Next Thrilling Installment

We went into Nassau today and did a little shopping. Or, rather, I watched shopping occur, and supplied a credit card from time to time.

And now, boooo and booo again, it is raining on and off. The fireworks tonight will be spectacular, but it looks like we'll have to get damp to see them.

Oh well. Beats shoveling snow.

Tuesday is Haiku Day!

sunny all the time
I lose the stress floating on
a puddle of rum

A bit further south

We are currently in Nassau, where the temp is a humid 81. I think we're heading off for where the drinks are cooler and the pools are filled with girls who should know better.

We arrived yesterday, on NWA. Whomever said getting there is half the fun, had no intention of applying the sentiment to modern air travel.

More later...

Don Likem One Bit

Mondays. Freezing bloody cold Mondays. I can deal without them.

Why: Well, simultaneously, we have the garage door at home stopped working, the furnace at the store stopped working, and a piece of important equipment at work just up and broke. The story of Job is not lost on me, but c'mon now. Throw me a frikkin bone here.

So the door required some better lubrication as the cold had stripped it clean (there's a pun in there, for the discovery of which I offer no rewards). The furnace had a bad blower motor, which is what I told the repair dispatch lady; and it cost about 4 to have it replaced. I was lucky to get a guy out here during daylight hours.

Ah, well. Its the week of Christmas, and Chanukah just started. And we have heat, and family and its all good.

It is all good... right?

Amazing Plow Stories

I love the snow. Apparently, my tractor doesn't.

It seems the battery was dead; so I went out this morning, in all that snow and replaced it. I had to go visit a local company anyway, so it was convenient to stop at Tractor Supply. They comped the battery, since it was only about a year old.

I replaced the battery and the beast fired right up. I started plowing and got stuck right away, since, as I mentioned earlier, I hadn't put the bloody chains on. So I installed those in the snow.

Good Times!

Then the tensioner pulley came loose, so I crawled around under the tractor and got that put back on.

Then, now having tension upon it, the thrower drive belt snapped. Can you imagine my joy?

I said... well, you know what I said, got changed, and drove in to the store, where I'm sure we'll make... well, nothing. Who is crazy enough to drive out in this for ink?

The good news, and yes there is good news, is that I may have secured a support contract with the business I visited this morning. Sweet!

Update! Whaddayaknow? There were people who really, really needed printing supplies on a day like this. So, all in all, it was worthwhile to go in.

I have to mention that I'm not real impressed with the complete lack of attention to the streets. And it will only get worse - did you read how services will suffer as municipal revenues decrease due to reduced real estate valuations?

Well, at least the power is on.

Community Activities

Wednesday, I went and joined the Saline Environmental Commission; I think I am relegated to being a member of a 'sub-committee' as I am a resident of the hinterlands of outer York Township. The steaming tundra, as it were. The commission is in the process of setting goals for 2009, having spent 2008 focused on issues of water quality. I am very concerned with environmental issues, and plan to add my input to developing sound, intelligent policies for the greater Saline area.

One of the issues the commission is going to focus on is that of visibility in the community, including cooperative effort with neighboring municipalities. Cooperation and visibility is one of the issues I've stressed often to both the chamber of commerce and to Tri County. No town (or township, or organization) is an island, we all have to work together.

I'm interested to see how this plays out, and I'd be happy to be a part of it. After all, that is one of the reasons I joined Leadership Saline in the first place.

Inverse ratio: cooks to progress

I was at a local business today, trying to sort out their network. Apparently, I'm not the first to have a go at it. That fact is made all the more tragic when one sees that, of the eight machines I attended to, two had no security at all, two had expired McAfee (which is still no security at all) and the others had a hodge podge of semi-worthless security. Further, although on a domain, they all log in using one of three accounts. There is no back up protocol... I could go on, but I won't. Its mostly better now, but it will still need more work.

And I'm finishing up a PC that had Pro AntiSpyware 2009 and Registry Defender on it. Free Clue: These are malware, and tough to remove. Protect thyself against them.

Looks like I get to use the tractor tomorrow. I kinda dig throwing snow with the Cub. *remembers* Crap. I didn't get the chains on. D'Oh.

And in other news

I would have rather and more immensely enjoyed myself and found my time useful had I begged off of SLI the other day, and gone to AA NetWorks. That is all I will say on that.

On Shuffle: Matthew Sweet, I've Been Waiting. Bubblegum? Yes, yes it is. Still like it tho.

I've got a big ol PC on the test bed, it suffering from the usual malaise of the older PC: application bloat. There's just too much stuff to let a P4 with 512MB work smoothly. Among the gunk was a full set of Norton System and Internet Works. Bloody Hell. Look, seriously, if you must use Norton, don't kid yourself about minimum requirements. Have at least one GB, two would be better.

Shuffle: Pixies, Allison. Jeez, remember the Pixies?

I added 2x256 PC3200 SIMMs that I had laying around, cleared out all the rubble, and it is a bit faster now. Another thing he's running is SQL server and a DB preloader that both take up a fair amount of resources. It should be noted that this PC is not really a server, its a converted desktop running XP Pro SP3.

It belongs to a local small business. I'll be there all morning Monday setting up a new network. Not a proper domain, mind you, but basically a home network used for business, so its a few desktops, peered around a router.

Shuffle: Kristy McColl, Treachery. Cool latin rhythms there, boss.

Our networking group had their Holiday Festivus last Friday. Whereas what happens in Trindy's basement stays; there was rather a lot more groping than I would have thought appropriate.

Appropriately enough, shuffle goes to Ziggy Stardust.

This week, the run up to the Giftivus Holiday, features a few meetings and such, but not much. I will attend a meeting on Wednesday, concurrent to the youth air rifle session at TCSL, with the Saline Environmental Commission. [If you're wondering, the shuffle went to Blues Traveler, The Mountains Win Again. You're Welcome.] Anyway, the SEAC (I think the acronym is) is something I am keen to be involved with. It does affect us all, and what with my participation in environmental affairs in other venues, it could be a very natural fit. I suppose there will be some discussion as to whether I should be allowed to be on such a board, because although I have a Saline address, I live in the hinterlands of York Township. As an aside, I am thinking it might be a good idea to get on the York Twp Environmental Committee (YTEC) or perhaps the planning commission, as well.

We end this narrative as we began, with Matthew Sweet, Nothing Lasts. Hopefully that selection is not appropriate at all.

Comin back around

SO this evening I went to the year-ender party with the Home Builder's Assn.

It was a lovely affair, in their basement, with free beer and all the cool kids. Kinda like being back in high school, but it was OK this time.

I spent a portion of the evening chatting with a fellow with whom I've become acquainted through several chambers of commerce as well as the HBA. He is, as they say, everywhere. He represents a local bank, an he is a friendly, approachable fellow. But, he confided in me, he isn't selling very well. His job is to get customers for the bank, and he isn't, and that worries him. After he spoke for a little while, I told him that just from what he said, it seemed that his heart may not be completely in to it. He has little verve for the bank; he couldn't give me one reason why I should consider switching. Thats not good.

So, trying to be a good guy, trying to give good advice, I advised him to speak to a person we both know in common: Kendra Kerr. This isn't going to turn into a commercial for KK, but she helped me and Laura get where we are now, and she could help him sort out whether he should just chuck it in and go into business for himself. He had mentioned that he had been considering such a thing, so it was appropriate to suggest.

Kendra is co-host of AA Chamber NetWorks tomorrow, and I will miss it, as I will attend Saline Leadership. SL was kicked back one week for... some reason. Its not like the 18th would have really impacted Christmas. Anyway, maybe he'll talk to her, maybe he won't. It can be very intimidating to go into business for oneself; but its worse to be unemployed.

So who else did I speak to tonight? I told you - all the cool kids. Where were you?

Phear This

Our in-store event yesterday (Saturday) went very well. Laura did all the on-air talking; at least twenty minutes worth. We received several calls and some new customers stopped by. All in all, we're impressed enough with WAAM's coverage, and its employees, that we'll very likely continue our advertising.

This coming week has a lot fewer networking events; the holidays are upon us and the business world is slowing down. Ypsi chamber has a coffee on Wednesday at Bombadill's. Later Wednesday is the HBA year-ender party. Thursday is WRN, then Saline Leadership. I've really enjoyed SLI, and I've gotten a lot from it.

I'm looking forward to the days just after Christmas; we're going back to Nassau for a week. It will be so nice to get away for a while...

Timing is everything

Had breakfast with the Ypsi chamber yesterday. As is their custom, they had the high school chorus sing seasonal selections. Very nice way to start the day.

So we're looking forward to Saturday's in-store event. A little nervous, as I've never been involved in anything like it before. Also, the store is kinda small, at least up in the front public area, so the added people and equipment will make for a few hours of tight living.

Things continue apace. Bidness as usual.

Other things, in no particular order:
* The Friends of NRA fundraiser banquet has been moved to April, the 22nd. I'm co-chair this year, so lets see how that goes.
* Air rifle is tonight. We get 12-15 kids per session, which for this activity is extreme success.
* AA Chamber Year Ender party is Thursday. All the cool kids will be there.... just don't stand in front of the shrimp. I've seen terrible things happen in the shrimp line.
* Tri County board meeting is Thursday night, right after the year ender.
* I'll try to get to A2B3 on Thursday. Its been a few weeks since I made that group.
* So what else? In laws come up on Friday and stay a few days; if the weather permits, I suppose.

Yup, My life is exciting. Actually it is kinda.