Pretty

This spice bush swallowtail was hanging out in the garden the other day.  I snapped several pictures on my phone.  If I have a call to make I often wander out in the garden to chat while I peruse my plants.  Otherwise, one of my kitties becomes convinced that I’m talking to him and responds in kind.  It is kind of embarrassing to try and have a conversation while your perfectly healthy (not normal, just healthy) cat is caterwauling in the background.  I occasionally “drop” calls if I need to take a quick picture.  Sorry Friends.  The secret is out.  I still love you.  Really.

I forgot about them until recently.  The pictures.  Not the friends.  I love ’em.  Really.  I had also forgotten about an app I had downloaded called Apiary.  I downloaded it but never got around to tinkering with it.  Until this week.  I love it, too.  The app.  Not as much as I love my friends, but I have to have some limits.

The great thing about this app is that it lets you do some of the funky filters like Instagram.  Which I tried.  And unlike most of the human population, I did not love.  It’s okay, but it is no Aviary.  Aviary lets you apply a filter AND it lets you edit your photo.  You can tweak saturation, contrast, crop, sharpness, and warmth.  AND you can add text, stickers, reduce blemishes and redeye.  It is just pretty freaking cool.  AND it was free.  FREE!

Awesomeness.  I don’t usually get excited about apps, but this one is a keeper.  There are additional filters you can buy, but let’s face it.  I’m the kind of girl who collects free bat poop.  I’m not going to pay for an app’s add-ons.  Happy editing!

Indulging my inner Nerd.

For the better part of Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday I have spent a lot of time looking at this.  Actually several of these.  I’ve been off and about for the past few days indulging my inner nerd.  I went as a rep to a tech fair.  I saw lots and lots of these.  I saw people taking notes on them, surfing on them, and face timing on them.  They were everywhere.  EVERYwhere.  Apple is making a killing.  The iPad 3 came out while I was at the conference.  Sure enough, on day 2 there was at least one person sporting the 3.  I was amazed, really.  That is when I learned something very important.  Some people have more money than they have sense.

I learned something else very important.  This revelation is that I am a much bigger nerd than I previously thought.  I went to several different sessions and in each one, I had high hopes of having a moment of enlightenment.  A moment when the heavy hitters in educational technology would tell me something that would make my earth move, the planets align, and a light shine from heavens.  Didn’t happen.  Not once.  I was a bit bummed about that.  The bright side of course, is that I have been doing things right and keeping up the latest and greatest.  There were a few things I learned, mind.  I didn’t know everything.  But, by and large, I was pretty up to date.  This means that I am either doing a great job or I spend way too much time with my computer.  I’ll have to think about that.

The highlight of the conference was meeting Richard Byrne.  I have a bit of a nerd crush on him.  He has a fabulous blog called Free Technology for Teachers.  He is, in a word, incredible.  Techy and funny.  That is all.  *sigh*  I was also able to see some others, including some “local” state talent present.  I also had the opportunity to play with some of the latest tech toys in education land.  I am in love with the Promethean Table.  It is an interactive table that runs a Windows OS and the Promethean software.  The cool part is that up to 6 students can work at the table at a time, and it TRACKS THE GESTURES of each student so you can see who is really working collaboratively.  Way coolio.  You can use it so many different ways since you don’t have to use the solely the software.  I could go on, but I won’t.  You’d die of boredom.

While I was away for a couple days, the Handyman had two jobs.  Three, I suppose if you include the one that actually pays him.  Job number one:  keep the cats alive.  When I returned both were still breathing and in relatively good health.  Obviously, they were missing the ridiculous amount of attention I give them, but they were fine.  Job number two:  keep an eye on the green babies.  He did a mostly good job at this, too.  Most of the plants were fine.  However, four tomato plants that I have been nursing along since January were in need of triage and ICU today.  They really needed water.  I was able to salvage them, I think.  Tomorrow when I check on them if they look like they are going to make it I’ll replant them in larger pots.  I am hoping to get a few pictures up of the transplant and the progress of the new seedlings.  They are growing like weeds.  But they aren’t weeds.  They are veggies.  🙂

Wish me luck on the emergency transplanting.

On a parting note, this is what I found in one of my flower beds today.  An early bit of color. I’ll take it.

Apples to Apples

While I was stumbling around Pinterest-land today I can across this infographic comparing Apple, the computer company to, well, apples.  Like the fruit that grows on trees.  I found it entertaining and thought I’d share it with you today.   Enjoy!

Created by: MBA Online

Contrary to the evidence…

Contrary to the evidence I love my techy gadgets.  LOVE THEM.  Almost more than I love my boyfriend.  OK, fine.  I love my boyfriend more.  But I do love my gadgets.  Devices.  Peripherals.  They are more fun than a new book.  Often because I use them to read books.  Lots of them.  At once.

Lately, however, my toys have trembled in fear when I come near.  This is because I have been breaking them like crazy.  Breaking may not be quite the right word.  Maybe nearly killing them.  Causing mild cardiac arrest.  Or not so mild.  Nearly shorting out their little electrically based brains with a bit too much water.  Like the amount needed to wash a load of laundry.  Then temporarily disabling and disassembling them in order to remove excess moisture.  Yeah.  That’s it.  I have within the last 5 weeks or so, washed two separate devices in the washing machine.

The first was a pretty fancy pedometer.  I managed to save that one, though.  I can take things apart and put ’em back together like a pro.  I have no idea where that skill came from, but I’m thankful for it.  So, luckily, no worries and I’m still clocking my miles.  When I thought it may be dead, after I said a eulogy that would make a sailor blush, I started researching new pedometers and I have found the next model I want.  This one is three years old after all.  It may be time for an upgrade.  After the battery dies though.  I don’t like to be wasteful.  Even if the new toy with synch with my computer automatically so that I could track my data.  (Refer to the title of the blog if you are unsure why this is a plus.)

I am not a young bird.  I have had half a dozen phones or more.  And I tend to keep them for years.  Way past upgrade time.  Not because I don’t love new phones, but I have a fear of buying a phone and then another, better one coming out right away.  I really want an iPhone, but that isn’t happening with my carrier and I don’t want to switch.  So, now, regardless of the whole fear of paying full price for a phone that is on its way out, I will probably have to be in the market for a new one.  I currently have the old one somewhat disassembled and sitting in rice.  We’ll see if that does the job.  If not, I’ll get busy with the mini screwdrivers to see if I can wrangle another 6 months or so out of it.  Then if that doesn’t work, I suppose I’ll drag myself to the US Cellular store.  And hope they don’t strike a deal with Apple in the next two years.  I don’t think my sanity or my fear of commitment could take it.