I took my coin jar to the metro ticket machine. As I was putting money on the card, I tossed a penny to the ground.
I felt knid of bad for tossing it away even if it seemed worthless. How silly is that?
When I was in Utah, I heard that my parents were redoing the wood floor in the kitchen. I knew they would find my second stash of journals. My first stash was found around the last time I was out there.
I thought under the kitchen sink was a safe place for years to come. It only lasted 3.
Oh well, I could have grabbed them but I was already taking a bunch of stuff back with me to the Pickett House.
Everything, for the most part, was where I left it. I am totally glad I took off for a week. It was good to come back... lots of plans for the weekend: Candlelight tour of Mount Vernon, party, dinner group, and Christmas stuff.
I return to VA tomorrow. It should be well for me to leave. It'll be a long day. I've got do an FHE lesson at the house -- which seems to be in order. I got a brief update over the phone.
I pridefully, no doubt, do not care to visit my parents ward. Too many people I do not wish to see. Too many "contests" I thought I dropped out on many years ago.
That is about it for now. Just a quick post.
It was quite a surprise to wake up to snow this morning. I only brought sandals!
I've been listening to Harry Potter book 6. So far, it is a lot better than book 5. No irritating, childish Harry.
Yeah, I already know what happens. Maybe that is why I like it.... No expectations.
My family had their Turkey day today. All my siblings were there except my sister. We watched the new Harry Potter show -- which was excellent. The book is always better...
I had fun with my nephews and fairly good talks with my sisters-in-law. I think everything I came out here for has been fulfilled.
I kind of want to go back to Virginia to survey the damage that was done while I was gone. I heard my bed was used by some visitor....
In my Dad's continuous effort to remodel the inside of the house, he has started redesigning the master bedroom. As I was looking over his work on the walk in closet I thought I saw a Mickey Mouse symbol: one big circle with two small circles on top.
When I asked if the shape was intentional, my parents just laughed. He loves Disney.
I took a picture of it, but I'll have to post it later. I took the picture with a camera that wasn't mine.
I ignored that instruction when I tried to setup my parents wireless network. I knew the switch/router had to talk to the modem, but didn't think the CD application could figure it all out....
When I called the DSL tech support to be pointed in the right direction, he told me about PPPoE. Well, he told me the acronym. I know what PPP is, but I'll need to get to the router and check some settings. I recalled doing something similar by typing in an IP address in a web browser.
"Where is the User Guide?"
It was on the CD. When i found what i was looking for, I noticed a screenshot for step 8, the step to enter the data I needed to. I am still impressed it was so simple.
I like drafting a public post in private. I go to great lengths sometimes to do so. I was interrupted last time I tried to make an entry. Here is the second attempt.
The flight to Utah was relaxing. I watched a movie on my laptop -- which I had never done before. Trying to find gate C3 in Minneapolis was quite frustrating. I took a short train ride only to back track almost to where I got on the train.
The early flight felt like a direct one because once I found the right gate (C3 was changed to C4), I got right on the second plane.
It was a while before I got home though. So many unexpected things happened. The rest of the day was pretty much shot. i need to get some rest and start fresh tomorrow.
You know the phrase, "give them an inch, they'll take a foot"? That is what I thought when I was asked what it meant when I stack dishes by the side of the sink.
"They are rinsed off." I tried to emphasize three times, but all that was heard was my flippant comment. ""... and have not been pronounced clean."
"Oh not clean, I'll help you stack stuff."
"Great, thanks jerk."
When you stack stuff n the sink whether they are rinsed off or not and the drain clogs... you need to pull out all the stuff to get the sink to drain. The dish washer here is about as old as the house and is about as sanitizing as rinsing stuff off without "being pronounced clean" or without the use of soap.
I find that when I wash rinsed stacks in batches, it is fast and requires very little soap. Well, a little soap goes a long way.
When I first heard that people wanted to watch this stuff, the UFC, I took comfort in the fact that I am not so lame after all.
Watching people beat up each other just sounds lame, lame, lame. Did I mention I think it is LAME?
OK, I saw part of Rocky this morning before I went to play football. I always thought the end was lame. "Adrian!" I was actually laughing at the movie.... Wow, I thought it was all pretty silly... I mean, lame.
I went shooting too. For a blind man, I did pretty good. I hit the target a couple times. I never shot a 38 special before. That was fun. I just like squeezing the trigger...
Star Man (1985) was also lame. Open Office database, this post, my social life? also lame... OK, I get the idea already.
I just watched Charlie & the Chocolate Factory (2005). It was a fun Tim Burton movie. The cast was amazing, especially the grandpa.
Well, according to Luxo blog, the grandpa was the inspiration for Pixar's chess player, Geri.
This is the second Tim Burton movie with Johny Depp and Christopher Lee I have seen.. probably the only two? I am actually kind of anxious to watch Nightmare before Christmas again. Maybe I shall reevaluate my opinion of the show.
I noticed a few weeks ago that my cell phone tends to reboot itself. It seems to do it quite often. I have also noticed that there are random things in the calendar and my contacts get messed up.
I wondered what the probability was that it was all accidental. I have let my nieces play with my phone. I suppose I could be pressing buttons when the phone is my pocket. Then I started to wonder if it was not being hacked into and the reboot is part of some system counter measure to kick unwanted users off.
That's not cool. If it is even possible. I'm just a nice guy... Can't we all just get along?
I buy my own gifts most of the time. I get too impatient when I ask for things. Then when I open the package and it is not what I wanted... I know I'm supposed to be surprised and grateful.
In my extended family, my Dad insists on the rule that one is only obligated to buy the $50 gift for the person to whom they were assigned. The gift doesn't have to be more than $50. (We picked names years ago, and my mother manages the rotation.)
This year, I was tempted to ask for nothing because that is all I expect. I then decided I should chose one thing and told them to ship it. I don't want to carry home a bunch of things from Utah when I go out there next week.
After reading over the latest MSDN magazine, I saw the article that talked about a Web service. I had to write up a quick app to call on it while it was still on the guy's server.
Honestly, looking at it abstractly it is not all that far from using a 3rd party DLL. Only it is making calls over the Internet and there is no help when you press F1.
I wish I could do more of this stuff all the time. It would help me to know all the ins and outs ... So, I can understand it like everyone else in the world seems to.
A lot has happened lately. I just haven't taken the time to post.
I swear I did a post on this. I might have drafted it on my toy and have it stored away some where. I totally remember saying "My first and only fight..." but the text could not be found.
I was recently reminded of the story and wanted to add some details.
One day after grade school some punk called J.P. was sitting on a fence post yelling obscenities as kids walked by. I told him to shut up. When he demanded that I make him shut up, I obliged and punched him. He feel backwards into the bushes and moaned.
I walked away thinking that was over.
The next day, it was rumored that this kid who was in a younger grade wanted to fight me. I thought little of it until a crowd followed me home. As I left the school property I could see someone in the bushes across the street. He seemed to be watching me because he went from bush to bush.
"Is that J.P.?" I asked.
I crossed the street and confronted him. "I heard you wanted to fight me."
He nodded and put up his fists.
"Judging from yesterday's knock out, I didn't think that taking me on was a smart idea."
That only enraged him. He came for me. I moved out of the way and popped him in the face again. He went to the ground and never got up. By now the crowd was huge and going crazy.
I wanted to walk away. The crowd egged me on. "Get up!" I commanded. "I thought you wanted to fight."
I asked the crowd if I should body slam him. The crowd cheered every time I came down on him. After about the 3rd or 4th slam, I looked up and saw my Mom's blue van, we called the tank, turn up the street.
"Oh crap!" I yelled. "Everyone leave!"
I grabbed my back pack and jumped in the van. I'm not sure my Mom knew what was going on.
I was told later that the next day, J.P. came to school with a broken leg. Wow, did I do that?
This is an old post found on my hard drive.
It was fun. there were two pretty ladies and most of the group were teachers. It was hard to relate. Besides it seems lately people aren't understanding what I am saying. I guess I need to slow down a bit.
I'd like to get to know this Pennsylvania women better. I asked out Kim who I had only met that morning.
I should go to choir to socialize but I really don't sing!
It is different to read a book than it is to listen to it. Maybe it has something to do with the printed word. I picked up the Conference edition of the Ensign. It was very different to listen to it (the talks) online than it was to read. I also noticed that when going through the scriptures today at Church.
I noticed the magazine has an ISSN code. I guess it is kind of like an ISBN code for books. There was also a title page, other notes and all kinds of things not on the sound files.
Wow, "The ISSN system was adopted as international standard ISO 3297 in 1975." See link. ISO? What do you know I know some ISO stuff.
* The OSI model - computer networks.
* Quality management systems
* Photography
I recently got the Joseph Smith CD. I was a bit shocked that it was exactly like the Stake production. Although I admit it is quite a feat that such a performance took place, I was under the impression that more work was done for it. Putting on a play is different than writing it.
Oh well, I also noticed how one song reminds me of Indiana Jones. I knew of the French horn before and is probably the main reason I liked the music in the first place.
I think it is easier to relate to Joseph and the early saints than it is to relate to the Savior and the New Testament time period. However, Brother Joseph can not save me nor does he heal my heart when I am so disquieted.
I dislike getting haircuts. I just spent $16 and an hour to get it a bit shorter because so many have said I should... peer pressure, I know. Frankly I wish I was married and was told how I should get it styled. I like it shaved off because it is so easy to maintain and it grows back fast.
I like wearing jeans more than wearing nice clothes.. Today is a Federal Holiday so I got to wear jeans to work because I didn't get the day off.
I addressed how negative my silly bets are. Well, I guess I just took note of it. Right now I have a $15 bet with myself that I will not have a meaningful conversation at the ward Turkey Day celebration. I almost thought I would avoid the person so I will win the bet. That is just lame... so I need to bet with someone else or remove the word "not" from my betting.
Does it really matter?
When I was employed at TransEra so many years ago, I never thought I'd look back on that project. This HTBasic interpreter was like GWBasic contained in a window. It was terrible.
The code was written 10 years before as a DOS text based application. When the world went to the graphical windows environment that code was shoved into a window.
The next version of the code was written by a guy who seemed to a bit more about Windows programming than I did -- which at the time, was very little. It was slow moving, but they were at the top of the development cycle... it was only a matter of time before a company like National Instruments took over our business clientele. (I guess you can call it that.)
The people there were interesting and may still be at the other child company, Vantage.
I'll be at work until 10 P.M. if everything goes well. If things go better, I'm out of here early!!!
The site doesn't seem to update the XML RSS feed. I wonder if it was because the last entry was done on my toy.
I was a bit concerned on how yesterday's group would turn out. I had to seek out several different quests. I was not sure how the conversation would go, but it went well.
I was very pleased with it. It was worth all those hours in the kitchen.
Hopefully next Sunday will be nice out. I have got a tentative picnic date.
There are many things I wish to say about rules or ethics in the Kitchen. Everyone has their own way of running or keeping a kitchen clean. Others choose not to clean at all.
Anyway, who's method is right? I think it is all a matter of preference (e.g. lifestyle) and tradition.
For example, my Mother always uses wash cloths. I use wash cloths too. Just out of habit though?
The argument was pitched that wash cloths can get all nasty after a while. True, that is why you rinse it out after using it and get a new wash cloth on a regular basis. I have also heard rules on how to lay out the wet wash cloth after use.
Anyway, sponges don't seem all that kosher after a while either.
Then it came down to the real test for me: Quantity and Quality. How fast can one clean and how much stuff can a wash cloth pickup as opposed to a sponge? I had to go over this mess of powder like 10 times before I got it all cleaned up to my satisfaction when one quick swoop of the wash cloth picked up the same size mess.
At a recent Stake Conference - which I missed out on, the following slide show/movie was shown. Click here to see it.
I like how it shows explosive growth toward the end. I remember looking over a list of temples when in high school. At that time, about 1/2 of all the temples dedicated where done in in my life time. Now that number has doubled.
Stellar time? I did. Wow, I sure did. I enjoyed the company of 5 wonderful ladies.
Not sure what the opera was all about. I liked the lights, the orchestra, and the set. Honestly, I was too blind to see much... and to deaf to hear. I think it was all in English. There were even subtitles.
I'm glad I went. It was a great atmosphere. Maybe I will have to go again, sometime.
It's only an opera, why am I getting so nervy?
From m-w.com
Yes, I am going to an opera. Not sure how I will like it, but I need to get some culture.
I'm the only guy in our group. It should be interesting.