She's a fixed!!

Bad temp sensor cable. Up and running fine (knock on wood!)

imac update ..... after an onsite repair, the problem persisted. The imac is at the Apple Store for further repairs as I write (on a little, but dependable, so far, Thinkpad).

Long time, no ......

No excuse for the long absence.
I was motivated to write again though, since my last post found us in Mac heaven having scored a new (and improved) replacement for our inherently logic board challenged G5. The Intel based 2.4 20" Aluminum Imac was something to behold, and the fact that we didn't have to pay to upgrade made it all the better. But alas, if it seems too good to be true ......

One of the first symptoms that showed up with the old imac was the fans spinning like crazy. A couple of months ago the new imac fans spun up like a helicopter and I said "here we go again". Like every good consumer, my first reaction was to ignore the noise. I mean, the unit still worked fine. But as time passed I realized that I was having another "problem". Some research found that others were having the same trouble and it seemed that this time the inherent bug is a temperature sensor on the CPU fan. I spoke with AppleCare and it looks like our machine will be taking another trip to the repair shop. Getting old. (but at least it is fully covered!)

.... more to follow.

The iMac Chronicles

We use Macs. We have ever since the dawn of the computer age. Mary's school used Macs, so that's what we got for home. The current descendant in this Apple legacy is our G5 iMac 17" 1.9ghz "iSight" that we bought in late 2005. What a great machine! Great display, quiet, stable with OS 10.4 ... a model citizen. That is until I started noticing some strange video and random freezeups and fan operation. This was in February of 2008. Despite these small glitches, the computer was mostly usable, so we ignored the trouble until the video finally went whack on March 19 (one day after my knee surgery) I had a painkiller clouded encounter on the phone with Apple Care and we determined that the logic board was dead. Since I was immobile, Mary had to take the iMac to the repair shop in Fresno. They ordered the part and installed it. They were unable to get the machine going and determined that the replacement logic board was also bad. Bummer. They ordered another board. It arrived. They installed it. Couldn't boot the iMac ..... reason? Another bad logic board! This was becoming rather surreal. I did discover through a bit of internet research (on a backup G3 iMac) that this logic board issue is a known one that Apple partially addressed with a service bulletin and replacement program that, of course, did not include my machine (it is too new). Another board was ordered and installed, and the machine was proclaimed cured! I got it home and all looked good. However, a couple of days later I witnessed more odd video, freezeup, and fan behavior. I went into full diagnostic mode to try to determine for sure if we were experiencing a software problem or if it was again the logic board. I uninstalled and reinstalled iPhoto (the problem was most noticeable in this app), reset the PRAM, reset the SMU, Archived and Installed, and Erased and Installed to no avail. The clincher was when I administered the dreaded Apple Hardware Test found on my system DVD (once I was finally able to boot the machine from DVD ... it took several attempts) The test prompted an error code that I shared with an Apple Care rep on the phone. The code indicated a bad logic board. That would be 4 bad boards including the original. I called Apple Customer Relations (this is sort of customer service for annoying, problem consumers like me) and asked for some sort of resolution. The rep, while understanding, insisted that Apple get another chance to fix the machine. Despite my frustration, I just wanted our computer to be working normally, so I relented and agreed to take it in for service once again. I heard nothing from the repair shop for a week, so I called to get an update. The tech told me that the manifest showed that my part was ordered on May 13 (when it showed "in stock" ), but was not due for shipping until June 9(!!) I immediately called Customer Relations back to fill them in. The rep said that generally when there is a delay like this they expedite the part, but considering the circumstances of our case that they were going to replace our computer with a new iMac.
Crazy stuff.
I'm glad I footed for the Apple Care, because without it I'd be $800 poorer (cost of logic board replacement) or getting by using a broken iMac .... neither a fun option.

.... so, I've been perusing the Apple Support discussion boards looking for issues to watch for with the replacement iMac, just in case.

A lot going on ...

Last week, our star Kelly(!) graduated!! It was a great 3 days, and I am so happy for her and so very, very proud of her.

wind chimes

DSC_0026, originally uploaded by henrypretz.

Some of the races that we run are small, like under 50 runners small. So small that sometimes if you finish on your feet you can score some hardware .... that is, place in your age division. Occasionally you win something useful like a gift certificate or something, but mostly it's a small plastic trophy or a generic "flying shoe" medal. Kind of funny when you think about it. I recently came across the "bowl o' medals" and decided to utilize a broken wind chime out back to make a new one from medals. It's way better to keep them out on the patio than in a cabinet in a bowl.

scope + 6ish weeks

I can't believe how slowly my knee is healing. It is healing, just much slower than I had anticipated.

That's all.

4/29 quick SF trip ....

... to attend the USF History Department Luncheon. Our senior earned two prestigious awards, one for a killer paper on Thomas Jefferson, the other just for being great. Great ..... yeah, she sure is great. I don't know if I could be any more proud.

I stopped in the park on the way home to take some pictures. The sun was high so it made stuff look washed out. Someday I might become proficient enough with my instrument to compensate for it, but right now it's a convenient excuse.

The Conservatory of Flowers is always great, and always a worthy subject.

I checked out the lawn bowlers, as well. Those lawn bowlers, turns out, they are a rough bunch. There is a sign on the clubhouse that reads "No bocce ball" .... I think they mean it. I didn't know there was any difference between lawn bowling and bocce ball but apparently there is .... and woe is he who tries to bocce on the lawn. I could picture these people pelting some poor wayward bocce-ist with their lawn bowling balls!

diptych ...... gesundheit!

diptych, originally uploaded by henrypretz. 

If you click, take a look at the largest size ... that one looks the best to me.

OK, there is this message board about running. On this message board is a photography forum (don't ask .... ) The group there is the best, and we have been doing these weekly photo assignments. This week's assignment was to make an inheritance diptych

dip·tych

Pronunciation:
\ˈdip-(ˌ)tik\
Function:
noun
Etymology:
Late Latin diptycha, plural, from Greek, from neuter plural of diptychos folded in two, from di- + ptychē fold
Date:
1622

1 : a 2-leaved hinged tablet folding together to protect writing on its waxed surfaces 2 : a picture or series of pictures (as an altarpiece) painted or carved on two hinged tablets 3 : a work made up of two matching parts

One picture of something you've inherited, next to another of something that you will pass on.
Sounds simple, right?

My diptych contains a picture of the burl clock that my grandpa made for me (the inheritance) over a picture of three bats and a ball. This is to represent the passion that I hold for the game and the hope that that sort of passion (for anything) can be handed down.

Rather lame on the concept, but I did like the way the pictures and the project turned out.

My running/photo website is at

http://chrunners.net/forum/index.php

The photo board is called The Fruit Stand

knee update +

Two and a half weeks post scope and all seems to be progressing normally. Sometimes I feel as if I hadn't had anything done .... then I'll twist or turn a certain way and I'm reminded of the reason I'm scheduled off work and everything else for 6-8 weeks.

Being off work is expensive. I bought a Nikon D40 digital SLR after just a week off. At this rate I should have a whole studio by the time I go back to work. The camera is fun, but I sure have a lot to learn about using it .... and I already find myself wishing for a longer range lens. Well, there's always next week (just kidding, honey)

Some samples

So far, so good ....

8 days post scope.  Still doing OK, but I'm eating too much.  I'm hoping to get a handle on it before it makes my (love) handles expand even more.

"oh, my aching knee"

I had arthroscopic knee surgery on 3/18.  Three days later, I'm feeling pretty good, knock on wood.  Swelling is minimal and I'm able to walk gingerly on it. 

Bummer that I trained to 3 weeks before Napa only to have to skip the race, but that's life. Hopefully the surgery will get me back to running (and work).

"Uh, I meant to do that ....."

Some fancy flying by this pilot. I read that a 50 mph gust of wind blew across the runway just as he was going to touch down .... oy!

My boyhood hero.

Here's the book. The one that Kelly referred to in her blog post. Notice the price at the lower left
..... $.60
I found it on ebay for $3.50 plus $4.15 shipping. I should have held on to my copy.