Get out the cheese - cuz here comes the whining!

But first --- oh boy was Sisters awesome this year!  Ladies, it was high of 80 degrees!  40s over night!!  Yeah, I couldn't believe it either.  Wonderful!  You were still par-broiled by the end of the day, of course, but it didn't take a week to recover! Good food and music over in Bend - all in all a favorite year indeed!

And the quilts were awesome as usual.  I DID feel sorry for the woman who entered the Dear Jane quilt - it hung in full sun all day.  Way to much work for sun damage, IMHO!  And I have to admit, Modern quilts are growing on me!!  May have to experiment a little this year.  C, M and I met up and issued a challenge to bring a small quilt with us next year for show 'n tell!  Might try modern!! We've been meeting most years since 2007.  Always fun to get caught up, gals!!

Went to the Quilt Expo in Redmond too.  Worse signage EVER!!  Not one helpful sign on a main road. L and I were trying to find it and it didn't help that the street changed names too!  I even went to the website and clicked on directions.  Using the 'web' version on my phone,  I got a 'map' with a pin stuck in the middle of nowhere!! No street names. Not as helpful as hoped for!!

But find it, we did. $12 to get in for the hour I had available :< But the vendors were really, really good, nice selection of everything.  I left a lot of favorites there ... came home with a book, some tiny buttons, and a cute dog pattern of a Jack Russell Terrier!  The only fabric I bought on the whole trip was backing for a quilt that WILL be finished by September [I hope!]  BUT I did drool over the Moda Layer Cake of WOOLS!  In my favorite colors too!! Alas, didn't get it, but I'm still drooling over it when I think of it!!

I also got two wool patterns at a shop along the way.  I was really, really good this trip!!  But bought 3 blouses - so it all averaged out.

Funny story - bought a "Drawstrings of Malibu" top that is three layers of cotton; hem is triangular - lower on one side. real cute and comfy.  When I got home I threw it in the wash - on gentle, in cold, etc.  But when I took it out to hang it - well, it took me 15 minutes to get it back in the right layer order!!  I swear I had it every which way - several times!  How could there always be a seam facing the wrong way??  Even DH wondered where I disappeared to!!  NEXT  TIME before I wash it, I'm going to put an safety pin thru all the layers somewhere inconspicuous to keep them from getting so mixed up!! [All right, if I will if I remember!!]

Cheese ready??? Here comes the major whining session!!!  I've had a hard year with computers!!  First, I had to switch from Internet Explorer to Chrome.  I like Chrome but handling bookmarks is crappy!  In IE I was able to db click on the list and it opened it's own window.  You could go thru them in order and they even stayed on the site you just went to so you knew where you were. I guess "glass half full" outlook was at least I was able to import my IE bookmarks.  HA!

Then our notebook computer decided it was done traveling!  It won't let us on anyone's secured network - not even our kids' where it operated just fine before!  It IS perfectly happy to sit on our dining room table and be on our wifi ... oh - and one of the hinges is broken too! Poor thing!

In my past life, I was computer savvy!  Honest!  Our office was even a beta tester for Windows and Microsoft. I knew the jargon; I had 'fixes' that worked and I could decypher what I needed for my usage!  HA!  I headed off to the computer store for a replacement and I swear I didn't even know the first thing of what they were talking about! Platforms had changed; manufacturers, memory requirements ... yada, yada, yada.  And I couldn't understand the difference between the cheapest and the most expensive and what I really needed!  AND, worse luck, I'd moved away from our IT guy at the U!!  No guidance here!

They did all agree that Windows Eight was a bugger and I'd need to take classes to understand it! I live in the boonies - classes are always the wrong quarter in our small community college - IF they offer what I want!

So-o I thought if I needed to rethink everything - might as well go with what my friends were bragging about! YEP, I went to the dark side - I'm an IPAD gal now.  And in general it's pretty easy.  I did get hooked on a few free games!! DH was grousing about paying that much for a 'game-boy'!! BUT he wasn't hooked on Free Flow or Golf Solitaire either!!

• I really miss Word, Excel and Access.  Not impressed with IPAD's 'Numbers'.  
• It only has one thing open at a time!
• My friend M guided me thru a few 'gotta haves' but I confess, I haven't played with them as much as I should have.  
• I didn't find a place to put my "Favorites" websites.  
• And I'm still need to learn how to PIN from a web site.

What it does really well:  

• Podcasts!!  What fun!!  I'm hooked on Julian Michaels.  I always take my IPAD into the sewing room when sewing!  
• Facebook is oh-so-easy on the Ipad.  
• Pinterest is awesome when gathering from other Pinterest boards - way too easy!!
• MyFitnessPal is a great diet and exercise journal.
• Kindle is great. Bookbub offers free kindle books every day!

I now declare whining is over!  I'm sending this blog entry from our laptop so there is still some learning to do this on the Ipad!  But, I will have lots of time over the winter when it's rainy season!! I've been busy making post cards for a group I now belong to - next time, pictures!  I promise!

Enjoy the rest of the summer!

Well, maybe for some of you!!  It'll be about the same here on the coast!!