Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Genealogy Journal - 09/30/08

September is over already? It seems like it started just awhile ago. I'm not sure that I made any progress on my goals for the month, other than completing and giving the CGSSD presentation.

This was almost a total genealogy day. I read email, read blogs, and posted My Genetealogy Dilemma - Blaine kindly responds and I Read about Benjamin Franklin Seaver in the Newspapers on Genea-Musings. Then it was off to Facebook, email to CVGS members, and two posts on the Chula Vista Genealogy Cafe blog about the CVGS Research Trip to the SDGS Library on Saturday and Genealogy Days in Chula Vista for October 2008. I spent some time on the Randy's Busy Life blog posting funnies and my last Padres update.

After lunch, I went onto www.GeneTree.com and explored the information about mitochondrial DNA. My sample has been analyzed, and I posted about it in My mtDNA is in the K Haplogroup. I put together a short presentation with screen shots to support future blog posts. I worked on my ProGen homework assignment - finding the time wasters over two weeks of logging time. Finally, I noticed that the Everton Publishers Genealogy Blog is back from digital hell.

I went in to read the paper, watch TV, eat dinner, water the front plants and back yard. At 6:30, I came back and decided to work on Project M. I called Ed, and he has not read the email I sent him 13 days ago - I forgot to call him about it. I had some census records to add to his database, so I did that, and then went off to find more census records for his ancestral families. Then I wrote this post and I'm done for the night, I think.

Genealogy today was 10.0 hours - 0.5 hour doing email, 1.0 hour reading blogs, 2.0 hours writing blog posts, 0.5 hour on Facebook, 2.5 hours doing ProGen homework, 1.0 hour on GeneTree, and 2.5 hours working on Project M.

Monday, September 29, 2008

Genealogy Journal - 09/29/08

There was plenty of family history made over the last five days when I was in Santa Cruz taking care of my grandsons (yep, chauffeur, cook, bottle washer, sweeper, pitcher, disciplinarian, boy-hugger, kid-swinger, bath-master, book reader, TV nazi, etc.). I will always remember the naked car washers, the Chinese food dining experience, chasing little boys around the park, and being Grandpa Monster. Not much genealogy, but it wasn't a genealogy trip. By the way, my daughter and son-in-law really enjoyed their weekend in Portland.

I was back home to the Genea-Cave by 4 p.m. (the plane was on time, but Linda had a dead battery) and read my email and blogs (fortunately, I read email and blogs in Santa Cruz - I got about an hour each day after the boys went to bed), then we had dinner and I read the paper and watched Tv for awhile. When I came back in at 6:30, I wrote the Best of the Genea-Blogs post and the Genea-bloggers Gnome paid me a visit too. I emailed my CVGS board with the meeting agenda and the members with the SDGS Library Research Trip news. I answered several emails too - many more left to respond to.

That was about it for the evening, although I did check Facebook and posted the I'm Fed Up video.

Genealogy today was all of 4.5 hours - 1.0 hour doing email, 1.0 hour reading blogs, 1.5 hour writing blog posts, 0.5 hour on CVGS activities, and 0.5 hour on Facebook.

Tomorrow should be an all-genealogy day - maybe I can catch up on my email, get my ProGen work done, and blog about interesting things.

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Genealogy Journal - 09/24/08

This was our CVGS program day, so that dominated my genealogy activities.

After reading email and blogs, I posted Who's Number 107? about genealogy web sites, thanks to Sean. I had to work on the CVGS flyers and meeting agenda, so I did that before checking Facebook. Then I was off to the UPS store for copies, the bank, the pharmacy, the post office box and the library - I got there at 11:45 and was able to be ready to greet when the door opened at 12 noon. We had our business meeting, and then Tom Underhill's talk on Internet Safety. I was home by 2:45.

I read email, blogs and Facebook, then wrote posts on Genea-Musings about Family Photographs and Getting to know me. Then I wrote about Tom Underhill's talk on the CV Genealogy Cafe blog. It was almost dinner time, so we ate out on the patio, I read the paper, watched TV, watered the back yard and the front plants while Linda did her email up until the start of the Padres game.

During the game, I checked my email and received the list of attendees at the CGSSD CG101 class, so I emailed the syllabus to those people. I also printed out my boarding pass on Southwest for tomorrow. After the game, I talked to Lori for awhile, and read email and blogs, then wrote my NFL picks post and this post, and I'm done.

Genealogy today was 8.5 hours - 1.0 hour doing email, 1.0 hour reading blogs, 2.0 hours writing blog posts, 4.0 hours on CVGS activities, 0.5 hour on Facebook. I read 79 emails and 126 blog posts today.

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Genealogy Journal - 09/23/08

It was a pretty good blogging day - this makes 9 posts, I think. I also got my CG101 syllabus finished and sent off.

I read my emails and blogs, then went off searching for blog fodder. I looked first on Geneanet, but got frustrated by the site. I finally wrote a post about the GeneaFreelancers.com web site, which sounds like an interesting opportunity for seekers and specialists. Then I finished the editing of my CG101 syllabus, made it into a PDF and emailed it to the CGSSD folks. I remembered that I hadn't posted about the CVGS meeting on the Chula Vista Genealogy Cafe blog, so I did that and added another indexing post too. Then I put four posts on Randy's Busy Life just for good measure (and to reduce my email Inbox stack). I ate lunch, then filled out all of the genealogy cruise forms and made our hotel reservation in San Juan.

After reading blogs, I posted about a DNA question at the CGSSD meeting, hoping someone would give me a good answer (Blaine did, later in the evening). I decided to burn off more of my email Inbox, so I did that for over an hour. I wrote some draft blog posts for the weekend, too. After reading email and blogs again, and Facebook too, I went out front and picked weeds until dinner time. After dinner, I cut the front lawn, and came back to read email and blogs before I watched the Padres game (they lost 10-1 to the Dodgers, and it wasn't really that close). After the game, I read email and blogs, then wrote this post.

Genealogy today was 8.0 hours - 1.5 hours doing email, 0.5 hour reading blogs, 2.5 hours writing blog posts, 1.5 hour on the CG101 syllabus, 1.0 hour on the genealogy cruise stuff, 0.5 hour on Facebook, and 0.5 hour working on Geneanet. I counted the emails I read (110) and the blog posts (110) on Bloglines today.

Monday, September 22, 2008

Genealogy Journal - 09/22/08

I did very little besides reading and blogging today due to external circumstances partially out of my control.

I read my email and blogs this morning, then posted about the CVGS meeting on Wednesday. I got ready to go out, and had an appointment at 9 a.m. at Goodrich, my former employer, to help them with a technical issue that I'm familiar with. It was good to see people, although the names didn't come rapidly to my memory. They took me to lunch, and then I went to the library at 12:45 for Table Talk, and I indexed about 40 pages of the book I'm putting on the CV Genealogy Cafe blog. Then I went to the floor store and ordered 200 square feet of laminate wood flooring for our bedroom project - it will come on Wednesday, we hope. I was home at 2:45 p.m. and found that Linda had fallen and hurt her knee and was at the Urgent Care getting X-rays.

I read email and blogs, then posted FamilyLink.com responds to my rant. Linda came home hurting, and I went off to the store for groceries and to Lolita's for takeout. When I got home, we ate dinner and watched the Chargers game (we won 49-28 over the Jets). The doctor called and told Linda to see her orthopedic doctor for recommendations. She has bruises and scratches from going down on the replaced right knee, and may have damaged the device.

After the game, I read email, blogs and Facebook, and then posted Family Tree and Social Network sites out the wazoo. Then I figured I'd done enough damage, so I wrote this post before shutting down for the night.

Genealogy today was maybe 4.0 hours - 0.5 hour doing email, 0.5 hour reading blogs, 0.5 hour on Facebook, 1.5 hours writing blog posts, and 1.0 hour on CVGS activities.

Sunday, September 21, 2008

Genealogy Journal - 09/21/08

It was just another typical Sunday here at the Genea-Cave. Well, except for the fact we had the girlies here and I didn't go to church and the Padres actually won and the Chargers didn't lose (they play on Monday this week!).

I had a good night's sleep after my rantings yesterday, and was up at 7:15, read the paper, ate breakfast, and got Audrey up when she cried out. We got her fed and diaper changed, then she spewed all over my sleep shirt so I went in and took my shower. Tami was still asleep, so Audrey and I watched Disney Channel while Linda went to church. Before long, Audrey squirted loudly and her diaper didn't hold it - I got all gooey and it took awhile to clean us both up. I love being a grandfather! Tami got up, fed her again, and put her down for a nap at 9:15, so I came in and got started on my genealogy day by reading email and blogs, then posted The Best of the Genea-Blogs for the week.

At 10:30, I came in to watch the Padres game. Audrey woke up at 11, and Tami fed her and dressed her and packed up to go home. They left to pick up Lolo and have lunch. I read the paper and watched my Padres win - then watched some of the Denver-Saints game. Linda came home and made a quesadilla for lunch, and I took a short nap. At 2:30, I came back and read email and blogs and Facebook, then settled down to polish up the syllabus for my CG101 presentation. I decided to just copy the text from OpenOffice Impress to OpenOffice Text, and edited it for consistency. Some of the text didn't come across, so I had to copy and paste from the slides. I almost finished it, but at 4 we had to leave for dinner with friends and then a play at Lamb's Players Theater in Coronado - A Light in the Piazza. It was a semi-opera half in Italian, and we couldn't understand most of the dialogue or lyrics - the orchestra was too loud (our seats are off to the side). I couldn't wait to get home - the most redeeming feature was that it wasn't longer.

We were home by 8:45, so I read email and blogs, checked Facebook, wrote a post about the new FTMUser blog, and then wrote this post. I won't have much time on Monday for genealogy - I have to go into Goodrich for a conference (they want me to come back as a contractor - I don't want to, so this is a brainpicking session), then to the library for the Table Talk, and then the Chargers-Jets play at 5:30 on ESPN. I'm guessing 34-31 Chargers (hope springs eternal, eh?).

Genealogy today was 4.5 hours - 0.5 hour doing email, 0.5 hour reading blogs, 0.5 hour on Facebook, 1.5 hours writing blog posts, and 1.5 hours doing the CG101 syllabus.

Saturday, September 20, 2008

Genealogy Journal - 09/20/08

I can never sleep well the night before I make a presentation. I often dream about the presentation and when I wake up I sometimes practice parts of it when I can't go back to sleep. Such was the case last night, and I'm tired tonight. And cranky. But I loved making family history with Audrey (5 months old) today.

I was up, fed and dressed by 7:45, so I was able to check my email and read blogs before I left at 8:10 for the CGSSD meeting. I was there by 8:45, and got setup as people trickled in for the 9 a.m. start. I set my "Genealogy is Fun(ny)!" presentation off at about 8:55 and folks watched it until we started the real class on "Computer Genealogy 101" at 9:10. I had 93 slides, and got through almost all of them by 10:15, when we broke for refreshments. There were "only" 17 attendees for my talk, which was disappointing. I put my laptop and things away, had a bite to eat, and came back for the DNA talk by Barbara Gosink. It was entertaining and informative - easily one of the best talks I've heard on the subject. I promised to send the CGSSD email list a PDF of all of my links from the talk so that they didn't have to write down the links as I quickly went through them. The folks didn't invite me to lunch, so I came home and ate my salami, choc chip cookies and seedless grapes. Sour grapes?

I no sooner got online reading emails and blogs and Facebook than Audrey woke up from her short nap and I fed her, changed her and put her back down at 1:45. She slept for three hours - grandpa has the magic touch! I was able to write the blog post about the CGSSD meeting before Linda brought Lolo home from swimming, and I spent much of the next two hours with Lolo trying to get her to nap. I didn't get one, she didn't either. Then Audrey woke up, and Tami and Linda took Lolo to drop her off at Abbie's house, and they went to get their nails done. Audrey and I watched the Padres game and communicated with each other (she's a great smiler, now) until 6:15 when they called to meet us at Panera for dinner. I got Audrey in the car seat and off we went for dinner. We brought Audrey home at 8:30, got her a bath, put her in her nightie and put her down after 9.

I read email, read blogs and checked Facebook, and decided that I had done enough genealogy today - and made some family history too.

Genealogy today was 6.0 hours - 0.5 hour doing email, 0.5 hour reading blogs, 0.5 hour on Facebook, 1.0 hour writing blog posts and 3.5 hours at CGSSD (not counting the driving). That's it.

Friday, September 19, 2008

Genealogy Journal - 09/19/08

A typical genealogy Friday for me - do some blogging, do some research, go for a walk in the park, take my wife out to dinner, etc. Oh, Tami, Audrey and Lolo came for the weekend too - a treat for grandma and grandpa.

I was up early, read my email and blogs and edited and added to my CG101 presentation some more - final edit. I practiced most of it, too. After getting dressed, I posted Advice: Check your local library's databases! with the article I found last night on the CVPL site. I checked Facebook, then tried to upload a database to FamilyHistoryLink and got frustrated. So I ate lunch, went to the bank, and walked on the bayfront with George. I was home by 1 p.m.

Still frustrated by FHL and WVR, I posted FamilyLink.com Rantings about my experiences. I felt better...so I made sure my laptop was charged up and transferred the CG101 presentation to the flash drive and laptop in both OO and PPT formats. I posted the Family Tree Magazine table of contents with some comments. I checked some Project M names, and some Project T names, on WVR, Ancestry and NewspaperARCHIVE, before going in to watch the Padres game at 4:30. We left at 5:15 to meet Tami and her girls for dinner at Cheesecake Factory, then took Audrey with us to buy baby formula and bottles, and got home at 8:30. I put Audrey down, and watched the Padres game until they won in 14 innings. Tami and Lolo had come home by then, so I helped with Lolo get ready for bed. Finally, I read email and blogs, then wrote this post.

Genealogy today - 7.5 hours - 0.5 hour doing email, 0.5 hour reading blogs, 1.5 hours writing blog posts, 2.5 hours on the CG101 presentation, 1.0 hour on research projects, 1.0 hour messing around with WVR/FHL, and 0.5 hour on Facebook.

Thursday, September 18, 2008

Genealogy Journal - 09/18/08

Thursday was not the typical genealogy day - well, other than blogging a lot, I guess!

After reading my email and blogs, I posted about the Ten Essential Books carnival, then I watched some videos on RootsTV and posted about FamilySearch Indexing and digitizing. I read about the Homestead records on Footnote, but had to go to Home Depot for material and to Jimmy's Restaurant for lunch with my Rohr Engineers Retirees group. I was home just after 1 pm.

I posted about the Footnote Homestead records - adding more info than was in the press release. I checked email, blogs and Facebook, then worked a bit on my CG101 presentation. I added three posts to the Chula Vista Genealogy Cafe blog, and played with FamilyLink, Geni and WebTree for awhile, seeing how input compares with Footnote Pages. I was dozing at 3:30, so I went in for a nap, read the paper, watch TV, eat dinner, and water the plants.

I came back to the computer at 6:15, and found I could download the September issue of Everton's Genie Helper through my WVR subscription, so I read that for awhile. At 7, I got involved in the TGSG chat with four others about a Donn Devine article in NGSQ about DNA research. That ended at 8:15, and I found that I could access the Newsbank site for 20 newspapers plus the Chula Vista Star-News through my CVPL library card. I found and printed an article about my mother's baby shower - for me! I read my email and blogs, then posted this blog.

Genealogy today was 8.0 hours -- 0.5 hour doing email, 0.5 hour reading blogs, 2.0 hours writing blog posts, 0.5 hour on Facebook, 0.5 hour on RootsTV, 0.5 hour reading EGH, 0.5 hour on Footnote, 1.0 hour working on CG101, 1.5 hour on the TGSG chat, and 0.5 hour on shared family tree sites.

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Genealogy Journal - 09/17/08

I had hoped to make some progress today on my CG101 presentation and on my Project M, plus write some blog posts and go to the library for awhile.

After reading email and blogs, I posted Family Photographs - Post 23: Lyle Carringer Family in 1919 and then Using Family Tree Maker - Post 26: Web Search V. I read my blogs again, and posted about the Sternberg Family Tree Wallpaper - I think it's great! I also added 7 posts on the Randy's Busy Life blog. Enough blogging - check in on Facebook, then went to lunch, the post office box, and the library. Our computer group started at 12 noon - only 9 were there. I showed some Footnote Pages, and we worked in Rootsweb a bit. I checked the newspaper databases available on the library web site. I was home by 2 p.m.

I wrote an email to the CVGS list, read email and blogs, and worked on my CG101 presentation some more, editing pages and added several more. At 5 p.m., I went in to watch TV, read the paper, eat dinner, and talk to Linda and my contractor. I came back at 6:30, read email, blogs and Facebook, then wrote about the CGSSD meeting on Saturday (my presentation). I updated my Project M database, then sent my sample letter and two genealogy reports to Ed for his review. I worked on Ancestry to get more census records for Ed's ancestral families, and had pretty good luck! Finally, email, blogs and this post.

Genealogy today was 9.5 hours - 0.5 hour doing email, 0.5 hour reading blogs, 0.5 hour on Facebook, 1.5 hours writing blog posts, 2.0 hours on the CG101 presentation, 2.0 hours at the CVGS computer group, and 2.5 hours on Project M.

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Genealogy Journal - 09/16/08

I'll be so glad when the baseball season is over - I'll have more time to do some
actual research. I stayed home today and made some progress on my presentation for Saturday.

After reading emails and blogs, I added two more Footnote Pages and then posted Searching for Fred on Footnote and Adding a Foster Relationship in FTM 2008. I downloaded several NGSQ issues and printed off the articles I need for the TGSG chat on Thursday. Then I spent several hours working on my Computer Genealogy 101 presentation for Saturday. Nothing like the last minute, eh? After lunch, I worked more on the CG101, did a little research on Project M, checked email, blogs and Facebook, and at 3:45 I went in to watch TV, read the paper, take a nap, eat dinner, watch the Padres game and water the front plants.

After the game, I came back to the computer at 8:30 and checked email and blogs, then wrote about US City Directories . I need to add the web site to my CG101 presentation. I saw a blog post about the California Digital Newspaper Collection and visited it too - another candidate for the CG101 presentation. Then this post and I'm done for the night.

Genealogy today was 9.0 hours - 0.5 hour doing email, 0.5 hour reading blogs, 0.5 hour on Facebook, 2.0 hours writing blog posts, 3.0 hours on the CG101 presentation, 0.5 hour on TGSG, 1.0 hour looking at web sites, 0.5 hour on Footnote Pages, and 0.5 hour on Project M research.

Monday, September 15, 2008

Genealogy Journal - 09/15/08

This was a pretty typical Monday in the Genea-Cave - some reading, some blogging, some research, some presentation preparation.

After reading email and blogs, I posted about the 5th Smile for the Camera Carnival and Kenyatta Berry's request for bloggers and writers. I answered some emails related to CVGS - programs and queries., and some from blog correspondents. Before lunch, I wrote about the Essential books in my genealogy library. After lunch, I went off to the CV library for the weekly Table Talk. I managed to index A-C in Volume 2 of the book I'm working on.

I was home by 2:15, and worked on the Computer Genealogy 101 presentation for Saturday. I made good progress, but I'm not done. I stopped at 5:15 to go watch TV, eat dinner, water the yard, watch the Padres game and read the paper.

I was back on the computer by 8:30, reading email and blogs, and did some research on Project M looking for wills and deeds, both historical and current. Not much luck with online resources! Then I wrote this post, and am done for the night.

Genealogy today was 9.0 hours - 0.5 hour doing email, 0.5 hour reading blogs, 1.5 hour writing blog posts, 2.5 hours on CVGS activities, 3.0 hours on the CGSSD presentation, and 1.0 hour on Project M research.

Sunday, September 14, 2008

Genealogy Journal - 09/14/08

Just another typical fall Sunday - go to church, watch football and baseball, blog a little, do a little research, and read a lot.

I read my email and blogs before going to the 8:45 service - I was home by 10:00. I researched and wrote the weekly Best of the Genea-Blogs then worked on Project M for awhile. At 1 p.m., I went in to watch the Chargers game against Denver. If they would play a whole game, they would win them all. They really played only three quarters and still scored 38 points. Then the Padres lost to the Giants 8-6 to make it a terrible weekend for SD major sports teams (0-5). Even half the high school teams lost. After the game, I helped Linda empty her car trunk, then we had dinner and I watered the front plants.

Ed called at 6:15, and we talked for awhile. I came back to the computer at 6:45 and read email and blogs, posted about the SDGS meeting on Saturday, then worked on Project M some more, answered some advice emails about Project M, and checked Facebook. Finally, this post and I'm going to go to bed early tonight, I think.

Genealogy today was 6.0 hours - 0.5 hour doing email, 0.5 hour reading blogs, 0.5 hour on Facebook, 2.0 hours writing blog posts, and 2.5 hours on Project M.

Saturday, September 13, 2008

Genealogy Journal - 09/13/08

This was a genealogy day only because I went to two places for genealogy activities, and posted two blogs, and read a bit, but not much else.

After reading email and blogs, I posted Passed Away on Genea-Musings, and then the King and Queen post based on Megan's Ancestry mag article. I packed up and left at 9:30 for the Stein Farm - took the tour and sat at the table but nobody even stopped by except for the other genealogy folks there. A waste of time, but an interesting farm. I left at 11:30 for the SDGS meeting, where I had seminar handouts and made a brief announcement. After the speaker and refreshments, I was on a panel of 5 to answer questions from the audience. Taking notes really helps, I find, as I wait to say something intelligent that somebody else hasn't already said. I kind of like going last.

I was home by 3, and read email, blogs and Facebook, but was tired and went in to read the paper, watch TV and take a nap. At 5, we left for the Padres game, ate at The Tin Fish downtown, and was home by 10:30. Read email and blogs, then this post and I'm done.

Genealogy today was 6.5 hours - 0.5 hour reading email, 0.5 hour reading blogs, 1.0 hour writing blogs, 0.5 hour on Facebook, 1.5 hours at Stein Farm, and 2.5 hours at the SDGS meeting.

Friday, September 12, 2008

Genealogy Journal - 09/12/08

This was going to be a full genealogy day, but life intervened.

I had to take care of Lolo until 9:45 a.m., when she went off with her friend's father. I quickly checked email and read blogs before my contractor came to work, and then posted about Anne (Dudley) Bradstreet - one of my great-great-ancestors. I had several phone calls, including one from my friend Ed who is looking for information on his father. I went through several people-finder web sites and got addresses and phone numbers for likely half-siblings of Ed. I also found several more obituaries and a wedding announcement of probable family members using Google News Archive Search. After lunch, I posted about the CVGS Research Group meeting on Wednesday. At the Research Group meeting, Bob T asked about resources for Hungary, so I found some for him and emailed them to him.

Then I had to go off to the bank, the library, and Home Depot to buy more stuff for the back bedroom refurbishment, plus new closet doors for the master bedroom. I didn't get back until after 4:30. Linda and I left for dinner at 5:30 and got home at 7:15. While I watched the Padres game, I printed off about 60 copies of the October seminar flyer to pass out on Saturday at the SDGS meeting. Finally, at 9:45 p.m., I came back and read email and blogs, checked in on Facebook, and wrote I need advice... the best way to contact living relatives. Then this post, and I'm done for the night.

Genealogy today was 5.0 hours - 0.5 hour doing email, 0.5 hour reading blogs, 1.0 hour writing blog posts, 2.0 hours searching for Ed's half-siblings, 0.5 hour on Facebook, and 0.5 hour looking for information for my CVGS colleague.

Thursday, September 11, 2008

Genealogy Journal - 09/11/08

I almost wrote something about 9/11 but got too busy to really think about it and write something meaningful. Next year, maybe! Other than blogging a bit, and working in footnote, I didn't do much genealogy work today.

I had to go to the medical center this morning for lab tests before my doctors appointment next week. I was home by 8, had breakfast, and worked for an hour and a half emptying out the guest bedroom for painting, ceiling scraping and cleaning. Finally at 9:30 I started reading my email and Bloglines, then Facebook, and updated my Footnote post from the night before. I loaded FTM 2008 and worked on Using FTM 2008 - Post 25: Web Search IV about using Web Clipping to put information from the web into my database. I worked a bit more with FTM 2008 to transfer images from the Web Search to the Media collection. A nice lady from WorldVitalRecords called to ask if I was reading their newsletter - I told her that somehow it had stopped coming via email, and I couldn't find their archive on their web site. I'm afraid she got an earful from me and didn't deserve it. She promised to put me back on the email list (and it came tonight). I posted 100 Awesome Blogs for History Junkies because I was on it. There are some good ones in other categories too. Lunch time... I stayed home and ate in my Cave.

I worked awhile on Footnote, creating four Footnote Pages for my parents and maternal grandparents. Then I wrote about my thoughts on Footnote at this point in time. I'm ambivalent - I like the "seeding" using the SSDI records, but the process to create a page is fairly cumbersome, the web site is really slow, and navigation between people is almost non-existent. There are no family tree ties like most other social networking sites. Linda and Lolo came home at 2:30, and I played with Lolo for awhile, then was able to read email, blogs and Facebook before we packed up and headed off to dinner at Rubio's and the trolley for the Padres game. Lolo was a trooper - charmed everyone, ate a lot of junk food, sang "Take me out to the ballgame" several times, and really liked the fireworks after the home runs. We left after 7 innings, and were home by 10. After Lolo went down at 10:20, I read email and blogs, then wrote this post.

Genealogy today was only 4.5 hours - 0.5 hour doing email, 0.5 hour reading blogs, 0.5 hour on Facebook, 1.5 hours writing blog posts, 0.5 hour in FTM 2008, and 1.0 hour on Footnote.com making Footnote Pages.

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Genealogy Journal - 09/10/08

I had some non-genealogy stuff to do today as we continue to work on the house. I was able to blog a bit, lead the Research Group, and check out Footnote Pages. Then the Dodgers spoiled the day for me by beating my forlorn Padres. Having a daily time log (for my ProGen assignment) is really useful in remembering what I did!

I read my email and blogs, then wondered what to blog about. I wrote Getting Images from Google News, but found that very few images were on Google News Archive itself - almost all are on the subscription sites linked by Google News Archive. I also posted about the FTM 2009 invitation. Then I had to get ready to go out, and went to Home Depot to buy paint. I forgot to take the previous can with the custom paint formula. I was home by 11, gathered my CVGS material, and left at 11:20 for McDonalds, then the post office, and the library by noon. We had 14 at our Research Group meeting and had a good discussion. Everybody got to share - there was very little duplication of topics or localities - amazing! I was home by 2, grabbed the errant empty paint can, and went back to Home Depot to buy two more cans of paint. I was home by 3, and my contractor had the back bedroom started. He got up to all of the bookcases and stuff - my assignment for tonight, I fear!

I quickly posted about Saturday's SDGS meeting on Genea-Musings, sent the Genealogy News email to the CVGS list, then posted the Genealogy News and Research Group Summary on the Chula Vista Genealogy Cafe blog. I checked Facebook, posted a Note there about the CVGC posts, checked email, and posted the Footnote press release and my reaction to it. At 5:10 p.m., I went in to watch the news, eat dinner, read the paper, and then I weeded the back yard for awhile. At 6:20 p.m., I came back and decided to put a Footnote Page online, and then blogged about the experience here. Time for the Padres game.

The game got boring, and my book did too, but I did talk to Linda and birthday boy Lucas (age 5 today) on the phone, so I put out the trash, emptied the waste baskets, did the dishes, and emptied out some of the spare bedroom. When the game was over at 10:10, I came back to the computer and read my email and blogs before writing this post.

Genealogy today was 7.0 hours - 0.5 hour doing email, 0.5 hour reading blogs, 0.5 hour on Facebook, 2.5 hours on CVGS activities, 2.5 hours writing blog posts, and 0.5 hour on Footnote. Not bad, considering all of the distractions today.

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

Genealogy Journal - 09/09/08

The day went really well - I was online all day until evening, my contractor worked well, I got a lot done, I had a breakthrough, and then the Dodgers spoiled it by beating my Pads 6-2. Oh well, pobody's nerfect, I guess.

I had my email and blogs read by the time Randy the contractor came at 8:30, and we moved the hide-a-bed couch out of the spare bedroom and into the driveway. This was a logistical challenge because it is barely narrow to get through the doorway (with the door off) standing on end, and is too tall for the doorway. We had to tilt it down, walk it through, tilt it up, and then carry it outside. Heavy sucker. I've been planning how to do this for about 20 years, and it worked perfectly. Oh, genealogy. I posted Family Photographs - Post 22: The Boys as a Smile for the Camera carnival candidate. I checked Facebook, then NothingButSoftware.com and wrote a post about FTM deals there. I wrote several blog posts on Randy's Busy Life, draining some of my email swamp and catching up on the Padres, then wrote three posts on the Chula Vista Genealogy Cafe too. It was lunchtime - salami, apple, cookies and pudding.

I needed to research and write up my Genealogy News of the Month for the CVGS Research Group meeting on Wednesday, so I did that for almost two hours. After checking on Randy's work and what we need to do next, I started revising my Computer Genealogy 101 presentation for 20 September. I spent two hours on this and made decent headway. Somehow I need to cram four hours of presentation into one hour. Good luck with that, eh? Before going in to watch TV, read the paper, eat dinner and water the plants, I checked my email and blogs.

After dinner, I came in at 6:10 p.m. wondering what to do. I decided to check the USGenWeb archives for my Project M guys, and did that for awhile. I entered my client's father's name in the Google News Archive Search and was rewarded with an obituary for one of my client's step-siblings. What a great surprise! I blogged about it in Google News Archive Search pays off. I took a screen capture, saved it as a JPG, and printed it off so that it was readable. Then it was time for the Padres game.

The game lasted until 10:20, and I came in and read my email and blogs, then checked Facebook and wrote this post.

Genealogy today was 7.5 hours - 0.5 hour doing email, 0.5 hour reading blogs, 1.5 hours writing blog posts, 0.5 hour on Facebook, 2.0 hours gathering Genie News, 2.0 hours on presentation, and 0.5 hour researching on Project M.

Monday, September 8, 2008

Genealogy Journal - 09/08/08

This was the first day of my ProGen assignment on Time Management, so I made a time log and entered information in faithfully all day - even the non-genealogy items (but not noting certain personal functions...). Therefore, I have an even better count of the time I spent doing things.

I read my email and blogs, then made my Time log after reading the ProGen blog. I opened OO Impress and FTM 2008 in order to create more screen shots of the Web Search feature. Then I wrote the Using FTM 2008 - Post 24: Web Search III post using the downloaded screen shots. I checked Facebook, new databases on ancestry, and answered two queries via email before having lunch and going to the library.

At the library, we had our table talk - some of it about the Saturday Research trip. I searched for two more obituaries and found them. Gary told me about the new web site format and offered some web site template information. I stopped at the store for groceries and was home by 2:45.

I checked email and blogs, tthen looked for web site templates for awhile, and finally decided to make a GEDCOM to upload to Geni.com. I selected all of my 4th great-grandparents and included all descendants of them in my GEDCOM (3,100 persons, instead of the 20,700 in my database), since Geni.com can only handle up to 15,000 persons in a database. I saved it and uploaded it to Geni.com. I modified my profile, then wrote Joining the Geni.com community post. I checked Facebook again, then went in to watch news, read the paper, eat dinner and water the back lawn. At 6:10 p.m. I came back to read email and blogs, then decided to post about Google News Archive Search information - doing the research and then writing it up. I was done after 7, so I went in to watch the Padres game. I was back on the computer at 9:45 p.m., reading email and blogs, then edited two Genea-Musings posts and wrote this post.

Genealogy today was 7.5 hours - 0.5 hour doing email, 0.5 hour reading blogs, 0.5 hour on Facebook, 2.0 hours writing and researching blog posts, 0.5 hour working in FTM 2008, 0.5 hour working with Geni.com, 0.5 hour working in Google News Archive Search, and 2.5 hours on CVGS activities.

Sunday, September 7, 2008

Genealogy Journal - 09/07/08

This was a typical fall genealogy Sunday - church, baseball, football and not much genealogy.

I got my email and blogs read before church - we went to the 8:45 a.m. contemporary service, and I was home just after 10, so I posted my Best of the Genea-Blogs list for the last week. Linda came home after 11:30 and took off for victorville, so I'm batching it until Thursday.

At 11:15, I went in and watched the Padres game - Chris Young took a perfect game into the 8th inning, he gave up two hits and we won 10-1 over the Brewers. Then it was the Chargers game - which was exciting and frustrating, and turned out badly when the Panthers scored on the last play to win 25-24. I stewed over that for awhile - came in and read email, blogs and Facebook, and went in and made dinner, then went out and cut the front lawn for therapy...I'm seething still.

At 7 p.m., I figured I'd better do something useful so I checked my FTM database against all the info on the New Netherland ancestors I got at the library. The real value of the NN information is the sources they used - I need to get the surname books and the NN-specific books to see what they have about my ancestral families. At 8:45, I went in and watched the Chargers highlights program then took my walk around the block, and came in and checked email and blogs and posted this. I'm done for the night.

Genealogy today was 4.0 hours - 0.5 hour doing email, 0.5 hour reading blogs, 1.5 hour writing blog posts, and 1.5 hour working in my database.

Saturday, September 6, 2008

Genealogy Journal - 09/06/08

This was an actual genealogy research day - the first one in awhile for me.

I was up early and read my email, my blogs, Facebook and posted What web sites help you with your research? before leaving before 8:30 a.m. to go to the parking garage and picking up my 6 CVGS colleagues for our research trip to Carlsbad Library. We got there right at 9:30 a.m., and found 7 others already there. We left at 2 p.m. and I was home by 3 p.m. (it's about 40 miles from Chula Vista). I watched the SDSU-Notre Dame game to the end, then watched the Padres game until the 8th inning, when we went out to dinner (Daphne's for gyros and then ColdStone for ice cream). We were home by 7 p.m. I watered the plants, and watched TV until Linda was done on the computer. I sorted out my papers from Carlsbad, and posted Where did the time go? about my research work today. I got intrigued by the potential royal lines, and found several WorldConnect databases with essentially the same info as Roberts' book. I checked Facebook again, browsed the web for awhile, then wrote this post.

Genealogy today was 8.0 hours - 0.5 hour doing email, 0.5 hour reading blogs, 0.5 hour on Facebook, 1.0 hour writing blog posts, 4.5 hours at Carlsbad Library, and 1.0 hour checking out WorldConnect royal lines.

Friday, September 5, 2008

Genealogy Journal - 09/05/08

I was on the computer early reading my email and blogs, and noticed that The Ancestry Insider had posted more information about the Ancestry Indexing Project, so I posted about it again, with commentary. I checked Facebook, Ancestry's new databases and WorldVitalRecords new databases, then posted about LDS FamilySearch Labs Other Records. I posted the Q-S surnames in the Spanish-Mexican Families book, and the Stein Farm celebration of Grandparents Day on the Chula Vista Genealogy Cafe blog.

I left at 11 a.m. for Costco for lunch, to check out the new electronics (hey, my birthday is coming), and went for my bayfront walk with George. I was home by 12:45 p.m., but the electricity was out. I grabbed my digital camera, selected some of my family heirlooms and took some pictures of them near the window. I'll upload them sometime soon. The lights came on at 1:20, but I no sooner got the computer on and answered an email or two, they went off again at 1:30 until 1:50. I went outside and read the paper and finally came in at 2 p.m. and turned the computer on again.

After checking email and blogs, I decided to upload a database to Geneanet.com to see what it looks like. It uploaded easily, and I explored the site for about an hour. I may do a review of it. I got out the NGSQ and NEHGR volumes for the last year and added books to my "wish list" in an MSWord file, then printed the wish list out so I can take it to Carlsbad on Saturday. At 5 p.m., I went in and watched the news and finished the paper. We went to a wedding after-rehearsal dinner at a friend's house and had a good time. We were home by 8:30, just in time to see the Padres lose 3-2 in the 11th inning. I printed several genealogy reports for Carlsbad, wrote Off to Carlsbad Library on Saturday, then checked Facebook, wrote this post, and I'm done for the night. I'm going to backup my files to the external hard drive tonight.

Genealogy today was 7.0 hours - 0.5 hour doing email, 0.5 hour reading blogs, 2.0 hours writing blog posts, 0.5 hour on Facebook, 1.0 hour on GeneaNet, 1.5 hours preparing for Carlsbad, and 0.5 hour in databases.

Thursday, September 4, 2008

Genealogy Journal - 09/04/08

Happy birthday, brother Stan! Social Security is now yours! Have fun with it.

I had my email and blogs read by 8:30, and I quickly posted about the Ancestry.com announcement of collaboration with FGS and the Indexing Project and adding my own spin comments to it, which very few other bloggers did (of course, many are semi-handicapped because they are at the FGC conference!). I wrote my CVGS newsletter articles up and sent them off to the editor. I got an email from ItsYourTree.com saying that my GEDCOM had been uploaded, so I went over to check it out. I'm unimpressed - it's pretty, but functionally useless for me in its present state. Oh well. I may not blog about it more. I need to see if FamilyLink will upload my GEDCOM, and also prepare a GEDCOM for Geni so I can test it too. I checked in on Facebook - to the friends, the Genea-bloggers group, and the Unclaimed Persons group. I finally worked on a case the other day, and others have it almost solved already. It's an interesting one. I'll see if I can work it into a post without infringing on privacy. I read about the Futility Closet blog on The Genealogue, so I found an interesting post there and added it to my blog - A Strange Epitaph, or is it? I read about the Canadian books being added to Ancestry, and blogged about it, linking to John Reid's Anglo-Celtic Connections blog in Canadian Books on Ancestry.com.

Lunch time, and then I was off to the library to do some obituary lookups. I had four to do - all the same surname. I found one in over an hour and a half of searching. It's times like this I wish I was on a commission, instead of a pro bono job. Arrrggghhhhh. I stopped at the bank too, and my ATM card didn't work, so I marched in and asked for a new one. I was home by 2:30 p.m. - not a happy camper! Email, blogs, Facebook, and did a little research for a correspondent. Couldn't find much online either - I'm not doing well today. I made my NFL picks and posted them on Randy's Busy Life - that was fun and improved my mood - hope springs eternal! Time for the newspaper, the TV news, dinner, and the Padres' game, followed by the RNC - we watched McCain's speech and the Padres won 5-2. I read about half of the FGS 2000 syllabus I bought last month at SDGS during the game and speech. Fun - lots of good info in it, dated, but many presentations are ageless. When I came in and read email, blogs and Facebook, I saw that the Carnival of Genealogy was posted, so I blogged about it too. I added five more blogs to my Bloglines of posters to the CoG. Then this post, and I'll go in and read more in the FGS syllabus or my Catherine Coulter mystery book.

Genealogy today was 7.5 hours - 0.5 hour doing email, 1.0 hour reading blogs,
0.5 hour on Facebook, 2.5 hours doing CVGS things, 1.0 hour on ItsYourTree, 1.0 hour doing research online, and 1.0 hour reading the FGS 2000 syllabus.

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Genealogy Journal - 09/03/08

A typical genealogy day for me - some reading, some blogging, a meeting, more reading and blogging, a chat and a wrapup post. No real research, no real challenge.

After reading email and blogs, I posted Family Photographs - Post 21: Young Lyle - a picture of my grandfather as a boy. After cleaning up and checking Facebook, I posted Using FamilyTreeMaker 2008 - Post 23: Web Search II about merging data from the web into my database. Hopefully, people are reading these posts and understanding them. I gathered my CVGS materials and left at 11:15 for McDonald's (lunch), the Post Office (mail box) and the library. The CVGS Board meeting was at 12 noon, and I was home by 2:30 after stopping at the bank and the gas station.

I read blogs, email and Facebook, and sent some emails to CVGS members about my FTM 2008 post series, hoping to strike some interest. I brought up the LDS Labs Record Search site and posted LDS FamilySearch Labs - Vital Records Databases. I went in to read the paper, watch the news and have dinner, then checked my readiness for the ProGen chat at 8 p.m. I watched the RNC from 7 to 8, seeing Rudy and Sarah's speeches. At 8, the chat began and we went at it for almost 75 minutes on Contracts and Fees, with lots of advice and commentary added. After the chat, I went in and watched the end of the Padres game, washed the dishes, took my walk, and wrote this post.

Genealogy today was 8.0 hours - 0.5 hour doing email, 0.5 hour reading blogs, 2.0 hours writing blog posts, 0.5 hour on Facebook, 2.5 hours on CVGS activities, and 2.0 hours on the ProGen chat.

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Genealogy Journal - 09/02/08

The calendar turns over, the days go by, and it's already September...I have a board meeting on the morrow, and have to get ready for the research trip to Carlsbad on Saturday. I'm kicking myself for not going to Philly for FGS on my free Southwest airlines ticket, but maybe next year.

After reading my email and blogs this morning, I posted LDS FamilySearch Labs Databases - Census Records to try to get a handle on what changes over time. I figure by posting this now, I can compare what is on the site later. I'll do it for vital and Church Records too, and maybe Land, Court and Probate too. I checked Facebook, then new Ancestry databases, and wrote the NGS NewsMagazine Table of Contents post and ranted about how bad some societies are in advertising their stuff... not in so many words, of course! I had lunch, then to go to the dentist for a filling repair. I was home by 12:30.

I spent most of the afternoon doing my ProGen assignment - a fee schedule and sample contract for my fledgling genealogy business. They still need work! I finally quit around 4, and wrote the CVGS Research Trip to Carlsbad on Saturday post, and checked Facebook. Linda came home, and I helped her, then went in to read the paper, watch the news, and have dinner. I came back in and worked for awhile in the LDS FHL Catalog for my Project M - there's a potential gold-mine surname book and some interesting county records. Then I went in to watch the Pubbie convention and the Padres game. After the game (we lost, 8-4), I went for a walk around the block, then read my email and blogs, and wrote this post.

Genealogy today was 6.5 hours - 0.5 hour doing email, 0.5 hour reading blogs, 1.5 hour writing blog posts, 0.5 hour on Facebook, 3.0 hours on the ProGen assignment, and 0.5 hour on Project M.

Monday, September 1, 2008

Genealogy Journal - 09/01/08

It was a full day in the Genea-Cave...a radio on, fan going, printer spitting, web searching, data entering, Facebook reading, and Randy-blogging day.

I started with reading email and blogs, then decided that since it was Labor Day that I would write up a summary of Randy's job history. That came out longer than intended, but that's OK - maybe my kids will read it and be impressed. After getting the screen shots together, I posted Using FamilyTreeMaker 2008 - Post 22: Web Search I in my continuing and never-ending series of posts, trying to finish before FTM 2009 is released.

Lunch time - I munched away while working on the computer - I entered all of my Project M data into the computer - I'm up to over 200 persons. I went to the Floyd County GA and Chattooga County GA USGenWeb sites and looked at records - I found some marriage records for the families, and a contact for the M name. I emailed him to see if he can help. An Unclaimed Persons group email came in about a San Diego guy, so I worked on that for an hour or so and went to the group on Facebook and other folks had found as much as I had. I posted mine anyway - it was a useful exercise to revisit the San Diego County court, assessor and clerk web sites. At 5 p.m., I went in to read the paper, watch the news and Padres game, have dinner, and read my book. The game was over before 8, and I wrote an email to the CVGS list about the Research Trip and the board meeting, then spent time reviewing the ProGen book sample fee structure and contract for my own fees and contract draft due yesterday. Oops! Then this post, and I'm done for the day.

Genealogy today was 8.0 hours - 1.0 hour doing email, 0.5 hour reading blogs, 0.5 hour on Facebook, 1.5 hours blogging, 1.0 hour searching the Unclaimed Person, 2.0 hours on Project M, 0.5 hour on CVGS work, and 1.0 hour on the ProGen assignment.