weneversleep

No blog entries in a while, just Twittering

Sun, 03 Jan 2010 22:29:15 -0600

I’m a Twitter convert. SharePoint, trading, personal stuff, whatever. Just quicker and easier than writing blog entries. Is micro-blogging it an excuse for not writing full-length posts? Maybe, but I’m not alone.

Moral of the story? Follow me on Twitter: @weneversleep.

SharePoint 2009 Conference in Las Vegas

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 15:22:50 -0600

I’m in Las Vegas this week for the SharePoint 2009 Conference, at Mandalay Bay. 7500+ people. Twittering status on @weneversleep.

Twitter widget installed

Tue, 02 Jun 2009 23:09:01 -0600

MT-Twitter didn’t work for me, so I’m trying the Twitter Flash widget from twitter.com. Everything works, except for when a user tries to login. Still trying to figure that one out…

Follow me on Twitter

Sat, 16 May 2009 14:51:34 -0600

@weneversleep, or go to my Twitter page.

Eventually, I'll get the MT-Twitter plugin installed on this blog...

DeVotchKa in Houston last night

Tue, 10 Feb 2009 09:20:36 -0600

An old friend of Lori Ann (and her brother), Tom Hagerman, was in town last night, touring with his band, DeVotchKa. Tom called us, and gave us all-access passes to the show. We got to go backstage before the show and hang out with the band, drink their beer, and catch up with Tom.

And then we watched the show. Crooked Fingers opened, and Tom played some songs with them. Then DeVotchKa came on. What a show. We had to leave before they were done (work night and all), but we really enjoyed ourselves. Very talented musicians, especially Tom, who not only plays the violin, but also the accordion, keyboard, and who knows what else. They even had a Theremin on stage.

Lori Ann and I both realized that it had been too long since we had gone out together to see live music. It was good to break the daily routine, and we need to do it more often. Thanks Tom!

First date night since Brandon was born

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 11:04:43 -0600

Lori Ann and I had our first "date night" since our son was born this last Saturday night. I arranged a special meal at the Rainbow Lodge with their new chef, Randy Rucker. It was an eight-course "degustation" food and wine pairing.

And it was amazing.

I will post pictures of each dish soon, but until then, here are my comments on Randy's blog posting:

I don't know how Randy could have enjoyed it more than we did. This was our first experience with Randy, after reading so much about his artistry on various foodie blogs.

We were blown away. The food was absolutely amazing. Absolutely genius combinations of various flavors, textures, smells... truly a feast for all of the senses. My personal favorite was the crudo of tilefish-even though it would be gauche to compare it to sushi, the only way to describe it is to say "this is what sushi is trying to be". The sweetness of the blood orange marinade, the spiciness of the Thai chili, the texture of the fish... just wonderful.

And, we marveled at how in isolation, some of the flavors were odd, but when the entire dish was taken as a whole, the true beauty blossomed. For example, the strawberries in the dessert course were macerated in lime juice, and couldn't really be eaten alone. But, when eaten with a bite of the bittersweet chocolate, well, it was a transcendent experience.

Our thanks to Randy and the Rainbow Lodge for making our special occasion truly one of the best meals of our lives. We look forward to experiencing more of Randy's food, because we need to encourage and support this kind of dining experience here in Houston.

Life updates

Thu, 30 Oct 2008 11:04:13 -0600

My son Brandon was born almost 2 months ago. He's growing like crazy, because he's eating like crazy. We joke that he has a "hollow leg". But, we're figuring things out as parents, trusting our instincts, and he seems to be doing just fine.

I instructed this last weekend at the Porsche club HPDE at TWS. Probably the most fun that I've ever had at the track. I absolutely loved instructing, and I can't wait to do it again.

In other car news, I bought a Mitsubishi Evolution X MR. It's incredible. Dual-clutch auto-manual transmission, 4-piston Brembo brakes, 300 hp/300 lb-ft turbocharged engine, AWD, yaw control, and still room in the back seat for my son. I can't wait to take it on the track, but until the warranty runs out, the M3 will continue to be the track car.

And, finally, I've asked Bavarian Machine for an estimate on putting a cage, seats, and harnesses in the M3. Now that I have a son, I really don't want to kill myself on the track...

Trying Live Writer

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 16:29:25 -0600

I haven't updated in a long time, obviously, and I finally got Windows Live Writer working on my Server 2008 installation. (on my work laptop, natch)

Seems to work pretty well. It's still a little clunky, but I like typing on a desktop application better than the MovableType interface.

So the journey begins...

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 15:43:44 -0600

Brandon Daniel Foertsch was born at 12:30 pm today, weighing 7 lbs 11 oz and is 20.5 inches long.

Mom and baby (and dad) are fine, but all are tired. We've taken lots of pictures, and once we all get some rest, I'll post some.

Babies. Cars. Head gaskets. Oh my!

Thu, 14 Aug 2008 15:02:58 -0600

Gah. I haven't kept this blog updated nearly as much as I wanted to when I started it. Here's what's been going on:

The baby has "dropped" inside Lori Ann, which the books say is normal around this time. The doctor says that she's still on track for her due date, though (September 8). Lori Ann is pretty tired of being pregnant, though, and I know that we're both ready for him to get here.

The M3's engine blew up. Again. Head gasket. Again. I wasn't on the track; in fact, I haven't been to the track since the instructor training in June. I was driving the car home from BMW West after looking at an E46 M3 that I was considering, stopped for lunch, and when I started the car, the dash lit up like a Christmas tree. It couldn't hold an idle, and had no power. I limped the car to Bavarian Machine, and the next day they diagnosed a blown head gasket.

They then proceeded to pull the head to try to figure out why the head gasket blew on a fresh engine. Problem is, the inside of the engine looked perfect. So, it's still a mystery why it happened. They're going to button up the head with a new and stronger head gasket, and once the head goes back on, they'll test the rear knock sensor to make sure that it wasn't a detonation problem.

In other car news, I've been looking at 4-door (or at least 4 seat) cars to buy for when the baby arrives. Yes, an SUV (yuck) or a minivan would be a smarter choice, but I want a fun daily driver that may eventually take over track car duties, but can still handle a baby seat in the back. I considered the E46 M3 (see above), but eventually ruled that out due to the 2 doors and the fact that it's another German car with no warranty (or a warranty that will expire soon). The E39 M5 is out as well, for the warranty reason.

I then realized that I could get a brand new Japanese turbo charged rally special for the price of an older M3 that probably won't break down on me anytime in the next few years. Yes, I'm talking about a Subaru WRX STI or Mitsubishi Evolution X. So, I went looking at them--thankfully the Subaru and Mitsu dealerships are right next to each other.

I drove the Evo first. Wow. It's true what I've always read about the Evo--it's a heck of a car. The best steering feel and response that I've ever felt, even in the Porsches that I've driven. Powerful engine. All-wheel-drive with tons of electronic aids that aren't intrusive. Brembo 4-piston brakes. Recaro seats. And, the interior of the new X is actually pretty nice, with an intuitive nav system and hard drive-based media storage system. I loved the car.

Next, the Subaru. I owned a 2003 WRX before I bought the S2000, so I'm familiar with Subarus. Great car. I liked the idea of the 5-door hatchback in the new Impreza family even more. Unfortunately, the car, even the new STI, didn't live up to my expectations. It was fast, sure, but it had more turbo lag than the Evo, the interior wasn't as nice, it seemed somehow smaller inside, and it just didn't have the same overall handling sharpness as the Evo.

So, it's going to be the Evo. Even though I test drove a GSR, with the 5-speed manual, I'm going to buy the MR, with the 6-speed dual-clutch gearbox (so my wife can drive it), the leather & suede seats, and some other goodies. I figure I can drive it as a daily driver while it's in warranty, and then, once the M3 wears out, the Evo can become my next track car. The agreement is that once the baby is born, I can go buy it.

Only problem is: do I get rid of the S2000, or is the M3 proving unreliable enough to ditch it instead? I enjoy the M3 more on the track, and I have all of the race tires, brakes, etc. for the M3, but let's face it, the S2000 is going to be much more reliable in the long term. I wish I could keep both, but I don't have anywhere to store a 4th car.

Patience pays off

Sat, 12 Jul 2008 12:15:00 -0600

I now have an iPhone 3G. 6 hours invested in the process of obtaining one. Finally, Apple & AT&T have figured out the little "tricks" to get accounts activated.

I have to admit, it's pretty cool. Apple does a user interface (and hardware) better than pretty much anyone in the business. I'm not an Apple fanboy, but I have to appreciate good design.

No iPhone 3g today for me

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 10:33:50 -0600

I drove by the 59 store, looked at the line, and decided I didn't want to wait in the heat. Same thing at the Kirby store.

So, I went downtown to the Allen Center store, waited for a while, and then found out that the store was completely sold out. People in the front of the line had been waiting since 6 am, and still hadn't gotten a phone because the activation process was taking so long. And, supposedly, the store had only gotten 20 phones in stock to begin with.

Very poor planning on Apple and AT&T's part. I'm not a rabid fan... it's just that my current phone (an old Windows Media 5 phone) has a dead battery that can't hold a charge, and the battery isn't made anymore. So, I need a new phone, and I figured I'd try the iPhone.

Oh well.

Sometimes you discover something...

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 14:34:10 -0600

...that gets your attention because of its brilliance. And, I love those moments.

Now, I've been into electronic dance music for a long time now (since early college days, even late high school), and I pretty much spent my college years behind turntables DJing at radio stations, clubs, parties, etc. But, even though I still love music more than almost anything else, other aspects of life have interfered with "following the latest and greatest" as I did in college. Most of my new music is Radio 1 Essential Mixes acquired from Mixriot (was freshlymixed.com).

But, late last night, I stumbled upon the mixes of DJ Doboy. This guy must be my mind twin, because we have exactly the same taste in dance music. Progressive trance, classic late-80s/early-90s club, even some recent pop remixes. But, better than the track selection, his mixing ability is second to none. Not just beatmatching, but "mood matching", key matching, just good mixing skills. I've just started to listen to his extensive collection of mixes, available all over the net.

Supposedly the guy has "retired" from mixing and sold all of his equipment. Too bad, because he really has talent.

An anniversary present to ourselves

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 22:29:32 -0600

Lori Ann and I decided to buy a DSLR camera as an anniversary gift to ourselves. (We celebrate our 5 year anniversary this Saturday.) We've always wanted a nice camera, I've always wanted to learn how to take good pictures, and with the baby on the way, we figured it was time to take the plunge into serious photography.

After quite a bit of research, I finally decided on the Canon EOS 40D. I bought the camera kit, which includes a lens. I realize that it's not the best lens available, but it will get me started. I've read through the instruction manual, so I know how to do most functions, but I don't know yet when and why to use them yet.

I've always thought that I'm not the best "visual" person; I think more abstractly, which is why I'm good at writing complex computer programs. But, just as I've never been a very "mechanically-inclined" person, but I can now work on cars somewhat competently (after lots of practice), I know that I can learn the basics of photography and will gain some level of competence after a while.

And, maybe I can start posting some pictures up on this blog, which seems a bit, well, plain...

A nice, relaxing weekend

Sun, 06 Jul 2008 21:36:06 -0600

And it was. Slept in late, did stuff around the house, hung out with friends and my brother's family, geeked out at computer stores, played with computers at home.

A gigabit router sure makes it faster to talk to the home server. I also installed Power Pack 1 RC for Windows Home Server. Seems to be running well, and the backup of the shares on the server is really nice.

Lori Ann and I decided to buy a DSLR camera for our anniversary present. I'm leaning towards the Canon Rebel XSi.