Computer update

The computer has been running without issue for 2+ days. It seems as if removing a suspect memory module has corrected the issue. I will let it run for a couple more days before proclaiming victory, but it is looking good.

Troubleshooting Computers

Our desktop computer has been a pain lately. It is a bit old and has been giving the BSOD, showing random errors causing the automatic shutdown. I am trying to isolate the problem, but Microsoft and Google are very little help when trying to figure out these types of errors. MS indicates it is a driver that is causing the fault, but does not say which one or how to troubleshoot. Google says the same thing, but some sites indicate that a memory module may have a faulty chip, so I am trying removal of one of the memory sticks to see if that will isolate the problem. I originally thought it was my Antivirus, then Java that was crashing the computer, but was incorrect on both counts.

Based on what happened earlier today, either I removed the good memory module or the problem is outside the SDRAM boards. I will probably know within a day or so.

BTW, the BSOD error codes are about worthless.

Boredom In NY

I am waiting for business associates to fly in to Albany, NY. I am sitting in a Panera Bread typing this, having started this day in Pottsdam, NY. It has been a long day of business calls and snowy travel. Near Oswego, NY, along Lake Ontario, there was one of those "Lake Effect Snows" that was wild. We were traveling along in partly cloudy skies, when we could see the sky ahead turn dark. It went from dry conditions to heavy snow in about 3 minutes. At times, the snow was so hard that it was nearly impossible to see 100 feet to the car in front of me. This lasted for 15-20 miles and then, just as fast, was gone. Saw many cars in ditches and a truck that was blown over. The cars were from States other than NY. All in all, just another day in business.

Hope yours was good too.

Yesterday was one

Of those great weather days in NC. It was a day that beginning at 8 AM, the local television crews were on the road, with reporters at several "key" locations through out the region looking for bad weather. They knew it was going to be bad, and all wanted to be the first to show how bad it is.

Even the head meteorologist was on the road to demonstrate how bad things were going to get. All were predicting snowfall in my area at 2-3 inches as a cold front mixed with a low coming off the Gulf full of moisture. It was to be worse east of here as well, but these guys were concentrating on the local area.

Well it finally started raining, as predicted, about 11:00 AM. and it rained for about 3 or so hours before changing over to snow. It never did snow hard, and we ended up with about 1/2 inch of snow.

Over at college, A ended up with less than 1 inch of snow. I think BW got slightly more when all was completed.

What do you call a Chief Meteorologist that is driving around in the television station van looking for snow that does not get here?......Desperate for job security.

Testing Just this one time.

Back in the late 70's and early 80's one of my favorite singers was Peter Gabriel. Recenly whlile wandering around on some of the political related websites I read occcasionally, I stumbled on the below videos of Peter and two of the more memorable offereing by him. They are apolitical, so no body will be offended, but they are offered as entertainment.

In your eyes



Sledgehammer

Some Pictures from Key West

As promised earlier, here are some pictures of my time here in Key West. The temperature is in the upper 60's and the wind is about 10MPH, but gusting to the mid 20's so it can be cool, in a relative sort of way. I like it, but I have more insulation.

First, some local vegetation, a Coconut tree. Notice the blue sky in the background.


This is a view over a marsh. It was only slightly breezy at the time of the picture.


Here is the stern of the yacht, about 150 feet long, masts standing about as tall. The fit, finish and wood trim is just immaculate and the ship is just beautiful. I hails from the UK and I am told it cost about 25 million pounds. Looking at it, the cost is quite evident. There are many tourists that stop and stare at this fine ship. It has dual 21 ft dinghies, jet powered (vs prop).



Wandering all over, these "free range" chickens are very interesting. Many are very colorful, but I am told they are protected, being descendents of the chickens brought over during the discovery period. It is funny to see them wandering around. They cross the road when they want to (there is a joke in there somewhere), yet you do not see them getting hit by the cars. There is no evidence of chicken pate anywhere, these things are fast.



The cruise ships to Key West dock right outside our hotel. It is only a 2 block walk to Duval Street, the tourist trap area in Key West. It is tremendous fun to people watch as they look at all the stuff for sale here.



If I get a chance, I will post other photos as I take them.

Out of Town on Business

Unfortunately, I am out of town on business, but not in too bad a place. I am in Key West, FL. The highs are to be around 75 with lows around 64. I will post a couple of pictures tomorrow, one of a 150 foot private yacht twin mast sailboat. Nice.

However we will be sequestered in meetings during most daylight hours, so the pictures will be sparse.

Enjoy your week.

This post is weak....

in comparison to that of my Sister over at:

merrylandofoz.blogspot.com

but as both A and C were home, tonight's dinner was Ham Loaf, Cheesy Potatoes, Green Beans Crescent rolls and beverage of your choice. This is a favorite of the kids, so I too thought it would taste good. All this after K and A were shopping all afternoon for a sharp business type outfit for her Pharmacy School interview. Seems she made the first cut, 250 out of over 1000 applicants for the final 130 positions.

Well, it was

Quiet. Both A and C are coming home this weekend, for different reasons. C is coming home because she wants to visit some friends that she did not get to see over the Christmas break. We will pick her up after a swim meet later this afternoon.

A is coming home to bug us. Not really, but she has her interview scheduled for Pharmacy School (in a little over a week and a half) and wants to work on her CV (resume), help us spend money on an interview outfit for her, and have us help her with answers to potential interview questions. All of this after she has attended the UNC/NCSU men's basketball game later Saturday. (If you are watching, look for her in the front row!)

Should be a fun day or two.

And Suddenly...

It got quiet. C has been back at school for 5 days. We just took A back to school tonight. It went from a lively household to very quiet. I think K needs the break right now, because when the kids are home, generally it is all about them. But at least for now, a day or two of quiet will be good.

A is feeling very much better after having the wisdom teeth out. In the follow-up visit, the Oral Surgeon says that it is 90% healed. Just in time for school.

Extraction

A had her wisdom teeth pulled today. X rays indicated that she only had 3, but they were bothering her. She is doing quite well, considering what she has gone through. She is doing better at this point than I was doing when I got mine pulled a couple of years ago. Way less bleeding. I wanted to take a picture, but K would not let me (I wonder why?????).

School Essay: What I did on my Christmas Vacation

I am not too sure that the pictures will do justice to what I want to show, but a couple of years ago, I got a dovetailing jig for use with my router. I had intended to use it making the drawers for the kitchen remodel that K and I did. Well my router had an issue with a bearing that went bad, so the drawers ended up mad a different way and the dovetail jig not used.

Over this Christmas vacation, I committed to K that I would make some drawers for a couple of kitchen cabinet bottom sections. This would make it easier to get to the pots, pans and anything else that was stored in the cabinets, using the whole cabinet rather than having something hiding, unused in the back of the cabinet

Well I got my router fixed, tuned the jig and went to town making drawers. The first picture is the cabinet that K wanted done first. It would require 4 drawers, 2 large ones for the left hand side and 2 for the right.


The cabinet open:


Here is a picture of the finished cabinet with the four drawers installed.



I could bore you with the details of the drawer making process, but they were make of Baltic Birch and custom fit for each cabinet. The first 4 turned out so well in K's opinion that she wanted 2 more in a different cabinet. Those turned out the way K wanted, so she has requested a couple more in yet a 3rd cabinet.

The hardest part was getting the finish just right, but in the end, it all looks very good.