Rischa's Rants, Raves, and Ramblings

Bored of Blogging and iPhone Apps

I'm still alive and kicking. I almost closed this blog in favor of just having the Blogger blog. I figured since I like Blogger better and it's free, unlike this blog until yesterday, I'd just close this as my personal blog and combine the two. While procrastinating I found out Typepad now has something called a "Micro" plan that's totally free. The design will have to be limited, thus the ugly background color, but paying $80 a year for a blog that's harder to deal with  than the free one didn't make sense. The only good thing I could see from having this blog was the amount of followers I have here. I don't get as many hits as I did when I blogged daily, but I've managed to rack up over 20,000 hits without even trying. I'm guessing it's from the free Photoshop Actions I made and given away judging by the stats. Or maybe Typepad shows up better in Google searches? Who knows. Anyway, now that I can keep this one free, too, I'll just keep it. I'm a little sentimental toward it since it was my first blog and I've had it since before most people even knew what a blog was. As someone who considers themselves a creative person, though, it does drive me a little nuts that I can't mess with the design to make it pretty. Hopefully Typepad will change that one day. 

Even with all the free blog service on my other blog and now this one, too, I don't find very much interest in blogging any more. I think because everyone has a blog now and they're all so interesting I just can't seem to find my own that interesting by comparison. People are spending all KINDS of time on just one little post! I don't know how they find the time! I have made posts like that with beautiful, edited photos, photoshoped images, tutorials, well thought out posts, and etc... I just can NOT put that kind of time into something that doesn't pay. I do enjoy it when I have really interesting things to chat about, but until then I have to be honest....I probably won't be around that much. Besides, they (whoever "they" happen to be) say "quality is better than quantity", right? I'll still be around, but I won't waste your time with my boring daily details....that's all. 

Before I go I MUST post some sort of image! I have always thought that blog posts lacking in some sort of image are just so incredibly dull. So, how about checking out my apps for my iPhone. I add new ones frequently, so why not do an update. You might see an app or two you're interested in trying out!

I know. I really should get caught up in my Google Reader. That's a LOT of reading! I need to delete a few blogs off my list. These screen shots were taken last weekend before I did the big iOS5 update. I had heard bad, bad things about the update and was afraid of losing everything, so I did screen shots in case I couldn't restore the apps. Turns out I didn't need it. By the way, am I the only one that needs a tutorial every time she uses iTunes? Sheesh! I hate that software! Anywho, the icons are a bit different on some of the apps that come standard and there a few new ones, as well. I like the new update. My favorite part of the update is how it now shows messages on the homescreen. Maybe I'll post another shot of them from after the update later.

Thanks for reading and sticking around the ole blog. <3

PS. That smile was totally accidental. Joel witnessed it. I was doing the usual circle on the bread when it spattered and made the eyes. Kolby did the same wth his ketchup the weekend prior. Here is his...

What can I say? Our ketchup has a lot of character? LOL I thought it was funny. It's the little things.

10 Things About Me

I'm taking a prompt from a fellow blogger and listing 10 things about me that you may not know.

1. I would rather be at home than anywhere in the world.
2. I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis when I was 21. Doc said I was the youngest AND the most aggressive case he had ever seen. I'm good now with the meds, though.
3. I have quite a few furry and feathered kiddos and love each of them SO much.
4. I REALLY enjoy www.Twitter.com. More than I should probably. I wish everyone I know would join so I can see their tweets. I especially love posting Twitpics.
5. I hate Facebook, but I do love that I have reconnected with lots of old friends there.
6. I also hate talking on the phone. I often don't answer or even look @ who's calling.
7. I'm surprisingly quiet until I get to know someone. Then I'm quite talkative.
8. I really love doing lists like this, but I fear saying THAT comes off narcissistic.

9. I have 6 blogs. Hehehe....some of them are secrets. I won't tell so don't ask. ;-)

10. I constantly struggle with trying to get to bed @ a decent time like everyone else. I can't seem to do it even though it seems like it should be easy. Even when I worked very early I stayed up at night.

I have no idea why the 10 is separate from the rest, but it won't go away without me retyping. I hate when stuff like that happens. Oh well...I'm too lazy to retype all that. It won't work with copying and pasting....tried it.

Now it's YOUR turn! Don't forget to leave me a comment with your 10 things linked or listed. ;-)

YT Humor

I don't know why, but I can't stop laughing at this. Maybe because I'm alone and delaying bed time? I think maybe I've reverted back to childhood. That's not a bad thing....childhood was awesome!

You've seen the PC vs. Mac commercials, right? Linux is nowhere to be found, but here he is on YT in the form of a South Park character. So funny what happens when Linux drops a bomb. LOL Then there's another with just Mac and PC that's equally as funny. Wait, let's do that one first! For the non-adults in the audience....

 

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Twitter, 12Seconds, ColorSchemer, & AllRecipes

I've joined so many websites lately. I believe Twitter came first.

 

Follow me on Twitter.

 

Then there was 12Seconds.com. You can follow me there, too! It's a site that lets you upload 12 second videos because they say that's how long it takes to get bored of something. You can use your phone to send videos, so both of my videos so far have been made with my phone. I may do another one before bed of the Christmas tree. We'll see how tired I am after this post. It's going on 4 AM after all.

I also joined AllRecipes.com, but I haven't really done anything other than saved a few of the yummy looking recipes to my favorites. I saved a tasty looking Coffee Cake that I think I'll try after the cheesecake is gone. Oh yeah, Joel and I made a yummy cheesecake together before he went to Mobile a few days ago. Mmmmm!

And lastly I joined ColorSchemer.com today and downloaded their program for the 15 day trial. I made some color schemes that are getting good reviews so far. There have been a lot of downloads. Cool! Here's my page: Rischa's Color Schemes Gallery I'll be sad when the trial of the program is over. It's fun and would be very useful for making art....digital and physical.

See ya!

 

New Show Logo & Times

I made a new show logo and figured I'd strive to be at my desk with the cam on during certain hours during the day. Broadcast times, if you will. lol I actually had someone bored enough to watch me today while I sealed my painting! Who'd have thought someone would actually watch! :-D

Anyway, here's the new look:

 

Free Webcam Chat at Ustream

If you'd rather go directly to the show's page go HERE.

Is that another widget?

....Yep! Another widget has been added to my blog. Scroll all the way down to where the left menu bar ends. It shows how people got to my page and where they are in the world. Basically the same as the other widget, but set up a bit differently. It's simpler. Check it out!

It's about an hour into Saturday right now. I'm laying in bed already. Very early for me. I have company right now, though, so Kolby's bunking on the couch. He needed to go to sleep so I left him alone in the living room on the pull out couch. He has to have things very quiet and very dark to sleep.

Today was nice. Joel and I went shopping while Kolby and his grandparents went to a museum. Well, they tried, but it was closed. Joel and I went to another music store. I bought 2 books that I'm ready to start using with my keyboard. Joel didn't find what he was looking for, but they'll be getting another one in soon. He said he'll just go back Monday. He wants a guitar strap with a frog on it.

We also went to Wally World to exchange some outfits I bought for Penny that were too darn small. On the back of the package it said it was for "Dachshund Miniature". lol Not my little Penny Longbelly. Or should I say Penny thick belly. So I had to go back and get her mediums in the outfits. She looks so flippin cute in them!

After that we hit Target. I got some lipstick that I'm really hoping with look right. I can't seem to find the right shade. I hate the way my lips look. Oh, and while we're at it I'd also change my skin and hair if I could. *sigh* Everything on me seems to be getting less attractive. Skin, hair, lips, BUTT! I did go for a walk after we got home, but only after overindulging in a Starbucks Latte and some ribs and stuffing. I also had steamed veggies, but I think all the other stuff canceled out the veggies. lol

I guess I'll go ahead and try to get to sleep. I did get up fairly early this morning, but as I've said before....I always feel energized at night and end up staying up all night. Wish me luck with my sleep. Nighters!

Title? What title?

Hmm.....Random thoughts tonight, so no title. I've been on the internet a lot today. Catching up on mail mostly. I was down and out for a while not feeling well. I actually almost passed out yesterday. I have no idea why. I felt sick and then I got that cold sweaty and everything seemed to be fading. But I didn't....I made it to my bed and was fine after a little while. Joel grabbed me a Coca-Cola in case it was a sugar thing. (Speaking of Joel, he's talking in his sleep as I type this...LMBO) I haven't felt faint since then, but I keep wondering when it will happen again. See, I've had fainting spells before with no reasoning behind it and they usually don't stop at once. Maybe this time it IS only the one time, though. So anyway, I've been doing some catch up on emails. Mostly junk from groups that can just be deleted, but I have to read them to see first and that takes a while when you get a thousand emails a day. lol

I also did some fighting with PSP. My PSPX (Paint Shop Pro version 10) just all of a sudden stopped working last week. I hadn't changed anything about it at all. I tried running a repair on it, but it didn't work. So I thought back to some of the things that I had installed recently. After uninstalling everything that I didn't absolutely NEED I come to find out that it was an update from DELL that was conflicting with PSP. I don't even like having that Dell utility on my computer, but DELL seems to think ALL of their computers need it since every one of the ones we've ever bought from them have come with it. I finally uninstalled it from my old computer and now it's gone from the new one, as well. So I finally got my PSP back after way too long without it. I need PSP like a crackhead needs crack. LMBO Okay, so that may be an exaggeration, but I do love to use it on an almost daily basis. Does that make me an addict? What if I told you I was worse when it comes to Photoshop? I'm a nerd...I admit it. That's the first step, right? So I got some PSP time in. I made a simple stat with an old tube I made. I tubed a photo of Rambo (my Alexandrian parrot) a loooooong time ago. It was my first and ONLY tube as I'm just not patient enough to be a tuber. Not that wonderful at it, either. lol It turned out okay I guess. Other than that I received a tube that I just loved so I"m following a tutorial to make something of him. I'm still in the middle of it. I finally deduced that I was too sleep deprived to concentrate on following the directions of the tutorial, so I'll pick it up tomorrow from where I left off. It's looking like a pretty cool tut, though, so far!

I just opened a CafePress.com store. I haven't officially opened it to the public or even uploaded any art to it, but I decided to give it a try, so I've got all of my information added and registered for the store. I'll keep my internet peeps updated, of course. You'll see a link to it soon go up. I thought it might be fun and maybe even a way to make some Christmas dough. lol Yeah, right....we shall see! I have ideas, though, so wish me luck with it!

Here's a little something I made in Photoshop.

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It's just a forum signature. I don't even do the forum thing any more, but it was one of the tutorials I sent to my Photoshop group Sunday. I thought I'd give it a shot. I snagged the images from a site that sells Photoshop and Illustrator CS2. It said to find some images that represent something you dig, so I figured I digged graphic software enough...I'd go find the boxes for 2 of my faves. The images show some of the white around the edge, but that's the way the tutorial writer did it, so I left a little around the boxes. To me it looks like I just didn't take enough time erasing the background, but....I followed the tut. I'm pretty happy with the way it turned out overall. The tut writer was good, too. I hate it when I'm trying to do a tutorial only to find that the tut writer can't speak English or skips steps. It's very frustrating to follow those kind!

Okay, I think that's about all I can muster up for tonight. See ya next time!