So, what have I been doing lately? You didn't ask, but I'll tell you anyway.
At work I've been going through a list of issues for a system we recently put into production. The system is made up of four separate applications and each have associated bugs or enhancements in this list. My task has been to do some research on each item, whipping up code and/or pseudo-code describing the solution. I like doing the research and it's good to have something like this on the side, especially considering what I'm doing with the rest of my workday.
I'm still learning how to use VisualAge Java IDE, and the basics of Java are coming back to me in the process. I've progressed from really, really hating it with a passion to being mostly ok with it. Today anyway. I did manage to write a class for my project, rather than just samples, so I've accomplished something.
At home, we're spent most of the weekend working on a new flagstone walkway. We took a couple of trips to a local landscape supplier and I'm telling you, it was lesbian day at the rock yard. We were there, as were another couple we know and another possible couple. We got the stones all layed out and Wendy is working on getting them 'set'. That part of the project is almost done. I've been getting nice dark compost/mulch on all the flower beds and tidying up - with Shannon's help, thank goodness. We've got less than a month before the anniversary party and there's still so much to do. That's probably part of the reason I've had a headache off and on for the last several days.
Speaking of headaches, who else got hit by the MSBLASTER worm today? Our corporate network has been going through spasms all day while the network support folks struggle to get it under control. To their credit, this is the first time a virus/worm has hit us in the past couple of years.
What else... there are a couple of games I've been semi-obsessed with for the past few weeks. My first PopCap game was Bookworm, which I eventually purchased because I liked being able to save my game. I obsessed with it until I managed to score 3,440,090 on a game I kept running for weeks. Then the obsession tapered off a bit. I still play it sometimes, mostly to see if I can get really long or interesting words. A month ago I started playing Atomica and decided I like the freebie java version better than the windows version. Very recently I've started playing Diamond Mine, which is a lot of fun. PopCap has a bunch of other games, most of which I haven't tried out yet.
Oh, for you DIY fans, I have been taking pictures of the flagstone project and will post them once we're finished. If the deities of rain are willing that will be by week's end. It does figure that once we got to the walkway project, the typical northwest summer rain came back after months of rainlessness and hot weather. The grass needs the rain, though, and so does the rest of the yard. I don't think I've seen grass this dead in a few years. That reminds me, I need to do the appropriate moonlit dances to ensure good weather in the first week of September.
Ok, back to scanning for MSBLASTER (I'm already pretty sure I don't have it, but it's good to be sure about stuff like that). I've also got a Diamond Mine game in progress and a pile of stuff to get up into the attic tonight. Thank goodness I decided to rest tonight ;-)