Nancy's Ramblings

Moved blog

2009-03-05T02:33:00.002-05:00

I've moved my active blog to nancycrivers.com/blog. I won't be updating this blog much anymore. I'm keeping it though mainly for showing my students. I know that may not make much sense, but I have my reasons.

The fortune cookie

2009-03-01T19:21:00.002-05:00

Some years ago, a couple of friends shared with me a tradition for reading the fortunes in fortune cookies. Basically it went like this: read the fortune and then add the words "in bed" to it. It usually comes out really funny that way. Today, I decided to stop at the local chinese take out place and got a fortune cookie. Keeping in mind the "tradition", here's the fortune as it appeared on the paper:

"Your act of kindness will warm another's soul."

When did it happen?

2009-03-01T18:59:00.002-05:00

Have you ever stopped and thought When did it happen? When did I become (fill in the blank)?

That thought has crossed my mind in the last few weeks.

Specifically, When did I become the "computer guru"?

It's all a matter of perspective. There are several people that I know that consider me rather knowledgeable about computers. Of course, I really don't consider myself a guru - mainly because I'm still in school struggling for the degree to show I have some knowledge about computers (and depending on the subject, very little knowledge). But, when did it happen that several of my friends started believing that I was the guru? I can't pinpoint a specific time. I'm not even sure how it happened.

In a way, it's kind of weird. I remember growing up and thinking about certain people that they were very smart and I wished I knew just a tenth of what they knew because then I would be smart too. Now, it seems that I'm the "smart one". Strange...

Great week

2009-02-26T19:31:00.002-05:00

First there was the news that Supernatural has been picked up for a 5th season on the CW. Woo hoo! It's my favorite tv show and I'm glad the CW recognized they have a good show on their hands and renewed it. Smallville was also renewed for a 9th season, so that presumes that Tom Welling came to a contract agreement with WB. I hope the writing doesn't go any further south on that show. :)

Then I made contact with another Stiles cousin. This one descends from Eugene Stiles - older brother to my 2nd Great-Grandmother Emma Mae Stiles. Very little is known about Eugene and his descendants, so this is a huge find for me. The mother of the person I'm in contact with had produced a book about her parents and their missionary work in Hawaii. I've ordered a copy of the book from Amazon and can't wait to get it.

Lastly, I've just been informed by the CEO of the webhost for my website, nancycrivers.com, that I have been selected as one of the top 10 websites that they host for Feb. I'm not exactly sure what that means yet, but I'm going to be checking into it. :)

Why does this work?

2009-02-23T20:10:00.002-05:00

Why does sending mail to someone asking them to contact you regarding a business opportunity work? Seriously?

Every week I receive between 4 and 8 post cards and regular envelopes advertising some work at home opportunity and asking me to contact them. Just today I received 4 post cards! I also typically receive 2 to 3 phone calls per week. The worst one was about 3 weeks ago, I received a post card without postage - it came postage due! I will NOT be paying for something that I never asked for.

Why on earth am I receiving this junk mail? I am not interested and never will be in these work at home SCAMS. I have NEVER expressed any desire to any website or business asking them to contact me in regards to work at home businesses.

I wish I knew how I got onto these mailing lists and phone lists. I would definitely not do business with that source again. I also wish I knew how to get OFF of these blasted things. Contacting the people who send them does not work - because they buy the list from some source and refuse to reveal the source.

Michigan e-Library

2009-02-17T06:12:00.002-05:00

One of my students shared a "new" website with me yesterday. The Michigan e-Library website is a website that provides awesome resources for free to anyone who has a Michigan driver's license or identification card.

The mission statement as on their website states: "Administered by the Library of Michigan in partnership with Michigan's libraries of all types, the Michigan eLibrary (http://mel.org) will provide all Michigan residents with free access to online full-text articles, full-text books, digital images, and other valuable research information at any time via the Internet; and provide an easy-to-use interlibrary loan system to allow Michigan residents to borrow books and other library materials for free from participating Michigan libraries."

Why am I excited about this? Well, one, I live in Michigan and thus have accesss to it. :) But more importantly, there is a genealogy section which has links to resources such as Heritage Quest Online - an awesome resource. Now I have access to this resource for free from my home - or if I'm traveling for work. There are other resources too - but I just haven't had time to delve into them yet.

If your not into doing your genealogy, MeL has other things too. Mel Michigana has historical pictures of various Michigan governors, Civil War soldiers, Michigan communities and more. There's also diaries from the Civil War era, Michigan County Histories, resources from Michigan Oral History Association, and access to the Walter P. Reuther Library of Labor and Urban Affairs in addition to many, many other historical resources. They have databases that have full text searches of newspaper and magazine articles. There are even resources for teachers (like lesson plans and curriculum aides).

Introducing nancycrivers.com

2009-02-12T16:08:00.004-05:00

I have created a website for myself that I plan to use as a "one stop" for all things that are related to me. NancyCRivers.com is my new online home. I'll have information on there about vacations that I have taken, the businesses that I run, my hobbies as well as articles and other types of information about computers and computer related topics. I might even include some "articles" that are how to articles - with detailed instructions to follow to learn how to do something with your computer. Some of the articles may be free, some you might have to pay a small price to see - I haven't quite decided on that yet. The website is still in its infancy, but feel free to check it out.

The Daily Puppy

2009-02-10T05:35:00.002-05:00

With my work schedule, there is NO way that I could have a pet - my job requires too much travel, and when you live alone, who would take care of the pet when you're out of town?

So, I have a collection of stuffed dogs - they are my pets. I've also added a feature to my blog - the Daily Puppy. Each day, a picture of a different puppy appears with a link to a page with more information about that puppy.

Today's puppy is Jake the Alaskan Klee Kai. I had never heard of this breed before, but loved the picture. I'm not a "huge" dog fan - meaning I don't know much about the breeds, I don't watch the dog shows, etc. However, I love this puppy. He's just so cute. I have always liked the Siberian Husky - I think it's one of the best looking dogs. In fact, most of my stuffed dog collection is made up of Huskies.

Java

2009-02-06T20:53:00.002-05:00

I guess I was right when I figured that Java would be the next thing I needed to study for school. I need to take the Java exam by the end of March. I'm not thrilled with the short study period. I've started studying for it and frankly, it's blowing my mind. LOL

Hopefully, I pass....

SFA Reunion in July

2009-02-02T20:06:00.002-05:00

The Stiles Family of America will be hosting it's reunion in Rhode Island this year in July. I got to be the organizer of the reunion this year.

I've been trying in the last month or so to nail down some specifics on activities for us to participate in, while keeping in mind the costs. I've been pursuing some options and things are starting to shape up some.

One item I have been trying to arrange is a speaker for our dinner on Friday night. I've contacted 3 organizations to find a speaker, and so far not much luck. The latest organization just told me that the speaker I requested (which I requested the topic of Rhode Island History) was not available in July and to request a different topic. Apparently, they only have one speaker per topic and even with a 5 month prep, no other speaker can speak on that topic. So, I submitted several other topics, hoping that one of those would be available despite the topics are not nearly as interesting for those who normally attend as a historical topic. So, we'll see what happens. I never thought finding a speaker would be so difficult, but apparently it is in Rhode Island. If this doesn't work out, I just might say "forget it" and do it myself - afterall, public speaking isn't a big deal for me and I would have a few months to come up with something.

Food Poisoning sucks....

2009-01-30T15:53:00.002-05:00

I started off for work yesterday morning just like usual. I stopped at Tim Hortons in Clio for breakfast. I had ordered the fruit and yogurt combo with a blueberry muffin and hot apple cider. I also ordered a boston cream donut as I can't resist those. I was about half way to Pontiac when suddenly, out of nowhere, I threw up in the car. I was literally a mess. I ended up stopping at a Mobil station near Mt. Holly to clean myself up as best as I could. Then I drove back home and proceeded to throw up 2 more times and slept most of the day. Needless to say, I didn't go to work.

Today, I'm feeling better finally. But I won't be going back to Tim Hortons any time soon after that mess yesterday. I don't know if it was the yogurt or the muffin (both came up), but I don't want to try it again anytime soon to find out.

On the bright side, I got my coat washed - it needed it before yesterday, but really needed it after yesterday!

Goodbye to a great producer

2009-01-26T21:02:00.004-05:00

I just found out that my favorite TV show has lost one of it's producers. Last night (Sunday), Kim Manners, Executive Producer of Supernatural, passed away from lung cancer.

I have read in various reports of what a great guy Kim was and how much he meant to the cast and crew of Supernatural. My heart goes out to his family and to his "entertainment family" as well.

An exciting discovery for the amateur genealogists!

2009-01-24T16:34:00.003-05:00

I have known for a while that Google was undertaking a project to scan books from libraries and put them online for all. I also knew there were some concerns about that service. I hadn't really put any thought to it one way or another to be honest - until now.

I was doing a "routine" google search - for one of my ancestors - to see what would come up. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that one of the hits was a Vital Records book that Google had imaged! What was even more surprising? Because the copyright had expired on that particular book, I was able to view (and download) the entire book! This is incredible! I have several ancestors who are colonial New Englanders, so being able to have the book "at my fingertips" to search for the ancestor is a very wonderful thing!

I have discovered that there are 133 books of Massachusetts Vital Records available on Google Books. The sad thing is there are at least another 84 books of Vital Records for Massachusetts that Google Books does NOT have yet! But I think those 133 will keep me busy for a while.... lol.

Of course, this is just one example. I have found information through Google Books for some of my Connecticut and Vermont ancestors as well. I know they have "published" genealogies as well as vital records. Not everything is able to be downloaded to your computer - just the stuff they know or believe to be out of copyright. So, there's still a lot of the "hits" that yield just a "preview" of the book. While it's hard to get actual good info out of these previews, you do get the publishing info on the book so you can find it yourself. They also have links to find the book in a library and potentially to purchase as well.

So now for the amateur genealogist or family historian, we have a new free tool to add to our arsenal to do our research!

Wild Weather

2008-12-27T08:36:00.002-05:00

Well, here it is December 27 and we are currently under a flood watch with thunderstorms and expected high temperature of 60 degrees (it's currently 51 degrees at 8:30 am). Oh, and we are under a dense fog advisory (currently, I can't see across the street!) and flood watch.

That wouldn't be so bad I suppose - except I live in MICHIGAN! In the week leading up to Christmas (just 2 days ago), there was as much as 18 inches of snow on the ground with temps in the teens and 20's - and that was after another brief "warm" spell which saw some rain and temps around 40 degrees - it took the snow down about 4-5 inches.

Almost all of the snow is gone - except for the piles of course, although those are going away fast too. My back yard is a pond now from all of the rain and melting snow not being able to drain away quickly enough.

I realize there is always some variation in weather patterns from year to year. However, this is a bit much! If there is anyone out there who still believes that global warming is not happening, and having an impact on our weather, then I say - "Get out from under your rock and open your eyes!"

I wish....

2008-12-23T19:32:00.002-05:00

In May 2009, the New England Historic and Genealogical Society is organizing an English Family History Tour. At least 2 of their staff genealogists will accompany members of the society to England to do family history research at the Society of Genealogists Library in London and the National Archives in Kew.

I would so love to be able to go on this trip. I have several ancestors who came to the United States from England between 1630 and 1851.

I know that my gr-gr-gr-grandfather, John Hickmott, was born in England in about 1786 and was married to Mary (probably Potter surname) on October 19, 1815 in Horsmonden, Kent, England. They along with their sons immigrated to the United States in the 1850's - and settled in Michigan. I have found them on the 1841 and 1851 census in Horsmonden England. However, I haven't been able to go further back on this line.

I also have in my line, Charles Wickham who was born between 1800 and 1810 in England, married to Christianna Stouts (born 1807 at St. Mary's in Islington) in 1827 in London. Then in the early 1830's, they immigrated to the United States - first living in New York, then moving to Michigan. Charles supposedly came over first, then Christianna came with her 3 boys. I have not been able to find the actual record of the crossing on the ship, nor any further information about Charles or Christianna.

There are several other ancestors as well, but these are the 2 lines that I would be really interested in researching in England at this point. The problem is of course, money. I just can't afford the trip. :( I'm also not 100% that I would have enough information to have a meaningful search while in England. But at the same time, I'm not sure if I will ever find any additional information that might help me before going to England.

Sigh... short of a miracle, I won't be able to go on this trip.

Security+ Certification

2008-12-23T19:25:00.004-05:00

I've been slowly studying for another certification - Security+ over the last few months. Today I took the exam and passed!!!!

Now onto Java (I think)....

Supernatural Christmas Present

2008-12-16T17:50:00.002-05:00

The wonderful folks behind Supernatural sent to the CW Source a video clip that previews the next 3 new episodes that will air starting January 15.

http://blogs.trb.com/network/cwsource/2008/12/supernatural_previews_get_a_gl.html

Check it out! These episodes are gonna be awesome!!!!!!

Thanks for the Christmas present!

Tales of Beedle the Bard

2008-12-06T07:51:00.002-05:00

I received my copy of the Tales of Beedle the Bard - the new book by J.K. Rowling published by the Children's High Level Group, a charity started by J.K. Rowling and Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne MEP.

The book is a collection of 5 fairy tales from the Harry Potter universe. There are comments on each of the fairy tales by Professor Dumbledore. His comments are awesome! They provide more insights into the Harry Potter universe than what had been provided previously. There are even comments from JKR herself interspersed.

I was hesitant at first to purchase the book - mainly because the fairy tales have been found online, but I'm glad I did get the book. The comments section alone is worth it. Plus, the proceeds from the sales do help a charity.

If you are a Harry Potter fan, this is a must have book!

This never happens to me...

2008-12-03T06:44:00.002-05:00

... until today. I've heard the stories of people paying for the person behind them in the drive through and have thought - that would never happen to me. Well, today it did happen to me!

I pulled into the McDonalds that is on the corner of 275 and US 42 (Sharonville, OH) to order a breakfast meal this morning. I got a surprise though - when I went to pay for it at the first window, the cashier said "You're all set, the gentleman in the car ahead of you paid for your meal." Wow.... I'm still in shock from it.

So, THANK YOU to whomever that gentleman was in Sharonville Ohio at 6:05 AM. I really appreciate it!

Wilbur Stiles Jr - part 2

2008-11-28T09:18:00.004-05:00

Previously, I had blogged about Wilbur Stiles Jr.. I had received a partial pension file from his service in the "Indian Wars" of 1887-1892. I have since received the rest of the pension file and came across a very interesting document.

This is a copy of the bible record of the Stiles family - it served as a birth certificate for Wilbur Stiles Jr for the military since there is no other birth record available. Granted, it's not in the best shape, but there are some interesting things that it does tell us.

One, now I know the exact birth dates of the children. I just had estimated years previously. My ancetor, Emma is the second line of the children.

Two, I now know there is another sibling - David F. Stiles that I had no idea existed previously. He does not show up in the census records. It could be that he died before the 1870 census which would account for me not knowing about him. But if that were the case, why is his death not recorded here as it is for Ervin?

Three, the youngest brother, William H. Stiles, is written in - but is much lighter and thus much harder to read. This could be because the others were ink and he is in pencil.

Oh, how I wish that I could see the original. I might be able to read a bit more than I can on this copy.

Cryptic Interview from Robert Singer

2008-11-27T08:44:00.002-05:00

Robert Singer is one of the producers on Supernatural and he has done an interview with iF magazine that is posted online here. In keeping with the policies of the show, nothing is explicitly revealed as new information in the interview - other than Castiel will be sticking around for a while. Mr. Singer does a very good job of being cryptic. In looking at people's comments that are posted though, it's clear that most are not actually reading his cryptic comments and trying to figure them out.

Based on the 10 episodes of season 4 that have aired so far, along with the 3 previous seasons, I can see some of the direction the show is going with the new information provided in this interview - if you look between the lines.

For example, Mr. Singer says that there are surprises and twists coming up as part of the mythology of the show - especially in response to questions about Dean and the angels. While we do not know yet why Dean was brought back from Hell by Castiel, we do know there is a "purpose" for it. With this new tidbit from Mr. Singer, speculation can be made about the "purpose". It's presumed it's about stopping Lilith from breaking all of the seals to set Lucifer free (the interviewer got this wrong in the interview) and as a result stop hell from coming on Earth. However, that's pretty straight forward - no real surprises there. What if the real reason for Castiel rescuing Dean from hell was because Dean is an "angel in training"? That would be a twist in the current mythology and I bet would be a big surprise for most fans of the show.

Or how about this? What if the real reason Azazo (Yellow Eyes) created these "psychic kids" was to have the leader (i.e. Sam) stop Lilith from raising Lucifer? That would be a definite twist. Although, it could also be to have Sam stop Lucifer - prevent Lucifer from rising or if he does rise, kill him. And if he does kill Lucifer, perhaps, Sam then "becomes" Lucifer - meaning gains additional powers. Dean destined to become an angel, Sam destined to become the ultimate bad guy. That would be an awesome twist to the show and totally unexpected by a majority of the audience.

Am I right? Probably not, but who knows? Only time will reveal that as more episodes are produced. But there's a good chance that I'm totally off my rocker when it comes to guessing the mythology.

But thank you Robert Singer for giving that totally awesome interview. Yes, it's true that nothing was specifially revealed, but it does a lot to fuel the imagination of this particular fan. :)

The Christmas Cottage

2008-11-25T18:07:00.003-05:00

The Christmas Cottage is a new movie that is only available on DVD. It is based somewhat on an early time in Thomas Kincade's life, when he had returned to his home town Placerville from college at Christmas time to find that his mother was loosing her house due to foreclosure. Thomas and his brother Pat got "vacation" jobs when their mother didn't have one to try to raise enough money to keep the house. It turns out that Thomas' mentor, Glen Wessler, lives next door and paints a final picture to give to the Kinkade family to sell in order to save their home.

I originally heard about the movie through a fan site of Supernatural since Jared Padalecki stars as the young Thomas Kinkade in this movie. Of course, I had to get it just for that reason. :) Jared's performance is really moving in this picture. But, it also stars Marsha Gay Harden and Peter O'Toole. In addition, there are also performances by Geoffrey Lewis, Chris Elliot, Charlotte Rae, Ed Asner, Richard Moll, and even Aaron Ashmore (who is currently on Smallville). There litterally is a load of talent in this movie.

This movie is meant to be a Christmas movie, but I could see it being an "anytime" movie - the theme of the movie really isn't for just one time of the year. There are times that you will laugh along with times that you will cry (I dare anyone not to cry when Glen is "saying goodbye"). It is truly a remarkable movie that everyone should check out.

Supernatural is up for a People's Choice Award!

2008-11-12T08:09:00.003-05:00

Supernatural is up for a People's Choice Award this year! Let's vote for it and give it the attention it deserves with this award! You don't have to be a member to vote - just enter the captcha code without registering and vote for Supernatural today!

Our new President

2008-11-04T23:03:00.002-05:00

It is just after 11pm eastern time. All three major networks just declared Barack Obama as the next President of the United States. They waited for the polls to close on the west coast before declaring.

I'm not surprised. The state of the economy in this country along with other factors, it was obvious that he would win.

Now, I better get to bed - I have to be up in 4 hours for work!

This is weird - for me anyway

2008-11-04T21:27:00.003-05:00

I have never been really interested in politics and generally will turn off the tv when there is political coverage. So, I was initially disappointed when I saw that all 3 major networks were pre-empting their normal shows for political coverage of the elections today.

However, tonight, I am enthralled with the coverage. I can't get enough it seems. Not only am I watching it on TV, I've also hopped online to check results at home (there aren't any yet as I type this).

Gosh, I wonder what the future will hold...

A horrible crime

2008-10-30T13:53:00.003-04:00

On October 15, the daughter and 3 grandchildren of 2 of my former students in Cincinnati were brutally attacked in their home in Kentucky. The 3 children, Kayla, Kortney and Ethan were killed. Their bodies had been found bound, stabbed and burned in their home. Their mother, Kristy Frensley, was seriously wounded in the attack, but survived. The story can be found here. Kortney had a myspace page here.

There was a funeral in Kentucky yesterday for the children. There is going to be a funeral service in Ohio tomorrow for them as well. The following is something written by Kristy for the funerals. (It is transcribed word for word, with all the original punctuation.) It is truly a touching tribute and says a lot about Kristy.

Thoughts from the heart of Kristy Frensley

Every life tells a story. Each life has an introduction (that's the day we were born), a plot (the life we live) and a conclusion (our death). Some are short stories, some are full length novels, and some stories barely have time to introduce the characters before they end.

My life story began the day I was born and my favorite three chapters tell of the days that my children Kayla, Kortney and Ethan were born and I became their mother. When we began our life together as a family our story has been filled with laughter, fun, adventure, challenges, lots of hugs and kisses, happy times with our friends and family and plenty of drama (as life will be living with two teenagers and a little kindergartener).

Some of you attending today are family and close friends of ours. Many of you here are classmates, teachers and friends with my children. Kayla, Kortney and Ethan have been a part of your life story. Since many of you are still in school, you should remember the questions to ask when you read and try to understand a story. They are who, what, when, where and how. Tday I want to look at this chapter of my life story and the life story of my children and try to get some answers to questions not only I but I know you are asking.

Who. Who is God and why did He let this happen to me and my children? God is who He is, not what we want or try to make Him to be. He's not Santa Claus who writes down a wish list and gives Christians what they want. He never promised that He would protect us from problems while we are here on earth. If that were true, everyone would sign up for Him. He will not shelter us from life's troubles but He will be there with us through them. Iknow this, not because I want Him to be this way, but because He said it in His Book that He left for us to read. While we are here on earth, His character role will be our Savior and our Guide and our Friend, if we want Him to be. In Eternity His role changes and He will become a Judge to hose who rejected Hiim and a Protector to those of us who followed Him. Nothing will ever harm His people once they are in heaven with him. No more pain, no sickness, no tears, no more sadness. He knew what was going to happen to Kayla, Kortney, Ethan and me that afternoon on October 15th and He didn't prevent it. I am not angry at God for that.

Where. Where are my children now? All three of my children are together and in heaven. I did not lose them, I know where they are. They are alive, completely safe, and perfectly happy, they have beautiful new bodies and they are waiting for me.

What. What do I do with the anger and rage I feel toward to the man who abused my children and me in ways too horrible to describe and left us die? I know it will be a process for me but I choose not to give in to hate. If I allow myself to be chained to hate, I will again become his prisoner and I cannot and will not allow him to have any more control over my life. I want justice, to the fullest extent of the law and I know that one day my God will judge him for what he has done to our family and that will be a fearful thing.

When. When will I see my children again? I don't know but God knows and He has promised me from His Word that I will see them again. And when we are reunited there will never be another separation.

How. How am I going to live with this pain and loneliness now that my reason for living (aside from my life with Christ) is gone? My answer to that is...I don't know. All I know is that God will give me the strength to go on and He is already comforting me by reminding me tht the separation from my children is temporary. I also know that God kept me alive for a reason and I must find that reason. I know Kayla, Kortney and Ethan want me to go on. I know God knows how I feel because He was separated from His Son for 33 years and watched Him die a cruel death too.

The final chapter has been written in the story of my children's lives on earth but a new tory has just begun for them now in heaven with my beautiful Savior. In closing, I know that if Kayla, Kortney and Ethan could speak to us today, there are a few things they would want to say....

1. We know you will miss us but please go on. Now that we are here in this beautiful place with Jesus, we wouldn't wat to leave Him and come back even if we could. Life is so short and we will only be separated temporarily.

2. Do not give in to hate, bitterness or fear. We know you are struggling coping with our death. Get help, read the Bible, go to a good church, get counseling.

3. Evaluate your life and invest it in things that really count because you don't know when your final chapter on earth will be written.

4. Accept Christ as your personal Savior as we did. You know we weren't perfect kids but God didn't expect that from us. Tell Him you are sorry for your sins. Ask Him to forgive you and come into your heart and save you and give your life to Him. He is more wonderful than we can ever describe and you will only see us again if your name is written down on the guest book of heaven like ours was.

5. Mom, Dad, Grandma and Grandpa, aunts, uncles, cousins, friends... we love you so much. Thank you for everything you've done for us. See you soon.

Genetic Genealogy

2008-10-24T01:42:00.003-04:00

The Stiles Family of America has a DNA project going on. Many times, the DNA can help point us in the correct direction to find a missing paper trail, which is one reason why the SFA has started the project. Tonight I spent some time going through the results (I'm helping the co-ordinator) trying to find a DNA pattern for my ancestor - John Stiles of Connecticut. The problem is, the DNA doesn't like the paper trail!

There have been 50 Stiles males tested as part of the DNA project. Yup, we are in our infancy, but already some patterns have emerged which have helped some people make connections. Of those 50 males, 6 have a paper trail denoting them as a descendant of John Stiles (born 1595 in Millbroke, England; died 1662 in Connecticut).

Out of the 6, 5 have been typed as haplogroup R1b1b2 - the sixth one is typed as J2. That's not all that's strange. The one that is typed as J2 shares 4 common ancestors as someone from the R1b1b2 group! Comparing the DNA for just these 2 individuals who share 4 common ancestors (John, John, Ephraim, Ephraim) reveals 29 of 37 alleles are DIFFERENT - only 8 of them match! From everything that I have read about DNA and it telling of relatives - any more than 3 alleles being different indicates no close common ancestor (in other words, not related closely).

In another example comparing 2 other individuals who also share 4 common ancestors (John, Isaac, Jonathan, Stephen) - 17 of 37 alleles are DIFFERENT! Again, according to what I've read, they should not be closely related.

But in both of these cases, we have a documented paper trail connecting them together, and in turn to John Stiles of Connecticut.

So, is our paper trail wrong? Or did John's genes just go through some really massive mutations? Maybe the aliens did have some fun... LOL This is definitely a puzzle for someone smarter than me to figure out....

Wow, it's been a while...

2008-10-20T17:08:00.004-04:00

Gosh, I've been so busy, I hadn't realized I haven't updated the blog in a while. Sorry about that.

I was just surfing the web and came across some promo images for this week's episode of Supernatural. They were posted at Spoiler TV.

This one is my favorite - it's so scenic.

While this one is so goofy. I mean, just look at Jared's face! (He's the one on the right.) Makes me wonder what the scene is.... lol

By the way, if you haven't seen Supernatural, you definitely need to check it out. It is easily one of the best shows on TV right now. It airs on Thursday nights at 9pm on the CW. It can also be found on iTunes.

Supernatural is fantastic!

2008-10-03T11:46:00.003-04:00

Ok, hopefully, it doesn't come as a big shock now that I really like the show Supernatural. I mean, Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki are hot! LOL All right, I really like the storyline too. :)

Two weeks ago was the season premier - and I knew then it was going to be a very cool season. I mean, the premier was the best ever! Well... perhaps until last night....

Last night was the 3rd episode of the season, and well, I was driving home from Cincinnati when it aired. So, I downloaded it today from iTunes and just got done watching it.

WOW!!!!!!! This has got to be the best episode yet. It's been getting better and better, but this was an awesome episode. I laughed through a fair bit as Dean struggled with "warning" his mom and grandfather. Then was shocked when the "lead balloon" got dropped. It suddenly explains some of the "odd" things from previous episodes.

There was so much of the back story revealed! I thought it was quite interesting that Dean and Sam are "at least" 3rd generation hunters, despite Mary not wanting that lifestyle for her boys. It also revealed where John and Mary came up with Dean and Sam's names - which actually wasn't all that surprising.

And what a cliffhanger! Just what are Sam and Ruby up to??? I can't wait until next week's episode. This is going to be awesome!

Oh WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-09-18T21:58:00.002-04:00

Perhaps it was a blessing when hurricane Ike held together enough to give hurricane force winds in the Cincinnati area on Sunday which produced the largest blackout in the history of the area. Perhaps it was also a blessing when Duke Energy could not restore power to the UAW local where I was to begin teaching this week until today, forcing us to postpone the classes for one week. It enabled me to watch the season premiers of Smallville and Supernatural tonight instead of hoping that my DVD recorder would actually record them this time. Normally, I don't get to see these shows when they are broadcast due to work (driving home from Cinci). About half the time something happens and my DVD-R doesn't actually record for some reason. So, I am really glad that I got to watch them tonight and all I can say is WOW!!!!!

Smallville is as interesting as ever - although I really do miss Michael Rosenbaum's Lex Luthor. But, I'll get over it. :) The new baddie who took over for Lex is Tess and boy is she bad (that is a good thing by the way!). This is definitely going to be a good season if the rest of the episodes are like this one. I am sad that Martian Manhunter has apparently lost his powers restoring Clark to his. I hope they figure out a way in the show to give him back his powers as well. But perhaps that was a trade-off for giving Chloe even more power. I like Chloe as a character, but I'm somewhat disappointed that "the powers that be" felt they needed to make Chloe the human supercomputer. It will take a little getting used to Lois' new hairdo as well. I'm not fond of that new look. But, the storyline is progressing wonderfully and despite the departure of Miles and Alfred, I think this will be an awesome continuation.

However, I was absolutely blown away by Supernatural. It was incredible. From the teaser commercial that had been airing, I had figured that Dean was brought back from Hell not by the demons, but by God. (Actually, truth be told, I had actually thought of that after the season 3 finale aired, but wasn't sure if that was where they would actually take the show.) Well, I wasn't wrong on that - but wow, I just loved the storyline leading up to that reveal. I can certainly understand when the actors and Eric Kripke revealed in their interviews that this was going to be the best season yet. They weren't wrong. I realize they want to keep a lot of what's going to happen under wraps - to build the suspense, but man, looking back on what I had read from the interviews after watching tonight's premiere, they really let a lot out of the bag! This is going to be the absolutely best show on TV! (Ok, it was already one of my favorites, but it just jumped to the top of the list!)

I love that Sam is using his powers again. It was awesome how he sent that demon back to hell - at least, it looked like that is where he sent it. I just hope he doesn't go back to being all "sheepish" around Dean. I mean, he is his own man afterall - Dean doesn't have to be the big bossman all the time just because he is the older of the two brothers. That admittedly is one gripe that I do have about the show. Just because Sam is the younger of the brothers doesn't mean that he can't do stuff and take the lead on the demon killing.

I can't wait for next week!

CIW Certified Professional!!!!!!

2008-09-11T12:06:00.002-04:00

I took both the CIW Foundations and the CIW Site Designer exams this morning. I passed both! The Foundations exam I did not need to take for school, because they gave me transfer credit for it, but I took it anyway because I wanted to get a specific CIW certification, and it was required for that. The Site Designer certification qualifies my knowledge of designing websites. Both exams give me the certification as a CIW Professional.

Now onto the monster that I have already failed twice - MS70-270 Windows XP Pro. I hope I get it this time....

Thank you Drs. Paul Adams and Gary Pace

2008-09-07T12:29:00.003-04:00

I attended the University of Michigan - Flint campus to obtain my Bachelor's degree in Biology. I graduated in December 1996 with the B.S. in Biology, minors in Computer Science and Math with an emphasis on Secondary Education. In other words, I wanted to be a Science Teacher. :)

When I was attending I had the great fortune of meeting and working with Dr. Paul Adams and Dr. Gary Pace. At the time, Dr. Adams co-taught the Bio111 course and also taught the botany and the "evolution controversy" courses. Dr. Gary Pace co-taught Invertebrate Biology, Human Reproduction and non-science major courses; but he was also my faculty mentor. At the time, most of the Biology Department used Macintosh computers, although a couple of IBM clones were around.

Dr. Adams found out that I was interested in computers and introduced me to HyperCard. I really enjoyed learning all about it. Then Dr. Pace had wanted a computer tutorial created for his non-biology major class and asked me to put it together with HyperCard. Thanks to that project, I now have an eye for when a pixel is out of place! :)

At that time, the computer science classes that I took were all about programming in languages like Pascal, Fortran, etc. I wasn't too thrilled with those programming languages, but I loved HyperCard. Little did I know then what I know now....

I'm currently studying to take the CIW Foundations and CIW Site Designer certification exams for my new degree - Information Technology with a Software Emphasis. I love to work with webpages, and these certifications are right up my alley so to speak. Well, in preparing for these exams, I discovered that HyperCard was sort of a pre-cursor to HTML. HyperCard was the first widely commercialized product that used hypertext (the basis for HTML).

So, my interest in websites and webdesign has its roots in my Biology degree from 1996! Thank you Dr. Adams for introducing me to this wonderful medium and to Dr. Pace for utilizing my burgeoning skills and teaching me my "eye". :)

Supernatural Season 3 DVD

2008-09-04T21:41:00.002-04:00

I really enjoy watching Supernatural. Today I received the third season on DVD from Amazon.com. I immediately popped it into my DVD player and went to the gag reel - a feature that I absolutely love to see on DVD's. The gag reel that is on this DVD is AWESOME - I haven't laughed that hard in a long time. It's always a good thing to see the actors goofing off - especially when the typical subject matter of the show is not a comedy. :)

I also had to watch the last 2 episodes again. They were so good, and with the new season starting in just 2 weeks, I needed to "remind" myself of where the story left off.

There is one thing though that still puzzles me. In one of the interviews that I've seen in the last couple of months (can't remember which one), it was said that Sam promised Dean not to use his powers. I can't seem to find that in the episodes. Dean didn't want Sam to use his powers to save him, but I don't recall seeing an actual promise to not use them. Perhaps I'm not remembering the interview correctly, or I just missed it in the episodes. I guess I'm just going to have to watch every episode again to see if I pick it up. :) But alas, that will have to wait until next weekend as I have a couple of exams to study for....

Expandable Posts

2008-08-31T01:28:00.007-04:00

After writing some rather long posts, I decided to investigate how to create the expandable posts. After checking with blogger's help - which in one spot was rather vague on the details - I think I have it figured out.
Let's see if this works. If this worked, then this text only shows up when the article is expanded by clicking the link in the "summary" or short version of the article.

Interesting developments....

2008-08-29T12:42:00.002-04:00

A week ago, presidential candidiate Barack Obama chose Joe Biden as his VP candidate. I thought - ok, the young guy chooses an old guy - no big deal.

Today, just minutes ago, presidental candidate John McCain chose Sarah Palin as his VP candidate. I thought - ok, the old guy chooses a young woman - what an interesting development.

It's clear why the men made the choices they did - directly going after the voters who would be supportive of their opponent. Basic politics at it's "best" no doubt.

I have to say if someone was basing their decision based solely on the "surface" things, this would be an interesting race. Hopefully though, the voters will delve below the surface and vote based on the issues.

110,000 miles & going strong...

2008-08-29T02:04:00.002-04:00

Well, tonight (ok, technically last night), I drove back home from Cincinnati. But this time was a milestone of sorts. My 2005 Pontiac Vibe rolled 110,000 miles. I originally purchased the Vibe on Feb. 19, 2005. That averages out to be roughly 2,600 miles per month. Geesh... no wonder it can find it's way home all by itself... LOL

Wilbur Stiles - born 1864, died 1938

2008-08-29T01:52:00.005-04:00

I just received a partial copy of the Pension file for Wilbur Stiles born in 1864 in Michigan and died in 1938 in Missouri. This Wilbur is the brother to my gr-gr-grandmother, Emma Mae Stiles. It contains some interesting information....

The National Archives will send 100 pages, but if the file is more than that, they will then send an estimate of how much more it will cost to get the rest. I will be ordering the rest. This file is just way too informational and interesting to not order it. I wonder what else I will find out when I receive the rest of the pages.

For example, the following information was found in a statement provided by the hospital in Fulton Missouri (based entirely on the date).
_____________________________________________________________
Re: Stiles, Wilbur
Patient was admitted to this hospital November 26, 1935 from St. James, Missouri, by order of the Probate Court of Phelps County.

Physical Examination - Dec. 2, 1935

Patient is a white male, about 72 years of age, well nourished; head well shaped, hair white, thin at cortex.

Head: scar on right forehead and cheek; is blue, made by coal.

Eyes: Pupils large, round, even; contract well to both lights and to accomodation. Field of vision normal. Eye movements normal.

Ears & Nose: Normal

Mouth: Edentulous. Muccous membrane clean and healthy, Tongue protrudes in midline, without tremor.

Neck: No palpable glands.

Chest: Scapnoid. Sternal groove extends to upper abdomen. Movements free and equal.

Lungs: Vocal and respiratory sounds normal.

Heart: Normal size and position. Weak in action. B.P. 145/70. No valvular murmurs. Peripneral vessels show some sclerosis.

Abdomen: No tenderness or palpable masses. Appendectomy scar. Groin -- no palpable glands.

Genitalia: Normal

Rectal: Grossly normal

Reflexes: Biceps and Triceps normal and equal
Abdominal absent
Cremasteric, very slight
Patellar strong and equal
Achilles present
Plantar weak
Sways in Romberg's position
Gait unsteady

Blood Wassermann: negative

Diagnosis: Senile Psychosis.
He is incompetent, and prognosis is poor. Physical diagnosis is Generalized arteriosclerosis. There is a trace of albumin in urine.
__________________________________________________________

Behind the above document in the pension file was another 2 page document called "History".
__________________________________________________________
(Copy)
History
Dec. 6, 1935

Family History: Father was Wilbur Stiles, and is dead. Mother was Mary Wakefield, and is dead. Patient is youngest of 5 children.

Personal History: Patient says he is 82 years old, and a Veteran of the Indian War. He was born in Michigan and lived there until 18 years of age. He completed the 4th grade and did well in school; quit school because his mother and father were dead and no one sent him.

He married Clara Ward and they had 4 children. They were separated and could not agree for 16 years. Then they went back together and remained together until he went to the Soldiers Home in St. James, about 3 1/2 years ago. He has been a coal miner and laborer all his life.

Present Illness: He says he has eczema all over his face (none visible) and is generally run down and very weak. He was sent here for medical attention.

Habits and Character: He rarely ever drank, never smoked or used tobacco. He is a member of the Baptist Church. Denies venereal disease. He was arrested for petty larceny 20 years ago, but was innocent and turned loose.

Stream of Talk: Free, relevant and coherent. He answers all questions willingly and readily.

Emotional Status: He says he is not happy away from his wife, but is content to stay here until he can leave. He is treated well.

Hallucinations and Delusions: None elicited at this time.

Insight and Judgment: He knows no reason for being here, except that he was worn out physically. His mind and memory are all right.

Orientation: He gives the date as January 5, 1905, State Hospital. He doesn't know name of town and is disoriented for person.

Memory: He gives the date of Civil War as 1864 but cannot name any generals. He names 3 European countries and the capital of one country. He says the Amazon is the largest river in the U.S. Names 5 of the Great Lakes, and Jefferson City as the capital of Missouri. Governor is unknown, but Roosevelt is President. He names 2 of the assassinated Presidents. Test address not retained 2 minutes.

Intelligence Tests: Difference between similar words fairly well explained. Proverbs were interpreted literally.

Mental Status: Patient is cooperative and accessible, to the best of his ability, but at times, there is a clouding of thought present.

Forward and Backward Associations: Months and days were named forward but not backward. Numbers of 5 digits named forward but not backward.

Current Events: He doesn't read papers, and has no knowledge of current events.

General Information: Stamps cost 3cents and are blue. He names 3 holidays and their significance.

Ethical question: Answered honorably.

Calculations: 5x5 is 25. 5 plus 5 is 10. 6x7 is unknown. 12x12 is 144. He cannot compute change correctly.
______________________________________________________________

Isn't interesting what exciting tidbits you can pick up from 2 simple documents? Clearly, he wasn't "all there" - giving both his age and the current date incorrectly as well as naming the incorrect river as the largest in the U.S. There's other inconsistencies too with his statements. But, all the while, he remains ethical. LOL

Sigh - a longer wait for Harry ...

2008-08-17T09:48:00.003-04:00

Originally, Warner Brothers had scheduled the 6th Harry Potter film, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, to be released on November 21, 2008. I was getting all excited about the presumed midnight first showing.

Then on Thursday, Warner Brothers announced a bombshell. The Harry Potter film is being pushed BACK to JULY 2009! The Leaky Cauldron has the story.

Sigh... it's a pity that things such as outlook for the monetary income can impact the entertainment that I was so looking forward to having this fall. WB is blaming the writer's strike, but it's really a monetary issue if you look at it close enough. Of course, being a business owner, I understand the reasons, but I still don't have to like it.

Finally, a CPAP mask that I like - mostly

2008-08-16T08:03:00.004-04:00

Just over one year ago, I was diagnosed with Sleep Apnea. So, I got the requisite CPAP machine and mask. The doctor who diagnosed it (or at least suspected it) was one that I had been seeing for weight loss. The weight loss programs he had me on were not working, and when he found out that I hadn't been sleeping well at night (which I thought was *normal* - at least for me), he sent me for the sleep test. The place who performed the sleep test then took care of getting me set up with the CPAP machine and mask - from a company out of Sterling Heights Michigan.

Up until now, I have not been satisfied with this company. They had a very limited number of masks available. In fact the guy who came out last year to show me how to use the CPAP and mask was a joke. He could not keep the appointment that he set. He also insisted on fitting me with a nasal mask and did not want to fit me with a full face mask - despite my ASKING for it. I can not stand things on my face - and the nasal mask is just too much for me to handle. Well, once I finally convinced him that I wanted the full face mask, he fit me with one that was TOO SMALL and left.

Long story short - because this company would not listen to me, I hadn't been using the CPAP machine like I'm supposed to. But I think that is about to change.

I'm getting to the point that if I do not get a decent night's sleep soon, I'm going to be in real trouble. So, I called up the company and said I need a new mask (I tried the last one they sent me - and it apparently needed to be replaced since it wouldn't seal correctly despite my using it 3 or 4 times). I was also under the impression that they would automatically send me new supplies at the right time (it's what they told me they would do), but apparently that is not the case. Well, that was 3 weeks ago. Finally, when I got home from Cincinnati this week, the new mask was waiting for me.

I tried it last night. I still woke up a few times during the night, but I must say that I do like this mask better than all of the previous ones. It was very comfortable to wear. The mask is a full face gel mask from Mojo.

My only complaint about it - it's loud and I have to be careful with the exhalation vent so that the air from it doesn't hit my face. Of course, I have that complaint with EVERY CPAP mask that I have tried so far, so I'm chalking it up to "par for the course". Ideally, the masks would be made for those who sleep on their sides - so that the air from the exhalation vent would not hit the face when laying on a pillow - instead of being made for those who sleep on their back. It would also be nice if noise was reduced, but I'm just not sure how that would be accomplished.

What's your Smurfonality?

2008-08-16T07:18:00.003-04:00

I have really enjoyed watching the first half of the first season of the Smurfs on DVD. The second half of the season will be released on October 7 - and I can't wait! Today, I found that Warner Home Video has set up a smurfy website. The site requires flash and there isn't a whole lot on the site yet, but there is one neat feature. At Smurfs on DVD Warner has posted a Smurfonality test. Here are my results:

Which Smurfonality Are You?

I've never really thought of myself as Brainy Smurf - I was hoping for Papa Smurf actually... :)

Showing how to blog a picture from Picasa

2008-08-14T15:51:00.001-04:00

This sunset picture was uploaded to my blog via the Picasa graphic program that is freely available from Google.

importing pictures from picasa

2008-08-14T11:39:00.001-04:00

The above sample picture was imported into this blog entry using the picasa2 software that is freely available from Google. How cool is this!

A mystery deepens part 2

2008-08-07T07:23:00.004-04:00

George W. Lawhead was a character. He was born in 1842 in Westfield, Morrow County, Ohio to James Lawhead and Temperance Gilson. In 1846, James Lawhead died just before the birth of his last son, James. Temperance re-married to Charles Conlon about 1849. She had 1 or 2 children with Charles before passing away on May 20, 1851. George and his sister, Margaret, moved to Eaton County Michigan with a gentleman by the name of Reuben Lawhead. It is my belief that Reuben is an uncle to George and Margaret, although I can't prove it specifically (mainly due to an affidavidt from Mary (Polly) King saying that her marriage record to George had a different surname of Lloyd because George didn't want his uncle to know).

In 1861, George enlisted into military for the Civil War. He served until March 29, 1864 in the Calvary. After the war, he returned to Eaton County Michigan. There he apparently married Mary (Polly) King in 1865. While she was pregnant with his second child, George left Mary and went into Saginaw County Michigan. By January 31, 1869 he had met and married Emma Mae Stiles - never telling her of the previous marriage. In 1870, George and Emma were living with her family in Iosco County Michigan where Emma's father Wilbur committed suicide. By 1880, the families had moved back to Saginaw County - Albee township.

According to George's Civil War Pension file (a 3 inch thick file!), Emma Mae passed away April 6, 1886. However, according to marriage records of Saginaw County, George had married Helen Vorst (or Ellen A. Vorrheis - unsure of the actual spelling) on August 17, 1884 in Saginaw County. I have not been able to find the death record or a burial for Emma Mae, so I can not confirm the date in the pension file. In an affidavit found in the pension file, George claims that he lived in Eaton County until "about the first of October 1872, then removed to Tawas Michigan" where he lived until Christmas 1880. He also states that he removed to Meredith Michigan from Tawas and lived there until about the first of March 1891 and then moved to West Branch before finally moving to Roscommon on April 15, 1893. The census record and marriage records conflict with his statement as far as the timing goes, although the other details seem to be accurate. So, did George abandon Emma Mae and their 3 children for Helen (or Ellen) or is George's recollection of Emma's death date inaccurate in another affidavit in his pension file?

But the mystery continues.... Apparently, George and Helen also were not destined to be together. On March 24, 1902, George marries Henrietta Langs in Grayling, Crawford County, Michigan. According to George's pension file, George had moved to Roscommon Michigan by 1895. The 1900 Crawford County census has George living with Henrietta and 2 children which according to the pension file, Henrietta claims are George's children.

Now I have found through the only census that exists for 1890 in Michigan, the Veteran's schedule (the rest was lost in a fire) that George Lawhead in 1890 did indeed live in Saginaw County - specifically in Fosters. George is listed at the bottom of page 1 for Saginaw County. At the top of page 2 of the same document is Stephen Jones living in Vern Michigan. Immediately after Stephen is a blank line, then Ellen A. Lawhead Widdowed living in Vern Michigan. The very next line is James Bird also living in Vern Michigan. Then it skips a line to the next name. I had never heard of Vern Michigan, so I made a call to my sister (she's 13 years older - she might have heard of it) who had heard of it, but was unsure where it was. My dad was there and he remembered that was centered around the corner of Verne Rd and Sheridan Rd (this is 2 miles from where I grew up!). It is no longer there, but there is a cluster of homes around that corner - which now I think about it makes sense (it is surrounded by large farm fields, so it always puzzled me).

There is also a desposition in George's Pension file from Nancy Jane Jones. In it, Nancy states that she is the wife of Stephen Jones and sister to Henrietta Lawhead. Nancy states that she knew George for about 10 years before Emma's death and that she knew Emma as a child due to attending school together. She was at Emma's funeral, but did not remember the date. She provides that George married Helen Vorst. They had no kids and never divorced - just parted. Nancy then states that George's next wife was Henrietta and that Henrietta had a living and undivorced husband (William Jones) at the time of George and Henrietta's marriage.

So, George Lawhead knew Stephen Jones and his wife Nancy Jane. Nancy Jane was Henrietta's sister. That's how George met Henrietta. But how did George meet Emma? Stephen Jones was a veteran of the Civil War having served in the 29th Michigan Infantry, Company F from August 12 1864 to September 6, 1865. Wilbur F. Stiles, Emma's father, served in the Civil War in the 29th Michigan Infantry, Company F. Wilbur and Stephen served TOGETHER! That's how George would have met Emma - through the friendship that pobably developed between the Stiles and Jones families. It also explains how Aaron Jones met George's daughter, Margaret. Aaron was living with the Stephen Jones family in 1880 and would have known George's family because of it.

Wow! Isn't incredible what we can learn from a few simple documents? But, I still wonder WHY Aaron Jones came to live with Stephen Jones. Is it just a coincidence, or is there another reason? From the census records, Aaron was born about 1859. Thomas, Aaron's father, was born around 1830. Stephen was born about 1854. Stephen is not listed in the 1860 or 1870 census with Thomas and his family. So, I don't think they were brothers, but perhaps they were cousins. This is pure speculation - I don't have any evidence either way. But, clearly, Stephen is an important character in this story.

A mystery deepens part 1

2008-08-06T22:57:00.005-04:00

Aaron Jones, according to his death certificate and obituary, was born June 25, 1860 in Saginaw Michigan. His father is recorded as Thomas Jones, but nothing is noted of his mother. I had discovered Aaron in the 1880 census - living with a Stephen Jones in Montrose Michigan. On February 7, 1886 Aaron married Margaret Lawhead, the daughter of George W. Lawhead and Emma Mae Stiles, in Saginaw Michigan - that can be verified through the marriage records. Then, as far as I can tell, Aaron and Margaret lived the rest of their lives in the Fosters area of Saginaw County - it's near Burt, which is where I grew up, and Montrose.

I had difficulty in finding Aaron in the 1870 census - since he should be 10 years old then. However, the only Aaron Jones that I could find who was near that age was actually listed as 12 years old and did have a father named Thomas. Ok, that could be him - people frequently lied about their ages on the censuses at that time. Aaron's obituary also mentioned a sister and a brother that survived him - and both of those people were also listed in the 1870 census, so I am fairly confident that I have the correct family. In 1870, this family was living in Ovid, Shiawassee County, Michigan. I then found in 1880, that Thomas and his wife Emmaline along with 2 children were still living in Ovid. Aaron was not living with them. He instead was living with the Stephen Jones in Montrose, Genesee County Michigan, that I mentioned earlier.

Tonight, I FINALLY found Thomas and Emmaline (aka Emily in this census) along with 4 others living in Middlebury Township, Shiawassee County, Michigan in 1860. Well, a quick Google search showed me that Ovid is in Middlebury Townhsip. Ok, this makes sense - they were there at least 30 years. Aaron is listed I think - the name can not be made out though and he is listed as being 9 months old at the time - so the age fits for him. So, if they were living in Ovid - which is on the western edge of Shiawassee County, why was Aaron born in Saginaw (middle of the county northeast of Shiawassee County)? Perhaps his birth is just recorded that way - and when it was recorded, they failed to record that it happened in Ovid instead of Saginaw. I can buy that.

So far, I have not found evidence that Stephen Jones is any relation to Aaron Jones. So, why were they living together in Montrose in 1880? Aaron was a farm laborer, while Stephen owned a farm - so it might be that it's just a coincidence that their last names are the same. My gut is telling me that it's not just a coincidence though. They could potentially be cousins - but I can't prove it (or disprove it actually). I suppose this is one detail that I might never figure out.

One thing that I can be sure of though - is that while Aaron lived with Stephen and his family in Montrose, that he met and fell in love with his bride to be - Margaret Lawhead. But that is also where the mystery deepens.... I'll get to that in my next post.

Are you really you?

2008-08-03T19:56:00.004-04:00

When I teach some of my computer classes, every once in a while I'll have a lesson on how to search for things on the Internet. Typically, I use Google for that purpose. I will show my students the tricks of using quotation marks, the plus and minus signs. I almost always use the exact same subject to search for each time I teach this lesson. I tell my students to search for themselves - in other words, use their names. I then will use my name as an illustration (I have a projector that I hook up to my computer so they can see what I'm doing).

Throughout the course of the last 7 years that I have been doing this, I have gotten to know how many web pages come up when I search for "Nancy Rivers" in Michigan (approximately 1150 hits as of this posting - over 4 million without the quotes and the state). I have also discovered that there are at least 3 of us from Michigan. One is Lynn Nancy Rivers - a former congresswoman who was born in Au Gres Michigan. One is Nancy Rivers - a real estate agent in Oakland County Michigan. The third one is Nancy Rivers - which is me of course (my name pops up through various genalogical bulletin board messages and old SCA messages - now probably through this blog posting too). I always have fun pointing these things out to my students.

Last night as I was getting ready for bed, my phone rang. It was a gentleman who was looking for Nancy Rivers - the real estate agent. He was apologetic when he discovered he reached the wrong one of course. As he put it "I knew it couldn't be as easy as looking it up on the Internet." He had done a search for my name and Lapeer Michigan - and apparently my name was the one that came up for that particular search. Then I told him there were at least 3 of us - and the one that he was looking for I had heard of - and I happened to remember her website address.

When I was younger I used to travel "up north" with my parents to go fishing each summer - in Au Gres, Michigan. My parents still do that each summer, but I no longer have the time. I have for a long time played with a Medieval History group - the local group is based in Genesee (where I now live) and Lapeer Counties. While, I have only passed through Oxford (home base of the real estate agent) once, I did work in Oakland County for a while - in Troy, Michigan. I have never met either of the other 2 Nancy Rivers - but it's interesting how at least our paths have lead us into the same areas.

So, my point is you never know what you will find on the Internet. If you Google your own name, you might be surprised at what you find. And if you get strange phone calls for your name, but obviously the wrong person, the Internet might be the reason... LOL

Pennsic War

2008-08-02T20:48:00.002-04:00

The Pennsic War is starting up again this year. This is an annual gathering of around 10,000 or so members of the Society for Creative Anachronism - or as I affectionately refer to it "my Medieval History group".

I haven't attended Pennsic in several years - or actually any function of the SCA come to think of it. At first it was a matter of being burnt out after serving as Dragon Principal Herald for the Middle Kingdom. But then it became a matter of me not having the time or the funds to attend the events.

But Pennsic will always have a special place in my heart. The first time (and last time) I ever got drunk was at Pennsic. I had went to a party thrown by some old friends and the gentleman who escorted me was a great friend, so I knew I would have a good time and would be "safe" if I got drunk. I had met so many different people at Pennsic, that it's hard for me to remember them all. I also loved going "rustic" - actually camping in a tent! Except of course when it rained, or was so bloody hot that I longed for home and the air conditioner... LOL. I'd dearly love to attend again sometime. Perhaps someday I'll make it back....

More Harry Potter!

2008-08-01T19:40:00.002-04:00

J.K. Rowling announced on her website that on December 4, there will be another Harry Potter publication! Tales of Beedle the Bard will be produced with the proceeds benefiting an organization called Children's High Level Group.

This edition of Beedle's Tales is translated from the runes by Hermione Granger with notes from Albus Dumbledore! How cool is that!

Amazon has it already listed as a pre-order for $7.95 at the time I post this. They also have a deluxe edition - one that includes among other things 10 never before seen illustrations from J.K. Rowling as well as a reproduction of the original handwritten version which Amazon won in an auction late last year. The deluxe edition is $100.00 - a bit out of my price range for the moment. I've pre-ordered the standard edition - I'll be happy with that. :)

Back to school

2008-08-01T19:30:00.002-04:00

Well, my 5 month term break from WGU is now over and I'm back to school. This time I'm returning on financial aid - specifically on a student loan. I have never had student loans before, so this will be an interesting journey.

I have my same mentor, but WGU has made some significant changes while I've been on break. One of those changes involves the "communities" - they have tried to make them more usable for the students as far as being a good resource to go to. However, I'm not seeing it yet. The interface is dreadfully slow - taking about 2 minutes for one page to load on my broadband connection. I'd hate to see it on dial-up. But, hopefully, that changes.

I'm starting this term off with WSV1 - which is Web Technologies. The certification exam associated with this is CIW 510 - Site Designer. I've taken a couple of practice exams - just as a starting measure to see where I'm deficient at. So far, I've scored at the 67% range - just shy of passing. Obviously, I'm not happy with failing, but at least these were pre-tests. Since I will be studying this material, I'm confident that my score will improve by the time I have to take the actual exam.

I will also be re-tackling the I27X - Windows XP Pro exam from Microsoft. I took it twice last term (Sep 2007 to Feb 2008) and failed miserably both times. I'm hoping that with the new study guides that I have found in the learning community (which took forever to load so I could save it), that it will help me pass it this time. They say the third time is the charm - I certainly hope that is the case with this exam.

Well, that's interesting....

2008-07-30T15:27:00.002-04:00

I went to see my neurosugeon this afternoon since I've started having pain in my right leg again. He didn't seem too concerned about it - saying that it was probably swelling due to physical therapy (funny, I see no swelling...) or arthritis. Well, I know I don't have arthritis. He told me to take motrin and continue physical therapy. If it gets worse to let him know.

So, I guess I'll start taking motrin and see what happens. I just want the pain to stop.

The next Harry Potter film

2008-07-30T07:28:00.002-04:00

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince film is set to be released on November 21, 2008. Late last night (9pm Eastern) Warner Brothers made available the "teaser" trailer for the movie. Moviephone has the Harry Potter in 3 different formats.

I'm trying not to read all of the spoilers and view all of the pictures that have been released (officially and unofficially) about the movie since I don't like to be spoiled for the movies. However, I love to see the trailers - those never seem to spoil the movie for me.

not again...

2008-07-28T15:48:00.002-04:00

Last night I got very little sleep. Why? Because my right leg hurt - again! The pain concentrated around the ankle like it did before my back surgery. It also concentrated around my knee this time. So, after I went to physical therapy this morning, I called my surgeon and am going in to see him on Wednesday afternoon.

I certainly hope this is not a relapse. I'm hoping that it's nothing. We'll see what he says on Wednesday.

Progress on my Stiles family

2008-07-25T14:11:00.005-04:00

Within the last couple of weeks, I have made contact with a couple of people in regards to my Stiles family connection. I've known my direct connection to John Stiles of Connecticut for quite some time, but I did not know about any of my "closer" Stiles relatives. My gr-gr-grandmother was Emma Mae Stiles and she had 3 brothers. I knew their names, but not much more.

Now, thanks to an unrelated historian and a newly discovered cousin, I actually know quite a bit more about that branch of the family. Most of the new information comes from Emma's brother William Henry Stiles and his descendants. I've spent a few hours over the past couple of days updating information in my database on the cousins that I now know about. I'm exhausted, but extremely happy.

Through this exchange, I have learned there are 2 or 3 males that are still alive and would qualify for the DNA project for the Stiles Family of America. I'm hoping that at least one of them can be convinced to participate. This would help verify that we definitely are descendants of John. It will also help that particular branch as they have some doubts that William Henry is the son of Wilbur F Stiles (aka Wilbur Irish Stiles) of Vermont. If they do the Y-DNA test and it shows that they indeed are related to other John Stiles of Connecticut descendants then it is further proof of the relationship.

Joyous Candle video

2008-07-25T13:15:00.004-04:00

I just uploaded my first video to YouTube! Please check it out.

My new Laptop....

2008-07-23T22:46:00.002-04:00

The new Dell laptop was delivered today while I was at physical therapy. It's one of the Studio 1535 models. I chose to have a purple cover - although it is almost black - not quite what I was expecting.

There was a good deal of proprietary software on it as I feared - even after being told by their chat that there would not be. But, they did ship disks with the laptop for the operating system and drivers - along with software for a couple of other features. So, I immediately wiped out the installation of Windows and re-installed it. Then proceeded to install the drivers and software for the features of the laptop that I'm going to use. I've installed Office 2007 and got most of my files transferred over from my old computer. I have installed my Internet Security as well. There's still a matter of installing my Adobe software - but I have to find the disks for that first.

One of the neat features of this new laptop is the backlit keyboard. Granted, it takes a bit to get used to it when it is on, but it's also nice for the darker situations where it's harder to see the keyboard.

There is a webcam built into the laptop - just like in my last one. I think this is probably a common feature now.

Another feature - a fingerprint reader. I use a password to protect my logon with Windows - just in case someone else tries to use my laptop without my permission. Well, now I can log in by just swiping my finger across the reader and not have to type in my password. How cool is that?

Other features that I got on this laptop include bluetooth capability as well as normal wireless networking. There is also a built in broadband mobile card from Verizon - if I ever decide to use it. I doubt that I will, but by having it built into the laptop - it saved me over $400! The DVD drive is a slot load - instead of having the tray come out. No eject button though - so have to open the computer window and right click to get the disc out, but I can deal with that. There is no 56k modem built in - kinda not surprising in today's market. But still a little.

There is also a "lift" built into the battery at the back of the laptop - so it sits naturally at a slight angle. This makes it slightly more ergonomically correct, but I suspect it is to allow more air to circulate underneath as this seems to run rather hot. The battery is a 9 cell model - giving about 5 hours of life at the current power settings. Not too bad...

It also has 4GB DDR2 RAM, 320 GB Hard Drive (partitioned into 3 pieces by Dell - one for the backup of the hard drive as it came from the factory, one for some software that Dell had installed that I did not re-install, and one for actual use - approximately 260GB of usable hard drive space in the current configuration), a 2.16 GHz Core 2 Duo processor with 2 MB L2 Cache and 256 MB Video card. It's a much nicer combo than what was on the laptop that I bought last year that I ended up having to replace. Hopefully, I won't have to replace this one for quite a while.
So far, I'm liking my new laptop.

Farewell Sophia....

2008-07-22T23:30:00.002-04:00

Today, July 22, Estelle Getty who played Sophia on the Golden Girls passed away. Sophia was my favorite character on Golden Girls - she was always good for a laugh. I will miss you.

Photo from Estelle's website.

Here's accurate info for ya....

2008-07-22T23:14:00.002-04:00

Since my personal laptop suffered damage when I traveled to Houston, I decided last week to purchase a new laptop. After doing some research, I decided to go with a Dell mainly because they told me that there would be no additional software automatically installed that I did not specify in the order. My Sony laptop was great - but I spent a good 3 hours uninstalling crap that came pre-installed on it when I first got it - and still didn't get all of it to uninstall. Anyways, I placed the order with Dell on Sunday, July 13. When I placed the order, they provided an estimated build by date of August 1. Ok, a little on the long side, but perhaps they are busy this time of year, I'll wait.

On Sunday, July 20, I received notification that my new laptop has shipped - with an estimated delivery date of July 23 to July 25. Ok, this is cool. I knew I wouldn't be home on the 21 and 22 due to work, so the 23rd would be perfect.

Yesterday, I logged in to check the status of the delivery - to make sure it was still on track for the 23rd. Yup, still said that at Dell. However, they shipped via DHL and provided that tracking number. So, I clicked it to track it through DHL. All that DHL reported was that shipping information received - they hadn't even picked it up yet and were estimating a delivery date of today - the 22nd. Eeek... not what I was expecting.

I logged back in again this morning - tracked it through DHL (Dell hadn't changed) and found that between midnight and 8am the laptop had been received and sent to the Flint, MI hub (which is where it should be to be delivered to my house the same day). But, it didn't say when the delivery would be. So, I called the number for DHL to find out. I was told that it would be delivered tomorrow - the 23rd and not today. Good - that's what I wanted.

I got home tonight and guess what - DHL tried to deliver the laptop today, but because I wasn't home, they couldn't deliver it. They will try again tomorrow. DUH - that's when they were SUPPOSED to deliver it to begin with! I just love how they were so accurate with their delivery dates.....

Physical Therapy

2008-07-17T11:14:00.002-04:00

Yesterday I had my first PT session. On Tuesday I had the eval - so yesterday was my first official day. They have started me with a couple of different exercises than I had back in January. One involves laying on my back with a ball between my bent knees and squeezing it - then releasing it. That wasn't too bad.

They are using electronic stimulation to help relax my muscles - they did this last time too. Except this time they are using cold therapy with it instead of heat. I'm not sure that worked as well. I seemed to be stiffer after therapy than I was before therapy yesterday. Perhaps tomorrow will be better on that.

There's 11 sessions left - next week I can only do 2 sessions due to going out of town this weekend for work. I start teaching classes again in August, so we'll see how it goes. Hopefully I can get them all in while going back to work.

During the evaluation, the physical therapist mentioned that I should start doing some water aerobics as that will help strengthen my muscles without being too harsh on them. I started looking into it and think that I just might start a program. I have an appointment on Saturday for a local gym that has water aerobics classes on Saturdays to check them out. I can't swim, so this will be interesting.... LOL

Museum of Natural Science

2008-07-10T17:48:00.004-04:00

Today, I decided to visit the Museum of Natural Science in Houston. They had an exhibit about Lucy - the archaeological find of 1974. That was interesting, although no pictures were permitted. Nor could you even put a finger on the case. Geesh...

Part of the museum is a butterfly conservatory. THAT was cool. Ok, it wasn't really cool, more hot and humid, but you get the idea. LOL. Anyway, I finally got one of the natives to pose for me.

Overall, I wasn't too impressed with the museum in general - especially for the price of admission. They charged for EVERYTHING - the Lucy exhibit, the butterfly conservatory, the DaVinci exhibit, etc. Because of the price, I only saw the Lucy exhibit and butterflies. Although I was torn between going to Lucy or DaVinci - that one would have been interesting too I think. Of course, it all would have been better without having to pay everytime I wanted to see something different.

Space Center Houston

2008-07-09T20:15:00.005-04:00

Well, I arrived just fine in Houston, but my computer didn't fair so well - the screen got broke. Luckily, I'm still able to use the computer - just have a big black splotch in the upper part of the screen with cracks. Hopefully, that doesn't get any worse.

Today, I went to Space Center Houston. I must admit, it wasn't what I expected. I figured it would be designed for kids - and it DEFINITELY was. However, I still had a good time. I was able to take a couple of trips onto Johnson Space Center and see mission control as well as the off-site location of the Neutral Gravity Center - the worlds largest swimming pool where the astronauts train to do space walks.

In the picture above, you can barely see the yellow tanks - these are the air tanks for the support staff. There are usually 5 to 7 support staff for each astronaut in case anything happens.

They did have a Star Wars exhibit - but that was disappointing. There were only a single case that contained some of the light sabers and other weapons and Obi Wan's star fighter with R4 in it.

I also got to meet a very special friend. The picture is below.

Yup, that's Bugs Bunny. It was "Wacky Wednesday" at the space center. Tweety, Sylvester, Taz and Scooby were also there - but most had left by the time I had a chance to get a picture taken. I waited for all of the "kids" to go first as it really was designed for them.

Houston Space Center & Star Wars

2008-07-04T15:01:00.003-04:00

I'm leaving on Tuesday to spend a few days in Houston, Texas for the Stiles Family reunion. I had already purchased a ticket to visit the Houston Space Center (purchased before May 31 for half price!), so I logged into their website today to get driving directions from the hotel and discovered a very cool exhibit that opens today!

Star Wars: The Clone Wars Invades Space Center Houston!

In association with LucasFilm, experience the largest collection in the world of never-before-seen Star Wars props, artifacts and memorabilia! Plus, get an exclusive behind-the-scenes preview from the next chapter of the Star Wars saga, Star Wars: The Clone Wars!

Opens July 4th!

Star Wars happens to be one of my favorite movies (yes, all 6 of them), so this is extremely exciting news for me! Now I really can't wait to go!

A very fattening spoon of heaven....

2008-07-02T21:06:00.002-04:00

Tonight I had an awesome dessert. I stopped at the local Dairy Queen and got a blizzard - Girl Scout Thin Mint Cookie. It was absolutely awesome! I love thin mint cookies anyway, but combined with "mint" ice cream, this is an absolutely heavenly treat. Of course, I really shouldn't be eating these - with my diabetes and obesity - but this blizzard worth the "cheat". :) I typically eat one blizzard over 2 or 3 days anyway - spread it out so that 1) it doesn't seem so expensive and 2) it lasts longer that way!

Physical Therapy

2008-07-01T11:27:00.003-04:00

I saw my neurosurgeon today for a followup on the back surgery I had on May 12. The good news is I do not need to go back to him unless I have problems. Yippee!!!!

He did order some physical therapy though - 12 sessions of it - to stretch and strengthen the muscles. I am planning on going to Millenium Physical Therapy in Clio. I had went there for 6 weeks back in December 2007 and January 2008 before we discovered that the disk had slipped. I really liked going there because not only was it close to home, but they gave me personal attention! I have gone through physical therapy before at a different location - the physical therapist had 4 patients at once! How that can be helpful is beyond me. But at Millenium, while they would have multiple patients - you still got personal attention to make sure you are doing your exercises correctly. I know they are closed on Tuesdays and Thursdays, so I'll need to wait until tomorrow to call and see about setting it up with them.

Hickmott - Jones Reunion

2008-06-22T16:15:00.003-04:00

The reunion for my mother's side of the family will be the usual date of the 3rd Saturday in July - in other words this year it's July 19. Last year, everyone who attended the reunion (which is everyone who usually attends) told me to NOT to send out the invites this year to them. This includes my Aunt Rose.

So, the other day, my Aunt Rose calls my mom (she never calls me) and complains that the invitations have not been mailed out for the reunion. So, my mom calls me to let me know that.

So, am I supposed to mail invitations out to those who explicitly told me NOT to mail invitations to them? I mean good grief!

Anyway if there are any Hickmott's out there who would like to attend our reunion - just contact me. There's a good chance that we are related - especially if your relatives were in Michigan at any point.

So how does Jones fit in? Well, my grandmother was a Jones who married a Hickmott. So I also offer an invitation to any Jones who is a relative to Aaron Jones (1860 to 1932) to come as well. Aaron Jones is my gr-grandfather.

Goodbye Miss Daisy

2008-06-22T16:04:00.002-04:00

Daisy, an adorable calico kitten who was adopted by my friends in Cincinnati, has passed away. She unfortunately was killed by a car on June 12 while she was out of the house. My friends understandably are rather upset by her death.

I remember her cuddling up with me when I climbed into bed, or playing with the covers while I watched. One of her favorite things was laying in my arms - on her back while I scratched her tummy. She would stay in that position for an hour or more. It always seemed to calm her too. Whenever she would get it in her mind to run around the house or meow until she was let outside (and it wasn't time for her to be let out), I would scoop her up and lay her on her back and scratch her tummy. She would calm right down.

I also remember the first time that I went back to their house after she arrived. At the time, the idea was to have her as an outside kitty, so she was snuggled up in a bed on the back porch. Turbo, their dog, was inside. I opened the door, and Turbo was there waiting for me as usual. However, he would not let me get past him at the door that went into the back yard. My friends just laughed. Turbo wanted me to see the new family member before I settled in. It wasn't long after that, that she became an indoor kitty - going outside for exercise.

So, Miss Daisy, although your life was short, you brought such joy into our lives. I will miss you greatly.

Getting back to things

2008-06-19T17:15:00.001-04:00

Back in February, I had made the decision to take a break from school. I had had problems passing the I27X - MS Windows XP Pro exam and was getting rather frustrated with myself because of it. I had also had problems with my back and work was starting to get a bit stressful. WGU allows for a 5 month term break at the end of a term - so March 1, I took advantage of it.

In the last 4 months, I haven't done a bit of studying. I've had back surgery. I have gotten some work done - but there still remains a ton to do. I am also completely broke. But, I have decided to continue my studies on August 1 despite all of this.

Today, I started the process of applying for financial aid for school. Prior to this, I was paying the bill completely out of my own pocket. This is the first time for this degree that I've applied for financial aid. My last degree - a B.S. in Biology Education I used financial aid - but it was all grants, scholarships and work study. I have not taken a loan for education. I was rather proud of that. Now, I believe that will change as I doubt that I will be eligible for anything but student loans.

I've also started working a little again for Gradepoint. I've been working a bit on some manuals for different classes - something that I can do at home. Probably sooner than it should be, but like I said, I'm broke - therefore I need the money. Besides, I'm starting to go nuts just sitting here.

Joyous Candle isn't going so well. I've only had a handful of orders this month. I have no money left to do any advertising, so I'm not sure what's next there. I am so far in debt from this business, that I'm not sure where the proverbial light is at the end of the tunnel. It's not the actual business that is the problem. It has been entirely my fault - listening to the entirely wrong people in learning and running the business. That's what has gotten me into financial trouble. Live and learn I guess.

So, I'm going to keep Joyous Candle going - afterall, I have a ton of candles here at my house to sell. But, I'm going to re-focus on my career as an instructor and on things that make me truly happy. I think that is what is going to be best for me as a person.

Health update

2008-06-05T14:43:00.002-04:00

Well, 3 weeks after my back surgery and I'm starting to move around pretty good. It still bothers me a bit - but it is definitely getting better. I'm able to stand for 5 minutes at a time now and walk for 10 minutes. I know that doesn't sound like much, but given 3 weeks ago I couldn't even stand for 30 seconds - this is pretty darn good. It's been a slow progression, but I'm glad it's progressing. Some days I overdo it - and typically I pay for it the next day. But, even that is improving. I still can't do stairs, but it's just a matter of time.

The doctors told me that the surgery went like a textbook - so it's just a matter of recovery at this point. They cut away a small part of the vertebrae to access the disc that was between the L4 and L5 vertebrae - and then trimmed that disc. All of the sutures were done with the kind of thread that dissolves, so no stitches out!

I'll be glad when I get back to 100% though.

Need clothing?

2008-06-02T16:06:00.003-04:00

I came across a new website which sells clothing and tactical gear to anyone for decent prices. The website LA Police Gear will sell its merchandise to police officers, military personnel, security guards or anyone who would like this type of merchandise. A quick look around their website reveals clothing and other items such as boots and shoes, backpacks, knives, flashlights, camp axes, travel shovels and much more at both regular prices as well as closeout pricing. Some of the close out items are as inexpensive as $3.99 for a $15 item! They even have free shipping on select orders (as long as you enter the proper code during checkout - see site for details). They also ship via UPS - so it is a quick and safe delivery of your merchandise. If you do not live in California, then there is no sales tax either! They even have a special order section for military and government orders. Check it out!

Been awhile...

2008-05-09T17:20:00.002-04:00

Sorry it's been so long between posts. My back has continued to bother me - in fact on Monday, May 12 I am having back surgery. The surgery will be about an hour and I'm expected to be in the hospital only 24 hours, but we'll see how it goes. There is a disk between the L4 & L5 vertebrae that is pinching the L5 nerve - that's the nerve that goes down the right leg. I'll be glad when this is over. I'm tired of being in pain all the time.

My migranes have come back as well (I'm battling one right now - unable to take my migrane medication due to the upcoming surgery). That tells me my hormones are incredibly out of balance again (that's when I get the migranes) - it also explains my menstrual cycle being off kilter again. It's all due to getting cortizone injections for my back in January. It screwed up my cycle the last time I had injections 3 years ago and it's done it again. :( I didn't want to go back to a gynecologist for it though until this surgery is over - because I figure this might screw with my hormones too.

Ok, I'll post more when I'm able - just can't take typing much more right now.

Jericho

2008-04-01T09:33:00.002-04:00

One week ago, I dutifully sat up past my bedtime and watched the series finale of Jericho. I am really sad that CBS has cancelled the show AGAIN. But at the same time I also blame CBS for setting it up to fail. They put it on at 10pm - previously it was on at 8pm. When I heard what time they would be airing the episodes I feared that they would end up cancelling it because most people would not stay up to watch when they needed to get up early the next day for work.

Now I'm hearing that the SciFi channel is thinking about picking up the series. I certainly hope that some channel does. It is a great show. My only complaint about the SciFi channel picking it up is that I do not get the SciFi channel! But, it would mean that the episodes would continue to be produced and I would just need to wait for the season to be released on DVD. It's not too awful - I have done that for a couple of other shows - Andromeda and Stargate, so I am willing to do that again for Jericho. I just hope that a studio/channel will pick up the series so that I can continue to watch Jericho.

Poor Turbo

2008-03-18T19:13:00.002-04:00

While in Cincinnati, I'm staying with a friend and her family. She has spent the last couple of weeks out of state with her youngest son who had to have knee surgery. Turbo is their pet golden lab. He is moping around like crazy. Tonight she called home and her husband held the phone out, putting her on speaker, so Turbo could hear her. Now, he's laying in on her bed. He's missing her something terrible. Hopefully, she will be able to come home on Sunday. I'm sure Turbo will be feeling better then.

Stiles Family Reunion

2008-03-18T09:53:00.002-04:00

This year, the Stiles Family of America will hold its annual reunion in Houston Texas. As president of the organization, I need to be in attendance. I am excited about this as I have never been to Texas before. However, the reunion is the second weekend in July, and I'm a little nervous about the heat. Afterall, this is Texas! Houston isn't that far from the Gulf of Mexico either - so I imagine the humidity will be high. Hopefully it won't be too bad.

Back to the back again

2008-03-18T09:36:00.002-04:00

Once again, my back has started bothering me. At one point, every muscle from my waste down ached so terribly that I could barely tolerate it. Now, it's just my right leg - all the way to my toes. I went back to the doc and he ordered an MRI. That shows the disc between L4 & L5 has "migrated" into the space between the vertebrae and the spinal cord. It is pushing on/pinching the root of the L5 nerve that goes into the right leg. Well, that would explain that pain. He told me I need to have surgery done. My appointment is April 9 with the neurosurgeon. I'm waiting to hear what he says. I really hope that I do not need surgery, but I also want this pain to go away!

Another death

2008-02-22T21:11:00.002-05:00

I found out on my drive home last night, that on Monday, my Aunt Carol passed away. Yesterday was the funeral. Of course, I was in Cincinnati and didn't find out about it until it was too late.

I didn't know Aunt Carol too well - she was mom's sister-in-law, and well, I've never really known mom's side of the family. But I still would have liked the opportunity to attend the funeral.

Shock

2008-02-15T20:26:00.003-05:00

Yesterday marked the end of another set of classes that I taught in Cincinnati. Today I find out that one of my students who just finished class yesterday died last night of a heart attack.

To say that I am in shock is an understatement. After class yesterday afternoon, this gentleman and I talked for a little bit. I had canceled class on Tuesday due to weather, but when I called to let him know, he said he wasn't going to make it anyway because he had to bring home his wife from her surgery. So Thursday, he came for the last day of class and let me know how she was doing. He also thanked me for holding the class and said he would see me later. I guess that won't happen now. I hope his wife and family is doing ok considering the circumstances.

I have also heard about another person I know in Cincinnati - he is a retiree from GE, so he never took any of my classes because the retirees do not have the benefit. However, I knew him because he would come to the union hall a couple times a week and was there for every retiree meeting. I've met his wife and they are very nice people. Well, on Tuesday, he went into the hospital to have surgery to repair some damage to his L4-L5 vertebrae. The problem is he never woke up from the anesthesia. Now he has an infection - resulting in a fever, has a blockage in his heart and is on a respirator. I pray that he wakes up soon and recovers from the surgery.

His surgery hits close to home for me. My back problems revolve around a bulging disc between the L4-L5 vertebrae. Thankfully I haven't needed surgery, and I hope I never will - especially after this.

Never take anyone for granted in life. You never know when they will be taken from this Earth and you won't get another chance to speak with them.

True Beauty

2008-02-06T19:00:00.000-05:00

When I left work tonight, I went out the side door (which is unusual for me) and for some reason when I stepped out, there was the most beautiful rainbow that I had ever seen. The rainbow was also the most complete one that I have seen in a long time. Luckily, I had my digital camera with me - so I whipped it out and snapped away. It was so huge, that it took 2 pictures to get it all!

Signs

2008-01-25T22:07:00.000-05:00

This morning at 8am I was to take the Microsoft 70-270 exam - Microsoft Windows XP Pro. I had taken the exam last month and failed miserably. So, this is my second chance. I knew I should have been studying big time for it, but I didn't study as much as I had wanted again. So, yesterday morning I started cramming. In the afternoon, I needed a break, so I dove into my genealogy. Next thing I knew it was 10:30pm. Ooops. So, I stopped working on that and studied for another hour before going to bed. I woke up early this morning to do another cram session before taking off at 6 am. I knew it should only take me an hour to get to the test site, but I left 2 hours early to make sure I had enough time in case there was an accident. Well, there wasn't, so I got there at 7am. I had one hour to "kill", so I went inside the building and found a chair to sit in to cram some more. At 5 mins to 8, I headed upstairs to take my exam.

I had made a bit of progress on my genealogy last night - filling in some information on my Clark line that I found on the NEHGS website. I was actually having fun as I figured out a new way to find the information I was looking for - using a cross reference to knock out about 100 hits to the 30 or so that I was actually looking for.

I even found myself thinking about the information that I had found and well, the information that was still eluding me on the drive to the exam this morning. That's strange I thought - because I really should have been rehearsing the information I had been studying. Actually, I think that is the reason why I wasn't panicking about the test. Genealogical research for me is very theraputic or relaxing.

Even though I didn't "feel bad" about not studying as much as I should have, I was a little nervous. Well, the short story is I did NOT take the test. They apparently couldn't get my exam to download. So, I had to reschedule the exam.

No wonder why I wasn't as nervous as I should have been and was so at ease about working on my genealogy. It was a sign. I would be foolish to ignore it - I'm getting a second chance to actually study the way I should. So, starting tomorrow, I am buckling down and actually going to study the way I should. Today is over (I've been swamped with things - including my last day of physical therapy), so that's why I'm starting tomorrow.

Enough already

2008-01-23T07:11:00.000-05:00

I normally don't get into political discussions, but I must comment. I am appalled at the conduct of Hilary and Barack at the recent Democratic debate. I realize that a debate usually involves a discussion of the differences in points of view on particular topics. However, what Hilary and Barack did was far from debate - it was outright rude and shameful. Yelling at each other to get some point across to the audience does not help either of their campaigns and smacks of dirty politics. Dirty politics is what turns people off from the elction process.

Now I really have my doubts about both candidates. Mickey Mouse is looking better and better as President. At least he doesn't yell at people.

Genetics & Genealogy

2008-01-19T18:40:00.000-05:00

Ok, I received my mtDNA results via e-mail on Thursday. I've been looking over the results - and the matches that FTDNA provided (they were the ones who tested my DNA). They were able to provide 18 "low resolution" matches and 2 "high resolution matches".

There are 2 sections of the mitochondial DNA that are studied - HVR1 and HVR2. The low resolution matches means that most of the base pairs of HVR1 are the same - and any mutations are either same or very similar. High resolution matches not only HVR1 but also HVR2.

I have e-mailed the two high resolution matches in hopes of discovering more about the female ancestor. One e-mailed me back, but wasn't real helpful as he didn't even know the maiden name of his mother. I have yet to hear back from the other person.

So how do they identify these "mutations"? Well, they compare the findings of my DNA to the CRS (Cambridge Reference Sequence) and any differences are labelled "mutations". The CRS was developed in 1981 - preceding the Human Genome Project. I have 4 mutations from the CRS - 2 in each of the HVR sections. In HVR1, my mutations occur at 16519C and 16527T. In HVR2, there are mutations at 263G and 315.1C. The letter after the number represents the base that was expected at that site, but was different. The bases are identified by single letters - A for Adenine, T for Thymine, C for Cytosine and G for Guanine. At base pair 16519 - a T was expected, but C was found instead. The last mutation - 315.1C indicates that an insertion was made - in other words, an extra base pair was found.

There is also a "haplogroup" designation - a letter essentially - which indicates the possible area that my ancestor came from. I fall into the Haplogroup H - which is very common for European ancestry. That does not surprise me at all, since it corresponds with what I know about my ancestry. However, there are 15 subgroupings to that haplogroup, and at this point I don't know which one I belong to. They can run further tests to determine which subgroup I belong to, and those results are going to take another month or so. What's the significance of these subgroups? Well, various subgroups were predominant in slightly different areas of earth - like the Middle East, Northern Africa, Eurasia, etc. So, what it could potentially do is help refine the deep ancestry of my female line (and further help in identification of common acestors or cousins). I may be wrong about that, but that is how I understand it at the moment.

This is very exciting to me. I've always had an interest in my genealogy and in technology, and this is a rather new area of technology being used for genealogy. Very interesting indeed. :)

Website promotion

2008-01-12T12:35:00.000-05:00

There are a number of ways to promote websites. Of course submitting the website address to various search engines and web directories. Another method involves pay per click advertising - which is extremely expensive. A few of the search engines look at how often the website is changed - and therefore having a blog (that's updated frequently) is a common way of promoting a website. Articles which pertain to the subject of the website are another good way of promoting a website.

Yet another way to publicize websites is to use the social networking options. This method of website promotion includes posting a button on the website which will allow visitors to automatically add the website to their "bookmarks" that are stored with that social networking website. Then other members of the social network may find your site through accessing another's bookmarks which are publicly available. However this method has it's critics - saying that posting the button is the equivalent of malware (aka spyware). This could not be further from the truth if those who criticize this method of website promotion understood how it works.

Back still hurts

2008-01-11T15:43:00.000-05:00

My back is still bothering me. Not nearly as bad as it was in December, but still enough to be a bother. I had a pain shot on Wednesday - it did not help. I didn't expect it to because 2 years ago they didn't help. Today was supposed to be the last day of physical therapy, but the pain doc wants me to do 2 more weeks, so I am. Physical therapy is helping a lot. Hopefully, the trend continues.

James Lawhead

2008-01-08T18:12:00.000-05:00

One of my brick walls in terms of researching my family history is James Lawhead. I have been able to discover that he was born about 1821, presumably in the US, but not sure if it was in Ohio, or another eastern state. On January 20, 1840 he married Temperance Gilson in Marion (or Morrow) County, Ohio. He died just 6 years later on July 19, 1846 in Morrow County Ohio. His wife Temperance Gilson (also a brick wall)was born November 30, 1823 in Ohio. She re-married Charles Conlon around 1849 and died May 20, 1851.

Together James and Temperance had 5 children - George, James (who was born shortly after his father died), Margaret, Cynthia and Susanah. George and Margaret ended up in Michigan - presumably with their uncle Ruben Lawhead. Cynthia married Elias Marshal and Susannah married Robert E Meeker. I can not be certain of this, but I believe James married a Margaret and had a son, Jasper, and moved "out west".

I have been searching for a few years for the origins of James and Temperance, but so far have come up empty. Hopefully, this brick wall will fall soon.

DNA & Genealogy

2008-01-08T17:38:00.000-05:00

I have mentioned previously that I am taking part in the Stiles Family DNA project. It might seem crazy to do so since I am a female. The best DNA matches for genealogy reasons are those of the males - since the y chromosome only passes from father to son. The x chromosome which females have 2 of - come from both parents - father and mother. In order to do a DNA analysis of 2 females, the scientists need to find DNA that would pass only from mother to daughter. That strangely enough happens in the Mitochondria of the cells. The mitochondria as I had learned in my Biology classes, is the "powerhouse of the cell" - but it also contains that very precious bit of DNA. There are 2 small areas of this DNA strand in the mitochondria that are relatively resistent to mutations. This means that there is a really, really good chance of the DNA matching between mother and daughter and therefore is good enough for genealogical purposes.

So my DNA results, when they come in, will trace back only through the female line. This means, through my mom, her mother, her mother, etc. My Stiles connection can be traced through the men from John Stiles of Connecticut to Wilbur F Stiles who was born in Vermont in 1827. Then it switches to his daughter Emma, then her daughter Margaret, to Grandma Marie, my mother and me. Will this really be helpful to the Stiles family? Probably not, since there was a gender switch in there. However, it might be helpful in my locating other descendents of Emma - since she is 5 generations back from me. That is why I decided to participate in the Stiles Family Project.

So, what family would my DNA be the most beneficial to? Well, the farthest back that I have my female only line is to Hannah Barker who married John Carlton and had a daughter Hannah Carlton who was born in 1722 probably in Massachusetts. They are my road block. I can only hope that perhaps a match will occur that will help to validate the paper research that I have done so far.

Wild Weather

2008-01-08T06:58:00.000-05:00

Here it is January 8 in Michigan. It should be cold with snow on the ground. Instead, it is currently in the 50's (yesterday broke a record high with 61), and no snow in sight. In fact, last night we had THUNDERSTORMS! There were even TORNADO watches and warnings posted. This is JANUARY for Pete's Sake!

I dare anyone who still believes that global warming is NOT happening to explain why we are having springtime weather in January! Saying that it is just the "January thaw" does not cut it either - usually the thaw means highs in the 40's and certainly no thunderstorms or tornadoes.

Thank you Genessee County Road Commission

2008-01-04T17:53:00.000-05:00

I would like to thank the Genesee County Road Commission for the bang up job they did this week. On New Year's Eve night, approximately 7 inches of snow fell at my home in Vienna Township. Then on New Year's Day, another 3 inches of snow fell during the day. A total of 10 inches of snow. It looks heavenly.

I live in a subdivision, which means there is a bit of traffic (there is probably around 100 homes in this subdivision). People have travelled the road since they need to get to work.

On Thursday, January 3, a single snow plow came down the road (2 days after the snow fell). Needless to say, by the time the road commission's snow plow made it to my road, there was a good "packing" of the snow - such that when the snow plow went through, it took off the top layer - leaving a 3" layer of compacted snow on the roads. Nice and slippery!

Today, the temperatures actually approached freezing! Hey, great, we are warming up! The 3 inches of compacted snow on my road is now 3 inches of slush that is even slipperier.

I can see my hard earned tax dollars (which are increasing every year) are put to great use to make sure that my commute (and those of my neigbors) is incredibly safe by having clear roads in the winter.

Genetic DNA & Genealogy

2008-01-04T08:38:00.000-05:00

DNA matching has become a hot topic for genealogists as a new way to find family. The Stiles Family of America is undertaking a DNA study as well. We are attempting to gather a "pool" of DNA by which we could identify cousins genetically. There are several families which we have been unable to connect via historical records, and this will give us another avenue to look for potential matches.

Back in December, I sent in my DNA. For females, it is a bit different because it utilizes the matrineal line - specifically the mitochondiral DNA. While this will not be entirely useful, as I am a 5th generation female in Stiles - then it goes to the male line, it could help to find cousins within the last 5 generations that are Stiles relatives. That should be useful.

Anyway, I checked on the progress of my DNA test today and found the following:
DNA Test Progress

Event
Date
Comment

Kit Received
12/12/2007

Batch 236 created
12/12/2007

DNA Isolation began
12/15/2007

DNA at Sequencing facility
12/28/2007

Quality Control began
01/01/2008

*Target Results Date
01/25/2008

So, it looks like by the end of the month, I'll know the results and can start connecting to "new" cousins. :)

New Traffic Exchange

2008-01-01T11:44:00.000-05:00

Joyful Surfing is a brand new traffic exchange that I am running. A traffic exchange is where advertisers sign up and surf each other's sites in order to generate traffic and hopefully sales from their own website. However, you don't have to be an advertiser to do this. Anyone can belong to a traffic exchange.

One thing that makes my traffic exchange different from some of the others is that you will NOT see your own advertisements while you are logged in & surfing. In almost all of the other TEs that I belong to, while I am surfing, I am seeing my own advertisements. This is wasting the credits that I am trying to accumulate. The credits are one way of determinining how often your ads will be shown to others.

Check out Joyful Surfing and let me know what you think.

Happy New Year!

2008-01-01T00:11:00.000-05:00

As I write this it's 12:15 am Jan 1, 2008. Happy New Year everyone! I hope this year is more peaceful than the last.

Muscles

2007-12-27T19:12:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I commented that my leg muscles were very tired after doing physical therapy. Today they are much better. In fact, my back was feeling quite a bit better too.

Then I did something really stupid. I had a large candle order to ship out for Joyous Candle. So, I shipped it. The problem was it was so large, that I had to ship it via UPS instead of the post office. I had one box - and it weighed approximately 30 pounds once every candle was nestled in lots of cushioning and the candle holders were securely padded and packed. Well, I have a couple of steps to go down in order to get to my car, and I don't have a dolly handy, so I lifted the box and carried it to my car. Then I carried it again from the car into the UPS place. Fortunately, the guy at UPS took pity on me and took the package from me almost immediately upon entering the facility. But the damage was done. My back is killing me again. So, I'm resting with a heating pad on it. Just biding my time until I can take my pain medication (it knocks me out). I guess I had better get a dolly for use at home if I continue to have the candle business running out of it.

Physical Therapy

2007-12-26T18:39:00.000-05:00

I had another round of Physical Therapy today. Each day, the physical therapist has been introducing a new exercise for me to do. It is either a stretch for my back/leg muscles or an actual exercise to help strengthen my muscles.

Today, she introduced an elastic band exercise - tying the band around my ankles and then moving one leg while the other stays put. At first it was just moving a leg out (just like when you make snow angels - but one leg at a time). Then after doing both legs, she had me bend one leg and step on the band to hold it in place, then lift the other leg up - keeping it straight. All of this was done with me laying on my back. I did both legs and then she sent me home. Each of these exercises comprised 10 repititions of the movement.

That was 4 hours ago. Now my legs are "mush" - they are incredibly sore. But if it helps my back feel better, it will be worth it. I get tomorrow off, but have to go back on Friday again. We'll see what she adds then. :)

Christmas

2007-12-25T13:57:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas to everyone!

My sister-in-law and I have in the past had arguments dealing with Christmas. She is a very religious person (which there is nothing wrong with that) who holds the belief that Christmas is a celebration of the birth of Jesus. I have absolutely no quarrels with that. However, she also happens to be a very vocal person - pushing her beliefs onto the rest of the family because if we don't believe the same things that she does then we all will go to heck (trying to be polite). My problem is with her being so pushy about her religious views.

Personally, I look at Christmas as a celebration of the season - reaping the benefits of the productive year and looking forward to the New Year. It's also a great time to reunite with family and friends as a way of celebrating getting through another year together and the coming of the winter season. I do not celebrate my own birthday, so I don't see why I should celebrate someone else's birth (especially when it is not clear of the exact day of birth). But, if other people wish to celebrate it, that's fine by me.

I realize that for many people this is a religious holiday and they don't look at Christmas the same way that I do. I don't have a problem with that - as long as they don't try to push their views on me or tell me that my belief is wrong just because they do not hold the same belief. Everyone is entitled to have their own beliefs - and no one should say that one belief is correct or incorrect.

Who really pays for the rewards available on reward credit cards?

2007-12-20T20:57:00.000-05:00

We all know that Credit Card companies charge various fees to use their cards. Consumers sometimes pay an "annual fee" for having a credit card & using it. If the balance is not paid off each month, then consumers pay a fee on the unpaid balance usually at some incredible interest rate (15-30%). This is how the credit card company makes their profits.

Merchants also pay a fee for accepting credit card payments. Typically there is a fee paid to a credit card "clearing house" - they are the ones who will tell the merchant that the credit card is good and has enough available credit to pay for the purchase. Each type of credit card also has a fee they charge the merchants - Visa charges one rate, Master Card another, etc. So, the merchant really pays 2 fees each time they accept a credit card from a customer. I can understand these fees - afterall, these are also businesses who need to cover their costs (and make a profit of course). Do I agree with how much they charge? Well, I think that will always be a debate. :)

However, I discovered something in the last month that I did NOT know before. If a consumer pays for a purchase using a "rewards" credit card (ie a credit card that gives cash back on purchases or points which the customer can then use to redeem for some "gift"), the credit card issuerer (Visa/Master Card, etc) will actually charge the merchant ANOTHER fee on top of the normal transaction fee. So the merchant ends up paying a double fee for one transaction.

I was astonished when I found this out. Of course, the personal credit cards that I own are the "rewards" type of credit card - afterall, I earn points that I can redeem for "free" stuff. I never thought about how the credit card companies actually pay for these rewards. I naively thought that they probably paid for the rewards out of their profits. Nope, they charge the merchants! The more that I think about this - the more I "understand" it. Afterall, why hurt their profits when they can charge the merchants who accept the rewards cards?

I've heard that some merchants do not accept "rewards" credit cards for this reason. However, I have never had that experience personally, so I wonder if any merchants really do this? If there are any merchants who don't accept the "rewards" credit cards I'd love to hear about them.

Of course looking at it from a merchant's point of view - they could "recover" that additional cost of accepting "rewards" cards by charging customers more for the items they purchase (ie prices go up). Is this what merchants do who accept the "rewards" cards? If they do, then I guess every consumer ends up paying for those rewards when they purchase products from merchants - even if they do not use credit cards.

Back to the Pain Doc :(

2007-12-20T15:16:00.000-05:00

Well, I just got home from my doctor. He said the only way I am going to get better is by getting injections, so he is sending me back to the pain doctor. I really, really, really wanted to avoid this. The last time I was to the pain doctor it did not help and in fact the injections hurt worse afterwards. Of the 3 injections that I had done last time - 2 were extremely painful. Only one was tolerable. I hope her technique has improved since then.

Back pain

2007-12-20T07:26:00.000-05:00

Well, I had my second physical therapy session yesterday for my back. The guy who was there on Friday and Monday wasn't there today - but there was a female therapist instead. They have different personalities and frankly I think I like the guy better (he wasn't so chatty).

I hurt worse again immediately after therapy, but last night I was feeling pretty good. This morning, my back is hurting again. Although I have to admit it's not hurting as much as it did last week - which is a very good thing. I'm hoping that it continues to improve and I can get back to my normal activities soon.

Back again

2007-12-14T11:54:00.000-05:00

Well, I did not go into work at all this week - my back is still bothering me a lot. I drove home on Wednesday and went to see the doctor yesterday. I'm officially off work until the end of the year. He gave me a prescription for a muscle relaxer and pain killer as well as a referral for physical therapy.

So far the muscle relaxer and pain killer has only "dulled" the pain - although it certainly still hurts immensely. I'm going to see the physical therapist in about an hour - hopefully that will help.

I don't have a heating pad at home - yet. I ordered one and plan to use it once it arrives (which should be later today).

Back pain

2007-12-11T14:20:00.000-05:00

I've had problems with my back off and on over the last 5 or 6 years. Late last week, my back started acting up again - giving me "minor" pain and some stiffness, but it was tolerable.

Sunday on my drive back to Cincinnati, my back proceeded to get worse - paining me to the point that I almost cried from the pain. Now I know that was just a "warm up" to the current situation.

Sunday night I woke up during the middle of the night and could barely move for the pain. I took some pain medication and got a glass of water (to wash the pills down with). I made the mistake of sitting in a chair which the I could not immediately get out of. 2 hours later I finally made it back to bed just to wake up a couple hours after that - unable to move. Needless to say, I did not go into work yesterday. During the day, my muscles started to relax and I started feeling a bit better.

This morning, I could move when I woke up, but I am still in quite a bit of pain, so I didn't go to work again today. I'm actuaally laying here with a heating pad on my back at the moment. Hopefully this will stop hurting so much so I can go into work tomorrow.

Digital Cameras & Genealogy

2007-12-05T07:53:00.000-05:00

As many of my regular readers know, I am big into researching my family history. I've had the opportunity to travel to Boston a couple of times to do research. One of the great things is that I was able to take my digital camera with me while doing the research.

Now many people would imagine that I take pictures of grave markers or other relatives when they find out that I took my camera with me on my research trips. However, while I did use the camera in that "traditional" way, I also used it in a rather unique way - to capture information from books.

Sure, the libraries there allow you to make copies of the books - on their copy machines which cost about 10-20 cents per copy. That could very quickly add up to a lot of money if there were many pages to copy. Instead, I took my digital camera and a small tripod that I also own and took pictures of the pages of the book I wanted to copy. Of course I checked with the library first to make sure this would be ok as I know some places won't allow for that to be done. I also made sure that I didn't violate any "copyright" laws by not photographing entire books.

Since I knew that I wouldn't be able to get back to those libraries very often, I wanted to capture as much information as possible - so I took somewhere in the neighborhood of a 1000 pictures of various pages from various books. Each night when I went back to my hotel room, I would recharge my battery for the next day and take out the SD media card and insert it on my laptop. I could then verify that the images I took were legible (which they always were) in my software. Then I would delete them off my SD card (after making sure they were on my hard drive) so I would be all set the next day to repeat the process.

This allowed me to capture a lot of information that I have slowly been sifting through as I have time since then. I travel a lot for work, so having all of these "pages" electronic has been a blessing as I then don't have to carry around 1000's of pieces of paper while I'm doing my research on the road.

Using graphics software, I can "manipulate" the images to blow them up making them easier to read, color correcting for "over exposure" or "under exposure". When I want to have a hard copy - I just print the photo from my graphics software using regular paper. It's just like making a real photocopy.

This post is sponsored by: Ritz Camera.

My new friend

2007-12-05T07:43:00.000-05:00

Daisy is my new friend. Daisy is also a cat - well, technically a kitten. The people that I am staying with during the weeks when I am in Cincinnati for work have had a dog for a couple of years, but just got Daisy. She is a calico kitten and very playful, as all kittens are.

Last week, she fell asleep in my arms while I was watching TV. Of course when I went to bed, that's when she woke up and wanted to play. But last night, she slept on the couch that I sit at and when I was getting ready for bed, she slipped into my room. After I had closed the door, and got into bed, I discovered her as she had hopped up onto the bed and started cuddling. I discovered that she loved me throwing the covers over her and playing under the covers. It was actually pretty funny when I fell asleep because she was under the covers (well under) and was playing with my fingers - one paw on my pinky and the other on my index finger - just like she was holding my hand.

When I woke up this morning and went to take my shower, I fully expected Daisy to disappear as she had been in my room all night, and I figured she would need to use her litter box downstairs. Well, I was surprised to see that she was back in my room just after I re-entered and hopped up on the bed ready to play. She never stopped playing until she glimpsed Turbo (the golden lab dog that also lives there) and then she had to go and play with him. :)

I really hate the dentist right now

2007-12-04T11:13:00.000-05:00

Ok, a couple of weeks ago I got the last of my wisdom teeth out.

I am still swollen on the right side - but it's not visible externally. I can feel it inside my mouth though. The left side seems to not be swollen at all.

Occasionally, my entire jaw hurts rather badly - but mostly it is just a dull ache that is really annoying. What I think is really weird is my front teeth on the bottom feel like someone is pulling on them constantly without the benefit of anesthesia.

I hope this feeling goes away soon - I'm starting to run out of pain medication!

Stiles Family DNA project

2007-12-04T09:48:00.000-05:00

At our annual meeting in July this year, the Stiles Family of America decided to go ahead with a DNA project. Many genealogists are turning to Genetic Genealogy to help determine if 2 people have a common ancestor or not (and thus would be related). At the time, it was deemed most beneficial to test the Stiles men as that particular test yields the best results.

Well, recently, the test was expanded to the females. I just did the test myself yesterday and will be sending it off today. The test was very easy to do - just use the swab to "scrape" the inside of the cheek to get some cells. Then place the tip of the swab into the little vial that has a solution in it and screw the top back onto the vial. Do that 3 times over a period of 12 hours to ensure that there will be a good sampling of cells to use for the genetic testing. Then mail it in to the facility. All information is kept completely confidential. They will only allow someone else to contact you if you consent to it - and then they must have some genetic markers matching yours.

I am so looking forward to getting the results of this test. We can then compare it to other Stiles women to seek out a common ancestor - and thus find new cousins! What an exciting opportunity this is!

Microsoft Windows XP Professional Exam

2007-12-04T09:40:00.000-05:00

On Friday, I took the XP Professional exam - 20-270. I failed it by a huge margin. I'm not too upset about it though. Why? Because I knew going in that I would fail it. I have not had the time to study for the exam like I needed to. The nice thing is because this was for my degree, I did not have to "pay" for it and I get to try one more time before I will have to pay for it. I plan to take it again in January - which should work out for me as I will have a couple of weeks off at Christmas to use to study.