journaling: enabled

So I asked one of my coworkers about what I could do to improve my server performance. He guessed that I might not have DMA enabled. I came home and enabled it. About 2 hrs later, the server crashed. #&$*&#!

Today flutterbyefred and liz4jc4ever came over and we had fun doing yardwork. Okay … fun is exaggerating, but we got stuff done. They worked on Liz’s electronic portfolio while I changed the oil in the lawnmower and mowed the lawn. My younger sister stopped by because she was having a bad day due to her bf’s younger sister moving out and generally being a pot-head with a seriously non-existant view of reality. So after my sister finished venting, I mowed my lawn. Fun fun. After mowing lawn, the women decided to rake it while I worked on clearing the sod that had grown over the edge of the sidewalk … in some cases a good 6 inches (even after I had cut some back this past winter for getting rid of snow). So I now have a large pile of sod sitting in front of my garage (a very heaping wheelbarrow load … if I had a wheelbarrow). Oh … I forgot about the trip to Baldwin and Hudson to get stuff … I got flower seeds so I can make parts of my yard look pretty. I’m also considering doing some trees in the yard, but I dunno how soon. If it weren’t for the fact that it’s supposed to rain tomorrow, I’d do some more stuff out there. Hopefully it’s a good day to veg out.

Yay. Tomorrow is Saturday. This means I get to go play in my yard. Mow it. Dig up weeds and stuff. Edge a flower bed. Maybe find stuff to put in the flower bed. This hasn’t been a particularly productive week for me at work. Frustrating. I think part of it is the way the week started off. Basically I didn’t have a solid end to last week so I’ve been more-or-less working for 12 days straight.
I tried calling Laura tonight but she wasn’t home. On the plus side, I didn’t get the wrong number so I will hopefully remember to try calling again later this weekend or early next week or something. I want to go see her graduate from UW-LaCrosse. Yay! Way to go Laura!
BTW, anybody who hasn’t seen the video “Robin Williams: Live on Broadway” … really needs to. Try not too be eating or drinking while doing so, because whatever goes in your mouth stands a good chance of trying to come back out your nose.

I need to comment on this, even though it’s past my bed-time. Apple’s music store thing is quite cool. A lot of people have bitched about how it costs too much for a song and that the quality isn’t worth it. I think the cost is quite reasonable. It’s cheaper to buy the just the songs you want from an album … plus you get to preview them, than to buy the whole album… and you come away with a clean conscience (which apparently some people don’t have … clean or dirty). It’s also pretty darn convenient … hear a song on the radio … do a search … click a button to buy it … listen to it on your computer 1 minute later. Tonight I started searching for songs that I want to get and buying them. Some of them I’d have to really dig for in a brick-n-mortar store, and I certainly wouldn’t be able to get just the ones I want … good luck finding Cher, Duran Duran, Eric Carmen, Debbie Gibson, Judas Priest and Limahl on one CD (13 tracks). It also provides a quick and easy way to find other music I might like …other songs by the same artist … similar artists … etc. For instance, who knew there is a Club Mix version of “Neverending Story” (with cool stereo effects)? I realize most people reading this probably don’t have the software necessary to see this service, but I have to argue that it’s pretty cool.
It’s nice to be back in my house again. I’ve been gone a few days providing tech support for the NCATE team that was reviewing the College of Educ. at UW-RF (necessary to maintain accreditation). The U put me up at the Country Inn in RF … nice place. Nice hot tub. The beds sucked tho. I’m very much looking forward to re-acquainting myself with mine shortly.
P.S. Liz & Liz … yes … I know how late it is.

I attended the annual UWRF dance theatre banquet this evening. I was surprised at the number of people I know who are not going to be around next year. This was my fifth year being involved in dance theatre. It’s kinda odd being a fixture of DT because it’s not something that is really “me”. I enjoy being a part of it though. There are a lot of people I’ll miss … Cary B … Rachel … Shelby … Kimmy … Laura. It’ll be odd not seeing John around either. I’m not as emotional about it this year as the first year … when I got the “Most Reserved” award (surprise surprise). It’s still tough.

I know the answer to the question is yes, but some days I feel like giving up. liz4jc4ever asked flutterbyefred if she was okay with us dating yet. She isn’t. I realize this entire mess is my fault, which frustrates me even more. I could have chosen to continue down the same path I was traveling, but I still feel that I would have needed a break at some point. Some people can continue through life with the first girl they date. I don’t think I’m one of them. I am frustrated because I still care about fred and want her to be happy, but I want to experience a new relationship too. Hopefully I can still enjoy the Billy Joel & Elton John concert on Thursday with liz.
It doesn’t help that work has been frustrating too. There are way too many things going on for everything to get done the way it should be. There are so many things that can be improved if we had the time to do it. I’m frustrated because I’ve become something of a paper jockey lately… writing up documentation that few people pay attention to but that should still be written … managing purchasing processes for new computers … mostly those. I feel like I need a vacation but I don’t want to spend it alone.
Part of me wants to skip the Dance Theatre banquet tomorrow night simply because I’m feeling somewhat antisocial. How crazy is that. I don’t want to go on vacation alone but I don’t feel like being around people either. My mind is so f*cked up right now. Maybe I need to just take off without telling much of anybody … but I doubt I’ll do it… it tempts me though.
On a bright note, I did get my taxes re-copied and stuffed in envelopes with necessary schedules and such to send in. I’m getting a nice amount back … probably going to put it towards my house mortgage or improvements.

My condolences to my good friend Joe (aka Mr. Dogi), who lost his father recently (Tues. night I believe).

Sometimes I feel like I should just go and disappear and fall off the face of the earth. Just leave everything and not tell anyone. ‘Cept maybe work … should probably tell them so I don’t lose my job. Not sure if I’d even tell my parents. I’m so frustrated with the mess I’ve put myself into.

I hate lazy drivers. Specifically those who are too lazy to park straight in a parking area and instead park diagonal across two spaces. ARGH! This lazy … umm … woman … parked a dodge intrepid diagonally across two stalls at the post office. That really irritates me.