The Wireless Developer Blog

Since we figured most families would be out on Sunday, we did the bulk of our Father's Day stuff on Saturday. We woke up and went to iHOP for breakfast. I had a great spinach and mushroom omelet. Ben had a pancake. Caleb ordered more than he could eat. Christene got a very southern biscuit and gravy breakfast. Rachel ate nothing.

Then we went home before going to the pool. Breakfast was very filling, so much so that we skipped lunch entirely and had dinner earlier instead. I forget what the boys ate. Christene and I had paninis. Rachel ate nothing.

Then we took in Land Of The Lost. I wasn't sure if I was going to like it, but once it got started I was really digging it. I liked that the movie was not the television show. The only things they kept were the names. Everything else was out the window, and the movie was all the better for it. We took the boys to see it, and Rachel went to a drop off place to play. We bought dinner there. She didn't eat it.

When we got home the kids gave me my presents: a custom mounting bracket for my Sirius receiver, and Orange Box. The custom bracket was a fix for my old setup: I had the plastic bracket that came with it held on by double-sided adhesive that kept melting in the sunlight, and was just in a very ugly spot. I had to take the center console off and drill three holes into the interior moulding of the dashboard to hold the brackets, but it looks so much better now. I did all of that Sunday morning.

Sunday was a pretty relaxing, lazy day. I recorded the last part for episode 2 of A Little Dead Podcast, then played Portal (one of the games on Orange Box) for about two hours or so. I cooked some soup for lunch this week, ran to the store for some stuff we needed, and picked up a bottle of white merlot on a whim to try. Dinner was a very greek meal with hummous, red onion, salad and pita.

Three cowboys were seated around the campfire out on the lonesome sagebrush prairie and with the pride for which these men were famous; it was a night of bravado, a night of tall tales..

Tom, the hand from Wyoming says, 'I must be the strongest, meanest, toughest cowboy there is. Why, just the other day, a bull got loose in the corral. It had gored six men before I wrestled it to the ground by the horns with my bare hands and castrated that sucker with my teeth.'

Ben, from Texas, couldn't stand to be bested.. That's nothing, 'I was walking down the trail yesterday and a 15 foot diamondback rattler slid out from under a rock and made a move for me. I grabbed
that bastard with my bare hands, bit off its head, and sucked the poison down in one gulp and didn't even get a belly ache.'

Old Dingus Bob, the cowboy from North Carolina, remained silent, slowly stirring the campfire coals with his pecker.

1.   What is your occupation right now?
Systems engineer/Senior software engineer.
 
2. What color are your socks right now?
White.

3. What are you listening to right now?
The Clark Howard Show, on my iPod.

4. What was the last thing that you ate?
Banana.
 
5. Can you drive a stick shift?
Yes.
 
6. Last person you spoke to on the phone? 
Perry.
         
7. Do you like the person who sent this to you?   
Yes. I love my sister.
 
8. How old are you today? 
43.

9. What is your favorite sport to watch on TV?
Football.

10. What is your favorite drink?
Sweet tea.

11. Have you ever dyed your hair?
Yes.

12. Favorite food
Hard to say. But I am very partial to biryani.

13. What is the last movie you saw 
Terminator: Salvation.
           
14. Favorite Day of the year?
My birthday.

15. How do you vent anger?
Make jokes about the situation.

16. What was your favorite toy as a child?
Action figures.

17. What is your favorite season
Autumn.

18. Cherries or Blueberries?  
Blueberries.

19. Do you want your friends to e-mail you back?
Yes.

20. Who is the most likely to respond
Shellie.

21. Who is least likely to respond? 
Heather M.

22. Living arrangements?
Married, with children, in our own home.
 
23. When was the last time yoU cried? 
No clue.

24. What is on the floor of your closet?
Smudge's cat bowls. Shoes. Storage boxes. Suitcases. My biking bag with my helmet.

25. Who is the friend you have had the longest that you are sending this to?
Bryan.
        
27. What are you most afraid of?
Heart disease.

28. Plain, cheese, or spicy hamburgers?
Cheese.

29. Favorite dog breed?
Beagle, or retriever.

30. Favorite day of the  week?          
Saturday.

31. How many states have you lived in? 
Four.
       
32. Diamonds or pearls?
Diamonds. Density, baby.

33. What is your favorite  flower?
Don't really have one. 

A man was driving down the highway with a car full of penguins. Penguins
sticking out the windows, penguins coming out the sunroof, penguin
everywhere. A cop pulled him over and told him if he didn't want a
ticket he'd better take those penguins straight to the zoo. The man
promised he would and drove off.

The next day, the same highway, the same car, the same guy, the same cop
and the same penguins - only this time the penguins were all wearing
sunglasses! The cop pulled the guy over and said, "I thought I told you
to take these penguins to the zoo!"

"I did" said the guy, "Today I'm taking them to the beach!"

A woman was in town on a shopping trip. She found the most perfect shoes in the first shop and a beautiful dress in the second.  In the third everything had just been reduced 50 percent, when her mobile phone rang.

It was a female doctor notifying her that her husband had just been in a terrible car accident and was in a critical condition and was in the ICU.
The woman told the doctor to tell her husband that she'd be there as soon as possible. When she hung up she realized she was leaving what was shaping up to be her best day ever shopping in these boutiques, so she decided to just look in two or three more before heading to the hospital.

Anyhow, she ended up shopping the rest of the morning, finishing her trip with a cup of coffee and a beautiful chocolate cake compliments of the last shop. She was jubilant. Then she remembered her husband.  Feeling guilty, she dashed to the hospital. She saw the doctor in the corridor and asked about her husband's condition.  The lady doctor glared at her and shouted, 'You went ahead and finished your shopping trip didn't you! I hope you're proud of yourself! While you were out for the past four hours enjoying yourself shopping, your husband has been languishing in the Intensive Care Unit! It's just as well you went ahead and finished, because it's likely  to be the last shopping trip you will ever
make!

For the rest of his life he will require round the clock care. And he will now be your responsibility!'

The woman felt so guilty she broke down and cried.

The lady doctor then laughed and said, 'I'm just pulling your leg. He's dead. Show me what you bought.'

I definitely work for a company with a conscience.

As a company, we're trying to reduce our carbon footprint at work. One way we're doing that is to eliminate as much waste in the form of water bottles. We go through a lot of bottled water here. So our office management team has brought in a water cooling system and got for everybody reusable stainless steel water bottles. So now, rather than filling up recycle bins with bottles, we can wash and use a more environmentally friendly bottle.

Excellent! :)

A blonde decides to try horseback riding, even though she has had no lessons, nor prior experience. She mounts the horse unassisted, and the horse immediately springs into motion. It gallops along at a steady and rhythmic pace, but the blonde begins to slide from the saddle. In terror, she grabs for the horse's mane, but cannot seem to get a firm grip. She tries to throw her arms around the horse's neck, but she slides  down the horse's side anyway. The horse gallops along, seemingly impervious to its slipping rider. Finally, giving up her frail grip, the blonde attempts to leap away from the horse and throw herself to safety. Unfortunately, her foot has become entangled in the stirrup; she is now at the mercy of the horse's pounding hooves as her head is struck against the ground over and over.  As her head is battered against the ground, she is mere moments away from unconsciousness when to her great fortune..... Frank, the Wal-mart greeter, sees her dilemma and unplugs the horse.

And you thought all they did was say Hello.

A PLANE IS ON ITS WAY TO TORONTO, WHEN A BLONDE IN ECONOMY CLASS GETS UP, AND MOVES TO THE FIRST CLASS SECTION AND SITS DOWN.

THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT WATCHES HER DO THIS, AND ASKS TO SEE HER TICKET. SHE THEN TELLS THE BLONDE THAT SHE PAID FOR ECONOMY CLASS, AND THAT SHE WILL HAVE TO SIT IN THE BACK.

THE BLONDE REPLIES, "I'M BLONDE, I'M BEAUTIFUL, I'M GOING TO TORONTO AND I'M STAYING RIGHT HERE."

THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT GOES INTO THE COCKPIT AND TELLS THE PILOT AND THE CO-PILOT THAT THERE IS A BLONDE BIMBO SITTING IN FIRST CLASS, THAT BELONGS IN ECONOMY, AND WON'T MOVE BACK TO HER SEAT.

THE CO-PILOT GOES BACK TO THE BLONDE AND TRIES TO EXPLAIN THAT BECAUSE SHE ONLY PAID FOR ECONOMY SHE W ILL HAVE TO LEAVE AND RETURN TO HER SEAT. THE BLONDE REPLIES, "I'M BLONDE, I'M BEAUTIFUL, I'M GOING TO TORONTO AND I'M STAYING RIGHT HERE."

THE CO-PILOT TELLS THE PILOT THAT HE PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE THE POLICE WAITING WHEN THEY LAND TO ARREST THIS BLONDE WOMAN WHO WON'T LISTEN TO REASON.

THE PILOT SAYS, "YOU SAY SHE IS A BLONDE? I'LL HANDLE THIS, I'M MARRIED TO A BLONDE. I SPEAK BLONDE."

HE GOES BACK TO THE BLONDE AND WHISPERS IN HER EAR, AND SHE SAYS, "OH, I'M SORRY." AND GETS UP AND GOES BACK TO HER SEAT IN ECONOMY..

THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT AND CO-PILOT ARE AMAZED AND ASKED HIM WHAT HE SAID TO MAKE HER MOVE WITHOUT ANY FUSS.

"I TOLD HER, "FIRST CLASS ISN'T GOING TO TORONTO". 

Friday had Caleb calling me up at 2:34p to tell me he wanted me to pick him up, then that he just missed his bus which left while he was begging me for a ride. Then, while I was off to get him, Rachel fell down the front stairs while Christene and she were going out. Christene was locking the front door and Rachel had made a mad dash and fell down the brick stairs. She got scratches on her back, arms and knees.

Saturday we went to a birthday party for the son of Rachel's former MMO teacher. I thought I had the directions, but the map threw me off. Maynard is a huge circle around Cary and, looking at the map, seemed to be for the north-east part of the road. But, the party location was in the south-west, the exact opposite side of the city. So we got there about 20 minutes late for a fixed-length (90 minute) party.

Sunday was relatively pain-free.

Monday was going well for us. Ben had to go to school (his year-round track didn't get Memorial Day off). At lunch time Christene went to the gym and took Caleb with her. He's going to be working out while on summer break starting Thursday since he's getting a bit too comfortable not doing anything physical. Rachel and I went out for lunch (Wendys), then to the Borders in Apex, Target, PetSmart then Harris Teeter.

Around 4:30p or so Rachel was running through our room and tripped over her shoe (she had put one sandal on) and fell, head first, into our tv stand. Within 5 minutes she had a HUGE goose egg over her left eye. It was big enough that we were concerned she might need medical attention. Christene and I sat on the couch with her and put an ice pack over the lump to help her calm down.

When Rachel was finally calm and up and walking around, a police car pulls up to our house. The officer comes to our door and says that someone dialed 9-1-1 from our house and then hung up. So, per their policy, he was there to follow up on the call. The phone had run just before Rachel had fallen (I think she was racing to grab the phone when she tripped), and Ben has been spending hours on the phone with his friend, David. So I went and got Ben and asked him what happened. He said he had accidentally dialed 9-1-1 then hung up. Turns out he's been calling his friend using the full 10-digit number and misdialed the area code (our's is 919), calling 9-1-1 instead.

/me sighs...

A farmer went out one day and bought a brand new stud rooster for his chicken coop. The new rooster struts over to the old rooster and says,

'OK old fart, time for you to retire.'

The old rooster replies, 'Come on, surely you cannot handle ALL of these chickens. Look what it has done to me. Can't you just let me have the two old hens over in the corner?'

The young rooster says, 'Beat it: You are washed up and I am taking over.'

The old rooster says, 'I tell you what, young stud. I will race you around the farmhouse. Whoever wins gets the exclusive domain over the entire chicken coop.' The young rooster laughs. 'You know you don't stand a chance, old man. So, just to be fair, I will give you a head start.'

The old rooster takes off running. About 15 seconds later the young rooster takes off running after him. They round the front porch of the farmhouse and the young rooster has closed the gap.

He is only about 5 feet behind the old rooster and gaining fast. The farmer, meanwhile, is sitting in his usual spot on the front porch
When he sees the roosters running by.
The Old Roster is squawking and running as hard as he can.
The Farmer grabs his shotgun and
- BOOM -
He blows the young rooster to bits. The farmer sadly shakes his head and says,
'Dammit.....Third gay rooster I bought this month.'   

On their wedding night, the young bride approached her new husband and asked for $20.00 for their first lovemaking encounter. In his highly aroused state, her husband readily agreed.

This scenario was repeated each time they made Love, for more than 30 years, with him thinking that it was a cute way for her to afford new clothes and other incidentals that she needed.

Arriving home around noon one day, she was surprised to find her husband in a very drunken state. During the next few minutes, he explained that his employer was going through a process of corporate downsizing, and he had been let go. It was unlikely that, at the age of 59, he'd be able to find another position that paid anywhere near what he'd been earning, and therefore, they were financially ruined.

Calmly, his wife handed him a bank book which showed more than thirty years of steady deposits and interest totaling nearly $1 million. Then she showed him certificates of deposits issued by the bank which were worth over $2 million, and informed him that they were one of the largest depositors in the bank.

She explained that for the more than three decades she had 'charged' him for sex, these holdings had multiplied and these were the results of her savings and investments.
 
Faced with evidence of cash and investments worth over $3 Million, her husband was so astounded he could barely speak, but finally he found his voice and blurted out, "If I'd had any idea what you were doing, I would have given you all my business!'

That's when she shot him. 

In order to transfer to NC State for my degree program, I need to take two more classes: Calculus 2 and Calculus Based Physics. Wake Tech offers the Calculus 2 class, but at times that aren't convenient for work. One is from 8:00a till 9:40a but in north Raleigh. The other is on the main campus, but is from noon till 1:40p. NC State offers the class, but those are all during the day as well. There was an evening class listed on Monday, but now it's not listed for the fall semester. There's one distance class that I'll likely end up taking instead since it's the only one that really fits my schedule.

The other class I can't even find in either school's course catalog.

I also talked with admissions today. I have to re-apply since there's been a break since the last time I took a class at NCSU. Not a big deal, just another bump in the road. But I also can't register for my class until August, just before the semester starts, since I'm not in my program yet.

But, on a positive note, $WORK will pay my tuition until I finish school. Since it's all for my CompSci degree, which relates directly to my job, I'm eligible for tuition reimbursement. So long as my grades stay above a C I'll get 100% tuition (not books) paid for after the semester. That's awesome. Until now I had only applied for tuition reimbursement once, and never followed through on it. With the price of a single semester at a state university, I definitely have incentive to get it reimbursed.

Oh, and this Sunday is my graduation from Wake Tech.