Gadgets I Can't Live Without

Inspired by Philoking's post on Gadgets He Can't Live Without, here are my favorite gadgets:

Blackberry Pearl 8100 - Since this delivers my work email and it is my telephone, I never leave home without the Blackberry. Purchased when it first came out, the Pearl has great typing using SureType, email, web access, my calendar and contacts. With EDGE, I can browse the internet but it's not very speedy. The 8120 is out, but my plan isn't ready for an upgrade yet. I have added a 1 gig MicroSD card for picture and MP3 storage but since I mostly listen to podcasts on my Ipods (see below), I actually don't use it for a music player. The camera is only 1 megapixel, so I only use it in a picture taking emergency. It is a great device and I can hardly wait to get the 8120 which has wi-fi for making phone calls when out of service areas (my parents live where there is no T-Mobile), the SD card is on the side and the camera has been upgraded to a 2 megapixel model.

Ipod - I use the term loosely, as I have 5 ipods. I have an old 512 shuffle that is supposedly Dave's but I manage it for him. When I recently got a newer 1 gig shuffle, I said that was his, but I still use that one also. The 512 is on the treadmill for works and the 1 gig shuffle I use at night for listening to hypnosis audio books. I mostly use the 32 gig Ipod Touch as it does video and audio. It also has wi-fi which is handy except there doesn't seem to be wi-fi when I'm not at home or work and in both of those places, I typically don't need it because I have PC's. I also have a 4 gig Nano that I use when I don't need video or want something small and lightweight that I don't have to worry about breaking if I'm biking or working out. It also has GREAT battery life which the Ipod touch does NOT. I have a 5G video that I used to carry with me everywhere but the Ipod Touch has kind of replaced it because of the bigger video screen. So the 5G is now my "car" ipod since I have the Denison Ice ipod integration in my Honda Accord. I basically don't go anywhere without at least 1 Ipod and I'm almost always wearing or listening to one.

Laptop - If I were traveling, I would definitely take my laptop though now that I have the Ipod touch which does Google Reader, Twitter, Gmail and Facebook I may not need it. Though, if I needed to access my home or work PC the only way to do it would be through my laptop or using someone else's PC. I'm sure I will continue to travel with it. I would also need it to offload pictures from my camera SD card (though I have 2 and have never filled them both except when we got married). I currently have a 3 year old HP 15" laptop that I have upgraded the RAM and hard drive. We also use the HP laptop for our podcast and it works great when traveling.

Camera - My blackberry has a built it camera, but like I mentioned before it is only a 1 megapixel so it's not very good for pictures. I am a picture taking fool and also the dedicated family scrapbooker so I am always taking pictures at gatherings. I currently have an HP Photosmart R927 which I like a lot. It does take video and I wish it were better quality, but it has everything I need in a cheap point and shoot.

Car - I have a 2005 Honda Accord EX with V6, leather interior, sunroof, spoiler and bra that I couldn't get far without. I do ride the bus to and from work, but the Honda is a GREAT car that gets about 25 mpg in the city and up to 35ish on long trips. I bought it brand new and am about a week away from making the last payment!!

I also occasionally use my son's PSP and have a ton of other gadgets, but these are my favs!!

Geocaching

I recently found a former co-worker on FaceBook which led me to her blog which I've been reading and really enjoying. THAT'S what made me think I should blog more. I think in my last post I thought I should blog more, but didn't know why. Yeah, so that's why.

A few years ago, I remember my co-worker Dan talking about geocaching and how he had his GPS and would go looking for things out in the boonies. I thought it sounded strange and didn't really give it much thought. Two summers ago when Aaron and I went to CA and visited my Dad, we somehow traded my radar detector for his new Mustang for a Garmix etrex navigator. At the time, I thought I could use it for directions but Aaron and I plugged in into the car on the way home, thought it was cool and then I never used it again.

Well, last month Aaron was grounded and looking for something to do and had heard about geocaching on the internet and decided he wanted to do it. I agreed and said I would drive him around but he needed to do all the research and find out where they were and give me directions. So we've been out a few times around Boise and it's a lot of fun. We found interesting items in the little cans and containers and left some things we had and even met a lady who was out on Easter that lived in Oregon. I think Aaron keeps in touch with her online at the geocache site.

What you do is go to the website and find cache's to hunt for that are near you. We print off the GPS coordinates, the description on the cache (including any hints!) and then driving directions that get us close. We put all the ones that we want to find in order and head out. We park the car, then grab the Garmin and walk around until we get close. The GPS that we have gets us within 10-30 feet of the item and then it's just figuring out the clever hiding place that the person used. We even went out once on our bikes and down to the greenbelt. Bike caching! LOL
Anyway, it's a lot of fun and I hope to do it when I travel and hope that Aaron's interest in it stays around!

Places I'd Like to Visit

I've been thinking I'd like to blog more. I'm not sure why, but since I spend most of my free time reading other people's blogs and other various feeds in my Google Reader, maybe I have something interesting to share. I do have a great interest in a bunch of different areas and a lot of people think I know some stuff, so why not blog more?

So I was watching something on TV last night and they were talking about a destination and I was like "Wow, I want to go there!" and then I realized there a few places I want to visit, so maybe I should write them down. So why not blog them?

So, here's my list. What's your list?

Hawaii - I've always wanted to go to Hawaii, I don't even know why. I think there is some dream of beaches and beauty and I know I want to visit somewhere where there is clear water, so maybe that is the attraction. My hope is that if I visit some place with beautiful clear waters, my fear of swimming in deep or open water will subside. I would also like to try snorkeling, again, I don't like water or being under water, but something about clear water interests me because I am ok in swimming pools (but there's nothing to look at!) Years ago I had a saltwater aquarium and I just think it would be so cool to see these fish in the wild. I don't think they live in Hawaii, so that may need to be a different destination.

Grand Canyon - This isn't even that far from where I live (Boise, Idaho) and since I grew up in CA, I can't believe I've never been, but I haven't. I saw that glass walkway thing on the internet when it was finished and don't think I would like that because I am afraid of heights, but maybe a hike down it or a flight over it would be fun. I think Hoover dam is near there, I'd like to see that too as I've only seen in on TV. I also think Aaron should visit the Grand Canyon.

New York - I'd love to someday visit New York, but I know I'd be afraid. Recently a girl at work visited there with some of her girlfriends and they did a lot of fun stuff. My Uncle and his family also visited there and I just love looking at their pictures and the fun they had. A lot of TV shows I watch are filmed there so maybe that is part of my fascination.

Palm Springs - This is what caused me to write this post, I just remembered. I called my grandmother yesterday and she was telling me how she visited there on the way to Tucson, AZ for spring break (yes, my grandmother had a better spring break than I). Dave's sister and husband have mentioned it as a nice place to visit also. If it's very hot, I'd have to go in late Spring or early Fall so I didn't roast. Not sure what I'd do there, I guess just lay out in the sun.

I guess that's about it. Kind of a boring list.

Riding The Bus

Growing up on 10 acres, the only way to get anywhere was to have a car. When I moved to the Bay Area, I had a car and never rode public transportation. I never thought I needed to and certainly didn't *want* to. I've lived in Idaho since 1993 and again, have always had a car. When I first moved here, I did carpool for a while because my husband worked at a job near mine and at the time, they were widening I-84 from 2 to 3 lanes so traffic was bad. After that, I went back to commuting alone. I've always lived in Meridian or West Boise and have worked downtown for 13 of the 15 years I've been here, so my commute has usually been between 10-15 miles each way. Not far by comparison in most towns, but far enough that the cost and wear and tear on the vehicle is noticeable.

In the summer of 2007, I started noticing a bunch of people standing on the corner outside my subdivision and then I would frequently get behind the bus going down Chinden. I then noticed that when the bus got here, it actually stopped the building where I worked and I had to park 2 blocks away. I knew my employer offered some sort of bus pass, but didn't know anything about it. So, I checked with them and found that if I rode the bus and gave up my monthly parking pass, I would not only save money but be able to park in the fancy garage below the building (meaning never step foot outside when arriving at work or leaving) 10 times per month!! This is quite the deal. I called Valley Ride and found out what time the bus stopped outside my subdivision and have been riding every day since last July. I do drive about once a month, usually if I have an errand to run that is near work, but most things I need to come home anyway (usually to get Aaron) so I just ride the bus and then grab the car and go.

The first day I rode, a young man fell asleep on my shoulder as we rode. This was a little disconcerting, but as a Mom, I let him sleep until his friend laughed and woke up him. My husband was appalled and had been questioning why I was riding the bus anyway.

When I visited CA in October, I told my family I was riding the bus and they all looked at me like I was crazy. I've found this to be common. People wonder why someone with a perfectly good car would ride the bus. I'll tell you why. I save money yes, but more importantly, I don't have to worry about a thing driving to work. In fact, I get to read, visit with someone, listen to my ipod or just stare off into space. I don't get upset about traffic, worried about icy roads or pissed off at other drivers.

Since I've become more comfortable with public transportation, we actually rode the bus in San Diego to go shopping after our cruise and even rode it up in McCall so we didn't have to find a parking place in town. Also, when I visit the Bay Area now, I am much more likely to ride BART or the bus system there because I have an idea how it works.

I love riding the bus and recommend anyone who has it available give it a try!! Most people that ride the bus are very nice and helpful and welcome new riders and will help you out. All the drivers are a kick, and I've enjoyed getting to know them as well.

McCall Winter Carnival

Dave, Aaron and I (plus 2 Havanese) headed to McCall for the 2nd weekend of the annual Winter Carnival in McCall, Idaho. Full pictures here. Since Dave and I met, we have spent president's day weekend in McCall with all the kids. We used to ski but as the kids grew and their interest waned, we stopped going. Last year, Dave and I (plus doggies) drove up for the day on the actual carnival weekend. We stopped for breakfast in Cascade which took 2 hours and caused us to get behind a huge accident that had happened right in town as the parade was starting. Needless to say, we missed the parade, but walked around town with the girls in their stroller and had a nice day anyway. This year we decided to stay over, and to go the next weekend so there would be less people. Well, I didn't realize that they had moved the harmonica festival to McCall and on that weekend, so it was still crowded but not nearly as bad as it was the weekend before.

It was the first trip for the new Acura MDX that Dave bought last Fall. Aaron was excited and of course immediately hooked up the PS2 and wireless headphones and started gaming. I had my ipod and was listening to podcasts as I read RSS feeds from offline google reader. Poor Dave was left to listen to XM all alone on the wonderful 10 speaker dolby surround system.

The drive up was a bit slow since the roads were snow covered, but not bad at all. We all got off work and school early and headed out about 2pm. We arrived in McCall after about 4:30p and stayed at the AmericInn which was excellent. They had an indoor hot tub and pool and a great breakfast each morning. They of course allowed dogs and I always enjoy staying with other dog people as they are usually friendly.

Friday night, I had made reservations for The Mill which is Dave and Aaron's favorite place to get prime rib. Dave had the "enormous" size which was something like 44 oz and Aaron had the "medium" which was still a huge 36 oz. They both did really well and managed to eat almost all of it. I was stuffed with my measly 12 oz New York steak.

Saturday it was snowing, but fairly nice out as we headed into town to look at the sculptures and go to a little Craft festival. We even rode the bus into town so we could leave the MDX safe in the hotel parking lot. We took pictures of most of the sculptures and even found Aaron a new pair of snow pants in the local thrift store since we found out after we arrived that he didn't have his anymore. He was also fascinated by the huge icicles hanging around various buildings. He had some fun with those. We came back to the hotel in the afternoon and Aaron and I headed to the pool. Aaron met some kids his age and had a great time playing pool games. I sat with my laptop and ipod and was of course happy to have time to do that. The girls were really well behaved and did well in the crates in the hotel while we were out and of course enjoyed the longs walks in the deep snow. There was a storage facility near the hotel that I walked them around and I let them off leash a few times and they ran crazy.

Saturday night we headed out to Mexican. We decided to walk since it was close by and it was a nice evening. It was snowing pretty heavily by dark and on the way back from dinner, we saw the fireworks that launched over the lake. I had never seen fireworks in the snow before, it was pretty cool.

Sunday we had breakfast and then headed home as it was Superbowl Sunday and Dave wanted to see the game. We unpacked and had a nice relaxing, quiet, Superbowl in our jammies and ordered chinese food for dinner.

Cruise to Mexico

I believe it was this summer that Dave's youngest sister suggested that all of the siblings and Dave's Mom go on a cruise together to celebrate some monumental birthdays with spouses and no kids. She found a great price on a 5 day trip to Mexico that was a few weeks ago. 10 of us went in all, Myrna's 4 kids, Dave being the oldest and only boy, along with his 3 younger sisters.

We left on Monday, waking up to fresh snow in Boise. Dave and I drove to the airport to meet the others and luckily our flight was only delayed about a half an hour. We landed in San Diego where we met Myrna and Art who flew from the Bay Area and then together took cabs to the port where we boarded the ship.

We sailed on Carnival cruise line and the ship was the Elation. It was a 10 year old ship, 12 decks high and very nice. We got on board and by that night all of us were sea sick. I have gone on a cruise 20 years before, a 7 day to Mexico and never got sick. Everyone else who usually didn't get sick wasn't feeling well either. We talked to some of the crew on board and they said it was the first it had been in 2 years. There was a storm the weekend before we left that brought high winds and heavy rains to the west coast. It certainly left the Pacific Ocean a bit tumultuous.

The next day was much better and by Wednesday we were in Cabo San Lucas for the day. We all got off the ship and split into 3 groups. Several went on a zip line tour, Dave and I went on a Cabo by Land and Sea tour that he had won and 4 others went shopping. We all met up at Cabo Wabo, Sammy Hagar's bar at the end of the day and had a bite to eat and then headed back to the ship.

Friday we were in Ensenada where we all went shopping. I also had my hair put into corn rows. It was a fun day that we topped off by eating an authentic Mexican lunch at a small open cafe. Dave even had a cuban cigar.

The meals were great, the company good and the weather nice. We were so busy I never so much as cracked a book open or even listened to an ipod. For me, that was amazing. I also did not take my laptop but I did have email through my Blackberry which had service the entire time so I even Twittere'd a few times.

When we arrived back in San Diego on Saturday morning, we had a few hours before our flights left so us girls and Dave took the city bus into town and visited the mall. It was fun to see a bit of the city and I was glad I was an experienced bus rider and was comfortable trying public trans portion away from home.

It was a nice, fun filled vacation with great company. I really enjoyed spending time with Dave's family and it actually turned out to be a lot of fun traveling in a large group because there was always someone to do stuff with :)

Looking Forward to 2008

I actually meant to cover my goals for 2008 in the last post, but 2007 turned out to be full enough to justify it's own post. So I've been following all the talk and blog posts about resolutions, goals, etc for 2008 and thought I would document mine merely for the reason of measurement for next year. So here we go:

Personal
* be patient with the kids and choose my battles
* be a good spouse and give my marriage 110% each day
* continue to train the dogs and walk them at least 3x week
* maintain good walking habits (3.5 miles/day) and attending yoga at least 1/week
* eat fresh fruits and vegetables each day (at least 2 servings)
* continue resolution to not smoke (began 1/1/06)
* learn more about investing and monitor personal finances (in moderation)
* read more (self-help, learning and enriching titles instead of junk)
* make time for family and friends
* finish scanning all the family pictures and create my grandmother's scrapbook by her bday in October
* begin work on a scrapbook for my Mom of "S&K Ranch" history (critters, cars, buildings, etc)
* make DVD's of scanned pictures for family members to deliver in March with original pics
* complete house inventory for insurance purposes (software is installed)
* watch less mindless TV
* drink less alcohol
* drink more water

Professional
* maintain a positive attitude about my work, job and co-workers
* figure out what I want to do with myself (school, different career path, own business?)
* attend some kind of training to learn some new skills