training day
This day went on too long. This week is database training for the new lab system. Sometimes I wonder if I really need to be in training; I don’t really do anything. But I think the lab managers feel comfortable that a member from IT is present during these sessions. We worked on setting up their cumulative reports this morning. However, the topic ran well into the afternoon; we were fortunate to squeeze in lunch after 5 hours. The instructor’s schedule was knocked completely off axis today with all the questions and issues brought up in class. We went off on too many tangents, and each one exploded into another until it snowballed to the point where there was no return. We finally hit our 2nd topic of the day at 3:30 (and that went on for 2 more hours). I don’t want to have to do this for another 3 days this week (sigh).
belated birthday greeting
Happy Belated Birthday to my niece Emily, who turned 9 last week. I’m sorry I’m late! Happy Birthday from your Uncle Neil 
1 year old
Just want to wish a very Happy Birthday to my “niece” Lina (shown here with her mom Glenda). Lina turns 1 year old today!
monday music mambo
Today is Make Up Your Own Holiday Day, so I hereby proclaim today as Drummer Day!
- Name some of your favorite drummers. Or name a drummer if you don’t have any favorites.
John Bonham of Led Zeppelin, Dave Grohl of Nirvana, Lars Ulrich of Metallica, Alex Van Halen of Van Halen - What song contains your favorite drum performance?
This was tough … couldn’t name just one- “In My Time Of Dying” from Physical Graffiti by Led Zeppelin
- “Leper Messiah” – from Master of Puppets by Metallica
- “In Bloom” – from Nevermind by Nirvana
- “Girl Gone Bad” – from 1984 by Van Halen
-
Do you prefer the drummer to simply keep a beat, or do you like him or her to show off a bit?
The beat is always important (but nothing wrong with a little improv here and there). -
If you were a drummer, how would you personalize your drum kit?
I’m not a drummer, so I wouldn’t know one kit from another. As a kid with drumsticks, I always tried emulating Big Al’s performances, so probably a kit similar to his.
final four
Since the start of the tourney, I watched like … maybe 1 game in its entirety? Not that the games were boring; I just haven’t been interested. I wished I watched today’s East Regional final between UNC and Georgetown. With 6 minutes left and the Tar Heels up by 10, my picks for the Final Four were still intact. Somehow, they went ice cold and the Hoyas forced overtime. Then Georgetown just stomped all over North Carolina in OT. My final four were Florida, UCLA, UNC, and Ohio St. I had UNC winning it all; so much for that. Now I’ll be cheering on the Hoyas next Saturday. How can I not? They represent the Big East. I say Florida and Georgetown in the championship, with Florida coming out on top 75-70.
coping
So I’m back up and online. I did not use a computer at all on Saturday. How was my day? Uneventful. Shutdown Day should’ve included TV, iPods, video games, radio, etc. And it’s my understanding that a good part of the online community did NOT shut down. (more…)
Shutdown Day approaches
Saturday is Shutdown Day. I’m participating by going the whole day without a computer. No e-mail, no internet, no Twitter, no Twittervision, no Digg, no iTunes, no Flickr, no del.icio.us, no Google, no Wikipedia, no YouTube, no WordPress, no Netflix, no games, no widgets, no blogging, no blogroll, no uploads, no downloads, no troubleshooting, no ripping, no burning, no RSS feeds, no Wi-Fi, no way Jose.
I’ll be back on Sunday to tell you how my day went.
dirty car art
Check this out … Scott Wade’s Dirty Car Art.
friday's feast #136
Appetizer -
Who is your favorite news anchor/reporter? Why?
Brian Williams of NBC Nightly News – down to earth, relaxed, never too stiff or serious
Soup -
Name 3 foods that are currently in your freezer.
stale waffles, Boston Market TV dinner, frozen butter beans
Salad -
If you were to have the opportunity to name a new town or city, what would you call it?
I really don’t know. “Tenysburg”?
Main Course -
What will most likely be the next book you read?
“Point of Impact” by Stephen Hunter
Dessert -
What’s the first thing you notice about the opposite gender?
Their smile (CL’s laughing right now, saying, “yeah, right! it’s actually their cleavage”)
LaRussa charged with DUI
St Louis Post-Dispatch article
Why do public figures continue to put themselves in these situations?
post-op blues
I’m glad that the surgery is done and over with. Waiting for the moment to arrive was the worst. The anticipation was keeping me up at night. The procedure was fairly quick this morning. I don’t remember anything except the preparation. Now I’m just dealing with swapping out the gauze to see if the bleeding has stopped. I’m also taking turns with ice packs (frozen veggies) on each cheek. I have pudding, apple sauce, and jello (thanks, Baby!) to eat.
twittervision
I discovered Twittervision the other day. It’s a mashup of Twitter and Google Maps, where you can view Twitter posts from other users all over the world. It’s pretty neat to see the world having a conversation. Drew Domkus (of the Dawn and Drew Show) said Twitter is like “one big chat room”. There are those who don’t care for Twitter, saying it’s silly and that it won’t last. I for one like it; it’s revitalized my blogging.
random 10 #97
10 songs that sum up your weekend… or were on your weekend playlist…
- “Two of Us” – The Beatles – John Lennon’s murder was the #1 shocking moment in rock & roll, according to VH1
- “You May Be Right” – Billy Joel – one of my faves
- “I’m Shipping Up To Boston” – Dropkick Murphys – heard this on “The Departed”
- “All These Things That I’ve Done” – The Killers – heard on a commercial for Adam Sandler’s newest film
- “St. Patrick’s Day” – John Mayer – shuffle played this on 3/17
- “Glorified G” – Pearl Jam – learned a little bit about the story behind their big hit “Jeremy”
- “You Know My Name” – Chris Cornell – a great song, even if it is for a 007 film
- “Deadbeat Club” – The B-52′s – reminds me of my senior year in high school
- “God Is A Bullet” – Concrete Blonde – not sure why I like this song, but I do
- “Flying In A Blue Dream” – Joe Satriani – love the melody
… and one picture that relates back… my plugin is failing again, so I don’t have a pic.
dog and baby girl
This is cute … (direct link to the video)
madness returns
The big dance starts tomorrow, and I almost forgot to make my picks. I haven’t watched much of college hoops this season, so I winged it. I’m rooting for Southern Illinois and North Carolina (I like Tyler Hansbrough). I made my picks at PicksPal. We’ll see how I do …
random 10 #96
10 songs that sum up your weekend… or were on your weekend playlist…
In honor of their induction to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, here are the last 10 Van Halen songs played on my iPod (5 from Dave and 5 from Sammy).
- “House of Pain” from 1984
- “Beautiful Girls” from Van Halen II
- “Hear About It Later” from Fair Warning
- “Drop Dead Legs” from 1984
- “Hang ‘Em High” from Diver Down
- “316″ from For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge
- “Finish What Ya Started” from OU812
- “A.F.U. (Naturally Wired)” from OU812
- “Feels So Good” from OU812
- “Don’t Tell Me (What Love Can Do)” from Balance
… and one picture that relates back…
Daniel shows off his washboard skills at Disney World’s Hoop Dee Doo Musical Revue (June 23, 2000). We’ll be returning to the Magic Kingdom at the end of May.
Robin Williams on golf
Funny stuff from Robin Williams – NSFW – be prepared for some language (this means you, Mom). Direct link to video.
VH goes into the Hall while Eddie checks into rehab
Van Halen will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Monday night. However, Eddie Van Halen will be absent since he checked into rehab Friday. David Lee Roth is skipping out since he won’t be singing (Velvet Revolver will induct the band and perform in VH’s place). I take it Alex Van Halen isn’t going since Ed won’t be there. The only original member to attend is bassist Michael Anthony; funny, since he’s no longer a part of the band (Eddie’s son, Wolfgang, has replaced him). Roth’s replacement Sammy Hagar will also be in attendance. (more…)
my everest
I went to work today dreading the monstrous task that awaited me at my desk. Coding the LOT (Lab Order Table) is not an easy thing to do. I certainly understand it better than I did 3 months ago. But the LOT is so fickle; all it takes is one small detail to send the whole thing into a tailspin. Today was certainly no different. (more…)
work sucks right now
What a crappy day. This whole week has been crap. I’m responsible for a major update to the lab system, and my testing has continued to fail each day. The update was to take place tomorrow, but due to the problems I’ve encountered, it’s been pushed back a week. And I’ve got to get it done so we can move forward with implementing the new system. It sucks – once I fix the problem, a new one arises; it’s like I keep breaking something else. And what really hurts is that I can’t test until the next day after I make any changes (that’s really out of my control). My manager understands the situation; she’s been kind enough to take on some things since my plate’s full. And everyone has been patient with me. But I hate having that black cloud hang over me, making me feel like I’m the one holding up everything. Thank God I’ve got a long weekend coming to me.
Something new on my sidebar: Twitter. Sort of a mini-blog. I can go here to post what might be going on at any given moment, or simply blog a random thought. Since I haven’t really posted much on my blog lately due to a serious lack of motivation, this kinda comes in handy when I just want to throw something out there with minimal fuss. I can post via Twitter’s website, text from my phone, or through IM. I like it.
RvD2
Remember Ryan vs. Dorkman? Check out the sequel from Ryan Wieber and Michael Scott. If you can’t view it here, here’s the link to the vid on YouTube. I recommend viewing the HD version at Stage6 (requires a Divx web player install).
