I rarely contact my congressmen about stuff. (By rarely I mean next to never.) Some organization called me this evening about their initiative they are trying to drum up support for. It involves Internet content filtering. Their technical documentation can be found at CP80 Technology As a result, I just emailed both senators and the represenative for this area.
The girl started to say "There are over 65000 internet ports that can be used for pornography." While this is technically true, it's not really. Internet traffic is nearly all on ports 80 and 443, I venture to say nearly all the porn is on port 80. This was all going on in my head while she was talking about legislation, petitions, and soliciting donations. When she asked for my support, I asked her what ports they planned to block. She said she didn't know, but what did I mean by a port? I asked her what she meant, and just got the site for their technical docs. (She was just basically a telemarketer, after all...)
After the call, I went to their site. Basically they want to make a law that adult content must be on an different port than tcp:80. (The regular public web server port.) They want to block an 'country' that refuses to cooperate. (As if this problem only comes from outside the US...) Their plan would allow people to ask their ISP to block the new porn port.
While I am in no way whatsoever opposed to internet filtering (I plan to move off Comcast as soon as the new ISP in my area arrives (2-3 weeks) that does do filtering.), I do not think this is the solution. For one thing, there is no way to really enforce this. ISPs could try, but there would be a lot of money spent somewhere trying to get sites to change, and they would never be able to stop these things. (When was the last time you got email from someone in Africa trying to move money out of the country, or an email from the paypal customer support looking for your information? Slightly different problem, same sort of enforcement problems.)
I let the congressmen know I would be in favor of legislation giving ISPs some sort of incentive for doing filtering (like via a proxy server like we use at work), and even subsidizing the things if the ISPs can get them inplemented. I think if the government made it worth the ISP's while to provide filtering for no extra fee, or maybe even a reduced price in internet charges, a large number of people would take advantange of it. Trying to get porn sites to change the port they use will never work.
Friday, March 31, 2006
Thursday, March 30, 2006
A family of bloggers
At least sometimes.
We now have Tom who has started a blog. (We got Adam started, but since then he's been strangely silent. I keep asking him about my Christmas present, but he just giggles. I'm not sure if I should worry about that or not.)
Anyhow, this entry is really a request for Darren to start a blog. Darren, how about it?
Remember all those times you came over and hung out here, or I ended up over there? Now I hardly ever hear from you. (I guess 2000 miles is a lot different than 5 houses...) How about leaving your thoughts on a blog from time to time?
Think about it.
We now have Tom who has started a blog. (We got Adam started, but since then he's been strangely silent. I keep asking him about my Christmas present, but he just giggles. I'm not sure if I should worry about that or not.)
Anyhow, this entry is really a request for Darren to start a blog. Darren, how about it?
Remember all those times you came over and hung out here, or I ended up over there? Now I hardly ever hear from you. (I guess 2000 miles is a lot different than 5 houses...) How about leaving your thoughts on a blog from time to time?
Think about it.
I need a new bed
I switched sides of the bed with Tara last night. I did this because of my hurt shoulder, Tara wanted to not be near it.
I have been complaining about our bed for months. Tara didn't believe me, but last night she found out. My side of the bed is shot. In fact, we have been flipping the mattress, there are a number of parts of the bed that are shot. I slept well last night, being on Tara's side of the bed. At least until Emma came in at "it's so early I can't get my eyes open" o'clock, laid down on the floor, and started singing to us. This wouldn't have been so bad, but she really doesn't have a good volume control, and she gets a little mixed up with her lyrics. But I digress.
Anyhow, it's time to start saving up for a new bed. That's what I get for being a heavy sleeper.
I have been complaining about our bed for months. Tara didn't believe me, but last night she found out. My side of the bed is shot. In fact, we have been flipping the mattress, there are a number of parts of the bed that are shot. I slept well last night, being on Tara's side of the bed. At least until Emma came in at "it's so early I can't get my eyes open" o'clock, laid down on the floor, and started singing to us. This wouldn't have been so bad, but she really doesn't have a good volume control, and she gets a little mixed up with her lyrics. But I digress.
Anyhow, it's time to start saving up for a new bed. That's what I get for being a heavy sleeper.
Arsenic and Old Lace
We went to see Arsenic and Old Lace tonight. (The play, not the movie.) It was very well done. We've been going to the same series for years, I think it's the best (meaning non-weird) set they have had. Tara thinks that's the best movie they have had which we have seen. (I saw Henry V 10 years ago. It was great.)
Very funny, very well done, very worth going to see. Then go watch the movie.
The only drawback was that I forgot that we were going tonight, and didn't eat before we left. I was starving during the show. (I realize this would take days or weeks for me, but work with me here...)
Very funny, very well done, very worth going to see. Then go watch the movie.
The only drawback was that I forgot that we were going tonight, and didn't eat before we left. I was starving during the show. (I realize this would take days or weeks for me, but work with me here...)
Magnet Ball
Kate and Mary had their first little kid soccer game this evening. They seemed to enjoy themselves. Mary got plowed in the first half and had to take a break, but she ended up getting back out there to play.
They won their game, not that they emhasize that sort of this at this level of play. Kate and Mary's favorite part may have been getting treats at the very end of the game.
They won their game, not that they emhasize that sort of this at this level of play. Kate and Mary's favorite part may have been getting treats at the very end of the game.
Beat the Streak
Baseball season starts soon. More on that later. mlb.com has started a new (free) game called 'Beat the Streak'. The premise is that you pick a major league player for each day. If they get a hit, your counter is incremented. If not, you go back to zero. The first person to get to 57 'hits' wins $100,000. (If you don't know the signifigance, see the Hitting Streak wikipedia entry)
If I had no job, nothing to do, no responsibility, etc, this is what I would do: I would sign up for mlbTV, watch every game, pour over all the baseball stats I can find, look for starting pitcher vs. hitter matchups where the hitter in the past has tended to get hits off that pitcher, in the stadium, on days when the temperature is above 75, etc. Just spend all my time doing research into the next day or twos selection. I would do all that, get a good streak going, then when I got close, I would screw it up and end up at zero again. If you get close, then mess up, you only have 2 more chances like that before the season is over.
Fortunately, I do have stuff to do, and won't spend anywhere near that kind of time doing this. I subscribe to the audio broadcasts, which is only $15 a year, compared to the $90 for the television. The audio is nice to listen to at work all summer long. I plan to do the old "He sounds good, I'll pick him" type of selection. Teams that start doing horribly will get picked on. If I win, we are having a bar-b-que, everyone is invited. (Even if that means I have to get you here.)
Anyway, once in a while, I will update you here on how my streak is going. If you play, let me know how your streak is going.
If I had no job, nothing to do, no responsibility, etc, this is what I would do: I would sign up for mlbTV, watch every game, pour over all the baseball stats I can find, look for starting pitcher vs. hitter matchups where the hitter in the past has tended to get hits off that pitcher, in the stadium, on days when the temperature is above 75, etc. Just spend all my time doing research into the next day or twos selection. I would do all that, get a good streak going, then when I got close, I would screw it up and end up at zero again. If you get close, then mess up, you only have 2 more chances like that before the season is over.
Fortunately, I do have stuff to do, and won't spend anywhere near that kind of time doing this. I subscribe to the audio broadcasts, which is only $15 a year, compared to the $90 for the television. The audio is nice to listen to at work all summer long. I plan to do the old "He sounds good, I'll pick him" type of selection. Teams that start doing horribly will get picked on. If I win, we are having a bar-b-que, everyone is invited. (Even if that means I have to get you here.)
Anyway, once in a while, I will update you here on how my streak is going. If you play, let me know how your streak is going.
Wednesday, March 29, 2006
Uncle John's Band
If I ever have a band, this will be our theme song. In fact, if I ever have a band, it will be all with members named John, who are uncles. Uncles with beards.
I post this for you as a tribute to "Something that happened to me once that I just remembered." On my mission one week, I couldn't get this song out of my head. I heard it playing in someone's house one day, and couldn't get it out of my head. The next morning, I heard it from someone's car, and again, couldn't get it out of my head. This was a problem, as I was a missionary, and was trying to work, but I must not have been singing enough hymns. It took a few days to get the song out of my head.
If you don't know, this is The Grateful Dead. I used to listen to some of their music, (not a lot, but some.) I'll admit it. I haven't in a long time, part of the problem with a lot of their music is that it's all about drugs. (Maybe not all, but you have to admit, a good portion of it was.) The fact that Tara didn't know who the band is indicates to me that it's been quite a long time since I have listened to any of their music. That's not necessarily a bad thing. But I still have it here for you to enjoy. If it starts annoying me every time I visit my blog, I will delete this post.
Next Week - Vacation.
And I plan to take full advantange of it.
I had scheduled my trip around Stake meetings and interviews. Turns out the Stake president has also scheduled a vacation for that week, but from the 5-12 of April. This means I could have left a day early. It's probably for the best, I have a LOT to do at work, every day from now to next Wednesday will be packed. I will pack my bags next Wednesday evening, if I forgot to pack something, I'm sure I can mooch off of Darren. Along those lines, I hear a lot of complaints/comments/snide remarks about the ties I own. (These come from the Stake President, certain High Councilmen, my wife, the 2 year old {comments only from her, she actually likes my ties}, people on the street.) Anyone want to loan me a tie for the baby blessing so that years from now, she doesn't look at the pictures and say: "What's that tie Uncle John is wearing? That thing sure is ugly."
The tie I intend to bring with me is the one pictured here. If this is acceptable or nearly acceptable to everyone, please keep the comments to a minimum or at least whisper them to the person next to you, I don't want to hear it...
Anyway, I promised suprises or presents for all when I come. The list I currently have is: Mom and Dad and the Kriegers. Did I miss someone?
I had scheduled my trip around Stake meetings and interviews. Turns out the Stake president has also scheduled a vacation for that week, but from the 5-12 of April. This means I could have left a day early. It's probably for the best, I have a LOT to do at work, every day from now to next Wednesday will be packed. I will pack my bags next Wednesday evening, if I forgot to pack something, I'm sure I can mooch off of Darren. Along those lines, I hear a lot of complaints/comments/snide remarks about the ties I own. (These come from the Stake President, certain High Councilmen, my wife, the 2 year old {comments only from her, she actually likes my ties}, people on the street.) Anyone want to loan me a tie for the baby blessing so that years from now, she doesn't look at the pictures and say: "What's that tie Uncle John is wearing? That thing sure is ugly."
The tie I intend to bring with me is the one pictured here. If this is acceptable or nearly acceptable to everyone, please keep the comments to a minimum or at least whisper them to the person next to you, I don't want to hear it...Anyway, I promised suprises or presents for all when I come. The list I currently have is: Mom and Dad and the Kriegers. Did I miss someone?
Tuesday, March 28, 2006
Something I remembered that happened to me
When I had my first surgery on my hand, (speaking of these things, see the previous entry.) I had a large cast up past my elbow. My bed in my apartment was against the wall, I slept with the cast side at the wall. This was nice of resting it there as I was going to sleep. For about 2 weeks, I would wake up every morning with a dislocated shoulder. This was not very fun. First, I had a large heavy cast covering a hand that was not doing so well, then the dislocated shoulder added to the fun.
Tara remembers the following: (She had just met me then, she says I just looked pathetic back then. This was also back in the days when I purchased my own clothing and decided on my own what to wear.) She remembers a skinny kid with a huge cast. I'm not sure what her definition of skinny was, I don't remember being under 175. Compared to some of my brothers, 175 is definitely not skinny. (Maybe it's just fond rememberances of those days.) She heard I dislocated my shoulder in my sleep, and asked "isn't he still in the huge cast?" They all took pity on my from afar. (Something must have eventually stuck, although she says that contributed to my not being on her dating list...)
Anyway, after the dislocations started, I stayed up for a day, a night, and a day (didn't want to sleep, things kind of just hurt so bad) and I got mono. After that, I just slept all the time for a week.
All Tara has to do is look back in fondness at those days...
Have I ever mentioned how long it took me to graduate from college?
Tara remembers the following: (She had just met me then, she says I just looked pathetic back then. This was also back in the days when I purchased my own clothing and decided on my own what to wear.) She remembers a skinny kid with a huge cast. I'm not sure what her definition of skinny was, I don't remember being under 175. Compared to some of my brothers, 175 is definitely not skinny. (Maybe it's just fond rememberances of those days.) She heard I dislocated my shoulder in my sleep, and asked "isn't he still in the huge cast?" They all took pity on my from afar. (Something must have eventually stuck, although she says that contributed to my not being on her dating list...)
Anyway, after the dislocations started, I stayed up for a day, a night, and a day (didn't want to sleep, things kind of just hurt so bad) and I got mono. After that, I just slept all the time for a week.
All Tara has to do is look back in fondness at those days...
Have I ever mentioned how long it took me to graduate from college?
Time to talk to the doctor again
Last time I went to the doctor, they raised my thyroid medicine and split the dose. He split the dose so that I could take half first thing in the morning and half around lunchtime, hoping it would help later in the day. Lately I have been having a hard time taking both doses. On Saturday, I only took 1 dose. (I was very run down by night time.) On Sunday, I forgot the second dose and went home during Sunday School to take it. On Monday, I had the second dose in my pocket until 5pm, when I remembered it. This morning, I took the wrong thing with me and missed the second dose. I keep getting into the evening and wonder why I am tired until I find out that I messed up my medicine again.
I sort of dislocated my shoulder yesterday, I think. Not completely, more like a partial one. It comes and goes, then sometimes REALLY comes, then goes. I keep trying to pop it all the way back, but so far it hasn't happened. I get it so it's ok for a little while, then I do something and hurt it again. If it would go all the way, I could get it back in, or not get it back in and have it hurt enough to go see the doctor. (Not that I want it to go all the way, it would also be nice for it to just stop hurting outright.)
If it bothers me enough, then I might consider going in...
I sort of dislocated my shoulder yesterday, I think. Not completely, more like a partial one. It comes and goes, then sometimes REALLY comes, then goes. I keep trying to pop it all the way back, but so far it hasn't happened. I get it so it's ok for a little while, then I do something and hurt it again. If it would go all the way, I could get it back in, or not get it back in and have it hurt enough to go see the doctor. (Not that I want it to go all the way, it would also be nice for it to just stop hurting outright.)
If it bothers me enough, then I might consider going in...
Monday, March 27, 2006
Book Report
Joseph Smith Rough Stone Rolling: A cultural biography of Mormonism's founder
Richard Bushman
I have been reading this book off and on since Christmas. Up until about two weeks ago, it was mostly off, not on.
This book is not written with the intent to make any converts. Bushman does not jump on one side of the issue or the other. (any issue he talked about.) He seems to mantain a scholarly look at the life of Joseph Smith, nothing more.
We have talked about this book in Stake Presidency meeting a number of times, sometimes at length. It has many interesting things in it, and a lot of research was done to get it done.
The book started pretty slow for me, it took a long while to get into it, but once I did, I think I liked it. It was definitely interesting.
Who's out there?
Who is reading the blog? How often do you visit? What do you think? Any suggestions? Please comment, thanks.
Trip to the Califonia Science Center
I might have to make a trip. (How do I fit that in at this point?) The California Science Center is doing a very large Marvel Super Hero exhibit. California Super heroes Science Exhibit Here's their 2 cents about the thing:
Is there a biological basis to Hulk’s transformation? How can knowledge of simple mechanics help us command the strength of Iron Man? Find the answers to these questions and more. Learn about the remarkable achievements of current science and technology – achievements that in many ways give us special powers we dream of through the comics – while living the fantasy of your favorite Marvel Super Hero
Now I know that the real purpose of the thing is to get kids into the science center and get them thinking scientifically, but I have 2 questions:
Now I know that the real purpose of the thing is to get kids into the science center and get them thinking scientifically, but I have 2 questions:
- Why do they call it "California's Science Center"? Why not "Southern California's Science Center" or "The Science Center of Greater Los Angeles"? Does San Fransisco not have a science center? Do people from Northern California drive all the way down to LA to get into a science center?
- Why Marvel and not DC? I don't want to spark a Marvel/DC debate here, and I'm not sure that anyone who reads this blog would anyway, but if you made me pick one or the other, I likely would pick DC. I know that Marvel comics has a very large building in North Hollywood (or was the Van Nuys?), but Warner Brothers is down there too. I am sure the exhibit is really good, and you get the Hulk, the Fantastic Four, Spiderman, and the X-Men, is there really anything else? (Some would say: "Outside of Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, and the Flash, is there anyone else?") I don't really know what I'm complaining about here, maybe I am just rambling. It would be cool to see some of that 9000 square feet being "things in Batman's utility belt" or whatever. I'm sure the exhibit is worth the admission fee. I won't complain about it again, and if I go, I'm sure I would have a good review.
Nauvoo redux
We got a motel room for Nauvoo tonight. It's in the Temple House Apartments (Nauvoo Vacations) and is on the 3rd floor of the apartment house. It has a bedroom, living room, kitchen, and dining room. We figure that it would have cost us about $70 a night to go to a hotel in Iowa, and then we would be eating out every meal, and commuting to the sites. This way, we are right there (view of the temple and everything else from the apartment), we can go to a store on the way in and get 4 days worth of food, and if the girls get tired in the afternoon, we take them over to have a nap. For $100 a night, we think that's worth it. They have other group/family apartments available for rent (We will be there July 4 - July 8.), if you decide to go, tell them we sent you. (Not that it would help us any.)
The guy on the phone seemed really nice. Their cancellation policy was if it's 7 days or more out, it costs 10% of the first day. ($10). Some of the hotels I looked at charged you the total now and were non-refundable.
Sunday, March 26, 2006
Anyone want to go to Nauvoo?
New Idea for the backend of the vacation.
Tara wants to go spend several days in Nauvoo, the first week in July. The Nauvoo Pagent starts that weekend.
It's now in the hopper. The hotel with the alligators in the elevator (HEARTLAND INN MT PLEASANT) is $66-75 a night.
Any thoughts?
Tara wants to go spend several days in Nauvoo, the first week in July. The Nauvoo Pagent starts that weekend.
It's now in the hopper. The hotel with the alligators in the elevator (HEARTLAND INN MT PLEASANT) is $66-75 a night.
Any thoughts?
2006 Goal Update - 26 March
1: Move up on ITRC forums. 3583 points this week, up 19 points.
2: Mission Journal - Nothing new done this week.
3: Garden Retaining Wall - Nothing done this week, except looking at it.
4: 6 Wooden Chairs - The first chair has been put together, it needs to be puttied, sanded, and painted. Then the plans need to be re-written so that the rest of the chairs go together correctly.
5: Weight - 214 right now.
6: Gazelle - Nothing to report
7: Vacation - Tara needs a vacation now too...
8: CPAP usage - This week I didn't use the machine once, only used for 3 hours one night, and all the rest of the nights were 6 hours each. I'd be feeling pretty good today and yesterday had I not forgotten to take my thyroid medicine...
Wasting time update - 383 badges at MSN games. (A lot this week.)
2: Mission Journal - Nothing new done this week.
3: Garden Retaining Wall - Nothing done this week, except looking at it.
4: 6 Wooden Chairs - The first chair has been put together, it needs to be puttied, sanded, and painted. Then the plans need to be re-written so that the rest of the chairs go together correctly.
5: Weight - 214 right now.
6: Gazelle - Nothing to report
7: Vacation - Tara needs a vacation now too...
8: CPAP usage - This week I didn't use the machine once, only used for 3 hours one night, and all the rest of the nights were 6 hours each. I'd be feeling pretty good today and yesterday had I not forgotten to take my thyroid medicine...
Wasting time update - 383 badges at MSN games. (A lot this week.)
Saturday, March 25, 2006
Adirondack Chair
I have spent the better part of the last 8 hours building a chair. In the last hour, I have put the parts together and it actually looks like a chair. That's the good news. The bad news is that the plans I was using have a number of errors in them. (The parts list is missing a part, they had the wrong pieces of wood listed and a couple of parts with the wrong length listed.) I have made a couple of modifications to get it completely together. It doesn't look exactly like it should, but I've done what I could, it's staying like it is. I guess I'm a little disappointed it didn't go together completely right, but I got to make some field modifications, and I ended up using a compass on the thing, (circles, not magnetic north) so it will be ok. It's not like anyone is going to look over the thing with a critical eye, I'm an HPUX systems engineer, not a carpenter...
I still need to sand it all down, putty the holes where the screws went, and paint the thing, but it's a functional chair at this point. Before I do any others, I need to find a new set of plans, or make my own based on the one that's here. (Modify what I've got, that's likely what I will do...) I have made something else out of this book I have, it went together ok, maybe this project in the book is the exception. (I hope.)
As soon as the thing is completely done, I'll post a picture of it.
I still need to sand it all down, putty the holes where the screws went, and paint the thing, but it's a functional chair at this point. Before I do any others, I need to find a new set of plans, or make my own based on the one that's here. (Modify what I've got, that's likely what I will do...) I have made something else out of this book I have, it went together ok, maybe this project in the book is the exception. (I hope.)
As soon as the thing is completely done, I'll post a picture of it.
Friday, March 24, 2006
The Muppet Show
We own "The Muppet Show - Season 1", this should come as no suprise. That show was just funny. The girls love it. I have been wondering when/if season 2 would ever show up. Today I found this: The Muppet Show - Season 2 DVD It wasn't hard, I googled it. (What else?)
Rest assured, we will own the entire series. Just as soon as it's released.
Hookey from Work
I didn't go to work today. This was in part assisted by the fact that I did not wake up until 9:30 am.
I got the following done today:
I got the following done today:
- Built 2 tressles for pea plants.
- Cleaned up the yard. (I had trimmed the bushes but did not pick up the clippings last month.)
- Planted a raspberry bush and a blackberry bush. (These I got from a neighbor down the street.)
- Cleaned up the shed. (At least did a good job straightening and stuff. I still wouldn't label it clean...)
Restaurant Review
Tucano's Brazilian Grill
This place as has a 'salad' bar, and they bring all kinds of grilled meats, veggies, and pineapple on squers for you to have if you want. If you walk away hungry, it's no one's fault but your own. The price? Lunch is $11 per person, but kids 6 and under are free. This makes it the same price as anyother place would would have gone.
Mary ate the most of all the girls. Kate wasn't feeling well today, and didn't eat all the much, but Mary kept pounding down the meat. She seems to be highly impressed by the place.
For the cost, we are very likely to return as a family, at least until Kate turns 7...
This place as has a 'salad' bar, and they bring all kinds of grilled meats, veggies, and pineapple on squers for you to have if you want. If you walk away hungry, it's no one's fault but your own. The price? Lunch is $11 per person, but kids 6 and under are free. This makes it the same price as anyother place would would have gone.
Mary ate the most of all the girls. Kate wasn't feeling well today, and didn't eat all the much, but Mary kept pounding down the meat. She seems to be highly impressed by the place.
For the cost, we are very likely to return as a family, at least until Kate turns 7...
Thursday, March 23, 2006
To work or not to work
It took me a little while to decide to go to work today. I finally figured I needed to. We are trying to get a Preliminary Design Spec done for a project. (It's in it's third unique version. I have written 2 of them and helped on the third.) We had a meeting scheduled for 3:30, we got there and decided to not have the meeting, so I came home. I may not go in tomorrow.
I bought a 4'X8' white plastic lattice sheet at Home Depot this afternoon. I plant to build a mini trellis for the pea plants tomorrow. I may even actually get the carport cleaned out. More on that to come.
I bought a 4'X8' white plastic lattice sheet at Home Depot this afternoon. I plant to build a mini trellis for the pea plants tomorrow. I may even actually get the carport cleaned out. More on that to come.
Wednesday, March 22, 2006
Peas are in the ground
I planted my peas tonight. (After High Council meeting.) It will get warm (60 and up starting tomorrow through the weekend) so I thought today was just as good a day as any. It snowed pretty good a few days ago, the ground is pretty moist. The ground is kind of cold, but I think it will be ok, it should warm up pretty good tomorrow.
I had previously posted an entry with a diagram where I planned on interwaeving the types of pea plant. I did not do this, here is what I did instead:
The pole peas, it turns out, can be planted with spacing like a snap pea, so I didn't want to waste the space. I planted pole peas outside and inside the triangles, and did two rows of snap peas. I will have to figure out how to support the snap peas. There are 2 problems to consider: support and quail. Hopefully the quail will have moved on to better pastures finally, but I think they really like the pine tree next door. Maybe I will have to start building quail traps.
In the past, I have tried chicken wire for support of pea plants, I really didn't like how it turned out. (Too hard to harvest and weed.) I suppose I should build some sort of trellis type thing to do the snap peas, they don't grow higher than 3 feet. If I build them, and they work, I would be able to stop trying to reinvent the thing each year. The only thing I am kind of concerned about is the amount of light the plants would get. Maybe that's not a factor if the tressis sits inside the rows, but then I still have to fight the birds. Any suggestions?
I had previously posted an entry with a diagram where I planned on interwaeving the types of pea plant. I did not do this, here is what I did instead:
The pole peas, it turns out, can be planted with spacing like a snap pea, so I didn't want to waste the space. I planted pole peas outside and inside the triangles, and did two rows of snap peas. I will have to figure out how to support the snap peas. There are 2 problems to consider: support and quail. Hopefully the quail will have moved on to better pastures finally, but I think they really like the pine tree next door. Maybe I will have to start building quail traps.
In the past, I have tried chicken wire for support of pea plants, I really didn't like how it turned out. (Too hard to harvest and weed.) I suppose I should build some sort of trellis type thing to do the snap peas, they don't grow higher than 3 feet. If I build them, and they work, I would be able to stop trying to reinvent the thing each year. The only thing I am kind of concerned about is the amount of light the plants would get. Maybe that's not a factor if the tressis sits inside the rows, but then I still have to fight the birds. Any suggestions?
Recognize this baby?
Does anyone recognize this baby? Think hard. If you need help, look at some of the pictures previously posted. (There are some in Febuary archives, too.)
Anyone?
Photo blogger
Anyone else out here having problems with Photo Blogger? I have 2 posts I have been trying to make for a few days, but Photo Blogger does not seem to work properly for me at this point. I try uploading, instead of a confirmation, I get a blank page. No html is outputted like I would expect.
Tuesday, March 21, 2006
My new hobby
The other day I noticed that the envelopes that the netflix DVD's are shipped in have 2 numbers on them in the mailing address section. The ones I have in my posession are zeros and ones. (I have the following unique sets: {0,0},{0,1},{1,1})
When I discovered this, I started thinking to myself "I wonder what this means..." Is it some sort of mail ranking? (Some combination makes it come a day later? Sometimes our disks come the day after they say they ship, sometimes they do not.) Is it some sort of code they use to estimate how long I will hold onto the disk? I have started to collect these things. I mark down how long it takes for the disk to arrive. I should also be writing down the disk that came with it, but so far I have not.
Am I paranoid? I'm always thinking about something or the other, it must have been rattling around there somewhere. The numbers must mean something, otherwise they wouldn't waste the ink on them. I would not have noticed it if the numbers stayed the same all the time, but a little switch in the back of my head seems to have flipped on the other day.
If I figure out this is some sort of mail queuing thing, I'll let you know. (I'll let everyone know. I'll ask Netflix if they can just always queue my disks at the fastest number pair...)
This is the kind of thing that comes from always thinking. Let that be a warning to you.
When I discovered this, I started thinking to myself "I wonder what this means..." Is it some sort of mail ranking? (Some combination makes it come a day later? Sometimes our disks come the day after they say they ship, sometimes they do not.) Is it some sort of code they use to estimate how long I will hold onto the disk? I have started to collect these things. I mark down how long it takes for the disk to arrive. I should also be writing down the disk that came with it, but so far I have not.
Am I paranoid? I'm always thinking about something or the other, it must have been rattling around there somewhere. The numbers must mean something, otherwise they wouldn't waste the ink on them. I would not have noticed it if the numbers stayed the same all the time, but a little switch in the back of my head seems to have flipped on the other day.
If I figure out this is some sort of mail queuing thing, I'll let you know. (I'll let everyone know. I'll ask Netflix if they can just always queue my disks at the fastest number pair...)
This is the kind of thing that comes from always thinking. Let that be a warning to you.
Neighbors are moving
Our neighbors are moving to Arizona. They will very shortly put their house up for sale. This worries us a little.
We have been lucky so far, very nice and fairly quiet people have lived all around us. For a year or so, The only person we had living in the 5 houses ajoining us (3 behind, one on each side) was an older lady to the North East of us. Things were very quiet then. The only problem with that was that we once had a cat dumped near us in the middle of the winter, it yowled for quite a while.
It wasn't always that way. When we first moved in, the people behind us had 4 dogs. (City code says 2 maximum, by the way.) We had an old wodden picket fence, they would sit there and stare at us all the time. After a while, they started knocking down slats and leaving presents in the yard. My brother was living with us, he brought in a dog who we could keep tied up, more slats were broken. This factor more than any other was what caused us to put up our fence when the neighbors did. Tara's only regret is that we didn't go 6 foot privacy all the way around.
Back to the neighbors house. What we don't want is to have people buy the house and rent it out to loud students/people or to people who don't make us comfortable. If you are out there, and are thinking about moving, you all seem like nice people, how about moving in next door to us?
There are 2 jobs currently open here in IT. One is with the CS department, running their infrastrure. It closes tomorrow. The other opened today, is open for 2 1/2 weeks, and is for our department. This new one is 2 pay levels above mine. (No, I'm happy with what I am doing.) It's a director level postion over the Network Engineers, Network Implementation, Desktop distribution, and Desktop client services(? I'm not exactly clear on what that last group does. They made VMWare images of some clients with different browsers for people to test with, but I don't really think anyone used it...)
Anyone?
We have been lucky so far, very nice and fairly quiet people have lived all around us. For a year or so, The only person we had living in the 5 houses ajoining us (3 behind, one on each side) was an older lady to the North East of us. Things were very quiet then. The only problem with that was that we once had a cat dumped near us in the middle of the winter, it yowled for quite a while.
It wasn't always that way. When we first moved in, the people behind us had 4 dogs. (City code says 2 maximum, by the way.) We had an old wodden picket fence, they would sit there and stare at us all the time. After a while, they started knocking down slats and leaving presents in the yard. My brother was living with us, he brought in a dog who we could keep tied up, more slats were broken. This factor more than any other was what caused us to put up our fence when the neighbors did. Tara's only regret is that we didn't go 6 foot privacy all the way around.
Back to the neighbors house. What we don't want is to have people buy the house and rent it out to loud students/people or to people who don't make us comfortable. If you are out there, and are thinking about moving, you all seem like nice people, how about moving in next door to us?
There are 2 jobs currently open here in IT. One is with the CS department, running their infrastrure. It closes tomorrow. The other opened today, is open for 2 1/2 weeks, and is for our department. This new one is 2 pay levels above mine. (No, I'm happy with what I am doing.) It's a director level postion over the Network Engineers, Network Implementation, Desktop distribution, and Desktop client services(? I'm not exactly clear on what that last group does. They made VMWare images of some clients with different browsers for people to test with, but I don't really think anyone used it...)
Anyone?
Caucus Meetings
I am missing the Precinct Caucus meetings in our area tonight. I am not affiliated with a political party. Maybe the biggest reason for this is my "I'll vote for the person I want to, not the one in my 'party'" attitude. I could do this even if I was affiliated with a party, so maybe the real reason is "I don't want you people bothering me" attitude. One way or another, there is an attitude involved. (This should suprise no one.)
A couple of days ago, I got a County poll worker questionaire. It basically says that they are moving to Electronic Voting machines, and now need 5 election judges/poll workers for each district. Usually around here, they are lucky to get the 3 they used to need. They also said by law they are required to consider those who sign up at the caucus meetings. I can pretty much guarente that they will still need me as a judge.
I don't mind being a poll worker. I usually end up getting an entire book read that day. You meet some interesting people. A couple of years ago, I nearly got to kick a reporter out of the place, he was bugging the voters, and talking about candidates. I confronted him, he said something about him always being able to do it, and there not being anything I could do about it. I said something like "Oh yeah?", folded my arms, giving him 'the voice' and 'the stare'. He decided to take his questions outside the building. (Wisely I might add.)
Don't ask me what the voice is. Tara can tell you. I don't do it on command, and I can't really hear it, it just comes out. I can give you the stare anytime you want.
A couple of days ago, I got a County poll worker questionaire. It basically says that they are moving to Electronic Voting machines, and now need 5 election judges/poll workers for each district. Usually around here, they are lucky to get the 3 they used to need. They also said by law they are required to consider those who sign up at the caucus meetings. I can pretty much guarente that they will still need me as a judge.
I don't mind being a poll worker. I usually end up getting an entire book read that day. You meet some interesting people. A couple of years ago, I nearly got to kick a reporter out of the place, he was bugging the voters, and talking about candidates. I confronted him, he said something about him always being able to do it, and there not being anything I could do about it. I said something like "Oh yeah?", folded my arms, giving him 'the voice' and 'the stare'. He decided to take his questions outside the building. (Wisely I might add.)
Don't ask me what the voice is. Tara can tell you. I don't do it on command, and I can't really hear it, it just comes out. I can give you the stare anytime you want.
Monday, March 20, 2006
Podcasts
I am looking at different podcasts that are out there. What's a podcast? It's an audio file of something you can download to play in your mp3 player or iPod. I really hadn't looked around before, but found the Mormon Tabernacle Choir podcast from last conference.
Other podcasts I have found tonight. (But maybe not subscribed to...) People actually waste time listening to these?
2005 Chicago Pug Party
2005 Purina Incredible Dog Challenge
2006 Men's World Curling Championship
Martial Arts 101
Rowing in the NorthWest
Cooking with Irma - "This week Becca (Irma wasn't able to make it) whips up a mocha roulade."
2005 Clay Animation Summer Camp
101 uses for baby wipes (I just have one...)
Boy Scout Troop 765
I know they have video podcasts now, but it seems funny to me still to think that a number of these are audio only. Especially the '2005 Chicago Pug Party'.
Anyone know an interesting podcast to listen to?
Other podcasts I have found tonight. (But maybe not subscribed to...) People actually waste time listening to these?
2005 Chicago Pug Party
2005 Purina Incredible Dog Challenge
2006 Men's World Curling Championship
Martial Arts 101
Rowing in the NorthWest
Cooking with Irma - "This week Becca (Irma wasn't able to make it) whips up a mocha roulade."
2005 Clay Animation Summer Camp
101 uses for baby wipes (I just have one...)
Boy Scout Troop 765
I know they have video podcasts now, but it seems funny to me still to think that a number of these are audio only. Especially the '2005 Chicago Pug Party'.
Anyone know an interesting podcast to listen to?
Beekerized
I just found this picture on my laptop. It appears that someone attempted to beekerize my laptop. The timestamp on the file is Sept 30 of last year. I don't really remember being beekerized then, and they really didn't do all that great of a job if I am just noticing now...
Sunday, March 19, 2006
Game Time
Seafarers of Catan
Tara - 1
Me - 1
Drew - 0
Kaylyn - 0
They may never invite us over to play again...
Tara - 1
Me - 1
Drew - 0
Kaylyn - 0
They may never invite us over to play again...
2006 Goal update - 19 March
1: Move up on ITRC forums. Same as last week. Didn't really visit this week.
2: Mission Journal - Nothing new done this week.
3: Garden Retaining Wall - Spring 2006 (I know this Spring starts tomorrow, you don't have to shout.)
4: 6 Wooden Chairs - Spring 2006 (See above.)
5: Weight - 214 right now.
6: Gazelle - Nothing to report
7: Vacation - I bought tickets to Baltimore. We are now discussing the trip in June...
8: CPAP usage - I'm not even sure I want to list an average. I had 2 nights where I used the machine all night, 2 nights I got 2 hours sleep, and 3 nights that I didn't use the machine. (Last night I fell asleep in the back room.) You can definitely tell the difference when you use it compared to when you don't. (Or when I don't, anyway.)
Wasting time update - 368 badges at MSN games. (3 this week) I went back to get the one I missed last Saturday, and picked up 2 more special badges this week.
2: Mission Journal - Nothing new done this week.
3: Garden Retaining Wall - Spring 2006 (I know this Spring starts tomorrow, you don't have to shout.)
4: 6 Wooden Chairs - Spring 2006 (See above.)
5: Weight - 214 right now.
6: Gazelle - Nothing to report
7: Vacation - I bought tickets to Baltimore. We are now discussing the trip in June...
8: CPAP usage - I'm not even sure I want to list an average. I had 2 nights where I used the machine all night, 2 nights I got 2 hours sleep, and 3 nights that I didn't use the machine. (Last night I fell asleep in the back room.) You can definitely tell the difference when you use it compared to when you don't. (Or when I don't, anyway.)
Wasting time update - 368 badges at MSN games. (3 this week) I went back to get the one I missed last Saturday, and picked up 2 more special badges this week.
To Peas or not to Peas
I was supposed to plant peas yesterday, but I didn't. I have 2 kinds this year, little sugar peas, and pole peas. (One kind to eat in the shell, one kind to shell.) I didn't plant them, a storm came in last night and dumped some snow on the ground. It looks like Thursday night might be a good time to plant. I figure I will do a pole in the middle, with little snap pea bushes around it, but a tomato cage on top (I bought the triangle ones last year that are stronger. I really like those.), and go with it.
The pole pea plant supposedly grows to 6 feet. This is nearly to the top of the back fence. It should be interesting.
The pole pea plant supposedly grows to 6 feet. This is nearly to the top of the back fence. It should be interesting.
Saturday, March 18, 2006
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
We went to see the Narnia movie tonight. It was at the Varsity, $5 for the lot of us. The girls really liked it, but Kate was saying after that it was a little scarier than the old one she watched, because in the old one, the monsters looked like people with costumes, and these ones were computer animated, and they looked real. (Who taught her the term 'computer animated'?) Mary spent a couple of scenes with her ears plugged and her head in her lap so she wouldn't see.
Ruth threw up all over Tara twice in middle of the show, Tara ended up leaving to go home.
We had french fries after the show while waiting to get picked up.
Tara cleaned herself and the baby up, Mary was upset when she got home that she couldn't brush her teeth. (The sink was full of clothes waiting to go in the washer, which had clothes waiting to go in the dryer, which had clothes that were not dry.) I took the girls out on the porch with a bottle of water, had them brush their teeth, then rinsed and had them spit out into the yard. I think they really enjoyed that.
Ruth threw up all over Tara twice in middle of the show, Tara ended up leaving to go home.
We had french fries after the show while waiting to get picked up.
Tara cleaned herself and the baby up, Mary was upset when she got home that she couldn't brush her teeth. (The sink was full of clothes waiting to go in the washer, which had clothes waiting to go in the dryer, which had clothes that were not dry.) I took the girls out on the porch with a bottle of water, had them brush their teeth, then rinsed and had them spit out into the yard. I think they really enjoyed that.
Friday, March 17, 2006
St. Patrick's Day Activities
Today, Emma declared herself a leprechaun, then the other girls chased her through the house trying to catch her. They watched Darby O'Gill and the little people. Everyone wore green. For lunch, I had a traditional Irish lunch. (Bratwurst.) After lunch we went looking for an Englishman to hit. For the dinner at the church, I made a pistachio pudding pie. All in all, I think we had a pretty good St. Patrick's day.
No one caught a leprechaun, we aren't rich now, sorry. I did catch Emma a couple of times, but it turned out she didn't have any money. We managed to avoid corned beef and hash for another year.
No one caught a leprechaun, we aren't rich now, sorry. I did catch Emma a couple of times, but it turned out she didn't have any money. We managed to avoid corned beef and hash for another year.
Stake Social
We went to a Stake Social tonight. The dinner was good, then they started a program of kids playing the piano. We listened to the first set, then slipped out. On the way out, we heard the Stake President was already gone. This only made our departure even more pleasurable. (If the Stake President is gone, why should the Executive Secretary stick around?)
Thursday, March 16, 2006
A sign of Spring
Kate has show and tell on Fridays. This week's theme is "A sign of Spring". Kate to Tara she was going to bring a teddy bear to show and tell. When pressed, Kate said "Bears wake up from hibernation in the Spring, and you see them then, so you know it's Spring."
This leads to a few observations. One, Kate seems to be a couple of turns down the road. Meaning, instead of bringing flowers or plants or whatever, she's thought about things a little, been down that road, and thought of something else that happens. It's like bringing a glass of dirty water and saying that the snow all melted. I can appreciate that kind of thinking. Two, she still seems to have hibernating on the brain. When she was three she told us in the late Winter or early Spring she told us something about hibernating and waking up from it. Some sort of theme.
My sign of Spring: One, our forsithia bush will bloom soon. The growth has started, all the buds are getting bigger. The branches touching the bedroom window have already bloomed. (I must be losing a lot of heat out that window...) Two, our grass is almost completely green now. That doesn't say a whole lot, the people on the right and left still have browned late winter grass, not greened up yet, but the lawn treatment service has already been out this year to spray. I need to start thinking about aerating the lawn soon.
This leads to a few observations. One, Kate seems to be a couple of turns down the road. Meaning, instead of bringing flowers or plants or whatever, she's thought about things a little, been down that road, and thought of something else that happens. It's like bringing a glass of dirty water and saying that the snow all melted. I can appreciate that kind of thinking. Two, she still seems to have hibernating on the brain. When she was three she told us in the late Winter or early Spring she told us something about hibernating and waking up from it. Some sort of theme.
My sign of Spring: One, our forsithia bush will bloom soon. The growth has started, all the buds are getting bigger. The branches touching the bedroom window have already bloomed. (I must be losing a lot of heat out that window...) Two, our grass is almost completely green now. That doesn't say a whole lot, the people on the right and left still have browned late winter grass, not greened up yet, but the lawn treatment service has already been out this year to spray. I need to start thinking about aerating the lawn soon.
Blogspot error
I am currently unable to republish my blog. I get the following error:
java.io.IOException: EOF while reading from control connection
This is funny (not funny ha-ha), because we were getting the exact same error at work on Monday in one of our environments. The application guys who work on that platform never did figure out the real cause, their were about 5 different changes at about the same time, then the problem went away.
You can't read this now anyway, I just thought I'd share.
java.io.IOException: EOF while reading from control connection
This is funny (not funny ha-ha), because we were getting the exact same error at work on Monday in one of our environments. The application guys who work on that platform never did figure out the real cause, their were about 5 different changes at about the same time, then the problem went away.
You can't read this now anyway, I just thought I'd share.
Netflix update
Some of you have been curious as to how netflix is going, here's my update.
After our 2 week free trial, I bumped our subscription to 3 at a time. We have liked it so far. one of our three rentals is for the girls. They take turns picking what to get. Next up for them is Justice League Unlimited. (They just got done with VeggieTales: Esther) Then Tara and I generally get one DVD for us to watch together, one that maybe we won't watch together. This is fine by me. I can fully support Tara in watching something like "Anne of Green Gables" without me. (Not that we haven't things that we don't both watch, but some of them get only 7-13% of my attention...)
We really like having such a large selection of stuff out there. Our 'most rented' is old TV shows.
In the last 30 days, we have had 17 'rentals'. This brings it to approximately a dollar a rental. (Same as Redbox, but not just new releases...) Our queue is 500 DVDs long, at the present rate, we will finish in 2 1/2 years from now. (We add things as we go, though, so we should be set for 3.5-4 years, I guess.)
If you have Netflix, or end up subcribing, send me an email via the 'friends' section. Then you can see our lineup, and we can send you suggestions.
In June, while Tara is away in Buffalo, the netflix rental strategy changes drastically. For that month, rentals will include: As many MST3K shows as it takes to get sick of it for a little while, Buck Rogers in the 25th century, Ken Burn's Baseball, The Tick. I may be open to suggestions if I get through all of that. Basically this is the list of things Tara does not want to watch.
Long story short: Netflix, we like it.
After our 2 week free trial, I bumped our subscription to 3 at a time. We have liked it so far. one of our three rentals is for the girls. They take turns picking what to get. Next up for them is Justice League Unlimited. (They just got done with VeggieTales: Esther) Then Tara and I generally get one DVD for us to watch together, one that maybe we won't watch together. This is fine by me. I can fully support Tara in watching something like "Anne of Green Gables" without me. (Not that we haven't things that we don't both watch, but some of them get only 7-13% of my attention...)
We really like having such a large selection of stuff out there. Our 'most rented' is old TV shows.
In the last 30 days, we have had 17 'rentals'. This brings it to approximately a dollar a rental. (Same as Redbox, but not just new releases...) Our queue is 500 DVDs long, at the present rate, we will finish in 2 1/2 years from now. (We add things as we go, though, so we should be set for 3.5-4 years, I guess.)
If you have Netflix, or end up subcribing, send me an email via the 'friends' section. Then you can see our lineup, and we can send you suggestions.
In June, while Tara is away in Buffalo, the netflix rental strategy changes drastically. For that month, rentals will include: As many MST3K shows as it takes to get sick of it for a little while, Buck Rogers in the 25th century, Ken Burn's Baseball, The Tick. I may be open to suggestions if I get through all of that. Basically this is the list of things Tara does not want to watch.
Long story short: Netflix, we like it.
Mary's princess pillow
Mary has a little princess pillow. The last few days, she has been trying to take it with her when she walks out of the house. On Sunday morning, she had her coat on, was a little hunched over, and had a gigantic hump on her back. She was trying to walk in a way that I guess she thought would help us not notice it. I made her take the pillow out before we left for church.
This morning, we were leaving the house, and she had her pillow, trying to stuff it in her shirt.
I really don't know yet if she thinks that's a good way to smuggle it out of the house, or if she thinks it's hilarious. Time will tell, I guess.
This morning, we were leaving the house, and she had her pillow, trying to stuff it in her shirt.
I really don't know yet if she thinks that's a good way to smuggle it out of the house, or if she thinks it's hilarious. Time will tell, I guess.
Trip to the dentist
We all took a trip to the dentist on Tuesday afternoon. Net result: No cavities! Kate has her bottom front adult teeth coming in and her 6 year old molars, but that was really the only thing noted.
I'm not going to look a gift horse in the mouth, but I have no problems looking these guys in the mouth, things are good in there...
One thing I didn't get to do. Usually the conversation at the dentist goes a little like this: (As they are cleaning my teeth)
"Do you floss?"
"No."
"Oh."
"What do you mean oh?"
"Usually people say sometimes, a little, or every once in a while, we rarely get a 'no'."
I just figure, why lie to the dentist? (It's not like they can't tell you don't floss.) The dentist we have now doesn't even seem to get worked up over flossing. He told Tara it doesn't make all that much difference.
Anyway, it had been three years since I had a full dental checkup, things are a-ok. Now if you will excuse me, I will go chew on some ice cubes.
I'm not going to look a gift horse in the mouth, but I have no problems looking these guys in the mouth, things are good in there...
One thing I didn't get to do. Usually the conversation at the dentist goes a little like this: (As they are cleaning my teeth)
"Do you floss?"
"No."
"Oh."
"What do you mean oh?"
"Usually people say sometimes, a little, or every once in a while, we rarely get a 'no'."
I just figure, why lie to the dentist? (It's not like they can't tell you don't floss.) The dentist we have now doesn't even seem to get worked up over flossing. He told Tara it doesn't make all that much difference.
Anyway, it had been three years since I had a full dental checkup, things are a-ok. Now if you will excuse me, I will go chew on some ice cubes.
Wednesday, March 15, 2006
Stake interviews
Yesterday when the Stake President walked into his office, I had the following sitting on his desk waiting for him:
Appointment notebook with all the forms and papers he needed, folder with reimbursements to authorize, a black eyepatch, a pirate sword, a pirate spyglass, and a hook. He seemed highly amused, but I couldn't get him to wear them for the interviews.
He ended up taking them home so he could walk in the door with them on.
Appointment notebook with all the forms and papers he needed, folder with reimbursements to authorize, a black eyepatch, a pirate sword, a pirate spyglass, and a hook. He seemed highly amused, but I couldn't get him to wear them for the interviews.
He ended up taking them home so he could walk in the door with them on.
Stake Directory
I finally got the stake directory updated tonight. After emailing it out to everyone, I decided to try to post it on the stake website. We thought there was size restriction on files, and in the past they were breaking the file in pieces to do it.
I went to post it, and had the top to my usb stick in my mouth. I successfully posted the file, and then immediately nearly swallowed the top of the usb stick. We nearly had a problem here.
I went to post it, and had the top to my usb stick in my mouth. I successfully posted the file, and then immediately nearly swallowed the top of the usb stick. We nearly had a problem here.
iPod Shuffle
I went to a little seminar this morning on blade servers. They feed up breakfast and lunch. At the end of the thing, they gave us iPod shuffles. Then they asked if it the seminar was worth it. I thought in my head "4 hours, breakfast, lunch, and an iPod shuffle. Yep, it's worth it." I said "I think so.", and left it at that.
I gave Tara the shuffle. My current plan is to leave the iPod with her in June, and take the shuffle back for me.
Not bad for just sitting there.
I gave Tara the shuffle. My current plan is to leave the iPod with her in June, and take the shuffle back for me.
Not bad for just sitting there.
Tuesday, March 14, 2006
I feel better now.
Sorry about that. Things got even worse this afternoon, someone did something stupid and (luckily for him and me) walked away from his computer. (Someone else actually ended up yelling at him at length...) I feel better now.
Spring is nearly here, I hope the weather shortly after agrees with me.
Spring is nearly here, I hope the weather shortly after agrees with me.
Ever have those days when you just shouldn't have gotten out of bed?
I'm on-call this week, so my phone rings at 7:30am (of course). They aren't really looking for me, but they don't know who to call. I end up getting 10 calls before I can get to work.
An application broke yesterday, most of the developers who support it are in nashville at a conference. The people who are left can't figure out the problem. To top it off, it's in part related to people deleting their cookies out of their browser. If people call in our front level support people with a web problem, they have them clear out their cookies.
Another server went down on Saturday with a hardware failure. It's still not fixed. The developers on that one decided they really wanted it, I set up to run the server in a different chassis. I shut the other machine down, and started moving disks around. After booting up the new chassis, I discover that the old server is still there. This confuses me because I swapped the disks. It turns out that the hardware guys put the wrong labels on the front of 2 servers. I was pulling spinning disks out & replacing them, the server was trying to remirror, and corrupted root disk of the machine I wanted to boot up. I have now reinstalled the oS on that machine, and I am ready to restore all the data from tape, but the hardware guys just took the tape silo offline for a couple of hours.
To top it all off, I have a dentist appointment in a hour and a half.
An application broke yesterday, most of the developers who support it are in nashville at a conference. The people who are left can't figure out the problem. To top it off, it's in part related to people deleting their cookies out of their browser. If people call in our front level support people with a web problem, they have them clear out their cookies.
Another server went down on Saturday with a hardware failure. It's still not fixed. The developers on that one decided they really wanted it, I set up to run the server in a different chassis. I shut the other machine down, and started moving disks around. After booting up the new chassis, I discover that the old server is still there. This confuses me because I swapped the disks. It turns out that the hardware guys put the wrong labels on the front of 2 servers. I was pulling spinning disks out & replacing them, the server was trying to remirror, and corrupted root disk of the machine I wanted to boot up. I have now reinstalled the oS on that machine, and I am ready to restore all the data from tape, but the hardware guys just took the tape silo offline for a couple of hours.
To top it all off, I have a dentist appointment in a hour and a half.
Trip to Baltimore - check.
I bought a plane ticket to Baltimore this morning. I'll be there for Madelyn's (square root of 2's) baby blessing. Since I am coming, I am bringing presents/suprises for everyone. I just need to know who everyone is that will be there to make good on the thing...
Sunday, March 12, 2006
2006 Goal Update - 12 March
It's the 12th of March already? That means Spring is only a week away...
1: Move up on ITRC forums. I am currently at 3564 points. That's 14 points this week. The funny thing is, I don't really remember making any posts. I must have, but that's the kind of week it was at work.
2: Mission Journal - Nothing new done this week.
3: Garden Retaining Wall - Spring 2006
4: 6 Wooden Chairs - Spring 2006
5: Weight - 215 right now. 1 pound gone again this week.
6: Gazelle - Nothing else this week. Tara did 30 miles on it this week.
7: Vacation -
8: CPAP usage - I averaged 3.5 hours a night on the machine. This included 2 nights where I didn't use it at all because of a stuffy nose, 1 night where I got 2 hours of sleep, one night with 4 hours sleep, and 1 night with 5 hours of sleep. (Work did me in.)
Wasting time update - 365 badges at MSN games. (9 this week) I tried yesterday to get 1 more badge by getting 6 million points on one game, but after spending several hours on it, I was only up to 4.5 million points, and I moved on to other things.
1: Move up on ITRC forums. I am currently at 3564 points. That's 14 points this week. The funny thing is, I don't really remember making any posts. I must have, but that's the kind of week it was at work.
2: Mission Journal - Nothing new done this week.
3: Garden Retaining Wall - Spring 2006
4: 6 Wooden Chairs - Spring 2006
5: Weight - 215 right now. 1 pound gone again this week.
6: Gazelle - Nothing else this week. Tara did 30 miles on it this week.
7: Vacation -
8: CPAP usage - I averaged 3.5 hours a night on the machine. This included 2 nights where I didn't use it at all because of a stuffy nose, 1 night where I got 2 hours of sleep, one night with 4 hours sleep, and 1 night with 5 hours of sleep. (Work did me in.)
Wasting time update - 365 badges at MSN games. (9 this week) I tried yesterday to get 1 more badge by getting 6 million points on one game, but after spending several hours on it, I was only up to 4.5 million points, and I moved on to other things.
Saturday, March 11, 2006
Arggg Matey
2 short medical stories:
One of the guys on our team, Brent, has been in the hospital since Jan 6 with problems caused by Cron's disease. He has had 3 surgeries, only has 80cm of his small intestine left, but he finally came home tonight. I would be absolutely off the wall bonkers if I spent that long in the hospital. I would not be coming home, I would have been send to the looney bin...
The Stake President had a piece of metal removed from his eye today. It had been in their long enough that there was rust in a ring around it. It all came out. He has a big gauze eye patch on. I was over to talk to him this evening, he said that he joined the pirates. I really, really, really want to find him a black eye patch and a hook for his hand for Tuesday night interviews....
One of the guys on our team, Brent, has been in the hospital since Jan 6 with problems caused by Cron's disease. He has had 3 surgeries, only has 80cm of his small intestine left, but he finally came home tonight. I would be absolutely off the wall bonkers if I spent that long in the hospital. I would not be coming home, I would have been send to the looney bin...
The Stake President had a piece of metal removed from his eye today. It had been in their long enough that there was rust in a ring around it. It all came out. He has a big gauze eye patch on. I was over to talk to him this evening, he said that he joined the pirates. I really, really, really want to find him a black eye patch and a hook for his hand for Tuesday night interviews....
The Ghost of Christmas Past
Ruth got a popup Christmas book from her Grandma for Christmas. She loves it. It makes noises as you turn the pages, and to date, she's only torn 2 pieces out of it. The book is well loved.
There has been a sometimes disturbing "ghost in the machine" thing going on with the book lately, though. If you open it, or set something on it, near it, or acroos the room from it, look at it funny, or anything else, it starts going "Ho Ho Ho Ho Ho, Ho Ho Ho Ho Ho. Opening the book sometimes stops it, closing the book sometimes stops it, hiding the book under the couch doesn't stop it, but makes it so you don't hear it... Tonight it started out of the blue, has been going for about an hour now. I know I should just get a screwdriver out and pull the batteries, but I can't find any of the ones that are the right size. I think I may have just barely convinced the thing that it was in it's best interests to stop, we'll see if that sticks.
(It's not that we don't like the thing, Ruth LOVES it. Lately it has been intruding where it's not wanted, though. Kind of like my cell phone at 2am last Tuesday...)
There has been a sometimes disturbing "ghost in the machine" thing going on with the book lately, though. If you open it, or set something on it, near it, or acroos the room from it, look at it funny, or anything else, it starts going "Ho Ho Ho Ho Ho, Ho Ho Ho Ho Ho. Opening the book sometimes stops it, closing the book sometimes stops it, hiding the book under the couch doesn't stop it, but makes it so you don't hear it... Tonight it started out of the blue, has been going for about an hour now. I know I should just get a screwdriver out and pull the batteries, but I can't find any of the ones that are the right size. I think I may have just barely convinced the thing that it was in it's best interests to stop, we'll see if that sticks.
(It's not that we don't like the thing, Ruth LOVES it. Lately it has been intruding where it's not wanted, though. Kind of like my cell phone at 2am last Tuesday...)
Garden Soil test results
pH - 7
Nitrogen - Medium
Phosphorous - High
Potash - Low*
Peas are going in the ground next Saturday...
Nitrogen - Medium
Phosphorous - High
Potash - Low*
Peas are going in the ground next Saturday...
Conversation with a 2 year old
What do you want for breakfast?
2: cereal?
You want cereal?
2: I like cereal.
Do don't want pancakes?
2: I like pancakes.
You want pancakes?
2: yeah.
2: And cereal?
2: cereal?
You want cereal?
2: I like cereal.
Do don't want pancakes?
2: I like pancakes.
You want pancakes?
2: yeah.
2: And cereal?
Friday, March 10, 2006
Snowmen
Not yet up to Calvin and Hobbes standards...
Someday we plan to do one of the snowman swimming away from the sharks. "That guy's a goner..."
Emma decided to free lance one of her own:
Sweaters from Grandma
Grandma's first glimpse of the "gang of four" in their matching sweaters. They all wore them to church the Sunday after getting them, everyone comments on how they looked like triplets... (That may have been funnier for me than it is for you.)
She seems peaceful and sweet, but underheath that calm facade lurks a two year old...
With many elements of her Dad's sense of humor...
A picture is worth a thousand words
This about sums it up for Mary, except that she is wearing socks in this picture...
Thursday, March 09, 2006
Restaurant Review
Sizzler
Tara's favorite buffett - you can order something to take home, and still eat at the salad bar. I nearly always start with the follwoing 2 plates at the salad bar: Plate #1 - Fried chicken wings; Taco bowl with taco meat, nacho cheese sauce, refried beans, and salsa; strawberries. Plate #2 - Same as plate #1. I nearly always get a bowl of chicken noodle soup.
Our table was below a mirrored ceiling, this kept Ruth highly entertained for the entire meal. Tara thinks it's the best experience we have ever had with a baby in a restaurant.
Tara's favorite buffett - you can order something to take home, and still eat at the salad bar. I nearly always start with the follwoing 2 plates at the salad bar: Plate #1 - Fried chicken wings; Taco bowl with taco meat, nacho cheese sauce, refried beans, and salsa; strawberries. Plate #2 - Same as plate #1. I nearly always get a bowl of chicken noodle soup.
Our table was below a mirrored ceiling, this kept Ruth highly entertained for the entire meal. Tara thinks it's the best experience we have ever had with a baby in a restaurant.
The things I missed when I didn't have a window seat
Near our office is a street light that a number of students use each day on their way to and from work. This is good, they are not jaywalking. There are a couple of large apartment complexes on the other side of our building from the light. (apartment complexes - our building - streetlight - campus.) A lot of people walk through our parking lot, up a little hill that happens to be a landscaped hill, not grass or cement, then across an empty lot to the light. We think this is a fine way to go, and use it ourselves quite often.
About a week or so ago, a grounds guy and his students came to look things over, the full timer started shouting at all the people who were walking up and down the hill.
The last couple of days, they have been over here working over the hill, throwing down manure, turning over the hill, etc. I think the thinking was that this would stop the people from walking on the hill. (Before I go on, I have to mention the types of things the full timer has been doing when he has not been yelling at people. These include extended trips to the restroom, leaning on a shovel, sleeping in the cab of their dump truck, etc. I have yet to see him do any actual work.) On Tuesday, they turned over thee hardened path that had been made, sprayed pink spraypaint with "Not a sidewalk" on the dirt, and stuff like that. After they left, I changed "Not a sidewalk" to "sidewalk". (We dislike the fact that the guy is basically on a vendetta and he is shouting at students. If he wants to shout at someone, he should come in our office, we are happy to oblige, but we would give at least as good as we got...)
Yesterday, the hill had the hardened path created again by 9am. I fugre if they really wanted to keep people off the landscaping, they dig back the hill and make an 8 foot retaining wall to stop it. Any other thing will not stop people from walking to the street light. We figure there will be a number of students who start jaywalking again iff this path is completely blocked off.
We have a couple of posts with a plastic chain that blocks the basement stairs in our building. (The has large portions of it condemned. That's another story.) I took these posts yesterday and put them on the hill right along side the path. This was not my idea origonally, but everyone else was chicken. We waited to see the implosion that was coming when Mr. Vendetta returned to see the results of the day. I went home to sleep for the afternoon before they came back.
Now that it's light, I see that they put up a number of posts with plastic chain in an attempt to stop the people from walking. This is not what I intended to happen with my little posts, but I think I gave them an idea. What made me laugh about it was even though the barrier was there, there was a single pair of footprints going up the hill. As I type this, 3 guys with snowboard bags have gone down the hill headed for the bus stop (looks like they are skipping class today to enjoy the new snow.) and they nearly broke the barricade. I fully expect to see it down sometime this morning.
About a week or so ago, a grounds guy and his students came to look things over, the full timer started shouting at all the people who were walking up and down the hill.
The last couple of days, they have been over here working over the hill, throwing down manure, turning over the hill, etc. I think the thinking was that this would stop the people from walking on the hill. (Before I go on, I have to mention the types of things the full timer has been doing when he has not been yelling at people. These include extended trips to the restroom, leaning on a shovel, sleeping in the cab of their dump truck, etc. I have yet to see him do any actual work.) On Tuesday, they turned over thee hardened path that had been made, sprayed pink spraypaint with "Not a sidewalk" on the dirt, and stuff like that. After they left, I changed "Not a sidewalk" to "sidewalk". (We dislike the fact that the guy is basically on a vendetta and he is shouting at students. If he wants to shout at someone, he should come in our office, we are happy to oblige, but we would give at least as good as we got...)
Yesterday, the hill had the hardened path created again by 9am. I fugre if they really wanted to keep people off the landscaping, they dig back the hill and make an 8 foot retaining wall to stop it. Any other thing will not stop people from walking to the street light. We figure there will be a number of students who start jaywalking again iff this path is completely blocked off.
We have a couple of posts with a plastic chain that blocks the basement stairs in our building. (The has large portions of it condemned. That's another story.) I took these posts yesterday and put them on the hill right along side the path. This was not my idea origonally, but everyone else was chicken. We waited to see the implosion that was coming when Mr. Vendetta returned to see the results of the day. I went home to sleep for the afternoon before they came back.
Now that it's light, I see that they put up a number of posts with plastic chain in an attempt to stop the people from walking. This is not what I intended to happen with my little posts, but I think I gave them an idea. What made me laugh about it was even though the barrier was there, there was a single pair of footprints going up the hill. As I type this, 3 guys with snowboard bags have gone down the hill headed for the bus stop (looks like they are skipping class today to enjoy the new snow.) and they nearly broke the barricade. I fully expect to see it down sometime this morning.
It's Snowing
It's snowing. Not a lot, but it is snowing. (They say it could be 3 inches today, I'll believe it when I see it.) I've only used my shovel a few times this year.
In high school, I would have to shovel out quite a few mornings before we could leave for early morning seminary. This made early morning seminary not quite as early as it should have been. My senior year, it seemed for a little while like there would be snow on the ground 2 or 3 times a week. (like 4-6 inches or more.) That winter, every time I was out shoveling out, I would be almost done when the snowplow would come by and dump 3 feet of snow in the driveway from the street. (In Buffalo, you don't park on the street in the winter like you do here, this lets them actually clear the roads...) After they went by, I had 15 minutes more shoveling to get the car out. After a couple of times of doing this, the guy driving the plow seemed to start enjoying it. Here was this kid shoveling and nearly done, and then he came by and ruined it from me. The guy started coming by, honking and waving as he passed by. This did not improve my mood about the situation any.
We have maybe an inch here now, it took 3 hours. Maybe I'll have to shovel this afternoon.
In high school, I would have to shovel out quite a few mornings before we could leave for early morning seminary. This made early morning seminary not quite as early as it should have been. My senior year, it seemed for a little while like there would be snow on the ground 2 or 3 times a week. (like 4-6 inches or more.) That winter, every time I was out shoveling out, I would be almost done when the snowplow would come by and dump 3 feet of snow in the driveway from the street. (In Buffalo, you don't park on the street in the winter like you do here, this lets them actually clear the roads...) After they went by, I had 15 minutes more shoveling to get the car out. After a couple of times of doing this, the guy driving the plow seemed to start enjoying it. Here was this kid shoveling and nearly done, and then he came by and ruined it from me. The guy started coming by, honking and waving as he passed by. This did not improve my mood about the situation any.
We have maybe an inch here now, it took 3 hours. Maybe I'll have to shovel this afternoon.
Tuesday, March 07, 2006
What is wrong with me?
I got woken up by work at 2:15am this morning. I am still up, but not for long. I only have 5 hours of sleep until I have to get up again. (DB Server. Hardware Failure. Spare part not available. Work around created by charming and resoureful engineer. Outage for repair scheduled for 3am the next morning.) So much for my new goal of using the CPAP more often...
Things I remember that happened to me
I was talking to my Bishop tonight. (In the hall at the stake center...) He talked about how his class bribed him with Cadbury's Creme Eggs so that they could have an 'open scripture' midterm...
This reminded me of one of the summers I worked at the Scout camp. The camp would get food from the food bank. One of the things they got that summer was 5 cases of Cadbury's Creme Eggs. These were stored in the walk in freezer way down at the bottom of a hill. (there wasn't enough room in the one in the kitchen, I made many trips up that hill with a 2 wheel dolly hauling food. Not the point of this story.)
We had no plans to give the things to the scouts. There was a unspoken policy that anytime I got sent down to haul food back up, (quite often, being a young stapping boy who didn't know any better) I would raid the creme eggs. I ate a LOT of Cadbury Creme eggs that summer. Too many. Ever since, I had difficulty with these things.
Every couple of years, I will think I'm over my overdose. I will get a creme egg, bite into it, and not be able to finish it.
Moral of the story: It only takes one Summer of way too many creme eggs to spoil a pile of Easter seasons...
This reminded me of one of the summers I worked at the Scout camp. The camp would get food from the food bank. One of the things they got that summer was 5 cases of Cadbury's Creme Eggs. These were stored in the walk in freezer way down at the bottom of a hill. (there wasn't enough room in the one in the kitchen, I made many trips up that hill with a 2 wheel dolly hauling food. Not the point of this story.)
We had no plans to give the things to the scouts. There was a unspoken policy that anytime I got sent down to haul food back up, (quite often, being a young stapping boy who didn't know any better) I would raid the creme eggs. I ate a LOT of Cadbury Creme eggs that summer. Too many. Ever since, I had difficulty with these things.
Every couple of years, I will think I'm over my overdose. I will get a creme egg, bite into it, and not be able to finish it.
Moral of the story: It only takes one Summer of way too many creme eggs to spoil a pile of Easter seasons...
1000 page hits!
I just hit 1000 page hits here everyone! Thanks for visiting.
If there is a topic you want me to ramble on about more often, let me know. If there is a topic you want me to stop talking about, let me know.
Current reoccuring topics:
Game Time
Restaurant Review
Book Report
2006 Goal Update
Potential Future reoccuring topics:
Conversation with a 2 year old
Useless tip of the day
Things I just remembered that happened to me once
If there is a topic you want me to ramble on about more often, let me know. If there is a topic you want me to stop talking about, let me know.
Current reoccuring topics:
Game Time
Restaurant Review
Book Report
2006 Goal Update
Potential Future reoccuring topics:
Conversation with a 2 year old
Useless tip of the day
Things I just remembered that happened to me once
Monday, March 06, 2006
mlb.com gameday audio
I tried logging into mlb.com gameday audio this afternoon, I wanted some background noise while I worked on something. It turns out that for some reason, their feed is trying to use Windows Media player by default. This does not work so well on linux, where Windows Media player does not run.
I spent a little time trying to figure out how to get my browser to detect the realplayer installation I had on the machine. This still doesn't work, even though everything looks like it is in it's place. I didn't spent a ton of time on it, someday I will have to try again.
This brings a problem for me. I spend 5 months of the year listening to baseball games at work. If I can't get this linux installation to play the audio files, I may have to take drastic measures...
I spent a little time trying to figure out how to get my browser to detect the realplayer installation I had on the machine. This still doesn't work, even though everything looks like it is in it's place. I didn't spent a ton of time on it, someday I will have to try again.
This brings a problem for me. I spend 5 months of the year listening to baseball games at work. If I can't get this linux installation to play the audio files, I may have to take drastic measures...
Sunday, March 05, 2006
2006 Goal Update - 5 March
1: Move up on ITRC forums. I am currently at 3550 points. That's 33 points this week. I have added 328 points so far this year, still on the schedule I set at the beginning of the year.
2: Mission Journal - Nothing new done this week. I have written 3 pages since the beginning of the year. At this rate, I will be done sometime in 2040.
3: Garden Retaining Wall - Spring 2006
4: 6 Wooden Chairs - Spring 2006
5: Weight - 216 right now. Added 2 pounds. I think it was the Great Wall of Chocolate. I got a haircut yesterday, you'd think that would have done a few pounds...
6: Gazelle - Nothing else this week. I have only used it twice this year. (Tara is a much different story.) I did walk to work a couple of times this week.
7: Vacation - This week I need to buy a ticket to Baltimore for the 2nd week of April. I currently have 19.5 days of vacation accrued, I'm not really making much headway there...
8: ***New Item*** - CPAP usage - I averaged just under 2 hours a night on the thing this week. (Horrible, huh? That's a big reason I was so tired the other day...)
Wasting time update - 356 badges at MSN games. (7 This week, 83 for the year...)
2: Mission Journal - Nothing new done this week. I have written 3 pages since the beginning of the year. At this rate, I will be done sometime in 2040.
3: Garden Retaining Wall - Spring 2006
4: 6 Wooden Chairs - Spring 2006
5: Weight - 216 right now. Added 2 pounds. I think it was the Great Wall of Chocolate. I got a haircut yesterday, you'd think that would have done a few pounds...
6: Gazelle - Nothing else this week. I have only used it twice this year. (Tara is a much different story.) I did walk to work a couple of times this week.
7: Vacation - This week I need to buy a ticket to Baltimore for the 2nd week of April. I currently have 19.5 days of vacation accrued, I'm not really making much headway there...
8: ***New Item*** - CPAP usage - I averaged just under 2 hours a night on the thing this week. (Horrible, huh? That's a big reason I was so tired the other day...)
Wasting time update - 356 badges at MSN games. (7 This week, 83 for the year...)
Game Time
Canasta
Tara - 1
Me - 1
Couldn't play the rubber match, Tara fell asleep while I was counting the last hand of the 2nd game.
Tara - 1
Me - 1
Couldn't play the rubber match, Tara fell asleep while I was counting the last hand of the 2nd game.
Saturday, March 04, 2006
Book Report
Time Management for System Administrators
Thomas A. Limoncelli
I saw a review of the book nearly a month ago on slashdot. (I know what you're saying. "If you have time to read slashdot, why do you need a time management book?" I actually only occasionally look at the site feed in my RSS reader, and only read a small number of those blurbs...) What caught my attention was what the review started to say:
"System administrators have a stereotypical reputation for grumpiness and irritability. Sometimes this misanthropy is a cultivated pose, designed to deter casual or trivial requests that would take time away from more important activities like playing nethack and reading netnews. More often, however, sysadmins are disgruntled simply because they can't seem to make any headway on the dozens of items clogging up their todo lists. If you're an example of the latter case, you may find some help in Time Management for System Administrators, the new book from Thomas Limoncelli (who you may recognize as one of the co-authors of the classic The Practice of System and Network Administration)."
Does this sound like anyone you know? My chief engineer ran right down to the secretaries to order the book for me. :)
This book is interesting. It is the reason for my moving my desk away from the door. (Much to the chagrin on the students.) It's the reason I will delete 90% of the junk in my mail folders Monday morning. My chief engineer hopes it will make me less grumpy. (I think that's a joke, but I'm not sure...)
As you can tell from the picture (if you are in a technical field that is) this is an o'reilly book. It's the only O'reilly book where I have read the entire thing. (I use others the same way I would use a man page or a HOWTO.) My chief engineer read it before me, and loved it so much, he volunteered to do a training class on it. (This was the same day his wife gave him 2 Excedrin before he came to work, he doesn't handle caffeine well...)
Anyhow, the author makes a good point at the beginning of the book. Us Sysadmins have different styles of work than the rest of the world. (He almost called it a "Lifestyle", but switched the term to "Workstyle".) My wife knows what he's talking about, work bleeds into other areas of my life all the time. On top of that, we have all the scheduled projects, upgrades, etc we do and 'incidents' tossed in to constantly interrupt that work.
It's a good book, I recommend it to all system administrators out there who really don't have a good handle on their time. Everone else just say "John reads some weird books."
You don't have to buy it. Almost all O'Reilly books are available online also in a thing called Safari. We have a corporate license for it, and can get to any chapter of any book... Safari has a 45 day trial.
Restaurant Review
The Italian Place
(Drew's birthday lunch)
A pretty passable Philly Cheese steak. This place has 7 menu items, all sandwiches.
Not bad for a specialty shop.
They were not playing Billy Joel's "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant" in the background, unfortunately.
(Drew's birthday lunch)
A pretty passable Philly Cheese steak. This place has 7 menu items, all sandwiches.
Not bad for a specialty shop.
They were not playing Billy Joel's "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant" in the background, unfortunately.
Friday, March 03, 2006
Excessively tired.
I am very tired. I have not getten eenough of the rright king and amount oof sleep. At wirk this wrrk, klksdf lopiwm lwo asdo a -pser wep. serkl;sdr sdsdsdddddddddddddddd
Thursday, March 02, 2006
Restaurant Review
P.F. Chang's (Round 2)
We had a good experience here tonight. Or waiter was nice, the food was good. (And we got our Great Wall of Chocolate...) I had something that I can't remember the name of. It was pretty good, it was spicy with tofu in it. Tara had lemon chicken. (She didn't really like the orange peel chicken from last time...)
Overall, it was a good experience. I will have to call the manager tomorrow and give him the feedback. (Just in case all he ever gets is bad news...)
We had a good experience here tonight. Or waiter was nice, the food was good. (And we got our Great Wall of Chocolate...) I had something that I can't remember the name of. It was pretty good, it was spicy with tofu in it. Tara had lemon chicken. (She didn't really like the orange peel chicken from last time...)
Overall, it was a good experience. I will have to call the manager tomorrow and give him the feedback. (Just in case all he ever gets is bad news...)
Nearly got a nap.
I went to work at 6:30 this morning. (I had stuff to do.) As a result, I left a little after 3.
I started reading on my bed this afternoon, the only thing that stopped me from taking a nap was the fact that my cell phone kept ringing. That's not necessarily a bad thing, they were important calls. If I had taken a nap, I likely would not get to sleep tonight.
I started reading on my bed this afternoon, the only thing that stopped me from taking a nap was the fact that my cell phone kept ringing. That's not necessarily a bad thing, they were important calls. If I had taken a nap, I likely would not get to sleep tonight.
A window seat
I really like sitting by the window. I don't think the students like sitting by the door all that much.
One of the students set up his gigantic monitor right in the spot that my laptop used to sit. At lunchtime, someone put their lunch in the microwave, and the screen on his monitor started shaking like it had hypothermia. We figured it was plugged into the same circuit, and that was what was causing the shaking, and we plugged it into another power strip. The shaking continued.
The student is a little worried about the microwaves leaking out of the thing. We will probably have to move the microwave.
This may explain all the problems my laptop have had. Maybe the microwave was nuking the thing.
I still like my window seat.
One of the students set up his gigantic monitor right in the spot that my laptop used to sit. At lunchtime, someone put their lunch in the microwave, and the screen on his monitor started shaking like it had hypothermia. We figured it was plugged into the same circuit, and that was what was causing the shaking, and we plugged it into another power strip. The shaking continued.
The student is a little worried about the microwaves leaking out of the thing. We will probably have to move the microwave.
This may explain all the problems my laptop have had. Maybe the microwave was nuking the thing.
I still like my window seat.
Wednesday, March 01, 2006
Living Room reorg not enough
I made some changes in my office today.
My desk sat right in front of the door, I was the first person anyone saw who walked in the door. This was always a problem if they figured I was the one they were looking for.
We had 2 students sharing a desk in the back of the room. I appropriated this desk late this morning, moved all their stuff off, and moved all my stuff in. I now face a very large window, and am able to look outside all I want.
This is nice, not as nice as my office a few year ago with all the giant maple trees near it, but it's still nice.
The students, however, were not necessarily so happy about it. One decided to grumble about it for a few minutes, but I convinced him to stop. This afternoon, I had someone walk in, look for me, then nearly walk out. It was very close to working...
My desk sat right in front of the door, I was the first person anyone saw who walked in the door. This was always a problem if they figured I was the one they were looking for.
We had 2 students sharing a desk in the back of the room. I appropriated this desk late this morning, moved all their stuff off, and moved all my stuff in. I now face a very large window, and am able to look outside all I want.
This is nice, not as nice as my office a few year ago with all the giant maple trees near it, but it's still nice.
The students, however, were not necessarily so happy about it. One decided to grumble about it for a few minutes, but I convinced him to stop. This afternoon, I had someone walk in, look for me, then nearly walk out. It was very close to working...
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