Stupid Hijacking Viruses

I started my evening making some progress on my homework. For once, I am ahead of the game and have several assignments in prep-mode to make my week easier. Then all hell broke loose...

A weird screen popped up on my computer telling me that I had several infections. My computer was running funky too. Web pages would not display.When I tried to open my Anti-Virus program to run it, I received a window that the file was corrupted and Windows would not open it... WTF

Thank goodness for alternate methods of getting on the internet. It all seemed a little fishy, especially since the ONLY method for correcting the situation was to pay for and download the specific Anti-Virus program that it suggested -AV Security Suite... Before doing anything more, I pulled up google on my iPhone to see if it was legitimate... I am glad I did that. I discovered that the program is designed to hijack your system to coerce you to give them money. All of the "infections" it said I had were bogus. Doing more research on my laptop (all of this took place on my desktop) showed that it overrides your internet to route everything through a proxy server (its own) and it bounce back to you with "virus warnings"...

Chances are, this program was attached to a recent download of a legitimate program I was updating. I want to say it was with the Adobe Flash update that I did... I seem to remember a checkbox for some type of Anti-Virus program...

Anyway, so I looked up ways to correct the problem. The internet is a wonderful bounty of information! I received pretty consistent data stating to restart my computer in safe mode, then correct the proxy setting in Internet Explorer, and then download and run a program called Malwarebytes. I already had this program installed on my computer, but I have the free version, so it only runs scans when I tell it to. The pay version supposedly runs scans continuously to prevent infections from happening...

I followed all the steps and was rather proud of myself for completing the task without Aaron here. He is the one who built my computer and gets irritated when he has to take hours to try and fix it for me (you know, because I break everything - but that's another story). The final step was to allow the computer to restart after removing the infections that it found...

Then, I got the Blue Screen Of Death..... Crap... Now Aaron has to try and fix it and HOPEFULLY he can do so without losing the data on the computer... I'm kicking myself now that I didn't back up my hard drive on a regular basis, especially since my computer holds the vast majority of our household records... I am extremely glad that I had the foresight to utilize a 4GB flash drive for my school work. Keeping my school work on a flash drive allows me to transfer from my desktop to my laptop to my office computer to do work.

So, this is a warning to my readers - If you experience anything like I did tonight, DO NOT buy the program and google the fix to remove it from your computer. Hopefully, the fix doesn't kill your computer like it did mine. If you haven't experienced it yet, I recommend installing and running Malwarebytes on a regular basis. Aaron and I have used this program for years, but I am not as good at running it regularly... I will now!

And, for anyone going to school, I recommend keeping your data on a flash drive and using that as your main school storage device. I usually copy the contents of the flash drive to my computer about once every couple of weeks, just in case.

Disgruntled...

My day has not exactly gone as planned. After a successful day at the library last week, I planned to go both today and tomorrow to work on a paper due for my science class. The library is only open for 5 hours each day on the weekend, so this is adequate time to focus on my schoolwork and come home to enjoy my evening (read: clean house)...

All was going well until I hit the research phase of my homework. I remembered to bring my laptop with me and so I connected to the library's WiFi... It was disappointing... First, the internet would not connect to my school website, where I would conduct the majority of my research through the school's library. Then, when trying to do research outside of the school's website, the pages loaded SO SLOWLY that it was massively counter productive. I finally gave up and came home after a little over an hour, where I have a secure internet connection and can access everything I need...

The downside? I have MANY distractions at home that usually prevent me from completing massive projects/assignments. I can't stand absolute silence (my mind wanders more in silence than it does any other time) so I usually have a movie or TV on for some background noise. In some instances, it serves to allow me to focus on my assignments... However, if I am not interested in my school work or I am stuck on something, movies/TV can be a distraction...(Also include the internet in this distraction... Facebook is addicting when I don't really want to do schoolwork and I am already connected to the internet anyway...)

Noni is another distraction. She feels that when I am home, that I need to play with her the entire time. She's get frustrated with me ignoring her and she'll go find her noisiest squeaky toy and squeak it incessantly.

When I am home, I find it hard to ignore the housework that needs to be done... Laundry piling up, a sink full of dishes, dust everywhere, etc... My mind wanders to these tasks regularly. If I do these chores before I do my homework, I don't usually have time to do homework, or I'm too tired to do anything else...

I need at least 2 clones of me... That way, one of "us" could focus on school work, one on housework/regular work, and one that just enjoys free time, playing with the dog, hanging out with the husband (when he's home) etc... The only way that would work, though is if all 3 of us rotated tasks so that one isn't getting bogged down in that particular task. We would have to have telepathy, though, so that we would know what the others are doing. That would be awesome!

Breaking Bad...

So, here's a little background as to why I haven't been watching Breaking Bad with Aaron all this time... For some reason, I have a very physical reaction to drug use in movies and on TV. I get very nauseous. Yes, I know, I am very weird... If it looks like someone is using drugs, or is washed out, or something, I get the same reaction. I can't watch The Crow, vampire movies, movies where the actor is on drugs but the character is not (Robert Downey Jr, back in the day). I even stopped listening to NKOTB because Joey looked strung out towards the end of their initial career...

I tried watching Breaking Bad in the first season, when Aaron became addicted to it. The first one I watched had Jesse getting high... Nope... Not going to watch it any more...

And I held to that. The only time Aaron got to watch it was when I was in the other room, he was in Bethel, or I was asleep. His (and his Grandma's) constant pleas to give it a chance fell on deaf ears. I knew the cast was fantastic and the story line was amazing, but I couldn't stomach the sight of the drug use...

Then, I watched one of the episodes while in ABQ a while back. There was no drug use in that episode, so I didn't have my normal reaction - which is good. I didn't know what was going on, for the most part, but I was sucked in... It was the one where the "cousins" try to kill the DEA agent. HOLY COW!

I didn't see the next few, because Aaron went back to work. Since I wasn't used to watching it regularly, I didn't think to turn to the correct channel at the appropriate time.

Aaron came home and I watched the last two episodes with him. The second to last, I wasn't really paying attention to. Jesse hit the drugs again (after being clean and sober for a while), so I tried to ignore it as best I could... Then Walt mowed down two dirtbags with his car and then shoots one in the head... HOLY FREAKING COW!!!

Of course! I had to watch the final episode. I think I was as excited about it as Aaron was. It did not disappoint... Poor Jesse...

Now, Aaron will be purchasing the first 2 seasons on DVD and we will have a Breaking Bad marathon when he gets back home in a few weeks. I hope I can keep my stomach from rolling long enough to get the back story necessary for me to fully understand the episodes that I have seen so far.

Updates!

So, I promised updates... Here we go!

First off, you'll notice a new look to my blog. Blogger has made it easier to chose different templates and such, and I've been playing (with what little time I have - which goes to show just how easy it is to redesign my blog... what would have taken me at least a half hour to do took 5 minutes...) I'll need to pick a new header, as it is summer and the ice on the plane is depressing, but one thing at a time...

I had a great time at the MS Walk - So did Noni! We both walked for my mom. There were a lot of other dogs there, but no one else dressed their dog up for the event. Isn't she cute?

My team raised $3,000 for the MS Society. I had a goal of $100, but was only able to raise half of that. So, next year, I'll be a little more proactive in fund-raising. I hope they create a widget that I can put on my blog. They designed one for Facebook, but who looks at individual profiles anymore? I know I don't! The widget there has a thermometer that shows how much I have raised and provides a link to donate. I tried to do the same thing this year, but was unsuccessful. All I could manage was to link the MS Walk button to my donation page, which no one used...

I am a BzzAgent, and as such, I get to try out different products to give my honest opinion about them. I went several months without getting to try anything out and then I got hit with 3 campaigns... So I'm going to lump them into one blog post to tell you about them:

First - Scrubbing Bubbles Extend-a-clean Continuous Sprayer

I really liked using the product. The automatic sprayer makes it easy to spray down a shower wall without too much hassle. Usually, my forearm gets tired of pumping the handle. It provides good coverage, too. When I knew I was to get this product, I stopped cleaning my shower to "maximize" the experience. By the time I got it, my shower was pretty nasty... This cleaned it really well. However, because it was so dirty, I used more than I probably needed to and went through 2/3 of the bottle just cleaning my shower walls. The times that I used it after that, I used far less. I also used it to clean a really nasty window screen in my bathroom. It was handy, so I used it. It worked wonders!

It keeps the shower cleaner longer too. When you have long hair, you get shampoo everywhere when you wash your hair. This stuff made the suds from my shampoo slide right off the wall within seconds. All I had to do was rinse it afterward. Very nice.

You can't use the trigger upside down. That is one of the downsides. You still have to angle the bottle weird to get the inside of the tub (when turning it upside down seems pretty natural, at least to me).

The other thing that makes it not so great is the price. Depending on where you live, it could be anywhere from 8 to 10 bucks for the starter kit, and 5-7 dollars for the refill bottles. Given that you can use more than half the bottle on one cleaning, it could get expensive to continue to use.

As most of you know, I have a fragrance sensitivity. Depending on many factors, just about any smell can send me into an allergy attack. Shower cleaner is the worst. This stuff has a nice mild scent that only occasionally started an allergy attack, so it is pretty good. If you can put up with the cost, I would recommend this product to anyone.

Second - Dove Damage Therapy Intensive Repair conditioner

I didn't take a picture of this one, but it is wonderful! I love Dove hair products, but they have a strong (but pleasant) smell, which usually starts an allergy attack. It isn't good when your hair causes you to sneeze, so I had to stop using these products. I was glad to be chosen to review this product. When it arrived, I noticed that it has about the same smell as the rest of the product line, but it is a lot lighter. It does not cause me to sneeze, so BONUS!

The first time I used it, I was skeptical as to if it would condition my hair enough because it was too light. About the last 4 inches of my hair is pretty damaged and should probably be cut off, but I don't have time to get it done, so I just put up with it. The damage makes my hair very easy to knot up, especially if it is windy. This tendency makes me pull it up into a bun or pony tail, just so I don't have to deal with it. The day I tried this conditioner, I ran out of time for styling and couldn't find my clips or rubber bands to pull it back, so I left it down. I only blow-dried my hair, no flat iron. While running errands at lunch time, it was very warm so I had my windows down... BAD DECISION on my part, at least initially... My hair was flying EVERYWHERE!!!! And all I could think about was how I didn't have my brush or a comb with me that day... Then, I used my fingers to try and tame my mess.... IT WORKED!!! I ran my fingers through my hair, there were NO TANGLES and it laid down flat like it was always like that! AWESOME!!! I love this stuff!!!! I will never be without it again :)

Last - got2be Smooth Operator Smoothing Luster Lotion

I am not a big fan of this stuff. It is supposed to decrease frizz and smooth your hair, which it did, but it left my hair feeling "heavy". It has a smell that I'm sure some would call pleasant (my husband for one), but I don't find it very pleasant. It reminds me of something from my childhood that I didn't like, but I can't think of what it is right now. But it has the same smell. It did smooth out my damaged ends better than the Dove conditioner did, but I don't like that it is so heavy. I'm sure other people would enjoy it, but it is not for me. I have several samples of this lotion if you want to try it. Just let me know. I won't use them. I prefer my regular hair lotion.

No time...

Do you feel abandoned? I hope not... I'm still here. I just don't have time to blog like I used to... Not that I don't have anything to blog about... I do! I have tons of stuff to blog about... Like how the MS Walk went... Or some of the new products that I got to try as a BzzAgent... or the updates on the plane and life in general...

However, school and work have been sapping all of my energy and time. And what little energy I had left over was sapped by some illness that Aaron brought back from Bethel... He's just starting to get over it, but I don't think I am even halfway through it yet... (sigh)... I am tired of being sick... I have been sick more this year than I can remember...

So, stay tuned! If I get a chance, I'll post about the above things this weekend :) If not, you'll hear about it at some point in time... (i hope)

The week from hell that allowed me to say goodbye... (part 3)

So, the visit with my family was bitter-sweet. It was fantastic getting to meet my brother Joe's family for the first time. I loved getting to see my other brother, Jared's, girls all grown up (or at least almost there). My brother Josh was a constant joy to be around. It was the first time we've all been together in over 10 years.

I spent my time not doing school work and enjoying my family. The day of the memorial service, Aaron, Josh, and I desperately tried to finish the video for the service. My brother is a composer and we wanted to use his music for the soundtrack. Unfortunately, my mom didn't give him the message (part of her memory loss problems at the moment) and so he didn't bring it in the easiest format to use... We were cut short on time, so we weren't able to get his music files to work. Our back-up plan was put in action. We made it to the service minutes before it started...

Needless to say, it was a very emotional service. My brother, Jared, was in his military dress uniform. Cousins, aunts, uncles, and friends filled the church. My grandmother was very beloved. We all cried, we all laughed. We all made our peace with my grandmother's passing. I still miss her, but the grief is no longer overwhelming...

Aaron was very supportive during the whole thing. However, that night, he recognized the grief that I felt and I'm sure it reminded him of when his grandfather passed away a few years ago, and we were unable to attend the memorial service for him. He was very close to his grandfather. He desperately wanted to see his own grandmother. So, we cut the visit with my family short by a day and drove the 4 hours to ABQ to see his grandma. We arrived around noon and were immediately welcomed. I love going to his grandma's house. She is such a special lady and it eased the pain in my heart some to know that we still have a grandmother here. We were treated to Posole as soon as we got there... Much better than I can make here with fresh ingredients and pork that had roasted all day... I'm drooling now as I write this thinking about that Posole...  Anyway...

We reconnected with Aaron's Uncle Tony, who took us around ABQ on the "Breaking Bad" tour. Aaron LOVED getting to see all the places where they film the show - one of which is blocks away from his grandma's house :) After the tour, we took Grandma Dora to Uncle Ernie's house, where we met Grandma Dora's sister and had a nice family dinner. Of course, this was a Sunday, so we all stayed to watch "Breaking Bad."

Our flight left from Denver the next morning, so we left immediately after "Breaking Bad" to head back to Denver. Driving through the night was exhausting, but worth the visit with Grandma Dora. We took two-hour driving shifts and made it to Denver around 4:30 AM. We were wiped, but that was OK. The travel gods smiled upon us that day. Aaron was jump-seating all the way, but my ticket was for 5:30 PM. We both made it stand-by on the flight out of Denver for Seattle and made it on the flight from Seattle to Juneau with literally minutes to spare. By the time we deplaned in Seattle, they had called for final boarding on the Juneau flight. We still had to list for the flight. Again, the flying gods smiled on us. We were 2 gates apart. Normally, you have to go from C or D concourse to N when traveling to Juneau, which adds time on the train in Seattle...

We made it home and bailed Noni out of jail, finally ate breakfast, and then took a nap. Aaron got to take it relatively easy the next day, but I had to work a 10-hour shift...

Why I walk...

I was six years old when my mother was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. I turn 30 in October. That's 24 years of living with the disease... I have few sweet memories of my mother before the diagnosis... when she was relatively healthy...

Growing up, I had some semblance of a normal childhood. But, as I grew older, and my mom's abilities decreased, my responsibilities increased... It was the same for my brothers, but on a different level.

I love my mother very much, but there are times I feel she was taken from me at an early age. Which brings me to my point...

The illness has taken a larger toll on my mother's health in recent years. Her mobility is severely decreased. Where she was walking around about 50% of the time a few years ago, she is pretty much wheelchair bound now. Her mental faculties have been deteriorating for many years now, but it seems that it is getting worse as of late. She needs more constant care.

Thanks to the local MS Society Chapter, she has had her insurance reinstated (no thanks to the insurance company at my dad's work, "pre-existing condition"), she has a nurse come by a few times in the week to help her shower while my dad is at work, and she gets to go to a local group program a few times a week which allows her to get out of the house. Without the help of the MS society, my mom would be living a house-bound existence and wouldn't be getting the medical care she needs.

To give back to the MS Society, I decided to participate in the local walk for my area this year. It takes place this Saturday. I invite my readers to do something to support this organization. My mom is not the only one they help. You can click on the "Walk MS" icon on the top-left of my blog, to sponsor me in my walk. You can check out their website to see if there are any events scheduled in your area that you can participate in. If you know anyone who is afflicted with the disease, do it in their honor. If you don't know anyone, do it in honor of my mom, Alberta.