Live and Let Di

A Little Slice of Apple

Anyone who has read my blog for any length of time knows that I have become a Mac evangelist over the past year. I love my MacBook. I got a Mac desktop for my kids. And yes, I got the iPhone two days after it came out. Hey...some people like purses and shoes...I'm all about technology.

The other day I was talking to one of the wonderful Apple customer service people whom I have the privilege of talking to thanks to my purchase of AppleCare. The Apple store is great. I've enjoyed the training I've gotten there, but sometimes you need an answer right now and I love being able to call for technical support on anything I want.

This guy gave me a short-cut that I think is so cool that I wanted to share it with you. As of this moment, there is not a way to sync documents (like from Excel, Word, etc.) with your iPhone. I was telling the guy that I liked having my To Be Read list from my Excel book journal on my Palm Pilot...and would like to have it on my iPhone. The work-around he gave me was to bring what you want on your iPhone up on the screen. Then press:

Apple-Shift-4

The cursor turns into the thing that looks like something you aim through on a gun...I've never touched a gun, but I've seen them on TV. You simply click on the corner of what you want to see, drag it to the other corner so that what you want is selected. When you release the keys, if your sound is on, you will hear a little sound like a shutter and you will find a file on your desktop that is called Picture1.png (or subsequently Picture2, etc.).

You can then drag it and drop it into iPhoto, then drop it in whatever folder you have sync to your iPhone for photos and there it will be! So, in my case, when I am in the library, I can simply open that picture on the iPhone and then zoom in to see the books sorted by author's last name and browse the stacks.

Di

Thursday Thirteen (Vol. 48)

Thirteen Reasons I Have Been Awake Since 4:00 a.m.


1. Ever since last Thursday, when I am driving carpool, I wake up every 15 minutes starting at about 4 a.m. just to ensure that we don't go through THAT again.

2. There comes a point in the morning when the two hours more that you could sleep does not seem as delightful as a nap-to-be-named-later.

3. Haley-O had her baby! On the 23rd...a boy.

4. The new TV season has started and I'm sure I haven't set my DVR for the shows I want to watch.

5. I still can't figure out how I shot a 63 on 9 holes on the second day of the Club Championship and then went out yesterday and shot a 50 practically effortlessly.

6. My 85 pound doberman has taken over three quarters of the bed.

7. House-building has invaded my brain and caused me to dream about wood flooring options and tile backsplashes.

8. My husband is coming into town and I know he is going to be appalled at the condition of the house...so I lie awake thinking about it, wake up and blog about it...but don't do anything to actually improve the situation.

9. The Fed dropped the interest rate and I haven't seen an effect that has made a difference in my life. I want instant gratification.

10. Did I mention we are building a house? I may not sleep until June!

11. I need to find a place to live while said house is being built...or it's going to be a double wide and waking up to the sounds of house demolition and nail guns.

12. I use too many ellipses.

13. I was so busy and frazzled yesterday that I forgot to eat dinner. Yes, it's true. I FORGOT to eat. So I woke up hungry. Had some Cheerios. Hope that buys me an hour.

Sweet dreams!

Di

Thursday Thirteen Participants

1. WorksForMom

2. Nicholas

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Thursday Thirteen (Vol. 47)

Thirteen Things I Did in the First 45 Minutes after I Woke Up

1. 6:44...opened my eyes and realized that my alarm didn't go off. I use my cell phone as an alarm and I had it on vibrate. Duh. I usually leave to drive carpool at 6:40.

2. 6:45...called another carpool parent who said she would drive the rest of the kids (bless you, Emma!)

3: 6:46...pushed the on button on my coffee maker, thanking myself for having the forethought to set it all up last night.

4. 6:47...my son comes running into my room saying, "Mom! What the heck? It's 6:47!"

5. 6:48...poured his cereal, woke my daughter to the anticipated drama, started making lunches.

6. 6:52...went into my daughter's room and made huge sweeping threats if she didn't get up and get moving RIGHT NOW!!!

7. 6:53...finished making lunches and packed them in the appropriate containers.

8. 6:54...finally poured myself a cup of coffee...took two or three big slugs of it and poured it into a "to-go" cup to take with us.

9. 7:00...realized that we might just make it.

10. 7:03...remembered that for a variety of reasons including golf yesterday, subbing for Bunco last night and my daughter's babysitting job last night, I had left my car in the parking lot by the golf course figuring I could drive over in the golf cart to get it in the morning.

11. 7:04...sped (inasmuch as my golf cart can speed) to where my car was, left the cart there, drove my car back to my house.

12. 7:08...finally got the kids loaded up and started pulling out the driveway. (Please note that at no time thus far have I mentioned changing out of my pajamas...so yes, I was driving a golf cart in our neighborhood in my pajamas and was now driving my potentially late children to school in my PJ's, not knowing if being late was going to mean that I would have to get out and sign them in at the office.)

13. 7:30...pulled back into my driveway after dropping my daughter off at 7:21 (her school starts at 7:20, but I figured all the people in front of and behind me were late too, so how bad could it be?) and dropping my son off at 7:26 (his school starts at 7:30, so now we were actually ON TIME!!!

Whew! I feel like I have lived half of a day already. I am thankful for Emma who was able to drive at a moment's notice, the traffic for being somewhat cooperative, the policeman who works traffic at the corner where we turn into the high school carpool lane, my children who turned it on and made it happen in record time, my pajamas for being presentable enough that if I absolutely had to, I could have gone into the office to sign them in, the fact that I DIDN'T have to go into the office to sign them in, the fact that we live in a SMALL TOWN where the schools are close enough together to drive between schools in 5 minutes and the fact that I am now sitting here typing this and drinking my second cup of coffee!

Thursday Thirteen Participants

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Lay That Trumpet in our Hands

When the cover quote reads, "Reminiscent of To Kill a Mockingbird", I must admit I am instantly skeptical. Lay That Trumpet in our Hands by Susan Carol McCarthy was one of two books (the other was The Demon in the Freezer) that was required reading for the high school my daughter was going to attend before we made the move back to North Carolina. It probably would have laid around the house unopened, but my friend Sheree whose daughter was going to that school e-mailed to say that it was excellent and that as a self-proclaimed "Florida cracker" it really made her think about what that means and the "sad and frustrating" history of the KKK in Florida and throughout the South.

Reesa McMahon is no Scout, but in so many other ways, I think that the comparison to To Kill a Mockingbird is not hyperbole. Reesa grows up in a home that fosters respect for all people regardless of race, but in a Florida citrus-growing town where the town leaders are also members of the KKK. The horror of the Klan hits home when her friend and a worker in the McMahon orange grove is murdered by the Klan in what turns out to be a case of mistaken identity...as if somehow it would have been warranted if they had killed the person they were really after!

Like Scout, Reesa is fortunate to have a father who is a strong, quiet believer in justice and can't sit by and allow the terror of the Klan to tear their community to shreds. The characters throughout the novel are drawn with complexity, clarity and realism rather than as caricatures that one might expect. There are clearly "good guys"...including Reesa's parents, her grandmother "Doto" and her blue Cadillac DeSoto and the FBI agents who become involved. There are "bad guys"...the KKK and the people who stand idly by and allow them to perpetuate a reign of terror on the very people who work in their groves, giving them their livelihood.

What keeps this novel from simply being a didactic rant against racism are the characters, their heroic actions and the historically accurate description of the world of the "Florida cracker" community in the 1950's.

Thursday Thirteen (Vol. 46)

Thirteen things I would love to see happen in the next week:

1. For me to win my golf match on Thursday so I can have a chance to play in the finals to be the CHAMPION (of the third flight!)

2. For us to get an offer an a house.

3. For us to find and agree upon the perfect floor plan for the house we are going to build.

4. To get a hole-in-one (extra special if I could get it in my match on Thursday!)

5. For the three girls I'm driving three hours with on Friday to get along, agree on a DVD to watch and NOT insist on changing the radio station more than 20 times per hour.

6. To win the lottery which five couples have gone in on for the rest of the year...but why wait? I want it now!

7. For my friends who are still in the match-play tournament to win their matches...go Karen! Go Susan!

8. To find some secret to Sudoku that is keeping me from consistently solving the "hard" puzzles.

9. To start and finish a book that sucks me in from page 1 and won't let me put it down until I'm finished.

10. To miraculously remember Geometry...my daughter is taking it and I was SO much help up until now because I love Algebra...but Geometry is totally escaping me.

11. To drop the pounds I seem to have gained without any exertion whatsoever.

12. To finally develop a thicker skin and not let things weigh on me so heavily...I simply can't let some things go, particularly things that I find unjust or unfounded.

13. For my children to clean their rooms, feed the dog, empty the dishwasher and take out the trash WITHOUT BEING ASKED!!!

Needless to say, I'm living in a fantasy world....but if you don't dream big, you'll never achieve!

Di

Mystic Pizza Monday

I rarely just turn on the TV and flip, but tonight I did and I just couldn't resist when the LMN (Lifetime Movie Network - I know, it was new to me too) was showing Mystic Pizza. The 1988 movie marked some big hair, early career moments for Julia Roberts, Lili Taylor as Jojo, channeling her future Corey on Say Anything and Annabeth Gish being all earnest and sensitive like her future "Pudge" in Shag.

If you have any delusions that big hair, leggings and big shirts are a good look...rewatch Mystic Pizza.

So, my question for those fellow Mystic Pizza fans...and no going to IMDB...blogging is a game of honor...what future Oscar winner has about a half a line at the dinner table of Daisy's rich boyfriend's family? Hint: his Oscar was not for acting.

And just for the record...it's not fair...there is a local sports show called Sports Night...and I just saw it on the guide and for one hopeful moment I hoped that somehow one of the best, most underrated sitcoms of all time was sold into syndication.

Thursday Thirteen (Vol. 45)

My Thirteen Favorite Sports Books

...and no, they are not ALL going to be about golf!!! My relationship to sports goes back a few generations...my grandparents were die-hard Mets fans. My Dad has played and watched about every sport there is. I never really "played" a sport...was a cheerleader in high school. But now that I am in my 40's and incredibly into golf, I love reading about sports, the psychology of sports, the statistics, the real world behind the game, etc. Here are some of my favorites:
1.
Crooked Little Heart by Anne Lamott

I am mostly an Anne Lamott non-fiction fan, but this book captured me with the story of a young girl who is consumed with tournament tennis and dealing with the dysfunction of her family.

2.
Wait Till Next Year by Doris Kearns Goodwin

I have recommended this memoir to so many people. Goodwin, who is known for her biographical works, waxes rhapsodic about the joys of living in New York in the heydey of the Giants, the Yankees and the Dodgers. For those who long for the days when a player was with a team for life, there were no free agents and no designated hitter...this is a must-read!

3.
Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer   

Climbing Everest is is not a "sport" I understand, but reading this book helped me to understand what drives people to pursue goals like reaching Everest's peak. It is a sad story, involving tremendous loss of life, but absolutely riveting.

4.
The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon by Stephen King

A young girl, lost in the woods, uses her love of the Boston Red Sox and her adoration of Tom Gordon to get her through the night.

5.
The Legend of Bagger Vance by Steven Pressfield   

I am not usually a fan of the kind of "magical realism" that characterizes this novel, but it captured the game of golf by telling a story that makes the allure of the game understandable.

6.
It's Not About the Bike by Lance Armstrong

I am not a cyclist, but my best friend Amy has ridden for years in the Pan Mass Challenge to raise money for cancer research. She recommended this book...and whether you care about cycling, care about Lance Armstrong, believe he's on steroids or believe he's all about his own PR...it's an inspirational story of overcoming enormous odds to achieve one's dreams.

7.
Seabiscuit by Laura Hillenbrand   

I never would have read a book about a horse except for the recommendation from my friend Barbie and that my book group selected it. I started it on a totally relaxing girls' weekend away at Topsail Island and was utterly enthralled from the beginning . The love of the trainer, jockey and owners for this horse made it a compelling story. I loved the descriptions of the horse business at the time, what jockeys went through, etc.

8.
The Cruelest Miles: The Heroic Story of Dogs and Men in a Race Against an Epidemic by Gay Salisbury   

A great story of the dogsleds and their fearless drivers who brought diptheria antitoxin to Nome Alaska in 1925. The story from which the children's books about Balto developed. I'm not sure if in this story, dogsledding can or should be considered a sport...but it's inclusion in my list is my choice!

9.
Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game by Michael Lewis   What a great book! Combines two of my favorite things…statistics and baseball. It's about how the Oakland A's changed how players' statistics are evaluated to select players, allowing Oakland to compete while having one of the lowest salary budgets.

10.
The Little Red Book by Harvey Penick   

A collection of notes from famed golf pro, Harvey Penick. He has such a kind way of teaching the game and respecting the players he teaches.

11.
For All Who Love the Game by Harvey Penick   

Given to me by friend and golfing buddy, Paula, this book is more wonderful golf wisdom by Harvey Penick, but this time slanted lovingly toward women. I enjoy Harvey's no-nonsense, non-technical, positive approach to the game. It's all about what you do, not what you shouldn't do.

12.
Golf is Not a Game of Perfect by Robert Rotella   

This was a re-read of a book originally recommended to me by my golf pro, Evelyn, who understands that I love to learn about the psychology of the game as well as the mechanics. But it was perfect timing. I was laying in a weekend tournament and didn't do too well on Saturday. Evelyn overheard me saying something about not playing well and said I needed to change my attitude. So I re-read the book and went back the next day with a much better game.

13.
The Perfect Mile by Neal Bascomb 

A fascinating story of three men from three different continents, each focused on breaking the barrier of the four-minute mile. I originally read this several years ago before my husband became a runner and ran his first marathon and now this has me thinking that this would be a great book for him to read!

So, what are your favorite sports books?

Di

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4. Nicholas 5. pussreboots 6. tynz

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Playing with Matches

There are STILL those men who think women should not be allowed to play golf on "their" golf courses.

And then there are the more "enlightened" ones who think it's OK for ladies to play, as long as it's not on weekend mornings, on "Ladies' Day" (which seems to universally be Tuesday) and as long as they keep to themselves except for "Couples" events which are really more about drinking and socializing than golf.

And then there are those who truly enjoy playing with women, appreciate the LPGA...and OK, let's be real, fantasize about Paula Creamer playing in a thong.

For the golf-challenged or golf-blivious amongst my readers, there are (to completely oversimplify it) two ways to play golf. Stroke Play is what you mostly see on TV. Tiger shoots a 69, Phil shoots a 70 and some guy you've never heard of shoots a 71 and they place first, second and third. Match Play is used in the Ryder Cup and other international team events. In Match play, you win, lose or split a hole. So if Tiger makes Birdie and Phil makes Par, Tiger wins the hole. If they both make Birdie, they split the hole and are "all square" until someone wins a hole and goes "one up".

The interesting thing about it is that if I shoot a 9 on the first hole and my opponent shoots a 5 (which happens to be par on our course), I lose one hole...I'm not four shots behind after one hole. For years, the men in our club have had an annual match play tournament. Brackets, kind of like the NCAA basketball brackets, are set up based on one's handicap...the 8 seed plays the 1 seed, the 7 seed plays the 2 seed, etc. For each round of play, the men have two weeks to set up and play the match. So, in a strikingly unmanly fashion, they call each other, e-mail each other and come up with a convenient time for both of them to play. It's kind of like women do EVERY DAY OF THE EAR trying to balance kids' sports schedules, homework, laundry, getting together with friends, etc.

So, a few weeks ago, I said to one of our pros, Dave, "Hey, why don't we have a Match Play tournament for women?" Dave, who doesn't realize that I take EVERYTHING as a challenge, said, "You could never get enough women to play." Ahem...you are about to learn with whom you are dealing. "How many do we need?" After his response of 16, I said, "Ten bucks says I'll have 16 signed up by tomorrow."

And now, here we are, in our second round of play with a field of over 20 women and we are HAVING A BLAST!!! We are learning more about a golf format that we have rarely been exposed to. We are well-matched because we are playing people who are within 8-10 strokes of our own handicaps. We are challenged because we aren't "getting strokes", so if we are pitted against a better golfer, the bar is raised and we have to play our strongest game if we want to move on to the next round.

We had one round that was not decided until the 18th hole. We had one round that had to go to a play-off hole. I personally lost a hole because I inadvertently hit my opponent's ball...a big golf faux pas to begin with, but an automatic "loss of hole" in match play. We are trash-talking. We are sitting around on the clubhouse deck dissecting our games hole-by-hole, just like we used to roll our eyes when they guys did it. So next time you hear "don't play with matches", think again. It's fun!

Di