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  • Sent a Postcard

    The Xangan gods wanted a postcard to decorate their office, so I sent 'em one!  Good for me.  Maybe I'll get a lifetime membership...oh wait, already got that.  I hope they like graffetti since mine is that of sorts.  I drew "Xanga" on some cardstock and cut it out to send to them.  When I got to the post office, they said it wasn't 3 1/2 x 5 and that I couldn't send it unless I wanted to pay 20 some bucks.  Hmm.... So the postal worker cut off about another 1/2 off the piece of cardstock and taped it onto the bottom of my makeshift postcard.  Gee.  Oh well, I hope they like my taped up office decoration.

    Wish I had made a copy of it before sending it.

    Dropped Lid.  OUCH!

    I dropped a lid off a plastic drum that we keep about 50 pounds of dog food in.  The drum lid might way about 5 pounds.  It's not really heavy.  But when the edge of it hit my big toe right on the nail parallel and close to the cuticle, the toe nail kinda' popped out from under the cuticle and just bled a little.  After I quit jumping up and down and trying not to use profanity (which I was successful on that part), I looked down and realized that thing wasn't going to heal like that.  I hobbled into the bathroom and pulled a little on the nail.  It came up some and then it started stinging.  I was to the "pain threshold".  One quick jerk with blood spraying everywhere and the pain was gone....that's a lie, the pain was different and I couldn't jump up and down because the blood was going everywhere and I had to stick my foot in the bathroom sink.  After a moment to regain control of the situation, I turned on the cold water.  Holy water, Batman, but that hurt, too!

    So it was blotting time, then time for the effervescent bubbles of the peroxide....to use iodine or not, NOT... wipe up and put on a bandaid....then a second bandaid because the first one wasn't damming up the situation.

    I got my shoe on, my toe stepped on, and I was really conked for the day.  I took a pic, but don't know if that's good to publish.

    The FogWalker is sure glad to have the hydrocodone.....going to take some now and try to reach the painless oblivion that he calls home....with his friend, the heating pad resting on his head...

  • Absentee

    I've been absent for quite some time now.  I've got a good excuse, umm, reason.  I got bronchitis and a sinus infection in December.  About the middle of January, it seemed that I was over it.  You guessed it; I wasn't.  I went through another run of antibiotics and had about one week of feeling decent.  Then I was sick again and having hot flashes.  Note: If these hot flashes are anything like a woman goes through with menopause, then I'm extremely glad that I'm not a woman.  Besides, it would be womenopause for me.  So I went back to the doc yesterday, at their insistence this time.  The doc said I had the worse sinus infection that he has even seen (dubious honor) and that my esophagus was raw due to all the coughing and vomiting (just a solid week of it).  Now I'm on more antibiotics, something for the stomach and esophagus and a steroid pack.  Gee, I really don't like all the drugs, but I'm so beat up that I'll take 'em.  The hot flashes, which were basically around my head and neck, are from the massive, Anthrax type, infection in my sinuses.  Man, and those things make me so disoriented, hot, head gonna' explode, miserable, panic-stricken and nervous.  Oh, I can't lay down because the change in position messes me up, and I can't sleep more than an hour because of all the coughing and hurling.  The doc said that it would be at least two weeks before I saw any improvement and suggested that the hospital would be the place to heal.  Yeah, right...not going there unless I have to.

    Things Done

    I don't know if my sons felt sorry for me, but they have spent about 4 days rearranging furniture in my office, helping me sort through and trash lots of stuff, and finishing up the network.  I have 5 computers on my network, along with 1 scanner, 1 printer and a new scanner/printer/copier/fax machine.  Cool.  So the arrangement as I sit here and type is that I have one monitor in front of me with it's keyboard on the pull out drawer.  Sitting in front of the monitor is the keyboard for the PC and monitor on the right.  To the left of the monitor is a TV with cable and plugged into that is my VHS -> DVD player/converter.  Directly to my right is the third monitor and when I pull out the drawer with the keyboard, all I have to do is rotate 90° to use it.  To my immediate left is another desk that has my laptop on it, but I have to move over to use it.  The other laptop is in the living room.  First printer is on a shelf above this monitor.  The scanner is in a slot below and to the right of this keyboard, and the scanner/printer/copier/fax is to the right of the right monitor.  Everyone says it makes me look really geeky, but hey, the setup works well for me.  Oh, everything is networked so it makes a really fine setup (some of wired, some of it wireless).

    I got more bookcases, desks and shelves put up in MY home office and it's almost all sorted, arranged and filed.  My sons have done all that moving and hooking up stuff, and putting stuff on the high shelves since I've been so sick.  The next item to come in is my drawing table and a short book case that goes under the front of it.

    Pics later on.

    "Hey, move it!"

    When coming back from the doc, I stopped by the PSD office to pay my bill.  After paying it and walking back out to my truck, another car pulled past me and stopped at the front door.  That wouldn't have been too bad, but this lady blocked the exit so that I couldn't get out.  I yelled over to her that I was leaving and she gave me the wait-a-minute finger and walked inside.  Well, I got out of my truck and noticed her car was still running.  I walked over, got in, mumbled to the young lady inside that this wasn't a parking place and pulled her car out in this secondary street.  I walked back to my truck, and drove off.  I noticed that when I was driving out of sight, she still had not come out of the building.

    What is wrong with people?!  There was a woman that was #1 and everyone should wait on her to do her business and then there's this sick idgit that gets in her car and moves it.  I thought humans were the smartest species on the earth; may still be, but they are just crazy and inconsiderate.

    The FogWalker goes in to take some more pills and some cough medicine....recliner time...

  • Busy Busy

    It's been kinda' crazy around this place.  I had to be offline for awhile since I was moving (with help) all my computers in one room and getting them networked.  That took awhile, though it might have been faster with some other people.  But, I had to move stuff, organize, file and throw away, and all that good stuff.  Then I didn't get ALL the PCs in here; there's one left to move in, but it's so old that it won't be online or used much.

    Networking wasn't too bad using Network Magic.  I like that program and it's useful.  I bought it with 8 licenses to cover everything that will be hooked up to it (which includes a couple of wireless connections to laptops).

    Then I got our security system running and that took a while, even with a professional hooking up everything.  It does provide a little more "comfort" for me.  My Hunni says that I'm her security system.   Ahhhhhhhh!  I almost melted, but.... I reminded her that I'm not always home, nor am I alert enough with these migraines to be the best.  Still, I enjoyed the comment. 

    So, I've been offline quite awhile and need to do lots of catching up.

    Vote

    I posted a poll on the sidebar in case anyone just wants to vote.

    The FogWalker goes back to figuring out things....like FaceBook....and others....

  • What's the best solution to boredom?

    Who has time for boredom?  The best solution is to have some interests in life.  Read a book, watch a movie, do something with your mate, hike, bike, play a game, work on something that needs done, and I could go on and on and on.  Like I said, who has time for boredom?  I'm never bored.  There's too much of life, and so much that can be done, where in the world would I get time to be bored?   

    I just answered this Featured Question, you can answer it too!

    The FogWalker thinks about boredom....he doesn't have time to think about it.... but may have time to do a little racing.... 

  • Baker's Dozen

    I had 13 tasks to accomplish in my assignment.  Not all were straight up and easy to understand and do.  Some needed some investigation and some footwork to figure out what to do.  A task might be as simple as picking up something and delivering somewhere else with the instructions enclosed.  Another task might be the same, though I might need to figure out the "where" on both ends of the transaction.  Other tasks involved asking select people what was needed on their end and then understanding what the best means was for the given ends.

    I was deep into completing all given tasks.  Four of the tasks were completed, graded, and written off as successful.  Several times during involvement into the tasks, I had been interrupted.  However, I was able to continue on until completion. 

    The last interruption didn't make sense.  It not only stopped my from completing my task, but it completely wiped out all remembrance of what it was, what the competed ones were, and what the remaining ones entailed.  I woke up.

    Awakening

    I can remember many many dreams during a single night.  I've written some and made short stories of them, some of which some people have enjoyed.  But this one last night has driven me mad with the thoughts that I can't recollect any of it.  It was so important!  I could feel the importance of it.  Alas, it's gone.  I don't understand why that happened.

    Then there was the recollection that some of the things that I have done in the past with assignments.  Was it only a vague memory of things done?  I don't know.  But it haunts me still.

    The FogWalker just ponders....

  • Maturity?  I dunno'!

    I was trying to think of a good title, but I'm unsure if that's it.  I like a lot of gaming console games and computer games.  I may take some of them too seriously.  You see, I like them when they are really realistic.  For example, if you're playing a driving game, the vehicle should act like a vehicle.  You can't be going 100mph and make a quick left turn without something happening in real life, but you can in a lot of games.  And if it's a war game, you get killed, spawn, and jump into the action again.  I don't want anyone to die because they're playing a game, but come on, if you can just run around crazy, get killed, and then run amok some more, then ..... well, then I should realize that it's not a reality type game. 

    I used to be on a Delta Force team, and we started playing Delta Force on the computer.  In the game, it took about 10 seconds before you spawned after getting killed.  This didn't slow down the ones with the S.A.W.s that would run amok in the game spraying bullets everywhere until killed, then spawn, and do it again, respawn, and repeat.  Where's the realism?  Was the game made for realism?  I don't know. 

    So I set up a server for the game.  On this server, when you got killed, you didn't spawn until the game was over and then you could play in the next game.  Many of the players got mad and wouldn't play on this server.  However, there was a following that would play on this.  It seemed that most of them had had real life experience like this, or they were older.  This is my limited experience.  Do you think lack of maturity makes people not like realism in games?

    Another example of this is when I was playing several younger guys the other day in Halo 3.  Since I didn't run amok, and I stayed kinda' in the background and "killed" them as opportunities arose, several got floor-slapping mad.  Then when I ran out like they did and just started swinging the hammer and was winning, they really got mad.  So here's this old guy that has fought a lot in his real life that is kicking their virtual butts, and they got mad.  I let them kill me after that just to resume peace (that was a funny statement).  Generally speaking, I'm not that great when it comes to amok-ism and I can be beat really bad when everything is crazy.

    The Racing Game

    I must admit that the racing game that I got with the PS3 is very realistic in the play.  When you wreck, you do get to start over in the same race, and that part lacks realism.  But games are made to sell, and tooooo realistic wouldn't do that, now would it?  This game is only 1 player, unless you're online, so we were taking turns playing.

    If you've had experience with driving, like steering into skids, slingshotting out of curves, driving on slick surfaces, etc., then you have something going for you when you play this game.  It uses real life when it comes to racing.  One player hasn't driven yet, one has limited experience, and I would be afraid to tell you about 40 years of driving experience that includes starting when I was only 10.  We get to playing and I'm the only one winning races.  When asked how I was doing it, I told them it was very realistic and tried to explain how to steer in a skid.  No one wanted the explanation and soon most everyone was coming in 9th or 10th place out of 15 while I was coming in 1st place. 

    Maybe it's not the lack of maturity, but the lack of real life experience that makes some players get mad at a game, or even another player, when they're not winning.  Could it be the lack of experience that makes people not like realism in games?

    Okay, so I'm kicking butt in this racing game, not only because I got a head start of playing, but probably because I have more driving experience.

    That Cheating Game!

    A long time ago when my sons were little, they couldn't understand why they couldn't beat a game the first time they played it.  I tried to explain that they wouldn't really like the game if they could beat it the first time.  That sufficed.  However, with the creation of AI in more modern games that adapt to the way you play and make it harder, my sons started saying that the game was cheating.  It became a joke later on as we all not exclaim when we're losing, "That cheating game!"

    I guess game play is what you make it.  But I think we should mostly remember, it's only a game.

    The FogWalker goes back to contemplating the meaning of real life, in games....and maybe back to the recliner for some more racing...

  • Sony Card

    So I got this invitation to get a Sony charge card.  I almost threw it away with the other cc offers that I get every other day.  But, I hesitated and looked, and hmm, very interesting.  I could purchase anything with it and they would credit me with $100 if I made a $299 purchase within the first month.  Also, any purchases that I make within 45 days of receiving the card has no interest rate for 2008.  When I do have an interest rate, it will be 9.9%.  Wow!   I start figuring that a PS3 would be around $500 (the 80gig HD model), and that it would be $100 off, and have no interest for the first year, which means that I could pay around $42/month and it would be paid off.  Then there was the awards program that got 1 point for every dollar spent, but it got 3 points for every dollar spent on a Sony item, and 5 points for every dollar if the purchase was from a Sony dealer (or SonyStyle.com).  Hmm, more thinking and I say, "Why not?"

    Generally speaking, I think new credit cards usually come in with a $300 to $500 credit limit.  I was shocked at the credit limit, especially since it was 4 places and well over half way to 5 places.    Next thing to do was to go to SonyStyle.com and check out the PS3.  While I was checking out the PS3, you know my sons would really enjoy it, I noticed that they had free shipping and it was guaranteed to be here by December 24th.  You guessed it.

    A Knock on the Door

    This morning, really early for FedEx at my house, I heard the truck door closed and the door bell rang.  Since I was indisposed, my youngest son answered the door.  When I came into the front room, I told him and the oldest son that I heard the truck, and the doorbell, and where in the world is IT?!  My youngest was going to act like nothing happened, but being a gaming console nut, he couldn't and he pulled it into sight.  Five minutes later and he's hooking it up to the TV.  My oldest and I run out and get a nutritious Mickey Dee's breakfast.  When we get back, he has it all set up, with one log in and it's ready to play.  Unfortunately, he has to go to work.  Ba bye?

    Since my oldest son was cooking and baking, he didn't have time to play.   I guess I'll have to try out the game that came with it by myself.  And I did.

    Impressive

    The pre-playing introduction for the game, Motor Storm, looked like a movie.  Maybe it was a movie.  But the graphics for the game are fantastic.  Awesome, nonetheless!  I'm impressed with the graphics, the play, the whole thing.  Plus, it's better than our DVD player since it will play HD DVDs.  BlueRay!  Cool.  Sorry, trying not to act like a little boy with a new toy even though I might resemble all but the "little". 

    The News

    Still don't know how to tell my Hunni that I took advantage of this extremely good offer.   I don't purchase much stuff, of that magnitude anyway, without telling her.  But this just happen to happen kinda' at the spur of the moment...and...

    The FogWalker goes to play the game while she's gone....the mice play when the cat's away...

  • Under The Weather

    I've been "under the weather" for quite some time now.  But, it seems that I may be seeing the "light at the end of the tunnel" and I sure hope it's not a train.  I even had a voice today for most of the day.  The bad thing is that I have slept so much in the last week that I'm behind on everything.  And that's too easy for me.  Just being thankful today for feeling a little better.

    Speaking of the weather, nice lead in, huh... it acted like spring yesterday and hit 58°F.  Wow.  Then it started raining last night and I think it got up around 54°F today.  My Hunni told me it was supposed to snow here in a little bit.  LoL!

    GPS

    All the GPSing that I have been doing has been with a compass (so not really GPS since I don't use satellites).   Specifically, I have a Brunton GEO Pocket Transit, which was given to me from an engineering firm for an award on a specific job that needed closure with the surveying around a coal load of 194 acres (which probably didn't mean alot to anyone except someone that may have done surveying in the old fashion way with a transit and a rod and my trusty "book").  I also have a Brunton Com-Pro Transit.  Having a background in orienteering and hiking, measuring distances, reading topos, and being able to plot and follow a compass trail is a part of me that I really like.  Today, it seems like it's definitely "old school".  I don't know too many people with that interest, nor that skill subset anymore though I'm sure there are.

    Today, it's all lasers and electronics with "finding" their way in the wilds, and even to shooting surveys for roads, developments, or whatever.  And today, my interests are purely used for my own hiking, camping, and marking maps.  So, I think it's time to get onboard with the GPS.  I've had a class in college to learn the functioning of the GPS, so I don't need the theory.  I do need a practical tool that I can use for finding my way and getting around.  Here's a list, in no particular order, of things that I would want in this GPS:

    • Handheld standalone unit
    • Basic use is hiking, mapping, routing and hopefully geocaching
    • Waterproof
    • Armored, or at least fairly rugged
    • Two-way radio with position reporting
    • Long battery life, rechargeable, extra battery (?)
    • Color display, 2"+
    • Compass, altimeter, etc.
    • Multiple channel parallel receiver (for "difficult" terrain)
    • External antenna (for "difficult" terrain ?)
    • Maps, roads and topographical (possibly for smaller areas like anywhere from a 5 acre plot upwards, or maybe a scale of 0.2 miles and upwards) - scalable in that it can zoom in and out
    • Used for navigation and tracking and mapping
    • SD card compatible (maybe, not sure if this is needed)
    • How much memory?
    • Multiple routes and waypoint storage (at least 20 routes with 20 waypoints each)
    • USB connection for downloading/uploading from my PC to the GPS
    • And a cost that will not break me up to buy 2 of them, so I probably don't dare mention differential GPS and WAAS receiver, or do I?

    I really don't know that much about using a GPS.  Some may argue that the pocket transit is the way to go and I might agree.  However, using the pocket transit requires me to have my ever present pocket "book" and pencil to make my notes in.  This is slower, and less weatherproof.  Why write it when I can push a button and record it?  Okay, so I'm trying to modernize from my compass, book, and topo maps.  It's probably due to go to the "newer" technology.  LoL!

    I've also read about the geocaching and I thought that would be interesting to do.  I'd also like to have one of the TomToms for my car, but that's another story.

    Got any ideas or suggestions?  I've been doing alot of reading on internet, but would really like to talk with someone that does what I do...get out into the wilds, and get back safely.  And keep the geocaching in mind since that sounds more interesting with everything that I read about it. 

    The FogWalker goes off to do some more research....hoping that he doesn't break the bank in trying to obtain a nice GPS device...

    • A Blonde Moment

      You may not know it, but I was blonde from birth until I graduated college.  Go figure!  I was a little cotton top boy!  When I was in grade school, my hair was easy to spot since it was so blonde.  I found out later in High School that girls liked guys with blonde hair.  Hey, I met that criteria.  I don't think I was a really handsome guy that girls would flock to, but I had this "pretty" hair, it was long, and I knew how to listen.  I still know how to listen, though I don't always have advice, but I listen.  Somewhere in the middle of college, I realized that I loved a girl that I had dated from HS.  Until that time, I had been what was typically called a fickle February child.  We got married and life has been great ever since.  Too fairy tale sounding?  Well, we've had ups and downs, and she's still a "keeper"!

      A couple years after I graduated college, my hair started darkening.  Naturally, that is.  I didn't ever color it or anything, but it started turning brown.  It got a dark brown, up until I had the car accident.  Then it started getting lighter again, and it wasn't blonde, the hair started turning white.  Now that's interesting.  Well, not really.  But now, it's light looking and I think most of that is due to it turning white.  Makes me think that kids and rough times can do that.  LoL!

      So it seems to me that I can still have blonde moments.  Or at least, I can relate to those. And I had one the other day.  A guy made a comment that he really didn't want to hear about my physical health, and I didn't understand that when I replied.  Then he let me know that he didn't think I was dumb, which I replied that he should have considered that because I didn't get the gist of the conversation until his private message.  Oh, I get it.

      A Rude Awakening

      If I get comfortable around people, I have this tendency to let them know how I really feel (especially physically).  If you're reading this, you may already know about the health problems and such.  There's two reasons here that anybody might know.  One, you've read this blog for awhile and you know this was a place for me to vent, and tell stories.  Two, I might not have cared what I said since this was public.  Wait, am I being rude?  I've told some about myself because it was suggested for therapy.  I've told some because people that read have asked.  So, no rudeness intended.  I hope you're a reader that "wants" to know, but if only reading because of curiosity, that's okay.

      So, I got comfortable with a group and I let them know how I was feeling.  That's when the above mentioned comment came to me, but I had a blonde moment and didn't recognize it.  After the private message, I realized that I had opened up about myself, and he, as most people, don't want to hear about other's problems.  So, it was kinda' rude what he said, but it was the truth.  Most people really don't want to know how you're doing even if they ask.  Geemyknee, I knew that, so why didn't I remember it?  Maybe, blonde, huh?

      BTW, you may be reading this right now and it will change: it somehow published while I was still in the middle of typing.  My mistake.

      How Are You?

      What most people really want with this question is the typical "Fine, and you?"  I think it's the same everywhere.  However, there are some people that really want to know.  If I ask, I want to know.  Some people that read are those type people.  But the majority of people that I run in to really don't want to know how I am or how things are going.  I've known this for a long long time and I just forget upon occasion.  Tsk, tsk!  I should know better, huh?

      Lessons Learned

      I hate having to relearn lessons that I've already learned.  It's kinda' embarrassing.  But, sometimes they must be relearned.

      Oh, there's no offense to the "rude" guy.  I think he's truthful in that he might be the only one that isn't raising their eyebrows when I tell about myself.  On the other hand, I don't think he was thinking about being kind since he made his statement in a public way.  If you have something to say to people and you realize that others will not like what you're saying, even if they agree, then it's best to keep it in a private way.  If you say it publicly, then one might guess that you don't care about feelings, just yourself.

      The FogWalker contemplates some of his lessons learned...then goes back to the recliner for more oblivion...

    • Nice Song

      Want a nice doggie jingle?  Go here to read a good one.  I don't know, but that song just hit me in the "good and funny" department.

      To the Xanga gods

      For some reason, people are having problems when they visit this site.  I don't have lots of scripts running on anything like that.  I wonder what the problem is.  One persons browser crashes, another one tries to leave a comment, has to sign in, and then gets that the page doesn't exist.  What in the world?

      To err is human, but it takes a computer to really foul things up!

      Misery

      This is the best morning that I've had in awhile.  Maybe the infection is getting ready to leave me alone.  I certainly hope so.  Even my daily migraine is like a #4, which is good (scale 0 - 10, 10 goes to hospital, average = 7).  Maybe the misery days are over, at least from the infection, don't know.

      Misery loves company?  I guess, but I haven't had much of that.

      The FogWalker goes back to recliner to rest...

    DMo224

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