This has not been a good week for my personal productivity levels. I am simply not getting anything done as can be noted by my poor lack of posts on this blog over the past week or so. Normally autumn is a great time for me. I seem to fall into a good rhythm when fall hits. Of course, this year, we've had the Never-Ending Summer with 103 degree heat index in October. So it is no wonder that autumn productivity hasn't visited me yet! I am, however, getting geared up for National Novel Writing Month. I signed up and everything... NaNoWriMo can be found here and I have linked to the page that lists how it works. Basically you sign up to start writing on November 1 and write yourself silly. You try to write 50,000 words during the month. The NaNoWriMo website helps you along by giving you encouragement and letting you connect with other writers who are attempting the novel-writing feat al ... Read More »
This has not been a good week for my personal productivity levels. I am simply not getting anything done as can be noted by my poor lack of posts on this blog over the past week or so. Normally autumn is a great time for me. I seem to fall into a good rhythm when fall hits. Of course, this year, we've had the Never-Ending Summer with 103 degree heat index in October. So it is no wonder that autumn productivity hasn't visited me yet!
I am, however, getting geared up for National Novel Writing Month. I signed up and everything...
NaNoWriMo can be found here and I have linked to the page that lists how it works. Basically you sign up to start writing on November 1 and write yourself silly. You try to write 50,000 words during the month. The NaNoWriMo website helps you along by giving you encouragement and letting you connect with other writers who are attempting the novel-writing feat al ...
This is what happens when you carve a Halloween pumpkin and set it outside for just 2 days in south Texas: The heat and humidity here prevent any sort of autumn weather. Therefore we can't really carve our pumkins and have them for longer than a couple of days. Even uncarved pumpkins start to mold pretty fast around the stem area.
This is what happens when you carve a Halloween pumpkin and set it outside for just 2 days in south Texas:
The heat and humidity here prevent any sort of autumn weather. Therefore we can't really carve our pumkins and have them for longer than a couple of days. Even uncarved pumpkins start to mold pretty fast around the stem area.
This morning at 7 am I was sitting at my kitchen table reading through the latest Facebook postings on my account. Suddenly there was a loud boom from outside somewhere and the power went out immediately. My father-in-law who is visiting from out of town walked in from the living room and said that he thought a transformer had blown. I called the power company and had a nice conversation with their automated phone system. I am convinced that Centerpoint Energy only employs two people to answer all the phone calls for the entire Houston region. Only a portion of our neighborhood lost power. So I spent the first half of the day working from my laptop at the local Hastings coffee shop since they have convenient electrical plugs for laptops and extremely nice baristas working behind the counter. Power was restored around 11:30 am. I meandered back to my home office where I proceeded to work the rest of the d ... Read More »
This morning at 7 am I was sitting at my kitchen table reading through the latest Facebook postings on my account.
Suddenly there was a loud boom from outside somewhere and the power went out immediately. My father-in-law who is visiting from out of town walked in from the living room and said that he thought a transformer had blown.
I called the power company and had a nice conversation with their automated phone system. I am convinced that Centerpoint Energy only employs two people to answer all the phone calls for the entire Houston region.
Only a portion of our neighborhood lost power. So I spent the first half of the day working from my laptop at the local Hastings coffee shop since they have convenient electrical plugs for laptops and extremely nice baristas working behind the counter.
Power was restored around 11:30 am. I meandered back to my home office where I proceeded to work the rest of the d ...
I finally got a new espresso machine! I had an espresso machine many years ago but rarely used it. I can honestly say that I cannot remember what ever even happened to that old espresso machine. Since I developed a serious love for coffee over the past ten years, it was high time for me to get my own new espresso machine. I am sure the baristas at my local coffee spots are crying over the lost business from me right now. Here it sits in its new home on my kitchen counter. I got the Saeco Starbucks Sirena Espresso machine from Cooking.com. So far, it has been an excellent machine. I have not gone crazy with brewing latte's night and day but I have served quite a few to visiting family and friends as well as myself. Also, since this machine carries the Starbucks name, it came with free sampl ... Read More »
I finally got a new espresso machine! I had an espresso machine many years ago but rarely used it. I can honestly say that I cannot remember what ever even happened to that old espresso machine.
Since I developed a serious love for coffee over the past ten years, it was high time for me to get my own new espresso machine. I am sure the baristas at my local coffee spots are crying over the lost business from me right now.
Here it sits in its new home on my kitchen counter. I got the Saeco Starbucks Sirena Espresso machine from Cooking.com. So far, it has been an excellent machine. I have not gone crazy with brewing latte's night and day but I have served quite a few to visiting family and friends as well as myself.
Also, since this machine carries the Starbucks name, it came with free sampl ...
We took Toot to Rainforest Cafe in Galveston for her birthday. Here is the volcano erupting on top the restaurant:
The crazy heat wave we have had finally eased up and we are enjoying cooler weather. I cooked a pot of my "famous" clam chowder for supper. And I had picked up some pumpkin ale from Central Market on Thursday so that was a good drink with the chowder. My daughter finally got over her illness that kept her home from school for most of the week. I baked her birthday cake this evening. It is a homemade chocolate layer cake with chocolate buttercream frosting.
The crazy heat wave we have had finally eased up and we are enjoying cooler weather. I cooked a pot of my "famous" clam chowder for supper. And I had picked up some pumpkin ale from Central Market on Thursday so that was a good drink with the chowder.
My daughter finally got over her illness that kept her home from school for most of the week. I baked her birthday cake this evening. It is a homemade chocolate layer cake with chocolate buttercream frosting.
I woke up this morning with this song in my head for some reason. And we all know how it is when a tune gets into your head: it won't leave until it is darn good and ready.
My daughter has been home sick from school for three days now. She has been running a high fever and had a headache. I took her to the doctor who checked her out and also tested her for the flu. She tested negative for the flu. So he diagnosed her as having an upper respiratory infection and sent her home with a prescription for antibiotics. I have a real problem with throwing antibiotics at every illness. And I really do not see any symptoms of an upper respiratory infection in her at all. Next, her regular doctor says she has a virus and it will just have to run its course and antibiotics will not help at all. Anyway, luckily I work from a home office so she can stay home and rest while I attempt to work despite her constant interruptions.
My daughter has been home sick from school for three days now. She has been running a high fever and had a headache. I took her to the doctor who checked her out and also tested her for the flu. She tested negative for the flu. So he diagnosed her as having an upper respiratory infection and sent her home with a prescription for antibiotics.
I have a real problem with throwing antibiotics at every illness. And I really do not see any symptoms of an upper respiratory infection in her at all. Next, her regular doctor says she has a virus and it will just have to run its course and antibiotics will not help at all.
Anyway, luckily I work from a home office so she can stay home and rest while I attempt to work despite her constant interruptions.