I was cruzing around the web looking for a new pasta recipe, when what do my wondering eyes should a peer, but a reference to Hungry Girl - Tuesday Newsletter and my first glimpse of tofu noodles which are amazingly low in calories. The Hungry girl website has low calories recipes for your favorite food like fettuccine made from Tofu Shirataki Pasta. I was so stoked when I went to my local Safeway, and in the produce section found the spaghetti Tofu noodles, and they were on sale! I had a bowl for dinner, and while they are not as tasty as good old wheat pasta, I will be buying them again.

Hungry Girl News has the latest and greatest low calorie foods hitting the shelves of your local supermarket and she has a Dining Out section that is worth a gander.

Instructables - The World’s Biggest DIY & How To Show & Tell

I ran across this site which is full of fun project and extraordinary crafts shared by talented people. If you want to know how to make a durable “Green” bags for your groceries out of used plastic shopping bags or an old tank top, then this is the place to go.

Being the Techno-diva that I am, I was fascinated by all the LED projects, like a “Lite-Brite” display on your refrigerator door. It is not something that I would do to my fridge, but I was impressed by it anyway. There are a variety of projects for all skill levels and this site is a good resource for parents who have kids home for the summer or anyone who wants to have fun and make something.

Having Teenagers who love music, naturally I have an iTune account and being the good parent that I am, all the purchase emails come to me. This also makes my email the receptacle for any advertisement from Apple and yesterday my inbox was blessed with an invite to watch a 30 minute video: Apple - iPhone - A Guided Tour. The techno-diva in me couldn’t resist the temptation to see all the “bells and whistles” of this gadget has to offer and so I indulged the techie in me.

The video was informative and depicted the navigation through the various feature as easy as a swipe of the finger. I am skeptical that this gadget is really that easy. The LA Time blog had a post last week on women with long nails having issues with the iPhone’s touch screen. As I watched the video, I wondered if people with larger fingers might also have a problem with the on-screen keypad. Even with my doubts about the simplicity of the product, I still would love to own one.

That being said, there are still several major barriers to me becoming a glorified iPhone owner.
For one thing, the iPhone is still on the Cingular network and their coverage is just not up to par. I know that there is talk about iPhone 3G not being under contract, but according to the tech post of the LA Times, that just means you can do “month-to-month”, but it is still a Cingular (AT&T) phone–and that is not going to fly with me.

Another issue is the price of the iPhone. The starting price for a 3G is $199 for 8 gig, but it can run you up to $699, for the 16gig, contract free device. So your choices are, pay a lower fee for the initial phone and lock into an outrageous 2 year contract with a sub-par network. Or pay major dinero up front for phone and then pay an outrageous month-to month fee for a sub-par network. Either way you slice it, it still comes back to the “can you hear me now” network, and a major financial expense. For me, the 3G iPhone is still not an option.

Rose on a path to health

Originally uploaded by Deborah Alexander

You know what they say, “You need to stop and smell the roses.” Well when I am go out for my evening walk I do more than smell them; I take pictures of them. The roses are in full bloom and beautiful this time of year and when I feel the urge I whip out my cell phone (it’s a handy-dandy MotorolaQ) and capture the image. I feel blessed to be able to see the flora in all its glory and to take the time to smell, admire and snap a few pictures of the roses on my path to a healthy lifestyle.

Yep, they have upgraded once again and I am in love! If you haven’t tried it—go to Getting started with ScribeFire: Fire up your blogging. It is quick and easy, everything a woman on the go needs to keep her blog up to date.

This is a great tool even if you are not a techo-diva. It lets you comment on the fly about any interesting article or item on the web. You can add pictures from Flickr or videos from YouTube

I really enjoy using this little tool and I think everyone should give it a try.

Here I am at the computer once again—it seems I only write, when I find a new gadget,  when I am totally sated or in a state of bliss.  It has been a wonderful couple of days and I am both sated and in bliss.

Friday, I had the pleasure of attending the JCC’s Senior Event “Magical Moments in May.” It warmed my heart, stimulated my pallet and my mind–”what was not to love”. I saw all my old friends, ate a good piece of salmon and was entertained by a speaker, who laminated on the resurrection of the Hebrew language and the national songs of Israel. I spent the afternoon with a close friend and finished the day with my two youngest feasting on an awesome pizza from Costco while watching videos, and then CBS’s Friday night line up– Ghost Whisperer, Moonlight and Numb3rs.

Yesterday, I was up and off to my oldest daughter’s house for a Mother’s Day celebration. We started the morning with croissants and orange juice, to eat on the way, as all of us mothers drove to a salon for mani’s and pedi’s. After being pampered we headed back to her house for a delicious lunch of salad, pasta, garlic bread, sweet tea, and for dessert chocolate cake, thanks to pizzahut, her husband and the kids. We enjoyed a relaxing afternoon in front of the TV and then headed home. My two teenagers had me drive them to our neighborhood Walgreens so they could get me something for Mother’s Day.

They surprised me this morning with breakfast in bed. My two had bought me a Dove’s Chocolate Rose, a real rose and the fix’n for an awesome breakfast. I was served a tray of hot cinnamon coffee with cream, eggs over-easy, sausage, hot chocolate chip muffins, sliced watermelon and sourdough toast with butter. Now, do you understand why I say I am sated!

It has been a weekend of food and festivities. I have gained at least four pounds from all of the treats, but it was well worth it. I truly feel loved and valued. I am so blessed to have my children. I feel very proud of them and love them very much. I am thankful for all that they do for me, they give me joy and loving them puts me in BLISS.

I have mentioned in my previous blog that Walmart had been my saving grace when I was looking for a WiFi routers on a budget; But now I find that they also sell a Linux operating machines too–Amazing!

I stumble across this knowledge in the standard web 2.0 way. I was reading a post on StraightUp Social which mentioned Walmart has its own blog “Check Out“. Two clicks later and I am reading the “gadget” guys blog on Linux, laptops and Apple TV. Like any true blog there is a place to comment on his post or the products. If gadgets aren’t your thing, then there are other blogs on gaming, gardening or general topics by other Walmart employees.

All in all, I found the blog informative. I was intrigued by the Linux machine as an offering and even read the comment on that post. And the blog on AppleTV offered a movie solution for people living “in the sticks”. So if you are a linux chix or geeky in anyway, but financially strapped there maybe a machine for your at your local Walmart.

Disclaimer: I still disagree with Walmart labor policies, but the frugality of my life leaves me few options when it comes to buying technology.

I am jonesing for my Motorola Q–It died this weekend and I have been given a loaner phone until Sprint can repair it or replace it.  I am the kind of woman who wears her Bluetooth like jewelry.  I only take it off to shower or sleep.  It is a part of me.  Or I should say “it was” a part of me because this loaner phone doesn’t support bluetooth, or really much of anything. 

I spent the day in a tailspin—no bluetooth, no web and most importantly because my contacts weren’t captured on the replacement phone– I couldn’t call anyone.  (I know it is crazy, but I really only dial people by name–not number and without my contacts–I don’t even know my daughter’s home phone number—awww I am such a good mom…lol)

Anyway, after a third trip to the Sprint Store, this afternoon. they were able to give me “another” replacement phone and it at least could hold my contacts in it. 

So I am trying to hold on—Waiting until tomorrow to see if they can repair my phone—if not, it will be the weekend before I get a replacement. 

I’ll tell you, I don’t know how I got so hooked on my phone, and I know many people who can’t relate to what I am going through.  It is like a piece of me is missing. I am experiencing serious withdrawals and missing my Q.  

My daughter just sent me a chain letter and because it was from her, I read it.

Being a techno-diva I don’t like to pass along the chain-emails that I receive, in case they might be harboring a virus or worm, so I usually peruse them and then delete the message. That being said– this email had some good advice that I feel is worth sharing.

Here are the “Lotus Touts”:

ONE… Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.

TWO… Marry a person you love to talk to. As you get older, their conversational skills will be as important as any other.

THREE… Don’t believe all you hear, spend all you have or sleep all you want.

FOUR… When you say, ‘I love you,’ mean it.

FIVE… When you say, ‘I’m sorry,’ look the person in the eye.

SIX… Be engaged at least six months before you get married.

SEVEN… Believe in love at first sight.

EIGHT… Never laugh at anyone’s dreams. People who don’t have dreams don’t have much.

NINE… Love deeply and passionately. You might get hurt but it’s the only way to live life completely.

TEN… In disagreements, fight fairly. No name calling..

ELEVEN… Don’t judge people by their relatives.

TWELVE… Talk slowly but think quickly.

THIRTEEN… When someone asks you a question you don’t want to answer, smile and ask, ‘Why do you want to know?’

FOURTEEN… Remember that great love and great achievements involve great risk.

FIFTEEN… Say ‘bless you’ when you hear someone sneeze

SIXTEEN…When you lose, don’t lose the lesson.

SEVENTEEN… Remember the three R’s: Respect for self; Respect for others; and Responsibility for all your actions.

EIGHTEEN… Don’t let a little dispute injure a great friendship.

NINETEEN… When you realize you’ve made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.

TWENTY… Smile when picking up the phone. The caller will hear it in your voice.

TWENTY- ONE… Spend some time alone.

A true friend is someone who reaches for your hand and touches your heart.
.

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Flashing back to the 80’s —This is the life. Listening to “She Blinded Me With Science,” on my Yahoo LaunchPlus web radio, while I am surfing the net. I am in my element and this is a moment of bliss! I closed my eyes and let “I wear my sunglasses at night” transport me back to the good life. Back to the old Debbie. Back when life was full of music and dancing.

My life is still full of music–Hip Hop, Dance, Pop, New Age, and “vintage” (yes now –80’s music is considered old.) While I still have music in my life I don’t “crave” it like I once did.

Music was a driving force that I felt to my very core, it spoke to me, moved me and gave me extreme pleasure. Nothing was better than a great DJ, who could mix and keep me on the dance floor for hours.

I feel like an old “Jock” who still watches and enjoys the sport but is no longer “in” the game. My “Glory Days” are now just a fond memory with music bestowing on me “a moment of bliss” every once in a while.

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