Just got back Tuesday night from Montana - quick trip to meet Grandma, Aunt D and Uncle M and a few others.
What a cool trip. 1300 miles or so, each way, sure, but worth every mile. Everyone was genuinely happy to welcome us (my wife and I) to the family. I was given a handmade quilt by my Grandmother that is probably my prize possession - it surely is the most personal gift I have ever received.
We stayed in a genuine log cabin that my Aunt and my late grandfather built. There is also a ten acre lake that he also created on the property, and the family sells fishing permits on it.
Sunday we went to Glacier National Park and spent the day. I took about 400 pictures. All keepers. Absolutely amazing place. I am told by my Aunt D that she is the owner of the park. She certainly knows it like the back of her hand. If you want to see an amazing place, check out Yellowstone or Yosemite. Glacier is too hard to get to, and it is just too much for most people. I want it all for me.
Top this all to find out early last week we are expecting - finally. February 20th, to be exact. What a nice suprise for the new family, to be adding a kid for them to spoil.
Saw the sonogram pix today - we are in the size-of-a-grain-of-rice stage, but he/she already has a heartbeat. I feel ten feet tall.
Thursday, June 29, 2006
Miles and Miles and Montana
Wednesday, June 21, 2006
Saturday, June 17, 2006
Shocker: Dixie Chicks gon't get Patriotism
In the latest of a series of exhibitions of Natalie Maines' intelligence, she admits that the importance of patriotism escapes her. "The entire country may disagree with me, but I don't understand the necessity for patriotism," Maines resumes, through gritted teeth. "Why do you have to be a patriot? About what? This land is our land? Why? You can like where you live and like your life, but as for loving the whole country… I don't see why people care about patriotism."
Read the whole story at the Telegraph.
Friday, June 16, 2006
Magellan Roadmate 300
I just bought a Roadmate 300 - one of the older ones. Been wanting one of these for years, and I saw a good deal on an 'open box special'. The seller assured me it worked, and it does - syncs up and tracks. Looks like a great unit. But I did not get the software that comes with the unit to download detailed street maps. I assumed I could download this from Magellan, or call them up and get a CD.
I called, and was told that the CD isn't free. I don't know how much it costs, because I had called tech support, and the person rudely told me I needed to call sales. After at least ten calls at fifteen minutes apiece on hold, listening to the worst on hold music ever, I gave up.
Why would anyone pay for this? It comes with the unit, and does not work with anything else. The tech support rep told me they had to charge for it because "I might have stolen it." Huh?!
As you can guess, this is a "no-returns deal." Call it a $275 lesson that Magellan has the worst customer service I have seen in a while, and this will be my last Magellan purchase.
***
Update: Finally talked to a human in C/S, and they told me they would send it right out, and the tech support moron was wrong about charging for the software.
I called, and was told that the CD isn't free. I don't know how much it costs, because I had called tech support, and the person rudely told me I needed to call sales. After at least ten calls at fifteen minutes apiece on hold, listening to the worst on hold music ever, I gave up.
Why would anyone pay for this? It comes with the unit, and does not work with anything else. The tech support rep told me they had to charge for it because "I might have stolen it." Huh?!
As you can guess, this is a "no-returns deal." Call it a $275 lesson that Magellan has the worst customer service I have seen in a while, and this will be my last Magellan purchase.
***
Update: Finally talked to a human in C/S, and they told me they would send it right out, and the tech support moron was wrong about charging for the software.
Monday, June 12, 2006
Poor neglected blog
OK, OK, I lied when I said I would post... two or three weeks ago. Sorry. I do have a life, and a job. In fact, I have three jobs now. I can't afford to spend my whole freaking life working on this.
On baseball; I had forgotten how much I loved baseball. I grew up working for a minor league team, doing groundkeeping, running the scoreboard, that type of stuff. The team left in 1982, and I kind of lost interest in baseball, especially after the strikes.
A friend is running the team here this year, and I asked him for a job running the scoreboard.
Next week is the drive up to Montana to meet my brand new extended family - a grandmother, and aunt and an uncle, plus their families. Looks like 24 hours drive time, done in shifts. Can't wait.
The anti adoption wackos are still out there, and they are still crying in their showers and stalking their kids. They finally quit harassing me, though, so I am thankful for that.
More later. I gotta go to my Zarqawi's Dead party.
On baseball; I had forgotten how much I loved baseball. I grew up working for a minor league team, doing groundkeeping, running the scoreboard, that type of stuff. The team left in 1982, and I kind of lost interest in baseball, especially after the strikes.
A friend is running the team here this year, and I asked him for a job running the scoreboard.
Next week is the drive up to Montana to meet my brand new extended family - a grandmother, and aunt and an uncle, plus their families. Looks like 24 hours drive time, done in shifts. Can't wait.
The anti adoption wackos are still out there, and they are still crying in their showers and stalking their kids. They finally quit harassing me, though, so I am thankful for that.
More later. I gotta go to my Zarqawi's Dead party.
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