When she's not crying...

..she can be very cute :-)

Routers in Hastings

I really forgot to mention that Jason was a really good sport, and let me do the configurations in Hastings for the Point-To-Point routers. Thanks Jason, for letting me have a crack at that, granted they weren't incredibly complicated, but I felt involved for once in well over 9 months.

Chloe's Birthday

Happy Birthday Chloe, she's the big 3 today!

This is Lisa's boyfriend Jeremy with Chloe, when he's not playing with toys check out him and his band The Beggars, they rock...

Recent Photos

Chloe and I at Silver Bells in the City, she would not leave my shoulders



Chloe and her cousin Luc

Abby and her Great Grandpa Wally

The Sisters

So this is what our company does to screw us...

They send us out an email that says that they have "exceeded their vacation day allotment for the year", and they have ever so 'graciously' offered us a couple of hundred dollars per vacation day to buy us out of them. I forgot the best part, they won't let us use them in December, and notify us of it on November 26th. Basically, that means that if you do have vacation days left, you can't use them, really your only option is to cash them out. The best part of that is a couple hundred dollars is not what they are worth, the company is still making money on those days when you take the cash-out option. What company with any financial common sense would commit to vacation days for an employee then tell them that they can't take them, obviously in an effort to make some money back. Our team has all made a pact for next year. I can't say what that arrangement is on line, but what I can say about it is when your company does not take care of you, you have no choice but to take care of yourself. :-)

Our company (ITP) really needs to take a harder look at how the treatment of it employees effects everything

Jason saw my blog today!

Someone actually found me for once, yay! Goggle is actually doing their part and indexing my stuff, thanks Google!

Just about to head off for a long weekend, got Wednesday off, and Friday, so I am done working for the week!

Haloween Short Clip

This is Chloe and her two neighborhood buddies, Ella, and Amanda out doing the trick or treat thing.

Recent photos with the ladies

More photos from the first week with Abby

If you're a Dad, you know what I'm thinking here

...nuff said

Big Ten Network

I am declaring my stand on this Big Ten Network issue

If you go to the Comcast Website, and the Big Ten Network site, you get a few different slants on it.

If you don't know whats going on with the 2, i'll fill you in.

Big Ten Network has nearly all the rights to broadcast the Big Ten games, they have made a 20 year contract between Fox Networks, and the Big Ten Conference. Other networks like ABC, NBC, and ESPN no longer have the rights to broadcast the games anymore. In the process of this monopoly, Some sort of bad deal went down between Comcast and Big Ten over how the channel would be broadcast. From what I hear, they wanted to have a dedicated channel on the basic band, and Comcast wanted it to be in the digital band. As a result of the differences, the Big Ten Network in general is not on Comcast at all. This leaves me shit out of luck to watch a U of M game at home, because all I get is some lame game from Iowa or Kansas. I think what Comcast was defending against is having to stick another charge to all subscribers, and if that was the logic, I respect them for that. I already pay well over 130 dollars per month for digital cable and Internet. They better not stick me with another charge. What I am seeing out of this is the Big Ten's greedy side, and how they are trying to gouge the major source of viewers, and this is wrong. Now DirecTV, and Dish have the channel, and subscribers are not paying any new premiums for this petty network. I assume Comcast is getting stuck in having to pass the cost on somehow. For these petty differences, I say Screw You Big Ten, you have wrung enough money out of your fans, when really when it comes down to it, the players aren't getting paid, all of these dividends are going into the schools and Fox's pockets. God only knows out of this deal, a tuition bill somewhere won't be dropping any time soon.

Shame On You Big Ten Conference

I will not pay for your sports, unless I buy a ticket and go to the stadium.

Bastards.

As for Comcast, you better keep yourself in check, you are advertising about all the games you still show, but lets keep it real, I haven't seen a worthwhile game on your channels I want to watch in well over 3 weeks. What you have left to show a Michigan fan is squat.

Fix the issue Comcast

Wireless Chloe

Abigail Marie Vincent Has Arrived

We got word from Tracy's doctor visit that inducing early was the way to go on Tuesday afternoon, so after roughly 24 hrs, she arrived on Wednesday just before 3pm. Weighing in at 8 lbs, 9 oz, and 21" she is doing well and is a very healthy little lady.





The weekend was a long one, as all ladies her age do, she slept all day, and kept us up all night from Thursday to Monday, but we managed to pull through

From Otto's Collection... Pirate Lines For The Day

Spin: arrrr, pirates of the south west
Spin: thar be large pipes o'bandwith near ye'ol univarsety.
Pirate: yearg, ye may be an ta somethan thar.
Spin: what say ye we pull yonder USB hard disk longside yonder NMSU puter and begin tha lutin and plunderin.
Pirate: yearg. The master done gaved me a testin machine with a grand ol CDR.
Pirate: Avast!
Pirate: MP3s off the starboard bow!
Spin: stere clear of ye porn pop ups rollin in from tha east.
Pirate: I have mah trusty Opera browsa to help me fend em off.
Spin: encrypt the data holds, batton down thar security patches, argh thar be spyware abound.
(From: http://www.bash.org/?9081)

29 "Arrrgh-Bring me a servin' wench to bid me me pleasures!"
28 "Argh-lad, is that Lee Elliott over there - or am I as mad as a salted herring?"
27> "Bast yer eyes upon me?"

13> "Avast! A Team Builders meeting off our schedule's port bow! Scuttle yer productivity, mateys, and prepare to be bored-ed!"
12> "No increase in me pay? Arrr, boss, let me tell ye where ye can store that hook!"
11> "Hold that elevator, ye whoreson bilge rat!"
10> "Ye bent my ear with yer lubberly questions WITHOUT tryin a reboot first? Arrr! It's the plank for you, ye mangy cur... and thank ye for calling Microsoft Tech Support!"
8> "Avast, ya scurvy knave! Brave be ye, for certain, but arrr ye willin' ta die fer that parking spot?"
6> "Aye, if it's a large treasure chest and amazin' booty ye seek, fix yer gaze upon the receptionist."
5> "Boss, I'll be borrowin' a coupla doubloons from petty cash fer some Ho Ho's and a bottle of rum."
4> "Aaaarrrrrghhh! Who among us floated the air mead?"
2> "Avast, ye demon copy machine! Taste the wrath of my arse!"


"Ah-har! Jim lad! Shiver me timbers!"

"I don't know as I recall askin' ye for yer thoughts, ye scurvy bilge-drinkin' tar-merchant. Avast yer gob afore I keelhaul ye an' string yer bones from the crow's nest." - I didn't ask for your opinion. Shut up or you'll regret it.

"Yarr! Weigh anchor! Hoist the mizzen! Savvy, ye scallywag?!" “Or ye will be in Davey Jones' locker soon, ye Landlubber!”

"Thar she blows!" - The pirate equivalent of "Whoop, there it is!". [Arrgh...that be Whaler talk, and no respectable pirate would speak like a blubber lubber!]

"ARRRGHHHH" - this phrase shows general discontent. or it can also mean that someone is about to get wild- a.k.a. a battle cry.

"wake me at the zenith of the moon" - only full blown pirates know this phrase. An educated pirate is rare but also the most deadly kind. They are smarter than you and crazier.

"Ahoy, me hearties!" - Equivalent of "Hello, my friends!"

"Avast ye scum ridden weevil shaggers. Captain Black Beard is gonna keel haul you and grow barnacles on ye starboard knacker". - The Captain isn't happy...

"I'm gonna make a kill" - This pirate is going to kill something... and he is serious about it.

"Dogs ahoy!" - Equivalent of "Things to kill, straight ahead."

"Shiver me timbers!" - Like saying "Oh My!" like my legs are shaking

"Skuttle me Skippers" - Making a mistake and being judged for/by it.

"Avast ye varmint" - Stop right there young man because you're in big trouble.

"Weigh anchor!" - Let's go!

"Yarr." - I agree.

"Yarr!" - I see your point, and agree wholeheartedly.

"Yarr-ha-harr!" - You're right!

"Yarr?" - Excuse me, what did you say?

"Yarrgh" - I respectfully acknowledge that you are right and I am wrong

"Blow me down!" - You don't say? How surprising.

"Ye Scalawag!" - Meanings can range from affectionate, as in you dumbs**t!--to exasperated, as in You stupid son of a ____!--to the last word you say before you gut them like a fish: You dirty dog!

"Savvy?" - Is that okay with you? Do you understand?

"Ahoy" - Call to attract attention, something akin to 'Hello, there!'

""Fo'c's'le" - Slang for Forecastle. Room at the bow (front) of the ship where the crew sleeps.

"Head" - Small room in the very bow of the ship where a pirate used the sopping bucket. (Bathroom)

"Jack" - A flag or a sailor; showing how sailors would refer to their ship's colors as one of the crew. Hence Jack Tar for sailor and the Union Jack flag.

"Messdeck lawyer" - A know-it-all

"Salmagundi" - A dish of chopped meat, eggs, anchovies, onions and anything else the cook can throw in; A piratical delicacy

"Son of a Biscuit Eater" - Not so much a sailor term, but a derrogatory term indicating someone you don't like

"Landlubber" - (Landlover)A "Non-pirate" or a curse for someone who is a coward

"Mungus" - A legendary pirate. I fear for my ancestors!


"Weigh anchor! Hoist the mizzen!!!" - Basically adds on to Let's go!

"davey jones' locker" - death after walking the plank. your coffin in the sea.

"A merry yarn" - A good story

"Arrrghh, thar's a storm a brewin" - For a pirate, anytime the wind is over Force 5 and he can't see his hook in front of his eyepatch. For a landlubber, anytime the wind is above 5 knots and there's a cloud in the sky. Both require imbibing grog. For both, whenever the first, second, third...mates (female) come yelling "AARRGGGHH, you dirty dog, I'm gonna make a kill." Definitely requires both to imbibe vast quantities of rum and weigh anchor before being keelhauled and made to walk the plank. (Note: One would be very lucky to be able to walk the plank after being keelhauled!)

"Three sheets to the wind" - Refers to a very drunk person. There is actually a scale for rating "how drunk" someone is -- "one sheet" being only slightly drunk and "four sheets" being unconscious.

"arrrrgh shocked to the very boney"

"Yarrg! These DVDs be o-the finest quality, an' a piece of 8 will land ye 5 films of your choice!" - Good quality illegally recorded movies on offer.


"Batten down yer hatches before I shiver me timber up yer poop deck!"

"A dubloon in me face is better'n a piece of eight!"

"WHERE BE THE TREASURE" - WHERE IS THE TREASURE

"LAND AHOY" - I SEE LAND

It's Talk Like A Pirate Day Matie!

Been waiting for this day for months! Every call we get today is getting treated like they are gonna walk the plank!

http://talklikeapirateday.org/

The pond in our back yard

It rained cats and dogs that day from the thunderstorms, half the back yard was full of water, Chloe called it the "Chloe River"

Some other shots from this Summer

This is how getting home works...(at least yesterday)

Get in the door.
Chloe's not eating, she needs to eat.
Try to reheat a bowl of leftover Chili in the microwave
While at the door of the microwave, Chloe pulls a popcicle out of the fridge
I chase her down, make her at least get a bowl to catch the dripping mess
She then begins to cry relentlessly, now she wants a Lunchables she found in the fridge
Chloe sits down and eat one cracker (maybe two) out of it, I sit down at start to eat my leftovers
Chloe interrupts the first bit, and wants me to read a book
I tell her no, she cries again
Put down the Chili, and read the book, then 3 more
Reheat the Chili again in the microwave
Barely finish dinner and find the cat pissing on my sandals
Chase the cat around beating the living shit out of her
Go upstairs to check the vincentfamily.org site mail, realize that I should get the backup drive plugged back in, so I can do that
1 minute later, XP crashes, ntoskrnl error, great timing
Go back downstairs, Chloe wants to go outside and see her friends
Take her outside, but she wont unclutch me once she sees her friends
The girls go to the swingset, Chloe is last to it, 2 girls, 2 swings, you know what happens now
Hold Chloe while she cries for 10 minutes, then she get to swing
She cries because she wants to go faster
She cries because she wants to stop
Repeat the last 2 steps 2 more times
Take Chloe inside
Let Chloe watch Diego for another 10 minutes
Put Chloe to bed
Go downstairs for watch TV for a half hour
Chloe cries in bed for 10 minutes, wants her Blue and Green blankets
Find out we don't have either blankets, they are both at daycare
She continues to cry for another 10 minutes
Go to bed shortly after

Van Buren Goes Live Today

They start the new EMR program today, number of calls made to us since they started it at 8am: 1 call. Nice!

The running tally

To keep myself in check, I thought I would write down the things that Rich has been getting exclusive involvement with is never offered to the rest of the team, me particularly.

In all fairness, there are things that I am offered on occasion, and I am going to document those as well, as they come up

• Cactii
• 10 Digit Dialing-Cisco
• Barry Phones - Configuration Part
• XEN
• Virtual Iron
• ESVA-Pines
• VTC Wiki Testing
• Pines Voicemail Issue (Calling Search Space) 8/9
• Trend Micro Serverprotect for VTC
• WEP Key for WLAN IP Phones
• H.323 Gateway
• Ironmail Management

I am only doing this to keep myself in check, I am trying to be as unbiased as possible, this is for me to track the involvement I get in new projects vs. others (Rich mostly)

Day Out With Thomas

Slow day

Slow on the phones, not much going on at work.

Got the last ultrasound done today, kid-o looks to be in good shape, next visit, our doorstep!

Tonights gonna be a painting night, Tracy's got to keep Chloe busy while I do that, shouldn't be much of an issue, nothing an episode or 2 of Dora won't fix!

Just when you think you can have every base covered...

...from a connectivity standpoint. Got 3 circuits in Hastings, 2 DS3's, and a T1, 2 different vendors to cover them, but when you have a pack of fellas 2 blocks down that knock out the whole splice for all circuits, hey what does any of it matter!

No circuits to work with, carrying 1 cellular broadband card as a last resort, and some high hopes, I spent most of the night in Barry County, waiting for AT&T to show up, they did, but what a long day.

The Krug's Go Up North

She had some heart issues last week, was in the hospital for a few days. Tracy went up north with them yesterday when they closed on the new cottage, to help them clean up the place, taking some of the unnecessary burden off of Deb. Turn out in general it went like this:
Tracy says to Tom "I am going to go upstairs and clean something."
Tom says to Tracy "No, you can't do it that way, clean this instead, ugh........"
Tracy says to Tom, "Whatever, man., ugh......."
Tracy cleans what Tom demands be done first.
Tom then re-cleans what she has already cleaned.
Deb then re-cleans what Tom and Tracy both cleaned.

OCD at its finest people!

That kind of stuff will inevitably send them all to the hospital some day, and nobody wants to accept that this can be the cause of anxiety, whatever......

You know, I am not all whining when it comes to work

There is lots fun here that I am enjoying. Jason is getting a 4TB iSCSI NAS, hopefully he will let me help in setting it up, we're going to run all of our tape drives off of it. Got a project to test out Peachtree's Pervasive SQL back end for use downtown use. Well, I guess thats about all I really do have going on, god, that ain't much after all. Working with the people on the phones is always enjoyable as well. Life isn't nearly as bad as the last few rants I posted, just thought I would keep things balanced here.

"Garbage In, Garbage Out"

... thats what Bonzai always called it. Got to work 15 minutes late today, the boss is pissed because I suspect he had to cover system verification. Rich is out sick, most likely from running himself into he ground after doing some power diet for 2 weeks. Otto is supposed to be on phone, but has elected to vanish into the data center to do Webtrends reports. Jason, well, is just being Jason. My job on the precious schedule is to be runner, thats what I'm going to do. Screw the rest of the bullshit going around.

Lingering thought about helping co-workers

Wouldn't it seem fair that if you helped a colleague from day one when he started, always lended a hand when they asked, that when that person begins to get all of the high end "rewarding" work and you don't, he no longer obviously deserves any help from you? And if you do continue to help, isn't it only counterproductive to your own goals seeing that the other now seems to be in favor of the people assigning work?

What do others think of this rationale?

I have always felt that if you always help the others around you, you in turn will be rewarded as well. That does not seem to be the case for me these days, and I am beginning to think that I need to help myself more these days, and help others less.

Oh, Mondays

Another Monday, another set of irate users who never think the problem cam from them clicking on something 1000 times to no avail! That always cracks me up.

I hear Jason's sending Rich more "Golden Child" requests today. I sure wish I knew whether it was worth it or not to compete with this guy, or to just let it happen, because I never get a friggin thing from any part of development. It pisses me off, but I bet you can tell that.

Chloe fell asleep last night after having no nap all day, she was out cold clutching a potato chip in her hand, and sticking her tongue out trying to reach it while she slept. That was cracking me up.

What's happning everyone!

Been a while since I wrote an entry, figured it was time to lay down a little text.

Whats new with Chloe, well, its Summer and she is having a great time playing outside these days. A refreshing change from sitting around watching those same old DVD's over and over. Chloe has 2 little friends that live around us, Ella, and Amanda. They all love to swing, and play in Amanda's Kiddie pool, and just plain run all over the place. It's fun to watch, they have such a great time together. That reminds me to mention, we got a swing set from Tom and Deb that we have installed (Partially) in the back yard. I include the word "partially" because I have not dug the holes for it yet, Tom has made a point to remind me of the holes hourly, in his usual style. Anyways, the kids seem to like it. Chloe is become quite an interactive lady, repeating things we say, and in her own funny little way, telling us what we need to do for her.

The next little addition to the family, yet to have her name yet, has 3 potential names, all of which will not be mentioned in this blog. Too many Krug's feel they need to know this ahead of time, c'mon you all, wait for something for once! She seems to be doing well, doing lots more kicking in the past few weeks. But compared to Chloe when she was this far along, the younger seems to be more subdued that Chloe was. But when you can only feel a kid kicking that isn't much to work from, we'll see...

Tom and Deb have just accepted an offer on a new cottage up north. They are going to be heading up to get an inspection done on it this weekend. Its is on Otsego Lake, and will eventually have a dock with lake access, Tom plans on buying a pontoon boat possibly for it. It will be nice to get back up north again. It will be entertaining to be on the same lake Chuck camps at every summer. If I'm lucky, I won't have to listen to a single word from him. All words from Chuck are so colorful and enlightening these days.

Work has been the same-ol-thing lately. Back in February I had that problem with the guys, and they all shunned me, as a follow up from that event, some things have changed, and some have not at all. At least everyone is being civil with me again. I am not getting crap for new projects. That has been very disappointing for me. With the tightening of the budget due to Medicare next year, I am sure that most new projects are going to be harder to find, and they all seem to be going to Rich, Jason's new Golden Child. Makes me very bitter. Unfortunately, I see no reason why I should not continue to pursue a replacement job in Lansing. Looks like the job hunt will commence once again. I have learned a lot from this place, but if they think I will come second to Rich for new projects, its time to pursue new projects somewhere else.

Thats about all I can think of in this brain dump, talk to you all soon!

Elton John Wannabe

Chloe's phrase of the day:
"[Insert any object here] is so-o-o-o-o- cute!"

Whatta riot
Tomorrow, we're amking another trip to Binder Park Zoo, Chloe's gonna love it!

Happy Easter

Chloe got her Easter basket

What we got back was the typical "CHEESE!" smile. I love that.

If you don't celebrate Easter, well, happy Sunday to you, my kid got candy and yours didn't! hehe...

Tracy also tried taking this basket you see from her and put it away after about 10 minutes. Chloe had to correct her, and then promptly reclaim her chocolate goodness. Now she won't put it down anywhere and carries it constantly.

Chloe and the family go to the Water park

We went to a waterpark at Boyne Mountatin, mad props to Tom and Deb for letting us crash in their room, they won the trip from a radio show contest.