Thursday, May 16, 2013

My Genealogy Thursday - 16 May 2013

Some blogging, finalized my presentation, an abortive lunch trip, and the Padres lost.  Drat.

*  Read email and blogs, wrote Treasure Chest Thursday - 1850 U.S. Census Record for Henry White Family and then Survey of Genealogy Database Software Usage and set it for later.

*  Left at 10:45 a.m. for the retiree lunch, but the restaurant was closed.  Saw nobody else...so I went shopping at Office Depot for mailing labels and a new stapler (lost the other one, had it probably 30 years, don't know where).  The smog test place was busy, so came home by 12 noon.

*  Had lunch, then worked on and published Ancestry.com Changes Search Results Page Format.  Posted CVGS Newsletter for May 2013 Published and CVGS Research Group Review for May 2013.

*  Worked on the Blogging presentation for Saturday, added two slides and edited it a bit.  Done (I think).  

*  Wrote a blog post for Friday morning because I have a medical appointment.

*  We left at 4:50 p.m. for the trolley, ate at the Tin Fish, and suffered through a 6-2 Padres loss to Washington.  Drat, we're 2-3, Padres are 18-22.

*  Home by 10:10 p.m. to read, add to the Best Of post, and write this post.

Genealogy today was 7.5 hours.

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

My Genealogy Wednesday - 15 May 2013

This was a pretty typical genealogy Wednesday - a CVGS meeting, some blogging, and some database work.

*  Read email and blogs, wrote (Not So) Wordless Wednesday - Post 256: Grace and Bess at the Lake and then CGSSD Meeting on Saturday, 18 May - Jamie Mayhew on the FamilySearch Wiki and set it for later.  Researched and wrote Finding Isaac Seaver (1823-1901) in Ancestry.com Record Collections and set it for the afternoon.

*  Printed off several articles for Shirley on New York, ate lunch at home, watched a bit of the Padres game (we won 8-4 over Orioles) and went off to the library at 11:30 a.m for the CVGS Computer Group meeting.  We had 11, but no real interesting sites.

*  Home by 2 p.m. to read, then worked with scanned images to get them into the Ancestral Files on my computer.  Found lots of them to do!  

*  Worked in the database adding content and sources for the Hildreths.  Wrote The Genealogy Guys Podcast Celebrates its 250th Episode.

*  Went in for dinner, watched TV news, did my chores (dishes, trash out, laundry) and was online again at 7 p.m.  Worked in the database adding content and sources, and deleted some extraneous people.  

*  Added to the Best Of and NGS posts, checked Facebook and wrote this post.  Google+ and Ancestry changed their face today!

Genealogy today was 10.0 hours.

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

My Genealogy Tuesday - 14 May 2013

It was a stay-at-home Tuesday, with a Padres win, so a pretty good day because I got a significant task completed.

*  Read email and blogs, wrote Tuesday's Tip - Check Out the New York Town Guide for Locality Records.

*  Worked on the Blogging presentation for Saturday for most of the morning and afternoon, breaking only for lunch.  Got it about 95% completed, need a final edit and sanity check.  

*  Researched and wrote Does the MyHeritage Record Detective Find My Isaac Seaver Search Results?  No.

*  Went in at 4 p.m. to watch the Padres game, read the paper, eat dinner and read my book.  Pads won it 3-2 over the Orioles in the 9th inning, scoring two runs.  Now 17-21 on the season.

*  Online at 7 p.m. to read, add to the Best Of and NGS posts, then worked in the database adding sources and content.  Found some obituaries on GenealogyBank that lead to adding about 70 Seaver folks to the database, between the obits, census records, SSDI, and AMTs.

*  Checked Facebook and wrote this post.

Genealogy today was 10.0 hours.

Monday, May 13, 2013

My genealogy Monday - 13 May 2013

I'm back in the daily routine again - did lots of genealogy stuff today, but not sure if I made any progress.

*  Read email and blogs, wrote Amanuensis Monday - Probate Records of Elizabeth (Jenckes) Tefft (1658-1740).

*  Tuned in to DearMYRTLE's Mondays With MYRT Hangout on air, got on the panel again.  Talked a bit about the NGS Conference, and some on Research Note Reports.

*  Took off to Costco for lunch and flowers for Linda for Mother's Day (I know, a day late, but it's the thought that counts).  Got home just before she did, and She liked them.

*  Noted that First Look at Record Detective and Record Extraction Features on MyHeritage posted (written last night).

*  Worked a bit in MyHeritage and then in Geni trying to figure out if the Record Detective thing really works well.  I have many more search results than Detective matches for some people.  I don't know why - the folks should be found.  Was able to match some folks in Geni to extend some of my lines back in time.  I need to do more of that so I can use Geni occasionally.

*  Posted Moorshead Magazines Offers Bundle of Magazines on Special Topics.

*  Worked in the database for quite a while, got through the Co* names and am finally to the Cr* names.  Stopped at 5:15 p.m. to go have dinner, watch TV news and read the paper.

*  Online again at 6:15 p.m. to read, add to the Best Of post, update the compendium post, and then worked in the database adding content and sources.  Deleted some of the Richman unconnected persons and added more Hilperton/Trowbridge citations to the database.  

*  Checked in on Facebook, wrote this post.

Genealogy today was 11.5 hours.

Sunday, May 12, 2013

My genealogy week - 7 to 12 May 2013

We're back from the NGS 2013 Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada.  We had a great time, and pretty much stayed in the Las Vegas Hotel and Casino the whole time, until Saturday night.  You can read about my days in:

Day 0 at the NGS 2013 Conference (7 May 2013)
Day One at the NGS 2013 Conference -- Morning Report (8 May 2013)
*  Day One at the NGS 2013 Conference -- Afternoon Report (8 May 2013)
*  Photos From NGS Day One - Mariachis and Elvis! (8 May 2013)
*  Day Two at the NGS 2013 Conference (9 May 2013)
*  Exhibit Hall Pictures from the NGS 2013 Conference (10 May 2013)
*  Day 3 at the NGS 2013 Conference (10 May 2013)
*  MyHeritage to Announce Record Detective Feature (11 May 2013)
*  More Pictures from the NGS 2013 Conference (11 May 2013)
*  Day 4 at the NGS 2013 Conference (That's all, Folks!) (12 May 2013)


I cover Sunday, 12 May in the Day 4 post, at least up until we got home.

This afternoon I posted Happy Mother's Day 2013 and Best of the Genea-Blogs - 5 to 11 May 2013.

We went to Miguel's in Eastlake for a Mother's Day dinner, and then to Coldstone for an ice cream (which blows my diet, but it was good!0.

We were home by 6, and I updated my NGS 2013 Blog compendium and wrote the Day 4 post, and then wrote a post for Monday morning.

I checked on Facebook, Twitter, and Google Plus, and am ready to sign off and come back in the morning.

Had a computer freeze-up incident today - the mouse froze for awhile until I manually turned off the computer and turned it back on, and it went through the CHKDSK cycle - didn't seem to highlight anything wrong.  I hadn't had it on since Tuesday morning - perhaps I need the McAfee to work its wonders.  I think I'll do more regular backups!

Monday, May 6, 2013

My Genealogy Monday - 6 May 2013

This blog went missing for three nights - the grandgirls came on Friday night and I did no genealogy until the left on Sunday night, other than reading.  I did finish the CVGS Newsletter and the Blogging handout on Sunday, subject to one more edit.

On Monday, it was a fairly full genealogy day until we went to the Padres game.

*  Read email and blogs, wrote Amanuensis Monday - Probate Records of Edward Carr (1669-1712) of Jamestown, R.I. and then Changes to the Evidence Analysis Process Map in GPS and set it for later.

*  Was on the Mondays with Myrt Hangout On Air at 9 a.m., but didn't contribute a lot.  Printed off about half of the NGS syllabus articles I wanted.  Tried to save individual handouts as a PDF but that wasn't allowed.  So I printed off a bunch of them - kind of defeats the pupose of providing a digital handout, I think.  I would rather be able to open an individual handout and print it than have to search through the 70 mb 584 page syllabus and find the talk I want and then print it.  Oh well.

*  Edited the CVGS newsletter and the Blogging handout for SOCCGS and sent the latter to David.  

*  Researched and wrote SuperSearch Matches on MyHeritage.com.  

*  Gathered the CVGS newsletter publishing bag and went off at 2:20 p.m. for the UPS Store and made the 40 copies, mailed 25 of them.  Then to the bank and Rite Aid for a Mother's Day card for Linda and couldn't find a stapler to buy.  Our good stapler has been lost...

*  Checked Facebook, Google+, and printed off the rest of the NGS handouts.  Have a stack over 1.5 inches thick with no staples.  

*  Did some chores, and we packed up and left at 5 p.m. for the Black Angus for dinner, the trolley to Petco, and were in our seats by 6:40 for the 7:10 p.m. Padres game.  Pads won 5-0 over the Marlins.  Now 14-18 overall, 7-8 at home, 7-10 on the road.  We've won 9 of the last 12 to overcome the 5-15 start.  

*  Home by 10:40 p.m. to read, add to the Best Of post, and write this post.

Genealogy today was 9.0 hours.

I will be at NGS 2013 in Las Vegas until we return on Sunday, so this blog will probably be dormant until then.  I will try to have material from NGS on Genea-Musings, assuming I can get wi-0fi in the hotel lobby (it costs like $11 in the room).

Friday, May 3, 2013

My Genealogy Friday - 3 May 2013

It was an all-genealogy day up until dinner time...then Tami and the grandgirls came to visit.

*  Read email and blogs, wrote Follow-Up Friday - Interesting Reader Comments on Genea-Musings Posts.

*  Wrote My Target NGS 2013 Conference Sessions - Thursday, May 9 and two more to finish the week, then wrote two Surname Saturday posts and two other posts for next week.

*  Answered email, and worked on the Woolley family in Massachusetts - found an NEHGR article about the family and sourced the data in my database.

*  Wrote Q&A About MyHeritage Census Records and Record Matches and then the SNGF post because we'll be busy on Saturday with the girls.

*  Read a bit, almost dozed at the keyboard, watered the front yard, started trimming the front lawn but ran out of weed eater cord.  Rats.  

*  Tami called, and we met them at Lolita's for dinner.  Haven't seen the girls for five weeks, seems like they've grown.  Audrey turned 5 last week.

*  Home by 6:30 p.m. to play with the girls, got them set up with the TV, then watched the Padres game.  Got Lolo into the shower, and both ready for bed at 8:30 p.m.  Two books, four strawberries, one bandaid, two potty calls, some singing and talking, and they finally passed out before 10.  

*  Pads won 7-6 over D-backs, now 12-17, 6-7 at home, 6-10 on the road.  Checked email, blogs, Facebook while watching the end of the game.  Wrote this post.

Genealogy today was 7.0 hours.

Thursday, May 2, 2013

My Genealogy Thursday - 2 May 2013

Second day of May - it hit 96 F here on my weather station in Chula Vista.  Stayed home and worked on genealogy.

*  Read email and blogs, wrote Treasure Chest Thursday - 1870 U.S. Census Record for Henry White Family and one for next week also.

*  Worked in MyHeritage for quite a while - got the S-L tree synced to the second MH site, and tried to restore the big tree in FTB with no success.  

*  Wrote My Target NGS 2013 Conference Sessions - Wednesday, 8 May and went in for lunch and watched the Padres game.  We won 4-2 over the Cubs, so now 11-17.

*  Online at 2 p.m., Wrote three blog posts on http://cvgencafe.blogspot.com and posted one as CVGS Program Summary - "Searching Ancestry.com Effectively."

*  Answered email, checked Facebook, read the new online book, and called for dinner.  Watched the news until 6, did my chores, and back online.

*  Online at 6:15 p.m. to read, add to the Best Of post, and worked on the CVGS Newsletter.  90% done - just need the May program article.

*  Checked Facebook and Google+, watched one of Tanner's webcasts, and worked on Seaver in the Michigan Death Certs (got through #40 of 124).  Added sources and content.

*  Wrote this post.  Genealogy today was 11.0 hours.

Wednesday, May 1, 2013

My Genealogy Wednesday - 1 May 2013

The first of May.  I backed up some files last night to the external drive, and will do more tonight.

*  Read email and blogs, then wrote (Not So) Wordless Wednesday - Post 254: Devier J. Smith in Concordia, Kansas, 1885 and another one for next week.

*  Got the MyHeritage news notice about the census records, and wrote MyHeritage Adds 1790 to 1930 United States Census Records.  Worked in MyHeritage to gather screens for the next post.

*  Had lunch, left at 11:30 a.m. for the bank and the library for the CVGS Board meeting.  Left at 2:15 p.m.

*  Home by 2:30 p.m. to read, then wrote Using MyHeritage Record Matches for 1900 U.S. Census Records.

*  Checked Facebook and Google+ and answered some email.  

*  Went in at 5 p.m. to watch the Padres game, eat dinner, read the paper and my book, and did my chores.  Pads lost 6-2 to the Cubs, so now 10-17.

*  Online at 8 p.m. to read, add to the Best Of post, and then started the May CVGS Newsletter.  Got two pages done, and need to do more tomorrow.

*  Fiddled around in MyHeritage.  Decided to dump my "new" database because it caused problems.  Tried to create a new project and sync it to the existing big tree on MyHeritage and the damn thing wouldn't work.  No clue what to do.  Read the manual and it didn't help much.  Shoot. Wasted 45 minutes.  

*  Wrote this post.  Genealogy today was 9.0 hours.

Tuesday, April 30, 2013

My Genealogy Tuesday - 30 April 2013

Four months gone in 2013, eight more months to go.  The baseball season is young, and hope springs eternal.  The NGS and SCGS conferences are looming, and our Legacy cruise in September sounds like a lot of fun.  The genealogy work is not done...but I keep pecking away at it.

*  Read email and blogs, then wrote Tombstone Tuesday - Stephen and Tabitha (Randolph) Cutter in Woodbridge, New Jersey, then wrote NGS 2013 Conference News - Syllabus is Available to Download, and set it for later.

*  Spent several hours reading the syllabus.  Lots of methodology talks by very experienced lecturers.  Should have spent some time working on my two May presentations!

*  After lunch and a mile walk, worked a bit in MyHeritage Photos and syncing and think I figured it out.  Wrote Family Tree Builder 7.0 Software Synchronization with MyHeritage Family Tree - Post 3.

*  Did 20 matches in Michigan Death Index, 1921-1952 for Seaver folks, adding content and sources.  

*  Went in at 5 p.m. to watch the Padres game, eat dinner, read the paper, and read my Lee Child book.  Pads won 13-6 over Cubs in 3.5 hours...best game of the year!  Now 10-16.

*  Online again at 8:40 p.m. to read, add to the Best Of post, and worked in NewspaperARCHIVE on MyHeritage confirming and rejecting matches.  Added several obituaries to the database notes.  

*  Checked Facebook, and wrote this post.

Genealogy today was 9.0 hours.

Here are the numbers from my RootsMagic database as of 30 April (with increases in the numbers from 31 March 2013 in parentheses):

* 41,634 persons (+51)
* 16,610 families  (+22)
* 120,703 events  (+682)
* 6,363 places  (+65)
* 894 sources (+10)
* 40,841 citations (+1,224)

*  407 Multi-media Items (+ 4)

*  1,291 Multimedia links (+ 13)

 I'm up to 33.84% (+0.83%) for citations/events and 98.10% (+2.83%) for citations/persons.

Genea-Musings statistics for March as of 30 April  (compared to March stats as of 31 March 2013):

* 1,166 Feedburner subs for Genea-Musings (email) readers (+52)
*  39 Feedburner subs for The Geneaholic (email) readers (-1)

* 1,687 Google Reader readers for Genea-Musings (+39)
*  Genea-Musings traffic rank:  Worldwide: 287,402; US:  79,072 (Alexa)
* 111,855 page views (3,728 per day, Blogger Stats, +699)
* 23,990 web page visits (800 per day, Site-meter) (-50)
* 39,851 42,256 page views (1,328 per day, Site-meter) (-35)