New Puter

OK, so I didn’t set out to get a new computer even though my existing desktop is almost 6 years old. I set out to get a new monitor because my Samsung SyncMaster seems to have grown something weird on its screen. Except there weren’t any monitors on sale at Best Buy I cared to bring home. There was however a Compaq desktop and monitor package at a very appealing price. So this rather basic AMD based machine with 4 GB of RAM, onboard graphics, onboard sound and a modem running Windows latest seems to have followed me home.

I spend a couple hours taking everything off my computer desk, cleaning the desk and then setting up the new computer on the desk. Its amazing how long it can take to set up a computer, monitor, printer, external HD and speakers and then route all the cables and tape them in place so they aren’t dangling. The monitor has built in speakers which work fine for normal computing and even music but are rather lame for DVDs. So my Bose speakers are on the desk but installed so they are easy to remove and take places. I’ve gotten various security software installed along with Open Office, GIMP and all the Canon camera software plus some maintenance utilities. Windows has gotten very impressive. Loads quick, runs quick (I’ve got a 64 bit version) and its even easy to remove Internet Explorer 8. Most my photos were already on the WD Lifebook but I haven’t copied over my document files or installed iTunes as yet. I’m liking the wide aspect screen for working on multiple windows.

Taxes are Done !

I downloaded all my tax documentation, got the instructions the IRS sent me in the mail, read over the instructions to make sure nothing had changed that affected me, filled in all the proper forms and voila - my Federal taxes were done. I tried the FreeFile eFile option for the Feds but could not get the new user screen to let me establish a logon identity. Oh well, snail mail for the Feds. The Virginia efile worked just fine, so that's done too. Somehow it never feels like a new year until I get my taxes done. So now its officially 2010.

Otherwise I just puttered about the house, did the laundry & dishes, tidied up a bit, read some and just generally let my batteries do a trickle recharge. Sometimes ya just gotta be a bit lazy.

Pictures from Kat’s Visit

Here’s Wicket in his very own bed.

Here’s Wicket in Urchin’s lap.

Here’s Baboo, Skiddy & AliKat inspecting Urchin’s clean laundry & Wicket’s bed. Both passed the sleep test.

The Urchin Visits

The Urchin came for a visit yesterday & today. Wicket her kitten came along too. We all had a grand time. Urchin & I ate at the local oriental buffet, went & got the dogs their licenses, put flea preventative on all the furry paws, cooked mac & cheese with tuna for dinner, watched a DVD on my 'puter and just plain hung out together having fun. Urchin helped me get started on Facebook, which looks like it will be fun. Wicket and Pippin hit it off. They gave us no end of amusement. The other cats kinda ignored Wicket, but he was having too much fun running around my place and pouncing on Pippin to care. Thanks for coming Urchin.

merri catmus 2 R kittah frenz

merri catmus & happi nu yers 2 all r kittah frenz. santipaws waz gud 2 us. der iz lotz of ribbens 2 plaz wiffs. der iz boxes 2 sleps in. der iz preti colereds paper ballz 2 biffs. dez iz ebin a nu bottle cap puk 4 baff tubz hocki. all da kittahs herez gots sum tings gud.

cc and tabatha's houmins gif us dis nice birdie wut sings and moovez wan u biffs it.

skamper-dootle's houmin gif us dis super 2 up sleps basket

der waz nip far nu yerz 2. it iz gud to haz such considerit and thotful houmins to serve us. we gifs de houmins boxin dayz offs. we doz haz a festashun of red dotz but we iz ons itz. da red dotz iz gud to chases and pounces onz. da is az gud az nip. ma all r kittah frenz haz a gud nu yer.

baboo - alikat - wingnut - pawsintrouble - skiddy - pippin

History is Everywhere

The Commonwealth of Virginia, like many other states, puts up historic markers. These signs note some places we all read about in our history books and other places even the local folk have forgotten about. I decided that this year I'll post pictures of these Footnotes on the Past that I stumble over when they interest me. So the First Footnote of 2010 is the Eckington School.
This school is located at the junction of Mt. Pony and Blackjack roads in Culpeper county. Its currently owned by the adjacent church, which probably explains why it still exists. There isn't much around the school now, just the church and a house across Mt. Pony Road. It doesn't look like there was ever much else here but of course there could be foundations from other structures in the surrounding fields. Neither Eckington or Popular Ridge seem to exist communities anymore, not even as postal offices.

The only other one room school I've seen is located in Pierre SD, but that one was moved from its original location about 2 miles away to a city park that ran alongside the Missouri River. This building appears to be on its original site. Both buildings were very similar in size, window placement, etc., except the Pierre school was painted red.

I hope you all enjoy my Snapshots from the Past as I find and post them.

Starting the New Year Out Right

OK, so there I am at work on New Year's Eve, when it gets decided that I can get adjusted off. So at 10:40PM I'm out the door and on my way to the D&D's. At 11:55PM I'm in D&D's front room with D&D, my Urchin and her college friend Yuko watching the Times Square Ball drop. We finally got to do the Christmas present thing and generally welcomed the New Year as is best - in the company of good friends and beloved family. On the 1st I left D&D's about 8AM, drove to where Urchin & I board our horses & visited them, went on to make a brief stop at my house, and then continued south to my friend Jane's. We made some music, did more of the birthday & Christmas present thing and generally started 2010 as we had ended 2009 - spending time with friends. May 2010 bring us all plenty of time with our friends and family doing the things which we all enjoy.