1. Today I’m leaving for Florida until the 13th.

2. There’s a small chance that The Hotness’s ex-girlfriend may be a stewardess flight attendant on our plane.

3. I’m actually kinda looking forward to meeting this lady someday. But she hates my ever lovin’ guts so I doubt it’ll be a nice affair when the moment finally comes.

4. Yesterday I actually had to fire a client. Yeah, you read that right. I’m firing them. It happens once in a great blue moon that someone is so fucking irritating and irrational that it’s just not worth the small amount of money I charge to bust my ass and make things perfect for them.

5. The good news is that now I’ll have time to focus on the other 6 jobs waiting for me to start. And possibly *gasp* work on this blog.

6. Took Uncle Paul to the medical center up in Phoenix yesterday, he’s improving 1,000% everyday and the doctors are giving the thumbs up on his health.

7. Speaking of Paul…the folks who sent cards to him: He’s got them displayed on his coffee table. He told me today that he still can’t believe that there are total strangers in this world who are so damn nice! So, again thanks y’all

8. The Hotness is looking for Real Estate Appraisers in the Phoenix and Tucson areas. If you have taken a class in this or have experiance and are looking for a job, and aren’t a lazy jackass drop me an email (bug AT thelastcowgirls DOT com) and I’ll pass along your info to him.

9. I have a zit growing right on the edge of my fucking nostril. Which means I’ll have a red scale-model of Mt. Olympus on my face just in time to meet The Hotness’s parents. Lovely eh?

10. Entries are still be accepted for the MVD Contest. You can win a $25.00 Amazon Gift Card so get those in before the 18th!!

11. If I could come up with a good thing about me for #11 I’d put it right here.

12. Candy has eaten a huge hole in one of our bed pillows, the dust ruffle, and the comforter. If she didn’t cost more than my truck I would have a plate of roast bird out for you readers to munch on.

13. The Hotness and I have a matching set of Pink Floyd “Dark Side of the Moon” pjs. They are comfy and I lurve them.

Links to other Thursday Thirteens!
–Please Note: Since I’m flying out today and won’t have access to the net till way late I’ma have to link ya’ll in the morning *sorry* But leave ‘em anyway and I’ll get you added..promise

1. ZoneAlarm: This firewall kicks so much ass! Awhile back I had some dialers running off my system, after installing Zone they no longer could gain access to my system. It also allows me to choose what programs I want to have access to the internet and alerts me when an un-authorized program is trying to gain access. Automatically keeps itself updated at no charge to you.

2. Ad-Aware SE Personal Edition: Scans your RAM, Registry, hard drives, and external storage devices for known data-mining, advertising, and tracking components. It cleans house on icky data-miners and other crap that’s loaded to your computer while you surf. You’ll need to manually update this one (just a couple buttons clicks), but updates are always free!

3. a-squared Free: Detects and removes malicious software (Malware) like Trojans, Dialers, Worms and Spyware. Again, updates are free with just a couple clicks of a button!

4. CCleaner (aka Crap Cleaner): An optimization and privacy tool. It removes unused files from your system - allowing Windows to run faster and freeing up valuable hard disk space. It also cleans traces of your online activities such as your Internet history. I like this one because it takes care of all those damn temp files that clog up your system and slow it down. Updates are free, just a couple clicks of a button and bam! Done.

5. AVG Anti-Virus: This anti-virus scanner is a god-send! It does everything, automatic scans of your system, email scanner, scans programs as they are run so you can make sure that nothing is getting by you. It even comes with a “Virus Vault”–a nasty little pit for current viruses that won’t allow them to escape. Updates are free and can be scheduled so you can just let it do its thing!

6. McAfee AVERT Stinger: Already got an infected system? Stinger may be able to help! Stinger is a stand-alone utility used to detect and remove specific viruses. It performs digital kung-fu on things like the Sasser Worm, Sober, and many other bad boys. There’s a complete listing on the site of just who this program can take out. I keep a CD with the latest version in my desk so incase I ever get infected I can start kickin’ some tail immediately! To get “updates” you’ll have to check their site for the latest version.

7. CWShredder: Having “Cool Web Search” problems? This program was designed specifically for CWS and its variants. Including the Cassandra that hijacks your browser. Updates are done with a couple clicks of a button!

8. Kill2me 1.11: A removal tool specifically for the Look2Me parasite. This tool removes versions 115-122 (most recent) on all Windows versions.

9. FireFox: Not going to preach much on this one–everyone else is doin’ a fine job for me. But it is nice

10. Thunderbird: The e-mail client produced by the folks who made FF. I like it, it’s nice and simple.

11. Google Earth: Because I’m a big fat dork and like maps this program is too cool for school in my book! The Hotness and I like to cruise around the world–this morning I went and saw Saint Peter’s Basilia, Vatican City *chuckle* It’s a bitch on dialup users though so be forewarned. Would be good for the kiddos too I suppose…

12. Good Keywords: A tool for finding the ideal set of keywords for targeting your web pages. Use Good Keywords to find suitable keywords sets, create your meta tags, brainstorm product ideas, etc. I’ve used this only a couple times and have yet to really test and see if a page targeted with it’s suggestions actually does better than one that isn’t. Either way it’s pretty neat.

13. CoreFTP Lite Free Version: This is what I use for my FTP needs. It’s simple, quick to set up and I love it! Features like SFTP (SSH), SSL, TLS, IDN, browser integration, site to site transfers, FTP transfer resume, drag and drop support, file viewing & editing, firewall support, custom commands, FTP URL parsing, command line transfers, filters, and much, much more!

*phew* I’m worn out now, have a great TT y’all!

Links to other Thursday Thirteens!
::Chickadee::Chloe::Nicole::Dawn::PJ::Lisa::
::Dariana::Bettersafethansorry::Veronika::Stacie::
::Virenda::Norma::Lena::Laura::JK::Emily::

(leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)

1. Tomatoes, red sauce, etc, etc = Major Indigestion and Heartburn for me.

2. The Hotness likes to fall asleep to the t.v. The only way I can deal with it is if it’s on History channel. Something about those monotone voices just knocks me out.

3. That and I’m hoping that I’ll mebbe get subconsciously smarter (not sure if it’s working out so well).

4. I still haven’t upgraded this instance of Word Press to 2.0, much less 2.0.1

5. This TT is being written at the butt-crack of dawn because I’m neurotic– and because I’m going with The Hotness to Phoenix today.

6. I use men’s deodorant. Old Spice to be exact, it just works better.

7. Next week’s TT is going to be very helpful (trust me).

8. This one obviously isn’t *chuckle*

9. The Cheyenne Social Club is one of my fave movies of all time.

10. In high school I played the Postulant Nun in the school production of Sound of Music.

11. I really don’t like Sound of Music that much now…got a lil’ burnt out on it.

12. In first grade our class put on the full musical production of The Pied Piper of Hamelin. I played Gretchen. It took like the whole year for all of us to learn our lines and whatnot but we kicked major ass. My mom has the video–viewable on request *chuckle*

13. Speaking of first grade– I got a perm at the beginning of the year. It was bad. I looked like a little white Michael Jackson circa Jackson Five.

Links to other Thursday Thirteens!
1. Nicole
2. Susan
3. Chickadee
4. Kimmy
5. Aginoth
6. dr
7. Lena
8. Emily
9. Jade
10. Chloe

(leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)

1. I take my business very seriously. Sometimes too seriously…I’m a workaholic.

2. I was a member of the FFA (Future Farmers of America) during highschool. My first year in I was Greenhand Vice President. My senior year I was Chapter Vice President. I looooved FFA.

3. When I get in the shower I have a set “process” of doing things. Hair first, face, body, shave…etc.

4. Postcards kick ass, I love getting and sending them.

5. I smoke Marlboro Menthols. I know I should quit. I will when I’m ready. Kthx.

6. I almost forgot today was TT day *shhh*

7. I really like Pepsi, I go through about a bottle a day.

8. I love to party.

9. When our bird Candy starts getting out of control with her squawking we give her a spritz with a spray bottle. I’m considering using this method on people who annoy me as well.

10. My boyfriend (The Hotness) is 46 years old.

11. 99.9% of my family is happy that I’m happy. The other 0.1% have a problem.

12. I have WAY to many keys.

13. If you are from Arizona and haven’t already joined head on over to the Arizona Bloggers Coalition and sign up!

Links to other Thursday Thirteens!
1. Desert Raspberry
2. Lisa
3. Chickadee
4. Nicole

1. People who bite down while taking the fork out of the mouth when eating.

2. The bank my company has its account with smells like old people. All. The. Time.

3. Our ice maker in the fridge door shoots the ice out horizontally instead of vertically so I have to try and “catch” the ice instead of just sitting the cup on the stand and pushing the damn button.

4. Anyone who thinks that just because I work on computers means I’ll fix theirs for free.

5. When the toothpaste blob falls off my brush and into the sink.

6. How horrible the envelope glue for mailing bill payments taste.

7. People who still install white carpet even though they live IN THE DESERT! Then they bitch because it never “stays clean”.

8. Folks who leave their cell phones on during wedding ceremonies, AND TAKE CALLS!

9. People who buy lottery tickets, scratch them at the counter, buy more, keep scratching and hold up the whole fucking line in the process.
(hat tip: Zazzafooky)

10. People who think I look like Uma Thurman.

11. Folks who leave a 25 minute message on my voicemail–then when I call them back they repeat the message word for word.

12. Not having enough hangers for the clothes that require hanging.

13. There are not 48 hours in a day.

Links to other Thursday Thirteens!
1. Melissa
2. Nicole
3. Karen
4. Desert Raspberry
5. Jade
6. Emily
7. Wendy
6. Kimmy

1. My uncle was hospitalized on Sunday night after a massive stroke. He’s now at St. Joseph’s in the Neuro-ICU in a drug induced coma. His blood pressure is making it extremely difficult to get him stabilized. This is the reason I haven’t been posting. I went to visit him yesterday and the next couple weeks will be spent going back and forth between here and Phoenix to help care for him and provide moral support.

2. I want to collect get well soon cards for him to brighten up the room. I know y’all don’t know him (or me for some of ya’s) but if you have a spare stamp and time to jot a quick card please do– it would mean the world to him when he wakes up.

His Name: Paul
Address to Send Cards:
The Last Cowgirls
P.O. Box 1587
Hereford, AZ 85615

If you could do this I’d be ever grateful

3. My company has been hired to do a CD cover and a website for a rock band. I’m wicked excited about this as the guys are great performers. I’ll link the site once it’s done.

4. I write more legibly with a pencil than I do with a pen.

5. I’m left handed.

6. Someday I will visit Tuscany.

7. I don’t wear a lot of makeup, just lip gloss and mascara.

8. The first CD I ever owned was a double disk Beatles collection from 1967-1970. I still have it.

9. When I was young I used to collect barf bags from the planes when I’d have to fly somewhere.

10. I love Arizona.

11. I own and practice my own form of meditation with my Crystal Stix.

12. My grandmother makes beautiful quilts. She refuses to sell them and it chaps my hide because she’d be making some serious dough if she did ;o)

13. My nickname and screen name “Bug” was given to me by my father when I was born. He told people that I was like a little bug in his hand. It stuck and I love it.

Links to other Thursday Thirteens!
1. Lia
2. Melissa
3. Nicole
4. Dariana
5. WendyWings
6. Lisa
7. Karen
8. Richard
9. Kilired

(leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)