Super Desk is almost done...

Changed the look and feel of the template for my blog. Hope you like it. Looks like shooting stars. Neat-o!!!

(mildly wordy post below)

Super Desk Deux is shaping up (and getting cleaned up as well). We bought the Mrs a new desk (and laptop) for her study up in the loft. She needed a printer stand so I gave up one of the printer stands from the super desk. However, this weekend my sis brought up some our old crap from her house and included in that haul was a short bookshelf, so it's part of super desk now.

I also picked up a Trendnet 2-port USB KVM switch at Microcenter for like $14 bucks on sale (normally $34). It also does audio switching!!! So I was able to get rid of the big honking monitor and another set of speakers. This thing is getting leaner and meaner. If I was a bigger dork, I would have purchased a 4 port and hooked up the remaining spare computer. But I never use more that 2 computers at a time, so I didn't see the point - plus, the other tower would have crowded my leg space... it's already a rats nest behind the computer desk, despite my best efforts to keep it neat and tidy.

At first I thought that the KVM switch was manual switch only... however it does hotkeys as well (scr lock + scr lock... finally, a real reason to use scr lock!!!). I'd much rather have both options since some of the Belkin soft-switch only KVMs have been known to have issues.

So, I'm giddy as all get out about the KVM. (It doesn't mention Win 7 support, but I'm running XP and Vista at the moment, so it works out for me at the moment... actually, it doesn't mention Vista on the MC description, but the documentation states that it does... so... there. I'm sure that if it supports Vista, it likely supports Win 7 as well).

I still need to get a USB keyboard since, somehow, all of my keyboards are PS/2 and the PS/2 to USB adapter thing doesn't seem to work. When plug in the keyboard, it lights up at first but then goes dark and there is no response when typing. I tried multiple PS/2 keyboards ... to no avail. And yes, I did try the customer support default of rebooting. :p

... in other news ...

The new furniture is coming tomorrow... well... most of it. The called later this evening and said that there was something wrong with the 'gentleman's chest of drawers' so that piece would be delivered NEXT Tuesday. But at least MOST of it is showing up tomorrow.

I start the new job on Wednesday. Part of me is relieved and the other part is scared to fail. But that's the norm for me when starting the new job so... all is well. :P

The roof guy came over the other day and patched a spot by the skylight that had been leaking recently... for free. He said 'it only took me 5 minutes... it's on me'. You don't see that very often any more. So... thanks Dustin.

The furnace repair guy is showing up on ... Friday I think. It's been rattling about. Their cost will certainly not be free. It cost more than what they originally quoted. But at least their labor rate isn't terrible. I think it's like $15 per 15 minutes or something. So that only $60 an hour (which is how long they said it would take). AFAIK there is no 'service call fee' so that repair should be under the $500 we budgeted. Egads. I'm not convinced that we need everything that they want to replace, however, the furnace is about 12 years old, so I might as well repair them before they break (things like the ignitor and some other thing beside the rattling induction fan (which I'm also still convinced is nothing more than a loose screw.. but whatever... I just want it done with so it doesn't sound like someone sharpening a lawn mower blade on a grinder every time the heat kicks on)).

I hope all is well with everyone else out there.