Oh well, we brought it inside and let it dry.
My friend Ren is going to say I'm copying him here and he is right. He has a general page where he lists his rants/raves, general outlooks on life, and inward looks at himself. I probably won't update as often as he does, nor bare my soul the way he does, but a good idea should be carried on. For best results, start from the bottom and work your way up. Most recent posts are at the top.
Happy Brithday Eve to me. Only a few more hours and I'm a year older. (Okay, that sounded weird.) I got to buy myself a 1/18 scale model of the new Batmobile from Hot Wheels and the collector's edition of the Phantom of the Opera movie, great movie.
We are going to Reno for a few days. I can't wait to have a bit of vacation. I still love my job, but there are days that some of the things that happen are so annoying. At least my position is still a lot of fun.
So I've been reading a new series of books, the Honor Harrington series by David Drake. I love these books. Ren got me started reading them a long time ago, but it was during my seperation and I wasn't really into them at the time.I had read the first two and remembered that I enjoyed them but not much about them. Now, I'm on book 10. The storyline follows an officer of the Royal Maticorian Navy thru different adventures as she goes thru wars, being captured, and a whole slew of other things. One of the things that makes these stories so enjoyable is that the heros aren't always sure of themselves, and they feel real pain, whereas the baddies don't always just die or suddenly become good. Sometimes, they walk away the winners. If you like sci-fi or military style books, then this is the series for you.
Woo hoo, it's System Administrator Appreciation Day!!! Work was great. I got a batman toy, a very funny bottle of Mt Dew (I had previously recommended that all users "raise a heavily caffeinated drink in toast" so a user gave me a Mt Dew bottle, wrapper in 5 peices of toast.) Several of he users took me to lunch as well.
The phone system worked great. It's taking a bit for the users to get used to it but it works so much better than the last one and it's so much easier to set up and make changes.
Wow, been awhile. Work is still good. I am working on the new Avaya phone system this week and next. Should be live by next Friday so that's pretty exciting.
Scotty is growing like a weed still. He's just shy of four feet tall. He's also becoming a daddy's boy, much to my wife's chagrin. It's pretty cool.
I saw the new Star Wars this weekend and loved it. What a great way to make up for the first two and blend them in. Granted, I still think the original was the best but this was definately in the same ballpark. Seeing Anakin slowly change into Vader was cool, although, I personally thought his killing of the younglings was a bit out of character at that point. Seems to me, it should have been more along the lines of him telling the troops to kill eveyone, then him helping out with the actual jedi and coming into the room and seeing the younglings dead do to his order. To me that would have sent him further into despair and anger which would continue his journey to the dark side. He just didn't seem far gone emough to do it himself. Oh well, guess when I can write a huge adventure like that I can have my character do what I think, right?
Went to dinner with Ren and a few friends tonight. Ren quit his job at that place I used to work, he was just fed up. In a way, I feel sorry for them. It was a great company to work at. We spent a part of dinner reminiscing. We laughed a lot though, so that was cool. Although, one of the people there mentioned that they are still occasionally blaming some failure of the specs for the new system on me. That's hilarious considering the president told me I was making to many complaints about the intial code. The complaints were specificallly about how it didn't meet the requirements for a particular contract or wasn't even part of their specs and I wanted them to add it. Oh well, not my problem anymore.
Work is still great. We have a new president and CEO although I still report to the owner. He's pretty cool though. We had a long conversation about Dilbert and the Simpsons and I shared the demotivators site with him which he said he loved.
I also got my intern. The guy is very intelligent and eager to learn. I had a rough day today, seemed like everything I touched broke, but we kept just laughing about it so it was still a good day. I think part of it was because I only slept fofr a few hours so I was a little punchy.
Brenda and Scotty are in Reno this weekend. Things were a little bumpy last weekend and she asked if it was worth it to try. That scared me. I told her that I thought it would be a hard road but worth every minute of it. She seemed to accept that and things have been great that last week. I do love her, it's just hard to show it. Feeling those emotions means being vunerable and that means other's come to the surface as well.
Ossie Davis was found dead today. I know it seems weird to mention it on a page about me, but he played the Caretaker in "The Ghost of Christmas Eve" by Trans Siberian Orchestra. I love this DVD and it always makes me sad yet happy when I here it. His baritone voice is comforting in a way.
My work is still great. We have made some big changes at the company and there are some exciting things on the horizon. I will also be getting an intern soon, or at least that's the plan. This person will be a student working on their computer science degree. Hopefully, we can teach other some new tricks with computers.
New job = super outstanding. I still love it. I got to go to a Voice over IP (VoIP) seminar for CISCO. Very cool technology. I can't wait to implement it.
Father's day was pretty good. I watched "The Return of the King" (3 hours) and ate a great barbecue steak.
New job = outstanding. I love it. The day just flies by and sometimes I lose track of time. The other day, the boss calls me and told me I should go home. It was after 6:00pm!! (I normally get off at 4:00pm.)
We saw Harry Potter this weekend. It was pretty good, but I was annoyed by a few things. I'll include them in the next writing.
I have a new job. About three weeks ago, I decided, after talking to my wife, that I needed to move on and get a job where I can work in the corporate environment and learn the skils necessary to become an IT manager. I went to my boss on a thursday and let him know that so that he could prepare to replace me while I searched. I told him that I would continue to work for the company and arrange interviews around my schedule and give him two weeks notice. This way they could hire another tech in the mean time and get him trained.
The place is great, there is tons to do, but they have a great framework and are very willing to do the right thing. Another great thing, the office is only 12 miles from home and my schedule is 7-4 so I get home pretty quickly.
I have been having this dream for almost 10 years now, although it was usually only once a year. Recently however, I have had this dream several times in a row. To make it even wierder, I rarely remember dreams at all.
The Dream:
I am in a room, which is sort of like a large greenhouse, walls of small retangular windows and a curved glass ceiling. The windows are old and slightly opaque giving some light from the sun outside but not direct sunlight. The room has a large pool, which is rectangular as well, but with smaller rectangular sections running perpendicular that have steps into the dark water. The water isn't really dirty, just dark. There is a large seemingly dead tree on one side with the roots going into the ground and out into the water. It's also hollow. Once, when I went swimming, I climbed up inside the tree.I get the vague sense that I probably shouldn't be there or that feeling that keeps making you look over your shoulder, almost like the house is deserted, except the ghosts.
Okay that was a really weird dream. I dont usually pay much stock in dreams, but I looked this one up since I've had it so many times. Click here to see what I found.
Life is pretty good. I've been so busy getting badges ready for the sci-fi convention Gallifrey One. It's going to be a blast. On Another Sci-fi note, I want to put a plug in for Scottysstar.com. Check it out.
Scotty is doing well. He and I were at the store buying him a cool shirt and while we were at the counter Scotty was flirting with the checker. She commented to him that he was cute to which he replied, "and smart too!" Gotta love that kid. WAAAAAYYYYY to smart for his age. Hard to pull the wool over his eyes.
A new year, woo hoo. I have had a great week and a great year.
Christmas was outstanding, I got a bunch of gift certificates to borders books, and a cool grey jacket. I also got season 5 of Stargate, one of the best shows ever made. not to mention funny. I got Brenda a new Grumpy watch with her name on it, a dress watch, an "I Love Lucy" coffee table book and a small diamond ring. She loved them. Scotty got an entire toy store. Okay, not really but between his birthday and christmas, the house seems much more cramped.
He's getting so smart. He can sing the alphabet, days of the week, and months . He knows his own phone number, and is starting to recognize written letters. He loves to be read to, and occasionally tries to read them himself. However, he is getting pretty good at figuring things out, and can be a little smart aleck. Oh well, gotta love him.
Scotty's birthday was a blast. we had a bunch of people, a jumpie, a pinata, good food, great cake lots of toys (although quite a few of them make a lot of noise) and all in all a great time. Scotty got an electronic piano, hungry hippo, jr bongle, books, clothes, superman, and assorted other toys. the very next day was Brenda's Christmas party. It was sooooo cold because they didn't have any heaters but it was pretty cool (no pun intended.) they had a casino set up, with fake money. Brenda won three of the drawings, getting a camera, a bathroom organizer (which she really wanted) and a drill/saw/flashlight set.
Just one more week until Scotty's birthday party and the house is a mess. Oh
well, guess it will be a busy week. We did go out and get a tree, however the
thing was covered in a fine layer of dirt so I hosed it off last night and left
it out to dry. Wouldn't you know, it rained last night.
Oh well, we brought it inside and let it dry.
Scotty's birthday is coming so fast, he's almost four now. I look at him and sometimes it scares me to think he may be the only biological relative I may ever know, yet it's a wondrous thing as well. Like Odo in Deep Space Nine, I now am part of the Great Link.
I 've read two more books by Keith dealing with the I.K.S. Gorkon. He's a relly great writer and these are excellent Klingon books.
ps Ren still hasn't updated his site since August 10.
One month has gone by and tons of stuff has happened. First off, and one of the most important, I have moved back in with Brenda. We are doing well and I feel at home. Scotty has become a Daddy's boy, which I love by Brenda is a little jealous. Right now he is trying to tickle me while I type. We had a heck of a time moving all my stuff back in but with the help of a friend, we got it all over here.
On a sad note, my grandmother passed away last Saturday. I flew home this past weekend to attend the memorial service and to see my family. It was nice to be back in Florida for the 3 days, but I wish it was under better circumstances. I found some sharks teeth (and got a few more from my Aunt) as well as a few neat shells (although my Dad gave me some really nice scallop shells he found further up.)
All in all, it's been a very good month, despite the passing of my grandmother. In the coming days, I will be posting a memorial page on this site for her.
What a sucky week. I was out half of Tuesday and all of Wednesday with a cold or the flu, basically a "hurts to move, I'm hot, I'm cold, my throat hurts, can't breathe, head hurts" kind of day. Unfortunately, it still hasn't gone away, although not nearly as bad. Two other guys at work have been out, and another was complaining of a sore throat yesterday.
One good note was a book I picked up. "The Art of the Impossible" by Keith DeCandido. One of the new "Lost Era" books from Star Trek which deal with characters or incidents that were mentioned in the varied shows but that we never heard the full story. Out of the three out so far, "Art..." is the best. It basically deals with the Cardasians and the Klingons and a struggle between them. We also learn more about Ambassador Worf (our Worf's grandfather) and get the story behind the Khitomer incident where Worf was found. A very good book which I highly recommend if you like Star Trek.
I also got an email from Kinsolving. They stated they would perform the search for $2,900. Granted I was hoping for more around the 1,5 to 2 range but then again, I don't have to pay anything until they find the information AND they give the info to me to decide what to do. Unlike the Children's Home Society which takes my money up front, contacts my birthmother and asks her permission (and here I thought I was an adult, oh well I guess being a veteran doesn't really mean squat any more) and then IF she says yes, they will mediate an exchange of information. Now, I've talked to some of those people and while they are polite, I never got the sense that they want to help me. So how do I know what kind of contact they are going to make? Will it be friendly? Annoying? Will it blow my chances. Bottom line though, if my birth mom doesn't want contact, then I'm out the dough with nothing to show.
Recently, I met a guy online who was born and adopted in West Palm Beach Fl, and who now lives here. (It's his link on my home page.) Anyway, I actually got to meet him face to face last week. more importantly, he just let me know that he had gone through a detective agency, Kinsolving, and that they had found his birth mom, who still lives in Florida, and an aunt who lives here in the LA area. What a shocker. He has contacted his aunt and had a reunion of sorts with her, and will be contacting his birth mom soon. I submitted my information as well.
I received the paperwork from the Children's Home Society. Looking through it, I cried, while Brenda held me. It hurts to think of the hoops I have to go through to get a document which is about me and no one else, and is taken for granted by others. I haven't filled it out yet. It will cost at least $450.00 dollars and will take weeks, and the final result could be nothing. It they find her and she doesn't want contact; I get nothing, no contact, no birth certificate, no knowledge. At least with Kinsolving, they won't charge me unless they find something, although it will probably be more than the $400+.
What a few weeks I have had. Brenda and I are getting back together. I will be moving back to the house the first week of November and getting the first real vacation I have had in several years.
I should receive some paperwork from the Children's Home Society to begin having them search. I will also have to pay the fee as of now. I need to decide if I really want to do this. Four hundred + dollars on a chance that they may find my birth mother AND that she will want to meet me, or at least share information. If she does not, then I am back to square one and a little poorer.
I made a small update to my Music page.
What a weekend. First I took Friday off so I stayed in Whittier thursday night and went to lunch with Brenda on Friday. That night we had a great dinner. On Saturday, I went to a CUB meeting, which is a support group for the Adoption Triad. There were birth mothers who were searching and other adoptees. It was strange meeting birthmothers though. I guess it made me realize they were real people too, with real feelings and real hurt. I felt so good after the meeting, I can't wait till next month.
Brenda and I spent a wonderful evening together after that and just relaxed the day away on Sunday. What a great weekend.
I have a new car. My last car was on it's last wheel, so to speak. It had over 122, 500 miles on it and had already had it's transmission replaced. Poor thing.
My new car is a beautiful Blue Honda Accord. It drives like a dream. I'll be posting pictures later of it.
I'm also watching the first four seasons of Deep Space Nine. This is a great show, and I can't wait until the last three seasons come out. Check out my entire collection of DVD's here. So much better than videos.
Brenda and I went out last night. Just a simple movie date but it was fun. I missed going to the movies with her.
On another note, go see Pirates of the Caribbean, now. Don't think about it, just go see it now. Johnny Depp is hilarious as Captain Jack Sparrow. I laughed thru the entire movie. If you've ever been to the ride at Disney World or Land, you'll get a kick out of the in jokes, but even if you have never been, you probably enjoy this movie. Drink up me mateys, Yo Ho!!
Wow, what a birthday. Brenda snuck in with the help of my roommate and gave me breakfast in bed. Next, we went shopping and I got paints and supplies for my model. (I bought myself a model of the second ship I was stationed on.) We came back to my apartment, ordered Chinese food, and watched a Deep Space Nine. Finally, I went over and saw Scotty and they had a Pumkin Pie with candles for me. I didn't want to go to work the next day.
I am 34 years old as of about 2 hours ago. Okay technically, I'm not till later tonight but you get the drift. I wonder about my blood mother and wonder if she is thinking of me.
I'm not a poet but I just jotted this down on the adoption forumn and it pretty much sums up the immediate questions taht come up on this day:
Today, I wonder if your thinking of me.
Today, I wonder if your still alive.
Today, I wonder if I have brothers or sisters.
Today, I wonder if they know about me.
Today, I wonder who I look like.
Today, I wonder if it was hard to give me up.
Today, I wonder if you are looking for me.
Today, I wonder if you even remember it’s my birthday.
So its not great but its honest. I wonder if she even remembers me. Thankfully, I had two great parents who have always been there for me through better or worse. However, the questions are still there, today more than any other.
Half the week has gone by and I'm still no closer to my Blood family. Okay, thats not true. I joined another forum where I can talk to others like me and who have gone through the same sort of things. I also met some people who are giving me advice to help in my search.
I also talked to one of my companies clients, who specialize in adoption, about searching. Strangely enough, she was adopted to. She has some ideas as well.
Independence day, also the birthday of my friend Scott B (with the glasses.) Some friends threw a surprise party for him. It was nice to hang out with the gallifrey gang but the party started to get to me as it reminded me of my own upcoming birthday. My adoption is consuming me. I spend evenings looking for new registries to list myself, or reviewing for any info on my blood family. The strangest things cause me grief now. At the party we were watching Hook, and it was right at the part where Peter remembers how he came to "Never Never land." Sometimes I feel like I'm there as well, and I don't want to grow up. Scott was also showing us a very large ring his mom gave him 10 years ago for his birthday which doesn't really fit him style wise.
I'm on my second book about adoption. The first one was called "Adoption Healing...A Path to Recovery" by Joe Soll, and was so good I sent a copy to my sister. It's amazing the trends that are listed in these books that I find I am following.
The second book is "Journey of the Adopted Self: A Quest for Wholeness" by Betty Jean Lifton. This book is pretty decent as well, although it seems a little more bitter and if filled with stories of adoptees who have had terrible lives and even worse renuions. All in all though, there is a lot of good information and a strong dose of reality. Better to expect the worse, or at least not get expectations to high.
While talking about myself with the therapist, I mentioned my love for the batman character. I have the watch, license plate, figurines, comics, car mats (Scotty's father's day gift) a painting, as well as the movies and books. Her reply shocked me. She said she could understand how I related to him. We both were torn from our blood at a young age and had an emptyness, longing and anger within us. His drove him to fight the very thing which made him alone. I haven't been able to focus mine. Maybe thats what I should do, fight the very thing which prevents me from knowing, become more involved in getting Florida to join the few states which have opened their records to all their citizens. The old tactic of saying the records were sealed for the privacy of the birthfamily is a farce and is a crock on top of that. When people can steal your identity because all your personal records are displayed all over the place, it makes you wonder why states are so protective of a simple piece of paper which is now a state secret. Although, when you consider Florida is happy to charge a minimum of $600.00 to look up your birth certificate then attempt to locate your birthmom for you (no refunds) I guess it does make sense from a political standpoint.
Today, Scotty and I went to the Long Beach Aquarium of the Pacific and had an awsome time. The weather was a little overcast but it didn't rain which is great because half the exhibits are outside. Scotty was great (although he had a few moments where he pitched a little fit or he wouldn't listen.) He even touched several sharks, a couple of stingrays and a sea anenome or two. It was wonderful to hear his excitment the first time he touched the shark. He was shouting "look daddy, I touched one!" I let him choose a stuffed animal and oddly enough he chose a blue octopus. I put it on his head like a hat, and he coudn't stop laughing.
Afterwards, we picked up Brenda and got some ice cream. During the drive back, Scotty fell asleep so he didn't even know Bren was in the car. It was a shock when he woke up. He was real grumpy for a bit but calmed down after a while.
Adoption, definitely better than some of the alternatives but the act still has some serious bugs in the way our society works it. I, as a full citizen, and a veteran, are deemed by the government to not have the right to my biological history. As in the information that most people consider vital statistics.
Okay, it may sound a little weird. I am not trying to replace the parents I have. I just want to know my roots by blood. I didn't realize how bad it was bothering me until I read an article. Adoption...The Last Slavery by H. Kent Craig.
I've ordered some books to read on the subject especially the psychological effects. In some of the reading I've already done it seems that adoptees on average are loaners who usually have a problem with attachment. Sound like anyone you know? No, I'm not blaming my dysfunction on my being adopted. I was blessed with a good family and a good life and am not trying to blame my mistakes on this factor of my life. My personality is my own but it may have had an underlining negative effect on me. This is one of the reasons I wish to find out more.
I also joined a group called The Bastard Nation. This is a group whom advocates opening records for all adoptees of age. I have to agree. There are laws to protect the biological parents from harassment but every adult has the right to know who they are and what blood runs through their veins if they want to know.
Long time no write. Yeah, I've been busy. I got the apartment with the buddy. Its right next door to the previously mentioned Ren.
I spent the Saturday with Scotty which was fun. We got some water guns then we shot bugs, spiders and the occasional family member.
Work is pretty good too. It has gotten so busy that we are gone almost all the time.
It's official, Brenda and I are getting a divorce. I'm just not happy any more. I know that sounds weird but it's been a while coming. She was very surprised that I agreed to sign off on the house completely, as well as most of the furniture. It's going to be hard enough as it is for her so I don't want her to start over completely.
On another note, a buddy from my last job has offered to split an apartment with me. I'm going to move closer to work which is going to be nice. RIght now, I wake up at the same time I used to have to leave for work, but now I get there earlier.
Life is weirder. My wife and I have separated for details I'm not going into here but in a sense it's been an eye opener. I've spent days just hanging out at a park, or watching movies that I haven't seen in years and eating fast food. My buddy Ren is graciously giving me a place to stay.
Work is great still. I get to do a lot of stuff I wouldn't normally have gotten to do and have new things all the time. The clients are saying I'm doing a good job or that they are satisfied with my work so that's excellent as well.
A lot has gone on this past few weeks. Gallifrey One was last weekend and it was a blast. (It's the Sci-Fi convention that happens once a year.) Anyway, I had a great time although I didn't get much sleep. Basically, I along with two other people made sure everything ran on time and in place as well as providing backup security for some situations. Apparently we did a good job because the top guys said that they are combining several of the departments including operations, security, information, green room (guest) and volunteers which I will lead with my two other partners. I could not have done the job we did if not for Scott and Steff, so thank you!!
Life has been pretty weird otherwise. Not something I want to go into here but everything works out in the end.
A new year has dawned, and it looks like a good one. The weather is great, sunny and warm. Scotty and I went for a walk down the block and back and got to meet some of our neighbors. This is really a great place we moved to.
On the work front, life has been good. I spent the entire week at a site rebuilding their server after it was hacked. They are now up and running but i'm going back to finish the anti-virus install.
The new year is almost upon us. Before it goes though, I gotta say I had a great Christmas. I got a bunch of jeans, some more lego trains (adding them soon) and the game Cranium. My buddy Ren had it and a bunch of us played it at his house. This is a really cool game, sort of a combination of jumbles, charades, pictionary, spelling bee, play dough fun, and the typical going around the board game. Very cool.
Even more important was Scotty's Christmas. He got a lot of new trains, including a large table to set the track up, a fake gun (orange and green) a shopping cart (who knows) clothes, play dough, books, and legos. He had so many packages, he didn't even open them all at first. I sat up late as Santa and set up the table and train set. You should have seen his face on Christmas day. He just stood there staring at the table for almost a full minute.
A few days before was his Birthday and we had a gang of people over. We got a jumpy thing (whatever they are called) and he spent hours bouncing in that thing. Way too much cake, a lot of gifts, and some good fried chicken later he fell right to sleep.
"Nemesis" rocks. The latest Star Trek movie continues the tradition of even movies with this action packed installment. The new Enterprise E is very cool with a much fiercer look than previous and the crew seems to have returned to the comfort level of the last view seasons. In the opening scene Picard turns to Data and tells him to "Shut Up, " I thought I was going to fall out of my seat, he follows that up with "I've been wanting to do that for 15 years." We also get another look at the Romulans and some new ships.
Did some Christmas shopping today. The mall wasn't nearly as bad as I thought. The problem is, I didn't get a whole lot, other than a few new books to read. There were two new Star Trek books and a Babylon 5 book which should take about three days to read. I also bought the Mysterious Island DVD which is loosely based on Jules Verne's book of the same name (minus the DVD in the title.) I love DVD planet.
Simpsons are on, gotta go.
The work has almost paid off, the first of the new sites pages I programmed is almost ready. You can preview them here. The flash may take a while to load if you have a slow connection. I still need to work on some of the alignments and sound effects but its almost done. Next, I begin working on the rest of the pages but that will be a while.
Life is still good. Tomorrow, Nemesis comes out and we're going to see it. I can't wait, it looks so good and it's an even number movie.
Right now, it's time for CSI so until next time.
What a week, I haven't been in the office except for a few hours on Monday. Busy, busy, busy. I'm exhausted but loving it.
The last of the ham is almost gone, and the last of the turkey is about to evolve. Thanksgiving is a fading memory and on to the buying spree. Brenda's birthday was last weekend, and next is my sons, immediately followed by Christmas. I'm going to be broke for the rest of the year.
I got Brenda a Dolly Parton ornament. It is etched metal with 24K gold . She loves it and wants to mount it in a frame. So far we've bought Scotty a Thomas the train set and table to go with it, but I'm sure we'll have many more. We are making a concerted effort to ensure his birthday is ALWAYS kept separate from Christmas. We don't want him to be one of those kids who only get on gift for both (unless it's a doozy.)
ps like the snow?
Thanksgiving. I ate way too much but what the heck. We had turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, yams, stuffing (homemade,) biscuits, corn, pies, and gravy. I bought a rosting oven for the turkey and it worked perfectly. The turkey was very juicy and the skin was extra crispy. The ham also came out good. I had poured some honey on it, then baked it on high for a little while, till the honey started to darken. Next, I covered it with foil and turned the heat down.
I changed the menu on the upper frame, but it only works with Internet Explorer. I don't know if I'm going to keep it or change again. I'm looking into something different now, but until then, your stuck with this.
Only two more days till Thanksgiving. OH BOY!!!!!!!! And don't worry, all good pigs and turkeys go to heaven!!
Windy city. Nope, I'm not visiting Chicago, it's blowing like crazy here. Within 1/2 hour of getting home, my car is covered in leaves. We spent yesterday doing yard work, and now it looks like we haven't raked the yard in years. There are accidents on the freeway due to flying debris and even trrees toppling. What a day.
Work was great. I got to stay in all day and work on the new website for my company. Considering the wind, it was a really good day.
Another great week. I had a heck of a time updating a site with some new software. I followed the instructions which came with the software and it went horribly wrong. Luckily, I had made several backups of the data prior so we were able to recover and install it correctly by calling the tech support for the software company. (Their tech said "oh, that's not the way to do it.") In the end, I finally got everything back up and running.
Thanksgiving is only a few short days away. I can't wait. We're having it at our house this year so I need to buy a turkey tomorrow. Personally, I prefer ham but I'm the minority in this. Gotta have the pumpkin pie though. I remember growing up and my Grandma would always have a pumpkin pie for me and one for the family.
On another note, my mother-in-law is coming to stay with us for a while. Overall, not a big deal, but it means Bren and I need to clean better. We're not overly messy but we're not neat freaks either. Oh well, guess we can break a few habits.
We went to see the new Harry Potter movie this weekend. Scotty did really well during the 2 hour and 41 minute movie. He seemed to enjoy it, although he was a little scared of the spiders and the big baddie. Bren and I enjoyed it as well. The movies are following fairly closely to the books which is a good thing.
If you haven't read any of the books, go get them now. They are really pretty good, no matter what age you are, although they get darker each book.
On another note, I got to go to Santa Barbara today. Granted, it was for work but I got to take a half hour walk around the streets and by the ocean. How cool is that. Also, I was working at Big Dog clothing. They have a shirt that Hagrid could would swim in.
It rained here, for days. For the most part it wasw great, on the other hand it brought out the ants. We've spent the last few days cleaning the little buggers up. The house seems to be holding up as well. There is a small spot on a wall where it looks like it may be leaking but nothing major and I could not find any leaks in the roof. On the flip side, I screwed up at work the other day but it didin't come to light until today. I formatted a drive in FAT32 for delivery to a Windows NT machine. I was thinking that Service Pack 4 had drivers to read the FAT32 drives but it was to read NTFS5. The difficulty is because this was a replacement job for an office in Taiwan. I built it on Wednesday, but they didn't try to install it until today. Dave, one of the other engineers, is working with them and has come up with a solution which only causes some delays as they copy the data onto a windows 98 machine then format the drive in NTFS then copy it back (Gotta love Lotus Domino Server.) Dave said not to worry about it, but I'm going to be groveling tomorrow.
I'm sick!!!!! My loving wife and darling son have been sick for the last few days and I waited until they got better before getting sick. I hate feeling like this. On the flip side, it gave me time to work on a web page for my new company, as well as this one. I'm also watching Star Trek on SciFi so I guess it's not a bad day.
The new site is up. I now have more room to grow and store more photos. On a personal note, life is good. We went trick or treating on Halloween and Scotty had a ball. The first time he walked up to a house, held out his bucket, said "trick or treat", and got some candy, he didn't know what to do. He just stood there in shock that this stranger had given him sweets. He's already asking to go again. I'm going to add pictures of him in the photos section so keep watch.
I purchased a Domain name today, so soon you will be going to www.wraithswrealm.com to visit this site. So what does that mean? I'll now have a lot more space so I can add more pictures, bring the lego pages back and expand the current pages as well as include a few photos of my house. This will also give me more room to experiment and add a favorites site page (another Ren idea that I want to copy, although a different format.) Keep watch!!!!!!
A new logo. This is a looping flash movie I made just to spice the site up a little. Life has been good, although the weeks are flying now. I still love the job, and still learn something each day.
Not much has been happening worth note. The local Fire Station had an open house with hotdogs, rides and tours so we took Scotty. He had a blast and go to get dressed up in a full ensemble, but the clothes were so heavy I had to hold him up.
I'm still working on the flash stuff for my new employers, so I haven't had much time to build stuff for this site yet. Soon though. I am enjoying my job. I'm learning so much stuff, I feel like my head is going to explode, but keep it coming.
Okay, the first Flash thing is up. Click on the "My Son" link above to see a small flash movie. It may ask if you want to download the flash player which you will need to view the movie. Hope you enjoy.
After the first week, I still love it. It was pretty funny yesterday, a few of the engineers were sitting around about 15 minutes before going home and one of them asked if I would be back. Yep! The things I have learned in the last week and the opportunities for the future are unbelievable. I am in the process of learning Lotus Notes, then on to Domino as well as learning Flash. (Get ready for some snazzy things on the site, the buttons above are the bare minimum Flash can do.) I also have the opportunity to get heavy into DNS as we may start hosting our own root server for the company's web hosting side.
Right now, I'm waiting for Ren. Josh, and Jon, (techs and programmers from my last job) to come over for a barbecue. I miss hanging out with them, but at least we keep in touch.
The site may be moving again as I am looking into buying my own domain name and moving the site to the company's servers. Stay tuned.
ps Ren updated his site!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I gots a job. Okay, not the best English but I am now employed, which means everyone can finally relax as I probably won't go on a shooting spree now. Just kidding, the thought never crossed my mind. Plusses: Learning opportunity is thru the roof, M-F workweek with paid holidays, wages are great, and people are friendly. Minuses: Distance to work is a little far, but about the same distance as I was used to before so no biggie, Hours are 9-6 so by the time I get home brenda has to go to bed since she gets up at 4 BUT she is trying to shift positions which would make her hours 8-5 so this may be a short inconvience. I guess the plusses win.
Scotty went fishing for the first time last Tuesday. (See picture) He was a little leary of the worms at first, but quickly got over that, although he doesn't have the patience to fish yet. We had a good nibble but it got away.
ps. On the note above about not updating as much as Ren does, he hasn't updated since Aug 8 so I guess I do update more often.
I had another interview today. I think it went pretty good. It was actually enjoyable, although long. I'm very interested in this position. From a personal standpoint, the opportunity would be amazing. From a professional standpoint, the company as been around for a while and seems to have a good atmosphere. The drive would be about the same position as my last position but not through downtown which is a good thing. The position does require I drive to clients offices all over the county which means I won't have to sit in a cubicle all day either which is a good thing as well. Everyone cross your fingers, light a candle, or wish me luck.
To top that off, a headhunter left a message on the machine and wants to arrange an interview with another comapny. Seems a little fishy right now though. The headhunter is based out of Chicago for an LA based company. The HH won't share the name of the company so I guess they could be based in Chicago with a branch office in LA which needs a tech. Still seems odd they don't try to hire via local. Oh well, I left the HH a message to call me back.
The studying is still going well. I should be ready to take the nxt exam by Tuesday.
The most important news: Brenda and Scotty come home in TWO DAYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can't believe how much I miss them although Brenda and I have been on the phone every day. I told her she can't go visiting her sister for a while now.
Another hot day in CA. I cut the lawn today around 10:00am and it was still way to hot out there. My arms are even a little burned now. Brenda is visiting her sister this week with Scott so I have the place all to my self. So far, I have watched Blade 2, and about half the season 2 of Stargate.(I bought them with my birthday money from DVDplanet.com, a great online store with a local store here. They have DVDs at up to 30% off.)
I've also been working on this great house. Finally redid the back porch step which was very weather beaten. I was worried Scotty would get splinters. I also have been doind a little painting and putting up trim around the closet. Tomorrow, I'm going to be painting the back bathroom, what joy.
Haven't taken the next exam yet, but I think I'll give it a whirl on Monday. I need to take a day off from studying, I'm getting burned out and I'm not really retaining anything right off. I propbably shouldnt sweat it to much, I'm making about 80% on the sample exams.
A slight change in studying plans, I've decided to study for both of the exams prior to taking either one. Since the final exam is just further in depth that the first, it seemed to make sense just to study both, rather than studying the easier one only.
On the personal side, we went to visit family. Every year we get together on the weekend around the 4th of July but this year it was a little postponed. Scotty had a blast in the pool, on the steps at least, but at one point got so excited, he slipped off the steps. He went completely in, but I had been standing near him and pulled him out. He started to cry but stopped pretty quick and within a few minutes was back in the pool, splashing anyone who came near. Meanwhile, my boot is soaked through, and I had to drive the 45 minutes back with a wet sock and pants leg. Gotta love that kid. He cried again when we left. This time though, it was because he didn't want to get out of the pool!!
PS One other thing, my parents let me know that I have a few errors on these pages, and the official word is that they are purposely put there. I try to add a little something for everyone, and some people just want to look for mistakes. That's my story and, well you get the idea.
PPS My parents have a great sense of humor so don't start sending me email about being mean.
PPPS Okay, my mom has a great sense of humor, and my dad has........................ Just kidding Dad!!!
So far the studying for the next exam is going well. Most of the info I already know from either the first two exams, or from classes. I took an assessment exam and got 68% (80% to pass) before I even started studying. Hopefully, I can finish this book by the end of the week and take the exam Friday or Monday. Otherwise, life is good, but I miss my friends.
I passed the Windows 2000 Server exam today!!!!!!!!! Only two more to go for an MCSA certification. I was seriously sweating this exam but it wasn't as bad as I thought in reality. The next exam is supposed to be even easier but the final one is supposed to be the hardest of them all. I'm going to save that one till last. Oh yeah, the site has moved to here now.
Happy birthday to me. I got a faster connection so now I can listen to web music (trance) all day long. My wife and son went to Vegas for the weekend to see Dolly Parton. My wife loves her and this was a once in a lifetime chance so I told her to go. I personally hate Vegas so I stayed home. I got to sleep in, rent some movies, and spend most of the day on my computer. All in all, a good day.
On the other hand, as with every birthday, I start thinking about my birth parents. I did another search on about 50 adoption registry pages without any results. I wonder what they are doing today. One day, I may know.
p.s. This site will be moving so keep looking for updates.
Wow, a lot has gone on in the last few weeks. I am now a Microsoft Certified Professional for Windows 2000 Professional literally blowing the exam away getting a score of 820. Doesn't sound like a lot but when you consider that you need 540 to pass and 870 is a perfect score, not bad. Hopefully by the end of the week I'll be an MCP for Server as well.
My sister had a baby boy. Hopefully, I'll be able to go back and see him. I would love for Scott to meet the rest of his family, he's only seen his grandparents on my side.
Oh yeah, it's my birthday in a few days.
I went out with my friends from my previous work last night. We went to Dave and Busters, a video game place and spent money and had a lot of fun.
The Darth Dan nickname seems stuck now. Too funny, (Slide your mouse over the graphic to the right)
I'm studying to get an MCSA certification. Right now I'm just working on the 2000 Professional MCP and boy is there a lot of miniscule stuff to know. The book has several practivce exams, including an adaptive exam set which I'm passing now. I took an assesment exam before begining the book and got a 50% but now I'm over 80% and still have 5 chapters to go.
He didn't call. I tried to call him around 4:30 but just got a message. I don't know if this means he picked someone else, or if he didn't have time to make a decision, since he said he would call everyone. Oh well, only the first interview right?
I had a job interview today, but I think I blew it. I was pretty nervous but I met the requirements. Apparently they had 200 applicants, 20 of which they brought in for filling out applications and intial information interviews (ie an employee gave you a little more detailed information on the job and company) then called in 6 people for a interview with the Director of IT. I made it to the top 6 without hassle. The Director says he will decide tomorrow and then will call everyone to let them know which way he decides.
I'm on another vacation, okay not really, I no longer work for the company but now I can wake up with the sunrise and enjoy my day. I haven't felt this relaxed in a while. Now the only calls I have to deal with are telemarketers. One down side is that my wife thinks this free time should be used for house work and todo lists.
We have family visiting this weekend, 6 people in my tiny home. Okay, so it's not really tiny, but it feels a little cramped now. Overall though, they have been good company. They brought one of Scotty's cousins (another 2 year old) and the two of them are like brothers, both fighting and playing, but overall doing well. Otherwise, life has been fairly normal, I hate my job and dread going each day thinking it will be my last, but keep on trukin. One day, I'll find another job like this one was. One day.
My vacation has come and gone, but what fun. I removed the battery from my phone and didn't replace it until this morning. I had a great weekend, playing with my son, working in the yard, setting up a bird feeder, and cleaning out the garage. My wife and I even got a night to ourselves on Saturday. Grandma baby-sat so we went to the movies and then had a quiet evening in front of the fireplace. All in all a good weekend.
I'm on vacation!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm not really going anywhere but I turned my work cell phone off for the first time, in over a year. I'm not going to check my e-mail, voicemail nor answer any calls for the weekend. Unfortunately, I know I'm going to worry all weekend about what's going on and what I need to check on, and Monday will come way to fast. Oh well, at least I get a few days off. On another down note, my son is sick, possibly with Strep Throat.