Where has the week gone!

It seems it was only yesterday I posted my last entry. I was surprised to see it had been an entire week!

Work has been hectic. There's lots to be accomplished in a very short time, and the level of anxiety is growing. I had previously asked for last Friday off, so I could go back to Windsor for a previously scheduled doctor's appointment and get an early start on the weekend. Seeing my wife after nearly two weeks apart was wonderful, and it was so difficult leaving her to go back to Toronto. I ended up staying in Windsor until 10:00 PM Sunday night before making the nearly 4-hour drive back to Toronto.

When I got back, having driven through some snow squalls, I was white knuckled and anything but sleepy. By 5:00AM, I was still awake and realized I would be in no shape to get up for work, so I tried to send an email to the boss explaining the situation. My cable connection was down (maybe due to the storm?), so I couldn't do that. After sleeping in, I contacted my boss at 10:45AM to say I'd be late. DUH! So, it's off to work soon, with nothing to look forward to except four days of overtime to make up for lost hours. And I don't get to see my wife again until the December 7th weekend.

It's almost a cliche. Ever seen one of those movies where the bad guy's right-hand man screws up and he's executed on the spot. Then the new guy gets called in to take his place? Well, that happened today. And I'm the new guy. Around 4:00PM, I got called into the boss' office and was told that one of the employees had been dismissed. He was the only one working on a particular project, which is due in six weeks, and now the project has been given to me. I'll learn more about it tomorrow, but for now, I'm supposed to be on this thing full time until it's completed.

And the deadline (Dec 31st) is set in stone, because this is a payroll application that needs to be delivered before the beginning of the new year. In a perfect universe, the application would already be in final trials (after all, there's got to be time to ship and install the application at the end-users' sites) but this isn't a perfect universe. At this point, I really don't know how far along the project is, but I do know that I'll either be a hero or unemployed come January 1st.

I waited 'til later into the evening, then tried talking with my wife last night using Intel's Video Phone software. We had done this before while I was staying at my sister's place, but with my sister's "Lite" internet hi-speed service (about twice the speed of dialup), the picture was choppy, and I would get constant hints that things might go better if I reduced bandwidth requirements (a euphamism for turning off video).

Now, with real hi-speed service (though still crippled), I thought I'd try again. It went much better, though there were still occasional hints. As the speed improves I should be able to manage a real conversation. There is a slight problem while using Video Phone. I have to drop my "shields" by turning off ZoneAlarm. Unfortunately, that means that while I'm on the phone, my computer is buffeted by "successful" attempts to locate my machine. I find that each time I use the software, there are days, if not weeks of increased attempts to hack my machine - because the bots determine that my IP address is a live one.

I've been toying with the idea of experimenting with ZoneAlarm - by adding my wife's IP address to my "local zone". I think that would allow me to use the Video Phone software while still keeping ZoneAlarm running. I'm just not sure whether there is any chance that my Windsor IP address could be multiplexed by Cogeco - and be shared by some unscrupulous user who would then be able to penetrate my firewall. I'll need to give that some thought, and perhaps decide that a configurable firewall is more to my liking.

On another digital front, my digital cable TV package was installed at the same time as the Internet, and it too had some initial problems (the cable company's installer recorded the serial number on the set-top box incorrectly, and when I went to authorize it online, they thought I had a stolen box). Luckily, the number was off by only one digit, so they realized it wasn't my fault, and after a couple of days with technical difficulties, I was able to receive acceptable service by 11:30PM last Sunday - literally minutes before the Sopranos encore broadcast I had wanted to watch.

I have the weekend to myself, probably for the first time since coming to Toronto. I've spent a weekend alone before, but I was still busy getting things settled, so I had lots to keep busy with. This weekend, I don't have much to do, and I'll probably be bored out of my tree. Next week, I'll be back in Windsor for the weekend. Maybe I should just concentrate on those positive thoughts.

There have been all sorts of things I've been wanting to photograph and post, but the digital camera is back in Windsor with my wife (who technically owns it, since I bought it as a gift for her). And it's not like she's not using it - she's the designated photographer for all work functions, and she never misses an opportunity to take pictures of our grand-daughter. With another grandchild on the way, there's really no way I can justify taking the camera with me to Toronto.

It's not like I don't have anything to say. I just wish this "high-speed internet" service worked! I had it installed last Saturday, and only today am I getting it going well enough (i.e. continuously, and with more than just a dead snail's pace) to make any headway.

Rogers had been completely down in this area for more than 24 hours. And that was a relief, since it was less frustrating than the surfing speed I had been enduring for the previous four days. This is cable modem service. In Windsor, that translates to 1500-2200 kbps. So far, the best I've experienced (i.e. right this minute) is just over 300kbps. Yesterday, my speed test registered 17kbps - that's right, about 1/4 the speed of a telephone modem. I knew no-one would believe me, so I took screen shots of the results and brought them to work. That got a lot of laughs, but it's really not funny! Needless to say, I've not been too crazy about the idea of paying premium rates for this "service". And Rogers seems to agree! They've told me they'll credit the entire period between November 2nd and whatever date I call to say service is acceptable! I think that's very big of them. Let's see if they actually come through with that promise.

Work this week went extremely well. I'm getting used to Toronto, and my wife has begun shopping (over the internet) for houses. She'll be coming to Toronto soon for my company Christmas party. If she gets an offer of employment from my boss during that visit, we may decide to accelerate the timetable for her move.

I finally got the box spring for my bed tonight. When the bed first arrived last Friday, the box spring wouldn't fit down the basement stairs. I had to return the original one for a split box spring. So tonight will be my first night in a real bed since moving to my new place. I never thought I'd get excited about sleeping in a bed, but I really am. And in two weeks, I'll take delivery of the loveseat and kitchen chairs. For now, I'll continue to eat my meals on the computer table and watch TV from a very uncomfortable hard-backed chair.

Alright, I guess it's time to sign off. Have a great weekend!

It's Monday, and I've completed my first weekend in my new home. I've rented a basement apartment and moved in on Friday. And to make things even better, my wife took the train up to be with me for the weekend. We shopped mostly for apartment furnishings this past weekend, so I didn't get an opportunity to shop for food or do laundry. Today, I had hoped to do laundry and shopping, but only managed the latter. I'm running pretty short on basics, and even though I shopped tonight, I forgot some things I really need (like dishtowels). Tomorrow, I'll try to complete my "first shop".

I got my car on Thursday night and promptly parked it. On Friday, after work, I drove back to Windsor for the weekend to visit my family and return the rental car. Then, Sunday night, it was back to Toronto. Monday was my first full day driving the new car. It's really a fun little car, and though I'll miss the power of a more substantial engine, I'll get used to it.

The job is going well, though the past week has been somewhat frustrating. The task I've been assigned is one that cannot be completed quickly; and both my boss and I have an expectation that I can do anything at the speed of light. I knew this task would take some time, but that doesn't mean I don't get frustrated.

I move to my own apartment on Friday, just in time for my wife to visit this coming weekend. I'm looking forward to having the freedom to watch TV later into the evening, and to keep the volume turned up higher.

Anyway, I don't really have much more to say, so I'll call it a day.

An update

I have yet to hear from Toyota about when my car will be showing up. Hopefully, it will be by Thursday. The dealership closes too early on Friday for me to go there, and I have to return my rental car to Windsor on Saturday.

Work has been fun, but I got my first taste that things are not all rosy. Despite my best efforts, there is no way to cram 80 day's worth of programming effort into 10. According to my best estimates, a task I have been assigned should take 80 days to complete. I've been told the client is willing to pay for 10 days worth. I've used up 5 days already, and have barely put a dent in the project. I know I can't pull this off, yet all my strong hints to management are going unheeded. The more proof I furnish about the complexity of the task, the more I am told not to worry - while being chastised at the same time for falling so far behind!

I found a place to live. And there's a funny story there. I'll skip the details and get to the punchline. It's on the same block as my sister's house (where I'm staying now). The owner of the house seems like a very nice guy. I think I'm going to enjoy staying there.

"Ohohohoh what a feeling!"

Back in the '70s, that was the jingle. And now, for the first time in my life, I'll be the proud lessee of a Toyota. Sure, my wife already leases an Echo. And sure, the car I just leased is also an Echo (barely a Toyota). But hey, it's great on gas, and the Toyota people apparently believe I'm creditworthy (just got the call 2 minutes ago). So, with that out of the way, I just have to finalize arrangements for a place to stay.

Now, to find a movie theatre. It's been too long since I've been to a movie!

Weekend in Toronto

A weekend in Toronto is like a weekend without family. How depressing. This is the first weekend that I will be away from my wife, and I don't expect it to be any fun at all. For the past two weekends, there were reasons to be back in Windsor. But the cost of such travel, and the lack of a valid reason to be there this weekend means that this will be the first weekend spent in my new "home" city. I don't have many plans, although it appears my search for permanent housing may be over. And, assuming I can pass a credit worthiness check (having a new home and a new job looks bad when you apply for a car loan), I should have a car by next Friday.

Work is going extremely well. I'm doing a really good job, and the boss is recognizing that. I've been quite surprised that he's taken me into the inner circle as quickly as he has; asking that I sit in on important strategy sessions that (I thought) were only attended by the most senior staff. All in all, I take these as very positive signs.

Happy Thanksgiving

It's Thanksgiving weekend here in Canada. For the second weekend in a row, I found myself travelling back to Windsor - this time to be with my family for Thanksgiving Day dinner. It was good to be home, but at the same time, I am finding it tiring to do this much travel each and every weekend. Next weekend, I will stay in Toronto - looking for a new car and an apartment. Staying with my sister is a real blast, and we are getting to know eachother quite a bit better. She's the baby in the family, and I really didn't get to spend much time with her growing up.

I haven't had the time to spend blogging (and reading other blogs), doing so only sporadically since arriving here. Perhaps when I get my own place, things will fall more into a routine. Work is going quite well, and I think I'm beginning to really impress my bosses. They had been making some noises about also wanting to hire my wife, but I think we'll slow down there and not put all our eggs into such a new basket.

To all my Canadian friends and family, Happy Thanksgiving.

Work is progressing well. I hadn't forgotten as much of my skillset as I had feared, and it took me less than a week to get back to full speed. Orientation has been cut short, and they have me doing meaningful work. My first assignment, meant to ease me into the business, was completed in a day (they had budgeted five days), and today I was assigned two more issues. I think the bosses are impressed so far.

I've been using the Video Phone software that shipped with the Intel PC Pro to communicate with my wife. I was having limited success with NetMeeting, and this software is working well. Since my bandwidth here is slower (I think it's Cable Lite), there are some issues, but overall, seeing and hearing my wife free of charge is a real hoot.

The only really disappointing thing is the apartment situation. While I'm currently staying with my sister, I don't want to wear out my welcome. Tonight, I visited an apartment complex that I had hoped would accommodate my needs. It was a real dive, and in a rough part of town. Tomorrow, I'll be checking out another area, further afield, but hopefully in a nicer part of the city. Wish me luck.

I'm back

I just finished installing a router on my sister's internet connection, and I'm now sharing the line. Hopefully, I haven't introduced any "bad" things to the system. Time will tell.

Signing off

It seems like only yesterday, I was signing off this blog to pack up my belongings for a move. The unpacking went so slowly, I ended up being off the air for far longer than I wished.

Today, I feel the need to disconnect now, before I can get absorbed in more surfing and working. I need to disconnect so I can find the will to pack for my move to Toronto. This time, the packing will be far more limited. I'll just be taking clothing, toiletries, my computer, and a few required computer manuals. When I return home in two weeks for the Canadian Thanksgiving holiday, I'll be sure to bring some more things down with me.

Now, however, I must disconnect my computer so that I can reconfigure the remaining computers in the house to work without benefit of my server.

Until next week, so long!

Reluctant but ready

I don't fear change, as much as I fear the effects of separation anxiety. By choice, I've not spent more than two nights straight away from my wife in the 13 years since we've met. We truly enjoy eachother's company, and even when we're not on the best of terms, it's clear there's no one I'd rather be with. I've found myself sobbing out loud these past two days, as the realization that our tender moments will be far too infrequent starts to take hold.

I love my step son too, but we're not too close any more. Long gone are the days when we played together... when he laughed at my jokes and my comic expressions; when he was interested in my opinions and was willing to at least listen to my advice. Last night, when I said "I'll miss you" while trying to suppress sobs, I'm sure he thought I was putting on a show. He's a young adult now, following his own path, and in the way that only youth can explain, will probably be glad to see me go. Whether he's still living at home when it comes time to move the rest of the household to Toronto is anyone's guess. Whether he chooses to follow his mother is up to debate.

So, this weekend, I start the next, scary chapter of my life. I'll go kicking and screaming to my new home, my new job, my new life. And I pray to God that I can keep it all together for the good of the family.

It's Official

OK, so now we have an agreement we can both live with. Toronto, here I come!

3 days

I feel like those end-of-season ads that try to get you to do something you'd rather not do - spend money. I don't want to leave. I'll miss my wife, my sister, my parents, my step-children, my in-laws, my grand children and my dogs. I'll miss the quiet of the small town I was born in, and lived the majority of my life in.

I won't miss the polluted air, horrible summer humidity and insanely high gas prices. But, for the most part, I will miss home. I've become accustomed to working from home on projects of my choosing - going to bed late (or not at all) and sometimes waking up late (or not at all). The rigours of a 9-5 existence and the prospect of numbing rush hour traffic are things I dread. But it's got to happen. Eventually, I have to have meaningful employment.

After I accepted the job, they sent me the "standard" employment contract. I don't know what zombies usually sign this document, but it seemed clear that virtually all the perks promised during the verbal negotiation were subject to withdrawal by the terms of the written agreement (which, of course, supercedes all prior verbal commitments). So, I politely wrote back that the employment agreement was unacceptable. I included suggested revisions. As of now, the revisions have not been incorporated into the agreement. I may be unemployed and dealing from a relative position of weakness. But, if I sign the agreement in its current form, I might soon be unemployed again and no longer the legal owner of those copyrighted materials I have previously created.

So, I'll stand firm. If the company in Toronto truly is not after my prior creations, they should have no problem compromising on the wording of the employment agreement. And if they don't want to compromise now, I really don't have any reason to believe they'll be any more cooperative later.

I've made arrangements to rent a car for the next month (instead of committing to buying or leasing a second car). That should give me enough time to decide whether I'm secure in my new job. And, my sister has agreed to put me up for the first month. So, I don't have to commit to a one-year apartment lease right away.

Am I having fun yet?

Getting ready to move to a new city with a week's notice is no fun at all. I don't have a car, and don't have a place to live. I'm hoping to stay with my sister for a short while, but ideally, I'd like to NOT commit to a car lease or apartment lease without at least a month of employment under my belt. Whether I can afford a rental car for a month, and whether my sister can tolerate me under the same roof for a month has yet to be seen.

I'm no fan of long distance romance, and am definitely NOT looking forward to being away from my wife for so long. Even if things go well and I get an apartment in Toronto, it means I will only see my wife for the equivalent of 7 weeks out of the next year. Even if I spent my entire vacation in Windsor, that would only bring it to 8-1/2 weeks. That sucks!

I'm Employed!

I took the job. I'm still scared that things won't work out, but I took the job. I start Monday.

Sold!

Having spent much of the afternoon looking at property in the Toronto area (try www.mls.ca and see for yourself!), I had almost given up hope. Then, I tried some of the CLOSE suburbs. I had assumed they would all be expensive, and those far enough away to be inexpensive would leave me with an unbelievable commute.

Then, we looked further afield to Guelph and Kitchener. The homes were a lot less than Toronto, but still not cheap. I guess lots of people have decided this is the place to live. But the commute was over an hour! Ironically, we hadn't considered any of the close-in suburbs. When we started looking around, we stumbled upon Brampton. The housing is more in line with what is available here (maybe a 15-30% premium over Windsor). But the commute time is under 30 minutes, and avoids most of the busy freeways.

I still want to find a place to rent for the "honeymoon period" before selling my home and moving my family up - but this just might be do-able! I'm leaning toward saying "Yes" on Monday!

Could it be???

Someone wants to hire me! I'm at once giddy and cautious. After all, my last job was supposed to be my last job. The company was big and diverse. There was room to grow in the organization, and enough variety to keep me interested. Now, another company thinks I have what it takes. It looks like a fun place to work. Sure, it was dress-down Friday, but still, people inside looked reasonably happy. I just have questions about the long-term prospects with the company. I'd classify it as a startup with lots of years experience. In business for over 20 years, these guys still are very small. They've bounced from one product to the next, one development platform to the next. Their current product/platform is one I am familiar with (hence the opportunity). It's not a technology that's well-known, so this might be my last opportunity to find work anytime soon.

So what's the problem? Small company = small payroll. The owner readily admits he pays far below the "average" payscale for Toronto - the second most expensive city in Canada. Windsor (where I am now) is something of a contradiction. We have one of the highest per capita incomes in Canada, with one of the lowest cost-of-living indexes. It's a one-industry, union-ruled town, with highly paid blue-collar workers making up the bulk of the population. IT job opportunities are scarce here - scarcer during recessions. And the situation in Detroit doesn't appear to be getting better any time soon.

But, this company wants a commitment from me without offering the level of income that I think I'll need to sustain me in Toronto. Housing (my biggest issue) is from 3-5 times more expensive in Toronto than it is here. And I'm being asked to take a salary nearly half of what I've become accustomed to. You do the math.

Meanwhile, my unemployment benefits run out in a month.

I told them I'd give them an answer on Monday.

Catching up - Part IV - Laurie's Birthday (Part 2)

Well, with all the contractors mulling around all day, there wasn't much I could do with my wife during the afternoon (she had taken the afternoon off work). Instead, we were still hanging around the front yard when the backhoe driver finished filling in the hole around 7:00PM. So, when the backhoe driver found out it was my wife's birthday, he offered to let her pose for photos with the backhoe.

I'll post them here when I locate a freeware jpg compression software...

Update: My sister-in-law located a jpg compression utility (rudimentary, but functional - and free)





Finally, Laurie, her son, and I went out for a birthday dinner. It was a wonderful meal. I had decided to buy a smallish gift (rather than none at all) since we're on a tight budget. Apparently it was the perfect gift, since, after opening it, she reminded me that I had already bought the same gift for her for Christmas! I guess I'll be trying to find an appropriate replacement this weekend.

Catching up - Part IV - Laurie's Birthday - Part 1

Wednesday was Laurie's Birthday. My wonderful wife has had a difficult year, what with my unemployment, her job stresses, and the burden of being such a caring mother for her three children who have unique problems of their own. Today was her day to have some good done for her. While she was at work, the electricians came to the house, and were able to complete all the outstanding issues, including installation of the new under-counter Microwave Oven/Hood Fan. This installation had been dreaded (and delayed for over a month) for a couple of reasons... first, the installation was not part of the electrician's contract, and I really couldn't afford to pay extra; and second, the wall space where the oven/fan was to be mounted was three inches narrower than the width of the oven. On this day, I was able to convince the electricians to mount the oven in exchange for services in the original contract that they claimed could not be completed due to the age of our home (and an inability to access existing wiring without damaging the walls). To overcome the problem of the wall being too narrow, I had suggested that they cut away a portion of the doorway frame. This added about 2.5 inches to the width of bare wall. It was sufficient to hang the oven with only about 1/2 inch overhang into the doorway.

But, even with that problem solved, the oven couldn't be hung because we don't have a cabinet over the stove onto which to attach the oven. Let me digress... Before buying the oven, we made it clear to the salesman that we needed a wall-mountable unit (as opposed to an over-counter unit). Having trotted out the instruction manual for this model, the salesman indicated that it was clear that the oven came with a "wall mount template", and instructions on how to mount the unit to the wall. Sure, the box also came with under-cabinet mounting instructions, but we thought that part was optional.

Bottom line, when we actually tried to mount the oven, it was abundantly clear that it would not be possible to simply stick it on the wall like a fridge magnet. After much discussion with the contractors (who offered to build/mount some kitchen cabinets for us - yes, these "electricians" were also our carpenters), we decided that the most cost-effective solution would be to mount some L-brackets to the wall, above the location of the stove, and then screw the L-bracket into the top of the microwave (as if the screws had been applied through an over-the-stove cabinet. This solution seems to have worked, though we'll need to keep a careful eye on these brackets to ensure they don't come loose over time.

Moving on... during the morning, I received my last digging clearance from the utilities. Now, it was time to call the plumber who I had selected to install the front-yard cleanout. To my surprise, he indicated he could come over that same afternoon to do the job. He arrived earlier than anticipated, getting to the house at about 11:00AM. And with him, was his backhoe operator. I had opted to forego hiring the guy with the underground camera, because I had located the digging location by sound echos when our house had been electric eeled. Confident in that information, the backhoe operator started to dig. And dig. And dig. He had gotten down about 4 feet when we all started to have some doubts. After all, the echos had been SO CLEAR it was unlikely the sound could have come from so far down. We thought we'd go down one more foot... All of a sudden, we hit a water line (thankfully not the main line, just the one leading to our house)!

How could that be?! We had received all the clearances, and the path of the water line had been clearly marked on my lawn - the backhoe was nowhere near that line. We had to call the city water department. When they came to shut off the water, they put their special "key" into the shutoff valve and tried to turn off the flow. Nothing happened. They tried again, this time using a cutting oil to loosen the valve. Still no stopping the flow. Finally, one of the city workers had a brainstorm. He used a metal detector to follow the break backwards from the hole to the shutoff valve. In so doing, he discovered a SECOND shutoff, obscured by some topsoil. It seems the original clue came, saw the exposed valve, and assumed it was ours. It turned out to be our neighbor's, and we had ended up digging right over our water line.

It took a couple of hours to repair the damage and restore water to my home. Then, we started to move the backhoe a bit further from the original digging spot, looking for the sewer line... Fast forward two hours, and half of my front yard is gone. We've been following a parallel path to the original dig site, and have still not located the sewer line. In desperation, I finally give in and place a call to the underground camera guy. Within a half hour of his arrival, he's got a camera going through the underground piping, and the video screen is showing a mass of tree roots obstruction the pipes. In fact, it gets to the point where the camera runs into roots so thick, the camera cannot proceed further down the line. It is blocked about 12 feet short of where we think the proper dig spot should be. According to the magnetic locator mounted to the head of the camera, the operator indicates that we should be digging IN THE ORIGINAL DIG LOCATION!!!

The backhoe now positions itself over the original hole, and as it carefully avoids the now-repaired water line, we continue to dig deeper. At about the 6-1/2 foot depth, we finally locate the sewer line.

Once the line was located, we used an electric eel to find its way back towards our house. And we find that as the eel is withdrawn, it has picked up fresh clay on its head. That means that somewhere underground, at about the same place where the video camera had run into thick roots, the undergound sewer line has been broken. We think it was broken by tree roots that had made their way into the pipe. We used the eel to cut out the overgrowth of tree roots, but decided it was well outside our budget to fix the entire length of broken sewer line. It will stay as it is until the previous owner agrees to pay for its repair.

So now, we have a cleanout installed on our lawn, but we got more bad news on the plumbing front. The internal drainage pipes are galvanized steel, and the feeder pipes that empty the kitchen/bathroom sinks into the main line are so clogged with rust that they are virtually unusable. Although the toilet and shower no longer back up, it is impossible to use the kitchen sink, bathroom sink, or dishwasher without causing water to back up for hours (6-8 hours on average). No amount of cleaning of pipes seems to help, and this part of the plumbing will need to be repaired within the next few days.

Catching up - Part III

Tuesday, it was time to re-enter the daily ritual. The electricians who had taken the previous week off to work on another job site returned to my home. There was a bit of work that needed to get done, and they made good progress. Unfortunately, there were a couple of additional items I needed taken care of, which meant they would need to return on Wednesday.

Also on Tuesday, I had a telephone interview with a company in Toronto that might be interested in hiring me. When I hadn't heard from them by the scheduled time, I sent an email. A few minutes later, I got the call, and the interview was held. I had a good feeling about the people I was speaking with, and I think they must have felt the same way. I've been invited for a face-to-face interview in Toronto this Friday morning.

Catching up - Part II

Monday's fast was particularly difficult this year. Normally, on Sunday night, I "bulk up" on a carbohydrate-rich meal, hoping to store away enough energy for the coming day's prayers. This year, I "accidentally" prepared the "normal" low-calorie, low carb meals that have been mandated by the doctor to control my diabetes. By 11:00PM Sunday night, I was already hungry. That's not good news, considering the fast would go until Monday evening at 8:40PM. My biggest hunger pangs came around 7:00AM and 2:00PM on Monday. Then the headache set in. A dull ache that would stay with me throughout the afternoon and evening, and would interfere with my enjoyment of the after-fast family gathering.

During that Monday in shul, I realized how important religious observance is to me (that's not to say I'm completely observant, just that when I am observant, it really feels good). I found myself immersed in the text of the prayer book, following each word - sometimes straining against the background noise of people who were chatting with friends they hadn't seen since the previous year's services.

Catching up - Part I

I've been finding "real life" quite hectic lately, to the point where this space has been ignored. But I see from my viewing history that there are still friends and family that return regularly for updates and they are also entitled to be kept up to date.

Sunday evening was the start of the Yom Kippur observance. I think that this year's spiritual reawakening may have something to do with the fact that my parents are aging, and beginning to complain about their aches and pains. It's gotten to the point where, for the first time, I'm not taking their continued existence for granted. My dad is 82, my mom, a few years younger. I consider myself lucky, at the age of 50, to still have both my parents. Sitting in the synagogue, playing the games we used to play in my childhood (interlocking his fingers with mine, comparing hand sizes, administering discreet therapeutic back massage during the boring sermons), it occured to both of us that these memories were still fresh, pure, and liberating. For the hours on Sunday and Monday, I actually forgot that my house is a wreck, and I'm unemployed. For those hours, I was a little boy again, sitting in shul with my father, and celebrating my Jewish heritage.

:-)

Huh?

Random Thoughts

on Chrysler
My hometown is/was considered the Automotive Capital of Canada. Sure, it was easier to claim that title in the 60s and 70s, when Chrysler's world headquarters was located here, and each of the "Big-3" had massive numbers of plants in the area. Our economy is still very much dependent on the auto industry, though there is some diversification into feeder industries (tool and die, as well as chemical). Perhaps we will reclaim that moniker with the completion of Chrysler Canada's new headquarters.


on BASF
One of the secondary businesses located here is BASF. They own a large paint manufacturing plant here. After reading about the "accident" at a BASF plant in Texas, it leaves me wondering whether security will be heightened here.


on terrorism
Now, there's talk of an al-Qaida affiliated terrorist cell discovered in upstate New York. The discovery of this cell was linked to the recent upgrade in the nation's terrorist alert status. I'm wondering whether this has anything to do with information being supplied by John Lindh as part of his plea agreement.


on friendly-fire accidents
Now they're talking about trying the pilots who bombed a contingent of Canadians who were training in Afghanistan. Four soldiers died. This accident was a classic case of screwed up planning, but clearly, had the pilots known those tiny dots of light were being fired by friendly forces, they would not have attacked. In typical Canadian form, the family members of the dead have indicated they do NOT wish to see the American pilots prosecuted. They simply want administrative procedures improved to avoid future accidents.


on the West Nile virus in Canada
The West Nile Virus made it to Canada last year. Ours was the first community affected. Now, it makes sense that, a year later, ours is one of the worst-hit.

Dream Cruise

Have you ever been on one of those romantic cruises you see advertised on TV? You know the one... where everyone onboard is a covergirl model and you can eat 24 hours a day while still losing weight. I've never been on one of those cruises, but once in a while, when I allow my fantasies to take over, I imagine myself there...

I've always been very much an anti-social nerd (you know, the kind that never gets the girl), so when I dream about going on a cruise, it goes something like this...

Thanks to Jodi for pointing out this site.

Three men and a lady

So, have you heard the one about the three men who were stopped in Florida after a woman in a restaurant overheard them talking about possible terrorist activity on Sept. 13th?

Well, it turns out the whole thing might have been a hoax, perpetrated by the three men in response to suspicious looks they were getting from another patron in the restaurant. So here's my question... will they still be prosecuted? Political correctness indicates they shouldn't, as it would simply reinforce the profiling stereotype for people of middle-eastern descent. But there are laws against screaming "FIRE" in a crowded theatre, and alluding to terrorist threats like this in a public forum must be akin to the former offence.

Hoax aside, I am trying to come to grips with ALL the prior news reports that claim that bomb-sniffing dogs, called to the scene where the men were detained, reported positive hits on both vehicles!

Does that mean that the overzealous press contributed to this fiasco by reporting false information about the dogs? Or is there more to this story that has not yet surfaced. If there truly was no trace of explosive material, does that mean that the dogs can be "tricked" into registering false-positive indications, perhaps in response to the scent of fear or apprehension or (God forbid) culture-specific odours present in the vehicles?

This last point seems repugnant to imagine - that dogs might be doing their own form of "profiling". Let me share a short, loosely-related story... Prior to buying our house, my wife and I had occasion to visit several open houses. The homes were generally clean, with no clue as to the types of food normally consumed or the origin of the occupants (who were absent during the viewings). Yet, in a couple of homes owned by Indian (i.e. people from India) families, there was a distinct odour of curry in the home. Since there was no visible food, I had to assume the odour came from the carpeting, furniture, or other fabric that retained the scent. So, back to the dogs... Might it be possible that the dogs were reacting to a scent in the car's fabric that, while not being "explosive material" per se, may have been reminiscent of scents that were present in other vehicles where explosive material had been located?

I guess it's time to start training police dogs to be more politically correct!

More on 9/11

So I'm watching the Tonight Show on 9/11 and Jay's guests are Senator McCain and actor James Woods. The last time James Woods was a guest on the Tonight Show, Leno tried to ask him questions about a rumour (confirmed by Woods) that the FBI had been talking to him about something. Woods would not elaborate at that time.

This time, Leno asked again, and Woods was in a position to answer his questions...

It seems that James Woods was a passenger on an airline flight a couple of months BEFORE 9/11/01. On that flight, he noticed four suspicious-looking people of middle eastern background. They looked so suspicious to him, in fact, that he feared a hijack attempt and decided to KEEP the knife that was put on his dinner plate. Furthermore, he reported the suspicious persons to one of the flight crew. Supposedly, the standard paperwork was filed with the FAA, and the report (which was indistinguishable from all the other nonsense reports that get filed by passengers every day) went unnoticed.

After 9/11, when the FBI learned of Woods report, they interviewed him. At that time, he was able to confirm by picture identification that TWO of the people on his flight were among the 19 hijackers who died. Speculation was that Wood's flight was a dry-run to case the plane, the flight procedures, etc. The post-9/11 paranoia of passengers is understandable. But, prior to 9/11, can you imagine just how blatantly dangerous these people must have appeared to arouse the suspicions of a well-known person who would obviously not wish to appear paranoid in public?


And, earlier that day, Tom Brokaw aired a documentary about the air controllers who were the first to realize that planes had been hijacked and that something terrible was about to happen. During that special, it was mentioned that nearly 5000 planes were IN THE AIR over North America at the time of the four crashes, and the air controllers brought them to the ground so quickly, it was impossible to determine whether any of them had also been intended as missiles of terror. The implication is that some terrorists had been foiled by this quick action, but that they are still alive and able to carry out future plans.


And finally, how freaky is it that the New York lottery 3-digit pick of the day was 9-1-1. There were 15,000 people who decided to play that number on the anniversary of 9/11, and they shared a $5,000,000 dollar purse.

911

I cannot find the eloquence to add to the tributes and heartbreaking stories written about 911. If you're interested, please read the words of those whose weblogs I follow.

Rosh Hashana - Day 2

I had insomnia last night. I finally got to sleep around 4:30AM, but woke up at 8:00AM when my wife woke up. I wanted to go back to bed for an hour before getting ready for my dad. He was due to pick me up at 10:00AM for shul. When I woke up, it was 9:55AM! I hurried to throw on a pair of pants and shirt, and quickly sponged off my face to get out the cobwebs. When my dad arrived at the door at 10:02AM, I was ready to go.

It was another good day at shul, very much a continuation of yesterday. There were fewer people than yesterday, but I still felt like I was "home". The high-holidays are traditionally the time when Jewish people are bombarded with messages about charity (specifically the UJA campaign in support of Jewish activities here and in Israel). And, for the first time, there were pamphlets available for the taking. They were published by the Canadian-Israel Committee and contained background information concerning the current situation being played out in Israel. Perhaps this year, I will become a bit more politically active, but the high-holidays is not the time to start.

After the service, I again was taken back to my parents' house, where I was again treated to a meal (though not of the same proportions as yesterday's). My dad was very sleepy after the meal, so my mom ended up driving me home. I got home to an empty household, and am taking the time to post this now, before my wife returns.

A spiritual day

I had decided to go to shul this year for the high holidays, even before my sister suggested it. Seems she and her husband were going to be out of town this weekend, and they were hoping I could accompany my father. He came around to pick me up this morning, and it was the start of a marvelous day.

I could tell my dad was happy that I had decided to worship. Growing up, I had been quite devout. After my failed first marriage, I lost faith in my religion for quite some time, and had stayed away from synagogue in protest (yeah, I guess I really showed Him who was boss). It's important to note that I have always felt spiritually Jewish, and throughout this difficult period of my life, I still followed through on the trappings of Judaism (kept kosher to the degree I was comfortable doing it, etc.)... I simply refused to set foot in a synagogue.

All that changed several years ago, and for a period of almost two years, I was going to shul regularly (every sabbath, as well as holidays). Then, just as suddenly as I had started going, I stopped again. I think that was about four years ago. Today was my first time in a synagogue since that time.

It's like I had never left. Everyone took the time to say hello, greeting me in a friendly, non-judgemental way. The regular chazan nodded his hello, and I joked with him: So, where have you been all this time. There were also a couple of fairly well-known people with roots in Windsor who were in town, attending shul with their fathers. I had known them in my youth but had not stayed in touch. I was surprised they remembered me, and came by to say hello.

My father and I played a game where we each hold up our hand and place our palms together. He was thrilled to see that this time, it was my hand that was the bigger of the two. As I affectionately put my arm around him and rubbed his back, I could see him smiling with love and pride. What a wonderful way to start the new year!

When the service was over, he drove me to his house, where my mother was waiting to greet me with open arms. And she had prepared a feast fit for a king. It's been years since I've had her matzoh-ball soup. I swear, of all the soups I've ever tasted, there is none to compare to hers. I hope she's passed the secrets of that recipe on to my sisters, because it would be a shame for it to be lost for eternity - it's that good!

I wished I could have stayed longer, but I really wanted to get back to my wife, to tell her about how wonderful my day had gone, and to prepare for an evening with my brother-in-law and his wife, whom we had not seen since before we moved. They're really nice people, and I looked forward to seeing them. We ate dinner with them (as a bonus, my step-son came too); then went back to our house to watch a DVD. And when the DVD was finished, we turned on a movie on cable

On Sunday, I go back for Rosh Hashana - day 2 - with my dad. I'm looking forward to it.

Happy New Year

Happy New Year to my family and Jewish friends. This is one year when I will need to ask forgiveness for all the selfish, hateful, and angry feelings I''ve expressed throughout the past 12 months. I could try to blame it on stress, but that would be copping out. I've just been less human this year than usual, and I will strive to make some changes in the year to come.

Things we take for granted

I showered last night - for the first time in nearly two weeks. I also flushed the toilet three times. That's three times more than I had been able to flush over the long weekend. The plumber was here yesterday, soon followed by the electric eel. Nearly $500 later, we have working plumbing; but we've been warned that the eeling was only a temporary fix. There are tree roots in our drainage system, and it won't take long for the problems to reoccur. At least we have some breathing room and a clean shower stall!

Happy Birthday

My introduction to the world of chat and blogging came within the past year or so. Though we are no longer in touch, I still want to wish the person who got me started a happy birthday.

Turning point

Today should mark a turning point in our experiences with the new home. The holiday weekend having ended, I have been able to again contact the plumber that examined our plumbing last week. This afternoon, he will work his magic - creating an access portal in the plumbing that will allow us to eel our local plumbing. Only then will we know whether our problems are even more severe. As far as any changes to the property (to add outdoor cleanouts), my lawyer has advised that most times, the previous owners of a property will try to side-step responsibility for issues like we are experiencing.

I have a very comprehensive (and very gross) collection of photographs that I would be prepared to take to small claims court, should it get that far.

Eric is back. His new link is on the left...

Sean Dickson, a teacher convicted of lewd conduct in requesting some of his underaged students to pose for snapshots while suggestively sucking lollipops, was sentenced yesterday to four months in prison.

In my opinion, the sentence should have been longer, but that is what the prosecutor requested, and that's what he got.

House of Horrors - an update

Well, it's been three weeks now since we moved. The stove is still in the living room, and we haven't eaten a home-cooked meal yet. Our 100 amp service has finally been installed (so the stove will soon have a new home), but we've just noticed that the kitchen wall where the stove will go is only 27 inches wide (ever measure your stove?). I don't really mind that the stove will stick out the doorway some (that's a small annoyance compared to some). What I do mind is that there are NO stove hoods on the market that have less than a 30 inch width. Dodging the stove with my hips as I go through the doorway is one thing. Dodging the hood with my head will be quite another.

The plumbing still doesn't work... we're limited to one toilet flush per half-hour... fine for a single occupant, but woefully insufficient for a trio of occupants with similar bedtimes and waking times. Here's a picture of our BRAND NEW WHITE BATHTUB shortly after flushing our toilet or doing a load of laundry...

New entry in Comic Relief

After a lull, there is a new entry in the Comic Relief portion of the weblog. Thanks to my sister for sending this one.

New York calling...

Yesterday, while my parents were here visiting my new home for the first time, I received a phone call. Since I was nowhere near a phone, my race to get there before "voice-mail" kicked in was unsuccessful. Later, I tried to retrieve the voicemail, but it was blank. So I retrieved the caller's number... it was someone in area code 718. I tried to look up the phone number using one of the internet's "Reverse Lookup" tools, but that failed. So, either the number was bogus, or it belonged to someone with an unlisted number.

If one of the people reading this weblog called to wish me a happy anniversary, then chickened out at the last minute, thanks for the sentiment.

Happy Anniversary to me! And good luck to Michele!

August 23rd, 1990 was one of the happiest days of my life. Despite my being unemployed, the woman of my dreams had decided she would marry me anyway, and the drunken preacher (and I use the word preacher loosely) lost his place and made me say "I do" TWICE. My wife is always teasing me about my obligations being twice as binding as hers - just as I tease her that I'm not sure we're legally married.

The past twelve years have seen us raise her three children as a family, become grandparents once (with another on the way, I just found out yesterday), and go through some of the most exciting career progressions (low to high to low) imaginable. Through it all, we've remained committed to our love, faithful to each other, and thankful for what we have. We have been blessed with reasonably good health, both for ourselves and those we hold dear, and in balance, we can't really complain about much.

I deeply love and cherish my wife and hope that we will have many more beautiful, wonderful years together.


To my friend Michele who will be marrying Justin tomorrow, August 24th, 2002, I wish you luck, love, and success.

About the move

We had tons (literally) of stuff to move, and the movers had estimated that a crew of 3 men could do the job in 12 hours. That's one heck of a large move. Well, they goofed. Their truck was pitifully small (it was a big truck, but no match for our accumulated belongings). It took FOUR truckloads to move us, and by the time we were done, the owner of the moving company had called in reserve crews. In the end, it took SIX people 14 hours to move us. They tried to charge us the whole shot, and I was open to some compromise (after all, their estimate was not binding). We settled on a revised figure that both of us could live with.

I want to keep the rest of this post short. If I don't, I will get too depressed. The new home is what I expected it to be, but not what I had hoped it would be. It was priced very low. That should have been a clue. By the time we're done, this house will cost us more than what we had budgeted for a home.

The good thing is that I'm now debt free. Equity from the sale of the prior house was sufficient to pay off my long-standing debts. Even the mortgage on the new place is less that what we owed on the old house - and the interest rate and monthly payments are significantly less. But the house itself is a nightmare.

The only things that do NOT require upgrading are the appliances and paint. In just the past two weeks, we've already completed extensive upgrades to the structure of the house, floor coverings, fencing... and will soon complete an overhaul of the electrical systems. What we don't have the money for (at the moment) are nice-to-have upgrades like reliable plumbing, heating, and air conditioning. Those things will just have to wait until I find a job.

I won't get into the gory details of everything that doesn't work. I can tell you that the pool (which was sight-unseen prior to making an offer on the place) turned out to be in excellent condition. This (and the quality of work done by the contractors we hired to spruce up the place) is the only saving grace.

That's it for now...

I'm Back!

Just this minute finished reconnecting my personal computer. Now, before I can post more, I have to catch up on two weeks' worth of emails and stuff. Be back soon.

I'm still alive - barely!

No time to post right now. Just wanted to tell you all that the move went horribly. Even Murphy would have been pissed off. My personal PC is still in boxes. I just finished setting up the internet gateway server so my wife could get on the internet to see if our bank account still has funds.

I will post all the gory details, anecdotes, and a summary of the past week's activity in the next few days. Until then, keep healthy.

Happy 55th - take 2

My parents celebrated their 55th wedding anniversary last month. My sister decided to give them a surprise anniversary party. What better surprise than to hold it a month after the fact. Today, all my out-of-town relatives showed up to surprise my parents. Just as I had done yesterday at my wife's family's party, I decided to be unofficial photographer. After filling the camera with 74 pictures, I did a quick on-site edit, freed up room for about 10 more shots, then filled the camera again.

Tonight, I was able to post the majority of the pictures on a private website for my family to view.

Starting tomorrow, we've got three more days to pack. The schedule is: Monday - finish packing the storage room; Tuesday - pack up the Home Theatre; Wednesday - pack up my office (and take down this internet connection). Thursday, we move. And Friday, the cable guy is supposed to hook me back up.

I'll be too busy to post often until Friday, and I won't have much time to read many of the sites I normally visit daily... so I'll apologize in advance to anyone whose site I don't get to.

Happy Anniversary, Edna & Bob!

I just got back home a few minutes ago, having attended the 50th wedding anniversary of my wife's aunt & uncle. They're really wonderful people, and the extended family was there in full force. Unfortunately, at that age, minor aches and pains (as well as more serious ailments) can keep you down... and two of Edna's sisters (whom we had hoped would be visiting from out of town) were unable to make it. Despite this, the event was well attended with representations from four generations present.

It was an opportunity to see people I hadn't seen in quite some time - to renew acquaintances and catch up on news. A few months ago, I had decided to try the newer NiMH batteries, because they were supposed to be much better (i.e. longer lasting) in digital cameras. Tonight was the acid test. Although we had two sets of batteries with us, we only needed one set to take 72 pictures (that was the limit on the camera's memory). If I had had more memory, we could have taken more pictures - the batteries held up quite well.

Anyway, I may post a few pictures featuring my wife, kids, and granddaughter. Now that the freebie jpg crunchers are no longer available, I will have trouble posting low-bandwidth pictures. If anyone knows of any FREE ones still available, please let me know in the comments.

The Chair

The following anecdote was in my email today. Thanks, sis, for the terrific piece...


An eccentric philosophy professor gave a one-question-final-exam after an entire semester dealing with a broad array of topics.



The class was already seated and ready to go when the professor picked up his chair, plopped it on his desk and wrote on the board:

"Using everything we have learned this semester, prove that this chair does not exist."



Fingers flew, erasers erased, notebooks were filled in furious fashion. Some students wrote over 30 pages in one hour attempting to refute the existence of the chair.



One member of the class however, was up and finished in less than a minute.



Weeks later when the grades were posted, the rest of the group wondered how he could have gotten an A when he had barely written anything at all.



Here was his answer:: ---         "What Chair?"           --- (drag your cursor over the area between the --- marks to read the student's answer)

We've got Bees

My son pointed out a few days back that there seemed to be an inordinate number of bees entering a crack at the seam separating our bricks from the vinyl siding. I already had a can of hornet/wasp/bee foam, which had been used earlier this season on a new hornet's nest. Instructions on the can indicated that the treatments should be applied at night - when the bees are less likely to be active. So, several nights ago, I carpet bombed an 8' long portion of the seam (to quicly seal off any escape routes), then, as per can directions, I penetrated the outer foam layer with the enclosed wand and tried to find the main point of entry. I then blasted a large amount of foam into the crack.

The next morning, I noticed two things... one, there were lots of bees entering and leaving the crack; and two, the place where I had inserted the wand was incorrect. That evening, I decided to try again. This time, I made a mental note of where the entry crack was BEFORE I carpet bombed... then I went for the kill. The difference from the previous night was dramatic. When I inserted the wand, there was no resistance - it just seemed to go into a vast cavity. Then I let loose with the foam, and it was several seconds (maybe 5 or 10) before foam started pouring back out the hole from which I had entered. Contrast this with the previous night's attempt, where foam started pouring out of the crack as soon as I pulled the trigger.

This time I was supremely confident. The next morning, I looked out the window, only to see bees... lots of bees. For each bee that entered through the crack, there was another one leaving, carrying what appeared to be remnants of the foam. The damned bees were cleaning house! I've decided not to try again. First, I'm not even sure whether the bees are spending the night inside the cavity (there's no way to see inside to find the nest). Second, if they are there, I'm afraid I may cause them to become more adverturous and look for other potential places for a hive - like inside the adjacent vent (which leads to our bathroom), or inside the dog houses, or even through the dogdoor (that's only two feet away) and into the house.

We'll be out of here in five days. I'll just have to suppress my immense fear of bees, and try to endure. Let the next owner deal with it.

Packing - the Devil's work

The Devil invented packing and packing material. It was invented to frustrate obsessive compulsives like myself. And I'm finding out that obsessive compulsive procrastinators make lousy packers. It has taken me the better part of three hours to pack five boxes. Worse, each box contained only one "item". The items are stereo components, and the reason for the slow progress is that I must ensure that each box looks just like it came out of the factory. That means cleaning the components, individually, on every surface. I'm glad the cotton swabs are already packed, otherwise I'd probably be "detailing" the components. As it is, a soft cloth will have to suffice. Each box is being packed with all original manuals, cables, remotes, and packing material (if this sounds familiar, it's because I went through this in the storage room - and have yet to tackle the massive number of components in the Home Theatre and my computer room). Cables are being meticulously labeled, at both ends, to ensure that rehooking the systems will not take me as long as the original configuration.

I've already resigned myself to the likelihood that I will run out of time, and have to start throwing things haphazardly together come Wednesday night. I had forgotten that we have some pressing social commitments this weekend that will eat up valuable packing time. I'm sort of glad, because I hate packing... but it does cut into the available time.

Packing, and my project have kept me so busy lately, I really haven't had much time to update my weblog. I have taken time to read through my daily list, though even the number of times I visit each page daily has been curtailed. Things should get somewhat back to normal next Friday or Saturday, after the cable guy has restored my internet connection.

It's a minor annoyance, but still, an annoyance. For those who have clicked on the "Random Website" icon over there on the right, it takes you to a random website. The people who bring you this service have a home page that forces you to click again to proceed to the random site. I figured, why bother... I'll just feature the actual link. To me, it's the same as featuring the link to a person's weblog, rather than to their home page. If it's the weblog you're after, why bother with the interim stop. And if you are interested in the homepage, you can usually find a link to the homepage from the weblog.

Anyway, I'm annoyed that the keepers of this site regularly change the target address for their link. This forces me to keep in step, resulting in me changing my template and republishing my archives. As the archives grow, the republish takes longer. I know this is not a battle I can win in the long run. Eventually, I will tire of this, and just put a link to their homepage. But until that day comes, I'll just be annoyed.

I've had a few really frustrating days. Several years ago, you could find almost any programming tool you needed, free, on the BBS's and then on the internet. Now, all the good stuff has either gone commercial, or disappeared altogether.

The most infuriating thing is, I had all the tools I needed a while back. But, when I changed computers, many of the antiquated utilities were left behind. My reasoning was that I had no need for them, and I could always find them again if I did need them. I can't even understand how a packrat like myself could have ever had such a thought! Anyway, after almost a week of looking, I finally found what I've been looking for, but still have to verify that it will work.

On the packing front, I'm actually starting to get serious. Over the past two days, I've packed up nearly half of my "storage room", but the last half will be the hardest to pack.

And the final decision has been made to NOT bring the cat with us to our new place. I've been searching for a new home for her, where she will get the love and attention she deserves, and where her penchant for soiling carpets and furniture will be overlooked.

How do you spell relief?

After more than three days of trying, rescuers made contact with all nine men trapped nearly 250 feet underground in a coal mine. Finally, some good news!

I'm being scanned

Is it my "secret project" or something else? Whatever it is, it appears that someone, somewhere, has latched onto me and has begun around the clock port scans. It started a few days ago, but hasn't let up at all. Since I have no "server" here, and have never downloaded any "peer-to-peer" software, I really don't know what the attraction might be. For now, my firewall is blocking and tracking the intruder. But it's just so annoying.

How to become an entrepreneur

I received the following in an email...

A city boy, Kenny, moved to the country and bought a donkey from an old

farmer for $100.00. The farmer agreed to deliver the donkey the next day.



The next day the farmer drove up and said, "Sorry son, but I have some

bad news, the donkey died."  





Kenny replied, "Well then, just give me my money back."

The farmer said, "Can't do that. I went and spent it already." 

Kenny said,"OK then, just unload the donkey." 



The farmer asked, "What ya gonna do with him?"

Kenny, "I'm going to raffle him off." 



Farmer, " You can't raffle off a dead donkey!" 

Kenny, "Sure I can. Watch me. I just won't tell anybody he is dead."





 



A month later the farmer met up with Kenny and asked, "What happened

with that dead donkey?"

Kenny, "I raffled him off. I sold 500 tickets at two dollars a piece

and made a profit of $898.00."

Farmer, "Didn't anyone complain?"

Kenny, " Just the guy who won. So I gave him his two dollars back."

Kenny grew up and eventually became the chairman of Enron.

It's time to pack? Already???

I'm a packrat. In this household, that's an endangered species. With the move coming soon, my wife has been diligently packing up most of the household belongings over the past couple of weeks, liberally ridding herself of anything she feels she won't need in the new house. I've assigned myself the three rooms I use most often: my home office, the adjoining "storage" room, and the TV room. Yesterday, I started packing in earnest, spurred on my by wife's not-so-subtle ploy of piling all the empty equipment boxes in the room where the equipment resides.

Since I've been spending most of my time recently in my office, I started there. I can't actually pack the "working" PC equipment just yet. The movers will probably have to pry me away from this equipment when they come into the house. Instead, I have started with the older stereo equipment located in the storage room - the equipment that still functions perfectly, but was simply replaced because newer models had more features, more power, or just more appeal. In many ways, the older equipment is far better - showing rare quality control and artistry of design that is missing from much of today's equipment.

It goes without saying that I can't bear to part with any of this older equipment, nor do I have an easy time allowing these serviceable units to "pass on" to other family members who might benefit from them. Beginning yesterday, I lovingly placed all the older equipment back into their original boxes, along with original receipts, manuals, cables, remotes, and in most cases, the sales literature (glossy brochures) that brought me into contact with them in the first place. Unless I build some museum, it's unlikely any of these pieces will ever see the light of day again. But you never know...

I did manage, as a token gesture, to consent to the disposal of two pieces of computer equipment that stopped functioning over 10 years ago. An original IBM green monitor, circa 1983, and an early uninterruptable power supply (circa 1984) were taken to the city dump today, where they were given a hero's sendoff. I'll probably have nightmares about this trip, but to see the look on my wife's face when I hurled the monitor into the trash bin, it was worth it!

When 0 == 1

My secret project is progressing amazingly well. While I look for a paying job, I've resurrected something that has fascinated me for nearly 20 years, and I'm dusting off my rusty 'C' skills to implement the time-critical elements of the system. I spent the weekend perfecting one of the modules. It works, all the time, no errors. Which is why it's disconcerting to see the final message: "Completed task with 1 errors."

Since I wrote the entire program, I went to the source code to see how this last message is generated. For the 'C' freaks among you, here's the reader's digest version of the code:


int i, ret_code;

ret_code = 0;

for (i=0; i<10; i++) ret_code += function_call(i);

printf("Completed task with %d errors", ret_code);



Seems simple enough. When I saw the error, I went to "function_call", and had it print out the value of it's internal return code before ending. It ALWAYS printed 0. So, now I need to decide - is there an insidious bug in my program waiting to bite my ass when I get too complacent, or is there a bug in the compiler that is conspiring to drive me insane.

My money is on option 2.

Tag - you're gone!

Whatever is happening with www.8op.com is really none of my business. But, it's quite annoying to see a dead service taking up room on my blog, so for now, the tagboard commands have been commented out. Should the service re-emerge, I will reinstate the code.

A day without blogging is like...

• a busy day


• a day with nothing worth saying


• a day when I get sleep and things done

Take your pick. Yesterday was an "away" day. I was actually at the keyboard most of the day. But, I was WORKING on something. I can't say what it is yet (Kare's not the only one with secret projects), but it will be far less important to humanity and far more mercenary than anything she did - that, I can promise!

She's back! And not a moment too soon!

Photoday Pics

Here they are. A day in my life, told through pictures...

PhotoDay

The PhotoDay is over. For me, it started at 8:00AM Saturday morning, and my last picture was snapped at 7:30 this morning. I'm just in the process of putting together a gallery page, and that should be done shortly (yes, I did nap for about 3 hours after taking the last shot - and I'll need more sleep once I'm done posting the photo page).

Windows of opportunity - closed

Windows operating systems seem to be prone to vulnerabilities of every description. We do our best to firewall our networks and virus-scan our PCs, but the security conscious consumer also applies security updates when they become available. These updates have been supplied, until now, via Microsoft's own "Windows Update" feature. So, it was particularly annoying this past week when ALL the PCs in the household were informed that Windows Update will only work with Windows 2000 or Windows XP. My still-not-old copy of Windows Me seems to be out of date (and me, out of luck) when it comes to getting the automatic updates.

Microsoft is clearly looking for another PR nightmare with this policy. Trying to muscle people into upgrading their operating systems just so Microsoft can deliver corrections to security flaws seems unfair. But, that's just my opinion. What do you think?

I'm participating in Patti's PhotoDay. I have stuff to do tomorrow afternoon, so I thought I'd get an early start. I started my portfolio at 8:00AM this morning, and will continue until 7:00AM Sunday. I'm still trying to figure out where I will post the pics, but I will.

Here is the link to Patti's site.

Anybody know what's happening at www.8op.com? They are the hosts of my tag-board, which has been down for more than 24 hours.

Guilt by association

There are certain "news" stories that should be buried. Stories that, when read by the "crazies" out there lead to bad things happening. I read a story today about home-made viruses, and I was going to link to it (call me a hypocrite). But, I've thought better of it. I'd hate to think something I said would ultimately lead to an act of terror.

A hero's welcome?

Ben Kelly

Last month, 17-year old Ben Kelly and some of his friends were driving around when they came upon a serious car accident. A stolen car had earlier raced past them, and had run through a construction zone, crashing into earth moving equipment. With its two occupants unable to exit and fire engulfing the vehicle, Ben led the charge to rescue the driver. It was too late for him, but the teens were able to rescue the passenger, who had been severely burned. The passenger survived. Ben was called a hero by the police on the scene. Ben's boss also had something to say.

Cries wolf once too many times

Found via this site, this kid was crying wolf. Dumbass!

As one of the people who requested this new feature from Hossein Sharifi (creator of YACCS commenter), he has graciously invited me to be a beta tester. Check it out...

When you click on the COMMENT link, you will see the content of the actual post prior to the area reserved for comments. Isn't it cool!

The song is over

Who is Gene Kan? And why is he dead?

Update:  It wasn't an accident, apparently.

I'll sleep better knowing this!

Windsor in the Headlines again

Windsor is a small city by the standards of it's regional neighbors. At 200,000 people, it's significantly smaller than London and Toronto, and a whole lot smaller than it's closest neighbor to the north, Detroit Michigan. Normally, things are pretty quiet around here. This week, however, lots of Windsor-based events have made the national headlines. Just a few days ago, I posted about Sean Dickson - perverted teacher, and today's headlines involve Katharine Nordstrom. Talk about your non-typical criminal mastermind!

My sister continues to send me pearls of wisdom. Rather than posting them here (like I did with the Zen post), I've decided to create a randomizer (like kd's) and put them at the top of my blog page.

The cheque is in the mailbox

Oh happy day! My mailbox was overflowing today, and the news was all good! A total of six letters, with FOUR addressed to me from the Unemployment Bureau. Two looked like cheques, and two looked like letters. The first thing I thought was damn, they've sent everything in duplicate - now I'll have more troubles. But I panicked too soon! The two letters were official responses to my appeal. One letter said in effect you're right - you've proven that you worked LEGALLY in this country. The second (not a duplicate) said in effect you've convinced us that you're looking for work, available for work, and could even work in the U.S. again (though that is not a requirement) if you had the appropriate sponsorship.

And now for the cheques: the first one I opened was for the amount I had become aware of during my informational call. The second cheque was for the five week period PRECEDING the most recent cheque. Since both cheques had been issued on the same day, and the system is aware of only the LAST one processed, it didn't tell me that there were TWO cheques on their way. So, as of now, I have received payments for ALL WEEKS SINCE MY TERMINATION!!!

And since I continue to look for work, I know there will be up to 16 more weeks (8 cheques) available, in case I don't find work before then.

Thank you, God (and the Michigan Unemployment Agency), for turning the red-tape to invisible tape!

Infection fighters lose final weapon

I feel like the aliens in War of the Worlds. Doomed to die of a common infection. Doomed because so many stupid people have used antibotics incorrectly, despite very specific warnings from their physicians. As evidenced by this article last year and this briefing from the CDC published on July 3rd, our last line of defense against common bacterial infection is no longer effective.

Here is a sobering analysis and timeline of the bug army's advance. That analysis was published before the terrible events of this week. Now, the hypothesized doomsday has arrived!

In a heartwarming story, I am pleased to see that sole person rescued after the collapse of the World Trade Centers, Genele Guzman, will get an all-expense-paid fairytale wedding.

Thanks to Brian for finding this article.

Guilty!

In a verdict that restores some of my faith in human nature and justice, Sean Dickson, a teacher from this area, was convicted of two counts of inviting sexual touching.

Over a two year period, Mr. Dickson had been filming students as they sucked suggestively on lollipops. He had tried to convince the court that the purpose of the videos was as props to a class on advertising, but the judge saw through the bullshit. Mr. Dickson will be sentenced August 29th.

I hope they put him in general population.

There's no place like home!

I bet you thought I'd forgotten to post about the house-hunt. Well, no, I hadn't forgotten. I just wanted to be sure things were settled before I posted. Both sides of the transaction are complete, and I can now officially say we've sold our home and purchased another. Moving day will be August 8th, and I have no idea how long I may be "off the air" during the transition - what with packing stuff up, unpacking, and getting cable modem service installed at the new place... I'm already having nightmares.

The house we ended up buying is in "move-in" condition for people who don't mind older places. I am a bit of a snob in this regard. To me, move in condition is a hotel. A place with clean linens, furniture already in the room, a clean floor and fresh paint... So, before this home will be in "move in" condition, it needs some upgrades.

Here are some of the things I'd like to be able to do before moving in:

• Rip out all carpeting and floor covering, and replace it with new carpet and tile


• Upgrade the house to 100 amp service


• Install cable TV and internet service


• Install electrical outlets in the kitchen to accommodate our electrical appliances (the current residents have gas appliances)


• Convert the family room to a bedroom (that means adding a partial wall, with a door)


• Install a through-the-wall dog door, so the canine members of the family feel right at home


• Fix the holes in the deck, and extend the deck to allow the dogs access to their dog door


• Extend the fenced area of the yard to give the dogs more running room


• Add a small extension to the fence to prevent dogs from getting to the pool without supervision


• Install central air conditioning (after removing the current wall-mounted A/C units and patching the holes)

Realistically, not everything on that list will get done before the move. And it's even questionable whether all of them will get done until I have found work. Because we're living in a much bigger and newer house now than the one we're moving to, we've built up considerable equity. That will give us some cash to pay for these upgrades. But, I'm also in "cash-conservation" mode at the moment, so I don't want to go overboard.

All these years, I thought my parents didn't appreciate computers - the opportunities they presented for entertainment, correspondence, aggravation. Then today, my sister pointed out that my mother has her own website. Go figure.

Hebrew is a phonetic language... the letters of the Hebrew alphabet have a characteristic sound (yes, there are exceptions), and the basic letters of the alphabet are all consonants. The vowel sounds come from additional dots and dashes that are added above, below, and off to the sides of the consonants. I can read Hebrew (because it is phonetic) even though I don't know very many words in the actual language. I therefore marvel when I see Hebrew bible scholars reading biblical Hebrew, which when written, does not contain any of the vowels.

Imagine what it would be like to read English without vowels (mgn wht t wld b lk t rd nglsh wtht vwls)

I don't do very well under these circumstances, and there is a class of puzzles that deals with trying to decipher entire sentences without the benefit of vowels or word breaks. (mgnwhttwldblktrdnglshwthtvwls).

Today's puzzle would have stumped me like all the rest, were it not for the fact that it's the 4th of July: SFRMGVMLBRTRGVMDTH - is the very first one of these puzzles I've ever been able to solve.

My sister is on someone's joke-email list. When she receives something funny, she forwards it to me. The past couple of days has seen a dramatic increase in the quality of humour she's forwarded. Again, I must share it with you...


A Few Zen Thoughts For Those Who Take Life Too Seriously

Save the whales. Collect the whole set.

A day without sunshine is like, night.

On the other hand, you have different fingers.

I just got lost in thought. It was unfamiliar territory.

42.7 percent of all statistics are made up on the spot.

99 percent of lawyers give the rest a bad name.

I feel like I'm diagonally parked in a parallel universe.

Honk if you love peace and quiet.

Remember, half the people you know are below average.

He who laughs last thinks slowest.

Depression is merely anger without enthusiasm.

The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.

I drive way too fast to worry about cholesterol.

Support bacteria. They're the only culture some people have.

Monday is an awful way to spend 1/7 of your life.

A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory.

Change is inevitable, except from vending machines.

Plan to be spontaneous tomorrow.

Always try to be modest, and be proud of it!

If you think nobody cares, try missing a couple of payments.

How many of you believe in telekinesis? Raise my hand...

OK, so what's the speed of dark?

How do you tell when you're out of invisible ink?

If everything seems to be going well, you have obviously overlooked something.

When everything is coming your way, you're in the wrong lane.

Hard work pays off in the future. Laziness pays off now.

Everyone has a photographic memory. Some just don't have film.

If Barbie is so popular, why do you have to buy her friends?

Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines.

Who is General Failure and why is he reading my hard disk?

What happens if you get scared half to death twice?

I couldn't repair your brakes, so I made your horn louder.


And your final zen thought for the day.....

Why do psychics have to ask you for your name?



Thanks, Miriam.

I guess my bark is worse than my bite!

Here's the result of test I took. Thanks to Eric for pointing out the link to this test.

Your Likelihood of Committing Murder is 5% If you have a score of 1 to 20: You have a few little quirks here and there and no one ever did find your childhood cat, Fluffy. But, when it all comes down, you are a really good person. Your strict moral code is hard for others to live up to, and you probably don't get laid much. But, there's definitely a harp with your name on it. You might want to give your conscience the weekend off and have a few drinks, the world can be pretty fun if you loosen up a little.

In truth, these are NOT the results I had the first time I took the test. Here are my original results:

Your Likelihood of Committing Murder is -16% If you have a score of 0 or Below: You are the perfect being. Any psychotic tendencies you may possess are neatly balanced by you desire to help others and your devotion to the lord above. Well you could be an excellent human being, but you're most likely in denial. Try the test again, and try to tell the truth this time. If you still get a score of 0 then you may very well be the savior of the entire human race.

There were a couple of questions that I had to hesitate on before answering on my first pass. I don't know whether the hesitation was caused by really not knowing the answer, or in realizing that the answer made me appear "abnormal". So, the second time, I answered those questions differently - accounting for the difference in scores.

To my friends in the U.S.A., please accept my wishes for a safe and happy holiday.




This image was found at www.cromers.com

The cheque is in the mail

I'm not sure why I called - I had no reason to believe anything would happen this quickly. But, when I called the MARVIN line to check the status of my unemployment claim, the answer I got was different from any previous call. It said that I had fewer than 26 weeks of eligibility remaining. That was odd, since every call before today's indicated that I was eligible for the full time period. It only started to make sense when I asked the second question - when was my last payment sent.

To my surprise, and unrestrained joy, the message said that a payment had been issued yesterday! My appeal of the ineligibility ruling was granted, and I didn't even have to go for a hearing to get results! I am so happy, I could kiss my caseworker!

Terrorism grows from hatred. Hatred grows from ignorance. This week at Wimbledon, we see the effects of government sponsored hatred on an otherwise peaceful union.

There's probably a website that contains tons of these, but I had to list them here. I received these in today's batch of emails...

The letters in the following words/phrases can be rearranged to form other curious phrases:

Start with...	End up with...
George Bush	He bugs Gore
Dormitory	Dirty Room
Evangelist	Evil's Agent
Desperation	A Rope Ends It
The Morse Code	Here Come Dots
Slot Machines	Cash Lost in 'em
Animosity	Is No Amity
Mother-in-law	Woman Hitler
Snooze Alarms	Alas, No More Z's
A Decimal Point	I'm a Dot in Place
The Earthquakes	That Queer Shake
Eleven Plus Two	Twelve Plus One
PRESIDENT CLINTON OF THE USA	TO COPULATE, HE FINDS INTERNS

I wonder how long it took to come up with these?

For the holiday weekend, we've invited Laurie's mother, daughter, granddaughter, and daughter's boyfriend over our house for a swim and a meal. In addition, Laurie's son moved back home this past week, so he's also here.

I've spent most of the day indoors. Even at 5:30PM, the outside temperature is about 93 degrees, and I can't stand it when it gets over 80. I had downloaded a trial version of Backup MyPC at the end of May, so it was scheduled to expire yesterday. On Friday, I purchased the full version and today, I spent nearly 5 hours backing up my PC. The process should have only taken about 3-1/2 hours, but during my first backup attempt, the program came across a bad spot on one of the brand new CD-R discs I had been using. Instead of marking the spot as unusable and continuing on, the process failed with an unrecoverable error. All told, that first attempt wasted three discs.

The second attempt went to completion without incident, but during the verification readback step, the program signalled several errors, and now I don't know whether the backup is readable. I've also installed the software on my wife's PC, but she hasn't had an opportunity to use it yet. I don't know why, but I've had premonitions of a serious disk crash, and I just want to be prepared.