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Sunday, February 11, 2007Text Messaging  My kids use their cell phones to text message their friends more than they use them for making phone calls. With the plan we have now, our daughter currently is allowed to send 400 text messages a month. She just told her dad she will pay the extra money if he would upgrade her to 800 text messages.Now I ask you, eight hundred? Per month? Greg simply could not wrap his mind about this. "If you want to tell your friends something, what is wrong with just calling them--for free?" My daughter was unable to give an articulate answer, so, peace-maker that I am, I jumped in to try and help things along. "You know, honey, I bet when telephones were first invented, those parents said, 'If that young man wants to talk to you, then why can't he just come on over to the house!'" Greg said that was a lame comparison. My daughter like it, though. :-) Bottom line, he wasn't buying (no pun intended). Truth is, I've secretly been thinking about signing up for text messaging myself. My cell phone can receive them, but I'm not set up to send them. And my son sends them to me all the time. Things like: What's for dinner? I'm at Ben's house. I forgot my lunch money. Happy Birthday. I've found that I wanted to respond to these queries with a quick text message rather than leaving a message on his phone. (Especially if he's at school because he's not suppose to have it on and I don't want it to ring and get him in trouble.) Trying to use the phone pad to type, though, is quite a challenge. You should see my kids. They can type almost as quickly on their phones as they can on a computer keyboard. It's crazy. So what about you? Do you text message on your phone?
posted by Deeanne at 11:02 PM
10 comments
Friday, February 09, 2007The Last Sin Eater  You can watch a trailer here. Find a theatre near you that is showing it. You can check out the resources available for churches and groups who want to create a community movie-going experience for their members. And you can read some reviews here and here. It is directed by Michael Landon, Jr. and Brian Bird. I cannot express to you how important it is that we support these movies. If the Christian community is going to have an influence on what Hollywood puts in its theaters, then we *must* go to these movies as soon as they hit the theatres. The opening day and weekend of a movie are *critical.* So go out on a date night or take the family. Then come back and tell me what you thought!
posted by Deeanne at 9:55 AM
5 comments
Wednesday, February 07, 2007Schedule Change  My schedule for the next few months is going to be really hectic. In order to accommodate it and simultaneously meet my writing deadlines, I'm streamlining some of my everyday tasks.That said, I'm going to start blogging every Monday and Thursday now (instead of every MWF). Hope that's okay with everybody. I will still stop by the Comments Section on a daily basis, it's just the uploading of new posts that will be different. Thanks for being so flexible!
posted by Deeanne at 6:11 PM
13 comments
Monday, February 05, 2007Airbus 380  Have you seen this yet? It is the world's largest passenger airplane. Airbus wants to provide the Boeing 747 with a little competition. This new wonder of the world is a 555 seat, double decker plane with 49% more floor space (and only 35% more seating) than the previous largest aircraft. (The Boeing 747 which seats around 455.)Airbus is ensuring wider seats and aisles for more passenger comfort with costs per seat 15-20% less than those for the 747. They will offer the standard three-class configuration (economy, business and first). I'm pretty sure all these photos are of the upper class variety.   The airbus has two levels and two staircases allowing passengers to go up and down between levels. Luggage will be stored in a third level on the bottom side of the plane.   Commercial flights are scheduled to begin this year (2007), though looks like most of them are in Europe. Problem is, airports are going to have to widen their runways if they want the Airbus to land there. Los Angeles is going to spend over 50 million to make the changes required.     This is the only image I could find of the economy class.  Amazing, isn't it?
posted by Deeanne at 10:27 AM
7 comments
Friday, February 02, 2007Tag--You're It  My dear friend, Allison Smythe, tagged me yesterday. Now, I have to tell six weird things about myself and then tag six other people. So, here we go.
On your mark, get set, go!
posted by Deeanne at 9:22 AM
19 comments
Wednesday, January 31, 2007Be A Part of History!  Bethany House is taking a survey of readers' opinions for Ann Tatlock's upcoming release, Every Secret Thing. Ann has been writing for BHP since 1998. The novel they are working on now is about a young woman's tumultuous return to her hometown where memories, mysteries and an old love await her.The art department has designed three different covers for the book and would like to see which one you like and why. The survey is anonymous and will take about two minutes. If you're interested click here. For more about Ann, you can read an interview my editor did with her and you can also visit her website. I will be sure to let you know which cover they choose and when the book is released. Once you've voted, feel free to come back here and let us know which one you chose and why.
posted by Deeanne at 12:02 PM
12 comments
Monday, January 29, 2007So Embarrassing  I donated blood for the first time last week ... and passed out. (Not as prettily as the gal in the drawing, though. I wish!) As a kid I never did well with blood tests. It wasn't unusual for me to faint or throw up. As an adult, I didn't have any trouble so long as I was lying down when the event occurred.The last time I braved sitting up for a blood test was when Greg & I went to get our marriage license. I didn't want to look like a wimp in front of my finance. He did his test lickety-split. Then the lady couldn't hit the vein in my right arm, so after several tries moved to my left arm--no luck. Went back to my right arm and by the time we were done, Greg was about to pass out, too! Ha! Anyhoo, for the longest time I didn't weigh enough to donate blood. But I don't have that excuse anymore. Determined to do my part, I went to the blood bank, told them I hadn't fainted in years and was ready to give it a try. They have these awesome recliners that lean way back and elevate your feet. The fella who took my donation got a vein with his first try and we were off. I did pretty well for about the first four or five minutes. Then I noticed how difficult it was becoming to squeeze the little ball they gave me. My arm was growing weaker and weaker. My fingers were tingling. My head was beginning to feel light. I didn't want to stop squeezing the ball because I wanted the blood flow to be good (so I'd be done soon). I resorted to squeezing only with my thumb. Very shortly after that, the technician said I was done. He removed the needle, released the turnicate and ... all the blood whooshed away from my brain. If you've never fainted, it is an incredibly helpless feeling. You know you are fixing to lose it. You tell your blood to go right back up there where it belongs--but it doesn't listen. You get really, really clammy, then really, really hot. The last thing to go is your hearing. I looked up at the tech and said, "I'm so, so sorry." Then passed out. Just before I lost all consciousness, I heard him holler, "Get some ice packs!" When I came to, it was like you see on TV where all those heads are looking down on you. My recliner was completely surrounded by techs. I had a bazillion ice packs one me--one on each shoulder, behind my neck, on my chest, on my tummy, and I can't remember where all. In a loud piercing voice, the tech on my left sternly commanded me to "cough!" Cough? Right. I was too weak to move. To weak to keep my eyes open. No way did I have the strength to cough. Still, I gave it a try, pathetic though it was. "Open your eyes," she said. A pause. "Both eyes, Mrs. Gist." And so it went. They brought me some soda, but I was too weak to hold the cup, so they got a straw and held it for me. (It was warm--yuk. Fortunately, I was too weak to ask for ice. That would have been a little much, even for me.) Over the course of an hour, I gradually returned to normal--normal enough to sit up and then walk and then drive. But it took a while. They gave me strict instructions to go across the street to Sonic and get me a big ol' burger with tater-tots covered in cheese and to drink lots of fluids. I did just as the doctor ordered, then came home, collapsed into bed and slept for over an hour. So ... that was my big adventure last week. I wonder what it is in my genetic make-up that triggers this kind of reaction in me? I don't faint at the sight of blood. I don't have any great fear of needles. I'm not quivering with fear when blood needs to be drawn. Nor do I have any control over my response. Kinda strange, isn't it? What about you? Are you like the gal in the recliner next to me who sashayed in, gave a couple dozen pumps of the little rubber ball, then jumped up and waltzed out without even blinking? I was soooo envious of her. Imagine being able to give blood that easily. What kind of donor are you?
posted by Deeanne at 8:26 AM
13 comments
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