A few months ago I received two pairs of boots from someone on Heights Montrose Freecycle. One pair I wear quite often, Dr Marten 10-eyelet boots. The classic black original. Can’t beat it for free.
Also a few months ago, between being offered my new job and starting it, I was at a store with TG looking for good work shoes for her, and they were having a discontinuation clearance on several shoes. One was a Vasque Breeze XCR Hiking Boot, and it was less than $70.
Every good computer programmer needs a pair of hiking boots. My last pair was purchased just after my last software job melted back into the job pool and I took some time off. I went to Puerto Rico and hiked about in El Yunque rain forest.
Those boots have seen many a pavement pounding day beneath them, including a trip to Belgium, Amsterdam, and France, and need to be retired. So, the new boots it is.
What I really like about both pairs of boots is the bootstraps. More shoes should have bootstraps! Helping you to pull on those snug-fitting comfortable and useful shoes.
Hooray Bootstraps!
December 27th, 2007
Posted by
bshirley |
random |
2 comments
I did this for fun because BGwScott did it, and I was all aflutter after getting my Internet back after 4 days of it being dead. But then I got email from Manuel, one of my old high school buddies who I played D&D with a few times, commenting about our continued interest in games (though the interests don’t include D&D anymore). So, here’s the meme:
What Kind of Dungeons and Dragons Character Would You Be?
I Am A: True Neutral Human Sorcerer/Rogue (3rd/3rd Level)
Ability Scores:
Strength-13
Dexterity-12
Constitution-12
Intelligence-15
Wisdom-14
Charisma-12
(more…)
December 24th, 2007
Posted by
bshirley |
games, meme, web |
2 comments
Thursday night I left work and went straight to the Sharpstown Mall - Houston’s Premier Urban Mall (mostly out of a need to avoid the Galleria - the other mall on the way home from work). I had quite fun with the cultural experience. Did a little shopping, and have been humored by the people who literally think i was in imminent danger by going there.
From there I went straight to Greg’s house for game night, where he Peter and I were the only attendees. (Paul showed up as I was leaving - and I think he and Greg continued gaming).
We played 4 games. Race for the Galaxy (2007) was ranked #31 on BGG! An interesting colonization themed card-based game. It takes most of your first play to get the mechanics down enough to pay attention to any strategy. I wasn’t wowwed, but would certainly play it a few more times to determine if I liked it or not.
If Wishes Were Fishes (2007) GBB Rank 988 - a very light fish market themed game. I liked it more than I thought I would. It would be easy to tech to kids, and has nice fun purple worms as part of the game.
Hansa (2004) BGG Rank 159 - TG recently acquired this at an Internet fire sale, but I hadn’t yet played it. So, Greg taught this one and it is a nice shorter length game but with some interesting mechanics providing for some definite strategies with a variety of levels of antagonism. I have sine played it with two-players (with TG) and with three again. I definitely like it. Minimal, but good.
Aqua Romana (2005) BGG Rank 638 - This was a nice closer to the evening. Not too long, interesting mechanics. Building aqueducts with tiles that are determined by men moving about the field of tiles. Definitely worth a place in the rotation.
I got home around midnight to find my DSL disconnected. The phone repair guy had come to fix the dead phone - which had fixed itself already - but he saw there were “wiring problems” from outside so the disconnected the “upstairs line” so the other phones would work. What he actually did was disconnect the DSL.
Many days talking to many idiots finally payed off and this morning a competent repair man replaced many parts of the 10 year old DSL wiring - and hopefully it will remove the static I’ve had on my phone for over a year.
I also get DHCP directly fed from AT&T/SBC. Apparently no one else in Houston is like that. I was one of the first ADSL customers to get hooked up (working software design out of my house - paid by the company) and they’ve maintained it for those who have stayed. I’m one of the last.
I remember when it used to feed an unlimited number of IP addresses (because they didn’t know what they were doing). That lasted a few years, but they finally figured it out and now will only feed one IP address per DSL connection.
December 24th, 2007
Posted by
bshirley |
friends, games, latenight, tech, web |
one comment
So, a few years ago I refinanced my mortgage and Ameriquest gave me a god awful rate (others wouldn’t loan to me). Because of their predatory lending practices (which I’m sure did others in) they settled a large class action suit.
I just got settlement money in the bank. Yay, now I can afford to pay the mortgage on January 1.
Of course, all those bad mortgages are still going to kerplunk the credit market, and aid an economic slowdown if not a mild recession.
December 17th, 2007
Posted by
bshirley |
725, corporations |
one comment
During my morning benefactorial reading of Benjamin Franklin Wit and Wisdom, I came across the following passage.
After three days men grow weary of a wench, a guest, and weather rainy.
As is typical, yesterday was nice and clear blue skies after one day of gray and one day of rain. The gray is back again today, but i’d wager not for long.
Like the weather, guests in Houston don’t typically stay for longer than three days (a friend will be here for three in January).
December 14th, 2007
Posted by
bshirley |
houston, random |
no comments
I’m just learning to use iMovie for the first time. Here’s a movie of the party setup. Arrival of the shot block at 2:30 to the official start time of the party at 8pm.
December 11th, 2007
Posted by
bshirley |
latenight, weekend |
2 comments
