Category Archives: Confessions

Things about me you probably never wanted or don’t need to know.

WordPress 2.7 Wows Me

I had installed WordPress 2.7 as a beta last month.  When the final release came out WordPress notified me, but instead of like previous versions, it just let me click a link and it handled the upgrade on the server with very little fuss.  It was like buying a 2008 Honda knowing that when the 2009 Hondas came out you could push a button and for free your Honda would upgrade to the latest.  Before several steps were required, now, I just click a button.  Wow.

The new interface for administration is very clean and polished and easy to use.  Wow.

The ease of editing posts has been taken up just a notch, which is quite nice.  Wow.

I can install plugins from within the plugin interface without having to download and unzip zip files, it just works.  WOW!

Thanks to Matt and the rest of the team at Automattic for a fantastic release that is well worth the upgrade.

Slow-Motion-Waiter

Jessica, “Randy, do you want to go grab some lunch?”

Me, “Sure.”

[we go to lunch at the garden of olive trees]

Waiter: slow motion service to the point where I now have to work to make up time I lost on a nearly 2 hour lunch break due to the waiter’s slowness.

Me: Your tip reflects your service.

That’s a wrap.

Design Work: I Love It

I’ve been doing iterative design work for a podcaster I know and respect.  When the time comes I’ll be able to announce who it is, but I have to say: I love it!  Design is subjective, but even if things are super simple, and I hope that you think they are when you see it, they need to be well thought out.  There needs to be a reduction in clutter, distractions, and elements on the page that make for a poorer user experience.

The other thing that I’ve loved is the back and forth between myself and this podcaster.  He knows just enough of what he wants that I don’t feel in the dark, but he’s also given me some freedom to help clean things up as well.  We’ve worked well as a team despite my generally busy schedule.  Late nights can take their toll, but I’ve been energized by the design process, and design is just a great outlet for me to get some creative juices out.  Thanks mystery podcaster for letting me participate in your fun!

Accidents with Purpose

Our friends Mike & Louanne were in an accident 10 years ago today that could have been life ending or much more severely life altering.  They put up a blog post about it which you can read here.  The Lord has used Mike & Louanne in our lives over and over and reading this make me thankful all the more for our friendship. They have been instrumental in our well being emotionally, spiritually, and through my work with Mike at Alt-N, financially.  Go read this and be inspired and take a few moments to meditate on what really matters in life and how God may very well be trying to teach you something in the less than fun moments in life.

Mr. Handy Man

I have been doing home repair or maintenance type things the last couple weekends.  I told Jessica not to make other plans and just dove into the mounting pile of things that needed attention.  So far this is what I have done:

  • Install dishwasher
  • Install Air Gap for dishwasher to prevent backflow issues
  • make cabinet divider and paint it
  • Fix gate valve (I actually used a MAPP torch to sweat some pipes) that leads to sprinkler system
  • Install pot lid drawer
  • Fixed some hinges on a cupboard door
  • Cleaned the garage

So, yeah, its nice to clear out a tiny bit of the honey-do list.

Cats are for Sissies

We don’t have a cat.  I’m allergic to cats.  However, my sister-in-law has a dog.  It is a Cocka-poo, which is a hybrid/mixed-breed and it pretty much looks like a poodle.  I’d post pictures, but he’s got black hair (not fur) and I haven’t gotten a great photo yet.  He brought a dead mouse into the kitchen and dropped it on the floor this evening for us.  We don’t need cats, we have a dog.

I’m going to go throw up now, thanks.