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Updates as of March 24, 2006
What's the Big News?
What's new or updated on Alwanza?
What hi-tech projects am I working on?
What else is going on in my life?
Any nature observances of interest?
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What's the Big News?
I've spent the last 3 weeks entering all of 2005 into my accounting software in preparation for doing taxes.  I discovered 2003 and 2004 receipts in cabinets that should have had only 2005.  This is because the Pendaflex legal sized flap and section envelopes that used to be sold in Office Supply stores have become very difficult to find.  For the last two years, I had no system of putting away these receipts.

I finally tracked down what I needed and ordered ten of them.  Now, with only 2006 receipts in my "to be entered" pile, the accounting should be a little easier to control.

Yes, I did finally color my hair.  My coworkers don't see any difference.  I do, and so does my husband.  This is good, I wanted the coloring to be subtle and just reduce the white/gray.  Maybe it is a little too subtle? 

We are STILL waiting on the hot tub spa cover!!!!  We ordered it in November.

At work, I had to return the replacement server that Gateway provided.  Whenever it was turned on, it sounded like an airplane taking off or a very loud vacuum cleaner right next to my ear.  Not a good situation when I sit in the server room.  And its footprint was twice the size of any of our other servers.  And it didn't work with RedHat 9.0 (it was supposed to).  So there was absolutely nothing appropriate about the replacement server.  I'm disappointed with Gateway.  Since I ordered the original server in November and it was supposed to be ready for this new season just starting now, that lost us about 4.5 months.

I've been running only intermittantly.  I needed the time after work and on weekends to do accounting, and during the workday I've been pretty busy.  I've run, at most, twice per week during lunch.  Now I should get back into the habit, although I'm concerned about my right foot starting to hurt again.


What's new or updated on Alwanza?
I've improved my code snippet page that explains how my visitor statistics page works. 


What hi-tech projects am I working on?
I've done some new mail sorting using procmail at work.  I've purchased a mega-CD cabinet to store all our back-up media (that was starting to pile up on every surface) and I'm organizing it.  I've installed my Firewall monitoring software on my new Windows XP desktop.

I've identified a few places that I think I would like to work, now I need to update my re´sume´.

Haven't made any progress on my home projects in the last 3 weeks, except that I installed a second NIC card in what will become my home DNS server.


What else is going on in my life?
Tom took me on a couple of bike rides West and South, directions we haven't ridden together before since we moved into this new house almost 3 years ago.  The South ride was down the Burke Gilman Trail from Sandpoint to Fremont.  After that round trip, I still wanted more and he realized that I was correct in saying that trip wasn't going to be challenging enough for me.  We COULD have started at Third Place Books.  Maybe this weekend, if it doesn't rain too hard (which it might).

The West bike ride was starting from our own house, downhill to Red Brick Road in Bothell.  Then over the chicken bridge to Bothell for lunch at Tandoori Fire.  Their buffet is more expensive than what I'm accustomed to pay at Indian Restaurants for lunch, but their food is perfectly cooked and spiced.  We parked the truck at Red Brick Road in advance, so I didn't have to ride back up the hill, which would have been too much for me.

Those rides made me realize two things.  First, I CAN do more energetic riding than what I've been doing; and second, that I need a better bike and I'll probably have to go with some clipless foot system.

The bicycle I have now is a Buzz from REI, and I adore it; especially after I customized it a little by installing a curved handlebar and a seat with springs under it.  Who cares about the weight - if my butt hurts so much after a ride that I can't ride the next day, what good is a light seat?  I don't use any foot clipping system and I've been doing fine on mostly flat rides up to 20 miles (could do 40 in a day).  But, especially after the addition of the heavy seat, the Buzz rear wheel wobbles at higher speeds, going downhill, and that makes me feel unstable.

I think it is almost time for me to start shopping for a touring bike and a clipless system.  Maybe this summer.


Any nature observances of interest?
I've identified the haunting sound I've heard on misty mornings for the past three weeks or so.  It is the varied thrush.  This is the first time I've observed and identified the song of the varied thrush anywhere that I've lived.  I haven't seen any for the last 3 weeks.  Maybe they're nesting???

The Seattle area is in the full throes of early spring.  The cherry blossoms are in full bloom.  The weather has been unbelievably warm, and mostly sunny for several weeks.  Now it is supposed to get cooler and rainy again for at least a week, maybe more.

The cottonwoods are starting to drop their oily sepals.  In bloom are:  knickknick, daphne, andromeda.  My red flowering current and earliest viburnum are both in full bud.  Strangely, the rhodies in my shade garden have not yet bloomed and the only camelias in my shade garden that had any bloom this year were so far were the Yuletide.

I planted a beaked hazelnut in the shade garden near the birdfeeder (bad idea, need to move it, the squirrels will climb it when it becomes more tree-like) and an Indian plum near the vine maple in front.