What the Dell?!?

So ... I'm not going to name names, but I'm having some serious issues with my computer. Well, not my computer - it's still a pimped out stallion, albeit it is limping slightly right now. I woke up to it yesterday and one of the monitors had died:

So today I just harrumphed around until Gary took apart my computer (I was being too grumpy to do it myself) and we looked at the graphics card. Got its part number and starting looking for them online.

Got close, but decided to get on with the online chat guys at the place that sells my computer and make sure it was compatible with my computer ...

Got on with James - an ever so über friendly support person. We told him the problem and the steps we had taken to diagnose the problem being with the graphics card. Told him what graphics card we were interested in and did my computer support it? He tells us that he could sell us the exact same graphics card that was in my computer - refurbished - for $451.00. That would be a broken one, then fixed, old piece of crap.


We sort of blinked at each other, wondered what he had been smoking, mentioning to each other that we weren't even asking for a sales pitch - we were looking for a yes or no answer - did this particular graphics card work with my PC? Did I mention that it cost $67.00 at Amazon? A newer model? Double the RAM? Faster?

Gary picked a graphics card off their own website for $139.00 and asked if that one was compatible. He said yes, it was compatable with my computer and he could get a quote to us (... "let me just go ask my manager if I can do this ... just for you two, 'cause you look like a really nice couple" ...) We sort of blinked at each other, AGAIN. He had just dropped to 1/4 the price - no reasoning for why he quoted us what he had to begin with. Gary suggested that people like to replace what they had with the exact same model - but he should have been a little bit repentant about trying to sell us something for FOUR TIMES the cost just moments previous.


And here we thought we were on with TECHNICAL SUPPORT ... and ended up with a used-car salesman ...



We told him thanks but said we would need a few days to think about it and ended the chat. He was not giving us any warm fuzzies that he wanted to be helpful at all. Went back on to Amazon, noticed that the card Gary had randomly suggested only supported one monitor - and he was willing to sell us that one!


What? Was he even paying attention? Do they get a commission?

So we decided to order the one we were going for in the first place.





I think this is a crime:

Tech support guy: SUPPOSED TO BE HELPING US FIX OUR COMPUTER

was going to sell us a graphics card ...

used ...

for $451.00.

Call us crazy, but we decided to go with the one that was WAY better for $67.00 - that INCLUDES express shipping ...

Oh, and James? Didn't go away - sat around, lurking on our computer with a quote for us for another half hour -THEN proceeds to e-mail me the quote ...

He is now cyberstalking me ...

Life in the Sane Lane

Yes, folks, that is where I find myself these days! Very cool, yes? The hours are not counted down by very noisy ticking clocks in a very quiet, still house, there is someone who makes me come to bed and makes sure I stay there! I have not had this much sleep in a long time! No more talking to myself ... or, rather ... not so much talking to myself ... No psychoblogging - that uncontrollable need to blog twice, or three times / day. It has been awhile - and I feel as if I need to catch up ...

I know, you have seen the photos, but I did not get to properly 'blog' about them and thus - they are back!

I'm loving these guys - we refer to them as the 'No Evils' in honor of See No Evil, Speak
No Evil, Hear No Evil, but we will have to call these guys 'Contrary No Evil' (ProEvil?) since, if you look close enough (not something Gary did before purchasing them and bringing them home) you will see that they are not covering their mouth ... more like a shout out. They are not covering their eyes, rather shading them to get a better view. They are not covering their ears, but cupping their hands behind them, as if to hear better ... naughty, naughty, naughty!!!

"The Contrarians"

The masks are wonderful and Gary said he had about one thousand to choose from - a daunting task, but did well. Notice Mask #1 (or Larry) - his beard fades into a duck - I am not sure if that is the intention - but it is clearly a bird ...

Mo is just wonderfully delightful! I love him!

Curly is just fun! Notice the seashells for eyes - gives him the lash look!

And my little gems that I didn't show you last post - JEWELRY. Wooden, hand carved Jewelry!

What's not to like? My husband is getting VERY GOOD at picking out the unique, but still something that I would wear:

And I am really loving the hand carved ginormous heart with the beads ... he did well.

Yesterday, Gary got a 'hankering for' some BBQ, Texas style - so off to The Swinging Door. We were introduced to BBQ like this by my sister - who I tried to call that night. It is always served with sliced onions, sliced pickles and Wonder bread. And I remember where ever my sister had taken us - the lady there cooking stressed that 'It HAD to be Wonder bread'.

Gary and I have totally forgotten how you are supposed to eat this - thus the call to my sister to ask, but she was not home - we are still in the dark ...

Funky building with lots of photo opportunities:

And, finally ... I didn't have enough flowers so had bought me some pretty roses to photograph two days ago. The other night, the light was shining in through the windows at just the right angle in the corner of a room - so I set up a 'photo shoot':

And had a very good time playing:

Day 2:

So - life in the stable, sane lane is going to be, well, a change to say the least! I am enjoying it and having my hubby home ...

Chat with you next ... whenever I get around to it!

Who Knew the Cannibals were so Talented?

Too stupid tired to write a real post, but thought that I would upload some of the beautiful things Gary brought me back from PNG:

All hand carved, hand painted:

Later ...

Apparently a Post is in Order ...

So ... Ryan tells me my last blog was nowhere near understandable. It made perfect sense to me! How can you not read my mind!

So ... here's the thing ... I wandering around in Wiki Land trying to find something clever I could say about February 22nd and all (and since we are on a campaign to clear up any confusion - Gary's birthday is February 22nd) when I stumbled on the MOTHER LOAD of "February 22-ness'':


WORLD THINKING DAY!!!


Yes, February 22'nd is World Thinking Day. Which I find very cute in a ginormously profound sort of way ... It even tells you what to think about: Scouting and 'Guiding' (which is a parallel movement to Scouting). As Wiki states: "It is a day to think about the meaning of Guiding and Scouting and about Scouts and Guides in all the countries of the world."

So ... during this excessive amount of thinking about Scouting and Guiding - I'm thinking (hah!) that maybe, in some form, the question would arise "Who was the wing nut that came up with this idea?" And I would be ready for them - THE MAN himself: Robert Baden-Powell - the founder of Scouting. AND he chose this day to be World Thinking Day not only because it was his birthday, but that it was his wife's birthday (Olave Baden-Powell) also. MATCHING BIRTHDAYS! How precious is that?!

So .... I was asking for someone famous born on February 22nd whose wife was born on the same day. Perfectly normal question to be asking ... OK,


not really ....



never mind ....


It might have been sleep deprivation - notice the post time

but! even as we speak (OK, you're reading ... I'm ranting ...) my husband is climbing to cruising altitude on his way home for a week long vacation!

Born on a Famous Guys Birthday ....

... and his wifes!!!!

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Anyone? ....

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Anyone? ...

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Anyone know to who I am refering?

First Clue: This is Such A Gary Holiday ... on so many levels ...

Second Clue (and should SO NOT HAVE TO BE TYPED IN HERE) - it is NOT George Washington ....

Note: Gary mentioned that this was confusing - he guessed George... - I just wanted to see if anyone knew about this little known world holiday and it's founder (better known) before 'telling' - I realize you guys are a vast font of knowledge - just wanted to give you an arena in which to shine ...

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Happy B-Day Babe ...

Happy Anniversary!!

Wednesday was Photoshops 20th anniversary. So, to the consternation of some, I have been hunkered down - thinking I would be clever and make a post devoid of words, just photos, with each of the photos clearly photoshopped.

Failed spectacularly on both counts.

1) It just needs some sort of explanation - like - 'my Wednesday' ... but unfortunately is really: 'my Wednesday until I forgot to take the camera with me' ...

2) Some of the Photoshop techniques cannot be seen on a photo this size ... and my creative spurt happened to be only nano seconds long - so the last few were just thrown in there ...

Dang! I sure wish I had finished out the day BECAUSE THERE ARE NOT ENOUGH PHOTOS!!