judyherilla.com

So…Had an awesome day today!

• Worked
• Organized my sock drawer – yippee!
• Worked out with Marcia – treadmill – 25 minutes!
• Chased Dragons on mountain bikes!!!
• Attended a gallery closing (the opening was canceled due to bad weather) – new wine location!!!

As I was arranging another wine tasting, Adam came in with a sixer of one of my favorite beers!

I had a surprise for him too!

Marcia and I did some shopping, and I picked Adam up this.

Its a box of jelly belly beans, with good and bad flavors in the same colors.

So we did a sort of Russian roulette (probably a better analogy here…) with them and each picked one, and saw who got the bad crap. It was okay because I had my Vanilla Java Porter and he had his Flying Dog Old Scratch Amber Lager to wash down the yuckies.

Id say I got more gross ones than he did. But I did finish the skunk spray, while he spit out his Rotten Egg.

Yes we are weird, and I wouldnt have it any other way.

My Aunt Olga passed away two days ago. She just turned 93 last week.

To me, she was the embodiment of a strong, unstoppable woman.

Up until just a few years ago – she was still out there cutting grass, tending her garden, baking amazing treats,
and making my favorite – turtle soup.

Today was her funeral, and she was buried with a locket that contained her son’s ashes – he died 6 months ago.
At his funeral – she grabbed my arm and cried, that she had thought of ending her life, due to the pain of her incurable cancer,
but that she had promised him she would not.  And somehow, she would find the strength to carry on.

I loved to visit her to not only be around her amazing personalty, but to feel “connected” with the Herilla side of the family.
When I have called more recently, she was weak, and not up for visitors.

Of my father’s siblings, only two of ten(?) are left.

I saw my cousins reaction when my uncle spoke to him. Afterwards my cousin said, I cant believe he spoke to me.
He hasn’t spoken to me since my son was little (15 years).  My cousin was close to my dad, who also did not speak to his brother (this same uncle) for over 40 years, until my father was dying and my uncle came to visit.  I later heard my uncle tell someone why he had not talked to my cousin. It was related to an incident in which my cousin had his young son at the club, and I guess his son was on top of a pinball machine or something similar. I guess my cousin did not make a move to correct this or apologize.

Stupid shit to hold a grudge over, but in my family there is a history of not talking over things like this. Waiting for the other person to call first.

If you are holding a grudge with anyone, please, even if you feel YOU ARE RIGHT – reach out to them. It is not worth it.
Being reminded of this was a big take-away for me today.

At any rate, all seemed united when the pastor asked for people to shout out baked goods or things my aunt had done that were impressive.
It was a very long list, and I only hope to live up to my last name and display the work ethic demonstrated by my late aunt and father.

Yeah – I think I will be getting a Mac.

Adam and I both had deadlines to submit writings, and then head out with two vehicles filled ot the brim as it is snowing.

He submitted his article with no problem, I was in the middle of finalizing a questionnaire and BOOM – my laptop decided to reboot itself to install updates.

Now warnings, nothing.

Luckily I am a frequent user of Ctrl-S, but now my doc is locked up on me and I have lost my changes.

Happy vacation!

It’s been a long week of working til 3:30am, 4am, 5am, and then staying up and intensely working for 36 hours.

Much going on.

I’ve been chosen to be an author of a technical course that I currently teach.

I recently joined a company as the Vice President of Operations

Please check out the site and spread the word.

Needing balance, I am getting away from the computer to work on preparations for Frostburn, Pittsburgh’s Regional Burning Man event.

Adam and I worked on our camp for Frostburn today. A nice break from sitting at my desk, but realizing I really need to get back in shape! I am exhausted!

We worked on a very difficult project together. Building our dome.

We had already cut and color-coded the length of our conduit.

First we built the floor. Pallets and plywood.

We passed the test. We are still talking.

It was revealing. I was focused on following the directions, and laying out pieces as Adam built.
He was recognizing patterns and wanting to move forward, before I was ready.

– just now, he reminded me that I had the bottom layer pieces laid out in a circle and was trying to reconcile them with the directions.
He knew what I laid out wasn’t big enough. I knew it too, and it is not that I didn’t trust him to start moving them, I just wanted to be sure I understood how to read the directions.

So, we are not alike in all ways, but that makes things more interesting. And balanced.

So, here it is in process:

And our big blue tarp.

Google Voice does a very funny job of translating messages.

I have shared that – and my boyfriend just brightened my evening of another working all-nighter with this voicemail that Google transcribed.

Your day. Judy Judy Judy chickens walk from farms to camps and the camps scroll from referrals. 2 the trolling Pearl. Thanks and the first 6 often find themselves covered in icicles in cubicles. But sometimes overspent defend themselves and the gym. Pansies trying to take over the planets, but the planets is full of peanuts and the peanuts like to smash chestnuts. But the chest not sometimes hang up on the Carillo switcher defending the gym. Pansies through our includes with the penguins who has nothing to do with anything.

Here is the actual message.

I detest Facebook quizzes.

I just got a notice my cousin said something about me. I was curious so I clicked it.

You have to answer questions about your friends BEFORE you find out what people said.

Its been a long work day – so I indulged.

Stupid stupid questions.  I had to skip many.

I mean come on, do I really want to answer if I think that my boyfriend's mom ever gave someone a Dutch Oven?

Do you think X iscute. Would Y fart in public. Jeesh!

So finally I was able to answer 25 questions.   

Then, it brings up the questions people were asked about me, and what their answers are.

Then you find out you need 25 magic coins to see who worte what.

Nothing too shocking with the answers people have given, except WHO THINKS I AM MATERIALISTIC?

I love meeting up with people that I find connections with.

Ive been especially lucky lately.

My friend and intern, Courtney asked advice today about traveling to Edinburgh, Scotland.

I said "Go for it" Life is for living. I recalled to her my trip to Australia and how I will never regret going.
I thought of hanging out with my friend who was original form there, who introduced me to my roommate for the trip who lived in Edinburgh.
We deemed it a sign she should go.

A few minutes later, she was processing some contact information for me.
The third piece of contact information belonged to someone ELSE I had met – from Edinburgh!

three degree synchronicity!

A friend who is a researcher had sent me an article on these events, and he replied today saying he never has these events.

Courtney and I both have them a lot!  I hope this year brings some more understanding of this. It's really fun.

As mentioned in all other posts in the category of Synchronicities – I dont keep up with blogging them all very well.
Im going to stop saying that now and just focus on trying to do it when I can.

1

So lately – this week I was working on my friend's sweatlodge for Frostburn – www.frostburnpgh.com – and we were looking for fire blankets. Unfortunately, the chimney was getting so hot it was melting the surrounding tarp of the dome.

I searched on Google, and opened a few sites -  I always use the open tab in new window in Firefox, so as a page loads I can do something else – like check Facebook. Im a little bit addicted.

So, I saw this message and focused on the word CHIEF.
I contemplated it for a bit. Got stuck on the word, like I have gotten "stuck" on David Duchovy, Hammer, and Guiness for example

I entered my response, then closed the window, revealing this page that had loaded.

I showed this on my laptop to Adam and Teppy, and they smiled, in a nice way.
Not sure if that meant – Yes, Judy you are silly or what.

2

This morning a friend who knows I am interested in the 11:11 phenomenon and synchronicities sent me an article from a psych magazine.  One line made me smile, that most people will have 1 PSI episode in their lifetime. (lie what I have been describing.) I was amused – and emailed him back.

I was reflecting on a particular time when I had been frightened of the future, and a song on Pandora had the lyric, "we were all afraid of the future".  I get a lot of these, with songs.  I will put iTunes on random and it is eerie how closely some songs link to what contemplating. I was dating someone once, and all the songs came up had his name in it. Made me wonder if ITunes was capturing my keystrokes.

3

Just now, I responded to a Facebook message in which I asked a friend "what is white fuel" in response to her message. I then closed that tab in my browser, and what came up was a page I clicked (open in new Tab) earlier on "JQuery design patterns". Here is a screenshot.

That's enough for now – back to work for me.

This post outlines my annoyance / outrage / disbelief in the current situation with my Google Voice and Verizon Wireless phone service.

Be careful depending on Google Voice on your Blackberry from Verizon.

Im going to try and stick to the facts, and leave out any emotion or conspiracy theories.
Really, I just want some help. Or suggestions on what to do – such as go to Nexus, or another phone plan.

I have successfully been using Google Voice with Verizon Wireless for a few months now.

Not familiar with it? It's pretty damn cool. You pick a number for free (i guess Google advertisers are paying a penny more per click, so not free for them) and can have people call you on that number.
Via the web interface, you select which phones will ring under many conditions. Forward to home from 6pm – 11pm, to your cell 9am – 9pm, whatever.
It's very nifty. When your phone rings, it can display the actual caller or your own Google Voice number. MIne is on my friends and family plan with Verizon.
Catching on why this is nice?

2 weeks ago, I started dropping calls with Verizon. 7 times one day, 9 times the next. This was using Google Voice and also regular calls.   

On my way to DC from Pittsburgh, I called 611 and after updating via *228 – I was told it was the phone I was using because multiple calling areas were affected.

I was teaching that week and had no time to go to a Verizon store. On the way home, I tried to talk to a potential client, and the call dropped 4 times. Great impression!

I stopped in my local Verizon store 7 days ago on a Saturday, and they said they would have to order a phone since they don't carry the Blackberry 8330 anymore.

The replacement Blackberry shipped and I missed getting it Wednesday. Of course, the one 30 minute period I stepped out of the house is when the Fex Ex guy was here!

That night, I tried calling 1-800-GOOG 411 for directory assistance(free again), and I kept getting a Verizon message saying the phone number was invalid, check the number and dial again.
No need to check, it was in my address book. I tried 5 times in a row, finally got through, and got the info I needed. I then tried again just to see what would happen, and back to "the number is invalid" message.

Hmmm…

Got the replacement phone yesterday – it had a sticker, "Like-New Replacement" and a red "certified" stamped across it.

Well, the phone didnt work. I called and tried activating it, but the buttons didnt work. Then the previous phone didnt work. Certified?

So back to the mall and they tried giving me a temp phone, but the battery was incompatible, so the best offer, overnight another phone.

I myself felt drained at this point. Major time suck, and will the new phone be just as certified to work?

Got the new one this morning, and just as in the last week, when I initiate calls via Google Voice -
the people receiving the call cannot hear me.  I twitted and Facebooked about this – and the responses I got from others were that they were having no problems – on other networks.

I called to complain, 611, and after a long wait – then someone saying they would help me – the call dropped.

I called back and asked them to call my home number.   A tech listened to all I had to say, said the dropped call is probably the phone (second replacement phone, remember?),
and for me to monitor dropped calls over the weekend.

So, I pushed about the Google issue. That I was getting an invalid number for the 1-800-GOOG-411 from Verizon.
The tech called the number and said "worked for me!" Thanks – can you get the number for Ann Taylor to me, two nights ago, when I was trying to reach them?

So, I asked about the fact callers cant hear me, when I initiate the Google Voice call via the web. My cell rings, I answer, teh phone rings, we are connected. The response from Verizon regarding Google calls not working on my Verizon? Call Google.
Okay – I get this – it involves another party, and this is difficult to troubleshoot. But call Google?

Okay, I will get right on that.

Actually, I cant – there is no number.

I tried to use the feedback form on Google's site.

I entered:

And upon hitting submit – got:

Spreadsheets? Can they help me with my Google Voice problems? Can anyone?

Whoever coded that page, I feel your pain. I once brought down an entire website when i overwrote the index.html.
I was a fresh developer. But even if this is a new developer – didn't someone test this functionality?

 But I was a

I found another area to submit feedback, and I did. Hopefully someone will contact me and get this straightened out.
It's amazing. These are free services – if I ignore the targeted ads I receive from Google.

These services worked before and now they do not. I just want them back.

Interestingly enough, my contract with Verizon expires in March. Funny, everyone from Verizon is suggesting I upgrade my phone to fix this problem. Of course NONE said that this will extend my contract. Funny, isnt that how I got my $1.50 coupon towards Verizon Services from the previous class action lawsuit?

When I ask them if it extends my contract, they shyly look away and say Yes.

If I quit Verizon now – I have to pay a cancellation fee. Might be cheaper than monthly bill now.

I've thought of going to a cheap service like Cricket – but Im addicted to being connected.

I do like to be quick in responding to my clients as well, so it would be tough to give up a smartphone.

Any suggestions for my next mobile service with web?  Stay with Blackberry? iPod? Nexus?

This fills like one of those letters you write to an ex but never send. It's too long of a rant, and I have no idea if anyone will read it.
BUT…if it leads to me getting service that makes me smile, or warns others away from the same fate, it may be worth it.

I really do enjoy Google Voice. I have set my number up to forward to my cell or home.

If I miss a call, I can read the text message Google generates by translating the voice mail.

Here are the latest two:

From Adam: How you doing finishing up your weapons Confederate of a reasons. Alright, I'm gonna send a message. So, anyway, give me a shout it. Yeah.

From V: Emily, It, so if you feel here and she just called you and other number of any kind of food River asked me to this. Mom I wasn't sure. I just wanted to be. If you or Adam, We will who wants to go. So, W at some space. Since mummified body of of available them into tomorrow about some this is since last weekend, so gimme a call when you can and I'll talk to you later. Thanks. Bye.

If you use Google Voice, please post some funny translations you have received…