MeggBrown.com

Wordle of my Twitter posts to date (more…)

May I not get this crazy this year. (more…)

Here’s what David Cummings announced at this morning’s opening session (more…)

How do I keep up with all the content? I listen to it. (more…)

Not sure I like it yet, but here it is….

(more…)

Spent some time today consolidating posts from various places — mainly MySpace and the blog at work. I pulled everything into a new install of WordPress. I also have a backup of my WordPress blog 2004-2007, but not sure I’ll work that in — primarily contains workout stats and random notes. Then again, might get me running again to see how much work I did before I went back to school.

I’m hoping to balance the personal stuff with non-personal posts. I’ve been using Twitter regularly and 140 characters just isn’t enough — and often there are threads of Twitter posts I’d like to pull together and keep for future reference. Been chatting with some great folks.

Up next: I need to go back and tag and categorize the posts to pull threads of thought together.

So, is it better to read the book first, or see the movie? I’ve been on the fence since I could read.

OK, I may be a little obsessive…..

New desk arrived….

Currently listening : Help! Release date: 2007-11-06

Sketching a cake design without an occasion. I think it’s a wedding cake, but could be adapted since I have no intention of getting married any time in the near future if at all. 3-4 tiers, white, base of each tier wrapped in satin ribbon, and an arrangement of gum paste purple orchards.

Yup, watching Ace of Cakes again. Took a break for a while. Tivo has 6 new episodes stored. Waiting for laundry. Longing for bed.

Ooo laundry’s done! Night.

So, I’m in line at the bookstore about to purchase ‘lunch’ and someone I know gets in line behind me. Suddenly I realize I have an odd purchase in my hands for the bookstore (e.g. mainly food) but that is the only place on campus that takes AmEx and I forgot lunch and cash at home. And then I got an idea — what if I posted every stupid excessive purchase I make — would that curb my consumption? That just might work. I think once a week if I ‘fess up to the stuff I didn’t need I might actually think twice AND not buy it.

Bottled water
Iced coffee (2)
Granola bars (2)
Vanilla wafers
Thai noodle bowl
A copy of Slaughterhouse Five

Currently reading : Critical Chain Project Management, Second Edition By Lawrence P. Leach

Current mood: Glad the work day is over

Currently listening : Goodbye Yellow Brick Road By Elton John Release date: 1996-02-20

“Disabling” Launch Services File Quarantine is a blessing. Every time I get a zip file from N+S for the Admissions site I have to click “OK” to the security pop-up message for every file—not just the zip. Using Terminal and BBEdit’s Disk Browser I was able to run a bunch of commands to “de-quarantine” the files before I opened them, saving a lot of clicking.

The only way to prevent this dialog from appearing is to remove this attribute, which can easily be done by doing the following from the Terminal:xattr - d com.apple.quarantine Downloads/Bean-Install.dmg

Take out the space between the – and d—WordPress wants to change that to a tag.

Current mood: grumpy

When I walked in, late as usual, to dad’s birthday party with a few of their friends, someone commented on how I was 12 when they first met my folks (when we moved to NY.) Sure, makes me feel old too.

Anyway, party was a success. Cake turned out fine. Photos:
http://flickr.com/photos/stomer/sets/72157604153272401/

Stayed a little too late and conversation got awkward. I am close to making a rule that my parents are not to bring up or share any opinion about anyone I care about in NJ.

On top of everything I forgot my ipod at their house. Debating how long I can go without it.

The kitchen is trashed

Dad’s cake for tomorrow is a couple hours from done. Leaving work in the afternoon to finish it up. Finally figured out how to do the 70 shamrocks: marzipan. I remembered I had some mini flower cutters for working with sugar paste, so that’s worked out great — I’m just going to notch between every other petal and voila, shamrock. Did a test run — quick, easy, and pretty damed cute. Made candied carrot strips, which look cool, as a back-up plan. might just go with those.

Working on this cake seems timely — I spent the majority of the day thinking. Well, in between near misses — almost lost a toe when a bunch of stuff crashed off the counter. Don’t bake when you’re having a clumsy day. All fine.

Current mood: angsty

Yes, I am nuts, but the painting turned out OK. For those who hadn’t heard the story, I decided Sat. morning that I would do a painting of my folks’ house for their holiday present — which I would need to have done (and dry) by 5pm Sunday. I started it at noon.

http://flickr.com/photos/stomer/sets/72157603538065915/

Current mood: contemplative

My mind is going down memory lane as I convert my latest textbook to audio. I’m waiting for the 61 sections of the “player’s manual” for the project management simulation to import into iTunes. I’ll have to listen to the 100 pages of boredom by Friday, 2pm, when class begins. Last class for the MBA. Then it’s the thesis and I’m done.

The sound of the audio voice, called Diane, made me cringe. Not only from recalling the hours upon hours of hearing that voice driving back and forth to Albany, but I also realized I have to put my latest project of memorizing The Beatles songs on hold for a few weeks. Only had 4 more albums to go. OK, I don’t have them memorized, but close.

Driving back from Virginia I decided to put the white album on repeat play. Just saw in iTunes that I listened to it 6 times (until I had to switch to the traffic report in Philly.) Music made all the difference on the trip. Thanks guys!

Work is insane. It’s not like others can simply fill in for me on everything while I’m away, although it has gotten better. Still, it all piles up. I have just one week left to get everything done by the end of the year. I’m leaving for the Bahamas on the 16th, returning the 20th, class the 21st and 22nd. Oy. I have to leave my car with my folks, who are taking it in for new tires, inspection, etc., for Christmas. Normally I object to receiving things for a holiday I don’t celebrate personally, but I kept my mouth shut. I need tires, and they never listen anyway.

My schedule is insane, but I’m trying to work in time for everyone this time of year as usual. I’m heading up to Albany next week for a dinner with classmates; attending various holiday gatherings which are not conveniently scheduled in close proximity, and still working in time for myself. Not sure how Dec. 24-29 with Garrett will go — I spent the last two years totally with him myself, and not sure how things will change now that his grandmother will be home. I’m hoping I can free things up for her so she can get out of the house for herself, with an appropriate balance of letting her take care of me as she’ll want to do (and insist on.) Not sure if I’m escaping to Boston again on the 30th — for some reason everyone thinks it’s nuts to drive to Boston for 1 day for my brother’s birthday, but they didn’t think so for the past 3 years in a row. Kind of a tradition now. We’ll see. In NJ for New Year’s, can’t wait. Then, a week to transition back to work.

Will be strange having my roommate gone for 9 months; the professor is going on sabbatical and will be in Italy. I get my reading room back, and I plan on using it. Visitors welcome.

Back to homework…… 1.6 hours for 100 pages. Not bad.

It started with a song from The Muppet Movie in my head. Then a friend sent me Muppet Central Radio

Link for now, more info later: Colgate Senior Profiles ‘07

I signed up with Twitter to satisfy my new found habit of sending micro updates of my day to an audience.
http://twitter.com/stomer
Not sure how well I’ll keep it up, but I’ve heard it’s addictive and I must satisfy the crackberry impulses somehow.

Posted updates from Twitter on the homepage of my profile on MySpace.

There’s a song on this album that hit me today. Making a note here so I don’t forget.

I need better headphones.

Currently listening : Beauty & Crime By Suzanne Vega Release date: 17 July, 2007

Current mood: energetic

While I love the picture of me screaming I thought it was a bit much for my happier mood. I switched to a shot from Mohonk last fall — every time the photographer/friend I was with turned around I pretty much looked like that — scratching my head staring at the map. I don’t feel particularly lost at the moment, but I related more to staring at different paths and wondering which way to go next.

Currently listening : Love By The Beatles Release date: 21 November, 2006

Darned flooding. Couldn’t you have flooded the area last week instead?