Writing on the iPad

All day long at work I sit at my desk looking at my computer.  When I come home from work the last thing I want to do is go into my office and sit at my desk at my computer.  However, I do want to write, and the best way to do that is by sitting in front of some sort of computing device. Since I've had my iPad it has been great for sitting on the couch and reading or browsing the internet.  Recently it has become my main writing computer as well.

When I first bought the iPad I got an Apple bluetooth keyboard to go along with it.  That is a must if you are going to do any substantial writing.  The onscreen keyboard is okay for tapping out a short email, but anything more than that would drive me insane.  There are a few keyboard cases out there that have been highly rated by users but I haven't tried any of them. These integrated cases would be more convenient than the separate Apple keyboard, but they are also smaller. I don't like to be cramped up. I think the keyboards on the integrated cases would be too small for me. The Apple keyboard is just about right. I think it is the same one you would get if you bought a new iMac. It is Apple so it is a little pricey, but it is nice.  

Google Currents news reader

Yesterday we got an updated Flipboard that will work on the iPhone. In timely fashion today Google releases its fancy news reader known as Google Currents. So far I'm not buying it. I expected more. It isn't as pretty as I thought it would be. The Google search app on the iPad is really good and I use it all the time. I don't see where Currents fits in. From what I can tell Flipboard still blows it away if you are looking to read online content on the iPad.

The gist of Currents is simple: it’s a clean, touch-friendly way to consume your favorite blogs and news sites on your phone and/or tablet. And it looks good — much better, in fact, than most of Google’s other applications."

That quote is from the techcruch article, and I would disagree with it.  Currents promised to be those things, and that is what we expected, however I don't think the finished product delivers. Maybe they rushed it out so Flipboard didn't have a chance to lock in all those iPhone users before Google even had a chance. There is definitely a lot of room for future improvements.

Flipboard for iPhone

I've heard it was coming for a while now and today they finally released the iPhone version of one of my favorite iPad apps. Here is a quote from the blog post from Flipboard.  

The moment so many Flipboard readers have asked for is here: Now you can get Flipboard for iPhone. It’s got everything you know and love about Flipboard, but now designed especially for the way you use your iPhone."

The app looks cool for sure, however it comes nowhere close to offering the utility of the iPad app. I haven't used it a ton, so maybe I haven't seen all the cool stuff it can do. I don't find the idea of reading articles on the iPhone all that appealing. It is good to browse headlines and catch up on quick news, but I have never been a fan of reading longer content on the small screen. The cramped real-estate also takes away that cool magazine feel that the iPad app has.  Still, it is a pretty slick looking app for the iPhone; one of the prettier ones I've ever seen.  Trying to use it just like I use the iPad app probably isn't the most optimal scenario. Maybe if I keep using it I will find more utility. It seems like it might be cool for flipping through pictures. 

Thanksgiving break in 500 words or less

Just a quick update to let you all know what's been going on. We had a good Thanksgiving around here. The days flew by so quickly. The past week went by in a flash. Amanda and her sister did a ton of cooking and it was awesome. We had all the normal Thanksgiving fare. Turkey, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, stuffing, etc, and of course peanut butter pie. Amanda made a sweet potato casserole that was really good. I can't believe for most of my life I thought sweet potatoes were gross.

Unorganized

Most of the time when people say they are crazy busy they aren't actually crazy busy. They are just unorganized, or unable to prioritize. Right now I feel like I am crazy busy. I feel overwhelmed. I feel like there is no way I can get everything done that I am supposed to get done.  I feel spread thin and unable to focus on a single task to completion.

For a long time I've prided myself on my organization and time management.  I started a new job 6 months ago and my workflow and workload changed significantly. I haven't quite got the hang of it yet, and I'm still struggling to keep things in order.  I will commonly work on something then it will go away for a few weeks, then all the sudden I get a question about it.  I have to dig back through emails and try to remember what was even going on.  This is happening a lot, and I feel like I am wasting time.  I need a better system for sure and I feel like I'm about to make a breakthrough.

Code Overhaul

When I built this blog a couple years ago I started with a very basic vanilla layout and have been tweaking it a ton. At this point the code behind it is a beast. Google has been making a lot of improvements and adding features to the blogger platform, but they require you to have a new standard template for a lot of those things.  I've been putting it off for a long time, but I am finally going to bite the bullet and overhaul the code that sits behind dericbidwell.com.

The final goal is for this site to look *pretty much* exactly as it does right now.  I guess we'll see what I break and go from there.  Bear with me if things looks funky over the next several days.

What did I get myself into with these two?

This isn't the greatest picture I've even taken but I love it. Look at these two crazy girls! I'm not exactly sure what is going on here, but little Amelia's face is amazing.

Late afternoon in the garden

I was going through some pictures I took back in August that I had never really looked at and I really loved this one. I didn't even remember taking it at first. It was so hot that day, and all I could think about was when the weather finally cooled off. Now I'm not sure the cold it is as great as I had built it up to be.

I'm cured... hopefully

All of my little red bumps are gone and I don't have any itchy spots anymore. The places that were the worst on my legs are almost back to normal. It is crazy how taking massive amounts of steroids cleared things up right away. However, I finished up my last pills on Wednesday, so hopefully it doesn't come back. I'm still taking antibiotics for a couple more days.  I'm washing everything I own this weekend.

This past week I also went to the doctor to get blood labs done. I have an appointment for this coming Wednesday for a normal annual checkup.  They already called me and said my blood work looked good but I was slightly dehydrated, so they want to try it again this week. I'm not sure if I have to give blood again or just pee in a cup. Hopefully they are content with the more easily accessible bodily fluid. Once I get all this taken care of  the next thing I need to do is make an appointment to get my eyes checked. I have a feeling I am going to have to get glasses. I guess this is what happens when you get old.

Impetigo Update

It has been a week since I first went to the doctor and found out I had some strange bacterial infection. I've been taking three different meds, but my steroids ran out on Tuesday. The area of my leg that was the worst had gotten much better by then, but I was starting to get random bumps at other places on my legs. I was getting a little worried, but I just kept taking my antibiotics.

This morning I woke up and I had red bumps all over my hands. They don't look nearly as bad as what I have on my legs, but they were definitely spreading as the day went on. The hand bumps were getting really itchy and the leg bumps weren't getting any better. I decided to go back to the doctor. He said that I probably did have impetigo on my leg, and that antibiotics were going to continue to help with that. However, the sores from the impetigo had led to another infection and that was in my bloodstream and it was taking over. Awesomesauce!