Category: Uncategorized

I just can’t wait until we (Diana and myself) can move out of here and into our own home. Oh, to be in our own home again, it will be so wonderful. I don’t know how much longer I can put up with her mother.

Her mother can be so mean at times. Not towards me (not yet anyway). Linda (Diana’s mom) is just so bossy, and constantly has a chip on her shoulder. She’s mean to the grandkids (makes me feel uneasy about having our son around her) and her own children. Terrible.

In other news:

If you’d like to find out what’s been going on in my hometown, here’s some stories pulled from the local press:

Officer files grievance against mayor for public criticism of department

Man wanted for $73,000 money order deception

Went to the hospital last night. No BIG problems, so don’t worry. Here’s how it went:
Diana wasn’t feeling well yesterday, from the moment she awoke. Around 4pm, she called me at work, and asked me to take her to the hospital. She had called up the hospital, told them what was going on (she was seeing spots periodically, and had a headache all day), and they asked her to come in to be checked out. She, and the baby were fine. So, after being observed, we came home and settled in for the night.

I’m just glad that she’s okay.

Right now, I’m writing this off-line. I had to disconnect so that someone could use the phone.

I got disconnected rather.

Mark, Diana’s brother, is using the phone, trying to get in touch with his girlfriend, Amber. Amber left him last night. They apparently had an argument over her income tax return, and how it was going to be spent. So, she left, took their son, and presumably went to her mother’s. Their daughter is at school.

Mark and Amber have been together for a few years. Haven’t been married as of yet, and we don’t expect them to be. They don’t live in that nice of a world, and it’s sad that one of the children is exposed to it every day. “Bubby”, the son, is two and stays with Mark during the day, at his father’s until Amber gets home, then Amber watches over “Bubby” for the rest of the night. “Sissy” stays here through the week for school, and goes home on the weekends.

Mark is a pothead and a drunk. Mark Sr. (my father-in-law) is a crippled drunk, and watches “Bubby” when Mark is to drunk or high to do so.

In a month or so, when Diana and I are back out on our own, I plan to report Mark and Amber to social services. It’ll probably start a fight on that side of the family, if it’s found out who reported it (which, in a small town, it’ll have to get out). Diana’s on my side, so I know that there won’t be a disagreement between us. She’s wanted to report that mess for years, but hasn’t been able to do so, for the fact that they are still family.

I wonder if Mark is done playing with the phone yet. When I went downstairs to get a fresh cup of coffee, he was dialing, letting it ring a few times [presumably until the TAD (Telephone Answering Device – RadioShack jargon) picked up], hanging up, waiting, then redialing.

I’m not in a tremendous hurry to be online again, it’s just that I would like to go ahead and post this entry before I leave for work.

And now, something completely different:

I checked my email and got the notification for renewal on HarrisonEMA.com. So, now I know when that account expires. I’m planning on switching hosts for that site. I’ve been using Your-Site for the past two years. I have no complaints about their service; I’m just looking for something cheaper. The company I’m thinking of going to is Pinchpenny. From what I’ve read and seen of their services, they are a good host, and have very nice rates. I can get a few more features, plus 50MB more of space for $50 less.

I lost my cigarette lighter (no big loss, ’twas just a Bic) and have been using matches. I have only one match left now.

Let’s see, what else can I write, while I wait for an open phone line?

Since I’ve already told you a few times that I’m a cigarette smoker, why don’t I tell you my brand? (as if you’re really interested) Until recently, I smoked Marlboro Ultra Lights (then I became poor and cigarette prices went up). Now I try to keep with locally grown and manufactured (and cheaper too!). Kentucky’s Best – ultra lights. And, since I have mentioned tobacco on a site, which can easily be accessed by children, I feel obligated to type the following:

SURGEON GENERAL’S WARNING: Cigarette Smoke Contains Carbon Monoxide.

SURGEON GENERAL’S WARNING: Smoking By Pregnant Women May Result in Fetal Injury, Premature Birth, And Low Birth Weight.

SURGEON GENERAL’S WARNING: Smoking Causes Lung Cancer, Heart Disease, Emphysema, And May Complicate Pregnancy.

I’m pretty sure there’s one more warning that I am forgetting, but I can’t find any packs with a warning different than those.

Just went back downstairs. Mark finally got a hold of somebody. He’s laying on the couch, talking on the phone.

Fred offered to fry me up some eggs. Fred is a nice guy. He offers to fix me something to eat just about every time he sees me. He hardly ever sees me eat.

Diana just woke up from her nap. She’s so cute when she looks sleepy.

Have you heard of BPL?
BPL is “Broadband over Power Lines”. A great concept. The idea is to allow highspeed information, primarily computer communications (Internet), travel across power lines. (Notice how I restated the obvious there.)
Advantages: Hicks, such as myself, living in the middle of BFE (Bum F**ked Egypt), can have an always on, high speed connection to the Internet.
Disadvantages: Possible Interference with radio communications above the FM spectrum, primarily in frequencies allotted for amateur radio operators (like myself).

For more information on BPL, check out the following links:

The REACTer. This is a magazine for members of REACT. An article on BPL is on page 10.

ARRL. Information from the Amateur Radio Relay League on BPL.

eHam.net Article & opinions on BPL.

Well, time to get ready for work. Later.

Daria rocked.

Speaking of, I just want to say that “the N”, a run of programming for young teenies on Noggin, scares me. I am also sickened that they are running episodes of Daria that seem to only deal with relationships. They also have edited a few episodes to fit the age group, which, in my opinion, wouldn’t be able to truly understand and catch all of the sarcasm in the show.

I’m getting tired, and it’s late, and I’m rambling, and I need to go to bed, and I am starting to annoy myself for saying “and” so much and creating a sentence which fails to end, and so I think I’ll stop writing and go to bed.

Um. I don’t know. Just sorta sitting at home in front of the PC and can’t think of anything.

I would like to thank Heather for suggesting Lavasoft’s Ad-aware 6.0 to rid me of the problems I am having at work. Unfortunetely it isn’t doing the trick. Neither is Spybot Search & Destroy. (Both of those programs usually do a great job, however what I got can’t be removed by them just yet.)

Also, I would like to thank Heather for showing me that people actually do read these things.

Um. So now I really don’t know what to say. Ran out of thoughts. Sucks really. Can’t even write a complete sentance. Writers block.

So, did I tell you that I’m living in my mother-in-law’s house? Just checked. No I didn’t. Haven’t really told you anything about myself. ‘Cept that I’m married [to the most beautiful woman in the world (‘course what man wouldn’t say that about their wife, especially if they know what’s good for them)].

Okay, I think I may have some stuff I can link you to. I started to try a blog thing a long time ago, never got anywhere, and then picked the idea back up. I had a geocities site I was playing with before I got the blogdrive account. If you’d like to see the half-hearted attempt at blogging prior to this, click here.

Um. What else?

I’m just writing a paper on the PC, and it was like beep beep beep beep beep beep beep, and then, like, half of my paper was gone. Wait, that wasn’t me. That was Ellen Feiss.

Um. Okay. Diana’s reading over my shoulder now. Afraid that I have an obcession for Ellen. Nope. Just Geena Davis. Loved her in Beetlejuice.

Crap. Now I gotta go downstairs. Arrgh.

Be back to write more later.

They’re back!

Well, the uninstaller didn’t work. Found manual removal instructions, and, so far, there haven’t been any more pop-ups or redirects. Yay!

I’m bored.

If you’re an RS Franchiser, using RSPOS, and don’t already know this, you can have a customer’s L/U Referance differ from the printed name. This can be a fun trick. Before RS picks up a Name/Address file, change the customer’s first & last name to whatever you want. When RS sends a flyer, it will be addressed to the fake name at the real address. This works only if the customer shops your store only, otherwise RS may use information given from another store.

Example: I used this trick on another employee. When he got his flyer for the month, it was adressed to the fake name. (and confused his parents)

Not a big trick. Sorry.

Most other tricks and bugs that could have been taken advantage of (to mess with either co-workers or customers) have been taken out, or I just haven’t found them.

In RSPOSICS 4.00.10, you can create an interesting inventory report. Goto Inventory Adjust/Audit. Run a report at avg Cost. Look for skus without an avg cost. (remembering number in stock) change qty to zero. Change back to original quantity. Do this for every sku without an avg cost, and the report will tell you an inventory value much less than what you have. This does not effect your inventory, or value, it’s just a glitch in the program.

Why I am sharing this info, I don’t know.

Are any of you reading this in the RS Franchise scene?

Are there any people reading this to begin with?

I know that Diana reads this stuff. Like she really cares about a buggy point of sale system. Oh,well.

Interesting news: all of the prices of our wireless phones are dropping! We’re putting Cingular’s suggested two year prices on one year commitments! Wow! I am so thrilled! I have no idea how to convey sarcasm in text!

I hate ’em. Dispise ’em. I’ve never been tricked into clicking ’em. Hate ’em just the same. Now, as for the scripted ads, that actually have a close button that works, and closes the ad window, they’re cool. Still an annoyance just because they’re pop-ups.

“Pop-downs” (you know, that pop-up window thats scripted to go in back, instead of in front) are really annoying.

I accidently infected our file server with some sort of ad client, and haven’t been able to remove it yet. It’s been like this for nearly a month. Pisses me off.

Found one program (X-Cleaner)that actually detects it, but hasn’t been able to remove it yet. I’m gonna try again tonight. Restart the computer in safe-mode, run x-cleaner, restart in safe again, re-run x, see what happens, restart in normal, etc.

Then again, maybe not. Been mulit-tasking here, and found an uninstaller. Hope it works. Gotta go to try this.

Several years ago, there was a different RadioShack Dealer in town. His store was, in my opinion, a great Shack. He had several RS products in, as well as stuff from other vendors, PLUS he was a dealer for most popular two-way radio manufacturers. He was so well into the business that local government and emergency agencies would get their equipment, and have it serviced at his store, rather than making the drive to lexington.

Steve, the old Shack’s owner, closed up shop about eight years ago.

Here’s the story, as I have been told (not from him, but through other parties non-RS related):

Steve had a VERY old contract with RS, which gave him rights that RS didn’t want their franchised stores to have. They tried to buy him out. He didn’t do it. They threatened to sue. They couldn’t do it (would’ve been in violation of his contract). They decided to try to run him out by opening a store just a few hundred feet away.

That was in violation of his contract (he had exclusive rights to operate in our area). He sued. He won. He closed up shop shortly after they did. He decided to never mess with RS again.

Now, here’s where I can say that nobody pays attention. People call us up, walk in our store and ask us when we moved, and whether Steve is still the owner. The fact that people would think that Steve runs this place doesn’t bother me. In fact, I beleive it to be a tremendous compliment. Steve is a great guy. I loved it when my dad would go to Steve’s RS and take me along.

What bothers me is just the fact that no-one pays attention to the world around them. Another example:

This store has been here for five years. We still get people calling, or coming in, and asking us how long we’ve been here.

Five years, and there are still people who don’t know we exist.

Oh well.

Well, I’m home now, or at least I will call it home, seeing as it is where my dear Diana and I are hanging our hats. Not my idea of home, though.

See, we’re living at Linda & Fred’s (My in-laws, mom & stepdad, to be exact). Not too much fun. Linda can be a royal bitch at times, and Fred, well, he tries to stay out of Linda’s way. Kinda reminds me of us (not! though, Diana can be a bitch……..)

Of course, every woman can be a bitch. It’s their God given right dammit! Just some exercise it more than others, and take it to extremes.

Anyway, Diana is pouting, because I’m not taking nudie pics of her. Instead, I’m having her do a portion of the homework assignment that she has to do, which I will be completing shortly. I have a way of writing essays that is MUCH better than hers, so whenever she has an essay assignment, I, for some stupid reason, get to do it.

Oh, but I love her anyway. I’ll bet that I will have the tar beaten out of me when she reads this. She can be mean at times. Especially in bed. *nudge-nudge, wink-wink, say-no-more*

Now I’v gotten her paranoid. She thinks that I am writing all sorts of mean, nasty, ugly things about her. She thinks I’m pissed because I have to write her paper.

Anyhoo,

Once more I am running out of things to say. For someone who just said they had a nice little way of writing, I sure as hell am failing to prove it.

Yay, I judt got told about some stupid thing that happened on Maury.

I hate talkshows.

I really don’t care to hear about ’em either.

Oh, I’m getting tired! Think I’ll leave for now.

I just realized that if you, the reader, are very resourceful, you could figure out who I am, where I live, and where I work.

Sorry, I’m not giving you any hints.

Looks like I may be getting two toys for free. We set out two TYCO RC Bass Boats, 600-4338, Discontinued December 25, 2003, on the counter. They’re now a buck each. They were returned, because they’re defective, and we just want to be rid of them. If nobody buys them, I get to take ’em. Their defect? They only steer to the left.

Rob’s walking around the store. Aimlessly, I think.

Bored, bored, bored. BORED!

Slow day.