I got...

A beautiful haircut!

:)

I'm very happy. Kelly at the Gallery did a wonderful job. Thank you Julie for recommending her. I will be going back to her for all my future cuts.

I want:

1. to finally catch up with my grading.
2. for more positions to open in GSW.
3. a banana popsicle.
4. a beautiful haircut.
5. to fit in my pants again.

Yep.

I hate doctors... okay, not the doctors themselves... but the whole medical process. Give me a break.

Interestingness

While checking out my "Who Links to Me" link, I stumbled across an interesting website: WOMB and realized that I was linked. It seems like an interesting endeavor and there are lots of great links on the website already. I foresee this is going to grow into something really worthwhile. You should check it out... Heck... You might already be linked there and not even know it! :)

Daddy's Little Girl...

While sifting through songs for the "Father/Daughter" wedding dance --- I stumbled across this highly sentimental, overly dramatic, very sappy song... and I cried my eyes out.

I can already tell, I'm going to be wet-eyed a lot throughout this whole process.
















(my mom and dad)

More proof that I have OCD...

Thanks Kelly for the tag...

The tag was to write 6 bad habits... but I'm going to write 6 neuroses, which I also consider bad habits...

1. I have to have the television volume at a multiple of 5. It is usually at 15 or 20... I go nuts if it is on another setting and I know it.

2. I cannot CANNOT touch a garbage can in public... I will use my tray or my cup or whatever I have to in order to not touch the trash can lid.

3. If I walk past a garbage can/dumpster or garbage truck or even just a regular truck with lots of exhaust, I have to hold my breath... and I have to hold it to the count of five once I walk past it or I will inhale germs and get sick.

4. I wash my hands with HOT water. I like the water to scald a little bit, or I don't feel like I've killed the germs on my hands. And I wash my hands A LOT!

5. When I use toilet-paper... for any purpose (ie. blowing my nose...) :) There must be 9 layers of paper, because germs can travel through 8 layers.

6. I rock back and forth... constantly. I can't stop. I sometimes don't even realize I am doing it. I rock when I watch TV. I rock when I type on the computer. I rock when I write poems. I rock when I stand in line (from foot to foot). And if I'm not rocking... some other part of me needs to be in motion. I even sway my feet or my body from side to side when I sleep. If I'm not moving... I don't feel comfortable and get nervous and can't concentrate.

And there are so many more things I could put up here...

So... now that you all now how OCD I am... I tag everyone who reads this. Feel free to post your six bad habits/neuroses at your leisure! :)

B as in Bob, G as in God, N as in Nancy, P as in Peter, T as in Ted?

(Okay... this is really long... but worth the read if you like to laugh)

Computers officially make me nuts.

So, my laptop is broken. Yesterday evening, Nick turned it on and the screen just decided to go black. We must have fiddled with the computer for half an hour, turning it off and on, plugging, unplugging... Then I called Dell for tech support.

So this woman with a very thick accent answers the phone and this is a rough transcript of our conversation. --- I hope you find some humor in it:

Dell Woman (DW): "Thank you for calling Dell, may I have the express service number of your computer?"

Me: "I don't know what that is."

DW: "Flip your computer upside down... do you see a white barcode?"

Me: "Yes... here is the..."

DW: "There should be a white barcode with a number that is the express service number"

Me: "Okay, it is (##########)."

DW: "Thank you. Just a moment while I access your system. "

...........

DW: "Okay. You are under warranty until March 20, 2006."

Me: "Oh... okay."

DW: "Could I get your email address please?"

Me: ...@B-G-N-E-T-.-B-G-S-U-.-E-D-U

DW: B as in Bob, G as in God, N as in Nancy, P as in Peter, T as in Ted dot B as in Bob, P as in Peter, S as in Sam, U as in University?

Me: No... B as in Bob, G as in Goat, N as in Nancy, E as in Easter, T as in Ted dot B as in Bob, G as in Goat, S as in Sam, U as in University

DW: B as in Bob, G as in God, N as in Nancy, P as in Peter...

Me: NO! E as in...

Nick: Edward

Me: Edward

DW: Edward

Me: Yes

DW: "What can I help you with today?"

Me: "My computer screen will not come on. I have turned the computer on and off several times and it still doesn't work. I've tried unplugging the AC adapter and replugging it, I've tried removing the battery, and it still won't come on. The computer is working, but the screen is not."

DW: "Okay, could I get you to turn off the system and unplug the AC adapter?"

Me: "I've tried this, but yes... it is now turned off and unplugged."

DW: "Now could you please remove the battery."

Me: "Okay, it's done"

...........

..........

Me: "Okay?"

DW: "Now please reconnect the Adapter and turn the system back on."

Me: "Okay.... done. I still don't see anything."

DW: "Is there anything on the screen?"

Me: "No. There is nothing on the screen."

DW: "Please turn the computer off again."

Me: "Okay."

DW: "Now press and hold the Fn button and turn the system on."

Me: "The what?"

DW: "The Fn button. It is by the spacebar."

Me: "Oh... okay. Done"

Computer: BEEEEEEP BEEP BEEEEEEEEEEP BEEP BEP BEEEEEP

DW (who is on speakerphone mind you): "You should hear the computer beeping. Is the computer beeping?"

Computer: BEEEEEEP BEEP BEEEEEEEEEEP BEEP BEP BEEEEP

Me: "Yes. It's beeping"

DW: "Is there anything on the screen?"

Me: "No"

DW: "Press the y button."

Me: "The what?"

..........

Nick: "The Y button."

Me: "The Y button?"

DW: "Yes."

Me: "Okay.... done."

DW: "Is there anything on the screen?"

Me: "No, still nothing."

DW: "Ma'am, may I put you on hold and check with a technician for further instructions?"

Me: "Yes"

.............

..............

DW: "Ma'am?"

Me: "Yes."

DW: "We are going to disconnect the memory chips"

Me: "Ummm... will that delete anything on my hard-drive?"

DW: "No, nothing will delete."

Me: "Okay..."

DW: "Turn the system off"

Me: "It's already off"

DW: "Unplug the battery"

Me: "It's out"

DW: "Flip the computer over"

Me: "Okay."

DW: "Do you have a phillips screwdriver?"

Me: "yes"

DW: "Is the battery compartment on the lower left?"

Me: "No, it's on the upper right."

DW: "The battery compartment is on the lower left."

Me: "No, the hinges are facing me and the battery compartment is on the upper right."

Nick: "Here... turn the computer around and it will be on the lower left"

Me: *flips computer around* "Okay... it's on the lower left"

DW: "Okay unscrew the two screws on the back by the battery compartment."

Me: *looking at the 10 screws on the back of the computer* "Which two?"

DW: "above the battery compartment is another compartment with two screws"

Me: "Oh... I see it... okay"

DW: "Now you should see two green chips"

Me: "Ummm... no, there is only one."

DW: "above the two chips there is a screw"

Me: "The modem?"

DW: "Yes, unscrew that"

Me: "Okay"

DW: "Disconnect the cable attached to the modem"

Me: "Okay"

DW: "Now pull out the chips"

Me: "What chips, under the modem?"

DW: "Pull out the green chips"

Me: "There is only one"

DW: "Pull it out"

Me: "okay"

DW: "Now plug back in all the chips and cables"

Me: "Okay... should I replace the lid too?"

DW: "Yes"

Me: "Okay... done"

DW: "Now we are going to unhook the monitor from the system. Do you see the hinges?"

Me: "Hinges... yes... I see them"

DW: "pry the covering off the hinges with a screwdriver"

Me: "where do I put the screwdriver without damaging the computer"

DW: "You won't damage it. Do you see the grooves on the side of the computer?"

Me: "Yes". *looking at vents*

DW: "Right above that is the hinge"

Me: "Okay..." *I finally see a little spot nowhere near the hinge for the screwdriver to fit into*

Me: "Okay, I got the one side to pop off, but I can't get it to lift all the way off without breaking."

DW: "You won't break it"

Me: *Pulls... almost breaks it... realize that I should put the screen all the way back*

Me: "Okay"

DW: "Now slide the keyboard off toward the screen"

Me: "Okay"

DW: "now unhook the cable"

Me: "Which cable, there are four"

DW: "The black and white cable. Unhook it from the screen."

Me: "I can't get ahold of it."

DW: "Just pull it out of the screen"

Me: "I just pull it out of the screen?"

DW: "Yes"

Me: *pulling from the screen, but not feeling right about it* "This isn't working. It doesn't disconnect."

DW: "Just pull it out of the screen."

Me: *spotting that the cable attached to the screen is also attached to a chip by two little connectors* "Do I pull it out of the chip?"

DW: "yes"

Me: *sigh* "Okay"

DW: "Now reconnect all the cables and keyboard and power on the system."

Me: "Okay............... I turned it on. Now it isn't even turning on. It just blinks and turns back off."

DW: "May I call you back in one or two hours"

Me: "Yes"

DW: "Okay. Thank you for calling Dell. Please contact us at support.dell.com if you have any questions"

Me: "okay, I will wait for your call in one or two hours"

.........


.........

So I hang up and realize that the system isn't turning on because one of the chips isn't in all the way... so I take the system apart again and replug the chip. The system turns on, but the screen still doesn't.

*Phone rings an hour or so later*

Me: "Hello"

DW (same woman): "May I speak with King Stephanie please?"

Me: "This is Stephanie King."

DW: "I am calling in regards to the system that isn't powering on."

Me: "I've got the system to power on now... one of the chips wasn't in all the way. I've also plugged another monitor into the computer and it works with another monitor but it still won't work on the laptop monitor."

DW: "We need to replace the LCD kit"

Me: "Okay, does that require me sending it in?"

DW: "Yes, we will send you a box and you will keep your battery, ac adapter and hard drive and then send us the computer in the box we provide."

Me: "Does this cost anything"

DW: "No"

Me: "Okay"

DW: "I will need to get your email address please."

Me: *stifling a distressed giggle* "... B as in Bob, G as in...."

DW: *repeats*

Me: "Yes"

DW: "We will send you a box and you will keep your battery, your ac adapter and your hard drive."

Me: "Yes, yes, you said that... but how do I remove the hard drive?"

DW: "Okay I will help you take out the battery... flip your system over."

Me: "NO.... I know how to take out the battery. How do I remove the hard drive"

DW: "Yes, I will help you take out the battery and the hard drive."

Me: "I just need to know how to take out the hard drive."

DW: "Do you have a phillips head screwdriver?"



.....


And it went on from there...

So I have to send my laptop off... right now I am using it on my old old old computer screen so I can see what I'm typing. But soon my laptop will be gone.

This has come at the worst time. My thesis is due next week and I won't have a computer to work on... :(

GAH! I have a love/hate relationship with technology.

How it happened:

It was 11:00pm after a comedy show in Myrtle Beach, SC. After we arrived back at the hotel, Nick suggested a seashell hunt on the beach. We walked toward a little swash where there were no hotels or bright lights or houses and it was just us on the beach with the ocean. He then told me that he found a little seashell for me and told me to close my eyes. When I opened my eyes, he was on one knee and asked me to marry him.

*sigh*

How romantic...

Yes...

I am now engaged. :) Nick and I are getting married. :) :) :)

I'm sorry for keeping everyone in suspense, but I didn't want to give too much away before all of my family members knew.

So now, all the aunts, uncles, cousins, etc are in the know -- and so are you!

Needless to say... I am very happy.

I will post details about the proposal, etc. when I've rested a little more from my trip. :)

03/08/2006

Mmm.... seafood.

The fish are really beautiful to look at... but I must say, the seafood buffets here are sooo good. Fresh. Wonderful.


Tomorrow is the last day here. :( Then it's back to OH.

This one is for the birds...

I decided to sit and feed the birds at Barefoot Landing. It was so great to feel their little toes on my hand. I love animals ... definitely one of the highlights of the day.

The Aquarium... *play Jaws theme here*

Yes, he's alive... Yes he's swimming over my head!

So, I'm feeling much better. I don't know what the deal was -- I was only sick for a day or so and then... *poof* better! So, what am I up to right now?

















This is the view from the balcony. *sigh* I wish it were the littlest bit warmer so I could run and jump into that water.
















Nope - they don't bite or sting... but they do have a mean tickle if you let their little legs run on your hand. :)

















Jellies!

What a fun way to spend the day.

Officially add

throwing up to the list of things wrong with me right now...

What a way to start Spring Break.

It is definitely not the time...

to get sick!!!

I was feeling fine this morning... but late this afternoon I started having alot of pain in my stomach and kidneys. I really can't afford to get sick right now... I am supposed to leave tomorrow and I don't want to be feeling awful on a 14 hour car trip.

What is wrong with me? Why can't I be WELL for a whole month? I'm really sick of sickness. Give me a break.

*sniff*

Okay. I'm going to go take some medicine.