So.......here it goes. My first "techie" post.
Since the beginning of this blog, I have received a few questions about posting comments to my blog. In most cases, the main inquiry was related to having an ID with which to post the comments. So, I figured that it may be helpful to create a quick post to outline a few of the options for those who may want to create an ID.
Option 1: Google
Blogger (the site I use to host my blog) is affiliated with Google. As such, any Google ID already has the ability to post comments or even start their own blog on Blogger. In addition to providing a very usable email service, Google accounts also have many other advantages such as Google Talk, Google Apps, and Google Reader. Overall, Google has become a great source for cutting edge collaboration tools and provides a lot of bang for the buck. The only downside to using this option is that not all blogs accept a Google account.
Option 2: OpenID
OpenID is an evolving architecture that is intended to provide a single username and password for multiple web sites. As this technology gains an increasing acceptance, the intent could ultimately be to use an OpenID account to access everything from email to online banking. Most OpenID providers also offer the ability to store various bits of personal information such as your street address, full name, and email address. When using an the OpenID at certain sites, this information can automatically be populated into the appropriate fields on the web page. I have just begun to use an OpenID, so I haven't experimented with all of the features yet, but so far it has fulfilled it's primary purpose of allowing me to post to multiple blog providers. Setting up an OpenID is a little more involved than a Google account, but it is still relatively straightforward. As OpenID is an open architecture, there are quite a few sites that offer the service. I chose Verisign Labs, as they are a major player in the internet security market, and the basic account setup was pretty simple. But, as I wanted to push the envelope of what I could accomplish with this account, I have spent a few extra hours experimenting with it's capabilities.
Consensus:
Based on it's own merits, I recommend a Google account for anyone. If you plan on only posting/commenting on Blogger, then a Google account is a perfect fit. If you plan to interact on multiple blogging sites or if you are a bit of a geek that enjoys riding the wave of up-and-coming technology, then an OpenID is definitely worth a look.
Edited for grammatical typo.
02-24-2008 11:02 PM
MDS
Last night Lindsay had her first night out on the town. The evening started with dinner at Olive Garden with our friends Lance and Liz and their daughter. Lindsay ordered the Chicken Marsala, but changed her mind when she found out that it did not come in a bottle. This was her first restaurant experience, and she was a total angel. She slept through all of the noise and just as we were finishing dinner, she decided it was time for her to eat too. Talk about perfect timing! After dinner, the six of us went to Babies R Us. For those of you who don't know, that is the hip new Friday night hang out. =) We spent over an hour meandering around the store and picked some new clothes out for Lindsay. All-in-all it ended up being a nice, relaxing evening.
Well.....where to begin?
It was quite an interesting morning to say the least. Last night, Lindsay started to come down with a little cold and spent much of the night sneezing, sniffling, and coughing. I felt so bad for her, as she sounded miserable and there wasn't much I could do to help. Despite that, she seemed to sleep rather well; that makes one of us. Around 5:00 AM we lost power, and after further investigation, it appeared that most of Richville was in the same predicament. We soon realized that this also meant that our daycare was without power. Then, another realization. Yesterday, with the steady rain on top of the snow, our sump pump had been running pretty regularly to keep our basement nice and dry. No power meant no pump. No pump meant trouble. I called DTE to report our outage and got the standard 4-hour estimate, meaning that I could possibly expect to have power for dinner. After making arrangements to get a generator and making arrangements for Lindsay (thought it might be a bit difficult to hook up a generator while trying to watch her), I began to mentally plan out my day. Then as Murphy's Law would have it, just as Jill was leaving for work, the power came back on (7:00 AM). Unbelievable! So, a couple calls later (cancelled the generator plan), I was scrambling to get Lindsay ready for daycare. Things appeared to be turing around. We had Lindsay ready in time for Jill to drop her off and I would be able to get to work only about an hour late. Just after I began getting ready for work, Jill had returned with Lindsay. Daycare would remain closed all day. Come to find out, the day care had left a message on Jill's phone, which she had left at her aunt's on Saturday. Oops! To put icing on the cake, with the power flickering on/off about 7 times in 15 seconds, my wireless router decided it would be better off dead. Just peachy.... I hate troubleshooting on my days off. =)
All-in-all, it did end up being a very nice daddy-daughter day. We met mom and the Asplund Grandparents for lunch, watched a movie and took a nice nap. So, the old addage that every cloud has a silver lining did manage to hold true today and it goes to show that even the most frustrating days do not have to remain that way.
Behold.....the power of a cute little smile!
Today was the first day of day care for Lindsay. The morning started out a bit hectic, but we quickly got things in order and got Lindsay there in plenty of time. I must say, it is awesome having the day care facility a block away. The staff said that Lindsay was a model baby today. She ate well, slept well, and didn't act up outside of diaper changes. I was very happy to hear that she did so well today, because this morning when we dropped her off, I almost felt like I was abandoning her. Seeing the quality of care that the children receive at least makes it a bit easier on me in that regard. And of course, Grandma Jan stopped in to see her this morning. She called me to report that Lindsay already has a cute little admirer. Apparently a little boy kept wandering over to the infant's little "gated community" and would look at her with a big smile. My, oh my..........already flirting; Dad's in trouble. =)
All in all, it turned out to be a great day. Lindsay did very well with day care and it was absolutely wonderful when we got to pick her back up. It's amazing how my baby girl already has me wrapped around her little finger. I wouldn't have it any other way.
Wow, how time flies!
My little girl is growing up right before my eyes. Her once tiny little hands and feet, while still small, have become noticeably bigger, and does she ever have a good grip. This past week she has also started to out-grow some of her "newborn" size clothes. It seems like she only wore some of them once or twice. I am very excited that she is now starting to interact with us a bit more. Jill and I have started to work with her on the Boppy to help develop head control and it is pretty amazing how well she can move her head around already. We also have "music time" on a regular basis and have been working with her to track motion and sounds using pictures and rattles. It is so exciting to see the progress she is making.
It is also amazing how much my life has changed. Before Lindsay, it seemed that Jill and I were almost always on the go and barely ever at home. Now, we forgo many of our dinners out, our impromptu shopping trips, and other events so that we can spend more time with Lindsay. We had to try so very hard to have Lindsay, and now that she is here we are treasuring every moment that we can spend with her. Even from a financial perspective, I find myself sacrificing many of the "me" purchases in favor of getting Lindsay a cute new outfit or something. All-in-all it has become evident that my life now revolves around a cute little girl; a little girl that has made me realize how lucky I am.
This week I finally decided that I was tired of shoveling snow and purchased a snowblower. I'm not exactly sure what pushed me over the edge, but my driveway and sidewalk do appear to get a little longer every time I shovel. At any rate, I did at least manage to hold out until now, thus scoring a great deal as many equipment dealers are trying to liquidate stock this late in the winter season. My dad dropped the snowblower off today, just in time for the impending snow storm. It looks like I'll at least get one good use out of it this year. I am one of the few in my family that really enjoys the snow, and it will be even better now that I don't have to shovel it.
This evening I did come up with one question. As I go in to work at 7:30 AM, I usually did a bit of shoveling between 6:00 and 6:30 to clear a path to the cars. As the snowblower is a bit noisy, would it be inconsiderate to run it at 6:00 AM before I leave for work? In the summer, I usually wait until at least 9:00 AM to run the lawn mower or trimmer. However, unlike the lawn, snow is something that usually needs to be addressed in the morning. And perhaps the snowblower isn't even that loud when you're not standing right next to it. If anyone has a comment on this topic, I'd love to hear some opinions. For tomorrow morning........I'll play it by ear.
A little over 2 weeks, and my Blog has already seen it's 100th visitor. Either I have a big group of fans or a few very loyal readers. =)
In any case, I just wanted to shout out a quick thank you to all of my readers! Hopefully it has been as enjoyable for you to read as it has been for me to write. Thank you again for checking out my Blog, and I hope to see you again soon for more updates.
~Mike
