I took the week off of work. Yesterday I painted the bathroom a deep burgundy color. The paint color is actually called "Scarlet Fever". I'm not really sure why anyone would name their paint after an infectious disease.
Cable guy came yesterday. We now have Comcast phone, broadband and digital cable all for less than I used to pay for local phone service from qwest. So as soon as I switch cell-phone providers (which will be very soon thanks to number portability, maybe this week) I will be qwest free. It took a few minute to get the Tivo talking to the digital cable box. It works now, but there is a little lag when you press the Tivo channel up/down button. The way it works is that the Tivo has a little cable that plugs into the back of the Tivo and sends an IR signal to the Digital Cable box. Now that I have all that working I want the Tivo to do the volume control for the receiver. Unfortunately, that doesn't seem to work ... yet.
I have also cleared out some significant drawers and cupboards in the house that were collecting junk. The good news is that the upstairs and main floor are now a lot neater and organized, even where the guests can't see, but the basement has a few more junk piles. On an organizing note I have finally (re) organized the PC cables under the main computer desk. I hate PC cabling so much. There is always too much cord and those power supplies for peripherals aren't very covenient, and don't get me started on wall-warts. (I need to break down and order some of these.)
Generalities: November 2003 Archives
We had a nice snow last night. The kids and I went out and sledded down our hill. What a blast now that Matthew is old enough to really enjoy it. I am planning to build a banked track for sledding this year if the snow is favorable. Minnesota is plenty miserable in the winter, but having snow makes up for the cold for the most part. The last few winters were pretty pathetic snow wise. Hopefully, we'll get a good one this year. (Note: If that wish comes true then I'll probably be grumbling about shoveling and snowblowing by mid-January.)
Last night we were treated to a display of the northern lights aka the aurora borealis. Ever since the unusual recent weather on the sun, I have been waiting to see them around the Twin Cities. Last night they finally showed up. They were an intense green, with unusually sharp edges and creases. I wanted to get some photos but I hadn't spotted them until 10:45. I tried with the digital camera, but the 4 second exposure just wasn't enough. Annoyingly my camera has a bulb setting, but it requires one to keep the shutter depressed and there is no way to set it with a timer or use the remote in that situation. So if you want photo's check out SpaceWeather.
There are some natural phenomena that really capture me. The northern lights are one. I can almost hear music when I see them.
Excuse the dust.
I have tried to rebuild most of my missing entries from an RSS feed I had laying around. I didn't have the dates, so perhaps some are appear out of order, but it's no big loss. If you are getting 404's on the main site it's still being rebuilt. Hopefully, I'll get it all and running tonight.
I think I'll have to be more cognizant of backups in the future.
Today was my first game of the company chess league. I played a valiant first half of a game, but then blew it badly at the mid-point.
I must study more.
Of note today (or was it yesterday)"spinning-jennie :: what's next?" relates fond memories of a Wisconsin Delicacy.
I too enjoy the guilty pleasure of "cheese curds". I prefer my white and my favorite supplier is Rybicki Cheese in the Mall of America, smugled in fresh from the homeland.
I'm headed to the the homeland this weekend to visit my Grandpa.
Yesterday was our first real snow. The kids were thrilled to get their boot, hats, mittens, and coats on and play on the deck. I mean they were really thrilled, like I would be with a new car or something. That's one of the best thing about kid's being able to experience those thrills again vicariously. It's not that I don't have those same peak emotions periodically, but it takes a little more to get me there. I have seen the snow before, for some reason I don't like playing it as much as I used to, and I certainly don't feel thrilled to see it. I can see the beauty in new fallen snow, but it's more of a mental experience.
CNN.com - Rumsfeld unsure of missing 'mojo' - Oct. 31, 2003
I would love to shake this reporters hand. Donald Rumsfeld has to be one of the oddest characters to have been in public office in recent memory. His way of talking to the press is so strange. Perhaps you have already seen his poetry.
