Halloween Watch 2006

Orange, CA - The time is 6:15. Kim is watching a recorded episode of Little People, Big World. I'm at my computer. Molly is getting cozied up in her favorite blanket, and Madison is upstairs. The "Happy Halloween" lights are lit. Our "Trick or Treat" flag is out. Now we wait.

UPDATE 6:55 - Three trick-or-treaters. One Anakin Skywalker, one Superman, and one Mickey Mouse.

UPDATE 7:11 - Two more trick-or-treaters. One Princess Jasmine and one Elmo who looked suspiciously too old to be dressed up as Elmo.

UPDATE 7:55 - No more trick-or-treaters since Jasmine and Elmo. It looks like we'll have a grand total of five for Halloween 2006.

ABS

No, not abdominal muscles. No, not Anti-lock braking system. No, not the Australian Bureau of Statistics. I'm talking about Apply Button Syndrome. It's a degenerative disease of the computer-user's mind.


Let me explain. Windows users, feel free to follow along (Mac & Linux users, play make-believe). Right click on your desktop, go to Properties. Click on Desktop tab. Change the background (or background color). What do you do next? Click Apply, of course. Then what? Click OK.

Now this isn't the best example because you actually get feedback (as in, a new background) when you click Apply. You've got the opportunity to try another background before you click OK, if this one doesn't please you.

Another example. Launch Windows Explorer. Click Tools->Folder Options. Click the View tab. Under Advanced Settings, click the checkbox next to Launch Folder Windows in a separate process. Click Apply. Click OK. Wait, did we just click Apply? But why? We didn't get get any useful feedback. It's not as if we can see the computer setting itself up to launch explorer in different processes. But we clicked Apply anyway.

This mental disease primarily affects people in the IT industry. Helpdesk staff are particularly susceptible. As you can see by this Google search, there are web sites out there actually spreading this disease.

I know right now you are wondering, 'What can I do to stop the spread of this disease, or to cure myself?' Well, medical science has yet to provide us with a drug known to eliminate this condition. The best advice I can give you is this: If the only feedback you get by clicking the Apply button is that the Apply button becomes disabled, don't click the Apply button before you click OK. OK?

Line numbers in Microsoft Word

Today I learned that you can display line numbers in Microsoft Word. Just go to File->Page Setup, click on Line Numbers, check Add line numbering and adjust the rest of the options as needed. I wonder how many people know of this feature?

Here's some more info on it: Office Space: Adding Line Numbers to a Microsoft Word Document.

In case you were wondering, OpenOffice.org Writer can do line numbers too (at least, version 2 that I have installed can). It's a little easier to find: Tools->Line Numbering...

Locker Room Roulette

So at the fitness center, they seem to randomly hand out the locker keys (maybe to keep people from having to have lockers right next to each other?). I've decided to keep track of my locker assignments, and eventually maybe try to predict what I'll get next.

Tuesday, July 18: 76
Thursday, July 20: 79 -- Today they put me directly across from an agitated man who had his luggage in the locker room.
Tuesday, August 1: 5
Monday, August 7: 101
Tuesday, August 8: 60
Wednesday, August 9: 100
Tuesday, August 15: 118
Thursday, August 17: 49
Tuesday, August 22: 79 - back in locker 79 again. Maybe I should leave something (a sticker, or a card?) in the locker each day, and see if it's still there when I'm assigned that locker again...
Thursday, August 24: oops, I forgot which locker I was assigned that day.
Tuesday, August 29: 45
...
Tuesday, September 19: Hmm, I haven't kept up very well. Today: 118
...
Ok, narrowly avoiding catching a nasty cold before vacation in Cancun (where we did use the gym twice at the hotel), I'm working to get back to my routine.
...
Thursday, October 12: 79 - Three times at this locker now!
Tuesday, October 17: 39
Thursday, October 26: 38
...
Tuesday, May 15: 16
Thursday, May 17: 18

A lot can happen in a week

So last week Monday we bought Kim her new car, a Nissan Maxima. It's really nice. On Friday it had its first car accident. Someone sideswiped us; not too badly, we're ok, but c'mon, it's a new car! Fortunately the other driver (I won't name her here) has insurance, and today the insurance company called us to let us know they've accepted liability.

Sunday Bike Ride

There's just something about taking a bike ride, having a drink when you get home, and grilling up some tasty food on a Sunday. Yesterday I biked to Santiago Oaks Regional Park, did the Wilderness Loop, then biked back home, for about 10 miles or so. Here's the route I took.

I saved a GPX file of the route too.

Cactus Hill Hike with Molly

Last Sunday (Jan 22), Kim and I took a hike with Molly on Cactus Hill.