Random Tabs 3

It's time for another tab dump.  If you are having a boring Monday, this might help you work your way into the groove for a few hours.  If not hang on and save them for when they are needed later this week ;)

Today is the last day to end your boredom with a Humble Indie Bundle.  Since I posted about it last time (sorry about the way that page looked, I didn't realize it was all weird until much later), they've added the second Humble bundle, two other games, and a free trial of Minecraft.  Definitely the kind of stuff that will take care of a boring Monday, although it won't help one ounce with productivity, unless you go in for that theory that gaming expands the mind to increase concentration and that a little bit of productive time spent in distraction creates a greater overall production upon it's return.

While I didn't get the Hogwarts/Harry Potter birthday I had thought about a couple months ago I did finally get to go see the movie, and it's been decided that my oldest daughter just might be ready to tackle the first book, either way I still have lots of opportunity to try out this cake.  Just pair it with a pumpkin juice recipe (there are loads, even some free ones for the Kindle - search for Harry Potter recipes ) and you've got a festive magical dessert at the least!  Here's a pic, if you don't want to read through lengthy blog.

Gotta love how each layer is a different house's scarf!  The rustic finish, just makes it feel like something that would actually be served, although if you were doing it for a birthday you could finish it however you would like.  Or for a simpler cake, just make one house - I'm a bit partial to the blue and bronze myself!

As a migraine sufferer.... and I've been through the cycles of meds as well as the home remedies.  Nothing gets rid of migraines, and my biggest trigger - florescent lights, including CFLs - OH PLEASE LED MANUFACTURERS, STEP IT UP, MY SANITY BEGS YOU!  Hey, I'm all for saving the environment!  I have a degree in wildlife management, not because I hunt, but because I care about our wild places and the world the future will inherit (although if you have some extra meat and not enough freezer...... just sayin')  Anyway, I think getting rid of nasty power sucking incandescents is marvelous!  I just wish it wasn't CFLs waving the intro banner.  Getting through classes with florescent lighting in classrooms all my life was bad enough.  Thankfully, some of my professors shared my pain and we used more and more hallogens.  Ah well.  Need a bit more info on just how debilitating this genetic affliction is?  Check out PBS's 5 things to know!

Want to know some more about me, and people like me?  What do you know about introverts?  Are you one?  Do you believe any of these 10 myths?  Boy, I did!  I'm really thinking about snagging that book, by Dr. Marti Laney.  In fact her website is worth checking out too.   I've known my whole life that I'm an introvert.  My oldest daughter is very clearly an introvert, and it's probable my middle child is as well.  That doesn't mean we are hermits, in fact my middle child was the front page of our local newspaper for an event we attended just last weekend.  I will say that the majority of us, love our time at home, in the quiet with a good book though.

Speaking of good books:  The new Dresden novel by Jim Butcher came out.  Not that I'm that far through the series, but I will be soon.  Never met Harry Dresden, Chicago's resident wizard private investigator and savior from the paranormal?  Well that's a big shame because it's really a good adult read!  Jim Butcher writes so well that there is no good place to stop once you open the book, so be warned, you may want to set aside an evening (or over night) to plow through the story and Mr. Butcher does his best to kill his leading man with the fate of humanity riding along for the bargain!  Also according facebook ads, his wife is also quite the talented writer.  I may be adding her books to my queue as well!

If you want something to listen to with the kids, or on the drive (love a good audiobook for a long car ride), here's a chance to snag all of the Chronicles of Narnia books as read by Chrissi Hart of Under the Grapevine.  I don't really know much about her, but she has a wonderful British accent and steady reading voice.  If you can't get the all star readers from the Harper's audio (Patrick Stewart and Kenneth Branagh each take a book), I'd definitely load these! - they are broken up in to podcasts of two chapters or so each, so there are 100 files.  Make sure you don't have much to do, or set them to download overnight.

I think that wraps up the random tabs for now.  I'm sure I'll have more later.  Enjoy your Monday!