The Empty Cabinets of my Mind

ToodleDo Tasks

ToodleDo as the name suggests is a web-based reminder service. If I am out and about and think of something that needs to be done next Wednesday for example I can e-mail ToodleDo and it puts it on my calendar, so to speak.

If I want, it can also send daily nagging reminders, or preferably I can e-mail it to send my smartphone a list of task that are due today or tomorrow or this week or whatever.

There is a learning curve and I have not tamed it yet, but I will.
Today it told me to learn how to use the smartphone to post photos to my blog so this is an unedited photo of the sun setting as I hurry off to Winco, more on which later...

Of course the photo is unedited.

Still it is good to know we can use a blog as temporary storage. I can always save the file this way on the fly and then delete it together with the post later. ..or edit the photo and put it back like this:

I'd like to be able to take pictures with my Canon Powershot and then just move its memory card into a slot on the phone to send, as the smartphone's 2 meg camera is kind of dumb.

Cyber Signature

I just had a pleasant experience with my insurance company.  Changes needed to be made to my policy that had to be in writing, with a signature, and my fax machine is in another state.  I did not want to run out to the store so I asked the agent (he was in another state, too) if I could e-mail him my signature.   He thought a moment, laughed, and said "Sure!"  That saved me time and money.  

The last time I sent a cyber signature my graphics pad was on the bum, so I signed on regular paper, took a photo of the signature using the macro feature on my Canon SD600 digital camera, moved the film card (it uses 1 GB MultiMediaCards) to the card reader built into my laptop, and then attached it to an e-mail.   Could have used the mouse I suppose, but that time it was for a financial institution and it had to look good.  Ever try to sign your name with a mouse? 

Corporate Cards

When I was working my way through college, one of my many different jobs included the task of sending out corporate cards.  That was back when we used the Mail Merge feature on programs such as WordPerfect. 

Back then companies like BrookHollow did not have to complete with the US Post Office's card services.  But they have kept up, and let's see the post office come up with gift packs of frosted buttercream cookies!  Yes, that is something corporations access from the BrookHollow company site to order online and send their loyal customers and business associates this time of year.  

BrookHollow's page now features an autumn cookie gift tin assortment that looks fantastic, but can Christmas be far behind.  Let's see what delightful things they offer there:

Business Christmas Cards

I like that you can sort the cards by price, high to low or low to high.  They also have some innovative e-card options if you want to send a personalized greeting with an automusic track.  They do the e-mailing but you get statistic tracking.

PS: I like the e-card options, but please send me Brookhollow's chocolates.  They call these "Effective Advertising" and I agree.

Glass Strainer Straws for Smoothies

This is not a paid post, but it might sound like one, because I can hardly contain my excitement about a product called Wisdom Wand.  It is a hand blown glass straw with what they call a "specialty filter" at the bottom, so you can drink frozen beverages without getting chunks of ice stuck in your straw. 

Its original purpose, I think, was to allow people to brew tea without the need of a teabag, sort of like one of those devices they use to sip yerba mate...bombillas, I think they are called.   I had considered trying to use a bombilla for smoothies, but did not know how to be sure it was clean. 

This wisdom wand works great with hot or cold tea and is especially good for drinking liquids that might otherwise strain one's teeth.   But I mostly use my wisdom wand for iced drinks.   Even when filled with milky treats, the wand cleans up fast.  I swirl mine in a glass of hot water with a few drops of dish washing detergent until it looks clean and then pop it in the dishwasher to be sure it gets disinfected. 

I Love White Tea

If you ever had tea made from the very young Comellia Sinensis leaves, lightly flavored with peach and a hint of agave syrup over ice and a sprig of something green floating on top, then you know what summer days are made for. 

white tea

So imagine my delight when white tea invited me to share their link with you. You bet!

Actually, they don't just sell tea.  Their website is like a little encyclopedia of information about white tea, starting with the page they call "White Tea 101" which discusses the nutrition, storage, and preparation of their yummy product. 

A Hidden Cove

Usually the Tri-State Area that consists of Laughlin (Nevada), Bullhead City (Arizona), and Needles (California) has gorgeous weather for Halloween.  But this year the weather was too cold and too windy. 

I went to Lake Mohave anyway.  While the rest of the world was indoors sipping on hot chocolate, I got this all to myself:

Well, almost all to myself.  I did get a visit from this fellow:

 

The rest of the photos from this trip are here.

here.

InfoNOTmercial

That name may be a mouthful, but the site is cool. 

InfoNOTmercial  is devoted to one of my favorite things--As-Seen-on-TV stuff.  There you are invited to add your experience to the heap and also profit from the opinions of others who have bought items such as the Magic Bullet.  I love the Bullet and cannot imagine why it got such poor reviews there, but maybe there is a learning curve.  It took me three or four years of repeated daily use to break mine,  but maybe that is because I read the directions before turning it on the first time.  I pulse when chopping in order not to have mush, and I also assumed that when they said not to run it over 10 seconds at a time, there was a reason for that.  Also, unlike one negative reviewer, I don't ever leave mine soaking in water overnight.  And since I depend on it so much, yes, I do keep a spare on hand just in case. 

But back to InfoNOTmercial, one section entitled "Little Giant vs Gorilla" compares two of those great little ladders that you can be coverted from A-frames to scaffolding and more.  Both of them look very neat.  Even though they are under 40 lbs, to me that is pretty heavy for everyday lifting, though, so I for one would like to see them offered in a petite size--and preferably in pink. 

I can dream, can't I?  After all, who ever thought you would be able to buy a pink and purple hammers? 

Rain or Shine I Love the River

It was raining sand when I got out to take this photo.  The wind was blowing so hard I had to hold onto the fence they put up to keep people from jumping off the bridge.

That fence was why I could not just snap the picture from the comfort of my vehicle. 

It is hard for me to imagine why anyone would jump in this rather desolate place, but maybe that is the whole point.  On the other hand I can imagine getting blown into the water!   So maybe the fence is a good idea. 

This land belongs to the Mohave's and the resort casino they call the Avi is on one side of the river, and a newer one called the Mohave Crossing is on the other side. 

A long time ago, before the Laughlin resorts got good air purification systems I had to move out of a non-smoking room in Laughlin because when the heater kicked on in the middle of the night, smoke from a different floor just poured in.  It was around Christmas time and all the uptown rooms were renting for $60 and up, so we called down to the AVI and they found us a really clean room for $15. 

Laughlin room rates have not changed much in the last ten years, but the buffets cost about three times as much.  They are still a bargain, though. 

Time to Send Flowers?

Silly thought...ANYTIME is a good time to send flowers!

Up until now I had not monetized my gardening blog, but now I'm giving it a try.
Might as well put the link here, too:

Just click HERE to see a beautiful bouquet from Growers Flowers.

Please visit my gardening blog: Ann's Air Gardens

Drink Your Vegetables

I did not eat enough watermelon yet this summer.   That fact alone makes me totally unready for autumn. Actually the last one I had did not taste as good as it looked.      But it cost less than a dollar. 

 Now it is time to go shopping for a pumpkin. 

While yams are on sale I will buy a bag and start slips.  Tender young leaves from the sweet potato  plan taste a little like spinach.  The slips will make nice edible houseplants.

Sweet potatoes also make wonderful smoothies.  I call them yamshakes.  Nuke the sweet potato in the microwave for about 5 minutes covered in a dish with a little water and the skins will come right off.  Then I put the cooked sweet potato in the Magic Bullet blender with milk and a touch of agave nectar and blend a bit before dropping in 4 or 5 ice cubes to make a thick and frosty shake.  I think they taste better than ice cream and are a whole lot healthier.