Site issues

laelene Post in general blog，Tags: , , , , , ,
02 August 2013
0

Two nights ago I got a 500 error on my site (internal servers down). Last time this happened I kind of freaked out and did a ton of troubleshooting, only to find that if I had just given it an hour or two it would be fine. So, lesson learned! I decided to go to bed and the next morning everything was fine. Buuut this time my site wouldn’t load at all! I gave it some time again before going to my web host’s site to try to contact them.

server timed out error message

screenshot of facebook announcement that justhost's servers were downAs it turns out, all their sites were down. Looks like the entire set of servers they use got messed up somehow. After trying to search for answers, I decided to find them on Facebook and discovered that they’d posted a message about the outage. I’m curious though, what they were doing for the past 8 hours… my best guess is that the maintenance was automated and routine, so they might not have caught the issue until they got to work this morning. Or, maybe it really takes that long for them to fix an issue this large. I mean, even all their sites were down so it looks like every single part of their network was kaput.

This does explain another question I had: why I hadn’t received emails since 4 AM EST. Since I use an email with my domain name, no incoming messages were making it. I wonder if I’ll be able to recover those emails when the servers are back up or if they’ve been lost in web wilderness forever. Hopefully nothing important was supposed to reach me at that time! My site is back up for now, but I’m still not sure if it’s all clear since it was up a little earlier and then wouldn’t load again. I hate this feeling of uncertainty! I should probably look into backing up my site on another server just in case.

Once things look resolved, I’m going to reach out to JustHost to complain if they don’t automatically offer some sort of compensation for this. A ton of people commenting on their Facebook page think similarly and I’m just glad I don’t need my site to make money, or else I’d be much more upset too! This kind of interruption of business is not good.

What would you do if your servers were down for nearly half a day?

365great Day 140: AppleCare

laelene Post in 365great，Tags: , , , , ,
01 August 2013
0

Learn more about 365great here.

365great challenge day 140: applecareI seem to be unlucky in the luckiest way possible. Ever since I got my first iPhone back in 2010, I’ve had to go in to the Apple Store for Genius Bar appointments no less than a dozen times due to issues with my iPhone or iPad. About 8 or 9 of those visits resulted in me getting a new device or (once) a screen replaced. In fact, I wrote about some of the earlier experiences just so I wouldn’t forget. It’s such a frequent occurrence that all my visits and exchanges have started to blur together. While I’ve had my share of woes with my iPhone and iPad, I am very glad to have Apple Stores readily available to solve all my needs. I can’t imagine the hassle it would be with any other device, where the manufacturer would be far less willing to send you a new device, or it would be a drag to do like Panda’s was when his Android phone had issues. I’m very happy with the 1-year warranty coverage that my iDevices come with and surprisingly, I manage to not break them in the second year.

Just the other day I posted an image on Instagram of my shattered screen. I was holding my phone and a shower pouf, went to put the pouf on the towel rack in the shower, and BAM dropped by phone. The hard impact of the tub was enough to do quite some damage. Strangely, I wasn’t upset like with previous screen shatters. I’m not sure why, but perhaps it’s because I’m far too concerned about larger issues in my life now, like buying a home and getting a job. Ironically, I had been mulling over going into the Apple Store just days before since there was a dust speck in the camera lens that I had ignored since spring. It was in the corner and mostly unobtrusive, but I wanted to get a new device swapped out before my warranty ran out in September. It happened right after I’d gone in on two separate occasion for that same issue so I was sick of trading phones. Then I broke the screen and figured I might as well try to get that new device now! Like I said, I’m unlucky in the luckiest way because whenever I manage to destroy my devices, I’ve almost always had them fixed for free. There was only one time I had to pay a third party to do the repair. How great is that?

Photo A Day Challenge July 2013

laelene Post in photo blog，Tags: , ,
01 August 2013
0

Hello August! Now that you’re here and I did my first personal photo challenge month, I’m going to theme you. Let’s start with something easy: food! For this month I’ll highlight some of the things I eat and hopefully find that I’m not too unhealthy… in the mean time, let’s review what happened in July!

365great Day 139: fuzzy

laelene Post in 365great，Tags: , , , , , , , ,
31 July 2013
0

Learn more about 365great here.

365great challenge day 139: fuzzyOne of my all-time favorite textures has got to be fuzzy. Fuzzy usually means soft as well, and it’s such a fun thing to stroke, whether the fur on an animal’s back or these super comfy shorts that I got! It ranges from short little fuzzy bits like this or really long shaggy bits like on some rugs or teddy bears. The softness and warmness make it so cozy to snuggle with (and partly why Snuggies are such a fun invention!). What child doesn’t enjoy getting a nice fuzzy stuffed animal to hug and sleep with? I know I certainly did; I had a bear that was the very first gift I ever got upon arriving in the US and I was nearly inseparable from it for years, even bringing it with me to trips to China. Since then I’ve had various pillows and other stuffed animals, all of which I love to touch. It feels so great!

The hunt is on

laelene Post in general blog，Tags: , , , , ,
31 July 2013
2

Man, job hunting this time around is quite challenging! It’s a combination of finding a company in a reasonably close location, looking for a position that’s not quite first job entry-level but isn’t exactly management, and trying to meet my desired price point. Now that Panda and I know where we’ll be located, I’ve had to shift my job search further west out of DC. I’d really rather not commute an hour to hour and a half each way – 30-45 minutes would be ideal. I also want something where I don’t have to start over again, but can pick up in a similar place to where I was when I left my previous job. This is difficult to find because I plan on moving into a different industry and some of the industry-specific skills they require are not part of my skill set. At the same time, I want a salary similar to if not slightly higher than what I had been paid

Adding to those criteria is my desire to work at company that either has immense opportunity to grow or has a cool, laidback work culture. Of course having both would be amazing, but I’d be happy with one or the other. A lot of companies in the region require highly technical skills – a good 75% of listings I’ve seen are for engineers, programmers, and the like. What about someone like me who is tech-savvy despite not having a technical degree? I wish there were more options out there. It seems like I find a ton of very basic administrative assistant type roles or far too complex engineering project management roles. How do I find something in between?!

I’ve definitely come across some promising leads, but boy are they competitive! I’ve gotten a few rejections and I’m still waiting to hear back on some others. I wish it was easier to find the sort of tech companies that I’m interested in, but most of the tech companies out here exist to service government needs and that sort of thing gets highly technical. I’m not in the best location for the type of work I’d like to do, which is really limiting my choices. I originally started looking for positions with opportunities to travel, but now I’ve thrown that out and will just count myself lucky if I do find a position offering that.

And the hunt goes on…

365great Day 138: cake pops

laelene Post in 365great，Tags: , , , ,
30 July 2013
0

Learn more about 365great here.

365great challenge day 138: cake popsI’ve written about them before and they’re worth mentioning again as part of my 365great series – cake pops are an amazing little treat! For awhile I was super obsessed with them and bought them frequently. I’ve since calmed down but I still love them and much of the reason I haven’t had any lately is because I don’t know where they sell them out here! At some point I definitely want to try making my own since those little suckers are rather costly. I love how they don’t dry out the way cupcakes or cakes might and they include a nice chocolate layer instead of icing or frosting (which are a bit on the sweet side, don’t ya think?). They come in such lovely *almost* bite-size pieces yet are super filling so one or two is plenty to fill you up. A more convenient, easier-to-manage dessert item? That’s great!!

Physician’s Formula BB Powder review

laelene Post in reviews，Tags: , , , , , ,
30 July 2013
1

Last month I received that free Physician’s Formula BB Powder and I’ve gotten a chance to try it out a couple of times now. I like the powder concept since I don’t have to worry about leaks or my carry-on liquid limit when flying.

collage of physician's formula bb powder in box, out of box, and bottom

It comes in super shiny packaging and the underside has a bunch of ventilation holes. I wasn’t sure what that was for until I opened up the compact!

collage of physician's formula bb powder open showing powder, mirror, and brush

Turns out there’s a secret compartment underneath for the brush and mirror! Maybe this is standard with all powder makeup items, but I never use them so it was a nice surprise for me. Everything is a nice quality and the compact feels sturdy. The mirror is sometimes hard to get to, since you need to release the clasp but not let it fall back down on its own weight. I’ve found that opening it upside down does the trick.

collage of physician's formula bb powder brush with bb powder

I’ve never used a long flat brush like this, so that was interesting to see. I like how I can get a large area of my face in one swipe, but the edges need to be blurred out so there aren’t lines on my face where the powder was more concentrated. I’ll need to track down a round brush to try in comparison, which I think will help achieve a much more even finish. Still, this little brush gets the job done when you’re out or in a pinch.

As for the coverage, it’s a nice matte evening effect. Not full coverage if you’ve got giant blemishes like me, but it does help minimize the look of them. The powder is great for toning down your oily face with light, natural-looking coverage. Some of the BB creams I’ve tried are not meant for oily faces, so pairing that with the BB powder helps create a more covered look with a matte finish. Shine be gone! It also has SPF 30 coverage, which is pretty high for a beauty product! Definitely great in protecting your face from sun damage AND beautifying the overall look of your skin.

This is going to last me a very long time and I’d definitely consider buying it again when I use it up. I like the convenience and less messy application than a wet cream. The built-in mirror comes in handy at times when you don’t have a mirror to use and I’ve yet to see a cream come with a mirror. If you want full coverage though, I’d recommend pairing this with something else like a foundation or a BB cream. I’m so glad I got to try this for free! Thanks Physician’s Formula for your cool giveaways. 🙂

365great Day 137: dry shampoo

laelene Post in 365great，Tags: , , , , ,
29 July 2013
0

Learn more about 365great here.

365great challenge day 137: dry shampooIt was only last year that I learned of this thing called dry shampoo. I got an aerosol can of it in my Pamper Me Fabulous goodie bag and I was pretty intimidated, so I never tried it. Then I won this Klorane one that is non-aerosol and decided to give it a try. What a strange concept that puffing powder onto my hair and brushing it through would actually help clean it! I guess it helps absorb any greasiness that may have built up. However it works exactly, I am happy to report that it is quite effective and I love it. Such an easy way for me to touch up my hair when I don’t have time to shower before going out. I’m partial to this non-aerosol design, where you basically squeeze the bottle gently to puff out a cloud of powder. Look closely and you can see the puff in the picture. This design allows me to bring it anywhere with me and not worry about it exploding or getting confiscated. Absolutely great!

How to: not waste soap

laelene Post in how to guides，Tags: , , , , , , ,
29 July 2013
0

Don’t you hate when you get those little pieces of a soap bar that you can’t quite use but don’t want to waste? Well, hopefully you do or else you’re probably losing out on a lot of soap uses! So here I’ve compiled some ways that you can make the most of those broken pieces:

collage of various solutions to using up small broken pieces of soap

1. Put in cloth or bag

Fold it into a small facial cloth or cloth baggie, get the cloth/bag wet and then rub! Suds are able to make their way through the porous material and you might even get a better lather than usual. This way you also get some exfoliation out of it and the pieces don’t go down the drain.

2. Insert into loofah

Similar to the cloth, loofahs are great for exfoliation and improving lather, so if you’re into suds, stick those pieces in the center of your loofah and scrub away! It’s ideal if you can actually stuff them into a compartment where they won’t fall out, otherwise you might still struggle with small pieces falling through.

3. Stick to a cap

One of the greatest challenges I find with small pieces of soap is how thin and flimsy it is. I feel like I have nothing to grip on to, so by sticking it onto the cap of something, it gives you something to hold easily. Then just treat it like a tube of lip balm and rub around on your skin. It’s pretty similar to when you used the brand new bar, but of course with less material.

4. Adhere to wall

Ok, this one is probably the strangest suggestion I have, but hey it’s fun and hilarious. If you don’t have a cap to stick your soap to, just press it onto your shower tile. Then rub your hands or fingers on it when you need to use some! You’ll also help clean part of the wall that way… 😉

5. Shake in container

Finally (and probably least effective), you can throw those pieces into a plastic container, add a bit of water, and shake like crazy! You’ll get a watered down soapy mixture you can spray onto yourself if you have a nozzle or pour out to use like a super watery body wash. Alternatively, you can aim to just use the suds that you create as a foam cleanser.

So there you go! Never waste so much soap again with these 5 tips. 😛 It looks like I inadvertently ordered these in approximate from the most effective to the least effective method. Do you have anything to add?

365great Day 136: spring/summer rolls

laelene Post in 365great，Tags: , , , , , , ,
28 July 2013
0

Learn more about 365great here.

365great challenge day 136: spring/summer rollsI had a craving for rolls today, both fried and not. So where did I go? To a Vietnamese place of course! Not only can I get delicious fried spring rolls with crisp lettuce and a sweet sauce, I can also get refreshing summer rolls with fragrant peanut dip. It’s really the best of both worlds with these two types of rolls. Whether hot or cold, sweet or salty, strong flavors or more mild ones, you can take your pick. I enjoy the easy-to-manage shape of rolls – bite off as much as you can on one end without worrying about something flying out the other end (ahem, burgers anyone?) and the round tube shape fits in mouths perfectly! You can get such a variety of flavors with them depending on what you put inside and how you cook them. Such a versatile appetizer is pretty great!

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