Happy Snappy

Snapdragon...aka Antirrhinum majus.  Picture taken this spring at Phipps Conservatory in Pittsburgh, PA.

Last night Charlotte went on walkabout.  Now this is an issue that scares me greatly.  As she is one of those Jack Russell dogs....and they can get caught up with the wrong crowd.  I'm thinking Raccoons...I'm thinking Coyotes....I'm thinking Groundhogs.  I much prefer that we go walkabout together.  We went to the barn at about 8pm to do the last check.  Usually she stays right around the barn yard.  Well last night she just took off like a shot.  She finally came home around midnight.  Not a bit beat up.  Just a little dirty.  She was definitely digging on something.  

She wasted no time jumping into bed and diving under the covers.  Lights off after that and a good nights sleep.  There is no way I was going to bed until she was back to the 'sugar shack'.

Why I Love My Kindle

I've been using my Kindle for two months now.  And it's official.  I love it.  So here is my top 10.

10.  Free Books.  Yeah baby.  Classics are free.  Bibles are free.  Got a couple free cookbooks.  And Genres that I never would have even tried, if not for diabolical publicists everywhere that convinced their authors to offer the first book free of charge so that people would get so hooked on the series they would pay for the rest.

9.  $.99 books.  Yeah see above about diabolical publicists.  Also so great Independent publishers that are offering really good deals.

8.  The 2/2 principal.  Battery life....I plug her in for two hours every two weeks.  And I read on the thing....A LOT!  I'm a minimum of a two book a weeker.  

7.  No Glare.  Yeah...none!  This thing is not like a computer screen, there is no back lighting.  Go figure.  I have no idea how it works.  But there is no glare.  It's called eInk technology.  Whatever....it rocks.

6.  It holds 1500 books.  That's right 1500 books at your finger tips at all time.  On a plane, in the car, on a boat, on vacation, in the doctors office.  Because it can store that many.  In case your like jonesin' for some Gabaldon or Austen.  Not to mention Hemmingway or Frost.  Or maybe that darn Temeraire series that got me hooked (see number 10).  Oh yeah...and unlimited storage in your Amazon account.  So just in case you own 3,000 books.  You store 1500 in the kindle and 1500 that you will have to download via the whispernet to read.

5.  Cheaper then bookshelves.  Really.  Trust me I just had to build some book shelves in the 'sugar shack'.  The Kindle was about $200 bucks cheaper and holds more books.

4.  Whispernet...This is really cool.  I can be hanging upside down from monkey bars...and order a book and it's sent instantly to my kindle.  This thing connects via some sort of cellular phone network (I think sprint) to the net and goes to the amazon store and gets you your book.  And there is no charge.  It's free.  Well free is a relative word here because if the book cost .99 cents then I'm sure it's built into the cost.  But if the book is a freebie then there is still no delivery cost.  Talk about instant gratification.

3.  Search and Save For Later... I can connect to the Amazon Kindle store whenever I want.  Search (or browse, which ever I want to do) for a book.  And instantly buy it, download a sample, or save it for later.  That's right...free samples.  Sigh.  My TBR (to be read) pile is bigger than ever.  And my 'Save For Later' list... I use that to keep track of books that I want to buy but am waiting for price drops.  I'm cheap and there are so many free to 3 buck books that I've only bought two $9.99 new releases.  I'm waiting for a price drop for the rest.

2.  Horizontal reading... In bed, on the couch, on a lounger.  Sigh.  This thing is so much more comfortable to read laying down then a dead tree book.

And the number one thing I love....

1.  Dictionary... Now this makes me go all tingle and happy.  Truly weepy happy.  My hunk of plastic reader has a built in dictionary.  When I don't know a word... I scroll up to it and the definition pops up at the bottom.  Yeah that's right.  No more stopping and running for the dead tree Oxford.  It's a word lovers dream come true.

Apparently the Kindle reader does some other nifty things too.....but I'm not sure what those things are.  I have not had extra time to 'play'.  I'm not sure I even want to know what else it does.  I know that there is margin note option.  And some sort of wiki search function.  

Just two more that didn't make the top 10.  You can search an individual book.  ie..In the bible I can type the word 'eagle' and it will give me a list to choose from of every eagle reference.  I also love the books it has opened up to me.  Writers who have been passed over for publishing because someone thought they just were not quite good enough.  Welp now there is a self publishing medium that anyone can do.  I've read some truly wonderful short stories.  And am in the middle of two self published novels.

Anyone else have a Kindle?  Questions?  Comments?

Darlington Polo Club

I love polo! Love it. Don't have the nerve to play (not to mention that my dear Obie would probable just keel over of a heart attack if I asked him to give it a go!). But am a avid fan. That the sleepy little town of Darlington, PA has a polo team is amazing.  That said sleepy little town is a mere 25 minute drive from the farm is sweet.  The team plays in Darlington on a sand field that is about 1/3rd (my estimate) of the size of a regulation field. And on Sundays a couple of times over the course of the summer they play in East Palestine, OH on a regulation size field.

The cost of admission is $5 per person, under the age of 16 and your admitted free. You back your car up to the field pop the hatch and set up your tailgate. Quite the deal. Dogs and allowed. And Miss Charlotte Pup Pup knows when it's Friday night. Her little self hovers around me until I leash her up and load her in the car. I have only missed 1 game in four years. I plan my vacations around the schedule.

The great outdoors, horses, food, and dogs allowed. Good clean fun! What more can you ask for.  If you live in Western PA or plan to visit.  Give the Darlington Polo Club hotline a call at 724-814-7022 and find out if there is a match scheduled.  Oh course I'll be Blogging and Tweeting about it all summer as well.  Hopefully will get my camera settings figured out to bring you better pictures.  Anyway you won't regret it....promise!  Look for Charlotte and myself...our tailgate is always open.

A New Day

The sun coming up over the farm last month.

Hello Friends.....welp it's been significantly longer than a week since I last posted. Sorry! I still have no Internet connection at home. I set up text posting today, so I have no more excuses. I'm sitting in Starbucks posting this as I needed to escape my office. It's just seems decadent to leave work and come here.

So here's where I attempt an explanation about why my posting has been at best erratic and at worse non-existent since November.

Short version:

**PORTION DELETED ON 11 MAY 2010....FOR PRIVACY PROTECTION (WILL GLADLY SHARE VIA EMAIL FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE DEALING W/A LOVED ONE W/AN ADDICTION)**

Okay...sorry for not fessing up sooner. But somethings you just can't share when the topic may hurt someone else. More on this later.

For tonight.....The POLO season is finally starting. So I'm off to put together my hamper for tonight's tailgating. Then off to Darlington for Polo under the lights. First chukka starts at 8pm. Have a great weekend everyone!

I'm Okay

Hello Friends,

I've been a very naughty blogger. In the midst of some big life changes. I'm okay...actually better than okay in many ways. But I only have Internet connection at work (v. v. busy) and on my cell phone. I'm working on getting a connection at home. I'll be back next week to update you on my life and to catch up on all of your blogs. I've been by your sites via my reader on my cell phone but it's very hard to comment. Thank you all so much for your concern....I've missed our banter.

Much love,

Tami

A brief note from Charlotte....because I just can't say no to her...unedited of course.

iz mez charlotte pup-pupz. mez bez mizzin youz all berry berry much tooz. mez zo happy dat it be der zpring timez. mez run and run and run. mez digz and digz and digz. mez rollin in der dead ztuff. ohhh and dat mudz here be zo berry vunderbal it bez zticky and mez bez zo dirty and happyz. thiz it bez da truth according to mez a jack ruzzel dog.

Kindle Date Recap

I spent an hour at Starbucks with a lovely lady who let me paw over her Kindle on Friday.  And paw I did.  Best thing...Kindle has the Oxford built into it.  Need a definition.  Scroll to it and the meaning shows up.  Seriously.  I love that.  I read with a dictionary as a companion .  I need to know what words mean.

The next thing I noticed.  No glare and no eye strain.  It's like reading paper.  How Amazon did that, I don't know.  But it's wonderful.  

I left Starbucks determined to buy a Kindle.

Friday night I snuggled into bed with a wonderful book...Gardens of Delight....can't remember who wrote it (sorry!).  But as I was reading and turning the pages...and well immersed in reading.  I thought...ut-oh I can't get a Kindle.  I love books...actual bound print on paper BOOKS.

Saturday...same thing.  I'm a paper girl.  It's got to be books or nothing.  Saturday afternoon.  I was spring cleaning.  As I shifted books off the nightstand, kitchen table, moved totes filled with books, moved stacks piled on the floor.  I stopped.  Stared at the books.  Had a mini-breakdown.  Came to the conclusion that I either needed a bigger house or I absolutely no more books can be purchased.  A bigger house means more to clean.  I hate to clean.  But not buying books.  Not so much an option either.  Soooooo......

Sunday afternoon I came back to work.  Did a little billing.  Then logged back onto Amazon to read the forums about the Kindle.  There is a 30 day money back guarantee.  I have Amazon credits from the Coin Star and gift cards so that brings the price way down for me.  Which is great.  There are a ton ...... I mean a ton of free books....and books under a $1.  Pretty much all the classics are free.  So by converting those ...... much room will be freed up on my bookshelves

Monday morning....I ordered it.  I have 30 days to try it.  I'm going to download a bunch a freebies.  And read for a few days on it...not switch back and forth between real books.  See if I can get into it.  I'm also interested in having my Grandpa try it.  He is an avid reader and it's hard to get him to the bookstore/library.  He depends on us to pick books for him.  If we both had Kindles we could share an account.  I like the 'sample' the book option....so he can read a bit, decide if he likes it...before we buy.  

I'll let you know after I read on it a while.

Date With A Kindle

I have a date!

Amazon has a service that lets you search for someone in your area that has a Kindle and who is willing to meet you and let you paw the gadget!  

So today at high noon...I meet the Kindle.

Ohhh-Awww!!!!

To Kindle or Not To Kindle

SIGH....By now you've heard of Kindle right?  I read.... a lot of books.  Like 2 to 3 books a week sometimes more.  I like big books.  The bigger the better.  But big books even in paperback are expensive.  And honestly....I'm out of room.  I have books on shelves, night stands, boxes stored at the house, boxes stored at the office... I leave books at the coffee shop when I'm done with them and I don't think it will be something I'll read again anytime in the future.  I send books to friends.  My new closet will be faced with built in bookshelves.  And still I need to de-book.

I need an intervention, or do I?  Maybe what I need is a Kindle.  It holds like 1500 books.  And if you run out of space apparently you can delete them cause Amazon keeps a record of what you purchased...forever.  

At first I was a bit miffed at the price....but then I added up the cost of the new book shelves and trust me...they don't hold 1500 books.  So as a bookshelf....Kindle is cheaper.  eBooks for Kindle are anywhere from 6-10 bucks.  And there are tons of classics that cost nothing. 

Then I thought....hmmmm does the Author make the same money?  Diana Gabaldon (Queen of the big arsed book) posted that she makes more money on eBooks.  Her royalty is 50% on eBooks.  So that assuaged that pondering.  There is also the ease of trying out brand new writers.  There are places out there in cyber land where you can buy 'unpublished' work (meaning...self published) in .txt format which is supported by Kindle.

Think of the trees....the paper, the wood for bookshelves.  I'm all about saving trees.  What do you think folks?  Anyone got a Kindle?  Anyone want one?  Anyone vehemently opposed to eBooks?