Ellen’s blog

Did you dress up today?  See any good costumes?

I dressed up as Cleopatra to entertain the kids who knocked on my door.  I didn't realize that I would entertain some of the parents.  One even took a picture of me! Go figure.  I should have gotten the picture from him because I've changed and wiped off all my makeup.

I have a nephew who is with the 82nd Airborne in Iraq so I sent him a video email from the Queen of the Desert (also Queen of De'nial) to a desert rat!  I bet his buddies will get a kick out of his crazy aunt.

The kids came as princesses, fairies, Darth Vadar, Luke Skywalker, SpongeBob, Superman and characters I have no clue about.  I don't get many kids in my apartment building so they get lots of candy.  I have plenty left over for me :)

Happy Halloween to all.

Ellen

What's your sign?  What do you think of astrology and horoscopes?

I'm a Sagittarius, born on December 6th.  I've always felt that I exhibit most of the traits of a Sagittarian - optimistic, independent, love to travel and explore, honest and idealistic.  I'm also a bit tactless and judgmental, sitting on my high horse.

My independent streak makes it so I date but rarely stay in long-term relationships.  When someone tries to reign me in I rebel and pull away.  I'm not one who likes to be told what to do.  Any sign of possessiveness or jealousy from a mate has me running full steam in the other direction. I was engaged for five years but never married.  That says a lot about me right there.

I love to travel and will travel solo if there is no one who can travel with me at a particular time.  I went on a cruise to Bermuda in September by myself and had a great time.  When I travel solo I tend to meet more people.  I would love to travel more but right now I do have some family obligations and financial restraits. 

I love to learn and the Internet has become my playground.  There is so much information available and I can surf the Internet for hours going from one site to another.  I have a website called Infomania World where I share about my travels on the Internet.  I am learning about the world of web 2.0, the second generation of the Internet where it is more collaborative and sharing, a constantly changing medium rather than a static medium.  Blogging is part of the world of web 2.0 as well as social bookmarking like del.icio.us and sharing photos and videos with sites like Flickr and You Tube.  I have accounts on all those sites as well as many more.  As you can see from this paragraph I get caught up in my latest endevour to the point of obsession.

I don't follow my horoscope at all.  I don't know how much I believe in a daily horoscope found in the newspaper but someone did my chart once and that was pretty accurate.  When someone does your astrological chart they take into account your date and time of birth which is suppose to make the reading more accurate.  That I can see.  A daily horoscope in the newspaper is more generic and that is why I don't follow it.

The verdict is I do believe that I have many of the traits of a Sagittarian and that astrological charts when done properly offer insight into my character.  My chart is more of a tool than an absolute.  Same with the characteristics I exhibit.  I see that I can be tactless at times but I can learn to be a bit more tactful.  So nothing is absolute, it's more of a guide.

And, that is my story.

Ellen

Do you remember your first flight? Where did you go? Why?
Submitted by Laurel.

My first flight was to California on a 747 with Rex Trailer who had a kid's show called Boom Town.  It was a chartered flight for a bunch of kids to go to Disneyland and other sites for a week.  I was 12 years old and had a blast.  It was back in 1974 when flying was a pleasurable experience not like today when we are squished into a plane like sardines into a can. The 747 still had the lounge upstairs and we were able to sit and have Shirley Temples served to us.  It was very comfortable flight.  Going over the Grand Canyon was amazing. 

We stayed in Anaheim right next to Disneyland.  I loved the Matterhorn (no Space Mountain back then) and It's a Small World.  We also went to Sea World, the San Diego Zoo and Knotts Berry Ghost Town. 

I roomed with 3 other girls and we all smoked cigarettes and got caught by the chaperon though she didn't report us.  I also met a boy who was on the trip and had a "vacation romance."  We stayed in touch for a while when we came back home but it didn't last.

I had a lot of fun on that trip.  It was the beginning of my desire to travel to new places.  I don't travel as much now but I did for a while when I was younger.  I even sold magazines door to door, state to state for 6 months and saw a lot of the U.S.  The job was a nightmare but meeting Americans from across the U.S. was an experience I wouldn't change.

I also lived in Aspen for 6 months and learned how to ski.  I went to the Canary Islands back in 1987 and I have wanted to go back ever since.  It's just that I need more than a week to go.  I want to travel like the Europeans who go for a month. 

I like to cruise as well.  I went to Bermuda last month on a cruise and had a blast.  We were delayed getting into port because of Hurricane Florence and spent an extra day at sea.  I like being at sea.  We got bounced around like crazy because of 16 foot swells.  I had no problem because I had the motion sickness patch on.  I took a cruise in the Mediterranean out of Venice and went to Greece, Sicily, Rome, France, Spain, Morrocco and Portugal.  I've also been to various ports in the Carribbean.

I hate flying today because it is so cramped on airplanes and they don't circulate the air well.  I usually end up with a cold when I get home.  The last time I flew we took Jet Blue which at least has more comfortable seats and a little more room.  I feel bad for larger people because I am 5'4" and slight build and it is uncomfortable for me on a plane.

Thanks for the qotd. It brought back happy memories and thoughts of when flying was fun.

Google has put together a list of digitized editions of scary stories just in time for Halloween.  You can read them online or some are available to download.  A few of the books are

• Dracula - Bram Stoker (download available)  
• Frankenstein, Or, The Modern Prometheus - Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley
• The Legend of Sleepy Hollow - Washington Irving (download available)
• The Tell- Tale Heart - Edgar Allan Poe (download available)
• The Canterville Ghost - Oscar Wilde
• The Turn of the Screw - Henry James (download available)
• The Eyes - Edith Wharton

Check out the rest of the stories at Google Book Search Scary Stories. It was so very nice of the people at Google to put this list together.

Books, movies, music; what's in your top 5 right now?

Top 5 books:

• The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini - This is a great book that follows the life of an Afghani boy/man and how a choice he made as a boy affected his life.  Great character development.  It was hard to put down. This is a must read.
• The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson - A great historical novel about the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago and a serial murderer who is believed to have killed up to 200 murders.  Based on fact.  Spellbinding.
• The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory - The story about Mary Boleyn, Anne Boleyn's younger sister who was the mistress to Henry VIII before Anne married him.  A romantic tale but compelling.
• The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger - This is a pleasant read.  This is a love story between a man who time travels within his own life span and the woman whom he meets when she is a child and marries when she is an adult.

Top 5 movies:

• The Departed - I walked out with the feeling, "wow, that was a movie!"
• The Illusionist - Very well crafted and a joy to watch
• The Prestige - Good plot and acting
• The Chronicles of Narnia - I watched this in HD on Starz and was blown away.
• DeLovely - On DVD - Great music and acting.  The extras on the DVD are great.

Top 5 music:

• Snow Patrol  Eyes Open - My favorite new band right now.  I love this album, especially Chasing Cars.
• ColdPlay X&Y - This is by far the best album by ColdPlay. I listen to this all the time in my car.
• Avril Lavigne Let Go - I enjoy listening to Avril.  I love the song Complicated.
• Howie Day Stop All The World Now - Features The Perfect Time of Day and Collide.  Great album.

My Quest

While setting up my home theater I found myself going back and forth with my different controls.  I needed one to change the channels on my cable box, another to adjust the volume on my receiver and another for my dvd player.  It got frustrating.  So, I tried to find a universal remote that would control all of my components.  I figured a good Sony remote would do the trick because many of my components were Sony.  Guess what, it didn't do the job.  The worst part was it wouldn't control a Sony component!

My quest began to find a remote that would control everything but not cost me an arm and a leg.  I searched for reviews of universal remotes and scanned home theater forums to find my answer.  And, I did.

When all was said and done I chose the Logitech Harmony 680 Remote and I am so glad that I did.  Never has it been easier to control all of my home theater components -- television, dvr cable box, dvd player, vcr and stereo receiver.  I'm in heaven.

I press one button to watch television.  The remote turns on my TV, cable box and stereo receiver.  When I want to watch a dvd I press another button and my TV, dvd player and stereo receiver turn on.  All of my controls are right on the device with a small LCD screen for some additional functions.  For me there is no turning back.  I will never again fumble with multiple remotes!

Now, it did take a little time to tweak my Logitech Harmony 680 Remote to control all of my components the way I wanted.  Programming the remote is done through a web interface where almost every home theater component resides.  If your component doesn't exist, call technical support and see if they can help.  Logitech has great customer support.

You can check out user reviews at RemoteCentral.com - 680 and read posts in the Harmony Forum. 

The Logitech Harmony 680 Remote might not be the choice for you.  Your needs may differ from mine.  Also, newer remotes have come out since I bought mine that may be a bit better. In that case check out the resources below.

Resources

1. RemoteCentral.com is a great resource if you are looking for a remote.  You'll find news, reviews, features and forums.
2. AVS Forum has a section on Remote Controls and also has a wealth of information and posts on all aspects of having a home theater.
3. CNet Reviews of Remote Controls
4. Amazon Remote Controls - Great product descriptions and user reviews.

Today I spent working on my computer, downloading programs and music.  My pick of music today is Snow Patrol.  I listened to both albums, Eyes Open and Final Straw.  I love the song Chasing Cars (listen below)

\\Maxtor\public\Our Music\Snow Patrol - Eyes Open\Chasing Cars

. 

When I am on the computer "I just forget the world." I love Gary Lightbody's voice.  I just float from song to song enjoying every last note.

If you haven't listened to Snow Patrol they are definitely worth checking out.  Listen to the clips on Amazon to get a feel.  If you like Adult Alternative music I think you will fall in love with Snow Patrol.

Eyes Open

Snow Patrol

Final Straw

Snow Patrol

What food or drink do you love when it's cold out?  (Recipes and recommendations, please!)

My mom's "poor man's goulash" which doesn't sound appetizing but if you give it a try I'm sure you will love it.  I use to bring it to work to microwave up and people would surround me wondering what it was.  I ended up making it for everyone and they thought I was a great cook though I find hard boiling eggs a challenge :)

Recipe:

• 1 to 1 1/2 lbs of hamburger
• 1 large can (28 ounces) whole tomatoes
• 1/2 small can of tomato paste
• 1 can (15 ounces) of creamed corn
• spices (I like to add thyme, oregano, tabasco.  You can use chili pepper, rosemary, cumin, whatever your taste)

Cook hamburger in skillet. Drain fat.  In a large pot add all ingredients except spices.  Cook on low to medium heat till hot.  Add spices to taste.

Serve with crusty Italian bread and butter.

If you cook it up let me know what you think.