I Want to Be A Bubble Girl

17 Jan

Erin Shanendoah |  January 17th,2013 | Science, Technology |  Comments Off

My head is still in space, though no longer on Mars. Instead, I’m dreaming of vacationing in space, staying in a private bubble, my own little room with a view, and oh, what a view it will be.

Lest you think I am only dreaming, the owner of the Budget Suites of America hotel chain also owns a company that is designing a low cost, expandable space dwelling, the BEAM- basically a portable space station. The plan is to be able to have these in space and let rich people vacation up there (and also to lease them for research).

Martian Curiosity

16 Jan

Erin Shanendoah |  January 16th,2013 | Science, Technology |  Comments Off

Curious about Mars? The rover Curiosity is still going strong on the Martian surface and should begin drilling down into the planet’s crust sometime in the next few weeks. While NASA is still in contact with the rover Opportunity, neither it, nor the rover Spirit, were able to do more than peel away rock layers. Curiosity will be able to drill several inches down to collect samples.

Curiosity is running a bit behind schedule, but not for technical reasons. Scientists were so interested in what it was “seeing” that they had it linger at the previous location longer than expected.

Blog Feature: Cindy Lu’s Muse

12 Jan

Erin Shanendoah |  January 12th,2013 | blogging, Dogs, Pets, Writing |  1 Comment »

Cindy Lu is pretty adorable. Her blog though, isn’t all about cuteness and light. In fact, it’s one of the few blogs I read that actively and regularly tackles the issue of pet stores and puppy mills. Earlier this month, she celebrated the closing of LA Barkworks, a major pet store that carried puppy mill dogs. In the past, she’s addressed multiple issues with  Happiness is Pets stores, including when protests against them turned violent.

This is not easy subject matter, but she treats it with grace and honesty, and a passion for animals. And there’s plenty of cute, too.

Your Money Friday: Parents, Adult Children, and Money

11 Jan

Erin Shanendoah |  January 11th,2013 | Finances, Relationships |  Comments Off

Today we look at the question of how parents help their children financially, both as adult children, how have our parents helped us, and as parents of adult children, how are we helping our kids.

Every family is different. Some parents pay for school; some help you pack your bags. Some parents gift down payments on first houses. Others make you get a job and pay rent at 16.

As parents, we want to be able to do more for our kids than our parents did for us (or at least as much), even if it is not always possible.

A New Laptop for Me

10 Jan

Erin Shanendoah |  January 10th,2013 | Technology |  Comments Off

I am totally fascinated by the new “convertible” laptops that can flip or spin their screen to be a tablet. The idea of having a tablet that can run PC programs, and only one device (instead of 2) seems cool. C and I have even been out looking at them.

Truth is, though, that I want a laptop that can be my desktop replacement. I want to get rid of my tower and monitor and desk (and replace it with a bookshelf) and do my computing from the bed. I don’t know that a convertible will do that for me.

Brick Blocks

09 Jan

Erin Shanendoah |  January 9th,2013 | Home Ownership, Science, Technology |  1 Comment »

Growing up, my brother and I had Brick Blocks. They were Legos, but made of a thinner plastic, came in red and white, and had a limited number of shapes. We loved them. We built a million different things, from houses to cruise ships.

Wondering if they still existed, I decided to search for them and came across these Brick Blocks. They’re like the toys I grew up with, except they aren’t toys! You can use them to design the interior of your building, and even build furniture.

Is it wrong that I want to redo my basement with them?

Magnetic Building Tiles

08 Jan

Erin Shanendoah |  January 8th,2013 | Science, Technology |  Comments Off

Kids now have the coolest toys. Growing up, we had Lincoln Logs, Legos, Brick Blocks (generic Legos), and erector sets. My brother and I loved building things. But recently, we babysat a 4 year old, and she brought her magnetic tiles with her. These things are so much fun. We built rockets, towers, and a plain old houses. We used triangles to make squares when we ran out of squares. I don’t think these will every quite replace Legos for versatility (I don’t think I could make a ship out of them), but they are still a ton of fun.

Weekend Sports News

07 Jan

Erin Shanendoah |  January 7th,2013 | Football, Hockey |  1 Comment »

It was a good weekend for sports I love. In hockey news, there will be hockey this year, as the owners and players of the NHL announced a preliminary agreement before the deadline to cancel the season. In football news, the Seahawks (local team) won their playoff games.

It was hard to watch the injury to Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III. He is a talented young man with, hopefully, years of playing ahead of him. But after a weak start, the Seahawks played great defense and got their offense moving. Can’t wait to see them next weekend against Atlanta.

Blog Feature: Add Vodka

05 Jan

Erin Shanendoah |  January 5th,2013 | blogging, Finances, Writing |  Comments Off

You know the old saying- When life gives you lemons…Add Vodka. I absolutely love the title of this blog, and it really is a reason in and of itself to read, but it’s not the only reason. Daisy has a great sense of humor and just a fun take on life and finances. But she also loves having a plan, and today lays out 2013: The Plan. She had an amazing 2012, and if she can stick with this plan, I think 2013 might be even better. Her plans are ambitious, but all the good ones are. Best of luck!

Your Money Friday: FMLA

04 Jan

Erin Shanendoah |  January 4th,2013 | Finances, Healthcare, Work |  Comments Off

The Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) passed by the government many years ago is still confusing workers on a daily basis. This legislation protects a person’s job for up to 12 weeks out of a rolling calendar year if they have to be out for their own or an immediate family member’s medical care. But the exact nuances of the legislation can be confusing. If you need to go out on medical leave and are applying for FMLA protection, make sure you sit down with and FMLA expert at your company and ask questions. It is for your own protection.

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