JenBob

What's a Developer?

2009-07-08T21:31:00.002-04:00

First they/we called ourselves software engineers.

Now they/we think we're artists.

WTF?

Just get the job done, done right and on time!

- b

New Format

2009-07-06T20:37:00.004-04:00

You may have noticed some changes around here - a nice rainy weekend in WV will do that for you.

I've split some things up into categories. It's kind of like the menu I had at the top, but now it's more blog driven.

Hopefully more will get posted faster.

It's still in the preliminary stages, so don't go expecting the feeds to all work right away and the comments to not be cumbersome.

If you haven't seen the beginning of the changes, you can check it all out on our home page.

- b

Still Organic?

2009-07-06T19:28:00.002-04:00

If I trap, torture and terminate all the squirrels that normally eat my pears before I can harvest them, would they still be organic?

- b

Light'm if you Got'm

2009-07-05T16:41:00.005-04:00

Kind of reminds me of Michelangelo's The Creation of Adam.

- b

Apologies to the Vegetarians

2009-07-05T07:46:00.002-04:00

I had (only) a half rack of ribs for dinner last night.

Can't say I remember how good they were as I quickly fell into a food coma for the rest of the night shortly after eating them.

- b

Recipe for Celebration

2009-07-04T07:59:00.003-04:00

Take some mortars

Build some platforms from which to launch them.

Get some cold beverages

Disregard West Virginia state law

And Voila!

- b

Groundhog Day

2009-07-02T21:08:00.002-04:00

I realized today getting up and going to my job is a lot like Groundhog Day the movie.

But instead of getting up in a nice cozy bed somewhere in Punxsutawney trying to figure out what it is I'm going to do again today, I get up in the middle of a car crash.

Sometimes the car is on fire and I'm stuck.

Sometimes the car is on fire and there's people I need to get out.

Sometimes the car simply slid off the road and I need to catch a ride.

Sometimes someone dies and I'm to blame.

Sometimes I die.

On and on the various dreadful scenarios play out.

On and on I have to remind myself I got in this car and have a destination in mind.

Sometimes the car doesn't crash at all. Though not my final destination, I actually get somewhere.

Either way I must remind myself there's a final destination in mind.

- b

What a Drag

2009-06-30T07:54:00.002-04:00

Rode with Gretchen this morning. Jen couldn't go, so I was planning to do everything on the one side of the lake.

At the point where I make the decision to do more or just do what I have been doing, I had to stop and get off the bike.

I had to sit down and catch my breath, stop my head from spinning.

Gretchen was concerned. She backed herself against my legs and stood watch over me while I recuperated.

I thought I was going to puke, pass out, or have a heart attack.

All I could think of was W's "gotta get my 3 miles in" line.

Every once in a while Gretchen would turn and give me a lick on the face to make sure I was ok, then she'd turn back to guard against the woods.

It took a while, but I came around to where I felt like I could ride again. I got up and walked over to my bike. I know I'm out of shape, but this was ridiculous.

Since replacing my rear brake pads last night, I gave the rear wheel a quick spin to see how things were doing.

Nothing. Nada. Zip. Zilch.

I couldn't get the wheel to go a full revolution spinning with my hand. It would roll and spin via the pedals, but there was so much drag it wouldn't spin on its own.

Well that explains it. I'm not as fat and slow as I thought I was.

We didn't do the extra portion, but I did get a work-out.

- b

Double Trouble

2009-06-29T21:13:00.001-04:00

Jen and I headed up to French Creek Sunday morning to watch Bill and his brother Mike do the Double Trouble 30k trail run.

It was a little different sitting around watching Bill do the racing. For the past 9 years, it's been the other way around.

At least Cheryl had their new puppy Tucker for us to play with while we waited.

The race was a single 9 mile loop. If you finished it under 2 hours, you could do it again. Essentially it was 2 races in one - a 15K and a 30K. You could place in either or both. Bill and Mike did both.

Hell. I can't even make it through the day without leaving work for an hour to take a sweaty nap in my car at the park.

- b

Electric Avenue

2009-06-28T19:43:00.003-04:00

Last weekend while it was raining and I couldn't do much else, I started to finish a project my Dad and I started last October.

We had gotten the opening bigger in the garage for all the deck/pool furniture, but I never did the required re-wiring to complete the job.

Like I said, it was raining last weekend so I figured I could try and finish it.

Boy was I wrong.

The wires went all over the place, then were wired in ways I couldn't understand.

What I thought would take twenty minutes took two days spanned over a week, and I only got the basics done. I still have holes where switches could be and lights should turn on from.

Eh. Whatever. Life sucks, doesn't it.

- b

Got a New Car

2009-06-27T22:02:00.004-04:00

Like it?

It's a 2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse GTS.

It's got power everything, leather and a V6 motor that really scoots.

The best part?

I didn't pay a dime for it.

Sure there was a transaction and money was paid.

That's 250 $20 bills.

But it wasn't my money.

One of my minions moved here from Spain. He doesn't quite have all of his "official papers," but still wanted to buy this car. I offered to temporarily take ownership (my name's on the title and I'm paying insurance for it) until he gets his paperwork completed.

Cause I'm a nice guy, it's just sitting in my garage.

Nice to look at and fun to test drive for him, but ultimately it's not mine.

Hope I don't get too used to it sitting there.

- b

Pssssssssst...

2009-06-23T23:05:00.001-04:00

Is it just me

or does everyone who comes home from a 12 hour day

face these kinds setbacks?

At least I have Jens photos to check out.

- b

Crash Pad

2009-06-23T22:12:00.001-04:00

My new crash pad came in today.

Good thing too. After the day I had, I needed it.

- b

From the Bow

2009-06-23T22:06:00.002-04:00

Jen got some amazing shots this morning before the clouds rolled in.

I love the reflections.

If I get time (hahahahahaha, yeah right), I'll put more up later.

- b

Complacency

2009-06-23T14:04:00.001-04:00

This is not the employment environment for it.

If that's not enough to motivate you, why are you here?

- b

The Peacock Encounter

2009-06-23T12:11:00.002-04:00

Gretchen and I came across a male Indian Peafowl this morning on our ride. I'd heard the bird last week on our ride, but this week it was standing right in the trail - in the trail at Marsh Creek.

Our first encounter was pretty innocent. Gretchen at first approached, but I told her to stay back. I started approaching and it flew up to a tree.

On our way back it was in the trail again. This time Gretchen ignored me and went right for it. Angrily it flew up to a tree.

And that was it. Jen had the camera out on the water with her, so no pictures of its bright blue plumage.

Oh.

I did find a regular tick on my leg while waiting for Gretchen at one of her watering holes. I flicked it off into the bushes where it inadvertently landed in spider web for some arachnid on arachnid action. I guess the spider won. When I looked back the tick was gone and the spider had returned to its perch in the center of its web.

- b

Boat Photos

2009-06-22T08:15:00.002-04:00

Summer from the bow of a boat.

Another morning of beautiful shots for Jen and stinging nettles for me.

- b

Final Knee Diagnosis

2009-06-20T10:32:00.002-04:00

Arthritis was the best the Dr.s could come up with.

The kind of arthritis that will eventually lead to knee replacements.

Though both of them admitted they don't actually see the arthritis. Based on what I describe and the surgery I had, that's their best guess.

Yay.

Now I have all these brochures, with really old people on the front gardening, talking about various osteoarthritis treatments.

Yay.

Now if I could just get Lyme disease, I'll be set.

- b

Dear Tick

2009-06-20T09:58:00.002-04:00

You're awfully tiny.

Hopefully I pulled you off before you were able to leave your painful mark.

I've got enough to worry about you little bastard.

- b

Honor Student

2009-06-19T06:51:00.003-04:00

The doggie daycare goes to designated Gretchen as their currently "Featured Pet".

They made a video of her playing and put it on the net.

If you don't know, she's the short haired German Shepherd looking dog. In some shots you'll see two of them that look nearly the same. The one with the whiter face and feet is Rocky. Gretchen is obviously the cuter of the two.

- b

Summer Chores

2009-06-14T20:15:00.002-04:00

Summer's right around the corner.

Time to do get some stuff done.

While Jen power washed some of the auxiliary pool furniture, I finished up the fiasco that started back in March with the dimmable fluorescent recessed lights in our kitchen. Basically I got the $50 dimmer wired up.

Looks easy huh? Wasn't for me. The other two switches are 3-ways. Originally I had the dimmer wired into the one on the far right, but wasn't wired into the constant hot - I think. Instead I found the constant hot on the 3-way in the middle and everything worked fine - I guess.

I'm not an electrician.

I'm just glad the dimmer doesn't hum.

In addition to this, I trimmed some hedges, drained extra water off the pool, put some back, and installed the deck speakers.

Long weekend. Time for a shower and bed.

- b

Cabin Pics

2009-06-14T09:13:00.000-04:00

Pictures from last weekends cabin trip are up with brief comments.

See them here.

- b

First Swim

2009-06-13T21:13:00.001-04:00

I was hot, but the water was cold.

A thunderstorm rolled in (imagine that) and I had to get my shivering blue lips out.

- b

Float On, Where'd You Go

2009-06-12T20:12:00.002-04:00

After a week of meetings I chose to hit the bar and see an out-of-town friend last night.

There's a problem with out-of-town friends and bars.

You sit there talking and talking all the while ordering beers and forget to eat.

When I finally got home Jen was playing Rockband.

I laid down on the floor while she played some songs.

I woke up this morning (I did make it to bed) not feeling so well.

I still don't feel so well.

But it was good to see old friends and drink good beer.

- b

Circle Jerk

2009-06-11T09:13:00.000-04:00

There's some old guy in my building that rides circles around the parking lot in the summer on his bike.

I'm a jerk for thinking he's an idiot.

At least he's doing something to promote his health.

- b