das loft

cowabunga! I've just spent the last 3+ days setting up my sister's new laptop (an IBM ThinkPad T22) with Xandros Linux 2.0 and a wireless card. Xandros is the evolution of Corel Linux, based on Debian. it's a great distro for non-geeks and was a breeze to install. but I was having lots of issues getting an 802.11b card working in it.

at first I impulsively bought an expensive Linksys one at the place where I got her laptop. then I went to Future Shop and saw an SMC one for $30 less, so I bought that and returned my Linksys one. I tried to set up the SMC one but troubles were rampant. Xandros tried to make it work (it detected it properly), but I still couldn't connect it to any wireless networks. I followed fifty how-tos trying to get it to work, and I couldn't. I knew it was possible, though, but most likely only with kernel 2.6, and Xandros doesn't support that kernel yet. so after a couple days wrestling with it, I gave up.

I ended up going to Future Shop again, returned this SMC one, and bought the same Linksys one that I had bought previously, but for $5 less. after wrestling with it for another several hours, I finally got it to work, using ndiswrapper with the native Windows drivers. the only native Linux drivers available are available in binary form only from Realtek and aren't compatible with kernels more recent than 2.4.20 (hooray for competent hardware vendors!), and Xandros 2.0 doesn't support kernels less recent than 2.4.22.

so I'm finally happy. Meta's laptop is lighter and seems to run cooler than mine. but mine's still slightly better on the whole (thankfully).

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pushups: 32+15. whoa. this is after taking a break from pushups for four or five days. also, I spent all day yesterday rushing to move all my stuff from Waterloo to Oakville in a very short period of time, and I really burnt myself out doing that. but then I slept. and now after beating my last pushup record by 3, I'm feeling pretty good. y'all should do this.

I really do hope I have an excellent time this summer in BC. I'm leaving on May 3rd, and I don't have plans to come back yet. I've never stayed on Vancouver Island continuously for more than a week or two, and I think an extended stay could really change my feelings about living there - possibly in a bad way. I say this because this has happened to someone I know; he couldn't get used to the very laid-back atmosphere. but he wasn't living on the island. anyway, I'm optimistic. with the weight of school no longer on my shoulders, the only thing I have to fear now is running out of money. :)

I took some more nice pictures of the yard. here are a couple.

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pushups: 29+16. getting there.

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hey, they made a film based on The Coming Global Superstorm by Art Bell and Whitley Strieber. I knew it was going to happen - the book is even written in the style of a suspense film. the movie's called The Day After Tomorrow. the website makes it sound like the people involved in the film really believe that global warming could cause this kind of global disaster, what with their "what can you do?" links and weather news items. I'm gonna see it.

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Human Nature. very funny. I really liked it.

I made terrible chocolate cake. the recipe asked for half a tablespoon baking powder, I put in over a tablespoon baking soda (I didn't have baking powder). well, that ruined it. you can almost get over the bitterness by covering it with a layer of sugar. almost.

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why, hello. I guess I'm supposed to post a blog... (I'm so unreliable.)

we wish you a happy Easter to you and your kin. today was a beautiful day. I did some raking and trimming with my dad, and now the patio area's starting to look very nice. crocuses, violets, and garlic chives abound there. also got silla, hipatica, and wild leeks coming up in the back. springtime it is.

a couple nights ago our SIGFOOD group welcomed two former classmates from high school that I hadn't seen in about five years. 'twas a resounding success. I couldn't finish my pint of beer at the bar we went to afterwards, but I think I did pretty damn well considering how full I was from the Indian food.

my pushups are faltering. Jon thinks I'll be able to do 30 by the end of April. this morning I could only do 25. my record is still 28, and I've only achieved it once. I'll keep you posted. I know how excited you all are to hear about this endeavour of mine.

you know what? I made this awesome Easter bread last night. it's made with a few "bad" things, but it didn't have to be (I had to use up the evil refined sugar that Meta's crazy friend bought, and my dad temporarily isn't allowed to have whole grains for a medical reason). it had milk, sugar, flour, eggs, butter, raisins, saffron, lemon peel, and yeast. it's very yellow and very Easter-y. the saffron makes for a very interesting, springlike flavour. I used the bread machine. highly recommended for all you bread machines out there.

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annoying names: Algorithm W, System F, Studio 2, Street One.

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yeah, sorry everyone. I haven't been keeping up. been out and about and then studying hard. was in Oakville a bit to see Meta off to BC, and then spent a few days at home. did a bit of yard work. I love the outdoors in the springtime. it's so fun to tidy up the yard, even if it's chilly and gray. don't really know why. I guess the little green shoots popping up all over keep me company.

speaking of whom, here's a picture of a clump of snowdrops in our front yard. I took this on a gray, chilly day while it was drizzling. such weather evidently produces mighty nice closeups, no?

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