Dreamweavin.... and stuff....

This week, I am learning Dreamweaver at work. It's a web page design and authoring program. It is totally (so far as we can tell, anyway) incompatible with the Sharepoint we use for 3/4's of the sites we manage... One site will be fine with it... What do I plan on doing with it? I have no idea yet... It won't be wasted or lost on me, I just don't have an immediate application for it... Oh well, any learnin' is good learnin', right?

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As I mentioned before, I have been working with one of Shan's friend's computer (the one with Vista). Tonight, we had trouble getting an updated driver. During the process of troubleshooting and copying old mail into the new mail program for Vista, Janette served me a concoction of Sierra Mist and Orange-Tangerine tea. My grandmother on my Dad's side used to drink "high balls" which (from what I remember) were basically 7-up and whiskey in a glass with ice. For whatever reason, when I was handed a glass of the Mist/tea drink, it instantly smelled like Grandma's High Balls... I was assured there was no alcohol in the drink, but Bill (Janette's husband) offered to put some in... Well, he only did that figuring it would help get me through the evening of listening to Shan and Janette talking while I worked on the computer.. :-) I declined the offer... :-)

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We have been playing baseball with the kids the past few days. Do you have any idea how much energy two kids can have!? Good heavens! Emily is doing really well, learning how to hold the bat, swing at the ball, and run the bases (which consist of the van (1st), a tree (2nd), a patch of dirt on the ground (3rd), and the general vicinity of the bat (home). Now, since we live on a farm, we had to institute a rule that you won't find in most rulebooks.... If the ball goes through the fence to where the cows are, you're out. At first, we said it would be a ground-rule double, but those came too frequently for our liking, so we added the challenge of NOT hitting one out of the park... :-) Oh, and if the ball rolls under the van or the truck, it's an automatic one-base rule... After all, it wouldn't be fair for the runner to score a home run when the other team was trying to get the ball from under said obstacles..... :-) Really, things haven't changed much since I was a kid playing ball in the apartment complex where we lived... Sure, the hazards are different, but we still made up goofy rules to deal them back then, too....

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Okay, have you heard about the 'texting wizard?' This girl texted the phrase: "Supercalifragilisticexpialidoucious! Even though the sound of it is something quite atrocious. If you say it loud enough you'll always sound precocious." So what you say?? How about doing it in FIFTEEN SECONDS! Granted, she has a keyboard-type phone, but I sure in the heck couldn't type it on a regular keyboard, let alone a thumb-driven one! Plus, she pocketed $25000 for her 'trouble...'

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Now, here's a story I had not of until today... Evidently, "way back" in 1982 (when Michael Jackson was between "Off the Wall" and "Thriller"), a couple of guys decided to go out shooting... They picked on a cactus or two, and one seemingly took offense to having its parts blown off, so it reached out and killed one of the guys by falling on him and impaling him with FOUR-FOOT long needles! Ouch... You know me, I "scopes-ed" it, and, jinkies, Scooby, it's REAL!

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Dad sent some pictures of yet ANOTHER rocket attack near where he lives and works in Iraq... This time, the rocket hit a warehouse and no one was injured....

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And, I have to thank my Aunt for a very humorous email... If you do a Google Map and ask for directions from New York, NY to Plymouth, UK, you'll see a very funny step in there (around step 24). Plus, if you switch to the 'printer-friendly' version, it even tells you how long step 24 should take! :-) Try it!

Gotta have Faith..er uh..Stef! The Apple iRack...

"You're Hired!" Stefani heard those words tonight on "The Apprentice!" I was kinda surprised because I thought James was Trump's 'pet.' Shan, on the other hand, knew the whole time that Stefani was "the one." Guess Stef will be going to the Caribbean (funny how both women chose the island, while the guys chose Atlanta).

I checked out the 'stuff' up for auction. Have you seen it? You can tell it's for charity, because most of this 'stuff' wouldn't fetch a dime otherwise.... Anyway, see for yourself: Apprentice Auction.

Surya's comment about Sanjaya was.....expected. In fact, when he first came out, Shan and I said something about him and Sanjie....

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I know the "title" of my blog is "Just Popped in My Head," and why I didn't make the address match the title is something I have wondered myself many times. As it turns out, a few folks have been searching for this site by typing the 'just' and not finding it... So, I did what anyone who was trying to suck more people into the space between his ears would do - I created a new site that directs people to this one! :-) Yeah, yeah, self-serving, I know, I know... What can I say?

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Have you ever dropped what you were doing to go help someone? Have you done this without stopping to think about what you were wearing or where you were going? Today was Shan's Sister's baby shower at the church. After church, several folks helped set up for party and then I went home.

Around the time for the party to be over, Shan called the house and Tyler answered. This is what *I* was told: "Mimi is sick and you need to go to the church to drive her home. And they want you to bring your truck to help carry stuff." Now, it didn't make sense that I would going to pick up my mother, since her car was there and Shan and/or Shan's mom could drive the car back... I understood the need for a truck for hauling.... I happened to have also been in the middle of a very high, hot pursuit in Need for Speed.... I had 17 cops chasing my tail, for crying out loud! :-) Oh, did I mention that after church and set-up, I had come home to change my clothes? And, did I further mention that I wore these 'very casual' clothes back up to the church?

I looked like I had just woke up from a nap. I figured since I was helping to haul stuff, everyone but family would be gone..... WRONG! But, I decided the heck with it - it was to late to do much about it anyway.... I had on my new 'long' shorts and a T-shirt that has a picture of the Grim Reaper and it says "Smoking is Cool." The point of the shirt is that death thinks smoking is cool... Of course death would, right? So, I am in church with a shirt that reads "smoking is cool...." Look, no matter what the 'message' of the shirt is, really, one should stop and think before wearing a shirt to church that seems to be encouraging smoking.... Not my brightest moment.... Not the dumbest either, mind you, but certainly not the brightest...

As it turns out, Mimi had already driven HERSELF home because she was sick. Something got lost in translation, it seems....

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I did want to mention that I received a birthday card from my Aunt (well, a card from each Aunt, really). One of the cards told me NOT to behave myself on my birthday, and the other centered on tools...well, getting hammered and nailed, to be specific.... You'd think they were trying to tell me something....

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I do have one beef I'd like to share (hmm, probably not the best way to say that after the last section, huh?) - Why is it that many (dare I say most) handicapped drivers drive like the CAR is handicapped!?!? Look, I understand that someone with a handicap plate suffers from whatever ailment that rightfully justifies their handicapped status. No problem. But, THEY are handicapped, not the car they are driving!? Is there some law I am not aware of that says "Handicapped drivers must disobey all speed limit signs, instead driving no mare than 10% of the posted speed????" I ended up behind such a person on the way back up to the church... I kept expecting the person (who was so short, I could not tell if it was a man or a woman driving) in front of me to pull over and let me pass by.... Nope... Just keep on moving (and I use the term VERY loosely here), blocking my path....

Maybe we need special stickers for the plates, so the rest of the world knows instantly if the driver AND car are handicapped, or just the driver.....

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Dad sent us pictures of an attack that happened very close to where he works in Iraq. As it turns out, the insurgents are getting better and better weapons, but aren't really focused on just how to USE those weapons....



Now look, I know this is serious stuff, but COME ON, how can anyone just let this next photo go without SOME kind of comment??? :-) "Are we sure the explosion came from the OUTSIDE of the building???" Or, maybe, "Do NOT go in there! Phew!!" Maybe even, "You can drink the water in Iraq, but watch out for those burritos!!"

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And, Bo and Luke have joined the fight:

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Have you seen the new Apple iRack!? What will they think of next?