No, Mrs El Gee is not pregnant, nor is the Golden having pups...my new work phone (actually a "smartphone") arrived at work yesterday. If I failed to mention it before, work decided not to reimburse us for our personal mobile phones (that we used for work) any longer and decided it was better to issue us company phones (I never see the bill) instead. We were given the option to port our personal phones over to the Work account but I had a couple of problems with that.
First, we just signed a new two year contract with AT&T on our home service (and Work would not eat the contract) and second, we had a family plan and unlike most people with family plans, it works for us. I only use the phone with any regularity when I am on call and having a plan with minimal minutes (that still gives me unlimited weekends) for just me was wasteful. Also, all my family and friends have my mobile number and since it is for "Work", I did not want to have them calling me and Work having a hissy fit over the minutes used, so I jsut decided to keep the phones and plan we have and let Work issue me a new phone.
Work preferred us to use Sprint unless we traveled outside the US (which I don't) so that is what I did...I ordered Sprint service.
The only question was, which phone do I chose? I had a few to chose from:
Motorola Q9C
Samsung i325 Ace
Palm Treo 800w
Samsung m320
Samsung m540 Rant
Samsung m620 Upstage
Sanyo 2500 s1
Sanyo 3800 tx
Had I traveled (thus using AT&T service, which we have at home) I would have had my choice of:
LG CU405
Motorola Razr v3
Nokia 6650
Samsung Blackjack II
Samsung a737
Sony-Ericsson w580i
Now I already have a "smartphone" for personal use (that Work was reimbursing me for), a Palm Centro, which runs the ever stable Palm OS 5.xx) so I really did not need a smartphone for work, BUT since the option was there and it did not cost anymore to get, I thought, what the heck. I decided on the Palm Treo 800w, which runs the Windows Mobile 6.1 OS. I have had the thing for about 24 hours and I can honestly say that I like the older, but more stable (and far easier to navigate) Palm OS.
To be fair to my new Work phone, let me start with the positives:
* The hardware is nicer than my Centro (it is bigger, has a better feel to it and the buttons are easier to use)
* WiFi is nice (I do not have that on my Centro)
* The OS is "prettier", just like XP and Vista are pretty.
The negatives can be summed up as:
* It is a Microsoft operating system, hence it needs to be rebooted. Frequently.
I have had it 24 hours and have done a soft reset more times on it than I have the past few months I have had my Centro. Syncing has been a nightmare and it will lose the ability to be recognised by my Vista Work laptop (maybe that is the problem) at the drop of a hat.
My wife asked me last night what I thought of my new phone and I told her the same thing I am posting today. Having Work issue me a phone with Windows on it was a great way to solidify me into the Palm OS camp. While I admit that WMOS 6.1 is shiny, it suffers from a lot of the same issues I hate Microsoft for. Reboots. Instability. Bloat.
Mamy people laugh when they see the Palm OS because is a bit antiquated in the looks department. It does not have any fancy animations or a "slick" interface, but gosh darn it, it is STABLE.
Let me put it this way. Would you rather drive a plain, unassuming car to work 50 miles raound trip each day or a flashy, troublesome luxury car that breaks down every other day? I will take dependabilty over flash any day. Maybe that is why I like my Linus box at home. But I digress, this is about phones.
It regards to the software that operates the phone, you get the impression with Windows Mobile that the phone was a complete afterthought. I do not get that impression with the Palm OS, but then again, I am a Palm snob.
One more thing that is most likely a positive that I cannot compare is wireless web access. Browsing the web has been pretty smooth on the Windows device. I have no idea what it would be like on the Centro, but my guess is that it would not be as smooth.
Oh well, I am sure I will get used to it...now when will the Palm Pre be available?
Friday, January 30, 2009
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
The First Of Many
When the Obama/Biden election machine was rolling back pre-November, we were warned that Joe Biden was a gaffe machine. I also stated that I feared that he would stick his foot in his mouth (politically) and embarass us all.
It has started. Yes, it is small, but doe we really need a smart alec like this SECOND IN COMMAND?
It has started. Yes, it is small, but doe we really need a smart alec like this SECOND IN COMMAND?
Monday, January 26, 2009
Surprises
The past few days (AKA, "The Weekend") were peaceful and the amount of work that I accomplished was impressive. I may have to try that particular schedule again sometime.
I started out Saturday by working on my Sunday School lesson. It only took a couple of hours and I gathered a lot of good data. It was on Collosians 2:11-23, which is on legalism. It was interesting work.
After I was finished with that, I did a thorough vacuuming of the house (we had three dogs for half the week, then one for the remainder) and got up a fair amount of dog hair (we had three dogs for half the week, then one for the remainder) in the process. After spending about two hours doing that, my wife asked me if I would mop the kitchen since we have had a lot of dogs in there lately. How could I refuse that pretty smile?
After the house was clean, I had a quick lunch with my wife and then I started working on migrating my wife from her old IBM C3 workpad (a Palm Vx clone) to my old Palm Tungsten E (T|E, as it is known). The process took longer than in normally would because of a few issues beyond my control. The first was that her laptop does not have a serial port and all attempts to get her C3 to sync via the serial/USB converter failed, so I could not immediately synch her PDA with her PC.
The second thing was that my PC Palm Desktop software is not compatible with her PDA, so I had to uninstall my new version and install her older version of Palm Desktop to my machine. Then once I did that, I synched my old T|E with the older Palm Dekstop and then installed that same version of Palm Desktop on her laptop. Once all that was done, all I had to do was sync the T|E with her laptop and she was running solo. During the entire process I was scared to death that one of the PC's would overwrite her PDA and I would everything, but God was on my side and now she has a new, old T|E to use.
The only downside to using the T|E is that it goes through the non-replaceable battery very quickly and has to be charged every couple of days. While it will be a pain for her to some degree, at least she has a backup of her data that is more compatible with the newer Palms, providing she goes that route. I still have hopes of getting her a T|E2 if I can find one reasonably priced.
After that it was time for dinner and a walk with The Golden. When we got back I worked on my Care Group lesson for this Wednesday and in no time it was completed. My day was drawing to a close and my chores were done.
"Hey, wait a minute El Gee, how come you did not go Geocaching?"
It was pretty cold and windy on Saturday and GPSr coverage sucks when it is windy, so I held off going geocaching until Sunday afternoon. And to be honest it turned out pretty well. While my total number of caches for the day was lower (10), I managed to get four that I DNF'd several times in the past, so all in all it was a good day. I even made it home in time for dinner.
Afer coming home I took a walk with my wife and The Golden (I have been walking The Golden in the morning and we walk her at night) and then I fixed myself a huge spinach salad and called mom. Since my mom talks more than I do (those who know me but not her are shaking their heads in disbelief) I munched on my salad while mom filled me in on things both interesting and mundain. About the only thing I told her was about having to put Little Man down. She said she knew in her heart we had done it. We are so in tune with each other.
Early on in the conversation she informed me my sister has diabetes. I do not know how severe it is but it appears that it is still in the early or minor stages since all they are doing is working on her diet first. Now that she has been diagnosed, the rest of the family is being tested. I will pray for her. It is yet another hurdle that we must clear.
After that conversation I went in to watch Law and Order: Criminal Intent on Bravo. I had forgotten about the MMA bouts on Versus TV and missed some great WEC action. Uriah Faber kicked Jens Pulver's but again and Jamie Varner defended his belt, yet again. Whoo-hoo!
I guess we went to bed early and I slept most of the way threw with the exception of gettig up at midnight, hungry and thirsty. I grabbed a pack of 100 calorie Wheat Thins and a glass of water and consumed them before heading back to bed. I slept like a baby.
I started out Saturday by working on my Sunday School lesson. It only took a couple of hours and I gathered a lot of good data. It was on Collosians 2:11-23, which is on legalism. It was interesting work.
After I was finished with that, I did a thorough vacuuming of the house (we had three dogs for half the week, then one for the remainder) and got up a fair amount of dog hair (we had three dogs for half the week, then one for the remainder) in the process. After spending about two hours doing that, my wife asked me if I would mop the kitchen since we have had a lot of dogs in there lately. How could I refuse that pretty smile?
After the house was clean, I had a quick lunch with my wife and then I started working on migrating my wife from her old IBM C3 workpad (a Palm Vx clone) to my old Palm Tungsten E (T|E, as it is known). The process took longer than in normally would because of a few issues beyond my control. The first was that her laptop does not have a serial port and all attempts to get her C3 to sync via the serial/USB converter failed, so I could not immediately synch her PDA with her PC.
The second thing was that my PC Palm Desktop software is not compatible with her PDA, so I had to uninstall my new version and install her older version of Palm Desktop to my machine. Then once I did that, I synched my old T|E with the older Palm Dekstop and then installed that same version of Palm Desktop on her laptop. Once all that was done, all I had to do was sync the T|E with her laptop and she was running solo. During the entire process I was scared to death that one of the PC's would overwrite her PDA and I would everything, but God was on my side and now she has a new, old T|E to use.
The only downside to using the T|E is that it goes through the non-replaceable battery very quickly and has to be charged every couple of days. While it will be a pain for her to some degree, at least she has a backup of her data that is more compatible with the newer Palms, providing she goes that route. I still have hopes of getting her a T|E2 if I can find one reasonably priced.
After that it was time for dinner and a walk with The Golden. When we got back I worked on my Care Group lesson for this Wednesday and in no time it was completed. My day was drawing to a close and my chores were done.
"Hey, wait a minute El Gee, how come you did not go Geocaching?"
It was pretty cold and windy on Saturday and GPSr coverage sucks when it is windy, so I held off going geocaching until Sunday afternoon. And to be honest it turned out pretty well. While my total number of caches for the day was lower (10), I managed to get four that I DNF'd several times in the past, so all in all it was a good day. I even made it home in time for dinner.
Afer coming home I took a walk with my wife and The Golden (I have been walking The Golden in the morning and we walk her at night) and then I fixed myself a huge spinach salad and called mom. Since my mom talks more than I do (those who know me but not her are shaking their heads in disbelief) I munched on my salad while mom filled me in on things both interesting and mundain. About the only thing I told her was about having to put Little Man down. She said she knew in her heart we had done it. We are so in tune with each other.
Early on in the conversation she informed me my sister has diabetes. I do not know how severe it is but it appears that it is still in the early or minor stages since all they are doing is working on her diet first. Now that she has been diagnosed, the rest of the family is being tested. I will pray for her. It is yet another hurdle that we must clear.
After that conversation I went in to watch Law and Order: Criminal Intent on Bravo. I had forgotten about the MMA bouts on Versus TV and missed some great WEC action. Uriah Faber kicked Jens Pulver's but again and Jamie Varner defended his belt, yet again. Whoo-hoo!
I guess we went to bed early and I slept most of the way threw with the exception of gettig up at midnight, hungry and thirsty. I grabbed a pack of 100 calorie Wheat Thins and a glass of water and consumed them before heading back to bed. I slept like a baby.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Feeling Better
Time is helping to mend my broken heart. I have been rather down ever since we put Maxx down the other day but each day that goes by I get a little stronger. I was even able to watch one of the puppy videos we have of him last night without tearing up.
It is frigid cold today (mid 30's) and geocaching was not on my agenda. While there is little I like better than tromping around in the woods looking for Tupperware, when the wind is blowing hard and the air is cold, I would rather stay indoors. So I did. Maybe I will do some tomorrow.
I started my day with coffee and a quick walk with The Golden. I had a light breakfast before I settled down and prepared a Sunday School lesson that I need to teach tomorrow at church. It only took a couple of hours and I think it will go well. It is hard to teach adults, especially when most of the ones in my class are better bible students than I am, but I manage.
After that I started working on the house, vacuuming everything and then mopping the kitchen. The house smells better now and my wife is happy.
My wife and I ate some leftovers for lunch and after we cleaned up that mess we did some laundry and made the bed, putting on fresh sheets. My wife picked up some very nice 425 thread count sheets at Sam's that are the nicest we have had yet. She got a very good deal on them.
While I still have a lesson to do for Wednesday, I decided I would watch some MMA videos online, catching some matches I missed afew weeks ago. Nothing really memorable, but they were pretty good.
I am getting hungry and my wife and I are thinking pizza might be nice. While not the healthiest thing we could eat, it is what we both are craving right now.
Oh, I had almost forgot. I took the time to switch my wife from her old IBM Workpad (a C3 which is a Palm Vx clone) to my old Palm Tungsten E. While the E is not a fantastic PDA and is hard on batteries, it is better than what my wife was dealing with on the C3. The touch screen was beginning to fail in a serious manner and it was becoming almost unusable.
The switch was not the smoothest process I have dealt with but it went well...no hitches. Since I have a Palm Centro my wife and I cannot share the same version of Palm Desktop. And since her laptop does not have a serial port, she really was not able to synch her PDA up for a backup until I uninstalled the Palm Desktop on my PC and installed the version that she could use. Then I did a synch to load her data on the PC then synched my old E to her profile. Once that was done I installed Palm Desktop her her laptop and synched the Palm T|E with it and now she can have her own, newer PDA on her own PC, fully synched. If hse updates to a newer PDA (which is the plan) the switch should be painless.
The only other thing I have done this weekend was work on a PC for a guy who used to be a security guard at our building. He just bought a laptop (a rather nice one at that) and wanted some help installing, configuring, and tweaking it. He is rather computer illiterate so I agreed to help him out. I gave him my church member rate even though he is not a church member. I kinda feel sorry for him so I try to help him out.
He gave me his old PC which is a Gateway P4 3.2 ghz machine. It has a mobo problem so I am only going to use it for parts. I may keep the case because I like the looks of it but I doubt I will keep anything other than the RAM. He wanted the HD and the rest of the goodies are matched to the case. Nonetheless, it did have a gig of PC3200 DRAM which is the same type I have in my my Linux box. The additional gig of RAM boots me to 1.5 gigs so the machine runs pretty good now. I would have loved to snag the processor but it is not the same socket style as mine so I can't. Maybe I can get a deal on a motherboard for it...
It is frigid cold today (mid 30's) and geocaching was not on my agenda. While there is little I like better than tromping around in the woods looking for Tupperware, when the wind is blowing hard and the air is cold, I would rather stay indoors. So I did. Maybe I will do some tomorrow.
I started my day with coffee and a quick walk with The Golden. I had a light breakfast before I settled down and prepared a Sunday School lesson that I need to teach tomorrow at church. It only took a couple of hours and I think it will go well. It is hard to teach adults, especially when most of the ones in my class are better bible students than I am, but I manage.
After that I started working on the house, vacuuming everything and then mopping the kitchen. The house smells better now and my wife is happy.
My wife and I ate some leftovers for lunch and after we cleaned up that mess we did some laundry and made the bed, putting on fresh sheets. My wife picked up some very nice 425 thread count sheets at Sam's that are the nicest we have had yet. She got a very good deal on them.
While I still have a lesson to do for Wednesday, I decided I would watch some MMA videos online, catching some matches I missed afew weeks ago. Nothing really memorable, but they were pretty good.
I am getting hungry and my wife and I are thinking pizza might be nice. While not the healthiest thing we could eat, it is what we both are craving right now.
Oh, I had almost forgot. I took the time to switch my wife from her old IBM Workpad (a C3 which is a Palm Vx clone) to my old Palm Tungsten E. While the E is not a fantastic PDA and is hard on batteries, it is better than what my wife was dealing with on the C3. The touch screen was beginning to fail in a serious manner and it was becoming almost unusable.
The switch was not the smoothest process I have dealt with but it went well...no hitches. Since I have a Palm Centro my wife and I cannot share the same version of Palm Desktop. And since her laptop does not have a serial port, she really was not able to synch her PDA up for a backup until I uninstalled the Palm Desktop on my PC and installed the version that she could use. Then I did a synch to load her data on the PC then synched my old E to her profile. Once that was done I installed Palm Desktop her her laptop and synched the Palm T|E with it and now she can have her own, newer PDA on her own PC, fully synched. If hse updates to a newer PDA (which is the plan) the switch should be painless.
The only other thing I have done this weekend was work on a PC for a guy who used to be a security guard at our building. He just bought a laptop (a rather nice one at that) and wanted some help installing, configuring, and tweaking it. He is rather computer illiterate so I agreed to help him out. I gave him my church member rate even though he is not a church member. I kinda feel sorry for him so I try to help him out.
He gave me his old PC which is a Gateway P4 3.2 ghz machine. It has a mobo problem so I am only going to use it for parts. I may keep the case because I like the looks of it but I doubt I will keep anything other than the RAM. He wanted the HD and the rest of the goodies are matched to the case. Nonetheless, it did have a gig of PC3200 DRAM which is the same type I have in my my Linux box. The additional gig of RAM boots me to 1.5 gigs so the machine runs pretty good now. I would have loved to snag the processor but it is not the same socket style as mine so I can't. Maybe I can get a deal on a motherboard for it...
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
God Speed, Little Man
Well today, Jan 21, 2008 @ 2:20 PM Maxx went on to be with Father God. It was a sad event with both my wife and I shedding a boat load of tears but in the end we are at peace.
My wife and I took Little Man and his sister (well not by blood but they lived and played together for nine years) to the nature preserve closest to our house and walked about a half a mile of trails. I realize it was not a lot but it was about all Maxx could handle. He fell twice and was pretty much out of steam by the time we got back to the car. After our little jaunt in the nature preserve, we drove over to Einstein Brothers Bagels in Plano and picked up a few to snack on in the park. Maxx was exhausted and slept while his sister bounced around looking at everyone and everything. After munching on bagels and cracking jokes about our tax dollars hard at work (state/city/county employees were fixing a broken sidewalk and not moving very fast) we headed back to the house. Maxx had already moved more in one day than he had in all of last week combined.
After he slept for a while we prayed over him and ourselves. This was especially hard on me since I had never put an animal down before. After some time praying (and weeping), we headed off to the vet to send little man on his way.
We arrived and had to wait a little but Maxx was calm. Most dogs freak out because they can smell the death. Not Maxx. He let me put him on the table and did not try to nip the vet at all. The vet gave him the first injection (to put him to sleep) and in a matter of minutes, Maxx was completely relaxed and slumbering. Our vet gave us some time as we said our good-byes and then he administered the final drug to stop his heart. Maxx started breathing very heavily for a few seconds and then he drifted off. I felt for a heart beat but could not find one and the vet confirmed that he was gone. Fighting back the tears, we thanked the vet and left.
After we had drive a few hundred yards, we decided to pull over to the park across the street from our house. We started walking down an old trail and performed some cache maintenance on one of mine that had gone missing. Sure enough it was gone so I replaced it with one I had ready. After that we headed towards the shelter and thought back to happier times with our loveable mutt. We were no longer weepy and we decided to head home.
When we came in the house felt empty, even with our other dog and the one we are pet sitting there. The spirit of Maxx filled the house even when he slept. He will be missed.
Well, I have updated Facebook and now I need to update my caching page. Once that is done we need to get ready for small group tonight.
For those who are praying, thank you. Your prayers are really appreciated.
Call Me A Wimp If You Want...
Since Maxx has been vomiting and pooping all over the house the past couple of days, we decided to let him stay in the kitchen last night, which we blocked off from the rest of the house. I dug out my sleeping bag and laid on the other side of the pet gate until we both fell asleep. I spent the night there, what little there was of it. I got to bed at midnight and was up at 4:30 AM. My back is a little stiff and sore but that is a small price to pay.
Oddly enough Maxx has eaten twice since I posted yesterday's entry. He ate a small handful of turkey jerky treats and two small fistfulls of kibble. This morning he ate 1/2 a cup of kibble and a few turkey jerky treats. My wife told me that her heart is pleading not to put Maxx down, but the reality is that Maxx would only live s short while longer and his discomfort would only increase. While this decision to put him down is killing me right now (I have never had to put a pet down before, but my wife has) I do not want his quality of life to deteriorate any further.
Yesterday I had to take Maxx out every two hours. Normally he can go much longer than that but yesterday he came and got me when it was time for him to go out and he did not waste any time once he was out in the yard...he did his business and came right back to the patio door.
Last night he did not make a mess although he was ready to go when I got up at 4:30 AM. I loved on him for a while then I made some coffee to help me shake the cobwebs away. He is laying in his box with the door open right now. He looks sleepy.
We are planning on going to one of the nature preserves near by to let him roam a bit before we take him to be put down. I had originally planned to get this done in the morning but my wife wants to spend a bit more time with him so I agreed to do this in the afternoon.
Maxx was sitting beside me this morning licking my hand while I was contemplating the task at hand today. It is just like "man's best friend" to comfort us when he is the one who is really having problems.
I have teared up several times the past couple of days. Maxx has been a very good friend. He will be missed.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Saying Good Bye To An Old Friend
Saying good bye is never easy. When I go visit family and friends out of stage, I never linger over the good byes. This behavior used to bother my mom (and dad when he was living) until recently. Now she understands. Good bye is forever.
Tomorrow my wife and I will most likely say good bye to someone we have had a relationship with for almost 15 years. That someone most likely saved my life and also helped my wife heal from a broken heart. That someone has walked with me in the rain when I have been blue and on sunny days when I have not had a worry in the world. He has been on long trips with me an my wife, visiting several southern states. That someone is one of the oldest friends I have. That someone is Maxx, our lovable mutt with more nicknames than he needs.
Maxx was diagnosed with renal failure yesterday. We knew something was wrong when he almost completely stopped eating (as I write this he has had four small meals in eight days (he normally eats two small meals each day) but dogs will sometimes skip a day or two when they are not feeing up to par, so I did not worry until day four.
Maxx has had severe allergies for the past three years or so. He started getting huge infections on his skin in the spring and fall during ragweed season that made him miserable. A couple of years ago we learned of his arthritis so his walking started to slack down. Shortly after that we learned he had thyroid issues and early last year we thought he had Cushing's Disease, but we found out that it was just his throid acting up.
Poor Maxx has been slowing down for a couple of years now and it has been hard for me. I like to hike and walk and Maxx has been my hiking buddy for years. A couuple of years ago he stopped going on hikes with me and was limited to just a short walks in the neighborhood.
When we found out that he had renal failure, the vet offered to give him steroids to prolong his life but my wife and I have played that game before with one of her cats and we will not do that again. Rather than pump him full of drugs to mask the pain and problems to give me a few more months to enjoy his company, I think it is better to let him go peacefully. While I am horribly saddened by this (Maxx is like a child to me), I cannot stand to see him lose the rest of his dignity. I was really hoping he would pass in his sleep some night but that looks like it will not happen soon and I just cannot stand to see him like this.
So for those who are serious pet owners, I think you can relate to this. For those of you who are not, the closest thing I can imagine is losing a child. If you are a praying person, please pray that my wife and I will not grieve heavily and that a peace will fall on us. We have one more dog in the house (who is nine) that we are clinging to and loving on because we don't want to miss a moment with her.
Maxx, I am going to miss you.
Tomorrow my wife and I will most likely say good bye to someone we have had a relationship with for almost 15 years. That someone most likely saved my life and also helped my wife heal from a broken heart. That someone has walked with me in the rain when I have been blue and on sunny days when I have not had a worry in the world. He has been on long trips with me an my wife, visiting several southern states. That someone is one of the oldest friends I have. That someone is Maxx, our lovable mutt with more nicknames than he needs.
Maxx was diagnosed with renal failure yesterday. We knew something was wrong when he almost completely stopped eating (as I write this he has had four small meals in eight days (he normally eats two small meals each day) but dogs will sometimes skip a day or two when they are not feeing up to par, so I did not worry until day four.
Maxx has had severe allergies for the past three years or so. He started getting huge infections on his skin in the spring and fall during ragweed season that made him miserable. A couple of years ago we learned of his arthritis so his walking started to slack down. Shortly after that we learned he had thyroid issues and early last year we thought he had Cushing's Disease, but we found out that it was just his throid acting up.
Poor Maxx has been slowing down for a couple of years now and it has been hard for me. I like to hike and walk and Maxx has been my hiking buddy for years. A couuple of years ago he stopped going on hikes with me and was limited to just a short walks in the neighborhood.
When we found out that he had renal failure, the vet offered to give him steroids to prolong his life but my wife and I have played that game before with one of her cats and we will not do that again. Rather than pump him full of drugs to mask the pain and problems to give me a few more months to enjoy his company, I think it is better to let him go peacefully. While I am horribly saddened by this (Maxx is like a child to me), I cannot stand to see him lose the rest of his dignity. I was really hoping he would pass in his sleep some night but that looks like it will not happen soon and I just cannot stand to see him like this.
So for those who are serious pet owners, I think you can relate to this. For those of you who are not, the closest thing I can imagine is losing a child. If you are a praying person, please pray that my wife and I will not grieve heavily and that a peace will fall on us. We have one more dog in the house (who is nine) that we are clinging to and loving on because we don't want to miss a moment with her.
Maxx, I am going to miss you.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Historic Month (For Me)
January. The beginning of a new year. Time for change.
January has now at least two memorable days for me (there may be more but I am excited and can only think of two right now)...two days that will change my life forever.
First, January 7, 1991 was the day I left my ex-wife to get on with my life. After years of her cheating on me as well as the mental abuse, I finally had enough and I left. My life has never been better and from what I understand, her life is better as well. I am happy for her and wish her all the best. I am not bitter because that chapter of my life is over with.
Next is Jan 16, 2008. For the first time in my life, I am debt free with the exception of a mortgage. I have always had either a car payment, credit card payment, or both over my head since I have been 18 years old. As soon as the debt would get paid down to a near manageable amount, something would come up and we would be in debt again. Yesterday we paid Bank of America off and today Baylor Hospital gets their final payment on my wife's last surgery.
It has not been easy. I drive a 10 year old truck (in pretty good condition), we don't have nice furniture (cheap furniture from Rooms to Go that is about 10 years old), my computer is five years old (so is my wife's van), the house needs new flooring (the carpet is 10+ years old and looks it), we eat out once or twice a week (usually one fast food and one Jason's Deli type place), and I bag my lunch every day, eating lunch out on rare occasions.
During the time we have been trying to get out of debt The Golden has had two knee surgeries ($6,000 total), we had to have a new fence, sprinkler system, and concrete patio (total - $10,000), countless vet visits for dog issues, and three human operations (one for me, two for my wife).
Now let me add to the good news by saying that for the most part, auto repairs have been minor and inexpensive. There was one repair to my truck that set me back $1200 (which should have been covered under a recall but my truck missed it by a few months) but for the most part our auto repairs have been typical routine maintenance.
Now for the part that usually surprises most people. During the entire time we worked towards getting out of debt, my wife and I tithed to our church. If you are not familiar with tithing, it is the practice of setting aside 10% of you income to the church. So if you make (which I don't) $100,000 a year, you would tithe $10,000 (tithe means "tenth") each year. Most people do this each time they get paid to keep things simple and that is what we did. I get paid twice a month so the church received a check after my paycheck hit the bank. It was the first thing that I paid each pay period. And oddly enough, we never lacked anything. Oh, things were tight, but we always had the money. God was, and is, GOOD.
There were several times that we wanted or needed to do something but we just did not have the money, so just as we prepared to do without, God came through. Let me tell you a few examples:
Last summer, I was making my plans to go visit my mom out of state. It is a long drive (I prefer to drive) and the cost of gas (remember $4 a gallon?) was seriously making me nervous. I did the math and realized that we did not have the money for me to go. Mind you we had not charged anything for leisure in years and I was not about to start now...I was going to pay in cash or not go at all. Well, one week before I was supposed to leave, I was ready to call my mom and tell her that we just did not have the money when received a check from our mortgage company...it seems they made an error on the escrow and overcharged us. The check was a refund. The amount was just about enough to cover my gas costs. Thank you God!
Next was Christmas, 2008. My wife and I had not charged Christmas or vacation in years but this year things were kinda tight. After buying photo cards and a few gifts for others, we were at the bottom of the barrel. I did not have anything left to get my wife anything. Well, my wife's boss gave her a rather generous bonus (about 10% of her part time salary), not to mention a small assortment of other gifts, allowing us to finish our shopping. My wife was able to pamper herself with things from Bath and Body Works as well as Bed, Bath, and Beyond. Me, I finally got a nice new Columbia Bugaboo Parka/Storm jacket after years of wearing thin blue collar work jackets.
The final one happened at Christmas as well. Our 7 year old digital camera was finally showing its age. While new snapshooters are not expensive, a new one as not in the budget. Well, my mom (who is by no means wealthy) gave us money for Christmas and my wife and I both agreed to get the camera with the money. As a matter of fact, I was able to get the camera, high capacity rechargeable batteries, a case, and a gig card for just about the same amount that mom sent. I love it when a plan comes together.
During the time that we had challenges, we were faithful to pay God his tithe. We tithed on bonuses and Christmas money and God was faithful to us. Now I don't tell you this to sound pious or to brag on myself. No, I tell you this to brag on my God who is faithful. He always provides if you just trust him and have faith. We did and He did.
I have told this story to many at our church (think I have to give a testimony about it sometime) and everyone seems to be genuinely happy for us. After the congrats to us, the next question is "what are you going to do with the money you were spending on debt?" Well that is easy. We hope (God willing) to put more towards our mortgage. We hope to be out of debt completely in 10 years. It will be difficult, but with God, anything is possible.
Happy January!
January has now at least two memorable days for me (there may be more but I am excited and can only think of two right now)...two days that will change my life forever.
First, January 7, 1991 was the day I left my ex-wife to get on with my life. After years of her cheating on me as well as the mental abuse, I finally had enough and I left. My life has never been better and from what I understand, her life is better as well. I am happy for her and wish her all the best. I am not bitter because that chapter of my life is over with.
Next is Jan 16, 2008. For the first time in my life, I am debt free with the exception of a mortgage. I have always had either a car payment, credit card payment, or both over my head since I have been 18 years old. As soon as the debt would get paid down to a near manageable amount, something would come up and we would be in debt again. Yesterday we paid Bank of America off and today Baylor Hospital gets their final payment on my wife's last surgery.
It has not been easy. I drive a 10 year old truck (in pretty good condition), we don't have nice furniture (cheap furniture from Rooms to Go that is about 10 years old), my computer is five years old (so is my wife's van), the house needs new flooring (the carpet is 10+ years old and looks it), we eat out once or twice a week (usually one fast food and one Jason's Deli type place), and I bag my lunch every day, eating lunch out on rare occasions.
During the time we have been trying to get out of debt The Golden has had two knee surgeries ($6,000 total), we had to have a new fence, sprinkler system, and concrete patio (total - $10,000), countless vet visits for dog issues, and three human operations (one for me, two for my wife).
Now let me add to the good news by saying that for the most part, auto repairs have been minor and inexpensive. There was one repair to my truck that set me back $1200 (which should have been covered under a recall but my truck missed it by a few months) but for the most part our auto repairs have been typical routine maintenance.
Now for the part that usually surprises most people. During the entire time we worked towards getting out of debt, my wife and I tithed to our church. If you are not familiar with tithing, it is the practice of setting aside 10% of you income to the church. So if you make (which I don't) $100,000 a year, you would tithe $10,000 (tithe means "tenth") each year. Most people do this each time they get paid to keep things simple and that is what we did. I get paid twice a month so the church received a check after my paycheck hit the bank. It was the first thing that I paid each pay period. And oddly enough, we never lacked anything. Oh, things were tight, but we always had the money. God was, and is, GOOD.
There were several times that we wanted or needed to do something but we just did not have the money, so just as we prepared to do without, God came through. Let me tell you a few examples:
Last summer, I was making my plans to go visit my mom out of state. It is a long drive (I prefer to drive) and the cost of gas (remember $4 a gallon?) was seriously making me nervous. I did the math and realized that we did not have the money for me to go. Mind you we had not charged anything for leisure in years and I was not about to start now...I was going to pay in cash or not go at all. Well, one week before I was supposed to leave, I was ready to call my mom and tell her that we just did not have the money when received a check from our mortgage company...it seems they made an error on the escrow and overcharged us. The check was a refund. The amount was just about enough to cover my gas costs. Thank you God!
Next was Christmas, 2008. My wife and I had not charged Christmas or vacation in years but this year things were kinda tight. After buying photo cards and a few gifts for others, we were at the bottom of the barrel. I did not have anything left to get my wife anything. Well, my wife's boss gave her a rather generous bonus (about 10% of her part time salary), not to mention a small assortment of other gifts, allowing us to finish our shopping. My wife was able to pamper herself with things from Bath and Body Works as well as Bed, Bath, and Beyond. Me, I finally got a nice new Columbia Bugaboo Parka/Storm jacket after years of wearing thin blue collar work jackets.
The final one happened at Christmas as well. Our 7 year old digital camera was finally showing its age. While new snapshooters are not expensive, a new one as not in the budget. Well, my mom (who is by no means wealthy) gave us money for Christmas and my wife and I both agreed to get the camera with the money. As a matter of fact, I was able to get the camera, high capacity rechargeable batteries, a case, and a gig card for just about the same amount that mom sent. I love it when a plan comes together.
During the time that we had challenges, we were faithful to pay God his tithe. We tithed on bonuses and Christmas money and God was faithful to us. Now I don't tell you this to sound pious or to brag on myself. No, I tell you this to brag on my God who is faithful. He always provides if you just trust him and have faith. We did and He did.
I have told this story to many at our church (think I have to give a testimony about it sometime) and everyone seems to be genuinely happy for us. After the congrats to us, the next question is "what are you going to do with the money you were spending on debt?" Well that is easy. We hope (God willing) to put more towards our mortgage. We hope to be out of debt completely in 10 years. It will be difficult, but with God, anything is possible.
Happy January!
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Little Man Update
My wife made some brown rice and Little Man ate some of it Wednesday morning but he has not had anything else since. I tried to get him to eat some last night but he balked at it. I even put some treats in with it and he still turned his nose up at it.
Overall he look a bit better but he still has tremors and falls down. He will not walk further than the end of our cul-de-sac but at least he will use the bathroom by himself. He spends a very large portion of the day (15-20 hours) sleeping.
We keep praying that if it is his time to go that God is merciful and takes him in his sleep without any undue suffering.
Overall he look a bit better but he still has tremors and falls down. He will not walk further than the end of our cul-de-sac but at least he will use the bathroom by himself. He spends a very large portion of the day (15-20 hours) sleeping.
We keep praying that if it is his time to go that God is merciful and takes him in his sleep without any undue suffering.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Concern
I write this post from the kitchen on my "sandbox" (an older test laptop borrowed from work running Ubuntu Linux) because I broke the ceiling fan light in my office. I pulled the chain as I normally do to kill the light and the chain broke off at the base of the light. Lot's of fun to repair.
My concern is with our nearly 15 year old mixed breed dog, Little Man. Little Man has had a variety of issues over the past year (many which appeared to be allergies) that we treated with diet and drugs. He appeared to be getting better now that winter is here and in full force. However last week his right side was bulging out unusually and my wife took him back to the vet (after being there three weeks ago to clear up a skin infection). We had suspected that Little Man had Cushing's Disease (he had most of the symptoms) so he was being tested for that. After those expensive tests came back negative, it was discovered he had an inflamed bowel. He was prescribed more drugs and a "bland" diet. After getting him home and giving him the first half of a can of his new food, he has yet to finish the can. After the food appeared to sit in his stomach for over a day, he threw up twice in one day. He has not eaten in two or three days and appears completely uninterested in food. He spends the bigger part of the day sleeping and when he is not sleeping, he drinks and goes out to pee. That is pretty much his life right now...he refuses to walk more than 100 yards from the house. I am afraid he is slipping away. This thought saddens me greatly. We have had him since he was a puppy and he has been one of my best friends. I have trouble imagining life without him.
If you are a praying person, please lift us up. Pray that if it is Little Man's time to go, it will be peacefully in his sleep. Also pray that we will not fall completely apart when he goes. He has been like a family member to us. We have treated him better than some people treat their kids (not spoiled, just well treated) so losing him is like losing a son or daughter. If you don't have pets you may not understand.
My concern is with our nearly 15 year old mixed breed dog, Little Man. Little Man has had a variety of issues over the past year (many which appeared to be allergies) that we treated with diet and drugs. He appeared to be getting better now that winter is here and in full force. However last week his right side was bulging out unusually and my wife took him back to the vet (after being there three weeks ago to clear up a skin infection). We had suspected that Little Man had Cushing's Disease (he had most of the symptoms) so he was being tested for that. After those expensive tests came back negative, it was discovered he had an inflamed bowel. He was prescribed more drugs and a "bland" diet. After getting him home and giving him the first half of a can of his new food, he has yet to finish the can. After the food appeared to sit in his stomach for over a day, he threw up twice in one day. He has not eaten in two or three days and appears completely uninterested in food. He spends the bigger part of the day sleeping and when he is not sleeping, he drinks and goes out to pee. That is pretty much his life right now...he refuses to walk more than 100 yards from the house. I am afraid he is slipping away. This thought saddens me greatly. We have had him since he was a puppy and he has been one of my best friends. I have trouble imagining life without him.
If you are a praying person, please lift us up. Pray that if it is Little Man's time to go, it will be peacefully in his sleep. Also pray that we will not fall completely apart when he goes. He has been like a family member to us. We have treated him better than some people treat their kids (not spoiled, just well treated) so losing him is like losing a son or daughter. If you don't have pets you may not understand.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
I Think He May Be Missing The Point
The Palm Pre is not supposed to be an iPhone killer. From what I have been told, as a phone, the iphone is only so-so. The primary reason you have a smart phone is the phone and PDA ability. The abilty to search, store, and play music is secondary. I mean I can play music on my Palm Centro, but I don't. I refer to use it as a smartphone.
To quote the author "...without the iPhone, there's no consumer smartphone audience", well that is bunk. We had smart phones long before the iPhone. Now if you want an iPod that makes phone calls, then get an iPhone. People who buy Palms are looking for a unit that is more business oriented. I am sorry, but an iPhone looks a little less professional than almost any other smart phone I know. Besides, I did not hear Palm say they were looking into having you replace your mp3 player with a Palm Pre. I would not want to go running with my iPod/Palm Pre and take a chance of it falling and breaking. Great, now I am out a PDA, phone, and mp3 player.
Do you workout with your iPhone?
I am sorry, but the article is a waste. The writer is obviously an Apple/iPhone disciple and has no love for the way the majority of the world works.
To quote the author "...without the iPhone, there's no consumer smartphone audience", well that is bunk. We had smart phones long before the iPhone. Now if you want an iPod that makes phone calls, then get an iPhone. People who buy Palms are looking for a unit that is more business oriented. I am sorry, but an iPhone looks a little less professional than almost any other smart phone I know. Besides, I did not hear Palm say they were looking into having you replace your mp3 player with a Palm Pre. I would not want to go running with my iPod/Palm Pre and take a chance of it falling and breaking. Great, now I am out a PDA, phone, and mp3 player.
Do you workout with your iPhone?
I am sorry, but the article is a waste. The writer is obviously an Apple/iPhone disciple and has no love for the way the majority of the world works.
Friday, January 09, 2009
And Now, It Is Friday
It amazes me how fast this week has gone by. Now it means I only have two weeks left before I gio back on call. I am glad I have a couple of Geocaching trips planned (weather and God permitting).
I had commented on another blog that I am rather pleased with Facebook and have no qualms about opening up an account there. If I can get a few more people I chat with (AHEM, Rycherox and Knightmare_Duck) then I would be able to get all my contacts and updates in one place, well mostly. I would still update this blog, my geocaching blog, and my Vox page but I would probably tune each one to a specific area. To be honest I am thinking of dropping mistergeek.com...not for the expense, but because I am not going to update that web page ever again as far as I know. The blog is hosted there (Geobloggin') but I could turn my Vox page into a geocaching blog, use this one for my normal ranting and Facebook to stay in touch. I could do that...
Have a safe and pleasant weekend!
I had commented on another blog that I am rather pleased with Facebook and have no qualms about opening up an account there. If I can get a few more people I chat with (AHEM, Rycherox and Knightmare_Duck) then I would be able to get all my contacts and updates in one place, well mostly. I would still update this blog, my geocaching blog, and my Vox page but I would probably tune each one to a specific area. To be honest I am thinking of dropping mistergeek.com...not for the expense, but because I am not going to update that web page ever again as far as I know. The blog is hosted there (Geobloggin') but I could turn my Vox page into a geocaching blog, use this one for my normal ranting and Facebook to stay in touch. I could do that...
Have a safe and pleasant weekend!
Thursday, January 08, 2009
Giving In To Peer Pressure
I have resisted for a long time. The temptation was always there, those who called themselves friends pressuring me to do it. "Everyone does it, El Gee. Go ahead...try it." I hate peer pressure. I hate being "just like everyone else". How much temptation can one man take? The e-mails won't stop...they just litter my inbox. I delete them and try to forget about them, but more keep coming. The enticement, the mystery, the allure. STOP IT!
Weeks go by and I feel I am under control. No more e-mails from "them". Then, I get a phone call. A friend from high school calls me up and tells me that he tried it a while back and he likes it. "Heck El Gee, some of our friends from school are doing it." I know he is right...I have gotten the e-mails. Heck, even a woman who went to our church back in NC is doing it. It seems this obsession has captivated quite a few people.
I think about it, but not too long...the pressure is too great. If I don't do something, I will explode. I cannot take it any more.
I signed up for a Facebook account.
I was surprised how nice it is compared to Myspace. Myspace is for kids/teens. It is loud and in your face. Facebook is more mature. It was not long before I found 30+ people I knew on Facebook. I like it.
So if this page doesn't get updated as frequently as it used to, just come over to the dark side known as Facebook...we have cookies!
Weeks go by and I feel I am under control. No more e-mails from "them". Then, I get a phone call. A friend from high school calls me up and tells me that he tried it a while back and he likes it. "Heck El Gee, some of our friends from school are doing it." I know he is right...I have gotten the e-mails. Heck, even a woman who went to our church back in NC is doing it. It seems this obsession has captivated quite a few people.
I think about it, but not too long...the pressure is too great. If I don't do something, I will explode. I cannot take it any more.
I signed up for a Facebook account.
I was surprised how nice it is compared to Myspace. Myspace is for kids/teens. It is loud and in your face. Facebook is more mature. It was not long before I found 30+ people I knew on Facebook. I like it.
So if this page doesn't get updated as frequently as it used to, just come over to the dark side known as Facebook...we have cookies!
Monday, January 05, 2009
Surviving Unscathed
Well, my on rotation is over and I escaped unscathed. As a matter of fact from New Year's Day on, I was not called at all. While I still was confined to the very immediate area, it still allowed for me and my wife to go to church (twice), run to the store, grab a quick lunch, and even have a coffee date at Escapé, a local trendy coffee shop. Think of it as a Stabucks sans attitude. While my wife and I enjoyed it, she is beginning to see that spending $4 for a cup of joe is not very fiscally responsible. Not that I mind doing it for her, but she is just as happy with a cup from QT for $3 less.
I am very thankful that my on call was as slow as it was...end of year usually is not so. When I came in and asked my TL how his week of solo work was he replied, "Slow". I am glad we both had it easier than expected.
Nonetheless I was thrilled to get out of the house today. After a couple of weeks I was getting a bit stir crazy. Too bad the weather is not cooperating...it is too mess to geocache on the way home and I have a few (I think three) that I could get as long as it is not raining...four if I am in jeans and have my boots with me).
During the Christmas break I noticed my request for a company issued cell phone was rejected but only because the manager above mine failed to approve it in time. I am not sure what has to happen next to make sure I got one but he approves of my idea of getting a smartphone with data. I thought he would balk at it but when I explained that it could be used as a wireless broadband modem as well and the data/voice/text plan is unlimited and cheaper than two separate devices each with its own plan, he said it made sense and THANKED me for trying to save money. Well, I did have a bit of an ulterior motive in that I wanted to try wireless broadband and see if it was worth getting on my personal line but I did not want to get locked into a contract to find out. We are all winners.
I am very thankful that my on call was as slow as it was...end of year usually is not so. When I came in and asked my TL how his week of solo work was he replied, "Slow". I am glad we both had it easier than expected.
Nonetheless I was thrilled to get out of the house today. After a couple of weeks I was getting a bit stir crazy. Too bad the weather is not cooperating...it is too mess to geocache on the way home and I have a few (I think three) that I could get as long as it is not raining...four if I am in jeans and have my boots with me).
During the Christmas break I noticed my request for a company issued cell phone was rejected but only because the manager above mine failed to approve it in time. I am not sure what has to happen next to make sure I got one but he approves of my idea of getting a smartphone with data. I thought he would balk at it but when I explained that it could be used as a wireless broadband modem as well and the data/voice/text plan is unlimited and cheaper than two separate devices each with its own plan, he said it made sense and THANKED me for trying to save money. Well, I did have a bit of an ulterior motive in that I wanted to try wireless broadband and see if it was worth getting on my personal line but I did not want to get locked into a contract to find out. We are all winners.
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