Plaque Hanging and Finding Reason

ADCOs hang the plaque. There is a tradition in the space business where several teams are selected to hang the mission plaques and hold the ladders for the climb. Hanging the plaque is the "award" for doing an outstanding job. "Second place" is holding the ladder for the plaque hanger. However, each and every person associated with this mission should be recognized. Unfortunately, you, the public, will never know the work and dedication that went into making this mission a success. The easiest way to describe what went on is to liken it to Apollo 13. The only difference is that we weren't trying to save a stranded crew...we were trying to save a "stranded" vehicle and the program that supports it.

A little celebration took place following the plaque hanging at one of the favorite hangouts -- Boondoggles. Here's mike's write up on the plaque hanging with a few pictures.

The fun times moved into the night.

Today, Finding Reason had a 4.5 hour jam session. We worked with our potential new drummer. Jason, the new drummer, brought all his gear and we set up in greg's living room. Jason seemed to know quite a bit and had a pretty good personality (at least compatible with ours). He hasn't had much time with the material we already have, but he did well. This little audition session actually went better than i thought it would. One draw back is that Jason lives on the northwest side of H-town. It's a long drive for him (or us) to do regular practices. There are still a few logistical things we'd need to work out, but things did look positive.

We played through the two songs that we've done live (Delusion and Love-Hate) and we played through Blue Devils. Things went really well. Greg actually mentioned that he feels comfortable playing Blue Devils in a live setting. Greg is a good barometer when it comes to things like that. It did sound pretty good...despite playing through my not so great amp. It'll be nice to go through a PA system.

On another note, the MOTU traveler (the guitar interface for my studio) came in handy at the jam session. We used it as a microphone pre-amp, so that we could hear Ben sing. Then we used it to record some scratch tracks of some new ideas. I feel that my purchase of that device will pay off in the long run. The only draw back is that it's a little bit of a pain to disconnect everything in my studio. Oh well.

I declare the last two days a success. Making Progress!!!

I'm very tired though...so i'm going to turn in early tonight.

Biggio's 3000th!!

Tonight, in front of the home crowd, Craig Biggio got his 3000th hit of his career. Only 26 other ball players can say they've joined the 3000 hit club. That is a tremendous accomplishment! The game was halted for about 10 minutes or so while Biggio and his family and team mates celebrated his accomplishment. I am proud to say that I saw Biggio play in the Astrodome as a catcher (the first position he played in his early career).

Unfortunately, the Astros have not been doing very well this season. Perhaps they will turn it up for the second half of the season?

Congratulations Craig!!!

Go Astros!

Makes Me Angry

Celery. Yep, you read that right. Celery makes me angry. okay, well, not violent angry, but i have a strong dislike for celery. Seriously, folks, any food, nay, any substance that actually takes more energy to eat that what it produces for you is just not worth it. No nutritional value and you have to work to eat it...blah. Uggh...and the smell. And it tastes like it smells. So, why am i angry with celery? Cause manufacturers use it as filler food in soups, potato salads, and a host of other foods. It becomes extra work on my part to pick out or eat around the stuff. And while i'm bashing celery, let's add to list vegetables that todd hates: brussell sprouts (i have a story with this one), cauliflower, broccoli, spinach (i was deceived by Popeye as a kid), and probably a host of others. I suppose i'm a picky eater...i have issues.

Well, now that that is out of my system i can move on...

What foods don't you like?

The Last...

Tonight we finished our last STS-118/13A.1 simulation. If the flight launches on time, August 7th, then there will be no more simulations. If the flight slips by a large amount of time, there might be some more simulations. But, with the completion of the sims, we are just that much closer to launching. Rob and I headed over to Boondoggles for a celebratory drink.

I really don't have much more to report since i've been at work all day. Tomorrow i'm stuck in a sim preparing for the flight after mine (STS-120/10A). That flight will be a very tough one as well. Space flight is not easy. Too bad an "easy" button doesn't really exist. I would've used that button several times by now...

I guess it keeps life interesting...

L-42 Days!

Why in the heck didn't you tell me sooner?! There are only 42 days left until space shuttle Endeavour (STS 118)lifts off from the Florida east coast space port. I'm quite the clueless one these days and sometimes need a little help to "get" certain things. It wasn't until today when i passed the lead shuttle flight director for STS118 in the hall, that i realized that the sand in the hour glass was falling rather quickly. He greeted me with the words, "42 days to go."

I have a ton of work to do. Secretly, i kinda thrive on this. Those of you that know me best, know that i do my best work under pressure. Translation: i'm lazy for a little while, then i hit panic mode and get my butt in gear...things get done. And usually done right. I hope it all works out in the end.

Following my flight, i hope to take a small vacation. Not sure what i'll do or not do, but i hope to take at least a week off. I need the break! Anyway...that's step 726 on the list...and i'm working on step 9.

So, be blunt if you have to...i'm kinda dense these days...

Gooey & Fat

Tonight i put down the guitar and picked up a mixing bowl and spatula. I made some gooey deliciousy chocolatey, peanut buttery brownies. No, not from scratch...i'm not quite that motivated or talented. But a gooey brownie with a nice cold glass of milk...mmmmm...now that hit the spot. I feel fat now. Perhaps i should start working out or something.

Uggh. Can someone help me find it? What is it exactly? It's that switch that turns off the mind. I couldn't sleep last night...the mind kept working...overtime for some reason. Maybe it was that Rockstar drink that i had earlier in the day? Whatever the reason, i couldn't sleep.

I'm starting to catch the shoe bug. All you ladies know what i'm talking about. Don't be surprised if you see me in some new kicks in the near future. To really cash in, i'd need to make a trip to San Antonio...

Recharged

I did nothing today...well, nothing of consequence. I set up camp on my couch and didn't do too much moving around. But now i am recharged and ready for the week ahead. I hope this week will be less stressful than the last two?!

Are you ready for the week ahead?

A Busy Day

I surprised myself today. I woke up earlier than i had planned...but i got about 8 hours of sleep so that was pretty good. So, i got more done today than i thought i would. Started the day off by doing a little cleaning, did the dishes, vacuumed the living room, threw away some computer boxes, mowed the backyard, shredded some documents played a little guitar and paid a few bills. I declare this a pretty productive day.

The evening was spent at the bowling alley. It's been ages (years) since i've last bowled and it was a lot of fun. Rob, Melissa, Luke, Josh and Lisa joined in the festivities. Unlike most other bowling alleys, this one wasn't filled with smoke...yet there was that familiar smell of oil and shoe spray. A new twist to bowling was bowling against the clock. We got the lanes by the hour, not by the game. So as we were nearing the end of our second game, we were racing against the clock. This added dimension made the game a little more exciting. It was good to see that my bowling skills that i learned so many years ago were still with me. We never did finish that last frame...we ran out of time. Definitely good times...

I'm not sure what's in store for tomorrow...do you?

Wouldn't You Know it...

After 60 hours at work this week and 4 hours of sleep in the last 32 hours, i can't go to sleep. I'm starting to see things...it's a bit strange how the mind works, in a sleep deprived state. Things become simpler, yet more complicated. Bravery comes out of nowhere...and you think about doing things you normally wouldn't think of doing. Perhaps it's a good thing i'm alone tonight...otherwise i might have embarrassed myself. Wait...this all sounds like being drunk...except it takes much longer to get to this point.

Well, Atlantis is safely on the ground. Suni Williams has completed her space flight and currently hold the record for the longest space flight for a US female. The previous record holder was Shannon Lucid. Last night/early this morning, i worked with Shannon in the ISS control room. She is way too chipper at 3am. Anyway, it's always a pleasure to work with her.

I've got some work to do around the house tomorrow...will i have enough energy to do all i need to do? Stay tuned to find out....my guess is no.

Ok, i've rambled on enough...

Rebates Galore

I finally found some spare time to fill out all my rebate forms from the studio computer purchase. All in all, i will receive $120 back. Not too bad. So, total cost for the studio machine was roughly $580. Not too bad for the power.

Now, that i have all the rebates done, i can dispose of some boxes and other non-essential crap in my studio and get down to the cosmetic updates.

Perhaps in the next day or so, i'll post a before picture of the studio...i should've taken a before-before picture...but a before picture will work just fine.

Time to get ready for work...

The 2AM Quack!

I've started a short midnight shift stint this week. What does one do when there is a large Loss of Signal (LOS)? Ginger (the flight director), Christine (the ATLAS), and I (the ADCO) found some 3-day old bagels, which were rock hard by the way. they actually bounced off the sidewalk. Anyway...we then trekked out to the ponds and fed the ducks...at 2 in the morning. You never know what you are gonna get with this job. Not a week ago i was supporting meetings to help extend the life of the manned space program, which at that time was probably only going to last another week or so.

One more night and then i can get some well deserved rest.

Reset Your Bookmarks

For those of you who access this blog through my old and outdated website, please update your bookmarks to this site. Time Warner is no more and since the old website has a "houston.rr.com" designation, it may not work in the near future.

Sorry for the inconvenience.

Quasi-normal

With the successful completion of a thruster test, things on the space station have returned to a quasi-normal state. The manned space flight community let out a giant sigh of relief today when the thrusters fired as expected on the ISS today. Most of the functional tests have been performed and the Russian computers seem to be operating normally. With that, we will let the shuttle go home tomorrow. A lot of people have been putting in tons of hours over the last week and they'll get the rest they deserve. I won't get my rest until the weekend. I have to start covering console starting wednesday night. I really can't afford to rest though, for my flight is looming in the not so distant future. It's gonna be a long month and a half of flight planning.

I actually had a quasi-normal day myself...despite having a 7am meeting. I actually picked up the guitar for the first time in what seems like a month. I also started transferring my music collection from the laptop to the studio machine. I haven't quite figured out the network yet, so i've been burning my mp3s to a DVD. Yes, it is very time consuming, but it's working and i can live with the time sink as long as progress is being made. I haven't the patience right now to figure out the network. I'll save that for a day when i'm a little more rested.

I'll end the post with the you-know-you-are-tired-when statement. You know you are tired when you try to shampoo your hair without getting your hair wet first. Not sure how i even accomplished that since i was in the shower. There were a few other not so wise things done this week, but that was my favorite.

A Long Few Days...

Where have i been? Well, i've been supporting meetings...lots and lots of meetings. While the console team continues to fly the ISS, several of us have been going to meetings about the issues at hand. We're known as Team 4. The last three days i've worked 13 hours a day. I should be downtown right now (sorry erin), but i'm way too exhausted to make the trip...and since i still have to get up to support more meetings, i think i'll try to turn in a littler earlier tonight.

The space station is doing much better than a few days ago. The Russians have figured out a way to make their computers work (and this is Awesome news). We still have a lot of meetings to attend and things to work out but we are well on our road to recovery.

Perhaps when this all blows over, i'll write a summary of the events as they unfolded. i'm much too tired to do that now...especially since it's not over yet.

Happy Birthdays

Got a few birthdays to mention.

June 13: Ann Marie
June 14: Erin
June 16: Metro (fellow member of the XVI club)

Happy Birthday to all!

iss = ill

Without saying too much, the ISS is very sick, perhaps terminally so. Engineers are working around the clock to do everything possible to make sure the worst case scenario doesn't come to fruition. I'm sure this will be in the news soon. Best place for information is spaceflightnow.com

What a Day...

For those of you keeping up the the mission, today was not a very good day for my group. Although you probably didn't hear anything until maybe an hour ago or so. Here is a quick recap of what happened today. My system uses the Russian computers that had some issues. Again, Christina puts a few words together of today's events. Yes, it seems that the most remote failures do happen. We tend to think that our Russian counterpart's computers are very robust and the fault protection built in them is adequate to maintain fault tolerance. I don't think we know what caused the issue yet, but rest assured, we will be ready for the next time it occurs...hence Christina's excitement about writing a procedure to handle what happened today. Yeah, she's excited.
Members of the ADCO team did work hard today to come up with a workaround to maybe help the situation. While their efforts proved that the concept could work, unfortunately physics was not on their side. Great effort though!!!
There was no danger to any crew members with our little issue (although the false fire is always a scary situation). Last i heard is that the Russians were able to recover some of their system...enough to get the ISS back into attitude control.

I am taking notes for my flight. I will try to take care of some of the issues that this flight is encountering...at least the ones within my power to control.
It's definitely been a little exciting around the office today...i hope the "excitement" calms down though...all in a day in the life of a flight controller. What an awesome job!!

Lots of Nothing

I'm sure you've heard about gyroscopes having issues on the space station. Yep, that's my system. Unfortunately (or fortunately) i haven't been following the mission all that closely. For a bit more information you'll have to see Christina's or Lisa's posts.

So, now i'm having network issues. I'm not sure what the issue is since i've set up a network here before. I think it may be my patience...which wears thin when it comes to computers (lately anyway). I'll give another hack at it tomorrow.

I did get my flight rule stuff done today...although i uncovered a few others that needed to be written. Uggh. I hate flight rules. Tomorrow will be some more 13A.1 planning. I might swing by the MCC to see how things are going...will be a nice break from the planning.

Blah...i'm boring tonight...g'night.

Functional

I declare the studio functional. Today i was able to practice along with the studio software. I still have some mixing issues, but i should get all that worked out with more practice with the software and guitar interface. And for some reason, i'm missing some Finding Reason files. I'll have to get a copy of our files from ben.

Today was a rather lazy day...i haven't had one of those lately. Well, tomorrow, i will be deep into my 13A.1 flight planning. I have some things due tomorrow, so i've got to get those things done.

Well, i'm tired from all the laying around today...so i'm going to bed. Goodnight.

Computer Update and Comparisons

Laptop is back to normal...i have regained wireless access. Luckily, the reconfig was not as bad as i thought it might be. So, the laptop is fully functional with newly installed anti virus security.

I also worked out the playback issue i was having with the recording software. I now have configured the system to record and playback...all through the monitors. I'm learning a little more about my guitar interface. Things are progressing smoothly. Tomorrow, i will transfer some Finding Reason files over from the laptop to run here in the studio software. Then i will start practicing the music they way i should be when the other guys aren't around. Once i do a little practicing with the Finding Reason files, i'll declare the studio fully functional from a guitarists perspective. I don't have a microphone to record vocals...i don't ever see the need for me to record vocals...not my vocals anyway.

As promised, i have created a few comparable computer systems to what i'm running here in the studio. 1. Dell 2. HP

So, the studio machine is running:
Asus P5n E SLI motherboard (onboard sound, firewire, USB 2.0, LAN)
Antec NEO 500w power supply
Intel Core 2 Duo E4300 processor (1.8 GHz)
2 GB Dual Channel RAM 2 DIMMs
400 GB SATA HD (3 partitions: 1. office 2. studio 3. storage)
nVidia e-GeForce 7100 (256 MB) graphics card
Emprex 16X DVD writer (had this already)
Windows XP Pro (had this already)
Norton Security 07

I spent just over $700 before rebates. I haven't added them all up yet, but if i recall correctly it was over $100 in rebates. For easy math, let's say i spent $600 for the new system. That is a savings of $300 off of a comparable system. Not too shabby. Now, was that $300 savings worth all my time and effort? Well, it did cut into my social life...oh wait...no it didn't...i don't have one of those right now. So, i'd say it was worth it...I at least have a system that'll last me for quite a while...the previous system lasted 7 years with a few upgrades along the way. The new system has room to grow too...i can add another graphics card if i wanted as well as quadruple the RAM. So, i shouldn't need a new computer for quite some time. Although as i was walking through Frys, a nice media center PC box with a nifty little touch screen caught my eye...

Ok, onto another subject. Have you ever seen Borat? All i can say is this movie is in a class by itself...i don't know what that class is, but it is definitely reigning in its class. I definitely laughed a lot...wanted to look away at times, but it was like a car wreck...you wanted to look away but just couldn't. Yes, i'm probably a little dumber for having seen it, but i was entertained...

I Hate Computers!

I'm still experiencing some computer woes. Earlier today, i had an issue with my desktop speakers. They just weren't producing any sound. I was able to a solution on the internet. Guess what? It was a stupid driver issue! Turns out you have to load a certain driver before you can load the actual sound drivers. Of course the manufacturer doesn't tell you this. It's so annoying! But, the desktop speakers now work, when i'm in office mode. And from the previous post, you know that the monitors work like a charm. So, sound is taken care of...I think the desktop issues have all been sorted out...i think. I still have to connect some other hard drives, but that shouldn't give me too many problems. *Fingers crossed*

Now, the other issues i'm battling is a laptop/wireless issue. Remember from the earlier post, i am posting from the studio. I normally do my posting in bed from the laptop. It's so convenient and handy to have a mobile computer with access to the internet. Well, when i was installing the newest norton software, the software load got hung up and ended up corrupting my wireless profile on the laptop. So, no more (mobile) access to the internet from the laptop. Since it is late(early), I'll troubleshoot this thing in the morning...er...later today. I think i know how to fix it, but it may require me to reset my wireless router (unless i can find all the information that's locked inside the router (i cannot remember my password for the router...therefore the only fix is to reset it)). It's been years since i last set up the wireless network...hopefully i can remember how to do it.

Right now, i have the laptop hooked up to the router via a LAN cable...that way i'm able to download things that i need to...i must look like a computer geek...two machines running at the same time, typing on both keyboards (not at the same time...that would be crazy).

So, needless to say, i'm sick and tired of computers right now. But hopefully i'll have everything sorted out this weekend. *Fingers crossed again* Then i can start throwing away the boxes and other components that i don't need...thus freeing up some space in my studio/house.

And so you don't feel left out, i'll be posting the specs to the studio machine, along with all the equipment in the studio. If i have time, i'll configure a comparable system from Dell or HP and show you the cost savings of building your own computer...although the time that i put into troubleshooting and hassles, may well be worth the extra money for a fully configured system...

Studio Update

I'm happy to report that the studio is nearly functional. In fact, this post comes to you from the studio. We'll get to why in a bit. Right now, i'm listening to some tunes through my new monitors! So far, i'm pretty impressed with how they sound. The bass is tight, the treble crisp and clear...a very flat response (which is what you want out of studio monitors!) From just the few tracks that i've listened to so far, i've heard things in the mixes that i never heard before. So, i think i'll be happy with these monitors.

To use the monitors, i have to run through the guitar interface (which acts like a sound card). I haven't even started to learn how to use the guitar interface yet. The knobs are tempting to turn, but i'll read the manual before messing around with anything. I did do a test run of the guitars through the interface. Worked like a champ! So, i know that i, at least, can practice through the interface and use the monitors for what they were intended. I am happy about that.

The one thing i have yet to prove is that the recording software works with the system. I did do a quick recording the other day before work. So, i know that i can record. The one thing that i did have a problem with, and no time to troubleshoot, was the playback of the recording. i wasn't able to hear what i recorded. I will reserve the weekend for that troubleshooting. Once i prove that all components work together, i'll start importing Finding Reason's recordings and start my practice sessions. At that time, i will call the studio functional. I'll then start planning the cosmetic updates, which i will then move everything out of the studio (do the cosmetic updates) and move items back...getting rid of things that don't need to be in here.

So far, things are working out like i pictured in my mind. I wish everything i envision would pan out. The final touch on the studio will be to name it. It actually already has a name, but i will reveal the name when it is complete. For the time being, i invite you to come up with a name for my studio. If I like it, I may just use it, with your permission of course.

Security Blanket in Orbit

Tonight, Space Shuttle Atlantis lifted off for an 11 day mission and a visit to the International Space Station. I still get goosebumps every time i watch a launch. It looks so effortless on tv, but over a million parts are working in unison to make it all work out. Amazing stuff!

Atlantis (STS117/13A) is/was my security blanket. For as long as she sat on the ground, that was just that much more time i had to get ready for my mission...which is now the next in line. My mission (STS118/13A.1) is scheduled to launch in August. August is not that far away...which earlier this week i finally realized. You could say panic is starting to set in. But i'm confident that i'll have everything ready when the time comes.

Since i am not working 13A, i will be one of the few people in the office for the next week to 10 days. That means i should be able to sit down and concentrate on the things that i need to do. I'm sure i'll take a break and walk over to the MCC every now and then to see how things are going. But for the next 1.5-2 months, i will be doing nothing but getting ready for 13A.1. I've actually been pretty confined to my office as it is, but it's only going to get worse. I did sneak out of the office today to have a nice chat with Erin. We should do that more often Erin!

Horelica House of Music -- It's Ladies Night!

I know, it's been awhile since the last Horelica House of Music. Sorry, i have been occupied with other projects. Yes, i'm posting this from work, but it is during an LOS (Loss of Signal), so i'm good. When i left for work i didn't have an internet connection and i wanted to get this post out before going home in case i didn't have a connection. So, without further ado, here are tonight's ladies...

Sarah McLachlan. Beautiful lady with a beautiful voice...need i say more?




Kelly Clarkson. America's first idol! Another beautiful lady with a beautiful voice. Her new stuff is a little edgier and darker. Me likey.



I was reminded of these two ladies whilst watching "The Tube". The Tube is actually what MTV was and should be. It's a show on the HD channels that plays nothing but music videos! There are a few commercials here and there, but this is what MTV should be...not that travesty it is now. So, when nothing else is on, i turn the tube over to "The Tube"!

Well, it's time to get back to work. Enjoy.

Success At Last!

Finally!! The studio machine is working...the way i want it! I had to make a compromise to make it work like i wanted it to, but it was an easy compromise. I worked all morning and part way into the afternoon to make it work. But when i left for work, i had two operating systems on the computer. So, just to give you some background on what i was trying to do and why. I wanted to split up my 400GB HD into 2 partions. I then wanted to put XP Pro on each partition. One partition would be the studio partition, which would only run the studio software...nothing else. The second partition would run everything else (Office, games, antivirus, internet, etc). Due to limitations with the software (or my ineptitude) i wasn't able to do a 50-50 split of the HD. I had to make a smaller partition (about 25% of the capacity). The next partition i split up so that i could have a storage partition (for studio files). In all i have 3 partitions on the 400GB drive. Right now, there is only the operating system on the two partitions. I didn't have time to load anything else...that i'll reserve for tomorrow, er...later today. I'll load the antivirus software and the studio software and Microsoft office.

Once i have the studio software set up, i can start connecting the hardware to make sure it all works together. I'm getting excited about the studio...it is starting to unfold as i see it in my head (which is a rare occurrence for anything my mind conjures up.)

Anyway, i was pleased that i finally got the computer up and running. I'm excited to hook up the hardware, and even more excited to start using the studio.

I know you are getting sick of all this studio talk, so i'll have a post not related to the studio, per se.

One Track Mind

Lately, i've had a one track mind. I'm normally not so focused on one item. I usually can divide my attention to multiple things/people. I've been concentrating so much on getting my studio together that several things have kinda slipped my mind.

1) My flight (STS118/13A.1) is less than TWO MONTHS away. When did that happen? I have so much work to do yet. I've been some what of a recluse lately...spending the majority of my time in my office...not venturing out too far. I suspect it will only get worse over the next month and a half or so. Must build in some time to relax...help me relax.

2) Get better soon, Granny. Granny's been in the hospital the last few days with a case of Salmonella. Last word is that she's doing much, much better than the last few days. Get better soon!! I love you!

Ok, back to the studio. Yep, i'm still working on that computer. I can't quite get it to do what i want it to do. I'll continue to work at it for a little while longer. If i can't figure it out, i'll just deal with what i've got...then i can see if my new equipment actually works.

Studio Gear Acquisition Complete

Well, i am done acquiring gear for my studio. Today i bought the monitor stands and the audio interface. I bought some cheaper monitor stands to spend a little more on the audio interface, which i spent a little more than i wanted. I think (i hope) this is the interface that i've been looking for. If it lives up to everything it says it can do, then i think i can not only use it in my studio, but i can take it with me where ever we jam. It'll take me a little while to learn how to use it, but that was expected anyway. My goal is to have the studio functional in two weeks, with another month to learn how to configure the audio interface and use the software. I hope to have the computer configured the way i want it by the weekend. It's gonna take a while to get all the configurations right.

Now all that's left is to do all the cosmetic updates to the studio.

The Magic Door Mat

This morning i looked out my front door to see how the weather looked. Out of the corner of my eye, i noticed something amiss. My door mat had risen about 2 feet off the ground. Evidently, the door mat serves as a package cloaking device. If you put a package (no matter how large)under the mat, the package becomes invisible. It's the power of the magic door mat. I'm not sure why Fed Ex does this, but i think every package i've received from them has been placed under the door mat. Perhaps it's the whimsical personality of my delivery driver? Well, my studio monitors have arrived. Now i need the guitar interface and some nice monitor stands and the studio can become functional. Yes, that means the computer has been fixed.

Not 10 minutes ago, i finally fixed the studio machine. Well, it's not fully configured as i want it, but it is definitely closer. The one issues that i've been working on is getting internet access to the new machine. I was so frustrated. Turns out that Asus (the motherboard manufacturer) decided not to include drivers for the onboard ethernet port. Morons! And here i thought it was some XP software issues or perhaps a bad ethernet port. The latter would've driven me crazy...at least i could've scavanged from the old computer. Of course the only way to get the drivers is to download them (huh? how do you do that if you can't get your ethernet port to work!?!?!! UGGGHH Luckily i still have the laptop working) Anyway, i have progressed again. Tomorrow i will continue to configure the machine and install the studio software.

Mom and Dad visited today. We moved some clutter into the garage and mom did some cleaning. She likes to do that sort of thing...i most certainly did not get that trait from her. But thank you very much for helping me out. Now, i'm not so far behind on things i need to do. It helped out tremendously. It was a nice visit, even though i spent most of my time troubleshooting computer issues.

Well, the weekend sucked that i spent most of it troubleshooting computers, but it was a nice break. I'd like to have a few more days off, but i have much work to get done. Perhaps i should get under my door mat?

Four Trips and a Soggy Crawfish

First things first. My major project of the day was to get my studio machine up and running. So a quick system check first thing this morning and nothing...still having the same problems. So a quick search on the internet and i found some potential solutions...at least solutions to exonerate one component at a time.

First test was to make sure the power supply was still working. A quick test confirmed that it was still working. So, now i tried to make sure the motherboard wasn't shorting out to the case. So i did as the internet suggested and placed the motherboard on the box (to eliminate any grounding issues). Turned everything on as i normally would, and nothing. Same thing as before. This got me thinking...well, maybe the power supply is bad (even though the fans turned on). So, i checked the pin connections with my volt meter and sure enough, the power supply was outputting the wrong voltage. The +5V pin was outputting +8V. All the other pins were outputting the proper voltage.

So, off to Frys i go to get another power supply (trip #1). Returned the defective one and bought a slightly more expensive one (glad i did...this new one runs much quieter!) Came home, installed the new one and hooked everything up...and poof...small puff of smoke billowed from the motherboard. I never could locate the source of the puff of smoke. Didn't think the motherboard was going to work after that...and i was right. It was at least still doing the same thing that it had been doing.

So, off to Frys to return the fried motherboard (trip #2). Get to the customer service desk and make it through the return process when the lady asked me if i had the metal cover plate to the motherboard. Sonnova...nope...i grabbed everything except the face plate. She wouldn't let me return the item without that plate. So home i went to retrieve the required item.

Now back in line at the customer service desk (trip #3). The return went well, and i had my store credit in hand. I looked at some other motherboards to see if i could find something a little different. My other choices were not in stock...so i went with the same motherboard as before. I at least had experience in putting it together...so not a terrible choice.

Got home and opened the box and couldn't find any mounting hardware (screws). I was livid. They won't sell a motherboard without the cover plate, but they will sell the motherboard without any mounting hardware. I decided i'd hook up the motherboard to see if it would power up. And, yes, finally, it powered up with no issues. I scavanged the house to see if i could find any screws. no such luck.

On the way back to Frys to get some computer screws (trip #4). Found what i needed and returned to the house. Hooked everything up, screwed the motherboard to the case, made all the necessary attachments and powered it up! Wooohooo!!! it powered up with no problems. So, i closed up the case, moved it to the studio, and then hooked it up to the monitor (josh, the computer kind). Every thing was working properly...so i decided to start the Windows XP installation. Things were still progressing smoothly. Windows loaded properly...Success!!!

Unfortunately, it was time to go. I had to attend a crawfish boil. so, that is where my studio machine has progressed to. I am further along than i have been this whole week. I'm excited. Tomorrow, i'll start loading software and configuring the computer the way i need it for the studio.

So, i'm not a crawfish eater, but i enjoy attending the boils. They always seem to be a good time. This one was no exception...Even the rain couldn't stop the boil from continuing. But it was very soggy for an hour or so. At least it kept the heat from being unbearable. Most of Less Than Serious was there and all of Finding Reason. We talked "shop" and even received some good comments on "Love-Hate" (even nearly 4 months after the show) That makes us feel pretty good. We are also talking about future gig plans. There is a possibility that we could get together with Death Carpet Trio and perhaps another original band and play a show somewhere. That would be a blast. But more songs must be perfected first...maybe by the end of the year? Don't hold your breath...and of course i'll let you know what develops.

Progression and Regression

We'll end this post on a good note, so, we'll start with the regression. I wasted my day off trying to get my studio computer up and running. I did not get anything done today. My kitchen has turned into a computer triage station. I have computer components scattered about, along with cables and screws and tools. Boxes and manuals litter the studio. My house has never been this messy.

So, what's wrong with the computer? i dunno. I was trying to work through my software issues and now the computer won't even turn on. I have a sneaking suspicion that the power supply has gone bad. I hope that is the case...cause that's an easy fix. A trip to Frys to return/replace the power supply and i'll be on my way...at least to the software issues again. But, i'll figure it out eventually. I'd hate to take everything back to Frys...cause that would be a great pain.

Perhaps i need to be in attendance at all the Astros' home games? The good guys didn't do so well tonight...I'm sorry guys, i'm not that super fan...i can't be at all the games! You're gonna have to do it without me...

Now, on to the progression. Finding Reason had another decent jam session. I almost made it through "Blue Devils" without messing up. I had one little issue, but we kept going, and made it through. I felt pretty comfortable with it, especially after not playing guitar all week. "Delusion" and "Love-Hate" also went well. I can't wait till the studio is functional...then i can practice like i should be through the recording software instead of along with an mp3. We're a little frustrated with the drummer situation. More ads will go out soon. We'll keep pressing with our music...one of these days we'll have a drummer.

So, the jam session went well and my abilities are getting a little better--progression. I wish i could progress in every aspect...