Wireless keyboard/mouse? Nah, I have TouchMouse
I have a good handful of apps on my iPhone, all of which I downloaded for free, and I actually use most of them on a regular basis. Admittedly, there are a few that I rely heavily on: Evernote, Pandora, Wordpress, Mint, and of course, Facebook. As of today, I am adding one more to the elite list. Logitech's TouchMouse.
This free app, allows you to use your iPhone or iPod touch as both a keyboard and mouse device for any Mac or PC. You just need a WiFi network and download the "server" software on your computer. An added benefit is that it displays what you are typing on your iPhone, so you don't have to constantly look back and forth between your device and your computer. I instantly fell in love! We have our Mac mini connected to our TV for streaming Netflix or Hulu, but I hated the fact that we didn't have a wireless keyboard and mouse. Either one of us had to get up and awkwardly type or navigate around the screen, while avoiding our toddler's constant obsession for playing with them only when we are using the computer. It was a mess, but I still couldn't justify paying a bunch of money for a wireless setup. But thanks to Logitech, I don't have to. They solved my problem for me...and for free.
Theme change (again)
Yes, once again, I changed to a new Wordpress theme here. It's been on my to-do list to design my own, since I am never fully satisfied with any I come across. There's always something about a theme that I don't like (this one, for instance, has a header that just doesn't quite suit me, but I do like the "tabbed" look of the theme). For now, I'll keep my mouth shut and enjoy the benefits of others' creativity and effort. I have my own site to create from scratch, but that is another post...
Where the Wild Things Are
Last night Mike and I went out to see Where the Wild Things Are. Admittedly, I don't remember the book much, but I was quite excited to see how they would adapt a children's book into a feature length film. I am now convinced that is a rather difficult thing to do. I very much enjoyed the visual aspects; I found the cinematography stunning, the costumes sophisticated yet familiar, and the sets brillant. But I was rather diasppointed in the screenplay itself. There were moments which were terribly slow and non-engaging for me. I wanted the story to move along so that I could go home. If you tell me that this is a movie for children, I argue that it isn't. Yes, the dialogue is simple but the content is not. To quote Mike, "it's heady." The story is about emotions and relationships and while yes, it involves the emotions and relationships of a young boy, it's still a bit advanced to capture a child's attention for long. It's at a level beyond which children are capable of truly comprehending (though they seem to mature a a younger age these days, so who knows what they are mentally capable of) and there just isn't enough action to subsitute. Still, I'm glad I saw it and now I have the urge to reread the book.
Latte Foam Art
Last week Mom was in town so we went out for breakfast with Eddie at Petite Provence. He ordered a latte, and when it came to table the foam was poured into a swan. I usually get a fleur de lis or a heart so I was quite impressed with the swan. Them Mike said that they have machines that can now do it for you. You punch in the design and out comes the foam. I think that takes all the art of it, but I'm curious as to how baristas feel about it.
Wide Load Ahead
Last week we bought a Burley. Some drivers are asses when it comes to sharing the road with bicyclists, even in one of the bike-friendliest cities in the US, but many people give bikes ample clearance when passing them. Add a bike trailer in the back and suddenly everyone is driving in England passing you (or they creep behind you like a stalker until they can safely do so). It's just yet one more example of how considerate people can be when kids are involved.
Running on flat terrain is not so easy
While I was generally pleased with how well I ran in last weekend's 10k, I was a bit surprised and dismayed with how tired my legs felt. I've been running slightly longer distances at slightly faster paces, and my legs usually still feel fresh afterwards. So I expected my legs to feel fine after the race, especially the following couple of days. It soon hit me. I have been running long runs and some of my tempos in Forest Park, but my legs usually still feel fresh afterwards. This was slightly baffling to me. I have been running long runs and some tempos in Forest Park, so the hills have trained my legs to power up and coast down. I confirmed my theory with a long run on mostly flat terrain yesterday, and sure enough, my legs started to drag along. 2 of my Hood to Coast segs have hills, but I recall one being mostly flag, so I guess I'll need to find more flat routes to mix in with the hills!
Basement demo
To save a bit on labor costs, Mike and I volunteered to do some of the demolition ourselves. After my race yesterday and after Mike's workout at the gym, he strapped the kiddo to his back, and we knocked down the walls in our basement. The work went surprisingly fast, and maybe that was due to the shoddy job at putting them up in the first place (which we found receipts in the wall dated back to 1984!). It was great fun, though, and I'm excited to attack the kitchen cabinets...until I realize what a pain it is to not have a working kitchen!
I took some photos, though the "before" photo was taken after we started taking the walls down.
Racing again
I ran my first race in nearly two years today. The last time I participated in a race was Hood to Coast 2007, and then I was pregnant shortly afterwards. It has been somewhat of a struggle to get back into a training routine, so I was a bit hesitant to sign up for the 10k. Mike convinced me to do it and reminded me that I've been running strong the last couple of months, and I'm glad I did! It was a great day for racing, and the course was quite nice, taking me to parts of the metro area that I have never been before. It also wasn't a very big race so there was some elbow room. Despite the flat route (I've been running on hills), I had a fairly good time and I'm starting to feel like a runner again. Added bonus: we saw a couple from our childbirth class there and met their adorable baby.
Go Steelers!
Here we go, Steelers, here we go! Pittsburgh's going to the Superbowl!
During my freshman year in college, the Pittsburgh Steelers won the AFC Championship, earning them a trip to the Superbowl. I was returning to campus just after the conference game, and while I was waiting for my luggage at the Pittsburgh Airport, this song was playing on endless repeat. After standing there for 30 minutes, I couldn't wait to get out of the airport. Little did I know that that song would be playing EVERYWHERE I went. I was so sick of the song, I almost gloated when the Steelers lost to the Cowboys (almost, but not quite since I am most certainly NOT a Cowboys fan).
Fast forward to today, and strangely, I find myself singing that song.