Beauty in Sand

I think the Middle East would be a really cool place to visit. When I used to think of that area of the world all I thought of is sand, but really, there's so much more to it, especially now with some of the huge emirates developing amazing cities like Bahrain and Abu Dhabi. They are just beautiful to look at in pictures. Since I am an avid horse lover and the foundation breed of many of the best horses comes from the Middle East, especially Saudi Arabia, I am also drawn to the rich history of the Bedouins and their animals. Even though the "Ocean of Fire" race from the famous movie "Hildago" is not likely a real race, or never was, there are many famous desert races that test the endurance and speed of the magnificent Arabian horses of the area. All I have to do is figure out what sights I want to see and then use a site to get my tickets and I'll be off. One thing I would surely want to do is find a way to take a trip on a camel in the desert. And, even though water isn't something you might immediately think of when it comes to a desert region like Arabia, there is plenty of it. Rivers and oceans, and well, you all know how I am about water, so I'd have to fish in the beautiful waters where historical figures had centuries before. Really, what is so alluring about the area in general is the historical aspect and how centuries of past history exists side-by-side with modern technology and buildings. This is an area of the world with the oldest and longest known history and there are still easy to visit and discover areas that abound with the architecture of the time as well as plenty of ways to relax in modern convenience when you get back to a hotel. I think I'll plan it for a winter trip though. While the world here is deep in snow, I can be perusing the warm and enchanting ancient world of the Middle East.

Hobie

This is the type of kayak I'm hoping to get in a few weeks. With the weather starting to show signs of warming up, I'm really getting anxious.

Car Trouble

If it isn't one thing, it's another. Everything had been going along pretty smoothly with my car, but you know, the last payments are coming up on my loan and that means one thing--it's going to fall apart. Well, it started last week. My stereo speakers blew out. I don't know exactly what caused it, but I'm glad you can get genuine toyota parts online easily. My husband will have to fix it so I can have my music back. That may not be as important as actual automotive functionality, but the stereo is something you don't realize you miss until it's gone. I keep on turning it on while I'm driving, somehow expecting a different result.

Crossing my fingers that all goes well over the next four weeks. So much going on it isn't even funny. We're trying to sell our house down south, and our 25 foot cruiser (boat) at the same time. We tried for quite awhile to sell the house by owner, but it's really hard to get interest and enough advertising that way, plus having to get down there anytime someone wants to take a look, and it is usually just a 'lookie lou' type situation. Placing it with a real estate agent last Monday was the best thing we have done. It got a lot of calls and a solid offer in less than 5 days. If all goes well it should close at the end of April. Here's hoping. Having the house with a real estate agent also brought a call asking about the boat, so we have someone coming to look at in on Saturday.

Putting Together a Catalog

I have a lot of items including books and products that I have created and sell online. Recently I've started to look into what it would take to get a catalog printed up and where to find printing. I'm looking forward to being able to send out a full package of what is available to the people on my lists so they don't have to hunt for the different products, or follow a bunch of links. A catalog is great too because many of the readers I have that are older don't really use the Internet as much as younger people do. Even my neighbor who has a computer, barely uses it for emails. A catalog is a great way to reach those people and help them find the books and products I have in one place.

Next Year on Ice

I love fishing, but have always hung up my poles during the winter. Cold weather and frozen water have never appealed to me. However, the winters are long and by the time February and March come about I get a severe case of cabin fever. I've seen a lot of great stuff on ice fishing lately, and the video here is one of those great examples of how much fun it can be. I think next year I'm going to get some gear together and plan to get out on the ice a few times to break up the long off season.

New View

I have always lived in older homes. This home I am in now is in serious need of new windows. Finding a contractor for window replacement is pretty easy now with the internet. I never really trust the people that come to your door and offer any kind of home repair with the line "we were in the neighborhood". I prefer to look for someone on my own. For instance, if you are in the East you can look up replacement windows in richmond va and get all of your options where you can check them out and see what they have to offer without high pressure sales people. Remember, if you do talk to door to door sales people that those incentives for buying right away are meant to coerce you into making a snap decision. Don't fall for it. Do your homework first.

Illumination

Wow, Microsoft has some exciting ideas coming down the pike for game play. The new concept of illumi room brings an almost 3D or IMAX style experience to the XBox style game play. Here's a coming attraction video to show what it will be like.

Getting it Right

I have a friend who's father is a DJ and it amazes me how much goes into what he does. When I used to think of that job, it seemed like a fun way to make a living, but I really only thought about someone going to parties or bars and playing a music list. There's so much more that goes into it. You have to have the right equipment, be able to mix sounds and create beats, there are programs for everything and it is a lot of work to learn. There is a definite artistic ability to being a DJ. You're as much a musician as the people who create the records you play. The more I learn about it, the more fun it sounds like it would be. I have had a lot of musical training in my past, and I love to work with computers and programs to mix sounds for videos. It seems like it would be just a little extra stretch to learn how to do it for live play.

Enough Already

I gotta say that I'm getting tired of this winter stuff. I know it's still March, and up here in northern Illinois March is still wintery, but it should be getting better not worse than February and January. I am getting cabin fever. I went out fishing off the pier on the Cal Sag a few weeks ago when we had a 45 degree "warm front" and that helped to get me over the winter blahs for awhile, but they're back big time now. I am really itching to get some real fishing in, and I really want the ponds and lakes to open up. They're still all icy now.