Saturday, July 5, 2008

1 Hour Ago | Posted to: Random Stuff

05:33:50 AM: First snag of the day: Kendy's pool has a new gate code. First time in years and it happened in last four days. So onto the bike a little after 5am.

05:35:44 AM: Morning duke out at mile zero on the comet.

07:39:57 AM: Out at tunnel, mile 31. And what's this? A good ride?!? Unseen for half a season, owing itself to wonderdrug capital C... Caffeine. Thank you chemistry.

08:05:12 AM: And let's not forget Big P... Pacing.

08:05:41 AM: Or little m... modesty.

08:06:35 AM: At halfway point... the old school end of the trail at mile 39.5. Wet, drizzly, humid and warming up.

10:25:00 AM: Off bike. 80 miles @ 18.6mph avg hr 136 with 15 min break. Legs roasted.

12:26:06 PM: 10 mile run done.

0 Comments | 8 Images

Coyote in the Back Yard

Yesterday | Posted to: Random Stuff

I stepped out onto the deck a few minutes ago and a coyote was walking down the stream. Bigger than a fox. About the size of a medium dog. But definitely not a dog. I got a good 20 second look at him. Called Terp out who barely caught the back of his head. When we moved into the house they told us coyotes were in the area. Too cool. A straight-up predator animal lurking around the house. Aves, sorry kiddo... no alone time in the back yard. YouTube vid of another coyote in suburban Atlanta. This is exactly what I saw.

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Thursday, July 3, 2008

Yesterday | Posted to: Random Stuff

0 Comments | 2 Images

Wednesday, July 2, 2008

3 Days Ago | Posted to: Random Stuff

0 Comments | 2 Images

Silver Comet Assaults Update

3 Days Ago | Posted to: Random Stuff

It's been a couple weeks since I heard anything about the assaults on the Silver Comet. The original info was passed through the cyclist email grapevine. A cyclist reported his rather scary attack. So today I called the Cobb Police Department and got the updated scoop from Sgt. Dana Pierce. He's working closely with the detectives working the case and knows everything that's happening.

Quick summary: On March 13th a person reported two men coming out of the woods by the comet with what looked like a gun but they didn't get close enough to verify... no crime. On June 10th there was an assult. On June 16th a cyclist was knocked down and 4 suspects took the contents of his pockets before returning them... this is still a robbery and was the incident that triggered the email thread. On June 17th a cyclist spotted 4 men coming out of the treeline near the Spicewood Townhomes (anybody know what mile marker that's at?) and turned around, as he should have... no crime.

So, there are four incidents and two crimes for all of 2008. Overall makes me feel a lot better about comet safety. I called wanting to know whether there had been more attacks... whether this was becoming a common occurrence, etc. Apparently it isn't and is a small cadre of knuckleheads doing this stuff.

There's also stuff happening that should make you feel more comfortable about riding on the comet. But Sgt. Pierce asked me to not disclose it for a couple days. Which makes me awesome for having top secret info. Deal with it... lol.

Apparently tonight there will be a story on Channel 5 by Denise Dillon who talked to Sgt. Pierce earlier in the day. And she's going to interview one of the victims... my guess is that it'll be the one who made the email report to the cycling community.

Sgt. Pierce told me that most of the crime is in cars parked at the comet. GPS devices, cell phones, etc.

Still, be careful out there. Use common sense. Report anything suspicious. Ride with a buddy. If you're hot in spandex, ride with me. No, Marc, not you.

4 Comments | 0 Images

Terp Tatted

6 Days Ago | Posted to: Random Stuff

Ok, not permanently.

0 Comments | 1 Images

Thursday, June 26, 2008

9 Days Ago | Posted to: Random Stuff

0 Comments | 4 Images

Golf with Lee and Andy

15 Days Ago | Posted to: Random Stuff

Haven't seen Lee in years. He was the class president in high school. I was the vice president. Good guy. He brought his business partner, Andy. Another nice guy. We golfed the par 3 at River Pines. Andy managed a solid last hole and couple double bogeys. I didn't injure anybody. As it was warming up we hit Waffle House and then went to see one of Lee and Andy's properties. Long story made short: exotic dancer, window climbing, a cat that jumped 18+ feet to the ground and a fox in the rafters (no, really, a fox.) Looking forward to catching up with Lee. He's living in Lawrenceville and as recently as six months ago he was living about four miles from me but I had no idea.

1 Comments | 2 Images

Thursday, June 19, 2008

15 Days Ago | Posted to: Random Stuff

0 Comments | 4 Images

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

16 Days Ago | Posted to: Random Stuff

0 Comments | 6 Images

New Phone: Palm Centro

16 Days Ago | Posted to: Random Stuff

Verizon finally launched the Centro. Cost me $5 to get the phone... rebate and new phone discount since I hadn't gotten one in years. Thing's ugly in navy but it's smaller than the Treo so I'm happy.

1 Comments | 2 Images

The Ruels Around the Globe

17 Days Ago | Posted to: Random Stuff

I just talked to Mike Ruel, one of my relatives I met at the family reunion last year. Very nice guy. He's in town this week and hopefully we'll get a chance to connect. But the most interesting part of the conversation was what he's doing over the next five years. He and his wife Deana are buying a boat and circumnavigating the globe over the course of a five year journey. They're planning on hitting something like 80+ ports in Europe, North America, Australia, Africa and Asia. They'll spend anywhere from a few days to a few months in each port, taking the time to get to know each culture. Amazing! Really gives a young adventurous punk like me something to shoot for. We talked about setting up a blog and Google Earth tracker for them so that the rest of us can share in the journey. Mike had a cancer scare last year and when all was over he decided that it was time to do this journey he'd been dreaming about since he was sixteen. When I do it I'll be able to say I'd been dreaming about it since I was 33.

3 Comments | 0 Images

Bug Update

18 Days Ago | Posted to: Random Stuff

Quick update on Bug. He's doing a ton better. Out running around the back yard again. No sign of rabies. He's still not breathing perfectly again but it's so much better each day that we're sure he'll be fine in no time. So I've opted out of the rabies series of shots. There's just no way I was exposed. My arm is still sore but it's not a big deal... I swam with it yesterday.

2 Comments | 0 Images

Monday, June 16, 2008

19 Days Ago | Posted to: Random Stuff

0 Comments | 4 Images

Bug's Improved Overnight

21 Days Ago | Posted to: Random Stuff

He's wagging his tail. He's eating. He's not drooling. He seems to be improving. But, his breathing symptom has gotten worse. We think he's got something stuck in his throat. He's going back to the vet this morning, wearing a muzzle, of course.

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Bug Sick and Rabies Shots for Joe

21 Days Ago | Posted to: Random Stuff

Fri, Jun 13, 2008 11:47:14
Bug seems sick and lethargic. We'll watch him for a day. He's still eating and when I checked him out he didn't seem to have any pain at any specific point on his body.

Fri, Jun 13, 2008 15:17:40
Bug seems to be getting worse. I'm going to take him in to the vet.

Fri, Jun 13, 2008 17:17:14
Bug is drooling and stuperous. Signs of rabies. And then he bit me.

Fri, Jun 13, 2008 18:17:09
Sent away from the first urgent care facility because they don't have the rabies vaccines. Now I'm at the Wellstar Cobb ER entertaining people with the apparent lunacy of my rabies claim.

Fri, Jun 13, 2008 18:19:20
Now I'll probably have to face my big fear in life... needles. But, it's a good opportunity to prove that it's not a full-blown phobia. Phobias are defined as irrational fears (mine is) that disrupt your life. In the case of needles I'd have to decline treatment or not go to the ER in a situation like this for it to be a phobia.

Fri, Jun 13, 2008 18:20:35
Just waiting in the poorly named Waiting Room. The Zoo would be more descriptive.

Fri, Jun 13, 2008 18:47:35
Seen a doc. We're doin' the rabies series. Five shots over something like 20 days. Happy doesn't really describe it.

Fri, Jun 13, 2008 18:50:49
Three years ago I wouldn't be here... I'd conclude rabies is incredibly unlikely and assume the risk. Yet another example of my kids making me a better person. Just not worth the risk with them in the picture.

Fri, Jun 13, 2008 18:55:37
Correction: eight shots over forty days.

Fri, Jun 13, 2008 19:06:20
Bonus: tetnus shot! I overfloweth with joy. First shot done. Two more on their way.

Fri, Jun 13, 2008 19:36:32
Mega Bonus: four more shots tonight!

Fri, Jun 13, 2008 19:42:38
The right arm's pretty sore at the injection site. The first two were a normal fluid... no big deal. The last four were really thick sludge. The nurse grabbed them with two hands and said she was pushing as hard as she could with her thumbs just to get it into my arm. I felt it. And everybody there said I'll be sore tomorrow.

Fri, Jun 13, 2008 19:50:46
All done. $388... half off because I paid today. Oh yeah, I have no health insurance.

Fri, Jun 13, 2008 21:11:21
Back home. Bug's still lethargic but Terp was able to get him to eat a little bit. He's resting so we'll watch over him tonight. Theories abound as to what's ailing him. I just hope he gets better tomorrow.

Fri, Jun 13, 2008 21:44:27
So why the rabies alarm? First, the vet brought it up and when I pressed she wouldn't rule it out. Second, when Terp did some research and read it back to me I spent some time observing Bug. He definitely fits the symptoms strongly. Third, bats. A huge proportion of rabies cases are traced back to bats. The nature area about 1/4 mile from the house has big bat houses to protect/grow them. At night I see them darting around all the time. Bug and Pupper are outside at night sometimes. Thus, the concern.

Fri, Jun 13, 2008 21:49:37
And then there's this:

"Rabies is an acute and deadly viral infection of the central nervous system. It is one of the most terrifying diseases known to man."

Heart warming. Which got me reading about treatment. And I found this:

"Although all rabies vaccines licensed in the U.S. induce protective antibody levels after three doses in nearly 100% of recipients, it is important to complete the dose schedules recommended for individual circumstances (see Dose Schedule). Previously immunized people still must receive two additional doses of the vaccine if exposed to the virus, and the vaccine is almost 100% effective in these cases as well."

So I'll probably make it. Although I'm not terribly fond of the word "nearly" right now.

8 Comments | 8 Images

Dell Has No Legal Department

22 Days Ago | Posted to: Random Stuff

Quote of the day: "Dell doesn't have any sort of legal department." That was the response when both technical support and customer care groups decided that they wouldn't help me.

Background: There are a number of news articles about Dell getting a lot of solid state drive returns. But they don't want to acknowledge that they're selling a product that infuriates people (like me) with poor performance once the drive is loaded. Since that loading doesn't happen within the first 30 days they're claiming that they have no liability. They'll replace it with another $900 SSD drive. But they couldn't possibly just give me a $300 normal laptop drive. Really, I asked. Repeatedly. My computer is almost unusable... and I paid a 3X premium for the privilege.

I spoke with the tech support group who transferred me to the customer care group. After being told that there was nobody else who could help me I asked to speak with the legal department. And that's when I got my quote of the day. Love it. I asked her to verify a couple times that Dell does not have a legal department. Yes, she urged, Dell does not have a legal department. Or any other department. I asked about a shipping department. Nope. Quality control department. Nope. Product development department. Nope. And just to be sure I asked whether it's that Dell doesn't have them or that she just can't transfer me. No, Dell doesn't have them. Hilarious. Dell is apparently a tiny organization.

Not like I wanted to sue... I just wanted to make the point that since I know Dell is aware of the issue there must be somebody who can help. Given no help from the operator I had to work to make suggestions. Shouldn't it be the other way around? But I was denied. Shut down. Very unhelpful. Oh well, looks like I'll end up paying a 4X premium (and wasting a lot of time) to get a D420 that's even remotely usable for simple business tasks. They want me to pay for an upgraded hard drive (which they told me at the time of purchase was a downgrade.)

Sorry I paid for the upgrade that Dell marketed as being faster. Maybe they didn't know. But they know now and aren't helping people like me who are completely unable to do work on their laptops. I've got four Dell laptops sitting in front of me and and six or seven Dell servers at the data center. Heather and her business have ten or more Dell workstations. I consider myself a major Dell supporter. But I may have to reconsider that position.

I mean, really, who am I gonna throw the class action suit at once I get enough SSD people together? Dell has no legal department! Lol.

(And FWIW I don't take what customer care folks tell me too seriously... obviously Dell has a legal department and this one operator was just interested in getting me off the phone. But even the biggest of companies has to be judged based on every interaction with its customers.)

5 Comments | 0 Images

Thursday, June 12, 2008

23 Days Ago | Posted to: Random Stuff

0 Comments | 5 Images

Big Rain for 30 Seconds

23 Days Ago | Posted to: Random Stuff

04:47:58 PM: Big round raindrops for 30 seconds. Then... nothing.

0 Comments | 1 Images

Hound Under Deck, Dinner Outside

24 Days Ago | Posted to: Random Stuff

Hound curled up in the ivy beneath the deck. Been there for hours. We ate outside today. Nice.

0 Comments | 15 Images

Fire on Side of Road

25 Days Ago | Posted to: Random Stuff

Near I285 and I75. About 20 firemen for what looked like a fairly small brush fire.

0 Comments | 1 Images

D3L Road Suckage Validation

26 Days Ago | Posted to: Random Stuff

Bob sent a link about some other people who did a ride around Leakey, TX, where I did the D3L ride. From their summary:

Add some of the roughest roads that you could imagine riding on. Most of the roads are tar and chip, with the chip portion being the size of marbles. When you ride on these roads your bike vibrates incessantly. Needless to say, these vibrations find there way to your hands and butt. Trying to stay comfortable is a challenge.

Validation that the roads suck!

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Sunday Around the House

27 Days Ago | Posted to: Random Stuff

Nice little Sunday around the house. Got some work done. Baked a cake. Played with the littleses. What more could a guy want?

0 Comments | 20 Images

Belated Kudos: Marc and Dana for Cycling, Kindzia for Rocking

27 Days Ago | Posted to: Random Stuff

A belated congratulations to Marc Crouch on becoming a state champ cyclist! I'm in awe and trying to catch up with him on rides these days!

And a belated congratulations to Dana who took a podium in the women's pro 1/2 category. She was oh-so-close to the win and will certainly grab it soon!

And to Kindzia for creating an incredible CompuTrainer setup... wow... I'm so inspired by his geeky vision!

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myThredz.com Redesign

27 Days Ago | Posted to: Random Stuff

It's one day old... and that means it's time for a redesign. Took about three hours this morning to design and implement a new look for it. The old one was inherited and ugly. The new one isn't great, but it's better. Check it out at myThredz.com.

1 Comments | 2 Images