Restoration, Easter Baskets, Viral Marketing

Ugh. I have spent the past three days downloading my restore files from Mozy. I still have one file downloading and the Firefox download manager is telling me it is going to take another 2 hours, 36 minutes.  {big yawn...and can I just say, typing the word yawn *made* me need to yawn! There I go again!!!! Yikes, no more yawning talk}  So, anyway (are you yawning yet?)...I still haven't done the restore, which means I still don't have Easter photos edited.  I know you're sitting on pins and beadles, aren't you?  I'm glad to have had the Mozy back-up.  But, I will also be formatting my EHD and backing up to it once I get Windows 7 installed (after Vista updates corrupting drivers for the third or fourth time on my laptop, we decided it's time to make the move)

As far as the kids' Easter baskets go, the best purchase for them was by far the SubZero stainless water bottles.  They're not insulated, so they're only for cold beverages.  We keep water in them and have them on the bottom shelf of the fridge door.  The kids are drinking lots of water - and I love that!  I think Brad was a little jealous that I didn't buy HIM one.  We'll remember that for his birthday - an insulated one will be perfect for his desk.

Now for the Viral Marketing part of my blog:   Wikipedia says this about viral marketing: it is "...marketing techniques that use pre-existing social networks to produce increases in brand awareness or to achieve other marketing objectives (such as product sales) through self-replicating viral processes, analogous to the spread of pathological  and computer viruses. It can be word-of-mouth delivered or enhanced by the network effects of the Internet."  I am a member of Bzzagent.com (not an affiliate link), a viral marketing company.  I've participated in several of their campaigns over the past few years - some I've loved, others were kind of "eh."  The ones I've loved, though, I've really loved to the point that I'm still using the products (Sonicare toothbrush, CoverGirl lipstain, and Loreal RevitaLift AntiWrinkle moisturizers and eye cream, Off Clip-On Bug Repellent...perfect for the kids).  I'm in a campaign right now for Starbucks Pike Place(r) Roast. In a word...Whoo-hooo! Coffee!!! (imagine me sounding like Cookie Monster there).  And I must say, I really like this coffee - to the point that it is now the "official brew of The Shoe."  I hover in the kitchen waiting for it to finish brewing every morning.  I find the coffee smooth and rich - it doesn't "bite" back (I cannot stand bitter coffee).  And if its a "hard to wake up and get motivated" kind of day, I can easily knock back 8 cups of it.  If you like coffee, check out the Pike Place Roast - you can get it at WalMart, Target and Kroger that I know of.  Oh, and be sure to check your bag for a free tall brew. Bags that qualify have the info printed on the side.  This isn't a sweepstakes thing - this is standard for some of their bagged coffee sold in grocery stores.