Working from home today

Doing work from home. A guy from the electric co. is supposed to come by to check the heat pump so that we get the lower electric rate in the winter. It's 4:30 and he's not shown up.

I got a call from my boss and I have to make a trip to San Francisco soon .... for an orientation class.... WHAT!? So I've been at the company for 10years and spent most of last year in San Leandro. Oh well..... I like San Francisco ... now I just gotta find those unused BART tickets.

Getting over the back to work BLAH's

Getting over a Monday from a looooong weekend. Work can't compare to a weekend on the Bay even if you love your job. On the job front, JZ is working on having me exempt from front line support. YEAH! I can't tell you how fustrating front line support is. What is a nice way to tell a customer to RTFM. Also, the big guy was talking about the state of the company and we are doing good and he was talking bonus. YEAH BABY! I hope bonus is a bonus bonus not a bogus bonus.

Marilyn's car is in the shop for a recall. I was hoping the wheels didn't fall off before we got there! My car needed a software update... No, it didn't run faster...." Please pull off to the side of the road and close all windows.....( dashboard has blue screen of death ) " Just the GPS .... "WhereTheHeckAreWe" ... and the radio... and the phone....."..Can you hear me now!!!!!" Soooo.. we'll see how the update works out.

Back Home Again.....

Back home and very tired. Dropped on the bed and fell asleep as soon as I got home. I guess that is the sign of a very fun vacation weekend. We drained the batteries and the engine would not start but the spare battery was topped off and ready to go. The sail home from Thilman Creek was nice but no wind. One of the things we saw was rays in the water in the bay off St Micheal's. We got through Kent Narrows draw bridge quickly as it opened as soon as we arrived.

I'll get some pictures ready this week and post them on the blog.

Near st michaels

We are in a creek near st michaels. We crossed the bay with 20 knot winds. Lots of fun moving smartly. The creek has good swimming, lots of bird watching, and a nice breeze. Fireworks going off in the distance. Heading to rock hall via kent narrows in the morning.

This message expertly written with all thumbs on my mobile device.
--Rico Paolino

In galeville

Hi
We made it to pirates cove. No internet access. Having much fun. Sailing great, strong winds but not too bad. All crew tired and ready for sleep.

This message expertly written with all thumbs on my mobile device.
--Rico Paolino

At the boat

We got off work and ran down to the shore to the boat but first we has to get provisions. We stopped at the Acme and fill the locker to the brim. Sandwiches, drinks, dinners, snacks all done. Have to get gas for the generator and batteries for the backup GPS yet. I hear a little fresh water leak.... just another thing!

--Rico

Late Addition

Got a new piece of equipment that should make navigation easier. It will tie the GPS to the autopilot and other instruments on the boat. It SHOULD take 5 minutes to install... We'll see tomorrow morning.

 

--Rico

One more day for prep.....

One more day to prepare for the big trip.

Marilyn is so excited and is asking and reasking about details of the trip. Here's how it will break down.

• Weds Evening - Marilyn and I will arrive and open the boat
• Thurs Morning - I'll prep the boat ( check the oil etc ) and have some coffee and relax
• Thurs Late Morning - Marj and Roy will arrive and we'll load up and leave
• Thurs Night - Anchor at Gibson Island - across from the horse farm
• Friday - Lift anchor. Do the three light house cruise.
• Friday night - In a slip at Pirates Cove Galesville, Md
• Sat - Across the Bay to TIlghman Creek.
• Sunday - Sail Crab alley and thru the Kent Narrows.
• Sunday afternoon - Dock at home slip. unload the boat and head home.

I'll have some internet connectivity so look here and check the map for weekend updates......


--Rico

Getting ready for the Big 4th Cruise

We are down at the boat this weekend. The fridge is now fixed and is a load off my mind. We spent the day getting Imagination ready for the big Fourth of July adventure with Marj and Roy. We filled water and fuel and offloaded the holding tank. We then bought a bunch of drinks and snacks and put that all away for the trip. It will be nice and cold in the fridge for the weekend.

 

Tomorrrow a nice walk around Rock Hall in the morning. 

 

 

--Rico

Happy Anniversary

Seven years ago Marilyn and I got married.... sort of....let's not get into those details!

Here's to Marilyn a great woman who puts up with all my shenanigan's with out so much as a complaint!

It's been the best years and I think a few more years are in order!

Outlook .... foggy

Not foggy weather wise. Yesterday and today I've had an allergy attack or a cold or something. I'm thinking it's a cold with body aches and all. My brain feels foggy like it need fresh air. So it's good that we did not venture to Rock Hall this weekend.

Happy Birthday to Me!

Well it's that time again. We were going to go to Rock Hall and sail for the weekend ( and extra day ) but the weather is not cooperating with us. Rain and storms and small craft advisories are the story of the weekend. So we are going to be home this weekend maybe taking in some movies or something.

Happy Bloomsday

Happy Bloomsday everyone! This is a reminder to take the long way to the post office and at lunch today have gorgonzola cheese sandwich and a glass of red wine. Enjoy readings of Ulysses today and go down to the Rosenbach Musem and Libary in Philadelphia where they have the manuscript of the James Joyce classic.

Gibson Island

We got a late start on Saturday Morning, by the time we were ready to go it was 11 am and the sky were already gathering. We provisioned the boat and left the slip. Much to my chagrin the fridge was still broken. We sailed out to the middle of the bay and the winds let us down. We motored for a while. We watched the Liberty Ship SS Brown did a living history cruise. They had WWII fighters doing fly overs and a Martin B-26 Marauder doing really low passes at the ship.

We dropped anchor just as the some rains came down. It did not last. I jumped into the water and checked bottom of the boat. It was coated with barnacles and slime. At dinner we revved up the new generator and popped some dinner in the microwave. Which was really slick trick at anchor.

Sunday morning had Marilyn at the helm. She motored us out of the creek, and when we were passed the shipping lanes we lofted the sails and she was at the controls while the wind kept up.

Unfortunately the winds died down and turned and we were back on the motor.

Back at the slip I had to make arrangements to get the bottom washed and the fridge fixed.

Hysteria

Marilyn and I had dinner at the Sansom Kababob house last night. Afgan food and chai tea for a closer. Their hummus is the best, nice texture and nicely presented.

We went to the Wilma to see Hysteria. A play about Sigmund Freud and Salvador Dali. It was preachy in parts and a scream in other places. The guy who play Dali was great when he starts referring to himself in the third person.

All in a all a great date night.

Smooth flight part deux....

With heavy weather at both airports Marilyn made it home safely. Her luggage actually made it home too.... this time!!!

Smooth flight.....

Since Marilyn was in Fulton I spent the weekend flying the model planes and helis up at the Bucks County RC field in Plumbstead. I did well beyond my expectations. I Did not crash .... much. More importantly when I did crash I did no damage.

50 Years!

Marilyn made it out to Fulton this weekend to see Mom and Dad.

Mom and Dad have been married for 50 years! Congratulations! Wow, it leaves me speachless!

Boat A/C fixed!

Mystery solved why the A/C would not turn on..... I forgot to hit the "ON" button on the thermosthat.   What a DOPE!

 

It's running no problems now.   Oh, and the fridge is now fixed too. At least that was really broke.

 

Now we have a solar fridge. The more sunny it is the better it works!

--Rico

A/C guy

Got ahold of the A/C guy and told him about our broken boat A/C system. He said " Broken A/C too, gee you're hard on your toys!!!!" Yeah.... I try not to sink the boat while I'm waiting for you..... smart a$$.......

Holy Smokes!!

Just got the water bill. It's twice the usual rate! I started looking for the culprits. Found two leaky toilets. Gave them both a tune up last night. And I have some new hose sections for our leaky garden hose.

Maybe I need to start using the bathroom at work and taking showers at the "Y"!!!

Back Home...

Back at work.... It's lunch time and I still can't wake up! The trip to the boat this weekend was great. Except now both the fridge and the air conditioner is not working. The air conditioner expert will not call back....He maybe on vacation. Hopefuly it can all be fixed by next month when we'll really need it!

On the boat

After a slow start we took the boat out for a day sail. Anchored in swan creek. Had dinner saw a beautiful sunset and we are just relaxing for the night.

This message expertly written with all thumbs on my mobile device.
--Rico Paolino

Hey Allergies are here again....

I was working from home today. It was real nice had windows open and a fan going to get a very cool soft breeze while I was banging on the keyboard. Then I started... the wheeze......Wheeeeeeeze.......Wheeeeeze.... Oh well things have been going so good.   Claritin and rest....

 

--Rico

Let's Pretend

Last night went out with Marilyn and Meg to see the play Let's Pretend We're Married. We went out to the Nodding Head for dinner and then to the Prince theater Black Box to see Let's Pretend. It's put on by the 1812 productions. A comical look at marriage on the stage and beyond. Jennifer Childs and Tony Braithwaite are just a howl especially when they are belting out 70's love lounge standards. The spoof on the Newlywed Game was great. I'm so glad we were not picked! It's a good show.... go see it.

Working from home today.

Needed to get some work done today without interruption. So I'm working from home. Making good progress and I'll be done early. Maybe I'll go get a haircut.

Well the boat is now ready!

The boat is now ready for the 2009 season. All mantainence and setup issues are now done. Except for the fridge. The fridge quit and I have someone going to take a look at it. That won't stop us from going across the bay next weekend. If the weather holds up we'll get off the dock and head to the Magothy River.

Happy Birthday Mary Beth!

At the blog we are shouting out a big happy birthday to Marilyn's Mom!

Hope the grandkids are there to help you blow out the candles!

Happy Memorial Day

Were down at the boat. Finally got the solar charging system installed. Changed the fuel filters. Oil change will have to wait untill tomorrow. Next weekend we'll be ready to head out on a cruise. Saw Howie and Bill and Pat Rock in Rock Hall this morning. But they took off before we could invite them to the boat after they finished their ride. Oh well.

Almost the Holiday

It's Friday before the holiday.

There is a 25% chance you coworker has blown off the day.

There is a 25% chance that you will blow off the rest of the day before 2pm.

There is a 75% chance that your boss or a customer will come looking for you and not your coworker after 2pm

This is the Great Recession the biggest downturn since 1929 and screwing up will blow your whole career clean off!

You got to ask yourself .... Do I feel Lucky!

Well.... Do you feel lucky Punk!

Made it to work OK today

Glasses on, shirt right side out, no shaving cream in the ear, pants on, shoes on the right feet.

Morning are hell.... especially before coffee!

Get the white cane!

Forgot my glasses today on the car seat. I was wearing my sunglasses and thought I had my glasses in the case. But they are spending the day on the car seat. Luckily my sunglasses are two piece Rx inserts and sunglass overlays. It works but it's dorky.

Snuck out early today

And went up to the flying field. Joe Baker was mowing it much to my chagrin. The wind was blowing and I put the little Piper SuperCub model in the air. It flew nicely and handled the wind pretty good. The wind was too much for it. I got at lest one good landing on the field. One I plunked down in a hay field. The TREX Helicopter flew well. I just did one flight of it. Then the sneezing took over. I'm still sneezing tonight. To the showers to wash off the pollen!

Flying this afternoon

Going up the the Buck County Radio Control field in Plumstead this afternoon to do some flying. I think that the wind is low enough to fly the small plane I have and one of the helicopters. I'm wondering if I should bring up a bushel basket for all the pieces!!

Boat in the water

Yes, the boat is in the water. The rain has not helped fitting out Imagination for the summer. It's either been raining or threating to rain for the last three weeks. The sail are up, not the canvas and the solar panel project is not completed. A final push this Memorial day weekend will get it done! Hopefully we'll be updating the blog from the boat this weekend.

Time to shake off the dust.

Hey I woke up and it's 2009!!! Well No. I was just feeling like shaking the dust off the blog. I made some changes. I added a place where you can post that you are following the blog ( How very Twitterish of me ) a quick comment where you can mark the post as interesting or funny or completly irrelavant and a newer Where's Rico section. So I hope you enjoy keeping up with what is going on.

Coffee anyone?

I was in a Starbucks this morning and I overheard something that made me chuckle. ".... we'll have a fresh batch of Christmas up in a minute!"

Hmmmm...

I hope you all are enjoying a big ole batch of Christmas!

Schmucks!

Marilyn and I braved the deluge in Philadelphia this week an went to the Wilma Theater to see Schmucks. It was a play of Groucho Marx meets Lenny Bruce in a diner in Manhattan. It has some good laughs and on liners but most of all it was a mess. I could care less about the Lenny Bruce character and all of his problems. The play ended and I'm not sure what the heck it was trying to tell me. I enjoyed it as an evening out but the play is not going win any awards.

Long awaited pictures.....

Here are the pictures form the summer and the all important Thanksgiving pictures. Click on this link.

Made it......

Finally made it home in the Thanksgiving crush. After a three hour delay in Saint Louis we made it into the air. Philly however had other ideas. There was heavy weather around and we were really getting bumped around in the air. I mean so much so that the stewardess were strapped in. When we popped out of the cloud on approach to the runway. Well there was a plane on the runway!!!!! The pilot took off a again and diverted to Long Island. After refueling and taking off again we bumped along back to Philly where at 2 in the morning there was no one on the runway thankfully. By 3:30 we make to our door.

Happy Thanksgiving

Marilyn and I are at Stacey and Jay's home for Thanksgiving. We've been doing a bunch of rushing around and visting. Mostly playing with the nephews and niece. Thanksgiving dinner is done and everyone is watching movies on the DVD player. I've been typing away on my computer on a work problem and getting the weather station on weather underground site. Marilyn has been a good aunt and wrapping presents. Just another enjoyable Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving travels...

On Saturday I jumped on an airplane going east and Marilyn jump on one going west and braved the thanksgiving travel rush weekend 1 to make it to Mid Missouri. SouthWest is a great airline to travel on provided you check in early enough to get a good seat. I was reading a Clive Cussler book " The Chase ". It's about a turn of century detective and his exploits in 1906 San Francisco to catch a notorious bank robber. I actually left the book on the plane on the way out while I was in the middle of it and I had to buy the book again in order to finish it on this leg of the trip.

Rockstar?

One more night of team building. The interface team went to Juile's home ( our group lead ) and played another round of rock band. Bon Jovi and the Talking Heads songs were massacred for the evening. It was fun to let out you inner rock star. The class I went to take was going well. I was there with a bunch of fellows from the Philly office. On Thursday we wanted to go out for dinner. These guys were not what you call dainty eaters. They were looking for a steak house, not little plates. We had dinner at a Brazilian steak house. The kind where they walk around with grilled meat on a sword and cut it off for you at your table. It fit this group well.

Team building

This week my teammates fro around the country have converged on San Leandro. We had meeting on weathering the current economic storm. Our leaders telling us what they want to do and asking for our input on what we can do. After many power point slides it was time for teambuilding. The team, about 20 people headed to le mans karting. It was90 minutes of fuel driven, tire screeching, yelling and screaming way to blow off some steam. We then went to Alex's ( our boss ) house for a bbq dinner. It was a great time then they broke out the rockband video game. Now the bad singing came out! We all took turns singing and playing instruments and generally looking silly in front of one another. A really good time and great team building exercise.

Back in San Francisco

On the left coast again. . I was strapped into a middle seat all the way here! At least I had a direct flight.

One more class and lots of meetings this week. Just have to get through it and then its off to Thanksgiving! Tired, Jet lagged, Need sleep.......

Paging Al Gore... Paging Al Gore....

Wow, got our first power bill for the winter after putting in the new insulation, heatpump and heater. Al l I can say is Wow! Here it is by the numbers.....

Average temp this year is 13% colder than last year.

Used 8% less electric than last year.

And the big one.... Used 30% less gas than last year!

Wow I'm using the same temp profile on the thermosthat and all else is the same. So we are keeping warm, saving money and keeping the planet green!

Thanks for the thumbs up Al!!!!!!

Weekend Wrapup

Another busy weekend. At least not a travel weekend. Started by tweaking the weather station. I put up the rain bucket on the shed roof and the sensor plug had come out. Had to go up on the shed roof to plug it back in. Cleaned up the basement and darkroom. Before the install of the new heater and A/C unit all the basement STUFF had to be moves somewhere. No it all had to be moved back. The up side is my workshop is now working again and I was working on my crashed radio controled helicopter. Mike had a beer party on Saturday night. About 50 people crammed into his house to feast on wings,cheese, little wieners, and taste beer. The hit, kiltlifter, both in name and taste. The cantaloupe sorbet was super too. Sunday, I hit the gym for the first time in a while. I bought a Garmin heart rate monitor which is a super little gadget to monitor and log your workouts. After the gym I was gripped by an incredible urge to nap. One of those naps that you are telling yourself to get up and your body is not listening. When I finally got up we went to see Madagascar, it's a kids cartoon but I think the penguins are hilarious.

On tap for this week. Dental appointment, I chipped my front tooth and it's cutting my tongue. I need to get it fixed in such a way that I don't look like Sponge Bob Square Pants!

Where were you when.......

Where were you when JFK was shot?

Where were you when they landed on the moon?

Where were you when Obama was announced president elect?


There was a small earthquake centered in polling places all over the United States that was felt all over the world. I don't know how to characterize it. A giant leap in race relations. A breakthrough in leadership. An inspiration. A movement. All I can say that I'm glad I was here to experience this national moment. But I think this moment is not just ours but a world wide moment. A moment where we show the world that anything is possible in this country. That the United States stands for fairness and decency.

So where were you?

Yes We Can.......

Best Political Picture of the Day

I think Biden's tights are a little too tight!

Hey What Are You Doing Here???

GO VOTE!!!!

Home again

Home again. Big bout of jet lag and time change. It's Monday night and I'm still not quite right. The contractor finaly finished the siding outside this weekend. I'm not looking forward to any more home improvement for a while. I put up the new weather station. The thermometer is on the blog. Also, I put up some blinds in Marilyn's sewing room. I finished reading a Clive Cussler book on the plane and I finished that James Bond book " Devil May Care" too. I had a chapter to read and I could not find the time to read it. Just think two more weeks and an other big road trip. San Francisco, Saint Louis, Philadelphia triangle.

Working like a Dog!

Cramming more stuff into my brain today with this course. More that I ever wanted to know about tech support and call centers. I feel I'm going to start to get comfortable with this and then go back to my real job. In six months I'll do it again and I'll have forgotten everything ( or they will change procedures! )

Cramming all information

The visit here is going ok. The course is taught by one of the tech support staff. This course is more of a cram course it was not well designed as the last course that I took. I'm holding my own except that I'm next on the list for support and I'm getting support items coming down the pipe. This is because the other guy is in Europe and can't get to the phone. It would be ok but I need to research the problems but I have no time as I'm in this class...... It's Ok I have a handle on most of it.

Going to rush back to the hotel tonight to watch the Phillies tonight. Watched the game the other night saw the Phils go up 2 but the fell asleep for the rest of the game....Jet lag again!

Major weekend wrapup....

Sorry for no updates. It's been a crazy weekend. Marilyn, Meg and I went out to the 1812 production. " This is the Week That Is" the election special. With this election it just gave them a target rich environment. No politicians were save from the barbs and jabs that were lobed at them. The 2008 Presidential Election Beauty Pagent was a scream.

On Saturday we meet Marj and Roy down at the boat. They were helping us put the boat to bed for the winter. Saturday the wind was screaming at 40 knots and the rain was going sideways. We got all of the inside work for the winter done. It calmed down enough for us to go to the Harbor Shack and have the last crab cakes of the season. Sunday it was beautiful! 60 degrees sunny and no wind. We dropped the sails and the rest of the canvas. I finished the temporary structure for the solar panel. The we packed up and went home.

At home we unpacked the car and then I packed my bags again for San Leandro. I have a week long course here for tech support. It's a little cool here in San Francisco and I did not bring a jacket.

Getting the boat ready for winter

Marilyn picked me up at the airport and we drove down to the boat. I packed my bag last weekend which was 80 degrees. It was high in the 50's this weekend. I wish I packed some long pants! The heater on the boat worked well. It was low in the 40's last night and our dock neighbors were wrapped up in their sleeping bags. We just cranked up the heat pump to 70 and were perfectly snug. Scott finished the new companion way doors. They look fantastic. I'll try and put up a picture before we put the boat away for the winter. The really did their job as we did not have to wrestle with the boards getting in and out and it kept the heat in. In the summer it will keep the cool of the A/C in just as well. We took off the the main sail and folded it up and bagged it and then the wind wipped up and we could not take down the jib. Next weekend for sure and we have to winterize all the water systems on the boat. After Nov 1 Imagination is hauled out of the water and put on land. The old boat was huge when it was out of the water and you were looking up at it, this one is even bigger. Next May we'll be right back in the water and having fun again.

Two Buck Chuck

Good day out here. I don't know what it was all the talk about "Joe the Plumber" or the Phillies winning the NLCS or bad feng shui of my room I could not sleep Wednesday night and I opened up my computer and started programming. I fixed a problem that was vexing a Japaneese customer. This is a big load off my mind as this is one of the two big problems that need solving before the end of the year. The class is going well except that I need to to have a Red Bull to stay awake mid morning.

After the class I confirmed my bug kill with the internationalization specialist here. I was wondering about stenciling a bug on my laptop like when pilots make a confirmed kill. How many do I need to become and ace?

I had dinner a Julie and Jay's last night. Julie is my group leader. We got salmon and salad for dinner and met up with Jay at their home . Jay was in full kitchen mode when we got there. A glass of wine was placed in my hands and the salmon was seasond and places on the grill. The first bottle ran out during dinner and the Two Buck Chuck was opened. It was a great wine especially for dinner. Dinner, conversation and wine flowed then all to soon it was time for a ride back to the hotel.

Today finishing up the class and another round with the internatialization specialist and tonight I'll be staring another red eye in the face. ( <-- Not a pretty picture! )

Stuff, Stuff and more Stuff.......

The class is going well. Not much that I did not know already. But my product support commitment is firming up. I have to take a product support class in October. ( Yup gone another week in October ) and I have 5 weeks of telephone product support between now and the end of January. The good thing is that 5 weeks are in Philly.

I'll be gone three weeks this October when I get back home no one is going to know who I am anymore.

I'm trying to get my commitments done before ski season so that this support stuff doesn't get in the way.

With all this training and support ( the training is mostly for the support! ) I only have about 3 weeks to do two software releases! YIKES! One is a slam dunk which I have completed the changes in Sweden and only have to do the paperwork. The other I have not even started! I'm going to be one tired puppy between now and the end of the year.

Jet lag

My body is beat! It doesen't know when to sleep and when do be awake! So I'm doing a little programming at 4 in the morning... or is that 7 ... or 1.... Nevermind!

I'm down at the Marina in San Leandro right on the San Francisco bay. There is a marina down here lots of motor boats a few sail boats no one was near any of them. It's a nice place but I prefer being downtown. This place is not so friendly as a pedistrian. Downtown I can come and go as I please with the BART, and even in the financial district there are more choices of places to go.

Another Monday another flight....

I'm sitting at the airport ready to get on another flight to San Francisco. I have a meeting today and a class to attend this week.

Went to Ikea....

Went to Ikea the Swedish furniture store this afternoon to get some lingonberry jam and some crispbread. I figured that bringing a jar of jam in my luggage was a risky adventure for sure. We bought a quilt cover and other odds and ends. We lunched at the resturant and Anders was right the resturant at Ikea is quite good!

Universal Beer Server

Since Soft Beer Inc. has introduced the Universal Beer Server the response has been tremendous! I have been deluged with questions like "What do I need to run the Universal Beer Server?".

First if you are a Micro Brewery just go to the Soft Beer site and tap into the "Universal Beer Server" and you may need the "Universal Beer Server API Interface" it will adapt to any standard barrel or keg.

If you are a home brewer get the "Universal Beer Server Home Edition" and this will work for you. ( a 2Gb brewpot required )

We here Soft Beer Inc, the leading providers of network available beer, are proud to announce that Anheuser-Busch has just signed an agreement to purchase the "Universal Beer Server Enterprise Edition".


At home you need the "Universal Beer Client 2.0" ( version 2.0 has more thruput! ) any available USB beer tap, and a 15 liter per hour Internet connection.

And we for a more productive work environment urge you to try "Universal Beer Office 2008" We do not recommend installing on Vista as many hiccups have been reported. Liberal licencing for workplaces of 100 stations or more.

Soft Beer will soon be leading the market in wireless beer delivery with "Pocket Beer" available Spring 2009.

Class Action Settlement

When I got home I found in my mail the Class Action Settlement of Mike Seidman and Gail Howard v IBM ( International Beer Monopoly). I read the settlement and wanted to retain my rights under this lawsuit and remain a member of this class. ( Translation: We got the invitation to the beer tasting party and we are going to come! )


But I wanted to present some more evidence in this case:


With the recent increases in bandwidth on the Internet and advent of the high speed DMcodec ( digital to malt encoder/decoder) I would like to unveil the creative data solution for people that have an under capacity in the fridge. It is the Universal Beer Server!

Universal Beer Server can be setup and scheduled in minutes

Universal Beer Server emails simple instructions and result logs to you or your secretary

Universal Beer Server is a solution without spending big on expensive software

Now available for the Mac OS X Leopard!

Runs all standard packages!

Leaving Sweden

Well I'm at the airport in Stockholm and am getting ready to get on the plane to Newark. I'm a little sad about leaving as all the people I have met here in Sweden have shown me great hospitality and have gone far out of their way to make me feel welcome. We did a lot of great work here and we worked well as a team. Both companies should be very happy with the results of our labor.

I've watched the debates here and I'm starting to get a little tired of the election. I think for what I've seem choosing the Swedish Chef for president may be the best choice we can make!

Hejdå Sweden!

Dinner at REX

Anders, Jonas, Mathias and I went out to dinner at one of Umea's better resturants, REX. It was a really nice place they had to give me a english menu. The food is fine local Swedish cusine.

I had a three course plate , Löjrom från Kalix , Reninnanlår, and Vaniljglass.

The first I item was whitefish roe , second filet of reindeer and last vanilla ice cream with local cloudberries.

More Umetrics people

Here is Jonas during a break in the music.


Mathias relaxing with some local refreshment. ( Note DUI laws a strick here, one beer can put you over the limit, Mathias was riding a bicycle home. )

More pictures .... Eyes closed edition

Here is pictures of Me and Anders......

Swinging in Umea

Jonas, one of the guys in the Umetrics office plays sax in a big band and they had a gig tonight. They were playing for a dinner of doctors of optometery. After they dinner they had an open dance. About 50 people crammed into this house on the university and got down! They played Stevie Wonder, swing favorites, some disco and, yes an ABBA set.

Working in Sweden

Today was my first day at work. I met Anders who is my host here at Umetrics. We sat down over some good strong coffee and started talking and did not stop until late last night. We are getting along great here. A few things about the workplace here. People come in and take off their shoes and wear sandles ( glad I brought my slippers! ). One woman brings her little dog to work. He snuggles under her desk while she is typing. Everyone comes down at mid morning for coffee and mid morning snacks. The workplace is professional, quiet and focused. The office furnishing looks a bit like Ikea. I wonder why??? I can officaly say the the Swedes do eat meatballs for lunch, they are delicious. The meatballs not the Swedes.....

The Streets Roll up.....

The rain slowed enough to drop of the computer and walk around. Looks like everything closed up around 4pm on a Sunday. All of the stores are closed and with the rain the place is deserted.

Back to the hotel.....

When it Rains go to Wayne's!

Still here at Wayne's coffee. The place is still packed and no one has even given me a dirty look about taking up space here surfing the web. I'm just waiting for the line to subside to see if I can get somethnig to drink. It's still coming down outside and people are just looking for a dry spot for a warm drink.

Live blogging from Wayne's Coffee in Umea

Welcome to Wayne's Coffee in Umea. Wayne's coffee is the Swedish equivalant to Starbucks. I'm here because it raining outside. I'm here and the rest of Umea seems to be here too. It's a great place to people watch and the coffee is good. The place is packed and there is a good mix of people young, old, friends and family with kids ( one of which is crying .... for a cookie I'm guessing! ) I got a large Caffe Latte and a piece of choclate cake with what looks like home made whipped cream. They have free internet here, which is the homerun system. You get a card wich is good for about 30 minutes but my 7 day card is working fine. You can get Smorgas here. Which are sandwiches, not all you can eat. Smargasboard is a sandwich table. Ordering a sandwich is a little different. They seem to like their sides on the sandwich. Like roast beef and potato salad. Kind of like in Philly knowing what a cheesesteak wit' is going to get you.

Tips on travel in Sweden

Telephone.

Get an unlocked cell phone or ask you cell provider to unlock yours before you leave. Get a SIM card. It cost about 200kr ( ~$28) and I think you get 100 minutes to the US. Cheap tip incomming calls are FREE! have your friends call you. PS if you want my local Swedish number e-mail me and I'll give it to you. There are not too many people here for me to talk to.

Internet.
Get the Homerun package from Telia. You open up the WiFi page and get the 7 day package. about 199kr ($28). It's a little tricky as the page is in Swedish. Also save the user name and password they give you. They do not mail it to you and if you lose it you buy another. ( voice of experience! )


Water.
In this country the water is safe to drink. They give out a national prize on helping water quality in the third world. Bottled water is hard to find. ( plain water lots of the fizzy bubbly kind )


Coffee. ( kaffe )
Like San Fransisco and Seattle there are coffee shops everywhere. No Starbucks. Coffee shops you can get coffee, dessert, sandwich or light dinner. The Swedes are coffee crazy.


Money.
ATM's work fine. Change cash at Stockholm on the way. Good rates there. Exchange there instead of Newark. Call your credit card company and all will work fine here. On think when using a credit card here they have a pin let them know you are using a card from the US show them ID with a birthdate and they will hit the No PIN option for you.

Shoes
Take slippers with you. You take your shoes off when you come inside. A lot of sidewalks outside are packed gravel and grit. And it seems pretty wet here. So your shoes will be gritty. The indoor floors are wood. The grit scratches the floors. Slippers are floor friendly and comfy.


Language
Generally everyone speaks English to some degree. I seem to have no trouble communicating with people here. Couple of words here.

Hej ( Hey ) -- Hello , Hi

Tack or Tack Tack --- either Please or Thank you.

Pictures from Umea

Here are some pictures from Umea on a quiet Sunday Morning.

Greetings from Umea Sweden.....

First of all I have been saying the name of the town wrong. It's not U-MAY-A it U-MER. Which points of I can't pronounce anything in Swedish. I feel completely illiterate. The town is about 100,000 people. It's a it in a rural area here. It cool here not cold about 48 during the day 35 at night. I'm in the town center there is a shopping street here which is the major attraction. I e-mailed the guy I'm meeting here and asked what was there to see and he basicly said that he did not know. Which was the same answer that I got from two other guys who live here when I talked to them on the plane. Seems like this place is just a regular town. But I disagree. The town seems lively there is a river front. I'm going to see the Umea tourist information tomorrow and see what they have to say. I have my camera and I'll have some pictures on the web site.

My time sense is all screwed up it's about 1:30 and I'm going to try to get some sleep.... I hope.

To Sweden

Flying in the US lately has been a drag. Security, no food, crowded carryon a real pain. I flew out of Newark NJ and I check in to SAS, no baggage fee so consequently there was no rush to pile on the carryon in the passenger comparment. Most of the carryon space was empty. I had a middle seat, in the middle asile of the wide body. There was no one to the left or right of me so I had all the elbow room I needed. The seats had a entertainment center showed a choice of movies on demand or a camera from the front of the airliner or a moving map showing current position, speed and altitude. They served a warm meal with fresh bread, and a complementry cocktail. Two hours to Stockholm they also served breakfast. Rolls, youghrt, OJ you get the picture. Did I mention this is ecomony class! International arrivals at Stockholm was confusing but the aiport was under construction. You show your passport, get your bags and go thru customs. I was mostly waved thru. You go thru security again when you go into the domestic terminal. I woman at the check point patted me down. Boy did I get a Swedish massage. I then got on a flight to Umea the flight was less than half full. Remember that? I took a taxi to the hotel in Umea. I walked and looked around and tell you more and may post pictures tomorrow.

Got a Cold......

Sneezy, sniffly, drippy, yucky, no not the seven dwarfs. I pickup a bug somewhere in my travels. Hoping to get rid of it by Friday when I head to Sweden. Been going to the office in Center City. My badge dosen't work in Yardley. Seems like they got a bad batch of badges. Being in Center City is great I got to see some of my friends in the office and on the train.

I've given a lot of advice about going to Sweden. Bring indoor shoes, the people are fair, knowlegeable, not aggressive, and like their coffee. And I should stay away from the blond women.

Rock Hall Fall Fest

Heading down to Rock Hall today to the fall fest. Busy weekend in little Rock Hall the Fall Fest is on and the Spring Cove Marina Picnic is taking place. The Fall Fest is more fun in two city blocks than I have ever seen. Musicians, art, the lint lady, just a lot of fun stuff. I think that Madaline drafted me to grill burgers for the picnic.

Marj and Roy are coming down for the fun. Roy may help me set up the solar panel charging system while we are down there.

Assignment Cambridge Complete!

The test that we ran last night was a success! Customers computer application running well and he is happy. So my first solo customer service call was a great success. Tried to come home early but all trains were sold out. Have to wait for the 3:15 Acela.

In Cambridge Ma

Welcome from Cambridge! I took the Acela to Boston. The train ride was great Hi Speed rail is sooooo much more civilized than air travel. I'm visiting the a biotech company in the area. I can see both Amgen are Biogen from my hotel room. My visit was a success! The software works great and I jusy have to see how it's running in the morning. MIT and Harvard are around the corner. ( Do I seem any smarter???? Yes, I thoought not too! ) I hope to go to Legal Seafood for dinner tonight to celebrate.

And the Number Is........

The PowerBall is up to 170 million. I gotta put a couple of bucks down on this. Think of the millions that I could have. I could pay for the roof that needs replacing. The taxes will go a long way to pay for that Wall Street Financial bail out too!

Roof Leak Part Deux!

The siding guy is still working on the house. It's looking real good. Bad news the roof is rotten in places on the back addition. Looks like the roof has to come off and a new one put on. It will be for the good though. He will be able to reinsulate or better the roof of the back addition so it will be warmer this year.

Home again....again...

What a week Austin, Tx and San Francisco. Hopped on the red eye again and rode a middle seat home. Spending today trying to ride out the jet lag. Next week I just have to run to Boston for a few days. But mostly I'm home!

Final thoughts on Austin

We stopped for lunch at Rudy's. A Bar B Que place that is a gas station, store.... and smoked brisket by the pound. BBQ brisket, sauce, white bread...... no more need be said.

Wish I has some time to hear some music. It looks like a really missed some good stuff there.

www.bicyclefilmfestival.com was one of the two film fests running at the same time.

Is Austin Weird?

I'm not sure.... spent a lot of time lost..... got a broken GPS from the rental car company. I'm here on business. Went downtown last night to a place called the Ginger Man. Many beers on tap from all over the world. Downtown was hopping for a Tuesday night, looked like a bunch of bands playing in various places. Did not go and investigate. We went to a Italian place for dinner. ( not my choice! I'd be going to a place for some que! ) Talked much business. Found that the New Zealand team used PI in thier boat to win the America's Cup. Rino said that he would get me a cap with Team New Zealand and PI.

Home again....

We're home again.... The house is still getting siding. Seems the contrators have had some weather delays. Have to get ready for my trip to Austin, Tx tomorrow morning.... flight out at 6:45 am eeek! Just time enough to unpack and repack.

Back in Rock Hall

Yesterday morning we took off early around 7 form Tilghman. The forcast was for rain and there was a small craft advisory out. The winds were going about 15 to 20 knots form the south and the current was behind us. This made the boat a little hard to control as were surfing on the wave tops. We made it to the Kent Narrows bridge. I asked the bridge keeper if he was going to open the bridge ar 9:30. His response was " ....should I?" Yes please. Sheesh I didn't know the bridges had trolls? Once past the bridge we could see rain cells passing to the north. The last part was an easy run to Rock Hall from the Chester River. We did not get caught in the rain untill we tied up at our slip. The it started sprinkling. We had dinner at a local pizza joint. After our dock neighbors Al and Ann were there and we invited them over and the had a few people and in a while we had a full boat of people munching and drinking. Ann and I went out for a folding chair. I heard a cry for help and heard splashing. I ran over to the other dock to find John was on the ladder in the water fishing their dog out. It seemed the dog could not see well and walked off the dock. He got the dog out and I helped him up off the ladder. I made it back to the party which lasted to midnight.

Tilghman creek

We left the solomons around 7 am. Wind was 18 knots from the east and 3 foot chop. Around noon it calmed down enough for us to put up sails and sail for a couple hours. Made it the 40 or so miles in 8 and half hours. It was real relaxing. Had dinner at anchor in Tilghman creek. Wind picking up tonight. Should be nice sleeping weather.

Last day in the Solomons

We took our option this morning to stay one more day. The winds were blowing pretty hard in the morning and there was a 4 to 5 foot chop on the water. Tomorrow would be favorable winds and calm seas. We did some shopping at the local West Marine and we got some foul weather gear and updated cruising guide. We topped off the fuel tank and emptied the holding. After watching the blue crabs walk on the pilings we took a walk down town again. We had lunch at a shop and had the best key lime pie. ( see note A ). We saw schools of fish in the water here, up in Rock Hall the water is more turbid and you can't see much of anything. We made it back and jumped into the pool which was chilly. The we had dinner and preped for an early start in the morning. Tomorrow we are shooting to get to Tilghman Creek 40 miles and 7 hours.






(note A ...... Mom for the record YOU make the best key lime pie...... this is best key lime in a place other than home!!!! )

Solomons on Tuesday

We toured Solomons Island today. We enjoyed Calvert Marine Museum where we learned about marine fossils, Drum Point Lighthouse and hermit crabs among other things. On our way to the Solomons we passed beautiful cliffs, which we learned have 24 layers - each taking 1 million years to make - and they contain all sorts of fossils. People continue to hunt fossils there.

Surprisingly among the old oyster boats and oyster house exhibit was an otter exhibit. We stopped by but the otters were taking a nap in the shade instead of frolicking in the water. The lighthouse, built in 1883, was another screwpile lighthouse like the Thomas Point lighthouse we sailed by on Day one. Anyway, as soon as we were at the to of this lighthouse, the guide said we needed to come down because of the storms.

We will be staying here another day because of ugly weather and wind.

Solomons,MD

SECURITE, SECURITE, STAY AWAY FROM THE PLATFORM! THERE IS A 500 YARD SECUITY ZONE AROUND THE PLATFORM! Boomed the voice of the great and powerful Oz. On our way down here we passed a gas tanker offloading platform. The VHF cracked with the warning every hour. We stayed far away. Calm day but no wind. We motored all day. Arrived in 6 and half hours. Saw freighters and barges. The Cove point light house is remarkable. We are at the Solomons in Spring Cove Marina. Not at all like our Spring Cove but livable. They have underwater music in the pool. We are here at least for two days. Weather tomorrow is for rain and a cold front is coming thru.

Thomas Point Lighthouse

Here is Thomas Point Light as we passed it this afternoon. It is about 1 mile offshore proctecting ships from running aground on the Thomas Point shoal. This is what they call a screw pile lighthouse. The pilings that are the foundation are screwed into the bay's bottom.

Going on vacation!

Got under was about 11:30. Fuel and water filled waste empty. Our first leg to galesville. We past under the bay bridge, Annapolis, Thomas Point Lighthose among other places. We sailed for a while then the wind died, motored the rest of the way. At anchor now in Galesville.

Winds now

We have 30 knot north winds now. Showers and the boat is rocking. The marina is having a hurricane party but we are snug here. We are tied up in the center of the slip and it's too far to jump off the boat to the finger pier.

More hurricane live blog

Lots of rain... Some wind..... Not too bad. Sailboat off our stern pulled up anchor and went to a slip. Just sitting here listening to the radio.

Starting to rain

Just started to rain a few hours ago. Hot and steamy no wind yet. A sailboat has anchored about 15. feet off our stern. I hope he is locked down well. Nice in snug here just made a nice warm cup of coffee.

In yer eye Hana

We have started our vacation and we are down at the boat. All is calm with intermittent showers. There are other boaters here George and his wife are in slip d9. And there are a few others so we are not alone. Internet a little spotty but that is the worst of it. Eye passing over us tomorrow sometime. Let you all know how we are doing.

Vacation

Marine Forcast
TROPICAL STORM WATCH IN EFFECT

SAT
E WINDS 30 TO 40 KT...BECOMING NE 40 TO 50 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WAVES 2 TO 3 FT...BUILDING TO 4 TO 6 FT IN THE AFTERNOON. RAIN.

SAT NIGHT
NW WINDS 25 TO 30 KT WITH GUSTS UP TO 40 KT... DIMINISHING TO 10 TO 15 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WAVES 2 TO 3 FT. A CHANCE OF RAIN.


We are going to spend the next week on the sailing vessel Imagination. The Solomons is out destination. We are going to start by spending the weekend on the boat with hurricane Hanna going overhead. We're well inland and pretty well sheltered so we'll be ok Saturday. ( If not we'll run like hell! ) The Solomons are two days away. Stopping at Galesville first. Ike could be a factor in the vacation equation. We'll try to not get swept up! But it there is a long pause in our posts........


.... Come looking for us!

Disco?

Went to the Fringe Fest and saw Disco Descending. It was a trip into Hades to rescue Eurydice. But Orpheus can only dance disco and Cerberus is real dog. This is a nice story of a man descending into the pits of disco after the loss of a loved one. Not a word is spoken the dance says it all. So does the flaming mirror ball. Go see it if you can at the Susan Roberts Theater.

Disco still Sucks!

Weekend Wrapup

Never made it to Pirates Cove. Anchored in Tighman Creek with Glenn and Carol. It was a new place for both of us. We had a great day sailing. We were sailing wing on wing, where the wind was hitting us on the stern and boths sails are open to catch the wind. We rafted up at the creek and had dinner of hot dogs and meatloaf on the grill. This was a dark creek and the stars just lit up the sky as we layed on the deck counting them.

Can't wait for our boat vacation next week. Have to watch the hurricanes looks like Hanna may drop some rain on us and delay our departure.