Five Fact Friday

Did you miss me?  I have been busy doing real work for work...sorta.  I have also been doing some traveling.

1. I thought I would try to describe some of the insanity of one of my tasks at work.  Task: Get a server running in our test environment so that we can make sure all of our existing systems work with changes to one of the systems.  Sounds easy enough...even for me that has dealt with this type of task before.  I forgot. Computers are possessed. Servers are possessed. The stars have to align. The moon has to be waxing crescent. I have to squeeze a drop of blood orange juice into my eye without blinking. I have to move the R button on my computer and replace it with the M button...and then...maybe...I can complete the task.

First, I had to get access to 3 different web servers.  Each server has to simulate a different type of environment. Then I had to wipe out everything on the servers and put the mostest recentest currentest code and configuration on each server. Then I had to make about 7 applications work and run across the 3 servers and talk to each other happily.  I got about 5 of the applications working with no problem.  The other 2 require troubleshooting.  What has changed? Nothing. What is missing? Nothing. Well lets just try to reinstall it.  Ok. That didn't work. Well, lets try rebooting. Ok. That didnt work.  Debug debug.  Read error logs.  Read error logs.  Restart.  Give up for the weekend.

Come back on Monday. The applications are alllll working.  I did nothing. Nobody did anything.  The magical unicorn touched one of the servers and all was healed. Before I am able to submit my transaction and prove that everything works just like it should, I have to point to an alternate database because there is a migration happening.  Some server needs some upgrade. Or some server ran out of space. Or some unicorn didn't touch the right server.  So I make my little change and prepare to test.  I get some database error messages.  I troubleshoot, troubleshoot, debug, debug, debugzzzz and then I admit defeat and talk to the server team.  The server team tells me "hey, you need a new server".  So I give up my old server that I did so much magic on to make work, and I take my new server and I start the process over again.  This time the magic unicorn doesn't show up.  I never get it working.  We are now going on week 3 of me trying to get the systems running in test and it is just not important anymore.  If we were going to break something, we would have already broken it. Hopefully.   I take a deep breath.  I reassure myself that I am intelligent. I move on to my next task.  Now, I am going to have to make 2 applications work with a new application.  I will be writing code and having to learn how to use some new applications. I hope the unicorns show up.

2. I was clueless about this little cloth diapering fact.  My diapers started leaking.  They weren't snug on the legs.  I was confused.  I did some research.  The elastic wears out. The 3 year mark seems to be the trend.  I guess they can't take all of the hot water washing and occasional drying when lazy.  They sell replacement elastic parts (at least Bum Genius does) and if you have a mother in law that is willing to devote lots of time to this annoying task, your diapers will be good as new. Look at the difference with new elastic vs old elastic. 

3. Wyatt had a bit of a traumatic weekend, but turns out he only remembers the good parts.  He got stuck on a 4 wheeler at dark. He lost his hat on the boat. He ran out of gas in the boat and had to get towed to a boat ramp.  You know what he told me on the way home? I had a good time this weekend. Ha ha.  Good. He sure didn't act like it during the actual moment.  He could sense the stress I guess.

4. Kate had a bit of a traumatic weekend too. She got an ant bite that I never would have taken her to the dr for, but she had a checkup and the dr kinda flipped out and said it looked like staph.  He gave me an antiobiotic, and some topical cream, and some special soap to use.  He wouldn't give her the vaccinations. At first, I thought he was being a little silly, but as the day went on that ant bite got redder and redder and it turned into a big knot.  I started to believe him.  Everything looks under control now. While fighting the staph, I let her fall on a pine cone and shred her leg up.  Can't win.  Kate has been happy. Barely cried at pine cone incident.  She is an excellent kid, girl, baby, toddler.  She just needs to improve on the not sleeping in her own bed area so we can travel more.

Please if anyone sees a puppy like this somewhere, buy it because I don't know what to do if I can't get another one

5. I bought some grey wedge Toms last year when they were on sale.  I still haven't worn them.  When I put them on it looks like I am trying to dress up, and I am really just trying to stay at my house all day, or take my kiddo to preschool, or survive a grocery store trip.  When I look on pinterest, everyone looks all glammed up.  Someone help me figure out how to wear these.