AtomicMrX

I finally got my iPod Touch to go Wi-Fi at home. I was about to take the Wireless Router to work to see if they could update the firmware. I had tried two different Mac computers using Safari and FireFox and they would just hang while updating the firmware on the router. As a last chance effort I thought I would try my Windows XP on the Parallels on my iMac. First I tried FireFox and got the same hang problem, then on to Internet Explorer and it took the firmware update! I was shocked! I tested the iPod and it had a strong signal and worked! Yea!

We also got ALL the leaves picked up yesterday! I am tired and sore today but it got done! And of course this morning there are more leave on the ground but at least we got the bulk of them up and the trees don’t have much left on them.

I FINALLY got to play my Super Mario Galaxy Thursday night and it has the best graphics of all the games I own so far. Which all the games I have up to now have been the sports and party games which rely more on the event rather than the special effects.

I’ve only had enough time to play the first world on Thursday and get to the end of the second world (where I keep dying trying to fight the big plant monster thingy - darn slow old age reflexes!).

I’ve been too busy trying to get my home Wi-Fi wiped into shape. I can connect everything except for my iPod Touch. I did some digging and found the router has never been updated. I am unable to update it as well - it just spins and says updating for hours and never does it. The “Check for updates automatically” is grayed out along with the “check now” button - which makes me think there is something very wrong with it. There have been 11 (eleven!) updates from my current version! I have tried downloading the most current and also the one just above my version - no joy! I spent all day on it yesterday and all Friday night on the darn thing. I am exhausted and at the same point I was a week ago!

I think I’ll take it into work and have the IT staff fiddle with it. All I want is for it to update to the current version of firmware. Then maybe (just maybe) my iPod Touch will find the Wi-Fi connection and then there will be joy!

On a brighter note. Leopard OS X 10.5 is super cool! I finally implemented Time Machine Friday night and it is so cool and will help out if I ever delete something I should not have.

Today will be spent in the yard with the leaves. I also need to see if I can get the xmas lights up today. Lots to do and it ain’t gonna be in front of the computer today!

I will be getting organized and working on a new web site project today for Monarch View Property Owners Association. I’ve already put a lot of preliminary work into it but today it “make it work” day. I’ll be putting a test page up on a secure area of my web space and getting layout details hammered out. I’m excited and looking forward to it. I’m such a geek!

I got my car washed yesterday (for it to downpour today) and as soon as I pulled away from the car wash area my fan in the dash board stopped blowing out of the vents. It’s working, I can hear it blowing away in the dash area… just not coming out of the vents. So I’ll have Honda look at it hopefully Tuesday. It’s time for a oil change anyway and I’m due for my 15,000 mile stuff. Might as well get it all taken care of now. I’m sure the dashboard/fan work will be covered by my warranty so I’m not too worried about cost.

I got my check from the Credit Union Xmas Fund. I’ve also already bought my first Xmas gifts (for co-workers). So I’ve checked them off the list.

It’s getting close to the release of Apple’s OS 10.5! I need to get an external Hard Drive so I can make backups! I have one already in use by my old computer and could pull it over to the new one except it is way too small and would not hold all the content of the new computer. So I might as well get one that will surpass the new computers hard drive space.

Work is going well. Our over time is finally letting up. I took off a half day on Friday just to get some errands done. First stop was Velvet Creme Popcorn. Oh my God is there popcorn good. A co-worker brought some in for a birthday celebration and I could not get enough of it. I bought some Cheese Popcorn (for me) and some Cinnamon Popcorn (for Shannon) plus two popcorn balls. Then I came home and cut my hair (finally) and by the time I was done with that Shannon was home from his running around.

We went to eat at Longhorn Steak House. Everything I ate was fried! UGH! I gained three pounds this past week!

Okay! I’m freaking out with all the thunder and rain coming down! Here I sit at the nice new computer and it could be taken out at any second with a lightning bolt! But I have to get some work done today and they say the rain won’t stop till late afternoon. There goes another lightning bolt! Save, save, save! We have flash flood warnings all over the place now!

I’m looking for a new digital camera. The one I have is very old, chunky, and extremely slow shutter speed. You have to take the picture then stay there in that position for a few seconds longer without moving so you give the camera time to take the image and save it. The one I want is a Fuji FinePix F50 fd in Black! Everyone has the Silver but not the Black. Well, okay, I could get it from the UK or Japan in Black but come on! I’ll keep looking and maybe a show around here will order one for me.

Well, I have been lazy with the blog posts. That’s very evident. I also have not painted on the house since the last post. We are experiencing a heat wave now, so painting the house is not a good idea. Before our heat wave it was rain, rain, and more rain. Oh, and guess what we are to get tonight and the rest of the week? Rain. Yep this is not going well.

I am also trying to get out of a Budget hell. I am living paycheck to paycheck and just barely making it. I am tired of this and researching how to get out of it. I have found some software called Budget that offers a free trial (yea, free!) so I can see if it will do the job before forking over $20. It’s based on the “envelope” theory which is similar to how I use to budget myself when on Consumer Credit Counciling years ago. I think I need to drop some of my bills if possible. Look for ways to cut back on the spending. All sounds fine and dandy till you try and implement it. It would really help if I got a “Cost of Living” increase at work. We haven’t gotten one ever and the piddly little “raises” in our pay just get ate up by our increased medical insurance costs… which means no increase to the pocket book. I think I’ve figured it correctly and if so I get a .73 cent raise each year (what I make now minus what I started at divided by 15 years of work).

Jaki got her rabies shot last weekend and I got her licensed with Raytown for $5.00 on Thursday. I will have to do that every year now, they just put it into law. Before they didn’t require dogs and cats to be licensed - she always got her rabies shot - just not licensed with the city.

Shannon may get a promotion at work. They want him to apply for it but he doesn’t want to - because it will be a pay DECREASE but more responsibility. That’s Walmart for ya!

Our tomato plants are big but none of the blooms are producing. They just drop off before they produce. What is wrong with that! Our sweat corn is only about a couple feet high and looks more like grass blades. We are learning what works in the garden this year I guess! The herbs are doing great though!

Well just thought I should make a blog post to fill everyone in on a bunch of nothing! LOL I will try to be more current with the blog posts in the future.

It was so boring at work. Our work flow has dramatically dropped. We were sitting around with not much to do. So I opted for a half day vacation. I’m using it up pretty early in the year but that’s okay.

I will cut my hair today and get a lot done this weekend. I hope the weather permits the soil to dry out a bit. We need to get some plants and seeds into the ground soon!

I will definately be spending some time at the computer this weekend. My copy of PREY (MAC version here, and PC version here ) came in the mail today (I knew it was a good thing to take off work early!). I can’t wait to play it and see where the story goes.

We have had Gold Finches visiting our Finch feeder. I saw four at one time eating, which took all the open slots on our little feeder. They were very VERY yellow and cool to watch. I think we’ll have a lot more birds at the feeders this summer. It will be one year (about) since I put them up so they pretty much know it’s gonna have food and is a safe place to eat. I put up a little black fence around the base of the deck. Jaki was going under there and I didn’t want her to get hurt or anything while under there. Also cats in the neighborhood were “lurking” under there trying to get the birds at the feeder. I had to put a stop to all that. Plus it adds a nice touch and kind of finishes off the look of the deck. It will help the flowers to grow out away from the deck instead of under it since Shannon planted everything right up to the edge of the deck. Pictures to follow once we get more plants in the ground.

Time to cut my hair, excuse me, and have a great weekend everyone!