Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. I love getting together with friends and family and celebrating all of the many things we have to be grateful for. I'm of course grateful for the traditional things like food, clothing, shelter, family, liberty, etc. However, what follows is a lighthearted list of things I'm grateful for.
1. I'm grateful that my cat, unlike my roommate's cat, is not inclined to scale the screen door.
2. I'm grateful that I now have a magnetic cat door that will allow my cat into my bedroom, but will not allow my roommate's cat in.
3. I'm grateful that the construction at my apartment complex is nearly finished and may be done sometime before the turn of the century.
4. I'm grateful that my inability to afford cable has granted me the opportunity to try to learn Spanish. (I have an antenna, and most of the channels I can pick up are in Spanish. I think the only English channels I can get are ABC and PBS.)
5. I'm grateful that the trackpad and trackball on my laptop are working today.
6. I'm grateful that somebody will read this blog entry and comment on it. (Hint, hint...)
Have a happy Thanksgiving. What are you grateful for? (Serious or lighthearted, it's all good.)
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Out of Gas
Literally, not metaphorically...
I'm a terrible procrastinator. I keep trying to overcome it, but it pays off just often enough to remove the incentive to stop. However, it did not pay off yesterday.
I'm usually pretty good about filling my car up with gas. When I have a quarter tank left, I fill up. I get excellent gas mileage, so I can let it go for longer, but since I work weird hours in sketchy areas, I don't usually push my luck.
Thursday morning, I noticed that I only had a quarter tank of gas left, so I figured I would stop at the bank and then the gas station on my way into school. (The gas station I go to gives a discount for paying in cash.) I was running late that afternoon, so I didn't stop by on my way to class. On my way home, I decided that I was too tired and that it was late, so I decided to push off filling up to the next morning. I went home and looked for parking. Since my roommate hogs the parking spot, I had to circle the (very large) block a few times before finding a spot. I parked my car and trudged to my apartment.
In the morning, I decided to go to the library to check out some books. (Real live novels, not textbooks. I feel so decadent.) I walked out to my car and got in. I turned the key, and my car wouldn't start. My car is really old, and the battery dies frequently, so I figured that was the problem. Then I realized that the radio and the lights worked, so it couldn't be the battery. I thought about calling AAA, but then it dawned on me that I might be out of gas. Fortunately, there is a gas station about a block away from my apartment. I grabbed my wallet and trudged up the street.
When I got there, I bought a gas can, filled it with a gallon of gas, and walked back home. I put the gas in my car, and sure enough, the car started. I promptly stopped for gas before running my errands.
I'm just glad that if I had to run out of gas, that it was in broad daylight in front of my apartment complex on a day when I wasn't in a hurry to get anywhere. This could have been much worse. Now, I'm going to be extra vigilant about filling up when I get low.
I'm a terrible procrastinator. I keep trying to overcome it, but it pays off just often enough to remove the incentive to stop. However, it did not pay off yesterday.
I'm usually pretty good about filling my car up with gas. When I have a quarter tank left, I fill up. I get excellent gas mileage, so I can let it go for longer, but since I work weird hours in sketchy areas, I don't usually push my luck.
Thursday morning, I noticed that I only had a quarter tank of gas left, so I figured I would stop at the bank and then the gas station on my way into school. (The gas station I go to gives a discount for paying in cash.) I was running late that afternoon, so I didn't stop by on my way to class. On my way home, I decided that I was too tired and that it was late, so I decided to push off filling up to the next morning. I went home and looked for parking. Since my roommate hogs the parking spot, I had to circle the (very large) block a few times before finding a spot. I parked my car and trudged to my apartment.
In the morning, I decided to go to the library to check out some books. (Real live novels, not textbooks. I feel so decadent.) I walked out to my car and got in. I turned the key, and my car wouldn't start. My car is really old, and the battery dies frequently, so I figured that was the problem. Then I realized that the radio and the lights worked, so it couldn't be the battery. I thought about calling AAA, but then it dawned on me that I might be out of gas. Fortunately, there is a gas station about a block away from my apartment. I grabbed my wallet and trudged up the street.
When I got there, I bought a gas can, filled it with a gallon of gas, and walked back home. I put the gas in my car, and sure enough, the car started. I promptly stopped for gas before running my errands.
I'm just glad that if I had to run out of gas, that it was in broad daylight in front of my apartment complex on a day when I wasn't in a hurry to get anywhere. This could have been much worse. Now, I'm going to be extra vigilant about filling up when I get low.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Cleaning Disk Drives
Note to self: When you clean a disk, that is not to be interpreted literally.
I got up at 4:00 am this morning to finish my term paper that was due at 5:30 pm today. I worked all day, and I did my laundry while I was working. Well, around 11:00, I went to switch my load. I heard some rattling at the bottom of the washing machine, and I fished out my flash drive. I dried it off and put it in my computer. All files are present and accounted for, thankfully. I think I need a nap.
I got up at 4:00 am this morning to finish my term paper that was due at 5:30 pm today. I worked all day, and I did my laundry while I was working. Well, around 11:00, I went to switch my load. I heard some rattling at the bottom of the washing machine, and I fished out my flash drive. I dried it off and put it in my computer. All files are present and accounted for, thankfully. I think I need a nap.
Friday, November 7, 2008
It's a Hardware Problem
My dad is a software engineer, so whenever he can't fix something, he proclaims it to be a hardware problem, and thus not his department. I'm a political scientist, not a computer scientist, but in this technological age, I've had to learn my fair share about computers. I've never had any formal training (except for the typing class I had to take in high school), but I've managed to pick it up quite well.
When my laptop died last year, my dad and one other computer engineer said that it was toast and that I would have to buy a new one. Since I was (and still am) on a student budget (seriously, grad students are even poorer than undergrads), I was determined to fix it. It turns out that my hard drive was scratched and all I had to do was replace it. No problem. I took care of it in under an hour. (Well, under an hour once I diagnosed the problem...it took me a lot longer than that to figure out what the problem was.)
Computer knowledge is a blessing and a liability. On the blessing side, I can set up and manage my wireless network without paying anyone else to do it. On the other hand, once people find out my hidden talent, they are forever asking me to fix their computers.
This is especially pronounced at work. I provide in-home care for disabled adults. My two clients share an apartment, and I come in on the weekend to provide care. There are other staff members who come in during the week. There is an internet connection available for staff use. Somehow, I ended up as the de-facto network administrator.
Sometime during the week, some of the staff members had moved the telephones in the apartment. When I arrived this evening, the person I was relieving said that for some unknown reason, the computer was broken, and she asked me to take a look at it. I did, and the computer was fine. However, the internet connection was down. I couldn't find any reason why it should have been down. The computer had a good connection to the router, and the router had a good connection to the modem. I checked all plugs, and then on a whim, I walked out to the kitchen. Sure enough, the spare phone had been plugged into the wall without a DSL filter. I unplugged the spare phone, and, voila! Internet access.
Lesson of the day: When in doubt, it's a hardware problem.
When my laptop died last year, my dad and one other computer engineer said that it was toast and that I would have to buy a new one. Since I was (and still am) on a student budget (seriously, grad students are even poorer than undergrads), I was determined to fix it. It turns out that my hard drive was scratched and all I had to do was replace it. No problem. I took care of it in under an hour. (Well, under an hour once I diagnosed the problem...it took me a lot longer than that to figure out what the problem was.)
Computer knowledge is a blessing and a liability. On the blessing side, I can set up and manage my wireless network without paying anyone else to do it. On the other hand, once people find out my hidden talent, they are forever asking me to fix their computers.
This is especially pronounced at work. I provide in-home care for disabled adults. My two clients share an apartment, and I come in on the weekend to provide care. There are other staff members who come in during the week. There is an internet connection available for staff use. Somehow, I ended up as the de-facto network administrator.
Sometime during the week, some of the staff members had moved the telephones in the apartment. When I arrived this evening, the person I was relieving said that for some unknown reason, the computer was broken, and she asked me to take a look at it. I did, and the computer was fine. However, the internet connection was down. I couldn't find any reason why it should have been down. The computer had a good connection to the router, and the router had a good connection to the modem. I checked all plugs, and then on a whim, I walked out to the kitchen. Sure enough, the spare phone had been plugged into the wall without a DSL filter. I unplugged the spare phone, and, voila! Internet access.
Lesson of the day: When in doubt, it's a hardware problem.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Vote!
I promised that this blog wouldn't be serious, so I'll start with my public service announcement and then follow it up with levity.
Today is election day. Our forefathers and foremothers sacrificed greatly so that we could have the right to vote. Don't let that sacrifice be in vain.
Now, for a bit of humor...A few years ago, I stumbled across a website called "Nobody for President". After all, Nobody can be trusted to keep his campaign promises.
Nobody will promise to end the war in Iraq!
Nobody promises to give power back to the citizens!
Nobody will promise to stop spying on Americans!
Nobody will promise to end corruption in the Government!
Nobody will promise to run on a platform of Peace!
Nobody will promise to stop government subsidies!
Nobody promises to cut Military Spending!
Nobody promises to reform our Election Process!
Nobody promises to create a lasting Peace in the Middle East!
Nobody promises to end the War on Drugs!
So, on this election day, go out and vote. Nobody will make you!
Today is election day. Our forefathers and foremothers sacrificed greatly so that we could have the right to vote. Don't let that sacrifice be in vain.
Now, for a bit of humor...A few years ago, I stumbled across a website called "Nobody for President". After all, Nobody can be trusted to keep his campaign promises.
Nobody will promise to end the war in Iraq!
Nobody promises to give power back to the citizens!
Nobody will promise to stop spying on Americans!
Nobody will promise to end corruption in the Government!
Nobody will promise to run on a platform of Peace!
Nobody will promise to stop government subsidies!
Nobody promises to cut Military Spending!
Nobody promises to reform our Election Process!
Nobody promises to create a lasting Peace in the Middle East!
Nobody promises to end the War on Drugs!
So, on this election day, go out and vote. Nobody will make you!
Monday, November 3, 2008
How to Make Your Own Charcoal...
...In Seven Easy Steps:
Step 1: Purchase a thrift-store toaster oven with the toast setting broken. This will allow you to make toast only using the broil setting. If you use a toaster, or a toaster oven with a functioning toast setting, your charcoal will be underdone.
Step 2: Place your bread in the oven, and turn the oven to broil.
Step 3: Get distracted.
Step 4: Completely forget that you have bread in the oven. Check your e-mail, play with your cat, and get in the shower.
Step 5: About 30 seconds after you've stepped into the shower, remember your toast. (Be sure your waist-length hair is good and wet for this to work best.)
Step 6: Grab a towel, wrap up in it, and frantically run to the kitchen.
Step 7: Turn off the toaster oven.
Presto! You have charcoal.
Fortunately, it didn't catch fire. It was close, though--smoke was billowing out of my toaster oven, and the cats were staring at it with a mild degree of alarm. I guess I have more on my mind than I realized. (I get absent-minded when I'm under stress. Finals are approaching.)
Step 1: Purchase a thrift-store toaster oven with the toast setting broken. This will allow you to make toast only using the broil setting. If you use a toaster, or a toaster oven with a functioning toast setting, your charcoal will be underdone.
Step 2: Place your bread in the oven, and turn the oven to broil.
Step 3: Get distracted.
Step 4: Completely forget that you have bread in the oven. Check your e-mail, play with your cat, and get in the shower.
Step 5: About 30 seconds after you've stepped into the shower, remember your toast. (Be sure your waist-length hair is good and wet for this to work best.)
Step 6: Grab a towel, wrap up in it, and frantically run to the kitchen.
Step 7: Turn off the toaster oven.
Presto! You have charcoal.
Fortunately, it didn't catch fire. It was close, though--smoke was billowing out of my toaster oven, and the cats were staring at it with a mild degree of alarm. I guess I have more on my mind than I realized. (I get absent-minded when I'm under stress. Finals are approaching.)
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