March 24 Minutae

1: How I detest Microsoft and yet they temporarily have me by the throat. (Vista and IE7 are the driving forces behind my new desire to make the uber-expensive switch to Mac.

2: I am experiencing such depression regarding the lack of relationship between Adobe's Creative Suite 3 and Vista. After our homeschool group ponied up $2000 for 10 licenses, 7 out of 10 of them have stopped loading, refuse to completely un-install, making it impossible to re-install. When many of us called Microsoft, we were either re-routed and our calls never picked up (I personally sat there for 45 minutes with not even a "sorry please continue to hold" message) or we were told that we had pirated versions. After one parent spent hours researching the dilemma, he discovered that ours is not an isolated incident. There are many blogs and forums with many entries from small companies and folks like us. All who have legally purchased licenses, and who are running Vista. The gist (fomr what I understand) of the problem appears to be that Vista/Adobe is not recognising the licenses and neither company is offering support. So our tiny school is out $2000 and has to resort to other substandard programs to complete the media arts program.
one gentleman offered the idea that it is when other programs/hardware are introduced into the system that conflicts arise. I can argue that. My daughter's CS3 on her Vista box was one of the first to crash and she is technophobic so she does not load anything on her computer. There are no printers installed, no scanners no other peripheral harware installed that could compete. Her CS3 ran for two months and then cacked.

Big reason for me to stick with my beloved XP for now, and keep running my old CS2.


EASTER:

Had a great Easter. Went to brunch at Pleaides restaurant which just opened here. We had a gift certificate so decided to go and enjoy it. It was absolutely perfect. I have never had a perfect filet mignon. I like it med well. Not Med Rare. Not Well. Medium Well. This one was perfect.
Add in the mimosas and a crab martini and it was a nice afternoon.
We all went home after the meal and took a nap.

Movies:

MacKenzie made a tentative trip to the theatre to see Horton Hears a Who.
She was not sure she was going to like it, but ended up enjoying it, and going back a second time to see it.

The local video store owner managed to procure a copy of an old Tony Randall movie : "The Seven Faces of Dr. Lao" (pronounced Dr. "low")
It is a fantasy film that is certainly fit for the entire family.

So anyway, I rented that today and can't wait to get it on my faux pod.
:o)

So much for today's minutae.

New Horizons?

It's no secret that for about 3 years we have been researching the potential of our family temporarily moving to our beloved and ever-beckoning U.K.

Speaking with friends regarding the costs of living in both England and Scotland (not really checked out Ireland) we have been warching and waiting.

Now, that our eldest is graduating highschool (its freaky and melancholy) there is new potential for relocating. neither of the girls is really "married to this town" or the friends they have here.
And so a new, more economically friendly option is being bantered about :
Baja.
Hypothetically: Rosarita.

Amenities: Beach, sun, the mission "San Vincent Geurerro" is nearby where we could help out regularly at the orphanage. Did I mention this is also a killer place to learn to surf?

Anyway, that is the new idea.

But still.... our hearts hear and desire to heed the call of the "old land."
The land of kilts.
The land of languages that know no vowels.
The land of great literature, Monty Python, Haggis, and "the nation the sent God's truly GOOD news to the entire globe."

but sojourn in baja wouldn't be so bad?
for a little while?
me?
no habla.
Je parle la belle langue.

;o)

Time will tell.

St Pat's Super Mom Potato Soup

In honour of our favorite holiday (next to Christmas) there is a new exciting fun and cheap recipe tht any imbecile can create with even the meanest budget.

Go to "Eating Plebian" to chek out the latest recipe.

Slainte!

Baldric, the Bald Eagle

This is "Baldric"


















The Eagles have come down closer to town for some reason.

The local naturalists have been watching them. They were unaware that they had come so close into town though, which was kinda fun for me, because I got to be the one to make the discoveries - along with Scout. I saw him the first time on Feb 23 right behind one of the motels that borders BLM land. The very next day, we (Scout and I) saw him in the same place, but this time with a juvenile. (Young Bald Eagles are often mottled gold and brown and white colours and are often mistaken for golden eagles.) So anyway...Scout and I have named him "Baldric" and the youth we have named "Henri."

We have collectively seen Baldric in this neighborhood 5 days out of 9.