Archive for December, 2005
The thing about being “Hard to Buy For” I get some cash each year, however this year, I actually got a slew of things I asked for since they were affordable and easy, granted I didnt get my iMac G5, or digital camera, so that leaves me back on my journey of my digital camera desires.
I have been reading up on cameras again, and again Evolt E-300 comes up nicely, granted the Canon Rebel XT has some nice perks the big perk in the Evolt line is its Supersonic Wave Filter which at camera start up (aka when you have attached your lens and are ready to shoot photos it vibrates the inner mirror to sake off dust/dirt particles - granted many reviews made the note to explain it doesnt get rid of finger-prints, but considering that in foremer standard cameras I have played with 9/10 it was dust that got me (still is on my A510).
All in all, it feels like a good fit @ 8MP, RAW/TIFF saving, Lens Expansion, Manual Control - plus fair pricing on add-on’s (extra battery & additional lenses) I imagine I could have some fun, because after hitting flickr, and some shots from Lindsay - I think it’ll be fun, in the end it’s not just about what’s on the screen, but what comes out of the printer.
So far the cart includes:
Extra Battery
Nice Camera Bag
2GB Compact Flash Card
Memory Card Case
And of course, the E300 Kit (2 lenses).
It all comes out under $1,000 - with Newegg’s 6 month’s no intrest/payments, I can pay it off in $145 bits for 6 months, probably less if these new ventures take off, but the ability to budget it out over time, and no intrest payments from a credit card to worry about - very nice indeed.
Anywhoo, few more reviews to read, a phone meeting I am not looking forward to as I have no idea what this person wants to talk about (they never emailed me back as to why they want the call) - but I may be hitting buy in the next few hours… unless someone has some really compelling & earth shattering information as to why I should not. 
Crazy Times, people passing away (Julie’s Dad passed away), People having Surgery, People Shooting themselves, but thats just the bad stuff - it seems a lot of this end of year is focusing on the bad, the sharp pains of recent days, but for me I just keep looking for the positive… some things on my positive list, Joys in my little World:
- My Anxiety - Really has mellowed some this year, been able to get out and do a lot more, go to a lot more places, and work through the worst of it, and know when I can push there and when I still have to run away, but the running away isnt as much anymore, definately joyful about that.
- Friends - This year for finding old friends has been awesome, lots of old friends poping up out of the woodwork, and some I have talked to in years past finding me, and hanging out with me - definately some fun stuff to have more folks to hang out with again.
- Business - A fair year of growth, moved into a real office, more clients, big projects, good payouts, new hardware for mobile computing, and a busy 2006 already lining up with $1000 a month pay days for a single client! w00t!
- Health - While I am still heavy, my health in general has improved, not eating horrible all the time but I am also trying to hit the gym a couple times a month, esepcailly during hi-stress times to work off the extra anxious energy, having a membership till 2007 helps too
- Money - My budget this year has really increased, granted not by huge leaps and bounds to making $4000 a month or anything (donations welcome) but it has allowed for me to once again start saving, and putting some away for a house/apartment or possibly a car (at the rate mine is wearing down, might be a car sooner than I care to think) - but God’s been good.
- Away from the PC - Enjoyed a lot of photography moments this year, thus why I really really want to invest in a nice dSLR camera, some nice lenses and filters, just get mildly more professional and as I said previously, maybe do some photo work on the side.
I am sure there is more to that list, a lot of things I can’t put publically for many reasons, but despite deaths, despite sufferings, despite a lot going on, Jesus is still the reason for the season, he’s still in control, and while this may be a time of grimm things, people feeling so lost they have to end it all, the truth of the matter is, life’s errors can be fixed, you may pay for your mistakes here on this ol earth, but none the less, your life can go on.
Try to focus on the true Joys in your life this holiday season, you may have parents who seperated this year, or passed away, or money problems, or school problems - they may seem like unscalable mountains right now, but two verses, two promises which must be shared kind of sum it up - Psalm 28:7 and Romans 8:28 - things happen in life, we may not understand it, but we have to push forward, have as Ginny Owens put it:
It may not be the way I would have chosen
When you lead me through a world that’s not my own
But You never said it would be easy
You only said I’ll never go alone
And with that I say “Merry Christmas” and have a Happy New Year - I may not be posting between now and then, but time will tell 
Thanks to Kari for the Christmas card brings my card count to #3 Take care all, don’t OD on the Nogg.
So far this holiday season has been odd - people are on-edge, rude, driving crazy, upset about silly things, etc. I just love how media/christian groups made a huge stink about Target & “Happy Holidays” and yet every cashier at Target I have had check me out always said “Merry Christmas!” as I left - silly stuff.
You’d think people would be giving folks a break, but lately I have had people be short with me even at fast food places, so much for holiday cheer - but such is life I suppose, lot of people sick, hospitalized, etc. found out from K-Man tonight that his wife’s dad may not make it through the night, definately keep them in your prayers, sad stuff watching someone you love slowly pass-on.
But it also seems to have it’s good things, had a nice chat with a long time client today, lots of promising things coming with the new year, so pretty jazzed, Rosie has all her paper work in for her college loan, had a nice time at my cousin’s baby shower, going to see the lights @ CALM, got a lot done on projects today - and such, hopefully people will begin to mellow some come mid-week, as things start to head more and more towards Christmas day, my only major trick I must pull off is finding a gift for Rosie in which she won’t hit or yell me for, and somehow find a way to disguse it to make her think it’s cheese (long story)
Anywhoo - that’s all my rambling mind has for now, might be back in 30, as I am waiting on a project to finish uploading then I have 3 other things to upload, so busy busy busy night, but should be getting a lot done, just wish I had 30 hours more.
So I have been slowly working through this bag of candy my sister gave me (starburst’s are all gone now) - but I am sitting here with a shopping cart @ Newegg.com, what’s in it?
OLYMPUS E-300 Dual Lens Kit Black 8 million pixels Digital Camera w/ 14-40 and 40-150 mm lens
VIKING 1GB Compact Flash (CF) Card Model CF1GB
Adobe Creative Suites Premium CS 2 for Windows
Total cart cost? Tax, Shipping (yada yada) = $2,029.51 - why? I need newer Photoshop that’s not a loan’d copy, and I really want to take a leap in photography fun, even considering pushing a update on my profile at the local community college and taking a class - but they use old skool standard cameras I heard, but I would love to know more on Photography, not because I want to be a photographer full time, but it might be a nice side gig - because a break from looking at 10101010101 all day would be nice
This week though is jam packed with work, finally some things are coming about, been waiting on a few software vendors, and most came through, waiting on some SSL certs I ordered Saturday, but for some reason I have been billed for them, but not recieved the vouchers to get them online, but all in all this week before Christmas weekend will be a busy busy one, still pretty much all gifts to buy but I think I have all them figured out except one, and its the one that is pretty important to me and at the same time I am weary about getting it… long story - for another day
But all in all I think this week I am going to get me some semi-normal sleep with the days I’ll running around crazy dodging all the local highschool kids who are now loosed upon Bakersfield! Stunt driving should be offered at BC
Anywhoo I am alive, just been tied up in work more than I’d care to admit, but I am working on a few things for one a job description/benefits offer for FlockHosting/Thrust Networks sales reps, of which they will only work on Comissions but working out a nice set of benefits for those who remain a active sales rep each month (at least 3 sign-up’s a month) and getting the server to accomidate it So if your interested in some part time work, do let me know - kick backs and comission amounts for various accounts should be written up and done by end of Jan at this rate, but should be good stuff.
Well I am going to go now, must go pray over this order, really want to, big investment, but I think some nice rewards to it, and if NewEgg has all this stuff in California, I should “In Theory” get it by Wednesday at the earliest…. so many choices, so little time
I like taking pictures, if this whole internet thing ever falls by the wayside, I think I’d go back to school for photography - I enjoy it, its a nice way to unwind, of course if I did it professionally, I am sure it’d start to grind on me after a while, but 10+ years in the computer world, it is definately a nice escape
Tonight while sitting @ Newegg getting a northbridge cooler for my computer here at the house, I browsed dSLR cameras, the E-300 (as mentioned by Linz on her blog) and the Rebel XT (as I love Canon) - both have great features, lenses, etc. and both carry a hefty price tag, but part of me wants to get one or the other soon so I can have a ultra nice camera for Christmas for taking shots of things this year - plus it’d be nice to have for me unwinding as once the new year starts I usually get a short breather as things calm down for a month or 3! Which is a nice time to breathe, and with my brother living at the coast now, I have a fun place to go and relax and take photos, plus some things on the trip to his house which might be fun to stop and take some photos of, so its very appealing.
Reason I like Newegg for cameras & high cost devices, is the ability to get 6 months no payments/no intrest - but break it into a simple payment plan, I’d say $200 down, and $100 a month, and I am easily safe to pay off the camera/device with no worries nor major strain on my budget - so definately nice, but at the same time, always weary this time of year of getting things as someone may get something for me - granted not something I usually have dropped on me, a large purchase, but none the less this year has already presented me with un-expected gifts, and such, so don’t wanna risk it
Anywhoo, im starting to ramble, which hopefully means I am getting tired again, if anyone wants to donate a dSLR camera, or to the dSLR camera fund, please let me know I love my Canon A510, but I’d love a tad more professional, upgradeable camera, the E-300 impressed me with its firmware upgrades Very nice.
Again I ramble, thus I go
Well this weekend left me a tad sore, and a tad tired - helped my brother move to the beach (Grover Beach to be Exact) - they have a nice house and a 2hr drive from Bakersfield - but with the help of Honesty, Dad, Beth, Michael, and Me, we got them unloaded in 2hrs and then after a short sit, we left for a 2hr journey back to Bako.
This morning I found all my bruises, all my sore spots, but thankfully the muscle I pulled in the truck didn’t stick around too much, so no HORRIBLE pain, just minor ouch here and there.
All in all a fun weekend, nice road trip, as usual part of my unwinding on road trips, I like to take photos (link to flickr set) so it was fun, didn’t take too many, simply because I spent a lot of time talking to my bro on the ride in the truck, but it was a fun trip, might do it again here in a month or two once they settle in and pay them a visit.
Anywhoo work work work beckons, been writing most of the morning, and a few phone calls, haven’t even gotten free to make it to the office yet, but soon I hope
So here I am, already journaled earlier this evening, took a short nap, watched the last 35m of Oceans 12, went over LogWatches again - same lowered attacks - but all attacks are slowing lately, all servers, all subnets, so I am guessing the upstream provider is doing some sanity checks, I am still getting scanned now and again, but no more massive login attempt blasts, part of me is worried, part of me is happy, but it’s burning up brain time even pondering about it - so I am trying to put it aside, and keep a watchful eye through out the day/night, but not totally obsessive (well, within reason).
Talked to Rosie yesterday, she got to the doctor, got checked out and got meds to help fight off the sinus infect and such, flu season this year has been a pain, I know I was sick for a while there - but she’s on the way to recovery, just has to take some meds, and she got some sleep yesterday afternoon I hope - but keep her in your prayers if ya could, holiday season working Cafe @ B&N has got to be stressful and mildly irritating - don’t get me wrong, people who like the Java are good folk, just holidays people tend to be in a hurry and can sometimes be short with folk.
Work front above and beyond servers, may be loosing the office - but I am okay with it to a point, I’d miss the ability to have meetings, and not have to find some neutral location, but at the same time it may not be worth keeping if I am footing the entire bill + bandwidth, as it stands I share the space with my brother, and as of Friday he is moving to the beach, Saturday we are packing up his belongings into a large truck, and heading up to his new abode - be kidna tough for me as it means I don’t get to hang out with my niece as much, but it does give me a place to road trip to as of the first of the year when things calm down a bit - so that’s good - but as for the office, time will tell what is to happen, if they could lower rent $100, and I could almost do it and get a basic net connection via cable/dsl at the office, but at the same time it’d almost be easier to move back to home with a home office.
Personal life has been on the low side lately, so much going on, end of the year is always a pain, and with getting CMC up to snuff with it’s new layout, and a few other projects pending and being worked on, I am tired, but as things lighten up or there are lite days, by all means I am going to veg out, chat with friends, etc. need some relaxin soon, Rosie was cheering me on for going to the beach, but only thing is I see myself loading a fridge on my back and carring it up stairs for some reason…. I love moving
Anywhoo that’s my status report here at 5am, I think I might load up and goto the gym and burn off some of this anxiousness from server craziness, whenever there is something like false positives that come up I get anxious for a few days - ocupational hazard I suppose. Anywhoo keep the prayers comin, things are smoothin out, and hopefully before years end I can get this last server swaped out and new one in place.
