BloggingThis

School is not out for Easter this year in our county.  This seems weird to me.  I hear on the radio that in the greater Tampa radio market (Hillsborough, Polk, maybe others) thousands of teachers, bus drivers, and cafeteria works have taken the day as a vacation day such that classes will need to pair up and bus routes will be delayed due to shortage of employees.  This should make for a mostly useless school day.  I’ll know for sure when I speak to my third-grader later today.  I’m guessing it will be movie day or free reading day in honor of the FCAT being over.  Kids will think that’s why they call today Good Friday.

Busy weekend ahead.  My family has declared Easter shall be observed on Saturday this year.  We will be attempting to attend two family gatherings, one at my mom’s and one at my brother-in-law’s house tomorrow.  This means no nap for the boys and tons of candy for everyone.  The kids should be a joy by the day’s end.   The bright side is that maybe we can have a quiet day Sunday with the immediate family.  I smell a nap in my future and possibly some hard boiled pastel eggs.

– steve

I think blogging is contagious.  First, you start reading a few.  Next thing you know you leave a stray comment or two.  Before you know it, you think, I should throw my ideas out there for the world too.

My lovely wife was a bit suspicious of my blogging at first.  Then, she embraced it and played along.  Soon, she was following many of the blogs I frequent.  I started reading her comments on other folks’ blogs.  Next thing you know, she’s stirring up controversy by babysitter poaching.

Now, she’s launching her very own blog.  Allow me to introduce ThrowinShade.

I have a feeling she’ll be more interesting than me (not hard to do).  I can’t tell you what sorts of things she’s planning to write about simply because I have no idea.  I’ll be following along with you.

– steve

You often find them when purchasing a firearm or a new insurance policy.  They are also sometimes found in divorce agreements.  I have found the best use of a so-called waiting period.  Technical support.  I use it as a teaching tool.  Recall the Chinese proverb: 

“Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day.  Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.”

When my brother calls, for example, looking for help with a complex mail merge, I could do all the work for him.  This would certainly get him up and running.  However, by implementing a waiting period with his request, it causes him to continue working on it himself.  Add that with a helpful hint or two, and it’s often all that is required to motivate him to figure it out on his own.  Encouragement is very powerful.  Nice sql join, grasshopper.

– steve

Anyone who is fortunate to be their family’s “computer guy” can appreciate what I’m doing this weekend. 

Mom: Can you get me some more of those MBs?  I’m out of memory.

Me:  Actually, that’s disk, but sure I can get you some more.  Buy this… <insert hyperlink to exact product to buy>.

Let me send out a quick thanks to BartPE and Symantec Ghost for making this nearly painless.

Love ya Mom.  Your new MBs will be ready soon.

– steve

I’ve been promising my lovely wife that I’ll work on a couple of ‘honey do’ tasks on the computer for her for several days now.  The problem is I need quiet time to concentrate to complete the items she wants done.  I have three kids - quiet time does not come easily at my house unless everyone is asleep.  Therein lays the problem.  By the time we wrap up the bedtime routine and get everyone happy, quiet, and in bed - I’m exhausted.  I’m not in the right state-of-mind to sit down at the computer and figure out any new web site design or recipe software configuration.

In my younger years B.C. (before children) I was a night person.  I was sluggish in the morning and productive late into the night.  Now, with kids things have shifted.

 Some productive people I know sacrifice sleep for increased production.  I struggle with this because when I sleep less my work degrades in quality.  I require a full 7 hours of sleep at night to stay sharp.

One solution could be to get up earlier in the morning but I can’t seem to convince myself this is any good either.

I’m pondering the question of how to balance.  Thoughts???

– steve