My Weekend - Ah to relax!

Soooo it’s the weekend. A nice weekend thus far, a quiet evening tonight, watching p.s. I love you - it’s not too shabby - one of those story lines which have a mixed tempo, from fast to really really really slow, but so far the story line is moving again and who knows it may keep pace for a while longer (one can hope).

I have been researching batteries for the laptop, as its getting odd lately, and not holding a charge as well as it used to, and coming out like at 80% at the first start up in the morning - it’s one of the things I am considering picking up as it starts $99 for a higher capacity than the apple default, so pretty jazzed.

Still looking around for a good slim digital camera, something that will fit into my pocket vs. a massive camera bag that goes along with the dSLR - the main reason is I haven’t had a good photo day in months (silly job) but I want something that’s easy to tote around and also quickly use, so I have been looking around at various options but nothing is 100% what I’d like -OR- the other side of it, no reviews what so ever, which is one thing I like to read before going crazy and dropping 1-200 bucks… but I will keep looking as I am not in a major hurry as I am wanting to set some cash aside and continue to rebuild savings and have a good pad on my bank account for the coming months.

Anywhoo - currently at 20% battery life, trying to run it down and see if I can’t get myself re-calibrated properly but time will tell, and who knows maybe I can hold off on a $100 battery purchase in the near future… but I am going to hit post now so I don’t loose this to the oblivion of battery death. Have a great Sunday folks.

Mostly Alive… Sorta. Yeah.

Soooo what a week thus far, 1 more day to go, but it’s been quite a ride. Apparently the cat is out of the bag finally, with the co-owner of the company coming in for a week, and an investor showing up, folks got the hint that the company may be up for sale - though from what I am gathering from long-timers, this has been attempted once before, and nothing happened, so time will tell - maybe they’ll give me an IT budget but hopefully tomorrow I can work out something for my hope of a firewall and 15 computers.

I have been considering my DVD renting practices, as it stands I am doing Netflix, but I am getting bored of it, the online watching is cool, but limited to Windows, not a HUGE deal, as currently my media rig is Vista, but Netflix seems to of slowed, I recall getting DVD’s quickly, but last took about 4 days to get, and when I did get it, snapped in two. I realize this happens, BUT with Blockbuster, I could take in the envelope and tada, new DVD, cost is the only thing that I am weary about when it comes to price, as it stands with Netflix, I am on the lowest plan with live watching, but even at unlimited 1 out, and unlimited in-store exchange, it’s $22 a month, BUT that does mean instant change, not wait 4 days for a new movie - so I am considering it after I get the last of these bills paid.

iPhone is doing well, T-Mobile’s data speeds seem very nice as of late, and since I got off the 2Wire DSL at work, much more stable wireless across the board, it hops between the Linksys’s just fine, and allows me access to my mail in a quick pinch, plus SSH, just need to get my key on there so I can easily get onto servers vs ssh -> home -> server.

Sleep has been better lately, for a week or so it was out of order, as it can become with me, and yet again someone suggesting that I may suffer from insomnia - again I suppose it’s possible, I just think I have a very different way of sleeping… yeah that’s it! But so far so good, some good rest and I woke up only a little groggy not flat out exhausted.

Anywhoo - more tomorrow as it has become my weekly blogging day it seems sometimes, but for now I am going to go and stare at some code… yay.

It’s Friday. Finally!

So Friday is now upon us. The week hasn’t been horrible, got to hang out with friends last night, till about midnight, and till about 11 tonight enjoying Iron Man opening night, some friends opt’d not to come, been a busy week, but I really wanted to go, so did Dan and Cam, so we loaded up in ol Red (Dan’s Truck) and went to east hills for the movie… like 12 people total in the theatre - as always fun. Hint hint - stay after the credits.

Tonight ended mixed I think, found out what the rock I heard hit me hit tonight while washing my windows and getting my car washed, my windshield looks like it smashed about 5 inches from the mirror mount, cracking a L shape into the windshield, haven’t noticed because it’s behind the mirror, thus invisible to me as I am driving, but it does need to be dealt with before it grows, breaks, other - but PTL it didn’t break on impact, a good windshield for sure, now it just needs some love, maybe while I’m in there get some tint on it! The joys of cars.

Lot on my mind tonight, lot been on my mind lately, I dunno, part of me really just wants a vacation, a break, I’ve done my own schedule so long, and I could fit in breaks, a breath, but today at work was just bam bam bam, one thing after another, and most of it was dump’d on me things someone else was given to do, but since they were busy, I got it, things which should simply be copied and handed out, are re-written by me, and placed in boxes, things which to me in my mind are “basics” of computers, folks either don’t know how to do it, or a frightened to do so in fear of the PTB coming down on them! I guess I am just blessed more than I truly realize - I have customers who learn, read, experiment, roll back a version if needs be, who handle some things on their own, but sometimes I think my old Drafting teacher is out to get me, he said I should be a teacher lol.

Anywhoo - I know part of my problem is I am still amp’ing down, but already way too tired to probably be up and be getting up in about 6 hours to goto work for 30m or so, then drive north to the accountant’s house and do some computer work…. so I will say Goodnight, and for the short end of my Iron Man review, here it is: Go See It. Night.

The magic number: 237

So in 2 weeks… I get to attempt my first large-scale migration while working a standard 9-5 job - now for my own clients migrations have gone over smoothly, most are aware of the issues that could happen, most manage their own websites and update application configurations, upgrade the software itself, they download their mail, backup their OWN copy just in case, it’s a rather impressive thing, I have some amazing clients - but in this case, some outdated software, lack of user involvement (most are created by the host + managed by the host) - not saying this is a bad thing, but in a migration in the past we had some issues.

This time it will be different. By Thursday there will be a drafted email blast to all customers on the affected servers, it will go out no later than Friday evening letting folks know 1 full week in advance that changes to servers are coming, that of DNS, location, configuration, etc. give a few risks involved, possible downtime windows, and going from there thru the weekend - aka “fun” it also means some money in my pocket as well which leads to the next thing. The Magic Number

The number is my cost of my ticket. I think it’s actually LESS than what I paid last time, so all I need to do is call in tomorrow, pay it over the phone, and do online traffic school, and ta-da, no pesky court date, no delays, paid, cleared, back to normal, and hopefully not another ticket for another 5 years, but it’s all in all just one last thing that has been hanging on my mind lately, so tomorrow I give a ring, make a payment, sign-up for traffic school, get it done, and then the budget can return to it’s previous state of increasing… which is now part of my flip-flop going back to the top one
I am picking up additional work with servers, granted I do need to iron out some details in regards to payment - aka need to get things on a monthly payment plan via card vs. check - I don’t mind check’s for small things paid up in a year, so 1 big check, but to do that would be a big big big big big check - but it’s something I plan to discuss on another day, other possible work is more of a fun thing I think I am going to do is 2 church related things, and I don’t get paid a penny! I may be helping Dan-o with the new Church Website, which is uber cool, and maybe, be singing for The Hub on Sunday…. sooooo work but a blessing!

Anywhoo - there it is, busy busy at work, and I could go into details, but honestly I get tired of talking about the 8-5 grind, it makes me tired, thus I am going to flip off the lights, sigh a sigh of relief on the ticket, and fall asleep watching some crazy movie (The Comebacks?) so I wish you all a very happy Wednesday! Keep it real, Rock on for Jesus, and Keep on Truckin (I think that’s all I’ve got) - night folks!

ps. Dan, Jake, Scott, Val, Gavin, Cameron, Blaine, Cory, Jeff, Matt, etc. etc. etc. Who’s up for 830p showing of Iron Man Thursday? Anyone?

Email, Work, Sleep

So another day, another dollar? Okay so I may of made $2… just how it seems to go - today we found some crazy stuff happening with Email on a customer’s oldest server. It has been his longest standing server and it’s starting to show it’s age, but thankfully nothing major damaged, and things are still running … slow & steady, but running. Tomorrow I meet with the client to discuss some options, some I think he’ll like, others I think he’ll think I am crazy - but hey what’s new, everyone knows I am a tad nuts.

Work was fair today, Sales team is back after a week @ their annual sales meeting - things are starting to get back to their “norm” so to speak, still I am sure more settling back in, but all in all, it’s getting there! But I do hope to find out today (tuesday) if I can switch my hours from 8->5 to 9->6 - if so it’d be saweet - if not, it was worth a try, hopefully someone will give me a break now and again, I know I am their primary IT guy, but even I need a break now and again, not to mention a moment or two for work on my business - but even that has been a good balance lately.

Sleep though is what I am lacking as of late, I am trying to get back into a normal pattern, but sadly that hasn’t happened as of yet, so I am running on a few hours a night, maybe 3-4 if I am lucky, but at least it isn’t due to pain, that was not even a quality 3-4 hours of sleep - but I know I should wrap up, eat my food, and then crash out as morning is going to come, the day is of course going to speed by me, then I’ll be in not 1, but 2 - count em 2 meetings 1, with said customer above, but the 2nd with Dan about the Church website, which may be fun, may be not.

Anywhoo - that’s it, busy busy as always, more rumors about a 3G iPhone floating around… but I think really I am good with the EDGE model, I know I know - rumors of GPS, Lightsabers, etc. etc. etc. and we won’t know for sure until it finally arrives, but even then I imagine things like GPS and such will be paid additions, I mean come on - it’s AT&T and Apple - but if they get crazy and offer a upgrade for a low fee for trading in my unit as I purchased so recently, I may actually give AT&T wireless another try.. if not - I think I am going to have a friendly chat with T-Mobile and re-work my plan a bit…. but thats another rambling for another time. I’m off! Night folks!

Review: The iPhone (8GB)

I started off not liking the iPhone, and I still am not 100% sold, granted this is first generation (do the bigger sizes count as hardware revisions?) none the less it’s not a perfect phone, and yet it’s features are probably one of the better ones out there that are easily available via a US GSM cell phone provider.

The community’s use of Installer really does make the product very useable, but the core OS has some things to catch-up on, as many have stated MMS support, while not a must for me, I can understand the frustration folks have in trying to send a friend a picture to their cell, only to have no option to do so - but Installer’s list of repo’s and apps have closed the gap some, including support for Flickr, Twitter, Terminal, etc. all apps which were on my “I’d like to..” list.

For me the big sell was really 3 core things, 1 - Terminal, hello SSH, 2 - Mobile Safari - even over EDGE on T-Mobile it’s great for simple terminal access, 3 - Mail - IMAP galore, even Gmail/Yahoo support, so I have a few more to add, but it’s very handy.

Things that wil need to change before I can say “Woah! Awesome, I love thee iPhone!” are:

1. The ability to make a signature per-account vs. 1 global sig.
2. Email Attachments other than Photos
3. Word/Doc editing support.
4. Supporting flash, even if it’s a “Click to Activate” like Quicktime.
5. Video Recording App - Flickr now has Video Support, so heck yeah
6. Rotation across all apps, widescreen SSH with a smaller keyboard - or external keyboard to dock onto the phone.
7. Bluetooth Sending! This would make life great, beam contacts, files, etc. the one thing I miss is being able to Bluetooth things from the Mac -> Phone.

Really those are my only major gripes, it linked up with my headset no issue, BSD backend is nice to have access to for dig/whois etc. some common tools for my business, but everything else works well enough.

I know that a new firmware is just around the corner, and there are some grumbles that it will be harder to hack/unlock - I pray folks are wrong, as Apple would probably lock out a good portion of their phone users, as I know many (like myself) are not fond of AT&T - granted I am still considering giving them a try, but I want to test it out good, both home and work, but then and only then would I consider moving my # over, and even then about 400 of my minutes a month are to customers on the 5 Favs, or on T-Mobile… so roll over better add up quick

Anywhoo - all in all I enjoy the device, hopefully it will be continually improved either by Apple or the community by use of Installer.app but I don’t think I am going to return it hoping for a 3G model, this works for me, and if I decide to stick with T-Mobile, I’ll have no worries.

Yup, It’s the Weekend

So the week is done, twas a long one, with little sleep, but I am alive, and probably going to pass out here in a minute, but just figured I’d post a note.

A good week overall I’d say, the iPhone is doing well, with all the talk of 3G I have considered taking it back, but at the same time, it works, it does what I need, WiFi will always be faster, and granted 3G speeds will beat that of EDGE, at the end of the day Edge is more widespread, and like last time AT&T’s big data release, unless they REALLY learned from last time, we’ll probably see more outages, and for those who get it for T-Mobile’s 3G being rolled out, outages there too I’d imagine… if it’s not locked into AT&T’s 3G network!

Anywhoo - busy day tomorrow, meeting about servers in the afternoon, probably a service call in the morning across the street to look at a DVD Burner Issue, and Dinner later that evening with friends, so busy busy - so I am going to crawl over to my bed, start up the movie where I left off, and dream happy dreams. Night.