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April 25, 2006
new lappy
Just a quick little update. I ordered a laptop yesterday. Managed to find a great deal on the Dell 630m, which is being discontinued in favor of a newer model, but remains a fairly well-regarded thin-and-light laptop. Shipped, $601.
I'm going to be needing one in the fall for grad school, and 600 bucks for a brand-new lappy is not too shabby. I upgraded it only slightly from the standard specs: to get internal Bluetooth support, and to get the WinXP install CD along with it. Here's some info on it:
Basically, I was going for a laptop that is both small and light, not a desktop replacement, but something I can use on the road and thus having fairly good battery life. It comes with a combo DVD/CD burner, which will be nice for watching movies on airplanes or long trips. I'm pleased with the purchase.
Also, happy birthday Dad!
Posted by Mark at 04:21 PM | Comments (0)
April 19, 2006
like riding a bike
Today I passed my rigging test and oral sailing knowledge test and got my Solo rating at the sailing club. This means that I am allowed to take out a sailboat, by myself, on a green-flag day, which is a day when winds are relatively light. If I keep learning how to sail well, I'll be able to take passengers out with me.
I was heading home and wasn't sure if I was going to go take the test today, but I pulled a U-turn and decided to go do it after all, since the weather was nice. I had no problem at all rigging my sailboat. It's a lot like assembling a computer: sure, there are a lot of parts, and it looks scary at first, but there are really only so many places where things can go. The worst thing that can happen is you put something on backwards, and it's immediately obvious if you did it wrong. As long as pretty much every rope is attached to something, you're good. And usually the thing it should be attached to is something very close by.
Then I took the oral exam, which was basically 5 or 6 very easy questions about sailing terms, rules of the road, and that sort of thing. I believe it was pretty much meant to show that I knew more or less what was going on and was ready to get out there and start learning more.
I wasn't planning to go out sailing today either, especially as it was a red-flag day, but as I was walking down from the dockhouse there was a guy asking if anybody wanted to go out sailing with him. So I said I would. We sailed one of the little Mercurys up and down the river; it was a little nail-biting at times since the wind was shifting quite a bit. We'd be going in one direction, then the wind would shift and we wouldn't be moving at all, then a gust would come up and blow us halfway over.
It reminded me of learning to ride a motorcycle. Same as on a bike, there are a lot of things that you have to keep track of, especially at first, and it can be a little overwhelming. Rolling on throttle, pulling in the clutch, shifting gears and watching the road is a lot when you're still getting used to the bike. And with a boat, you're watching the wind, you're watching for other boats, you're trimming the sail and moving the rudder at once. There is a particular balancing act with a boat that is similar to the sense of balance on a bike. And a bike will lean over much farther than you think it's capable of doing without tipping over, the same as a sailboat. That makes me feel good about the whole thing, since I know I eventually got very comfortable with riding my motorcycle, and I'll eventually get comfortable sailing as well.
It was a pretty fun and exciting way to spend my early evening. I can't wait to go out solo.
Posted by Mark at 10:50 PM | Comments (0)
April 18, 2006
quick update
Ok, just a patented Quick Update (tm).
Work has been fine. Keeping busy, learning some new stuff, and generally having a fine time of things. So that's good.
I went to the sailing club on Saturday and learned how to rig a boat and also learned about things like points of sail (your direction relative to the wind) and right of way and whatnot. I should be able to go down some night this week and probably get my solo rating, which involves me passing a short oral test and showing that I know how to rig a boat. After I get that, I will be able to take a small boat out by myself on days when the weather is good.
The new battery is in my motorcycle, which is still up in Rockport. I think this coming weekend I am going to take the train up there so I can pick it up and ride it back down here. I was pleased to see that it was just the battery that was causing the bike to have trouble starting, and that it was not the starter. I ran it for a few minutes to clear all the water and junk out of the pipes that probably accumulated during the winter.
We were in Rockport for Easter, which included the very nice but also very cold and windy sunrise service at 6:30 in the morning. Father Joe would never have done such a thing. But it was nice. We spent time with Kara's family and that was good.
Kara is in full study mode and so the house search will not proceed until next month. I continue to look daily at what is out there. There are a few possibilities in our price range. The house that we put the offer in on is no longer listed. I'm not sure if that means it was sold--I never did see that it was under agreement--or just that it was de-listed after the guy wasn't getting any offers. No idea.
That's pretty much the latest.
Posted by Mark at 10:15 AM | Comments (0)