The Fall (Closet) Shoe Exchange

About this time, every year, I put my Birkenstocks into the closet and I get out my Ugg boots. I have several pairs of Birkenstocks but my favorites are probably my black or brown Milano's. Milano's are just like the most famous Birkenstock style "Arizona" with the exception of an additional strap along the back. I have several (3) pairs of Milano's as well as 4 pairs of Arizona's. The Birkenstocks will still come out of the closet at least a few times during winter but like I said above, it's Ugg boot season.

This year I have a new pair of Ugg Boots. They are the Mini's, I used a small argument I had with David a few weeks as an excuse to run to the mall and do a little shopping and these ended up coming home with me. Last year I loaned my Classic short boots to my mom when she and Dad when to Banff, Canada. Of course, when she got back, the boots disappeared somewhere in her house. When I brought it up to her she said that I gave them to her.....I don't recall doing so, however it is possible, I may have been thinking I could get my hands on some new ones if I gave her the old ones. Anyway, my new Mini's will fit perfectly under a good pair of jeans. Here's a pic of the Mini, in Chestnut. You can buy your own pair of Ugg's at http://www.uggaustralia.com

I am hoping that I will get a pair of the Ugg, Tazman slippers for Christmas. The chocolate color is especially nice and I can see myself wearing this pair on New Years Eve or at the Rose Parade. I have been wanting Tazman's for about two years and for some reason I have not purchased them (shocking, I know). Here's a shot of the Tazman in Chocolate.

24 Auction, Take 3

Another 24 Auction from Season 3 is going up on ebay. The auction ends on Tuesday, November 21st at 10:15AM (PST) Included are items worn by Sherry, Michelle, Chase, Chloie, Ramon and Saunders. http://stores.ebay.com/VIP-AUCTIONS_24_W0QQcolZ2QQdirZQ2d1QQfsubZ6QQftidZ2QQtZkm

Starbucks and Treo's

I must refer you to my brother, James, his blog and his latest post. I was ROFL (Rolling On the Floor Laughing) as I read it. I am so glad that I remembered to go look at his blog tonight because I needed something to make me laugh. My Treo nightmare continues and while I am no longer a wreck and in need of medication, I am totally frustrated.

So please, in lieu of just reading another post about Treo's, go read James's post about Starbucks, then you can continue the Treo saga below: http://snavesemaj5.blogspot.com/2006/11/starbucks.html

Suffice to say, I became a victim myself to the calendar problem with the syncing software so I switched over to another solution. I hate the new solution even more than I hate my appointments being off be an hour.....Argh, I know, I know, everyone is sick of hearing about it. But, how would you feel if your picture speed dials disappeared, you didn't have quick access to your text messaging, the display on your Treo turned to junk, you couldn't customize your ring tones (Hello?!?!?!?) and your Treo no longer supported the categories that organize your life???????? As Chloe O'Brien would say "Gee, I think you'd be a little pissed".

BTW, James....tonight I ordered a decaf, non-fat, maple latte, stirred, with whip and syrup on top..mmm

Shabu Shabu

Shabu Shabu is a type of Japanese food in which you cook your food in a pot of boiling hot water, on the table in front of you. Typically, you cook a type of very thin meat (beef, chicken or even fish) and vegetables. The meet only needs to be cooked for a few seconds since it is so thin.

There is a Shabu Shabu place right outside my office called the "Boiling Pot". I can see the Boiling Pot from my office window and the place always intrigued me but since I almost always eat at my desk I had never gone in. One day, David was up here (and he is adventurous with food) so we went over and tried it. We really liked it and I decided that going forward I would only go to the boiling pot if I was with someone who had never been before. The reasons for this are as follows:

First, eating shabu shabu is more about the experience than the food. It is fun going with someone that has never experienced it before. While you are eating the steam from the pot is coming up in your face, then there is a whole procedure on how you cook everything and then how you eat it, also, you have to customize the sauce to your liking. Plus, it's a bit pricey for a regular lunch so you want to make the most of your experience.

Brian, Larry and I went for Shabu Shabu today so I could take a break from the Treo problems. Today, Larry was the newbie. Watch these video's as Larry tries to grab the noodles out of his "Boiling Pot"
Here's Brian------------->

Video #1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUjluKeN5Dw
Video #2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QBuHZ19RFI

By the way: Only Larry would indulge me and let me take this video. He is the best!. Watching Larry pick up these noodles is sort of like waiting for a Treo to sync. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, sometimes you think you have just about made and alas you don't. Dora and Kevin will appreciate my comments in the video "Try it again", "Try it again" LOL.

Treo's suck (Part 3)

Well, I keep saying "Treo's suck".....and I have been known in the past to say "My handy dandy Treo". The truth of the matter is, Treo's don't suck, syncing Treo's with email using the method we are currently using sucks. It is not the Treo's fault.

However.....

I find it amusing that tonight the stylus for my Treo broke. Coincidentally, Jane McKay had given it to me a couple of months ago. Also, the case for my Treo dropped (with my Treo in it) and it the case cracked and it is now unusable.

Treo's suck (Part deux)

Another 112 minutes....and still no progress.

Come one, come all, Treo support right here!

Treo's suck

I was going to post tonight on the Jane McKay Treo saga but I have no energy to do so. Why? Because Dora and I have spent the last 9 hours working on this Treo! After being on the phone literally all day, we started again, 86 minutes ago and so far have made no progress. I will have so much to say once this is over.

Overall, I calculate that I have spent over 84 hours working with Treo's during the last two weeks. 13 hours of which were on Jane McKay's. I feel so successful.

www turned 16 today

The first webpage was posted on November 13, 1990.

My first day on the internet, April 22, 1994. I went on "Prodigy" and I think I was on for a few hours total.

I did not go back to the internet until August 18, 1995 when I joined AOL. The rest is history.

(I realize that it is sick that I even know these things)

I crashed.......

When Katie (my puppy) crashes and burns on our hardwood floor, David or I will announce to the other, "Katie crashed". Last night, at 4:00AM, when I got a call from work, I crashed. I tried to get quickly out of bed and go into the other room so I wouldn't wake David and instead, I tripped on the power strip that my phone was plugged into. I totally bit the dust and I crashed, really hard and really loud. LOL, I laugh but it hurt really bad. Needless to say, David woke up. I completely bruised by right thigh and knee. I think the person that called me heard the whole thing although when I called him back he didn't say anything. Hmm....maybe the person, who is an avid reader of the blog but a non-poster will comment on this one.

High Definition TV Review

As Christmas approaches and we all start making choices regarding gifts etc. I will begin a series on tech gifts, items. etc. The first discussion: HDTV.

We are FINALLY making progress on our addition so the time has come for the furnishings in our new family room. The first question is barely a question, "LCD or Plasma". We went with LCD of course due to lifespan and overall quality. (Tip number one: Choose LCD not plasma) The second question deserved much more consideration "Should we spend the additional money for 1080P?"

The question, is all about resolution. 1080p, sometimes referred to as "Ultra-HD" or "Full HD" means that the TV is capable of displaying "1920x1080 pixels. This is almost double most HD Televisions (know as 720P) which displays 1280x720 pixels. The "P" refers to progressive scan formats that portray a smoother image. The 720P HD televisions are also referred to as 1080i which has the same resolution as the 1080p but the pixels are not all displayed at the same time (They are interlaced and they can be off by 1/30 of a second). Ultimately, the 1080p does have a better picture but it also costs about 1K more than the 1080i (720p).

Digging deeper, we discovered that very little content is currently available in 1080p. DVD's display at480p, most HDTV content displays at 720p, the Sony Playstation 3 is the only 1080p content that is currently available, it hits the market next Friday for a whopping 599 bucks. The Playstation 3 does not require 1080p but the picture and gaming will be sharper on the 1080p versus the 1080i.

Long story short, we thought the smarter move was to get the (720p) Sony Bravia KDL-46S2000. This TV was discounted at Best Buy from $2800 to $2100, the Sony Bravia KDL-46S2010 is $2899 and the ONLY difference between the two TV's is that the one we chose is silver and the new model is black. It was a fantastic deal.

Remember, owning an HDTV does not necessarily mean you will get HD picture at home. If you are on Cable TV, you will need to upgrade your cable box or obtain cable cards which allow you to access HD content. Direct TV users have the most HD content available however you need the dish that receives content from 3 different satelites. (I am not sure of the model of the dish)

So, the new Bravia sits, waiting to be installed in the family room. There is one construction item to go before installation, the base boards need to get installed throughout the addition.

Next tech shopping item to discuss? The wonderful box sitting proudly above the Bravia and the wall mounting bracket.

Photo Blog of Trip to Henderson

On the way up:

(1) Interesting that on the way into Barstow (from LA) you see this sign for the California welcome center. (2) It was a pretty day in the desert.



(3) I have to wonder what type of trouble the person that owns this property is in. Note, it is in the middle of nowhere and the sign says "The crookest sherif's department in the USA" I would love to know the story behind this (4) The new Starbucks I stopped at in Baker. I ordered a Venti Ice Chai (mmmm)


While there:

(5) The new hospital is beautiful. (6) At night, dinner at the Wynn



(7) Security at the Bellagio (they check the inside of every car entering the parking structure and they were more thorough than Burbank airport (8) This is the bathroom in my hotel room. Note the horrible placement of the toilet paper roll. I will not go into this very far (for obvious reasons) but it reminds me of when we deploy a PC without testing. You should ALWAYS test before final design and/or deployment.




On the way back:

(9) I had to stop at my most favorite outlet store, Williams Sonoma. (10) Baker, home of the world's largest thermometer.



(11) Ooh...welcome home over the Cajon Pass. Look at this air quality, ugh, must be left over from Tuesday's election results. Seriously, though, the weather was disappointing since when I left on Tuesday morning, it was gorgeous. (12) Back to the 210, surprise, traffic and an accident.



(Note: You can click on any picture to make it bigger)

How to survive a hotel fire

This article was featured on my google home page tonight. Note, I just saw it and I am preparing for bed. Normally, I never click on this stuff but tonight, as I sit at the Hilton, I click on it. The article is instructions on how to survive a hotel fire. http://www.wikihow.com/Survive-a-Hotel-Fire. Major points are as follows:

(1) Bring a flashlight and (if possible) a portable smoke detector. (What type of person takes smoke detectors to hotels with them). I did not bring a flashlight either (uh oh)
(2) Get a room on a lower level. (Uh oh, again, I am on the 15th floor)
(3) Learn your escape route (nope, that didn't happen)
(4) Put your flashlight and keys in your shoes (no flashlight and I am not putting my keys in my shoes)
(5) Leave everything behind (I must take my Treo)

You will have to read the article in order to receive the rest of the tips. I would advise that you read these tips at any other time other than when you are getting ready for bed and in a hotel room.

Election Results

Ugh....

Upcoming Blogs

Keep reading, folks.Upcoming Blogs include:

• The saga of Jane McKay's Treo 700!
• Great sounds clips
• The diary of my drive to Henderson, Nevada
• Chai Tea takes on "24"

I am also taking, special blog requests so let me know if you have any thoughts on blog topics.

More "24"

Upcoming 24 (or Keifer Sutherland) Stuff:

Keifer on the Late Show with David Letterman-November 9th
I Trust You to Kill Me Movie Premeirs on VH1-November 11th
Sean Callery's 24 Soundtrack (Seasons 4-5)-November 14th
Season 5 DVD Release-December 5th
Season 6 Prequel (Available only on Season 5 DVD)-December 5th
Kiefer's Birthday-December 21st
Season 6 two hour premere-January 14th

Cool Merchandise:

2007 Calendar: http://www.24fanclub.com/productDetails.do?productID=757&categoryID=39
24 Pint Glass: http://www.24fanclub.com/productDetails.do?productID=694&categoryID=2
Jack's Bag: http://www.24fanclub.com/productDetails.do?productID=732&categoryID=2

And....a picture from the set of 24. Greta Van Susteren visits 24!

"Thrown under the bus"

The phrase "thrown under the bus" or "throw under the bus" is used daily, multiple times at my work. As a matter of fact, it is one of the most commonly used phrases and I find myself using it quite frequently.

Anyhow, this weekend, I said it in two separate conversations to two different people, about two different circumstances. Both of these people looked at me, with a puzzled look and then asked "What does that mean?" I was surprised that neither of them had heard this expression. This prompted some Internet research (of course!).

Thrown under the bus:
From the Urban Dictionary: Definition #1-to sacrifice some other person, usually one who is undeserving or at least vulnerable, to make personal gain. Example-He'd throw his mother under the bus if it'd mean he could beat the rap.

Definition #2-One is thrown under the bus when they are made the scapegoat or blamed for something that wasn't their responsibility in the first place. A cover up for your mistake. Example-Ruby Red, I didn't have time to do the business report, so I threw you under the bus and told the boss it was your job instead.

Ooh a blog: http://www.thrownunderthebus.blogspot.com/

And just in time for Tuesday's elections: http://digg.com/politics/Employee_Unions_in_CA_Throw_Phil_Angelides_Under_The_Bus

This week I urge everyone to avoid throwing your fellow Americans under the bus. Happy Monday!

Intro to "You Tube" and Chad Vader videos

I am so shocked that I just started getting on Youtube this summer. I have spent way too much time working and not enough time on the Internet the last few years. I missed the first 1.5 years of You Tube and now it is going to be taken over by Google. The Google takeover will mean more regulations and restrictions. Right now, You Tube is free, fun and pretty much void of rules.

I stumbled upon this series called "Chad Vader" and it is totally necessary for the Star Wars fan.

Leads-I wish this was out when we did all our Star Wars-Episode 3 trivia last year.....Ahhhh, remember that? Good Times.

Chad Vader-Day Shift Manager-Episode 1-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wGR4-SeuJ0
Chad Vader-Day Shift Manager-Episode 2-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPVlljVWqBg
Chad Vader-Night Shift Manager-Episode 3-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8N0Wx09n1E
Chad Vader-Night Shift Manager-Episode 4-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogIqayRDr4w

Another 24 Auction

This 24 Auction from Season 3 expires on Tuesday, November 7th at 10:15AM (PST)
Included are items worn by Sherry, Michelle, Hector, Claudia and Julia. (I don't even remember her). http://stores.ebay.com/VIP-AUCTIONS_24_W0QQcolZ2QQdirZQ2d1QQfsubZ6QQftidZ2QQtZkm

Email Overload

Yesterday, I hit my all-time high amount of email for a single day. 411 messages! I surpassed that record today because as of right now I am at 510 messages for Thursday, November 2nd.

I hate going to bed with unread email but I currently have 12 unread messages in my inbox and I cannot read one more message today. I have managed to clear my inbox down to 59 items, not bad considering I had 510 today but definitely below my standards. (I like to have less than 20 items in my inbox)

My email statistics for 2006 are as follows:

Total Storage Space: 3.675 gigs
Total Number of emails sent: 12,424
Total Number of deleted email: 36,220
Total Number of unread deleted emails: 11,995
Total File Folders: 615
Average number of emails per day: 342

More on "Lost"

None of the comments in my last post about "Lost" have helped endear me to the show. I ran across the following article written by the "TV Gal" over at Zap 2 it. http://www.zap2it.com/tv/zap-tvgal-101606-lost,0,1662240.story

She actually compares the Lost Island (Does it have a name?) to Desperate Housewives's Wisteria Lane. How can a great show like Desperate Housewives be compared to a ridiculous show like Lost? I mean this week on Desperate Housewives we had it all....my favorite moment? Lynette busting down that door to get after Nora. Worst moment, Carloyn enlightens Bree about Orson. OK, OK, back to "Lost".

In an effort to keep "Lost" exciting (or something) they are actually splitting the season like the Sopranos did earlier this year. So "Lost" has 6 episodes, then it goes on a 13 week hiatus and then it will come back to finish Season 3 with 17 more episodes. "Lost" basically just tries it's best to copy the best stuff of all the good shows, too bad it fails miserably. "Lost's" main character, Jack, all I have to say to that is, puhleeze. I'm afraid, you don't know Jack!

I plead again with the Lost viewers, enlighten me.