Rudolph, lead the way to our house on Christmas Eve!

The Christmas clock is ticking. Just a few more days until Santa begins his trip from the North Pole to our house. Of course, leading the way will be Rudolph the Reindeer. Today I'm celebrating Rudolph. Sure, we'll have some cookies and milk for Santa on Christmas Eve. But, we'll also have a nice treat for Rudolph and his reindeer friends that work so hard to get Santa to all the homes before Christmas morning.

You can celebrate too by baking this very easy Rudolph the Reindeer cut up cake with the CakeShapesDesigns cake pattern.

O Christmas Tree Cake, how lovely!

Christmas, the most wonderful time of year! My street is bright at night with the glow of the Christmas trees and decorations. I am running behind this year on decorating for the Christmas season. I plan to decorate the tree this weekend. I plan to decorate this fun, Christmas Tree shaped cake also this weekend. A nice dessert to celebrate the lovely Christmas Tree.

Celebrating the launch of CakeShapes Designs

Today I'm celebrating the launch of CakeShapes Designs on my new Etsy shop. From this site you can download cut-up cake patterns to easily create fun, creative shaped cakes. No more expensive, shaped cake pans that fill up the cupboard or pantry. No cake decorating experience required. No expensive cake decorating classes required. Suggestions on how to decorate the cakes using materials that you commonly find in your local supermarket are given. You'll not see fancy cakework on the site -- no fondant, no fancy cake borders, or flowers formed from icing. Hopefully you'll get an idea of how basically anyone can take an ordinary cake layer and create an amazing, fun cake that will delight your family and friends. If you have experience in cake decorating, only your imagination will be the limit. Visit the shop today and share the good news.

Crossroads of Life 

I've really enjoyed blogging, particularly sharing the celebrations of life.   However,  I see the resource actions (also known as layoffs) impact my peers and see work in my industry move offshore.   Reality demands that the possibilities be considered and action plans be in place.   I decided to take a break from my blogging to consider what might be next in the crossroads of life.   

Over the years, I've had lots of ideas, some great and some not-so-great.  Some of those innovative ideas just need some time to gel.  ; )  I decided that I can continue to celebrate life and spend time reminiscing about it on my blogs.  Or, I could explore an additional passion and try to find a way to celebrate it -- with the hopes that it might grow into opportunities of the future.   My Dad and I frequently talked about the need to find something that would allow us to make money in our sleep.  As we watched so many succeed on the great information highway, it became a challenge for me.   So, I've finally followed through on a dream and have set up a little e-commerce site on the information highway.   I've learned through my experience with blogging that people don't necessary "come" or "come right away."  Like the brick and mortar business, building a business online will take time.  It must be nurtured.  Of course, I, like everyone else, want an instant success.   For now, I'll celebrate knowing that "I finally did it" --- it took months of planning, very long hours of development after my "day job."  Months of weekends, toiling away on a project that few believed in.   Those had focus on the current day -- not the dream of the future.   Only time will tell if it will be a success.  Regardless, I'm working on something that I love -- that I've done all my life -- and have found a way to simplify it for others.   Now, I'm sharing with others.  I see the possibilities and dream big.  Of course, my realistic side hopes to initially cover my expenses.  I dreaming of the financial return for the future.  For now, I feel a little better that I have taken further steps to plan for the day we all dread -- the day that the pink slip is virtually passed to my desk.   I'd be so dearly blessed if this new venture becomes my backup plan to at least  'hold me over' or at least pay for the health benefits that will be needed as I downsize.  : )   Of course, my little e-commerce site is directly related to the subject of this blog.  It enables people to celebrate.   Of course, I'll share the news and progress on this site too.

A dollar and a smack on the bottom for each year

Today I'm celebrating my birthday. I'm not particularly fond of birthdays -- and it's just not because birthdays are a reminder of my aging. However, I like to make the best of it. I rarely work on my birthday. I generally take a vacation day and plan some fun things for the day. A great day for me includes some fried shrimp and some chocolate. It usually involves some shopping too. Add a movie, and it's a best day. Start the day off at the salon and it's perfect.

Birthdays at our house were days to celebrate, but with some uneasiness. Sure, there was the cake, with candles, and friends and family. After church on the closest Sunday, we'd also get to go to town and eat out -- a special treat. Of course, I always picked the shrimp. So what in the world might make someone a little uneasy on their birthday? Was it the embarassment of opening the annual gift of "granny panties" from your Grandma in front of your friends? My family is a little Scottish -- celebrating by giving a dollar (rather than a pound note), along with a smack on the bottom for each year. I remember that last smack -- it was in Mr Sawyer's Music Theory class by Mad Rad on my 18th birthday. However, it gets worse -- the annual tradition of my Grandpa was to snatch you up and then stick your head under his house! I really hated that -- dreading that moment! After all, I had seen all kinds of critters under that house over the years.

I'm not a big fan of surprises either. Now, I like a surprise phone call from an old friend. However, I'm not a fan of being ambushed! Have you ever missed your own birthday party? I have. Once my friends decided to celebrate my birthday by hosting a surprise dinner. However, it was planned after our choir rehearsal and at the place where we typically ate each week. It was not on my specific birth date. I had to work late and did not attend the rehearsal. Rather than stopping by the restaraunt to join the gang for dinner I just drove home. Everyone assumed that I would be there. Point of advice -- if you plan on throwing a party for someone, then assign someone to make sure they're going to attend. It was really funny looking at pictures of the empty chair with the balloon tied to its back and the nice cake with lit candles and no one to blow them out. An especially memorable birthday!

I browsed around to read about birthday traditions -- curious where Grandpa might have gotten his tradition. Although I did not see its origin, I found other traditions that I also would like to avoid. If I lived in Canada, I would have my nose greased with butter or margarine. In China, I'd be eating noodles for lunch. In Denmark, there would be a flag flying outside my window. In Italy and Hungary, people would be pulling at my ears (although that sounds much better than a smack on the bottom). In Latvia, as you sit in your chair, your friends lift it one time for each year -- naw, that's not going to happen! In Puerto Rico, family and friends would be tapping me on the arm -- that can be annoying. However, in Japan, I'd be wearing new clothes -- finally, a tradition that I would enjoy!

Happy Birthday Wiki!

Today I'm celebrating the birthday of the world's first wiki. On this date in 1995, WikiWikiWeb, created by Ward Cunningham, was made public. A wiki is a user-editable website. Cunningham came up with the name when remembering a recommendation to take the Wiki Wiki Shuttle at the Honolulu International Airport. Wiki is a Hawaiian word for fast. His idea was to make the pages quickly editable by users. After initially thinking about naming it "QuickWeb" he settled on WikiWikiWeb. The software and website were developed in 1994 by Cunningham in order to make the exchange of ideas between programmers easier. Over time, the actual site has become to be known as WardsWiki.

Don't think this creation is just for geeks though. I've created many wikis on various topics. Even my Mom (a senior adult) manages her own wiki! There are thousands of wikis on the Web today. Who hasn't heard of Wikipedia? Also, WikiLeaks has certainly been in the news during the last year.

Maybe you've thought about hanging a shingle on the World Wide Web. Sure, practically everyone is on Facebook these days -- but often you need a place to publish information and files. Plus, many need a place where a group or team can share information or collaborate in developing content. A wiki may be the solution for you. Using a wiki farm (or wiki service), you can easily create web-based content. No technical expertise (e.g., no programming code, no special language) is required for many WYSIWYG (what-you-see-is-what-you-get) wiki services. Wikis can help eliminate the e-mail threads among group members in communicating and obtaining information. With wikis, you can make real-time updates of web-based content, without waiting for the technical support team to update web server files. You can avoid transferring document attachments to a distribution list through e-mail. You can access current information real-time -- no longer referencing outdated documents or attachments that you previously received. You can build and manage communities using wikis!

Ok, you may be wondering how a wiki could be used by you. Here is just a short list of examples:

• Make a travel scrapbook
• Organize the carpool to school, rehearsals, or sports practices
• Create a website about your hobby
• Create a website for your small business
• Log your favorite recipes on a site -- and just logon from the ski cabin next winter
• Create an emergency contact site for your family members to connect during times of crisis
• Create a home inventory (using a private wiki that only your family can edit and view)
• Create a site for your book club
• Create a site for your group to write a book
• Make a site to plan your next party
• Make a site to plan the school trip
• A reunion site for your class or family
• Create the site for your child's sport team (e.g., with practice and game schedules, listing who's responsible for team snacks, to post team photos, to post game statistics)

You can learn everything about wikis from Everything Wiki -- it's a wiki about wikis! If you want to share a wiki with the world, post a comment on the Wiki'd Places blog.

Image credit: www.thecontentwrangler.com

We've come a long way, darling!

Today I'm celebrating International Women's Day. A lot of progress for women's rights has been recorded over the last century. I, myself, have seen a lot of change.

I grew up in the rural South. Maybe life was different in the South than other parts of the great USA. Life has not always been easy for the women of the South. I know women of my lifetime who did not have the opportunity to learn to drive... that is, with the exception of a plow or a tractor. I recall when all the women set the table for the men and the children's table, eating only after all others had finished. I'm a proud voter, but I can remember when my Dad gently notified me how the "family" would be voting. When I inquired, I learned that there was a family meeting prior to the election to discuss the issues and the candidates. It was decided then where to place the block of family votes. Of course, my Dad (anticipating my disappointment on my first voting year in this process) also told me that his suggestions were only recommendations based on what he had learned from the candidate speeches at the political rallies and hearing the opinions of his family members. Plus, he suggested that we as a group would have more influence than individually. Interesting, I had attended those same political rallies -- our high school band would often play at them. Funny, I don't remember being invited to that family meeting. It was definitely a guy thing.

Although by the time I completed my masters degree in computer science, many women had already led the way to establish opportunities for women. However, there still were not many women working in the technology field. That was somewhat nice because demand was high and I had 14 job offers when completing my graduate work. However, there were unexpected challenges along the way. During one campus interview, a manager explained how they never had hired a woman in their company to perform the computer programming work. He explained how the guys were guys He explained that he was not opposed to hiring a woman, but he did not want to hire a b----- and then asked if I was one. On one site interview for another company, I was excited to hear the job opportunities-- after all, my major professor had once worked for that company, but in Houston. I was surprised to learn after arriving in Austin that I really only had a single, brief, introductory interview. The hiring manager reported to me that he had decided not to hire a woman -- he assumed that I would take the job, get married, get pregnant and then not be available to report to work when needed, which often was around 4am when their programs would run and break. My major professor and department chair were extremely upset by that situation and called the company to complain. The company insisted that I return for additional interviews -- however, I already knew that I would not work for that company.

You expect that there will be a few bad apples in every bunch. I picked a great company that has led by example in many areas. However, it was surprising what also occurred in such a large, great company. I really enjoyed working for one manager and his team. They were real go-getters and work was often a lot more fun than work. However, I was disappointed to learn from a female peer (as she was crying in her beer one happy hour) that she thought that she really did deserve the promotion -- and she did not get the promotion just because she was sleeping with our manager while away on business trips. I was shocked that such behavior would occur in our workplace. I was upset about that situation -- and although I felt like tossing a cupcake in her face, I'm glad that women are no longer stoned for committing adultery. Later, I joined another team that was quite different. I was the first woman hired in that department but was shortly joined by another. We were both disappointed to learn that after our years of experience, our only assigned tasks from the team leader involved entering their timecard data and completing data entry for their personal reports for the department. It took awhile to get meaningful work. Shortly afterward, I learned that some of those good ol' guys really could not pull their weight -- technically speaking. I often was assigned their projects when they failed. It was frustrating being called in to clean up their mess and get a project completed successfully for staff who earned significantly more than me. It was then even more frustrating to hear my manager say that I would not be given a raise -- specifically because the guys in the department were married, had kids, and needed the money more than me. Because I was still single and a woman, he decided to give all the raises to the men in the department. I could not believe my ears. During my time working for that manager, the dress codes were relaxed and women were no longer required to wear dress suites (e.g., skirts and business jackets). However, we quickly learned that our manager had 9 criteria that the women's attire had to meet in order to be acceptable for our work location. Some of the requirements were ridiculous and almost impossible to meet. I decided that it was best handled by asking the manager to walk through his department and demonstrate to us (by the men's attire) the specifics of the requirements. Of course, it was obvious that none of the men met the rules that he had personally constructed for his two female staff. Basically their pants (excuse me, slacks) had two legs, were full-length, and not denim. It was not long before the 9 criteria were relaxed somewhat.

I've worked with and for a lot of amazing people. However, I have been sometimes amazed and embarassed by the behavior of a few women in the workplace. I've had my intellectual property basically stolen by some women peers -- and not just one. I would attend meetings and be surprised to see my presentation delivered -- but I'd chuckle to myself hearing the ladies struggle to find the explanations for the data reported. I also actually had one female team member claim my entire project when a new manager was assigned to our department. The peer had only been with the team shortly and I had assigned to her a significant task over six weeks. I spent a lot of time helping to introduce her to our team and my project. The new manager was located at the same site as my peer. It was days before I met the new manager -- but by then, I was no longer working on that project and, according to the manager, had never led that project, based on information from my peer, even though I had led it for over 8 months, leading numerous subteams. It took weeks to get on my manager's calendar about the project. It even took months longer to sort out the mess with the project managers of my subteams, who were totally confused. I think that it is hilarious that the peer, years later after moving to a new position, contacted me on LinkedIn and even asked me to write a recommendation. I ignored the request -- I am sure that she would not be happy with my recommendation to others to avoid (like the plague) working with her. I guess people like that are very insecure in their abilities and feel that they must steal the work of others to help validate themselves. I also had a female manager who once insisted that reverse my position on some research results -- to support another outcome that she supported. I was strongly encouraged not to report my findings. I was actually told that I must go to a meeting with another colleague (who had already told me that he was willing to support whatever opinion was requested by the manager) and could not come out of it until I had completed the recommendation -- and the recommendation must agree with my colleague's. I respectfully reported to her that I could not falsify my research results to support her hypothesis. I tell you that I truly paid for that stand that I took. I also worked on a project with stellar results -- and the manager of the department I supported gave me an informal award for the work performed. However, shortly afterwards, that same female manager reported to my manager that she was not happy with my performance -- and was even considering asking that I be removed from the project. I was shocked. However, I soon learned that a layoff was occurring -- and I suspect that she was positioning her staff member for my position. I never told that manager that my manager had reported to me her feedback -- I respectfully continued work with her, concentrating on my job and continuing to be an outstanding performer on the project. Those were dark days among a long career. Most of those darks days were at the hand of women, not men. Those women should have been mentors --- they were leaders in the field, but demonstrated bad behavior (trying to get ahead) that no one should emulate.

Work is not so different from the outside world either. I can remember asking to talk with a supervisor at a well-known automotive center after the technician noted that he had fixed the problem identified with my car -- but fixed it on another's car by mistake. After he quickly changed his story, I insisted that the problem be corrected -- and then the supervisor noted that he did not think that I was an ordinary dumb blonde. I recall a lender telling me that it would be very difficult to purchase a house -- I found another lender who offered me an application and I easily met the requirements. Often service personnel will ask that I call my spouse about the details of repairs needed at the house. Once after a hail storm in our area, several homeowners teamed to get a good group discount on a roof replacement. One roofing contractor on the list would not talk with me -- ignoring my questions, assuming that my husband would eventually come across the street to talk with him. Eventually, when I got his attention, I explained that I am the home owner and that I would not be interested in his proposal -- I would only review the those submitted by the other contractors. I also often experienced difficulty getting assistance in the computer department of a large, popular electronics company. Their personnel would practically walk around me, ignoring me -- or tell me to wait a moment -- as they assisted every male that walked into the general area. A male friend of mine once saw me in the store and chatted with me while waiting one day. A sales associate soon walked up and asked how he could assist him -- my friend quickly noted that I had waited for 20 minutes and he could start by helping me. I have noticed many improvements there -- apparently it was well-known by the company executives that they were not meeting the needs of female consumers (and we spend money on electronics too). I guess things are getting better, but I still take a male friend with me when car shopping.

I see the progress, but I'm afraid that we've gone backwards also. I sense a loss of chivalry and general politeness -- some men claim that it is due to the women's revolution. After al, some say that you can't have it both ways. I always thank a guy when he opens and holds the door for me -- that happens less frequently these days. I was once on a rental bus at an airport in Chicago -- and watched a busload of men sit after a pregnant lady with a toddler boarded the bus. I waited patiently for someone -- anyone -- to stand to allow that lady to sit. I was the only other woman on the bus. In my "steel magnolia" way, I stood to my feet -- and exclaimed to the captive crowd of men how I could not believe their behavior -- how could they sit as a pregnat woman with a toddler struggled to hang on as the bus moved through the airport to the rental cars? I gladly gave up my seat for her. They did not blink an eye -- no one jumped to his feet to correct the situation. No one apologized. I don't know if it was general male insensitivity due to the women's revolution -- or if I just expected too much of the Yankee males, having lived my entire life in the South. I was especially proud one day later on another rental bus by that same company to have a driver insist on carrying my luggage off the bus to my car -- I told him that it was not necessary. However, he then explained how his daughters and wife traveled frequently on business -- and he knew (from observing the general behavior of men on his bus) that they were not likely well treated when traveling. He wanted to extend the courtesies to all women on his bus that he could only hope would be extended to his loved ones when traveling --- and the guys on the bus could just wait! Wow, there's still hope for humanity today.

Well, despite these sad stories, there is much to celebrate. I've been blessed and appreciate it. Improvements are definitely needed in many areas -- and I will be delighted to continue to see the progress -- and the hope of improved quality of life for women worldwide.

The best of times, the worst of times

It's always a pleasant surprise when you experience one of those "red letter" days. I've often heard that phrase, but never really investigated what it meant. I understand now that it's a day of special significance. Appropriate for yesterday: a day when it seemed everything was going perfectly well. I could not have written a better script. Some might say that all the stars were aligned. Others might say that angels were in my corner. However, what's interesting about life, is that you really never know the course that a day will take. Yesterday was also one of those days.

There are often mixed feelings about a project close-out meeting with management teams. For this project whose review was scheduled yesterday, they took a big chance on it. There were many others who requested the funding, but were not chosen. However, just enough saw the potential and were instrumental in supporting the effort, especially as roadblocks were encountered. The project had lots of challenges, but all were overcome. A delayed start caused it to be simultaneously scheduled during the busiest and most demanding time of the year for the project that basically defines my job. However, it was a great success -- it's almost unbelievable what was achieved and how promising the results indicate. The time arrives when the project review occurs and the great news was shared. There seemed to be an overwhelming awe of what was achieved by the team and the possibilities ahead. Such great feedback from everyone and additional support was identified to explore how the innovative work can continue. On the same day, important data for my "real job" is needed for a colleague to meet an upcoming deadline. No time to celebrate -- just rush back and dive into the data to find just the morsel of data that might make a difference as plans are drafted to hopefully positively impact so many. Working late to deliver that data...just as it's needed. The celebration can wait. After all, I look forward to tomorrow -- the start of the weekend.

However, there's a little sting to the day. It's always sad to learn that a colleague is being laid off from the company, but it's especially worse when it happens to a friend. So surprising. There's also that nagging little concern about the greater unknown: who else might be affected by this unfortunate circumstance? Only time will tell. Unfortunately, some slip away and leave before you really know what happened to them. Then, the phone rings. Another dear person has received alarming news of medical test results. Although more investigation is planned, there's the possibility of an oncoming battle with the Big C -- something you don't even dare to mention aloud and you are really never prepared to hear. So, here I am...at 2:18 in the morning...with a nagging stomach ache. Is it because I worked feverishly today, skipping both breakfast and lunch for that project review and then eating very late after delivering that important data to my colleague (who has already kindly expressed gratitude)? Or, is it because I feel that my dear friend and loved one might also be up at this hour...wondering about their futures...and what is ahead for them. So much uncertainty.

Who really knows the right thing to say to someone at such a time? You struggle for the right words, but then you remember that most times it's just best to listen...and then tell them that you care, you want to help, and you'll be there for them. Although some think it's not the politically-correct thing to say at the office, you know that you'll add your friend to your prayer list.... because you know that they have been there to celebrate the best of times and to support you during your worst of times.

During the worst of times, I don't always know what to do, but I know what I should not do: worry. I know where to place my trust and regardless of my circumstance "it is well...with my soul"
Here's a YouTube video of Faith Hill singing a favorite:


image credit: fensepost.com

Hey, what's up?

A relaxing Saturday afternoon...enjoying this fun video to Santana's Oye Como Va today:

Man vs. Machine

On this date in 1996, IBM's Deep Blue became the first machine to win a chess game against a reigning world champion, Garry Kasparov. You can view a short documentary about the 1996 and 1997 matches between Deep Blue and Kasparov on YouTube. Next week, another round of man vs. machine is scheduled. IBM's Watson, a computer that rivals a human's ability to answer questions posed in natural language, will challenge two Jeopardy! champions, Ken Jennings and Brad Rutter. The challenge begins on February 14. You can see an introduction of IBM's Watson on NOVA Smartest Machine on Earth on the PBS site. To find out when Jeopardy! The IBM Grand Challenge can be viewed in your area, visit the gameshow's site.

I'm a technologist -- otherwise fondly called a geek. I love gadgets. Where would we be without the great technology? I often wonder what my dearly departed grandparents would think about the gadgets of today.

• My iron automatically shuts itself off
• My phones show me who is calling -- there is no longer that surprise when answering
• If I'm on the phone, I can send a text message to the waiting caller without interrupting my discussion
• I can schedule multiple automatic wakeup calls at my home and also pre-record reminder messages for automatic delivery to me
• A gadget tells me how many steps I've taken and a gadget tracks my heartrate and total calories burned during exercise
• I can see a report of the current weather and future projections for basically anyplace from my computer -- my Grandpa could have used that for planting his fields
• I often can view the street, neighborhood, and house from my computer for addresses that I plan to visit -- excellent when househunting
• My car tells me how many miles that I have traveled on a tank of gas and how much farther I can go
• I can view missed episodes of many TV shows when I choose, either on my TV, my computer, or phone
• I have several little gadgets that easily fit in my purse or on my keychain and hold hundreds of documents and files that I may need to reference or to share
• I have a tiny little gadget that stores hundreds of songs that I frequently like to hear -- no more narrowing down the list of CDs to pack with my CD player on trips
• I have a tiny little gadget stored in my camera that allows me to take and store hundreds of photos. I can view them immediately and delete what I don't want -- no more waiting for film to be processed to find out that the Kodak moment was not really captured.
• A single item on my desk rotates digital copies of photos throughout the day.
• A navigator tells me what restaurants or shops are in the area and then gives me turn-by-turn instructions to the location.
• I can logon and see thousands of recipes online wherever I am cooking
• I can view my grocery store sales paper online, select the items I want to purchase, and then print the shopping list from my computer.
• My printers warn me when the ink is low and let me see the levels.
• A tiny gadget attaches to my music stand to give me feedback on my tuning as I play and will keep the beat for me too. Those functions are now even phone apps.
• I receive text messages when billing statements arrive to my e-mail and when bills are automatically paid.
• I get notices of email received by text message on my phone to view and to even respond
• I can login to securely see the results of all medical tests ordered by my physician
• My exterior lights are programmed to come on at dusk, off at dawn, and vary while I'm on vacation.
• I have controllers in most rooms to control the lights in that room (or in any other room)
• A controller easily programs the times to water my lawn and is smart enough to not start after it has rained or a freeze
• My refrigerator signals when the water filter needs to be changed
• My crockpot can automatically switch from high to low temp, saving me a trip to the kitchen
• A small gadget will warn me in advance if there is a leak from my air conditioner before water gets near the new flooring in the hall
• I receive a notification if anyone updates a webpage on my wiki website and I can easily remove vandalism to restore content with a single button
• I have a new gadget to set up automatic file backup for all the computers on my home network
• I have a new gadget that uses speech recognition for my shopping lists -- and it even automatically sorts and prints the items in similar groups for the grocery store
• I have a new gadget that will weigh my food and even show me its nutritional value

I'm always on the lookout for new gadgets. My family thinks that it's difficult to buy for me at Christmas, although they know my love for gadgets. There are some gadgets that I would like:

• I'd like a timer on the shower for my nephews when they come to visit
• I need the gadgets to put on opened containers in my refrigerator to track expiration dates, based on my prior blog post.
• I'd love a refrigerator that would order supplies when out, or at least make a list.
• I need the gadget that scans and helps to organize paper items to help me tame the paper tiger in my life
• I'd love for my car to automatically parallel park for me -- I totally avoid that
• I would love for my clothes washer to store and automatically dispense the right amount of the detergent, bleach, and softener needed
• I would like a compactor feature for my shredder to automatically compress the paper
• I would like a sensor in my mailbox to notify me when mail was picked up or delivered
• I would like the 'getback' feature that was previously on a mainframe-based email system to automatically return to me email that I mistakenly sent or sent too early
• I would like a text message to warn me that the garbage truck is in my area so that I can get the trash out to the street in time (since a critter has torn into the bags at night).
  

As great as my gadgets are, there are times when there are woman vs. machine challenges at my house. At times the smart machines seem rather dumb (or at least stubborn) or get the best of me.

• I can't successfully enter decimal weight when defrosting items by weight on my microwave
• My dishwasher program often freezes if I open the door prematurely to quickly toss in one more item after it starts
• My sprinkler system does not automatically detect daylight savings time schedule changes
• My phone is on the old daylight savings time schedule
• I still have at least 5 gadgets whose time must be manually reset after a power outage -- those flashing lights annoy me
• My visiting family does not understand (and has expressed annoyance) with the light controllers -- I usually disconnect them on long family visits
• The gadget my Mom bought me for Christmas to easily turn off the bedroom lamp across the room (an advanced version of the Clapper), annoyingly turns on the lights during the night if you cough in your sleep. That was quite a surprise.
  

Today I hope that you're winning in the man vs. machine challenge. I've also just set an automatic reminder to watch Jeopardy! The IBM Grand Challenge next week.

Seal it with a kiss and a smile

Today I'm celebrating Hershey's chocolate.

Although Godiva and Ghiradelli are wonderful, in many ways I'm a country girl who enjoys many of the simple things in life, including Hershey's Great American Chocolate Bar. I also especially like Hershey's Kisses. You likely are familiar with their slogans: There's a smile in each Hershey's Bar and Say it with a kiss. Reportedly on this day in 1864, Hershey's Chocolate was founded.

I've been a loyal Hershey's customer for most of my life. I basically love most things chocolate. I prefer milk chocolate over the more healthy dark chocolate that has even won Bob Greene's Best Life seal for its healthy antioxidants. Although I been have accused of acting like a nut, I prefer Mounds and the Hershey's Milk Chocolate Bar, over a Mr. Goodbar, Hershey's Milk Chocolate with Almonds Bar, or Almond Joy. I know it seems odd, but I don't want chocolate on my glazed doughnut.

I generally can't keep chocolate in the house because of the temptation, with the exception of the Hershey's chocolate syrup for my nephews and the Hershey's Cocoa for baking my Mom's best chocolate pie recipe, my brownie recipe and a nice cup of hot cocoa on a cold winter night. My chocolate cake with homemade chocolate buttercream frosting is to die for! I typically will bake the cake when my nephews come to visit, eat a piece with them, and then send the remaining cake home with them. During the recent snow and ice storm we baked a delicious chocolate cake.

I believe that February is Chocolate Lover's Month. In 2009 Nielsen projected that consumers would buy more than 58 million pounds of chocolate candy, ringing up $345 million in sales and accounting for 5.1% of total annual sales during Valentine's week. Chocolate is popular at my house in February, but we also enjoy it all year. Hershey's chocolate products are featured in the Easter baskets I fill each year. There's generally a bag of Kisses in the car on our annual summer trip to the farm. Many of the snacks in my annual movie gift box at Christmas are Hershey's products. Also, Santa always leaves a bag of Hershey's Kisses under the tree just for me. Sometimes I often walk down the Target candy aisle, dreaming of taking the Hershey's bars or Kisses home, but I generally have the willpower to walk away. However, there are times when chocolate is absolutely necessary. I know that chocolate cannot solve every problem, but it definitely makes all things better.

As much as I love Hershey's chocolate, I'm concerned about two things. One is the reformulation of several Hershey's chocolate products to replace cocoa butter with partially hydrogenated vegetable oil as an emulsifier to reduce production costs. Those new versions no longer meet the Food and Drug Administration's official definition of "milk chocolate" or "made with chocolate" and are relabeled to "chocolate candy" or "chocolaty." Secondly, as a sometimes obsessive shopper of products Made in USA, I'm always saddened to learn when American manufacturing plants are closed and American jobs are lost in the global transformation programs implemented by so many companies. Although the Hershey, PA plant is the largest chocolate factory in the world and 80% of Hershey's manufacturing takes place in the USA and Canada, approximately 1500 (or 11%) of Hershey's jobs were lost over 3 years due to the global transformation program. Who would have thought that outsourcing would be an issue for such a great American company? Hershey outsources production of low value-added items in addition to building a plant in Monterrey, Mexico to meet growing demand there. I love the Hershey's great American chocolate bar, and I hope to never see "Made in Mexico" on that great American product's label. You can hear that chocolate bar's theme song at TelevisionTunes.com and can see a neat video where the world's largest Hershey's Kisses is built.

A lot of people have much to say about chocolate. Here are some quotes that might amuse you:

• There's nothing better than a good friend, except a good friend with chocolate -- Linda Grayson
• All I really need is love, but a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt -- Lucy Van Pelt in Peanuts by Charles M Schulz
• Anything is good if it's made of chocolate -- Jo Brand
• I never met a chocolate I didn't like. -- Deanna Troi in Star Trek: The Next Generation
• And above all... Think Chocolate! -- Betty Crocker
• Chemically speaking, chocolate really is the world's perfect food -- Michael Levine
• My therapist told me the way to achieve true inner peace is to finish what I start. So far today, I have finished 2 bags of M&Ms and a chocolate cake. I feel better already. -- Dave Barry
• You know an odd feeling? Sitting on the toilet eating a chocolate candy bar -- George Carlin
• Nine out of ten people like chocolate. The tenth person always lies. -- John Q Tullius
• Make a list of important things to do today. At the top of your list, put "eat chocolate." Now, you'll get at least one thing done today. -- Gina Hayes
• It's not that chocolates are a substitute for love. Love is a substitute for chocolate. Chocolate is, let's face it, far more reliable than a man. -- Miranda Ingram
• Any sane person loves chocolate -- Bob Greene
• The 12-step chocoholics program: Never be more than 12 steps away from chocolate -- Terry Moore
• Chocolate: Here today ... Gone today! -- Anon
• Life is like a box of chocolates ... You never know what you're gonna get -- Forrest Gump
• There's more to life than chocolate, but not right now. -- Anon
• Nothing is more romantic than chocolate -- Ted Allen
  

A shortcut to my heart -- say it with a smile and seal it with a kiss, plus a bag of Hershey's Kisses

Image credit: World Travel Attractions