11/27/2007

Wow. 3 years ago I started this blog and just reached my 600th post. That's about a 200 post / year clip, ~4 posts a week. I certainly didn't know when I started this what to expect. The fact that I waited between 11/27/2007 and 3/18/2008 before I made my second post is just fascinating, at least to me.

I don't think anyone else really gives a rat's ass...

Turkey Thoughts

In Balltown, there were a lot of euchre games played. I did okay in some and not as okay in others. A lot of laughter. In general, though, I did not feel the best. My head has had an ache (translation: headache) for the majority of my time in Balltown. Ibuprofen and Aleve have helped but have not eliminated the feeling in my brain. It is 11 PM on a Saturday and if I were to be in bed by 11:01, I would be happy with that.

In other news, the Hawkeyes finished the season 7-5 with a loss in the Twin Cities. Their losses were to Arizona, Wisconsin, Indiana (right?!?), Northwestern, and Minnesota.

In yet other news, my brother-in-law showed me the following Brad Paisley video:


and I tried to show him the Texas Hippie Coalition:

There's also been this video that captured my undivided attention.

Slayer and Christmas... who knew?

Weeks ahead Look Promising

There are many exciting things in the weeks ahead, including, but not limited to, the following:

1. Alex's basketball team plays their final regular game on 12/2/10 and plays the fall session finale on Monday, 12/6/10 @ 6:30
2. There are band and choir concerts the week of 12/5.
3. I turn 41 on 12/4
4. First Thanksgiving, then Christmas, and the hoopla that goes with that...
5. Installing new windows in the kids' rooms before the end of the year.
6. Alex's drum lessons and Megan's sax lessons on Monday nights = more drumming on the Yamaha DTX @ West Music.

Anything else that life throws at me.

(Relatively New) Since October

I like this song by Since October.

Twofer

Alex's drum teacher asked if Alex could come back tonight for a second lesson this week so I got to play the electronic set again tonight. I wailed on one of the songs. I really wish there was a 'business' reason to pull that set home, but I'm not actively playing in a band, not actually looking into playing in a band, and don't really forsee myself being able to justify the added monthly payment such an investment would require. I'll keep my mind open to new opportunities and perhaps a zillion and one dollars will land in my lap. Until that day, I'll keep playing that set at West Music and enjoying the 1/2 hour I get to be with it. It felt really good tonight. I felt like I began to stretch beyond what I would normally play because I allowed the pre-programmed drum part to be played and I played along with that, mimicing it at times and just doing my own thing during other parts. I really wish I could get rid of this terrible habit of playing RLRR LRLL with my feet. I know I practiced paradiddles with my feet, tough to do by the way, but now when I want rumbling RLRL RLRL RLRL RLRL under a bar of 4/4, I end up with RLRR LRLL. It sounds weird. Maybe that's what I'll be known for someday.

Prior to Moving On, A thought...

I really *really* like taking Alex to drum lessons @ West Music. I really *really* like walking in, going into their drum room, reaching into their bucket of sticks and picking two, exiting the drum room, walking to an electronic drumset, putting on headphones, picking a drum set from the multiple options that are pre-programmed, and then playing drums during Alex's lesson. For the last two weeks, I had the best of it all because Alex's drum lesson was from 6:30-7 and then Megan's sax lesson was from 7-730. That meant, literally, playing drums for 1 hour. My shoulders and arms were tired the last two Monday nights. Tonight, it was an intense 6:30-7. I dabbled in rock, country, blues, 6/8 pop, metal, and some tracks where there was just a tambourine or just an agogo rhythm. It was a lot of fun. The set I play lists for $4399. I don't know if that includes all equipment to make it go through a speaker or not. There is a $300 rebate from now until the end of the year. If only...

Birthdays

November 14 is a special day for two reasons. First, in order of age, Grandma Simons would have been 102. Second, my brother in the Twin Cities is 38. We are going to CR to Grandma's grave, then to see Mom, then to Wal-Mart to find boots for Alex, then home until 4:30 when Alex and I will leave for basketball practice. Busy day!

Alex's Game Last Night

Excitement last night @ Alex's game.

The team we played had a 1-3 record, just like us. It was a battle of the basement teams.

Started out and neither team could make a layup or anything. It was scoreless for the first 4-5 minutes. Then it was 2-0 for what seemed like forever.

By 1/2 time, things were tolerable. They built a 4 pt lead but we came back and were down by 2 @ 1/2 time.

In the 2nd half, more back and forth. We missed easy shots but they missed them as well. Neither team could dominate. There were a lot of bad calls.

Finally, us behind 18-20, with 8 seconds left, my son went to the free throw line and tied it. You should have seen his face! Fist pump action!

Then we got the ball, got fouled and Alex K, our tallest kid went to the free throw line with :01 seconds, score 20-20. He lined up to shoot the free throw and all our kids were back across 1/2 court. As he was about to shoot, one of our players ran across 1/2 court to line up. They called a lane violation and waved off the MADE free throw ... we would have won if he wouldn't have ran across but he is new to the game. His teammates should have instructed him to not move.

So we went to OT. In OT, we were down right away 22-20, then made a couple of baskets to be 24-22. With :01 in OT, they threw up a shot and it went in. The ref said that he didn't get it off in time. I am glad there is no instant replay in our league b/c it was darn close!

We are now 2-3. We play a good team next week. Then on 12/2, play the team of kids a year younger than us. This is always a heated game but we respond well - I think we won last year. Then we have a final game. I predict we will play the team we played last night and I expect to win that game. We could end up 4-4, if the kids respond well. It will take a lot of hard work on their part.

Relocating to SF Virtually

If you see "Location: San Francisco, CA (Virtual work with possibility for on-site meetings as needed. Local candidates only." and live in Iowa, you think, "this would not work for me." But then, you read, in the same ad, "NOTE: 100% Remote Positions."

Which is right? Do you have to live in SF, CA, or can you live in Iowa and do this work?

As it is, the job looks awesome, but I won't apply for it because if they can't get the ad right, would they be able to get my paycheck right?!?

Techie Note

My co-worker passed this along today. I have 3 PCs on my work desk. First, there is One Laptop, my laptop with my Adobe CS5 (InDesign, Photoshop, Dreamweaver) and MS Office 2010. Next is Desktop Two that runs one of the many software applications I am going to write about. Next is Laptop Three that runs a simulator for the product that is actually controlled by the software that is installed on Desktop Two. I wanted to allow these three PCs to talk to each other because, essentially, I will be using a screen capture utility on PC Two but inserting them into the InDesign file on my One Laptop.

All that to set up this blurb from Wikipedia:

How to enable in Windows Vista and Windows 7

By default, Windows Vista and newer versions of Windows prevent local accounts from accessing administrative shares through the network.

To enable administrative shares you have to make a registry change. Click on Start Menu and in the search box type ‘regedit’ and press ENTER. Add this registry item:

Hive: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
Key: Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System
Name: LocalAccountTokenFilterPolicy
Data Type: REG_DWORD
Value: 1

After rebooting, the hidden share is accessible from other computers.

This is my statement that the above method worked for me!

I don't miss working with InDesign at that hellhole in southern Iowa.

Old technology

You go to a store. You buy a top-loading washing machine. You get it home, you open up the manual and the manual is all about how to operate a front loading machine. You have a top-loading machine. Your instructions do not match your product.

You call the manufacturer. "I bought a top-loading washing machine, but the instructions are for a front loading machine. Can you send me the right instructions?"

"Those are the right instructions," is the reply in your ears. "We didn't want to be known as a company that couldn't keep up with the times so we changed our instructions to be for a front-loading machine. Those are the latest and greatest and every one is using them."

"I just bought a top-loading machine. These instructions don't match what I have."

"Sorry. We don't want to deal with old technology - only new technology. When you bought your top-loading machine, was it a close-out deal or something like that."

"Not that I'm aware of."

"What's the model number?"

"20101104," you say.

"Oh, that's only a few years old. Hmm. Well, we don't want to deal with old technology."

"So, you're saying I get instructions that do not match the washing machine I just purchased? Front loading the machine isn't possible - it's not physically possible."

"We don't want to deal with old technology. I cannot do anything else for you. Would you like to complete a customer survey regarding this call?"

"Sure."

There's a pause.

"Hello? Yes, I'm your representative's supervisor and if you have a minute, I'd like to ask you about the customer service you received."

"Okay."

"Was your customer service representative courteous?"

"I guess so. The question I wanted to have answered is how do I get a manual for a top-loading washing machine."

"I'm sorry, but a top-loading machine is old technology."

"That's what your customer service rep just said."

"And they are right."

"But I have a top-loading machine that I paid for. You should give me documentation that matches the make and model I have. It says on your website that top-loading machines are available. Actually, I only see where they are listed as possible configurations if I order online."

"Hmm, I'm not in charge of the website."

"So you're saying you are not able to provide a manual for a supported make/model of your product, but you are able to provide a manual for a non-supported make/model of your product?"

"Yes, that is correct."

"Don't you think something is wrong with that?"

"No. You see, a top-loading washing machine is..."

"Let me guess. Old technology."

Where Did You Fall?

In light of the election, I would have to say that I am generally happy with the results. I refuse to think that there are only two sides to politics. My dream world would be where a 3rd party provides a true alternate to the Democrats and Republicans. I think that Obama, despite many policy differences, is charismatic and a good speaker. I think saying we're going to withdraw from a country in which we are fighting is a poor choice. I think that it would be better to quit posturing and presenting our enemies with a timeline for when they can step up their resistance. "Oh, the Americans are gone on July 1 so on July 2nd, we'll detonate the bombs and kill hundreds of civilians," is what I imagine our enemies saying to each other. And that would really suck. Yet, I understand that we cannot keep fighting a war that doesn't really serve a purpose. There are bad guys there. Yep. There's bad guys in North Korea and in other places around the world. You can't just go country to country and knock out your enemies. You can, but I think it doesn't set the right example. The right example is 'finishing the job' whatever that means, and leaving. What is the job in the war we are fighting? When is it done? Do both parties have to be happy with the result of the job or just one? Is one of the parties going to feel relieved when the other party is out of the equation and back on their side of the world? I don't really know. It's been too long since I've really thought about the job they are doing over there. Seriously, life goes on in my world. It's terrible to say that. I know that there are soldiers doing what I could never, ever, possibly do. I could not survive boot camp. Flat-out, there's no way. And I know they are fighting for me so I don't have to be there. And I still manage to get wrapped up in my world of a new job, learning new things, and today, today of all days, getting a massage at work that the company actually pays for instead of me. And someday, there may come a time where it happens more than once a month. Wouldn't that be a relief? Filing this under busy life.

I Did a BAD thing...

I went to vote last night @ 6:50 PM. There was a 40 minute wait.

I turned around and walked out.

I feel so unpatriotic.

But I was not going to wait 40 minutes in line.

Karen went out to eat with friends and before I left, we put pizza rolls in the oven. I thought I'd be back in 10 minutes so I didn't bring my cell. I had no way to tell them, "Go ahead and eat."

I came back home, we ate pizza rolls while watching an episode of "Cheers" and then went on to other activities of the night.

Office Fun