Thursday

I'm really not sure how the week has gone by this far with such little attention here, but I plead a medical defense based first on the sore shoulder and then on the dental procedure yesterday.   I need to get ready for a visit from an IRS agent this morning, but I refuse to let the Service take me totally off my game.  So a few lines here before breaking open those audit files.

Two years ago this week I was down in Orlando for a conference.  I remember having to find some shade when I took a walk outside at lunch time because of the heat.  Last year, I was still dog-sitting The W while 2 was traipsing about Asia.  And we had full-Winter going on last year on those Winnie-walks!

RevKev's post about his private pilot licensing brought back memories of my very limited experience with flying lessons while I was in ROTC at ND.  I think everyone in Air Force ROTC was supposed to take flying lessons (that the USAF paid for) in order to do an initial screening for pilot-track guys.  I wasn't that interested, but I wasn't smart enough to say "No thanks" either.  So I went up a few times with an instructor, confirmed my scaredness, and became a ground-pounder.  They didn't try to convince me otherwise.

I was a little surprised to learn that my locally-owned camera store owner essentially said that the failure of my December-purchased Fuji Film water-proof digi-camera was essentially my problem with the manufacturer.  I had taken the camera into the store shortly after New Year's when it was apparent that water had leaked into the unit while it was either in my gym bag or my car, and the clerk had basically given me the "send it in for warranty" story.  The owner was on vacation until this week.  I took it back in, and the owner was similarly matter-of-factly unresponsive.  Interesting.

This lack of standing behind a product sold by the store doesn't resonate well for the concept of supporting local small businesses.  My experience with the "big box' stores is that a quick return of a failed product shortly after purchase is almost a no-questions-asked event.  Maybe the financial dynamics are just easier for the big box to navigate.  Whatever.  I won't be back to the local guy.  And he was very unconcerned by that fact.

The laptop is finally back in operation.  Our IT provider made the case that it truly was a Dell problem.  I let my pal Bill handle the peace-making with our vendor.  The bottom-line is that I am back to normal communications capability.  In the long run, I may be looking at an Apple notebook to address my needs for access while on the road.

OK.  I need to get ready for the IR of S.  Maybe more here later.

BCOT