I setup a blog for the baby. I've backtracked it to conception but I hope to add more posts to catch up to the present. Well worth the read, IMO.

http://whowillibecome.blogspot.com/

Today is no normal day. Today Violet and I celebrate our 5th year wedding anniversary.

The traditional gift for the 5th anniversary is something crafted from wood. The modern gift is silver, especially silverware. I find the material used for the different specially numbered anniversaries interesting, from cotton to diamond.

Back near our first anniversary, I promised her a 3 gemstone ring by our 5th. This was a perfectly reasonable request. After all, our wedding bands and the engagement rings were inexpensive, and Violet has spent nearly nothing jewelry related since then. I'm lucky her preferred gifts are $13.00 CDs and $10.00 books instead of pieces of jewelry costing hundreds of dollars. But even so, due to financial issues these past several years (losing my job twice, moving 3 times, going back to school for 18 months, huge credit card bills, and being unable to sell our houses quickly enough) we just can't do it. Also, being pregnant, the ring won't fit on her finger in a few months anyway. So once again I will have to delay the delivering of my promises. They may be late, but I'll make good on them as soon as we are able. At least 2 of my promises have been fulfilled: A good home and a baby (which is on the way). And those are more important anyway. One day I hope to buy her everything she wants. But today is not that day. I got her a card. From Wal-mart. Happy Anniversary Violet Twilight. These have been the best 5 years of my life.

We've been in this house for about 3 weeks now so there's a nice layer of black fur all over the carpet. So we just picked up the Dyson DC-07 vacuum. It works really well, even on all the pet fur. The model line up is a little confusing at first but basically there's the base model, and then as you ADD attachments that come with it the model# and price go up. And the color of the plastic changes. Funky. They're horribly expensive, but thanks to Craigslist (I've been addicted to this for the last month or two) I got a used one (about a year old or so, with manual and all accessories, excellent condition, for only $160. I saw another one for 120 but that was sold so fast I didn't have time to respond to it. Anyway, these things retail for $399.00 new so 160 is still a great bargain, and only slightly higher than a mid-grade vacuum. The "wand" (Hand held hose tool attachment) is a little awkward to wield sometimes, but pushing and operating the Dyson is very easy otherwise. If you can find it cheap, I highly recommend it, having only used the thing once. I believe mine came with a 2 yr warranty but the newer, higher end models come with a 5-year warranty. Of course, they also cost 499+ and come with crazy attachments and cleaning solutions. Happy cleaning!

OR IS IT???!?!?!

CNet (via TiVo) referred me to Windows X's Shrine. There I downloaded and installed the Windows Vista Transformation Pack. Beware though, that this package includes system changes and UI enhancements to make your Windows XP appear to look like Vista. It's all free. I encountered a common problem with Firefox that caused the window to jump up and down, but its a flaw in Firefox, not the GUI, and its an easy fix. I kinda like the updated graphical overhaul. I especially like the new widgets, which Violet has had for a while now on her XP machine but I never got around to it. Its nice to have it integrated into my control panel though. Fairly useful stuff like calendar, Weather, Clock, Picture viewer, Multimedia Center, et al. I only use the calendar and weather widgets though. I have no intention of buying Vista. Well, not until I 'have" to.

...the need for speed !!!

Just a quick note that even though I had a few problems with Comcast during installation, I cannot complain about the speed. My tested speed via CNet's Bandwidth Meter is

28.8 Kbps Dial-up 28.8k
33.6 Kbps Dial-up 33.6k
53.3 Kbps Dial-up 56k
384.0 Kbps DSL/Cable 384k
768.0 Kbps DSL/Cable 768k
1500.0 Kbps Cable/DSL 1.5Mbps
1544.0 Kbps Full T1 1.544Mbps
3000.0 Kbps N x T1 3.0Mbps
3578.9 Kbps - You 3578.9 kbps
6000.0 Kbps T3 6.0Mbps
15000.0 Kbps T3 15Mbps
30000.0 Kbps T3 30Mbps

So uh yeah. pretty damn fast. Of course I can only go as fast as the server lets me, and I've never actually SEEN a throughput of 3500+k/sec, but on a decent connection I'll get 500k-700k / sec with bursts just topping 1000. Pretty frickin fast. I am pleased with it.

Oh, and only $33.00/month for 12 months. I am quite pleased.

We went and saw Ghost Rider last night. Not just because I wanted to see it (it was only like # 3 on Violet's top 2 list), but mainly due because its start time was 725pm, and that allowed me to leave work at 6, arrive home around 635, leave the house with Violet around 640/645, goto dinner (fast food, no time for a good sit down dinner, which is ok since we had just went to Bob Evans (first time we've ever been to a Bob Evans) the previous night, and we really liked the restaraunt. It's like a good IHop I guess.), and drive to the theatre arriving around 710ish.

At least, that was the plan.

Unlike most good stories, there was no drama. We had a decent dinner at Wendys, arrived early at the theatre, there were very few people around and we had our choice of seats.

I really liked the movie. Violet thought it was too hokey. I really liked the fire effects and the way things played out. I didn't realize Eva Mendez could fill out a dress so well. Jeez. A few parts were kinda glossed over and pointless/useless, so that was a let down cuz they coulda made something outta those parts. Anyway, I liked it a lot, and reccommend it. BTW, I know nothing about the comic or character really so I have no idea how much the movie deviates from anything. A lot, I suspect.

Well I had hoped to play Dungeons & Dragons Online (DDO) all weekend since its FREE and has a +50% bonus XP along with other goodies. But well, there weren't very many people online. Yesterday I found a group and we all died several times due to lack of party cooperation. Eventually we got our act together and completed the quest, which was good once we got going. The game is real good with a good party, and suck otherwise. I logged back in this evening with various characters and just didn't seem all that motivated to play it. I'm more tempted to reinstate my COH/V account and play that instead. At least I know what I'm doing and where to go in that game.

I unpacked some more stuff, put together the futon, and spent about 90 mins putting empty boxes in the garage's attic. There's a lot of space up there. It could almost be its own room. Tomorrow I plan to swap out the landlord's Washer+Dryer for ours, cuz theirs sucks.

I saw a free pool table (legal sized, but need felt replacement) on craigslist that I wanted, but without the means to take it apart and transport it, I couldn't go get it. (sigh)

While I unpacked I rocked out (Kelly Clarkson and then Josie & The Pussycats, if you're curious) using my pair of Sharper Image Wireless Headphones. They worked really well. I was pleased. I got them like, well over a year ago from a gift certificate I was given. I've used them occasionally and they've worked pretty well. Sometime I get some static if I'm far away or near a bunch of heavy metal objects.
I also like them because I can just set them on the recharging station instead of replacing the batteries every so often.

Well I suppose that's enough rambling for now. Time for another doughnut. That's a lot of typing.

When the pregnant wife wants something, she usually gets it. Especially if its food. The fact that Krispy Kreme doughnuts is nearly 30 miles away (which equates to about 55 mins of drive time here in Northern Virginia) is irrelevant. Oh sure, the grocery store down the street has 'em, but apparently they're not fresh enough. So we drove to KK and then came home and she ate two and is saving her other 4 for tomorrow and the next day. Mmmmmm. I find that odd. So far I've eaten 5 of my 6 doughnuts. I doubt they'll last until morning but I'm trying to hold out.

to the east side...
We finally got a piece of the pie

(or whatever the lyrics actually are)

My computer is now assembled, mostly. I'm missing the keyboard pull out tray supports so until I find those, my KB is ergonomically unsound for me. I've been using the wireless laptop for email and stuff around the new house, and its working pretty well. But all my bookmarks, like this blog, are on my main system so I haven't updated my blog since the move. It's nice to be computing from home though and not have to drive to the local Panera Bread for free WiFi.

So anyway we're settling in. Violet's office is mostly setup, she just has to organize her books. The kitchen stuff is put away, and the living room has its furniture in place. There's a lot of paper and bags all over the floor though to help with the dirty puppy paws from their back yard frolicking endeavors. We also have a front room, which I'm using for my office and the gaming + multimedia room. It's large enough to accommodate my needs. Theres even enough room left over for a pool table. Mmmmm pool table. Too bad I don't have one. Yet. The garage has a bunch of crap and empty boxes, so I cant park the car in it yet, but since it isn't snowing anymore I may not bother trying to squeeze in there anyway.

The wife and animals seem very pleased with the house and its location so that's all good. I really hate my commute though. 13 miles which is about 35 mins. Dayaaaammm.

Virginia that is...
Swimming pools... movie stars.
No wait, that's someone else. We're moving to Virgina. Had a much better with the movers from Mayflower than the other movers thus far. I rented a seperate 5'x8' trailer to haul the futon matress, fragile stuff, and other things we'll need to live on for the few days until the movers arrive. The rendevouz will hold all 4 animals, Violet and I, and probably my 22" computer monitor. The rest goes in the trailer. That way we'll all be fairly comfortable and not cramped during the drive down there. I hope.

More breaking news as we arrive.

I just drove back from Manassas, Virginia. 9 hours. 460+ miles. I'm too tired to really tally the exact distance, time, or toll charges... but all three things were a lot. I drove down to Manassas from Tewksbury, MA. on Sunday evening and arrived late Monday morning. I spent all day Monday, Tuesday, and part of Wed exploring around, driving by houses, and calling people to request a look see. I finally narrowed it down to one very nice house, and even though its a little more expensive than I wanted (1800/month rental) and perhaps a little farther from work than I wanted (13 miles ~21 mins) its a nice house with a large fenced backyard for the dogs. Most houses that met my specs were in the 1800-2000 range anyway, so its not too terrible. This whole thing is for the stupid dogs. Otherwise we coulda got a cheap townhouse or condo 5 mins from work for like 1400 or less.

Yes I realize Manassas is a terrible name for a city, especially if you put a space between man and asses... but if that wasnt enough, the city just north of it is Manassas Park. Silly Virginians.

Check out the new videos, previews, and such for Wahammer Online. Will it overthrow World of Warcraft? HAHAHHAHAHA probably not. But you never know. I'm definately looking forward to checking it out. And I mean that literally.

I've been pretty bored lately. I've done a lot of work packing and preparing and yesterday the mover guy and I went through the house for an estimate. But overall I just keep having to wait on other people. I won't hear back from Mayflower until Monday. Mayflower is what my company recommended so that's who I'm using. They seem to be a good moving company and have several safeguards in place to ease all the issues I had with our previous moving companies. But they're probably a lot more expensive. But its only like 450 miles so hopefully it'll be within my relocation budget.

Speaking of relocation budget, my new company is paying for my move, but only a set amount. So I have to be careful not to go over that amount. It should be enough though. We'll see. We have about 12,000 lbs worth of crap, 4 animals, and 2 SUVs. Of course, we'll be taking the computers, work stuff, animals, and 1 SUV with us. I'm considering renting and pulling a small trailer to carry the things we'll need the first week after the move, before the movers arrive.. like our mattress to sleep on, some folding chairs, etc. I think that'll be covered too.

The relocation budget is very strict, and does not cover temporary housing. Thus I have to pay for my own hotel when I go down there to look for a place to live. I'll probably be leaving tonight and looking Monday through Thursday. 3 or 4 days should be long enough. I hope. I've been trying to find a way to avoid hotel room costs (40-70 bucks a day) but so far no luck. It's kinda cold to sleep in the car and apparently all the rest stops in the area have a 2 hour limit.

I've been looking online and rent.com and move.com and all those places suck for finding a single family detached home for rent. I've found craigslist very useful though and I have about 20 rental homes to look at once I go down there.

I can't say I'm overly enthusiastic about this move. Maybe its because we just moved back in July, or perhaps I'm not looking forward to the area. The company is great and the project is outstanding. I just wish they were located near San Diego. With the baby coming it would be nice to be around friends and family. I also miss everyone and everything. Especially gaming with friends and eating at familiar restaurants. Besides, we're gonna need free baby sitters later this year. I'm sure we'll make new friends and find new places. But going through all that again is getting tiresome.

Ah well. Violet commented that I hadn't posted anything in a while so I figured I should ramble something off before driving down to Fairfax, VA. I think I've accomplished that.

I'm a big fan of the personal video craze(YouTube, Flixxy, etc), as I'm sure millions of others are. I debated putting up a "Favorite Videos" link on the right, but for now I just decided to make it a regular blog post. When you're bored, check these out.

Man Flies. For real. With a jet pack. For about 4 mins. Back in 2004. Why isn't this mainstream yet you ask? Cuz the government doesn't want people flying around doing stupid stuff, which is why poor Moller International's SkyCar, which I'm a big fan of, still has yet to see market. :(

Speaking of flying vehicles, here's one that really works. It's a flying motorcyle. (No resemblance to the Battlestar Galactica TOS version)

Cat plays Piano. Need I say more?

This could have been done better. I really like the premise of Medieval Tech Support, and its kinda funny, but it could be so much better.

I've always been a fan of Nikola Tesla, and I think he really got a bum deal. So I'm happy to see his spirit in this car.

Maybe I just don't know enough about it, but Section 8 pisses me off. Millions of Americans work their asses off to barely afford their inflated rent. Then a "low income" family comes along and lives in the same nice house right next door and pays nothing. The government pays their rent for them. That kinda pisses me off.

Section 8 is part of a larger government subsidized program created during the Great Depression. Its changed a lot over the years but in essence it lets poor people live beyond their means, thereby encouraging them to stay poor. The middle class, once again, picks up the slack by not only paying for their own full rent/mortgage, but also paying the taxes that pays their Section 8 neighbors rent. There is currently no time limit for how long someone can stay on the program, and no cap for how much rent can be subsidized. That kinda pisses me off.

Sure, I could rent my house out to a low income family and get guaranteed rent payments from the government, thereby getting back a few of my hard earned tax dollars... But I won't. I don't agree with the program. Violet works her ass off to pay for that home's mortgage.. I don't agree with some low income family moving in and getting a free ride. Besides, it could lower the property value too. I'm just not sure if I'm legally allowed to say no to them based on their use of Section 8 due to Equal Housing Opportunity laws. That kinda pisses me off.

Here's the wiki page for your info.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Section_8_(housing)

Well, it's pretty bad when someone misses your birthday. But when that someone is yourself, I guess that's pretty bad too. I was in Seattle, WA. actually, and couldn't remember my Blog Password so I was unable to post anything. I was on-site for a job interview so I didn't really do anything else during my B-day. Doh. But my mommy called me and sang me Happy Birthday like usual, and Violet sent me a nice e-card. Being outta work right now, we kinda had to skip presents for Valentines and my Birthday. 36 isn't all that special anyway.. Now I'm even closer to 40 than 30. Ack!

Happy Valentines Day,
And I'd just like to say,

Though the trees may be bare and could give you a splinter,
snuggle with your mate and some hot cocoa for the Winter.

Even if you're solo the love that the holiday brings,
could potentially net you a mate well before the Spring.

I well understand being alone and yes it's a bummer,
but try to find Love now and don't wait for the Summer.

But you have to love yourself first and be beyond rock bottom
so don't worry if your Valentine is you this Autumn.

I'm so overjoyed that Violet chose to be mine,
she'll always be my most beloved Valentine.

Take the Magic: The Gathering 'What Color Are You?' Quiz.

Well apparently I haven't been posting enough. Not a whole lot of new news on the homefront though. So I'll just rant. (aka ramble).

I'm at the later stages of my job search and will probably be making a decision by the end of this week or early next week. It's very likely that we'll be moving to Fairfax, VA (Near DC) by the end of the month. It's a good offer and a great opportunity, but the location is still somewhat questionable. I've been researching a place to live down there.. and well, it certainly isn't cheap. We still haven't sold the house in Madison so that's been the main source of our financial burden.
So anyway since its pretty certain that we'll be moving, I've been packing the house. I saved all the boxes from our last move to here so at least I have a lot of boxes. We also never finished unpacking everything so lots of our stuff is still in boxes ready to go, so that's good.

We moved here to Boston from Madison on July 1, 2006. Legally the moving company was supposed to deal with my claim within 90 days of me submitting it. Its been WAY past that. And there were LOTS of emails, phone calls, red tape, and other hoops I had to jump through to even file a claim to begin with. Moving companies are a total rip-off scam. Anyway, this company (National Movers) have historically been very rude and unresponsive to my inquiries. I finally found a website where I could complain about them.

http://www.1-888-dot-saft.com/CC_main.asp

Soon afterward, the moving company contacted me in a polite but legally professional manner and worked to actually settle my claim. They emailed me a sum that they'd be willing to pay me for all the stuff they lost or broke. But, it's like 1/10th the replacement cost of everything. More Suckage.
I certainly will be VERY WARY of any moving company or moving broker in the future. Most of them suck. ALWAYS get the more expensive "Replacement Cost"insurance, not the default 'Replacement based on weight" insurance. You'll get like under 4 bucks for your 6 pound, $2,000 painting or sculpture or whatever. You get like 60 cents per pound... the replacement cost of the item is irrelevant. It's total BS. Stupidest 'insurance' coverage I ever heard of.
Don't do it.

Time's a ticking, and I cant find anything that rhymes good with that which makes sense for where I'm at in the interview process. I'm at the later stages now. I've done several onsites, but Im still waiting for the results from several tests. I HAPPILY have an offer already, so if all else fails at least I'll have a job. Its a pretty decent offer with a good company. But it would be unfair of me to not follow through on my other commitments (I still have a few tests to finish) and unprofessional OF me to accept an offer while still inthe mIDDLE of other people's intervIEW PROcess. stupid SHIFT key Keeps sticking. and I didnt even press it! Damn this keyboard is filthy. ack>

oh anyway I hope to decide on whatever offers I have before Feb 16 and start on march 1. TODAY I'm going through all my job hunting logs. I keep a text file of all jobs Ive applied to and all correspondence with all the people Ive talked to or emailed for that job. Its just a simple dated sentence or two but its very useful to me to KNOW where I stand with everyone since my memory is pretty poor. I update it right after the occurrence so I don't HAVE to go back and remember how the interview went, if I emailed so and so.. etc. So anyway today I went through the list and emailed a bunch of people whom I haven't heard from in a while requesting an update as to the status of my candidacy. Probably pointless since if they really wanted me they wouldn't wait a week or more to tell me I'm moving onto the next step.. but people get busy, their email boxes get filled up, etc.. so who knows what could happen. Besides I don't have anything scheduled today so I'm really bored. Which is why I'm blogging about it. Blogging postpones the boredom for another 10 mins.