This week is the quarterly close for our customer and that means reports...lots and lots of reports. SAP systems will be running overtime processing and printing up sales and finance reports for managers at all levels. Quarterly close is my least favorite time at work because this is when the customer calls and complains about system performance. Of course we know things are going to be slow during this time, but the customer cannot understand that the systems were designed to for normal to high loads. When the loads get to "ultra high", things will bog down.
The guy on call (who happens to be in Mexico) has asked for Thurs-Fri off. He asked my TL who turned him down and then he asked me. I told him we would take his calls during the day and I would take the on call at night Thurs-Sun. I really did not want to do it, but I am a team player so I agreed. With this Quarterly Close being so problematic, I may regret my decision. Oh well.
I have not been successful in Geocaching the past two days. I think I am 0-3. After striking out yesterday, I began to wonder if I am looking at this the wrong way. It is not about how many you get, but the quality of the hides you find. I have 110 finds so far and only a handful have been "fulfilling".
I got paid for all my outstanding computer work yesterday, plus a check from Yougov.com ... I had figured that I was never going to get that check, but low and behold, they finally paid me my $50 for my opinions over the past two years.
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Best Of Both Worlds
Sunday was a pretty good day for us over all. The sermon at church was good and afterwards my wife and I enjoyed a picnic lunch in the park near our home. While the wind made it chilly, the sun was warm and the meal (sandwiches and soda) was palatable.
After our lunch, we came home and grabbed The Golden and and decided to walk a bit. We drove over to a newer area that has been recently developed in out small city and walked a bit. While we were out my wife and I were looking for a spot to hide a cache or two, but the first area was not a good place unless I wanted to do the typical Live Oak/Cedar cache hide. I had a neat container that demanded something more permanent. Eventually we went to Story Park and I was able to hide (after a lot of waiting) my cache. I posted it that evening and it was approved last night. One of the more seasoned cachers found it at 4:50 this morning. Wow.
Work yesterday was pretty slow, but of course it picked up just as I was getting ready to leave. I did my part and handed itover to my TL/colleague who would handle things until he went home, then he would hand it over to the guy who was on call the first part of this week. Needless to say he did about the same quality of follow up as he normally does so when I got in the morning I had to take up the slack. I hope it is just a training issue.
Last night I went on a house call (for a member of our church) that was one of my easiest yet. Since it only was about one hours worth of work, I charged my normal church rate for the call. They were also close which meant the wear and tear on the truck was minimal. Speaking of which, I think I am leaking something...I have a clear, oily spot under my truck that looks like oil but it is too clean. I hope it is nothing too serious...money has been tight and we are trying to get out of debt...
After our lunch, we came home and grabbed The Golden and and decided to walk a bit. We drove over to a newer area that has been recently developed in out small city and walked a bit. While we were out my wife and I were looking for a spot to hide a cache or two, but the first area was not a good place unless I wanted to do the typical Live Oak/Cedar cache hide. I had a neat container that demanded something more permanent. Eventually we went to Story Park and I was able to hide (after a lot of waiting) my cache. I posted it that evening and it was approved last night. One of the more seasoned cachers found it at 4:50 this morning. Wow.
Work yesterday was pretty slow, but of course it picked up just as I was getting ready to leave. I did my part and handed itover to my TL/colleague who would handle things until he went home, then he would hand it over to the guy who was on call the first part of this week. Needless to say he did about the same quality of follow up as he normally does so when I got in the morning I had to take up the slack. I hope it is just a training issue.
Last night I went on a house call (for a member of our church) that was one of my easiest yet. Since it only was about one hours worth of work, I charged my normal church rate for the call. They were also close which meant the wear and tear on the truck was minimal. Speaking of which, I think I am leaking something...I have a clear, oily spot under my truck that looks like oil but it is too clean. I hope it is nothing too serious...money has been tight and we are trying to get out of debt...
Monday, October 29, 2007
Geocaching Spree
I had made plans to go out and geocache Saturday morning for a few hours before I started on my chores around the house. I normally work first then play, but I wanted to get out a get a few before it got too hot. I managed to get 14 for the day (thanx to a hint for one of them) before I headed home to do my chores. I think I had about four DNF's and I have no idea where they are hidden. My best guess is that they are gone.
I finished my chores (strip/make bed, vacuum house, dry clothes) and even managed to mop the kitchen floor, much to the delight of my wife.. I had just finished when my wife called and told me that she was running a bit late. I told her not to worry and I got cleaned up while I waited for her to come home.
When my wife finally managed to get home, She changed clothes so we could go meet Mickey and Mary for dinner at TGI Fridays. We had not seen them in a while and it was nice to talk with them again.
After dinner and some small talk, my wife and I returned home to walk the dogs. We did not stay up too late since we both had a long day.
I finished my chores (strip/make bed, vacuum house, dry clothes) and even managed to mop the kitchen floor, much to the delight of my wife.. I had just finished when my wife called and told me that she was running a bit late. I told her not to worry and I got cleaned up while I waited for her to come home.
When my wife finally managed to get home, She changed clothes so we could go meet Mickey and Mary for dinner at TGI Fridays. We had not seen them in a while and it was nice to talk with them again.
After dinner and some small talk, my wife and I returned home to walk the dogs. We did not stay up too late since we both had a long day.
Delay
I know it has been a few days since my last post and I apologize for that. For some of you that is no big deal, but to me it is. I like to try to update this daily.
Oct 25 was my last update, so I guess I will bring you up to date starting on Friday.
I have been on a mission to find 100 caches in 30 days geocaching. With this in mind, I have usually nabbed a few at lunch, and even an odd one to and/or from work. Friday I was out nabbing #91 and #92 at lunch (I researched those well so I could get them quickly) when I got a call from my TL/colleague. He had called to let me know our boss wanted me to make an off site visit to assess a situation that, to be honest, no one else wanted to get involved in. I got back to the office to get directions and eat my lunch (I usually spend my lunch hour searching for caches) and when I was finished I headed to the satellite office of our customer, which was jsut a few miles from home.
When I got there, I introduced myself and began to gather data on the situation. Long story short, our customer just bought out a company and they were in the process of migrating them to their network. Well, the PC's they were using had to run Windows XP (and not our image) so things were going to be different from the get go. The PC's were not locked down, so th the users could make whatever changes they desired even if it messed up the default or corporate settings.
The whole office was very nonchalant and laid back. People milled around carrying equipment, routers (wireless and wired) were strewn everywhere creating ad-hoc networks all over the small 15 person office. The engineers were adamant about keeping everying thing open and accessible, both in the office and on the PC. It was a techs nightmare. Thankfully the tech who was assigned to work with me was top notch.
After 3-4 hours of this, we (the tech and I) were called by the PM and told to attend a con-call with some of the mgmt staff. That con-call lasted one and half hours...time I will not be able to get back.
Once all that was done, I was able to go home and get a bite to eat and spend some time with my wife.
Oct 25 was my last update, so I guess I will bring you up to date starting on Friday.
I have been on a mission to find 100 caches in 30 days geocaching. With this in mind, I have usually nabbed a few at lunch, and even an odd one to and/or from work. Friday I was out nabbing #91 and #92 at lunch (I researched those well so I could get them quickly) when I got a call from my TL/colleague. He had called to let me know our boss wanted me to make an off site visit to assess a situation that, to be honest, no one else wanted to get involved in. I got back to the office to get directions and eat my lunch (I usually spend my lunch hour searching for caches) and when I was finished I headed to the satellite office of our customer, which was jsut a few miles from home.
When I got there, I introduced myself and began to gather data on the situation. Long story short, our customer just bought out a company and they were in the process of migrating them to their network. Well, the PC's they were using had to run Windows XP (and not our image) so things were going to be different from the get go. The PC's were not locked down, so th the users could make whatever changes they desired even if it messed up the default or corporate settings.
The whole office was very nonchalant and laid back. People milled around carrying equipment, routers (wireless and wired) were strewn everywhere creating ad-hoc networks all over the small 15 person office. The engineers were adamant about keeping everying thing open and accessible, both in the office and on the PC. It was a techs nightmare. Thankfully the tech who was assigned to work with me was top notch.
After 3-4 hours of this, we (the tech and I) were called by the PM and told to attend a con-call with some of the mgmt staff. That con-call lasted one and half hours...time I will not be able to get back.
Once all that was done, I was able to go home and get a bite to eat and spend some time with my wife.
Thursday, October 25, 2007
OF All The Things To Critique...
A long time ago I posted my critique of "Farscape", a mostly enjoyable sci-fi show. Today I noticed an anonymous (I dislike anonymous comments...maybe I should turn them off) reader decided to ask me to make corrections to my post. When I first read it, I naturally assumed the reader was asking me to correct grammar or spelling. I am used to that. My good fried Land Shark has mentioned to me before, but as I told him, I blog for me...no one else. He understands.
No, the reader sent this:
I know your post is old but it would be great if you went back and made a few corrections.
First of all one cannot fornicate with their spouse. Look up the definition of fornicate.
Secondly a whore barters with sex. D'argo enters into a relationship because of lust/love not for reasons of commerce. Depending on your views regarding alien sexual relations he may be immoral but he is no whore.
I send my best wishes and hope that you are happy and well.
Now here is my response:
1) The urban dictionary includes fornicate as sex with or without being married. While the urban dictionary is not the end all resource for word definitions, it does for "urban" speak.
2) Whore - a woman who engages in promiscuous sexual intercourse, usually for money; prostitute; harlot; strumpet. Notice it says USUALLY for money, not exclusively. Besides, I was talking more from an urban perspective where "whore" means anyone who sleeps around.
I made the corrections that were suggested, but under duress. I have not always been a Christian so I understand a lot of street talk and sometimes use it when it is not offensive. Men and women can be whores (in a liberal sense) and fornicate is used on the street when kids want to sound mature. So I guess the original commenter was technically correct on this.
No, the reader sent this:
I know your post is old but it would be great if you went back and made a few corrections.
First of all one cannot fornicate with their spouse. Look up the definition of fornicate.
Secondly a whore barters with sex. D'argo enters into a relationship because of lust/love not for reasons of commerce. Depending on your views regarding alien sexual relations he may be immoral but he is no whore.
I send my best wishes and hope that you are happy and well.
Now here is my response:
1) The urban dictionary includes fornicate as sex with or without being married. While the urban dictionary is not the end all resource for word definitions, it does for "urban" speak.
2) Whore - a woman who engages in promiscuous sexual intercourse, usually for money; prostitute; harlot; strumpet. Notice it says USUALLY for money, not exclusively. Besides, I was talking more from an urban perspective where "whore" means anyone who sleeps around.
I made the corrections that were suggested, but under duress. I have not always been a Christian so I understand a lot of street talk and sometimes use it when it is not offensive. Men and women can be whores (in a liberal sense) and fornicate is used on the street when kids want to sound mature. So I guess the original commenter was technically correct on this.
Sneaky, Cool, And A Salesman
I planted my "sneaky" cache the other day and I already have a few hits on it as well as some compliments. It seems that a few of the local cachers like my style.
The weather has drastically changed so we are getting into the 40's at night and only to the 60's during the day. I am amazed that it has happened tat quickly. We went from hot to cool in just 24 hours.
Why is it that some people have to over promise and under deliver, AKA typical sales person mentality. I am not trying to be mean, but most sales people I have met will take this route and it is the support people who pay the price.
Yesterday the PM and my boss call me up asking for "a favor". They need someone to go over to a new site and help out with the cut over. I ask what needs to be done and they both tell me (initially) that they need a person who is good with people and has great process knowledge. Well, to be honest, my TL / colleague is better in that area than I am so he tells them he will go.
Fast forward about 1.5 hours later. I have just opened a high priority ticket but since I am not on call, I have to pass it off to the on call guy, who happens to be in Brazil. I get this done and head down to the PM's office and she is on the phone, leaving a message to my colleague / TL telling him to show up at 10:00 AM not 8:00 AM. PM and I talk for while and I soon realize that my TL / colleague is not going to have fun doing this. I consider calling him and telling him what he is facing but I decide not to.
Later that night, I get a call from him and he tells me that he does not have to go. It seems our customer is very much against the dedicated onsite help...it costs extra and they don't want to pay it.
This is a pattern I see around here. People want to promise the moon and deliver the rocks.
The weather has drastically changed so we are getting into the 40's at night and only to the 60's during the day. I am amazed that it has happened tat quickly. We went from hot to cool in just 24 hours.
Why is it that some people have to over promise and under deliver, AKA typical sales person mentality. I am not trying to be mean, but most sales people I have met will take this route and it is the support people who pay the price.
Yesterday the PM and my boss call me up asking for "a favor". They need someone to go over to a new site and help out with the cut over. I ask what needs to be done and they both tell me (initially) that they need a person who is good with people and has great process knowledge. Well, to be honest, my TL / colleague is better in that area than I am so he tells them he will go.
Fast forward about 1.5 hours later. I have just opened a high priority ticket but since I am not on call, I have to pass it off to the on call guy, who happens to be in Brazil. I get this done and head down to the PM's office and she is on the phone, leaving a message to my colleague / TL telling him to show up at 10:00 AM not 8:00 AM. PM and I talk for while and I soon realize that my TL / colleague is not going to have fun doing this. I consider calling him and telling him what he is facing but I decide not to.
Later that night, I get a call from him and he tells me that he does not have to go. It seems our customer is very much against the dedicated onsite help...it costs extra and they don't want to pay it.
This is a pattern I see around here. People want to promise the moon and deliver the rocks.
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Cool Times
Wow what a difference 24 hours makes. Monday was CHILLY. I think it was around 60 at the warmest and to top it off, it rained all day. No caching for me.
Work went well, albeit slowly. The main campus had a power failure so we did not have any network connectivity most of the day at our site. My TL and I eventually went home at 3:30 or so since we could not work. We just handed over the phone to our partner in Brazil since it was slow.
I got home and ate leftovers with my wife and then she left to go work out. I began working on her laptop (it is another throwaway) and updating my Linux box. Of course both took much longer than expected and as a matter of fact, I am still working on the laptop. That one will take a while.
I almost forgot, I am meeting Larry* at the library to go over one on one discipling this evening. It has been months since we did a lesson and I hope he will stay motivated this time. I want to get this done.
I am also working on my first "sneaky" geocache hide. It will either be very easy or very hard...it could go both ways.
Work went well, albeit slowly. The main campus had a power failure so we did not have any network connectivity most of the day at our site. My TL and I eventually went home at 3:30 or so since we could not work. We just handed over the phone to our partner in Brazil since it was slow.
I got home and ate leftovers with my wife and then she left to go work out. I began working on her laptop (it is another throwaway) and updating my Linux box. Of course both took much longer than expected and as a matter of fact, I am still working on the laptop. That one will take a while.
I almost forgot, I am meeting Larry* at the library to go over one on one discipling this evening. It has been months since we did a lesson and I hope he will stay motivated this time. I want to get this done.
I am also working on my first "sneaky" geocache hide. It will either be very easy or very hard...it could go both ways.
Monday, October 22, 2007
Cry Freedom
Well, I am finally off call. This week was not as bad as previous weeks but it still is a pain nonetheless. I was thankful that I did not get called over the weekend.
Sunday I went to Sunday School and service as usual. We had some visitors (a minister being one of them) and the worship leader was a guest from San Mateo California who happened to be a friend of our worship pastor. Overall it was a great service, which was topped off by a message from another guest.
My wife and I ate lunch at a little Italian place near our house and as we were eating, we saw a family that we knew from our old church. We chatted and got caught up on things before we said goodbye.
We got home and immediately my wife went to lay down. I went online to see if there were any local caches I could get and still be within 15 minutes of the house. I managed to get a list of about 12 or so and I loaded them on my PDA. I went in to tell my wife what I planned on doing and she gave me "the look" (my wife does not understand my love of geoaching) and then I kissed her goodbye.
I had a good time while I was out (I was gone about 3 hours or so) and collected 10 caches. That brought my total up to 85 for the month and that is not too bad. Unfortunately the rain is going to keep me from doing much this week...not that it is a bad thing. I do spend a lot of free time geocaching, but at least the only cost is gas...no greens fees, no uniforms, non membership fees. All you need is a GPSr, some sort of transportation, and a free account at geocaching.com .
When I got home I found that my wife had grilled burgers for dinner. She does a good job grilling most of the time and this was no exception. The burgers were perfect. After dinner and dishes, I logged my finds at the geocaching web site and then walked the dogs and called mom.
I realize it is not a glamorous life, but it keeps me out of trouble.
Sunday I went to Sunday School and service as usual. We had some visitors (a minister being one of them) and the worship leader was a guest from San Mateo California who happened to be a friend of our worship pastor. Overall it was a great service, which was topped off by a message from another guest.
My wife and I ate lunch at a little Italian place near our house and as we were eating, we saw a family that we knew from our old church. We chatted and got caught up on things before we said goodbye.
We got home and immediately my wife went to lay down. I went online to see if there were any local caches I could get and still be within 15 minutes of the house. I managed to get a list of about 12 or so and I loaded them on my PDA. I went in to tell my wife what I planned on doing and she gave me "the look" (my wife does not understand my love of geoaching) and then I kissed her goodbye.
I had a good time while I was out (I was gone about 3 hours or so) and collected 10 caches. That brought my total up to 85 for the month and that is not too bad. Unfortunately the rain is going to keep me from doing much this week...not that it is a bad thing. I do spend a lot of free time geocaching, but at least the only cost is gas...no greens fees, no uniforms, non membership fees. All you need is a GPSr, some sort of transportation, and a free account at geocaching.com .
When I got home I found that my wife had grilled burgers for dinner. She does a good job grilling most of the time and this was no exception. The burgers were perfect. After dinner and dishes, I logged my finds at the geocaching web site and then walked the dogs and called mom.
I realize it is not a glamorous life, but it keeps me out of trouble.
Saturday, October 20, 2007
Day Six OfHouse Arrest
Or what most people refer to as "on call". I hate being on call, especially when I have to respond within 15 minutes or face the wrath of a customer manager. Sigh.
We had the mens breakfast today at church. I left home a bit early and was able to grab two (they were close to each other) before I got there. That started my day off well!
Once there I kinda just hung out until they served. Most of the time I help out, but today I felt a bit selfish. I normally stay after and clean up so not helping set up did not bother me. I would be doing my part later.
We had a good (not great) meal and some fellowship before we started prayer. The whole event fell poorly planned and rushed. When the time came for me to help clean up, I was raring to go. I wanted to get started, finished and out of there as soon as possible.
When we got everything all cleanedup, I left and went to grab a few more caches before I went back home. There were several on the east side I have not gotten yet, but only a few were close, so I headed that way. The first one was near the church and it was a cakewalk. The next one I struck out on...it was near one of my favorite BBQ places but like most simple ones...I failed to find it. To be honest there were way too many places to hide it (since my GPSr is always off...) and I did not have time to look for it properly.
The last one was my favorite and while the cache was easy to find, I had to go back and check again for the log. It had to be one of the best hides yet.
Just as I was leaving the parking lot, my wife called asking me when I was coming home. Since that was my last planned one, I just told her 15 minutes and headed home.
Once home I post my finds and then started vacuuming the house. Once that was done my wife and I had lunch then she took a nap while I took care of a few things on the PC (still no work calls at this time...wow). When she got up, we went outside and started working on the shrubs. They had grown to an incredible height and needed attention badly. Thankfully it only took a couple of hours to get that and a few other yard issues done.
Once that little adventure was complete, I ran over to Little Caesar's to get a pan pizza (mushrooms and sausage) for dinner. I really like their pan pizza. For $9.00 you get a thick cheesy pie that is hot and always good.
I took a breather to check on my Gutsy Gibsson (Ubuntu 7.10 upgrade) before I started washing dishes. Since the upgrade was taking its time, I decided to walk the dogs, one at a time to get some exercise.
Once back I checked the Ubuntu upgrade (only one hour left!!) and checked my e-mail. Another person found my cache and told me it was a great first hide and hopes I hide more. Wow...that was coming from a local hero, 9Key.
We had the mens breakfast today at church. I left home a bit early and was able to grab two (they were close to each other) before I got there. That started my day off well!
Once there I kinda just hung out until they served. Most of the time I help out, but today I felt a bit selfish. I normally stay after and clean up so not helping set up did not bother me. I would be doing my part later.
We had a good (not great) meal and some fellowship before we started prayer. The whole event fell poorly planned and rushed. When the time came for me to help clean up, I was raring to go. I wanted to get started, finished and out of there as soon as possible.
When we got everything all cleanedup, I left and went to grab a few more caches before I went back home. There were several on the east side I have not gotten yet, but only a few were close, so I headed that way. The first one was near the church and it was a cakewalk. The next one I struck out on...it was near one of my favorite BBQ places but like most simple ones...I failed to find it. To be honest there were way too many places to hide it (since my GPSr is always off...) and I did not have time to look for it properly.
The last one was my favorite and while the cache was easy to find, I had to go back and check again for the log. It had to be one of the best hides yet.
Just as I was leaving the parking lot, my wife called asking me when I was coming home. Since that was my last planned one, I just told her 15 minutes and headed home.
Once home I post my finds and then started vacuuming the house. Once that was done my wife and I had lunch then she took a nap while I took care of a few things on the PC (still no work calls at this time...wow). When she got up, we went outside and started working on the shrubs. They had grown to an incredible height and needed attention badly. Thankfully it only took a couple of hours to get that and a few other yard issues done.
Once that little adventure was complete, I ran over to Little Caesar's to get a pan pizza (mushrooms and sausage) for dinner. I really like their pan pizza. For $9.00 you get a thick cheesy pie that is hot and always good.
I took a breather to check on my Gutsy Gibsson (Ubuntu 7.10 upgrade) before I started washing dishes. Since the upgrade was taking its time, I decided to walk the dogs, one at a time to get some exercise.
Once back I checked the Ubuntu upgrade (only one hour left!!) and checked my e-mail. Another person found my cache and told me it was a great first hide and hopes I hide more. Wow...that was coming from a local hero, 9Key.
Friday, October 19, 2007
Not Much Going On
Yesterday ended well and today was a lot slower than yesterday...slow enough my TL let me go home a bit early.
I tried to do some caching at lunch but struck out on the two I tried. One I am sure is gone and the other I am sure is very well hidden...I just did not have enough time to look.
On the way home I stopped off to get one near the old railroad station, which is downtown. I had just started looking when a woman stepped out of her office and said, "I am going to tell you right now, you are going to have to get in the flowerbed to find it." I jumped, thinking I had been caught, but instead it was the caretaker of the property. She knows the people who placed the cache. I chatted with her a few minutes and then I continued my search. I found the cache about 2 minutes later. Oddly enough, he "clues" hindered me. Once I stepped back and did it my way, I found it quickly.
I was hoping to have 100 by the 28th (which would make one month of caching), but it looks like my total will be closer to 85-90. I have 71 now and it is getting harder to find the ones near my office. Many are hidden very well while others are gone.
Well, tomorrow we have the men's breakfast and then I have to vacuum the house and strip/make the bed. Since I am on call I cannot really go far to cache, but there are a few that are not too far away I could possibly try to nab. All I need to do is plan...
I tried to do some caching at lunch but struck out on the two I tried. One I am sure is gone and the other I am sure is very well hidden...I just did not have enough time to look.
On the way home I stopped off to get one near the old railroad station, which is downtown. I had just started looking when a woman stepped out of her office and said, "I am going to tell you right now, you are going to have to get in the flowerbed to find it." I jumped, thinking I had been caught, but instead it was the caretaker of the property. She knows the people who placed the cache. I chatted with her a few minutes and then I continued my search. I found the cache about 2 minutes later. Oddly enough, he "clues" hindered me. Once I stepped back and did it my way, I found it quickly.
I was hoping to have 100 by the 28th (which would make one month of caching), but it looks like my total will be closer to 85-90. I have 71 now and it is getting harder to find the ones near my office. Many are hidden very well while others are gone.
Well, tomorrow we have the men's breakfast and then I have to vacuum the house and strip/make the bed. Since I am on call I cannot really go far to cache, but there are a few that are not too far away I could possibly try to nab. All I need to do is plan...
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Work From Home
My TL took the day off so that meant I was flying solo. Now I am a big boy and I can work by myself, but it is nice to have someone to talk to while you work. With that in mind, going into a mostly empty office on a nice day would be very tough to manage. My TL told me that if I wanted to work from home I could and I told him I would give it some thought.
When I got up this morning, I thought about working from home. My wife would not be in the house since she works on Thursday. I checked the ticket queue and saw that Europe had a slow day, so I figured it would be okay to WFH.
I performed my normal routine just in case I needed to go in to the office. You never know when the internet connection will fail :) . I was just getting finished when I got a call on the hotline. The issue did not seem major at first, but it was a lot bigger than initially reported. The good news it was reported early enough that the impact was minimized.
After that issue was resolved, I got another call that was related to the first one. It basically was just a customer who needed to wait until the system updated all the other servers. Once the customer waited a while, things updates and she was ok.
Working at home meant I was not glued to the desk. All my work is initiated via phone, so as long as I am within 15 minutes of my PC, I am good. With that in mind I decided to take Little Man with me to the nearby park to collect a few caches (I got two...there were two had been muggled) and let the dog explore. All in all I was gone about 1.25 hours...just 15 minutes longer than my normal lunch hour. My phone did not ring at all.
I came home and ate a quick lunch and answered a few more calls and e-mails. Nothing serious was pending so I just took care of paperwork from the morning. That took about 30 minutes.
About 2:30 PM I got bored and went over to the park across the street to place a cache that had been rejected by the geocaching admins a few days ago. I found a good spot but it may be just a tad too close. Maybe if the admins are in a good mood, they will let me keep it. If not, back to the drawing board.
I came back and watered the dogs let them go out to use the bathroom. Once they were taken care of, I got a call from our help desk regarding an issue similar to the one this morning. I called the tech who was available and within 35 minutes, he had it fixed. He had help, but he worked very quickly and efficiently. He did a good job.
After that little adventure, things slowed down and then it was time to log off and go"on call". Now I do not have to read email, or do any paper work unless I am called.
Here is to praying for a quiet night. I am sure I will get a call, but at least things are quiet now.
When I got up this morning, I thought about working from home. My wife would not be in the house since she works on Thursday. I checked the ticket queue and saw that Europe had a slow day, so I figured it would be okay to WFH.
I performed my normal routine just in case I needed to go in to the office. You never know when the internet connection will fail :) . I was just getting finished when I got a call on the hotline. The issue did not seem major at first, but it was a lot bigger than initially reported. The good news it was reported early enough that the impact was minimized.
After that issue was resolved, I got another call that was related to the first one. It basically was just a customer who needed to wait until the system updated all the other servers. Once the customer waited a while, things updates and she was ok.
Working at home meant I was not glued to the desk. All my work is initiated via phone, so as long as I am within 15 minutes of my PC, I am good. With that in mind I decided to take Little Man with me to the nearby park to collect a few caches (I got two...there were two had been muggled) and let the dog explore. All in all I was gone about 1.25 hours...just 15 minutes longer than my normal lunch hour. My phone did not ring at all.
I came home and ate a quick lunch and answered a few more calls and e-mails. Nothing serious was pending so I just took care of paperwork from the morning. That took about 30 minutes.
About 2:30 PM I got bored and went over to the park across the street to place a cache that had been rejected by the geocaching admins a few days ago. I found a good spot but it may be just a tad too close. Maybe if the admins are in a good mood, they will let me keep it. If not, back to the drawing board.
I came back and watered the dogs let them go out to use the bathroom. Once they were taken care of, I got a call from our help desk regarding an issue similar to the one this morning. I called the tech who was available and within 35 minutes, he had it fixed. He had help, but he worked very quickly and efficiently. He did a good job.
After that little adventure, things slowed down and then it was time to log off and go"on call". Now I do not have to read email, or do any paper work unless I am called.
Here is to praying for a quiet night. I am sure I will get a call, but at least things are quiet now.
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Crazy Days, Sleepless Nights
I am on call this week and while my nights have not been busy so far, the days have been very crazy. I go home dead tired and usually am in bed by 10:00 PM. The problem with that is that I wake up at all hours fully refreshed. I have to force myself to go back to sleep. At least when the alarm goes off I am not so fuzzy headed that I cannot function.
Monday we had a ton (4 inches) of rain in the area. I caused all kinds of problems with flooding and at least one of my colleagues was unable to get to work. The local municipal golf course was completely under water and debris was everywhere.
On Tuesday I walked my dog down to where I hid my cache and noticed that all the rain we received did not harm the cache at all. Yes the label I put on the outside faded and ran, but everything on the inside was very dry. I hope I can place it soon. The owner has not responded to the e-mail I sent him and if he waits too long, the admins will archive his site. His loss.
Monday we had a ton (4 inches) of rain in the area. I caused all kinds of problems with flooding and at least one of my colleagues was unable to get to work. The local municipal golf course was completely under water and debris was everywhere.
On Tuesday I walked my dog down to where I hid my cache and noticed that all the rain we received did not harm the cache at all. Yes the label I put on the outside faded and ran, but everything on the inside was very dry. I hope I can place it soon. The owner has not responded to the e-mail I sent him and if he waits too long, the admins will archive his site. His loss.
Monday, October 15, 2007
Not Exactly Happy
Last night after placing my cache and sending the notice to the geocaching admins, my wife and I attended our small church's monthly evening service. Not a whole lot of people show up and tonight was no different. Nonetheless, it went very well and I am very glad I did not miss it.
I returned a phone call on the way home from the service and after that was done, I called mom. I love my mom but I cannot see how anyone can talk for almost 75 minutes non-stop. I was able to get in a "Yea", "Uh-huh", "Wow", now and then but for the most part the only thing I was able to tell her was that we just got out of service. I like to talk to her but lately her part of the conversation is mostly her repeating other conversations she has had with people I do not know...VERBATIM. If it is not a word for word rundown of previous conversations, then she will go on about church gossip (the worst kind) and it is all I can do to keep my mouth shut.
After mom talked to me for 1.25 hours, I checked my e-mail and was very disappointed to see that my application for hiding/posting a geocache was rejected. The rejection was two parts and while I understood both parts (and made the corrections to one of them) the other was more along the line of enforcing the letter of the law, rather than the intent. Let me explain.
There is a park near our house that has a great place to hide a cache. Now there is already a cache in the park, but many experienced cachers think it has been removed, although it is still listed. Since it appears to have been removed and the owner has not responded to any of the attempts to contact him, I decided to place a cache in the same park, but in the perfect location I found. Now the rules state that you cannot place a cache within 500 feet of an existing cache. This is done to keep an area from getting saturated with caches. I understand the INTENT of the rule, but following it to the LETTER seems (at least in the is case) a bit unfair. The original cache owner has a history of letting caches go unmaintained and does not answer requests to have caches repaired. In the past, the admins have waited 6 months or so then they archive the cache, allowing others to place one in the same area.
I contacted the admin and plead my case, but he/she would not budge. The told me to contact the cache owner (which I did) and if there was not contact for six months (we are at month 5 now), then the admin would archive. I guess waiting one more month would not kill me, but it really is a shame that people who put these things out just forget about them. If you are not interested in maintaining something like this, then please, retire it and give someone else a chance.
Well, since I was a bit deflated, I went to bed...it was already 10:00 PM and a serious storm was brewing. I kept dreaming that the admin would have a change of heart and see that the owner is not taking responsibility but I knew that it would not happen. I guess it is just best to wait the month.
I tossed and turned most of the night and woke up 30 minutes before the alarm went off. My wife has a full day ahead of her, so she got up the same time I did and oddly enough we did not get in each other's way. 1.25 hours after waking up, I was on the road to work. The drive in was very quiet and from the looks of the muni golf course, we received a lot of rain.
I wonder what today will bring?
I returned a phone call on the way home from the service and after that was done, I called mom. I love my mom but I cannot see how anyone can talk for almost 75 minutes non-stop. I was able to get in a "Yea", "Uh-huh", "Wow", now and then but for the most part the only thing I was able to tell her was that we just got out of service. I like to talk to her but lately her part of the conversation is mostly her repeating other conversations she has had with people I do not know...VERBATIM. If it is not a word for word rundown of previous conversations, then she will go on about church gossip (the worst kind) and it is all I can do to keep my mouth shut.
After mom talked to me for 1.25 hours, I checked my e-mail and was very disappointed to see that my application for hiding/posting a geocache was rejected. The rejection was two parts and while I understood both parts (and made the corrections to one of them) the other was more along the line of enforcing the letter of the law, rather than the intent. Let me explain.
There is a park near our house that has a great place to hide a cache. Now there is already a cache in the park, but many experienced cachers think it has been removed, although it is still listed. Since it appears to have been removed and the owner has not responded to any of the attempts to contact him, I decided to place a cache in the same park, but in the perfect location I found. Now the rules state that you cannot place a cache within 500 feet of an existing cache. This is done to keep an area from getting saturated with caches. I understand the INTENT of the rule, but following it to the LETTER seems (at least in the is case) a bit unfair. The original cache owner has a history of letting caches go unmaintained and does not answer requests to have caches repaired. In the past, the admins have waited 6 months or so then they archive the cache, allowing others to place one in the same area.
I contacted the admin and plead my case, but he/she would not budge. The told me to contact the cache owner (which I did) and if there was not contact for six months (we are at month 5 now), then the admin would archive. I guess waiting one more month would not kill me, but it really is a shame that people who put these things out just forget about them. If you are not interested in maintaining something like this, then please, retire it and give someone else a chance.
Well, since I was a bit deflated, I went to bed...it was already 10:00 PM and a serious storm was brewing. I kept dreaming that the admin would have a change of heart and see that the owner is not taking responsibility but I knew that it would not happen. I guess it is just best to wait the month.
I tossed and turned most of the night and woke up 30 minutes before the alarm went off. My wife has a full day ahead of her, so she got up the same time I did and oddly enough we did not get in each other's way. 1.25 hours after waking up, I was on the road to work. The drive in was very quiet and from the looks of the muni golf course, we received a lot of rain.
I wonder what today will bring?
Sunday, October 14, 2007
On My Way
Today was pretty much the same old Sunday for me. I greeted a few new people at church (which is something I am not usually comfortable with) and later enjoyed the sermon. I am not sure why, but I grew more and more tired as the day wore on. The sermon was not boring, but I had trouble staying awake. I think I am narcoleptic. Just kidding, folks.
My wife and I went to Jason's Deli for lunch. I had a baked potato, which is my usual but instead of being topped with BBQ brisket, I had chili and cheese on it. Very good. Also, the spuds are big enough to A) share or B) save for another meal. I opted for B.
We got home and I got the urge to start working on my first geocache hide. It is going to be simple...I do not plan on getting complicated until I have at least 100 under my belt. I worked on the container (similar to a whipped topping bowl, but stronger) and when I was satisfied with it, I scoped out the area where I plan on placing it. I checked to see if the container would fit and it did then, like a good cache hider, I took 5 different readings and averaged them to get the coordinates. Satisfied with my recon work, I came back and put the finishing touches on my container. Once I did that I started the log page at geocaching.com and got it ready to submit. I will submit it once I get a chance to place it this week. It should not be a problem.
Oh, I forgot to mention it is a themed cache. I am hoping to get people to take/leave foreign currency when they visit the GZ.
Well, I need to get ready for the very informal, once a month evening service at church.
My wife and I went to Jason's Deli for lunch. I had a baked potato, which is my usual but instead of being topped with BBQ brisket, I had chili and cheese on it. Very good. Also, the spuds are big enough to A) share or B) save for another meal. I opted for B.
We got home and I got the urge to start working on my first geocache hide. It is going to be simple...I do not plan on getting complicated until I have at least 100 under my belt. I worked on the container (similar to a whipped topping bowl, but stronger) and when I was satisfied with it, I scoped out the area where I plan on placing it. I checked to see if the container would fit and it did then, like a good cache hider, I took 5 different readings and averaged them to get the coordinates. Satisfied with my recon work, I came back and put the finishing touches on my container. Once I did that I started the log page at geocaching.com and got it ready to submit. I will submit it once I get a chance to place it this week. It should not be a problem.
Oh, I forgot to mention it is a themed cache. I am hoping to get people to take/leave foreign currency when they visit the GZ.
Well, I need to get ready for the very informal, once a month evening service at church.
Personal Best
My wife wanted to sleep in so I decided to go geocaching while she slept. I decided to head north a bit and get a few that were near one of the larger parks in our town. I could not find the first one (I could have missed it though) so I went a block away and parked and did a series that was themed (by location and camo style). There were eight in the series and I started off in the hole...I could not find the first one! Since the walk was down and back, I figured I could get it on the flip side. I found 2,3,5,6,7, and 8 without a problem but had trouble with 4. On the return trip, I stopped at 4 and found it quickly. Then I went back to the start and FINALLY found 1. Wow. All in all I found 12 in the morning (8 in the series and 4 others). Tired and dirty, I went home to do a "bird bath" and start cleaning the house. My wife and called and told me she would be leaving to go work out so the house would be empty and cleaning it would be easier.
I finished the light cleaning and some laundry (as well as checked the mail) a few hours later. When I was almost done, my wife came home and we had a quick lunch and then she did the kitchen. While she did that, I logged my finds and deleted some of the mystery caches from the GPSr that I am borrowing. I told my wife there were three along the green belt and she asked if she could go with me to nab those. I agreed and we got ready to go.
Long story short, we took the dogs and they were too hot, so my wife returned (in the van) and I trekked on. I only managed to find one of the three (one I missed and I thing the other one has washed away), bringing my total to 13 for the day and 63 YTD (I have been caching on my own for about 2-3 weeks).
Instead of cleaning up, I helped my wife remove the remnants of a post in concrete the guys left when hey put in our new fence. Seems they only cut the old one down to the surface and when you dig near the new fence, you could hit a post stump and concrete. We removed one that was in the way.
With that done, I got cleaned up and watched a little TV ("Chuck", I think...so-so) then hit the hay at 10:00 pm or so. My wife was careful not to touch me since she thought I might have gotten into some PI tromping through the woods.
I tossed and turned all night but felt okay when I woke up, albeit a little sore. I most likely put in 7 miles or so the entire day. I forgot to set the GPSr to measure it so that is just a guess. I was on my feet walking (at various speeds) for 5+ hours or so. Who knows, maybe I walked more.
***Personal best of 13 in one day***
Total now up to 63
I finished the light cleaning and some laundry (as well as checked the mail) a few hours later. When I was almost done, my wife came home and we had a quick lunch and then she did the kitchen. While she did that, I logged my finds and deleted some of the mystery caches from the GPSr that I am borrowing. I told my wife there were three along the green belt and she asked if she could go with me to nab those. I agreed and we got ready to go.
Long story short, we took the dogs and they were too hot, so my wife returned (in the van) and I trekked on. I only managed to find one of the three (one I missed and I thing the other one has washed away), bringing my total to 13 for the day and 63 YTD (I have been caching on my own for about 2-3 weeks).
Instead of cleaning up, I helped my wife remove the remnants of a post in concrete the guys left when hey put in our new fence. Seems they only cut the old one down to the surface and when you dig near the new fence, you could hit a post stump and concrete. We removed one that was in the way.
With that done, I got cleaned up and watched a little TV ("Chuck", I think...so-so) then hit the hay at 10:00 pm or so. My wife was careful not to touch me since she thought I might have gotten into some PI tromping through the woods.
I tossed and turned all night but felt okay when I woke up, albeit a little sore. I most likely put in 7 miles or so the entire day. I forgot to set the GPSr to measure it so that is just a guess. I was on my feet walking (at various speeds) for 5+ hours or so. Who knows, maybe I walked more.
***Personal best of 13 in one day***
Total now up to 63
Friday, October 12, 2007
Mini Milestone
I made my 50th Geocache find today on the way home. It was not easy. I tried to get one or two on the way to work but that just never quite happens. I got one at lunch (a nano under a skirt) and the last two on my way home. I actually stopped at four but one is kicking my butt and the other was guarded by a police officer :)
Today was a rather brisk day at work. I feel sorry for my TL who has to run two cases this evening and possibly all weekend.
Today was a rather brisk day at work. I feel sorry for my TL who has to run two cases this evening and possibly all weekend.
Morning Treat
Yesterday ended up being a so-so day. I was able to get two caches at lunch, but struck out on the way to and from work. To be honest the one on the way home I looked for was a tad difficult and I really was too much in a hurry (just like I am on my way to work) to spend much quality time looking. I needed to get home and take care of the dogs.
Once home I fed and watered the dogs as well as let them out to "do their thing" while I checked the mailbox. It was empty which meant that my wife grabbed it on her way to work.
Back inside I checked e-mail and my pownce.com page...nothing really, just a few quick messages from my WV Geocaching buds. Shortly after I got in and settled, my wife asked me to meet her for dinner at a local Chinese place. I agreed and headed over. I knew she would be at least 30 minutes and it only took 7 minutes to get to the Chinese place, so I spent the spare time looking for another cache that eluded me last weekend. Still not luck on finding that one. The GPSr was allo ver the place. My Google Sat image showed it to be one one area, but there is no place to hide anything withing 20 feet. The closest thing I could find was a tree and power transformer. There is a dumpster nearby and that may be it...not sure. Anyway, as I was on my way to the restaurant, my wife called me to see where I was...she actually beat me there. That does not happen very often!
After a restful nights sleep, I awoke and took care by normal routine and headed out the door. I had plans to find two caches on the way to work, but both were foiled by muggles. Oh well. Maybe another day!
On the way to work, I noticed a neat view that I get to see frequently this time of year. The local municipal golf course was shrouded in fog and mist giving it an eerie "Scottish moors" look. We used to have mornings like that in NC all the time but in north central Texas, it is not quite as common..at least where I am.
Once home I fed and watered the dogs as well as let them out to "do their thing" while I checked the mailbox. It was empty which meant that my wife grabbed it on her way to work.
Back inside I checked e-mail and my pownce.com page...nothing really, just a few quick messages from my WV Geocaching buds. Shortly after I got in and settled, my wife asked me to meet her for dinner at a local Chinese place. I agreed and headed over. I knew she would be at least 30 minutes and it only took 7 minutes to get to the Chinese place, so I spent the spare time looking for another cache that eluded me last weekend. Still not luck on finding that one. The GPSr was allo ver the place. My Google Sat image showed it to be one one area, but there is no place to hide anything withing 20 feet. The closest thing I could find was a tree and power transformer. There is a dumpster nearby and that may be it...not sure. Anyway, as I was on my way to the restaurant, my wife called me to see where I was...she actually beat me there. That does not happen very often!
After a restful nights sleep, I awoke and took care by normal routine and headed out the door. I had plans to find two caches on the way to work, but both were foiled by muggles. Oh well. Maybe another day!
On the way to work, I noticed a neat view that I get to see frequently this time of year. The local municipal golf course was shrouded in fog and mist giving it an eerie "Scottish moors" look. We used to have mornings like that in NC all the time but in north central Texas, it is not quite as common..at least where I am.
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Fair Enough
I got home from work on Tuesday and mowed our neighbor's lawn, as well as trimmed and edged it (and clean up). It was getting dark and since I did not have enough time to complete our yard, I just trimmed and edged it. Fall is like that...I do not have enough time to mow both yards, so I have to do one each night. That is actually a good thing in a way...it keeps me from overdoing it.
Wednesday was "Fair Day" for me and my wife. I normally take that day off to help celebrate her birthday, since that is all she ever wants. Money has been kinda tight the past couple of months so the fair is all she is gonna get this year. I hate to do it but money is still tight.
We arrived at the fair at 11:30 AM and immediately went to the K9 show. My wife loves watching dogs perform tests of agility. the show was pretty good, but my wife liked it more than I did. There was one 2.5 year old black lab that was a champion in the pool jumping event. He made a 30 foot jump while we were there. Impressive.
After the dog show my wife and I scoped out the food vendors to see who had the best prices on food. I was amazed at all the "fried" items I saw...fried banana budding, fried Coke, fried latte's, fried Snicker's bars...the list goes on. I guess Iwe are boring...my wife and tater twisters and I had tamales with chili. We did share a banana split and drank a lot of bottled water during the day.
Before we ate anything, we hit the car show to see what the 2008's were looking like. My wife and I are Dodge fans, so we checkout the latest Mopar had to offer. I was disappointed to see that the dash design of all the 2008 cars was not something I liked. I had trouble seeing over the dash in all the vehicles except the Caravan, the Nitro and the trucks.
Since we did not get such a warm fuzzy from Dodge, we checked out models Mazda, Honda, Toyota, Subaru, Scion, Mitsubishi, and Suzuki. My wife and I really like the Mazda 3. It was the only car that we could agree on in style, price and fuel efficiency. I like the Suzuki Grand Vitara and the XL7 as well as the Dodge Nitro, but my wife was not interested in the poorer fuel efficiency of those vehicles. I agreed mostly.
One of the sticking points for me is the entry into the car. My wife's Honda was a bit of a pain for me to get into. The seat was low and required me to climb down to get into it and the steering wheel always seemed to be in the way. The Mazda and the Scion Xb were not a problem in this area, but my wife really dislikes the Scion Xb. I also liked the Nissan Sentra, but my wife never got a chance to sit in it. It fit almost perfectly.
As I was leaving, I noticed an older man struggling with a seat adjustment on one of the cars. We struck up a coversation and he told me he just bought a Hyundai Sonata and really likes it. He told me price and warranty were key selling points and he was offered (and bought) an extended bumper to bumper warranty (10 year, 100,000 miles) for $700. He was so keen on it my wife and decided to go over to see the Hyundai's. The selection was poor but it gave us an idea of what was offered. If what I hear is true, a Sonata may be an option in a couple of years.
After we wandered the fair for a few hours, we decided to head on home. Traffic at 4:00 PM in Dallas is frightful, but we finally made it home. After we got home I finished mowing our yard and then got a shower before heading over to care group. I was looking forward to eating solid food!
Care group went well. We were a few people short so things went quicker than normal. Once we got home I walked Little Man and then hit the hay. It had been a long day.
Wednesday was "Fair Day" for me and my wife. I normally take that day off to help celebrate her birthday, since that is all she ever wants. Money has been kinda tight the past couple of months so the fair is all she is gonna get this year. I hate to do it but money is still tight.
We arrived at the fair at 11:30 AM and immediately went to the K9 show. My wife loves watching dogs perform tests of agility. the show was pretty good, but my wife liked it more than I did. There was one 2.5 year old black lab that was a champion in the pool jumping event. He made a 30 foot jump while we were there. Impressive.
After the dog show my wife and I scoped out the food vendors to see who had the best prices on food. I was amazed at all the "fried" items I saw...fried banana budding, fried Coke, fried latte's, fried Snicker's bars...the list goes on. I guess Iwe are boring...my wife and tater twisters and I had tamales with chili. We did share a banana split and drank a lot of bottled water during the day.
Before we ate anything, we hit the car show to see what the 2008's were looking like. My wife and I are Dodge fans, so we checkout the latest Mopar had to offer. I was disappointed to see that the dash design of all the 2008 cars was not something I liked. I had trouble seeing over the dash in all the vehicles except the Caravan, the Nitro and the trucks.
Since we did not get such a warm fuzzy from Dodge, we checked out models Mazda, Honda, Toyota, Subaru, Scion, Mitsubishi, and Suzuki. My wife and I really like the Mazda 3. It was the only car that we could agree on in style, price and fuel efficiency. I like the Suzuki Grand Vitara and the XL7 as well as the Dodge Nitro, but my wife was not interested in the poorer fuel efficiency of those vehicles. I agreed mostly.
One of the sticking points for me is the entry into the car. My wife's Honda was a bit of a pain for me to get into. The seat was low and required me to climb down to get into it and the steering wheel always seemed to be in the way. The Mazda and the Scion Xb were not a problem in this area, but my wife really dislikes the Scion Xb. I also liked the Nissan Sentra, but my wife never got a chance to sit in it. It fit almost perfectly.
As I was leaving, I noticed an older man struggling with a seat adjustment on one of the cars. We struck up a coversation and he told me he just bought a Hyundai Sonata and really likes it. He told me price and warranty were key selling points and he was offered (and bought) an extended bumper to bumper warranty (10 year, 100,000 miles) for $700. He was so keen on it my wife and decided to go over to see the Hyundai's. The selection was poor but it gave us an idea of what was offered. If what I hear is true, a Sonata may be an option in a couple of years.
After we wandered the fair for a few hours, we decided to head on home. Traffic at 4:00 PM in Dallas is frightful, but we finally made it home. After we got home I finished mowing our yard and then got a shower before heading over to care group. I was looking forward to eating solid food!
Care group went well. We were a few people short so things went quicker than normal. Once we got home I walked Little Man and then hit the hay. It had been a long day.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
AFK
I have not posted in a couple of days which is unusual form me but I really have not had much to write about. After another slow day at work yesterday(the only excitement being our network was down for seven hours), I came home and mowed my neighbor's yard (it had been 3 weeks since I mowed it last) and trimmed and edged both ours and our neighbor's. I got done after it was already dark (I hope it looks okay!!) and oddly enough, my wife was not home and she had not called. Since I was a stinky mess from my chores, I hopped in the shower just as she pulled in.
Earlier on that day my wife had to go in for some testing on a lump they found on her Thyroid gland. At first I did not give it much thought, but when the tests came back, the doc ordered more tests. Also, the center charged my wife $200 for the test even though we have an HMO. Money has been tight and I hate to admit it but yes, I worry about money. These things had been weighing heavy on my mind all day. I did not eat dinner and by the time my wife got home, those nervous thoughts coupled with my low blood sugar allowed me to snap at her. I quickly apologized to her and she forgave me. For once my reasons made sense to both of us.
Today is Texas State Fair Day. I normally take this day off from work each year so I can spend it with my wife. This year, my TL has to work by himself, but if it is as slow as it has been the last 5-7 days, he will "fair" okay.
While the fair goes on for a month, we chose this day to go because admission is free with a donation of canned food. Personally I could not care any less to go to the fair, but my wife really enjoys the atmosphere so I oblige her. At least I can check out the auto show.
Earlier on that day my wife had to go in for some testing on a lump they found on her Thyroid gland. At first I did not give it much thought, but when the tests came back, the doc ordered more tests. Also, the center charged my wife $200 for the test even though we have an HMO. Money has been tight and I hate to admit it but yes, I worry about money. These things had been weighing heavy on my mind all day. I did not eat dinner and by the time my wife got home, those nervous thoughts coupled with my low blood sugar allowed me to snap at her. I quickly apologized to her and she forgave me. For once my reasons made sense to both of us.
Today is Texas State Fair Day. I normally take this day off from work each year so I can spend it with my wife. This year, my TL has to work by himself, but if it is as slow as it has been the last 5-7 days, he will "fair" okay.
While the fair goes on for a month, we chose this day to go because admission is free with a donation of canned food. Personally I could not care any less to go to the fair, but my wife really enjoys the atmosphere so I oblige her. At least I can check out the auto show.
Monday, October 08, 2007
Making A Name For Myself
Well, thanx to a few e-mails and posts regarding geocaching, I have gotten a fair amount of attention. Some of it is typical newbie-ness...I make mistakes and I get corrected. It is not a big thing, but I again realize that every group has its rules to follow. I guess my posts are a little on the liberal side when it comes to info, but I am that way.
I have gotten a few complimentary e-mails on my finds...I have a knack for finding some of the hard ones while letting the easy ones go unfound. Well that is the way I am sometimes...a bit of an enigma.
Work was slow today...the same it has been for the past days or so. Slow enough that I have been rushing out to geocache at lunch not to mention on the way to work or on the way home. I am sure this obsession will slack off soon. I have already noticed I bought gas three days sooner than I normally do (I usually get 10 days to a tank...my driving is pretty regular but the last time I only got seven) and that will get noticed at the end of the month.
I have gotten a few complimentary e-mails on my finds...I have a knack for finding some of the hard ones while letting the easy ones go unfound. Well that is the way I am sometimes...a bit of an enigma.
Work was slow today...the same it has been for the past days or so. Slow enough that I have been rushing out to geocache at lunch not to mention on the way to work or on the way home. I am sure this obsession will slack off soon. I have already noticed I bought gas three days sooner than I normally do (I usually get 10 days to a tank...my driving is pretty regular but the last time I only got seven) and that will get noticed at the end of the month.
Sunday, October 07, 2007
New Toy
At least for the near future. My wife's boss has decided to let me borrow his Garmin GPSMap 176C indefinitely. It is just like what is linked only color. Yes it is older and it is more for vehicles (boats and cars) but it is portable. I have been playing a bit with it and I personally think it is a little too complex to operate. It is not very user friendly.
The software that was installed on it was very much out of date (2.03 was on it and I just installed 4.10) and I installed EasyGPS on my home PC to transfer waypoints into it so I can get started GPS caching without any real need for cutting and pasting into my PDA.
Other than that, church, and two long distance phone calls (Stupid Bill and my mom), nothing else has really gone on today.
I am sooo itching to try this thing out in a wooded area to see how well it does and how well I can use it!
The software that was installed on it was very much out of date (2.03 was on it and I just installed 4.10) and I installed EasyGPS on my home PC to transfer waypoints into it so I can get started GPS caching without any real need for cutting and pasting into my PDA.
Other than that, church, and two long distance phone calls (Stupid Bill and my mom), nothing else has really gone on today.
I am sooo itching to try this thing out in a wooded area to see how well it does and how well I can use it!
Saturday, October 06, 2007
Today's Activities Are Brought To You By The Letter "S"
Today Started with a routine vacuuming of the house. When that was done, I Stripped the bed and changed the Sheets.
After a Spicy lunch, I folded the Sheets that were in the dryer and put them away. Since it was Still Sprinkling, mowing the grass was out of the question. I thought about my options and decided to Spend my afternoon Searching for hidden geocaches.
I gathered the things I would need (PDA, pen, and old Shoes and Socks Since it was raining) and hopped in my trusted Dodge Dakota.
I was only going to cover a small area and had about 10-15 Sites I wanted to check out. I was out for about 3 hours and found 12 geocaches. During that three hours I:
* Saw two Snakes
* One Shedded Snake Skin (used as camo for one cache)
* Visited two cemeteries
All in all it was a good day. I came back home Stinky, but a Shower Soon took care of that. I even drove over to Scotty P's for a Savory burger and fries So my wife did not have to Slave over the Stove.
After a Spicy lunch, I folded the Sheets that were in the dryer and put them away. Since it was Still Sprinkling, mowing the grass was out of the question. I thought about my options and decided to Spend my afternoon Searching for hidden geocaches.
I gathered the things I would need (PDA, pen, and old Shoes and Socks Since it was raining) and hopped in my trusted Dodge Dakota.
I was only going to cover a small area and had about 10-15 Sites I wanted to check out. I was out for about 3 hours and found 12 geocaches. During that three hours I:
* Saw two Snakes
* One Shedded Snake Skin (used as camo for one cache)
* Visited two cemeteries
All in all it was a good day. I came back home Stinky, but a Shower Soon took care of that. I even drove over to Scotty P's for a Savory burger and fries So my wife did not have to Slave over the Stove.
Friday, October 05, 2007
Keeping It Country
Traffic was mostly light on my way home last night. My wife was working so I figured I had a little time to stop off and grab a couple of caches along the way. One was an LPC (Lamp Post Cache) and the other was under a small pile of rocks beside a not so busy bank. I think both of them together took me 7 minutes. Not too shabby.
I came home and let the dogs out, fed, and watered them. The fridge was mostly bare and what little was there was not not to my liking. So with the wife's permission I went and grabbed some McDonald's (Chicken Club sandwich) and headed to my city council meeting. On my way there, I realized that I was going to be early so I stopped of and checked on a couple of the caches that are withing 1/2 mile of city hall. The first one looks like it has been lifted (a common problem for urban caches) and the other was either too well hidden for a quick look or it was missing as well. I write the owner of the first one to let him know but decided not to do anything about the second one until I can go back and give it a thorough search.
I headed back to city hall and sat through a very short (less than one hour) meeting. Only one major issue was brought up (a zoning request change) and it was considered a non-issue since the master plan calls for the change any way. Once the meeting was over, I went home, checked my mail, and went to bed.
I got up feeling pretty good. My allergies are subsiding a bit but they are still there. Mostly it is just sinus issues but I did have a sneezing fit while walking Little Man. I am sure the rain the other day helped out.
I got ready for work after completely the normal ritual and then headed out the door with my geek bag (laptop and accessories) and my meager lunch. I am going to have to grab something today (the fridge is still bare)...and that is not appealing.
One the way to work I managed to grab one cache. It was near a loading dock, in a magnetic key box under some metal stairs. I was int and out in 3 minutes, just as the workers were filtering in. Slick.
I came home and let the dogs out, fed, and watered them. The fridge was mostly bare and what little was there was not not to my liking. So with the wife's permission I went and grabbed some McDonald's (Chicken Club sandwich) and headed to my city council meeting. On my way there, I realized that I was going to be early so I stopped of and checked on a couple of the caches that are withing 1/2 mile of city hall. The first one looks like it has been lifted (a common problem for urban caches) and the other was either too well hidden for a quick look or it was missing as well. I write the owner of the first one to let him know but decided not to do anything about the second one until I can go back and give it a thorough search.
I headed back to city hall and sat through a very short (less than one hour) meeting. Only one major issue was brought up (a zoning request change) and it was considered a non-issue since the master plan calls for the change any way. Once the meeting was over, I went home, checked my mail, and went to bed.
I got up feeling pretty good. My allergies are subsiding a bit but they are still there. Mostly it is just sinus issues but I did have a sneezing fit while walking Little Man. I am sure the rain the other day helped out.
I got ready for work after completely the normal ritual and then headed out the door with my geek bag (laptop and accessories) and my meager lunch. I am going to have to grab something today (the fridge is still bare)...and that is not appealing.
One the way to work I managed to grab one cache. It was near a loading dock, in a magnetic key box under some metal stairs. I was int and out in 3 minutes, just as the workers were filtering in. Slick.
Thursday, October 04, 2007
Lunchtime Failures
I thought I would spend my lunch hour trying to get a few of the caches that have proven troublesome over the past week or so. I Started off at the ball field, but I could not find the prize hidden there. It has been a few weeks since anyone has found it (and more than one person has struck out in the process) and I am just the next person on the list.
With the wind out of my sails, I trekked over to one of the 5 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle themed caches (I only have found one so far) and finished my lunch while I looked for it. The place has been frequented by several people lately and since neither I nor LegendofZelda (a fellow geocacher) has been able to find it, it too may be muggled.
With my hopes for a successful lunch caching session sinking fast, I try a site I have not tried yet. It is rumored to be difficult, but I am up for the challenge. It is across the street from the TMNT site I fear has been muggled, in an area that used to be a mini golf course, but has been abandoned. I think I think I know the general area but as I get back there I find the camp of a homeless person (they are not there) and since I am by myself and in an abandoned area, I decided to pass this one up.
Feeling defeated, I head off to one more of the TMNT themed sites. They are TMNT themed because each of them is near a sewer/culvert opening in the city. They are out in the open and very public, so they are mostly safe. Anyhooo...I head to that site (I was there yesterday but struck out) and look, following the clues that have been left for me, but I cannot find anything resembling the booty. After wasting my lunch hour on four caches all withing 1/2 mile of each other, I go back to work...defeated.
I guess I can take solace in the fact that I managed to get one this morning before I came to work and that there are at least two I can get on my way home if I want to. They are right along the way...
With the wind out of my sails, I trekked over to one of the 5 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle themed caches (I only have found one so far) and finished my lunch while I looked for it. The place has been frequented by several people lately and since neither I nor LegendofZelda (a fellow geocacher) has been able to find it, it too may be muggled.
With my hopes for a successful lunch caching session sinking fast, I try a site I have not tried yet. It is rumored to be difficult, but I am up for the challenge. It is across the street from the TMNT site I fear has been muggled, in an area that used to be a mini golf course, but has been abandoned. I think I think I know the general area but as I get back there I find the camp of a homeless person (they are not there) and since I am by myself and in an abandoned area, I decided to pass this one up.
Feeling defeated, I head off to one more of the TMNT themed sites. They are TMNT themed because each of them is near a sewer/culvert opening in the city. They are out in the open and very public, so they are mostly safe. Anyhooo...I head to that site (I was there yesterday but struck out) and look, following the clues that have been left for me, but I cannot find anything resembling the booty. After wasting my lunch hour on four caches all withing 1/2 mile of each other, I go back to work...defeated.
I guess I can take solace in the fact that I managed to get one this morning before I came to work and that there are at least two I can get on my way home if I want to. They are right along the way...
Houses Of The Holy
On the way home (since I was not in a huge hurry, I stopped and found two caches that we along my route home. The first was in a church parking lot (I have finally learned a valuable hiding lesson) and found it in less than a minute. My technique using Google Maps did not work so I had to look at MSN LiveMaps (it was more up to date but did not have the ability to do coord's.) and compared the two, guestimating the distance to the cache. When I got to the site, I was spot on. I noticed I could walk 100 yds west and snag the next one with very little trouble (it was hidden near a well known landmark in town) and I was able to admire the booty (A couple of geocoins and other assorted goodies) undisturbed.
That brought my total up to 3 for the day and feeling lucky, I decided to go for four. I stopped by the site where I had struck out the day before and decided to give it another go. I searched the area pretty well but could not find it. I think it is DNF, but since I am still a greenhorn, I would rather have a second opinion.
I got home and realized that it was care group night and that my wife was at the fitness facility working out. Being hungry and not wanting to wait, I make a cheese, beef, and turkey wrap to munch on until my wife got home.
Once my wife got home, showered, and changed, we headed over to care group. The meal was okay (we do not have the same caliber of chefs that some of the other care groups have)...not fantastic, but edible. I was not there for the food anyway. What I attend for is the SPIRITUAL food. Meeting with Christians and discussing things in a non-judgmental environment is a good thing,
While there, I was made aware that we had nine visiting families last Sunday and that we had lost one more. Oddly enough, a family that just joined has decided to leave. I was not given any details so I do not know why they left. That saddens me because I really liked the guy, although my wife was not very keen on the woman.
After care group meeting was over, we headed home. Neither of us was tired so we stayed up. I surfed the web from the laptop in bed while my wife made small talk. Eventually we both tired and fell fast asleep.
My allergies are still doing very well today, except for the stuffy nose/sinuses. Not sneezing and having eyes that do not itch is a good thing!
That brought my total up to 3 for the day and feeling lucky, I decided to go for four. I stopped by the site where I had struck out the day before and decided to give it another go. I searched the area pretty well but could not find it. I think it is DNF, but since I am still a greenhorn, I would rather have a second opinion.
I got home and realized that it was care group night and that my wife was at the fitness facility working out. Being hungry and not wanting to wait, I make a cheese, beef, and turkey wrap to munch on until my wife got home.
Once my wife got home, showered, and changed, we headed over to care group. The meal was okay (we do not have the same caliber of chefs that some of the other care groups have)...not fantastic, but edible. I was not there for the food anyway. What I attend for is the SPIRITUAL food. Meeting with Christians and discussing things in a non-judgmental environment is a good thing,
While there, I was made aware that we had nine visiting families last Sunday and that we had lost one more. Oddly enough, a family that just joined has decided to leave. I was not given any details so I do not know why they left. That saddens me because I really liked the guy, although my wife was not very keen on the woman.
After care group meeting was over, we headed home. Neither of us was tired so we stayed up. I surfed the web from the laptop in bed while my wife made small talk. Eventually we both tired and fell fast asleep.
My allergies are still doing very well today, except for the stuffy nose/sinuses. Not sneezing and having eyes that do not itch is a good thing!
Wednesday, October 03, 2007
Breathe
Yes, I can breathe better this evening. I think all the rain helped settle the pollen and I am feeling much better now. I have been taking Alavert and Sudaphed. So far I have not died using that combo.I found 2 caches today. I attempted four but I think one of the two is DNF. I am not sure since it had been raining and I was not about to go tramping through the high grass in nice clothes. The other was well hidden but I got a clue from the geocaching web site and I think I know where it is...maybe tomorrow!
While I was out I got a pic of the container that gave me fits. I have to admit it earned the "3" rating that the creator gave it. It took two lunch hours to find it.
One trend I see is the use of "nano" caches. Nano's are tiny little things...some as small as a bolt head. Tough to find.
Stuffed Full Of Cotton
That is what my sinuses feel like. My allergies are the worst they have been in at least six years. I was taking Claratin and Sudaphed, but neither really helped. The doc suggested Alavert so I bout a sample pack from Kroger but so for it is doing very little more than the other drugs. This is a horrible feeling! I need some relief.
I did some caching at work and found two more, but struck out again at the "Rock the Catbox" site. The difficulty level is a "1", (the easiest) but I cannot find it. I have looked in the obvious caching locations but no luck. Amazing how I have been able to find a "3" (which was darn clever...a hollowed out rock placed in a rock wall) but have trouble with easy ones...like "Red River Rising", which was muggled but now is back in action. I went there after I got home but I still cannot find it. maybe I will let my wife search for it.
My TL let me go home an hour early yesterday since we had been so slow, so I decided to stop at three caches along the way home to see if I could find them. I found "Aermotor" but struck out on "Lakeside Vista" and "Parker? You Broughter"...Lakeside Vista had too many muggles and Parker was covered in tall grass...not my cup of tea at all.
With my finds yesterday, that brings my finds up to 18...14 have been without the use of a GPSr. I was hoping to go today but it appears that the weather will not cooperate...it is raining and has ben for several hours. Oh well!
I did some caching at work and found two more, but struck out again at the "Rock the Catbox" site. The difficulty level is a "1", (the easiest) but I cannot find it. I have looked in the obvious caching locations but no luck. Amazing how I have been able to find a "3" (which was darn clever...a hollowed out rock placed in a rock wall) but have trouble with easy ones...like "Red River Rising", which was muggled but now is back in action. I went there after I got home but I still cannot find it. maybe I will let my wife search for it.
My TL let me go home an hour early yesterday since we had been so slow, so I decided to stop at three caches along the way home to see if I could find them. I found "Aermotor" but struck out on "Lakeside Vista" and "Parker? You Broughter"...Lakeside Vista had too many muggles and Parker was covered in tall grass...not my cup of tea at all.
With my finds yesterday, that brings my finds up to 18...14 have been without the use of a GPSr. I was hoping to go today but it appears that the weather will not cooperate...it is raining and has ben for several hours. Oh well!
Tuesday, October 02, 2007
My Turn To Be Shocked and Awed
*** KD and Rycherox...do not read this until you have talked with Stupid Bill. You may want to hear all this from him first. You have been warned. ***
Previously I mentioned that I was trying to get into contact with "Stupid" Bill, one of the original BSOB members. I had tracked down his father and gave him my contact info to pass along to Bill. Well, last night about 9:00 PM I received a call from Bill. It was like stepping into the "way back machine". SB has not changed a bit. I do not think I have heard that much conversational swearing since "Scarface". Really.
To bring you up to speed, SB moved from WV to Georgia with his wife. SB was a workaholic at times and this put a strain on his marriage. Over time, his wife left him for another man (whom fathered a child with her), contracted an incurable disease, and then after all the pieces fell apart, wanted to reconcile. SB stated he was not inclined to take her up on her offer, so he moved to Indiana (financially ruined). SB worked for FedEx at one of the airports and then moved back to WV for a short period of time.
After spending a little time in WV, SB moved to a small town in rural Kentucky, where he owns a farm. While SB looked like a redneck at times, I never would have guessed he would own a farm...in Kentucky no less.
SB and I chatted for about an hour, during which he brought me up to speed on a lot of things. He seemed more interesting in talking than listening (I didn't mind) and began to tell me about the changes in his life. He still drinks, swears, and chases women but now he lives and works on his farm and he hunts...A LOT.
However, the most sobering change in his life was that he was diagnosed with Lymphoma about 3-4 years ago. I do not know much about the disease, but I do know that there is no cure for it. If I understand what I am reading correctly, he is dying...though how fast I do not know.
SB went on to comment about his horse, his dogs, his family, and his many girlfriends...one as young as 24. Confidence is not something SB is lacking. You would not know he was sick by the way he was talking.
One thing SB touched on was how much he missed Carp. SB and Carp were very close (closer than he and I were), at one time being roommates until Carp got married. The both drank a lot but eventually Carp had enough partying and settled down. I don't think SB ever did.
Towards the end of our conversation, he asked if I ever went back to WV and I told him that went back every year. I told him my next scheduled trip would be in the summer of 2008 and he expressed interest in getting together on my through. No plans have been cemented, but I am hoping all four of us can get together.
As expected, SB told me I could call him anytime and gave me his number (it was on my caller ID) as well as his e-mail address. As predicted, he is not much into computers and has broken two monitors so far (he prolly threw them out a window or something similarly "Stupid") in a rage. Glad to see he is not the only MS hater out there :) .
I passed on the info to my BSOB brethren (Rychrox, Knightmare Duck, and M'Wonga) with SB's blessing. I do hope we can all meet again before it is too late. I am really going to have to pray for his soul.
Monday, October 01, 2007
Passionate
I have noticed that when I do something, I do it very passionately until I am tired of it. MAYBE the same thing will happen with geocaching. Prolly not!
I stopped by one this morning on my way to work, but it was too dark, wet, and the traffic was too heavy so I decided just to go ahead to work. Once there, the ticketing system we use was down so I could not do any real work until it came back up. Good for me it was slow.
Lunch time rolled around and I was not hungry. Since we are a use it or lose it shop, I decided to try my hand at a couple caches at lunch. Google showed 4 within a couple blocks so I drove them all. I could not immediately find them so I studied my notes and went back to the first one. I found it very quickly but there was so much muggle traffic (including a Sec Guard) I had to be careful putting it back after I signed the log.
I drove over to the second one and found it pretty quickly as well, however, there were two cars in the lot paying attention to me so again, I had to be careful. I made like I was picking up trash while examining the building the cache was near. I signed the log and left.
The last two were not easy. One is a "3" on the difficulty scale and I finally figured out why. The other was just "in plain sight" and I failed to realize that until I got back and started reading more about it.
I finished up my afternoon with a call from the R&D help desk in China. I generally do not like working with the Chinese HD people...far too hyper and in a hurry to pass off a hot potato. This one was not too bad once we got all the info. We put it in motion and it was taken care of.
When my shift was over, I decided to take a 2 block detour to grab one that was hidden in the technology park North of my building. Most of the park is empty and this was hidden deep in the park. It was not too deep for Google Maps...I spent more time driving the two blocks than I did looking for it. That one brought my total up to 11 without a GPSr. Go me.
On my way home I got a call from my wife and she asked me to get a few things from the store. I did and was rewarded with dinner...baked spaghetti and raspberry tea.
BTW, I see that my Mari-El scammer has been reading "Always a Dull Moment" yet again. I hope he/she enjoys it!
I stopped by one this morning on my way to work, but it was too dark, wet, and the traffic was too heavy so I decided just to go ahead to work. Once there, the ticketing system we use was down so I could not do any real work until it came back up. Good for me it was slow.
Lunch time rolled around and I was not hungry. Since we are a use it or lose it shop, I decided to try my hand at a couple caches at lunch. Google showed 4 within a couple blocks so I drove them all. I could not immediately find them so I studied my notes and went back to the first one. I found it very quickly but there was so much muggle traffic (including a Sec Guard) I had to be careful putting it back after I signed the log.
I drove over to the second one and found it pretty quickly as well, however, there were two cars in the lot paying attention to me so again, I had to be careful. I made like I was picking up trash while examining the building the cache was near. I signed the log and left.
The last two were not easy. One is a "3" on the difficulty scale and I finally figured out why. The other was just "in plain sight" and I failed to realize that until I got back and started reading more about it.
I finished up my afternoon with a call from the R&D help desk in China. I generally do not like working with the Chinese HD people...far too hyper and in a hurry to pass off a hot potato. This one was not too bad once we got all the info. We put it in motion and it was taken care of.
When my shift was over, I decided to take a 2 block detour to grab one that was hidden in the technology park North of my building. Most of the park is empty and this was hidden deep in the park. It was not too deep for Google Maps...I spent more time driving the two blocks than I did looking for it. That one brought my total up to 11 without a GPSr. Go me.
On my way home I got a call from my wife and she asked me to get a few things from the store. I did and was rewarded with dinner...baked spaghetti and raspberry tea.
BTW, I see that my Mari-El scammer has been reading "Always a Dull Moment" yet again. I hope he/she enjoys it!
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