Diary of a Network Geek

As if dreaming about my ex-wife weren’t enough!

So, I’m glad that it’s a new week, because last week was a little rough.
First, my car was in the shop, again, for mysterious electrical problems that the mechanic never could find. Sadly, even though he only charged me for the tow, I still paid almost five hundred dollars for a week’s rental on a car.
Then, Tuesday, my cell phone falls in the toilet and shorts out. So, I go get a cell phone “upgrade” that I’m due and end up spending yet another hundred seventy-five dollars I don’t have. Oh, and during that whole process, I discover that not only have I lost most of my saved data from the address book, but my old backup software won’t work with the new phone, so I can’t get the data back easily.
But, wait! There’s more!
It turns out that my new phone is defective and ninety percent of the keys don’t work, which means I have to go back and get my new phone replaced. But, before I can do that on Thursday, I discover that I’ve been fined one-hundred thirty dollars because my lawn trash was out a day early. Perfect!
I know, you’re asking yourself what else could go wrong, right? Well, Friday morning, my car won’t start. Again.

Well, I think the second mechanic has finally found the problem and sorted it out. And, just to keep things in perspective, at least I don’t have cancer.

Attention Headhunters! I don’t want a new job!

Seriously? Thanks for making the overtures to me, but I really don’t want to change jobs.
First of all, these folks supported me when I was going through my cancer treatments when a lot of other companies would have been trying to get rid of me, if they could. And, I don’t mean that they were just supportive, but they kept me on the payroll, not disability, and let me come in and work when I could. How many places would do that?

Secondly, Seatrax is in the Oil and Gas industry, which is, frankly, booming right now. Granted, those $100/barrel oil prices really make things like gas expensive, but they also keep companies in our industry working. Right now, we’re doing very well. We have a lot of work and, based on what I’ve seen, it looks like we’re going to have work for quite a long time. So, if we’re about to go into a recession, which every seems to think we are, I’d rather work for a company with a proven track record who likes the work I do and has future business already.

Thirdly, I like working for a company that actually makes something and contributes to the GNP in a real way. In fact, I think Seatrax is the last, big, crane manufacturer in the United States. Frankly, I’m not sure I could name another post crane manufacturing company, period. And, yes, there is something cool about being associated with a company that make really, big, huge machines that go on the largest off-shore platforms in the world. I’m not sure what it is, but seeing one of those giant machines, in pieces, strapped down to a series of flatbed trucks cruising down the highway toward the shipyard to get installed makes me swell up with pride. There aren’t many companies in the U.S., who are owned buy U.S. backers, that actually produce things any more. At least, that’s how it seems to me. And, I think it’s great to be a part of a team that does.

So, in spite of some really great offers, I like the job I’m at and I’m just going to stay put.
Thanks, though.

The sale over at Threadless has been extended a couple of days.

So, it’s not too late to get some totally cool shirts like these:

(Yes, these are more shirts that I got when I bought my batch.)
Oh, and my shirts have arrived.  They’re superior quality.  Frankly, at $10 per shirt, it’s almost criminal to not get a couple, even if you just use them to work out in!

And, since I might as well throw it in here as anywhere else, if I finally get pictures taken of myself in these shirts, they’ll show up on my Flickr account, here: Network Geek’s Flickr Home.

I bought t-shirts last night.

Threadless is having a sale on their wicked-cool t-shirts. Some of these are pretty high-concept designs, but, at a mere $10 per t-shirt, it’s hard to beat.
But, the sale ends on 12/16, so you’d better hurry!

Among the ones I bought are…

Scanned and sushi-ed.

So, I survived my PET scan just fine today. Actually, I had a chest x-ray and some blood drawn, too, but those were minor compared to the PET scan. I prefer that, though, to the CAT scan. Something about all that barium really messes up my insides for a couple of days. In fact, when I told my oncologist that, she agreed to stick with the PET scans, unless they showed something to be worried about so that I didn’t have to deal with the indigestion and, um, other attendant problems that came with the CAT.
In any case, I won’t get the results of that for a week.
Afterward, my driver of the moment, J., and I went to a sushi joint. It was a place on Kirby called Azuma. It was pretty good and not too expensive, even if we did get the lunch specials, with a little extra. It had a nice, relaxing atmosphere and the sushi was really top-notch.
And, I’ve been meaning to mention that I had sushi with an old friend from back East a couple of weeks ago, too. He’s a consultant doing work for highly-confidential clients. It’s something he takes pretty seriously, which is a good thing, but, as a result, he couldn’t tell me that he was in town until he was, well, in town. So it was a really nice surprise and I ran down to his hotel to pick him up for dinner. We went to a different sushi place, which is why I thought of it again. That time, it was Shimako‘s on Westheimer. Also a very good place for sushi. He paid, though, so I have no idea about the prices.
I’ve been pretty lucky with my friends over the years. Somehow, I manage to find the most loyal, giving people who weather some of the strangest, most uncomfortable times with me. I’m honestly not sure how that works, but, well, I’m just going to accept it and be grateful.

Speaking of being grateful, I had a lot to be grateful for this weekend.
First of all, I came into a little money unexpectedly.  Not enough to dig me out of debt completely, but enough to pay one, lingering, medical bill that I’ve been ignoring with enough left over to do some charity stuff and pay cash for Christmas.  It was a very, very pleasant surprise, though, I have to admit, I was a little skeptical at first.
In any case, that got me so pumped up that I managed to motivate myself to get something like eight boxes of my ex-wife’s books out of the house.  Even better, I took them to the local Half-Price Books, so I actually got $60 for them.  Not bad, especially for books I really didn’t want in the house any more.  After the first of the year, I’ll have a couple more boxes sorted and ready to get rid of, so I’ll head back.  Now, sadly, I admit, I spent that cash on books for myself.  Still, I figure, books that I like are a good trade for books I don’t.

Now, the funny thing is, one large box of books was, um, rather, ah, “adult”.  So, I warned the nice lady who was going to sort them and make me an offer.  I didn’t want her to accidentally expose any kids to those books and scar them for life.  But, to ease us past the social awkwardness of that moment, I joked that they’d scarred enough lives already.  That got a little laugh and a bit of curiosity on her part.
When she called me back to tell me how much they’d give me, she assured me that I didn’t have anything in there that they hadn’t seen before.  Now, that might have been a bit of an exaggeration, I knew that there probably wasn’t much in there that would shock her.  But, I laughed and shrugged and said, “Well, you know, ex-wife…”
She laughed and smiled and said, “Yeah, I know, ex-husband.”
And she was kind of cute, in a butch way, and had some nice tattoos, so…  Well, let’s just say I’m looking forward to bringing the next batch of books which are somewhat less, ah, exciting than this last batch.

But, I was still so charged up from what I managed in the morning, that I got my laundry done and folded and put away.  And, I managed to get the wireless card working in an old, spare laptop, so it’s going to become a Christmas present for my red-neck nephew.  He’ll be excited, because he can sit in the coffee shop in the little, rural town where he lives and use their free wifi.  Yes, a coffee shop with free wireless in a town of less than 4,000.  Makes you wonder, doesn’t it?
And, then I got the rest of my Christmas shopping done.  My siblings and their families will be getting something from Bell’s Farm, as usual.  I like sending Texas fruit to the poor folks up North for a couple of reasons.  First, because fruit is so expensive up there this time of year.  And, also, because I had an uncle in Florida who used to send fruit every year, too, and I liked the idea of carrying on the tradition.  Though, I have to admit, he sent fruit to more people than I do!

Anyway, it was a great weekend and I got tons and tons of stuff done.  I did so much that I already have plans for a similar weekend coming up!  Though, next weekend will be devoted to photography and web design and stuff for the Super Secret Creative Project of Doom.  And, possibly working on a map and some background material for a setting idea I have for fiction.  I hope making it more solid, more real, will help me come up with ideas for stories.  We’ll see.  Oh, and I’ll write another post later in the week about my planned charity with a portion of my unexpected bounty.
Until then, though, keep your holiday spirits bright!

Okay, you’re going to see a lot of pictures.

Look, I apologize in advance, especially to the more experienced photographers who read my blog, but you all are going to see a lot of pictures here. Probably a lot of bad pictures as I figure out how to use this new camera, too. Hopefully, they’ll start getting better, but, well, I make no promises, eh?

In any case, now you all can see my new Canon Digital Rebel XTi.
Notice, I have two lenses. One small, but with image stabilization. One zoom, but without image stabilization. The CF card is in the camera, but I threw the box in the pic anyway. Oh, and notice the handy cable for getting pictures off the camera. And the software that came with the camera to install both drivers and a handy utility program that includes the ability to take pictures remotely via the USB interface. But, I can use the other cable to display pictures on a television, if I wanted. Oh, and the handy reference manual.

I have to admit, I’m beside myself with this. When my ex-wife got her digital camera all those years ago, I so wanted to play with it, but I wasn’t allowed. I mean, she paid for it and it was, ostensibly, hers and meant to improve her web mastering skills somehow. But, oh, how I wanted to use it. Especially when she let it just sit there after spending well over $1,000 for it. And, yes, I hoped that she’d “forget” and leave it behind, but she didn’t. And I am so glad because this camera is so good and if she’d left her old one, I never would have gotten this one.

Until I started taking pictures yesterday, I didn’t realize how badly I wanted a camera and to take pictures. I can even think of several little excursions into various parts of Houston that I haven’t explored that I’d like to take, just for the photo opportunities.
Now, of course, I’ll probably need to start saving for a better camera bag and a tripod…

I “failed” at NaNoWriMo, again.

I think November is quite possibly the absolute worst month for me to dedicate myself to a writing project. I end up with more social and work obligations in November than any other month of the year. At least, that’s how it’s seemed to me for the past several years. Hell, three years ago, when I planned to do NaNoWriMo for the first time, I was lucky to drag myself through the month at all! Last year, I was coughing blood and converting a phone system. This year I just had so many social obligations that I just got behind and never caught up.

And, I have to admit, I also didn’t plan things nearly enough. Last year, at least I had worked out a bit of research and I’d been writing a bit. This year, not only did I not do enough research, but I don’t think I’d written a word of fiction all year! Seriously, it’s kind of been a long year with a lot of physical demands on me, so I just haven’t been writing creatively, outside this blog, at all. I think it was pretty unrealistic of me to just jump in cold like that and expect to be writing over 1,500 words each day. In any case, I think what it proves to me is that I need to keep writing all the time. Waiting to get inspired is just foolish, as has been proven over and over by professional writers. Rather, if I keep writing, the inspiration will come of its own accord. So, that is my goal for the coming year: to write, every week.

To console myself, however, I bought my camera yesterday.
Ritz/Wolf Camera had a sale, which ended yesterday, that got me a Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi with an 18-55mm lens and a 75-300mm zoom lens for just under $800 before tax. I added a 2gig memory card and the two-year protection and maintenance plan as well. The maintenance plan seemed a little expensive, at first, until one considers that it will repair or replace the camera and either lens, no matter the damage, for two years. And, it included an annual cleaning, each of which were almost half the price of the plan. Well worth it, I think, considering the investment I made. Oh, and the package deal specified a regular 55mm lens, but they were out of that, so I got a free upgrade to an 18-55mm lens with image stabilization built in. Super cool!
To be honest, I felt a little guilty about buying the camera.
I mean, sure, I did “earn” the money via ad revenue and I have wanted a really good digital camera for a while now, but, well… Well, the guilty, co-dependant in me feels like I shouldn’t spend money on myself. Rather, I should be spending that money on some charity or other. Giving it to the church or feeding starving children in Africa or something. Naturally, I called a friend to churn this over in my head and his response did help put things in perspective for me.
“Look, you just survived cancer this year…” And, that was as far as he got before I had already gotten the point. Yes, it has been a rougher than usual year and I have really wanted a good camera with which I can make art for some time. But, I do want to avoid that whole feeling of entitlement. I don’t ever want to get back into a mindset of “I deserve this because things have been rough lately.” In the past, that kind of attitude has not served me well. Not at all.

So, I’ll try to avoid that feeling and still make use of and enjoy the camera.
I do deserve good things and I do deserve to have fun, cancer not with standing. I do work hard for most everything I have and I am grateful for the opportunities that God gives me, both to get good things and to give good things. And, I do appreciate every, single person who has ever clicked on an ad on my website that earned me the money to buy this. It has made me think more and pay more attention to advertising on other people’s websites, if nothing else.
And, of course, you all will get to see more photos as time goes by and I get better with my new toy. I know at least one unusual feature of Houston that I want to capture, though it may take some time. Oh, in case you hadn’t figured it out, all the pictures in this post were taken with the new camera.
Tomorrow, I’ll lay out the camera itself and take pictures of it, per a challenge from Peter, the Brit. Until then, though, enjoy these!

Not a bad idea at all…

Okay, so the runners have their iPod toys, it only makes sense that someone would come up with a wireless iPod dock for your bike. It’s not quite as “feature rich” as the Nike Plus  product, but it does have the charm of making your ride a little safer than earbuds would if you want music for your ride. And, since my doctor suggested bike riding is better for my knees than running, I’m actually thinking about this. Sadly, it’s not available until sometime in 2008, even though we know it’ll cost about $150.

Today is Wallace Shawn‘s Birthday.

Wallace Shawn is an avant garde playwright who was born in New York on this day in 1943. He’s the son of the former New Yorker editor William Shawn. I find him interesting, in part, because, even though his his friends took jobs writing for his father’s magazine, he didn’t. Instead, Shawn supported his playwriting by working as a photocopy clerk. But, and this is the idea that I like, he also got the idea of selling stock in himself, and managed to raise $2,500 from investors. To this day, he sends all those early investors a small annual check.

The other thing that fascinates me about Shawn is that you have probably seen him, even if you don’t recognize his name. You see, he wrote and starred in a movie titled My Dinner with Andre which came out in 1981 to much critical acclaim, which consists entirely of Shawn and the theater director Andre Gregory talking over dinner. I don’t know how well it did in the theatres at the time, but it became a cult classic.
You’re even more likely to know him as Mr. Wendell Hall from the movie Clueless, or Vizzini from The Princess Bride. Or, perhaps even as the voice of Rex from Toy Story. (For more of his acting resume, you can check out the Wallace Shawn entry on IMDB.)
I found it interesting that, for all his spot on timing in humorous roles, he claims not to understand what people find so funny about his acting or the characters he plays. He’s quoted on IMDB as having said, “I don’t happen to have a sense of humor personally, so I don’t know what’s funny about a character… This happens to be a feature of my life generally. I do things, and other people laugh at them. I rarely know what the joke is supposed to be or why they’re laughing.”

Anyway, he’s an interesting guy and I hope he has a happy birthday.

Hmm, maybe I could have a second job…

So, I saw a guy adverstising on the web for “Internet Marketing Services”, specifically, “Business Blog Services” and “Social Marketing Services”. Sounds simple enough to me. Frankly, I’ve done plenty of blog work for folks and I can’t imagine adding a business component to it would be that much extra work. But, this guy was asking for $600 to set up a blog! With WordPress, I’d be done in about 30 minutes, including upload time and configuration. $600 for less than an hour worth of work… Oh, and then, if you want his “daily blogging” service, wherein he will make a blog entry for you, seven days a week, that’s $500 per MONTH! And, if you want him to optimize your blog for the search engines, that’s another one-time fee of $500.
But, what got me was the ad copy for what he called “Social Media Optimization“. That service, his site claimed, includes “Search Engine Reputation Management, Social Marketing Team Launch & Management”. “Search engine reputation management”? Are you kidding me?! For not submitting your page to the search engines too often and making some minimal effort to make sure you don’t get black-balled by Google, he’s going to actually negotiate a fee? What’s more, it’s a variable fee, no doubt based on how much you know about search engines and the web. I have a feeling that the less a customer knows, the higher the fee.

Wow, I could make a bundle at this kind of thing. If only I didn’t have ethics and the last vestige of a conscience…

(And, if you haven’t voted yet, check out the pictures from two posts ago and vote!!)