Domestic Geek

While wiping down my kitchen counter this evening, I came to the sad realization that I need to purchase new flour/sugar/tea cannisters. They are made of metal and the bottoms have become rusty and are now staining my counters. I've had the same set since my first college apartment, so that must mean I got them in 1986 maybe? I think 21 years for a $20 set of cannisters was a pretty good run. I guess I need to stop at Linens 'N' Things or a similar store sometime soon and procure new ones, preferably glass or ceramic. It's time.

For the record, I love that product CLR. Took the rust stains right out.

Back when I was a music student in college in the late '80s, I was introduced to the most fabulous piece of music software called Finale®. Many of the graduate composition students wrote their scores with it. When I was student teaching, my mentor also had it and used it to write practice drills for her students. It was the top of the line music notation program back then and I'm happy to see that they are still the premier software package available for musicians, composers and music educators today.

It truly is an amazing tool and easy to use. It now includes a lot of sound libraries and you can import music clips, as well. It certainly has come a long was since its early midi playback.

I see that the company that produces it, MakeMusic, Inc., also has a piece of software called SmartMusic®. It's a music practice program, even providing accompaniments for the popular Rubank series. I wish that had been available back when I was studying music. Perhaps I would have taken it more seriously and better a better musician through its use. There's a wonderful tour on their website describing how this program works.

So if you're a professional musician or a student, go check out MakeMusic's site and see these and the other wonderful computer software titles they produce. There are free demos available for download. It's making me want to get back into music again.

NOTE: I think this was a paid post at one point, but I'm leaving it because the software really is awesome!

I've been wearing my LiveStrong bracelet almost everyday since I got it. I know people think these are tacky, but I like them. I was over at Jesser.org the other day and she had posted a link to a site where you can order your own silicone bracelets called ReminderBand. I'm thinking of maybe having some produced with my design business name on them.

Someone on a forum I frequent posted a link to a site called abc distributing. While looking around over there, I saw this novelty toilet dog bowl that I absolutely must have once I get another dog. Since every single dog I've ever had in my life has been determined to drink out of the toilet, this thing would be perfect.

On a related note, my friend Amy found a great dog brush called a FURminator for her dog Grace. It's supposed to be absolutely amazing at getting those thick undercoats out. I know that was one of the biggest problems I had brushing Ursa and since I'd like to get another Malamute, I wanted to make note of this product before I forget about it. She got hers on eBay, but they sell them at PetSmart and Petco, too.

When Marcus and I got back from dinner, we were looking at all of the spiders that have spun webs outside on our siding. We were discussing that we really need to get another pressure washer to get those webs off. They really are unsightly and our hose just doesn't have enough power to get them off since our water pressure here is so lousy.

We used to have one and we used it a lot. They are great for cleaning engines and getting the crud of of wheel wells when you're washing your car. We really need to get out and see what's out there.