Month: June 2006

Monday

What do you want? I’m just glad it’s over.

Started down, went up, back down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/06: 212

Happy Father’s Day

My father wasn’t much of a presence and I’m not one at all, so today is pretty much just another Sunday.

Donna and I did take advantage of the nicer morning weather and go for a short walk in Hitchcock Woods. I took the camera and snapped a couple of uninspired images. I realized that I had started a gallery for one image from the woods per month and I was a couple months behind. I posted a shot from today and because May was a total wash out due to weather and chemo, I added a May photo from last year. Sorry, but the thumbnails in the gallery are still not working, so I’ll just link you right to today’s image: Palmetto Ride.

I did spend a little quality time with the closest thing I have to a son, the Emperor. Pulled the vampire teeth back out of the mouth as they had served their purpose. Changed the oil as it had served its purpose for the last 3000+ miles. I usually rotate the tires at this point, but these are only a couple hundred miles into their lives so I left them on their respective corners. I did take them off the car though. The center caps were starting to turn yellow, so I repainted them with some Duplicolor silver wheel paint. This was a known issue with these center caps, as in 1998 when they first appeared on the Miata, there was an undocumented TSB as the caps were turning yellow within a few months. I know the history of these wheels and they were replaced under warranty way back in late 1998. So the replacements have held up pretty well, needing retouching only after close to 8 years.

Started down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/06: 210

I’m a Dork

Donna and I got up early this morning and took a tandem ride. It was a very unsummer-like 65 degrees around sun up, perfect for a bit of exercise. I even wore a light jacket for the first part of the ride. As we rounded the next to the last turn on the way home Donna called out from the back that we had been 9.25 miles. I replied, “I can take a hint.” and turned right instead of left and made a little extra loop to put us over into double digits mileage-wise. Tomorrow the morning is supposed to be cool again, so we have a walk in Hitchcock Woods planned.

Dork

I’ve petitioned the Encyclopedia Britannica to place the above picture next to dork in it’s next edition. That’s me on the right. And I guess that it goes without saying, poor John Nichols, must be one too by association. The photo was taken just inside the festival grounds at the Ridge Peach Festival in Trenton, SC just after we had driven in the parade. I think I’m a bigger dork, because John doesn’t have Vampire Teeth on his car.

Started up, went down, back up, down again, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/06: 210

Practicing My Parade Wave

Put the Vampire Teeth back in the mouth and washed the car. Tomorrow is the Ridge Spring Peach Festival and the MMC is in the parade…

Started down, went up, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/06: 207

Damn the Consequences

In my usual cavalier manner I just went ahead loaded up Windows Vista Beta 2 on this here laptop last night.

It wasn’t until afterwards, when I realized the laptop was running real slow, that I checked to see if my machine was up to the minimum requirements for the software. It wasn’t.

It wasn’t until I decided to unload Vista that I realized that I didn’t get any restore discs with the laptop. I went to Dell.com’s support site and discovered that the recovery software was built in to the computer. Reboot, hit the Ctrl + F11 keys and I get nothing. I guess that is what I get for doing a clean install, must have overwritten that partition…oops.

Back to the support area. I tried the live chat to see what I had to do to get some restore discs. According to the CSR, because I was out of warranty I was not entitled to the discs. When I went home at lunch there was a message on the answering machine that said they were mistaken I could in fact get a restore disc, just call them. Only they didn’t leave a number.

Live chat #2 and this time they thought I should get the disc(s) right off. Ten minutes later I was told to expect my restore stuff in 2-3 business days.

Started up, went down, back up, down again, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/06: 206

Windows Vista

The latest beta of Microsoft’s next operating system, Vista, is available for previewing from here – Windows Vista: Customer Preview Program.

You have two options, order a DVD ($6 for the disc + $4 for shipping) or you can download the DVD iso. I was going to just buy the DVD, six bucks didn’t seem too bad, but the shipping put it over a threshold that I didn’t want to cross. I tried downloading it at work, but I could never connect to the download site. Downloaded it from home, 3-1/4 Gig in about 2 hours. Trouble is I don’t have a DVD burner at home, They do have a portable at which which I borrowed tonight. Burned a disc for me and another for the DVD burner lender. Seeing as the laptop really has nothing on it but XP and some programs I decided to install it on there.

Started the install and went out for dinner. When we got back all that I needed to do was set the usual language and time zone stuff and Vista was up. Runs pretty slow, but that is because they recommend the minimum system RAM be 512M with 1G being better and the $500 laptop only has 256M (shared). It found the wireless router fine and connected to the net no problem. IE7 has tabs on the browser, what a concept. I’ve got to get it connected to the desktop for file sharing yet….

Started up went down, back up, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/06: 203

The Internet Can Wait

Brian the Red: I was just thinking, Web Surfer.

Web Surfer: What?

Brian the Red: We got a great life ahead, you and me, and nobody’s going to take that away from us.

Web Surfer: Why are you looking at me like that?

Brian the Red: I’m memorizing your IP Address. I want to memorize everything about you so no matter what happens, I won’t forget you.

Web Surfer: What’s going to happen?

Brian the Red: Nothing’s going to happen. You’d never forget me either, would you? That thing you said you saw in me. Something in my eyes, remember? If some day somebody came up to you, maybe a football player, and he acted like he’d seen you before, you’d notice that same thing, right? You’d give him a chance? He might be a good guy. He could even be a quarterback.

Web Surfer: I don’t understand.

Started down, went up, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/06: 201