I decided to take out and dust off a little internet appliance I was given years ago, an Intel InBusiness Internet Station. In other words, a modem-sharing device. The idea in mind was to take the burden of internet connection sharing off of the server so I can (heaven forfend) shut the server down so I can get a decent, quiet night’s sleep.

So I hauled it out and more or less got it working. Then, a flash of stupid moronic asinine inspiration hit me: I should upgrade to the latest release firmware!

So I downloaded the software from Intel and proceeded to do the deed. Only, there’s a problem of some sort with (I think!) the D-Link hub I’m using… communications are wonky between the computers in this room and the device. So the update aborted, leaving the device utterly useless. (My suspicion is that the cheap-assed D-Link doesn’t like having mixed 10-mbit and 100-mbit devices.)

A flash of inspiration struck, leading me to haul the device into the other bedroom to see if it would behave better on the other room’s hub. And it did! I was able to use Wendi’s computer to successfully update… once I could get the software transferred to her computer.

You see, her computer could no longer see the server. And copying the file to a floppy? No good, her floppy drive’s not hooked up (!). So I had to burn a CD-ROM (!!) just to get the updater onto her computer.

But wait, there’s more! I tried doing the simple FTP-based update. Nope. I ran Intel’s updater, and it seemed to be stuck in a loop so I (being the idiot I am) decided to abort the run once I thought (!) that it had already successfully updated the software.

Finally I just launched the updater, grabbed a book, and wandered off to read until the updater itself decided it was done. At which point things started going my way. Except for the part where the D-Link hub in here is so discombobulated by having a 10-mbit device attached that (get this) I can’t get machines to see each other anymore.

I’m online through the device right now, but only on the server. The other computers can’t see the device at all, let alone use it to surf the ‘net. As it is, my connection is kind of… intermittent.

The upshot is: IF IT AIN’T BROKE DON’T FIX IT!

So now I just need to beg Wendi to run me down to the station to swap out the hub. Oh yeah: Peter David’s “Knight Life” is an entertaining little read. Hey, it got me through the afternoon of waiting for progress indicators and blinking lights…

Only six hours left, and only two episodes left of Lain remain. “Infornography” was just plain strange… The first half was a music video, of all things.

Wendi’s back from the store and I’m trying to shoo her into bed. One of us ought to get some sleep tonight, after all.

I’m taking a break from chatting so my shoulder and fingers can rest. They’ve started acting up, which is a Very Bad Thing for someone who intends to type entries all night long.

Time for another OJ and some more Lain, I think. Then maybe I’ll be rested enough to do stuff online again. Yeah.

So what do I do, instead of finding breakfast or showering or loading bunny pictures? I get into the Blogathon IRC chat and hang out.

There’ll be plenty of time for that other stuff, right?

Okay, okay. I’m firing up the other computer now so I can hook up the camera. Sorry. There’ll be bunny pics next time, and more will be taken during the day. It’s amazing how quickly half an hour can pass you by, isn’t it?

So last night, realizing I didn’t want to roust the kids at 6am to help take bunny pictures, I snapped a couple of pics while Erica was doing her “tending the bunnies” evening routine.

Ah, how easy it is to crank out an entry. All I had to do was plan ahead, fire up another computer, offload the camera, resize the images, upload to my Gallery…

Oh, heck. This is going to be work? What the hell was I thinking?…

Okay, sorry about that last one. It was a case of Very Bad Timing. Here’s hoping the rest of the day is upbeat and enjoyable for everybody!

Oh, and I’m going to see about making the page load faster by removing some of the extraneous stuff. You know, stuff that loads off of other servers, that sort of thing. Wish me luck, eh?

Okay. I’ve moved my Currently Hearing info up, removed the random image, BlogShares, Memes List, one of the Syndication buttons (the auto-add aggregator-friendly button, that is), the Dead Pool link and the iMood indicator. I’m keeping the blogroll, though, so I sure hope blogrolling.com doesn’t hiccup.

I’m in the process of (sitka?) sprucing up the song listings in the Currently Hearing display. Doesn’t it look better already? Oh, wait… let me guess, none of you even knew it was there before, huh? It used to live right below the calendar. Dunno where it’s gonna go once the ‘thon is done, mind you.

Yes, I am crazy for tinkering with the layout during the ‘thon. Your point? And don’t worry, all the stuff that’s missing now will return tomorrow. Probably late tomorrow, but you get the idea…