Patti O'Shea's Blog, page 135
June 17, 2014
Microsoft Must Want Me To Be Late To Work
Microsoft Windows has this little thing it does which makes me nuts. It takes forever to download and install patches. Forever!
I have my Windows 7 laptop setup to auto download and install mostly because I got so sick of the nagging about how my system would be safer if I changed my settings. This caused one instance where an update bricked my computer--as in it would not boot up until I uninstalled the patch causing the problem. This is annoying, but it doesn't make me nuts.
What does? Microsoft's insistence on installing the updates early on a weekday morning. As in I'm logging off my laptop to go to my day job and I get a message not to power off my computer because Microsoft is installing 1 of 19 updates. Or 1 of 13, 1 of 21, 1 of 11. You know.
Do they not understand that I'm pressing hard against the clock and that their early morning updates could make me miss my van pool? Why don't they push the updates in the afternoon when it doesn't matter how long it takes updates to install?
But no.
I've had installations take so long that I've had to leave the computer on to leave for work and I hate doing that. I want everything powered down before I walk out the door.
Why do they not understand the concept that people are using the computer before work and that they can't wait 45 minutes for patches to install? Why do they make patches that take so long to install? My Apple computer manages to install updates in a fraction of the time, so clearly it can be done.
So Microsoft, get this figured out or at least give me the option of having no installations done first thing in the morning.
I have my Windows 7 laptop setup to auto download and install mostly because I got so sick of the nagging about how my system would be safer if I changed my settings. This caused one instance where an update bricked my computer--as in it would not boot up until I uninstalled the patch causing the problem. This is annoying, but it doesn't make me nuts.
What does? Microsoft's insistence on installing the updates early on a weekday morning. As in I'm logging off my laptop to go to my day job and I get a message not to power off my computer because Microsoft is installing 1 of 19 updates. Or 1 of 13, 1 of 21, 1 of 11. You know.
Do they not understand that I'm pressing hard against the clock and that their early morning updates could make me miss my van pool? Why don't they push the updates in the afternoon when it doesn't matter how long it takes updates to install?
But no.
I've had installations take so long that I've had to leave the computer on to leave for work and I hate doing that. I want everything powered down before I walk out the door.
Why do they not understand the concept that people are using the computer before work and that they can't wait 45 minutes for patches to install? Why do they make patches that take so long to install? My Apple computer manages to install updates in a fraction of the time, so clearly it can be done.
So Microsoft, get this figured out or at least give me the option of having no installations done first thing in the morning.
June 15, 2014
Everyday Things You've Been Using Wrong
I'm totally doing the aluminum foil thing. I didn't realize that was there.
June 12, 2014
Adventures With Insects
I've had trouble with these black insects on my front porch. They looked like wasps to me, but I've been told they're black daubers, which is a member of the wasp family from what I read online. I've had the pest company out once to spray and they were out on Tuesday, too, but I'm not sure whether or not they sprayed again. I sure hope so because...well, let me tell you what happened.
On Saturday, the neighbor kid mowed my lawn and I went outside to pay him. No big deal. I don't leave the door open because I know better and I hate bugs, so it was closed unless I was actually exiting or entering. Apparently, that was a enough.
Sunday morning I wake up groggy. I head for the kitchen to turn on the coffeemaker. Must have coffee. And as I turn from the coffee to open the blinds, I see a bug on the floor under the table. A big one.
It looked like a roach in my blurry-eyed state and I'm like, oh, God, no! I pull the chair out from the table and grab the broom. I whack the intruder.
That turned his body enough for me to decide it was one of those flying dauber things. And he's still moving. Crap! I use the broom on him again. And again. And yet again.
Still moving. I grab the bug spray and let him have it. He continues to crawl.
I grab the broom again and bring it down on him a few more times. Finally, he stopped moving. It took a good six or seven whacks to stop the Terminator of the insect world. Gah!
Since then, I haven't dared open my front door. I've walked through the garage to get my packages. Better that than having to go through another morning like Sunday.
On Saturday, the neighbor kid mowed my lawn and I went outside to pay him. No big deal. I don't leave the door open because I know better and I hate bugs, so it was closed unless I was actually exiting or entering. Apparently, that was a enough.
Sunday morning I wake up groggy. I head for the kitchen to turn on the coffeemaker. Must have coffee. And as I turn from the coffee to open the blinds, I see a bug on the floor under the table. A big one.
It looked like a roach in my blurry-eyed state and I'm like, oh, God, no! I pull the chair out from the table and grab the broom. I whack the intruder.
That turned his body enough for me to decide it was one of those flying dauber things. And he's still moving. Crap! I use the broom on him again. And again. And yet again.
Still moving. I grab the bug spray and let him have it. He continues to crawl.
I grab the broom again and bring it down on him a few more times. Finally, he stopped moving. It took a good six or seven whacks to stop the Terminator of the insect world. Gah!
Since then, I haven't dared open my front door. I've walked through the garage to get my packages. Better that than having to go through another morning like Sunday.
June 10, 2014
Good Day, Sunshine
One of the things that never ceases to amaze me is how writing impacts my mood. Bad writing day or an unproductive writing day and I'm down and irritable. And if the opposite happens, then my mood is good. Dramatically different from a bad day.
Last weekend, I had a very productive 2 days. I'm trying to get back into a story that I haven't worked on in more than 3 years and it's been tough. My characters were distant and not talking to me. Sitting down to write was a lesson in frustration. For a while on Saturday, I even worked on organizing my kitchen to avoid writing.
But Saturday night, I forced myself to work and on Sunday, I got a lot done. Granted, a lot of what I did was taking the stuff I'd already written and reorganizing it and revising it to work with the revisions I was planning to make, but I did write new stuff too. Some.
The new stuff needs revision. Badly. My heroine's voice isn't coming through in the new pages, but I can fix that once I firmly reconnect with her and her hero. The important thing is that I finally made progress and damn, it feels good!
Last weekend, I had a very productive 2 days. I'm trying to get back into a story that I haven't worked on in more than 3 years and it's been tough. My characters were distant and not talking to me. Sitting down to write was a lesson in frustration. For a while on Saturday, I even worked on organizing my kitchen to avoid writing.
But Saturday night, I forced myself to work and on Sunday, I got a lot done. Granted, a lot of what I did was taking the stuff I'd already written and reorganizing it and revising it to work with the revisions I was planning to make, but I did write new stuff too. Some.
The new stuff needs revision. Badly. My heroine's voice isn't coming through in the new pages, but I can fix that once I firmly reconnect with her and her hero. The important thing is that I finally made progress and damn, it feels good!
June 8, 2014
Mystery of What Ate This Great White
There's a show coming up on National Geographic Channel (NatGeo) at the end of the month that I'm totally going to watch. This tagged shark had her tag wash ashore 4 months or so later and what they found in the data surprised them. Watch for yourself:
June 5, 2014
A Tale of Woe
I remember seeing this rerun of an episode of Married With Children. Al traveled a long distance to buy a bunch of bras for his wife, Peg, because her favorite bra had been discontinued and this store was the only place that still had some in stock. Peg was overjoyed with what Al did.
Is there any woman out there who can't relate to this?
I sure can. You see, I found the most perfect bra for me ever. It was expensive, but it was worth it for this level of perfection. And then I went to buy a new one and it had been DISCONTINUED. Because I'd bought a couple, it took me a while to need to reorder and by then, there was none left anywhere (and believe me I Googled like a mad woman).
This was devastating. OMG! Couldn't the place I bought the bras from email me and warn me it was being discontinued? I would have bought like 10 of them. It would have been worth it. But I didn't have this opportunity.
For the past three years, I've tried different bras. Many different bras. Some of them seemed awesome until I actually wore them for a full day. But finally, at long last, I have found a replacement bra for my favorite. I don't love it yet, not the way I loved my dearly departed old one, but I think I will after I wear it a while longer. I'm just relieved that my relentless search is at an end.
But dear bra manufacturers, please do not discontinue styles. Ever. Women are funny about this particular garment and once we find our favorite, that last thing we want to do is lose it. Releasing a bra style is like a sacred promise that you will always sell that bra.
Is there any woman out there who can't relate to this?
I sure can. You see, I found the most perfect bra for me ever. It was expensive, but it was worth it for this level of perfection. And then I went to buy a new one and it had been DISCONTINUED. Because I'd bought a couple, it took me a while to need to reorder and by then, there was none left anywhere (and believe me I Googled like a mad woman).
This was devastating. OMG! Couldn't the place I bought the bras from email me and warn me it was being discontinued? I would have bought like 10 of them. It would have been worth it. But I didn't have this opportunity.
For the past three years, I've tried different bras. Many different bras. Some of them seemed awesome until I actually wore them for a full day. But finally, at long last, I have found a replacement bra for my favorite. I don't love it yet, not the way I loved my dearly departed old one, but I think I will after I wear it a while longer. I'm just relieved that my relentless search is at an end.
But dear bra manufacturers, please do not discontinue styles. Ever. Women are funny about this particular garment and once we find our favorite, that last thing we want to do is lose it. Releasing a bra style is like a sacred promise that you will always sell that bra.
June 4, 2014
Come Join Me
I'm a guest over on Harlequin's Paranormal Romance Blog! Come on over and join me as I talk about Games of Desire, my novella-length release from Nocturne Cravings!
June 3, 2014
Games of Desire Is Available!
Games of Desire, my second novella for Harlequin Nocturne Cravings is now available! This story is set in the Blood Feud World, but stands alone.
The cover copy is:
If you'd like to see how I envisioned the characters, I have a Pinterest board up for the story.
AmazonAppleBarnes & NobleHarlequinKobo
The cover copy is:
The union between a wizard and a demon is impossible. It's also undeniable.
Chloe has always been there to clean up after her little sister—a wizard who doesn't use her powers responsibly. But when she must search for her wayward sister after another prank gone terribly awry, Chloe finds a demon instead—a demon with taut muscles, irresistible dimples and eyes burning with desire. Ever the good girl, Chloe tries to ignore him, but the mere sight of this demon undoes her.
Marax is searching for Chloe's sister, too. Just like Chloe, he's driven by duty. And, just like Chloe, he can't resist the fiery attraction that burns between them.
When Chloe and Marax give in to one night of passion, they find themselves bound in ways they never could have imagined—and battling a demon more powerful than anything they imagined….
If you'd like to see how I envisioned the characters, I have a Pinterest board up for the story.
AmazonAppleBarnes & NobleHarlequinKobo
June 1, 2014
Colonizing Mars
This is a clip from National Geographic.
May 29, 2014
Pen Hoarder
I'm not sure if all authors are enamored by office supplies, but from conversations I've had and seen online, there seems to be a huge number of us who can go crazy in Office Depot or Staples or the office supply section of Target.
Pens, paper, folders... All bring on sighs of joy and bliss.
I have 8.5 x 11 notes pads in all kinds of colors, purple steno pads, an assortment of folders in a rainbow of colors, and I can do a super rainbow in all my gel pens.
And I can't forget sticky notes. I have more than I'll use in my lifetime, but I adore the different sizes and colors. Some have lines, some have no lines. It's actually rather silly how many office supplies I own and my pens will probably dry up long before I use them up.
I can't help it. Buying office supplies is as good as buying shoes and almost as exciting as buying a gadget. Almost. I'm still the queen of gadgets and not even paper products can overcome that love.
I have a wish list full of office supplies that I don't really need, but I can't help myself.
As much as I hate to admit this, part of the problem I'm having unpacking my office from my move to GA is all the extra office supplies I own. I have slightly less room in my new office than I had in my MN office. Ah, well, I'll figure it out. I'm not parting with my pens.
Pens, paper, folders... All bring on sighs of joy and bliss.
I have 8.5 x 11 notes pads in all kinds of colors, purple steno pads, an assortment of folders in a rainbow of colors, and I can do a super rainbow in all my gel pens.
And I can't forget sticky notes. I have more than I'll use in my lifetime, but I adore the different sizes and colors. Some have lines, some have no lines. It's actually rather silly how many office supplies I own and my pens will probably dry up long before I use them up.
I can't help it. Buying office supplies is as good as buying shoes and almost as exciting as buying a gadget. Almost. I'm still the queen of gadgets and not even paper products can overcome that love.
I have a wish list full of office supplies that I don't really need, but I can't help myself.
As much as I hate to admit this, part of the problem I'm having unpacking my office from my move to GA is all the extra office supplies I own. I have slightly less room in my new office than I had in my MN office. Ah, well, I'll figure it out. I'm not parting with my pens.
