Specifically, this new (to me) blue 2002 Mercury Sable.

Kelley Blue Book lists it at $6,300, while I got it for $5,800 (TTL)… Not a spectacular deal, but little hassle, and that’s what I like.

I’ll have more pics posted in the next couple days as I have time.  Seems to drive/handle well, and I plan on getting to Brad (my guy at the Shell Station tomorrow to have him look it over - got the extra day in the contract, of course).

But this post is about the work / progress with the house!

Things are coming together VERY well, and I thought I’d post a few pics of the “work in progress”.  Much has been finished even since these pictures, and I’ll have the most recent ones posted soon, but for now….

David

Bought a new digital SLR camera to play around with…. try to get a little more professional with my photography. I decided on the Canon EOS 40D.

There’s not really much I can say about it right now, since I’ve just barely opened the box, but from several reviews on the web it seems to be among one of the top notch prosumer level cameras out there. 10 megapixel, 6 frames/sec, and a host of other cool features. I’m sure I’ll be posting some new pics here and on my Flickr account soon!

Until then, here’s more specs:

Canon EOS 40D Kit W/ EF 28-135mm IS

The Spirit of Photography.

• Superb image quality: 10.1 Megapixel CMOS Sensor, extensive noise reduction technology, and 14-bit conversion for outstanding color tones and gradations.
• Outstanding performance: 6.5 fps, burst rate up to 75 consecutive JPEGs or 17 RAW images and DIGIC III Image Processor.
• Strong, rugged build quality: magnesium-alloy exterior, shutter durability-tested to 100,000 cycles, top speed 1/8000, top x-sync speed 1/250.
• New AF system with 9 cross-type sensors, and world’s first diagonal high-precision cross-type AF at center point with f/2.8 and faster lenses.
• EOS Integrated Cleaning System, Picture Style settings, Spot metering, and Highlight Tone Priority for advanced in-camera image control.
• Large 3.0-inch LCD monitor and advanced Live View Function with new options for reduced shutter time lag and quiet operation.
• Wide range of accessories, including interchangeable focusing screens, extensive remote control options, and new battery grip BG-E2N.

Welcome to the next generation of digital SLR photography-the Canon EOS 40D. The EOS 40D combines Canon’s tremendous know-how in both the digital and photographic worlds, creating a camera that not only does everything one would expect of a traditional digital SLR, but one that incorporates staggering leaps forward in technological innovation. With new features like Canon’s EOS Integrated Cleaning System, Live View Function, a more powerful DIGIC III Image Processor, plus a 10.1-megapixel CMOS sensor, a 3.0-inch LCD monitor and more, the EOS 40D elevates digital photography to new heights, enhancing the shooting experience, and delivering images one could only expect from a Canon. (http://www.camerax.com/show_item.php?140-19017@1794)

This month, it looks like this:

Your Current Equifax Score is: 777

Over time, your score has changed as shown:

738   743   746   777   Apr ‘07 Jul ‘07 Oct ‘07 Jan ‘08

twittervision:
I have talked about the twittermap.com site before, but actually I think my page on twittervision.com is more cool.  (Yes, both sites are from Dave Troy).  Not only does it show where I am at on the google map, but also shows SEVERAL of my last posts, in case you missed one or two.  Id REALLY like to embed the twittervision map and log to my rock808.com front page some how.  I looked at the API page a little, and found a cool way to update just my location from the Linux command line, but nothing about embeding the map and log…. yet.

facebook:
I have also decided to do more on facebook rather than MySpace.  I think they are providing more interesting things for people to do, and do together, and the fact that facebook has a mobile app for my BlackBerry, as well as a tool for using twittervision has just really boosted my desire to make the switch.  Facebook also seems to have a way for directly accepting my uploaded images.  I’ll have to see if I even need my ITookThisOnMyPhone account any more….. I’m really not happy about having to use all these various external websites for mobile social networking.  I know we are REALLY headed in that direction fast, but I’m technologically impatient.

More on all this later.  I’m pretty worn out from a couple days of long hours, so heading to bed.
Be sure to check out the map to see where I’m at and what I’m doing !

David

Work:
Very stressful Monday morning, trying to get set up for the class I’m suppose to teach in just a couple hours, and not having complete documentation as to how to do some things, and also not having a few needed files! Some of it I could have (should have) avoided by grabbing the files and shooting an email to a couple folks last week, but even last week was busy. Still, not really an excuse. In the end the class got set up, and from that point on everything fell in to place perfectly! Back in my element…. and by just Tuesday, I was feeling happy and alive again. Teaching really does do it for me. :)
Had a cute girl in class this week!   Cute girls and Linux are a rare combination.  Some how those classes always just seem a little more fun.  However, I must also say I’ve never taken it beyond a light flirt, hardly enough to be noticeable, as to not single anyone out or disrupt class.  There has only been one time in 10 years I met up with someone who had been in class, and it was she who contacted me afterward.  We tried to date for a few months, but the distance was an issue.  Anyway, class ended a bit after lunch on Friday (as usual). Made it to the airport, caught my flights back home, and nothing extremely exciting to report.

House:
Nothing really new on the house front. I am getting a daily report of various property on the market, and have looked over a couple, but need to spend more time doing that. Thanks to my mother’s help, my current house has still made a little progress toward being ready to rent out, even with me gone last week. Hopefully I can find extra time to put in to it this weekend.

Wrap-up:
Well, looks like it’s about time for my 2 miles today! I’m looking forward to getting the job route back up to three miles, but that will take a couple more weeks at this point! Whenever I get out of it for a while, and back in, I always feel like such a big fatty…. not because I think I’m fat, but just because some muscles have loosened up and everything seems to jiggle around a lot more… hmmm… at least it won’t be too much longer and THAT will stop.. heh (EDIT: 1st mile in 10 min flat.  2nd mile… oops.. still having to walk a quarter to half of that… hmmm)

Lots of other things I want to do today (shopping for travel items, lunch with family, re-pot some pepper plants, pack up things in house, etc), so I’m off!

I think what I’ll do is try to keep this blog for some of the more general things going on.  And perhaps use my Twitter account () to give up to the minute happenings (if it’s worth reporting - which is relative… AND current-mood sensitive)

So, what’s been going on the last couple days?

RHCX - work
I’ve taken the Red Hat RHCX certification class, and passed the live hands-on test!   One thing I REALLY like about Red Hat certifications, is there is never any multiple guess.  Almost makes the cert meaningless.  In stead, Red Hat asks that candidates sit in front of a live machine, and preform tasks X, Y and Z in a certain amount of time.  If you can do it (without notes) according to the test guidelines, then you pass.  Otherwise,  you don’t pass.  If you do a search on http://redhat.com for things like “RHCE passing rate” you’ll find reference to an ‘Official Pass Rate’ hovering around 45% and others like 12,000 tests taken and 6,000 certs handed out (rounded numbers), which I think is interesting, because many people take it multiple times, which means the pass-rate for First Time Takers is probably a decent amount lower than 50%.

Exercise:
On the fitness front, I’ve started my jogging regiment, yet again.  Fairly proud of myself for doing my 2 mile track the first day back after almost a year.  Although I will admit I only jogged about 1.5 miles of it, with the first mile done in 10 min as usual!  However, I was VERY winded afterward, and legs TOTALLY sore the next day… so much so that I couldn’t jog again for a couple more days. I guess about 4 days later I did the 2 miles again.  This time took 11 min for the first mile, but breathing was amazingly improved, and I felt good enough to go again the next day…. I’ll certainly keep the ‘exercise’ progress on ongoing updates as in the past.

 House:
I’ve finally made the FIRM decision to rent out the house I’ve been living in (originally MEANT as a rent house 4 years ago!)  I’ll be selling off a bunch of old stuff I just don’t use on a regular basis.  Probably more than 50% of the things I own… and some things I have owned for over 20 years.  I just feel this need right now to ‘live lite’… and perhaps the feeling of wiping away the old and starting with a clean slate. I also plan on taking pictures of a bunch of items I’ve just been hanging on to as memorabilia, when I don’t really look at them much.  I think it might be more cool to have a picture (taking less space) which I could have online in an album for other to see and comment on, as well as evening hanging on my full hall of pics.  As I rent this one out I’m thinking of buying my permanent house just outside of Austin… probably on 4-6 acres of land in the hill country.  Hopefully with some running water, but at least sloped/hilly land, tons of trees, and probably a log cabin-ish looking house.  I’m sure you’ll find out just after I do. :)

Guess that’s enough for now.   LOTS to do!

ITookThisOnMyPhone - As soon as I take a picture on my phone it gets posted here!

I also have a link to the site in the left side bar under “links”.

Yes, I know… it’s one MORE different site to have to go to, but until I find another fast and easy way to get pics from the phone to this blog, it’s my best solution at the time.

A little troubling too, that no one wrote to make sure I was still alive or not…. and no, it doesn’t matter that my friends and family had OTHER ways they were keeping in touch.

Anyway, I should be “at work” now, so I guess I’ll only mention that I’ve got a new job as a Linux Instructor at Red Hat !! Even though that is VERY cool, I hate mixing business and personal so I’ll probably not mention it again on this blog.

I’ve also decided to (probably) sell my house and buy a few acres just outside of Austin. Some of you might have guessed by various pictures, that I’ve been letting my yard go wild. I really do like the all natural look and feel and to feel tucked away in nature, and not so close to other houses. More on the new plan later… but for now… I’m spending time getting it fixed up… either as a rental property, or just to sell.

The final big, change has been a recent break up with my GF, Debbie… of the last year. I won’t go in to details, but yes, it’s a very sad time, so all the more reason to dive in to work and other large projects like the house to keep myself preoccupied.

I’m sure all of this also means more time on this blog, keeping up with twitter (and map), and catching this blog up on other interesting things I missed over the last year.

David