Michael's new Pool Table - May 2014

Michael shopped and visited people's pool tables for maybe a year or more before deciding on this one, which had been sitting in someone's basement unassembled and unused for a long period of time.

The person who owned it was moving and didn't want to move the table. Michael was offered a great deal on the table if he was able to bring some friends and haul it away. Michael didn't realize how good of a deal until we had a professional come to set it up in our basement yesterday.

Warlock the black cat found us November 2013

The story of the stray cat who adopted us just before one of the worst winters in Chicagoland on record. Below zero temps almost daily, feet of snow, ice storms, sleet, hail. It was an ugly winter for cats living outside. But not this stray cat. This stray cat, who started out sleeping on hay piles and eating mice, now four months later sleeps on satin pillows and delicately nibbles wet cat food from crystal bowls. This is the story of Warlock.


Warlock's story, in photos. 

Prowicz / udonet network backup plan, March 2014

Prowicz / udonet network backup plan, March 2014

We have had backups in place for a while, using the main Windows 2003 server and an external WD 1.5TB USB connected disk and DirSync which runs nightly and sends any new files in our main directories to the USB disk.

This is an ok, better-than-nothing but not shockproof system.

I have decided to integrate two projects into one:
1. Create a backup system for our local network
2. De-commission and remove our single remaining Windows server (W2003)

What do we need to backup?
\\kentucky\Photos:

• Digital photos and scanned photos going back to 1996
• 150GB
• Slow growing

\\kentucky\Music

• Hours of person time to rip and catalog
• 22GB
• Fast growing

 \\kentucky\(username)

• email Local folders, personal documents, household finances
• 150GB 
• Medium growing

 \\kentucky\Downloads

• Local copies of OS archives, applications, etc. 
• 60GB
• Does not grow; new replace old retaining 2-3 versions

Throwback Thursday ... back in time to May 14, 2005

Throwback Thursday ... back in time to May 14, 2005

In May 2005, Kane was five years and six months old and our garden had been in full swing in our backyard in Des Plaines IL for about 4-5 years. I have posted elsewhere on our web site about our native garden which is comprised of mainly Cook County indigenous plants. We started with those because Laura was a bit of a black thumb (i.e. she killed pretty much every plant she had touched up till now) and figured the natives would be hard to kill. Mission accomplished! as you can see from the photos.

In May 2005, our pond (shown) was about three years old and was pretty mature. Pond building story and more photos are available for those who'd like to find out all about building a backyard pond. This pond was rather small, as it needed to fit nicely into our city-sized standard lot, fully surrounded by our 6' privacy fence (the neighbors on both side were slobs/hoarders of inanimate junk; we also backed into a highly trafficked alley.) We loved the privacy fence.

Kane loved spending time near the pond and so we spent a considerable amount of time making sure he knew how to swim and tread water in a local pool in case he ever accidentally fell in. We did try to keep him under surveillance at all times but he is a typical boy!