New Snow in the East
I should have watched that weather yesterday. There were snow flurries in New York but I didn’t think about further north. Killington got 4 inches, Stratton 3 to 4 inches, and Stowe got 6 to 8 inches. Today would have been a good day to call in sick.
melanieandkirby.com is Online
melanieandkirby.com is online and DNS replication should be done through most if not all of the U.S.. Enjoy.
Happy Birthday
It’s been a year since I changed thecave.com to a weblog, and it’s been interesting to watch how it has evolved from what I thought would be more technical related posting to more personal postings. I guess it’s a direct reflection of what is going on in my life. My job has been anything but technical over the last six months or so, which may explain the lack of tech postings. On the other hand, the personal postings have been well received by my friends and family who check the site on a regular basis.
When I first setup this weblog last year, it was basically static HTML with some ASP. Today, it’s a full blown ASP.NET application using C# with an XML backend. It also exposes Web services such as the one for the daily snow dumps. The site has given me the opportunity to not only keep in touch with friends and family, but it has given me the opportunity to do something I rarely do at work. And that is to write code; something I really enjoy doing.
I’m curious to see what will happen over the next 12 months and how I will evolve the software for the site. For example, I have two other sites, melanieandkirby.com and wastedboarding.com, which are based on the same software. This work is giving me ideas for creating a framework for certain types of web applications. Who knows. Maybe it’s time to port geeklogs.com to ASP.NET.
Thank you to all who have visited this site over the last years. And special thanks to those continue to return on a regular basis. Your encouragement gives me motivation to do more.
She Said Yes!
I just returned from Nice with Melanie, and we have big news! We’re engaged!!! I asked her to marry me and she said yes. Well, actually she said “Of course.” But I didn’t hear it so she had to yes again. More details to come very soon.
New Website Coming Soon
I’m in the process of setting up a new wedsite for all the latest news about our wedding. We will start publishing wedding details in a few weeks. Meanwhile, you can see photos of Melanie’s ring and pictures from our engagement night in Nice in thecave’s gallery.
From the Slopes to the Sea
Melanie and I just returned from a great weekend in Killington. The snow was perfect, soft and fun. Spring time conditions. I had some of my best runs of the season over the weekend.
We’re back in NYC for only a short time. Melanie flies out to Nice today and I have decided to join her. I need to see how she works on these international flights. I can’t wait to start pushing the call button just to get her attention. We’re back in NYC on Thursday.
The possible answer to my Xbox problems.
The possible answer to my Xbox problems. I found a How-To that explains step by step how to adjust the laser with a Thompson DVD drive, which is the drive I have in my XBox. Interesting note, there are three different DVD drives that can come with an Xbox, Phillips, Thompson, and Samsung. From what I have read, Thompson is the worse drive to have and the Samsung drive is the best. If tweaking the laser does not work then I will look at replacing the DVD drive itself.
Flying Home
After 5 days in 5 cities, I am finally flying home. The week has been fun albeit tiring with days running 14 to 16 hours. Admittedly, even with the long days this was one of those weeks that left me thinking “I like my job.” Granted, I would not want to do this every week.
Speaking at the councils definitely improved my public speaking skills and gave me increased confidence along with an ego boost. If giving the opportunity, I would definitely do it again.
There were many highlights from the week. One of which was Vito’s Chop House in Orlando. The steaks were amazing and mine was perfectly cooked to my preference, which is hard given that I prefer blue or black blue as they call it at Vito’s. The Hard Rock Hotel in Orlando was also a highlight and is a very cool hotel. Sadly we did not get to stay the night though. Guess Melanie and I will have to make a weekend trip to Orlando soon. I know where we will be eating and staying. And the Renaissance Hotel in Boca was great and offered excellent wireless access to the Internet for free. However, I do not recommend the restaurant Porter’s, which is attached to the hotel.
My favorite comment from the week happened when Tom asked the group “What is a ‘dirty read’?” I whispered Hustler and Sluts with Big Thingies. When asked “And what is bad about dirty reads?” Ian whispered “Sticky pages.” LOL. Oh too funny. Guess you have to be a geek to get it.
Microsoft Architect Council 5 City Tour
I’ve said it before and I will say it again, I enjoy working with the folks from Microsoft. I am one of three speakers at the Microsoft Architect Council in the Gulf States. My talk is on Interop with Web Services, and I’m having a good time interacting with the audience.
On the Road Again
On the road again tomorrow visiting my two least favorite States, Alabama and Florida. The 5 day, 5 city tour begins in Birmingham, followed by Jacksonhell. I don’t know why this city rubs me wrong. It just does. Wednesday I will be in Fort Lauderdale, Tampa on Thursday, Orlando on Friday, returning to the city Friday night. Should be a fun week.