As I was reading the newspaper this morning, I found that some universal changes will be made in the Catholic church (which will be fully integrated by November at the beginning of Advent, the season when we prepare to celebrate the birth of Christ).  As an area priest noted, these changes will not be as dramatic as those that took place in the late 1960s.  Most of these new changes will be seen in the responses spoken after blessings and some of the words spoken in prayers.  From what I gather, these changes are meant to reflect the translation from Latin.

I have noticed a lot of word changes in our hymnals.  Our organist has two humongous binders which are held together by duct tape that must date back 20 years.  For every season, we get new song books and sure enough there are a handful of songs which have words changed.  Most are little things such as a “man” changed to “all.”

OLD:

We are the light of the world.  May our light shine before man.

NEW:

We are the light of the world.  May our light shine before all.

May not seem like much, but we must follow what is in the new book or the congregation might choose to not join in song… those who do choose to join 😉  BRAINSTORM!   Why not have a screen in front of the church display the words?  Not sure if I have ever seen a Catholic church use audio/visuals in quite this way but I often find that the book gets in the way at times… esp. when I lead which is why I like to memorize the pieces as much as possible.  WAIT! The church we visited when we spent the weekend visiting my oldest brother while he was in college used such a display.

By the way… i know that no one is infallible, but the local newspaper has made two big goofs in the last week.  Last week, our sectional champion boys’ basketball team was honored with a picture of LAST YEAR’S TEAM.  The caption was for the current team but the photo included players who graduated last year.  Today’s paper included a photo of the interior of “Sacred Heart Church” when it was clearly “St. Mary’s.”  Unless of course, the churches are identical in every way.  I’m sure I have been inside Sacred Heart at least once but that was 20 something years ago.

I’ve been building up to writing a bit more on the blog. One by one, post by post there will be a story evolving. This is for me, it is for my family and I will share with my friends Things I’ve thought about over the past few years, but never put to written word. I’m open to all comments on this project, as it deals with the things I’ve found to be important in life.

This first post will eventually form an introduction, chapters will follow. Things will be added, subtracted. Until I deem this to be a “finished project” Posts will be edited and changed. This is life, this is love and this is a smile.

I will start with a look back and end with a look forward, time will be filled.

Ok, I understand that I don’t know all the ins and outs of iTunes yet, but why isn’t it easier to unsync from one computer and then sync to another.

The syncing part is very easy. Unfortunately, I was not on my computer when I first installed the software needed to run the iPad. When I got back on to run a software update (that was quick), my iPad automatically synced itself with my daughter’s computer.

Now I want to move that information to my desktop. Ooops, the iPad is already synced with another computer.. OK, go back to that one and unsync.. I did not see an option to do that.

NOOO! I have to transfer the stuff to the new computer, and then take the iPad back to Mfg default, and then re-install my purchased/free apps. Hmm. That doesn’t copy some PDFs I had placed in the iTunes on the laptop. Why not? I can understand licensing issues. You don’t want to have stuff accessible on multiple computers. I get that. But why not have s command to de-sync the mobile device, and then allow the data on that device to be synced with another computer.

Oh well, I’m just glad I found this out before I got too much stuff on the iPad. More of a nuisance than any real problem. Hmmm, I guess this may be the only apple device I get…..

In past  summers, Hubby and I have been lucky enough to have all 4 kids watched by Grandma for an entire week.  This gave us time for some kid-free fun together with just us, as well as time to catch up on necessities like work and sleep.  For the past two summers, we’ve made a trek  down to Cincinnati for some FUN.  We’ve been going to King’s Island, an amusement park in the suburb of Mason.  Their VIP tours are quite reasonable, considering all the benefits you get (your own personal park guide for the day, all you can eat for lunch, and front of the line ride access, to name just a few!).  We’ve been making a weekend of it, going to the world-class Cincy Zoo one day, followed by a VIP tour at King’s Island the next.

I was on their site today, and I saw this cute little teaser video starring Don Helbig, the public relations manager at King’s Island: the same guy who meets us by the awesome 5-minute long wooden coaster The Beast for our backstage tour, which is also included in the VIP ticket.  Having ridden King’s Island’s wooden coaster The Racer over a whopping 12,000 times and holding the Guinness record for coaster riding, Don is fascinating to talk to.  He made this video to unveil King’s Island’s new 2011 attraction – or so I thought.

So after seeing the video, I did a bit of internet searching, and it didn’t take me long to find the attraction being unveiled on March 18; here is your sneak peak:

The Windseeker is a swing ride, but it’s going to suspend riders 301 feet above the ground, swinging at speeds over 30 mph!!  Even though I have not been enjoying the height of the coasters in the past few years, I would try this!!  Thing is, we won’t be making it to King’s Island this summer because buying a ticket to enter the park would be a waste of money for me this year – I am due with my 5th child in the fall!  I’m not too broken up about missing the new ride or any of my old favorites; after all, I’d rather have a baby than a trip to King’s Island a million times over, but for the record, I would try this ride!!

We’re going to have to find something equally fun and pregnant-lady-in-the-summer-friendly to do this summer, but it might be a challenge – everything I can think of involves being outdoors and also lots of walking.  Not only that, but since there are now 4 kids, Grandma wants to split their vacations with her into shifts during the Grandma week, meaning Hubby and I are down to zero kidless days.  Oh well, there is plenty of time for that in about 20 years, right?!?

Last week saw yet another delay in the Spider-Man musical opening.  Not only another delay but a new creative team was brought in to take control of the astronomical catastrophy (ok… I had to leave that… I honestly thought it was a -y and not catastrophe… this coming from someone who misspelled p-a-j-a-m-a-s in the 6th grade spelling bee 😉 ).  Nine years in the making and in previews for months!  I’ll say it again… sometimes it is best to leave things in the mediums they were meant to be.  Comic books, cartoons, live action television (remember that?), movies… live theatre (?).  By the time this mess is ever (IF ever) straightened out, it might be Spectacular to look at but will it mean anything beyond the $65 million dollar+ price tag?  In any case, opening night has been pushed back to sometime in the next decade (or is it this summer).

In other theatre news, Daniel Radcliffe is in previews for his singing and dancing debut in the 50th anniversary revival of the Frank Loesser classic, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.  The show itself may be extremely dated but I was fortunate enough to see the last Broadway revival in the mid 1990s.  It was a fun show that I could see being done in community theatres in my neck of the woods.  Perhaps by the time the rights become available again, these theatres will not be so turned off from staging musicals more than once every two years or so 😉

Why would a 21 year old straight from completing one of the most lucrative film franchises in history, choose such an undertaking?  As I understand it, the former boy wizard wanted a real challenge.  No dance experience, little vocal training, so maybe it was the name (KIDDING… I’d rather see a 50 year old revival than a NEW show that has been stuck in a rut for half a year with no end in sight no matter the premise).  Break a leg, Dan!

I saw a link to this on Facebook, and it’s hilarious – gave me my smile for the day!  Watch chaos erupt on live TV in the 70s when Jack Hanna brings a gaggle of goats into the tv studio, and they run amok.  The host, Bob Braun, has a great sense of humor about all of it, although the same can’t be said for all of the audience members, especially those who end up with rogue goats in their laps!  David Cassidy even has a hand rounding up the herd, and by the time the camel puts in his two cents, the host is practically rolling on the floor with laughter!

Well… week one back at work following my rather eventful stay at the doc shop is over.  I don’t think I’ve ever been so exhausted.  HOWEVER,  I am noticing a bit of improvement.  Almost non-existant is the discomfort in my upper leg where part of the clot is/was.  Now, I have to contend with the same in my lower leg.  Once again, I HAVE to thank you all for your warm thoughts and most importantly your prayers.  If not for you my friends, family (those I was born into and those I feel just as close to), and lurkers, I feel that I might not be here posting this latest entry… but we won’t dwell on that TOO much.

Perhaps it is the fact that I have never felt so… I dunno what the right word is… IMAGINE THAT! but it seems that it has been months instead of weeks since I was at the hospital.  But I continue to make a list of things I WILL do once I am walking at my normal pace: Taking my 2-3 mile walk every three days; Walking the 2 blocks to work instead of driving (Who says I was inactive before my clot formed?); Seeing my friends I have not seen since January and those who visited… or were in… the hospital; Auditioning for two summer shows and seeing which I fit better.  And finally and most important to me, realizing the great turning point I have reached following such a life altering… or is it affirming… event in my life.  I will let you know what that great adventure is as soon as I set out on it.

Another thing I really miss is my weekly voice lesson.  So many great things were happening there and as soon as I REALLY get back on my feet, they will continue!  There my even be some additions to my repetoire (aside from the myriad classic stage and screen songs) which I have been encouraged to take on not only from a great friend but also by my coach as well.

But FIRST,  I must continue to pray and strive to improve even more every day.  Thank you all once again.  I guess I can look back on these posts and thank Him for everything.

I know this is my blog to post what I will, but I hope that these latest entries are perhaps a tiny bit as meaningful to the reader as are to me to roll out and reflect on.

AND GOOOOOOOO BUCKEYES AND BULLDOGS! Ohio State just won the Big 10 Tournament and continues in March Madness.  And my high school alma mater basketball team is two games away from going to the state championships.

In a response to a friend’s blog post and a play on his own title, I got a new toy too- the HTC Inspire 4G (aka Desire HD).  Yep, that means I’m back on contract to AT&T, but I don’t have a problem with that.  I am now Apple-free once again.  Well, I’ll likely still use the iphone as an ipod touch since I have it- I don’t think I could sell a 3G for very much.  Android is the way, at least for the next two years.  Why did I get it?  Well, I thought $20 was not too much to spend on a new phone.  No, a zero isn’t missing- $20 is all I paid.  The phone itself sells for $100 with a contract which is already a nice deal considering what you get in comparison to the iphone 4.  My Costco membership took care of the rest.  I had never looked before at their prices on mobile phones, but wow- they are cheap compared to standard prices even without this month’s special on the HTC.  The Motorola Atrix, a new phone like the Inspire 4G was selling for $80 less than standard.  Nice.

I haven’t played much with it yet, but it’s nice to be on an open system despite the malware scare last week.  Unfortunately, being on OS version 2.2.1 this phone has that very exploit so I will need to be a little careful until the 2.3 update is made available.  Hopefully they fixed whatever hole allowed the stuff to be uploaded to the marketplace in the first place.  Already I like much of what I tried in comparison to the iphone 3G (can’t compare with the 4 since I never tried it).  I did notice though a voicemail downgrade.  Apparently Android doesn’t do visual voicemail yet.  The iphone would have the messages listed and playable right from the phone rather than having to dial up a voicemail number and pressing 1, 2, or whatever to hear the messages, then 7, 9, or whatever to save or delete them.

Like the iphone 3GS and 4, and unlike my 3G, this has a GPS built in.  I should try it next time I’m on the road to see how it compares with the Tom-Tom.  The map application is much nicer too, being based off of Google Maps.  The app store is much faster too.  On the iphone, I would really have to use itunes to get apps since the store was really slow on the 3G, but the marketplace is really quick on this phone.  I wonder if there’s something that will tell me if an app has been temporarily updated/reduced in price like with AppShopper for iOS?  [checks]  Ah, it looks like I found one- AppBrain.  Will look.

The camera is better- has a flash like the iphone 4 (and the requisite flashlight app as well)- and it does 480p and 720p video as well.  Unlike iphone, it can use a memory card (comes with 8GB) and a changeable battery which is just as well since one of the downsides of this phone is the battery life, even without a dual core CPU like the Atrix.

Well, enough for now.  Time for a look at appbrain…

Just a few of the reasons why I dislike the time change, especially the “Spring Ahead” version:

1.   LOSING AN HOUR OF SLEEP

2.  Mechanical clocks can be reset, kids’ internal clocks cannot.  I will lose an hour of sleep, and my kids will still wake up at the same time, which doesn’t bode well for the “fall back” version of the clock change.  In the spring, the kids will still want to go to bed at the same time, no matter what the clock says –  see #2.

3.  Normally I would like having the sun out later into the evening, but with 4 kids who don’t want to go to bed until it’s dark, the old go-to-bed reply, “but it’s not dark out yet” can actually make sense until 10pm where we live.  I both like having daylight until 10pm in the summer and dislike it at the same time – a conundrum for now, maybe something I’ll like better when my kids get older.

4.  LOSING AN HOUR OF SLEEP (that hour is so precious, it’s on here twice)

5.  There is a HUGE difference between 9:45pm and 10:45pm that I wouldn’t have noticed if not for the time change tonight.  At 9:45, the night was young, I had time for my shower, some laundry, and maybe a quick tv show or two to watch with Hubby before bed.  But before getting into the shower, I changed the clocks, and suddenly it was 10:45.  Suddenly there is only time for the shower and maybe a quick load of laundry before getting to bed too late to really feel good tomorrow anyway.  And no kid-free time with Hubby because (see #2).  🙁

6.  LOSING THAT HOUR OF SLEEP (so important, it needs to end the list)

Don’t forget to set your clocks ahead one hour everyone, and forgive me if I chuckle at those of you who show up late to church tomorrow – maybe it will help me feel better about my tiredness!!  🙂

Last week the price of the initial version of the iPad were dropped by $100. I went out and bought one.

Initially, I was looking for something to read some manuals for work. My nook just wasn’t up to that task. Then I found an app that just may help me to put my thoughts down without wasting lots of paper or post-its. So far I’ve found many things I like to do with this little device. It is almost too fun.

The iPad has replaced my droid for quick checks of the weather, and quick games of angry birds. It replaced my laptop for email checking and looking up blog post or other social networks. On some books, it even replaced my nook!!

I know I will still use some sort of PC for things requiring a computer. The screen size and speed are lacking on the iPad for some applications. I also need storage for the iPad. I can envision a time when I will be moving things around to get what I need for a day or week.

Of course, this won’t replace my android phone, too big to carry around all the time. My nook is my favorite electronic means of reading books. But I can use this to watch movies during a trip. I can send off a quick email or two. I can post a blog update. I can check on sport scores and news. I have found uses for it and I just like using it.

Good points to this are many, but there are also some things that limit the device. I still have issues with some of them.

1) You must have a windows or Mac PC to even start running the thing. An iTunes account is needed just to start it. As far as I could determine iTunes is not available on my Linux machines. That almost made me take the thing back.
2) To be more useful it needs a keyboard. That limits the portability. The touch screen keyboard works, but it takes up valuable screen space. And you can’t touch type.
3) For the same reason I stayed away from iTunes, I have a small problem with this device. It is too easy to make a bunch of small purchases that add up quickly. $0.99 seems like such a small price, but it could add up.
4) It still seems expensive for what it does. I realize you are paying for the small size and apple name, but I feel the cost is a bit son the high side. This is what you will have when there is really no close competition from any other slate type devices. Apple found their niche and made it their own.

All that said, it is still a fun little device. I’m sure that I will find many more uses for it.