it's awfully nice to be told that even though i've barely played the sarangi i brought back from india 14 years ago in that expanse of time, i'm not really a beginner.
the teacher uses a slightly different hold on the bow than i'm used to, which will take some retraining on my part. also, time to build up the cuticles again - on a sarangi, the strings are not held down like a violin but pressed against from the side; my new teacher is okay with using the nail, the cuticle or the finger just above the nail but i was trained to use the cuticle. after almost an hour of playing, my left hand was vibrating slightly and my cuticles were definitely sore.
and of course, i need to practice practice.
the teacher also gives suzuki-style lessons on guitar and violin for young children; i'm taking boo with me in a couple of weeks to see if he's interested in picking something up.
Friday, September 29, 2006
jeepers i've been busy
so this has been my week:
sunday - work
monday - clean house, get estimate on replacing basement windows, get call to work on wed & thurs, take kid to playground. catch something sinusy.
tuesday - try to get over sinus thing, continue cleaning house, get another estimate on windows
wednesday - work
thursday - work, see doctor for sinus thing (including getting snipped at by reception for being five minutes late, which was due to printer freezing up computer while trying to print out directions to office plus arguing with kid that yes we really need to go, then waiting an hour for my appointment anyway), do volunteer laundry for kid's classroom
today - sarangi lesson. actually found someone in the area who teaches this! call chosen company to start process on basement windows. might check out home improvement show at convention center, although we're trying to finish basement on the cheap and these shows always roll out the top-shelf stuff.
saturday - work, maybe attend indian dance performance afterwards if the kid is interested.
sunday - off, but feel guilty about not doing anything about high holy days. although i'm exempt from fasting this year anyway, woohoo pregnancy.
i'm flipping tired. next week i have another insane week of two days volunteering with school's library, two weekdays of work plus working both saturday and sunday. i am clinging on to a nonscheduled thursday like it's nobody's business. (don't know when i'll be able to schedule sarangi lesson, though.)
also, the exploding plastic board has been nigh-incomprehensible to me for about a week.
sunday - work
monday - clean house, get estimate on replacing basement windows, get call to work on wed & thurs, take kid to playground. catch something sinusy.
tuesday - try to get over sinus thing, continue cleaning house, get another estimate on windows
wednesday - work
thursday - work, see doctor for sinus thing (including getting snipped at by reception for being five minutes late, which was due to printer freezing up computer while trying to print out directions to office plus arguing with kid that yes we really need to go, then waiting an hour for my appointment anyway), do volunteer laundry for kid's classroom
today - sarangi lesson. actually found someone in the area who teaches this! call chosen company to start process on basement windows. might check out home improvement show at convention center, although we're trying to finish basement on the cheap and these shows always roll out the top-shelf stuff.
saturday - work, maybe attend indian dance performance afterwards if the kid is interested.
sunday - off, but feel guilty about not doing anything about high holy days. although i'm exempt from fasting this year anyway, woohoo pregnancy.
i'm flipping tired. next week i have another insane week of two days volunteering with school's library, two weekdays of work plus working both saturday and sunday. i am clinging on to a nonscheduled thursday like it's nobody's business. (don't know when i'll be able to schedule sarangi lesson, though.)
also, the exploding plastic board has been nigh-incomprehensible to me for about a week.
Thursday, September 21, 2006
important parenting milestone
my son has his first whoopee cushion.
in fact, he chose this over (yet another) toy train.
right now he is attempting to prank his grandparents over the phone with it.
in fact, he chose this over (yet another) toy train.
right now he is attempting to prank his grandparents over the phone with it.
target managed to do it
yes, tarjhay has made my shitlist for having a stupid, stupid policy.
last week was their 'baby sale', so i went in to get a carseat/stroller combo and a pack and play. once in the store, i chose a different carseat/stroller combo than i originally intended to buy - it was less bulky, less gender-specfic, and about $40 cheaper than the other set - without being on sale. and yes, i will say i was cheerfully helped by a couple of associates - the combo wouldn't fit in a shopping cart, so they loaded a flat cart for me (combo is also unwieldy when you have a huge belly), wheeled it up to the register, and helped me put it in my car.
i remember seeing something odd about the listing on the combo i purchased, so i brought it up on target's website a couple of days later. and then i see that the combo i've paid $99 for is now $69. i fire up the printer, document the new price, and head over to the store.
that's when i get told that it is not at $69 at the store, it's still $99, so i can't have a price adjustment.
problem in my view is that the website says "$69.99," and right underneath that says "also in stores." both in nice red text. nothing indicating that this is a web-only special. excuse of target store supervisor and person from 1-877 number: "prices may vary by location," in much smaller print a good distance from the price. also, i would only be entitled to a price adjustment if the item was in the weekly printed flyer, which this wasn't. (does this mean if the physical item in the store had a lower price than last week, but wasn't in the circular, no price adjustment??)
target, don't be stupid. don't encourage your customers to use your website for product research and then not match prices on items available online and instores. it sets up your customers to be disappointed, it sets your store associates for confrontations on a pretty dumb policy, and in general it just leaves a bad taste in the mouth.
last week was their 'baby sale', so i went in to get a carseat/stroller combo and a pack and play. once in the store, i chose a different carseat/stroller combo than i originally intended to buy - it was less bulky, less gender-specfic, and about $40 cheaper than the other set - without being on sale. and yes, i will say i was cheerfully helped by a couple of associates - the combo wouldn't fit in a shopping cart, so they loaded a flat cart for me (combo is also unwieldy when you have a huge belly), wheeled it up to the register, and helped me put it in my car.
i remember seeing something odd about the listing on the combo i purchased, so i brought it up on target's website a couple of days later. and then i see that the combo i've paid $99 for is now $69. i fire up the printer, document the new price, and head over to the store.
that's when i get told that it is not at $69 at the store, it's still $99, so i can't have a price adjustment.
problem in my view is that the website says "$69.99," and right underneath that says "also in stores." both in nice red text. nothing indicating that this is a web-only special. excuse of target store supervisor and person from 1-877 number: "prices may vary by location," in much smaller print a good distance from the price. also, i would only be entitled to a price adjustment if the item was in the weekly printed flyer, which this wasn't. (does this mean if the physical item in the store had a lower price than last week, but wasn't in the circular, no price adjustment??)
target, don't be stupid. don't encourage your customers to use your website for product research and then not match prices on items available online and instores. it sets up your customers to be disappointed, it sets your store associates for confrontations on a pretty dumb policy, and in general it just leaves a bad taste in the mouth.
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
i am in big, big trouble
yesterday when picking the kid up from kindergarten, i was holding the 3-month-old brother of one of his classmates while the baby's mom was carrying something into the school.
"mom! you had the baby while i was in school!"
um, no honey, this is your friend's little brother. the baby is still in my belly. (oh, to have delivery go that fast....)
"i want her to come out right now."
um, no honey, you don't, because she'd be very sick if she did.
"mom, you cannot hold other babies until beatrice comes out."
sigh.
a little less fussy today, in fact we had a delightful post-school visit to the science museum and then to the grocery store ("what if they don't have alphabet noodles? then we'll have to twist the noodles into letters by hand!"), then home to make alphabet soup and cheesy bread. boo decided it was not just dinner but a surprise party for daddy.
"mom! you had the baby while i was in school!"
um, no honey, this is your friend's little brother. the baby is still in my belly. (oh, to have delivery go that fast....)
"i want her to come out right now."
um, no honey, you don't, because she'd be very sick if she did.
"mom, you cannot hold other babies until beatrice comes out."
sigh.
a little less fussy today, in fact we had a delightful post-school visit to the science museum and then to the grocery store ("what if they don't have alphabet noodles? then we'll have to twist the noodles into letters by hand!"), then home to make alphabet soup and cheesy bread. boo decided it was not just dinner but a surprise party for daddy.
Monday, September 18, 2006
first things first
here's boo on his first day of school:
he doesn't look it, but he's excited and in a good mood. i'm the one holding back tears. he's been enjoying his days in kindergarten, but since he's only been to a few one-week programs this summer he's not quite getting the concept that he'll be going for several months.
the first couple of days he came back tired and wanted to come home right afterwards, have a snack, and stay quiet. toward the end of the week he was ready to go on some adventures after school.
next week 'the mommies' will start having coffee together, so hopefully after-school playdates may be arranged. we're also considering starting him on an allowance system, as he otherwise asks for new toys on a pretty ridiculously frequent basis and we'd like him to get to connect this more with behavior and 'earning'. maybe the other families are doing something similar.
other bits: i've had two days of training at my new job, and my first day behind the desk will be this upcoming sunday. so far it looks good. i've already splurged on two pairs of comfy shoes and a nice (readable!) watch; the sum of which is more than i'll probably earn in a month. so who needs an allowance, really?
i've had a hard time making jewelry i'm happy with lately. i gave myself last week off but will get back to it this week.
he doesn't look it, but he's excited and in a good mood. i'm the one holding back tears. he's been enjoying his days in kindergarten, but since he's only been to a few one-week programs this summer he's not quite getting the concept that he'll be going for several months.
the first couple of days he came back tired and wanted to come home right afterwards, have a snack, and stay quiet. toward the end of the week he was ready to go on some adventures after school.
next week 'the mommies' will start having coffee together, so hopefully after-school playdates may be arranged. we're also considering starting him on an allowance system, as he otherwise asks for new toys on a pretty ridiculously frequent basis and we'd like him to get to connect this more with behavior and 'earning'. maybe the other families are doing something similar.
other bits: i've had two days of training at my new job, and my first day behind the desk will be this upcoming sunday. so far it looks good. i've already splurged on two pairs of comfy shoes and a nice (readable!) watch; the sum of which is more than i'll probably earn in a month. so who needs an allowance, really?
i've had a hard time making jewelry i'm happy with lately. i gave myself last week off but will get back to it this week.
Saturday, September 16, 2006
busy busy week
the kid started kindergarten this week. i started a new job. in fact, getting ready to go back to job right now. more later!
Thursday, September 07, 2006
another customer service shout-out
hey kids, are you like me? do you like office supplies and things that make you feel organized?
well, i'm starting an on-call position next week in which i could be working regular or children's reference at two branches, on a sporadic schedule. so it was time to get a datebook.
thanks to outblushoutblush, a nifty site i visit daily for eyecandy, i found rusell and hazel. outblush had listed a little magnetic bird that sits on your desk and keeps paperclips in order. when i visted the site, i saw the r&h specializes in datebooks and planners in put-together kits. franklin covey for the chic, per se.
so i ordered a (surprise) orange minidate book and smartset, and some pockets to fit in the binder. got the confirmation email right away, and noted the bit about 'you will receive another email when your order is in transit. meanwhile, you can check on the status of your order at.... (long url).' small problem with the status check: r&h uses yahoo's shopping platform, and if you're not logged into a yahoo account when you place the order, it can't go back and find the status. and after a week, no in-transit email arrived, so this morning i called r&h to enquire.
friendly person on phone couldn't see a shipping status for my order and conferred with colleague. they suspected their fulfillment company hadn't sent it out because they were printing the 2007/2008 calendar tags and were going to start sending orders with the new tags shortly. oh, i said, i was hoping to get this soon because i'm starting a new job next week. they promptly offered to send my order with the 2006/7 tags, refund the shipping, and get it to me by monday. i'm happy with that.
about fifteen minutes later my phone rings. it's r&h, they have found my order and tracked it, and it should be arriving today - which it did.
nice packaging! sleek and simple like apple's. all products banded together, fronted by a thank you note, and wrapped in a sheet of tissue paper. i just spent a few delightful moments filling out calendar pages until the end of the year.
c'mon, if you read my blog you're likely to be as big a geek as i am about nifty office supplies.
well, i'm starting an on-call position next week in which i could be working regular or children's reference at two branches, on a sporadic schedule. so it was time to get a datebook.
thanks to outblushoutblush, a nifty site i visit daily for eyecandy, i found rusell and hazel. outblush had listed a little magnetic bird that sits on your desk and keeps paperclips in order. when i visted the site, i saw the r&h specializes in datebooks and planners in put-together kits. franklin covey for the chic, per se.
so i ordered a (surprise) orange minidate book and smartset, and some pockets to fit in the binder. got the confirmation email right away, and noted the bit about 'you will receive another email when your order is in transit. meanwhile, you can check on the status of your order at.... (long url).' small problem with the status check: r&h uses yahoo's shopping platform, and if you're not logged into a yahoo account when you place the order, it can't go back and find the status. and after a week, no in-transit email arrived, so this morning i called r&h to enquire.
friendly person on phone couldn't see a shipping status for my order and conferred with colleague. they suspected their fulfillment company hadn't sent it out because they were printing the 2007/2008 calendar tags and were going to start sending orders with the new tags shortly. oh, i said, i was hoping to get this soon because i'm starting a new job next week. they promptly offered to send my order with the 2006/7 tags, refund the shipping, and get it to me by monday. i'm happy with that.
about fifteen minutes later my phone rings. it's r&h, they have found my order and tracked it, and it should be arriving today - which it did.
nice packaging! sleek and simple like apple's. all products banded together, fronted by a thank you note, and wrapped in a sheet of tissue paper. i just spent a few delightful moments filling out calendar pages until the end of the year.
c'mon, if you read my blog you're likely to be as big a geek as i am about nifty office supplies.
Monday, September 04, 2006
Oh Qwest
I remember on my mac
DSL dead - no getting it back
shadows of a LAN,
the wifi is no-go
trying to reboot
the light stays off so
calling Qwest, expect delay
said they'd send a guy on Labor Day
thought it was a lie like Comcast would give me
I never realized how happy you'd make me
oh Qwest
well you came and you fixed without faking
even on Labor Day oh Qwest,
well you tested and found the bad cabling
and rerouted today, oh Qwest
Comcast would have wasted time
And claimed that all the fault was mine
caught up in bad customer service
frustration in my mind but you did right by us
oh Qwest,
well you came and you fixed without wasting
and you even came early oh Qwest,
well you stopped my DSL from shaking
and I need you today.....
Qwest, after many times of being blown off by Comcast when I've had tech issues, you not only:
1) admitted the problem was with our line, and not our doing
2) had a repair tech available on a holiday
3) had a tech who showed up early
4) had a tech who solved the problem that day, and replaced our phone jack just because it was old - not because it was the problem
Qwest, THIS ONE'S FOR YOU, WHEREVER YOU ARRRRRE.....
You earned a Golden Barry!
DSL dead - no getting it back
shadows of a LAN,
the wifi is no-go
trying to reboot
the light stays off so
calling Qwest, expect delay
said they'd send a guy on Labor Day
thought it was a lie like Comcast would give me
I never realized how happy you'd make me
oh Qwest
well you came and you fixed without faking
even on Labor Day oh Qwest,
well you tested and found the bad cabling
and rerouted today, oh Qwest
Comcast would have wasted time
And claimed that all the fault was mine
caught up in bad customer service
frustration in my mind but you did right by us
oh Qwest,
well you came and you fixed without wasting
and you even came early oh Qwest,
well you stopped my DSL from shaking
and I need you today.....
Qwest, after many times of being blown off by Comcast when I've had tech issues, you not only:
1) admitted the problem was with our line, and not our doing
2) had a repair tech available on a holiday
3) had a tech who showed up early
4) had a tech who solved the problem that day, and replaced our phone jack just because it was old - not because it was the problem
Qwest, THIS ONE'S FOR YOU, WHEREVER YOU ARRRRRE.....
You earned a Golden Barry!
Friday, September 01, 2006
little impressive thing, or one more mac-fan post
i just saw something nifty. i was syncing my mac mini and my cell phone so that my mac had the phone's current contacts list, as it's likely that boodad and i will be changing to local numbers on our phones this weekend or sometime soon. syncing via bluetooth is a pretty nice feature. anyway, i noticed that the little sync progress panel showed the correct model of my phone - not just a generic cell phone icon.
no, i don't know if windows does the same thing, as none of our windows boxes has bluetooth. but anyway.
now i'm off to sync my iPod with iCal.... iYiyiyiyi.
no, i don't know if windows does the same thing, as none of our windows boxes has bluetooth. but anyway.
now i'm off to sync my iPod with iCal.... iYiyiyiyi.
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