Desk Tricks for Work

Quick Desk Tricks I use every day:

A quick run-down of windows 7 based tools I use on a daily basis:

Windows Search

Click Start, type in the program you need, or file you need. Done right, it can be faster than clicking an icon on your desktop

Docking things

I have about 8 programs “docked” on my start bar so they are easy and quick to open.

Multiple Emails

I almost always have at least 2 if not 3 email accounts opened simultaneously. Since they are all google accounts, I have one open in each browser. I use firefox for my personal email, chrome for my work email, and I.E. for helpdesk emails.

Alt – Tab

By holding the Alt key, and pressing tab, you can easily switch between multiple windows without having to find them.

Shortcuts

I use these so often I don’t even think of it as a “trick” per se, but they are very helpful:

Ctrl + c   copy

Ctrl + v paste

Ctrl + p print

Ctrl + s save

Ctrl + t in browser, opens new tab

Shortcuts

I use shortcuts on my desktop as well, often for programs or pages I open frequently. I have about a dozen that I use on a daily basis. Most of these are webpages. To create a new shortcut:

Right Click on Desktop

Click New

Click Shortcut

Copy and paste the address in the bar, then create a name for your icon, and Click Finish. 

Finally, while this isn't computer related, I always have a pad of sticky notes and a pen available for jotting notes, and a spiral notebook handy for taking longer notes or thoughts. 

Enjoy! 

Traveling Salesman - Rant

Good Morning All,
I usually don't post rants on my blog, preferring to impart some form of conventional or imaginative wisdom or witty narrative. However, for this one I'll make an exception. I tend to be a bit shy around new people and faces, and forced conversations with complete strangers over any topic tends to make me feel uncomfortable. *sigh* Yet, sometimes, it may be necessary. My master's have been working out some financial opportunities and have found themselves having these awkward conversations about complicated topics with a large amount of complicated numbers. 45 minutes later, they have papers spread out all over the place, even more numbers, and more questions than answers. An hour later, they returned home arms full of fluttering papers, and sticky notes with scribbles on them. Headaches all around, but overall rather helpful and necessary.

My own adventure with strangers came in the form of a knock on the door during my restful Saturday nap.Woken up, and a bit groggy, I opened the door. Standing in front of me was a large boar. He introduced himself, and shook my paw. He then launched into a well-rehearsed 15 minute speech about himself, his cause, and a few corny jokes designed to make me feel at ease and chuckle. I didn't chuckle. In fact, with every passing minute, I grew more weary of this boar. Why was he standing here? Why was he keeping me from my perfectly comfortable nap on a Saturday Afternoon? And why on earth was he wearing a goofy pigeon feather cap? My mind obviously wandering, he blithely finished his speech, then proceeded to show me a list of all the other people in the neighborhood who had already given him money. He even had an average total per person! It's as if these figures would convince me to jump on the bandwagon. I have to admit, I wasn't even impressed by his fancy briefcase or gold wristwatch. I wanted him gone. I wanted to get back to my nap. So I politely responded with: "I think I'll pass but thanks for your time." His response? "I don't play football sir."

And here, I was lost for words. What does he want? For me to feel shamed into giving him money? For me to respond with another word for no? Laugh and slam the door in his face? The only reason I could come up with was he wanted me to feel awkward and embarrassed. Which I did. Which made me even more emphatic that this guy wouldn't get a cent from me. I closed the door.

Don't get me wrong, I like girl scout cookies and supporting local fundraisers as much as the next sheepdog, but this veritable arsenal of salesman tactics really gets under my fur. In order, here are the top 10 things that bug me about salesman:

1. "I'm not here to sell you anything" -Oh? They why are you here?
2. "Look at all the sales I've gotten already from your neighborhood" -Why would I care about that?
3. "Small talk" -Look, just finish your speech and leave. I'm not your friend, and I don't really care what your aunt's cousin's friend has done with his motorcycle.
4. Looking past me as if he thinks I plan on inviting him inside. -I do not plan on inviting you in, that's why I'm standing in the doorway.
5. Talking down to me. -You insult me then expect me to buy from you?
6. Invasion of Personal Space. - The only thing I want that close to my face is my food, thank you very much sir. Come any closer and I'll bite your nose off.
7. Willful ignorance of my body language. -Take a hint, my frown, and frequent meaningful glances to the couch means you do not have my interest.
8. Speed Talking - Sometimes I think they talk fast to make us look puzzles and say "What now?"
9. Bragging - Ever notice that salesman seem to have a big ego?
10. If I really wanted to buy something, don't you think I would just go to the store? Or Amazon?

*Pauses* Hmm, my rant went a little long. Ah well, feel free to skim it, it's just a rant after all. Anyway, I'll have something more uplifting and creative next time. Thanks for listening!

-Sheepdog-

Board Games (Vol. 2)

How to “Win” board games

Hello chaps and chappesses! Today we will go over the basics of board game etiquette. Mainly, how to win! Now there are a variety of different ways to go about competitively playing board games. Obviously for skill games, practice is the best way to become an expert. However, what if it is a new game you haven’t tried before? Or one you don’t own and only play when someone else brings it to a game night? Here are a few methods to do better with games you aren’t an expert at. J Enjoy:

Method 1:

Copycat – Pick out the best player in the room. Hint, it’s usually the person who brought the game. Watch carefully the way they play, and as best as you can, copy their moves and playing style. You may not beat them, but you have a pretty good shot at getting 2nd place, which is close enough. J

Method 2:

Stick to your guns – If playing board games has taught me anything, it’s that some strategies are better than others. But, any strategy is better than no strategy, or worse, switching strategies halfway through the game. Adjusting your strategy can be helpful, but don’t turn the whole boat around in the middle of the game. You are much better off sticking to your strategy through the game. And who knows? Your plan may pay off near the end of the game!

Method 3:

Pick the winner – In a lot of board games, by the 4^th quarter, it can be pretty clear who is in the lead and who is trailing behind. If you are trailing, and are confidant you won’t be in first, you still have the option of “road blocking” the leader, or helping someone go from 2^nd place to 1^st. If you opt for this method, be sneaky about it. If done right, you can have the fun of knowing you had a hand in the outcome, and no one will be the wiser.

Method 4:

Play for the evening – You may not get 1^st place every game, but if you consistently get 2^nd or 3^rd place each game, you may very well be seen as the best player of the night overall! Especially when playing a wide variety of games, no one will always be 1^st place, but it’s possible to be always in 2^nd place!

Remember, at the end of the night, it’s all about the fun. Keep a smile on your face, even if you were thrown into a few games you have no idea how to play. No one will remember who won and who lost, just that they had a fun night playing games with their friends.

Lastly, here are some additional tips for specific (popular) board games in the bunny’s circles:

Dominion:

Dominion is a deck-building game where you buy cards that you use over and over. In this game, there is always one strategy that prevails; the gold rush.

Gold Rush:

Turn 1: buy a silver

Turn 2: buy a silver

Turn 3- buy cards that work well together.

Turn ???: as soon as you can afford it, buy a Gold. This allows you to begin buying more expensive cards as you build your deck.

Ticket to Ride:

Ticket to Ride is a train game where your goal is to connect different cities across the board to complete “route” cards to score points. Strategies differ, but in general, go for long routes that score 10 or more points each. Then, try to find short routes in between your long routes that will be easy for you to complete.

Settlers of Catan:

Settlers of Catan is a city building game where your goal is to be the first to collect 10 points total. Each settlement is worth 1 point, and each city is worth 2. There are other ways to collect points, but the best overall strategy is to upgrade all settlements to cities. This way, you collect more resources quicker (as cities double your resources).

Any Dice Game:

10,000, Lowman, Zombie Dice, Liars Dice, Yahtzee… Most (if not all) dice games are pretty much just chance or luck. Here’s what you do. Pick an item either on your person, or a random item in the room. Claim this is your good luck charm. If you start winning, compliment yourself on your good taste for finding a good luck charm. If you begin losing, try to pawn off your “charm” onto another player. Maybe it will make them lose!

Have a charming Wednesday!

-woof-

Puppy problems - Shopping

Ack! Somewhere in the last 4 years, I grew from a puppy into a grown dog. How did this happen? How do I make it stop?? Well little big lost puppy, I have good news and bad news for you: The good news is most adult dogs aren't adult at all, just puppies pretending, so you're not alone. The bad news is, short of a fountain of youth for dogs (they have one for cats, but cats don't use it) you're stuck like the rest of us. Ah well, *blows hair out of eyes* may as well make the best of it. Today's lesson in pretending to be an adult is....*drumroll*.... grocery shopping!

Listing:

Make a list, and as best as you can, stick to it. Impulse grocery shopping can really take a toll on your budget. Your list should start by including any staples you may be out of (include food and household items). Then, make up a menu for the next week or two. Write down meal ideas, any side courses, and a few “quick” meals for nights you run out of time to cook. Then, make a list based off any ingredients you need. I typically try to make a few menu ideas based on things already in my kitchen, then go from there. Count up about what the trip may cost (see list below) and make any adjustments based on your budget. I try to blend a variety of similar meals that use the same ingredients with a few different meals. I pick 1-2 kinds of meat (chicken, beef, or pork) that way I’m not buying too much meat at the same time. Then, I create 2-4 different meals off the same kind of meat; chicken quesadilla’s, baked chicken, and chicken strips for example.

Shopping:

Ah, the dreaded shopping trip. How to make shopping more fun? Well, I bet you didn’t know you can drift shopping carts around corners. Or that shopping can be a contact sport. Or, you can make up stories about other shoppers based on what is in their cart. Carry a notebook and write down ideas for future meals. I’ve found quite a list of meal ideas for future trips just by taking notes. Be sure to run a quick estimate on what your list will cost. You can keep a running total while you are shopping. This way, you have an idea what to expect when they ring up your groceries. After doing this for about 10 years, I’ve gotten pretty decent at figuring numbers while shopping (my all-time best was 3 cents off). However, all you really need is to be in the ballpark. Here is a rough list I use for rounding figures at Winco:

All canned goods about 1$

Fruit about 2-4$ per bag

Veggies about 2$ per bag (except asparagus which is 4$)

Cheese 6-8$ for 2lb block

Meat (3-4$ per lb)

Eggs/dairy products 2$ each (this works pretty well for yogurt, milk, eggs, etc)

Butter 4$ for a package of baking butter

Frozen veggies 2$ per bag

Bread items 3$ (sometimes 4$ for specialty loaf)

Spices 4$ per jar

Obviously, this is not an all-inclusive list, but it may help to get you started. If I’m in a hurry and forget to count until I’m at the register, I have an even quicker method to count:

Cheese 8$

Meats 4$ per pound

All other food items 2$

Add 10$ at the end

This is even rougher, but generally works unless you have a lot of high priced items in your cart. Why do I go to all this trouble? First, as I mentioned, I like to have an idea of how much I’m spending, so I’m not shell shocked at the register. I also know whether or not I can get additional items that aren’t on my list. Some weeks, I need to stay under a certain amount so I don’t risk overdrawing my account. However, I mainly do it because I like numbers and math. J

WinCo Shopping Tips:

If you tend to shop at Winco, there two sections in the store very different from most stores. The first is the bulk foods section. This is perhaps my favorite part of the store for two reasons. The first is you can get exactly however much of something that you need without having to buy 3 pounds of it. Baking supplies, brown sugar, flour, noodles, candy, even trail-mix, and oatmeal! It is also usually cheaper than a brand-name bag of something. The second reason is you can try new things in small amounts, or get just enough spice to make something new!

The next section is the deli. Lots of grocery stores have a deli, but Winco’s deli prices are much lower than other stores. Fish, lunchmeat, they even pack their own cheese and raw meats. Look around for their green sale signs. You can get items for 20-40% off if it is in season. J

Last Minute Thoughts:

Lastly, be sure to pick up something small to snack on during the drive home. After all, you’ve spent close to an hour on your list, and probably another hour at the grocery store. All this adulating is hard work. You deserve a treat! As a young puppy, I would be taken to the grocery store, and left in the car (dogs aren’t allowed in stores you know). If I was a good little puppy and didn’t honk the horn too much or drift around the parking lot then my masters would bring me a treat. Now, as a grown dog, I see no reason to give up this tradition. If anything, us adults (kids really, pretending to be grown up and responsible) have it even harder than the puppies. Pick up a candy bar, or small bag of gummy bears. You’ve earned it!

New Year's Resolutions ....Eh, maybe not

Good Morning Chaps, 

I don't know about you, but every year I feel the stress of writing up a list of New Year's Resolutions. These come from all directions: media, friends, co-workers, etc. That's a lot of pressure for a simple sheepdog! Most year's I opt out of this American tradition, in favor of a single resolution: Do not make any resolutions you can't keep. Resolutions can be tricky to keep, and often only last for 2-5 weeks before fizzling out. Why is this? Why are they so hard to keep? I believe it's because we are asking ourselves start a new habit, (or end an old habit) cold turkey, for a whole year. Furthermore, people (especially humans) tend to insist on doing this themselves, with no buddy or accountability partner. After a few weeks, they miss a day. Then another and another. They end up feeling bad, and getting depressed over the whole issue. Then, they don't want to start back up again. On the whole, I find my life to be simpler by not making these resolutions. Oh sure, I set some goals along the road here and there (fix car, read bible more, etc) but these are short term goals, spread out over the entire year, not a life-changing list I make up once a year in January. If you still insist on writing up New Year's Resolutions, here are a few tips:

Gym Memberships:

Don’t buy a gym membership. There are lots of reasons for this. Statistically, about 12% of people who resolve to get a new gym card in January actually use it. Besides, memberships run for a premium in January. If you really want one, wait until late spring. Plus, it’s an extra expense. There are much better and cheaper ways to exercise. Want to learn kickboxing? Get a kangaroo. Want to run/jog more? Help a cheetah chase down its meal. Swimming lessons? Seals, Dolphins and Dewgongs are excellent teachers! Tree/Rock climbing? Koala’s and Goats! Parkour in the kitchen is also a great alternative. If you can do this and flip pancakes at the same time I'll be really impressed!

Diet for the New Year:

Arguably one of the top 3 most popular New Year’s resolutions (right next to winning a hot dog eating contest and turning the moon into a death star). The truth is, you don’t really want to start a year-long diet plan. First, it’s no fun. Cutting out cinnamon rolls, sweet buttered crescents, chocolate chip cookies, and birthday cake? What a way to ruin a perfectly good year! Second, there is a better way. What kind of shape do you want to be in? Thor is a chiseled Asgardian character, who lives on feasts and Shawarma. If you’ve been wanting to brush up on your wizarding skills like Ron and Harry, eat nothing but pumpkin pasties and chocolate frogs. Or, if you have a hobbity sort of build and are vertically challenged, there is nothing like a Hagrid diet to bulk up a little. Hagrid eats chicken, rock cakes, and tends to cry when dragons bite his leg.

Find A New Hobby:

Also titled how to set your house on fire. Everybody loves a new hobbit hobby! Unfortunately, people tend to pick difficult hobbies to start, then give up too easily. Guys will try to "pick up" a new sport, usually an expensive one (Golfing, Tennis, Podracing). They put a ton of money into all the necessary equipment, then realize around August they haven't gone out more than about 3 times, and sell all their stuff on Craigslist. Gals are guilty of this too (Sewing, Scrapbooking, Jedi Training). Pets tend to have a more realistic approach: spend more time fetching the paper than eating it, dig a hole large enough to escape from, bark at neighbors cat more, get a new painting for the doghouse. You find that usually once a pet sets his/her mind to do something, they go through with it. Also, most of these hobbies involve time, and not so much expense. There are lots of hobbies out there that don't require a mitt, club or power source to do. Before picking a hobby, ask yourself this: why haven't you picked it up before? Expense? Lack of time? Not really interested? Don't pick up a hobby just to fulfill a resolution. Think of something that interests you. Something you want to spend your time (and possibly $$) on.

Learn to cook:

Also titled how to set your friend’s house on fire. I'm actually in favor of cooking as a New Year's Resolution. Cooking is more or less a required skill once you are out on your own. Oh sure, you can live on rice-a-roni and mac and cheese, but what about soft gooey cookies? And pie? And crumble? *mouth starts watering*. Okay, you don't need to be a gourmet chief who lights candles at every meal, but a basic brush-up on cookies erm, cooking never hurts! See blog post below for a full tour of kitchen prep and setup:

http://sheepdogrants.blogspot.com/2015/11/bonus-post-cooking.html 

If all else fails, learn to make Ooblek and diet coke and mentos. *Sidenote* these are good recipes to make at a friends house. 

Get Organized:

Lastly, lots of humans like to "get organized" for the new year. Clean the house. Reduce clutter. And all those colloquial terms. Here's how most people arrive at this resolution. *Put's down "If you give a mouse a cookie" book*. First, the human household begins to throw the wrapping paper away from Christmas. Then, they continue eating cookies and Christmas leftovers until the fridge is empty. Once the kitchen is empty, the decide it needs to be cleaned as long as it's empty. So they clean it out. After a few days of living off leftovers and who hash, they make a run to the grocery store and buy everything but the kitchen sink. Then it's time to put away the Christmas Decorations. To do that they will need boxes to store them. When they see the state of their shelves, they will want to clean/organize the shelves. While they are at it, they will proceed to give the whole house a scouring. Next, they begin assessing any gifts they may have received that replace older items (kitchen utensils, cords and tech misc., clothing, etc). So they swap that out and begin a nice small pile by the kitchen door to haul to the dump (or goodwill). And the spiral continues. This isn't a bad thing, but then they botch it up by creating a New Year's Resolution about it. "Let's keep the house this clean all year!" It's a great thought, but often not entirely realistic. That's why we have Spring Cleaning, Summer Garage Sales, and fall clear out. In summary, it's great to clean/muck out, but don't resolve to make this your Friday Night tradition. Besides, the only truly clean house is one that hasn't been built yet. 

Hope you enjoyed! 

~Sheepdog~

Welcome to 2016!!! ...Erm...?

Good Morrow Everyone!

After taking a good long break over the holidays (great stretch of the paws and all that), I'm not entirely sure what topic to write on! So my devoted readers, what should my next blog post be about? I'll take any/all suggestions. :)

Happy Snow Day!

-Sheepdog-