Saturday, May 31, 2014

Password Protected Stress

 
I was wondering why I was having such troubling remembering my passwords. All of the Gigabyte Gurus have preached the importance of good, strong passwords to prevent bad experiences for eons, so in an effort to do that, I had to develop a hardcopy list prominently displayed next to my screen to remember how the heck to get into my programs. My lightning swift reasoning figured out that this was counterproductive, not to mention a pain in the butt to maintain and update.

Still, I had trouble. I had to visually scan the list to locate the program I wanted to use and that took a little time. I finally counted the number of programs I had on the list with their gi-normous, complicated passwords that were often mis-typed and in need of starting over again. The first run-through was twenty six programs and sites...no wonder I was in a state of meltdown whenever I wanted to work on the computer.

I am adopting a new philosophy over this whole security issue. If someone hacks my system and I find out who it is, they will be shot on sight - no excuses accepted - but first I will force feed them with their own anti-virus software and see if it works first-hand.

It could get ugly!

Gary


Sunday, May 25, 2014

There Is A War Going On At Home

Sure, when our soldiers and sailors come home from the Middle East on their last deployment, they don't have to go back into the fray, but they've been frayed themselves and need mending in many cases - a lot of them for years to come or the rest of their lives.

The government hasn't got the organizational skills to assist them in a timely manner. Some have gone it alone since the Viet Nam era. Many have substance abuse issues that are unresolved. Necessary cancer care and PTSD numbers mount. The volume of those in need is overwhelming.

However, if each family member, veteran and neighbor takes it upon themself to act as a pitbull ombudsman for that man or woman in need, the government providers will be forced to be more efficient and the legislators will be forced out of office if they drag their feet and block common sense funding for our servicemen in need.

If all else fails, or in addition, pick a reputable organization such at the Wounded Warrior Project and lend your support that way. There are several groups whose mission is solely to help a servicemember in need.

They remembered us. Let's remember them.

Gary

Sunday, May 18, 2014

A New Experience

I mentioned in another of my blogs my trip to Northwest Trek yesterday, May 17th. I have noticed lately that my knees and hips aren't as forgiving as they were when I was eighteen. This is no doubt due to my allergy related to exercise, but the discomfort is there nonetheless.

I have had a carved walking stick in my truck for awhile now, thinking that one day I would be doing more hiking in the woods. Yesterday I looked at the carved yew wood stick and had a moment of brilliance.

What better way to practice with said walking stick than to use it on the hilly terrain of the animal park? Besides that, I would wear my S'Klallam bear claw ball cap and make a statement about my author hood for anyone who asked.

I'm a tall man. This stick fit me like a cane, thus everybody and their brother made it a point to open doors for me and all of the accouterments associated with an old coot - something I hadn't thought of. The other main advantage was that it helped me putter around the grounds with much less discomfort associated with balance. Why hadn't someone thought about this before?

Oh, that would have been me and my vanity, calling it something it wasn't - a walking stick instead of a cane. By the time my visit was completed and ate my bison burger, I even had enough energy left to replace the walking stick reverently back to its place behind the headrests of the back seat and then hoist my weary legs into the truck. The next outing might be someplace like the mall where I can also club anyone trying to grab an item I have my eye on.

Vanity cured.

Gary

Monday, May 12, 2014

It's Time To Relax!


Sometimes nothing is better than a moment of reflection and a cold iced tea after a project is completed. Hollow Point hauling in a couple of 5-star ratings and a 4-star help quiet a bit. I'll get to the next work in progress manana, but today is all mine!

Gary

Saturday, May 3, 2014

The Wheels In My Brain Go Round and Round

I am finding that multi-tasking is for those who enjoy living on the edge before their off switch gets flipped. I am not one of those people. As a matter of fact, if I can get one task completed, I feel a sense of accomplishment that far outshines the many tasks my counterparts generate pride in.

For instance, take my lawn. I have both a riding mower and a regular one. I can get the bulk of the lawn cut in twenty minutes or so. I have now spent approximately 30 days mulling over firing off the rider and laying waste to the hay field that has magically appeared since the warmer weather has arrived. I should do something about that and when I do, that sense of pride and accomplishment will be chewed on and appreciated by both me and my neighbors.

This whole blog tour project has allowed me to feel the thrill of victory, but a steady diet of this venue could cause dilatorious effects on my psyche I think. The positive reviews I have received are awesome, so I will sally forth and make it through to my big Juniper Grove interview on May 9th. After that there are no guarantees that my mental condition will not deteriorate.

I know this sounds more like procrastination, but trust me when I tell you that this is really slow uni-tasking. I have taken to heart many tribes' belief that learning about the universe takes careful contemplation of one's surroundings. You can't do that when you buzz around like a schizophrenic bee flying from flower to flower.

I must go contemplate my lawn again. Maybe my rabbits have knocked it down a bit. If not, I should think about buying goats and saving my mowers' gas!

Gary