Gee, I never knew I cared
It's always wonderful when friends tell you (in confidence of course) that you have bad breath or body odors. It gives you the opportunity to practice self-improvement without embarassment. When they get a bit more personal, like sending emails which imply my manhood might need extension, it gets a bit more dicey. And when the emails come from yourself, it really makes you wonder whether you've been emailing in your sleep.
Over the past couple of days, I've received emails that have made it through my spam filter. Probably because the sender was none other than myself.
Like most prudent web users, I use several email accounts. Doing so allows me to monitor my sources of spam. If, say, my "bestguyontheplanet@freemailaccount.com" starts becoming a source of spam, I know that the webmasters at "toysforgrownmenwithnolife.com" have sold my name. You get the idea. So, it becomes particularly annoying when I start receiving spam with my PRIMARY EMAIL ACCOUNT showing up as the sender.
Although I don't use that account to send mail to strangers (as a rule), there have been times when I've clicked on a "contact" link in a webpage. Since my default email address is my main one, I guess that could account for it being sent into the world without a proper shield. So, I guess I'll have to be more careful and set my default address to be one of my throwaway accounts.
By the way, if you receive an email from me advising you that your manhood needs extension, I was only kidding.
Thursday, October 30, 2003
V-Day
Though technically it may be too early to declare total victory, we have noticed two things... no mice turds or trap disturbances near the feeding station atop the refrigerator, and no apparent change in food levels at either of the two indoor feeding stations. Funeral services are planned for tomorrow evening, followed by a wild party.
Though technically it may be too early to declare total victory, we have noticed two things... no mice turds or trap disturbances near the feeding station atop the refrigerator, and no apparent change in food levels at either of the two indoor feeding stations. Funeral services are planned for tomorrow evening, followed by a wild party.
Wednesday, October 29, 2003
That was special
Two days in Toronto, and I was ready to be back home. Truthfully, as good as it was seeing my sister in Toronto, and as friendly as the old office gang was, I still looked forward to the minute my work would be done so I could get back home. I do regret that I didn't get a chance to say goodbye to my sister in person. By the time she called me, I was 3/4 of the way home. I just couldn't have waited that long before hitting the road.
This morning, I was feeling the effects of an exhausting work schedule while away. I fought to get out of bed, and didn't start work until 10AM. By 2:15PM, I was exhausted and had to take a nap. Thankfully, there wasn't much work I could do today, so my exhaustion didn't affect any deadlines.
Two days in Toronto, and I was ready to be back home. Truthfully, as good as it was seeing my sister in Toronto, and as friendly as the old office gang was, I still looked forward to the minute my work would be done so I could get back home. I do regret that I didn't get a chance to say goodbye to my sister in person. By the time she called me, I was 3/4 of the way home. I just couldn't have waited that long before hitting the road.
This morning, I was feeling the effects of an exhausting work schedule while away. I fought to get out of bed, and didn't start work until 10AM. By 2:15PM, I was exhausted and had to take a nap. Thankfully, there wasn't much work I could do today, so my exhaustion didn't affect any deadlines.
Friday, October 24, 2003
Hi-Ho, Hi-Ho
It's off to Toronto I go. I think I could have accomplished what I need to do from here, but there's a crisis at work, and the other telecommuter (who only lives 60 miles from the office) volunteered to come in for a face-to-face on Monday morning. So, I thought it would be the "team" thing to do to volunteer to come in myself. That's OK... a little face time never hurt!
It's off to Toronto I go. I think I could have accomplished what I need to do from here, but there's a crisis at work, and the other telecommuter (who only lives 60 miles from the office) volunteered to come in for a face-to-face on Monday morning. So, I thought it would be the "team" thing to do to volunteer to come in myself. That's OK... a little face time never hurt!
Of Mice and Men
Yes, we have mice. The sucker that went into the closet died of dehydration. I've seen at least three identifiably different ones since that first encounter; including one that was inside the poison trap when I picked it up to take a look. Yeww! I don't know which of us was more surprised. He took off down the side of the refrigerator, and I tried to crush him between the fridge and the adjacent wall. Unfortunately, the wall is done in faux-brick, so there were enough indentations for him to survive my attempt.
We've currently got three feeding stations set up, and we're seeing dwindling food at all three stations. That's bad news for the mice, but also indicates we have a serious infestation. If we don't get them killed off soon, I think my wife will insist on an exterminator.
At least I haven't seen any more of the critters running through my office.
Yes, we have mice. The sucker that went into the closet died of dehydration. I've seen at least three identifiably different ones since that first encounter; including one that was inside the poison trap when I picked it up to take a look. Yeww! I don't know which of us was more surprised. He took off down the side of the refrigerator, and I tried to crush him between the fridge and the adjacent wall. Unfortunately, the wall is done in faux-brick, so there were enough indentations for him to survive my attempt.
We've currently got three feeding stations set up, and we're seeing dwindling food at all three stations. That's bad news for the mice, but also indicates we have a serious infestation. If we don't get them killed off soon, I think my wife will insist on an exterminator.
At least I haven't seen any more of the critters running through my office.
Monday, October 20, 2003
Busy week
It's been a busy week, and I'm not really in the mood to write much at the moment. The template I found is very basic. It's not made directly for blogger, so I'll have to do my own placement of blogger elements. That won't be too much of a problem. However, this template only gives me some basic graphics and stylesheet. I still have to figure out how to artistically lay out my content. And I'm the least artistic person I know.
I won't rush this. It'll go online when I'm ready.
A few days ago, my wife discovered mouse droppings, and a partially gnawed box of cereal. Since then, she's put down some poison pellets, and has been keeping me abreast of their dwindling numbers. Tonight, I saw a mouse standing brazenly about three feet from where I was sitting. I threw a shoe at it, and it didn't move. My second shoe made it scurry into a closet, where, as far as I know, it is now trapped.
About an hour later, I saw another mouse (I think it was another mouse). Anyway, it's time for stronger measures.
It's been a busy week, and I'm not really in the mood to write much at the moment. The template I found is very basic. It's not made directly for blogger, so I'll have to do my own placement of blogger elements. That won't be too much of a problem. However, this template only gives me some basic graphics and stylesheet. I still have to figure out how to artistically lay out my content. And I'm the least artistic person I know.
I won't rush this. It'll go online when I'm ready.
A few days ago, my wife discovered mouse droppings, and a partially gnawed box of cereal. Since then, she's put down some poison pellets, and has been keeping me abreast of their dwindling numbers. Tonight, I saw a mouse standing brazenly about three feet from where I was sitting. I threw a shoe at it, and it didn't move. My second shoe made it scurry into a closet, where, as far as I know, it is now trapped.
About an hour later, I saw another mouse (I think it was another mouse). Anyway, it's time for stronger measures.
Monday, October 13, 2003
Eureka!
I think I've found a new blog template. I still have to wait for permission from the author to use her work, but if she doesn't object, I'll soon be updating my template with one that sports a bit of colour.
We celebrated Thanksgiving Day dinner on Saturday night, coincident with my son's birthday. Much of the family got together for a scrumptious meal, then my wife and I stayed behind to share a DVD movie with my brother-in-law. He's recently upgraded his stereo system, including the purchase of a 400-disk carousel that can play any type of disc, including DVDs. A good time was had by all.
During the evening, I had a chance to fix some ongoing problems with their computer, and I made arrangements to pay a service call on my other brother-in-law, perhaps next weekend, to fix their computer. And I mustn't forget my sister, who has also put in her request for some help with her computer. It's good to be home again!
I think I've found a new blog template. I still have to wait for permission from the author to use her work, but if she doesn't object, I'll soon be updating my template with one that sports a bit of colour.
We celebrated Thanksgiving Day dinner on Saturday night, coincident with my son's birthday. Much of the family got together for a scrumptious meal, then my wife and I stayed behind to share a DVD movie with my brother-in-law. He's recently upgraded his stereo system, including the purchase of a 400-disk carousel that can play any type of disc, including DVDs. A good time was had by all.
During the evening, I had a chance to fix some ongoing problems with their computer, and I made arrangements to pay a service call on my other brother-in-law, perhaps next weekend, to fix their computer. And I mustn't forget my sister, who has also put in her request for some help with her computer. It's good to be home again!
Saturday, October 11, 2003
Ho-hum
It's been that kind of week. Nothing much to speak about. Maybe the most exciting thing was a visit from my uncle from France. I haven't seen him in about 10 years. He has a new girlfriend. He and his girlfriend are in their 80's, but still quite active. It was actually a pleasure seeing them. They came over to the house for a short visit, and my son charmed them with his three-sentence knowledge of the French language:
Bon jour
Au revoir
and the third one, which I don't know how to repeat, is the standard request a highschool French student needs to learn to get permission to go to the bathroom.
I'm looking forward to this long Thanksgiving Day weekend. It's also Jon's birthday tomorrow, and he's already spent the birthday money we intended to give him. Oh well, at least this year, he'll like his gift.
It's been that kind of week. Nothing much to speak about. Maybe the most exciting thing was a visit from my uncle from France. I haven't seen him in about 10 years. He has a new girlfriend. He and his girlfriend are in their 80's, but still quite active. It was actually a pleasure seeing them. They came over to the house for a short visit, and my son charmed them with his three-sentence knowledge of the French language:
Bon jour
Au revoir
and the third one, which I don't know how to repeat, is the standard request a highschool French student needs to learn to get permission to go to the bathroom.
I'm looking forward to this long Thanksgiving Day weekend. It's also Jon's birthday tomorrow, and he's already spent the birthday money we intended to give him. Oh well, at least this year, he'll like his gift.
Sunday, October 05, 2003
Yom Kippur
Yom Kippur is upon me once again. This year, being back in Windsor, I get to spend the day with my family in synagogue. Tonight was Kol Nidre, and I must say I was impressed with the sermon offered by our rabbi. Truth be told, I almost always like his sermons. As a relatively young rabbi (the first rabbi I've ever had that is younger than I am - I guess that's a sign of aging), he uses fairly "hip" language, and appeals to my own sensibilities. He gave a sermon tonight on the reasons behind the Kol Nidre prayer in the middle ages, and how that same motivation still holds for us today. It was fascinating.
I've found during the past several years that I've become intolerant of the kibbitzing that goes on in the pews. While I'm listening intently, trying to follow along in my prayerbook, other people who haven't spoken since the previous year are catching up on old news - in voices that could not, under any circumstances, be called whispers. As my father ages, he is beginning to be one of those kibbitzers, and it bothers me. I am embarassed by his outbursts, because he has his full faculties - it's not like he doesn't know what he's doing. Yet, it is still so pleasant to be there with him, that I can't bring myself to say anything to him - beyond the raised forefinger I bring to my lips in a silent rebuke.
The situation in Israel these days is scaring me. I'm scared not for specific people (my sister and her daughter left Israel two years ago, so there's no one there I need to be fearful about), but for the peace process. I'm not a dove, by any stretch of the imagination. But the hawks are becoming so prevalent, I'm afraid there will come a time when all-out war will be the only option open to the politicos of the region.
I'm rambling, I know. But I just have so many things going through my head. Oh well, I guess I should head to bed... otherwise, I may start to think about food.
Yom Kippur is upon me once again. This year, being back in Windsor, I get to spend the day with my family in synagogue. Tonight was Kol Nidre, and I must say I was impressed with the sermon offered by our rabbi. Truth be told, I almost always like his sermons. As a relatively young rabbi (the first rabbi I've ever had that is younger than I am - I guess that's a sign of aging), he uses fairly "hip" language, and appeals to my own sensibilities. He gave a sermon tonight on the reasons behind the Kol Nidre prayer in the middle ages, and how that same motivation still holds for us today. It was fascinating.
I've found during the past several years that I've become intolerant of the kibbitzing that goes on in the pews. While I'm listening intently, trying to follow along in my prayerbook, other people who haven't spoken since the previous year are catching up on old news - in voices that could not, under any circumstances, be called whispers. As my father ages, he is beginning to be one of those kibbitzers, and it bothers me. I am embarassed by his outbursts, because he has his full faculties - it's not like he doesn't know what he's doing. Yet, it is still so pleasant to be there with him, that I can't bring myself to say anything to him - beyond the raised forefinger I bring to my lips in a silent rebuke.
The situation in Israel these days is scaring me. I'm scared not for specific people (my sister and her daughter left Israel two years ago, so there's no one there I need to be fearful about), but for the peace process. I'm not a dove, by any stretch of the imagination. But the hawks are becoming so prevalent, I'm afraid there will come a time when all-out war will be the only option open to the politicos of the region.
I'm rambling, I know. But I just have so many things going through my head. Oh well, I guess I should head to bed... otherwise, I may start to think about food.
Friday, October 03, 2003
Family Pride
When my nephew was three years old, he warned me to stop talking "baby talk" to him - otherwise he would stop talking to me altogether. When he was 10, he told me of his interest in politics, and that he aspired to being premier of Ontario. The fact that he said "Ontario" instead of "Canada" spoke volumes of his intelligence and drive. It made me believe he had plans, not just dreams. Yesterday, he came one step closer to his wish. As an inner-circle political advisor and policy critic, first on the staff of Sandra Pupatello and now Dalton McGuinty, my nephew finds himself on the personal staff of the premier of Ontario. He's just 24 years old.
I have no doubts his ambition will see him go further. I just hope I'm still alive to see it come to fruition.
Congratulations, Aaron. Oh yeah, you too, Dalton!
When my nephew was three years old, he warned me to stop talking "baby talk" to him - otherwise he would stop talking to me altogether. When he was 10, he told me of his interest in politics, and that he aspired to being premier of Ontario. The fact that he said "Ontario" instead of "Canada" spoke volumes of his intelligence and drive. It made me believe he had plans, not just dreams. Yesterday, he came one step closer to his wish. As an inner-circle political advisor and policy critic, first on the staff of Sandra Pupatello and now Dalton McGuinty, my nephew finds himself on the personal staff of the premier of Ontario. He's just 24 years old.
I have no doubts his ambition will see him go further. I just hope I'm still alive to see it come to fruition.
Congratulations, Aaron. Oh yeah, you too, Dalton!
Tuesday, September 30, 2003
Tempus fugit
I can't believe it's been 10 days since my last post. That coincides quite nicely with the fact that I've been so very busy, I haven't even had the opportunity to update my timesheet at work. This morning, I finally got around to it after 11 days of not filling it out. Luckily, I keep a daily diary, so going back over it brings back all the relevant billable details. Steill, 10 days without a post...
The Jewish New Year came and went without much fanfare. I enjoyed spending time with my dad in the synagogue. At 83, he still has the majority of hand/arm strength he had as a young adult. He took great pleasure in clasping my hand and squeezing the crap out of it. In truth, there is the slightest bit of (dare I say) weakness in his grip, but only relative to his overpowering strength as a younger man. I'm sure there isn't a bottle cap that's a match for his current strength.
During the past days, I delivered a pet project to my boss at work. He's been too busy to comment on it yet, but I know he's going to be impressed. This little beauty of a utility will save us between 8 and 10 manhours of effort each week. That translates into quite a big payoff over the long haul. In fact, while I was working on it, he let me know that he had submitted my name as a potential presenter at a national conference, and this week, I found out that my submission was accepted. So, in November, I will present my utility at a conference in the U.S.
My regular duties at work have been keeping me very busy as well, and so far, knock wood, I haven't had the need to make a trip back to Toronto. All that could change if the boss requires that I do a dry run of my presentation for my colleagues at work before going to the conference.
That's about it. Just working, with not much time for entertainment. I did take a couple of hours to see Under the Tuscan Sun last weekend with my wife. We really enjoyed it. When it comes out on DVD, it will definitely be added to our collection.
That's about it for now. Gotta get some sleep!
I can't believe it's been 10 days since my last post. That coincides quite nicely with the fact that I've been so very busy, I haven't even had the opportunity to update my timesheet at work. This morning, I finally got around to it after 11 days of not filling it out. Luckily, I keep a daily diary, so going back over it brings back all the relevant billable details. Steill, 10 days without a post...
The Jewish New Year came and went without much fanfare. I enjoyed spending time with my dad in the synagogue. At 83, he still has the majority of hand/arm strength he had as a young adult. He took great pleasure in clasping my hand and squeezing the crap out of it. In truth, there is the slightest bit of (dare I say) weakness in his grip, but only relative to his overpowering strength as a younger man. I'm sure there isn't a bottle cap that's a match for his current strength.
During the past days, I delivered a pet project to my boss at work. He's been too busy to comment on it yet, but I know he's going to be impressed. This little beauty of a utility will save us between 8 and 10 manhours of effort each week. That translates into quite a big payoff over the long haul. In fact, while I was working on it, he let me know that he had submitted my name as a potential presenter at a national conference, and this week, I found out that my submission was accepted. So, in November, I will present my utility at a conference in the U.S.
My regular duties at work have been keeping me very busy as well, and so far, knock wood, I haven't had the need to make a trip back to Toronto. All that could change if the boss requires that I do a dry run of my presentation for my colleagues at work before going to the conference.
That's about it. Just working, with not much time for entertainment. I did take a couple of hours to see Under the Tuscan Sun last weekend with my wife. We really enjoyed it. When it comes out on DVD, it will definitely be added to our collection.
That's about it for now. Gotta get some sleep!
Saturday, September 20, 2003
Friday, September 19, 2003
Getting restless
It really is time to redo my blog template. I've been using the same one since I started blogging more than 18 months ago. I like simple things, and most of the nicely designed templates I've come across strike me as being "feminine" in nature. I enjoy pastels and tranquil scenes. But there just seems to be something more female-oriented in the templates I've seen. I don't know if it's because they were designed by women (and don't get me wrong - I'm not looking for a he-man testosterone-rich template either), but I guess I'll know it when I see it.
The closest I've come to a template I'd use is the one used by Lindsey. But of course, it would be in poor taste to visit the author's site and request the same template. I'll just keep my eyes open, and hope for the best.
It really is time to redo my blog template. I've been using the same one since I started blogging more than 18 months ago. I like simple things, and most of the nicely designed templates I've come across strike me as being "feminine" in nature. I enjoy pastels and tranquil scenes. But there just seems to be something more female-oriented in the templates I've seen. I don't know if it's because they were designed by women (and don't get me wrong - I'm not looking for a he-man testosterone-rich template either), but I guess I'll know it when I see it.
The closest I've come to a template I'd use is the one used by Lindsey. But of course, it would be in poor taste to visit the author's site and request the same template. I'll just keep my eyes open, and hope for the best.
Wednesday, September 17, 2003
As promised...
I know you've all been holding your breath. So here it is... my son's "new" car!
He's been grinning ear to ear since picking it up. Can you blame him? The car's in pretty good shape considering its age. He didn't have to put much money into it to get it road-worthy. A quick trip to the bank, the insurance company, and the license bureau (no complications at any stop) and he's on the road.
I know you've all been holding your breath. So here it is... my son's "new" car!
He's been grinning ear to ear since picking it up. Can you blame him? The car's in pretty good shape considering its age. He didn't have to put much money into it to get it road-worthy. A quick trip to the bank, the insurance company, and the license bureau (no complications at any stop) and he's on the road.
Monday, September 15, 2003
Sunday, September 14, 2003
A week without posting is like a day without sunshine (or something like that)
Being home has added to my workload. Not only am I working harder (and longer) at my job - partly to show thanks for the boss allowing me to return home - but I'm back to my role as family computer guru. I've been helping my wife recover from an unfortunate (and unnecessary) reformatting of her hard drive after we were unable to get a new wireless network working on her PC. That is a post in itself, but suffice to say that a missing email and some poor judgement translated into a week of pure hell for her machine.
On a positive note, I guess being able to work from the comfortable environment that is my home/office is really adding to my job satisfaction. I have an ergonomic chair, lots of desk space, a refrigerator and washroom within spitting distance, and, once in a while, I take a break to play with the "puppies". With all the goings on, and with blogger comments being offline for a pretty long time, there really seemed no reason to post.
Still, that doesn't mean that life has stood still.
You remember back in July when my son got into the car accident? This week, we got our new insurance bill. It was not pretty. In fact, it jumped from about $2000 to nearly $6000. I called the agent. She was sympathetic... but couldn't really do much about the bill. The only thing, according to her, that would put us back in the good graces of the insurance company would be:
1) Our son moves out of the house (so he's no longer counted as a "licensed driver" in the household), or
2) Our son have his own car (and pay the exhorbitant insurance on his own behalf)
Today, we opted for solution #2. With a little loan from his parents, my son bought his first car today. You should have seen how excited he was (thankfully, he kept himself in check while at the car dealership). It's a used car, sold as-is, and it will need some work after the safety inspection (hopefully not a LOT of work - he is on a budget). My real pleasure was when we left the dealership. Within moments, he was on the phone with his buddies, talking glowingly about the new acquisition. And, I understand that he's taken a page from my wife (who loves to name her cars) and given his new beast a moniker: Torn Ligament.
I'll have to post a picture of my son and his new dream machine once we're allowed to drive it off the lot.
Being home has added to my workload. Not only am I working harder (and longer) at my job - partly to show thanks for the boss allowing me to return home - but I'm back to my role as family computer guru. I've been helping my wife recover from an unfortunate (and unnecessary) reformatting of her hard drive after we were unable to get a new wireless network working on her PC. That is a post in itself, but suffice to say that a missing email and some poor judgement translated into a week of pure hell for her machine.
On a positive note, I guess being able to work from the comfortable environment that is my home/office is really adding to my job satisfaction. I have an ergonomic chair, lots of desk space, a refrigerator and washroom within spitting distance, and, once in a while, I take a break to play with the "puppies". With all the goings on, and with blogger comments being offline for a pretty long time, there really seemed no reason to post.
Still, that doesn't mean that life has stood still.
You remember back in July when my son got into the car accident? This week, we got our new insurance bill. It was not pretty. In fact, it jumped from about $2000 to nearly $6000. I called the agent. She was sympathetic... but couldn't really do much about the bill. The only thing, according to her, that would put us back in the good graces of the insurance company would be:
1) Our son moves out of the house (so he's no longer counted as a "licensed driver" in the household), or
2) Our son have his own car (and pay the exhorbitant insurance on his own behalf)
Today, we opted for solution #2. With a little loan from his parents, my son bought his first car today. You should have seen how excited he was (thankfully, he kept himself in check while at the car dealership). It's a used car, sold as-is, and it will need some work after the safety inspection (hopefully not a LOT of work - he is on a budget). My real pleasure was when we left the dealership. Within moments, he was on the phone with his buddies, talking glowingly about the new acquisition. And, I understand that he's taken a page from my wife (who loves to name her cars) and given his new beast a moniker: Torn Ligament.
I'll have to post a picture of my son and his new dream machine once we're allowed to drive it off the lot.
Saturday, September 06, 2003
An interesting week
Since Labour Day, I've been a stay-at-home worker. This has had several benefits: I've driven less in the past week than a single-day one-way commute in Toronto. I've worked more regular hours (my tendency before was to go to work late, and stay late, to avoid rush-hour traffic), and my co-workers are able to reach me at 9:00AM!
I am a bit more isolated from the hussle and bustle of daily office work. If I'm not there to grab, I can't be distracted as easily from my primary tasks. And finally, I can keep the temperature in my home office as cool as I want, without pissing anyone off. I work for a small company, and the owner hands out hand-written paycheques every two weeks. I'm still not sure whether he'll be writing/mailing in advance of payday, whether I'll be getting paid later than others, or whether I'll be expected to come in every two weeks to visit the office and pick up my paycheque. That last scenario will get old very quickly. I don't want to make a 500 mile trip every two weeks to pick up a cheque and make an appearance - it wastes an entire day of work-time, and I'm not the best at extended highway driving on boring (straight/flat/featureless) stretches of road.
Strange things have been happening with the new network setup at home. Not viruses or anything... just some sort of compatibility glitch that ultimately required that I reformat my wife's hard drive. Sure, we made a backup... it's the restore that's gonna kick me in the ass. After the format and reload of original OEM software, our computer was working OK. That reinforces that there's nothing wrong with the hardware; and that our hodge-podge of software is to blame. The hardest part will be progressively restoring programs from the backup, without causing the original problem to reappear.
Since Labour Day, I've been a stay-at-home worker. This has had several benefits: I've driven less in the past week than a single-day one-way commute in Toronto. I've worked more regular hours (my tendency before was to go to work late, and stay late, to avoid rush-hour traffic), and my co-workers are able to reach me at 9:00AM!
I am a bit more isolated from the hussle and bustle of daily office work. If I'm not there to grab, I can't be distracted as easily from my primary tasks. And finally, I can keep the temperature in my home office as cool as I want, without pissing anyone off. I work for a small company, and the owner hands out hand-written paycheques every two weeks. I'm still not sure whether he'll be writing/mailing in advance of payday, whether I'll be getting paid later than others, or whether I'll be expected to come in every two weeks to visit the office and pick up my paycheque. That last scenario will get old very quickly. I don't want to make a 500 mile trip every two weeks to pick up a cheque and make an appearance - it wastes an entire day of work-time, and I'm not the best at extended highway driving on boring (straight/flat/featureless) stretches of road.
Strange things have been happening with the new network setup at home. Not viruses or anything... just some sort of compatibility glitch that ultimately required that I reformat my wife's hard drive. Sure, we made a backup... it's the restore that's gonna kick me in the ass. After the format and reload of original OEM software, our computer was working OK. That reinforces that there's nothing wrong with the hardware; and that our hodge-podge of software is to blame. The hardest part will be progressively restoring programs from the backup, without causing the original problem to reappear.
Tuesday, September 02, 2003
There's no place like home
I've been back for a bit over 24 hours, and I won't be leaving again anytime soon. I've missed my family so badly, and they've missed me. Not just my wife, the kids and the dogs; but my parents and sister as well. I've visited everyone except my sister (who, ironically, is in Toronto this week) and I'm anxious to see her too.
Last week, I purchased a wireless router so that the computer on the second floor of our home could be connected to the internet without having to run cables upstairs. To make sure things would work, I tested the router by connecting it to the upstairs computer (where the cable outlet is) and creating a wireless network to my Windows Me machine downstairs. Everything worked OK. In practice, however, it is the downstairs site that now has the original cable modem, and I am trying to transmit upstairs.
Wouldn't you know it. The XP upstairs "detects" the wireless adapter in a way different than the Windows Me machine, and it's detection method is not working properly. In order to discourage signal theft and hacking, I set the wireless modem to not broadcast its' presence. Instead, the wireless PCI adapters send signals to the router. What I'm seeing on the XP is that the machine is sending signals out, but nothing is coming back. In the Windows Me configuration wizard (run from CD), I am able to customize a large number of parameters (I don't like using default values, as this is insecure). The customizations match those made on the main router. However, the XP configuration wizard is built-in to Windows. I can't force it to use the configuration utility on the CD, so I am unable to tweak the parameters to the same degree. So far, this means that the base and remote nodes are not talking to one another.
At least the wired ports in my office are working. I have tested the VPN connection, and all seems good to go. I can't wait for tomorrow morning!
I've been back for a bit over 24 hours, and I won't be leaving again anytime soon. I've missed my family so badly, and they've missed me. Not just my wife, the kids and the dogs; but my parents and sister as well. I've visited everyone except my sister (who, ironically, is in Toronto this week) and I'm anxious to see her too.
Last week, I purchased a wireless router so that the computer on the second floor of our home could be connected to the internet without having to run cables upstairs. To make sure things would work, I tested the router by connecting it to the upstairs computer (where the cable outlet is) and creating a wireless network to my Windows Me machine downstairs. Everything worked OK. In practice, however, it is the downstairs site that now has the original cable modem, and I am trying to transmit upstairs.
Wouldn't you know it. The XP upstairs "detects" the wireless adapter in a way different than the Windows Me machine, and it's detection method is not working properly. In order to discourage signal theft and hacking, I set the wireless modem to not broadcast its' presence. Instead, the wireless PCI adapters send signals to the router. What I'm seeing on the XP is that the machine is sending signals out, but nothing is coming back. In the Windows Me configuration wizard (run from CD), I am able to customize a large number of parameters (I don't like using default values, as this is insecure). The customizations match those made on the main router. However, the XP configuration wizard is built-in to Windows. I can't force it to use the configuration utility on the CD, so I am unable to tweak the parameters to the same degree. So far, this means that the base and remote nodes are not talking to one another.
At least the wired ports in my office are working. I have tested the VPN connection, and all seems good to go. I can't wait for tomorrow morning!
Friday, August 29, 2003
My last day
In a few hours, I begin my last full day in Toronto. I had hoped to do some packing today, but deep down, I knew it wouldn't get done. I'll probably start packing when I hear the moving van pulling up. That's nothing new, of course; but this time, with so little to pack, I actually thought I'd do it early. What was I thinking!
In a few hours, I begin my last full day in Toronto. I had hoped to do some packing today, but deep down, I knew it wouldn't get done. I'll probably start packing when I hear the moving van pulling up. That's nothing new, of course; but this time, with so little to pack, I actually thought I'd do it early. What was I thinking!