It has been a long time since I have enjoyed reading. Truthfully, the last book I enjoyed had been one I read just as I was starting college (when I was 15 years old). There were lots of books I was supposed to read or could have read in school, but I did not enjoy that they were assigned and I was graded on them. I do not usually like being forced to do things, particularly, when it is a topic I might not be interested in, such as early/mid American Literature.
However, I have found a book I really enjoy. I started watching the new series on TV named "Legend of the Seeker" [Hulu.com] about a young man named Richard Cypher. The pilot episode was enough to grab my attention, so I watched a few more and started taking note of the story line. I suppose there were a few areas in which I could identify with the protagonist and sympathize his story with mine.
Knowing that the books were already published (not requiring me to wait for each new episode to be released) and included a greater level of detail about the characters and events, I picked up the first in the series by Terry Goodkind titled "Wizard's First Rule" [author's website] (upon which, the TV series is based). I have yet to dissect exactly where the title comes from, but figure I have the rest of the book to sort that out.
I was correct in my assumption that the book would be significantly different from the TV show. And far better. I read the first chapter as soon as I got home from the book store. I could not put it off. I planned to just read a little at a time, digest it as I read, and then read it through again as fast as possible (most people do the reverse).
Then last night happened. I woke up at 2am and could not return to sleep. I got up, threw the laundry in the washer, and took a shower. I waited a little, surfed TV and a few websites finding nothing interesting. The laundry had finished, so it was moved to the dryer. I still had no hint of sleepiness. Should I get ready and head into the office? by now it was almost 3am. No, I could not do that. I only had a small amount of work left I could do without further assistance or steps from co-workers who wouldn't be there at 4am. Should I fix the sewing machine? The last two Saturdays have consisted of me laying in bed sick rather than doing the long overdue repair. No, I wouldn't want to stop in the middle of the repair if it took longer than the time available. I will attempt that again this coming Saturday. Hum, what should I do? Ah, I know! I will read some more. And read I did. I have finished 1/10th of it at this point, and after I spend most of Dec. 24th at the airport, I should basically have it finished. The chapters are short so far, and make for frequent places to stop if I am interrupted or run out of time before my next scheduled event. The only better use for the night could have been actually sleeping, and that would have only been slightly better than if I had a big, padded armchair pulled up to the fireplace with a few logs burning. Speaking of, I need to buy some firewood and a set of smithed iron fire tending tools (poker, shovel, broom, and tongs would be nice). But I ramble.
In short, I am enjoying my new find and have renewed my desire for a few hobbies (including reading). So far, I have not been disappointed by "Legend of the Seeker" and am enthralled with "Wizard's First Rule". I look forward to finishing this book and launching into the next some time early next year.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Saturday, December 6, 2008
All Stitched Up (Wordpress Import)
I found an interesting article on the WIRED blog about a music video director named Cesar Kuriyama using 45,000 photos stitched together instead of the traditional video to capture the music video. It's a great article, though the video is a little strange. Check out [the article] or [the video].
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Torching the Midnight Oil (Wordpress Import)
I love snow. There was 4" of accumulation Friday evening at my apartment, so I was out taking photos that night. I had a great time, but am waiting for deeper snow to make my first real snowman. After all, I'm gonna need a lot if I'm going to make something as tall as me.
I skipped shopping Friday. It never ceases to amaze me how much people buy into marketing. So much so that three people were killed (that I'm aware of) in the events of this monster we call Black Friday. I have yet to find a deal of such value that it's worth fighting through the crowds and "spirit" of the retail season. I had a quiet day looking for ideas for the last few gifts I have yet to buy. I'm very happy with the items I have so far, but there are two people I have no idea what to do for.
It came with one of those nice sewing benches that the machine will fold down into, allowing you to fold the wing extension over the top making a solid work space for writing or some other use when not sewing. I'm still a little unsure about the hinges and just how much more the table can take since it has seen better days since it was made. I'll give it all a thorough going over when I make my first project on it. I'll be making an urban hammock using a design from [Bre Pettis] in his [Etsy HowTo]. I'm hoping I don't fall out the first time I use it. I'm also hoping to improve on the design a bit by adding wood dowels to each end to hold them out straight (like a traditional hammock).
Back to the issue of sleep. I needed this weekend. I'm enjoying my work and solving unique issues with a particular project I'm on, but I'm just frustrated right now (which could be part of why I can't sleep). We got into a funny situation where we accepted a project before we were aware that we couldn't provide the features the way we thought we could originally, so since it's on my plate, I get to deal with it and am learning a great deal about how to persuade the client to allow a feature to be removed or amended to work differently that originally requested. I also have more work to do right now than was expected as this one project is taking far longer than originally expected. I'm definitely going to have to get some help from my supervisor to catch back up.
Much excitement is beginning to collect around waiting for the replacement part to arrive for the sewing machine. I need some projects to relax/distract/divert my mind when I'm at home. Not sleeping is a bad thing for me. I greatly value my sleep.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Apocalyptica (Wordpress Import)
Four cellists playing rock/alternative. Apocalyptica is one of my favorite groups, and yet I have never purchased any of their albums. I listen to them on Pandora all the time, but just haven't been buying music lately when I can listen online for free.
Anyways, they run their cellos through processors and effect units in such a way that they sound like electric guitars or basses. Good group with a solid sound and worth checking out if you haven't before. Here's a link to their [page on Pandora].
Edit: adding link to my [Pandora profile] if you would like to follow me there.
Anyways, they run their cellos through processors and effect units in such a way that they sound like electric guitars or basses. Good group with a solid sound and worth checking out if you haven't before. Here's a link to their [page on Pandora].
Edit: adding link to my [Pandora profile] if you would like to follow me there.
And Miles to Go Before I Sleep (Wordpress Import)
Some may recognize that title from a line in a poem by Robert Frost. I found another poem last night that was really dark, and the way it was presented was almost disturbing. The setting was a teen girl running away from home as a five year old boy read this poem in the background while his mother put him to bed:
A man of words and not of deeds
Is like a garden full of weeds,
And when the weeds begin to grow,
It’s like a garden full of snow.
And when the snow begins to fall,
It’s like a bird upon the wall,
And when the bird away does fly,
It’s like an eagle in the sky.
And when the sky begins to roar,
It’s like a lion at the door.
And when the door begins to crack,
It’s like a stick across your back,
And when your back begins to smart,
It’s like a penknife in your heart,
And when your heart begins to bleed,
You’re dead, you’re dead, you’re dead indeed.
Best reference I could find was a [Google Book].
I guess that's what I get for channel surfing late at night while waiting to fall asleep. I like the poem, but the presentation was unnerving in it's level of darkness. Small children shouldn't need to read such things. They should have time to enjoy the world before they discover all the things wrong with it and have to start fighting for hope that things aren't all lost.
A man of words and not of deeds
Is like a garden full of weeds,
And when the weeds begin to grow,
It’s like a garden full of snow.
And when the snow begins to fall,
It’s like a bird upon the wall,
And when the bird away does fly,
It’s like an eagle in the sky.
And when the sky begins to roar,
It’s like a lion at the door.
And when the door begins to crack,
It’s like a stick across your back,
And when your back begins to smart,
It’s like a penknife in your heart,
And when your heart begins to bleed,
You’re dead, you’re dead, you’re dead indeed.
Best reference I could find was a [Google Book].
I guess that's what I get for channel surfing late at night while waiting to fall asleep. I like the poem, but the presentation was unnerving in it's level of darkness. Small children shouldn't need to read such things. They should have time to enjoy the world before they discover all the things wrong with it and have to start fighting for hope that things aren't all lost.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Quantum of Movie Viewing Solace (Wordpress Import)
I think that may be the first time I've ever gone to a movie alone. To be honest, it didn't change a thing about how I view the movie. I generally try not to talk to the people around me either way (depending on the movie, of course), so whether I know the people I'm sitting crammed shoulder to shoulder with or not, I enjoy the movie the same. I also went to the close theater in the BelMar area over here; it's a nice place.
Bob Marley's "No Woman, No Cry" just came on the radio. It could just be all the facination with how his weed habbit boosted the popularity of his music in the United States with a specific age group, but there is something interesting about him as a musician.
Back to the movie. Beginning to end I was facinated with the cenimatography, and the framing in particular. I started noticing them using the rule of thirds in almost every shot. I also managed to notice the dog in the bottom right quadrent, laying on the porch, as Bond casually jogs out of that building while fleeing the CIA. Look next time you watch it. The dog is there. Don't know why, it had nothing to do with the story, but my eyes were drawn to the dog just sitting there. That was the only major distraction from the general plot I noticed.
On a related note, can someone explain the name to me? "Die Another Day" is a great example of the Bond titles I'm used to and comfortable with. Most of the movie titles are taken as direct quotes or character names. I'm lost on the whole "Quantum of Solace" thing though. I know how the idea fit into the plot, I'm just saying, if the quote is in there somewhere, I missed it. Maybe after I watch it again it'll make more sense to me. I don't really care about the title, the movie itself was amazing!
So I guess the general idea here is I continue to like the Bond series and the new Bond in particular. Daniel Craig does a superb job of getting beat up over and over again and surviving just long enough to kill the other guy. Two thumbs up from me.
Tangents: I bought an eeePC 10" XP model from Best Buy last night and took it back this morning. Sorely disappointed that they put such a cheap, crappy CPU in those models (the XP versions come with a 900MHz processor that can't even play YouTube videos). I also got a trickle charger for my car battery and will be charging that some time this coming week. I had issues starting the car several times this past week with the cold weather settling in. I also picked up a polarized lens for my camera, so I'll be shooting with that some in the next few weeks, but no new photos yet. I have shots of snow and other things I've been experimenting with up on Facebook. I think that covers it for tonight. If I don't wake up sick again, I'll be at church tomorrow!
Bob Marley's "No Woman, No Cry" just came on the radio. It could just be all the facination with how his weed habbit boosted the popularity of his music in the United States with a specific age group, but there is something interesting about him as a musician.
Back to the movie. Beginning to end I was facinated with the cenimatography, and the framing in particular. I started noticing them using the rule of thirds in almost every shot. I also managed to notice the dog in the bottom right quadrent, laying on the porch, as Bond casually jogs out of that building while fleeing the CIA. Look next time you watch it. The dog is there. Don't know why, it had nothing to do with the story, but my eyes were drawn to the dog just sitting there. That was the only major distraction from the general plot I noticed.
On a related note, can someone explain the name to me? "Die Another Day" is a great example of the Bond titles I'm used to and comfortable with. Most of the movie titles are taken as direct quotes or character names. I'm lost on the whole "Quantum of Solace" thing though. I know how the idea fit into the plot, I'm just saying, if the quote is in there somewhere, I missed it. Maybe after I watch it again it'll make more sense to me. I don't really care about the title, the movie itself was amazing!
So I guess the general idea here is I continue to like the Bond series and the new Bond in particular. Daniel Craig does a superb job of getting beat up over and over again and surviving just long enough to kill the other guy. Two thumbs up from me.
Tangents: I bought an eeePC 10" XP model from Best Buy last night and took it back this morning. Sorely disappointed that they put such a cheap, crappy CPU in those models (the XP versions come with a 900MHz processor that can't even play YouTube videos). I also got a trickle charger for my car battery and will be charging that some time this coming week. I had issues starting the car several times this past week with the cold weather settling in. I also picked up a polarized lens for my camera, so I'll be shooting with that some in the next few weeks, but no new photos yet. I have shots of snow and other things I've been experimenting with up on Facebook. I think that covers it for tonight. If I don't wake up sick again, I'll be at church tomorrow!
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Classically Correct (Wordpress Import)
Ah, the beauty of Vivaldi and Holst. Two of my favorite pieces are ["The Four Seasons"] and ["The Planets"]. It is interesting to think that Holst refused to write a new movement for Pluto when it was discovered in 1930, four years before Holst's death, and fourteen years after he finished the piece. Did he somehow know that Pluto would not last long as a member of our official planet list?
I took a few [noob photos] tonight after work and then got [really creative] later in the evening. For those who haven't figure it out yet anything inside [ ] (brackets) should be a link you can click on. I'm thinking of changing the stylesheet so it shows underlins for the links as well.
I took a few [noob photos] tonight after work and then got [really creative] later in the evening. For those who haven't figure it out yet anything inside [ ] (brackets) should be a link you can click on. I'm thinking of changing the stylesheet so it shows underlins for the links as well.
More of the Same (Wordpress Import)
I think I'm slowley getting better.... I still don't feel great and will be stopping by the store for more meds on the way in today (or at lunch). I haven't slept through the night in about a week because I keep waking up 4-6 hours in to either congestion making it hard to breathe or blood dripping out of my nose. I think it's a combination of the altitude, lack of humidity, and possibly a perpetual sinus infection that won't let go (anyone know anything about a procedure called "scraping the sinus cavities?" I have been told it might help).
Anyways, My night last night consisted of listening to the Lord of the Rings soundtracts over and over again. I enjoy the relaxing voice of Enya in ["May It Be"], EmilÃana Torrini singing "Gollum's Song", and especially ["Into the West"] performed by Annie Lennox. I am looking forward to my sail into the Grey Havens, but will do all that is necesary until my time comes.
Yesterday, dispite a bit of sickness, I had a good day at work and got some great photos at lunch and on the drive home (no bicycle for me when it's 30 degrees outside and I'm sick). Here's a public link to the [Facebook Album]. I'll add the sunset photos when I have time to color correct them.
Well, time for a shower and trip to the office.
Anyways, My night last night consisted of listening to the Lord of the Rings soundtracts over and over again. I enjoy the relaxing voice of Enya in ["May It Be"], EmilÃana Torrini singing "Gollum's Song", and especially ["Into the West"] performed by Annie Lennox. I am looking forward to my sail into the Grey Havens, but will do all that is necesary until my time comes.
Yesterday, dispite a bit of sickness, I had a good day at work and got some great photos at lunch and on the drive home (no bicycle for me when it's 30 degrees outside and I'm sick). Here's a public link to the [Facebook Album]. I'll add the sunset photos when I have time to color correct them.
Well, time for a shower and trip to the office.
Monday, November 10, 2008
I Am Aware (Wordpress Import)
Okay, so I know I'm not keeping this very up-to-date. Between being sick all weekend and experimenting with Twitter [my Twitter page], I honestly have done very little this weekend. Speaking of, I have an e-mail to sent to a client about some work I just finished this evening. I had to take a couple of sick days this past week and have been trying to do a little to catch up over the weekend.
There's been something nagging in the back of my mind. I don't know how to put it into words. I guess it's that I don't really celebrate holidays for me. I've been thinking about this a lot as my first Thanksgiving - away from everyone I've ever had a longstanding relationship with - draws near. I've started thinking a little about what these different holidays mean to me and I guess I never really claimed any of them. I mainly celebrate dates and commemoration because of what they mean to people I know. I debated even not decorating the apartment at all this year since I'll not even be here over the holiday itself, but I will get a small tree, I think, and a few modest decorations. A small collection of things so I can stay mobile, hoping to not be in this exact apartment for the next Christmas.
It's strange to think of things that way... to look forward to the future and ask myself what I am going to do that first Christmas I can't go visit all the family in one place. We've always celebrated together. It's also hiding in the back somewhere, in the far reaches of my mind... that question of what to do if/when I get married and her family is not within a short drive of my family. How do we split up vacations? What guidelines would we set to govern which holidays are spent at one set of parents or the other? I can mostly put this out of my mind because I luckily don't think it will be an issue for at least a number of years down the road. And there is always the chance I will be the single guy the rest of my life. This weekend in the apartment has let me settle a bit and get some perspective on my current settings and career heading.
I've also started reading real life books again (instead of everything online all the time or on the computer screen, as a better way to put it). I'm going through "Life Together," [Amazon link] a study in Christian community by Dietrich Bonhoeffer. I read it for school and honestly can't remember a thing about it, so I am starting again through all of those books that were rushed or even skipped entirely during classes. I'll have to do a synopsis of it some time for the blog.
Well, it's late and I'm beat and still recovering, so farewell for now, my readers.
There's been something nagging in the back of my mind. I don't know how to put it into words. I guess it's that I don't really celebrate holidays for me. I've been thinking about this a lot as my first Thanksgiving - away from everyone I've ever had a longstanding relationship with - draws near. I've started thinking a little about what these different holidays mean to me and I guess I never really claimed any of them. I mainly celebrate dates and commemoration because of what they mean to people I know. I debated even not decorating the apartment at all this year since I'll not even be here over the holiday itself, but I will get a small tree, I think, and a few modest decorations. A small collection of things so I can stay mobile, hoping to not be in this exact apartment for the next Christmas.
It's strange to think of things that way... to look forward to the future and ask myself what I am going to do that first Christmas I can't go visit all the family in one place. We've always celebrated together. It's also hiding in the back somewhere, in the far reaches of my mind... that question of what to do if/when I get married and her family is not within a short drive of my family. How do we split up vacations? What guidelines would we set to govern which holidays are spent at one set of parents or the other? I can mostly put this out of my mind because I luckily don't think it will be an issue for at least a number of years down the road. And there is always the chance I will be the single guy the rest of my life. This weekend in the apartment has let me settle a bit and get some perspective on my current settings and career heading.
I've also started reading real life books again (instead of everything online all the time or on the computer screen, as a better way to put it). I'm going through "Life Together," [Amazon link] a study in Christian community by Dietrich Bonhoeffer. I read it for school and honestly can't remember a thing about it, so I am starting again through all of those books that were rushed or even skipped entirely during classes. I'll have to do a synopsis of it some time for the blog.
Well, it's late and I'm beat and still recovering, so farewell for now, my readers.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
First Post! (Wordpress Import)
I rebuilt the server last night and got it up and running. I purchased the iPrism M500 from work and replaced the hard drive with a spare I had laying around. I'm hosting some standard server tasks on it (including this blog and my [old portfolio] site).
Gonna keep this short, but I also wanted to mention I've found a local hacker space that's working to start up called DenHac [denhac.org]. The focus of this group is hardware and electronics modding. Post a comment if you would like some clarification on what "hacking" really is, and how the media has misused the term.
Enough for now. Thanks for stopping by!
Gonna keep this short, but I also wanted to mention I've found a local hacker space that's working to start up called DenHac [denhac.org]. The focus of this group is hardware and electronics modding. Post a comment if you would like some clarification on what "hacking" really is, and how the media has misused the term.
Enough for now. Thanks for stopping by!
Bio (Wordpress Import)
Hello! My name is Daryl, and this is my story.
I was born in West Palm Beach, Florida on May 20th, 1986, to Dave and Deloris Winsinger. I was raised in the Church of the Nazarene (a small protestant denomination with a strong focus on missions - my father was a missionary's kid). I was home schooled until I reached high school age and was also heavily involved in church activities and both the Cub Scouts the Boy Scouts of America. I have always been into computers as my dad was a database programmer for 30 years.
As my brother and sister had, I started public high school my ninth grade year. A major change came when I changed focus to dual-enrollment the following year at Palm Beach Atlantic University when I was fifteen. I had to prioritize and focus on my schooling alone to keep up with the college pace. I also eventually started working on campus between and after classes to cover tuition.
After two years of classes at PBA, I transferred to the regional Nazarene college - Trevecca Nazarene University. I had commuted to PBA, so living on campus so far from home was a big adjustment. The three years I spent at Trevecca gave me a lot of time to grow in many ways. I became more outgoing and have developed friendships that will last a lifetime. I also gained valuable work experience through campus positions available to students in web development. I plugged into a church and got involved in the college ministries. I have worked with employees and other students to fill technical needs not otherwise solved by support staff and to make Trevecca a better community for future students.
In May 2006, I graduated from Trevecca Magna Cum Laude with a B.S. in Information Technology. It came as a surprise to me when I was told I was in the top fifteen percent and would be inducted into the honors society.
Following an internship before my senior year, I was hired by Computronix USA Inc. at the beginning of this year after working in computer repair and server administration for a year and a half. The company moved me to Denver, Colorado to work in the main offices in April of 2008.
Today I am continuing work in database programming, web development, photography, swing dancing, hiking, climbing, and several other hobbies I have picked up while in Nashville. I also still build, repair, and mod the heck out of computers. I continue to seek God's will in my life as I transition to support myself and move into life after college.
I was born in West Palm Beach, Florida on May 20th, 1986, to Dave and Deloris Winsinger. I was raised in the Church of the Nazarene (a small protestant denomination with a strong focus on missions - my father was a missionary's kid). I was home schooled until I reached high school age and was also heavily involved in church activities and both the Cub Scouts the Boy Scouts of America. I have always been into computers as my dad was a database programmer for 30 years.
As my brother and sister had, I started public high school my ninth grade year. A major change came when I changed focus to dual-enrollment the following year at Palm Beach Atlantic University when I was fifteen. I had to prioritize and focus on my schooling alone to keep up with the college pace. I also eventually started working on campus between and after classes to cover tuition.
After two years of classes at PBA, I transferred to the regional Nazarene college - Trevecca Nazarene University. I had commuted to PBA, so living on campus so far from home was a big adjustment. The three years I spent at Trevecca gave me a lot of time to grow in many ways. I became more outgoing and have developed friendships that will last a lifetime. I also gained valuable work experience through campus positions available to students in web development. I plugged into a church and got involved in the college ministries. I have worked with employees and other students to fill technical needs not otherwise solved by support staff and to make Trevecca a better community for future students.
In May 2006, I graduated from Trevecca Magna Cum Laude with a B.S. in Information Technology. It came as a surprise to me when I was told I was in the top fifteen percent and would be inducted into the honors society.
Following an internship before my senior year, I was hired by Computronix USA Inc. at the beginning of this year after working in computer repair and server administration for a year and a half. The company moved me to Denver, Colorado to work in the main offices in April of 2008.
Today I am continuing work in database programming, web development, photography, swing dancing, hiking, climbing, and several other hobbies I have picked up while in Nashville. I also still build, repair, and mod the heck out of computers. I continue to seek God's will in my life as I transition to support myself and move into life after college.
Last Post
I'm no longer posting on Xanga. All future posts will be made on http://darwin.doesntexist.com/daryl/blog/
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Finally
Someone finally wised up and realized CFL (compact florescent light bulbs) are not actually the savior of the human race when it comes to home energy. The truth of the matter is that I would rather use incandescent bulbs than CFLs because the CFLs contain some nasty toxins and require special disposal. There's other issues (such as them not lasting nearly as long as they were supposed to, and not being as bright as everyone claims), but I just don't like using poisons around my house. I prefer natural cleaners and things that don't require me having to pay to dispose of them.
So what is this rant about? LED bulbs. There have been a few companies making them, and I came across an article on a blog I read from time to time. Check it out: Gizmodo LED Bulbs
I'm proud to say I have never purchased a CFL myself. Some people wouldn't consider that a badge of honor, but I do. I take it to mean that I don't follow every mass marketing scheme and whim of the public media to jump on the band wagon as soon as someone comes out with the next biggest way to save the planet (when it's already known that the bulbs aren't actually good for the environment). Call me crazy, but is it that hard to get a skylight installed? Is it impossible to open the shades and let light in through the window? I understand the use for lights at night when it's dark, but I've started using that as motivation to turn in earlier and get up earlier to make better use of daylight as well as have more time in the mornings to do personal things before work (like a nice early dip in the pool or a short bike ride before hopping in the shower).
I'm not saying to stop trying to help the environment, I'm just saying lets think a little bit before we buy into publicity hook, line, and sinker.
So what is this rant about? LED bulbs. There have been a few companies making them, and I came across an article on a blog I read from time to time. Check it out: Gizmodo LED Bulbs
I'm proud to say I have never purchased a CFL myself. Some people wouldn't consider that a badge of honor, but I do. I take it to mean that I don't follow every mass marketing scheme and whim of the public media to jump on the band wagon as soon as someone comes out with the next biggest way to save the planet (when it's already known that the bulbs aren't actually good for the environment). Call me crazy, but is it that hard to get a skylight installed? Is it impossible to open the shades and let light in through the window? I understand the use for lights at night when it's dark, but I've started using that as motivation to turn in earlier and get up earlier to make better use of daylight as well as have more time in the mornings to do personal things before work (like a nice early dip in the pool or a short bike ride before hopping in the shower).
I'm not saying to stop trying to help the environment, I'm just saying lets think a little bit before we buy into publicity hook, line, and sinker.
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Today
Here's a great comic (more of a truth in this particular one): http://www.bunny-comic.com/?id=1189 - hover the mouse over the image till you see the "alt" text pop up in a little yellow box.
I'm meeting about a dozen people up in Boulder Canyon to go climbing this morning. It should be great. I'm just nervous because I think some of them have absolutely no clue what they are doing.
I'm meeting about a dozen people up in Boulder Canyon to go climbing this morning. It should be great. I'm just nervous because I think some of them have absolutely no clue what they are doing.
Friday, June 27, 2008
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Photos
I have taken about 2600 photos with my digital camera since I bought it last fall. Basic math: 2600 / 24 (pics per roll) * $15 (developing at the only shop I've ever had consistently do a good job - thanks Wolfe Camera, btw) = about $1625.00. That's a big savings considering the camera only cost me around $600 and has more than paid for itself.
My favorite shots are up on Facebook, though I don't have all the best ones on, and some of what I have up are not very good at all. They do tell a story if they are up there though. Take a look some time if you haven't.
My favorite shots are up on Facebook, though I don't have all the best ones on, and some of what I have up are not very good at all. They do tell a story if they are up there though. Take a look some time if you haven't.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
For the Beauty of the Earth
I could not put into better words my bike ride this afternoon than the first few verses of this song: For the Beauty of the Earth . Here's the trip info:
- Start: My apartment
- End: North entrance of Red Rocks past Morrison
- Length: 17 miles total
- Duration: Just under 1 hour travel time. I did stop to show an energy bar and watch the river for a few minutes
- Top Speed: 30.5 MPH, downhill of course
- Car Speed Limits Broken: managed 27 in a 25 zone (just barely missed meeting that sign close up - cars don't know how to share the road)
- Jerks: only one person told me to "try the sidewalk, asshole" - his truck was about to break down, so he wasn't in a good mood
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Squeals of Glee!
Yes, it finally arrived today. REI called me about 10:00 MDT to let me know my bike had arrived. I stopped in at a co-worker's place and fixed a few computer issues after working 10 hours (had to beat everyone else in to do some server migration work). Then I went by REI and finished all the receiving paperwork and had the bike sized!
When I got home, I was so happy to have it, I did some work I needed to take care of and as soon as the temperature dropped below 90 degrees F, I dropped everything and took the bike out for a spin. I need to pull the accessories off my old bike and get the speedomiter calibrated, but other than that, I'm all set. It was so amazing how much of a difference quality parts make. I love my old bike for all the memories we've made together, but in the end, it's just a stiff, low cost department store bike. It served me well on flat land for over 10 years, and now, it's time for an upgrade.
The bike is the Novara Ponderosa, from REI. They had to ship it in from New Mexico because most of the stores and the warehouse are sold out of the large frame. It's discontinued and being cleared, so I got a good deal on it, and am so happy with the level of detail and precision it has. The shifters work perfectly, the gear ratios are like sipping sugar water, they make the ride so sweet, and the disk breaks are perfect for all the down hill I have planned.
I rode over to one of the largest hills near my apartment and made light work getting up and had a blast flying back down the other side on a dirt path. It was too easy! I rode around the bike bath that runs toward downtown until it got dark and I had to turn around. I pulled out my head lamp and attached it to my helmet so I could see where I was going and be seen by others. I don't plan on doing too much night riding during most of the year, but when it's this hot out, I can't help but want to go after dark. There's just a lot of bugs out around dusk, and I had little bits and pieces of tiny creatures splattered all over me by the time I got away from the bike trail (and the stream it ran along that attracted all the bugs).
Long story short, the bike was two weeks late being delivered, but now that I have it, I am happy that I waited instead of canceling.
When I got home, I was so happy to have it, I did some work I needed to take care of and as soon as the temperature dropped below 90 degrees F, I dropped everything and took the bike out for a spin. I need to pull the accessories off my old bike and get the speedomiter calibrated, but other than that, I'm all set. It was so amazing how much of a difference quality parts make. I love my old bike for all the memories we've made together, but in the end, it's just a stiff, low cost department store bike. It served me well on flat land for over 10 years, and now, it's time for an upgrade.
The bike is the Novara Ponderosa, from REI. They had to ship it in from New Mexico because most of the stores and the warehouse are sold out of the large frame. It's discontinued and being cleared, so I got a good deal on it, and am so happy with the level of detail and precision it has. The shifters work perfectly, the gear ratios are like sipping sugar water, they make the ride so sweet, and the disk breaks are perfect for all the down hill I have planned.
I rode over to one of the largest hills near my apartment and made light work getting up and had a blast flying back down the other side on a dirt path. It was too easy! I rode around the bike bath that runs toward downtown until it got dark and I had to turn around. I pulled out my head lamp and attached it to my helmet so I could see where I was going and be seen by others. I don't plan on doing too much night riding during most of the year, but when it's this hot out, I can't help but want to go after dark. There's just a lot of bugs out around dusk, and I had little bits and pieces of tiny creatures splattered all over me by the time I got away from the bike trail (and the stream it ran along that attracted all the bugs).
Long story short, the bike was two weeks late being delivered, but now that I have it, I am happy that I waited instead of canceling.
Friday, May 16, 2008
Really Smart... or Stupid
I cannot decide which I am. I spent $40 last night buying a non-working desktop computer (the guy threw in a second one just so he wouldn't have to deal with disposing of it). I got it home, put some memory in it (as it was missing) as well as a hard drive I had laying around. It turns out it's a P4 2.6 GHz processor with a DVD reader and a CD burning drive. The guy said the motherboard has issues, but it passed my diag and tests so I'm gonna run it till I have problems. I started installing Linux on it this morning to stress test it, and if everything passes, I'll put Windows XP Home on and give it to my mom or brother (it has the license for the software on the case). They both need upgrades, but that isn't where they put their money, so I find good fixer-uppers and pass them along if everything checks out.
I have no clue why I do stuff like this. I do it all the time. I have another great (working and fast) computer I bought from a computer repair store they couldn't get working. All I did was reset the basic input/output settings on it and it started working again. I had a good laugh at the store's misfortune in selling it as non-working. I got some good hardware from that deal.
I have no clue why I do stuff like this. I do it all the time. I have another great (working and fast) computer I bought from a computer repair store they couldn't get working. All I did was reset the basic input/output settings on it and it started working again. I had a good laugh at the store's misfortune in selling it as non-working. I got some good hardware from that deal.
Monday, May 12, 2008
Skiing in May
This weekend I went skiing. I don't know of many places you can do that in May. It was so much fun! There was almost a foot of fresh snow that fell that morning while we were driving up. We took the high pass instead of going the long way... they closed to road shortly after we got on it, so it was interesting riding over the pass in a blizzard where we couldn't see the car 5 feet in front of us. We got our gear rentals once we got there and got on the slopes. It was beautiful! The sun came out, the wind was good. We really enjoyed one of the nicer ski areas around.
A good friend (Lisa) I grew up with in Florida was moving away, and she came up with the idea of hitting the powder one last time before she left this morning. Her friend Mary drove in from Utah Friday, and I joined them when I got off work. We crashed for the night after eating some homemade popcorn chicken and got up really early to make the two hour drive to Arapahoe Basin (A-Basin to the locals). Sunday morning we tried to recover from the soreness of windburn and boots that didn't fit perfectly while we packed Lisa up and saw Mary off. I finished helping Lisa pack her car and threw some boxes in my car she was going to mail.
Around 1 pm she turned in final rent (they charged her a partial month because they forgot she was moving out...) and her keys, and followed me up to my place where we watched a movie. to wind down and then crashed after posting pics on facebook and such. I loaned her my couch for the night since she had no furniture left and needed some sleep before the 8 hour drive today. We got her boxes mailed this morning and then said our goodbyes. I got to the office parking lot in time to wave as she drove by on her way to the interstate.
A good friend (Lisa) I grew up with in Florida was moving away, and she came up with the idea of hitting the powder one last time before she left this morning. Her friend Mary drove in from Utah Friday, and I joined them when I got off work. We crashed for the night after eating some homemade popcorn chicken and got up really early to make the two hour drive to Arapahoe Basin (A-Basin to the locals). Sunday morning we tried to recover from the soreness of windburn and boots that didn't fit perfectly while we packed Lisa up and saw Mary off. I finished helping Lisa pack her car and threw some boxes in my car she was going to mail.
Around 1 pm she turned in final rent (they charged her a partial month because they forgot she was moving out...) and her keys, and followed me up to my place where we watched a movie. to wind down and then crashed after posting pics on facebook and such. I loaned her my couch for the night since she had no furniture left and needed some sleep before the 8 hour drive today. We got her boxes mailed this morning and then said our goodbyes. I got to the office parking lot in time to wave as she drove by on her way to the interstate.
Monday, May 5, 2008
First Trad Multi-Pitch
Saturday was amazing. I threw a few pics and videos up on Facebook. Nothing special. Eckard and I did our first trad multi-pitch climb. Now I just need to buy like $300 worth of hardware (pro) and a bunch of runners. But I did want to share a link to some amazing climbing videos. Yeah, I know it's google. So search trad multi-pitch if you don't know what that means... 
http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=climbing
http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=climbing
Monday, April 28, 2008
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Friday, April 25, 2008
Videos On the Screen
Currently Watching
Star Wars Trilogy (Widescreen Edition with Bonus Disc)
By Carrie Fisher, Peter Mayhew, James Earl Jones, Harrison Ford
see related
Star Wars Trilogy (Widescreen Edition with Bonus Disc)
By Carrie Fisher, Peter Mayhew, James Earl Jones, Harrison Ford
see related
Thursday, April 17, 2008
OMGWOWZ
I picked up a 24" screen off craigslist still new in box (it just arrived this afternoon from Dell to the guy that bought it). I got a good price on it considering the size. I still can't get over how big it is. It makes my desk look small. I'll pop some pics up on facebook when I get the camera back out.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
LIES!
The weathermen on 4 different channels said it would be in the 70s all week. It's been snowing since about 1pm this afternoon. I feel lied to.
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Update: The Lady Downstairs
Ok, walked over to the office and got a little back story. The lady's name is Pat and she tends to snoop a bit. She's lived here a very long time and the neighbor that used to live above her had actually called an ambulance one time when they heard her fall and wound up saving her life. I owe her a plate of cookies for being so suspicious of her.
The source of the sound now that I know a bit more about it is actually my computer, or rather the cooling fans in my computer oscillating the floor at just the right frequency to cause a buzzing sound that could be construed as an electric guitar I guess.
The lady in the office said to just ignore her, but I feel kinda bad for Pat now. I'll have to find out what sort of cookies she likes.
The source of the sound now that I know a bit more about it is actually my computer, or rather the cooling fans in my computer oscillating the floor at just the right frequency to cause a buzzing sound that could be construed as an electric guitar I guess.
The lady in the office said to just ignore her, but I feel kinda bad for Pat now. I'll have to find out what sort of cookies she likes.
The Lady Downstairs
I'm kinda scared by the lady downstairs. I'm naturally paranoid and suspicious of people thanks to where I grew up. So now, when I answer the door this morning and the lady keeps stepping toward the door as if she wants in, I feel justified that I had propped my foot behind it as a door stop. Here's the part that gets me:
She asked me as soon as I opened the door if I would be practicing guitar till 1AM. This of course confused something in particular out of me because of the following:
She came up later (about three hours later) and said she wanted to test if her radio was too loud as she had received complaints about it in the past. She wanted me to take down her phone number and call her if I could hear it. I again declined, because that would require me giving her what I consider in this situation to be personal info - I don't want her looking at the caller ID and calling me. I'm not here to make buddy with someone that approaches me in this way.
So, welcome to the neighborhood.
She asked me as soon as I opened the door if I would be practicing guitar till 1AM. This of course confused something in particular out of me because of the following:
- My radio is in the living room
- I play classical guitar, it's not amped, so usually people are lucky to hear it in the same room
- I muted the TV when I decided to go to sleep
- I went to sleep at 11PM
She came up later (about three hours later) and said she wanted to test if her radio was too loud as she had received complaints about it in the past. She wanted me to take down her phone number and call her if I could hear it. I again declined, because that would require me giving her what I consider in this situation to be personal info - I don't want her looking at the caller ID and calling me. I'm not here to make buddy with someone that approaches me in this way.
So, welcome to the neighborhood.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Saturday, April 5, 2008
Life in the Breakdown Lane
Fun trip. Oh, btw, if you are ever in Kansas, don't fill up at the Shell gas station at Salina. They sell bad gas. It clogged the fuel filter and caused me to spend 3 hours at exit 19 (thank goodness for service stations) while Bill swapped it out (I could have and would have done it myself to save money, but I didn't have the spare part). Same thing that happened last trip three years ago too.
But we finally made it a lot of money later ($47 at KS I-70 exit 19, $80 at a station just inside CO for fuel cleaner, a spare filter just in case, and a fresh tank of gas to try and delude whatever was in my tank). Then the new filter started clogging and choking just as we got into Denver. I have the spare filter I may have to put on, but I'd rather get it to a mechanic, have the tank pulled and cleaned out, and then have the new filter put on. I think I might ask about having the fuel injection system cleaned as well. But I think the tank itself will cost me about $300 in labor (no parts needed, I already have the filter).
But I'm here. Dinner last night with the old/new gang was a lot of fun. We had tacos and played a card game involving farming (it was about beans, planting and harvesting). Luke and Matthew were there who I've worked with before, as well as Josh (who's house we were at) and three brothers who are all transfers/new additions to the Denver office more recently. I think we could have some fun in the next few years.
Well, I need to go look up mechanics, so I'm off for now.
But we finally made it a lot of money later ($47 at KS I-70 exit 19, $80 at a station just inside CO for fuel cleaner, a spare filter just in case, and a fresh tank of gas to try and delude whatever was in my tank). Then the new filter started clogging and choking just as we got into Denver. I have the spare filter I may have to put on, but I'd rather get it to a mechanic, have the tank pulled and cleaned out, and then have the new filter put on. I think I might ask about having the fuel injection system cleaned as well. But I think the tank itself will cost me about $300 in labor (no parts needed, I already have the filter).
But I'm here. Dinner last night with the old/new gang was a lot of fun. We had tacos and played a card game involving farming (it was about beans, planting and harvesting). Luke and Matthew were there who I've worked with before, as well as Josh (who's house we were at) and three brothers who are all transfers/new additions to the Denver office more recently. I think we could have some fun in the next few years.
Well, I need to go look up mechanics, so I'm off for now.
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Trees Need Love Too
I have that feeling like my life is sinking away... and then I realize it's because I'm not even close to being done packing. 
I saw the most incredible red winged blackbird sitting on a sign by the TN31 => TN41 interchange while driving in to work this morning. And of all the times to be running late AND not have a camera. God is good. His creation is incredible.
Speaking of creation, Brent (College pastor, NFCN.org) had one of the Vandy grad students give the lesson last night. He spoke about how we as Christians (at least here in the U.S.) compartmentalize life into the sacred and the secular, and therefore put certain issues such as the environment very low on the list of priorities. He explained a lot of the approaches that people take to mobilize about improving the environment/conservation in the church, and how very few of these methods will last, until people realize that their salvation is connected with how they treat the environment. It's not just about their soul, it's about redeeming everything around them from a lost and imperfect state. This includes the lost, fallen, poor, abused, and needy, as well as the polluted soil, rivers, and to bring up his favorite example, the scarlet beetle.
I am so grateful to my parents for having raised me to think this way already.
I saw the most incredible red winged blackbird sitting on a sign by the TN31 => TN41 interchange while driving in to work this morning. And of all the times to be running late AND not have a camera. God is good. His creation is incredible.
Speaking of creation, Brent (College pastor, NFCN.org) had one of the Vandy grad students give the lesson last night. He spoke about how we as Christians (at least here in the U.S.) compartmentalize life into the sacred and the secular, and therefore put certain issues such as the environment very low on the list of priorities. He explained a lot of the approaches that people take to mobilize about improving the environment/conservation in the church, and how very few of these methods will last, until people realize that their salvation is connected with how they treat the environment. It's not just about their soul, it's about redeeming everything around them from a lost and imperfect state. This includes the lost, fallen, poor, abused, and needy, as well as the polluted soil, rivers, and to bring up his favorite example, the scarlet beetle.
I am so grateful to my parents for having raised me to think this way already.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Denver Dancing
Found the name of the place I used to dance at out in Denver. I was talking to a guy at LBCB last night and he reminded me. It's the Mercury Cafe .
Thursday, March 13, 2008
A Long Awaited Party...
A new journey in my life is about to begin. It was expected, but not in such a way. I can't help but think back to my first time reading J.R.R. Tolkien's starting chapters for "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings," where this post title comes from. So let me get down to it.
Effective March 28th, I'm resigning my position at my current job with VCCH Inc., deploying and managing computer based business phone systems. On April 3rd, I'm hooking up a trailer and driving out to Denver, Colorado to take a position with Computronix USA starting on the 7th. I'll have temporary arrangements until I locate a place to rent.
The job story:
I'll be working with most of the same people from my internship in Denver three years ago. Following that internship, I returned to complete my senior year at TNU and graduate. We had set up plans for me to be hired back on with CX following graduation, but the position did not open up, so I worked at CompUSA until being laid off as that company closed. CX and I were in almost monthly contact about openings, the chance of me moving out there, and the possibility of taking an onsite position here in Nashville for a local contract. None of the deals worked out.
Two weeks ago, a friend of mine (actually, the one who had set me up with the internship to start with), called saying I should re-apply. I did so, and didn't think much of it at first. Then we had a phone interview, followed by a few days of waiting. I then received an offer and prayed about it while talking it over with several friends. It wasn't until I decided that I wanted to go that I started getting a lot of support, so I now feel a lot more settled about it than I did while I was trying to decide.
I handed my resignation in today, shortly after my boss announced that VCCH is going to be shutting down in about 6-8 weeks. How's that for God's timing? This would have been the third job I have been laid off of.
Well, apart from leaving my family, my friends, and my church, I'm really excited. I plan to get really involved in the swing dancing community out there, I'll be looking for a new climbing gym and climbing partners, I will be running a web server from my apartment/house for people looking for really cheap hosting, and I'll be looking to get involved with the Denver Linux Users Group, assuming there is one, and I'm fairly sure there is.
I'm going to cut this off for now, but I'll be in touch. Feel free to call me or write in the next couple of weeks. I can use all the support and encouragement. I am excited about the opportunities, but I'm also a little nervous about "starting over" in a new town.
God's best...
Effective March 28th, I'm resigning my position at my current job with VCCH Inc., deploying and managing computer based business phone systems. On April 3rd, I'm hooking up a trailer and driving out to Denver, Colorado to take a position with Computronix USA starting on the 7th. I'll have temporary arrangements until I locate a place to rent.
The job story:
I'll be working with most of the same people from my internship in Denver three years ago. Following that internship, I returned to complete my senior year at TNU and graduate. We had set up plans for me to be hired back on with CX following graduation, but the position did not open up, so I worked at CompUSA until being laid off as that company closed. CX and I were in almost monthly contact about openings, the chance of me moving out there, and the possibility of taking an onsite position here in Nashville for a local contract. None of the deals worked out.
Two weeks ago, a friend of mine (actually, the one who had set me up with the internship to start with), called saying I should re-apply. I did so, and didn't think much of it at first. Then we had a phone interview, followed by a few days of waiting. I then received an offer and prayed about it while talking it over with several friends. It wasn't until I decided that I wanted to go that I started getting a lot of support, so I now feel a lot more settled about it than I did while I was trying to decide.
I handed my resignation in today, shortly after my boss announced that VCCH is going to be shutting down in about 6-8 weeks. How's that for God's timing? This would have been the third job I have been laid off of.
Well, apart from leaving my family, my friends, and my church, I'm really excited. I plan to get really involved in the swing dancing community out there, I'll be looking for a new climbing gym and climbing partners, I will be running a web server from my apartment/house for people looking for really cheap hosting, and I'll be looking to get involved with the Denver Linux Users Group, assuming there is one, and I'm fairly sure there is.
I'm going to cut this off for now, but I'll be in touch. Feel free to call me or write in the next couple of weeks. I can use all the support and encouragement. I am excited about the opportunities, but I'm also a little nervous about "starting over" in a new town.
God's best...
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Sunday, March 2, 2008
Life... or Lack Thereof
So, I have no life any more. I haven't really been climbing much, I did take third in a local comp up at Austin Peay. Julie, my climbing partner and I are heading down to Georgia tomorrow to "hang out" doing some repelling and ascending work in prep for a 600' vertical shaft down there we want to descend and ascend back out of over the summer.
Working 50-60 hours a week doesn't make much for a social life, or for time to exercise. I've also had a few requests to do freelance work I've turned down, but there is one I'm looking into. South Florida Nazarene District was looking for someone to schedule for updating their website weekly. My contact said there should be pay, but he wasn't sure how much. It also should only be once or twice a week after the site gets caught up, so we'll see.
I'm off to work again!
Working 50-60 hours a week doesn't make much for a social life, or for time to exercise. I've also had a few requests to do freelance work I've turned down, but there is one I'm looking into. South Florida Nazarene District was looking for someone to schedule for updating their website weekly. My contact said there should be pay, but he wasn't sure how much. It also should only be once or twice a week after the site gets caught up, so we'll see.
I'm off to work again!
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Friday, February 8, 2008
Fried Brains for Dinner?
Currently Listening
Legend - The Best Of Bob Marley And The Wailers (New Packaging)
By Bob Marley & The Wailers
see related
Legend - The Best Of Bob Marley And The Wailers (New Packaging)
By Bob Marley & The Wailers
see related
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Monday, January 28, 2008
Mookie the Puppy
My roommate took the dog back. My guess is the barking all night because the little guy wasn't crate trained yet was a problem, but at the same time, the decision to get the pup and the decision to give him back were a bit rushed. When I have my own place, I'll be getting a dog. Just not sure if I can start out with a puppy, they do need a lot of time and attention till they grow up.
Saturday, January 26, 2008
One Week Down, Lifetime to Go
I just said that last night to my roommate, but after it left my mouth, I was abruptly awakened to the fact that that is the most likely situation. Companies aren't taking care of former employees the way people used to be when they retired. You have to be high up on the corporate pedestal to get a decent retirement package at most places, and even then, they may fire you for no other reason than to not pay retirement (TN has some really messed up employment laws). I can't count on Social Security (come on, someone make a joke). I will more than likely shift jobs every 5 to 10 years in order to maintain relevance or recover from downsizing in the computer industry due to an unfortunate pattern I'm starting to notice.
But then, I am really tired so I might not have the best perspective. Jay had some guys over last night and a few drank a bit too much and got ill. The smoke floating back into the house that could be smelled from any room may have contributed. People never stop asking me why I don't drink. It's because I've seen enough people screw themselves up because of alcohol. I feel bad for the guys, but then, they did do it to themselves; I only had a little pity on them.
Work is good. My head is about to explode with all the info I'm cramming into it, but I have to finish learning this stuff in the next couple of days, so I have a lot of reading to go.
But then, I am really tired so I might not have the best perspective. Jay had some guys over last night and a few drank a bit too much and got ill. The smoke floating back into the house that could be smelled from any room may have contributed. People never stop asking me why I don't drink. It's because I've seen enough people screw themselves up because of alcohol. I feel bad for the guys, but then, they did do it to themselves; I only had a little pity on them.
Work is good. My head is about to explode with all the info I'm cramming into it, but I have to finish learning this stuff in the next couple of days, so I have a lot of reading to go.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Working
I'm starting work tomorrow for VCCH. Thank you for everyone that has been praying for me to find something quickly. I'm still waiting to hear back on a few other opportunities, but am very happy with the opportunities that I have at this company to learn about Linux, Astrisk, and several other opensource projects as well as adding perl and ruby to the set of computer languages I speak.
Monday, January 14, 2008
Latest News
I'm jobless at the moment. A lot has happened since I last updated in December. CompUSA announced it's closing around one of my last posts then and I've been racing around like crazy since. I almost got fired for taking time off to spend with my sister, but the next day the manager got word that she had to cut payroll by a lot, so she gave me the time no problem. Dana and I went skiing in West Virginia before she flew back to Ukraine for the second half of this school year (and she has singed up for a fourth school year that will continue at the end of her third year this year - please pray for her as she raises the needed funds to continue in this volunteer position). The last of the tech staff at our local CompUSA got let go Friday (me and Kendrick lasted the longest, most everyone else already quit). I have a few weeks to think things over and develop myself professionally as I look for a stable, long term job.
I'm so used to looking at everything in the short term. I was home schooled, everything went a year at a time. Then there were summers. Enter high school and the year I was there before starting college at PBA for gen ed (and the student job I held there). Then I transfered to TNU and worked there as a student as well. Now I've been at CompUSA for almost a year and a half, and I'm looking for a new job as that has all ended. I am now very focussed on finding an well established organization in a market that is not fluctuating as rapidly as many that are out there are presently.
If anyone needs computer work done or anything like that, just let me know
I'm so used to looking at everything in the short term. I was home schooled, everything went a year at a time. Then there were summers. Enter high school and the year I was there before starting college at PBA for gen ed (and the student job I held there). Then I transfered to TNU and worked there as a student as well. Now I've been at CompUSA for almost a year and a half, and I'm looking for a new job as that has all ended. I am now very focussed on finding an well established organization in a market that is not fluctuating as rapidly as many that are out there are presently.
If anyone needs computer work done or anything like that, just let me know
Working (or Not) for Yourself
I lost a freelance job this morning because the client wasn't willing to pay my travel rate. I was going to have to travel 32 minutes each way, and wanted to cover time and gas, but I gave him the 30 minutes or less price for travel. The odd part was that he just blew up instead of asking if it was negotiable. Basically what he said rather angrily into the phone was [You're gonna charge me $xx.xx just to come out? I'll find someone else.] followed by a click. This from the guy I was trying to help out because the IT group he called told him he would have to buy a server and all this setup and config (and eventually support) service just to install a program that could be run on his existing desktop computer as a local server and be served to the other computer from there. I was probably only going to be there for an hour anyways and would have saved him about a thousand dollars at least.
I enjoy helping out small business owners that can't afford full time IT staff, but some times I feel like a cat scratching at anything within reach to land on the floor right-side-up after some of the things these people do.
I enjoy helping out small business owners that can't afford full time IT staff, but some times I feel like a cat scratching at anything within reach to land on the floor right-side-up after some of the things these people do.
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