Archive for September, 2008

Ronald reader

Tuesday, September 30th, 2008


Here’s Loyal Reader Number Two enjoying the company of a very strange character we met at WalMart the other day. We really need to stay away from that store. Picture courtesy of the exclusive Treo-cam.

Even though they take pictures of the same size (a mere 640 by 480), I think the Treo-cam takes better pictures than the RAZR-cam used to. Do my Loyal Readers see the same thing I see? Of course, they’re all Great Art – I’m just talking about the quality of the images.

Fine day – sunny and warm without being hot. In the South Bay, at any rate. I have no idea how it was in Lardville.

Talked to Loyal Reader Number Three in the early afternoon. He’s trying to figure out how to get some use out of an old laptop computer. He’s going to give Ubuntu a try, I believe. It’ll be interesting to see if it can cure his CPU overheating problem.

Financial Juggernaut update: I’m up to $5.27! The money is just rolling in. I’m already shopping for a new Porsche. Plus an Elvis Is Alive Museum.

Finished a book on writing this morning: Quit Your Day Job, by Jim Denney. I recommend it with reservations. The good: some good advice on preparing for and taking the full-time writing plunge. It’s mostly well organized and the author largely avoids repeating himself. He covers the important things. The bad: I’ve heard most of it before. And it really didn’t help me get ready to quit my job. Just told me what to think about when I do. It’s a good book to borrow from the library, but I don’t regret not buying it.

I had some unusual dreams last night, including one I believe I’ve had before – I was trying to take off a t-shirt and absolutely couldn’t get it over my head. Very frustrating, not to mention exhausting. So here’s today’s Morrowlife Controversy: What does this dream mean? I’m sure one of my Loyal Readers knows the answer. No fair cheating.

See you tomorrow.

Canoeists

Monday, September 29th, 2008


Here are some of the intrepid canoeists from this summer’s scout trip, participated in by Loyal Readers Numbers One and Two, and supported by Loyal Reader Number Four and me. Part of my famous Camping series.

Greetings from the train. Drove the Ranger back to Sunnyvale this morning – traffic was extremely heavy, not to mention slow. Friday afternoons and Monday mornings are not good commuting times. Sadly, when the pickup has to go home, that’s when it has to be on the road. No matter how crowded the train gets, it has really become my preferred transit mode.

Which is a good thing. After today’s trip, I still have fourteen paid-for round trips as well as a transit check for another ten days. That will take me partway into November, by which time I’ll have received transit checks in the mail for ten trips in October and ten more in November. Those will take me well into December, by which time I’ll have received ten more trips, which will take me into January, by which time I’ll have ten more rides, which ought to take me into late January before I need to actually pay for a ticket with after-tax dollars.

Anyway. How boring. Must . . . come . . . up . . . with . . . better . . . content.

The weekend was fine. It was really hot and clear both days. Loyal Readers Numbers Five, Six, and Twelve came over for the weekend, as predicted Friday, which was nice. LRN12 looks like she’s coming down with a cold, and it made her just a tiny bit grumpy – didn’t sleep well and wouldn’t go to church with us. Get well soon, LRN12!

LRN6 spent his entire Saturday helping LRN2 and me detail the exterior of the Ranger. It started the day out with hazy paint and filthy wheels with years’ worth of cooked-on brake dust. It now has beautiful, shiny black paint and perfect, shiny chrome wheels. Great work, LRN6! And thanks for a great, relaxing day. Although it was a bit warm.

After the detailing work was done, LRN6 and I jacuzzified for an hour or so. I got in the pool briefly. It was pretty cool, but would have been swimmable if I had really wanted to stay in. But I didn’t. Got back in the jacuzzi instead.

Loyal Reader Number Four spent all day Saturday at a training session for Science Olympiad coaches, of which she is one.

I was greatly saddened this afternoon to learn of the sudden, unexpected death of my friend John Reddoch. Apparently, he died last night in his sleep. If you have to go, that’s the way to do it, but it was way too early for John. My sincerest condolences to his wife and family.

LRN4 told me we had a brief rain shower in Lardville today. Freak occurrence in September around here. Fortunately, nobody appears to have been harmed by this terrible natural disaster.

Maybe we should start naming rainstorms that happen here in the summer. That might give them that highly desirable hurricane/cyclone/tropical storm cachet. Maybe I’ll call today’s shower Rainstorm Achilles. What do you think?

Today’s Morrowlife controversy: No controversy today. Nothing happened.

See you tomorrow.

Half Dome

Friday, September 26th, 2008


Here’s Half Dome.

Yet another night of Extreme Short Shrift, only this time I really mean it. The Treo arrived tonight, along with its separately-shipped 2GB SD card, and I’ve been very busy playing with it getting it carefully set up. It’s getting close, but I need to get to bed and finish tomorrow.

Good things about the Treo: It’s comfortable to hold, I don’t miss Graffiti much, I like the keyboard in spite of its tiny size, the screen resolution is great, all my old applications work on it, it comes with a much better version of Documents To Go, for which I was able to download both the Mac and PC desktop software, and my Bluetooth headset works with it (after messing around with it for quite a while, but I suspect that to be the headset’s fault).

Bad things: You can’t voice dial without spending more money, and there doesn’t seem to be a solution that allows you to push the button on your headset and voice dial without taking the phone out of your pocket. That is hugely bad. That is totally inexcusable. Sigh. Otherwise, I have no complaints.

Took the truck home because I talked Loyal Readers Numbers Five, Six, and Twelve into coming over for the weekend, and LRN6 is going to help me detail the Ranger’s exterior tomorrow. The drive was just as long as taking the train would have been. I’m enjoying the train more and more, I tell you.

That’s it for tonight. See you Monday.

City Creek

Thursday, September 25th, 2008


Here’s the City Creek Inn in beautiful downtown Salt Lake City. The first of my famous Motel Sign series.

Seriously. I’ve been thinking of going around the country, photographing old motel signs, and putting them in a coffee table book. I think it would sell a million copies. Well, maybe one copy. To my mother. If I give it to her for free. Anybody else want a nice motel sign coffee table book?

Oops. It’s already been done. And they’ve only sold one copy. Well, mine will be much better. Place your order now! Christmas gift-giving idea!

No Treo yet. Sigh. I was sad to read in yesterday’s comments about Loyal Reader Number One’s unfortunate Treo holster accident, though. Note to self: refrain from jumping on an inflatable jousting arena while wearing new Treo holster. Thanks for the tip, LRN1!

Slept in and took the very late (9:45-ish) train. I spent enough hours on the road yesterday to make up for the lateness. There was plenty to do when I got there. A few personnel troubles, some lab problems, and a little bit of everything in between. On top of that, I got about 165 new emails the last two days. I never need to complain about not having enough to do.

I’ve never taken the very late train, although I did ride its counterpart once – the very early coming-home train. There are only two cars, and neither one is very crowded. It’s nice to have it as an option, though. There were a whole bunch of senior-type citizens getting on here in Lardville this morning. I wonder where they were going. Never saw them getting off. The mystery will remain. Perhaps forever.

Today’s controversy: Should this be required wear for people who jump on inflatable jousting arenas?

Apologies to Loyal Reader Number One for mocking him. I’m sure he had an excellent reason for doing whatever it was he was doing on that inflatable jousting arena. Didn’t you, LRN1? See, I told you so.

Today’s real Morrowlife controversy: Would you buy one of these? My answer: Yes. It would be perfect for writing, not to mention Palm and other low-powered platform programming. And it’s the ideal size for the train. Christmas gift-giving idea! Of course, I’d rather have a MacBook Air. Even better Christmas gift-giving idea! Chip in, Loyal Readers! Maybe we can use the profits from the Elvis Is Alive Museum to buy one for each of us.

Keep checking out LRN1’s blog, Loyal Readers. He’s had several comments already, only some of which were from me. He’s keeping it up so far.

See you tomorrow.

Mojave sunset

Wednesday, September 24th, 2008


Here’s the view outside the Miata’s window this evening.

Welcome to Morrowlife Post 585. I should be hitting six hundred exactly three weeks from today. Wow.

Speaking of blogs, here’s a shoutout to Loyal Reader Number One’s new blog. He appears to be chronicling his experiences at BYU, which ought to be interesting. Check it out, Loyal Readers.

I’m back from Lancaster. The meeting finished almost exactly on time, and it took almost exactly five hours to get here. The Miata ran perfectly again, this time with the air conditioning on. I realized this evening that today was the first time I had ever used the A/C with the top up. It works great. Fortunately.

Speaking of Lancaster, thanks to A Different Chris (was it Loyal Reader Number Twenty Three or really a different Chris?) for the cool musical road video link. Now I’m really sorry I didn’t get to try it out. They’ll have to make another one somewhere. Maybe right here in Lardville! We could put it on the mile-long private driveway to the Elvis Is Alive Museum.

I got word last night that the Treo has already shipped. The case arrived today (AT&T is so prompt!) and the SD card should be here in a day or two also. I’m on pins and needles! Or something!

Time for bed. See you tomorrow.