I actually had the time to sit and read through some of my networking journals at work today. (Usually they go in the big round filing cabinet by my desk, unread.) And Network Computing had this little gem that they’d gotten from the Full Disclosure mailing list.

A: Because it messes up the order in which people normally read text.

Q: Why is top-posting such a bad thing?

A: Top-posting.

Q: What is the most annoying thing on Usenet and in e-mail?

In another journal, on the last page (usually the best part of any good network journal), was an article about paranoia and that they really *are* out to get you. But what I liked best about it was the commentary on the vendors. Vendors, if you’ve ever been to a vendor show, don’t sell software or hardware anymore, they sell solutions. Dad and I have yet to figure out what “solutions” are and why we’d want to spend our limited school funds on them. Aparently the fellow who wrote the article felt the same way that we did about buying “solutions.” I’d quote what it directly said, but I ripped it out and taped it to dad’s monitor so he can read it tomorrow (on his one day working for this week).

Ah, tomorrow should be fun. Firstly, it’s Friday. Secondly, it’s PayDay! And Thirdly, it’s the day of our monthly county tech meeting. We gather at El Sombrero restaurant in Troy and sit around discussing problems and solutions (without any vendors around to get in the way!) Dad and I always learn a lot during these meetings and it’s always reassuring to find out that we’re not always the last ones to discover something. I will admit, there are times we feel more like the comic relief than valid participants, but from time to time we contribute something useful as well. Plus we get some good Mexican American food in our bellies and we get to talk to grownups for awhile. (That’s very important to do from time to time when you teach kids.)

On Tuesday, dad and I will get to be wowed by Vendors trying to sell us Solutions. But more importantly, on Monday we’re going to several workshops (paid for with professional development funds – yay!) that ought to be very informative. Last year we went to the tech conference and learned more in our 4 one-hour workshops than we’d learned in months. But we missed out on the vendors (who only come the second and third days of the conferences, with the first day for techs only). This year we were smart and set aside time to visit with the vendors on Tuesday. The conference is put on by SOITA, the Southwest Ohio Instructional Technology Association, and is always fun. (Plus we get lunch and usually a nice Lexus/Nexus bag.)

The only drawback to professional days is having a substitute teacher. Usually the subs are good folks and all, but writing up lesson plans for non-chemistry/non-physics people can be a real bear. (I have had bad subs, however, and returned to broken equipment – gah!) Still, all this teching will be good for my spirit and may help galvanize the work I need to do on the school intranet and WWW sites.

Online quizes will be the death of me. But I couldn’t pass up “What Christmas Carol Are You?” (gakked from drake57. Any surprise that I’m Jingle Bells?

You are ‘Jingle Bells’! Full of enthusiasm and
good cheer, you are excited by the first
appearances of Christmas decorations in shops
and have been heard singing along to the piped
music. Your attitude to Christmas is one of
childlike delight – with a slightly mercenary
streak. You definitely believe in Santa (you
get more presents that way) and will put up
your Christmas tree as early as possible. You
really like carolling, and presents, and mince
pies, and pudding, and will insist on getting
everyone up at dawn to open presents
immediately. So long as the food and presents
are good, you will have a great Christmas.

What Christmas Carol are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

So, enough of silly quizes, how was today? As productive as yesterday? Well, no. As is typical of tech work, one of the computers that I supposedly fixed yesterday really isn’t fixed. And I’m still fighting with it. I think I’ll have to give it a new harddrive (or rather, old harddrive) after all. I also managed to kill a PS/2 slot today. I don’t think I’ve ever done that before. I’m impressed! The keyboard worked before I fiddled with the computer, but works no more. (Yes, I thought to swap keyboards – so it’s not the keyboard itself that’s broken.) I’m just waiting for someone to suggest that I look in the BIOS to see if it was deactivated there. My waiting response is “Taste the soup!”

Some days in the realm of tech work, you actually do have a day when you feel further ahead than the previous day. (Alas, that is a rarity.) Today, for me, was one of those days. I actually fixed (I think) 4 computers in the course of two hours and a bit. Plus some other little jobs – including sending grades for the interim. It looks like a batch of 4 year old computers is having failing harddrives, so it’s up to Scandisk to sort them out. We’ll see how long the fix lasts, but they’re looking more promising than I feared. (We don’t have a lot of replacement drives – and none of those are new.)

Sending grades is always fun (not!) We’re using Jackson GradeQuick to do the High School (which for us includes junior high) grades and then send them electronically. It’s not a bad program, but there’s a lot for the teachers to do to make sure the grades are sent right. We’ve yet to have a “perfect” grade sending time yet – and we’ve been using the program for a year now. I’m wondering if the Progress Book program that the A sites are pushing will be easier on staff. I hope so!

So tomorrow, when the preview pages are printed, we’ll find out what sorts of errors we’ve got. And if any teachers didn’t get their grades in by the time I sent them onto our A site. (I did have one teacher rush in right as I was leaving and said she still had one class to go – but I’d already sent them. Indeed I’d sent them 45 minutes later than the cut off time. Ah well.) The joys of school techs!

As for the science part of my work, things be good. The physics students are working on their catapults for the Catapult Contest on Wednesday. I’m seeing more design variety than I’d seen in ages – that’s great! I revamped the way I did it this year – had them write the research paper up first before I’d even given them the specs on what to build. I think that encouraged more kids to actually research catapults *before* they built them. Should be fun on Wednesday!

Today is the first Sunday of Advent for the 2003 holiday season. Advent is a time of anticipation and preparation. It’s my favorite aspect to Christmas (even moreso than the getting giving of presents). When Amy and I were very small, the folks started our family Advent tradition. I’m not sure why they started it (other than perhaps our current church doing it) but I wouldn’t be surprised if one reason was to calm down little Trina and give her something to think about *other* than opening presents on December 25th.

When we were small, we got Advent Calendars. These were little paper layered things that had little openings. One of the preAdvent traditions was to find the perfect Advent Calendar for each of us. The one I remember best had (bad) jokes in it. Dad always bought a little Advent devotion book and from the First Sunday until Christmas Day, we’d take turns in reading the devotions. (Firstly it was mom and dad reading, then eventually Amy and I joined in.) Eventually, Amy and I no longer needed the Advent Calendars – the devotions did everything that we needed them to do.

Well… As happens in all families, the kids grew up and moved away. OK, so I only moved next door. But before then, I had 4 years of college, then 4 years in Eaton and so dad would buy each of us a devotion book. And I had my Advent Wreath with the 3 purple and 1 pink candle. And the center white candle. Amy did the same when she left home. My own tradition was to listen to Christmas music and read the daily devotion while my candle (or candles) were burning. It was a nice time for serenity in a usually chaotic time.

Several years ago, I read the devotions and realized there was something missing. They didn’t make Advent devotions for families with lesbians or gay or for folks who were members of the Jesus Seminar (part of the Westar Institute) or for people whose best friends weren’t Christian. And the devotions just didn’t work for me anymore. Then I got what I thought was a brilliant idea – why don’t we write our own?

I put the idea before the family and it was greeted with mixed results. Mom was a bit panicked about having a written assignment and Amy was busy with BMC (Brethren Mennonite Council for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgendered Interests) work. I asked if Judi could join in, and everyone liked that idea. Mom, thinking to reduce her number of required writings even further, suggested that I invite Elsa. The more, the merrier, IMO.

So I set up a schedule and we took turns writing our own Advent devotionals. And that year, it was just what I’d been looking for. The following year, we did the same, and it worked pretty well, but by the third year, people were pretty burnt out. (It ain’t easy coming up with Advent devotionals!) So last year, the folks and I used the Chicken Soup for the Soul Christmas Treasury as our Advent devotions. We’d randomly pick entries and read them aloud to the others while we basked in the glow of the Advent Wreath. I’m not sure what all Amy did, but she didn’t use the Chicken Soup book. 🙂 (For Christmas Day, last year, she read “A Wish for Wings that Work” by Berkley Breathed.) This year, we’ll suppliment the Chicken Soup book with a book by dad’s friend Ed Beutner.

So, anyone planning on doing something for Advent this year? If so, here is my Advent Devotion for the First Sunday that I wrote back in 2000.

And with that quote to start this Advent season, Tradition is thrown screaming from the window.

Tradition. Of all of the members of my family, both real and virtual, I’m the one most likely to grab hold of Tradition and not let go. I refuse to change e-mail readers because I’m familiar with Netscape and don’t want to learn any other program. I assume that if something is done two years in a row, it must be a new Tradition and we’ll have to stick with it. (Memorial Day gathering at the Lake, anyone?)

And yet, despite the usual Tradition of buying books from Cokesbury (or rather, having dad buy us books and us never reimbursing him for them), I wanted A CHANGE. Why? Well, I think the best answer is because sometimes new traditions are in order. Especially when the old ones stop having any real meaning to them. (Even *I* have figured that out.) For the past couple of years, the Advent books have left me feeling a little empty. Maybe it’s because I’ve met so many unique people: Christian, Jewish, Atheistic, or Interdenominational. Maybe it’s because my perspective has changed as I’ve gotten older. (But I haven’t grown up – you all know that. :-)) Whatever it is, the magic of the passages has dissipated.

So, I thought maybe we could make our own NEW magic. You see, even more important to me than Tradition is Love. I’ll forgo any Tradition if it conflicts with people I love. And if I can get the people that I love dearly to join in a new Tradition, then it might become even more magical than the one it was replacing.

So (cuz I love starting paragraphs with “so”), I decided to start this Advent passage not with a Biblical Passage, but a quote from a video that we Traditionally watch at Christmas. One that I will definitely watch again this year. Because — just like having my sissy over for Christmas Eve, doing Luminaria before going to Granny’s, wearing Christmas socks and sweats whenever I have the chance, wearing a Christmas badge for EVERY day of Advent, and writing my e-mail in Netscape — there are just some Traditions I refuse to give up. 🙂

Current Mood: nostalgic
Current Music: “First Noel” by R. Carlos Nakai / William Eaton

As much fun as visiting Amy was, I’m happy to be home. It’s nice to be with Leo (who hasn’t left me out of his sight since I got home) and to have my computer & Sylv wallpaper & Xmas music & BROADBAND. It’ll be nice to sleep in a bed again (after 5 nights of sleeping in a recliner (comfy though it was).

Yesterday was a Do Nothing Day for most of us. Rachel had to work again, poor dear, but apart from a few household fixes that Ame & dad worked on, nothing productive was done. We finished most of the leftovers. We slept and read and played Free Cell (me, dad, and mom respectively). We went with Amy to pick up Rachel and shopped a bit in the Calhoun Center Mall. I tried a peppermint hot chocolate. (I thought it was a bit too pepperminty, but the neat sensation of drinking a hot beverage but having a cool aftertaste was intriguing.) Didn’t buy anything, however.

Today, we got up early-ish (not as early as Rachel, who was up by 5am) and got ready to depart. The flights from MSP and ORD were both on time and uneventful. And now I’m listening to my Christmas Music, petting my cat (from time to time), and working at my computer (which has BROADBAND). It’s good to be home!

Current Mood: content
Current Music: “Fantasia on Christmas Carols” by King’s College Choir / The London Symphony Orchestra

Apparently every year from Thanksgiving to Christmas, Minneapolis puts on the Holidazzle Parade (Wed-Sun). Tonight was the first of these. The parade takes place at 6:30 when it’s nicely dark (and nicely cold) and the floats and people are all covered in lights.

Our intent tonight was not to see the parade, but to dine at The Local on Nicollette Ave. The Local is an Irish Pub that Amy and Rachel like. So we got to the pub and they had a seat for us in nonsmoking right off the bat. And when we got to it, it turns out that Amy and I could see Nicollette Ave and the eventual parade. So when 6:30 rolled around, the lighted floats started coming down the street.

Since this is something that happens from now until Christmas, they don’t actually stop cross traffic. So the parade only goes down Nicollette when the lights were green. I figure by the end of the season, they’ve probably worked out the pattern with the lights, but tonight they still had some dead spaces when the lights were green.

Rachel would come around behind me whenever the lights were green and mom was able to see what was going on from her seat if she craned her neck. Dad finally got to see the bit where the Giant Turnips waddled down the street. These were turnip shaped costumes that were lit up – and eventually we discovered they weren’t colorful turnips but Christmas Lights. (Mom wondered if one went out would the rest go out?) These Giant Turnips frightened dad and he refused to watch any more of the parade.

The meal was nice – I had fish & chips and tasted Rachel’s lamb curry pie – both were very good. For afters, I had hot chocolate. Rachel ordered a “Hot Kiss Goodnight” which is a liquory coffee with peppermint, and mom & Amy split a “Nutty chocolate whirl” which was a liquory coffee with peanut butter & chocolate flavoring.

Rachel’s said that if I show up at Starbucks tomorrow, I should order their peppermint hot chocolate (since they didn’t have any non-alcoholic peppermint hot chocolates at the Local). Today when Amy and I picked her up, I ordered an Egg Nog Steamer. Yum!

Alas, only one more full day with Amy (and again Rachel works). But we’ll enjoy the time with her – the trip so far has been a real blast!

Current Mood: full

In order for Amy to get some work done for school, the folks and I went shopping in downtown Minneapolis. We walked down Nicollette Ave and shopped at the big Target (where I bought Koozebane Kermit) and then onto Marshall Fields where we stood in a long line to see the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory 3D moving display. It was really neat to see. And afterwards I bought myself a Willy Wonka figurine. I know that Quentin Blake was not the original illustrator for the book (I tend to be faithful to the original illustrators) but I still had to have a figurine based upon his drawing. Long before Doctor Who or my other obsessions, I was (and still am) a Roald Dahl fan. So this was the ideal display for me.

One of the things I discovered as a result of this trip was the website www.roalddahl.com. When I get back to broadband land, I’ll investigate the site further.

We then left Marshall Fields (no Frango mints for us – I never saw the appeal, myself, despite being a mint fan) and moved onto the mall across the way. We had lunch in a food court (gyros for me, sammiches for the folks) and moved onto other shops using the Skyway. Mom bought some jewelry made by local artists, dad bought some magazines from Barnes Ignoble.

We then walked back home to Amy Lou and now it’s time for Amy and I to pick up Rachel.

Current Mood: jubilant

Today’s the day to pause for awhile and think of all the things we’re grateful for. I have so many things that I’m grateful for that I shan’t be able to relate them all here, but I’ll at least get a bit of coverage.

Family: I think I’m blessed with the best family ever. My folks are kind and understanding, funny and wise, and great fun to hang out with. My sister is cute as a button and twice as smart, her fiance Rachel is a wonderful addition to my wonderful family. Granny’s still active and fun to be around. I have many lovely aunts and uncles who love each other and their families. My cousins are wonderful people as well. The little ones (my cousins’ little ones) are fun as well.

Friends: As well as being blessed with a wonderful family, I have wonderful friends. Elsa and Judi are my Bestest Friendsests in the Wholest Wildest Worldest and I enjoy every moment that I spend with them, online and in person. I have many other virtual and real friends from IRC and my mailing lists. My coworkers are fun to hang around with during lunch and on our Friday evenings out.

Leo: My kitty is so sweet. He means the world to me. It’s a bit difficult being away while he’s off alone at home, but Brandi (whom I’m very thankful for) is looking in on him and feeding him daily. And whenever I see Amy’s cat, Fruvous, I’m reminding of my furry little friend.

My job: I have a job that I love. Dad always said that if you get a job that you love, you’ll never work a day in your life. Where else can I teach physics and chemistry AND be a network administrator? I have students who are excited to be learning and are geuninely kind people. I have coworkers, as I mentioned before, who are friends as well. Although we’re currently having money problems (what Ohio school isn’t?) we’re still providing a wonderful education for the kids of the community.

My community: Small Town, USA, for sure. But full of kind people who care about their town and their school. I own a house, which is a wonderful experience, and a car and a cat. I can’t ask for much more.

My health: I’m overweight, but other than that I’m usually healthy and happy. I can walk for miles and miles and still have the energy to do other things when I’m done. I have occassional sinus headaches, but nothing chronic and nothing that can’t be helped with OTC drugs. (Better Living Through Chemistry, eh?)

My life: I’m doing what I love, living where I love, and hang out with people that I love. I am grateful for my life and the people in it. Thank you all for such a Wonderful Life. 🙂

Current Mood: grateful
Current Music: The sounds of people cooking Thanksgiving Dinner

Well, mom’s sleeping in the recliner, dad’s sleeping on the futon sofa, Amy and Rachel are sleeping on Amy’s bed (poor Amy’s suffering a cold) and I’m not sleepy at all. So I’m clackity clacking away at the computer to type in my LJ entry for the day.

Yesterday afternoon, the folks and I flew together for the first time. We left around 4pm (which gave me a half an hour to replace a power supply in my Aunt Becky’s computer so she’d have her games for the long weekend) and got to the Dayton International Airport (which is neither in Dayton nor particularly international) shortly after that. After picking up our boarding passes and going through security, we stopped into the Max & Erma’s for supper. Then a long wait at the gate for our delayed flight to O’Hare.

We were getting a bit worried as the delays continued since we had a connecting flight to MSP from there, but the lady at the gate assured mother that our connecting flight was 2 hours delayed. When we successfully arrived at ORD, we discovered that her two hours was their ten minutes. Thankfully, our new gate was just a few down from where we landed. We made it onto the new plane and got to Minneapolis/St. Paul without a hitch.

We opted to only do carry-on luggage, so there was no long wait at baggage claim. Amy and Rachel met us there and we headed out to the car. Rachel drove us in a car just barely built for five (we had to take turns breathing in the back seat) and we eventually made it to Amy’s place. Lots of snow around, but most of it had been cleared off the roads. A few icy patches on the way into the apartment. Makes this Christmas Elf happy to see the snow (but never ice). 🙂

Fruvous, Amy’s cat, wasn’t pleased to see us. Fruvous never looks pleased. But we were happy to see his frowning face. He’s such a cute little grump. Amy made cocoa and tea for folks and we ate the last of Rachel’s homemade brownies. Then for the sleeping arrangements, Fruvous and I took the recliner, Amy & Rachel the futon, and mom and dad got Amy’s bed. I slept pretty well, all things considered. (Though Fruvous kept pulling the blankets away from me.)

This morning was a nice slow moving day. Dad made everyone Egg McMikey sammiches (which is what Ame & Rache call ’em) and we discussed the grocery list. Amy has a teeny tiny kitchen, so it’s going to be interesting seeing how everything’s going to be prepared tonight and tomorrow. (I’m in charge of the cheeseball, which I’ll make tonight, and the smashed taters, which I’ll make tomorrow.)

We went to the Uptown Rainbow for groceries and got in and out rather quickly. Not really all that bad, crowd-wise. Alas, no sign of canned chestnuts, so Amy’s chestnut stuffing will have to be modified to Amy’s almond stuffing. We got the groceries home and then walked down to the Indian place (New Delhi) near the apartment. Mmmm! Indian Fud! And no little 11 year olds to look disdainfully at the food. Then a walk downtown to Walgreens to get the stuff we forgot and to take a peek in the windows of Marshall Field’s.

Friday the folks (or at least mom) and I will walk back to Marshall Field’s to check out the display on the 8th floor. They’ve done Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (one of my favorite books – the sequel of which *is* my favorite book). Judi might be able to answer this – did the Marshall Fields in Chicago do the same display? Or does each big store do a different display during the holidays?

After a quick stop in the liquor store (mom’s first time in a liquor store since she was little, she claims) we headed back home, to crash. And now everyone’s crashed except me. But when I finish this entry, I’ll probably sit down and listen to my Xmas music on my little Rio MP3 player.

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you playing at home!

Current Mood: awake
Current Music: none – it would disturb the sleepers!

shebit has been doing some movie “memes” in her LJ, and I decided that I wanted to try this one myself.

(Although these all say “best” I think mine are really “most favorite” because when I get a favorite, it’s the best IMO, even if technically another flick is more superior.)

All-around favorite: Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
Best Sci-fi/Fantasy genre: Logan’s Run
Best action movie: The Italian Job (take your pick of versions)
Best romance: Miracle on 34th Street or Victor/Victoria
Best movie that an adult and child can see together: The Emperor’s New Groove
Best teen zeitgeist movie: Ferris Beuller’s Day Off (I agree with shebit here)
Best all-out comedy: The In-Laws (original, of course!)
Best musical: Sound of Music or Oliver!
Best animated: Kiki’s Delivery Service
Best documentary: Walking With Dinosaurs (again, I agree with shebit again)
Best noir/mystery movie: Murder by Death
Best escapist fantasy: Willow (It’s got Jean Marsh and Patricia Hayes cat-fighting in it – what more could you ask for?)
Best “bad” movie: The Three Kinds of Heat (Well, it’s baaaaaaaaad – and I’ve seen it a gazillion times. I love inflicting it on my friends.)
Best chick flick: Not my thing, chick flicks… Charlie’s Angels has chicks in it…
Best space opera: Star Trek: The Voyage Home (the one least like a space opera… Hmmmmm)
Most Rewatchable Movie: 9 to 5 (if, while flipping through telly, this is on, I watch it until the end)

Add your own genre at the end.

BTW, I showed the original The Italian Job to my seniors today (half were gone due to a band field trip) since I’d showed them the end when we were talking about center of gravity. Some of them seemed to enjoy it. (Alas, we ran out of time just before the big chase scene started – maybe during their study hall someday we’ll get it watched.)

Current Mood: cheerful
Current Music: “White Christmas” by Rosemary Clooney