what kind of file is that???

Ever see a file or process on your PC and wonder just what the hell is that file and why is it running right now? Well, you can find out just what types of files these are at file.net which is a searchable library of Windows file names listed aphabetically. It can really come in handy when you're troubleshooting your PC.

nice rack!

At work, our IT department finally invested in some new servers to accommodate all of us users who have to save every single email, document, spreadsheet and funny video we receive, create, or send. They have a nice ladder rack style server rack that holds all our useful, and sometimes useless, information so it's there whenever we need it. I'm one of those people who keeps nearly everything for future reference and I have to say it's come in handy at times, and it never hurts to partake in a little CYA'ing...

insurance woes...

I've been writing on my other blog about insurance woes. Having to get child insurance for an auto policy is a pain. There are a ton of sites out there that offer online insurance quotes, and some advertise that they'll give you quotes from other companies so you can compare the rates. Not true in North Carolina, though. Why? Does anyone out there know why those sites don't quote several companies at once like they say they do? I know what the disclaimer says, but what's the real reason?

need a break...

I still haven't taken a break from all this action. Tomorrow, we'll be going to the lake for a tournament and that's fun, but I need a getaway. I've planned to have a garage sale the first of August, so any vacation time will have to be after that. Maybe I'll make enough money to go online and scoop up a nice Orlando vacation home rental, but I don't think they take change as payment, so I'll have to come up with something else...

coffee table pc...

Microsoft, as you know, is developing a coffee table computer called Surface. I was reading about the gadget and many are saying they've never seen anything like it. One thing you can count on with having a home computer and all the accompanying peripherals is a ton of cables and connections, but with the Surface, there are no peripheral cables; not even a mouse, keyboard or trackball. The pointer is literally the user's pointer - their finger and peripherals like digital cameras and the like are connected merely by placing the device on the surface of the Surface. Hmph, interesting. I need to see the price tag on this before I get excited about adding it as part of my home furniture - anyone out there know how much this thing will cost?

geeky tv freak

I'm definitely a geek and I'm definitely a tv freak. We have a Sony surround sound system (which I wired including going under the house since my husband screams like a girl at the sight of 8-legged creatures). I have 2 TiVo units which are connected through my wireless network. All I need now is an HDTV and some home theater seating to complete the equation. Oh, and maybe a couple of bowls of popcorn...

need to get away...

I've been looking at data all week. Numbers and percentages and formulas. Measurements, specifications and tolerances. Too many numbers, too many charts, and too many blueprints makes for a very tired and burned out me. I need a Florida vacation, or any vacation for that matter. Heck, I'd settle for sipping on a drink with a little umbrella in it while sitting my lard butt in a lawn chair in my own back yard at this point. Then, the only numbers I'd need to keep up with are the ounces of tequila in my margarita and the spf factor of my sunscreen...

virtual tours

I have my NC Real Estate Broker's License, but I haven't taken the plunge into selling real estate just yet. Although I haven't gone to work for a firm, I try to keep up with trends in real estate and technology seems to be one area where a lot of old school agents are lacking. I see a lot of listings online that don't have photos attached to them and I usually skip over those which is probably what most people do. When I do take the headfirst plunge into the real estate game, I plan to use the technology available to me to market my luxury home listings as well as my cozy cottage listings - it just makes sense to use every resource. I wonder if I could offer services around here to make virtual tour videos or just take digital photos for active listings...

Anyone had any experience in this type of service? Leave me a comment...

hosting service providers

Seems there's a whole host of hosts out there to give your website a home on the web. What's good for us is that the more providers there are, the cheaper the service - it's basic supply and demand. Host208 - Webhosting Services offers competitive plans from $4.50 per month including a user-friendly control panel interface, 3 hosted subdomains, dedicated 24/7 customer support, and a 30-day money-back guarantee. Anyone tried Host208? If so, leave me a comment about your experience.

continuing ed...

I waited until the last minute to take my real estate continuing education classes this year. I met the deadline, but next year, I should probably try to go right after the first of the year when the schedule comes out. The classes are designed to educate licensed real estate agents of changes in laws and to give them a refresher in a back-to-basics approach so they can meet the state requirements to renew their license. I remembered most of the material, but some of it was new. I could take part of the course online and only have to be in the classroom 1/2 the day, but I'd have to take a test - the classroom classes don't require a test; they only require you to be there and basically have a pulse and breath air, so I'll probably do the classroom again next year, and knowing me, I'll probably wait 'til the last minute...

high tech pens

I was looking around for some new ink pens today and ran across some that would make the NASA $12 Billion Zero-Gravity Ink Pen look like a crayon. Of course the 12 Billion -dollar ink pen story is an urban legend, these are real. I saw one pen that has 1 GB storage built in and other pens with calculators built in - that would come in handy when you're balancing your checkbook. I usually use just your regular, run of the mill, ball point or roller ball pen, but these high tech pens have this pen freak drooling just a bit...

to be so lucky...

People who live near water are lucky and the ones who actually live on the water I'm even more envious of. It would be a dream to be able to grill out on the deck with a beautiful view of a slick as glass lake or to watch the people go by with the backdrop of the waves crashing on the sand. One day, maybe we'll own a piece of NC waterfront property. It might be a modular home on a duck pond, but I'll take what I can get...

packed and ready...

I have my bags packed and I'm ready to go. No, I don't have a bunch of luggage, just my laptop bag, purse and a bag of stuff I cleaned out of my office. I moved some stuff around in here today because I can't stand it one way for too long. Only 15 minutes to go and I'll bust through those doors like Seabiscuit coming out of the gate...

design your new bathroom online...

Over at HGTV.com, I found a section of the website where you can use their 3-D tool to design your own custom bathroom. As a real estate agent, I know that the main selling points of a house are the kitchen and the bathrooms - especially the master bath. If you're thinking of doing some real estate investing, don't skimp in either of these areas. Spend a little more to get the higher end kitchen and bathroom faucets, fixtures, and appliances because you will benefit in the end...

tinkering around...

My Dad loves to tinker with things. He's extremely mechanically inclined and could probably make a rocketship out of old golf cart parts. Speaking of golf carts, I'd love to be able to afford to buy him one so he could ride it from the house to his shop and around the pond. It's not that far, but it's all uphill coming back to the house. Right now, he and Mom ride the lawn mower up and down the hill, but being near the golf capital of the world, I ought to be able to find a cheap used one - maybe I could even get him one he could fix up - he'd probably enjoy that...

kitchen gadgets

We all have them in our kitchens - the special appliance or gadget that we see on a late night infomercial that we cannot live without because its going to make our life so much easier or because we'd finally be able to make our own bloomin' onion. The gadgets that really get used are few and far between and most of the ones I've bought take up space in my cabinets for a couple of years, then they either get donated to Goodwill or go into the yard sale pile. My advice, stick with your basic 20 piece cookware set, get some good knives and utensils and leave the Ronco 12-in-one slicer, dicer, chopper, mincer, processor, blender, steamer, broiler, fryer, baker, chiller, freezer in the TV where it belongs...