Power outage at work today - work outage tomorrow

Quite a show. A transformer said goodbye cruel world and burned blue and white hot. We could see it from the tenth floor.  This caused the first outage, which of course shut down all the computers in the office. A few minutes later, the power came back on, abruptly, for a few minutes. The next closest transformer, a half block away, was so grieved by the loss of its neighbor that it threw in the towel as well and the power went down for an extended period.
The UPS in the server room worked perfectly. I had plenty of time to start shutting down servers gracefully.  I was near done when the power came back on, so I waited a bit to see if we'd lose power again, and started rebooting servers. They all came back up just fine.  Except for the two most important to the network, the domain controllers. Oddly, these never went down, were not shut down, nor rebooted. As an analogy, imagine all the traffic lights in your entire town defaulting to blinking red at once. Traffic comes to a grinding halt. Such is the result of a network domain controller going down.
 The power surges, in spite of surge protectors and massive UPS batteries in line, spiked the VM Ware, upon which the domain controller virtual machines reside.
This all transpired near the end of the day. I realized where the problem lay pretty quickly and called my outsource IT folks stat.  A tech arrived reasonably quickly but that's pretty much where the quick service ended.  The abridged version is that he had no effing idea how to deal with the virtual servers that his company built.
I pulled the plug on him at 9pm.
So, it's off to work at extra dark thirty in the morning to meet a different tech that knows our system better.  I'm praying for a quick resolution, otherwise I'm going to have 50 people twiddling their thumbs. Then will come the hand wringing and gnashing of teeth because there is no internet or email.
After this little crisis is resolved, I'm going to have a little church chat with my outsource folks as to why they put both the primary and secondary domain controllers on the same host server.
I've always had a thing about putting all the eggs in one basket.  IT guys seem to just love virtual servers, stacking them up on a host machine to max out the processor and available RAM.  This is efficiency in their eyes I suppose. Even with full backup images of the servers, it's a recipe for disaster in my opinion.
Today is a case in point. All the physical servers are doing just dandy.  Two of the virtual servers are virtually....dead.
So, tomorrow, I have this melt down to deal with plus a full day of meetings prepping for a major presentation to make the cut for a major project.  Said presentation occurs at the end of the day.
  Sucks to be me right now.
When I started this post, I was pretty sure it was going to be an abject four letter word fest.
Perhaps blogging is a form a therapy. Or, perhaps I'm maturing...nah, that couldn't be it.
What I'd really like to do is ream out the owner of my outsource IT company at full vocal volume.  It won't be necessary however, I have a meeting with one of his competitors a week from Friday.

Top Shot.... Blue Team Girl Gets Axed

But of course she did......  though i thought that she hit a clay pigeon in the team challenge where several of the other guys didn't hit any.

Once again, Top Shot has disappointed me.  They have the 'token girls' on the show when in fact they really should have more than just one per team.  Three per team would be better.

Or....  a Lady Top Shot show would be nice.

I'm a stickler for this because it's my firm belief that every woman needs to learn how to handle and fire a gun.  Self protection is key and the gun is the great equalizer.

I think that a show that features women shooters might provide a little encouragement for other women.

Much Needed Recoil Theraphy

Unfortunately, I don't have pics to share, but yesterday after work, I stopped off at the range and gave my precious Natasha (the Tokorev SVT-40) a little TLC.  As always she fired strong and true with the perfect amount of sass.

I shot well, so I was quite pleased but I always laugh when I go to the range on a weekday toting my rifle.  I guess it's because the good ole boys at the range aren't accustomed seeing a woman walk up with a big gun all by herself without a boyfriend or husband to hold her hand.

I got the 'what are you doing here and should we take cover?' look as I passed the group of guys who were shooting their AR15's and other shooty goodness items.  I sat down at my bench, removed Natasha from her case and once i got her loaded and ready, I fired that first shot and you would have thought that the guys were going to get whip lash!  They jerked their head around so quick and proceeded to watch me empty the first magazine.

While I was loading up again for another round of fun, one of the guys said, "whatchoo got over there?"  So I told them and they came over to have a look.

I offered to let them have a go with it, but the answers I got were... "Oh no, I'm not shooting that thing!"  (wimps)

It was a fun afternoon shooting which provided me with some much needed recoil therapy.

Script Shovel

The One and Only Son was home for part of this weekend.  Man size now he is. Lord I miss my brood.
The Lovely Belle indulges us when the Man Child is home, and keeps herself occupied with her computer while we watch Chinese Martial Arts movies, replete with subtitles.
Sonage has a real knack for finding really good foreign films.
I had a really good day.
 When a movie or television show takes a ridiculous turn that defies our suspension of belief, we have a phrase coined by Belle to bring us back to fold for the continuation of television enjoyment.
The obvious trip, the dropped gun, flying over rooftops on 5mm aircraft cable, unending shots fired from a six shooter, getting kicked in the head multiple times only to rise again with nothing more than a trickle of blood from the corner of the mouth, etc., etc, etc.
"It's in the script".
This evening, we were watching "The Good, The Bad, and The Weird".  An Asian movie, set in the 1930's, for which the script was cobbled together from "The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly" with a bit of "Raiders of the Lost Ark", a minor amount of martial arts and a lot of shooting along the lines of "Free Range".
It got to the point where the Man Child and I were calling out what was going to happen next based upon the aforementioned movie plots.
We were having a grand time.  Then it came.  The main character had ridden through miles of desert on a motorcycle, having nothing left in his kit whatsoever arriving at the location of the "Treasure".
He begins to dig. With a shovel.
Wait! What? Says I.  He didn't have a shovel!
Sonnage brought me back to the fold with the family meme in shorthand.
"It's a Script Shovel"
Well then.
OK.
Back to my television viewing enjoyment.

From the BJF mailbag

My Bud Billy Joe sent this in. 

 No disrespect to Whitney Houston intended whatsoever, but it frames the priorities of the American Media, and many Americans for that matter quite succinctly. 

The death of Whitney Houston is on the news several times a day. She had one of the greatest voices ever!

Then, there are these guys:Justin Allen 23, Brett Linley 29. Matthew Weikert 29. Justus Bartett 27, Dave Santos 21, Jesse Reed 26, Matthew Johnson 21, Zachary Fisher 24, Brandon King 23, Christopher Goeke 23, and Sheldon Tate 27...These are all Marines that gave their lives for us last month.There is no media for them; not even a mention of their names.

Honor THEM by sending this on.--

"If ever a time should come, when vain and aspiring men shall possessthe highest seats in government, our country will stand in need ofits experienced patriots to prevent its ruin..." Samuel Adams, 1776
J.P.Midland, TX

God Bless our Service Men and Women.

That time of year again.........

Well, it's that time of year here in Houston when Rodeo season starts and Trail Riders can be seen making their way to Memorial Park where they will party all night and participate in the Downtown parade tomorrow.

Today is Go Texas day and all the little kids at school dress up in their cowboy attire and (at least when I was a kid, and I'm sure they still do it today) if a trail ride passes by the school, the bell will ring and the kids will run to the playground fence and watch the covered wagons and horses pass by.

It's a really special day here in Houston and I have very fond memories of watching trail riders pass by and by watching AND marching in the Rodeo Parade.  Marching in it with the band was fun, and challenging if your band was directly behind a trail ride.  Rules of marching in a parade.....   do NOT step out of line........    keep in step and if you see a pile of horse poop.........    march through it!

Some of you may ask, 'what the heck is a trail ride?'  Well, there are various groups of riders who ride on horseback from various parts of Texas to come to Houston for the Rodeo Parade.  Some of the riders follow old cattle drive trails.

A trail ride, depending on how far they are traveling can take up to three weeks!  In fact, there is a trail ride that comes up from south Texas, close to Mexico...    they travel roughly 350 miles to get here!

Trail riding started in 1952 when a small group (4) of men set out from Brenham, Texas and made the trek on horseback to Houston to raise awareness for the Livestock Show and Rodeo.  The next year, more than 80 joined and that trail ride became what is known today as The Salt Grass Trail Ride.  The Grandaddy of them all is what we call them.  They are huge with hundreds of riders and wagons.

So, on this day, if you are in Houston, you will most likely see a trail ride or two heading into town.  It always brings a smile to my face, and I will say that every trail rider out there enjoys a smile and wave and if you have the opportunity to stop and talk to them, they are wonderful folks.

This next one, I like because you can see the freeway off to the right providing a nice contrast of days of old to the modern modes of transporation.

Houston, is really a special place to live.  I really love my city.

Overheard at the bar.......

So last night was dart night.  It's really hilarious when someone says something that is so out of character for them.

This little woman, and I mean little, she's only 4'11" was having a real good time last night.  She's in her mid 50's and one of the sweetest and proper ladies that I know in the dart the dart world.

She was dancing, back to back with this other dart player (a guy) and this is the conversation:

lady:  i'm having so much fun!
guy:  *bumps her hips with his butt*
lady:  "oh my god, you're so HARD!
me:   "how the hell can you even tell from that angle?"
guy:  *blushing and speechless*
the rest of the bar:  *laughing their asses off*


Sheesh.  Next week is my last week for Wednesday night league.  I'm hanging it up during the week and trading darts and beer for tactical lessons at the range.

A girl has her priorities you know.

Happy Anniversary

I was reading a very wonderful article over at North's place and I suddenly realized that Monday night marked the 14th anniversary of the first date with my better half.

As I may have mentioned before, the hubby and I used to work together, which is how we met.  We didn't know each other on a personal level all that well, but we had attended parties and office happy hours and had a pretty good idea that we enjoyed conversing with one another.

What I didn't know is that at some point, he took notice of me (will let him elaborate on that some other time).

One day, me and a friend of mine in the office went to lunch and he came out of the closet to me (which I informed him that I already figured as much) and we were talking about dating and other stuff and the conversation went as follows:

Me:  I really just need to find myself a good man and settle down.
Jim:  Well what about Kx59?  He's single, handsome, smart.
Me:  Kx59??  Well, yes  he's very good looking, has a great smile, a good sense of humor, but I don't know that we have anything in common and not to mention he doesn't even know I exist.
Jim:  Well, you just never know Belle, remember his last girlfriend sat at your desk, maybe it's fate!

That very same day, Kx comes walking up to the front where I was relieving the receptionist for a break and informed me he was leaving to take his daughter to get her allergy shots.  Before he left, he asked what I was doing Friday night.  I told him that I had my daughters but might could get a sitter...  he asked me to go to the Houston Rodeo with him and that Alan Jackson was playing.

Of course, my mother wasn't one that really babysat on the weekends for me but wow, she didn't hesitate to say yes when I told her that one of the architects in the office wanted to take me to the Rodeo.  I laugh about it but I had dated with some real gems in my time so it's no surprise that she was so willing.

So it was off to the Rodeo we went.  It was a nice evening which included a trip to Papasitos where he had dinner and I, not wanting to assume it was a date, only had chips and salsa and a couple of beers since my budget was very tight at the time.

I was dressed up in my standard cowboy attire which included white Rocky Mountain jeans, boots, hat and a black and white blouse when dipped low in the back.  Apparently Kx liked that and when the performance started, he put his hand on my back and I can remember the jolt of electricity that shot through me, all the way to my toes when his hand touched my skin.

All I could do at that point was sit up straight and not make a move as I still didn't know if it was really a date and we did have to work together come Monday, and the fact that another architect and his wife were sitting right behind us and so I didn't want any rumors to start (ha).  In the middle of the performance the other couple left and then I relaxed a little and hubby still had his hand on my back and I leaned into him a bit, resting up against his shoulder.

After the show was over, we had the task of finding his jeep in the parking lot.  It was cold outside, and we held hands.  Eventually we found the Jeep and he dropped me off at my car which was still at the office.  We talked for a little bit, then said good night.  After a long look into each other's eyes, I slipped out of the passenger's seat, got into my car and made the drive home.

On the way home, this song came on the radio and I immediately thought of him with a smile on my face.


 

I knew that there had been an unbelievable amount of chemistry there and after a couple of weeks, we went out again and it proved to be true.  Before we knew it we were in a whirlwind of dating, and an emtional and physical intensity that I would have never believed to be possible.

So to my beloved Kx59, thank you for the 14 years of love and devotion.  I know that at first I did the best I could to chase you away, thanks for not running.  You have been my heart and soul and I consider myself the luckiest woman on the planet.  Simply put, I love you and Happy Anniversary even if it's a couple days late.

Top Shot Season 4

Well, Top Shot really snuck up on me this season.  I didn't realize the new season had started.  Anyway, I watched it last night and I think that I am going to like this season as there seems to be very little drama so far.

Also, apparently, the girls weren't the first to get voted to the elimination round.  In fact, last night, the blue team won the challenge, but the girl on the red team was only 11 seconds behind the guy that did the best....   this is a good thing, maybe she'll stick around.

As for now, I really don't have a favorite, or someone who I would like to see get the boot, though I will say that the girl on the blue team seems to like to talk a fair amount of smack.  We'll see how long she lasts.

From here, you can see Mexico

This is "The Window" in Big Bend State Park. It is said, that on a clear day, you can see 200 miles into Mexico.  Been there. A very memorable trip, but that's a whole nuther post, as they say.

From here, you can see something much more nefarious.  From here you can see the underlying Lie of Fast and Furious.

This is the sign, purportedly made from weapons illegally exported to Mexico from the U.S. (courtesy of the ATFB, FBI and DEA btw)

The lie your Federal Government via the main stream media told you?
"The Mexican Government knew nothing of operation fast and furious".
I don't think the Mexican peasants of Mestizo decent along the border put this sign together.
Not much you can count on these days, but at least the Mexican government is keeping their part of the bargain in Obummer and Holders's little gun grab.

Pissed had a post that made me go..hey, wait a second.  "Automatic" weapons? From the U.S.?
I could blather on, but I'll just close with the comment I left at The Feral Irishman.

Supposedly, the Mexican government knew nothing about the fast and furious operation. Holder et.al. are still trying to salvage the underlying goal of the operation, which was another "assault weapons" ban. This sign puts the lie to the Mexican government's ignorance of the operation.
As a Cartel gun buyer, why would you buy semi-auto weapons from the U.S., when you can get the full auto versions dropped by boat anywhere along the thousands of miles of Mexican coastline from the myriad of shithole countries on this planet?
This is Holder's Hail Mary pass.

The more light shed upon this, the better.