Tuesdayitis

Well, not so much to say today - yesterday got wrapped up again in a continuation of the problem from Sunday, so for once a busy busy day (altho not as bad as poor S, who got back from holiday yesterday, joined me on the problem, and then got stuck with it til 1 a.m this morning, when it finally got fixed .... not actually our problem of course, but everyone always points at the database first, whenever anything goes wrong: this is like a law of nature, in NZ, the UK and here, because it's big and identifiable, and it's the endpoint of most systems, so a natural target).

I still have quite a few problems with the systems here - the Texas ones in particular - as they belonged to a (now-defunct) firm that has been bought out more than once, before winding up as part of our current client: as a result they are exceptionally old and cranky by IT standards. The worst of it, tho, is that when they got set up, whoever did it followed none of the standard procedures and layouts, and did some frankly, really weird things in the setup.

As a result, whenever I have to troubleshoot, it's always an adventure trying to find out where everything is - I am gradually getting it all documented for my own purposes - the previous DBAs did have it documented in a fashion, but I've had endless grief trying to find this and understand it when in an emergency.

The usual IT stuff, grumble grumble moan about your predecessors and the network group :)

On the bright side, the TV repair guy is due today - it will be nice to have this reliable again. For the last 3 weeks, we can watch about 90 minutes' worth of TV before it gets 'warm' and then starts giving everything a neon-green overlay. After that, you can carry on watching, but it's pretty damn surreal. It's sorta OK for stuff that isn't too visual & depends more on the talking (like most news & news analysis, things on the history channels, stuff like that), but most drama & comedies are just ... too strange.

Mind you, I caught the last half of 2001: a Space Oddyssey, and it made more sense than before :)

Cat is going through her phone book, advising everyone of her new mobile phone number, as we got around to dumping our AT&T phones & picked up new ones from a company that doesn't charge us a daily $1 just to have the phone service. Which reminds me, I must email y'all with our mobile numbers, and the new landline number as well (just trying to cut AT&T out of my life as much as possible, which brings a smile to my face all in itself).

We're also trying to come to grips with the medical insurance/ medical bills system here, which is just horrible. I mean, we have what is called good coverage, courtesy of my employment contract, but the simplest of things, like trying to match bills against insurance claims & trying to find out what we need to pay, is just an endless paperchase, with numerous complicated phone calls to the insurance company. Oh well, welcome to Capitalism in the worst way - free enterprise it definitely aint.

Enough griping for one day, I'll get back to work!