I need to go and do something totally brutal
I'm not sure what that is, but I think it involves a bunch of tequila....
maybe...
maybe not....
not sure...
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Sunday, August 26, 2007
So much for a relaxing weekend!
Yesterday, we went shopping and such, then we finished up the headboard. Yeah, I didn't have anytime to go play on my motorcycle, so I did today.....that's kinda what I'm blogging about....that was the short story.....here's the longer one.....
I got up yesterday, and watched some TV, then finished the game I've been playing, Max Payne. This was a great relief because it was only my 3rd restart on this game, after losing my save a couple of times. It sucked. But, I finally was able to get all the way through the game. It felt good. I'd been trying to beat it off and on since I bought the game, and I finally did. One more down in my library of games. Next up, SOCOM 3, I think.
So, after I finished the game, I drank some coffee and relaxed for a couple of minutes with my wife. Then, we got up and went out to spend a bunch of time running around. We went to the rock shop to see what our garnets look like, what the stars look like, and to find out what it would cost to have them cut and set into something so that it could be put on a necklace or something. We had some nice stars, but only one of the stones will end up being worth what we put into it to have it tested and cut. So, we walked out with all 4 that we had tested and the rest that he didn't choose, to decide later. Anyway, the 3 others would cut down to about 2 carats, at $20/carat, while the one good one would cut down to about 4 carats at $20/carat, while costing $7.50 to test and then another $65 to cut. Next time, we're going to try again for the big ones ;).
After the rock shop, we went down to the Golden Star restaurant there near downtown. Much better than we used to get at Ninja Food (Super China Buffet). A good lunch, and we were ready to attack the mall. I had to get some new clothes, so I got some shirts and a couple pairs of pants. Then, off to WinCo to get groceries.
Wait, at some point in there, before I finished Max Payne, I went to donate plasma too! What a CF that was. I have to give my arms a week and a half (at least) to heal up.... I started recently as a way to get completely free money (not already earmarked for bills/responsible stuff) that I could use for whatever I wanted. Anyway, the first time I did it, I got about 4 cycles (of 5) done, and my left arm decided it was done playing. Switch to the right, and it goes like crazy. I went down last Tuesday, start with the left, and it never really got started, switch to the right, and it goes perfectly. Hmm....so I went down yesterday, no screwing around with the left arm. Yeah, my first return cycle, and it goes wonky. Switch to the left arm, and slow the return cycles way the F down. I was ready to just walk out, but they lady told me it goes to corporate that I refused a re-stick and all that, and I didn't want to get her in trouble because I was cranky so I let her re-stick me. It worked...because they slowed the return down. Next time, I'm drinking so much water that I have to pee every 10 minutes before I go in.
Anyway, so, once we got back from the excursions, we finished the headboard. And, by finished, I mean we finished the initial design only to realize that the foam doesn't stick to the wood (durrrrrr). But, we put it all together anyway, and today we are going to get buttons, good strong thread, and big needles to finish the whole look, and hold the foam in place. It should turn out quite nicely, I think. Right now it looks awesome except for the bowing of it.
Today, I have to call the guy to get my motorcycle endorsement test done too. YAY! About friggin' time I say. I went out practicing, and after playing in the Kibbie Dome parking lot for a while, I'm pretty confident in my weaving skills, so I went out riding elsewhere and apparently put a good dent in my chicken strips too! My small one was noticeable smaller, while my big one was more than cut in half! Holy crap! I'm going to try to make it down to Spiral on the day Jessica has a late class next week and see how I do. I'm getting better at turns, looking through the turns, and just generally getting better at riding technique (all the things I need to be able to go fast safely).
So, I'm going to go putter around the house for a while, then get buttons, and call the motorcycle test guy. Y'all have a good day now!
I got up yesterday, and watched some TV, then finished the game I've been playing, Max Payne. This was a great relief because it was only my 3rd restart on this game, after losing my save a couple of times. It sucked. But, I finally was able to get all the way through the game. It felt good. I'd been trying to beat it off and on since I bought the game, and I finally did. One more down in my library of games. Next up, SOCOM 3, I think.
So, after I finished the game, I drank some coffee and relaxed for a couple of minutes with my wife. Then, we got up and went out to spend a bunch of time running around. We went to the rock shop to see what our garnets look like, what the stars look like, and to find out what it would cost to have them cut and set into something so that it could be put on a necklace or something. We had some nice stars, but only one of the stones will end up being worth what we put into it to have it tested and cut. So, we walked out with all 4 that we had tested and the rest that he didn't choose, to decide later. Anyway, the 3 others would cut down to about 2 carats, at $20/carat, while the one good one would cut down to about 4 carats at $20/carat, while costing $7.50 to test and then another $65 to cut. Next time, we're going to try again for the big ones ;).
After the rock shop, we went down to the Golden Star restaurant there near downtown. Much better than we used to get at Ninja Food (Super China Buffet). A good lunch, and we were ready to attack the mall. I had to get some new clothes, so I got some shirts and a couple pairs of pants. Then, off to WinCo to get groceries.
Wait, at some point in there, before I finished Max Payne, I went to donate plasma too! What a CF that was. I have to give my arms a week and a half (at least) to heal up.... I started recently as a way to get completely free money (not already earmarked for bills/responsible stuff) that I could use for whatever I wanted. Anyway, the first time I did it, I got about 4 cycles (of 5) done, and my left arm decided it was done playing. Switch to the right, and it goes like crazy. I went down last Tuesday, start with the left, and it never really got started, switch to the right, and it goes perfectly. Hmm....so I went down yesterday, no screwing around with the left arm. Yeah, my first return cycle, and it goes wonky. Switch to the left arm, and slow the return cycles way the F down. I was ready to just walk out, but they lady told me it goes to corporate that I refused a re-stick and all that, and I didn't want to get her in trouble because I was cranky so I let her re-stick me. It worked...because they slowed the return down. Next time, I'm drinking so much water that I have to pee every 10 minutes before I go in.
Anyway, so, once we got back from the excursions, we finished the headboard. And, by finished, I mean we finished the initial design only to realize that the foam doesn't stick to the wood (durrrrrr). But, we put it all together anyway, and today we are going to get buttons, good strong thread, and big needles to finish the whole look, and hold the foam in place. It should turn out quite nicely, I think. Right now it looks awesome except for the bowing of it.
Today, I have to call the guy to get my motorcycle endorsement test done too. YAY! About friggin' time I say. I went out practicing, and after playing in the Kibbie Dome parking lot for a while, I'm pretty confident in my weaving skills, so I went out riding elsewhere and apparently put a good dent in my chicken strips too! My small one was noticeable smaller, while my big one was more than cut in half! Holy crap! I'm going to try to make it down to Spiral on the day Jessica has a late class next week and see how I do. I'm getting better at turns, looking through the turns, and just generally getting better at riding technique (all the things I need to be able to go fast safely).
So, I'm going to go putter around the house for a while, then get buttons, and call the motorcycle test guy. Y'all have a good day now!
Friday, August 24, 2007
Southern rock.....
http://allsouthernrock.com/
LOVE IT, LISTEN TO IT.
Freebird on the radio made me want to have a Southern Rock Friday...so...I'm having one!
SOUTHERN ROCK ALL DAY FTW!
LOVE IT, LISTEN TO IT.
Freebird on the radio made me want to have a Southern Rock Friday...so...I'm having one!
SOUTHERN ROCK ALL DAY FTW!
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
about exporting my blog
this is turning out to be quite a project....I'm wondering if moving it by hand wouldn't be soooo bad.....
Maybe just copy and paste if I can set up some kind of archives, so it will still be in order.....
HEY! That's what I'll do!
writing that program was fun...but shit....it was taking forever!
Maybe just copy and paste if I can set up some kind of archives, so it will still be in order.....
HEY! That's what I'll do!
writing that program was fun...but shit....it was taking forever!
werk sux, construction and SRP might be going away!
Work...what shall I say...it's no fun....
Well, it is fun, but only in some ways. In some ways, it's not all that great. For instance: I'm not moving to Seattle. Which means that I'll have to wait longer for another opportunity to do that. However, in lots of ways, it's good that I'm not leaving. I want more time to use my boat on the local lakes, get use to it and such before I take it out to a bigger place (not doing that again without a gas motor!). I also want to spend more time hunting in the area out there. I've got some new strategies that I want to try and some new spots I want to try...I've got an apple tree that I'm going to watch as food gets scarce later in the season!
Also, if I moved to Seattle, I wouldn't get odd things happening to me at work, like being called on to help move logs to help in my boss's renovation! We had to move logs into the house the other day. Three logs. They've been assembled, and are now part of an entrance into the kitchen. Today, we helped stand it up so that it could actually be in place. It was quite the change! They actually have a step up, and are getting a floor! A REAL floor, instead of painted subfloor.
It's funny, because our office is finished, but the rest of the house isn't, and is just now being finished.
So, speaking on construction, I'm spending some time actually putting the pieces of the headboard together. I have every piece I need, foam, fabric, wood, and hardware, and I just need to put them together. I spent time today collecting the parts, so I didn't get much construction done, but I already had the main piece of OSB cut, and the uprights I'm using. So, today, I measured the exact width, clamped the uprights on the back piece.
Ok, here's where it gets kinda hard to describe. Basically, the headboard will be 2 upright 2x4's holding up a 3'x6.5' piece of OSB, covered with foam, and then a cheap fabric, then a nice fabric over that. The 2x4's get bolted to the bed frame to hold it all as one piece.
Ok, but in order to attach the OSB to the uprights, I need to attach them before I put the fabric on. But, if I do that, then the fabric has weirdness where it comes in contact with the 2x4's. This prevents a nice clean look, so that idea went to the scrap heap.
Instead, I thought, I'll just screw the OSB onto the uprights after I put the fabric on....Either I go through the fabric, or there's just not enough holding the whole thing to the uprights or it pokes through....that won't work either.
So, after a bit of thinking......I decided that the uprights wouldn't attach to the OSB at all. Instead, I would get a chunk of 2x2, 16" long, on each side, just inside the uprights. If I screw into the 2x2's while the OSB has nothing on it, I can then wrap the fabric around the whole board, with no weirdness on the edges AND I can attach the uprights to the 2x2's using lag bolts, and it will be plenty strong. The nice thing about this design is that I'll have 3 bolts on each side on the bottom of the thing to unhook it from the bed and then 2 lag screws on the back to detach the uprights from the main piece for transport if/when we move next.
Yes, it's brilliant! I'm sure I stole it from someone, so go ahead and steal it from me!
Now, about SRP. Spokane Raceway Park is in Receivership, which means that it's basically bankrupt, and in the hands of the investors. This is bad news. It could very easily get shut down. The forum (http://www.pnwriders.com) has been trying to make a difference, and be heard (http://www.pnwriders.com/forum/showthread.php?t=49153). There is a form letter you can use to send to the county commissioners, which I'm posting below, along with their email addresses if anyone feels strongly about it, SEND! Even if you don't feel strongly, but kinda feel! More voices is more help! I don't know why, but I'm doing what I can to be involved in this. I've never run on the track, but I really want to. Strangely, activism feels good! REALLY GOOD. I recommend it!
The email addresses of the council members are:
Todd Mielke: TMielke@spokanecounty.org
Mark Richard: MRichard@spokanecounty.org
Bonnie Mager: BMager@spokanecounty.org
-----------------THE LETTER-------------------------------
(YOUR NAME HERE)
(YOUR ADDRESS HERE)
(YOUR ADDRESS HERE)
Commissioner Todd Mielke
Commissioner Mark Richard
Commissioner Bonnie Mager
Spokane County Courthouse
1116 West Broadway Ave.
Spokane WA 99260
Dear Commissioners Mielke, Richard and Mager,
While I am not citizen of Spokane County, I am a motorcyclist, and I have followed the developments surrounding the troubles with Spokane Raceway Park closely. The loss of this motor sports venue would significantly impact the local and regional community. Track events bring money in from the surrounding areas to support fuel stations, restaurants and hotels near the track. Spokane Raceway Park is the closest track to us in North Idaho, and I would like the continued opportunity to enjoy events there. I would like to add my support to the plan proposed by James Sloane and others that would have the property purchased by the County and operated as a self sustaining, for-profit entity similar to the way in which Portland International Raceway operates now. With continued investment and improvement the facility could draw more events, more spectators, and more tax revenue to the County.
Sincerely,
(YOUR NAME HERE)
Well, it is fun, but only in some ways. In some ways, it's not all that great. For instance: I'm not moving to Seattle. Which means that I'll have to wait longer for another opportunity to do that. However, in lots of ways, it's good that I'm not leaving. I want more time to use my boat on the local lakes, get use to it and such before I take it out to a bigger place (not doing that again without a gas motor!). I also want to spend more time hunting in the area out there. I've got some new strategies that I want to try and some new spots I want to try...I've got an apple tree that I'm going to watch as food gets scarce later in the season!
Also, if I moved to Seattle, I wouldn't get odd things happening to me at work, like being called on to help move logs to help in my boss's renovation! We had to move logs into the house the other day. Three logs. They've been assembled, and are now part of an entrance into the kitchen. Today, we helped stand it up so that it could actually be in place. It was quite the change! They actually have a step up, and are getting a floor! A REAL floor, instead of painted subfloor.
It's funny, because our office is finished, but the rest of the house isn't, and is just now being finished.
So, speaking on construction, I'm spending some time actually putting the pieces of the headboard together. I have every piece I need, foam, fabric, wood, and hardware, and I just need to put them together. I spent time today collecting the parts, so I didn't get much construction done, but I already had the main piece of OSB cut, and the uprights I'm using. So, today, I measured the exact width, clamped the uprights on the back piece.
Ok, here's where it gets kinda hard to describe. Basically, the headboard will be 2 upright 2x4's holding up a 3'x6.5' piece of OSB, covered with foam, and then a cheap fabric, then a nice fabric over that. The 2x4's get bolted to the bed frame to hold it all as one piece.
Ok, but in order to attach the OSB to the uprights, I need to attach them before I put the fabric on. But, if I do that, then the fabric has weirdness where it comes in contact with the 2x4's. This prevents a nice clean look, so that idea went to the scrap heap.
Instead, I thought, I'll just screw the OSB onto the uprights after I put the fabric on....Either I go through the fabric, or there's just not enough holding the whole thing to the uprights or it pokes through....that won't work either.
So, after a bit of thinking......I decided that the uprights wouldn't attach to the OSB at all. Instead, I would get a chunk of 2x2, 16" long, on each side, just inside the uprights. If I screw into the 2x2's while the OSB has nothing on it, I can then wrap the fabric around the whole board, with no weirdness on the edges AND I can attach the uprights to the 2x2's using lag bolts, and it will be plenty strong. The nice thing about this design is that I'll have 3 bolts on each side on the bottom of the thing to unhook it from the bed and then 2 lag screws on the back to detach the uprights from the main piece for transport if/when we move next.
Yes, it's brilliant! I'm sure I stole it from someone, so go ahead and steal it from me!
Now, about SRP. Spokane Raceway Park is in Receivership, which means that it's basically bankrupt, and in the hands of the investors. This is bad news. It could very easily get shut down. The forum (http://www.pnwriders.com) has been trying to make a difference, and be heard (http://www.pnwriders.com/forum/showthread.php?t=49153). There is a form letter you can use to send to the county commissioners, which I'm posting below, along with their email addresses if anyone feels strongly about it, SEND! Even if you don't feel strongly, but kinda feel! More voices is more help! I don't know why, but I'm doing what I can to be involved in this. I've never run on the track, but I really want to. Strangely, activism feels good! REALLY GOOD. I recommend it!
The email addresses of the council members are:
Todd Mielke: TMielke@spokanecounty.org
Mark Richard: MRichard@spokanecounty.org
Bonnie Mager: BMager@spokanecounty.org
-----------------THE LETTER-------------------------------
(YOUR NAME HERE)
(YOUR ADDRESS HERE)
(YOUR ADDRESS HERE)
Commissioner Todd Mielke
Commissioner Mark Richard
Commissioner Bonnie Mager
Spokane County Courthouse
1116 West Broadway Ave.
Spokane WA 99260
Dear Commissioners Mielke, Richard and Mager,
While I am not citizen of Spokane County, I am a motorcyclist, and I have followed the developments surrounding the troubles with Spokane Raceway Park closely. The loss of this motor sports venue would significantly impact the local and regional community. Track events bring money in from the surrounding areas to support fuel stations, restaurants and hotels near the track. Spokane Raceway Park is the closest track to us in North Idaho, and I would like the continued opportunity to enjoy events there. I would like to add my support to the plan proposed by James Sloane and others that would have the property purchased by the County and operated as a self sustaining, for-profit entity similar to the way in which Portland International Raceway operates now. With continued investment and improvement the facility could draw more events, more spectators, and more tax revenue to the County.
Sincerely,
(YOUR NAME HERE)
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
the blog exporter
I've been working on it...I just haven't finished it yet.
I've got it so I can read interesting text out, but I can't output it yet, and I can't handle nested tags....so, it's not gonna be useful until I can figure out how to handle nested tags, and single tags (like image tags).
I've kinda over-designed it to be extensible and reusable. I came up with a simple one that I could write pretty quickly on my drive to work today, but that wouldn't be any fun. I want this piece of software to be in my portfolio at home.
So, I'm gonna peruse now and see if I can figure out how the blogs will need to be formatted for FTP access....
I've got it so I can read interesting text out, but I can't output it yet, and I can't handle nested tags....so, it's not gonna be useful until I can figure out how to handle nested tags, and single tags (like image tags).
I've kinda over-designed it to be extensible and reusable. I came up with a simple one that I could write pretty quickly on my drive to work today, but that wouldn't be any fun. I want this piece of software to be in my portfolio at home.
So, I'm gonna peruse now and see if I can figure out how the blogs will need to be formatted for FTP access....
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
Figuring out how to export a blog from Myspace to anything else
Ok, I'm sick of myspace, and want to start using a real blog system. One without the overhead and restrictions of myspace. So, first thing, I'm going to chronicle my attempts to read a myspace blog and output it as something useful, that I can either just upload, or copy and paste in easily, but I don't want to deal with all 204 blog posts. There's only 31 comments, so I think I can handle that.
Anyway, so that's my plan, and I am going to search a bit, and do some poking at the myspace code....maybe I can get some clues from the code
So....that's that....off to search
*edit, added later*
yeah....thank you CSS! WHOO HOO! This should be a simple matter of getting the page source showing my blogs, then I can parse out what I need from it.
I could just read it in, find those tags, and then output that in a good format...something usable by me...and then upload it to the blog...I think you can upload with the blogger acct....I hope so..
p class="blogContent"
p class="blogTimeStamp"
p class="blogSubject"
Anyway, so that's my plan, and I am going to search a bit, and do some poking at the myspace code....maybe I can get some clues from the code
So....that's that....off to search
*edit, added later*
yeah....thank you CSS! WHOO HOO! This should be a simple matter of getting the page source showing my blogs, then I can parse out what I need from it.
I could just read it in, find those tags, and then output that in a good format...something usable by me...and then upload it to the blog...I think you can upload with the blogger acct....I hope so..
p class="blogContent"
p class="blogTimeStamp"
p class="blogSubject"
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