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Personal Blog of Steve Baumber
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Every two weeks he Blogs whether he needs to or not.
Recently got a Canon 755 multipass machine set up for Rosemary's sister. She found it at a garage sale - no cords, cables, software or guarantees. I found the cords, software for Win95, manuals, cleaned the print cartridge and voila! One printer/scanner/fax ready to go. Yes, I'm pleased with myself. Total cost of Ellen's system with printer/scanner is $115.
Watched the "Celebration of Light" last night - fireworks to music thing. Used to be called the "Symphony of Fire", but Benson and Hedges weren't allowed to sponsor it anymore, so they took the name and went home. Still a good show, and I finally got to watch it listening to the music. We watched form a friend's place near English Bay, from the 9th floor. Perfect view, no crowds.
The table is finished and looks great. Have had it out a few times now for BBQ's and patio surfing. The motorbike is running well and Rosemary and I had a trip to Sechelt on it to visit her grandmother a couple of weeks ago. Even took Granny for a spin up and down the street! Rosemary's still not sure it's a good thing, but it gets us on ferries quicker.
Latest downside to the computer is that Win95 doesn't support USB, but the computer has a USB port. Hmm. Have no way of transfering files directly to the desktop from the digital recorder either. Interim option is to transfer the files to the laptop and then over to the desktop. I will find a better way...
Had another prescreen for "Cold Squad". Dare I dream?
Last but not least, Dave H sent me this and it's worth a look.
Oh ya, I'm back on tea. Let the winter rains come.
posted by Steve @
8:52 AM
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7.31.2003  |
Last of the stitches fell out tonight. Yay. Now if I could just fill in these gaping holes. I've been avoiding crumbly foods like nuts and popcorn, and hot (temperature-wise) food and drink. This has produced two of the most exquisitely torturous moments I've had in recent times.
Number One: We went and saw "Pirates of the Carribean - The Curse of the Black Pearl" on Tuesday. Fantastic movie! I'd sleep with Johnny Depp to have his talent, except I bet he's a blanket hog and would be all weird about it in the morning. Anyway, there I was in a movie theatre watching a rip-roaring, swashbuckling movie with no popcorn. Popcorn all around me, popcorn under my feet, but none going in my mouth. I was this close (picture thumb and forefinger tightly held together) to breaking down and stealing popcorn from the kid next to me. Then I thought about those clear little shell-pieces of popcorn digging into the soft flesh of my empty sockets, and paid attention to the movie.
Number Two: Our good friend Mike J was over Wednesday evening for a home cooked meal, and he brought cake. A piece of carrot cake and a piece of chocolate cheesecake each. I've been avoiding sugar to help the healing along, but I thought, "why not?" But I drew the line at a steaming cup of tea. Cake with no tea. It's like a rainy day without tea (last weekend) only a tad worse. Those of you that know me can feel my pain. In fact, I haven't had a mug of tea for ten days now. Without the caffeine I'm either going to go crazy or start sleeping through the night again.
And the beat goes on.
posted by Steve @
10:54 PM
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7.18.2003 |
One week later and here is the first blog from the "new" computer. It has been a test of my techie abilities starting from scratch on a "no-guarantees" machine, but it all seems to have worked out. Got all the hardware and software installed, updated, and even managed to find a soundblaster card for $1. Added in some cheap speakers and I'm set for desk-top music mania. Just have to find a good way to cable in the digital recorder. Total cost of the new system: $120 (and my time). It's much faster then the laptop, so I think that it was a good investment.
Nifty problems along the way like Microsoft no longer supporting some of their older products (like IE5.5, Win95, etc.). Good thing you can download stuff from other countries! Why not upgrade? Because it's only a 266, and if I want it to be fast why overburden it with a bunch of background-running applications delivered by Windows 98+?
Anyway, it all works, and I'm impressed with myself. Even did a peer-to-peer network to the laptop and transferred all my files over. Next step is to get Ellen's computer going as well. Should be a much shorter trip now that I have everything I need (lasered to disc thanks to the work machine).
Rosemary is over in Victoria this weekend, and now it's pissing rain. So much for playing outside. Of course, with the indoor projects lurking, it's probably just as well. Have one set of legs on the table, and now getting ready for the next set. I hope that these larger legs will make it more stable. I have another idea if this doesn't work. Have to redo the seals on the motorbike front forks too.
Of course, the REAL indoor project this weekend is a healing process. After many years, I finally succumbed and had my two right wisdom teeth pulled on Wednesday. During my last dental visit we looked at the xrays, and the lower right was definitely impacted and pushing against the tooth next to it. My upper right wisdom was beginning to overerrupt and every now and then I'd chew food into the gum below, pushing on the unexposed tooth. My dentist recommended me to a good oral surgeon, and after a consultation I thought, what the hell. For the first time I have actual dental coverage (combining our coverages it's 100%) so I might as well do a little preventative maintenance.
The operation was done under IV-sedation. They sat me in the chair, and hooked me up to a heart monitor and BP cuff. Imagine my joy that my resting heart rate was around forty BPM, and ocassionally dropped low enough to set the machine's alarm off. With the BP hovering around 120/80 I was a picture of happy, nervous, please-don't-hurt-me health. The nurse even asked "Are you a runner?" I smiled shyly and said, "Ya." Then they injected me with a needle of clear stuff, and a needle of milky stuff, and asked if I felt anything, and I said "not yet" and then the last thing I remember was saying "now I feel it." I woke up and they were done (actually they woke me up). I have no memory at all of the procedure. I lay down for a bit and then Rosemary took me home. Of course, not with out doing a little shopping downtown first before the freezing wore off! A couple of new shirts for me and some soft-food groceries and I was soon ready for my first pain-killer. I've had nasty bouts of five-hour hiccups from the strong antibiotics I'm on, but other than that hardly any troubles at all. Dreading the mysterious "dry socket" syndrome, I've been icing the cheek, sleeping with my head raised, and gently rinsing with salt water. Yesterday was the last round of anti-inflamatories, and today I took myself off of the pain killers and it's been fine, just a minor, constant ache. I was pretty nervous about doing this, but it's been a relatively good experience (all things considered). Down side is I can't enjoy a nice cup of tea on a rainy day. Or rice. Or pizza. Rosemary put her head lamp on and had a look and said I have two very deep holes in my mouth. Thinking of eating poppy seeds makes me cringe into a little ball.
I kept the teeth, one whole and the impacted one split into a few pieces. They're huge, which makes me wonder how deep those holes really are! I can see the enamel on them, and I have great teeth. The dentist said I have the grade of enamel just short of bomb proof, with great root alignment and bone development. With this minor adjustment done, they should last a lifetime! Count in the low heart rate and textbook BP and I'm in good shape for my thirties. Of course, there's always cancer, arthritis, MS, CP, Alzheimers, Parkinson's, accidents, brain tumours, blood clots, and host of other fate or genetic-caused life enders. But for now, I feel pretty good about my health. All because of a couple of teeth.
posted by Steve @
4:13 PM
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7.12.2003 |
Another week ends. Been busy for two weeks now drift netting for students. We sent out an email to encourage students applying to the Faculty of Science, whose averages were below the grossly inflated cut-off to get into Science, to apply to the Faculty of Forestry. Thirty-seven admits so far, and counting. Wish I worked on commision. It's been a lot of long hours to review applications, track responses and follow up with emails and phone calls. One late night it felt like J. S. Thrower all over again...
RM and I were out and about on the Canada Day long weekend by taking Monday and Tuesday off. Every work week should be three days. We went up to Whistler and biked to Lost Lake, finding the nude section. (Seeing as we live just up from Wreck Beach in Vancouver, nudist central, we've embraced the naturalist sun worship lifestyle. Why have tan lines?) We hiked the steep and lengthy path to Helm Lake the next day (20km of quad burning fun), with only one bear encounter (well two, but the second time we were in the car). Then onto Squamish and relived old times on the first third of the Test of Metal course - Alice Lake, Rob's Corners, Cliff's Corners and Jack's Trail. Brought back memories of the summer before the Big Trip. The new bike worked very well. Home and then down to Granville Island for Canada Day, and then to Wreck Beach for more naked tanning. At this rate more people will have seen me naked than seen me act...
I now have two new computers to play with - the Faculty was selling off some old ones. Got one for us (they may be old, but they're still faster than my laptop) and one for Rosemary's sister. Couldn't beat the price. Went out to East Van yesterday and picked up two used CDROM dirves, and last night got one system up and running. Can't wait until the first Blog from the "new" computer! Of course, now our spare room has table parts and computer parts all over the place. I really need a workshop. Or a garage, like Dad's new one!!
Marcus helped me cut new, bigger legs for the table. Hopefully that will remove the "wobble", although I think it is partly due to movement in the folding brackets. Blah blah blah. Must work.
posted by Steve @
9:16 AM
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7.04.2003 |
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