Computer Update

Computer Update

Well, we’re running with the wireless network card and the AGP card in. No crashes in 30 minutes. I’m holding my breath for another 6. Then, I’m reading the users manual for updating the SB Live! card. That may very well be the culprit. Argh. Argh. Argh.

Soon, we will have pretty, pretty pictures.

So where are the new pictures?

So where are the new pictures?

Sigh.

There are some things which are out of my control. One of them is the amount of time I have to work on the PC downstairs. Here’s the basic rant:

Why I am Ranting at Microsoft:

They publish software that allows you to upgrade from Windows 98 to Windows XP. So, you’d think that SOMEONE within the MULTIBILLION DOLLAR COMPANY would TEST THE PROCESS on something approximating ACTUAL USER CONFIGURATIONS and realize that THE PROCESS WORKS ABOUT AS WELL AS TRYING TO CONVINCE A WILDEBEEST THAT THOSE LIONS ARE VEGAN, NO, REALLY, THEY ARE. TRUST ME.

Why I am Ranting at CompUSA:

I realized I was probably at the end of my technical rope, one that’s pretty short to begin with these days what with Jacob occupying my free time. So, I contacted CompUSA for their at Home Repair service. This was a one-time charge of $150.00 for them to send a tech out to the house and fix the computer. We schedule a time, but over the phone, I hear the person taking calls say, “oh, from 98 to XP, huh. That’s bad.”

Sigh.

Basically, the home computer was rebooting every 5 minutes or so for no apparent reason. In addition to this, it would reboot when I tried to switch screen savers. (?!)

So eventually, the tech gets to the house and tells me the equivalent of Dogbert’s Support Line. “Reinstall XP from scratch on a clean drive.” Because he felt bad about spending so little time on the issue, he didn’t charge us the full $150.00. It was only $86.00 for approximately 20 minutes of work.

So I back up everything of value onto a different drive, doing it in safe mode because everything else will crash the blasted system.

Then we reinstall. Then we put the wireless drivers on. Then we watch the machine crash crash crash.

But now we can change screen savers. Woo hoo! Progress!

I’m ready to call the support guy back and basically read him the extended version of the Riot Act (see www.ultimateinsult.com for details). Then Laureen tells me “oh, by the way, Nick (the support guy) said that if the reboot didn’t fix the issues, there wasn’t much he could do because our hardware is so old.”

Now that’s an insult to my geek pride. While I don’t have the most modern configuration, I do have an Athlon 800MHz processor and enough RAM to keep things running. And as far as I know, my operating system and wireless card software are supported by my hardware configuration. I’m just extremely angry that I was told that there was nothing he could do.

There are several things I can do:
1. Do a card pull and reset, including new drivers for all of the cards.
2. Check to see if the Power Supply is adequate.
3. Check airflow in the system by checking the internal temperature of the Athlon chip in the BIOS.

But did Nick suggest any of those to me? No, I had to go online (at work) and find these out from annoyances.org.

A google search on the terms CompUSA and horrible should have warned me off.

So, once I run through those scenarios, after I come back from racquetball tonight, I’ll attempt to deconstruct my machine. If all else fails, it’s new mobo, new processor, new RAM, and new PS time.

So, that’s why I haven’t put any new pictures up yet. It’s gonna get done. I promise you that.

Here I am, Baby…

Here I am, Baby…

I am sitting in an office. Not a cube. A full-fledged, four walled, closeable door office. I don’t even have a roommate.

I think I’m gonna like it here.

I actually teared up a bit when I sent my “goodbye” email to Verizon yesterday. Then I saw my manager for the third time since I’d started (roughly 9 months). It was a bonus type of day.

Let the next adventure begin.

-Kevin

Seasons change

Seasons change

And so do job opportunities.

For those of you unfamiliar with my current situation, I am a contractor. That means no paid holidays, no paid sick days, no vacation. Add a drive from Garland to Lewisville every single day, and you have the makings of fidgetiness in a nutshell.

I’ve been looking, and today, something came through, so I’m jumping on it.

Credant will be my new employer starting Sept. 2. I start off as Contract again, but the possibility of going to Hired employee status are much more real here than in my current position.

Onward we go, through the pouring rain.

Boy oh boy

Boy oh boy

Just finished moving the computer downstairs. It’s about the only way to get Laureen to be able to read her email from her mother/baby group. Got a chance to clean up the cabling as well, and with the power of the wireless LAN, we rock all over this house….

The boy is doing really, really well. We spent the weekend at a church member’s lakehouse off of Lake Cypress Springs. It was our 11th anniversary as well. We discovered one thing: don’t go to lakehouses with your friends on important days like anniversaries. As much as I love the people I was with, I desperately wanted to spend some time with Laureen and Jacob alone.

Watching the Olympics at this moment…saw a commercial for McDonald’s with the Williams sisters. Like they eat anything remotely unhealthy like McDonald’s…

Job situation: well, basically, any chance of becoming a full time employee at Verizon Wireless is a pipe dream. They have an opening on the team, but they will more likely promote someone from within the company rather than hire from outside. Thus, I’m keeping my options open.

Dang, those beach volleyball costumes are way, way too skimpy. Maybe it’s just NBC’s select coverage….

Ken Owens is back from his trip. I’m looking forward to talking with him about it. He’s had a few bad experiences. You can read about them at http://www.xanga.com — search for CaptainSunshine.

I know, I know. Everyone wants more pictures of the boy. I’ve got a big backlog, but maybe with the computer down here, I’ll get a few more chances.

New Pictures

New Pictures

Pictures from various times. The date is listed in the filename of the pic.

I Like This
Four Hours Old
Nappin
Gotta Baby
Checkin out the Jeep
Stretch baby
Stretch baby 2
With Dad
Looking GQ there, Dad
How’d I wind up here?
Oh, she did it…
Blue butterfly
Sleepytime
Mommies give the BEST kisses
Nice wrap, Dad
Big Face
Who’s more tired?
Sweet repose
Doubly Sweet Repose
My Blue Onesie
Tai Chi on the Boppy

The week

The week

Well, I can’t believe it. Charlie’s actually gone to Canada. He packed up his car yesterday, said “goodbye” to Laureen (I was at work), and headed off to the next installment of his Amazing Adventure. One of these days, I’ll tell more of Charlie’s story, but he’ll have to tell it first.

I pray for God’s blessings on him and his family. The next steps aren’t going to be easy, but he’s managed to walk a pretty narrow path while he’s been with us, and I can only hope he holds to the course and doesn’t get overly depressed about life.

Congratulations to Chris and Lisa on their impending move. Having been a guest in their house on numerous occasions, I’m really happy that Lisa’s getting a bigger kitchen. The current shoebox arrangement they have now is…”cozy”. It has a small work triangle, definitely.

Congratulations to Mickey Robison for getting a job with Countrywide. It’s nice to hear him be late “because he has to work”.

Jacob: I love this kid. He’s growing up. He’s graduated from “Burrito Boy” to “Burrito Grande”… I’ve promised pictures before, and I’ll get around to them soon, once I get a chance to futz around with the computer. I’ll soon have a page solely for Jacob’s pics.

Work: I hate overhearing conversations where people are talking on the phone relatively loudly. You always hear the strangest things. It’s hard not to make value judgments against my coworkers based on what I hear, but when one woman’s conversation consists primarily of the phrase “Shut Up” (said with multiple different intonations), it’s hard to be nice.

My cubicle is on a main hallway, and as such there are oftentimes group conversations right outside it. A complicating factor is my proximity to the break room. I’ve only had to stand up once to get people to move (I was on a conference call at the time, and their talk of water skiing was throwing me).

Currently reading: D-Day by Stephen Ambrose. After reading Citizen Soliders, I wanted to read some more books by this eminent war historian. Reading this book around Memorial Day puts things in perspective.

What I Still Have To Do: pay bills. get car registered. figure out where the BNL CD went.