I cannot believe that I’ve been using WordPress for nearly 7 years! I started blogging February 17, 2001, 9 years ago. I used Blogger for a few months, then moved to Grey Matter, Moveable Type, b2, then WP. I was on LJ for a couple of years and had my blog protected for a while. I’ve moved so many times to different domains, but, some people just keep reading and I’m glad. I actually looked up my user name’s profile on WordPress.org: simplysara – Member Since April 20, 2003 (6 years)

I really miss the interaction that we used to have before MySpace/Twitter/Facebook came around. Don’t get me wrong, I really like those things, although I’m on FB more than MySpace, it’s dead, isn’t it? And I try to post on Twitter when I can.

Cell phones definitely changed the way we live our daily lives. I have lived 80% or so of my life without a cell phone. I now carry one with me every day for business and personal use. I post on Twitter, FB and sometimes here using my phone.

Mike was one of the first people I met while using Cafe Log’s – b2. He’s been helping Matt for years develop WP and everything that we love about it. Back in the day there was a lot of coding going on!! I also think that for users, WP is the best it’s ever been!

I learned how to code HTML raw on my own, back in 1999 or maybe even earlier. I still have the book, HTML III I think it was. After learning HTML. I started to try to do changes with Grey Matter and Moveable Type, but, with b2, it became clear that I could figure it out and make something do what I wanted. I created themes for my blog, first through tables, then through .CSS. I started to break away from the usual layouts. I really liked the one I did with 2 sidebars on one side. I will have to bring that back one day. I played with graphics, .CSS, broke my blog numerous times and asked for help. I learned while I was doing it. I can now physically install WP in 5 minutes on a domain. I have a business site totally run with WP. Some people think that it’s set up like a blog throughout the site. So what, that’s the easiest for people to read and it’s working as my business is growing, isn’t it?!? I have a client viewable only blog for previews of photos as I like that WP can protect posts. That’s why it works for me. It’s flexible and bends to my commands! *LOL*

Thank you for reading for the past 9 years. I cannot believe it’s been that long. I started blogging to vent about family members and I ended up loving it and sharing my life. I have 9 years worth of archives on a DVD or two. I used to blog about everything, now, not really. I try to blog monthly, sometimes it’s weekly, sometimes more often.

I cannot believe it’s May already! Wow, the year is nearly halfway over. I’m already planning MY wish list for Santa!

Hubby is leaving on Monday for a few days. He’s heading to San Diego. I’m actually glad now that I’m not going, I have TOO MUCH TO DO! He will be back on Friday, he rests on Saturday, then we leave for Vegas on Sunday for a week! Yay!

I’ve been working on revamping my photo biz site. It should be done soon. I’m just uploading and posting the photos on my business Flickr and then I have to do a header and some light coding. I will let everyone know when it’s completed though! It’s been taking up a lot of my time lately.

I really do like my new computer. I’ve had it for a week or so and I’m getting used to Vista. I like the Media center! I’ve been putting all my CD’s on it today. Hubby hooked up the TV tuner card so I can watch TV if I want to, or listen while I’m doing something. I haven’t tried out the recording thing yet though. I will get in the near future, at least one new DVD burner, the one that it came with sucks. I’m currently using my Lightscribe burner for all my CD’s and DVD’s. It’s fast, but really a little noisy. I bought it for work, so I don’t want to use it too much. I also have TWO open bays in the case for internal hard drives. I see those filled up by the year’s end. I think I have another slot for another DVD burner. I had two in my old tower, I miss them! They are pretty old though, so I won’t be transferring them over. I’ve been putting the new computer through the tests. Lightroom is a huge memory hog, but, I can have that and two other programs open and a graphics program open as well with no issues so far.

Life here is always busy.  The little girlie will be two years old at the end of the month. I cannot believe it. I cannot imagine life without her around. I will be watching her one last time on Tuesday while her mommy is at her last French class for the semester. We are going to miss her so much while we are on vacation! Hubby will be gone nearly two weeks from her. She only really has him as a male role model and loves her Pap-paw a lot. It will be hard on her I think. I took some photos of them together today and I am planning in printing out some to hang in her room so she can see him while he’s gone. I want to get some of me and her tomorrow and of her mommy and I. She is so funny now, she smiles a silly cheesy grin when you ask her to smile! *LOL*

The youngest is applying for an apprenticeship at a local tattoo place, so, we’ll see how that pans out time wise with watching the little girlie. It’s night’s at least, 2-9, maybe 3 times a week. She’s a great artist, has to do a portfolio of different drawings and will be bringing that back to the guy sometime in the near future. I really don’t care where she works to tell you the truth, as long as she’s happy with what she’s doing and she’s safe doing it. It’s not a food related job, which is great and not surrounded by high school kids is a good thing too.

Hubby and I went to Outback last night for dinner. We ate for $29 and had an appetizer. We each ordered the 6 oz. steak and the two sides for $9.99, an appetizer of the crab stuffed shrimp and I had a Coke, he had water. After the tip it was under $40! Great deal! I couldn’t hear myself think throughout dinner though. They sat us backing a loud table of 4 or 5 women and a baby. They were so loud. Once they left we sat there talking for a while, just so we could get our money’s worth of quiet!

I hope to post again before we leave for Vegas! Thank you for reading!

I can’t believe the weather has finally warmed up here, usually it’s warmer by now! We had TONS of rain, for days. I’m so tired of rain. Our grass looks great though. Hubby mowed last weekend and it’s really green.

Saturday’s session never happened and frankly I’m a little pissed off about it. She called me that morning to tell me that she couldn’t find the potential groom and then after I had packed the Jeep with everything and I was ready to leave to drive to the session, she called again. She found him, but since they had had such a huge fight, she needed to cancel. I’ve learned from this though, no matter who it is, contracts and deposit before the session. We could have visited with our old friend that day instead. That’s why I’m a little pissed off. Oh well, when she wants them done, I will get the deposit and then take the photos. If they don’t show up, they will have to just have it apply to a future session. That’s how I work. It’s on the website, seriously.

I’ve been busy keeping up with everything. I’m currently looking at getting a new computer. Unfortunately it’s not a Mac. Oh well. It will cost too much dough to get what I want and the programs that I use already. Some of them aren’t compatible, so I will stick with a PC. I’m actually looking to get a Gateway desktop to replace my 10 year old Compaq. We bought it when we moved to Virginia (again) in 1998, so, it’s time.  I get very frustrated when I’m working on photo things and I cannot have Lightroom and something else open. It’s really stressing me out, man!

We booked our tickets to Vegas last Friday, yay! We actually are getting a pretty good deal and one flight is non-stop. The other one is a short layover, so no biggie. We leave May 10th for a week! We have our hotel set up, it’s the same one we stayed at three years ago and it’s in a good area. Not on the strip, but, right nearby. We’re going to rent a car when we are there to do things out in the actual area. I think that I have a few good places bookmarked already. I just need to read more about them. We’re going to see Blue Man Group one night. I have to buy the tickets for that this week. We saw them years and years ago, in VA Beach. They are awesome and I cannot wait to see them in Vegas!

I just put my old printer on Freecycle and hopefully the gal will show up this evening and take it away. I’m giving our old cell phones to this organization. If you have a moment, read the site. I was going to sell them on eBay last year, but, this is so much easier and does something GOOD for the soldiers. I have a pre-paid envelope that came in my bathing suit order from Newport News. I kind of thought it was a strange marriage of the two though!

I found two bathing suits last week. I went to Ross to see what they had. I ended up trying on a bathing suit by Michael Kors. It’s a one piece and I really like red, so I tried it on. It didn’t look horrid! I thought, “well I will see if there’s another one I can buy”. Result, a black one too! I laid out $19.99 for the red one and $9.99 for the black one. It’s just a plain suit, no skirt and no print. Which is great, since I really don’t like either! I just need to find a cover up and I’m set!

I hope you have been doing well, I’m off to read my reads through Google Reader.

The oldest has a new job! She will start May 4th at a very well known menswear company! We are SO excited to say the least! She will be the assistant merchandise manager. They are a very high end clothing store. They are a good, solid company and she will be about 1 hour from us!! *Yup, we’ll get to use her 30% discount!* She’s busy packing up her stuff and saying good-bye to her friends and our family over the next two weeks. They are paying for her relocation and somehow she got them to pay for her moving boxes as well! She will have her boyfriend help her out, pack the U-haul and someone is driving her car up to MD. They may tow it like they did when she moved down there last June. Has it really been less than a year? Wow. I’m glad that everything worked out so well for her. She will be about an hour north of us, 3 hours from her boyfriend and friends! She found a great place too, two rooms, good rent, and a roommate that has the entire top floor. She’s painting the bedroom for her while she’s still in Atlanta. She’s going to inherit the queen bed left there and bought new bed stuff for it. The second room is a little sitting room, but she will use it for a TV room with a craft table I’m sure!

I’ve been busy over the past few days getting business things accomplished. Head over to the photography blog to see what’s been going on! I’m currently researching Mac’s and I will be test driving one in person sometime over the next few months. I need to set up a Flickr account for the business to showcase my portfolio in another area. I’ve also been thinking about selling some of my nature and environmental photos, probably on DeviantART. What do you think of this idea? My business will be going up in front of the Board of Directors for our counties Chamber of Commerce next week. Once that’s done, I can post a link to my listing on their website and order new business cards with that on the back as well as the two associations I’m a member of already. I’ve purchased table coverings for the small business showcase in June. I bought two cloth ones at Home Goods yesterday for cheap, cheap. I’m trying to get in contact with Brandi, the senior that I shot last summer, to join me there. I thought it would be cool for her as she’s prominent in my portfolio photos as well an aspiring photographer on her own! I will have a wall behind me, hopefully and a power plug so I can bring my laptop and have a slide show. I also bought a 11″ x 14″ portfolio and I think i will go back and get another one. Each one has 24 sleeves, which means 48 photos. I thought I would put different photos in each one. I also plan on having business cards, probably something to hand out as well, maybe a photo framed key chain thing. I cannot find anyplace to print on them, etch anything on them even. I can buy them plain though, maybe put something inside it? I cannot figure this out. Those little plastic squares, that’s what I’m talking about. Otherwise it’s probably pens or bottle openers. I’m trying to figure out a logo for the site and for Twitter. I cannot do it today, I’m tired of thinking about everything! I did contact my previous clients and asked them to write a testimonial/thought about their photo shoot.

Last Saturday I cropped and actually accomplished a lot! I have started the flipping of scrapbooks to Creative Memory ones. I have condensed 8 books into three with only 2 more needed! I placed an order to be delivered to me at the beginning of May for the Nat’l Scrapbook Day crop. I also have an order being delivered to me on Sunday.

The youngest and I were going through old photos the other day and I found some negatives! I took them to Target and they scanned them and burned them onto a CD for me. There are some stunning photos on there that hubby took overseas. I hope to get them out of my computer and print them in the near future. I was hunting for the originals to these photos for a while, glad I found them. I don’t have a lot of negatives to be honest. I think they have disappeared with moves and the like. I do have a lot of photos on DVD’s and the actual print, so it will have to be a scanned copy for anything I need to print.

I had to buy a new printer the other day. I’ve had the one that died for quite a while, it’s lasted through the last two moves, so at least since 2004. I say that it served well, printed a lot of things! We have a wireless printer, which is great since sometimes I do turn off my computer at night and someone wants to print a story or is researching something. I still have a photo printer though, it’s the same kind as the one that died. Funny, I use Nikon to shoot photos and Canon printers. Hahahaha. I really like them though, the replacement is a Canon as well. I just haven’t ever had any issues with a Canon printer, but have with Epson.

This weekend is totally booked, I’m booked from tonight until Sunday night. Tonight is my last photo class! It seems like I just started, wow. I’ve learned a lot though, I’ve stepped out of my comfort zone and learned more about how cameras work and what the settings do. I’m not relying so much on the auto settings, but, actually have used manual mode a lot lately. Tomorrow we buy our plane tickets to Vegas, shop for new shirts for hubby to wear to work, spend time together. :heart: Saturday morning we’re heading up the road to see my friend. She has a ranch now with horses, I thought it would be a good visit since I haven’t seen her since 2001! The little girlie will like seeing the horses too. I do plan on taking my camera, not missing this opportunity! It should be nice weather too. Saturday afternoon I have a photo session with a engaged couple.  This is my first engagement session, I’m stoked! Sunday is editing and more editing of the photos.

I hope you are doing well! Comment please, so I know you are alive and kicking and reading!

We had a really good drive over to Ohio on Saturday. It took 7 hours, we stopped twice for rest areas and once for lunch. Not too bad with a toddler! She didn’t even nap…I think she was just so excited to be in the new Jeep and going somewhere. She’s so aware of everything now!

Hubby and I watched “Watchmen” last night at the theater right behind our hotel. It was pretty good, more sex than I thought was in it. I have to read the book now, to fill in the blanks. It’s not good when your hubby has read it and has watched the movie and still is kind of lost about who is who and what happened to so-and-so. We went to a later show, it’s almost 3 hours long. I fell asleep for 5 minutes and lost a main thread! *LOL* Oh well. It was only $12 for us both to go, we used our military ID’s to get a discount.

Today is our last day here. We went to dinner on Sunday night with his brother and his wife and my friend. That was a good meal, but way too short to visit. We saw his brother and wife earlier that day, but I hadn’t seen my friend in 3 years. I hope that her and her family can visit us at our place this summer sometime. Monday we  went to Hobby Lobby, Big Lots (where we saw his Aunt!) and lunch with hubby’s buddy and his girl friend. We dropped the youngest and her little girlie off at the hotel for a nap and then we went to find some photo ops for me. I have some really nice photos of the memorials they have here in town for WWI and WWII as well as for all the people they have lost to wars through the years. Very moving. We stopped at his folks house on the way back to the hotel, then rested for a while before going back out there for dinner. Sometime in the evening hubby got sick with food poisoning. We think it was the pork or the coleslaw he ate at lunch. His stomach was a little upset as we drove to his folk’s house. Yesterday we went to the Dollar Tree and then got some lunch at Arby’s as he was feeling better. We went to the park with the little girlie and her mom and then to his folks house in the afternoon. We saw my fav Aunt there for a little while. We went back to the hotel for a while, nap time and watched Shrek until the little girlie got tired. We just hung out for a while. Then we picked up subs and took them out to his folks after going to the park again. She likes climbing on things and she liked the swing. There was a lot of kids there. They have it sectioned off into age areas, so of course you always have older kids wandering around everywhere, haha! They need to expand the little area, only 4 baby swings isn’t good enough!

Today the plan is to get a 5 generational photo of  the little girlie, her mom, hubby, hubby’s mom and hubby’s step-grandma. I hope it works out, usually family is harder to pose than clients are! We’ll probably come back to the hotel for nap time and then we’ll see them for dinner. Hopefully our niece, will be able to join us out there for a little while. And maybe his brother and his wife too.

I imported a few entries from early 2001 yesterday as I was a little bored. I’m slowing adding more and more. I bought a few scrapbook stickers at Hobby Lobby, can’t buy anything really big, as we are traveling. I’m actually kind of glad we don’t have a Hobby Lobby near us, everything is SO tempting! I have tried the 30 day shred, once. Haven’t had a chance to do it since Sunday. We went for a run Sunday morning and then I did that. I will probably take it out tonight and then once we are home I can do it more regularly. I do know that I like running outside, I may start doing that now that the weather is getting warmer! I have about 10-15 more pounds I want to lose by May 1st, so I need to get moving on that! I’m doing pretty well with the food, considering his mom fried a burger our first night there, I’ve been more diligent with what I eat. I did have a 6″ meatball sub last night and woke up in stomach cramps this morning. I am not used to eating stuff like that. I have been trying to eat salads more often though.

I will post again on Friday, hopefully. We are usually pretty tired after traveling and I need to get laundry started on Friday along with going to the grocery store to restock the fridge.