Archive for September, 2008

Pool view

Tuesday, September 23rd, 2008


Here’s the view from my hotel room. Better than a parking lot. We’ll have to accept it as Great Art, since it’s the only picture I have on this computer today.

Greetings from Lancaster, California! It was warm and sunny today. I had a pleasant ride up here (the Miata did end up getting the nod, and ran perfectly) and today’s meeting went well. And tonight’s sushi was outstanding – much better than usual for my favorite Lancaster-area Japanese place.

Important Tonsil Update: Loyal Reader Number Two’s doctor is out on a family emergency all week, so Thursday’s surgery is off. It’s rescheduled for October 6th. Put those Morrowlife sympathy rays on ice for another week and a half, Loyal Readers.

Important Morrowlife Financial Juggernaut Update: I now have $4.77! Nothing can stop me now! I checked after Loyal Reader Number One’s Juggernaut-related question the other day, which I forgot to answer. Here’s my answer: Click away!

I believe that Loyal Readers located at the same IP address as me are prohibited from clicking. Anybody else is fair game. I certainly encourage my Loyal Readers and their friends to check out and purchase the fine products advertised on this fine blog. At least I encourage them to follow the links, anyway.

Enforced Short Shrift tonight. I forgot my computer’s power cord, so this is a self-limiting activity tonight. Fortunately, I also forgot my VPN key, so I can’t get into my work email anyway. Blogging will be my only computer-oriented activity today.

Well, not exactly. I also have some computer-oriented reading to do. I’ve started rereading the Pocket C Architect manual. I’m thinking it’s essentially as easy to use as the Pocket C/Ccontrols combination, and it’s way more useful, so I’ll start Sudoku Solver over with it. Special question for Loyal Reader Number One: Does Pocket C Architect produce code that’s usable on the Treo?

Anyway. I have plenty to read tonight, and then I hope to get to bed early. We’re starting tomorrow’s session at 7:00 tomorrow morning, so I need to get up no later than 5:15, which will allow me to get cleaned up, dressed up, packed up, breakfasted up, and onto the base in plenty of time for the meeting. I was a little late today, and I don’t want to repeat tomorrow.

As all my Loyal Readers know, I’m a fan of museums, including some of the smaller, more offbeat ones. Well, I’ve found a great career opportunity! Of course, I’ll need to have all my Loyal Readers chip in to be able to afford it, but I’ll definitely make it worth your while – discounted admission and free parking for one year for all Loyal Readers who contribute at least $1000. And they’ll be first in line to become docents (unpaid, of course). Who will be the first to contribute?

I missed this by mere hours! I just read about this cool stretch of pavement, I’m currently staying in Lancaster, and they paved over it today. Sigh. I would love to have driven on it, and I would have taken the opportunity tomorrow afternoon after my meeting ends. Double sigh.

Time to get reading. See you tomorrow.

Rocky river

Monday, September 22nd, 2008


Here’s a river. With lots of rocks. Taken during our August camping trip at Clark’s Fork. Fear not, Loyal Readers – I’m just about out of Great Art from that trip. Part of my famous Camping series.

Extreme Short Shrift yet again tonight. Home Evening is over, I have to get up as early as usual, and I have a long drive tomorrow morning, followed by a long meeting, both of which I need to stay awake for. As (probably) mentioned previously, I’m heading for Edwards Air Force Base tomorrow morning for a day-and-a-half-long meeting. I’ve been planning to take the Honda, but I’ve started wondering whether I might enjoy the Miata instead. Assuming it can make it that far, of course, but I have no reason to believe it won’t. It wouldn’t be as comfortable, but it does have air conditioning and cruise control, and the weather is supposed to be quite nice down there right now – ideal for open-air motoring.

Blogging will continue as usual, although Wednesday night is iffy, as I’ll be returning home from the meeting and may not arrive until pretty late, depending on when we finish. Time will tell.

Loyal Reader Number Two is still scheduled to have his tonsils yanked on Thursday. We won’t know the exact surgery time until sometime Wednesday, though, when he visits his anesthesiologist. I’ll be at the hospital, of course. Keep those Morrowlife sympathy rays coming, Loyal Readers, and he’ll get through it.

Got several of the planned weekend activities done, although not much on Saturday. Friday was work day and Saturday was goof off day. I did get some programming done, though. The Sudoku program draws its user interface on the screen and can now load a puzzle from its memo list. Lots more to do.

Sunday was restful.

Tragedy! The exclusive RAZR-cam is no more. Well, actually, it’s the RAZR-phone that’s not exactly working. The camera’s fine. In addition to its dead vibrator (which I was just living with in a grumpy sort of way), the speaker portion of its handset has given its last full measure of devotion. I can still use the speaker phone and Bluetooth, but can’t hear anything when I hold it to my head. And I don’t think it’s my ear that’s defective.

I gave it a thorough inspection and declared it dead. Spent several hours last night trying to decide on a replacement, and with Loyal Reader Number Four’s encouragement, I finally decided to order a Palm Treo 680, which I accomplished this afternoon. It ought to be here in a week or so. Loyal Reader Number One has really enjoyed his, and I’ve liked all my Palms so far. So I have high hopes. Plus, here‘s an excellent Christmas gift-giving idea! Also, since some of my software development interest is in the Palm direction, it will be good to have a newer model.

Many thanks to LRN1 for his extra-special high-intensity Miata sympathy rays, which were evident in his earlier comment, as he pointed out on Friday. The Miata thanks you also.

And thanks to many other Loyal Readers for their suggestions for additional significant GM cars. How could those fools have missed such important milestones?

See you tomorrow.

Temple

Friday, September 19th, 2008


Here’s a very poorly composed exclusive RAZR-cam picture of the Salt Lake temple. It was a pretty day when we visited and I like the picture anyway.

Nice day today. Seemed like Saturday, since I wasn’t at work. I tried to get all of my chores done, with mostly good success.

The very best news is that the Miata’s problem was indeed the battery. I was able to find the right part at my neighborhood Autozone. The old battery was relatively easy to get out of the trunk and the new one slipped right in. The car started immediately and ran perfectly (well, as perfectly as it normally runs, anyway – it didn’t learn to play the violin or anything). Thanks to all my Loyal Readers for their Miata Sympathy Rays. They really did the trick.

Got the repaired weed whacker back. It turns out it wasn’t running because the head bolts came loose, eliminating compression, which, as many Loyal Readers know, is essential for combustion. Anyway, it works fine now and didn’t cost too much to diagnose and fix. Also cleaned the pool filters but decided to let the pond go for another week or two. Or maybe I’ll feel bad and do it tomorrow. Also fixed the pool timing.

Personal programming has been light at best. I’m discouraged about Android again. I’m pretty much convinced that the cell phone providers are going to take this cool platform and lock it down so they can charge for everything you try to do. I’m just reluctant to go through the learning curve, only to be unable to do anything truly useful with the platform. Cell phone providers ruin everything they touch, but they do seem to be remarkably successful at ripping people off.

Anyway. So I’m writing a Palm version of my Sudoku Solver, but that’s pretty much a dead end too. I like the platform and I continue to love my trusty old Gadget, but I don’t think there’s any money to be made there anymore. I’m doing it anyway. At least I can send a copy to Loyal Reader Number One and get him to test it a little for me. I’m going to use my pitifully slow PocketC development system, so we’ll see if I can make it run fast enough. It sure runs fast on Linux.

Lots of interesting Loyal Reader comments lately. Thanks, Loyal Readers! I just love it when there’s actually some discussion.

Today’s Morrowlife controversy will only appeal to those Loyal Readers who are interested in cars: Do you agree with GM’s list of their ten most important cars in the last 100 years? My answer: For the most part, but where’s the Corvair? The Vega? The ’59 Caddy? The Nova? How about these ones? Or these (many of which, to be fair, aren’t GM cars)?

Time for some shuteye. See you tomorrow.

Graffiti bridge

Thursday, September 18th, 2008


Here’s a nice bridge over a secluded mountain stream at Clark’s Fork. And it’s covered with graffiti. Sigh. I’m with that guy a few years back who caught a teenager spraying graffiti in the middle of the night, took away his paint, and sprayed his face. Of course, the guy got in pretty serious trouble, but it might have been worth it. Part of my famous Camping series. The picture, that is, not the graffiti vigilante.

Extreme Short Shrift tonight. I’ve been doing other things, and it’s already after 10:00. Besides, after yesterday’s Special Bonus Post (thanks for noticing, Anon!), I think we can all agree that I’m way ahead of the game at this point.

Okay day at work. I found out last night that I didn’t get the appointment as acting manager as I had hoped. However, the person they gave it to is an okay guy who isn’t leaving his old job and therefore really won’t be able to do the job. So I’ll be doing it anyway. Just without the title. As usual.

Comfortable commutes in both directions. I’m at home tomorrow, meaning I’ll only have to attend my morning meetings via teleconference. In my spare time, I hope to replace the Miata’s battery (assuming I can find the special battery it needs, and if not, I’ll at least get the new one ordered), pick up the repaired weed whacker, clean the pool and pond filters, shorten the lawn watering time to its fall-appropriate level, and work on some personal programming. There’s plenty to do.

That’s it for tonight. See you tomorrow, with a report on my many off-Friday activities.

Mountain lake

Wednesday, September 17th, 2008


Here’s a pretty little lake up in the mountains near — you guessed it — Clark’s Fork. Part of my famous Camping series.

Greetings from the conference room! Drove to work today. As mentioned earlier (yesterday?), there’s a Team Dinner tonight that precludes my use of mass transit. Since there’s no train-based post possible, I’m meeting-room blogging today in the hope of not disappointing my distraught Loyal Readers.

We had some discussion this morning on Lessons Learned. The group pretty much decided that term is overused and carries connotations we weren’t anxious to imply. We needed another name. I suggested “Incidents and Accidents.” I believe the term comes from an old Paul Simon song, although for the life of me I can’t remember which one. A little help, Loyal Readers?

Nobody liked my idea.

By the way, did anybody ever come up with Loyal Reader Number Five’s movie quote from the other day? Was the promised money delivered?

Slight disaster early this morning. I decided to drive the Miata – it’s a perfect day for open-air motoring. Got my briefcase into the Miata’s trunk, got myself into the Miata’s seat, got my iPod plugged into the Miata’s stereo and playing music, and turned the key. Nothing happened.

Well, that’s not entirely true. One thing did happen. The electrical system went utterly and completely dead. Not just regularly dead, no. Automotive death was utter and complete.

I suspect it’s the battery. We’ll find out for sure on Friday, which is my Really Off Friday.

Otherwise, all is well. See you tomorrow.