Thursday, June 11, 2009

Thursday, June 11, 2009
Waning Moon
Pluto Retrograde
Raining and cool

The Mobile Me workshop in Stamford, CT, was an adventure. I got out of the house as planned, the traffic was intense, but moving, and got to the address in plenty of time. Only, there is no such address. There’s a big old mall. I found one area of parking that was open — and it’s 1/6th of the price of the parking in White Plains, for a longer period of time! Paid for parking, and tried to figure out how to get INTO the Mall and TO the Apple Store, because the mall doesn’t officially open until between 9 and 10 AM depending upon the store, and the gates were still locked.

Walked all the way AROUND the outside of a mall — those of you familiar with malls know what a pain THAT is. No entrance where the “address” is supposedly located. You’d think someone would have mentioned all this in the directions!

I found a security guard and explained my dilemma. He unlocked the gate for me, and told me how to get to the elevators inside that would carry me up over the gates to the fourth floor, which was open, and where the Apple store was located.

Walking around empty malls is a creepy experience.

But, he gave good directions, I followed them without overthinking, and there I was. Turns out I wasn’t late after all, and I explained my confusion. She promised to mention it to someone who could update the directions on the website.

There were only two of us in the class, which was nice, and we got to PLAY. I am shocked by how much Mobile Me can do, and I now understand why the guy who sold me MacGeorge was so adamant that I purchase it. If I had an iPhone, I could basically run my entire business from it in the car. I don’t even need to have the laptop with me. If I’m out without MacGeorge, and I need to access my manuscripts, I can go to a library or an internet cafe or a friend’s computer and do so. Now, the trick, of course, it to make sure what I need to work on is also saved in Word on my “cloud” so I can open them on a PC. I’ll be able to upload my photos while I travel to my “cloud”,which then syncs it with the iPhoto on my hard drive. It’s amazing. I can access my address book and my calendar and all that from anywhere. It truly puts freedom into freelancing.

Also, with iDisk, one doesn’t need a flash drive. Of course, because I’m paranoid, I’ll still use flash drives to store finished work and keep them catalogued or stick them in a safety deposit box or something eccentric like that.

(I was wondering what an “iDisk” was — now I know)!

Again, I had a FANTASTIC teacher, and she’s going to teach the workshop I will attend on Saturday afternoon. I can’t wait!

I got to play with the iPhone, so now, of course, I want one! However, I’ve been burned by AT&T before, and really don’t want them as my carrier. So I’m not going to dash out and buy one.

Also, looking at the specs on the iPod touch, it looks like it can do many of the same things as the iPhone — Mobile Me, Safari, photos, music, etc. — I just can’t talk on it. So I might be fine, at least in the short term, with an iPod touch. I was going to get an iPod anyway at some point in the next few months. Since I hate talking on the phone anyway, there’s nothing wrong with keeping the phone with which I’m comfortable when I have to talk and using the iPod for everything else.

Wandered through the enormous B&N, looking at computer books, considering buying a book on web design or HTML or Java Scripting or something, but it was all too overwhelming. I better walk before I run.

Came home, caught up on some email, etc., worked on client projects, tried to actually apply what I learned in the workshop (I bumbled a bit, but I’m getting there).

I did get some work on the Matty book before class, but not as much as I’d like.

Trying to catch up on the reading for the upcoming interviews I’m doing on A Biblio Paradise. Come on over there today to see the interview with Kim Smith. I interview her about her current release, AVENGING ANGEL, but she also has a new book releasing today, A WILL TO LOVE, and we get to talk about that a bit, too. Congratulations, Kim!

I had a good morning on the Matty book today I redesigned the floor plan of the house a bit, and now it makes more sense for what needs to happen INSIDE it. I’m going to try to get a lot done in the early hours of the morning, because I have to help my mom with some business later in the morning. I’ll get back to client projects this afternoon, I’ve got a couple of pitches to get out, and try to catch up on those missed hours.

I’m a little tired of the rain, but hopefully it won’t flood, and sometime, we’ll see the sun.

Most of the next two days will be focused on the work for Confidential Job #1. It’s far more complex than I originally thought, but in a good way, and I am so, so honored that they chose me for this particular assignment.

Back to the page.

Devon