summer 2013

it is june, that time of the year when i am grumpy (29 years as of June 10, RIP MGH) but also sort of amazed and glad to have a lot of light and sun and nice weather.

well it has been raining nonstop here in NYC, but summer, in general, as a principle, seems to be here and/or coming.

freaking raining non-stop

so i have a couple of summer projects.

Synology

i’m beyond frustrated with how many files i have, how impossible it is to find stuff, and the fact that i have duplicate copies of things like my itunes library (in various iterations) in multiple places. plus the fact that i need to deal with Frank’s vital records archive. aagh.

so i decided to do Network Attached Storage (NAS) and got a Synology. very reasonably priced. and two Western Digital reds in a RAID setup.

Synology DiskStation

i took loads of pictures during the unbox and installation, which i hope to do in a more detailed blog post but for right now it’s broad strokes time until i feel less sour about stuff.

this is it, fast forward, up and running.

my Synology NAS, next to my new TrippLite ISOBAR strip (at left).
see the blinking lights? they are staring accusingly at me

so that is one summer project.

Greenery

the other summer project is that — from the hours of time i seem to be keeping my balcony door open lately — i was inspired to actually try to get some greenery out there on the balcony. i need to liven this joint up if i’m going to be home so much.

so i got an EarthBox Junior (organic). yeah it might be a nightmare / overkill but i wanted a kit and it looks sort of cool.

EarthBox Junior (organic)

as a hedge — and just in case it looks to be a long-term project similar to the Synology (which is taking longer to play with than i expected) — i also got the following:

Garden-in-a-Pail (Lavender)

Catnip Kit

and for the EarthBox, couldn’t resist the idea of a non-controlled, semi chaotic bomb name….:

Wildflower Seed Mix (2)

Pet Dog & Cat Grass (2 bombs)

Garden-in-a-Pail (Lavender)

i like purple. and don’t mind the smell of lavender.

Catnip Kit

don’t have cats, though i plan on skilling up to them here chez moi hovel. but i read catnip retards mosquitos, which seem to mercilously bother me here at the hovel. so the smell will hopefully help mitigate that.

Wildflower Seed Mix (2)

flowers… yes!

Pet Dog & Cat Grass (2 bombs)

this pet grass should also help with greening up the joint and fill the EarthBox. it is an uncontrolled plan / experiment.

and so

am feeling a little burnt out on the blogging, social media, screens, etc. so this is a brusque, less friendly blog post than i usually aim for.

Mandala i colored in

i am trying to keep it on the road, stay in the driver’s seat, keep on truckin’, etc.

Keep on Truckin (in homage to R. Crumb) photo credit flickr user St0rmz, some rights reserved

but this under-employment situation is not a comfortable fit for a workaholic, no-life person such as myself. i am pretty discouraged and yet at the same time i am not trying hard enough.

though i feel very strongly that the right fit is out there for me, the right position with the right team of people and please oh please god a manager / supervisor / mentor who appreciates what i bring to the table, can provide structure and guidance, and will let me, well, blossom.

i know, a tall order. we shall see.

onward June…