I can't afford not to buy a new keyboard

I have this wireless keyboard I've had for years that I have a love/hate relationship with. It has some special buttons for the photo program I use and they don't make it any more, so I have refused, up to now, to buy a new one. The problem is that the CTRL key wore out long ago. This is problematic because I use the CTRL key a lot when I organize my photos. I will get like 20 selected and when I go to select the next one I will lose all my selections because the CTRL key will stop working. It's so frustrating, but I keep trying over and over. If I hold it down hard enough it will usually work. But about a month ago I got especially mad and threw the keyboard in the general direction of my office door. Unfortunately, it hit the door not once, but twice putting two keyboard-sized holes in it and then flew into the hall where it put a small dent in my wood. But, I picked up the pieces and a little tape and super glue later, I was back to work. Fast forward to tonight. I had been working on a website for several hours and was tired and hungry. The CTRL key had been giving me fits all night and there was this commercial for Carter County Dodge that kept coming on the radio and inching me ever so close to insanity. The CTRL key failed for about the tenth consecutive time so I took the keyboard firmly in both hands and drilled it ever so destructively into the floor. Oh, you should have seen it. Keys went everywhere. After a break and realizing that I had to get the site done and didn't have a backup keyboard, I starting reassembling. It was like a puzzle, really. I have yet to find the right SHIFT and the F10 button, but ehh... those aren't that important anyway. My trusty keyboard and I will power through... at least until I can get to Staples tomorrow to replace it. I really don't think I can afford not to. And, now you know my dark side... astonishing little patience with computer peripherals.

Rules for Crazy Corner

Since I have to go through Arlington & Mississippi (AKA Crazy Corner) at least twice a day, I have created a list of rules that, if followed, would make the journey a little less frustrating. I have had my fair-share of near misses there, and one that was not so much a near-miss.

1. PAY ATTENTION! Go when it's your turn.
2. If you miss your turn, YOU ARE OUT OF LUCK. Do not just try to go the next available time. It screws everything up. Wait until it's your turn again.
3. Cell phones are not allowed at Crazy Corner. I will come out of my truck and remove it from your hand. Harshly.
   
4. If the person next to you goes, you might as well too.
5. If you're turning right from Mississippi to Arlington, you don't have to yield. Stopping will get you hit. Exception: If a semi is turning into the adjacent lane, maybe you stop a little because they will run your butt over.
   
6. If you're in the right lane of Arlington going east, you have to turn right. Do not attempt to go straight. You will get ran over multiple times, most likely by those following rule 5.
   
7. Don't stop on the tracks. You will get ran over by a TRAIN!
8. If you're on Arlington going west and want to turn right onto Mississippi, use the off-ramp. Don't go up to the intersection and turn right. It confuses people and it's a weird turn anyway.
9. Watch for the one-way signs. I've seen a few people turn down the wrong way and that just isn't a good thing.
10. If you are wanting to collect money, hand out literature or dress up as the Statue of Liberty and/or Uncle Sam for advertising purposes, STAY AWAY FROM CRAZY CORNER. The absolute last thing that intersection needs are more distractions.

Thank you for your cooperation.

Back to the District of Columbia Part V

Okay, this is the last post in this series, mainly because I don't really know my roman numerals past this point. Sunday was our last day and we were determined to fit two more things in before we left: the National Archives and the National Portrait Gallery. But we had to go to Union Station first to store our luggage and ended up only having time for the National Archives. We didn't go here on the first trip (another intended to). We went through a few exhibits and got to see original copies of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Very cool. The Declaration was very faded, but still in decent condition considering its age. The Constitution was in much better condition. After lunch at Union Station, we hoped on the Metro for the airport. After a little layover in Chicago (first time I'd been there) we were finally back to good 'ole Oklahoma. It's good to be home.

Photos now on Flickr: http://flickr.com/photos/brad_holt/sets/72157613546211559/

Back to the District of Columbia Part IV

Today we left the convention around noon and headed for our US Capital tour. We intended to do this on the October trip but didn't get around to it. At the bus stop we met a couple from Ohio that was also at the convention. They hadn't been to DC in a while, so we told them some of some of the sights and showed them how to use the Metro rail. I'm somewhat of an expert on that thing after two trips. We went through the new visitor's center, which opened up just a few months ago. We got to go into the Senate Chamber and see them in action which, while a pretty boring issue, was interesting at the same time. We got to see the compass in the floor of the capital, which is the "center" of Washington DC and the four quarters originate from as well as a few other interesting things. Saturday night we ate steak at a hotel restaurant and watched the water, light and music show to end the night.

Photos now on Flickr: http://flickr.com/photos/brad_holt/sets/72157613546211559/

Back to the District of Columbia Part III

This morning I had to get up at 6:30 (yuck) for breakfast and the opening ceremony. I had a few classes then lunch. The food's quite good here, and paid for, so that's a plus especially in expensive DC. We happen to sit down with a couple from Lawton, so that was coincidental. After lunch we went to the Smithsonian Museum of American History on the Mall. It was closed when we were here in October, but it had re-opened. It was a fun place, we spent a lot of time there and took a lot of pictures (I'll post those to Flickr later). They had an exhibit on Route 66, and a lot of it had to do with Oklahoma, so that was really interesting. They had a portion of the highway from OK laid down, the OK Route 66 signs, two trucks with Oklahoma licence plates and one of them-- get this-- had an advertisement for a company in Shawnee. When the museum closed we had a couple of hours to kill before our "off-site" event at the Air & Space Museum, so we went up to the Washington Monument. We only got to see if from afar last trip. It's amazing how tall that thing is. Like, really, really tall. As we made our way back down to the mall toward the A&S, we still had a little white to kill and it was really cold, so we ducked into an art museum, which happened to be open even though the museums usually close at 5:30. Turns out they were showing a film that was open to the public. What film you ask? It was a Persian film with subtitles about two men trying to get two cows across the country and the tribulations they encountered. We decided to hang out by the restrooms for a while, but eventually browsed the rest of the museum. We saw some pretty interesting things. They had hieroglyphics and cave carvings from centuries ago. I thought only in DC can you duck in to kill time and see something from 2000 BC. Walking down the Mall in the same area we had just a few months back, I thought for just a second that we were still on that first trip. But I was pretty tired. Finally, it was time to go to dinner at the A&S Museum. They opened up the museum just for us, which may sound good, but I think there was just as many of us Mohawk people as there would normally be in regular visitors for this time of the year. I got to take a picture with Tommy Mohawk, which is our mascot, in case you didn't know. We ate, several times actually, as we had already been through this museum fairly extensively in October. After the event, a tour bus took us on a tour of the city and we got back around 11. So, too tired to post photos tonight, but maybe tomorrow. Until then...

Back to the District of Columbia Part II

Back tracking a little, before arriving at the OKC Airport. We stayed the night at an OKC hotel last night because our flight left so early. We stayed at one of those inexpensive joints on Meridian that has a shuttle to the airport. Here's how checking in worked, and I'll try to be as accurate as possible here:

I walk in to the front desk and hear something like "can I help you" from a back room.
I say "hello?"
"Yeah, what can I do for you"
"I have a reservation."
"Wit who?"
"Uhh, you."
"No, I mean what's the name?"
(And, remember up to this point I am still having this conversation with the other person not in the room. Finally they come up.)
"What's the name?"
I say "Holt" and hand her my confirmation sheet.
"And, uhh, what kind of room is it?"
"A two-bedroom suite."
"How many?"
"Two"
"And, uhh, what did you pay for it?"
"About $65."
"$65 exactly?"
"No, I think it was $65.33."
"And when you checking out?"
"Tomorrow."
"How much you say you pay for it again?"
"$65.33."
(Up to this point, she has never looked at the computer or wrote anything down. Finally she goes to the computer. I was kind of expecting her to ask what room number I was staying in next.)
Okay, yeah, uhh huh here it is.
"You need a receipt?"
"Yes, please." (Business expense here!)
She hands me a receipt saying I paid $0.00 for the room. I didn't even try to get that corrected.

One of the things we went over once I got to the convention was making the most of the face-time one has with his customers. This was a good example of the complete opposite of that.

This place in DC (actually we're in Maryland) is one nice hotel, and it is huge! It's built on the Potomac River (photo above). Everything is brand new, there's a shopping and dining center next door, but most of it's still being worked on. The resort it right on the river and it's very beautiful.

Back to the District of Columbia

In a last minute decision (as in Monday) I decided to go to the Mohawk ColorCenter convention in Washington DC, in a series of post I shall call... Back to the District of Columbia! That's a little throw-back to Back to the Future in case you missed it. Now, I know what you're thinking, what's a Mohawk ColorCenter Convention? Well, it's a flooring convention. Now, I know what you're thinking, flooring stores have conventions? Yeah, if your an all-special Mohawk ColorCenter store! It's pretty big too. We get to see and purchase the new products and displays for 2009 and there are seminars and such. There's a couple of events too, like one night we're going to eat dinner at the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum and we get the place all to ourselves for three hours. Plus, I'm sure to sneak away and see some of the stuff missed on the October trip. In Oklahoma City now about to board, so until the next post...