New Stuff Overload

I'm totally on sensory overload right now. I have so many new things to try out!

Let me start at the beginning.

First I switched host agencies for my travel agency. I love my new host Joystar, and am totally excited about the switch. They offer a lot more options, a lot more money, and a lot more stuff to help me run the business successfully. However, with all that comes the learning curve, and getting used to doing things completely different. I'm having a lot of fun with it really.

Then came my nifty new tablet PC. Not only is it a whole different thing because of the tablet part, but it came loaded with all kinds of nifty applications that I have never used before. Like Microsoft OneNote. And Windows Journal. And Ink Art. OneNote is like a binder on the computer. You can 'cut' or 'clip' things out of web pages, documents, emails, any file really, and 'glue' it right into a page on the binder. Then you can write on the pages, or type, and save them, or send them in an email, or whatever. For now I have set up a work binder, and I keep sections for all kinds of things. One for logins so I know what passwords to use on which supplier sites. One for newsletter ideas where I clip out good deals and pictures and info from emails I get from suppliers or websites I browse so I can compile the best stuff to put in my client newsletter. And of course, one section for trips I am working on. I have a page for each separate trip, and when I am online pricing things I can just circle the quote with my trusty pen and send it to that page. If I am on the phone pricing, I just grab the pen and take notes right on there. Then I can combine all of that into an email to my client telling them what I have found. Journal is more like a spiral notebook on the computer. There is, I am sure, some way to use the clipping tool (a cool little tablet pc utility) to do the same sorts of things that I can with OneNote, but I haven't tried it out yet. I am on new stuff overload, you see. J So I just leave it open all day and jot things down like I do with my spirals. The nice thing is I never run out of room, and its cleaner, since I can just erase something once I have done it or taken care of it or checked into it or whatever, and write the next thing in that empty space. Ink Art is pretty much a giant sketch pad/canvas. You've seen some of what I have been doing with that, but there is so much more. And that is the thing with all of it really. It's all very cool from the beginning, but you just know that there is more to it and you haven't even begun to see what fun you can have with it yet. So I do a lot of playing and googling and playing some more.

So since I had a new computer, what else was I to do but get the new version of Microsoft Office? If you have not seen any of Office 2007 yet, and you use any of the Office programs (Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, Groove, InfoPath, and Publisher in my version) on a regular basis, you really should try out one of the trials on the website. Everything is different, and I mean everything. So much that I can't even go into it. I bought a $40, 1000 page book on it. I am on page 80 or so. I am amazed every time I read another page at what I can do. In fact I am writing this blog post in Word right now, and when I am done I will click on 'publish' and it just will, automatically. So much easier to edit things in Word, I will likely do all my blog posts from here from now on. I switched back to Outlook for my mail and scheduling as soon as I saw the new way it does the whatever, reading pane, I don't know. Basically when I open my Outlook, on the left is a strip with all my mail folders on the top, and buttons that take me to mail (where I am) contacts (the address book) calendar (my appointments) tasks (my to do list) and a little thingy at the bottom where I can click on sticky notes (just like post its for the desktop) journal (Windows Journal) and shortcuts. I don't know what shortcuts is, but I'm sure I will take the time to figure it out. Anyway. Next to that is the list of all my email messages. Then a big window where the email I am on shows without me having to open another window or anything, and the coolest part is on the right of that – top has a calendar of this month, under that my appointments for the day (3 at a time) and under that my to do list. From there I can open my appointments to get the details past when and what, or cross things off the to do list, or whatever. Very convenient. In about 3 days or so I had gotten to where I use Outlook for all my scheduling, some of my to doodles (I use Journal for it mostly, as I like to have one huge list of things to do 'in my spare time'. I only put time sensitive to do stuff on the task list.) and of course for my email and contact management. I've already told you how I use OneNote. I'm looking forward to delving into Publisher, I haven't had it since before Charlie was born, and I want to use it for making my email newsletters. But I haven't gotten that far. I am on new stuff overload you know. J I leave all the Excel to Todd around here, but I do have some things I want to do with it. I'll have to check out Access again too, I don't think I have used it since my computer class in highschool. I've never used PowerPoint before, so I am definitely waiting on that one until I get to that chapter in the book. I don't even know what Groove and InfoPath are. Again this whole Office thing, I know there are amazing things I can do to make it work for me, I just need to figure out HOW!

Yesterday I got a thing in my email about Cozi Central. (www.cozi.com) It looks kinda cool, like Outlook for families or something. Not sure exactly how I would use it, or if I would, at the moment. But I can see the possibilities. I have it downloaded but I haven't really looked at it yet. Seems like it might be something nice for later on, like when the kids are older and off going places after school or having tons of practices or something. Since its built for family members to all share, the problem I can see already, as with other sharing stuff like that that seems like a good idea at the time, is that everyone has to actually use it for it to be worth anything. If you don't put your stuff on there, or look at it to see if things have changed, then what is the point.

This morning I discovered ScrapBlog (www.scrapblog.com) Holy crap. It's like heaven for me. I can't believe its been up for a month and I didn't see it yet. I am having so much fun today trying it out, and I would not be at all surprised if soon in the future you see a message here saying I have moved over there. I really, really, really encourage you all to go over there. Especially Monica, are you reading Monica? J And Jen B too, if you are reading. So, so, so much fun. I could spend days. I probably will spend days. I'm completely enchanted with it. Watch your mail for a message saying I have finally finished playing and posted something over there, or check every once in a while on www.scrapblog.com/hollyann and see if there is anything there yet. It's so… easy. And there is so much stuff.

I also have new shoes, which are flip floppy but real comfortable, they are kinda like the crocs that are flip flops? I'm too lazy at the moment to take a picture of them but if you've seen those flip floppy crocs, they are like that, but only cost $7. I'm enchanted by them too, because they feel like crocs but aren't as ugly. They are black, with pink top-of-the-bottoms (that is my word for the part of the shoe that the bottom of your foot actually touches, lol) and they had them in several other color combos, so I bet I will give myself some options as soon as I can justify to myself just why I need these in every color of the rainbow. J

So that is my rambling novel about my new stuff. I am now going to hit that publish button and see what happens. Thanks for sticking with it, if you got all the way to the end, leave me a comment.