Still working on MySpace

In requesting friends on MySpace.com, we are trying several different methods to see which gets the best results. We don't want friends just for the numbers, but people we can actually communicate with and who become our friend because they like our music.

After a week of trying to learn about MySpace, and using sort of trial and error methods, I have learned a lot and we have increased our number of friends somewhat. We are planning to soon have a new look to our MySpace page so that's something exciting to look forward to.

Still learning about MySpace.com. Probably to those much younger than I am, it just all comes naturally. Kids today seem to be born knowing how to do all the computer stuff. But, I'll just have to keep "feeling" my way around.

Friend hunting

I have been working on MySpace.com today. It still feels like a strange process to me to ask someone to "be your friend."

I am amazed at how many friends some of the musical groups have on this site. They must spend all their time requesting that others be their friends. That, or someone is requesting it of them.
Either way, it is a time consuming process so some people must do nothing but this.

Nothing much to write about today - much of it spent at the oral surgeon's office and finishing up some things for the organization for which I do volunteer work. The oral surgeon's report was mildly hopeful; I am beginning to have some tingling where the nerve damage from the teeth extraction is. Hopefully that means the nerve is rejuvenating itself.

I left Doogan in the crate again today while I was gone - for about 2 hours - and for the second time in a row, he was a perfect angel! Thank goodness maybe we are past the worse part of the separation anxiety. He still cries when I leave, but if crying is all he does, (although it makes me feel really terrible to leave him) I guess we can live with that. I hope that part, too, will end as soon as he is absolutely certain I am coming back!

Shame on Earthlink

I suppose there is no such thing as truth in advertising anymore - at least for some companies. I went through hell a few months ago changing to Earthlink's TruVoice system. No one I talked to knew what they were talking about; I was passed from one technical support person to another and told something different by each person I spoke to.

They had lied about the cost of the services I was supposed to be receiving - - left out the part about the Internet access, that was supposedly included, being extra. The reception was horrible; everyone I have talked to since having this service has complained about noise on the line, inability to hear what I'm saying, etc. Finally, I had had enough and have arranged to change phone and Internet service. When I called to cancel Earthlink, they had the nerve to tell me there would be a $100 plus charge for the disconnection fee! They claimed I signed a contract for one year, which it has not been; no one even mentioned a one year time period - I would have thought they were talking about how long it was going to take to get it set up and working, if they had! I haven't signed anything for them and I'm not about to pay a disconnection fee. How do companies get by with such things??

I have talked about my phone and Internet access problems before but don't believe I have indicated the company to which I was referring. Well, I am now...................Earthlink and Earthlink TruVoice service. Take the advice of one with experience - a horrible experience - you don't want to sign up with them!! Two cans and a string would work about as well as their phone service!

Keeping up with the music sites

We've decided that I will start concentrating on learning as much as I can about myspace.com. We are already registered and have music up on the site, but in order to take full advantage of the services offered, I need to learn much more.

This is just one of the web sites that I'll need to focus on in coming months. Music 2 Work 2 clips are available on quite a few sites, however, the sites keep changing and improving - - to benefit from everything that each one has to offer, takes a lot of time "keeping up" with each one. I think I have my work cut out for me!

Doogan

The visit of my friend from Texas has come to an end and I took her to the airport to return home this afternoon. It was an enjoyable visit, although it is a little tiring for me to have guests here. Not that I can wait on them or even be a very good host, but just the change in routine makes things somewhat difficult.

I hope that now that Doogan and I are here alone, we can really get down to getting him accustomed to being left alone without his “freaking out,” and can get settled into a routine that suits him and me. He doesn’t like to be left in a crate; tiny, little fellow that he is, somehow he bent the metal bars of the crate. His foster mom was not expecting him to have separation anxiety, but unfortunately, he does. He has bonded with me quickly and I am crazy about him - - we just have a few issues that need to be sorted out.

A visit to Seagrove

I have a friend visiting from Texas, so to let her “experience” some of North Carolina and its areas of interest, we went to the area known as Seagrove today. Seagrove, NC is a small town in Piedmont NC known for handmade pottery. Seagrove and the surrounding area is sometimes referred to as the “pottery capital of NC” and even the world.”

In a rural 20-mile area, there are over 90 pottery shops; pottery making has continued here uninterrupted over the past two centuries. It is a fun and interesting place to visit. There is no way you can make it to all the shops in one visit. It is one of my favorite places to go, so I have favorites that are a “must” each time I go back. In many of the shops, the potters can be viewed as they work on the wheels, shaping the lumps of clay into pitchers, vases, bowls, oil lamps, etc. that will eventually be glazed and fired in wood or gas burning kilns.

Going from shop to shop, some of which are small, rustic structures, is an experience that visitors from all over the world enjoy year round. It is a peaceful setting, the pottery varies in style, shape and glaze, but all beautifully made, and the prices can’t be beat.

Kelli and the Shadowmen

I hear the stage show rehearsal of Kelli and the Shadowmen held last Friday afternoon went great. The people who were invited to attend the rehearsal apparently had a good time. I couldn’t be there in person, although I would have loved to be, but I surely was there in spirit.

I am so excited for them as they are about to start their tour on their Big Black Bus. Since Andrew, my partner in Music 2 Work 2, is one of the Shadowmen, I have followed the development and progress of this group. Watch for their shows when they come to your town. I’m really looking forward to attending a show myself.

A new friend

Over the weekend, I became the owner of another dog. He can never replace my dear Cassie, but I missed having the companionship of a loving animal around. I adopted him from the SPCA. He is a wonderful little guy who just wants attention and love.

Having adopted him on St. Patrick’s Day, we thought an Irish name would be fitting; his name is Doogan, which means “dark lad.” He is a pug/terrier/? mix, solid black with black eyes and only one small white patch on his chest. He has added joy to my life already. I’m so glad to have found him.

Music 2 Work 2

I’ve been listening to a lot of Music 2 Work 2 this week. Now that I feel better and am trying to get caught up on some of the work I got so far behind with while I was sick, I have had Music 2 Work 2 playing in the background any time I’m at the computer.

I suppose I am a little biased – after all, I wouldn’t be involved with Music 2 Work 2 if I didn’t like the music and believe in the project. But, even though I listen to the sessions over and over again, I don’t tire of them and I continue to marvel at just how beautiful the music is.

The sessions composed originally are wonderful; but, I think the ones Andrew has composed in the past year are even more wonderful - absolutely fantastic! The sessions containing more voices – strings, organ, etc. have such fullness and depth to them. I am anxious to get busy letting everyone know about Music 2 Work 2. That will come when we get some changes and improvements made to the web site. We are constantly getting more people registering on the site anyway; that’s terrific and I’m so glad they are finding us. But, I’m ready to let the entire world know about Music 2 Work 2 and share this marvelous music with them.

Oh, what I wouldn't give to be in Los Angeles tomorrow. Kelli and the Shadowmen are having a stage show rehearsal to which they are inviting a select few friends and family. I would really love to be there for that!

If you have followed the On The Big Black Bus Blog, you know how much fun they have performing together. The music is great and I'm sure it's gonna be a blast! But, I'll have to wait to catch one of their shows when they get to this side of the country. I can hardly wait!!

Have a ball y'all and head to this part of the country as soon as you can!

Change a-comin'

Several months ago, I went through a nightmare trying to change my phone and Internet service to the same company, at a price I could afford. It was pure hell. Everything went wrong; I was without phone and Internet service for days, spent an unreasonable number of hours on the phone or computer with tech support, to end up with a connection that was always bad. Everyone I talked to complained about the poor reception.

I found out a couple of weeks ago, that in addition to all this, they had just lied to me about the service that was included in the price quoted. I consider myself a fairly intelligent person and am pretty cautious about getting all the facts in situations like this. I had asked several times and of several different people exactly what was included in the price they were quoting me. Each time I was told it included everything – unlimited local and long distance telephone service and unlimited Internet access. Wrong!!

So, having found out that the cost was not what I was told, I have been looking for another company with which to have phone and Internet service. I decided on another company today and certainly hope that things go smoother this time. One rather sad part of all this is that the telephone number, which was assigned to this residence 51 years ago when my parents built the house I am living in, will have to be changed. It will be hard enough to make sure everyone who needs to be is aware of the new number; it will be even harder for me to remember it after all these years!

Growing up in the south, every Saturday night included watching one of my father’s favorite TV programs, Hee-Haw. The program was way too corny for my taste, but there was a song (actually just the chorus) as part of a regular segment on the show that caught my attention and “spoke to me.“ As a matter of fact, I used to claim it as my theme song. The words to the chorus of the song were:

“Gloom, despair, and agony on me
Deep, dark depression, excessive misery
If it weren't for bad luck, I'd have no luck at all
Gloom, despair, and agony on me.”

My memory is not very good for most things, but somehow those words have remained in my mind. Thank goodness I am in a much better place in my life today then I was back then, so it doesn’t hold the same relevance for me now. I have to admit, however, that I have thought of that chorus a few times in the past several months. Since before the end of last year, I have been faced with one problem after another – loss, medical problems, major unexpected household problems and expenses – so I guess it is the part about bad luck that has made me think of it. But, I am also aware of the good luck I have now – the good luck of being a part of Music 2 Work 2.com, of having the opportunity to work with a very talented musician and friend. Being a part of Music 2 Work 2 is exciting.........and will only get better and better!

Best-laid plans

In his poem, “To a Mouse,” Robert Burns recognized that “the best-laid schemes o’ mice an’ men / Gang aft agley,” (that's the way my partner in Music 2 Work 2 would probably say it) - - or in other words, “ the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.” Well, my plans for last week certainly went awry. Between recovering from extracted impacted wisdom teeth and then contracting the Norovirus, I ended up not getting to do a single thing I had planned to do.

I am hoping, as my strength slowly returns, to be able to do writing here, as well as all the things I was planning for last week. Sorry for the silence on this end.

More Changes

One of my projects for this week is to backup the data on my computer and upgrade the operating system. Having never done this kind of thing before, I'm somewhat leery, but I suppose everything will go ok.

The system I have been using is Windows ME - a really crazy edition of Windows in that it is not very compatible with any other Windows' systems or other programs. I have a feeling backing up the information that is currently on my hard drive will be the most time consuming and worse part. It will, however, be so nice to be able to once again have a system that is supported by Microsoft and that will work with other programs that will make life easier.

Changing look of the blog

In anticipation of changes we will be making to the Music 2 Work 2 web site in a few weeks, I am trying to find what changes will be best for our blog with our new look. I will probably try a couple before my partner and I decide on a definite one.

This is the first time I have customized the blog since all the many choices for everything have been available. It' s kind of fun to try the different looks and arrangements. Anyway, for a while, the blog may look different each time you view it.

We have discussed some of the changes that will be made to the web site, but I think Andrew knows pretty much exactly the way he wants it to look. I have a difficult time making decisions; he is much better at it than I am. So, I know that the blog changes will fit perfectly with the new look of Music 2 Work 2.com.

Storms approching

Having spent the morning back at the oral surgeon's office, I haven't had a chance to write about anything today - not even sure exactly what I would write about, if there was time. But, bad storms are headed this way, according to the weather forecasters - possible tornados included. So, I'm going to turn off the computer and "batten down the hatches." It's a little early for tornados in this area, but I suppose with what we have done to the environment, anything is possible now. Hopefully the tornado forecast will be wrong; torrential rain and high winds are all we have gotten so far, which is quite enough as far as I'm concerned.