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GRAFFITI -- July 23, 2007 thru July 29, 2007 >> Link to the Current Week << Last Week << Mon   Tues   Wed   Thu   Fri   Sat   Sun >> Next Week Search this site : Welcome to Orb Graffiti, a place for me to write daily about life and computers. Contrary to popular belief, the two are not interchangeable.     About eMail - I publish email sometimes. If you send me an email and you want privacy or anonymity, please say so clearly at the beginning of your message.

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July 23, 2007

No Post.

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July 24, 2007

Model gladiolas

2011 - Good evening. Yesterday was even busier than usual. Along with everything else, we had the roofers in to do the contract. The new roof starts tomorrow morning. Whew. I did get out for a while and snap some sunset pictures - they're really just too grainy for use. My camera isn't much good at medium- and low-light, which are my favorite times (and also when I'm most likely home, with the camera). I did get that brightly lit setup of gladiolas at right, though. Artificial? Sure, but pretty as all get out.

I'm continuing to learn more about Solaris. I'm also working some with 64bit Enterprise-grade Linux products. My employer is keeping me busy, and that's a good thing. I've spent the last week on-call — I certainly don't sleep as well keeping an ear open for the cell phone to buzz me with either a call from our voice mail system, or an SMS message or twenty from our monitoring systems. I've only gotten a couple, and none after retiring, but then... there's no counting on emergencies to arrange themselves during working hours.

Okay. More stuff to keep me busy. Wish our roof luck!

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July 25, 2007

2211 - Good evening. There was a decent chance of rain today, so the roofers delivered the Elk shingles and the new skylight, but postponed work for a day with lesser probability of falling damp. I can tell you that the probability reaches 100% just as the last of the old shingles hits the dumpster that will be in our driveway come the day. Such is life. Marcia's into the home stretch on the Potter book, so I may start reading it tomorrow, but more likely Sunday, instead. Okay. Tired now.

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July 26, 2007

1907 - Good evening. Far be it for me to tell the roofing contractors their business... but one really ought to (a) keep to announced schedules and/or (b) be really good about customer contact when your plans change. By late morning this morning, they'd waved off again. We're waiting to see if they turn up tomorrow. One can only hope. The price sure is right, and the materials are the right stuff. But this comms stuff leaves a sour taste. We'll see how the work stands up in comparision to the stellar jobs they've done elsewhere in the neighborhood.

Oh, here... Here's the full-size image file of the gladiola shot I posted the other day. It makes for a pretty desktop wallpaper. In other news, Marcia finished the Potter book last night. She liked it. I asked specifically, and she said, "Yeah, it's got a good beat, I can dance to it: I'll give it a 7.2." Grin. So, am I going to start reading now? Naw, I'll end up reading all night, and it's a school night. Soon, though. Soon. Time to roll, more stuff to do before the sun goes away.

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July 27, 2007

0739 - Good morning. Huzzah! Marcia reports that the roofers are getting rolling... More later.

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July 28, 2007

Detail on the new roofing

1727 - Good afternoon. By around 9 this morning, the crew foreman dropped off a few more bundles of shingles, and pretty soon a couple of crew members were over putting up the last of the roofing. They got close last night, but apparently somebody underestimated the job. Not my problem. Anyway, I'm really, really happy with the crew and with the job that they did. I'm less enamoured of the lack of communication skills displayed by the guys who run the company - they would say one thing, something else would happen, and no one would have called us to inform us of the changes. That's pretty annoying in my book. Marcia attributes it to malice, I put it down to youth and inexperience - the guys running the gig are both in their mid-to-late 20's... certainly old enough to know better, but only if they'd been raised to care about such things. They've chosen to leave their signs in our yard, and if any neighbor asks, they'll get both opinions.

I also finished reading the Potter book. While Marcia finished it on Wednesday evening, I wasn't about to start it the following night. Too much risk of reading on into the wee hours. Last night, when it became clear that we weren't, after all, going to drive to Lancaster, PA, today, I started the book. I managed to read to a somewhat natural stopping point at page 137, right after the visit from Scrimgeour, and stop. Between waiting on the roofing crew and doing some work remotely for the office, I put in an hour or so this morning, and finished reading at about 1630. Fun, good ending. If you haven't read it yet, I think you'll enjoy it.

Now I'm going to go cook. Have a lovely evening.

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July 29, 2007

1419 - Good afternoon. The smallest portable burrito meat repository wanted to go outside at 0330 this morning. Sigh. When we came back in, I put in ear plugs, so that I could sleep through any death throes. Fortunately (from a clean-up perspective) there had been no death throes, no vomitting or other bodily voiding that occurred through the rest of the night.

We've done the shopping. Then I got up on the roof and did my own walk around inspection ... the crew did do a good job. So, on that basis alone, and if you don't mind not knowing precisely what's going on, I can provisionally recommend American Eagle Remodeling, as least for their roofing crew, supervised by Omar.

And the beat goes on. There's fighting and dying going down in the Middle East, and we've got the best soldiers in the world doing their jobs, with restraint, bravery, and heart. I'm proud as hell of all of you! My condolences to the families and units of the fallen service members. I think about you every day, not just on Sundays when I post this list of the week's DoD announcements. Rock on...

• Cpl. Rhett A. Butler, 22, of Fort Worth, Texas, died July 20 of wounds suffered when his vehicle struck an improvised explosive device in Khan Bani Sa�d, Iraq.
• Sgt. Jacob S. Schmuecker, 27, of Atkinson, Neb., died July 21 in Balad, Iraq, of wounds suffered from an improvised explosive device.
• Cpl. Christopher G. Scherer, 21, of East Northport, N.Y., died July 21 from wounds suffered while conducting combat operations in Al Anbar province, Iraq.
• Sgt. Shawn G. Adams, 21, of Dixon, Calif., died July 22, in Owaset, Iraq, of wounds suffered from an improvised explosive device.
• Lance Cpl. Bobby L. Twitty, 20, of Bedias, Texas, died July 22 from a non-hostile vehicle accident in Al Anbar province, Iraq.
• Pfc. Zachary R. Endsley, 21, of Spring, Texas, died July 23 in Arghendab District, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when his unit was attacked by enemy forces using indirect fire.
• Hospitalman Daniel S. Noble, 21, of Whittier, Calif., died July 24, as a result of enemy action while conducting security operations in the Dilaya Province, Iraq.
• 1st Sgt. Michael S. Curry Jr., 37, of Dania Beach, Fla., died July 23 in Sarobi District, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle.
• Sgt. Travon T. Johnson, 29, of Palmdale, Calif., died July 23 in Sarobi District, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle.
• Pfc. Adam J. Davis, 19, of Twin Falls, Idaho, died July 23 in Sarobi District, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle.
• Pfc. Jessy S. Rogers, 20, of Copper Center, Alaska, died July 23 in Sarobi District, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle.
• Lance Cpl. Robert A. Lynch, 20, of Louisville, Ky., died July 24 while conducting combat operations in Diyala province, Iraq.
• Cpl. James H. McRae, 22, of Springtown, Texas, died July 24 while conducting combat operations in Diyala province, Iraq.
• Cpl. Matthew R. Zindars, 21, of Watertown, Wis., died July 24 while conducting combat operations in Diyala province, Iraq.
• Staff Sgt. Joshua P. Mattero, 29, of San Diego, died July 24 in Baqubah, Iraq, of wounds suffered from an improvised explosive device.
• Sgt. Courtney D. Finch, 27, of Leavenworth, Kan., died July 24 in Qayyarah, Iraq, of injuries sustained from a non-combat related incident.
• Pfc. Juan S. Restrepo, 20, of Pembroke Pines, Fla., died July 22 in Korengal Valley, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit using small arms fire.

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Visit the rest of the DAYNOTES GANG, a collection of bright minds and sharp wits. Really, I don't know why they tolerate me <grin>. My personal inspiration for these pages is Dr. Jerry Pournelle. I am also indebted to Bob Thompson and Tom Syroid for their patience, guidance and feedback. Of course, I am sustained by and beholden to my lovely wife, Marcia. You can find her online too, at http://www.dutchgirl.net/. Thanks for dropping by.

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