In planning for my upcoming trip to the west coast with The Raleigh Ringers, I'm trying to decide whether to take my digital point and shoot camera or the film SLR. I'll definitely get better shots with the SLR, but if I were to lose it, I'd be heartbroken, whereas I could handle losing the digital a little better. But beyond that, I'm also trying to figure out what to do about the film or the memory card with regards to airport security. This discussion at photographyreview.com has been somewhat helpful, but I still haven't made up my mind. We're not going to have a lot of free time during this trip and it's not like I can just go off and develop film whenever I feel like it, so the good idea of purchasing and developing film at the travel destination is not really an option for me. I have a feeling that in the end I'll opt for taking the SLR, just because I'll be more disappointed if I come back with poor pictures from the digital. Of course, I guess it would be worse to have my film wiped out by some scanner and come back with no pictures at all. Unfortunately, taking both isn't really an option either as I'm trying to take as little as possible. Decisions, decisions.

written by Katherine at 10:23 AM | link | 0 comments

Driving to and from work lately I've noticed those Terminix pickup trucks with the big bug on the roof. Now there's a job I'd hate to have, just for the embarrassment factor of having to drive that truck.

written by Katherine at 10:16 AM | link | 0 comments

I found that Nancy Drew book I was talking about (kind of embarrassing, it was in a bookshelf here in the house, with other Nancy Drew books and various children's books). Here's a cover scan:



written by Katherine at 5:34 PM | link | 0 comments

The latest thing we are considering in our quest to pare down our bills is getting rid of our local telephone service. We don't talk to anyone locally for extended periods of time, we already use the cell phone for long distance (unlimited evening (after 8) and weekend minutes and 300 anytime minutes on one of our phones), and we use a cable modem for our internet access (which I'm unlikely to give up, just as Chris is unlikely to give up the cable TV). But we can't quite let go of the security blanket and the excuses are lined up on the tips of our tongues: we'd have to change our phone number in a bunch of places, it only saves $22 per month, what if the power went out and our cell batteries died, what if we decided we missed it and had to spend the $40 to get it set up again, is it rude to tell our mothers, for example, that we can't talk for more than a few minutes before 8 pm even if they call us? I'm probably more interested in this than Chris, and maybe he's the prudent one, but what favors has BellSouth ever done for us? Over the next month or so I'd like to make a final decision on this, but so far it seems like one of those things where the answer is d) not enough information, and I don't know how we'll know unless we try.

written by Katherine at 3:41 PM | link | 0 comments

The original author of the Nancy Drew books died yesterday. I can't tell you how much I loved those books. I inherited some from my older sister and read and re-read the early ones in the series (not the newer ones, where Nancy started to get on the skanky side). The cover art on those hardbacks still brings a rush of memories. I even had Nancy Drew's detective handbook. I don't remember the title, but the cover was orange and yellow and had a big fingerprint on the front. The book contained sleuthing tips and mystery-solving advice, even handwriting analysis. Between Nancy Drew, Scooby Doo, and Harriet the Spy, I was all set for a career as a private investigator. I think I drove my parents crazy, slipping around the house and spying on family members. Thanks, Mildred Wirt Benson, for creating something that became such a cool part of my childhood.

written by Katherine at 3:58 PM | link | 0 comments

Chris and I are headed to Bahama Breeze for dinner tonight. I've wanted to go there since we were staying at a nearby motel on a job/house-hunting trip in July of 2001 (before we moved here), but there was a huge crowd then and we haven't tried since. Evidently it's always pretty crowded and they don't take reservations, but we're planning to get there around 5:30 or so, and on a Wednesday, it should be all right. After looking through their site, though, I'm not sure what I'll order, since the mildest spices taste flaming hot to me and I'm not wild about seafood. Maybe I'll try the coconut curry chicken or a salad.

written by Katherine at 3:37 PM | link | 0 comments

I just updated my YACCS account with some new code. I'm hoping this will mean that comment counts will now update correctly in Opera 6.

(Hm, apparently not... and now it seems that the entire page tries to load in the comment box when you submit a comment.)

written by Katherine at 12:59 PM | link | 0 comments

My body gave me an early birthday present last night: 4 or 5 gray hairs, mostly concentrated in a small area on top of my head. Thanks. Can I regift or take this one back? I'm too young for this, really.

written by Katherine at 6:11 PM | link | 0 comments

<shameless plug>

Check it out: Whooplass Kennels and Raleigh Lab Rescue (minor tweaking still in progress).

</shameless plug>

written by Katherine at 2:34 PM | link | 0 comments

Ryan's got some libelous material over at his blog.

written by Katherine at 2:32 PM | link | 0 comments

I can think of no better way to kick off the summer than to go to the Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe's Motor Speedway. Even better was the fact that it was my first race and we had truly awesome seats right at the start/finish line. We got to our seats as the pre-race festivities were beginning, and all of the awards and driver introductions took place on a stage right in front of us. I was able to get some good pictures of several of the drivers. I got one especially good shot of Dale Jr.'s car and another one of his profile. There were 2 flyovers of a stealth bomber, which was incredibly cool, and several other things designed to observe Memorial Day.

After the staging was cleared away, the crowd got things going with those four famous words. The roar of the engines was incredible. The same droning noise that lulls me into a nap on the couch on Sunday afternoons is a real stimulant in person. It was really interesting to be able to follow the car of my choosing for a number of laps without being dependent on the television cameras, and I feel like I picked up some knowledge that way. The race got really exciting towards the end once Jimmie Johnson gave away the lead by overshooting his pit box. After Dale Jr.'s engine blew with 20 laps to go, I alternated between watching Matt Kenseth try to catch Mark Martin and watching Ricky Rudd hold off Jeff Gordon. I was glad to see Mark Martin win one and most of the people sitting around us seemed happy about it too.

I got to listen to the scanner towards the beginning of the race and again around lap 275. Things were getting more tense by that time and Jr. did not sound happy, especially on the restarts. Having a scanner at the race is definitely the way to go... I really enjoyed that.

We took over 150 pictures between two cameras, so I should be able to get some photos up soon. I'm still not quite caught up on sleep, but I haven't had that much fun in a while. The day was perfect - I couldn't have asked for anything better. I'm already trying to figure out how we can get to another race this season... ahhh, the joys of living in North Carolina, surrounded by racetracks!

written by Katherine at 11:13 AM | link | 0 comments

We made it back from the race (went to bed at 5 am) and we're trying to get some semblance of order around the house so we can go back to work tomorrow. I'll try to write a full report later tonight or tomorrow.

written by Katherine at 5:05 PM | link | 0 comments

I am now the proud owner of one of these:



We ran a couple rolls of film through it today and got them developed. One word: wow. And tomorrow we're off to the race with a 500mm lens we rented and 2 rolls of 800 speed film. Yee-haaaaa!

written by Katherine at 11:55 PM | link | 0 comments

Well, the apartment explosion appears to be due to a gas leak, but never mind, because we've already moved on to alerts about rail systems, nuclear plants, and scuba diving terrorists. What will tomorrow bring? Alerts for buses? Taxis? Walking? This is getting ridiculous. Of course, if something happens, I'll be forced to eat my words, but really, I think it's time for an end to the political games behind these warnings.

written by Katherine at 12:02 AM | link | 0 comments

Explosion and Fire at Apartment Complex, Encino, CA

Anyone care to make a prediction before the cause is discovered? Freak accident, terror attack, or something else?

written by Katherine at 3:35 PM | link | 0 comments

You know you've all been waiting for it: Chris and I are handing down the verdict on those Tofurky Peppered Deli Slices we bought the other day. Did we like them? Not so much. I ate one sandwich with them and it was okay, but I think it was mostly due to the yummy Brownberry's bread. The next time I had them it was on our standard potato bread, and I couldn't even bring myself to eat the sandwich. The appearance just gave me a huge mental block. I thought the deli slices looked like old, rotted, moldy meat. I think tofu meat substitutes that aren't well-integrated into a dish (i.e. standalone stuff like lunch"meat", "chicken" patties, etc.) just leave me cold. I'd much rather eat a pita with hummus, cucumber, and sprouts.

written by Katherine at 3:20 PM | link | 0 comments

This morning on my way into work I heard Bell Biv DeVoe's "Poison" on the radio. The lyrics presented themselves from some rarely accessed long-term storage portion of my brain and instantly I was 14 again, at the beach with my church youth group. Crazy how music does that to you. (Email me if you want the mp3... I'll try to upload it later, but my connection at work is too slow.)

written by Katherine at 12:02 PM | link | 0 comments

Now I've seen it all: Heal Your Church Website. Check out his press release and his mission statement. He's got a really good point about the design of a lot of church sites; I just never would have expected to see someone take it this far.

written by Katherine at 9:45 AM | link | 0 comments

Things have gotten downright busy lately. I've been doing a lot of work for a web client in the evenings this week. Tonight we (RRs) are giving a concert for the residents of the retirement community where we rehearse, and tomorrow night I'll be at an emergency tie-dye glove session. Chris and I have a varied list of things to do on Saturday, and we'll be spending Sunday at the race at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Charlotte.

I like being this busy, though. In a few years, we'll hopefully have some new family members of the two-legged variety, and I feel like this is time for me before that happens. I'm guilty of anticipating the future so much that sometimes I forget to live in the present. But lately I've been able to enjoy the present and simultaneously look forward to what's ahead without feeling like one is somehow better than the other. I should learn to do this more often, because the feeling of contentment is nice.

written by Katherine at 1:15 PM | link | 0 comments

Today would have been Sunshine's 13th birthday. She was a good dog, and I miss her.

written by Katherine at 11:19 PM | link | 0 comments

Last Saturday Katherine and I went to see Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones. (A matinee of course!). I had moderated expectations. I had read the gushing review on Ain't it Cool News and a negative review by Roger Ebert so I knew that as usual the hardcore fans loved it and the critics didn't. I enjoyed Phantom Menance (yeah, I didn't even mind Jar Jar Binks!) and rewatched it and A New Hope before we went to see AOTC (I ran out of time before I got to rewatch the rest of the series). So with moderated expectations I must say I was disappointed. It did its job of moving the basic story along but with way too much extraneous stuff. I never imagined I would leave a Star Wars movie and start analyzing how I would do it better but that's what Katherine and I were doing as soon as we were out of the theatre. Cut out the 50's diner (sorry Ryan), cut out the library scene, cut out the love scene spoofs (that was a spoof right?, please tell me that was a spoof). And please please please Mr. Lucas stop bombarding me with special effects and new locales every scene. It's hard enough following the plot without having to get used to a new location every scene. My head hurt by the time the movie was over.

Not to be entirely negative Yoda was indeed cool. Padme kicking butt in the last half rocked, Ewen McGregor's Obi Wan was the best part of the movie, and there were lots of nice reminders/foreshadowings/homages to the original three Star Wars movies. As I was after seeing PM I am eager to see Episode III. I think once it is done it will make every other Star Wars movie better, a wonderful tapestry.

written by Chris at 9:13 PM | link | 0 comments

I'm happy to report that most of last night's craziness has blown over. I'm at work today, and Chris is home manning the phone in case he has to do a conference call with the attorney and judge. Road Runner came back up overnight, so we were able to cancel the technician's visit that we'd scheduled for this afternoon. Whew. Now back to your regularly scheduled programming.

written by Katherine at 10:39 AM | link | 0 comments

We're having a crazy night around here. Our internet service is down (right now we're using the dial-up as a temporary solution) and then at about 7:30 we were served a subpoena out of the blue. We are on telephone standby (whatever that means) tomorrow for the plaintiff in a trial where our landlord is the defendant. It's a child support issue and we probably just have to testify about how much rent we pay... but still, it was quite a surprise. We're trying to figure out exactly what it means to be on telephone standby, but going to work tomorrow is looking unlikely for Chris and sketchy for me.

written by Katherine at 9:04 PM | link | 0 comments

Uncle Arnold came through the catheterization successfully, but they did determine that he needs surgery to replace a valve that is almost totally calcified. They may also do a single bypass while they're in there. His surgery will probably be next week in Atlanta.

written by Katherine at 9:00 PM | link | 0 comments

My Uncle Arnold (Rexann's husband) had a cardiac catheterization this morning to look at his heart valve and possibly some blockages in his arteries. That's about all I know for now, but I should have an update tonight. When it rains, it pours - Uncle Arnold is part of the same immediate family that I mentioned the other day with regards to keeping the healthcare industry up and running.

written by Katherine at 2:11 PM | link | 0 comments

Over the weekend I discovered the joy of a clothesline. We're looking to keep our electric bill down this summer (never mind that new record lows were set yesterday and I was tempted to turn on the gas heat) and some research revealed that the dryer is a big energy hog. So, I bought a cotton clothesline for 3 bucks at Wal-Mart and strung it up over the patio in the backyard. I didn't expect the clothes to dry as quickly as they did, but it took almost no time at all. Pretty cool. It's also kind of interesting that I am all excited by something that people in the past had to use because they had no electricity. Anyway, the only difficulty I can see is that it may require switching to doing most of the laundry in one day, rather than here and there throughout the week, but that's a small price to pay if it saves us $$$.

written by Katherine at 10:31 AM | link | 0 comments

Well, I came home to a largish package sitting outside the front door... yep, my diploma. Yay! It was well-packed, but the USPS had managed to punch a hole through bubble wrap and several layers of packaging into the leather folder thing that holds the diploma. Fortunately, the damage stopped there.

Okay, I guess I can get busy on that list of things to do below.

written by Katherine at 5:21 PM | link | 0 comments

I have a growing list of things to do. A few of the items on the list:

• Go through stack of papers on my desk at home and either trash them or pack them away.
• Go through stack of papers in cabinet above desk at home and either trash them or pack them away.
• Mail form stating that I do not need to renew IRB approval for my research project.
• Change a couple of words in the description of my education on my about page.

Unfortunately, I can't/won't do these things until I receive my diploma in the mail. As of May 11th, it should be a done deal, but given all the water that's already gone under the bridge, I won't believe it until I hold that piece of paper in my hands and read it with my own two eyes. I even saw an online copy of my unofficial transcript with the words "M.S. degree conferred" at the bottom, but it's just that -- an unofficial transcript. How much longer till that stinking diploma gets here?

One of these days I'll have to try to explain all that I've gone through to get these initials after my name, but -- you guessed it -- I can't/won't do that until I have the diploma in hand.

written by Katherine at 3:19 PM | link | 0 comments

Words uttered by Chris Shaver on Friday, May 17 in the refrigerated section of Wellspring Whole Foods Store, after I handed him a package of Tofurky Peppered Deli Slices:

"That looks like it will be good!"

I almost fell over from shock.

written by Katherine at 9:45 AM | link | 0 comments

I'm up late after RR rehearsal and remembered to check the Friday Five:

1. What shampoo do you use? Thermasilk Moisturizing.

2. Do you use conditioner? What kind? Yes, Thermasilk Moisturizing.

3. When was the last time you got your hair cut? Last Saturday.

4. What styling products do you use? Sometimes I use gel and/or hairspray (yes, both Thermasilk brand), but more often than not these days I go without. I did my share of damage to the ozone layer when I was in junior high, thanks very much. (The interesting thing about my overwhelming brand loyalty to Thermasilk -- you know, the heat-activated stuff -- is that I very rarely blow-dry my hair. And I absolutely refuse to purchase anything in the Clairol Herbal Essences line. I hate those commercials.)

5. What's your worst hair-related experience? When I was about 6, I was leaving the beauty shop with my mom after just getting a haircut and some lady remarked to my mom, "What a cute little boy you have!" Granted, I was not a girly-girl, and my hair was short, but come on... A close second was when I was around the same age and decided that I wanted to be like Dennis the Menace and "park my gum behind my ear." This resulted in my mom cutting the gum -- and a good chunk of hair -- out with the scissors.

written by Katherine at 12:10 AM | link | 0 comments

About a month ago I finally snapped a picture of the elusive SUV limo. For your viewing pleasure (drum roll please):



Tell me this isn't tacky.

written by Katherine at 11:48 PM | link | 0 comments

Oooh, oooh, oooh! Last night I signed up for a free 14-day trial at Ancestry.com which includes access to Federal Census images. I spent more hours than I probably should have looking up information on the Coker branch of my family. Census images, even though they can't be searched (as far as I know), are very cool because you know you're looking at a primary historical source. I was able to find my great-grandfather, Luther Pascal Coker, in the 1910 and 1920 Census, but I can't locate him in the 1900 Census, which is unfortunate because I believe some important births, deaths, and marriages happened between 1893 and 1900. Genealogy is a very addictive puzzle, and I really want to put this section of it together and confirm some of the facts. You can guess how I'll be spending my free time over the next couple of weeks.

written by Katherine at 9:27 AM | link | 0 comments

At last - justification for why I haven't been keeping up with my chores! Oh, wait, I wasn't supposed to admit that, was I...

written by Katherine at 4:35 PM | link | 0 comments

I have to give a plug to Haught Cuisine, a new vegetarian/vegan recipe site (and an attractively-designed one, at that). I haven't tried any of the recipes yet, as I've been in a bit of an anti-cooking mood lately - poor Chris will attest to that. Reading through the recipes, however, makes me want to get back into the kitchen. Hopefully next week's menu will include one of these recipes... maybe the Seitan Pot Pie or the Cheezy Italian Grinders.

written by Katherine at 12:39 PM | link | 0 comments

I woke up this morning to NPR's report on the earthquake in San Francisco. This East Coast girl, who will be spending roughly a week in California next month with The Raleigh Ringers, knows absolutely nothing about what to do in such circumstances. Hurricanes, snow and ice, even tornadoes, I can handle and have some idea of the appropriate actions to take... but what are you supposed to do when the ground starts moving underneath your feet? Do you run outside, stand in a doorway, go in a bathroom with no windows, head to the basement, dive under a table, put your head between your knees, what? And what if I'm holding a handbell worth thousands of dollars when a quake hits? It gives a whole new meaning to an often-used handbell technique: the shake.

written by Katherine at 10:41 AM | link | 0 comments

Oh yeah, my family is doing their little bit to keep the healthcare industry alive and kicking this week: my cousin Carolyn is having knee surgery on Wednesday, my cousin Carol is having a chemotherapy treatment on Thursday, and my little almost-4-year-old cousin Abby is having surgery on Friday to have adenoids out and tubes put in her ears. Please keep 'em in your thoughts.

written by Katherine at 4:59 PM | link | 0 comments

Not much to say today. We had a great visit with my parents, which included a haircut, a drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway, and some good eatin'. Other than that I'm just trying to get myself together and figure out what I want to accomplish this week.

written by Katherine at 4:53 PM | link | 0 comments

There are lots of good things in store for us this weekend. We're heading up to Roanoke to visit my parents. It's going to be a celebration of Mother's Day and my birthday all rolled into one, since I won't be seeing my mom and dad again until a couple weeks after my birthday. Anyway, this means one thing: my mom's awesome strawberry pie. I was blessed to have a birthday in May at the height of the strawberry season. Yum, yum. Other things on the schedule include getting to do some flatland rollerblading and having my mom cut my hair. She's not too thrilled about that one; as she put it the other night, she "thought that time in her life was over." But I'm interested in a free hair cut, and Chris refuses to do it, even though he's mighty handy with clippers and a number 1 guide. Wait, maybe it's good he refused...

written by Katherine at 4:06 PM | link | 0 comments

My junk email sent me some more ego strokes this week. Really, if you haven't signed up for this, you should. It'll make your Tuesdays ever so much more entertaining.

written by Katherine at 11:32 PM | link | 0 comments

Great find of the day: singer Vanessa Carlton's website, with Real Audio downloads.

written by Katherine at 11:28 AM | link | 0 comments

I never got around to writing about it last week, but I absolutely loved the Harry Potter movie. I think I am going to have to reread the books soon, especially since the longest it took me to finish any one of them was about 5 days. Reading comprehension has never been my strongest skill, and after blazing through the books in such a short time, I'm completely mixed up as to what happened and when.

On a personal note, what surprised me most about the movie is that I somehow managed to shed tears over it. A tear or two rolled down my face early on, and at the very end, I was left practically sobbing. The thing for me about Harry's character is that he always tries so hard to do the right thing. Add an extremely cute kid to that and I guess I just turn into a big blubbering baby. Is this my biological clock ticking, or what? Of course, I'm the one who cried at Frosty the Snowman when I was 3 and Annie when I was about 6, and who hasn't watched The Wizard of Oz since I was 8 because the flying monkeys scared me, so maybe I should just chalk it up to a long emotional history with film.

written by Katherine at 3:13 PM | link | 0 comments

I'm still not all the way back to normal after this weekend. My sleep schedule got way out of whack and I haven't quite recovered yet. I did get Photoshop installed last night; now if I can just figure out how to actually use it...

written by Katherine at 9:44 AM | link | 0 comments

Sorry it's been kinda quiet here lately... Friday I took some much-needed time for myself and spent several hours just doing whatever came to mind next. This weekend, The Raleigh Ringers are on our second mini-tour of the year. Yesterday we went up to Richmond, VA for a 7 pm concert. Chris came with us and got a taste of what it's like when we go on a trip. My parents and several friends attended the concert, so it was extra fun for me. We got home at about 1:45 this morning and just got up a little bit ago... because I've got to meet the group at 1:45 this afternoon for our trip to Asheboro, NC, where we've got another 7 pm concert. We'll probably get home around 2 or a little later tonight, because we have to unload all our equipment and return rental vehicles when we get back. Whew. So that's my long-winded excuse for the lack of blogging around here.

One of the things I did on Friday was go to Southeastern Camera. Chris and I spent a lot of time there talking to one of the salesmen, although that word doesn't seem right for him... there was no pressure to buy, no pressure to spend a lot of money, and he really seemed to enjoy answering our questions about a subject he obviously loves. As a result of all of that conversation, I've pretty much decided to go with a fully manual camera and will probably buy it used. The Nikon FM2N is in the front of my mind (and they had a motordrive to go along with it) but there are a couple of other Nikon models in contention. I'm really excited about getting this camera and I think manual is the way to go to really learn everything the right way. Just a couple more weeks to wait...

written by Katherine at 12:03 PM | link | 0 comments

<soapbox>
Lately I've been getting more and more fed up with having to register or pony up cash to be able to view content on various websites. Tonight I was trying to view the trailers for the upcoming Star Wars movie (I'd give you the link, but there's no point... keep reading). Chris had looked at them several weeks ago with no problem, but tonight, the site had evidently changed so that now it was requiring registration. I was feeling grumpy about it, but I did it anyway. Only after I'd given them an email address and other information did they inform me that to view the trailers requires QuickTimePro... which, in case you didn't know, costs $29.99. So much for that. Here's my gripe: viewing these trailers is like an advertisement. They are there to build excitement about the movie and entice me to see it. I should not be charged to see an advertisement, no matter who is doing the charging. It's ridiculous to expect me to pay $30 for the plug-in to view four trailers (at miniscule size, no less) when I can go see the movie for less than $10.
</soapbox>

written by Katherine at 10:34 PM | link | 0 comments

My own ADD movie review of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone: Hold on to your wand, lots of action and perfectly cast. Best movie to come out since Chicken Run. Rating 4 1/2 tablets.

written by Chris at 2:16 PM | link | 0 comments

Reasons I love my husband:

1. Today he picked up Photoshop 7.0 at the academic price (using his status as staff at UNC).

2. He goes walking with me and lets me keep walking when the dog requires us to stop.

3. He seems genuinely interested in the color of my toenail polish, or at least does a really good job faking it.

4. He doesn't mind when I cry at movies, even in public.

written by Katherine at 1:56 PM | link | 0 comments

Ah, May 1st - the day of the May 1st Reboot. I'm looking forward to seeing a lot of new designs on the web today... Ryan's is up and it looks good. Earlier in the week I started thinking about a redesign for this site. I made a few sketches and notes but that's about as far as I got. I've been way busy working on three other websites this week, as well as finishing up the layout of the first print publication I've worked on since the low tech days of my sophomore year in high school - The Raleigh Ringers newsletter. I learned two things about doing layouts for print: 1) It's very nice to know that it will be seen the way I intend it to be seen. No worrying about browser compatibility or monitor resolution here. and 2) I now understand why people need those huge monitors for design.

written by Katherine at 9:57 AM | link | 0 comments