Rrrreeeddddbbbbuuuudddd...

It was a beautiful Saturday here in fly-over country. The sky was that unique shade of bright, happy blue that there really is no name for. The clouds were cottony, billowy and so white they almost shined. The whole scene looked like something off of a postcard. You'd almost half expect to look at that sky and see a little 'C' in a circle in the corner of your vision, claiming a copyright on the whole vista.



As beautiful, bright and sunny as the day was, there was some sadness involved. We removed part of a valued member of our yard today. We had a terrific old redbud tree in our back yard. It has, for the past seven years, provided us with spectacular blossoms to look at, and ample shade to protect us from the sun's harsh heat.



We usually have the family father's day celebration at our home. We cook steaks, and setup a table under the redbud tree. The whole thing was very comfortable and serene. The blossoms, the gentle wind, the shade.



But sadly, the tree did not blossom this year. It did not even leaf. It is dead. Folks in the neighborhood tell me the tree was over 100 years old, the oldest tree in the area. I don't know if that was true or not, but it makes it seem even sadder that the grand old tree just suddenly up and died.



When we moved in there was an old hackberry tree that was about 3/4 dead. We had a tree service take that one down because it was somewhere around 40 feet tall, and gigantic. I watched the tree service folks and how they took down the tree. I found it incredibly fascinating. The way they tied a rope to part of a branch, then again tied the same rope to the same branch somewhat lower down. This allowed the cutter to cut the branch and keel the branch from falling uncontrollably.



I remembered that technique today when we removed the first 1/2 of the dead redbud tree. If I owned a chain saw, we could have taken the entire tree down today. But I don't, so we had to use hand saws and axes to get down what we did manage to remove. The trick with the rope worked splendidly, and thankfully no one was injured, or even came close to being injured.



We are going to have to decide what to replace that tree with. I'd like to get one that gives good shade, and grows fast. I don't really want to wait 10 years before we have good shade again, but I may not have much choice in that.



As always, thanks for visiting!



(Oh, and for the record, I know it was "Rosebud")





Technorati Tags: News From Fly-Over Country, tree removal, redbud

Lessons Learned: weight training

This weeks "Lesson Learned" deals with exercise. Lesson is; free weights are much more difficult than weight machines. Since the boys are out of school, and I no longer get them up at half past four in the morning to exercise with me (I can be nice that way), I decided to switch to free weights for the summer.



Thursday I did my legs. That means squats (rough equivalent - so I thought - to the leg press machine). Now, on the leg press machine, I lifted 390 pounds. For the squats, I put 70 pounds on the bar bell. Here it is, three days later, and my quads (that is the muscle group located on the upper front thigh) feel like knotted ropes every time I walk.



So take heed, switching from machines to free weights can be terribly painful!



And again, thanks for visiting!





Technorati Tags: exercise, weight machines, free weights

Who will crash & burn first?

The morning crew on the radio this morning were discussing Paris Hilton, Britney Spears and Lindsey Lohan and their revolving door trips through rehab. That got me to thinking which one will crash and burn first. That, in turn, got me thinking 'hey, that would make a good poll for the blog.' So here it is. (funny how one's mind tends to wander while driving 70 miles in the rain with the steady thunk, thunk, thunk rhythm of the windshield wipers lulling the driving into a semi hypnotic state).

As The Dish Turns

Episode 1: Woes



We finally made the plunge a couple of months ago. We changed from Cox Communications to Dish Network (via AT&T). We had everything with Cox, phone, television and internet. We looked at the cost and service options, and decided that AT&T with DSL and Dish Network would cost less and we'd get more than with Cox. While the Cox internet started out wicked fast, I don't think they invested anything in their backbone infrastructure for the past several years because it has slowly but surely lost speed over the past two or three years. The slower speed, coupled with the near-crippling affect of their port restrictions (I couldn't hook up to my SQL database from outside my own network), was enough to make me seek an alternative.



I should have received an inkling of a clue on how all of this would proceed by the way it all started. I called AT&T to switch, and this all seemed to go very well on the phone. We setup a time for them to come out and setup the telephone and DSL on one day, and the satellite on a different day since the satellite is actually handled by the Dish Network contractors. Ok, that makes perfect sense, no problems.



We had it setup for, I believe a Tuesday, for them to come out and get the phone and DSL working. I received an email from AT&T stating that on Tuesday they would be out between 8 am and noon. The next day I received a phone call on my cell stating that the number had not yet been released by Cox, so they would not be out the following Tuesday. Then we received a telephone call at home stating that they would be out, just a reminder - it was a recorded message. They weren't out on Tuesday. It was postponed until the next Friday.



They managed to get enough ducks in a row to make it out on Friday and get the phones all hooked up. I got home, plugged in the DSL modem and tried to see what it would be like surfing on DSL over cable. No such luck. We had the phone line, but didn't have the DSL. The instructions said that it might take 10 hours or so for the DSL to be noticed. So I waited until the next day. Still nothing. So I called. And sure enough, the order had gone out the give us the DSL the previous Tuesday, but since we didn't have phone yet, they couldn't Now it would be another three or four days before the DSL is connected (thank goodness I had enough forsight to NOT cancel the cable internet already).



The DSL is up and running, and I have to say, I love it. Other than changing my main IP address every 8 to 10 days, I really do like it. With Cox I had an almost static IP address. It seems the only times it changed was if the model was powered down for more than 10 minutes. I loved it. I run the TeamSpeak server for our little gang of Raven Shield players (we play every Friday - holler at me if you want in, always room for more - lots of fun) anyway, I run the TeamSpeak server for that, and it is always good to have a static IP since everyone outside my network connects via the IP address. With the DSL it sometimes changes from week to week, so I am in the habit of sending out an email every week with the most current IP address for the TeamSpeak server. A minor inconvenience, and I am certain there is a [free] way around it, if I took enough time to locate one.



Once the satellite was installed, I was a happy camper. The installer said he wanted to put the dish on top of our porch if we had no objection. "Pfft, you're the expert man, if it will work there, then go ahead." So he did. Man, I wasn't expecting everything we got. 200 hours of record time. TWO HUNDRED HOURS. We didn't have to holler at the kids for recording 50 Pokemon and Digimon cartoons any longer. With Cox we only had about 20 hours of regular recording, and about 9 hours of HD recording. With Dish Network we have 200 hours of regular recording, and about 90 hours of HD recording. Man I was in hog heaven. Search for "John Wayne", click "record this", click "record this", click "record this" woo hoo! See a commercial for the 'romantic comedy by which all others are judged', cool, the 5/8 would like that, search "An Affair To Remember" - click "record this". Excellent! No worries about running out of space!



And everything was peachy. We didn't even lose signal during that horrendous storm where the basement flooded and Shunga Creek flooded. It was all Jake man. But (and there is always a 'but' isn't there?) but that came to an end this past weekend. This past weekend, things weren't peachy, and they weren't Jake, heck, they really were even Myron. They just plain stunk. Over the Memorial Day weekend, things got hinky. We had a little bit of rain on Saturday night, and the satellite went out. No big deal, but come Sunday, it was still out. Ok. Time to call the Dish Network folks to see what the heck is happening. I call and wait on hold for what seems like hours (it was probably closer to 30 minutes only) before a cheery guy finally answers. Being a mostly technology capable guy, I have already run through all the setup menus and what not, but this guy wanted to do it again. Alright. I'm a fairly easy-going guy, I'll humor him. It takes us about another 30 minutes to run through all of that. Still no signal (see, I could have told him that 30 minutes ago, but I was nice, and I humored him - see how nice I am?). So he switches me over to another lady after about 10 minutes on hold.



I explain that my fear is the Einstein who installed the dish in the first place two months ago didn't think about the near future. A near future in which trees will have leaves and bushes will be bushy. He put the disk on the roof of our back porch. This was all fine and dandy in the winter, when there were no bushy bushes and no leaves on the trees. Now though, there are copious amounts of leaves on the trees to interfere (at least it looks like they would by way of my eye-balling the dish trajectory). This nice lady (everyone I spoke with seemed very patient and pleasant, none of the CS people ticked me off - which isn't very difficult thing to do for CS people because when I call customer service, I always expect SERVICE).



At any rate, the nice lady (who, although while very nice, pretty much had an 'I could care less' tone in her voice) told me they could have someone come out on Tuesday the 29th to look at the dish. "You mean we have to go the whole weekend without television?" "Yes, I'm sorry, but Tuesday is the earliest we can have someone come out and look at your dish." She also politely informed that since it was installed less than 90 days ago, I would not be charged the $50 service fee for having someone come out to fix the dish. "What do you mean service fee?" "You won't be charged, since you are within your 90 day warranty." "You mean to tell me that if I had gotten this service a month earlier, and the installer put the dish in the wrong place, you would charge me $50 for you people to come out and fix your equipment that you installed improperly?" "Yes sir, that is the service agreement you have with AT&T." "I'll tell you what, if there ever comes a time where I have to pay you to fix your mistakes you made with your equipment, then you can come out and get the equipment for free because I'll never pay it." "Yes sir, but if there is any time left on your contra--" "I don't have a contract, I am contract free. I can quit you today and suffer zero penalties." I told her to make note in whatever files she wanted to about my objection to my paying them to fix their equipment. She assured me she did just that (yeah, right, I was born at night, but not last night). I also explained that which I would pay more for less with cable, having 200 channels with the satellite just doesn't matter because right now I have 200 channels of absolutely nothing.



Tuesday rolled around and they never showed up. My wife called them about 2 in the afternoon (they were supposed to be there between 8 am and noon). She was told on the phone that someone was scheduled for Tuesday the 5th of June. But they were sorry for the mix up and would send someone out on Thursday the 31st between 8 and noon. Currently it is going on 3 pm, and no one came to fix the dish. It has been mostly working since it came back on Monday afternoon. Only going on when it sprinkled (which, seriously, has been quite a bit lately). This whole thing has really left a bad taste in my mouth. The 5/8 wants to switch back to Cox for television, and I have 1/2 a mind to do just that. Not only because if we had a problem, they were responsive. But also because, even though we were told that we would receive the local channels in HD, I don't think we really do, they are just not near a crisp and clear as they were coming through the cable, and as the other HD channels are - so I think they were just out and out lying about that part. But that really isn't the issue here. The issue is with the total lack of customer service. By neglecting us - especially new customers like us - as they are, they are in essence telling us they don't want our business. It stinks.



So who knows what will happen next? I'm thinking I'll call the AT&T number, instead of the Dish Network number, and complain to them. And when the Dish Network people finally come out (if they ever do) tell the 5/8 to conveniently be on her way out the door and not let them do any work so they will have to make yet another appointment to come out. It would probably cost some outages in service between appointments, but it might be worth it. I'll let you know what happens in the ever continuing saga of "As The Dish Turns".



Thanks for visiting, and letting me vent!





Technorati Tags: AT&T, Dish Network, Customer Service, Rip Off, Poor Serivce, No Reception

News from fly-over country

It has been a while since I have posted anything really, so I thought I'd try to get something up today. It is a slow day at the office. The day after a long weekend usually is. None of the management is in (natch) and there is not that much to do. So don't tell the little dictator in the corner that I'm using work time to hash out this post (it will be our little secret).



The past couple of weeks have been a flurry of activity. Softball games started for Little Sister's softball team. Number One Son graduated from the 8th grade. Thankfully, and with a little prodding from mom and dad, he decided to attend the 8th grade after graduation party. I wasn't worried knowing it would be a safe venue being in the Church basement.



Last school party, he took the camcorder and had a lot of fun video taping the event and people. He couldn't this time because I allowed him to take it on the last day of school, and it came back in operable. He claims he has no idea what happened, but there as a smallish broken piece of plastic that looks as if it came out of the inside of the camera. I had to practically pry the thing open to get the tape out. Inspection of the tape led me to the conclusion that the tape had gotten eaten by the machine (it was all crinkled and twisted). Which led me to the conclusion that the tape was stuck and it was yanked or otherwise forceably removed which, in turn, broke the little internal piece that landed so nicely in the camera bag.



So now we have no video camera. I don't know if it is repairable, or even where to go to get it repaired. I supposed I'll have to scour the Sony website to see where the nearest repair shop is, then weight whether it is worth getting fixed. At about $800 new three years ago, I have to think it will be worth getting repaired. But if the repair bill nears the $400 mark, I'll probably shuck it and save for a new one. Bummer because we had this great idea for the comming election cycle of doing "Darth Vader for President" spoof commericals and posting them to the YouTube. The kids gave me a Darth Vader voice changing mask for Christmas, and I thought I'd dress up in a suit with the mask it it would be really fun to make and edit them. But that is out the window now. So if anyone wants to do it, take the idea an run with it. I did check, and websites like Vader2008.com are available if anyone wants to know.



Number One Son was sorely afeared that I'd be angry, but I was more dissapointed than anything else. I knew in my heart of hearts, that if he kept using it without my supervision, it was going to break. I knew it because, like most things, he just doesn't have a sense of responsibility about it. At least that is what it seems. He doesn't even care much for his own stuff sometimes, so I was terribly dissapointed, but I wasn't all that angry. Sometimes, things happen that just aren't worth getting angry over. Now, if it had been my still camera, then I'd have gone through the roof! (but then, I would not have let him take the still camera anyway).



All this begs the question, why does the still camera mean more to me than the video camera? I spent about the same amount of money on them both. But I do use the still camera considerably more than I do the video camera. Which is kind of odd since I really enjoy editing and sprucing up the home movies on the computer. Probably because for photos, I don't need any other device to view them. Once printed, I can give them away and others can enjoy them without the use of a computer or a television or any other device.



Little Sister did splendidly in her first softball game (apperantly there were two other games that were played but somehow didn't make it onto our schedule). She is really a good hitter. She seems to know where the ball will be, and simply puts her bat in the path of the ball. She scored and her team won (we don't keep score...officially). I believe this week we are playing her cousin's team (or it may be next week). That is always fun. Should be a better outcome this year since most of her cousin's team moved up to slow-pitch softball this year and other than her cousin, the team is fairly new to the game.



Number Two Son was sick most of this week. Seems to have the stuff that Little Sister had two weeks ago, and I had last week. That is some killer cold. Not enough that it makes you want to go to the doctor, but right there on the cusp. Coughing, sore throat and just generally having zero energy. I was barely able to put the coffee cup to my lips and sip. It was terrible, I'm telling you.



But he managed to get over it by Monday, so he was able to spend the day with me and poppy while we put up security cameras in poppy's apartment building. Our goal was to get all three installed, we succeeded in installing just one. Boy that was a bugger. Now I know whey those professionals charge so much for installation.



Well, that's the news from fly-over country. I want to thank you all for visiting, and have a great week!



Technorati Tags: fly-over country, news, topeka, kansas

LOST season finale

This season LOST went out with a bang. Not just a little band either, a huge, gi-normous bang. I was sorry to see Charlie go, but one of the main characters had to go. It is the way of things. Hurly was just too lovable of a loser oaf - and nobody would really care if Sayid or Sawyer bit the bullet. No, it had to be Charlie. All too lovable Charlie. Charlie who was the last in his band to get into the drug scene, and (we presume) the last to get out. Other than Locke, Charlie has made the most dramatic change in his life on the Island. He kicked drugs, he found love, and a general purpose for his life, obtained a family. Like the guy in the WWII movies with the 'girl back home', Charlie was ripe for killing off. I was sad to see him go, but it just felt too right. He died with a great purpose - at least that is what he thought. Desmond's visions of Charlie's death finally come true. Although, I don't know why he didn't close the door from the OUTSIDE of the room when the room started to flood, but he seemed content with his destiny.



The world seems to be falling apart around Ben - the bug-eyed leader of 'The Others.' All his best laid plans are unravelling. He didn't expect Juliette to turn against him (at least, to this point we don't THINK he meant for that to happen). He didn't expect to have seven of his people blown to smithereens while attempting to abduct the women survivors (at least, we don't THINK he meant for that to happen).



The one-eyed Russian seems to have a terrific knack for surviving things he shouldn't survive. First the security system around the compound of 'The Others', then the harpoon to the chest. And speaking of that compound. They had electricity and running water. Why didn't the survivors move to the compound after Ben & Co. abandoned it? They had houses and beds and all that nifty keen 'modern living' stuff (bathrooms). Seems to me, if I were on the Island, I would have moved in a hurry.



And of course, no one expected Locke to stay down. Seems he had given up until Walt (Jacob??) appeared to him and told him to get off his duff and complete his mission (whatever that is). It has been a contention with me as to what happened to Michael and Walt. They left in a boat when the EMP was released, but that should have (you'd think) mess up the boat's fuctionality. And if Desmond couldn't get away from the Island in his boat, how come Walt and Michael could in theirs? AND why haven't they tried to send help? Or maybe they had, and that is where the boat off the coast comes from.



It seems that this season we have completely abandonded the Dharma Initiative and whatever company that was for which they setup all of those websites with clues to nowhere. We learned that when Dharma landed on that Island, it was already inhabited by what the DI's called 'The Hostiles.' Some of these hostiles haven't aged in the years from when Ben arrived as a young teenager, through present time.



In LOST we have almost arrived at the point where, as long as we know whether the survivors are rescued, the rest really doesn't matter much. Where did the Hostiles come from? What created that smoke beast? What was the source of that chain ranking sound when Locke was almost pulled into the pit? Who is Jacob? All of these questions, as the show goes on and on seem less important. It is geting to where it doesn't really matter what the answers are. As long as we know, ultimately, if the survivors are rescued, we can all sleep peacefully.



And as usual, there were the flashbacks scattered throuhgout the episode. It was Jacks turn again. In them we encounter a bearded, suicidal, pill popping Dr. Jack. It seems his life is in ruins. He has a run-in with is pregnant ex-wife after he pulls a lady and her kid from a burning car. We see him stop by the funeral of someone. We never find out who it is, but the casket is rather short. In the end though, we are treated to the fact that it was not a flash back we were viewing, but rather, a flash forward. This is the future. Jack's life is in shambles after his return from the Island and he wants to go back. He meets up with Kate (who is looking rather hot - despite her driving a Volvo). I am starting to think the funeral he went to, that no one attended, was for Ben.



I can't wait until next season!



And thanks for stopping by.





Technorati Tags: ABC, LOST, Television

Lifetime Channel movie in the making

We received a call from Gertrude last week. She used to live across the street from us with her three kids and alcoholic husband. Johnny was a consummate drunkard. He functioned alright most of the time, but there were times when he didn't, and everyone knew he was drunk. But he didn't realize we all knew, and we just went along letting him believe he was fooling us all. Like that time he fell down the steps on his front porch and needed help to get back up and into the house. He twisted his ankle right smartly in the fall. He blamed on a loose brick in the walk, but we all knew the reason was loose brain cells floating in Vodka.



Enough was enough eventually for Gertrude and Johnny. About two years ago she kicked him out of the house. Then sold the house a moved to one that was a bit newer, and required a bit less maintenance than the 90+ year old houses in our neighborhood. We kept in touch with her, two of her kids matched the ages of two of our kids. We did New Year's eve together a couple of years ago, and did some school functions, Casino Night, Carnivals and the like together. We aren't by any means the best of friends, but we are friends.



Gertrude calls and tells the 5/8th that she had been in contact with someone she had known in high school. Now, this is where the whole thing turns into something you might see in a Lifetime channel movie. This fellow Gertrude knew (I don't know if she 'knew' knew him - as in the Biblical sense) in high school has been 'looking for her for several years.' (warning Will Robinson, warning). He now lives in Maine and has a string of dry cleaners or convenience stores or some type of successful (presumably) shops. And after having flown out to Maine to re-connect with this fellow, she is now packing up her bags and moving to Maine. Not just to Maine mind you, she is actually moving her and her kids directly into his house.



Call me cynical, and I truly hope this thing pans out for her - I think everyone has the chance at a happy, long lasting relationship - but this thing just doesn't sound right. Here is a 40 something guy with (presumably) financial success in his businesses, and he is single. Growing up, that is what my mom would call "either gay or damaged goods." I certainly hope this doesn't turn out like a Lifetime movie where he beats her and she has to set him on fire while he sleeps, but I fear something like that is on her horizon. Hey, Valarie Bertenelli could always play her in the movie (no, Gertrude does not look like Valarie, but does that really matter?).

Call the exterminator, because "Bug" is coming...

I like scary movies. Not those slasher gore and blood movies that are so readily available. I'm not a huge fan of Jason or Freddy (although, I did like the first Nightmare on Elm Street movie), or Michael (again, the first Halloween was great). But good scary thrillers get my blood pumping.

Movies like "The Exorcist" and "The Omen" (the original, not the remake) are the kind I am talking about. Thrillers that make your heart race and keep you on the edge of your seat. From the trailer, "Bug" looks like it could be one of those movies. It is from the director of "The Exorcist" so I'm thinking it is not going to be some teen-ager slasher movie. There is a good chance this bug movie will be better than that snakes on a plane movie (I didn't go see that, heck I didn't even rent it).

The movie posters are enticing in themselves. Poster A is very creepy and is uncomfortable to look at. If I hadn't seen the trailer, I'm not so sure I would go and see this movie based on that poster. It is just too weird. Poster B is much easier to look at, and gives a feeling of mystery and intrigue and not really knowing what is going on. Poster B looks more like the kind of movie I would want to see.

Personally, since seeing the trailer, I'm waiting for this movie to hit the theaters. The trailer makes it look suspenseful, creepy and scare without being gory. It certainly looks more interesting than I imagined a bug movie could look!

Poster A:


Poster B:

This post brought to you by LionsGate Films

Paying debt

I almost forgot. I lost a bet. That is correct, I was wrong. I know, I know, it is so hard to believe, but it happened. Mark your calendars because it doesn't happen much!



At the spring fling on Saturday, Eldest Boy won some cinnamon rolls playing cinnamon roll poker. Sunday morning I had seen a couple of the cinnamon rolls on the kitchen table in their container. On the way home from getting the pump at Lowe's he mentioned being hungry. I told him he still has a couple of cinnamon rolls at home he could eat one when we got home.



He explained to me that the rolls were all gone. I insisted that I had seen a couple on the kitchen table. We made a bet. If I lost, I had to make a post on here that I lost. Well, I lost. I was wrong.



Mark your calendars that on Sunday 6 May, 2007 I was wrong. This doesn't happen very often.



Debt Paid.