(usually barefoot) meg

(usually barefoot) meg http://barefootmeg.multiply.com/ The tags below will help you find my posts by topic. However, if you're not one of my contacts, then you'll only have access to about 1/3 of my posts. (I only accept contacts that I either know in "real life" or that I've gotten to know very well on Multiply.) Wed, 16 May 2012 14:04:11 -0000 Wed, 2 May 2012 12:25:00 -0000 (usually barefoot) meg http://multiply.com/mu/barefootmeg/logo http://barefootmeg.multiply.com/ 100 100 Muskrat Sighting http://barefootmeg.multiply.com/journal/item/402/Muskrat_Sighting While walking along the Poudre river Monday, I stopped on the Hickory Spur bridge to look at the patterns of bubbles in the water (They were all in skinny rows, evenly spaced apart. Odd that.) when I spotted a small, brown, floating island. I immediately grabbed my camera, and managed to snap this photo when the little guy stopped for a break on a log in the water. I *think* it's a muskrat, but I'm really not sure how you tell a muskrat from a beaver (except for the tail, which I never saw). <img src="http://northofprospect.com/images/stories/images/muskrat.jpg"> http://barefootmeg.multiply.com/journal/item/402/Muskrat_Sighting Wed, 2 May 2012 12:25:00 -0000 Meg and Big A http://barefootmeg.multiply.com/journal/item/401/Meg_and_Big_A My cousin Mary is in town. Yesterday we headed down to my sister's place to see my nephew. Mary snapped this photo of me showing Big A the photos on my camera.  <a href="http://barefootmeg.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/223754"><img border="0" class="alignmiddleb" src="http://multiply.com/mu/barefootmeg/image/lYJfaymRoMD2Wkk+JJg4sg/photos/1M/1200x1200/223754/Image.jpg?et=g3BBpEPZ%2BytE7E4z7TzJ8Q&nmid=0" width="600"></a> http://barefootmeg.multiply.com/journal/item/401/Meg_and_Big_A Tue, 24 Apr 2012 13:37:00 -0000 Meet Daisy, our foster dog http://barefootmeg.multiply.com/journal/item/400/Meet_Daisy_our_foster_dog We took in Daisy about three weeks ago. She's a charming little girl, about 10 months old, who can run fast as lightning, catches and kills mice, loves to sleep at your feet, and is afraid of noises in the dark.  <a href="http://barefootmeg.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/223585"><img border="0" class="alignmiddleb" src="//multiply.com/mu/barefootmeg/image/R2PBiPBxipOdyGRF0+UIJQ/photos/1M/300x300/223585/IMG-2404.JPG?et=qlo5Mo1SjnnwBCxQcv%2BmRw&nmid=0"></a>Every morning I take the dogs out for an hour long walk. When I get a chance, I drop their leashes and let them run. Daisy loves to run in huge looping circles around us. Laika used to do the same when she was younger, but now she tries to take short cuts and cut Daisy off at the pass. They love to play together when they're out in a big field. Laika's not so interested in playing when she's at home, though. Daisy can be a bit too much spunk and spontaneity for Laika who is 12 years old.  <a href="http://barefootmeg.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/223586"><img border="0" class="alignmiddleb" src="//multiply.com/mu/barefootmeg/image/x0JQJkBykigNQVuK7gzB3w/photos/1M/300x300/223586/IMG-2450.JPG?et=8wno34MNJ5m6E5wKuAXfDw&nmid=0"></a>Come on in! The water's fine.I discovered yesterday that Daisy is a big fan of splashing about in the water. We went walking along the storage ponds behind the kids' school yesterday and Daisy was eyeing the water, but I pointed out that it was cold out and she'd freeze her ... http://barefootmeg.multiply.com/journal/item/400/Meet_Daisy_our_foster_dog Tue, 3 Apr 2012 18:26:00 -0000 Naomi "trimmed" my hair this morning http://barefootmeg.multiply.com/journal/item/399/Naomi_trimmed_my_hair_this_morning <a href="http://barefootmeg.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/223578"><img border="0" class="alignmiddleb" src="//multiply.com/mu/barefootmeg/image/62o5LskgStmKjPqhhFakCA/photos/1M/300x300/223578/IMG-2321.JPG?et=PWCEoJBCD%2CHRpju%2Byn0xAw&nmid=0"></a>I asked one of my daughters to trim my hair this morning. She's done it before and done a decent job. And when you have long, somewhat wavy hair, it doesn't really matter how straight the cut it. So before the kids ran off to catch the bus this morning I asked for a really quick 2-inch trim. She even touched a point on my back and said, "You mean to here?" and it felt like a little more than 2 inches (maybe 4?) but it was still alright.  As you can tell from the photo, it ended up being closer to 8! With only 2 more inches I could have sent this to Locks of Love.  Though I've often wondered about that place. I know many, many people who have sent hair to Locks of Love, but I've never met anyone that received a wig from Locks of Love. Have you? http://barefootmeg.multiply.com/journal/item/399/Naomi_trimmed_my_hair_this_morning Wed, 28 Mar 2012 13:52:00 -0000 Meet Bovril, our new kitty http://barefootmeg.multiply.com/photos/album/691/Meet_Bovril_our_new_kitty <img src="http://multiply.com/mu/barefootmeg/image/2/photos/679/800x800/15/IMG-0071.JPG?et=2M20VQm7OOMcGIZMR7LmYQ&nmid=492588020" width="200"><-- Little Bo, snuggled up with his mama. In August we took in a batch of 4 kitties and their mama. In October we gave them all back to the Humane Society to put up for adoption... except one, Horus (Horace). He was the only boy in the litter and we hoped that despite Mr. Tibb's obvious displeasure at having interlopers in the house, the two would eventually become friends. We changed Horus's name to Bovril, naming him after one of the furry creatures in Scott Westerfield's steampunk series,<a href="http://scottwesterfeld.com/books/leviathan/"> Leviathan</a>. (Bovril means "meat paste.") And we call him Bo for short. Though Tibbs was pretty upset that we'd apparently forgotten to take one of the kitty brats back to the pound, Bo kept at it and eventually Tibbs gave in enough to let Bo groom him. Before long they were on playing terms, and now-a-days you'll find them curled up next to each other during nap times. http://barefootmeg.multiply.com/photos/album/691/Meet_Bovril_our_new_kitty Mon, 26 Mar 2012 18:24:17 -0000 Woot! I just finished the school yearbook. That's yet another big project off my "to do" list. Next... taxes. http://barefootmeg.multiply.com/notes/item/489 http://barefootmeg.multiply.com/notes/item/489 Fri, 16 Mar 2012 19:58:42 -0000 I can walk 10,000 steps and I can walk 10,000 more. http://barefootmeg.multiply.com/journal/item/398/I_can_walk_10000_steps_and_I_can_walk_10000_more._ I read an article in the New York Times Science Times last Tuesday entitled, "<a href="http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/02/29/why-its-so-important-to-keep-moving/">Why It's So Important to Keep Moving</a>", by Gretchen Reynolds. It made me decide to go out and buy a pedometer.  <img border="0" class="alignleft" src="http://multiply.com/mu/barefootmeg/image/NS5vXxD1ddeHDv1qn+i53Q/photos/1M/300x300/223470/walkingfigure.jpg?et=1weSsn%2CUqBZ3vMIFzmCveA&nmid=0">According to the article, people that walk less then 5,000 steps a day are more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes and heart disease. There's something about 5,000 steps a day vs. at least 10,000 steps a day that makes a difference in how blood sugar is processed by the body. Reynolds describes an experiment that was done with several volunteers who regularly walked well over 10,000 steps a day. They tracked what they ate and how much they walked for three days, then they were asked to deliberately cut their walking down to only 5,000 steps a day for the next three day period. No changes were made to their food, they simply changed how they went about their day. They took the elevator instead of the stairs, didn't work out, drove instead of walked, and so on. "During the three days of inactiv... http://barefootmeg.multiply.com/journal/item/398/I_can_walk_10000_steps_and_I_can_walk_10000_more._ Tue, 13 Mar 2012 01:57:00 -0000 Got rid of 11 grocery bags worth of clothes and toys from the girls' room in the past week. Woot! Thanks mom, for helping me tackle that closet. http://barefootmeg.multiply.com/notes/item/488 http://barefootmeg.multiply.com/notes/item/488 Tue, 28 Feb 2012 20:27:08 -0000 What is "television"? http://barefootmeg.multiply.com/journal/item/396/What_is_television <a href="http://barefootmeg.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/222236"><img border="0" class="alignright" src="//multiply.com/mu/barefootmeg/image/1Kq07OhweB2nksTPPzh2nQ/photos/1M/300x300/222236/tv.jpg?et=CNkgrAov0hBCOlqwc4rBGg&nmid=0"></a>What does "television" mean to you? I'm not talking about the physical box in the living room. I'm talking about the television in the sentence, "I'm watching television."  If you're watching an old episode of "Lost in Space" on <a href="http://netflix.com/">Netflix</a>, are you watching television? Or what if you're watching a current episode of "<a href="http://www.nbc.com/grimm/">Grimm</a>" on NBC.com, is that television? What does it mean, anymore, to say that you're watching television? Does it have to run through a cable box to count? Or float through the airwaves? But if you're watching the exact same content (minus the commercials) that other people are watching via airwaves or cable, then wouldn't it be considered "television"? And if it's not "television" then what is it? Just a "show"?  And once we get "television" sorted, can I ask about another word that's been niggling at me? What is a "channel"? Does anyone use channels anymore? I suppose you do if you get your "television" through the airwaves or through cable. But I'd be willing to ... http://barefootmeg.multiply.com/journal/item/396/What_is_television Thu, 16 Feb 2012 00:57:00 -0000 Just returned from an AMAZING night at the For the Love of Lincoln silent auction. The room was literally filled with Love for Lincoln. The "I love Lincoln" shirts were a huge hit. Several teachers hugged me and thanked me and told me how loved they felt. Several parents told me they had a great time. And best of all, several community members who had no connection to Lincoln donated above and beyond the items they won, one woman donated a rafting trip to a student who couldn't otherwise afford it, and several people said "keep the change" after handing over large bills. Like I said, the room was filled with Lincoln Love. Woo hoo!!!! http://barefootmeg.multiply.com/notes/item/487 http://barefootmeg.multiply.com/notes/item/487 Sat, 11 Feb 2012 06:33:51 -0000 I've been driving around with a life sized metal Lancer in my car all day. His little metal feather bits (on the top of his helmet) keep flopping about beside me when I hit a bump in the road. The Lancer will be greeting everyone at the silent auction tonight. :-) http://barefootmeg.multiply.com/notes/item/486 http://barefootmeg.multiply.com/notes/item/486 Fri, 10 Feb 2012 22:32:57 -0000 Took Nathan to the orthodontist. Walked in, checked him in and sat down. He took his time coming in, didn't see where I went and was wandering around inside the wrong building when they called his name. Afterwards, when we got home, he remembered he left his math homework there. The office is already closed till Monday morning. This kid will be going off to college on his own in 4 1/2 years. How in the world will he survive?!!!! http://barefootmeg.multiply.com/notes/item/485 http://barefootmeg.multiply.com/notes/item/485 Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:29:51 -0000 Sometimes you shouldn't read the fine print too closely http://barefootmeg.multiply.com/journal/item/395/Sometimes_you_shouldnt_read_the_fine_print_too_closely My husband recently had a prescription filled for medicinal eye drops. When he opened the package he decided to read through some of the fine print. Big mistake. He discovered the following: Cyclosporine has not been found mutagenic/genotoxic in the Ames Test, the V79-HGPRT Test, the micronucleus test in mice and Chinese hamsters, the chromosome-aberration tests in Chinese hamster bone-marrow, the mouse dominant lethal assay, and the DNA-repair test in sperm from treated mice.  <img border="0" class="alignright" src="http://multiply.com/mu/barefootmeg/image/aUvajHopLfQYzpiApsfcnw/photos/1M/300x300/222188/tumblr-l96fnpIOc41qbvnavo1-500.jpg?et=Vg4U9C%2BrU0Ib5li3QXDyzQ&nmid=0">There were also no infertility problems in rats who were orally given these eyes drops.  !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What in the world?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  1) First off, what is the difference between a Chinese hamster and a hamster from anywhere else in the world?  2) Hamster bone-marrow? Really?  3) Mouse sperm? How do you collect that? 4) How many mice, Chinese hamsters, and rats gave up their lives so that my husband's eyes can be more comfortable?  5) If this is a drug intended to increase tearing o... http://barefootmeg.multiply.com/journal/item/395/Sometimes_you_shouldnt_read_the_fine_print_too_closely Fri, 3 Feb 2012 18:26:00 -0000 Update on my grandmother: She had (20 minutes) surgery on her back on Wednesday. Saw her last night and she's like a new woman. Not sure if she goes home or to rehab next. http://barefootmeg.multiply.com/notes/item/484 http://barefootmeg.multiply.com/notes/item/484 Fri, 3 Feb 2012 14:59:32 -0000 Confusing Introversion and Extraversion with Judging and Perceiving http://barefootmeg.multiply.com/journal/item/394/Confusing_Introversion_and_Extraversion_with_Judging_and_Perceiving <a href="http://barefootmeg.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/222187"><img border="0" class="alignright" src="//multiply.com/mu/barefootmeg/image/yx4M2-kVEs-DM3DbDbbzJw/photos/1M/300x300/222187/Introvert-vs-Extrovert-by-brianop87.jpg?et=0RI3AOyxsvAK0eDG2vbpjg&nmid=0"></a>My mom dropped off the latest edition of Time Magazine for me to read. I've only gotten as far as <a href="http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2105435,00.html">the letter from the editor</a> and I'm already questioning some of what they're saying. (Is it that I'm picky, or that they're just wrong?) From what Richard Stengel, the managing editor of Time Magaine, says, it sounds like they're specifically looking at introversion and extraversion as it relates to campaigning. (Introversion vs Extraversion is a hot topic lately, by the way, because a new book has just come out called <a href="http://www.thepowerofintroverts.com/">Quiet, by Susan Cain</a>.) Near the end of his column he says,  No one wants to see a shy candidate on the podium who looks as if he'd rather be in a room by himself. But campaigning is not governing, a task for which a more introverted style might have advantages. Research suggests that extroverted leaders are more likely to make quick and sometimes rash decisions, while introverted leaders tend to gather more evidence and are slower to judgment. Is that true? Are extraverts ... http://barefootmeg.multiply.com/journal/item/394/Confusing_Introversion_and_Extraversion_with_Judging_and_Perceiving Thu, 2 Feb 2012 15:20:00 -0000 My grandmother had a cat http://barefootmeg.multiply.com/journal/item/393/My_grandmother_had_a_cat <a href="http://barefootmeg.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/8914"><img border="0" class="alignleft" src="//multiply.com/mu/barefootmeg/image/dFVwGVOUYWhSeDcmO-HVpA/photos/1M/300x300/8914/8.jpg?et=8P6WAFtC0OjX1V2Xx%2BpDfg&nmid=0"></a>I went over to the hospital this evening to hang out with my grandmother who managed to fracture her back yesterday. (She's 89. Brittle bones happen.) I got there only a few minutes before they shot her full of pain meds, so she ended up napping and I ended up working on figuring out why my year end numbers aren't matching up.  <a href="http://barefootmeg.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/9080"><img border="0" class="alignright" src="//multiply.com/mu/barefootmeg/image/yqcF5e7dqGUaK-c5yCMYyQ/photos/1M/300x300/9080/r.jpg?et=G0ffTYHg34yzB8lVdQdgwA&nmid=0"></a>But a little after 7 o'clock, the day nurse came in to introduce the night nurse, so they woke my grandmother up. They took her vitals, asked her for her name and birthdate. Then they asked if there was anything else they could get her. I expected her to groggily reply, "No, thank you." But instead she popped out with, "You can get me a margarita." lol! Since she was awake and rather lucid, I showed her some pictures that the girls had drawn, I read an email to her from Naomi, and then somehow we got onto the topic of cats. She asked about our cats and what their names were.  I should interject here that all the time I've known my grandmother, she's n... http://barefootmeg.multiply.com/journal/item/393/My_grandmother_had_a_cat Wed, 1 Feb 2012 03:40:00 -0000 My grandmother fell. I'm heading over there right now to see how she's doing and how bad it is. http://barefootmeg.multiply.com/notes/item/483 http://barefootmeg.multiply.com/notes/item/483 Mon, 30 Jan 2012 16:48:47 -0000 Lincoln Jam Kickstarter Campaign http://barefootmeg.multiply.com/journal/item/392/Lincoln_Jam_Kickstarter_Campaign <a href="http://barefootmeg.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/222175"><img border="0" class="alignleft" src="http://multiply.com/mu/barefootmeg/image/PIJi28koWvfN0V2pnKzlpA/photos/1M/1200x1200/222175/Group2.png?et=WdSz%2BCvS%2Cbyoo4PXBqZRUQ&nmid=0"></a>Woot! <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1557647307/the-lincoln-jam-a-mashup-of-music-videography-and">Our Kickstarter campaign</a> has started. This is a fundraiser for a band-art-video mashup group that we're just starting this year at the kids' school.  Last year we had a House Band which focused only on music. It was partially funded by the <a href="http://kidscreatethemusic.org/">Kids Create the Music Foundation</a> and it was one of three middle school bands in town. This year we're breaking off to do our own thing. We want to get more kids involved and one way to do that is to include art and filming. I'm in charge of the three video peeps. (1 sixth grader and 2 eighth graders) Adam Grosso, the drummer for <a href="http://www.reverbnation.com/euforquestra">Euforquestra</a>, is training and directing the band. (He does a really amazing job with the kids.) And we're still looking for someone to coordinate the art part of our group, so in the meantime the school art teacher is trying to help out as much as she can.  <a href="http://barefootmeg.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/1M/222176"><img border="0" class="alignright" src="//multiply.com/mu/barefootmeg/image/t-ftqM1AsdpPt-0Ei-vkEQ/photos/1M/300x300/222176/IMG-1353.jpg?et=%2Cfj9h6CTvejcx1Nybf0twQ&nmid=0"></a>If you click through to our <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1557647307/the-lincoln-jam-a-mashup-of-music-videography-and">Kickstarter page</a>, you can find out a whole lot more about the Lincoln Jam and you can watch the video that I put toget... http://barefootmeg.multiply.com/journal/item/392/Lincoln_Jam_Kickstarter_Campaign Tue, 24 Jan 2012 21:17:00 -0000 I'm working on the school yearbook. If you're opening up a yearbook, which grade to you expect to see first, the youngest students or the oldest? Last year's yearbook had the youngest class first. But older yearbooks have the oldest class first. I've gotta decide which direction to go so I can start laying out photos. http://barefootmeg.multiply.com/notes/item/482 http://barefootmeg.multiply.com/notes/item/482 Tue, 24 Jan 2012 20:41:46 -0000 Hitting my head against the wall. 941s simply don't agree with me... on any level. http://barefootmeg.multiply.com/notes/item/481 http://barefootmeg.multiply.com/notes/item/481 Thu, 19 Jan 2012 19:50:36 -0000 I have been extroverted upon to nearly the breaking point over the past 3 days. I'm hoping for a very, very quiet weekend. In fact, I think at this point I would pay good money to be put in solitary confinement for awhile. :-| http://barefootmeg.multiply.com/notes/item/480 http://barefootmeg.multiply.com/notes/item/480 Fri, 13 Jan 2012 06:26:51 -0000 I hate when something goes wrong (Needed to do an emergency update of the billing info for the website of a foundation I do work for.) and it means I'm going to have to make a phone call. I stopped and made a cup of tea for myself and got some "rewards" to help pump me up for the call. (Rewards = homemade chocolate drizzled biscotti by Rob plus one peanut and chocolate candy bar) :-) Still trying to put off the call I took one last stab at resolving the problem online (after already having poured a fair bit of time into it) and VIOLA! I managed to figure out the right combination of usernames and multiple passwords to get in and make the needed changes. Whew! Yet one more phone call avoided. http://barefootmeg.multiply.com/notes/item/479 http://barefootmeg.multiply.com/notes/item/479 Wed, 11 Jan 2012 19:26:23 -0000 Nathan is biking 8 miles to the nearest Toys R Us, by himself. I'm a bundle of nerves. http://barefootmeg.multiply.com/notes/item/478 http://barefootmeg.multiply.com/notes/item/478 Wed, 4 Jan 2012 17:55:41 -0000 i think i've said it before but i'd like to take this opportunity to say it again, figuring out payroll taxes is a pain in the butt. i have to make an adjustment for the 4th quarter to take into account the social security tax cut, and i'm very tempted to just overpay and let the IRS sort out what it should have been. grrrr. http://barefootmeg.multiply.com/notes/item/477 http://barefootmeg.multiply.com/notes/item/477 Thu, 29 Dec 2011 03:34:20 -0000 Nyquil takes away your aches and pains and gives you an extra little dose of happiness. The bit I took this morning is starting to wear off. I didn't get much work done this morning, but boy did I feel good. Now I'm debating whether I should deal with the pain and get some work done (Gotta close the books for the year.) or take another shot and spend some more time in happy land. ... I think I'll try to hold off for an hour and see how much work I can plow through. http://barefootmeg.multiply.com/notes/item/476 http://barefootmeg.multiply.com/notes/item/476 Wed, 28 Dec 2011 18:13:37 -0000 Ukrainian song to ring in the new year http://barefootmeg.multiply.com/links/item/176/Ukrainian_song_to_ring_in_the_new_year You may be familiar with the song "Carol of the Bells" which is based on a Ukrainian tune. The original song used to be sung in April and was a celebration of the coming of spring. Here are the lyrics to the Ukrainian version: Shchedryk, shchedryk, a shchedrivka [New Year's carol]; A little swallow flew [into the household] and started to twitter, to summon the master: "Come out, come out, O master [of the household], look at the sheep pen, there the ewes are nestling and the lambkin have been born Your goods [livestock] are great, you will have a lot of money, [by selling them] if not money, then chaff: [from all the grain you will harvest] you have a dark-eyebrowed [beautiful] wife." Shchedryk, shchedryk, a shchedrivka, A little swallow flew. Click through on the link above to see the video. It's http://barefootmeg.multiply.com/links/item/176/Ukrainian_song_to_ring_in_the_new_year Wed, 28 Dec 2011 16:41:43 -0000