Monday, October 5, 2009

So here we are. Many moons later and I'm writing my second blog. I totally forgot that I even had this blog until I was reading my brother-in-law's blog: Man in Manhattan. I clicked a link to start following his blog, then I go to www.blogspot.com and because I was logged into my email it shows my my blog and all the blogs I'm following (only Jim's)! So I have rediscovered my blog. Perhaps it will be 1 blog per year?

Things are good at the Smith homefront. The kids are growing, learning, playing and quarrelling just like kids are expected to do. I'm busy as I've ever been at work and church. In some ways, this is a conflict because I don't get to spend as much time with family as I used to. Yet, here I am late at night writing a blog, so can I complain?

Tonight I jacked up my wife's minivan and pulled off the front tire to check why it was squealing. Sure enough, the Odyssey is due for new brake pads. I really want to do this myself to save some $. I'll have to find out how easy/hard it is first. Just seems like there is always something, some project that needs attention. Right now I'm really wanting to fix my treadmill, but I don't want to buy a new controller board. I see that there are two "fried" resistors right next to the bridge rectifying diodes. I wonder if there was a current overload because the belt was jammed or something? Perhaps one of the surges from a storm? Anyhow, they are charred black and their value cannot be determined from their paint stripes and I don't know that replacing them would fix the circuit either. I've got to dig into the circuit a little bit. More on that later...

Sarah's mother and sister-in-law, Heather, came to visit this weekend. Sarah's mom brought two Krazr cell phones: a working one with a cracked screen and another dead one with a unbroken screen. The project didn't need any explanation. Google to the rescue. I type in How to Take apart Krazr and the first hit is this. I think I need a torx T5, but I don't for the screen itself. ITs just glued on. So with a really flat pearing knife from the kitchen I do the switch.

We watched LDS General Conference through the computer with an output to the TV. This is because we cancelled DishNetwork a while back. (Save $ again). Conference was uplifting. Much needed after surviving yet another round of layoffs at work last week. These were forthcoming, we knew it was going to happen before the end of the year - but it was still a surprise to me. Seems like there are many other people "in the know" when it comes to these things. They let 35 go. Seems the numbers were 25 from engineering (though 18 was mentioned too) and 10 from IT. Many from the my hardware development group where I work. Sad day, unproductive week. Needless to say, morale is not at its highest right now. Hallway conversations are less enjoyable. Today I ate lunch with a few guys and asked their opinion, and I heard more of the same glum stories.

This week should be better though. You have to bounce back, pray for those who lost their jobs and move on. Thats all you can do really. Moping about doesn't help.

I'm grateful that I still have a job, I'm miffed about the guys that got let go (including my manager of all people) and I'm resolved to keep on trucking (with three wheels). Only a select few will get that.

I am thinking more and more of writing a book. Not one about me, my life isn't too interesting to write a book about. Though I can tell good stories when interesting things happen to me. No, my daughters keep asking me for bedtime stories and I just make them up on the spot. They have names for them - "Daddy will you tell us a Princess story?" or "will you tell us an Enchantest Forest story?" or "How about one with tiny people?" or animals or whatever. We have lots of fun and afterward the most important part is the "questions" - I test their memory to see what they remember from the story. They love that part. I do too really, sometimes I don't even remember the answer but I know one of them will. They are amazing and they love to remember all the details.

Anyway, the book would be an outpouring of the silly crazy stories which have been told, the long ones, the short ones, new ones, and old ones. And of course, questions. A bedtime story book with pictures drawn by my cute kids who love to ask for stories. I only wish I had more time to tell them one every night. Lately its been less often than it used to be...

I'm done blogging for now. Once you get started its not too hard to write a lot. I suppose it has to do with having a lot on your mind and not talking with enough people. Its almost therapeutic, but probably not as much so as talking to your wife before you go to bed - which I hope I can still do if she's not asleep already...

My next post will be a blog about August - going out to Utah and the High Uintas National Forest for a 4 day 3 night camping trip with my brothers!

1 comment:

Cheryl Anne said...

Put me down for a copy of your book. I'd almost taken your blog link off my list... I'm glad I didn't, this was a pleasant surprise to read this morning. :)