Category: Grab Bag

Randomness Redux

Published on by Andy Affleck

Is it Friday? Did I make it?

  • Well, the site I’ve been working on for a few weeks now was officially launched today. I didn’t design this one but I had the joy of building the html/css out of the designer’s photoshop file. Was fun. Got to do some fun things with CSS I’d never done before. It’s MilSpouse.org and I’m very happy with how it came out. (And, yes, it’s running inside Workforce Connections which is the Department of Labor’s version of our EZRO which we developed for them.)
  • I took Jack to the playground this afternoon and met another Boston ex-pat who was there with her daughter, Jackie. So, Jack ad Jackie played together. That was fun. We ex-pats have to stick together so I gave her my email address so we could plan another playdate for the kids. Besides, me being sans-cash, she bought Jack an ice cream pop when the truck came around so I owe her.
  • At Potbelly deli after the playground, a little girl, maybe 2 years old, came running by. She stopped, smiled at us, and then ran on. Jack stood up on the bench to look for her and called out, “Where are you little frisky?” I nearly chocked on a potato chip.
  • Kerry was so much more Presidential than the Commander-in-Chimp. Bush looked so ill at ease, peevish, out of place, etc. Kerry also clearly sounded far more intelligent. I had a feeling that when they went one-on-one it would be no contest.
  • Red Sox. I don’t know if I can go through this again. We’ll see how many games I actually watch this October. I mean, ALDS and ALCS. If they make the World Series, I’ll be watching, How can I not? I just don’t know if I can handle the games leading up to it. Not after last year.

Randomness

Published on by Andy Affleck

So, catching you up on all things me, because I know so many of you out there have been wondering…

  • Getting Things Done Yes, I too have tasted this Kook-Ade. I read the book this past weekend and spent a chunk of time Monday morning redoing my organization system. Luckily, I was already pretty invested in Microsoft Entourage 2004 so it was no great shakes to alter my basic workflow in that program for this system. I’m only two days in so I don’t yet trust it but I do feel a lot more productive. It will take time before it feels like second nature and not something I am forcing myself to do. We shall see… Thanks to 43 Folders for getting me into this and being such a great resource for tips and tricks.
  • ipodder Yes, I have also drunk the podcasting Kool-Ade (see previous post). What I’m having a lot of fun with is the new, interesting music I am discovering via the blogdigger media feeds. Today I discovered 3 great tracks. Luckily, the metadata was in the tracks so I know what CDs to look for…
  • The Red Sox clinched a playoff berth (and just this minute they beat Tampa Bay in extra innings) so we’ll have some October fun again this year. Funny Sox story. I was sitting in our local Starbuck’s (I should say one of our local Starbuck’s reading GTD on Saturday wearing my trusty Red Sox cap. A family was in getting their drinks. While the man and woman were doing the sugar/whatever things to their drinks, their 2 year old daughter wandered in my direction. I’m always a bit weirded out when kids that young are let roam freely so I was keeping a close eye on her (it’s a parent thing). The man noticed and said “Honey, you can sit in the chair next to that man. He’s OK. He has a Red Sox cap on.” I laughed and she sat in the chair next to me and I say “Hi” to her. Then her father pulled out his cap which was, of course, Red Sox and collected his daughter and they left. Who knew that Starbuck’s caps were the sign that someone is OK to be safe with your children?
  • That same cap in that same Starbuck’s got me a big smile from the barista. A, as I described her to my wife later on, threateningly attractive blonde woman. She might have been flirting with me for all I know. Then again, dressed as a schlep, unshowered, and with my badly-needing-a-trim hair sticking out from under the cap in weird directions (why do the gray hairs refuse to do what the still-brown hairs do?) I’m sure it wasn’t flirting so much as being a good salesperson. But, dammit, I can dream, can’t I?
  • Movies I’ve seen recently: Sky Captain (Liked it), all three of the new Star Wars DVDs (loved ’em), 50 First Dates (liked it), Love Actually (loved it, actually)… we’ve joined our local blockbuster and rediscovered that we really enjoy just renting random DVDs and then lying in bed with a laptop perched on a belly watching movies at night.

OK. That’s enough for now. Thanks for listening.