I was talking to a coworker, and I noticed the calculator on his desk. It was a Texas Instrument job, (TI-86, I think), with a big screen for multiple lines and graphing. I mentioned, “Cool calculator,” and he told me some about it.

I said I have an older, but similar version from my computer science major days in college. “I still keep it with me, in my backpack,” I said.

When I got back to my desk, I picked up my backpack and pulled out my TI-36X SOLAR. I took it back to my coworker’s desk and showed him.

We compared the two intruments, and talked about mathmatical concepts that I haven’t thought about in 15 years or more. Concepts and terms that I only recognize by name, now, but that I used to use on a fairly regular basis.

I started my college career with computer science. I learned various computer languages, (Basic, FORTRAN, COBOL, C+, Binary, hexidecimal, etc.), studied calculus and logic, and was generally solidly in the mathematcal realm of college.

And then, two years into my major, I decided to switch to English. And that decision is a whole ‘nother discussion.

But I kept my calculator. For the first few months out of mathematics, I would play around with the various functions on it, just for fun. Eventually, though, I lost all skill with it. Now it’s in my backpack for use as a basic calculator — I only use the main functions of the gray and blue buttons.

I kind of miss mathemtatics, at times.

Bullgrit

The worst thing about going through this exercise regimen is that the hour-and-a-half (and more) of my evenings it takes, really cramps out the other activities I need to do in the evenings. When I’m finished with the workout, cooled down, and showered, it’s usually about 10:00 p.m., and I’m ready to collapse into bed. So that means other things, like writing a blog post, get put off.

The best thing about going through this exercise regimen is the fantastic feeling coursing through my body right after finishing a routine. I almost always feel like I shouldn’t be finished yet, like I have more energy to burn. But the particular muscles I’ve been working that evening are pretty much wasted, and I really couldn’t do even one more push up or pull up or jump or squat.

I’ve completed phase I of P90X — 4 weeks done, 9 more to go. I still find the Yoga X routine to be very aggravating, but I still love the system as a whole.

I’ve lost some weight, and I’m starting to get some tone all around. I got a compliment on my calves this weekend when I was out running beside my boys on their scooters. Plus I was happy to be able to keep up with my boys on their scooters, without having to stop and pant every few minutes. It felt good to run around our house playing tag, too. I was raring to go.

This whole workout system is proving to be one of the best hard processes I’ve ever put myself through.

Bullgrit

I got this email:

From: Eddie Whitehead [hcieddie@hotmail.com]

Hello!!!
Only for serious relation for future marriage and family without any games!!!I’m kind and open heart woman from Russia,looking serious man who tired to be lonely and dream about strong family with trust and understanding.I promise only honesty correspondence and relationship,if you interesting or looking for the same,please write me on serdechnaya@lavabit.com,with my best wishes Evgeniya

This was to my personal email account, which to my knowledge is not listed anywhere public.

My first thought after reading this was, Do people ever really fall for this? Really, are there people who are sophisticated enough to know how to check their email but are so dumb as to read this and think “Hey, this random stranger chick is totally hot for me!”?

I mean, first off, there are three names here: Eddie Whitehead, Evgeniya, and the email name serdechnaya. What, “evgeniya” was an already taken user name at lavabit.com? And she had to send this email from a [male] friend’s account?

Hell, I’d give desperate virgins more credit than to fall for this stupid come on scam. Someone should respond to this kind of email “solicitation” with something like this:

Hey there!
I am definitely interested in a serious relationship leading to marriage and family. I’m a kind and open-hearted man looking for a trusting and family-oriented woman. I’d like to send you money so you can come to America. I’ll even send enough funds so you can buy new boots to go with that coat, too. Give me your bank account information so I can transfer funds to you. I’ll need your full name, your bank name and location, and your account number for the transaction. I’m a very handsome man, and will make you happy and proud to marry me.

I’m also wealthy enough that I can have Eddie Whitehead killed with no trace to you or me. I’ve already tracked his location through his email account info, and soon you will be free for me.

Best wishes,

Jonathon Earl Harris Worthington, III

Bullgrit

We have our tv, phone, and internet back up. And there was great rejoicing!

I kept calling the cable company to ask about getting our line repaired, and they put us on their priority list. So instead of waiting till Wednesday to come out, they sent out a bury team Monday afternoon. The cable line comes from the other side of the lot next door to us, where new construction is starting, and runs through the middle of the lot (where there is now a house foundation).

The dig team showed up Monday afternoon, without a call, and knocked on our door. I wasn’t home then, but the workers told Cowgrit what they were about to do: dig and run a line across the front of the lot next door, under where the driveway will eventually be, through our front yard, under our driveway, and around to the other side of our house. They told her the construction next door would probably end up cutting the line again. Well doesn’t that sound like a problem with their plan?

I got a call from home telling me what was going on. I then called the neighborhood construction manager, with whom I had already discussed this matter, but I got no answer. I called back home and told Cowgrit to go out and see if the manager is in the neighborhood — he usually is all day, as there are a lot of houses going up on our street right now.

As soon as she stepped out of the house, the manager was already coming up to the cable company workers. The manager (whom we like a lot) told the diggers their plan was a bad idea because, yes, it probably would get cut again if they place it across a zone that will get worked over during the construction. He gave them his card and told them to have their supervisor call him so they can figure out a good way to run the line through the lot.

I called the cable company and talked with a couple of people (a tech and a cust serv person) to make sure the information got passed on to the proper people. I must say for the cable company, their phone reps were polite and helpful. It’s apparently just their dig teams who seem clueless. And the reason we didn’t get a warning call from the dig team, that they were coming at that time, is probably because the phone number for our account is the phone line that was cut. Ha!

Then at 8:00 Monday night, (after dark), a cable worker came to our house to get us hooked back up. He ran a cable line from the other side of the construction lot, around the back, (outside the lot fence), through our back yard, and around to the other side of our house. He got us all hooked back up, and said they’d bury the cable properly once the construction next door was complete.

This cable guy seemed to be of the opinion that if the line ran through the construction lot, the construction workers would cut the line out of spite. Apparently there’s a lack of love between cable guys and house building guys.

But, whatever, now we are back connected to the world.

Bullgrit