Okay, I don't remember which installment this is, but I have more to say about ducks.
As you remember, Marilyn and Monroe were a duck couple who chose my yard as their territory for a while each spring for several years. Monroe was a devoted and protective mate for Marilyn.
In our neighborhood, we have many children in a wide range of ages. Most of them are teens, and not interested in ducks, but the little girl who lives next door is very interested. She came over one morning when my youngest and I were on the front porch. I knew her mother was in their garage reading. She would open the garage door so that she could watch her daughter play while she had a smoke, drank a cup of coffee, and often read the paper.
Cece and I had already eaten our breakfast, but I was still nursing my cuppa. She noticed the bowl of water in front of the azaleas, and asked me why it was there. I explained that I put it there so the ducks could have a drink. She was fascinated that ducks were coming to my house. I explained that I was studying them and feeding them to learn more about the life cycle. She asked if she could see them. I told her that I expected them quite soon, but that she was not to approach them or try to feed them unless a grown-up was present, and even then, only with great care.
She ran home to tell her mother and I suppose to ask for bread. Within 30 minutes, my ducks had come and were waddling up the steps to get their breakfast. I tossed out some grain, and watched as Marilyn ate. Monroe, typical gentleman that he was, wandered with in her reach, just watching.
Debbie came running back when she her them fly in. I cautioned her not to come too close, but to wait by the fence. From there she could see very well, but Monroe wouldn't feel threatened. She grimaced at me, but stopped where she was. She watched for a few minutes, then pulled a slice of white bread from her pocket. Not what I consider to be healthy, but surely one slice wouldn't hurt them. Instead of ripping it into small pieces. She threw the whole slice at Monroe. He quacked, and moved closer to me, one eye constantly on her.
Seeing that he didn't take the bread, she stepped forward and picked it back up. I told her that they couldn't eat anything that big and that she would need to make small pieces. I also reminded her not to get too close. Now, Debbie is a nice girl, but sometimes she isn't too bright. She began ripping pieces off (still way too big) and ran in to throw them. This frightened both Marilyn and Monrow enough that they half ran half flew to the other side of the yard. Debbie lost sight of them, and therefore lost interest. She dropped the bread, and headed home. I asked Cece to pick up the bread. She was about 2, but could follow simple instructions. I figured I would give it to our lab.
A few minutes later, I saw Monroe peek around the side of the car. Not seeing Debbie, he quackled at Marilyn to follow him, and he headed back to the porch. I told Cece that maybe she could give Debbie's bread to the ducks. I showed her how to rip small pieces. Then, I had her wait until they were quite close. I helped her reach down slowly, and then toss the bread piece a few inches in front of Marilyn's beak. Marilyn glanced at me, then moved up and took the bread. She made a beeline to the water, and washed it down. Then, she waddled back. Cece and I then tossed pieces to her and Monroe until it was all gone. The last piece was only 8 inches from Cece's feet, but Marilyn stepped forward confidentally to take it. Cece stood quietly between my knees as I sat on my chair, and watched in silence.
After Marilyn waddled off to nap, Cece turned to me and said, "Mom! She eat my bread!" She was so excited. I thought of Debbie, as I hugged my daughter. She was not likely to ever have this experience. She didn't know patience, she didn't know silence. What a loss for her.
Thursday, April 28, 2005
Wednesday, April 20, 2005
Gears turn, no time to burn
Wow! I meant to post last week, but I had some connections issues. Anyway, things are moving with my business. I have a new client that I will be talking to next week. His former web designer recommended that he hire me to replace her. She doesn't have the time or the skills to do what he needs. She only agreed to help out because of her friendship with his wife.
I have been working hard on the database backend for the sites I handle. While none of them sell directly through the internet yet, two have the potential to in the next two years as they grow. I don't want to wait until they need it to build it. Hubby and I have been working on it for about a week. Mostly still in the conceptual area, but we did do our first dry run last night. It is working like a charm. Just need to expand it. We also have to port it so that it services both MySQL and MSAccess since I have clients on each of those. Depends on whether I am providing their hosting or not.
I also finally took the time to set up the VPN between here and the mental health advocacy place that has me on contract. That will make it easier to work from home. It isn't too much of a drive, but there are times I would rather be home.
The most amusing thing that happened today was that my friend, Ned, emailed me. He had finally also left the diocese. He had been thinking about it for a while, but I guess things finally reached a head. But more than just that, he startled me with a strange question. "Why are they still sending emails to your old email address?" he asked me. Apparently, for the last 2 months, whenever they sent him an update on addresses and phone numbers for the database, they were copying it to my work address. I haven't popped that address since a week after I left. It has been setup on the Presario 700Z, but when the battery went bad, Hubby and I decided my business needed a more powerful machine anyway, so I replaced it, and let him have it instead. He wasn't logging in as me either, so no one was checking that account.
I thought about it, and then I went ahead and set up the account on the R3000. I tried to POP, but the password was rejected. My guess is that they didn't know how to delete me from Active Directory, so they just changed the password. Or, maybe I changed it before I left (not that I was using one of my patented "never-break" passwords there. Their system is a lost cause. I am surprised no one tried to ROOT them. Of course, I did add in a good firewall last fall (finally given permission).
And speaking of the firewall, they actually called here and asked me how to log on to it directly. I told them, in the same calm voice I have every other time, "Look in the Networking Log that I left. All the instructions are in there. All the passwords are in the vault in well-marked sealed envelopes." But they insisted that they needed to log on 'right now' because Internet Services was running somewhere on the LAN.
Excuse me? Internet Services for the intranet is a Windows only piece of software. I know, I installed it. The firewall runs on a stripped down *nix OS. I tried to get them to understand that. "Because the firewall is running Linux, Internet Services wouldn't run there even if someone put it there. Plus, no one put it there, because I am the only one who knew Linux, and I would never run a service like that on my firewall." Anyway, I finally convinced them.
Back to Ned, so he has quit, I am the only other one with any web design skills, and they are on my bad side right now. What will they do? Who knows? They are finally advertising for a full-time receptionist, but again they are doing it the wrong way:
The Diocesan Office in [insert city here], (like I am fooling anyone with that) is seeking to hire a full-time receptionist primarily as first point of contact to greet all visitors to the building and handle incoming telephone calls. Essential duties and responsibilities include: data entry; word processing, performing all aspects of mailings, both first class and bulk; operating basic office equipment; assisting in ordering, receiving, and storing office supplies. High school diploma or equivalent desired. Microsoft Office experience including Outlook, Word, and basic Excel required. Desktop Publishing knowledge helpful, but not required.
Okay, a high school graduate with all those skills? Who is willing to do all that AND be full-time on the phone? Especially when the Bishop is burning bridges with long time supporters and people are mad as wet hens and taking out on whomever answers the phone? They are also going to find this person by April 29....of what year? They also need to throw in there that the person is now in charge of the website and the intranet.
I also have it from a good source that the contractor who is doing their IT since I am gone is about to his limit. He is starting to make comments on his invoices like: "Tasks performed: A bunch of stuff an On-Site administrator ought to be doing". Well, he is right. And when I was there, I was doing that stuff. What they really need to do is force some of the computer illiterate to take the available classes so that they truly understand how to do their job. I tried to convince some of them when I was there, but they insisted they knew enough to get their job done. Now, I am hearing that without me there, they are claiming they don't know how to do searches in the database or reports or....yes, because I used to do them because no one else would, and they depended on me being there. Too bad. I am doing other stuff now.
Well, I know the Tidy Bowl man will wave as they go by. Who knows, once they elect a new bishop and hire a new administrator, maybe I would be willing to go back. But until then, I can't hear them.
I have been working hard on the database backend for the sites I handle. While none of them sell directly through the internet yet, two have the potential to in the next two years as they grow. I don't want to wait until they need it to build it. Hubby and I have been working on it for about a week. Mostly still in the conceptual area, but we did do our first dry run last night. It is working like a charm. Just need to expand it. We also have to port it so that it services both MySQL and MSAccess since I have clients on each of those. Depends on whether I am providing their hosting or not.
I also finally took the time to set up the VPN between here and the mental health advocacy place that has me on contract. That will make it easier to work from home. It isn't too much of a drive, but there are times I would rather be home.
The most amusing thing that happened today was that my friend, Ned, emailed me. He had finally also left the diocese. He had been thinking about it for a while, but I guess things finally reached a head. But more than just that, he startled me with a strange question. "Why are they still sending emails to your old email address?" he asked me. Apparently, for the last 2 months, whenever they sent him an update on addresses and phone numbers for the database, they were copying it to my work address. I haven't popped that address since a week after I left. It has been setup on the Presario 700Z, but when the battery went bad, Hubby and I decided my business needed a more powerful machine anyway, so I replaced it, and let him have it instead. He wasn't logging in as me either, so no one was checking that account.
I thought about it, and then I went ahead and set up the account on the R3000. I tried to POP, but the password was rejected. My guess is that they didn't know how to delete me from Active Directory, so they just changed the password. Or, maybe I changed it before I left (not that I was using one of my patented "never-break" passwords there. Their system is a lost cause. I am surprised no one tried to ROOT them. Of course, I did add in a good firewall last fall (finally given permission).
And speaking of the firewall, they actually called here and asked me how to log on to it directly. I told them, in the same calm voice I have every other time, "Look in the Networking Log that I left. All the instructions are in there. All the passwords are in the vault in well-marked sealed envelopes." But they insisted that they needed to log on 'right now' because Internet Services was running somewhere on the LAN.
Excuse me? Internet Services for the intranet is a Windows only piece of software. I know, I installed it. The firewall runs on a stripped down *nix OS. I tried to get them to understand that. "Because the firewall is running Linux, Internet Services wouldn't run there even if someone put it there. Plus, no one put it there, because I am the only one who knew Linux, and I would never run a service like that on my firewall." Anyway, I finally convinced them.
Back to Ned, so he has quit, I am the only other one with any web design skills, and they are on my bad side right now. What will they do? Who knows? They are finally advertising for a full-time receptionist, but again they are doing it the wrong way:
The Diocesan Office in [insert city here], (like I am fooling anyone with that) is seeking to hire a full-time receptionist primarily as first point of contact to greet all visitors to the building and handle incoming telephone calls. Essential duties and responsibilities include: data entry; word processing, performing all aspects of mailings, both first class and bulk; operating basic office equipment; assisting in ordering, receiving, and storing office supplies. High school diploma or equivalent desired. Microsoft Office experience including Outlook, Word, and basic Excel required. Desktop Publishing knowledge helpful, but not required.
Okay, a high school graduate with all those skills? Who is willing to do all that AND be full-time on the phone? Especially when the Bishop is burning bridges with long time supporters and people are mad as wet hens and taking out on whomever answers the phone? They are also going to find this person by April 29....of what year? They also need to throw in there that the person is now in charge of the website and the intranet.
I also have it from a good source that the contractor who is doing their IT since I am gone is about to his limit. He is starting to make comments on his invoices like: "Tasks performed: A bunch of stuff an On-Site administrator ought to be doing". Well, he is right. And when I was there, I was doing that stuff. What they really need to do is force some of the computer illiterate to take the available classes so that they truly understand how to do their job. I tried to convince some of them when I was there, but they insisted they knew enough to get their job done. Now, I am hearing that without me there, they are claiming they don't know how to do searches in the database or reports or....yes, because I used to do them because no one else would, and they depended on me being there. Too bad. I am doing other stuff now.
Well, I know the Tidy Bowl man will wave as they go by. Who knows, once they elect a new bishop and hire a new administrator, maybe I would be willing to go back. But until then, I can't hear them.
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