Crazy Times

I've been absent from here a lot more than usual lately. First I had a "Windows has encountered an error and must shut down" | "Windows is restarting" loop. I couldn't back up my files, because every time I'd restart the computer, it would go into this loop. Every three to five seconds it would do it, and no matter what I tried, nothing worked. I even had help from Eric and Patti, both of whom told me what to do through texts. Finally, I just formatted the hard drive and re-installed Windows. It seemed to do the trick.

Then, about two or three days later, my connection started dragging. Most pages wouldn't load at all. I tried shutting down the program I thought was causing it, but I still had the problem. Nope. It didn't work.

So, once again, I formatted the hard drive and re-installed Windows...after backing up what files I needed to. In fact, I just finished. I'm in the process of updating Kaspersky now...or soon will be, at any rate.

I had a good Mother's Day. It was quiet and boring. For once, I didn't let the computer problems frustrate me. LOL! Jeff and I bought Chelsey a slow cooker cook book. Before I wrapped it, I looked through it...and promptly told Jeff that I wanted one. He was open to that, and we went to the store last night and bought me one. :)

I talked to my mom last night before we went out. She's coming here on the 21st...Chelsey's birthday. Jeff won't be able to do any medium or heavy lifting, so that leaves me to load her wheelchair and super heavy luggage into the trunk...and to push her up the back ramp. Oh, joy! :P It will be good to have her here.

I just hope we can knock out the fleas by then! I got bit twice on the arm yesterday. We're planning to get generic Frontline. I'm not sure what else. I'd like to go down to Petco and see what they have that Walmart doesn't. It's at the point where I want to find another home for Nikita. She's a good dog. I just can't take the fleas anymore! O_O And as if the fleas aren't bad enough, my skin's been really dry and itchy. Anyone know of a really good lotion that's not greasy?

Oh, and about Jeff. He'll be having minor outpatient surgery on the 16th. He's not looking forward to it, of course, but it has to be done. I have to stay at the hospital, so I plan to take my laptop with me. Chelsey will drive us there, then pick us up when it's done. He'll have about a month of recovery. The first two weeks, he'll be able to do light lifting. The second two, he'll be able to do medium lifting. I sure hope they tell us what that means exactly. What constitutes "light" and "medium" lifting?

So, that's the crazy life I've been leading lately. What's up with all of you, my peeps?

Lois

It's Been A While...A Little While, At Least:

My connection's still not very good. The USB ports are staying on now, but the device keeps messing up my computer...or it doesn't connect at all and I have to reinstall it all over again. I'm going to look into other services. I'm through fighting with this thing. Next time, I won't be getting it through Best Buy. They're not the geeks they think they are. ;)

I've been thinking about moving a lot of my stuff into the bedroom. I don't know how I'll fit it all in there, but I have to try. Jeff said he'd be alright with shelves on the wall. We'd just need to buy the supplies...and I'd need to get some more decorative boxes from Hobby Lobby so I can organize my stuff to be neater and easier on the eyes. I also want to paint the bookcases so they're the same color...I'm thinking antique white, vanilla white, or latte would look really good. And I want a nice big cloth to go over my computer table to hide whatever I store beneath it. It would also hide all the wires and everything.

I'm still in the process of getting all my software and documents back on the laptop like I want them, so I haven't done any writing. I've been listening to the Acheron audio book, though. It's really good! I'm on disc 5 of 19. I'm hoping to resume work on my screenplay, storm story and Immortal Watchdogs timeline tomorrow or the day after. It will depend on how quickly I can get this computer stuff taken care of.

The weather's been beautiful, if a little hot and muggy. We've had lots of sun, which I've really, really needed. Today, we're supposed to have a high of 90°, but it's already at 89°, so I'm sure it will get warmer.

I'm hoping to be back here full-time soon. I have to research the other wireless services and find out what they would cost and what the coverage is like. Wish me luck!

Have an awesome day!

Lois

Quite A Night Last Night

We had storms tear through here. I don't know if we had tornadoes in our area or not, but there was a ton of rain, lots of lightning and thunder, some small hail. We had some more storms this morning, and a chance of them throughout the day. I don't know when I'll get to take my shower...hopefully after I'm done updating online.

We took my mom down to the E.R. because of a fall she took a few days ago. She noticed some bruising on her foot, and my sister asked that we take her to get looked at. The doctor said she might have a sprain, and said that she should stay off her foot as much as possible. Otherwise, she's fine. Thank God for that!

And as we were getting her in the door last night, the outer door was busted. Actually, it was already busted, but now it's busted more than ever. Jeff took it off it's remaining hinges and Eric put it under the porch.

Jeff and I plan to go to Best Buy tonight, since we weren't able to go last night. I've discovered that the device keeps turning off the USB ports...and it does it at will. I uncheck the box where it says to allow the computer to turn it off to save power, but every time I restart the computer, I have to uncheck it again. I also still have to keep choosing the correct connection profile. This is extremely frustrating, and if they can't figure it out, I'll try to get a different model or another service altogether.

I plan to work on my Immortal Watchdogs: Kalaghata storyline, the Immortal Watchdogs timeline, and, if I'm feeling extraordinarily inspired, my storm story and my screenplay. At some point, I'll resume work on my faerie drawing, too...but not today. ;)

Have an awesome day!

Lois

Grrrr!!!

I swear! If my device were bigger, I could probably cook an egg on it! :/

And I think I lost my window of opportunity for an early shower. *sigh* Oh, well. I'll just take one later...as usual. ;)

And now to grab a bite to eat and fix my mom some breakfast...

I'm Back!

...I think...

Jeff and I went to Best Buy last night so I could get a new device. It's running hot just like the last one, and it keeps reverting back to that connection profile that doesn't connect. I'll be calling tech support today. If that doesn't work, we'll go back to Best Buy to see if someone there can fix it. I'm kind of wondering if it's a problem this particular model has with Windows 7.

I haven't been doing any writing or drawing. I've just been taking it easy. It's been nice...except for the many, many times I've wished for Internet access. I'm going to try to keep taking it easy, but I'm going to set a schedule for myself so I can still get some work done without pushing myself too hard like I was before.

I've begun reading Dream Chaser, by Sherrilyn Kenyon, and I absolutely love it! Not everyone would like this. It's modern dark fantasy. But I think it's great. :)

Eric's birthday was this past Friday. Chelsey's is this coming Friday. I don't know what we're doing for that. I'd like to get something for each of them, but I don't know what we can afford. Eric said he didn't want anything, so we didn't get him anything, but I still want to get something. I guess we'll see...

Well, I'd better hurry up and finish online so I can go take a shower. Well...not exactly finish. I still have a lot of e-mails to go through. I just need to finish posting, then I'll shower, eat something, and then finish up online.

Have a great day!

Lois

Quick Update:

My device is busted, and I don't know what we're going to do about it. Sometimes it connects, but it cuts out a lot. If you don't see me on here for a long time, that's why. I hope to solve this problem soon, but we'll see.

I'm only on here tonight because I'm at Sweet Bay using their Wi-fi. I'll likely be on tomorrow, at some point, too. The kids are going out, and I'll be going with them.

I hope you're all alive and well when I return! ;)

Needless to say, I won't be able to catch up if it's a long time (i.e. more than three days), but I'll catch up on the most recent entries when I can.

Miss you already!

Lois

A Beautiful Day to Rock & Roll

I've been watching Atif Aslam videos from YouTube for most of the morning so far. I can't get enough of his voice. :)

But I've fooled around long enough. It's time for me to get to work! I've got one feedback to write, then I can do whatever I want.

Speaking of...instead of revising my screenplay outline, I wrote a summary of it to see if the story makes sense. It seems to flow alright. I'm happy with it, so I may write some character journal entries today. I've missed writing from Abu's and Kadhi's points of view, so it will be a lot of fun. :)

I plan to go to Sweet Bay tonight, too. Jeff will take me in, then he'll pick up Eric around 8:00, and pick me up after that.

My sound card came yesterday, but it doesn't want to work with my PC. I'll have to see if I can make it work today.

Well, I'd better run. Feedback waits for no woman. ;)

Have an awesome day!

Lois

I'm Back!

Sorry I've been missing in action lately. My desktop PC, which I had out in the living room, got 34 viruses on it in a matter of about two days. I brought it back to the studio and reinstalled Windows XP and some of my software on it.

Then my laptop started having connectivity issues. I backed up all my stuff, then reinstalled Windows Vista and upgraded to Windows 7 again. It seems to be doing better, though my connection is still a bit slow.

I also had to renew my Kaspersky subscription and download the latest version. I haven't installed it on the desktop PC yet. I'll do that when I have time.

I bought a USB sound card from Tiger Direct, too. My sound card stopped working, for some reason, so I'm hoping this will help. It has great reviews, but if it doesn't work, I'm only out $12.99 plus shipping. ;)

So, now that the computer problems are (hopefully) taken care of, I'm back! :D

I posted the two feedbacks I wrote the other day. And you know what? They were perfect! *happy dance* Hopefully, I won't have to go in for jury duty tomorrow and I can write two more tomorrow morning.

This has pretty much been my days lately...just computer stuff. No writing. But I watched Naksha again the other day. Eric and Chelsey were cleaning their room and Josiah crawled into the studio. I picked him up and held him for a while and he fell asleep sometime during Naksha. And Jeff and I watched Strangers and Delhi 6 recently. They were both awesome. I think Strangers was inspired by Alfred Hitchcock's Strangers On A Train, but it's not exactly a re-make. The story was a bit different, though the premise is the same. It kept us guessing until the very end. It was awesome! And how do I describe Delhi 6? I guess I'd say it's a drama with a little comedy, a little romance, lots of music, culture, self-discovery, and a mystery of sorts. It's one of my favorites, so far. It was very character driven.

I should be getting two more DVDs today, then one or two tomorrow. One was coming later, so they're sending me another one from the top of my queue. I love it when they do that. :)

Anyway, I've got to finish up on here, then do some stuff around the house.

Have a great afternoon and evening!

Lois

Computer Work for Today:

Well, today promises to be frustrating, but we'll see. I have one feedback to do this morning, but that's not the frustrating part of my day. The frustrating part is when I finally begin to install Windows 7. Yep! That's right! I bought it yesterday (it's just an upgrade, but I'm okay with that). I sure hope Windows 7 is everything I've heard it is. I'm tired of all these problems with Vista. :/

If I get any writing done today, I'll be lucky. I'm not counting on it, but you never know.

I'm babysitting until 5:30 today, too.

Red Dwarf: Back to Earth was hilarious! :D For those of you who don't know what it is, it's a Britcom spoof of science fiction shows (Star Trek comes to mind) with very juvenile humor. This is the only show I really enjoy that uses that kind of humor. The four characters are stranded far from Earth. There is one human male (Lister, played by Craig Charles), one human-cat hybrid male (Cat, played by Danny John-Jules), one holographic male (played by Chris Barrie) and one mechanoid male (played by Robert Llewellyn). The mechanoid and the human are my favorites.

 

It's cloudy here today, but there is still a little bit of blue sky peeking through the gray. I don't know how long it'll last, but I'll enjoy it while it's still here.

And now, I'd better go. I need to write that feedback, then start backing up my data before the install. I'm not really that annoyed by it. I'm actually glad to be able to upgrade. Vista's just a big ol' headache lately. ;)

Have an awesome day!

Lois

A Brief Update:

I went to four different stores yesterday and none of them had Windows XP. I made a last ditch effort to reinstall Vista when we got back and it worked! I plan on getting Windows 7 sometime after it's released (it releases on October 22), but until then, I'll stick with Vista. I'm currently in the process of reinstalling all my software and retrieving the most recent versions of my novels from Box.net. They're all current except for Cottage, so I'm happy. :)

I have to say, I'm very relieved to have the laptop up and running again! It's not easy when things go haywire! :P

Well, I'm going to keep this short, as I still have a lot of work to do.

Have a great day!

Lois

Just Another Boring, Rainy Day In This Life of Mine

Today, I'll be going to pick up a copy of Windows XP, if I can find one. Once I install it and get the most important software set up, I'll be happy. As it is, I don't have much planned for today until I get the new OS. I have a little work I need to do, but it's not much. It certainly won't take all day.

I'm going to finish up on here, then clean out the litter box and take a shower. I also need to call Walmart, Best Buy and Target to see if they have Windows XP and to get prices.

We had storms last night. Lots of wind, but the thunder seemed somewhat distant. I guess we missed the worst of it. I'm thankful for that! We did get a lot of rain, though.

And there you have it...short and sweet (or boring, however you look at it).

Have a great day!

Lois

Note:  The image above is an image preview from Getty Images.  I don't hold the copyright.  I've posted it only for entertainment purposes.

Stupid Vista!

I've been fighting with my laptop all day. Vista decided I should download and install Service Pack 3 last night and my laptop hasn't worked since. :/ I'm hoping to pick up a copy of Windows XP tonight or tomorrow. I hate Vista! >:(

And that has pretty much all I've been doing today. My whole day has been wasted trying...unsuccessfully...twice...to reinstall Windows Vista. I've tried restoring my system, too. Nothing has worked.

I would love to upgrade to Windows 7, but I can't, since I can't install Vista in the first place. I can't win. :/

So, I'm on the desktop computer for now. There are things I need to do that I won't do on this computer...for security reasons...so I need to get XP or find some other solution.

I'll be back on here in the morning, but from the desktop computer (the PC I'm using now).

Oh, by the way, serious prayer request: My dad and stepmom live in Georgia and they're getting tons of rain (15+ inches and counting). People have died! Please keep their safety in prayer. Thanks!

Have a good evening,

Lois

To Write or To Draw?

I'm getting a very late start on here, I know, but it couldn't be helped. I had some things that needed my attention first.

It's been rainy here today. Nice for writing rainy day stories, but I don't know if I'll do that. I'd like to get started on the drawing I mentioned in an earlier entry. It'll depend on how long I spend online.

Speaking of the drawing, we bought another table, like the one I've been using my laptop on. The TV's on it, and so are my most frequently used art supplies. Now they're out and mostly ready when I want to get to work. :)

I also have a Skype conference call that's all set up for Saturday, but my microphone isn't working very good. The sound's really choppy. It's a really old one, so I'm not surprised by this. I'm going to check Walmart's Web site and see if I can get an idea of what I'll have to pay for a new one.

Actually, since it's so late, I think I'll do some writing. I'll work on the drawing tomorrow. I'm thinking of working on Cottage or From the Ashes. :)

Have a good one!

Lois

Creativity and Headaches:

Today, I'll be working on photo editing. I may work on a digital scrapbook page or two, as well.

I also need to type up the first page or two of Mira and send it on to my friend and see how she likes it.

I think I need to do some computer maintenance, too. I don't know if it's Vista, Firefox or my wireless connection, but I've been getting a lot of headaches when I'm online lately. I often have to restart my browser or my computer or both. It's like my connection stalls or something. It doesn't make any sense to me, but I've got to do some kind of maintenance, at least. :/

Anyway, those are my plans for today.

Have a good one!

Lois

X-Posted to LJ: I'm Making Progress

I found this picture of the Maine coastline on the Internet.
I don't hold the copyright and I don't know who does.

I've written some more of the new version of Zane Greywolf's novel. I accidentally overwrote what I'd last written with a previous version...I could have kicked myself when I discovered it! I'd written a good two pages, most of it about the Mi'kmaq Glooscap creation story. I had to rewrite it, then wrote a bit more. I plan on working on it more tomorrow during Wednesday Writing Sprints.

Then I worked more on the cottage novel. Here's a very short excerpt:

...I felt pretty cheerful until I stepped into the living room. The air felt heavy and thick and I had the eerie feeling that someone was watching me. I shook myself, hoping to rid myself of the feeling, but it wouldn't go away. It was as if some unseen pair had been arguing and I had unwittingly interrupted their quarrel.

I searched high and low, but could find no evidence that there was anyone else in the cottage with me...

There's another ghostly scene at the end of today's writing, but I won't be posting it, just because I don't want to post too much online. But I can tell you that today's writing went a lot better than 10K Day's writing went, in spite of the problem with the overwrite and the distraction of texting with my old friend in Vermont. I guess I had the blahs then, but I sure don't today! :D

In fact, I'm about to start work on the character journal entries.

And off I go...

Lois