +1s)

When Our Favorite Little Guy sleeps, neither of us is comfortable leaving the room where he lays.

Right now, it's the living room. We have the television on, but we brought the work in here rather than go down the hall to the office.

It's been a while since my kids were this small - how long does it take again? When they are two? Three? 
And when it's not your child ... do you ever leave them alone?


Trying to make myself get up off this couch and take a shower. It's Old-Fashioned Market tomorrow and I have to be on a silly-o'clock train to meet a friend so we can go to this.

Oh, right - I should take the camera, shouldn't I?

I can't be the only one with a scatterbrain today.

2013-05-24 02:53:57 (6 comments, 0 reshares, 8 +1s)

I bid you Goodmorneve and Coffee, Giggleplus!

With any luck, I can get a little sleep. Awake all night, slightly stressed over a workload. Odd, because early in the evening, I'd fallen asleep and was happily asleep! But then I woke up and sleep was nowhere to be found.

I put the overnight hours to good use. Double-checked all my settings on the Windows side of the Macbook and updated everything. Prepped a login and password for my mother so she can use the computer as needed while we are traveling. Wrote a bit in two of my stories. Discovered and fixed a network issue with the laptop. (Still haven't figured out the problem on the desktop, though.)

At this point, I'm tired. It's nearly 5 a.m., and if we're to have Our Favorite Little Guy for the weekend (yay!), then I need some sleep right now, and have to get up in a few hours to complete the work... more »

2013-05-23 12:32:36 (12 comments, 0 reshares, 12 +1s)

Det finns ingenting som är en "god morgon". Den så kallade hälsningsfrasen är ett uttryck för de morgonpiggas översitteri och anspråk på att utgöra normen i samhället. En bättre hälsningsfras vore "kaffe" - som ju är det enda som gör dygnet före kl 10.00 uthärdligt. Kaffe på er allesamman!

Kom ihåg det i morgon bitti.

2013-05-22 15:53:19 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 11 +1s)

Goodmorneve, Giggleplus!

Whatever plans I make get changed. Regularly. Like last night's dinner. Which should have been a copy of a recipe shared by +AnnBritt Jansson (Taco Fish!), but which ended up being hot dogs and potato salad and beans. Hmmm.

And today - what should be a working day is instead a Little Guy day. So the Non-Bearded Guy has the Little Guy outside for some active time. And I've managed to put polish on my nails. That's almost all I've managed to do. It's okay, the world needs more of this Little Guy - he's so happy and cuddly.

Once he goes home, we have to work, though. This book is on the last days before English release and the translation must be completed and checked. We really only have tonight and tomorrow to work on it. So it'll be a slightly later work day than usual.

A couple of questions.
First -... more »

2013-05-21 22:55:28 (3 comments, 0 reshares, 10 +1s)

Twenty pics from my walk today.

2013-05-21 15:26:41 (2 comments, 0 reshares, 12 +1s)

In a week, I will be in the US.

#MayIPleaseHaveGlass , Google?  

I will use it for educational purposes, I will post what I film, I will do a daily log of usages and difficulties and failures and successes. 

Oh - and they'll return with me to Sweden in June.

I will not use them to be evil, I will not wear them while behind the wheel of my rental car  (but if someone else is driving....) and I won't pick on anyone with them.

Blue or White, please ... although if you offer them in Silver, that would be preferable to White.

Just let me know where to send the payment?

Yes, I know some people don't want them, don't like them, and I don't care what I'll look like with them, so all the naysayers can go naysay elsewhere.

But Google - are you listening? #MayIPleaseHaveGlass ?

2013-05-21 10:37:08 (8 comments, 0 reshares, 10 +1s)

Tuesday noon - the second cup of coffee, the rain outside my window, nothing calling my name with any urgency...

But we had such a busy day yesterday doing some major cleaning in the living room and the humidity was so high last night, neither of us could get comfortable.

Cleaning - yes. After the weekend with the kids here, and trying to make sure the Little Guy would eat anything at all, our living room was hiding bits and pieces of hot dog, various fruits, cookies, spilled milk and spilled juices. What a mess. 
It didn't take long to pull out the couch, mop the floor, vacuum and pick up everything, but it was indeed effort. Actual physical labor.

We don't do that here.  :)

A late dinner when both of us ate too much... What is it about eating that makes us forget we have limits to our intake? The food wasn't so fabulous that we neededt... more »

2013-05-20 11:23:29 (18 comments, 0 reshares, 22 +1s)

Coffee and the clocks says it's after noon. That's the way to start a Monday!

How not to start a Monday? Be up after midnight, attempt to order something for one of your kids, then get an email from the company saying that their branded credit card doesn't work on their site, so they have cancelled the order.
Emails are in progress on this.
And a second attempt to place the order.

Look, big corporation. I'm not your largest fan to begin with. I got your credit card to simplify ordering things for my children and grandchildren. I pay that bill and have never once missed a payment with you. I order from you regularly. I have not changed my contact information. You approved the credit line, you sent the card, you can see that this is a repeat order from last month - so why are suddenly questioning me?

I'm sure your competitor will be... more »

2013-05-19 09:48:29 (5 comments, 0 reshares, 20 +1s)

While the little guy naps, I can share yesterday's bread WIN.  The loaves were not perfect by any stretch of anyone's imagination, but they taste really good.

The Non-Bearded Guy and the Little Guy both had the darker loaf and were really happy with it.

Not as high as I'd hoped - so I think perhaps there may be an issue with the yeast (or with adding salt before the yeast was really ready). And not perfect looking. The dark ones broke on the undersides, the white ones split on the sides... I am not sure how to fix that part. But the density works well with both of them.

Yay! I made bread that we can actually eat and not just throw away.  :)

Goodmorneve, Giggleplus!  Sunday nearly noon, little guy napping, and a few more things to handle today... but it's a good start with homemade bread.

2013-05-18 20:00:07 (3 comments, 0 reshares, 22 +1s)

Our favorite little guy is visiting overnight. This is a busy child. I really had to chase him down for the first shot.

As soon as I would crouch down, he'd turn and run, laughing. So this shot took a bit.

And then - proof that he sleeps. Darling when they do!

2013-05-18 09:50:28 (8 comments, 0 reshares, 13 +1s)

Goodmorneve, Giggleplus!

Sometimes planning to do nails isn't the best plan for the day. I started a manicure yesterday, with art work. But just as I'd gotten the base color on my nails, the phone call came. We got to see our favorite little guy and his sister yesterday!

We will have him again this evening, so photos later - there's something about having him here that makes me lose track of the camera. Yes, he and his sister really are that much fun.

Grab Saturday, folks - it's the only one we get this week and it's already noon here.

I gotta find that second cup of coffee, and get a little work done before this toddler finds us!

2013-05-17 10:13:46 (2 comments, 0 reshares, 11 +1s)

Got my art print! Off to the frame shop!

2013-05-17 08:16:44 (4 comments, 0 reshares, 13 +1s)

Goodmorneve, Giggleplus!

The tablet is "sort of" friends with the new layout. The computer is functioning with it. 
My brain? Well, we still need another day or two.


It's a work day. So why are both of us sitting here pretending it's a play day? I know we have company coming later, but that's for after the school day is finished when we can see our favorite little guy and his sister. That's then. This is now. And I'm watching him play Borderlands 2 while I fuss about on the laptop.

It's Friday. What's so hard about working on a Friday? Are we trying to get to the weekend faster? If we do, it will just mean a working weekend.

One cup of coffee won't do it. So I'm off for that second cup and to drag the Non-Bearded Guy down the hall to the office so we can get some productivity points today.

Enjoy... more »

2013-05-16 08:05:38 (24 comments, 0 reshares, 9 +1s)

Well, isn't this something to wake up to.
Oh, Google - just so you know, the profile is a bit crowded on a laptop and I can only imagine the mobile version at the moment, since it won't load on my tablet. And yes, the tablet is Android. Does the cover photo truly need to be that large? I think we have room to minimize those now.

Missing a few things, I'll need a bit of time to figure out where they went.

However - it's Thursday! The weekend looms large and fast. We've finished a few small details in the rec room. Mostly, some re-arranging of the old lighting and some new lighting brought in.

I've now got an office lamp set up on the piano. That really helps for seeing the sheet music in the evening hours.

Also - with thanks to +Narren Spel och Tillbehör AB and in particular +Jorgen Wistbacka for showing me this lamp and telling mewh... more »

2013-05-15 17:44:52 (10 comments, 0 reshares, 26 +1s)

Sometimes, my adventures in the kitchen are not complete failures.

This time, I had a cake mix, a jar of frosting, and a little time. So I made cupcakes. But then I had a bright idea to shape those cupcakes into a pull-apart cake.
We've seen them - shaped like flowers, butterflies, cars, trees ... but I really am not that artistic in the kitchen just yet.

So I alternated them in rows and covered the top layer with the frosting. Should be a basic sheet-style cake, just pull-apart mode. Right? Right!

Well, sort of.

I'm grateful for one point of this - they came out tasting good! And look, no lumps or holes in the cake.  :)


Goodmorneve, Giggleplus!
How are you handling a Wednesday?

2013-05-14 14:36:44 (5 comments, 0 reshares, 10 +1s)

Dear Corporation (Who hired us for your project and wanted it as fast as possible and negotiated a lower rate before we really even started work discussions):

The time to question the amount of the invoice is not 3 weeks after you have paid it. 

1. We had email contact prior to starting this work and I'm looking at the email which states the price agreed, the amount of work to expect and the instructions to get started.
- Note that is all in a single email. This is after a few other emails where work, pay and timing were all negotiated, including a discussion of a project rate for this.

2. We tried more contact with you because of workload issues and how you wanted to handle specific items of the job. You chose not to respond to most of those and the only response we got from one of those contacts was "work it out". We did.
more »

2013-05-13 08:01:53 (6 comments, 0 reshares, 6 +1s)

Proofing while having coffee instead of after the first cup is finished means the proofing takes a bit longer than planned.
Still, we managed to get the file out on time.

Next up is an additional piece for the literary translation. We are indeed to translate the appendix. Yay!
After which maybe that book can get onto shelves.

There's a living room to take down to minimalism. The Non-Bearded Guy is to be interviewed for a local news piece. I'd like to take away all the extra throw pillows, the blankets, clear the coffee table completely and take out the trash. Also maybe move everything except the laptop and note pad from my fortress spot. That way, he can be in here with the interviewer and I won't feel like someone is in "my messy space". 

As always, there is laundry and paperwork, and another message just came in that there's a... more »

2013-05-11 05:11:42 (3 comments, 0 reshares, 14 +1s)

Up too early on a Saturday. Why?
And where's the second cup of coffee? Do I have to get this one myself?

The Non-Bearded Guy brought my first cup. But he's got a replay of yesterday's F1 practice on the television so I'm loathe to ask him for that second mug.

I've had two practices with the soft-serve maker. The first one tasted like iced milk, rather than actual ice cream. So I double-checked everything and tried again. Last night tasted more like what I was expecting, but the flow out the bottom section was very slow. Need more study - what went wrong?

My nails have had 24 hours of no polish, been cut down to nubbins again after two more breaks playing with the soft serve maker and other things in the kitchen and will be prepped shortly for new polish today. There is still the last holdover paper cut and that stung when I took the old polish... more »

2013-05-10 11:08:25 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 13 +1s)

Google Plus Love

Google+ at its finest!

+Erik Andersson is turning 40 in a couple of days and 80-90 of his closest friends on Google+ decided to celebrate his birthday.

Erik is a guy who has been working as a hub in the Swedish Google+ community, bringing people together. Many Swedish Google+ users appreciate what Erik is doing and we all love him :)

A group of 80-90 plussers decided to something nice for Erik and we knew since earlier that Erik wanted a Nexus 7 - badly!
Having a big family Erik knew that he wouldn't be able to keep the Nexus 7 to himself as rest of the family would want to use it as well. As his family are iPhone users he was contemplating about an iPad instead of a Nexus 7. Or maybe he should get both? No way he said ... he couldn't even afford one of them and decided not to get any of them ...

Here is where we... more »

2013-05-09 08:42:44 (6 comments, 0 reshares, 12 +1s)

Thursday morning and only one cup of coffee. But things are still looking pretty good.

The Non-Bearded Guy had an appointment yesterday which meant leaving here at silly hours of the morning. The return train was replaced by a bus, thanks to track work going on, so we spent extra time in travel. By the time we got home, both of us were just worn out.

He went to sleep.
I never quite woke up all the way. Too early when we left, too tired when we got back, I just sat here and read things on the internet and watched television all day.

What a waste of a nice Wednesday.

However - while we were out, we did get a lovely lunch and in walking back to the train station, it was warm enough for me to take off my jacket!

Spring? Have you come at last?  Yay!

And we came home to new furniture on the terrace - supplied by the landlord. Very nice. Looks... more »

2013-05-07 15:09:19 (4 comments, 1 reshares, 21 +1s)

For anyone who thought I might be spoiled rotten, let me verify that for you.
The Non-Bearded Guy Who Lives At My House is the BEST.

A short trip to the store to pick up just a few things brought this item for me, too - and he found it!

Currently, the inner piece is in the freezer, I still have to get to the store to pick up gelatin or carageenen or some other binder, but in the meantime, I've been reading everything I can find about the best way to use this thing.

As soon as the items are ready... soft serve at my place!

Yes, I am spoiled. Anything creative that I ask for is immediately brought in - or as soon as we can afford it. Fun things that he knows I would like playing with, brought home. Nearly anything I want is mine. 
Yes. I am spoiled.

In Turkish: Şımarık
How do I know that? Because 10 years ago or so, a pop song byTurk... more »

2013-05-06 08:47:10 (14 comments, 2 reshares, 14 +1s)

Several things for me notable in this photo.

1. The cat. He's taken up residence on the piano bench. I shouldn't be surprised. It's cloth, it's in a mostly-quiet room, tucked underneath gives a bit of a hideaway. But really, Gus? When I was so very busy with the taxes and bookkeeping, you wanted my office chair. Now you need my piano bench?

2. The books. Why do music books come with glue bindings? It took me an hour plus finding a ring binder that would lay flat to get the book pages into a format where I could actually sit the pages up and not have them curling. The page on the left isn't even actually part of the book. The Sarabande is on the left, a single sheet printed out. The Menuett on the right is, however, part of the book, also on a single page - but this way, at least the book lays open. I do not understand the binding process that doesn't use... more »

2013-05-05 14:10:33 (3 comments, 0 reshares, 11 +1s)

The living room is almost back to our version of normal. The kitchen isn't as bad as I feared it would become. We've both had a little sleep and a fabulous time with our favorite little guy.

One of the groovy things about this kid is that he does sleep, very well. He'll fuss like any other kid and not want to lay down, but when he finally gives in, we can count on 8 - 10 hours (!) of sleep.

Unfortunately, I am still not used to that out of a child. None of mine were good about sleeping. So even though he was sound asleep and not even kicking around much, I was awake.

I used the time to do a little cleanup in the kitchen, watch some television, think through a few things - but not sleep. Sure, I tried to lay down, but sleep wouldn't come, out of fear he would wake up and I would not.

Four kids, four grandkids, age that I am, and yet when we are... more »

2013-05-03 08:47:46 (9 comments, 0 reshares, 15 +1s)

Yesterday was actually very busy for us. Several things happened.

The Bearded Guy became a Non-Bearded Guy. A text message came in that I had some musical instruments to pick up (a group of items for our favorite little guy) at the DHL collection center in town. A phone call came in that my piano had arrived and the truck was downstairs waiting for us to come and get it.

Plus lunch with a friend in-between the piano box upstairs and the collection of the box of other instruments.

So much in one day. Very exciting. 

And, I can recommend Thomann Musikhaus for instruments. Their online store is fabulous, the shipping was faster than expected, the price was amazing. 

When I sat down, the keys felt funny under my fingertips. My hands no longer know exactly where to go for the music. An old familiar book that I used to play from many years ago (make thatd... more »

2013-05-02 10:23:52 (28 comments, 0 reshares, 37 +1s)

There is no longer a Bearded Guy Who Lives At My House.
He's now the Non-Bearded Guy.

Hmm.

Quite a shock to see that face again after so many years of him having hair on it. He says the feel of the air on his face when he walks down the hallway is really freaky.


Should I ask him to grow the moustache back?  I'm thinking maybe so. He's thinking a Van Dyke - just to make sure the double-chin doesn't show.


These are his photos - bathroom selfies. <sigh> 
Have we learned nothing about cameras and bathrooms?

<giggle>
Goodmorneve, Giggleplus!
The one on the left is what he looked like when I went to bed.... and on the right, after his haircut this morning. Strange man at my place.  :)

2013-05-01 09:56:51 (11 comments, 0 reshares, 8 +1s)

Wednesday noon. The early morning was noisy with Walpurgis celebrators. And then the "normal" morning was quiet. But I'd already been wakened.

So now that it's noon, there's a few things I'd like to get done. The energy has been sapped - by the early wakening or by what little I've done so far today? Who would know?

So I'm taking things quietly now. Laundry which only needs my attention once an hour. The cleaning things that I can do in 2-minute fits of energy.

And then it's likely that I'll go back to sleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep!


Goodmorneve, Giggleplus!
Midweek, humpday, Wednesday, holiday or not  -  grab it and make something of it while the sun is shining!

:)

2013-04-30 03:17:46 (9 comments, 0 reshares, 13 +1s)

A quiet spring morning.
But it feels more like autumn than spring. The trees are still mostly bare of leaves, the fog is weird, but the lights are off. The streetlights of the town and the water in the fountain are the indicators to me that this is not autumn.

The quiet of the street speaks only to the hour of the day - still just 5 a.m., very few people are even out.

But the odd colors outside my window are strange today. 
Slightly foggy, slightly dreary. There is promise, however, of daylight coming.


The strange musings of a tired mind on a Tuesday morning.

Goodmorneve, Giggleplus!
With any luck, the tax paperwork will be finished and out today, but in the meantime, the coffee's on. Get your Tuesday while it's hot!

2013-04-29 08:54:26 (6 comments, 0 reshares, 6 +1s)

Swedish taxes are due on Thursday.

I'm still fighting the bookkeeping on this. :(


It should not be this difficult for a small business. Why, oh why, can't I make the columns equal each other? And whoever invented double-entry bookkeeping should be (insert favorite method of humiliation here).

I can do this in English - pay taxes, I mean. I can even read American tax law. And I know what to deduct and what isn't allowable. I understand the concepts. What is it about my brain that can't handle it in Swedish?


At least I am on the final steps.
I think.

Goodmorneve, Giggleplus!
Three days to get this finished and declared. Bleh.

We've started a new week! Enjoy yours.  :)

2013-04-27 17:57:25 (8 comments, 1 reshares, 34 +1s)

Sometimes, we're offline for a really good reason.

Today, the test drive took place. Our favorite little guy came over with his Mommy and big sister - and he got to try out the new car.

That's the Bearded Guy trying to hold him in place.

I'm thinking we need just a little more leg to make this comfortable.

2013-04-27 08:29:47 (8 comments, 0 reshares, 11 +1s)

I've had coffee. I've done paperwork. I've played. I've painted nails. I've searched reviews online about the piano we just purchased. (Mostly delivery reviews, and I'm so excited that I'm worrying. Stupid, I know.)

Goodmorneve, Giggleplus!

Saturday again. Didn't we just do this? Am I aging that quickly? According to the lack of dye on my roots, YES. Ouchie. Need to get this hair done very soon.

How do you manage when you are waiting for a delivery? Putting it out of my head is not possible today...

2013-04-25 15:06:49 (5 comments, 0 reshares, 9 +1s)

My son-by-proxy is barely more than a year old, but I already have his wheels ready

2013-04-25 10:16:47 (3 comments, 0 reshares, 11 +1s)

Goodmorneve, Giggleplus!

Well, it seems I am on every-other-day public posting now. Hmpf. That was not the plan.

Anyway - 
Today there is International Market in my square. Yay! Of course, that means spending about 1000 SEK in stuff we don't need, sweet things that will last all of 5 minutes, and walking around that will make my hip hurt, but you know what? That's just fine, thank you!

We spent the morning at a flea market. Second-hand baby clothes for our favorite little guy. Still need to bring in a toy box and a few other things to keep him happy at our place, but his Mommy just told us that we might get to have him here on Thursdays fairly regularly. Not only did that make the Bearded Guy very happy, but it'll give us some every-week time with him. Yay!  Now to get his sister, too....  LOL

Off again shortly. This time out to theMa... more »

2013-04-23 19:04:53 (8 comments, 0 reshares, 9 +1s)

Well, we managed once again to get our sleep schedules all turned upside down.

As I check the time zones around the world, it appears we are on Hawaii time.
Greetings, my Hawaiian friends!


I have photos to process from the weekend (yes, I know it's Tuesday and nearing Wednesday!), nails to repaint and definitely more paperwork to do. So very late on getting anything done this week.

I do know what part of this is from. We are waiting on a client to pay. And that is somewhat stressful. This is not a new client. This is a client whose previous payments have been on time. And it's not a small company, either. So there is a bit of distress. The worst part is that we are not able to speak to the right person. Not answering the phone, not responding to email. Frustrating.


Ah, well.

On a good note, we have finally managed some sleep... more »

2013-04-21 04:21:11 (7 comments, 0 reshares, 12 +1s)

I need a way to talk to people who are not in my circles. Just to those who have circled me, but I've not "met" yet.

There's lots of folks out there, some of them new to reading what I'm writing - and so to all of them, welcome! I hope you find something interesting here.  :)

I'm trying  to go through the new circlers and grab those who are interesting, those who have shared interests with me, those who have something to say on nearly any subject that I want to read about. 

I follow artists, scientists, blue-collar and white-collar workers, family folk and those whose only contact with the world at large is via internet. I have circles for four specific languages and one for those who post in languages I have to rely on Google Translate to help me read. 

Stop in and say hi, please. And enjoy YOUR version of G+, just as Ienj... more »

2013-04-21 00:09:24 (7 comments, 0 reshares, 8 +1s)

Our visiting family has gone home - all three females with painted nails, of course!

There is something completely fun about painting the nails of two young almost teens (with Dad's permission!) and watching them fuss through the polish colors and rhinestones and stickers and glitters and then their faces when we were all covered in several layers of polish and decorations.


Our favorite little guy is sleeping on the couch. We're both a bit averse to lifting him and taking him to the bed in the rec room. First, we might wake him up. Second, which of us will stay in there with him? He's too small yet to leave in that room alone and the bed is not a crib. So we've taken turns with short naps already and that will continue through the night.
I hope one of us is actually awake when the little guy wakes up!

Goodmorneve, Giggleplus - there's amazing... more »

2013-04-20 12:22:50 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 9 +1s)

Saturday - it's company-coming day.

The last little bits of clearing away anything dangerous to our favorite little guy and picking up our general clothing-everywhere mess for the visiting family that will be here soon. 

I think my last question is going to be what to feed everyone in a bit. I've planned for children, but not the adults. Good day to be out to dinner? Well, not really. It's still too cold to suit me for being outdoors, sadly. Maybe just bring in pizza.

Goodmorneve, Giggleplus!

Lördagsgodis. Saturday candy. Love this Swedish tradition.  :)
And today, I get to be the fun one and give Lördagsgodis to 3 kids!

2013-04-20 01:46:58 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 9 +1s)

The more I read about Google Glass, the more I think I would like it for a few things.

Yes, this from a person who used to be very private. Still am on many things. But I have no intention of filming everything I do all the time and uploading for the world to see whenever they wish.

I'm more interested in using Glass at home, as part of my creative outlets. Painting, nail art, music - I'd rather use Glass for teaching myself how to improve techniques.

It's possible I would upload some things, of course. For instance, if a nail art project worked out well, it could go up as a tutorial.

My curiosity is high on Glass. The price tag is a little high for a new toy for me, but I have time to save for it. 

So tell me - when does Sweden get glass? Or can I get Glass at my USA address and bring it over ahead of Sweden release? 
more »

2013-04-19 01:49:06 (5 comments, 3 reshares, 5 +1s)

Charlie, the son of an old friend and high school classmate, is going through chemotherapy, and having a tough time of it right now. He's collecting postcards from all over, and pinning the location on a Google Map page. While I've had the privilege to meet Charlie and most of you have not, I bet he would still love to hear from you.

Privacy note: He's not posting any full addresses, just the city and state (and country, I suppose, if non-U.S.).

I post here because this community actually has more geographic reach, as far as I know, than my FB community. There are a good many folks on the West Coast (U.S.) and a non-trivial international community. I bet he'd love to get cards from Australia, the U.K., the Middle East, India, etc., from which some of you hail.

Anyway, thanks for the consideration, and feel free to share!

2013-04-18 14:22:13 (3 comments, 0 reshares, 7 +1s)

I will get to everything soon. Yes, soon.

Finished one book yesterday while sitting in the studio where the Bearded Guy's band practices. Got some shots of the band.

Photographers - hints on taking shots of practicing band members in a tiny, tiny studio?
I don't think I've ever seen a studio so small, three guitarists (currently without their keyboard player), a drummer and a singer all cramped up into this little tiny space with all their shtuff plugged in. I was on my knees to get the drummer and one guitarist. And let me tell you, on your knees in front of the bass drum doesn't give a lot of room to get any drums in the shot!

Also managed to play, touch, feel on several digital pianos. Yes, I also went after a few dream machines, just to feel and hear the difference. There's a part of me that wants to keep saving my pennies to afford a really nice... more »

2013-04-16 22:57:42 (8 comments, 0 reshares, 12 +1s)

Oh, so many things waiting to happen.

I'm not going overboard, I'm just buying a piano.
I've researched the devil out of this thing and read reviews and listened to online samples. And thankfully, I read one more thing today, because while I'd nearly decided it was between two (and I would need to go in and listen and touch), I'm so close to saying "never mind, I want this upgraded version of the lower-priced model because it has everything the higher-priced model did, but costs about 3000 SEK less!" I don't know that buying based on reviews and online shopping only is really the right way. I have this need to touch, to feel, to hold. 
Actually, there are maybe three people in this world who know my piano playing ability and who could go and  touch for me and be able to decide for me which is the better instrument.
Andi... more »

2013-04-16 13:54:07 (2 comments, 0 reshares, 13 +1s)

Goodmorneve, Giggleplus!

I've been a little busy, catching up on television and making an even bigger mess in my kitchen.
Good thing the housekeeper was here yesterday.

I've bounced in long enough to leave some comments for a few of you - but only a few. At best, I've managed to plus one a few things.... Please know, everything in my stream is being read! And links are being clicked. And all these new additional people... I'm trying. I'm trying!

Good things also happen in the too-early hours of the morning. Sunday night, a hangout with three of the kids, Monday night spent watching television. Now there's housework to be done and of course the constant paperwork. 

But it's Tuesday Afternoon! Enjoy yours.

2013-04-14 18:14:56 (15 comments, 0 reshares, 24 +1s)

Is it wrong to use a G+ hangout for me to see the grocery store as the Bearded Guy goes to find cake?
I really did want to choose my own, you see. But I really did NOT want to take the walk to the store.

So we chose via hangout.

Is that proper use of technology? Or just being ... wrong?

LOL

2013-04-13 19:58:21 (3 comments, 0 reshares, 12 +1s)

Saturday night musings - 

When the coffee table looks like a dinner table, it's time to do the dishes.
When your hair hurts, it's probably saying "wash me".
When the candle holders are full of dust, it's time to find them a new home.
When the plants have died, they should be tossed out.
When I can see all these things to do from my couch fortress, it's probably time to put down the computer and do something about it all.

Goodmorneve, Giggleplus!
It seems I have some things to take care of, so I'll come back to plussing later.  :)

2013-04-12 14:38:41 (22 comments, 0 reshares, 12 +1s)

During our conversations last night and today, the Bearded Guy found a wonderful phrase for me.

See, I'm not great in the kitchen. Most of what I bring out of there is edible, but the mess is amazing.
I've had a few issues with completely inedible dinners, but those really are rare.

Last night, however, in an attempt to make pancakes, I set the pretty new stove on fire.
Thankfully, I am level-headed enough to say that I needed help, that I was not okay, and to have cleared the fire away in the three seconds it took for him to get to the kitchen. Cleaning up was fun (and I fear there may yet be some uncooked batter down the side) and  the pancakes were good. But still, it goes to what I'm talking about. The kitchen and I are not friends.

Still - I do like cookies. And cake. And I found a recipe online that used a cake mix and butterscotch morsels with... more »

2013-04-11 23:16:43 (3 comments, 1 reshares, 9 +1s)

That's exactly what my wife is like. 

And I love her for it.

2013-04-11 17:34:10 (3 comments, 0 reshares, 6 +1s)

Knowing there will be enough to pay for this soon is not helping. Or maybe it's helping too much. I'm researching myself into dreamland.

I've spent a couple of hours today just searching out prices for a digital piano. While "what I want" is kind of easy, kind of hard, "what I can afford" will definitely impact what we end up with.

At the same time, I don't really want to settle. If what I really want turns out to be more expensive than planned, then I'd rather save the money and wait.

1. Yamaha? Roland, Korg, Akai all brands I'm happy with. Not Casio. More people sell off their Casio equipment quickly than any Roland owner and I've not been impressed with the Casio sound.

2. Harpsichord. If I'm going electronic, then I want this as an optional sound. Pipe organ would be nice, but if it doesn't have... more »

2013-04-11 09:47:34 (4 comments, 0 reshares, 12 +1s)

Project-finale! delivered and invoiced. Paperwork waits my attention. So does housework.

So what am I doing? 

Sitting in my couch fortress, laptop open to G+ and news sites, making sure I have half a clue of what's going on in the world before the "day" begins. It's nearly noon and I've done almost nothing.

So it's time to find the coffee and the clothing for today, pick up a few odd items and get them to their proper places, sort out the chores that need doing and get started. Especially on the paperwork. 

Goodmorneve, Giggeplus!
I fully expect paper cuts by the time my day is over.

2013-04-09 09:37:08 (2 comments, 0 reshares, 14 +1s)

Working this morning - the last pages of Project-finale! are slow going.

But I popped in for a minute to drop these off for +Noze P. - who still doesn't have tulips close by!

Here you go, Noze, I'll share mine. 
Hmm -- that dark red one looks a bit ... evil.

LOL

2013-04-08 10:10:35 (2 comments, 0 reshares, 12 +1s)

Goodmorneve, Giggleplus!

New nail art stamps are waiting at my postal pickup point. Flowers are opening up fabulously. Project-finale! is on the final chapter. A new client was just sent their first invoice. I've had a rather large mug of coffee already.

Already? It's noon! I've put away a basket of clothes and have to start more laundry, done a single load of dishes and cleared the counter, but haven't even begun to consider what might be for dinner tonight. Nor have I jumped in the shower yet. It's a good thing there's still daylight - or I'd really feel as if I'd gotten nothing at all done today.

Monday - as a freelancer, the days all seem to meld sometimes. There is always something to do, every single day, and confining work to week-days just doesn't seem to be the way to do things for me. But this week, I've managed to be up at... more »

2013-04-07 08:02:07 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 1 +1s)

Added photos to The Selfy Sunday Project.