I think I'm going to have to upgrade my hoary old Ubuntu installation. I want to learn Vassal to get my wargame fix, but it requires Java, and no, not the refreshing coffay beverage, a java that just won't load on hoary. The path to something current requires going through all the intermediate steps though, it may be quicker just to backup my home and email and do a fresh install. Either way it's going to be a pain.

Maybe I'll scrape my Win2k partition too, I no longer have much interest in dual booting.

In book news, I figured I'd start at the beginning of the diskworld series, the local library had
The Colour of Magic. it was good, the series did improved, but it's still lightweight fun in my book.

In other book news, I ploughed through Eisenhower's (no, not that one, his son)
The Bitter Woods, probably the definitive treatment on te Battle of the Bulge. It's darn hefty though, just the thing to keep you busy during a long winter's night while sipping on strong ale.

Speaking of strong ale, I'm disappointed in Mendicino's Summer Ale, a spicy Belgian white. Now, I've never had a real Belgian white, but I do like Blue Moon's and Saranac's interpretation. This one, not so much, the spice taste was overwhelming, it was almost like drinking something medicinal. It may go over better in the winter.

I was able to pick this up cheap when I went to the big beer store Tuesday to get home brewing supplies (next up, Wise Ass Red Bitter). I had signed up for a field trip for 6 year old's class, we went down near the salt mines to look at an exposed hill and collect rocks and fossils. There were lots of small fossils there, brachiopds and crinoids mostly, probably from the Devonian. It would have been a good opportunity to dress like this , but I just wore a khaki floppy hat and khaki cargo pants. I hadn't ridden a schoolbus in decades. Best of all, we got back in time for me to run to the beer store.

I needed the day off of work, too. I'm feeling burned out, and I'm not sure why. It could be that I need a change after 4 1/2 years of doing the same stuff, it could be that the last three years of home stress have burned me out and it's creeping into work, it could be that I need a vacation (I didn't take one this year, hording my days off to work around child care issues if needed). I'm not thrilled with my performance at work lately, I need to ponder this.

Sunday we ran into Irish_sister, she's working at the local Goodwill. It was just a little strained, she lives near us, but she doesn't feel comfortable stopping by, and that space may be still needed. Mrs. Ha got clothes for herself and the girls, I couldn't find anything to wear, but I got some books.

The garage sale went well in that we got rid of a lot of stuff, and I nearly made grown men cry. One guy asked if I had any albums, well, I had lots, crates full. Unfortunately they were water damaged from a hurricane that flooded us a few years back, I sold about 20, but the collectors said I could have made a lot more if they weren't damaged. Oh well.

All told, we made about $60 USD, I kept $10, and gave the rest to Mrs. Ha and the girls. It was tiring, I had to get up at 6:30 to get everything ready, we got rained on repeatedly, and I'm done with sales for a few years. This Saturday I'm sleeping in.