Happiness can be ... ... not being out in the rain anymore. Today was extra wet. I got especially wet when I went to recycle those old computer parts and walked across a parking lot carrying this big box only to discover that the recycling was outside, fairly near where I was parked. Random observation: If you want to get in a building where you are not supposed to be, carrying something big into the building is probably a good technique. Most people will let you in. If you are a thief, you didn't read that here. I like hearing the rain outside, when I'm inside. So do cats, I think...

One of those rather empty moments Sometimes you really don't feel like doing anything but listening to "Angels of the Silences" by Counting Crows, and sometimes, after putting the song on your MP3 player, you are reminded that the file is corrupt because the CD was scratched or something, so you can't listen to it. Sometimes, you really don't feel like doing anything.

Computer part recycling day They are having a day at work where you can rid of old, unwanted computers, electronics and parts. I decided to finally get rid of some of the junk in my attic, which pretty much contains a mini-history of PC boards starting in 1992, when we bought our first IBM clone (before that I had a Commodore 64, with which I will never part). Maybe some of this stuff will actually be useful somewhere, who knows. In some parts of the world, any computer is a find. Read on to see a partial list of what's getting tossed. Motorola Lifestyle 28.8 external modem, circa 1995. (I don't really miss the 28.8 lifestyle that much) 3com Office Connect 8 port hub, 10BaseT (very stylish box) US Robotics "Sportster" 33.6 Faxmodem (external), copyright 1995 (very good modem, also had nice flashing lights) ATI Mach 64 PCI graphics card, also circa 1995 (nice card, used for quite a while) 3com EtherLink III card with three connectors (bayonet, RJ45 and that odd AUI one with 15 pins), dated 1994 3com EtherLink III card with only bayonet and AUI connector, dated 1995 (one of the above cards died at some point, but I kept it anyway). Intel Ethernet Pro with both bayonet and RJ45 connectors (never worked with Linux, as I recall) PE Logic SCSI card, ISA bus (worked fine, but ISA stuff always causes me problems) Colorado 250MB tape backup (was never quite big enough) Zoom 14.4 Faxmodem (for my first PC, I think) random memory of various sizes, none of which works at all in any current machine Adaptec AVA-1502E SCSI adapter (only external, probably came with a scanner?) Linksys Ether16 LAN Card, both 10BaseT and bayonet ("yes, it runs with NetWare" in red on a chip). SoundBlaster Pro16/32PNP+ sound card with joystick port (PCI) Startech high-speed serial card with two 9 pin connectors, never really used much but just kind of cool some sort of modem/sound card, came with a computer I bought off the discount rack at CompUSA to run Linux (which it did just fine) Cirrus Logic GD5446BV graphics card, PCI (also from discount computer?) Chinon floppy drive Samsung floppy drive ISA SCSI card, with Adaptec AIC-3370P chip (I think this ran my SCSI 9GB Micropolis drive, bought cheap when the company was going under. A double-height drive, this thing ran so hot I had to leave the case open on the machine. It eventually died, probably toasted itself to death) SoundBlaster 16 SCSI (my first sound card!), ISA. I actually was using this in a Linux machine recently, but needed better sound there ISA SCSI adapter with Tolerant NCR chip, never used (must have come with ZIP drive or scanner?) 8x IDE CD-ROM (once very fast!) - I kept the sound cable, always paranoid about not having the correct type of that annoying cable I may keep a Buslogic/Mylex differential SCSI card (I got this by mistake, when I didn't understand SCSI very well (do I now?), never worked with any drive I ever owned, but I never got around to sending it back. Anybody got any differential SCSI drives?) I will not recycle old hard drives, too worried about data being read off them if they don't get properly erased (apparently this is common). Sizes include: 9GB (the torrid Micropolis) 1.6GB 1.2GB 40MB (The first drive in our computer, considered generous at the time) 540MB (The second drive, and the one that started me on the dangerous path of never really erasing data, just getting bigger hard drives) You can see why I am considered a pack rat.

Our honeymoon in Iraq What to make of the demonstrations against the U.S. presence in Iraq? I'm sure there are many views in Iraq towards the United States, ranging from love to hate. But we need to remember that while most Iraqis are glad to be rid of Saddam, few probably desire a government dictated from many miles away, from a country where most people show relatively little interest in the real needs of other countries. We need to get out of Iraq as soon as we safely can, and I think quite a bit faster than Bush proposes. It's good to see troops, especially the POWs, starting to come home.

In praise of Breadman Is a bread machine really a luxury? I used to think so. My wife (the real cook around here) certainly did. From time to time I'd look at them in stores, and she'd always say "not in my kitchen!" But this year she got sold on the idea -- not by me but my her friends on the Cooking Light bulletin board. So we got a Breadman Ultimate, and it has quickly become our favorite appliance. Right now bread is rising in the machine downstairs. I, a person who when single sometimes lived on takeout, Pop Tarts and White Castle hamburgers, am now baking bread -- or rather, the machine is. We now hardly ever buy bread from the store. The only problem is that the bread is so good, it doesn't last very long.

Stop fooling with the thermostat If you are not in New England you may not know that our weather is completely befooked these days (even more than usual). Yesterday it was up to around 80, it was really nice around lunchtime today, but now is down to 40 where I am and set to be only in the 30s tomorrow. This was all forecast, but it still is driving us crazy. What season is it -- winter, summer, spring? Last year we basically skipped spring, but at least we didn't go from winter to summer and back to winter. I hope my Weather Pixie hasn't put away her winter coat or she's going to freeze her whatsies off.

In need of a music fix I was just listening to a couple songs on CD by Vance Gilbert. To call him a folk artist is true but somehow falls short -- his voice and guitar work draw from influences in rock, soul and who knows what else. The CD's are fine but like Bruce Springsteen he's really best live. His songs hit an emotional chord for me -- he can tell of pain and searching but give it a feeling of joy. Fortunately, he's coming to Club Passim April 19. I think I'm gonna crawl out of my hole in the ground for that one ...

ABBA dabba do

Last night in Spanish class (yes I did go this time!) someone brought in a CD with all sorts of pop tunes sung in Spanish.

Many were cover versions, but a couple were ABBA tunes, sung in Spanish by ABBA (apparently, they sung in a lot of languages).

That group sure had a knack for pop songs that stick in your head. The following is one of them - see if you know which one.

Ya no hay mas sonrisas
todo finaliza

nuestra casa hoy vacia
me hace llorar
y la historia aquitermina
hay que olvidar

Solo tu, sola yo
poco y nada se logro
solo tu, sola yo
nuestro amor quien puede negar, paso

Separarse es tan dificil lo se, pero yo mo ire
Conociendome a mi, conociendote a ti

Maine in the snow Last weekend we went away to celebrate our anniversary. We really didn't plan on a snowstorm, but that's what there was in Ogunquit, Maine, Friday and Saturday. (Further south, it was rain, freezing rain, sleet, and what have you.) We didn't get outside very much, but we did have a nice dinner, and the snow on the rocks with the crashing breakers, etc., is dramatic. Fortunately we had a nice suite at an inn, so it was fine sitting and talking and looking out at the snow. A fireplace would have made it perfect. It normally does not snow for our anniversary, but this is not a normal year. Today, I left work early to avoid getting caught in the snow -- which so far has yet to materialize around Boston, leaving me looking like a fool (which in and of itself is not that unusual). If it is going to snow, at least let's get it over with tonight, and not foul tomorrow as well...

All wired up and no place to go If you like lots of colored wires and blinking lights (and who wouldn't) you'll love a sleep study. I had mine last night. First the technician attaches electrodes all over your head (yes, this looks very odd), and to your chest and ankles. Then you get two straps across your waist and stomach, to measure respiration, as well as a couple of breathing sensors for your nose. All this is connected with all the colored wires to the boxes with the blinking lights (which are mostly hidden inside the bedside table). Then you get to try to go to sleep wearing all of this, in a strange room of course. And you can't go to the bathroom without being unplugged. Actually, the whole thing wasn't too bad. If it looks like it might help you, in the middle of the night they add a mask to wear over your nose called a CPAP that is supposed to keep the airways open to prevent apnea. It seemed like that did help me sleep. So we'll see. More bedtimes stories later, kiddies.

Soooooo tired Really tired tonight, skipped Spanish class, I am bad ... almost too tired to write this stupid entry. It is not that I am working longer hours, but that every minute of today was busy, busy, busy. It's good to be doing intense things -- I just wish maybe I was younger or slept better or something. And it was snowing like crazy when I was driving home tonight. Yes, this is New England and it does things like that, but enough already!