TODAY!

Two excited teens. Can't wait till we get to the sky-diving place. We left the house at 6:45am to rendezvous at Kelly's. We left Kelly's around 8:00 am and drove north to East Troy, WI.
Map Quest was wrong [again!]. Instead of instructing us to go straight ahead [a slight right and straight] it said to turn left on R83. We turned around and missed the turn again! after 16 miles of driving we found the place!

It was raining when we got there. The skies were dark and I thought perhaps this is a sign? I was nervous about this plan, you know. Perhaps the dive will be cancelled. Perhaps we
can turn around now. Perhaps this will give the kids a time to think this over and change their minds?

Well, not really. They madeup their minds and stuck to the plan: sky-diving TODAY! May 3rd. Because today is Prom Day!

The staff showed us pictures and video of other sky divers; friendly young people. They talked about how many times they have jumped and how exciting it is. They even tried to persuade Terry [Kelly's mom] and I to join the dive. I said, no way, Jose. The reason I quit my other job was because I don't want to fly anymore.

The kids were excited. They couldn't wait to sign up. I read the contract... it's more for the benefit of the place and the staff; not ours. Oh, boy! The kids kept signing and
initialing each item. Did they even read what they were signing? Perhaps. But even if they won't agree with everything that's written, they've set their mind. TODAY!

One has to be at least 18 to dive. Parents can't even consent for anyone under 18. Parents have no say for kids who are 18. They are a separate individual entity! After signing we watched a video about the process, what to expect, the legalities... scary...

Like I said: SCARY!

We waited at the clubhouse. It was still raining and very windy. The staff said that they did fly and dive even in the rain but no one wants to do it again. The rain hurts terribly. They're worried about the raindrops hurting?





It rained and stopped and rained again. We tried to tell the kids to perhaps return the next day. Sunday's forecast was 60 degrees and sunny. The response? "It's not gonna happen!" it has to be TODAY!

Transforming An Element

I have noticed that some elements used on a digital layout have lost their original size and dimension. A button that once was circular in shape became slightly oval; a person's figure became stretched sideways making the person short and fat; or stretched vertically that it made their faces elongated.

I know why this is as it happened to me the first time I've worked on re-sizing the elements to fit my page or to flip it around to make it face the other way.

So as not to lose the original dimensions of an element, I am sharing with you what I do. There may be other better ways I've yet to discover but this works for me and I'll keep doing it until I discover a short cut or better way to do it.

I used CS3 extended in creating the pictures below, you will be able to do it with any photoshop versions as the process is still the same.

Open the element you want to use. If the element is already on your digital layout, choose that layer.

Under EDIT, choose FREE TRANSFORM. Your screen or layer should look like the one below. You should be able to see a "box" of lines surrounding your element. There are "handles" at each corner, top and bottom, right and left sides of the box.

To re-size the element, grab one of the corner handles. The cursor should change into a double-ended straight arrow. Press the SHIFT and ALT keys while you move the cursor inwards [making the element smaller] or outwards [making the element bigger].

So there you are. Don't forgot to press SHIFT + ALT when re-sizing to keep the dimensions intact.

If this were a flower and you'd want to use five of the same flower, and of different sizes, don't forget to turn them around a little bit in different directions so that it will appear that you have different flowers instead of one - this is especially true if one petal is folded or shaped differently than the others. If you transform the flower and move it around so that particular petal is on the right side or at the bottom, then the flowers will not look alike.

To rotate the element, choose EDIT and FREE TRANSFORM once again. Bring the cursor outside the "box" in one of the corner handles. The cursor will change into a double-ended curved arrow. Now move the cursor up or down. You may want to hold down SHIFT + ALT just in case so you won't make a mistake of re-sizing the object.

Next lesson will be about re-coloring an element.

Hump Day

It's Hump Day. I've always wondered why they call today Hump Day. I always thought it's because people are grouchy on Wednesdays because by this time of the week they've had enough of office life and they go "hump!" every time you ask them a question. I was told Wednesday is called Hump Day because it is the middle of the week and after getting over this hump, you will be rolling down into the weekend, which everybody can't wait for.

Hump Day! They should find a new terminology for this one. It doesn't sound right anymore. It's just like the word "gay". I can no longer sing my favorite happy song... "I'm so pretty, I'm so pretty, oh, so witty, and gayyyyy...!" without fear of offending someone.

Last Monday, I was crabby. I think it's because it's Monday. Not only that. My elbow still hurts [it's been hurting since before Christmas]. The doctor thinks it's the ulnar nerve. When I got to work, somebody changed the settings on my computer! it made me give out the loudest "ARGGGGGHHHH!!!!" I know who did it but won't admit it!

Then Tuesday, is grouchy day. Still grouchy after Monday. That's because someone threw the coffee filter with day-old stinking coffee in my trash can. MY trash can! Why don't they use their own trash can?!

Today, someone asked me how my pain is. I said my pain is in his office and I'm going home without it.

Forwarded Messages

I always receive forwarded messages from friends and family. Some are jokes, some contain good advice, some are religious, some are sad...

Some I read, most I delete, and rarely do I forward them to anyone else. But here's one I received from DH and I think it is worth to share with everybody.

Cell Phone Use and Messages

Be aware that cell phones easily get lost or stolen. Due to this reason,
1) Do not label the phone numbers like Dad, Mom, Hubby, Son, Daughter. Use first names.
2) Do not respond to sensitive information through text messaging, such as your social security number, your PIN number, bank account, credit card number.
3) If you are not sure if it is someone you know [i.e. your spouse] asking about these questions, CONFIRM by calling back. And it is better to tell them verbally over the phone than by texting.
4) If you receive a text message from friends or family saying they want to meet you somewhere [to shop, to dine, for a movie] again, CONFIRM by calling back.
5) [from me] better yet, each member should have their own pass code [kind of like a signature]to add at the end of the text message, one that doesn't make sense to anyone but just between family members. such as !!! or cherio

Take care.

Never Satisfied

Winter time and everybody complained about how cold it was; how much it snowed; won't it ever stop; won't it ever get warmer; everyone complained how they were tired of the snow.

The snow stopped. It is not as cold. Everybody still complained about how cold it wass; and how windy. Will Spring ever come?

Now it's Spring. Everybody complained about spring allergies; the mold; the pollen; how cloudy; how crumy.

Since it's Spring, there no longer is snow. So it rained. Everybody complained about the rain; how crappy the weather is outside; how it's always wet and yucky; how dark and forboding the skies are.

Man is never satisfied. Would man rather have Him send tornados or earthquakes?

Stupid, Ignorant Man

Once again, man has proven his ignorance...and cruelty!

People have been building houses all over the place. There are fewer forest preserves around. In the summer time, as one drives by a lush group of trees, you'd think that there a thick forest preserve right there. But in the winter time, when you drive by the same place, it's just really a few trees... just a line of trees. You can see right through the branches the big houses and tidy subdivision streets.

Man has to build his house big. The bigger the lot, the bigger the building. Indoor swimming pools, an exercise room, a spa, a music room, indoor basket ball courts or tennis courts, a mini golf.... it's almost like man is building a baricade around him, around his assets, almost like shunning himself away from the rest of world.

Because of all the construction, which by the way makes me go ARGHHHHH!!!!, animals are misplaced. The reason for the ear piercing ARGH! is they always start building in the Fall. Imagine those big bulldozers digging deep into the ground. Digging up animal burrows. Cutting down trees - animals live there too, you know. And the poor animals, they don't have a place to go. They cannot just build another nest somewhere or start digging the ground for shelter. It took them years to build their burrows, which in one sweep, man destroys. Poor animals run across the roads to get to the other side in search of a new home. They end up as road kills. Poor animals homeless for the winter...cold and starving. Poor man, has a tiny little house. Must build it big.

Then man gets mad if a skunk or a rabbit makes its home under their porches. Man gets surprised to see cayotes in their backyards. Man gets irritated and afraid. Man puts out poisoned food to kill what irritates him.

Recently, man saw a cougar! Ignorant man hunts for cougar. Instead of arming himself with a tranquilizer, man goes hunting with real guns and bullets. Man kills cougar. Man is happy. Stupid man!Stupid, stupid, ignorant man!

ARGHHHHH!!!!

My Hidden Journals

My sister, Lee, came up with this month's idea for the Pinoyscrapbookers' Kaya! Challenge. See here for details of the challenge.

I am mostly a digital scrapbooker for the reason of convenience. Anyway, digital layouts are excluded from this challenge. I think because my sister thinks that digital layouts won't meet 2 of the requirements:

1) the hidden journaling component

I don't see any problem with the hidden journaling component. It is hidden anyway. True, the time comes when the recipient has to take out the sealed message. And you probably have blurted out loud... "How in the world are they going to do that with a digital layout?!"

I don't know how other digital scrapbookers save their layouts, but this is how I preserve mine.

I have hidden journals and messages behind my pictures.



See where there are those tags and pieces of paper peeking out at the side? Those are not just there as part of the decoration.



Those are where my journals are written. Journals that may not aesthetically go well with my layout have they been written out there in the open.



Most of my layouts have hidden stories of what happened during that day. Not just who are in the picture, where it was taken, what the occasion was, who didn't show up, who messed up, who was funny, who cried, but also my inner most thoughts and feelings.

Lately, I have been making these hidden journals a little conspicuous... and not so conspicuous... see that greenish piece of mat behind the picture? There's journaling right behind there!



So now, the answer to the million dollar question... how will one be able to read those journals?

I save my digital layouts in two different versions. One in jpeg version so I can upload them easily in galleries; and the other in psd version where some of the layers are preserved as separate from the rest. I don't merge or flatten all my images. Then I burn my digital layouts onto DVDs.

So in the future, when any of my loved ones want to know what's with the picture, they insert the DVD into the computer, open the file, and with the use of the mouse, drag out the hidden journal to read it. Since by this time the files are read-only, there is no fear of messing up the arrangement of my layouts. When they are done reading, whether they return the note back in its original position or not, it will go back to how it was saved. Ready to be pulled out and read again.

I showed my daughter how this works so she will be aware of what to do.

2) recipient to be able to touch and feel the components of the scrapbook page.

Well, this one is a winner. No matter how much they'd touch the monitor, they won't feel anything but the warm smoothness of the screen. But still, my journals will keep them informed; they will feel the thoughts I will leave behind; they will be touched with the love I have for them.

If you think this digital scrapbooking idea is awesome, something you will consider to use on your future layouts, please drop me a line. I'd like to know what you think. TFL.