So when it comes to making new friends...I tend to suck at it.
In Colorado, I worked with a bunch of people who were around my age and we shared an office. We got along great.
Now, here in Ithaca, I work with a lot of people, but don't share an office. It makes getting to know people somewhat difficult as when you share an office, there is more small talk.
I feel like I have some defficiency when it comes to making new friends..
Am I the only one?
Oct 10, 2008
Sep 3, 2008
Updating
I'm bad on two levels:
Every time I turn around..BAM! Another Version of WordPress...
Well hopefully this update is as smooth as the others have been.
- Updating this site (with content)
- Updating this site (the software that runs it)
Every time I turn around..BAM! Another Version of WordPress...
Well hopefully this update is as smooth as the others have been.
Aug 5, 2008
Aug 4, 2008
Bike fixing!
So I have my first bike project this weekend.
Friday morning I was getting ready to ride into work. I got on my bike, implemented FINE-C, and hit the electric starter...
No dice.
Ok, it is first thing in the morning and the bike is a 1976...the cold is probably getting to it. I decide to give it another go...
Again, no dice.
I begin to think about what could be wrong..."it is pretty chilly this morning, it might need a couple more times for it to get going.." Seemed logical to me. My old 1984 Ford Escort Wagon was pretty finicky when it came to cold weather. So I try to have it turn over again...
No dice, but this time I notice it doesn't try with as much gusto...
"Odd," I mutter "seems like the battery doesn't have much of a charge." "I know, I'll just kick start it, let it rev for a little bit, and that should be enough of a charge to get me going."
After about 3 tries of kick starting, it fires to life. Success!!!
...well not really. It was about 20 seconds in to the idling at 1200 RPMs that my wife walked out and asked me what I was doing at Quarter to 7 in morning.
"Trying to get my bike to charge the battery enough for it to not die on me." I say with no recognition of the second half of the sentence. It only took one more time for me to get it.
"It's 6:45 in the morning! People are sleeping!"
"What?"
She then gives me the "you heard me and are just letting the facts slip through your mind" look.
"oh."
I shut the bike down and slowly make my way to the truck in the pokiest manner ever.
I spend the better part of Friday researching different ways to test your battery, how to recharge it, and how to see if it is more than just a dead battery. I decided to take a look after work and put my new knowledge I gained to work.
..To Be Continued...
Friday morning I was getting ready to ride into work. I got on my bike, implemented FINE-C, and hit the electric starter...
No dice.
Ok, it is first thing in the morning and the bike is a 1976...the cold is probably getting to it. I decide to give it another go...
Again, no dice.
I begin to think about what could be wrong..."it is pretty chilly this morning, it might need a couple more times for it to get going.." Seemed logical to me. My old 1984 Ford Escort Wagon was pretty finicky when it came to cold weather. So I try to have it turn over again...
No dice, but this time I notice it doesn't try with as much gusto...
"Odd," I mutter "seems like the battery doesn't have much of a charge." "I know, I'll just kick start it, let it rev for a little bit, and that should be enough of a charge to get me going."
After about 3 tries of kick starting, it fires to life. Success!!!
...well not really. It was about 20 seconds in to the idling at 1200 RPMs that my wife walked out and asked me what I was doing at Quarter to 7 in morning.
"Trying to get my bike to charge the battery enough for it to not die on me." I say with no recognition of the second half of the sentence. It only took one more time for me to get it.
"It's 6:45 in the morning! People are sleeping!"
"What?"
She then gives me the "you heard me and are just letting the facts slip through your mind" look.
"oh."
I shut the bike down and slowly make my way to the truck in the pokiest manner ever.
I spend the better part of Friday researching different ways to test your battery, how to recharge it, and how to see if it is more than just a dead battery. I decided to take a look after work and put my new knowledge I gained to work.
..To Be Continued...
My head hurts
There this guy I work with. He's a really nice guy.
I just get a little concerned about his technical skills/ability to think.
Anytime he tires to write something that will be published on the Website/sent out via massive mail...it is a complete scatter shot.
Sentence fragments, incomplete thoughts, grammar that is utterly atrocious.
(side note, I spelled atrocious right the first time! I think my spelling is getting better with age.)
I mean, the guy is really nice...but...I think he needs to take a month off and just RELAX. He's been working non-stop for...well probably his whole working career. He needs to take care of his mental state. I think if he could swing an extended time away, it would rejuvenate him.
...it couldn't hurt.
I just get a little concerned about his technical skills/ability to think.
Anytime he tires to write something that will be published on the Website/sent out via massive mail...it is a complete scatter shot.
Sentence fragments, incomplete thoughts, grammar that is utterly atrocious.
(side note, I spelled atrocious right the first time! I think my spelling is getting better with age.)
I mean, the guy is really nice...but...I think he needs to take a month off and just RELAX. He's been working non-stop for...well probably his whole working career. He needs to take care of his mental state. I think if he could swing an extended time away, it would rejuvenate him.
...it couldn't hurt.
Jun 12, 2008
May 20, 2008
Vista Day 3: The day I get frustrated by OEM installs
After the fun of Day 2, I thought my fun with frustrating things was over. Man, was I wrong. Apparently the bundled Lenovo Connection manager also controls Bluetooth. Sadly, it took me 10 minutes to figure out that it did that. Then, apparently Vista and The Connection Manager were fighting over who had the best network settings. I blew away all the network profiles and made sure that Vista just thought everything was automatic (DHCP at least) and then things settled down. After that, I was back in business.
Other than the fact it is using a Low Voltage Processor, I really love the X61 Tablet. Not quite strong enough to run Half Life 2 at a decent frame rate, but for a work machine, Vista/Tablet is rocking.
Other than the fact it is using a Low Voltage Processor, I really love the X61 Tablet. Not quite strong enough to run Half Life 2 at a decent frame rate, but for a work machine, Vista/Tablet is rocking.
May 16, 2008
Vista, Day 2
Well, Yesterday was an interesting day in Vista Land (C). The morning was fine, and managed to work away, and test out some Pen Flicks....Very fun.
The afternoon, was a bit frustrating, but I think I have to blame the Thinkpad Connection manager software and not Vista. The Subnet in my office does not have DHCP enabled, and I had my Wired connection set to have an alternate configuration: If it doesn't get a DHCP lease, it would assign the address I gave it. Well apparently the ThinkPad Connection manager didn't get that message. It took me about 30 minutes for it to finally understand what connection I wanted it to use. IT doesn't help that the Campus-Wide Wireless network is just about in reach of my office..and The Connection Software REALLY wanted to connect to it...I even turned off the wireless, but it assumed it was still in the "roaming" profile I created...I forced to use the "Wired Office" profile, but it would still flip back to Roaming...I'll have to take a look into that later today.
Other than that, I have to say, Running Vista on recommended hardware is a lot better than on non-recommended...I think my last Vista Machine was a Dell Optiplex Gx260....yeah...Vista was mad :)
The afternoon, was a bit frustrating, but I think I have to blame the Thinkpad Connection manager software and not Vista. The Subnet in my office does not have DHCP enabled, and I had my Wired connection set to have an alternate configuration: If it doesn't get a DHCP lease, it would assign the address I gave it. Well apparently the ThinkPad Connection manager didn't get that message. It took me about 30 minutes for it to finally understand what connection I wanted it to use. IT doesn't help that the Campus-Wide Wireless network is just about in reach of my office..and The Connection Software REALLY wanted to connect to it...I even turned off the wireless, but it assumed it was still in the "roaming" profile I created...I forced to use the "Wired Office" profile, but it would still flip back to Roaming...I'll have to take a look into that later today.
Other than that, I have to say, Running Vista on recommended hardware is a lot better than on non-recommended...I think my last Vista Machine was a Dell Optiplex Gx260....yeah...Vista was mad :)
May 14, 2008
30 days with Vista
Yes, that's right. I'm taking the Vista Plunge. I decided that I had better get used to it, since it isn't going away.
My last attempt at Vista lasted about 3 days....then again I had it installed on a Dell GX280...not exactly recommended specs. This time around, I've got a new machine to test out on...
A LENOVO X61 TABLET!!!
Now before you start yelling at me saying "Mark! That's just a toy! You're a gadget gouger!" let me explain.
I decided that to test Vista, I should get a laptop, mostly because I know that is how most of my users are going to end up getting it: They have this tendency to just go out and buy laptops without talking to me first. Desktops, they do come to me, but Laptops "aren't department machines..." umm...Yes they are, but that's another argument for another day.
I can test vista on a desktop and get to know all the ins and outs, but a laptop offers me the distinct advantage of being able to bring the machine with me, instead of it residing in my office, sitting unused for half a day. I figure the best way to get to know Vista, is it use it full time for a month, not just a part of a week.
So here's to Day 1: Installing all the things I forgot to install before the day started. Up first, Oracle Calendar and Twhirl
My last attempt at Vista lasted about 3 days....then again I had it installed on a Dell GX280...not exactly recommended specs. This time around, I've got a new machine to test out on...
A LENOVO X61 TABLET!!!
Now before you start yelling at me saying "Mark! That's just a toy! You're a gadget gouger!" let me explain.
I decided that to test Vista, I should get a laptop, mostly because I know that is how most of my users are going to end up getting it: They have this tendency to just go out and buy laptops without talking to me first. Desktops, they do come to me, but Laptops "aren't department machines..." umm...Yes they are, but that's another argument for another day.
I can test vista on a desktop and get to know all the ins and outs, but a laptop offers me the distinct advantage of being able to bring the machine with me, instead of it residing in my office, sitting unused for half a day. I figure the best way to get to know Vista, is it use it full time for a month, not just a part of a week.
So here's to Day 1: Installing all the things I forgot to install before the day started. Up first, Oracle Calendar and Twhirl
May 9, 2008
Stupid Educational discounts!
Don't get me wrong, I love the fact I can order machines for a generous discount throught a lot of different Vendors for my job...I love saving money.
The thing I can't stand is when the list of things I can buy is threefold smaller than the list of actual products they sell.
I mean, why not give me the option to buy ALL of your products, and just point out to me that I'm getting a Super sweet deal if I buy from the "Recommended for Universities" list instead of the "Recommended for home" list. Sometimes, your home list has more up to date hardware than your University list...
Why would I want to buy a 1.5 year old machine (at a good price) versus a brand new machine that really isn't that much more??
Am I asking for too much?
The thing I can't stand is when the list of things I can buy is threefold smaller than the list of actual products they sell.
I mean, why not give me the option to buy ALL of your products, and just point out to me that I'm getting a Super sweet deal if I buy from the "Recommended for Universities" list instead of the "Recommended for home" list. Sometimes, your home list has more up to date hardware than your University list...
Why would I want to buy a 1.5 year old machine (at a good price) versus a brand new machine that really isn't that much more??
Am I asking for too much?
May 8, 2008
Thrice (or how I justify seeing horrible movie sequels)
Here is my original post about movie sequels. Enjoy!
I enjoy Love movies. I love being entertained for a couple of hours by gripping realistic tales, amazing fantasy or uber techie sci-fi. I use movies to be thrilled, to laugh, and sometimes to cry or sometimes all three.
I began to notice a trend in movies the more I watched them: Sequels are a dime a dozen. If you make one good a movie, it means you need to make a sequel...or two. I would want to watch the sequels to know what happened to my favorite..or least favorite character. I began to realize if I watched every sequel to every movie I saw, I would do nothing but watch movies all day. If I were one Mr. Greg Belavia, well that's who I would be. Greg loves movies more than anyone I know. In fact, I think he IS a movie. That's another Tale for another day.
As I was saying, I needed to come up with some guidelines as far as what sequels I would watch. I'll explain my process and then post the rules. That way, you can come along on the journey to discover the rules of Trilogies! ...or Just kill some time.
My thought process goes like this:
I see the first part either in the theaters, at a party or through Netflix. I enjoy the first part and say to myself "that wasn't bad, I wonder if they'll continue this and make a series of films." I flesh out my ideas of where the story could go, day dreaming about it for some time.
A second part comes out. I say to myself "I would like to see that. I wonder if it will be better than the original. (note to self: most of the time, it's not.) I might or might not see it at this point in the theaters. This is largely due to interest or lack thereof in anyone else I know wanting to pay 10 bucks to see it. If I can't find one other person to go, I'll just wait for it to come out on DVD. Usually, as I'm waiting for the DVD to come out, I begin to hear rumors of a possible third movie. I say to myself "if I see the second, I'll see the third."
When the second movie finally arrives on DVD, I give myself until the third one is out in theaters before I've broken the trilogy cycle. I usually have at least six months to watch it. After watching the second, I'm usually left feeling like my dreams for the movie project have been dashed; thrown upon the rocks of horrible scripting and poorly trained actors. I feel dejected, and downtrodden. At this point, I feel like the director/writer have made this movie deliberately to make me feel some sort of connection to the movie, as if they want me to write them and say "hey dumbelina! what did you do to my movie? you destroyed it by killing off Bob! 'What about Bob' isn't 'What about Bob' without Bob! I can't believe you did that!"
After a few hours of cooling down, I begin to scour the Internets again to see if there's any word on when the third part will be done. I usually find myself only a few short months away from release. It's here I begin to plot. If I read pre-reviews, and it looks like the movie won't be half bad, I'll begin the PR push of a lifetime. My wife is usually the lead test subject in my attempt to rally the troops for a full on theater viewing, but considering the last trilogies I watched were outside her rules of movie-watching, I usually lose.
I then try to spin the campaign from "let's go see this amazing ending to a great story" to "Let's go watch this trainwreck and laugh at it the entire time!" Suffice to say, I usually don't see the third in the theaters, but I think there may be an exception to this rule on the horizon. If all of my campaigning fails, I'll usually just end up renting it on netflix. Sadly, as with the last one linked, I felt as though the series let me down again...but with the Trilogy rule completed, I can sever ties with the movie series knowing I did my best. I did all that I could for it, but sometimes, it's just never enough...
So without further ado, here are "Mark's Rules for watching Sequels: Trilogy Edition"
There you have it; my rules on how I see Trilogies. The rules could be applied to a movie dynasty or two, but generally if I see three I'm going to see all of them. I mean come on, who didn't watch all the Rocky movies?
Thrice
I enjoy Love movies. I love being entertained for a couple of hours by gripping realistic tales, amazing fantasy or uber techie sci-fi. I use movies to be thrilled, to laugh, and sometimes to cry or sometimes all three.
I began to notice a trend in movies the more I watched them: Sequels are a dime a dozen. If you make one good a movie, it means you need to make a sequel...or two. I would want to watch the sequels to know what happened to my favorite..or least favorite character. I began to realize if I watched every sequel to every movie I saw, I would do nothing but watch movies all day. If I were one Mr. Greg Belavia, well that's who I would be. Greg loves movies more than anyone I know. In fact, I think he IS a movie. That's another Tale for another day.
As I was saying, I needed to come up with some guidelines as far as what sequels I would watch. I'll explain my process and then post the rules. That way, you can come along on the journey to discover the rules of Trilogies! ...or Just kill some time.
My thought process goes like this:
I see the first part either in the theaters, at a party or through Netflix. I enjoy the first part and say to myself "that wasn't bad, I wonder if they'll continue this and make a series of films." I flesh out my ideas of where the story could go, day dreaming about it for some time.
A second part comes out. I say to myself "I would like to see that. I wonder if it will be better than the original. (note to self: most of the time, it's not.) I might or might not see it at this point in the theaters. This is largely due to interest or lack thereof in anyone else I know wanting to pay 10 bucks to see it. If I can't find one other person to go, I'll just wait for it to come out on DVD. Usually, as I'm waiting for the DVD to come out, I begin to hear rumors of a possible third movie. I say to myself "if I see the second, I'll see the third."
When the second movie finally arrives on DVD, I give myself until the third one is out in theaters before I've broken the trilogy cycle. I usually have at least six months to watch it. After watching the second, I'm usually left feeling like my dreams for the movie project have been dashed; thrown upon the rocks of horrible scripting and poorly trained actors. I feel dejected, and downtrodden. At this point, I feel like the director/writer have made this movie deliberately to make me feel some sort of connection to the movie, as if they want me to write them and say "hey dumbelina! what did you do to my movie? you destroyed it by killing off Bob! 'What about Bob' isn't 'What about Bob' without Bob! I can't believe you did that!"
After a few hours of cooling down, I begin to scour the Internets again to see if there's any word on when the third part will be done. I usually find myself only a few short months away from release. It's here I begin to plot. If I read pre-reviews, and it looks like the movie won't be half bad, I'll begin the PR push of a lifetime. My wife is usually the lead test subject in my attempt to rally the troops for a full on theater viewing, but considering the last trilogies I watched were outside her rules of movie-watching, I usually lose.
I then try to spin the campaign from "let's go see this amazing ending to a great story" to "Let's go watch this trainwreck and laugh at it the entire time!" Suffice to say, I usually don't see the third in the theaters, but I think there may be an exception to this rule on the horizon. If all of my campaigning fails, I'll usually just end up renting it on netflix. Sadly, as with the last one linked, I felt as though the series let me down again...but with the Trilogy rule completed, I can sever ties with the movie series knowing I did my best. I did all that I could for it, but sometimes, it's just never enough...
So without further ado, here are "Mark's Rules for watching Sequels: Trilogy Edition"
- I must see the first part before seeing any other part.
- I must "want" to see the second part in the theaters.
- I must see the second part before the third part hits theaters.
- I must see the third part if the above rules are met.
There you have it; my rules on how I see Trilogies. The rules could be applied to a movie dynasty or two, but generally if I see three I'm going to see all of them. I mean come on, who didn't watch all the Rocky movies?
Robocop 2: Or how I wished I had more beer
Seeing as though I have my rules about movies ( a post I will re-create later today), I had to watch Robocop 2.
I can't tell you how much I wished I had more than 1.5 beers to make it through this movie. Don't get me wrong, for a "turn off your brain" flick, it was good. I had a good time watching Robo blow the crap out of Nuke Dealers, but there were a few things that I couldn't get past.
I guess I really should have found more Dog Fish Head before watching it....I'd better get a case before Robocop 3 shows up tomorrow...
I can't tell you how much I wished I had more than 1.5 beers to make it through this movie. Don't get me wrong, for a "turn off your brain" flick, it was good. I had a good time watching Robo blow the crap out of Nuke Dealers, but there were a few things that I couldn't get past.
- That stupid like Punk. I honestly did not care what happened to him. I didn't really find him to be a believable character. His first line of "can't shoot a kid" made me wish this movie would interact with my zapper so I could take him out. At the end, when he died, I was actually glad that meant I didn't have to see him on the screen anymore. I didn't buy his conversion, or his fears. And he was so totally not enough of a dick. When he was holding out on the nuke addicted (...hooker?) lady, why didn't she just pimp-slap him and take the drugs and kick him out of the car? He's Twelve!
- Cain as a robocop wanna be was not very good. He has superior armaments, but "was addicted to drugs" and couldn't do anything without nuke...yet when the psycho Psychologist dangled it in front of him, he just believed what she said and attempted to take out the Mayor. Why not just nod your head in agreement, and then when she turned her back, snap her neck and take the Nuke??? You weapons and strength, use them!
- The mayor's voice really got on my nerves...almost Bobcat Goldthwait nerve level. And who let him have some Jolt before shooting?
I guess I really should have found more Dog Fish Head before watching it....I'd better get a case before Robocop 3 shows up tomorrow...
May 1, 2008
not a good combination
Let this be a lesson to all you kids out there:
NEVER drink and blog...it leads to frustration and lost blog posts...with only your flailing hands and Boot camp trackpad drivers to blame...
and GET OFF MY LAWN!!!
Kids these days....
NEVER drink and blog...it leads to frustration and lost blog posts...with only your flailing hands and Boot camp trackpad drivers to blame...
and GET OFF MY LAWN!!!
Kids these days....
Apr 29, 2008
Tuesday fun!
getting back to work on Monday was fantastic. Well, not really, but it wasn't as horrible as I thought it would be. I hit the ground running with a lot of little things that people held onto until I returned, but not bad. I got up when my alarm went off, which is something new for me.
Usually, when my alarm goes off at 5:20, I turn it off and lay around until 6. Now, as soon as the alarm goes off, I get out of bed and get ready for the day. I used to get to the gym by 6:40...now I'm there by 6. I would start my cardio around 6:50...now around 6:20. Side note: I have no idea why it takes me 20 minutes to get from the locker room to the gym which is 25 feet away...
On Monday Morning Al, the guy who gives me my workout bag ( shorts, T-shirt and towel...there's a jock in there but I refuse to use it...I'll just use my boxers and bring a new pair for after the sweat session), asked me if I was on Vacation. I told him I indeed was on Vacation and that it was good to be back in the swing of things. He said "Good, you look like you were ready for some time off." How Right he was.
I know it has only been two days since I returned from my week off, but I feel energized and ready to face the looming projects (AD/OD integration, A redesign of a lab, and another couple lab updates) and get shit done.
I thought about quoting larry the cable guy but I refuse.
Usually, when my alarm goes off at 5:20, I turn it off and lay around until 6. Now, as soon as the alarm goes off, I get out of bed and get ready for the day. I used to get to the gym by 6:40...now I'm there by 6. I would start my cardio around 6:50...now around 6:20. Side note: I have no idea why it takes me 20 minutes to get from the locker room to the gym which is 25 feet away...
On Monday Morning Al, the guy who gives me my workout bag ( shorts, T-shirt and towel...there's a jock in there but I refuse to use it...I'll just use my boxers and bring a new pair for after the sweat session), asked me if I was on Vacation. I told him I indeed was on Vacation and that it was good to be back in the swing of things. He said "Good, you look like you were ready for some time off." How Right he was.
I know it has only been two days since I returned from my week off, but I feel energized and ready to face the looming projects (AD/OD integration, A redesign of a lab, and another couple lab updates) and get shit done.
I thought about quoting larry the cable guy but I refuse.
Die hard 4...
I finally watched Die Hard 4. I ended up watching the UNR@T3D Version on the DVD...and I think it was a good choice. I'm pretty sure the PG-13 did not use the term "Mother F#*KR" or "F*#( You" as much...and I don't think they can.
I am glad I am able to shut off my brain though...there were some moments that I had to suspend my reality.
That, and I am really getting tired of "there's only one guy who can do this...." and then cut to a scene with a guy in his mom's basement...
Really?? I mean, Geeks are antisocial...but they move out!
Oh well, I didn't feel as though the time was stolen from me, so that's good. I went in thinking it was going to be the worst movie I have ever seen...and it was better than that.
I am glad I am able to shut off my brain though...there were some moments that I had to suspend my reality.
That, and I am really getting tired of "there's only one guy who can do this...." and then cut to a scene with a guy in his mom's basement...
Really?? I mean, Geeks are antisocial...but they move out!
Oh well, I didn't feel as though the time was stolen from me, so that's good. I went in thinking it was going to be the worst movie I have ever seen...and it was better than that.
Apr 18, 2008
Next week.
I told myself I would write more, yet I always seem to find a reason not to...Probably because there's a part of me that doesn't want to write and have it up there, but here goes:
Got my Motorcycle Learner's permit a couple weeks ago! I missed two questions on the test; one because I read the sign right but read the question backwards (I read it to mean divided highway starting and I meant to put ending), and then the other one I have no idea. I can't remember the question, but I remember it having two possible answers, but one was MORE correct than the other one...gotta love those.
I've been doing research into helmets and to what style I want. I want a full face shield, and if possible one that has interchangeable shields, so if I need a darker one for sunny days I can put it on...not a necessity but if I can find a reasonable one, I'll go for it.
Robyn and I are taking next week off for Tommy's Culinary luncheon that he'll be running on Wednesday. He created the menu from scratch and everything is dairy free...I am expecting to be well fed on Wednesday! WE'll head up there on Tuesday night, have lunch with the in-laws and head out Thursday. Then Friday we'll head up to Webster since Pants' shower is at 10:30...was not looking forward to getting up at 6 or 7 on Saturday to drive up there. I hope I can get a hold of BJD and catch up. BJD's wedding is in a few weeks (may 17th I think).
It'll be nice to take some time off of work, and not have a ton of family related things to do. The last few "vacations" have been either for our Wedding (three years ago!) or spending Christmas with the family. When we were in Colorado we would always day three or four day trips...nothing longer to cut down on the time off we took...now we'll use our vacation for us!
I suppose I should get back to work...since i"m out of here early for an eye appointment!
Got my Motorcycle Learner's permit a couple weeks ago! I missed two questions on the test; one because I read the sign right but read the question backwards (I read it to mean divided highway starting and I meant to put ending), and then the other one I have no idea. I can't remember the question, but I remember it having two possible answers, but one was MORE correct than the other one...gotta love those.
I've been doing research into helmets and to what style I want. I want a full face shield, and if possible one that has interchangeable shields, so if I need a darker one for sunny days I can put it on...not a necessity but if I can find a reasonable one, I'll go for it.
Robyn and I are taking next week off for Tommy's Culinary luncheon that he'll be running on Wednesday. He created the menu from scratch and everything is dairy free...I am expecting to be well fed on Wednesday! WE'll head up there on Tuesday night, have lunch with the in-laws and head out Thursday. Then Friday we'll head up to Webster since Pants' shower is at 10:30...was not looking forward to getting up at 6 or 7 on Saturday to drive up there. I hope I can get a hold of BJD and catch up. BJD's wedding is in a few weeks (may 17th I think).
It'll be nice to take some time off of work, and not have a ton of family related things to do. The last few "vacations" have been either for our Wedding (three years ago!) or spending Christmas with the family. When we were in Colorado we would always day three or four day trips...nothing longer to cut down on the time off we took...now we'll use our vacation for us!
I suppose I should get back to work...since i"m out of here early for an eye appointment!
Friday...before a week off!
I realized just a few minutes ago that I'm leaving early today...and then I'll be off for a week!
I love it!
I love it!
Apr 17, 2008
Tilling is hard
Tilling a side of a hill is not as easy as it sounds... When you have a 3HP tiller trying to either pull you down hill or try to flop to the side, it makes for not so quick tilling. Also, when you are tilling, the machine vibrates quite a bit...which can really mess with your hands/wrists.
When it is all said and done, we'll have four rows of about 35 feet in length...more than enough for a majority of our plants. I'll try to remember to take pictures of what we have done so far. Now, off to find out if there are some gloves I can borrow from around here...
When it is all said and done, we'll have four rows of about 35 feet in length...more than enough for a majority of our plants. I'll try to remember to take pictures of what we have done so far. Now, off to find out if there are some gloves I can borrow from around here...
Apr 14, 2008
Tillin'...or not so much
The original plan for this weekend was to till up the backyard to increase the garden size by 200%. I'm not sure if that is the actual percentage, but I'm 94% sure. The plan WAS to do that...but the clouds decided to pee on us, and leave the ground fairly wet. Since our soil is somewhat mostly clay, the Rototiller would have just sat there and made a nice mud pit instead of actually tilling the ground. Oh well, we're supposed to get a couple of nice days this week, maybe the ground will dry up a bit and we attempt again.
After we realized that tilling was out of the question, we headed to our favorite place for Mid-morning snackies: Brookton's Market. After that, The VoorHeetderks called and asked if we wanted to go fishing. Since none of us had Fishing gear (licenses, poles, hooks, anything needed for fishing) we headed out and picked all that stuff up.
After we got the required accessories, we headed out. On the way, we were going to stop and looking into getting me a Motorcycle helmet, unfortunately, the place we stopped at wasn't open...and I don't think it has been in some time. (EDIT: I looked them up online and they appear open...and they even have a Myspace page!) I was pretty let down about that, but I figured I still have over a month until my class, I'll be fine. We then attempted to fish down at taughannock falls, just north of Ithaca. The weather was cold, especially with the wind. We were there for about an hour and finally everyone was ready to leave and head home...except Gerrit: Gerrit was set on going fishing.
We stopped off at Wegman's to pick up stuff for dinner and headed back to our house. Since he would not be denied, Gerrit when down to the local fishing hole in Brooktondale, determined to catch/eat a fish!
...About 45 minutes later we get a call saying we needed to get down there, he caught a fish! We all grabbed our coats and a cooler to put the fish in an ran down there. Sure enough, there was Gerrit, with his...fish. Robyn thought it might be a catfish, or something similar. I wasn't sure...other than it had a very interesting mouth...I was convinced he caught a placostamus (sp?) someone threw in the water when it got too big for their tank. (Picture coming soon.)
So now that Gerrit caught his fish, he wants to eat it. Can he eat the scumbly fish? Several minutes of Internets research uncovered you can eat scumble-fish. Gerrit proceeded to cut him up, stuff him with onions and herbs, and bake him. I wasn't feeling 100% (slight nausea, but I blame that on the hotdogs) so I did not partake of Scumble-meal. Everyone said it wasn't horrible, and actually kind of good.
All in all, a productive weekend. Now to research Motorcycle helmets so I know what I want when I go shopping (hopefully) this weekend.
After we realized that tilling was out of the question, we headed to our favorite place for Mid-morning snackies: Brookton's Market. After that, The VoorHeetderks called and asked if we wanted to go fishing. Since none of us had Fishing gear (licenses, poles, hooks, anything needed for fishing) we headed out and picked all that stuff up.
After we got the required accessories, we headed out. On the way, we were going to stop and looking into getting me a Motorcycle helmet, unfortunately, the place we stopped at wasn't open...and I don't think it has been in some time. (EDIT: I looked them up online and they appear open...and they even have a Myspace page!) I was pretty let down about that, but I figured I still have over a month until my class, I'll be fine. We then attempted to fish down at taughannock falls, just north of Ithaca. The weather was cold, especially with the wind. We were there for about an hour and finally everyone was ready to leave and head home...except Gerrit: Gerrit was set on going fishing.
We stopped off at Wegman's to pick up stuff for dinner and headed back to our house. Since he would not be denied, Gerrit when down to the local fishing hole in Brooktondale, determined to catch/eat a fish!
...About 45 minutes later we get a call saying we needed to get down there, he caught a fish! We all grabbed our coats and a cooler to put the fish in an ran down there. Sure enough, there was Gerrit, with his...fish. Robyn thought it might be a catfish, or something similar. I wasn't sure...other than it had a very interesting mouth...I was convinced he caught a placostamus (sp?) someone threw in the water when it got too big for their tank. (Picture coming soon.)
So now that Gerrit caught his fish, he wants to eat it. Can he eat the scumbly fish? Several minutes of Internets research uncovered you can eat scumble-fish. Gerrit proceeded to cut him up, stuff him with onions and herbs, and bake him. I wasn't feeling 100% (slight nausea, but I blame that on the hotdogs) so I did not partake of Scumble-meal. Everyone said it wasn't horrible, and actually kind of good.
All in all, a productive weekend. Now to research Motorcycle helmets so I know what I want when I go shopping (hopefully) this weekend.
Apr 10, 2008
Freaking thursday!
For some reason all day, I thought it was Friday...and it isn't...
Oh well. I will tyr to put more on this blog more often...we'll see if that actually happens :)
Oh well. I will tyr to put more on this blog more often...we'll see if that actually happens :)
Apr 3, 2008
Early adopter...why do I do this?
So, Office 2008 for Mac came out and I updated to it to see what be in store for my users. I also run Outlook 2007 on my PC just so I know what to expect in the next few months when they get transitioned over...
Needless to say, I have quite a few emails in an outlook .PST file. I didn't miss any of the archived mail until today when I needed, but I'm on my Mac away from my pc...which is in my office turned off.
Thankfully I have a copy of the PST on my Mac!
Well, certainly Microsoft would have a tool to import stuff like that right? They do!
...for Entourage 2004....NOT for 2008. No mention of if/when a new version would be available...
Crap...
Needless to say, I have quite a few emails in an outlook .PST file. I didn't miss any of the archived mail until today when I needed, but I'm on my Mac away from my pc...which is in my office turned off.
Thankfully I have a copy of the PST on my Mac!
Well, certainly Microsoft would have a tool to import stuff like that right? They do!
...for Entourage 2004....NOT for 2008. No mention of if/when a new version would be available...
Crap...
Apr 1, 2008
That was it???
I just did the update in less than five minutes! I must have done something wrong...
This reminds me of ubunutu...Updating is way too easy! (well, and XP/OS X as well)...It's not like Gentoo, where updating could take Hours, or even DAYS to complete (granted that was on a PII that was WAY over worked...)
Is it wrong that I have been programmed to think that if it was too easy that means I messed something up or forgot something?
This reminds me of ubunutu...Updating is way too easy! (well, and XP/OS X as well)...It's not like Gentoo, where updating could take Hours, or even DAYS to complete (granted that was on a PII that was WAY over worked...)
Is it wrong that I have been programmed to think that if it was too easy that means I messed something up or forgot something?
I'm all signed up...
For my motorcycle class! Robyn and I talked, and we found a set of days that will work. I'm excited! I'll finally be trying it out and see if it is something I want to do...well I have no doubt I'll love it...but the question is will it love me? It is a three day course, with 6 hours devoted to being in a classroom. The rest of the time is spent practicing/getting things signed off to get the driving test waiver. I might be ok...or it might be really hard. The nice thing is the bikes they have you use are fairly new and just got inspected/all the good stuff needed for it to be an enjoyable time.
Now...to find a helmet..
Now...to find a helmet..
Update!
Seriously...I'm going to update to 2.5....
I mean it!
now if Only word press would believe me and stop yelling at me when I log in!
I get it! :)
I mean it!
now if Only word press would believe me and stop yelling at me when I log in!
I get it! :)
Mar 24, 2008
Google suggests...Crap!
I get a call from a Peer who noticed a very interesting thing. In Firefox, in the upper right hand corner is a Google search window. It's great for doing a quick search. The other neat feature it has is google suggestions: Placing other words in context with the word(s) you are searching for to help you do a better search and get to the information you want faster...
Only today it seems a bit off...
Two perfectly beign searches...returning suggestions with NOTHING really in common with what I want. I mean, I guess Windows does follow DST...but I don't know if I would want Antique apples...
Then for fun...I tried this:
I mean...That's not the first thing I think of when I think of that...although I have never been to Seattle...
I think this last one says it all...
Only today it seems a bit off...
Two perfectly beign searches...returning suggestions with NOTHING really in common with what I want. I mean, I guess Windows does follow DST...but I don't know if I would want Antique apples...
Then for fun...I tried this:
I mean...That's not the first thing I think of when I think of that...although I have never been to Seattle...
I think this last one says it all...
Mar 21, 2008
How do I do this?
Ever since I was 13, I have wanted a motorcycle. The idea of driving down the road, with the wind whipping against my face and I feel the beast of a machine purring beneath me has intrigued me. I almost bought a motorcycle twice...but both times I chickened out...mostly because I have never been on one and don't know if it will be all that I expect it to be. Then I came up with this great idea last night: Take a Class on how to ride/maintain a bike. That would finally put my dreams to the test and see if they are still valid!
...Then Robyn brought up two very good questions:
If anyone has ideas, insight, please let me know. I don't want to end up buying a bike and then find out I can't stand it....I somehow doubt it...but you never know.
...Then Robyn brought up two very good questions:
- Do these "intro to Motorcycles" classes exist around us?
- Do I need a bike first before they will let me in the class?
If anyone has ideas, insight, please let me know. I don't want to end up buying a bike and then find out I can't stand it....I somehow doubt it...but you never know.
Mar 20, 2008
Mar 19, 2008
...Really?
So I had a machine go bad. It was still under warranty so I called to have a tech come replace the motherboard. (mostly because then the machine is still under warranty...apparently I'm not good enough for them to replace motherboards...EVEN THOUGH I did about three months ago and had no problems....glad I gave into their crap they fed me today.)
Tech comes, replaces it. Machine POSTs....yay! All is done right?
...Right?
...Hello...?
Apparently one good boot does not mean the machine is fixed. Now it won't boot anything.
Hard Drive? pishaw!
CD-ROM? So 90's!
USB drive? What do I look like? I'm not a call girl!
So now I get another new motherboard/Tech Combo tomorrow...
Why does this have to happen on the ONE machine I don't want to have trouble with....
Tech comes, replaces it. Machine POSTs....yay! All is done right?
...Right?
...Hello...?
Apparently one good boot does not mean the machine is fixed. Now it won't boot anything.
Hard Drive? pishaw!
CD-ROM? So 90's!
USB drive? What do I look like? I'm not a call girl!
So now I get another new motherboard/Tech Combo tomorrow...
Why does this have to happen on the ONE machine I don't want to have trouble with....
Mar 18, 2008
Mar 7, 2008
Mar 3, 2008
Beer! The final Verdict...
So as some of you know, Robyn, Gerrit and I tried succeeded in making beer not too long ago (Pictures are here). After the agonizing wait for the beer to finish the fermentation, we finally were able to taste our end product!
The Final verdict? I like it! I was really afraid that it wouldn't come out and have a very vinegar evident taste. It came out alright.
I think my next test will be to make a Stout.
The Final verdict? I like it! I was really afraid that it wouldn't come out and have a very vinegar evident taste. It came out alright.
I think my next test will be to make a Stout.
Feb 26, 2008
Boris the Spider
Is my new favorite song. Robyn and I heard it yesterday as we were driving to the Greatest Store Evar! Second best store for Groceries. Here it is!
Feb 20, 2008
I sometimes wish...
That I had been born in the heyday of Command line, Terminal computing. I find myself a little more at home there. I do like my GUIs, don't get me wrong, but there's something about checking arp tables, restarting services, or installing things from the command line that I just love.
It could be that every time I do it...people think I'm a magician. "Whoa, how'd you do that?!!!" Me: "I just did, that's how!"
That, or if I could have been around during the Age of exploration. Knowing that I was one of the first people to see new lands (well, at least by non-indigenous people) would have been awesome.
Yeah, that or the Future. I mean, Captain Picard is just a kick ass guy! Maybe I could freeze myself and wake up in the 24th Century. Maybe I could give Wesley some pointers...
Did anyone ever talk to him? All I can ever remember anyone saying to him is "Shut up Wesley!"
It could be that every time I do it...people think I'm a magician. "Whoa, how'd you do that?!!!" Me: "I just did, that's how!"
That, or if I could have been around during the Age of exploration. Knowing that I was one of the first people to see new lands (well, at least by non-indigenous people) would have been awesome.
Yeah, that or the Future. I mean, Captain Picard is just a kick ass guy! Maybe I could freeze myself and wake up in the 24th Century. Maybe I could give Wesley some pointers...
Did anyone ever talk to him? All I can ever remember anyone saying to him is "Shut up Wesley!"
Feb 14, 2008
Seriously?
Went to Wegman's last night to do the weekly shopping. Since we do most of our shopping at the Greenstar Co-Op, it was pretty light night. We also had dinner there, since Mondays the fridge looks more like a vast wasteland than the cornucopia it is during the rest of the week. Since we only had a few items, we decided to use the express lanes for quickness. We found one lane empty and began to place our less than ten items on the belt. The cashier looked...about 12, which means she is probably 16 or 22.
I'm fishing in my pocket for the Money. The total comes to $15.21. I handed the nice lady a Twenty. As she is about to close the register I pull out the required change and say "I actually have the 21 cents." I was expecting a reply along the lines of "Ok, not a problem" or "I hate having tons of change too...here's a five spot."
Did I get that? No. The next sentence that was uddered quite frankly scared me.
"umm...I don't know how to do that..."
What? You don't know how to do simple addition? Isn't that required? When I worked at Friendly's eons ago, I had to pass a simple math Test before I could work the register. Nothing outrageous. Just simple addition and subtraction.
The bill is $22.37. What is the change from $30? From $40?
Have things gotten that bad that people can't do simple math problems without consulting a calculator orpen and paper Cell phone?
Ok, I'm off to consult my PDA for my current schedule.
I'm fishing in my pocket for the Money. The total comes to $15.21. I handed the nice lady a Twenty. As she is about to close the register I pull out the required change and say "I actually have the 21 cents." I was expecting a reply along the lines of "Ok, not a problem" or "I hate having tons of change too...here's a five spot."
Did I get that? No. The next sentence that was uddered quite frankly scared me.
"umm...I don't know how to do that..."
What? You don't know how to do simple addition? Isn't that required? When I worked at Friendly's eons ago, I had to pass a simple math Test before I could work the register. Nothing outrageous. Just simple addition and subtraction.
The bill is $22.37. What is the change from $30? From $40?
Have things gotten that bad that people can't do simple math problems without consulting a calculator or
Ok, I'm off to consult my PDA for my current schedule.
Jan 14, 2008
Look what I found!
It's so pretty! A message pad for me! Now to get it to talk with my MacBook Pro...that'll be an interesting challenge...
Jan 8, 2008
Great ideas...spoiled
Over the past two weeks I had a couple of great ideas for posts. Things I wanted to write to help expand my thoughts and attempt to get a better grasp on my psyche and how it works. Unfortunately, I did not write them down. I talked to Robyn about them, and we had a good old fashion discussion, but they never made it to this site.
And that right there is why I suck at blogging. I have ideas I want to express, funny stories to tell, but I never put them up. Why? There are several reasons why.
And that right there is why I suck at blogging. I have ideas I want to express, funny stories to tell, but I never put them up. Why? There are several reasons why.
- This is a public space. I mean, most of the time the ramblings are about me and why I did something, but rarely is it just me. There are other people involved. Part of me says "Mark! You were part of that conversation/interaction...you have the right to post it! Just make the other name anonymous!" Big problem with that is it would be very easy to tell who I was talking about. It's not that I would feel bad about writing about them, it just goes back to my feeling that "don't write anything that might make someone upset." If that were the case, there would be nothing ever written. Ever.
- I'm lazy. Often times, these ideas come to me either at work or somewhere I don't have internet access at my finger tips. I mentally jot it down to post later...but knowing me, I was sidetracked by the glow of my MacBook Pro or the latest Netflix arrival. (By the way, just watched The Invincible Iron Man, it was pretty good! I enjoyed the voice acting and the story (even if it was a bit off from the main story...but enjoyable nonetheless)).
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