cranky pixels

Technical difficulties abound at Chez Cranky and its satellites. I trekked out to the office yesterday, despite the obvious foolishness of attempting anything that involves being awake and functional the day after the time change, only to discover that our internet is down again. The point of being at the office? To get work done. Instead, I had some lunch, nursed an increasingly cranky baby (see time change, above) and fought a headache while searching fruitlessly for images on our hard drive. Lightroom was behaving abominably, refusing to serve up about a quarter of my images and freezing at inopportune moments. I’d troubleshoot, but: internet. Sigh.

Finally I gave up and headed out, but not without having the brilliant idea of trying the Ergo in the hip-carry position for the first time. See, to do that, one has to reconfigure the straps and remove the chest latch, which seems so easy in the comfort of, say, my own office. Reversing the process once it became abundantly clear that the hip-carry is the most uncomfortable thing ever and my shoulder was burning like it was on fire? Not so simple, especially with a wriggly, cranky toddler. I got him out, finally (after a dodgy moment in which I couldn’t undo one of the straps) but Happy Fun Baby darted for freedom every time I tried to use both hands to re-attach the chest latch to the straps. I ended up just scooping him and the carrier up and clutching them both to my chest while running for the bus.

Luckily I’m all set up to work at home, which is what I had planned for today. Ha! Did you hear that? I had a plan! And I’d have gotten away with it, too, if it wasn’t for you damn kids.

I was up late last night doing my patented combo of work/geek/online window shopping and finally got to bed about 1am. I mention this to illustrate the level of not-awake I was at 7 when Not So got up for work. I always sit up and say goodbye to him and what have you, but the minute he steps out the door I’m out like a light.

This morning Not So decided to change things up a bit. After some banter about socks, he casually mentioned that the monitor downstairs had died. The brand new monitor we got from Amazon two weeks ago.

Me: What? What? The monitor?
Him: Yeah. It just powered down in the middle of working. I tried everything I could, but it’s dead.
Me: But…what? [Note: not awake.]
Him: So, I don’t know what sort of warranty stuff we have on that…
Me: What? What? Okay. Um.
Him: It was obviously defective. We’ve only had for a couple of weeks. I’m sure whatever warranty we have will cover that.
Me: Okay. Okay. I’ll…but I have school! And there’s no internet at the office! And -
Him: I can leave you my new MacBook.
Me: No, none of my stuff’s on it. I need my stuff.
Him: I can probably get us a new monitor.

So we’re getting a new monitor, and Amazon has a lovely return policy, so all is well. Except for the fact that I was up at 7am, blearily tracking down return and warranty info while yesterday’s headache crept slowly from where it was hiding at the base of my spine to the place just behind my eyes. Nothing like having to deal with technical difficulties first thing in the morning to get the blood pumping, am I right?

So today, instead of working from home in my pjs, I am battling a nasty headache and engaging in an endless argument with my iBook about whether there is a such thing as the internet. Fun! Let’s all sing the praises of the Samsung SyncMaster 740N and its amazing disappearing picture. It’s a good thing I have Advil.

technorati tags:samsung syncmaster 740n, working from home, wahm, technical difficulties

The last couple of days have been scramble-tastic,* what with the logo-making and the client-troubleshooting and the endless, persistent teething with its related inconsolable screaming. One of these things is not like the other! One of these things does not belong! Part of me misses having an actual job**.

HowEVER, I am rocking the pajama-bottom and tee-shirt ensemble, and isn’t that what working at home is all about? I feel that this is what has been missing from my WAHM experience, and I may have to purchase several pairs of cute pajama bottoms simply so I can wear them while I work. Slouching around in sweats is so not the same thing.

Speaking of work (which we were, ad nauseaum) my OCD kicked into high gear this morning and I got up when Not So did, bringing my developmentally-impaired laptop upstairs with me so I could get things done while the baby slept. Which he did, adorably. My child is amazingly adorable. He is even adorable when he snores. The snoring thing = totally his daddy, too, since I am all girl and therefore incapable of something so coarse as snoring. (You bought that, right?)

My laptop pisses me off when I’m trying to get things done, seeing as it keeps denying the existence of a wireless signal in the middle of a page load, only to admit, grudgingly, that the signal is there once I turn Airport off and then on again. Rinse, repeat. STOP FUCKING WITH ME, STUPID LAPTOP! I KNOW THE SIGNAL IS THERE! I probably need a new Airport card, but now that the laptop has been relegated to Backup status it isn’t nearly so important. I mean, what, it’s too big of a deal for me to go downstairs and work on the Mac Mini? Especially, you know, if I’m rockin’ the pjs.

Given all that it isn’t surprising that I failed to get much done during my frenetic morning geek session. I still need to make some tweaks to one client’s site and send out some site estimates and finally, finally make another blog post and send out the March couldbe studios newsletter. First, though? I have to get this housework thing under control because OMG TOO MESSY CANNOT DEAL.

* Yes, I am aware I append far too many words with “-tastic” and I am seeking help.

** No, I am not suggesting that being a mother is not, in fact, a job. I am referring instead to the nine-to-five drudgery that I always complained about but had, at least, an end.

Look at this picture. Do you see me smiling? I am smiling because we finally have office furniture. More than one person can sit down at the same time. And no one has to sit on the floor! This, my friends, is progress. Also progressive: baby, sleeping. He really needed a nap. Really.

Now that there is a place I can park Happy Fun Baby while he sleeps, I can actually do things in the office. Things like work. I know! Crazy talk. Today, for example, I have checked my e-mail, read my rss feeds, set up the wee little TV/DVD combo, and rearranged the desk. Not work in the classic sense of the word, perhaps, but still nice.

Currently I am somewhat less than thrilled with the speed of our internet, but since I left my phone at home I can’t call and sweetly request that I get some sort of boost. Yes, you read that right: I left my phone at home. My lovely Blackberry Pearl is sitting on the charger even as we speak, lonely, abandoned. I will be back for you, phone! I have not forgotten you! (Except that I did, obviously.) I feel so…disconnected. And somewhat naked. You know that feeling when you realize you’ve left the house without a bra? Only none of my bras can check my e-mail, and maybe that’s the crux of the problem right there.

I had some high hopes for this afternoon, many of which involved going to Shoefly and seeing if they had any cute clearance shoes in my size, but instead I am browsing the interwebs while my kid sleeps. It works.

technorati tags:blackberry pearl, couldbe studios, office furniture

(Or, How I Got To Blog While My Kid Watched A DVD)

Today I need to disconnect and return the DVR (only, what, three weeks after we got rid of the cable? Go me), clean the house (since I appear to have volunteered to possibly host a get-together this weekend, maybe), do some homework, crochet, pick up my holds at the library, sign for the package containing the new potty seat (whee!), send back the Netflix, buy some yarn, put away my crafting supplies, e-mail a client, update our business website, drop off a check at the bank, and make some lunch. Note that several of these things involve me being in two places at once. Good thing I discovered time travel!

Naturally I am going to take this time to recap my awesome Crafty Mamas Bazaar experience and wax lyrical about my upcoming Cranky Pals newsletter, whichisreallycoolandyoushouldsignup.

So in case the “awesome” wasn’t hint enough, the Crafty Mamas Bazaar? Awesome. I had a great time, sold some toys, chatted with some moms…bought an Ergo…all in all, a very fruitful experience and one I will most likely repeat next month (sans Ergo purchase, of course).

The folks at Milagros are wonderful, and it’s so great of them to host this thing and make everyone feel so welcome. Plus they have one of the coolest local baby shops this side of LilyToad. Speaking of, that’s another thing I should add to my list: drop off unsold toys at LilyToad.

All the new designs are up at the Cranky Pals website, by the way, including Happy Fun Baby’s new favorite, Lulu Heartbreak. She has a detachable heart! Detachable! This causes me joy.

Another thing that causes me joy? The brand spankin‘ new Cranky Pals newsletter! I spent the better part of Sunday designing it (what? I was on a roll) and I’m so pleased with it I could just burst. And it’s messy, the bursting, so why not sign up and see for yourself? Every name on the subscription list makes me feel that much more validated, and isn’t that what the internet is all about?

technorati tags:cranky pals, crafty mamas bazaar, milagros, lilytoad, lulu heartbreak, ergo

So it’s official: I’ll be doing the Crafty Mamas Bazaar this Saturday at Milagros Boutique! I’ve been crazy busy getting everything ready, but it looks like I’m going to have enough toys to fill the whole table. Yay!

I was going to post pictures of some of the new Crankies, but I’m tired and I don’t have the energy to clear off the table and whatnot. Whatnot would also entail properly working the camera, and my eyes are all tweaked out from staring at tinytiny stitches for the past several hours. So you will just have to trust that the new toys kick all sorts of ass, and that I will post pictures later, when it is not a quarter after 1 in the morning. Yes.

And if you’re in the area, stop by Milagros on Saturday and say hi.

technorati tags:milagros, crafty mamas bazaar, portland, crafts, cranky pals

You know what I’m supposed to do during the day? I’m supposed to be an entrepreneur. I’m supposed to track down leads and follow them. I’m supposed to find ways to increase visibility for our new business while reinforcing the integrity of our vision. I’m supposed to be staying on top of design and technology trends and writing weekly articles on our blog.

You know what else I’m supposed to be doing during the day? Going to school. I’m in my third year at AiO and I have a 3.9 GPA, which I’m determined to hang on to until graduation, which is sometime next year. Since it’s an online school, I can set my own hours, provided I log in and post substantively at least 4 days a week. The number of assignments varies from class to class, but it’s typically between 3 and 5 per week. These are all accelerated, 5.5 week classes, so a lot of ground is covered.

Another thing I’m supposed to be doing during the day? Caring for and entertaning my toddler. I want to say this involves a lot of structured play, reading, and outdoor adventures. I want to say that, but it would be a lie. We do a fair amount of unstructured, interactive play and a lot of cuddling, but there’s also a fair amount of “educational” TV and me on my computer while the baby entertains himself. We don’t even have a structured lunchtime – I feed him when he seems hungry, and only bother with the high chair about half the time. If I were a nanny, I’d totally sit myself down and give me a serious talking-to about whether or not I’m in the right line of work.

Also on my list of must-do things every day? Housekeeper. I’ve got to do laundry, dishes, and daily maintenance for a household of three, plus stuff like mopping, dusting, trash taking-out, Diaper Champ changing, vacuuming and litterbox maintenance. Back in the day, I didn’t care so much if, say, the floor was dirty or the dishes were piled up. Now I need the floors to be clean because there’s a little person crawling around on them all day, and I can’t procrastinate on the dishes because there isn’t a later I can leave things for.

Then I have days like today, when I walk into the kitchen, see all the mess everywhere, and think “I QUIT.”  Even thinking that gives me a moment of relief. I don’t have to reprioritize, I don’t have to spend the next few hours running from the baby to the kitchen and back…I just quit. No more housework for me!

Except it doesn’t work that way, does it? It’s not like I can transfer to a cleaner house.

If I could, though? I’d be all OVER that.

technorati tags:housework, parenting, business, juggling, multitasking, I quit

2007 so far? Food-tastic. You may not think foodtastic is a word, but then, you haven’t been eating at our house.

On January 1, when most sane people are nursing a killer hangover, we whipped up an entire holiday meal, complete with 12lb turkey, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole and stuffing. Oh, and a pumpkin pie. Why not start out the new year with a feast and set the tone for the months to come? I expect this theme to continue into my bank account, and will be most put out if it just means I’m going to gain 10lbs.

Also on Monday (though after a tryptophan-related nap), we launched the couldbe studios site. Seriously! I know, it’s been, what, six months since we originally planned for the site to go live? Now that it’s finally up and running, I feel all official. I also feel like I should be scrambling to do something, anything, to generate buzz, which in turn makes me feel like a (wannabe) sell-out. Sigh. But that’s neither here nor there – the exciting thing is that our business is finally a business. We have a portfolio, a blog, an office…we’re practically legitimate! Now all we need is clients. The kind that pay us. You know the kind.

Today I decided to take a break from my obsessive code-checking and made banana muffins. Banana muffins are delicious and do not involve css, html or detailed stats reports. I can’t wait until Happy Fun Baby is old enough to help me cook; this was totally the sort of recipe he’d dig on. Mashed bananas! Mashed! Also, I suspect that if he could help, he’d spend significantly less time hanging off the baby gate and wailing.

I’m hoping the banana muffins bring me inner peace. I mean, hey, the turkey dinner brought us clarity and productivity, so it’s really not too much to ask.

technorati tags:couldbe studios, couldbe, business, site launch, baking, banana muffins, 2007, food

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