Category: blog

You know how you make all these plans, and then that pesky Real Life gets all busy, and you have to put those plans on hold?
It’s like that.

For the first time in my life, I can relate to this story.
So it made me laugh.
Laughing is a good thing, especially after spending so much of yesterday on the verge of tears.

A man in a hot air balloon realized he was lost. He reduced altitude and spotted a woman below. He descended a bit more and shouted, “Excuse me, can you help me? I promised a friend I would meet him an hour ago, but I don’t know where I am.”
The woman below replied, “You’re in a hot air balloon hovering approximately 30 feet above the ground. You’re between 40 and 41 degrees north latitude and between 59 and 60 degrees west longitude.”
“You must be an engineer,” said the balloonist.
“I am,” replied the woman, “How did you know?”
“Well,” answered the balloonist, “everything you told me is, technically correct, but I’ve no idea what to make of your information, and the fact is I’m still lost. Frankly, you’ve not been much help at all. If anything, you’ve delayed my trip.”
The woman below responded, “You must be in Management.”
“I am,” replied the balloonist, “but how did you know?”
“Well,” said the woman, “you don’t know where you are or where you’re going. You have risen to where you are due to a large quantity of hot air. You made a promise, which you’ve no idea how to keep, and you expect people beneath you to solve your problems. The fact is you are in exactly the same position you were in before we met, but now, somehow, it’s my fault.”

TechTV is coming tomorrow to shoot some really spiffy “call for help” stuff and a segment for “show us your tech.” I’m hoping to show off how cool Mandrake is, and how easy it is to use and install…I have this XP box that has never started up, but sure has a ton of badass hardware in it, and I think we’re going to put Mandrake on it, and attach it to the network here in old casa Wheaton. It should be fun, and dispell a little FUD.
Coming in the next couple of weeks:

• Chicago
• Vega$
• Boxing Barney
• Wrapping up SpongeBob Vega$Pants
• The Trip To Alaska
• My Linux Adventure, so far.

I think I’m going to take the weekend off from updating WWDN, starting now. Have a good one, everybody.

Well, kids, I’m off for the weekend.
Maybe I’ll see some of you in Vega$?
Don’t try anything funny while I’m gone. I have an expert watching the store.

Thanks to everyone who emailed about today’s User Friendly…that’s pretty cool. A pretty spiffy way to start out September.
Jesus. September.
I can’t believe it’s already September.
September 3rd.
Kids start school in 2 days, and it feels like they just got out last week.
In 8 days, we get to experience the first anniversary.
Is that messing with anyone else? It’s really messing with me. When we remove the politicalization and the jingoism and the fear, and think about the real people whose lives are forever changed (which I guess is all of us, but clearly some more than others)…it just seems like, maybe since it’s been a year, there should be answers and resolutions…but each day seems to bring more questions and more uncertainty and grief.