Reality Me

Monday.

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Mobile Email from a Cingular Wireless Customer http://www.cingular.com

Did audioblogger go away?

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Mobile Email from a Cingular Wireless Customer http://www.cingular.com

Student: What have I done?

Master: As little as possible and as much as feasible in the time allotted.

A New Day!

Let’s start the day off with a PayPal donation link:

This Morning

I ignored the dog all night despite multiple opportunities to walk her. I think she had one large pee episode but I found no poop. Either she is eatting more thoroughly or I missed it or by some miracle she went the whole night without making a mess. I took her outside and read a chapter in a Scott Card book and she laid by my feet. The minute we got in she pee’d twice and pooped twice. I am so glad we don’t have carpet. I would be absolute neurotic (painted a target on myself there now didn’t I?!).

The animals woke me at 3, 4 and 6 then the alarm woke me at 6:55. The cat had become trapped in the shower stall (yes, the one we have had in our bedroom for 2.5 years). I could not convince myself to get up.

I need stretching. My right shoulder blade is killing me. I need exercise.

Latest expense: Tommy broke a weld on his bed probably by repeatedly dropping his 200+ pounds (90.7 kg) on it.

I want sales but I don’t know how to close them. I want more work but I don’t know when I’ll have time to do it. I want a job but I can’t seem to get one.

A 45 year old man jumped off one of our bridges to his death this weekend because he could not find a job.

I achieved largely yesterday! I killed off a project that has had a red bucket c-clamped to our bookshelves for almost a year! I should be terribly satisfied (and I am). Yet I am not calm. Now I am driven to tackle another project but I cannot pick one. Soon we will go get Sarah and take her to Girl Scout Camp (Part II).

Choices: leaky faucets in upstair bath (never ignore water!!), heating elements in hot water heater, office cleaning, spray 6 week bug away application in yard, trash out of house, buy stamps, buy bug spray (for Sarah), hit an ATM (consider using our own account), program, clean, clean, clean (office, upstairs, desk – respectively), in-laws security light, bath, job applications, client management, contact management, financial management, meditation, self-improvement, exercise – more..

What a cool thought! Of course paper money will die soon but in the meantime what if ATMs were really on demand money. Instead of storing money inside it just printed new bills when needed and the bank would be responsible for destroying the equivalent number of bills. I know I know. Formula for disaster but still a cool thought similar to the BookMachine (thanks Kurzweil!).

Student: I cannot focus!

Teacher: You think too much.

Here is another GMail linke Securing Gmail. It has some interesting links like getting notices when you have a new email message.

I will never look at my underwear the same. “Turn your tightie whities into a bra”

So I actually did what I wanted today. Now, granted, I did not complete as much as I had hoped but I made a major milestone on a long standing project. Today I got our ice maker working! The initial installation of the plumbing required coming off the main water supply roughly 15 feet. I used a ball value to terminal the feed close to the main supply Then another to isolate the feed to the water maker and yet another to isolate what will become the feed for the washing machines new home. Perhaps we can attribute it to my fascination with submarines but I like ball values! So, the initial attempt at this plumbing ended in a single leak. To fix it required cutting through the pipes and doing some patching. This created a greater possibility for more leaks as well as it didn’t look as pretty. Below are the initial, in progress and final pictures:



I am a strong believer that the right tools make a job go well.



Now for the fun! Have you ever considered sticking a propane torch into your ceiling?



Note the burn marks on the ceiling:



We had no leaks! (At least not yet) and we have made our first ice cubes! This picture shows the freezer connected to the water supply.



I shall finish the game! Of course there is drywall and painting left to do before I can completely write the project off but this completion was a major milestone!

My wife is participating in Project Blog to raise money for The Autism Society. Run over to her blog and help!

Almost just blinded myself in my left eye. So like if you are sweating pipes and standing under the pipe.. make sure you are wearing safety goggles.

I’m 1 or 2 tools short of finishing the work on the ice maker. Now, either this will a) go well, b) I will burn the house, or c) I will have to basically start over again. As we know, sometimes starting over is better than applying patches.

Student: What is a house without children?

Teacher: Quiet.

A New Day!

Let’s start the day off with a PayPal donation link:

This Morning

At midnight Cathy called to say Noah had a horrible nose bleed and needed to be taken to the ER but they got it under control. At 8:15 the call came again and he is off to Children’s Hospital. Poor guy doesn’t deserve it.

I have tasked myself with plumbing today. Unfortunately, to get my tools that may require a digression into cleaning the garage some. That act is so overwhelming and depressing to me that I find it debilitating. Tools that I took such loving care of have rust and are out of other. Items that I would have never allowed to be left to be weathered are unprotected in the driveway. The buildout in the garage is incomplete. The garage represents all my failings with chaos (lack of control), unfinished tasks (irresponsibility), negligence (lack of caring), pack ratting (the inability to let go), and unstarted projects (fear).

Last Night

Sent Amy to the grandparents. Sent Cathy, Sarah, and Noah to the zoo. So Tommy and I went with a good friend of mine to see “I, Robot” (trailer) Fantastic movie! You completely forget that you are watching special effects. Well done! I needed the stress break greatly. It was also the first movie I’ve been too in a long time where I didn’t have to escort someone to the bathroom 🙂 Tommy was on exceptional behavior with only one loud outburst during the movie, “What did he say?”

I would say I slept alone last night if it weren’t for the cat and dog that joined me on the bed. Surprising and somewhat disappointing, Lucy, our older dog didn’t come downstairs until morning when she needed to be let out.

I tasked myself with what I anticipated to be a 2 hour administrative task and gave myself a noon deadline. I haven’t even started!

But I have a) managed two client relationships b) insured that we will have electricity until Aug 15 c) helped Noah grow socially d) ripped the 11 and 14 year olds new ones unjustly and felt horrible e) did some banking

I guess I’ve had a day. Much more to come.