Who knew? Not me....

So I've been reading hysteria filled posts for months about the fact that Google Reader is closing down. As I read them, I thought "Hmmm, never heard of it" and wondered for a few seconds each time how I read my blog posts and why it wasn't on Google Reader??

Fast forward to a few days ago, when a lovely reader commented that they couldn't find my Bloglovin' follow button thingy, but added me anyway.  And press that fast forward button again to tonight when I finally mentioned said comment to my friend Alyce over at Blossom Heart Quilts.  She suggested that I should add the button for all the new Bloglovin' fashionistas, and to use her tutorial.  So I did.

And who knew?  Well, clearly not me - apparently all these years I HAVE been using Google Reader - in a round about fashion!  Yep, technologically challenged me figured out by signing up to Bloglovin' that when you follow all your blogs through your Blogger Dashboard, it does in fact link up with Google Reader.  Derrrrrrr.......  And I only found this out when I decided to give the "Import Blogs" button a crack.  And 334 blogs a following imported for me.  Ummmmm......

So here you have it friends - 

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

I'm working on adding the goddamn button!

xxxx

Bigger is NOT Best?

I love an epiphany.  Actually I love the word EPIPHANY!  Rather catchy I think.  I had myself an epiphany a few days ago.  Friday night to be exact.  And it happened in the most unusual of places - Harvey Norman.  For those of you outside the realm of Australia or anywhere else this big chain store has planted itself, then it is literally a big chain store selling all variety of goods for one's home.  From batteries to fridges, lounges to cameras.  They've got the lot.  And no, this is not a sponsored post - although, hey, I wouldn't knock it back!

So the family and I toddled in there, the aim being to find a new fridge and TV for the new home.  Which, if you haven't been following, you can catch up HERE and HERE.  Our new kitchen has a much smaller fridge cavity, which means our humungous, kick ass, LEAKING fridge cannot come with us.  Sad, I know.  Anyhow, found the fridge no worries - my new best friend, Vonnie, was very helpful in giving me an even cheaper price than the already reduced one plastered on the front of said appliance, so I was a happy camper.  Next stop - TV's.

This is where it gets tricky.  Remember only a few years ago when you went to buy a flat screen TV and it was a million dollars????  Well, times have changed my friends.  You can now get yourself a ginormous extension of your husband's penis plasma/LCD for under $1000.  The one that was on special was $696.  Great brand, great quality....blah blah blah.  Down the back of the entertainment section was the "little" 31" flat screens.  For half the price.  Given that this TV was going to be put in the kid's playroom, and its only purpose was going to be for them to play video games and watch "normal TV" - not foxtel - I was quite happy with the smaller version.  My husband - not so much.

To cut a not so long story short - he left the decision up to me.  Approximately two minutes later I told Vonnie that it actually made me feel sick to think that we would have THREE big screen televisions in our house!  THREE.  I thought it was rather extravagant, and really did not feel it necessary......so directed her to the 31" at the rear.  When I rallied the kids to head in that direction, Lochie saw what I was getting and his reaction was:

"Is that all we're getting?  That little TV?  What about when we play split screen?"

----------crickets-----------

I turned to Vonnie and said "Well that just confirms my decision."

I was actually quite horrified to think my kids just "expected" we would get a whopper with the lot.  All the bells and whistles.  I don't want my kids to think they need the biggest and best of everything in life to lead a happy one.

WHAT I SHOULD HAVE DONE IS TRACKED DOWN MY OLD PLAYROOM TV AND PRESENTED IT TO THEM WITH A GOLD RIBBON!  SHAME IT WOULDN'T HAVE BLOODY WORKED ANYMORE!

I relayed my epiphany via Facebook and was further miffed to hear people's opinions.....  All saying I should have got the bigger one!

So - is BIGGER better??  Do you worry about your kid's expectations?  Does a TV's size mirror your husband/partner's penis size?

Nobody is Safe Anymore!

It seems you can pretty much find anyone you're looking for......if you use technology!

Around six months ago, a bunch of my lovely life-long friends, whom I met in our first year of primary school, decided we should plan a 25 year reunion.  Twenty.......five......years.........  When you say it out loud, it seems impossible that it was that long ago we were all chasing each other around the playground, having play dates, and preparing ourselves for the big step to high school.  But alas, we are all turning 37 next year, so it must be true!

Given this task anytime prior to say 2000, and I don't know how you would tackle it?  How DID they put together school reunions before the computer age?  Before the internet?  Before Facebook?  Did they send a telegram? Hehehehe......

So far, one of my lovely friends has turned all P.I. and has found the majority of "lost souls" - aka those who are not on Facebook - by trawling through phone books, googling and generally leaving no stone un-turned in the pursuit of the elusive classmate.  It has paid off!  At last count, there were only five of our fellow Graduating Class of 1987 left to find!  Until today....

Image from coompax.com

Earlier this year, I did my own little Google search for one particular classmate.  She was a beautiful girl, and we were quite close friends through our formative years.  Sometime around Grade 5, she and her family set off on an adventure, sailing around the coast of Queensland.  We were pen pals over those few years, and it was always very exciting to receive an envelope in the mail from some far-off place I'd never heard of!  And although she returned to the Gold Coast (yep, I was one of the lucky ones who had the pleasure of growing up in sunshine) to resume her schooling, we sort of went our separate ways and formed our own friendship circles.  But I've never forgotten her.

So back to the google search.  I typed in her name, and not much came up.  The only thing I could even remotely connect her to, was a connection between her name and a Boating website.  So I took a punt, given the boating connection of sorts, and sent off an email to the address given on this site.  I explained we were searching for the woman named on their site, and if it was the same person I was hoping it was, if they could pass on the message.  Now I didn't hold much hope at all - the last activity on this website was years old, so any thoughts that I would ever receive a reply were minimal.

Fast forward to this morning...........whilst cruising one of my Facebook groups, a sewing library of all things, one of the ladies in there noted that a message I had not received from her could be in my "others" folder........Others folder??  What the?  One little click on message, and wa-la!  An Others folder!  And in this mysterious folder were 42 messages from all sorts of Facebook groups dating back months!  Whoops!  As I scrolled down, deleting as I went, I saw a message from a fellow I had never heard of - dated 23 June.  And as I clicked on it, this is what I read:


Hi Melissa

You didn't leave your email on the Boating contact so I Googled you which led me here. 

Yes, it's the same "Jane Doe"  you went to school with. You can contact her at janedoe@gmail.com

Cheers
Bob


OMG!!!!!!  I was flabbergasted!  That this person had then gone to the trouble of googling me to reply!  It has seriously made my day.  But it has also led me to believe that really, nobody IS safe anymore!

The other good thing that has come out of today's discovery?  My gf - the P.I. - won't have to delve into any illegal people searching, as she was contemplating!

Yay for me!

I'm no technological genuis....but I'm finally starting to "get" this computer stuff!  Not only have I worked out (well, it's made easier now with the blogger format changes) how to link in other blogs etc, I've just tried installing Linkwithin for the second time, and it's worked! Hoorah!!!  Small steps, small steps....

Have a really wonderful Sunday everyone!  I'm off to my "real job" for the day! xx