After a trying time last week, I finaly made the decision to rehome/euthanise my dog Sasha. She finaly pushed herself over the limit and attacked Loki, one of our Border Collies. So off to the RSPCA. After a bit of trouble with someone on the ‘Customer Service’ desk, I was finally directed to the Vet Side of the business. I payed my $145 and left Sasha to be put to sleep.
And now there are 3
Sunday, July 25th, 2010
7 to 8 weeks
Sunday, July 11th, 2010
We went to the house today for a brief informal meeting with the Builder. After a walk around the upstairs and downstairs, we asked for a timescale for completion. 7 to 8 weeks. I had guessed that we wouldn’t be in the house by middle of July, almost a few days away. I had orriginally jested that we would be in September. God I hate it when I am right.
So the middle of September and another (at least) 4 pay days till we move in. So Rent on this place and mortgage, plus car and living expenses. Tight is not going to be even close. The annoying thing is that I cannot even have a say or get up the builders myself. It is all down to Sam and Karen, as they are on the title deeds and contract. They have had some great weather and yet they failed to do anything, they wait for the bad weather and drag their heels, which really pisses me off. By rights we should be in and settled. But no, they – the builders have done hardly anything to move this project along.
So based on the builders estimation of 7 – 8 weeks, I suspect that it will be even longer. I expect another 4 weeks on top of that. I reckon that by the end of October we will have the keys and start moving in. Why is it that Builders are such arseholes and make life so difficult for everyone? If I was running the company,I would have seriously vetted the contractors and ensured that they deliver what they promise and also make them sign a contract that should they fail to deliver, they don’t get paid. Maybe they might actually be bothered, or go away and piss some other person off.
We went to the house today for a brief informal meeting with the Builder. After a walk around the upstairs and downstairs, we asked for a timescale for completion. 7 to 8 weeks. I had guessed that we wouldn’t be in the house by middle of July, almost a few days away. I had orriginally jested that we would be in September. God I hate it when I am right.
So the middle of September and another (at least) 4 pay days till we move in. So Rent on this place and mortgage, plus car and living expenses. Tight is not going to be even close. The annoying thing is that I cannot even have a say or get up the builders myself. It is all down to Sam and Karen, as they are on the title deeds and contract. They have had some great weather and yet they failed to do anything, they wait for the bad weather and drag their heels, which really pisses me off. By rights we should be in and settled. But no, they – the builders have done hardly anything to move this project along.
So based on the builders estimation of 7 – 8 weeks, I suspect that it will be even longer. I expect another 4 weeks on top of that. I reckon that by the end of October we will have the keys and start moving in. Why is it that Builders are such arseholes and make life so difficult for everyone? If I was running the company,I would have seriously vetted the contractors and ensured that they deliver what they promise and also make them sign a contract that should they fail to deliver, they don’t get paid. Maybe they might actually be bothered, or go away and piss some other person off.
Gallery Update – New Pictures
Monday, July 5th, 2010
Hi All,
I have added a batch of new photographs of the house. In the gallery, look for At Lockup, second page I believe
Hi All,
I have added a batch of new photographs of the house. In the gallery, look for At Lockup, second page I believe
Golf
Sunday, June 27th, 2010
Today was a good test of my golfing skills (or the lack thereof). After my last round at Sefton, which I played like a busted arse. We decided to play Georges River. So Mark, Paul and myself met at 11:15 and set off on our marathon round of Golf. The weather wasn’t bad at all. The sun was out, just a few clouds which came and went over the course of the day.
Mark was happy as he got to use the big guns today. Paul was playing well, as was Mark. I was thankful that I was hitting the ball. As the game went on, the Ball was easier to hit. I was paying close attention to my grip and trying to get my stance right. Something I have problems with, purely down to the fact I have never had any lessons or formal training. My Driving was dodgy at best. All I needed was a nice cup of tea to go with my slice. Yep the unintentional fade to the right was not really what I was hoping for, but the Hit of the ball was almost solid.
From what I can gather, the slice is purely down to my swing (obviously). It means that my action is coming across the ball from right to left, as opposed to being a perfect pendulum swing. Something I can work on over the next couple of months.
Doing a full 18 holes at Riverwood is a fair hike. At least 5.5Ks if you actually hit straight, but if you tend to deviate, that can quite easily increase. I could definitely feel myself getting tired towards the end and my concentration fade (just like my driving). Paul went home early, due to the greens and fairways being slightly boggy. Mark and myself carried on and finished quite well.
The whole afternoon was so good. Its great getting away from the TV and computers and smack a little white ball around and forget everything else. The only thing that matters is the ball and getting it into a small hole. It was quite a relief to see that when I got home and checked my glucose level, I actually achieved my lowest reading since being diagnosed – 3.9mmol. The only grumble now is My legs, shoulders and my neck are starting to ache, save for my left leg, which is now hurting.
All in all, a bloody ripper of a day!
Today was a good test of my golfing skills (or the lack thereof). After my last round at Sefton, which I played like a busted arse. We decided to play Georges River. So Mark, Paul and myself met at 11:15 and set off on our marathon round of Golf. The weather wasn’t bad at all. The sun was out, just a few clouds which came and went over the course of the day.
Mark was happy as he got to use the big guns today. Paul was playing well, as was Mark. I was thankful that I was hitting the ball. As the game went on, the Ball was easier to hit. I was paying close attention to my grip and trying to get my stance right. Something I have problems with, purely down to the fact I have never had any lessons or formal training. My Driving was dodgy at best. All I needed was a nice cup of tea to go with my slice. Yep the unintentional fade to the right was not really what I was hoping for, but the Hit of the ball was almost solid.
From what I can gather, the slice is purely down to my swing (obviously). It means that my action is coming across the ball from right to left, as opposed to being a perfect pendulum swing. Something I can work on over the next couple of months.
Doing a full 18 holes at Riverwood is a fair hike. At least 5.5Ks if you actually hit straight, but if you tend to deviate, that can quite easily increase. I could definitely feel myself getting tired towards the end and my concentration fade (just like my driving). Paul went home early, due to the greens and fairways being slightly boggy. Mark and myself carried on and finished quite well.
The whole afternoon was so good. Its great getting away from the TV and computers and smack a little white ball around and forget everything else. The only thing that matters is the ball and getting it into a small hole. It was quite a relief to see that when I got home and checked my glucose level, I actually achieved my lowest reading since being diagnosed – 3.9mmol. The only grumble now is My legs, shoulders and my neck are starting to ache, save for my left leg, which is now hurting.
All in all, a bloody ripper of a day!
ipad
Friday, June 11th, 2010
Having used one of these cool little tools, I can honestly say that I like it. Some will hate it, yes you cannot switch between windows and run big programs on it or even play flash content, but hey, what it can do is make your day interesting.
I use this for my work e-mail, it slots straight into Exchange 2007 without any drama or error. It offers me notetaking capability in meetings, with the option to record if needs be. I have web access on it, I can RDP onto the servers or other peoples machines if need be. I can plan and schedule, email any of my notes direct to my e-mail. I can copy pdf’s onto it and read them – saves printing large volumes of techy books. I can play video, music and games. Listen to streaming media content, ATC live feeds and more.
I have read some peoples quotes and comments on the ipad saying how difficult it is to copy pdf onto your ipad….they are not trying very hard or shouldn’t be allowed anything that requires mains or batteries…
I love it!
Having used one of these cool little tools, I can honestly say that I like it. Some will hate it, yes you cannot switch between windows and run big programs on it or even play flash content, but hey, what it can do is make your day interesting.
I use this for my work e-mail, it slots straight into Exchange 2007 without any drama or error. It offers me notetaking capability in meetings, with the option to record if needs be. I have web access on it, I can RDP onto the servers or other peoples machines if need be. I can plan and schedule, email any of my notes direct to my e-mail. I can copy pdf’s onto it and read them – saves printing large volumes of techy books. I can play video, music and games. Listen to streaming media content, ATC live feeds and more.
I have read some peoples quotes and comments on the ipad saying how difficult it is to copy pdf onto your ipad….they are not trying very hard or shouldn’t be allowed anything that requires mains or batteries…
I love it!
Microsoft Dynamics NAV
Thursday, June 10th, 2010
After spending considerable time and also money on learning about Sage Accpac and Technisoft Service Manger, we are moving away to a totally different product at work. Microsoft Dynamics NAV offers us a far better solution to what we currently run. The premice is, it is an Out of the box solution which requires no addons or bolt-ons to give us a business package we really need.
The way in which Accpac has let us down is the way the system was setup many years ago. The customer database was shonky, as was the Vendor details and site details. I have spent considerable time with the aid of Megan in the Victoria Office to clean this up and populate the correct fields with the correct data. Postcodes being placed in the postcode field and so on. The way in which data has been captured over the years is garbage at best, which will bite us on the preverbial ass when we port across to NAV.
My concerns are in which the system currently behaves and how the new one will react to what we do and how we do it. Thankfully we have a project manager to be the liaison between Enabling NSW and RFD. He tries to cut out some of the technobabble and relate that to them that don’t really know. It makes the whole process a lot less stressful. So far we have had 4 meetings or more and numerous interviews with staff to go through some of the processes they do, this will help Nigel (TranslateIT) to stear everyone to a point we can all agree on.
The internal meeting we had the other day was a definite step in the right direction. We have finally categorised our vendors, customers and industries. Prior to this we had none of this information stored/labelled on our system. In the middle of all this is me. I am the one who will have to ensure that the system can cope and ensure the correct data is pulled out of SQL so the Alex and the guys at Enabling can use this data to work in the new system.
There is a whole new buzzword in the place and it revolves around ‘dimensions’. This is in simplistic terms a way of being able to drill down into any information in the database and make a report from it. As you can imagine, the amount of data that travels in and out of a SQL server in a busy workplace is huge. Thankfully the 650+ tables in our current data structure will shrink into 300 or so, maybe even less.
The dimensions allow you to divide the data into usable chunks and display them in real time in SQL Reporting services. You start from the highest level and work your way down to the n’th degree as you require. Naturally the system comes with shedloads of pre-designed and formatted reports, which will invariably require some custom tweeks here and there. Something else for me to learn. Having used Crystal Reprts XI for 2 years, I will have to get my head around SQL Reporting services.
If all goes to plan, I won’t have to do too much, moreso if we set the system up right this time, everyone should be happy. The only hurdle is training people to use the new system and follow procedures…Yep Pigs Fly too.
After spending considerable time and also money on learning about Sage Accpac and Technisoft Service Manger, we are moving away to a totally different product at work. Microsoft Dynamics NAV offers us a far better solution to what we currently run. The premice is, it is an Out of the box solution which requires no addons or bolt-ons to give us a business package we really need.
The way in which Accpac has let us down is the way the system was setup many years ago. The customer database was shonky, as was the Vendor details and site details. I have spent considerable time with the aid of Megan in the Victoria Office to clean this up and populate the correct fields with the correct data. Postcodes being placed in the postcode field and so on. The way in which data has been captured over the years is garbage at best, which will bite us on the preverbial ass when we port across to NAV.
My concerns are in which the system currently behaves and how the new one will react to what we do and how we do it. Thankfully we have a project manager to be the liaison between Enabling NSW and RFD. He tries to cut out some of the technobabble and relate that to them that don’t really know. It makes the whole process a lot less stressful. So far we have had 4 meetings or more and numerous interviews with staff to go through some of the processes they do, this will help Nigel (TranslateIT) to stear everyone to a point we can all agree on.
The internal meeting we had the other day was a definite step in the right direction. We have finally categorised our vendors, customers and industries. Prior to this we had none of this information stored/labelled on our system. In the middle of all this is me. I am the one who will have to ensure that the system can cope and ensure the correct data is pulled out of SQL so the Alex and the guys at Enabling can use this data to work in the new system.
There is a whole new buzzword in the place and it revolves around ‘dimensions’. This is in simplistic terms a way of being able to drill down into any information in the database and make a report from it. As you can imagine, the amount of data that travels in and out of a SQL server in a busy workplace is huge. Thankfully the 650+ tables in our current data structure will shrink into 300 or so, maybe even less.
The dimensions allow you to divide the data into usable chunks and display them in real time in SQL Reporting services. You start from the highest level and work your way down to the n’th degree as you require. Naturally the system comes with shedloads of pre-designed and formatted reports, which will invariably require some custom tweeks here and there. Something else for me to learn. Having used Crystal Reprts XI for 2 years, I will have to get my head around SQL Reporting services.
If all goes to plan, I won’t have to do too much, moreso if we set the system up right this time, everyone should be happy. The only hurdle is training people to use the new system and follow procedures…Yep Pigs Fly too.
The House update – almost there
Thursday, June 10th, 2010
Good news finally. The house is almost/should be at lock up this week. Doors on and cabling already started, including my CAT6 cabling for the downstairs. I already have my Krone 24 port Cat 6 panel and I am on the look out for a semi decent cabinet, with or without power to finish the cabling off – To be done by me.
We decided to not go with the cookers they chose to install, instead we went with a floor standing Westinghouse Range cookers. I say plural as both houses decided to have the same. We got a very good deal from Bing Lee.
The builders are also in cleanup mode ready for the landscaping to be done, so hopefully this weekend I can drive over to the new house and take some pictures.
Good news finally. The house is almost/should be at lock up this week. Doors on and cabling already started, including my CAT6 cabling for the downstairs. I already have my Krone 24 port Cat 6 panel and I am on the look out for a semi decent cabinet, with or without power to finish the cabling off – To be done by me.
We decided to not go with the cookers they chose to install, instead we went with a floor standing Westinghouse Range cookers. I say plural as both houses decided to have the same. We got a very good deal from Bing Lee.
The builders are also in cleanup mode ready for the landscaping to be done, so hopefully this weekend I can drive over to the new house and take some pictures.
what the f*** happened to google?!?!
Thursday, June 10th, 2010
I logged onto my laptop and opened up my tinternet explorer and what did I see? Some weird background on google where white once used to be. How annoying is that? Very annoying. There is a fix for this apparantly
http://www.google.com/webhp?hl=all
This gives you the standard google homepage without the stupid background. Not too sure why they decided to fill your screen with random images, which apparantly will only rotate for the 24 hours then you get to choose your own, should you desire.
My thoughts on google were this. It is a simplistic approach to helping the everyday user find stuff they want without the clutter of the other search engines…MSN for one is a pain and the likes of Yahoo etc. What were they thinking? In my humble opinion, they weren’t.
I logged onto my laptop and opened up my tinternet explorer and what did I see? Some weird background on google where white once used to be. How annoying is that? Very annoying. There is a fix for this apparantly
http://www.google.com/webhp?hl=all
This gives you the standard google homepage without the stupid background. Not too sure why they decided to fill your screen with random images, which apparantly will only rotate for the 24 hours then you get to choose your own, should you desire.
My thoughts on google were this. It is a simplistic approach to helping the everyday user find stuff they want without the clutter of the other search engines…MSN for one is a pain and the likes of Yahoo etc. What were they thinking? In my humble opinion, they weren’t.
House Update
Monday, June 7th, 2010
At last an update on the house. On our way back from the game, we did a drive by the house. We were suprised to see the roof had been completed and I could see cables. The Meter boxes were in place and cables going everywhere. Finally a step forward. The next thing to go in is doors for the house and the garage doors. With a bit of luck there will be some progress this week.
At last an update on the house. On our way back from the game, we did a drive by the house. We were suprised to see the roof had been completed and I could see cables. The Meter boxes were in place and cables going everywhere. Finally a step forward. The next thing to go in is doors for the house and the garage doors. With a bit of luck there will be some progress this week.
Busy Weekend – Sunday
Monday, June 7th, 2010
Footy time at the SCG, no not the silly round ball, the silly odd shaped ball with rules that make no sense. Essendon vs the Swans. (the score -Sydney 12.17 (89) vs Essendon 12.8 (80))
We drove into the city and found a decent parking spot and walked the rest of the way to the game and made our way inside. Whilst waiting to head up to our seats, Kevin Sheedy walked passed and said g’day and hows it going. Nice.
It was a close game and as always the umpires stuff up a good game, what had to be one of the worst umpiring we had seen. I suppose only to be expected seeing as it was a Sydney Home game. Three hours later the game finished with the result as above. Had the umpires played fair, it may have been a draw or Essendon could have won 4 in a row and still been in the eight…maybe.
Footy time at the SCG, no not the silly round ball, the silly odd shaped ball with rules that make no sense. Essendon vs the Swans. (the score -Sydney 12.17 (89) vs Essendon 12.8 (80))
We drove into the city and found a decent parking spot and walked the rest of the way to the game and made our way inside. Whilst waiting to head up to our seats, Kevin Sheedy walked passed and said g’day and hows it going. Nice.
It was a close game and as always the umpires stuff up a good game, what had to be one of the worst umpiring we had seen. I suppose only to be expected seeing as it was a Sydney Home game. Three hours later the game finished with the result as above. Had the umpires played fair, it may have been a draw or Essendon could have won 4 in a row and still been in the eight…maybe.
