I discovered tinyurl the other day and tweeted about it. A friend showed me a similar trick. The link to my photo blog is now, officially:
http://www.freakinghugeurl.com/refer.php?count=4&url=VjFaV2IxVXdNVWhVYTFacFRURndUbFJVUWt0a2JHeHhWR3hPYTJFemFEQldNakUwWWtaSmQyTkljRnBoYTNCeFdrWmFjbVZWT1ZsVlZEQTk=
I have two fun softwares to play with whenever I get bored (besides WoW, of course): Google Analytics, and Dexcom's "Data Manager 3" that accompanies my continuous glucose monitoring system (CGMS). In other words, the data received via bluetooth from a sensor attached to a little catheter that I have to inject, myself, into my body and leave there for an extended period of time (weeks).
Now, Analytics probably is a LOT more useful for someone who knows what they are doing, in the blogosphere, but I do not. (I think my grand total earned since I added AdSense is five dollars and six cents.) But there is just SO much information to gain from it. Like, it knows how many unique IP addresses read this, how recently each of those addresses has visited, which BROWSER you're using, what language you're reading in, and a bunch of other stuff I have no use for whatsoever, but man is it cool to try to make heads or tails of. For instance, this one I discovered today: proof that I'm a Mac - all my friends are Macs, too.
DM3 is not super sophisticated, but the data is way more interesting to me. Because its my life and blood, literally. These are my hourly distributions since the second week I've been using the thing. The one thing I think I can say for sure from this graph is that, on average, I'm totally reliable! :) Or, you could say that I tend to get high, occasionally. (HA! Beetus joke)
Dear Google,
Thank you for analytically informing me how many of my friends actually read my blogs. (Absolute Unique Visistors = IP addresses, so I'm sure there are repeats if people have laptops they use on different networks)
Dear Friends,
Step it up.
Love, Allie
Ok, I'm over spammers addressing me by my full name, making it look like my own email address is sending me messages, the offensive mispellings, and messages that don't even have the decency to be TO ME. Its the random names I have to at least glance at the subject of to make sure its not some doctor my other doctor has referred me to, or an ACTUAL job offer coming from some Alum's unknown secretary...
And sometimes, there are true gems that make me glad I'm neurotic enough to look through my spam from time to time. Fully automated bits of non-consciousness that make me laugh out loud. Like this, which actually turned out to be a discount offer for Viagra, Cialis, and Levitra. Because I have trouble getting an erection sometimes. But come ON! How can you not at least give that email a fighting chance with a subject like that!!?
Because "thefex.blogspot.com" was too much to type for me so, new website is fexblog.com! I'll figure out a way to get the photo blog on board, too. Same old colors and lack of a cool photoshop-built header (if you're a longtime reader you might remember the sweet Baker Tower Sunset pic when the blog was still called "Delaying Senioritis" then when I got senioritis I took down the header and haven't had one since) but an easier URL to remember.
HA! Scott, now you can't make fun of me anymore.
Update - photo blog is now at photo.fexblog.com, or in the sidebar! yay!
As a new diabetic, I get lots of fun new goodies to go along with the illness. Home insulin, travel insulin, three kinds of needles, blood test strips, urine test strips, meters, potentially little electronic podlets on my stomach, with tubes attached or without, and some other stuff. My favorite so far is my little pink medical ID bracelet. This was necessary, just in case I pack myself with too much insulin and pass out on the subway, or I get into a car accident and can't tell the paramedics not to put Coke in my IV. My requirements: it had to be small and inoffensive, not jangly, and cute. I found this at Sticky Jewelry, which had the best selection I could find on the internet. It has two lines of engraving space on the back, and a watchband buckle. And its PINK!
I also have to carry a blood glucose meter everywhere with me, and the one my doctor prescribed was just so sad and ugly:
doesn't it kind of make you feel bad for me? I don't need no damn pity!
So at one of my 600 appointments in the last two months, I was reading a magazine on diabetes and found a coupon for a free! glucose meter. A mini one that comes in 6 different colors. I entered my info online and got my free PINK meter. But it also came with a sad ugly case, and this one was even worse than the big one because there was a rigid plastic holster inside the soft case for the meter. So after I put in all the alcohol wipes, bandaids, test strips and lancets, I couldn't close the thing. Since I don't shop much anymore now that I work all the time (which is funny because I'm finally pulling some income!) I decided it would be OK to treat myself to a trip to Kate Spade to find a less sad and ugly mini bag. The one I found was not only NOT sad and ugly, it is BEAUTIFUL and practically euphoric. And it fits my travel insulin [Pen] and needle tips as well! I can go out to dinner without a backpack now!
I also got a big-girl wallet because I'm still using my camper-style money clip with 2 card slots and KS was having a 25% off sale. 
And since I was on a roll, I stopped at Best Buy on the way home and finally pulled the trigger on a new set of headphones. At $20 and neon pink, I got the best of all worlds! (Or, at least, worlds of concern to me) If they suck, I'll get a pair of Bose on-ears when I get my iPhone (which is rumoring diabetes management compatibility/function??) But I'm happy so far!
Internet, I need your opinion. I've been wanting to get these 
for quite some time. I love the color, and the size and weight is almost ideal, but I feel like they might be a little bit pricey at $80 and sitting on the purchase has not presented the opportunity to buy them on sale. I cannot afford these 
at $180, and these 
do not fit in my ears because I went and did this to myself several years ago 
with another, similar one on the other side of my head. (Btw, HOW cute does my hair look, there? Seriously??)
I would have gotten these ($50) 
last weekend, but I tried them on in the Urban store, and Paul said they looked stupid. That might have been his impatience at my insistence to go into a store when he wanted to go home and let his upset stomach settle talking, though.
So what do you think? I'm currently using a torn up pair of wrap-around TDK headphones that came with one of those old school .mp3-CD players like EIGHT years ago. Did I mention I've been wearing them to work out in for over 4 years? And the QC2's are not good for walking, and not very environmentally friendly with their use of a battery...
I did two things of note yesterday. The first being that after a grand total of 354.5 hours throughout a year and a half, I finally got my Blood Elf Warlock, Erilynn, to level 70 in the World of Warcraft. Had the new expansion of the game not come out 2 months ago, pushing the highest possible level to 80, this would be huge. However, since I'm pretty pathetic at the game, I still consider this a big accomplishment.
Good timing, I think, since now I can spend more time going to the gym and paying attention to my NEW JOB!! Which, incidentally, is not yesterday's other success. This is:
No, I did not make that certificate for myself, and yes that has already been suggested to me. I have two others for Chemical Hygiene Training and Hazardous Waste Training. I know what you're thinking, and yes, I did print them out and pin them to the wall above my desk.
