Toast - it’s the breakfast of champions. Been quite a morning, just got offered a house to rent for $500 (3 bdrm, 1 bath) pretty sweet deal, thought its all teetering on another property, long story more later, I just got an alert that a file had been uploaded to the /tmp folder on a server, checked it out, thankfully no-execute permissions, and /tmp is mounted noexec - so both big pluses - did some checks around the system, things look clean - so PTL for that - but the site my guess got nix’d by its CMS, which is highly highly outdated, but for now site is suspended, and waiting to hear back from the owner, I really want to move up to PHP5, Sushion, and SuPHP.
Got a call last night from the kMan about a emergency project with a movie company, really a hotfix, but invoice-able time so fun more so than the usual project as of late, but got it all squared away - made some money, so can’t complain too much, but I did get sleep last night, which I am very happy I did as when I’m on lack of sleep, and things like a site get hacked, tends to kick me into hyper-stress mode, thankfully I got in, removed the file, suspended the account, did the quick audit, so happy to have a cool head this early AM.
So quite a start to a monday, I do want to take a nap now (been up since 5am) but the day presses on, some PHP work is on the agenda, going to utilize some PHP5 magic & modules, so hopefully nothing else huge jumps up and bites me… unless it pays well, I may have a house to rent here soon
So I have a monster monster monster headache (yes, that’s 3 monsters) not sure what the deal is (crazy stress maybe?) but I am trying to chalk most of the oddness with finances lately up to change. I am trying to make change in my life lately, and it’s all part of the game I suppose! I have nearly $200 in monthly checks floating in la-la land, post office can’t find em, clients all say they sent em, I have two active merchant accounts as I phase the old one out, so I have money in two places - but all things considered, even with overdraft looming, I am trying to keep my chin up.
I have this big dream of things being awesome, new servers, new hardware/software, new clients, new contracts, good stuff all around, but as it stands, there’s a few road blocks here, thankfully I have started to clear a few, like with the mail situation above, I went and got a PO Box @ The UPS Store (easy to get to, and 2 months free), I am almost done with merchant accounts, should be able to full close down the other one by mid-November - and with the new billing system, and reduced expenses each month closing out things I don’t “NEED” my hope, my goal, is a more healthy budget overall.
It’s Friday - and my big hope for the day is that they have the mail issue sorted and there will be a pile of waiting mail, also that the kMan can have a check for me for his server goodies, but also that I get a chance to chat with him, as I think I found a way to upgrade his server AND keep his costs low, I’d love to just run away and have a Photo Friday, the weather being mild lately has green’d things up a bit, but life must be dealt with, and thus I am going to slide over to bed, lay down and hope my head stops ringing.
So… have a good Friday folks, I appreciate your continued prayers, who knows maybe Friday will be awesome and I’ll get a call with a job offer on that resume I sent in last week (A guy can dream, can’t he?) - but I just hope it all pans out, and a few stresses in my life at least subside for a while. Night folks.
Man oh man, what a week - budget is crazy, of course of all things I could do right now while I am working on servers, is watch the Woot-Off in progress @ woot.com - but I promise, I’ll remain strong… i don’t need 30 bluetooth headsets… i don’t need 30 bluetooth headsets….. - but that aside - what a week. Things have leveled out, and I am sadly considering the cutting of some ties - I am trying to remain rational in things, but at the same time it just seems time and time again in this business dealings, I get the short end of the stick, respect sadly in this business isn’t always a two way street - while I make an effort to make this customer priority 1, answer his calls etc. never fails, I don’t get call backs, payments are late, etc. just with things as of late, really trying to be good with business dealings, and be fair to not only the other customers, but myself.
Work wise, I have started coding a new application that will let customers manage their own email filtering logins, so customers can purchase the filtering from me on this new system, and I can have it deployed across a few servers, thus making an affordable, highly accurate email filtering system - compared to the old solution I manage here in town, which averages about 89% accuracy - the new system which I am using on all my business/personal domains, is pulling about 98-99% all the time, leaving only 1-2% false positives, but easily forwarded thru, and very easy to template - so looking forward to that.
Lake time yesterday was wonderful reboot for me, I always get so tied up in things, I forget to take a minute and breathe - silly ol internet has a habit of really pulling you in, so I am happy to take a break sometimes and really just take in some nature/outdoors time, need to dust off the bike and head out to the lake some in the weeks to come for some exercise and see if I can’t shed a few pounds.
Finances are leveling out, which is a load off my mind/shoulders/etc. With over 500+ slated to come in over the next week, 2 possible long-term job situations on the horizon, not to mention starting next Wednesday I am going to release a deal a day for the remainder of the month on FH - it’s a promising start - I even did some spring cleaning on the servers tonight (I know it’s fall) - more is on the way, just clearing out old dead, and recently canceled accounts - sad to loose people, but some sites are only around a year or two anymore, thankfully some folks come back when they start their new ones, but hopefully, with all thats on the table, I can get a more regular/steady flow of monthly cash on hand, and current contracts ironed out for on-time CC payment vs PayPal/Check.
All-in-all, it’s getting there - I still would LOVE to take a vacation, but… such is my lot in life to work, until things get going good and I can afford some additional staff, I have a guy in mind who is a online customer, seems rather knowledgeable, has a similar patience about things it seems, just trying to budget in kicking him down some cash as well as some free hosting resources for his help if he wants in - so who knows, might work! But I am excited again for once, which is a plus, sometimes in this ever-fun small business world, being the little guy starts to grind - thankfully, time and time again, God blesses my socks off and reminds me he’s in control, and that it’s all part of the journey.
Anywhoo - it’s nearly 1am, I have gotten a lot done this evening, and I am looking towards the living room to break for a bit and watch the Office & Earl, so I shall say goodnight, and major thanks to those who have been keeping me lifted up in prayer, I appreciate it! Take care all & have a great Friday!
So the day has sort of started to level out, my dad stepped in and helped out with some temporary cash as I wait for some folks to get caught up, not my favorite thing to do relying on my parents for funds, but lately it just seems folks are behind on payments, and I have on client/friend with nearly $800 outstanding, and it seems like even that is a ways off, so I am trying to keep in good spirits about it, money is a pain sometimes - but such is life.
I decided after my whirl-wind trip around town to make my way to the lake, just unwind a bit, really just unplug so to speak, and it helped, I dunno, just something about the sound of the water, the nice breeze, setting sun, etc. just peaceful, relaxing - outdoors is a nice change, really lets me stop, think, and breathe.
Sadly the short break ended, and here I am - I am going to find a bite to eat, then it’s back to work! Happy Happy Joy Joy!
So… how was your day? I am fried. I am sick, I am stressed, and I am exhausted - heck for good measure, I’ll throw in overweight (who’d of thunk it?) - this year has been busy, fast, and not very forgiving - but amidst all of that, today it made sense why I do what I do - I like to help people.
A customer, who happens to be a pastor, and sends me a ticket now and again asked me a question about his cell phone, and what always happens with my brain happened, it started over-thinking - I did some research, compared it to my own phone setup (he has a MotoQ and I have a similar setup with the Dash) - so in the ticket we went thru some options, and in the end between the two of us fiddling with trial and error, he on a whim cleared the account, and was back to working 100% - he thanked me for my support - when really all I did was tell him to check some settings lol, but that one thing made me feel better than I have in a week or two.
I like helping people. Always have, it irks me sometimes because people then want me to make my helping a job, or take advantage and mix my “help” with what my “job” entitles them to ask me for, and like a shmuck I suppose I do it. I as the word has been thrown around lately “enable” people to rely on me, I suppose I want people to need me, to have to rely on me, to make myself needed in the day to day - which leads to more psychological mumbo jumbo I am sure… but thats another day, another blog but I have a lot of customers who take a blessing just as that, and don’t “require” it of me, they are grateful and in most cases randomly find ways to bless me back, that whole “do unto others” bit
I think I am going to take a week off here, granted I can’t “REALLY” take off a week, but get away, maybe it’s time for that crazy idea of a Road Trip I’ve toyed with - granted thanksgiving my aunt and uncle are going to be up in Washington, maybe a trip to Vegas? I dunno, but I need something, but of course I also need money lol - been waiting on some cash, and it’s never come, and I am waiting for it still, but calls are not getting returned - joys of helping someone lol.
Anywhoo… I’ve rambled on long enough I think, just a lot on my brain, things moving forward with one project, others all sitting around waiting on funds from people, content, and in a lot of cases communication - so onto the night, more work, more attempts to get ahead. Prayers appreciated. Night folks.
so fun more so than the usual project as of late, but got it all squared away - made some money, so can’t complain too much, but I did get sleep last night, which I am very happy I did as when I’m on lack of sleep, and things like a site get hacked, tends to kick me into hyper-stress mode, thankfully I got in, removed the file, suspended the account, did the quick audit, so happy to have a cool head this early AM.
