Daily Doodle, inspired by my impending allergy test today

After I had the allergy/911/paramedics scare late last year, my doctor booked an appointment with an allergist for me. My appointment's today! Not sure what to expect, though I've been warned I'm going to be poked with needles.

Hoping it won't be like my daily doodle today.

Shorter posts now on DebbieOhi.com, MarsEdit & Squarespace

I've been using MarsEdit to do blog posts to Squarespace these days, and I LOVE it: a really, really smart app. My only complaint: there's no way to specify where images are being uploaded. MarsEdit has the capability, but Squarespace doesn't handle blog post commands from MarsEdit the way other blog services do.

After talking to the MarsEdit, I talked to Squarespace. Although their Support Ticket staff are wonderful, they weren't allowed to tell me when the next release of Squarespace was going to be (which would likely fix the MarsEdit/SS issues, they said). No, they couldn't even tell me if the next release was going to be this YEAR.

That inspired me to draw this Squarespace cartoon and write this blog post.

I'm posting daily doodles/drawings on DebbieOhi.com this year, by the way, and am also going to be posting my shorter personal and work updates there as well.

New Year's Resolutions & Fitness

Not really a New Year's Resolution, but the timing does work out. Anyway, I've been slacking off in the exercise front recently, partly because of cold weather (I know, I know, what a WIMP) and partly because I've gotten so excited about work in recent months that it's tough to drag myself away from the computer. Add some holiday pigging out to that mix, and it's not pretty.

Many thanks to my hubby Jeff for buying me Zumba Fitness as part of his Christmas gift. To be clear: he bought it because he knows I wanted this software, not because he thinks I need it. Or if he thinks I need it, he's keeping it to himself (smart guy).

It works with a PS3 Move Controller thingy (sorry, I don't know the proper terminology) that I can stick in my Zumba belt, which comes with the package. I mimic the moves of the instructor on the screen; the closer I am to the instructor's moves, the greener the instructor image becomes. Of course you can just ignore the movement part and just do the exercise, but the movement matching makes it more of challenging game. You earn little award badges and other incentives as you become more advanced.

Right now, I'm still going through the tutorials, which teach me the basic steps of various dances. And it's WAY FUN. I'm a terrible dancer but have always liked dancing.

And I'm SURE I'll be looking like the women in this trailer ANY DAY NOW, heh:

My Life Rocks

I get so tired of Facebook and Twitter status updates that are consistently nasty, whiny, judgemental and otherwise NEGATIVE. Yes, everyone is entitled to some whinetime now and again but longterm, I'd rather focus on the positive.

One of the reasons I like my friend Errol so much is because he's so darned ENTHUSIASTIC and BENEVOLENT. Anyway, Errol has started up a Twitter feed called My Life Rocks which focuses on stuff that makes him happy. If you're on Twitter and are as tired of negativity as I am, I recommend you follow him. And use the hashtag #MLR to highlight what rocks in YOUR life!

NaNoToon, NaNoWriMo and my über-talented pal, Errol Elumir

As some of you may know, my friend Errol Elumir and I have been collaborating on comics for the NaNoWriMo website as well as for the Toronto NaNoWriMo website this month. It's the first time Errol and I have worked together on anything, and I had a huge amount of fun. He and I are already planning our next creative project together.

Anyway, here's the video that NaNoWriMo posted on their website today.