Guys! I just drank two glasses of 3 buck chuck and I am like totally loaded and all I want to do is watch Forever Knight and Kung Fu: The Legend Continues episodes! Unfortunately all I have on DVD is Forever Knight– well that’s actually a fortunate thing! It’s unfortunate that my Kung Fu episodes are on VHS… or Beta. Whatever. I just watched my favorite episode of Forever Knight, Night in Question. I watched it back in 2006 and thought it was silly and I was totally unmoved by it but now totally loaded on cheap red wine, I am thrilled by it and loving every sick second of it. It’s the episode Nick loses his memory and forgets he is a vampire and so LaCroix (MASTER EFFING VAMPIRE) comes to his still awesome apartment and hints at Nick’s vampirism and Dr Natalie Lambert is all, “You don’t have to believe him, Nick!” But Nick knows all he wants to do is suck blood and eventually he GOES BACK TO LACROIX! I can’t figure out what it is about this stupid stupid show that I totally love even almost 20 years after it originally aired! Here’s the thing… I MISS IT! I miss having a TV show that I love! I watch no tv. Except mythbusters, dirty jobs and those crab fishermen in alaska. But only sometimes. More times than not I am just on the computer putzing. I wish I could look forward to watching something– I looked forward to ally macbeal. I waited anxiously for the x-files. I loved La Femme Nikita although that happened after it went off the air. Can’t there be a show that moves me? Can’t they bring back the highander? I LOVED LOVED LOVED the highlander! Or Time Trax? I mean, what the hell is Dale Midkiff doing anyway? If I were him, I’d probably just watch Elvis and Me over and over again and marvel at my thighs. Yeah, two glasses— it’s all that it takes. Maybe Peter is right, maybe I need to gain more weight. Hey remember that show about the group of kids that shift through time with the fat kid from Stand by me? What was the name of that show? I gotta pee.
Remembrance of 2009 and my 2010 Resolutions
Each year I review past resolutions to see how I did and post new resolutions for the upcoming year. Last year I reviewed my 2008 resolutions but didn’t post much in terms of resolutions for 2009. Although I did find this:
And what about my Zeitgeist for 2008? I dunno. I rallied behind Dr Paul and I tried to keep Rosemont from going co-ed. I worried about the bailouts and I cursed Obama and McCain. I think rather than worrying about the past I am just going to work on making 2009 a better year.
That was as close to a resolution that I could find. How did I do? Did I make 2009 a better year? All I can say is that 2009 was a totally different year for me than any other. I was displaced and drifting when it began. With lackluster determination I found a job that was horrific.
I found myself displaced again in July. Instead of looking for another job I decided to start my own business. I’ve been told that I am happier and calmer than ever. I feel better. But I am not stress free. I want this business of mine to succeed. I want to be independent. At one time I wanted independence from my family. I wanted to support myself. Now it’s independence from THE MAN, I crave. And I will achieve it.
In between displacement, employment hell, displacement, and trying to start a business, I traveled a bit. I saw Boston and Myrtle Beach, I chartered a sailboat in Rockhall, MD, rafted the Lehigh River and hiked Bushkill Falls. I went to a couple concerts: The Red Elvises, David Cassidy, Fake BeeGees, The Philly Funk Authority, The Neanderthals and The Rivers Rockabilly Trio.
I got some work done on my home: new garage door, new shower, two new windows, new door locks, new dining room buffet, new master plumbing valve, and I finally splurged on an EXPEDIT bookcase to hold my vinyl records. I made some pretty awesome purchases: 42 inch flat screen television, vunow pod, a HTC Hero android phone and a kickass new computer! I joined LA Fitness and started working out regularly. And I became quite the Zoomba queen! Supernaturally, I saw Jesus in my eye.
In March my Websites got hacked and although I was able to clean it up, my traffic numbers have yet to recover. I fired a gun for the first time in my life. I monetized Donnaville and made less than 75.00 for doing so. I spent a day with the 2004 Libertarian Presidential Candidate, Michael Badnarik and I shook Ron Paul’s hand at the Campaign for Liberty Regional Meeting. I spent an incredible couple days with my cousins Sharon, Sarah, Ben and Rob in New York City and had the time of my life! We rode a speedboat on the Hudson, broke into the Plaza and had a carriage ride!
I saw my sister attain her dream of being a teacher and having her own classroom and helping kids with learning disabilities. I’ve also seen her make some huge strides just in the last week that make me want to weep in happiness. My old Geocities site was euthanized but in happier news I moved Donnaville to Thesis. I rode the El Toro roller coaster at Six Flags Great Adventure with my father on my 35th birthday, (and what a blast that day was!).
I went Swing Dancing and got asked to dance by a man who not only looked like but danced like Johnny Castle! I got photographic credit AND special thanks on a music CD that I believe will attain some level of success or at least notoriety in the near future. And most importantly, I took my first steps towards being my own boss and having my own business.
I guess 2009 wasn’t such a bad year after all.
My best entry of 2009? This one.
Donna’s Resolutions for 2010
Independent Business Success
2009 saw me start my own business. 2010 will be the year that I become totally independent. My business will be enough to support me. I will make enough money from it to live comfortably and save for the future. I will work with people and businesses I like. I will work on projects that I believe in. I will be comfortable with my decisions. I will love what I do.
Stay Calm, Have Fun, Enjoy Life
No need to get worked up over silly things. Stay calm and enjoy your life. Get out. Push away from the computer. Have fun! Spend time with friends and family. Pet Bo.
Travel More
I will explore. I will go places I haven’t been. I will see different places and meet new people.
eBook
I will write an eBook. I have a subject in mind, just gotta sit down and do it.
Course on Graphic Design/Website Design
I will take a class or two and really solidify my knowledge on these subjects.
Artistic Endeavors
I will draw, sketch and paint more. I will sing. I will write. I will go to concerts. I will express myself creatively.
Invest
Keep aware of my money and invest wisely.
Exercise, Be Fit, Feel Good
Last year I began exercising and it did me a world of good. I will continue to exercise and eat right.
Law of Attraction
I’ve decided to really use the Law of Attraction. I will wallow in positivity. I will attract my dreams. I will vibrate at a high, healthy frequency.
Thanks for sticking with me on this entry. It was extremely self-indulgent, sue me. How did YOU do in 2009? I know it was a hard year for many of you but I hope looking back you can find a lot of positive.
Okay 2010! WHADDAYA GOT? I am ready for you! C’mon, let’s get to it!
Bow Chicka Wow Wow
Ole Pavlina didn’t disappoint. His New Year’s blog post in which he discusses his upcoming goals for the year, well he said he’s going to be exploring BDSM. It’s funny how he is slowly desensitizing me. This admission would have shocked me last year. But this year I am all like, “That crazy Steve! This will be interesting!”
Last year I didn’t make any resolutions, or if I did I didn’t write them in a blog post so I can’t review how well I did so I will just be putting out my goals for this upcoming year. I want you all to know, exploring BDSM will not be one of them. I am still trying to get my thoughts together. In fact, I may be getting my thoughts together from last year as well. Must concentrate harder….
Apps to install
My new computer is due in either Monday or Wednesday. I am super-psyched! And so in order to get ready, here are the programs I intend to install:
- Chrome
- My browser of choice had been Mozilla Firefox but somehow it became bloated and unmanageable and I switched to Chrome which is fast and lightweight. I love it. FREE
- Mozilla Firefox
- I rarely use this browser unless I need to do a full page print screen or need to figure out SEO or code stuff (plugins: Fireshot & SEO for Firefox & Web Developer) FREE
- CCleaner
- Crap Cleaner cleans crap off the computer– I don’t use it as much as I should but it works really well when I do. FREE
- avast!
- avast! is my antivirus. I really like it even though I don’t totally understand it. I guess it scans itself because I’ve never had to run a scan. Every now and then it says, “Virus Database has been updated!” I wish it would also say, “Your computer has been scanned and is free of viruses…. but it doesn’t. I may opt to install Microsoft Security Essentials instead. I’ve heard good things about it. Anyone have any advice here? FREE
- Secunia PSI
- This little app tells me what applications installed on my PC need to be updated to avoid security holes. It works great! FREE
- FileZilla
- My FTP app of choice. FREE
- AlwaySync
- This little app helps keep my external hard drive in sync with my laptop so I figure I will probably be using it with the desktop FREE
- CutePDF
- Since I use Google Docs more often than not I don’t use CutePDF as much becasue Google Docs comes with a PDF converter but there are times I need to convert something to PDF and that’s where CutePDF comes in. FREE
- DiffDaff
- Compares files in different folders– I use this when I am unsure if my external hard drive and laptop are in sync. There must be a better way… I know but it’s how I do it. FREE
- Picassa
- Picassa is more than just a Photo Organizer. It’s also the greatest zit and wrinkle remover! And it keeps track of people’s names and it’s an awesome photo album! FREE BUT MUST CONSENT TO TOTAL DISCLOSURE OF LIFE TO GOOGLE
- Inkscape
- Because Adobe Illustrator is too expensive FREE
- GIMP
- Because Photoshop is too expensive FREE
- Paint.net
- Because Corel Draw is too expensive. FREE
- Color Cop
- I use this ALL THE TIME! It’s basically just a color dropper and it tells me the hexadecimal code for whatever color is on my screen. FREE
- Photostory
- I used this once and the audio wasn’t so good but I quite liked it nevertheless and may use it again if I can get a better microphone. FREE
- Any Video Converter
- My video camera is a Sanyo and only outputs .mp4 files. This sucks because Windows Movie Maker doesn’t accept .mp4. This means I need to convert to WMV or AVI. Enter Any Video Converter. It converts my mp4 to avi and I can then edit my footage. FREE
- Netflix Movie Viewer Plugin
- I always think I will one day watch a movie from my computer– perhaps I will and when that day comes, I will be ready! NEED TO BE SUBSCRIBER
- Rhapsody
- I usually find myself playing music via their Website so it might not even make sense to download the actual software but perhaps because this new computer is going to to be more powerful than my dinky laptop I might find using the software easier, I dunno. NEED TO SUBSCRIBE
- MediaMall’s PlayOn Server
- I have a VuNow POD and I use Playon to access Hulu from my 42 inch TV. COSTS MONEY
- AcrossLite
- So I can print New York Times Crossword puzzles and do them in bed before I fall asleep at night. FREE BUT NEED TO SUBSCRIBE TO NYT CROSSWORDS
- Seesmic/TweetDeck/Hootsuite/Brizzly
- I really need to figure out which TwitterApp I want to use and then USE IT! Any advice here?
And if anyone has any apps they LOVE and would like to share— please leave your recommendation in the comments! I would love to hear what you think of my list and if you have any better alternatives.
Dat darn ‘Puter
Oh my gosh, guys! Â I just can’t wait! Â I cannot wait for my computer to arrive!!! Â I am excited beyond excited!
Last night I moved the furniture around in the loft so my desk is closest to the FIOS cable! I am really liking this new layout. I almost feel like I could be one of those crafty girl bloggers who post pictures of their beautifully decorated rooms… except the main difference is my Expedit bookshelf has a layer of dust 1 inch deep. And it’s full of old vinyl records.
Boilo Recipe
At Christmas Eve dinner my dad mentioned Boilo. Boilo is a drink served at the Lithuanian households where he grew up. I’ve never had it but it sounds pretty good— a bit like Glühwein. Maybe I’ll try to make it for New Year’s. We shall see. If anyone decided to give it a go, please report back on results!
Boilo recipe: Stovetop style
1 bottle whiskey (any relatively cheap, blended whiskey will do)
Several oranges. Quantity depends on how much you wish to make. Use at least 4.
Same number of lemons
1/4 cup raisins
2 tablespoons sugar
2 cups of honey
2 cinnamon sticksBoilo is traditionally made during the Christmas and New Year’s holiday. It’s great on those cold winter nights. Beware, this can knock you for a loop! Cheers!
Peel the oranges and lemons and cut into quarters. Squeeze the fruit into a pot, then throw in the remaining fruit pulp. Add some water (some people use ginger ale). Add the remaining ingredients EXCEPT the whiskey. Cook everything at a slow simmer, stirring constantly. This will take about 15-20 minutes. If necessary, add orange juice and a bit more water. The color should be a yellow-orange. Don’t overcook; the name is misleading. You don’t want to boil this. Then slowly stir in the whiskey. Be careful – this can catch fire if splashed on the stove. Keep adding whiskey to taste. It’s not uncommon to use the whole bottle. Simmer for just a few more minutes once the whiskey is added.
Strain and serve hot in shot glasses (a regular glass may crack). Drink in sips. Individual servings can warmed later in a microwave.
Cross another one off!
Oh gosh! I am so excited! I just realized I get to cross an item off my wishlist!!! Today I ponied up and bought a Desktop computer! And that was an item on my wishlist!
It’s funny, going through the list I realized I am still working on a lot of those items. Just today I kept forcing myself away from my computer (unsuccessfully). I kept saying to myself, “Donna, what are you accomplishing? What are you learning? Disengage #1, DISENGAGE!!” I also watched the movie Courtship of Eddie’s Father on TCM– not the TV show but the movie with RONNY Howard and Glen Ford. I couldn’t get over how curvy Shirley Jones was in it. I mean, I never thought of her as being that zaftig. Never! But getting back to my wishlist, I couldn’t help but marvel at Dina Merrill and how cool and classy she was and I thought, I want to be that cool and classy. But I like to talk about poop and farts. So classy is not something I will be wiping from my wishlist…. yet!
I need to fixate on my next item to cross off. Maybe a trip to Pittsburgh to eat at Kelly O’s diner. The diner was on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives and the owner showed how she made Halushki. It looked amazing! I thought my Halushki was fantabulous but no more… this lady made me look less than the Hunk I am! Must go and get my Halushki on!
Trying my darndest…
I rearranged the furniture in my loft/office. It’s making me get the place organized. And I need it.
2010. 2010!!!! How is this possible? What a freaking year 2009 was. Let’s hope 2010 will be good.
I finally bit the bullet and ordered a desktop computer. I make my living online and my tool for getting online is equivalent to a lumberjack using a butter knife instead of an ax. This situation will be remedied shortly.
This evening I decided to make a nice meal for myself. I thought I could make Aglio e Olio. I grabbed pasta– only had fettuccini– then I grabbed Olive Oil, garlic, and anchovies. When I opened the anchovies I couldn’t get over how HUGE they were— then it dawned on me they were sardines. Yuck. The meal didn’t come out as planned. It wasn’t bad but it wasn’t good either. Oh well.
Pavlina Facebook Status
Being neat and organized requires less energy than being disorganized. Best way to clean up a mess is to prevent it.
I don’t know if I believe this… can it be true? If so, HOW DO YOU LEARN TO BE NEAT AND ORGANIZED!?!? Why is it no matter how much I clean it always goes back to messy? I visit people and their homes are gorgeously neat and organized… how do I obtain this level of organization? HOW!?!?!
Questions for the ages?
What inspires you? What makes you happy?
I am trying to figure this out.