Double Income Resumes
Forced out of Key Technologies for refusing to work for nothing on evenings and weekends...
Robin's been on unemployment for two months. Fortunately she's now been accepted by the IT department of a major on-line musical instrument supplier! Our major wage earner has secured a position in their Business Systems Development section, working primarily on database management. (The "double" refers to the fact that I've also registered for income from early Social Security benefits to begin in September; I'm still designing web apps, too, though.)
My first pellet rifle -- at age 62!
Technically it's not a firearm...
The Spanish-made GAMO 640 Carbine is an air-rifle, not a gun. But the blunt .177 caliber pellet traveling at 640 feet per second makes a satisfying "thwack" on the tough hide of a deer's haunch at 50 yards. I wanted something to chase the destructive rodents out of my yard at 5AM without scaring our rural neighbors or having to don ear protection, and the sting of a 640 Carbine pellet under the tail sends them packing. Ballistics are easy to master after sighting in the optional 4-power scope. I can even take out a pesky robin with a headshot as he nibbles on my apples or cherries.
Finally outgrew the Corvette
Originally a get-well present for Robin after her cancer surgery, the 'Vette finally outlived it's usefulness. Her soapmaking business demands a vehicle capable of transporting her booth equipment (tent, tables, displays and product) to and from the many fairs and craft markets she attends. This '97 Cherokee is the ideal replacement.
Bought from Manna Motors, we're still happy with it after a week. We placed an ad in the Mailtribune and sold the vette to a nice black couple for $5,800 cash after only two days.
Got A Nibble!
A Ft. Worth, TX developer has downloaded OCOC and telephoned (!) for assistance...
Neat! I got a bite at SourceForge; a young developer in the Ft. Worth, Texas area called for help when the html_entity_decode.php includes gave him errors.
I sent him the file, and explained it's origins. I am torn between providing it and not... I think I will simply point to the PEAR/Compat package for those using PHP4 and below. I have already added a note to the "download" page and to the INSTALL document in the package.
Now, get this: His name is Robert Bradbury and he claims to be distantly related to the Sci-Fi writer of that name!
Heavy Road Destruction Equipment
Just when you think you've done some good...
We and our neighbors collectively spend thousands of dollars a year to "Lignite" our 2.5 miles of rural gravel road. Lignite is a preparation containing lignin, the "glue" that holds wood fibers together in trees. The water-retaining road treatment is a byproduct of wood pulp digestion for paper.
We just had it done a few weeks ago and twice now, some bozos have driven heavy tracked vehicles over the full length of the road, the treads digging into our expensive dust-prevention surface treatment.
The first occurrance was within 24 hours of the initial application, the critical period for surface conditioning. It is during this time that the treatment pulls moisture from the air and bonds with the upper inch or so of the road surface to form a hard barrier that can stand up to normal auto traffic. It drastically cuts down on the amount of airborne dust caused by personal autos and commercial log-hauling traffic that uses the road throughout the summer.
These treaded machines though, break down the crust, which then degrades under normal use.
Consequently, we've suffered reduced return on our investment, with little or no opportunity for redress.