New Computer

Several people have taken me to task lately. The problem....neglect of my blog. Good heavens, I did not realize that anyone actually read it.

My PC desktop motherboard fried on me a few weeks ago and I was faced with purchasing a new motherboard or a new computer. It was a good time to lobby dear husband for a new computer. After much research and thought and analysis of my technology needs I decided that I wanted to go Mac.

I am now the proud, obsessed owner of a 27" iMac. My genealogy software runs on Windows. No problem I just downloaded a partition, uploaded Windows 7 and installed The Master Genealogist, Second Site and a few other windows only apps. On my 27" screen I now run Windows with one or two apps open and Snow Leopard (the Mac OS) on the other side with about 10 apps open.

I do a good bit of research in my various paid subscriptions and also access all the online records that are contained in various state archives. As I research I put the data into a Windows Xcel program for analysis, evaluate the data in a Word document and put the finished result in my genealogy program. The genealogy program organizes the data and I can print many types of reports to give to my clients.

When I work I also stream iTunes through my earphones (husband has to have TV at top volume these days...he's hard of hearing), Facebook is open (need to cut back on that obsession), a calendar with alarms to remind me to quit working and stick my head in the freezer for awhile (one does have to eat), I stream a conservative and liberal news cast (need a good laugh once in awhile...the Chilean miner rescue was awesome in real time). I need a new chair! Maybe not, as the discomfort forces me to get up once in awhile and spend quality time with dear husband. For Christmas I want about 12 GB of new memory added to the computer. I do have a 16 GB flash drive attached to save files to also. I have a track pad and a mouse but wish they worked independently of each other so I ccould scroll in Windows and Snow Leopard at the same time.

So what do I do the rest of my free time? Garden, travel (just spent the weekend at a college reunion with my old buddies-no spouses. It was great to linger over memories and not have bored sighs pulling us out of our reverie.

No photos this session as I have not downloaded those into the computer yet!

Back Home

We arrived back in Maryland late Sunday (Valentine's Day) and were awed by the remnants of the record snow storms.

As I am writing this we are having a "snow shower". The weather professionals insist this is just a little blip on the radar.

Our stay in Mexico was wonderful. I am most at home in the tropics.

Ixtapa Day 9

My father and sister left on Saturday with the snowstorm in the mid-Atlantic raging and dumping feet of snow in and area that normally gets a dusting. Of course one of their connecting flights was to take them to Dulles in Washington DC. It is now Monday evening and I am worried sick about them. My mother always used to say "No news is good news!" but my life experience has taught me that no news means that it is bad or maybe worse than expected and they don't want to bother me because I am on 'vacation.' That makes me even more depressed and nauseatingly nervous. My mom died three years ago when I was away and I could not make it to her funeral. Because there was not enough time to book a flight. Now when I am gone I get so darned nervous that I really don't care if I ever travel again. Not having communication is the worst punishment.

We had a really lovely SuperBowl party yesterday. A beer company called Sol sent two huge air balloon bottles and about four gorgeous girls to help with the SuperBowl spirit. The big screen was in three places. After sunset we were all able to go outside and see the last half of the game on a huge screen outdoors. The chef had bar-b-que stations in three places on the grounds. It was so much fun to sit with Americans who knew the sport sitting next to Canadians, French, Brazilian and other South American countries trying to understand the game. After the game we had the awarding of prizes (at the pool earlier in the day we had to fetch as many ping pong balls from the pool and then if we had that number we could put our name on four places on the board) and then when the score for both teams matched that person won a bottle of champagne. Other games we could win t-shirts sponsored by the Sol beer company. A live band played blues, Samba, and other energetic caribbean music so we could dance our hearts out. Perfect way to celebrate. Since Carnival in Brazil is next week this party had a decidedly Brazilian Carnival tone to it.

I stayed out so late last night I was unable to see the dawn this morning. i can't believe waking up well past sunrise really gave the day a rather sluggish start and so I have slept most of the day, at the beach or in my room. Guess I am not a party person. I enjoy the dawn, the quiet and watching the wildlife go from the night critters to the daytime critters.

Tonight we have dinner at one of the speciality restaurants. The atmosphere is more intimate and we will get to sit very near the ocean. The food is some better also.

Ixtapa Day 6

Another rainy day in beautiful Ixtapa. Not as bad as yesterday.....still no fun in the sun. My dad is doing lots of reading and a few rotations in the gym, my hubby is grumbling about the tennis courts being wet and my sister and I continue to make the staff laugh as we sit and chat with whomever.

Ixtapa Day 5

Today is a tropical storm day. The front rolled in with a flash and bang show this AM before dawn. It has been pouring since.

So what do people do at a Club Med in Ixtapa Mexico. A bunch of kids are in the pool. The security guard is watching with his security poncho on and the moms are sitting on the lounge chairs with umbrellas. About a hundred kids under the age of 8 are in the theatre practicing for tonights kid show. It is now about 5:30PM and the kids are getting cranky. Showtime is at 8:45. I'll let you know later how that turned out. Adults are in all the nooks and crannies with books, games, some kids, drinks. The DJ has come to the LaEstrala Bar early with his music mix.

The Pacific ocean is an ominous battleship gray with rolling surf that mutes the sound of thunder. Or maybe it's not thundering. Who would know. It sounds the same.

Dear hubby has been drilling on the tennis court previous to today and wants his kids to know he won a tournament on the first day. His shoulder still annoys him and he may be seen asking the bar boy for a bag of ice, and a bourbon. My dad has settled in rather well and keeps up his exercise and my sister in typical little sister fashion always seems to get us in trouble with the staff. Not bad trouble. They just can't do their job because they are laughing at us so hard. The Chief de Village is flummoxed because the staff is supposed be making the guests laugh and have a good time. The other guests look at us and just shake their heads. I am constantly reminding people that I left the sober world of adulthood at my birthday last month. I now officially qualify for my Social Security Pension and senior citizens discounts (which by the way are the same rates as children under 12) . Therefore, I reason that since I don't have to pay out as an adult anymore I don't have to act like an adult anymore; my sister gets by saying that she is training for the day she is not an adult anymore. Life on vacation is bliss!

No Photos this time as I left the cord to the iphone back in the room.

Ixtapa Day 4

OK Sorry it took me awhile to figure the computer thing out. It's all in Spanish down here. And I don't speak espanol.

Our fight took us from Baltimore to Houston where we met up with my dad and sister at the airport hotel. We left Houston on Saturday and landed in Zhuatounao (SP?) and then a cab ride about twenty minutes to Club Med Ixtapa Pacific. We are settled into the beach life and sports activities of the Club. My sister is all about getting the staff to laugh, of course I am not stopping her in the least.

Tonight is Mexico Night and we have vendors setting up around the pool (It has started to rain) and we are having a professional Mexican dance troop do folklore dancing tonight. Rain or shine the show must go on.

Enjoy the pic of my dad laying on the Pacific Beach at Ixtapa. He is loving every minute

2010 Winter Getaway Part 2

Blooging today on iPhone. If I suddenly quit because my finger cramped or the program crashed.
Left Easton and 21 degree temps yesterday and flew to Houstan. Our pilot was kind enough to warn us when we were flying over or through the large weather system in the mid part of the country. Cabin stewards scurried around makeing sure we were all in our seats and just as the belted themselves in we hit about 20 minutes of bone rattling turbalance. Captain came on again and assured us the worst was over. We got to Houstan on time. The captain and cabin stewards rushed us to get in and settled when we boarded. We were good passengers and were able to leave10min early. Good job Continantal crew on flight #727

it's not exactly warm here in Houstan either. Just 56 degrees. Better than the 21 degrees with snow in Easton though.

Travel tip: hand sanitized works well as a backup deorderant.

Off to Club Med ixtapa later this AM with my dad and sis. Ixtapa is about 100 miles north of Acapulco.
pulco