Time's Fun When You're Having Flies

August has zoomed by so fast. Mr. Container and I have been in the house for about a month now. We’re getting used to the sense of responsibility. No more calling the landlord or management company when something breaks. Nothing is broken, but it /could/. We have an upcoming project of replacing the kitchen faucet. For some of you that would be easy and you’ve done it many times. It will be the first time for us. We’re definely up for the challenge.

Classes started this week. I’m excited about my Business Law and Statistics classes. I’m getting closer to that Associates Degree. Just a year to go, if things proceed as planned.

September will bring more exciting events. On the 6th I am doing my first 3.3 mile fundraising walk for a co-worker who is getting a kidney and pancreas transplant (email me if you want more info :D ). On the 13th my “baby” brother Ben is getting married. Mr. Container and I are flying out to Rochester, NY, for the event.

Network + Mr. Container = Pow

My employer encourages education and training, especially if it is work related. Last week I attended a week long course to prepare for a industry recognized certification called Network+. It covers the theory of how networking actually happens between computers, the languages, rules and protocols all computers use. It includes how networking happens on Microsoft Windows computers, Linux or Unix systems, Apple/Macintosh and Novell Netware (not very popular now, but it used to compete against Windows).

It covers lots of acronyms and technical jargon, like TCP/IP, IPX/SX, 10BaseT, Fiber Optic, IEEE 805.11a/b/g/i, AppleTalk, WAP, WEP, Firewall, Proxy Server, bridge, hub, switch, router, Ping, Telnet, ipconfig, T1, T3, OC3, and my favorite mnemonic device for the OSI Model - "All Programmers Seem To Need Data Processing" and my not so favorite for the OSI Model in reverse "Please Don't Nuke That Sausage Pizza Again".

I studied, read the 600 page book handed out at the class and reviewed any sample test questions I could find. On Thursday night I was going to take the 85 question test to get Network+ certified.

Mr. Container drove me to the testing office after work on Thursday. It was a very pleasant drive. We talked about the test, and reviewed what I expected to be quizzed on. He knew a lot of the information from on the job experience and classes he's taken. During that drive he decided to take the test too.

Without studying... With only a 5 minute review... He sat the exam and passed! Woo hoo! Yet another reason my husband, your (son, nephew, brother, cousin, uncle) rocks!

Congrats Mr. Container!



And yes, I also passed :)

Why I Love My Sweetie

It's IMs like this that remind me why I love my sweetie...


Mr. Container: UPR. You know what I like? I like the smell of servers in the morning. Last couple days, I've been running servers in my office, and I noticed they have a distinct smell. Not so much the hardware itself, but something they do to the air by sucking it in, heating it up, and blowing it out again. They're probably just circulating dust and stuff. But still.

Mr. Container: Unique server smell.

Mr. Container: It smells like... systems administration.

Rehearsal Night

I had a great rehearsal last night with the RB Chorale. I'm helping with wardrobe again this quarter. So far it's just measuring people for the costumes that need to be ordered. It's a job that needs to be done, so I don't mind that it's not a big job. Everyone is so nice there.

It's funny to see what I ordered for the last show I did with them and compare it to the dresses I need to order for this semester. I'm now down 10 sizes. Or is it 5? Is going from a 20 to an 18 two sizes or one? Anyway... It's significant.

All of the songs we are doing are from broadway musicals. Lots of fun ones. Bits from Lullaby of Broadway, 42nd Street, Everything's Coming Up Roses. We're doing Impossible Dream from Man of La Mancha. I love that one. Very powerful song.

The conductor asked for volunteers for a solo in one of the medleys. It's about 45 seconds in "If They Could See Me Now" from the show Sweet Charity. I chickened out even though I love the song. After rehearsal I spoke with her about being an understudy for the solo. She even mentioned that one person could do the first, and perhaps I do the second performance. I'm pretty excitied, but very nervous. I'm half hoping that she decides not to let me solo.

March Weekend Adventure

Peter and I had an awesome adventure this weekend.

Every year Campus By The Sea allows registration for Family Camp to be post marked March 1st, and no earlier. Last year I mailed the forms from San Diego so they would reach the Avalon post office sooner than they would from Seattle. This year Katy had the awesome idea that Peter and I should take a little trip over to Catalina Island and deliver them to the post office. March 1st fell on a Saturday, so we did it.

We woke up nice and early and hit the road at 5:30am. Our normal drive through coffee place was not open yet, so we hit Starbucks for our morning java. After the gas station and bank ATM, we were off. It was a peaceful 2 hour drive to Long Beach.

One of the best parts of going to the Catalina Express ferry is the container yard. So many shipping containers!

We caught the 8:30am ferry over to Catalina Island into Avalon. We walked around. It was a cloudy morning but still beautiful. We had breakfast in a cute little cafe there, right on the beach. We looked at a few of the shops while waiting for the post office to open.

We saw some awesome crows. We even saw what looked to be a mated pair that were preening each other. Love was in the air! According to a crow book Pete received for Christmas from Katy and Alex, crows do mate for life.

At 11am we reported to the post office. I was on the phone with Katy at the time, but Peter spoke with the clerk. He bought a 41 cent stamp, and asked the clerk to deliver the letter to the Campus By the Sea post office box while he was there. Success! We had to have been the first group to have our registration delivered this year.

For the cost of a stamp, a letter can be sent from Maine or New York or some state on the east coast and delivered to this little post office in Avalon on Catalina Island. For the cost of a stamp, this clerk delivered the letter 10 feet. Most expensive stamp ever.

On the way back to catch the boat we saw another crow just walking along the sand, ignoring all the people the way that crows do. We stalked him for a while, then headed back to the pier.

It was a quick one hour trip back to the main land. Then another 2 hour drive back home.

Excellent adventure. I give it 5 stars and two thumbs up.