I bought a new laptop yesterday. I was so excited. Well, I still am excited about the laptop, just not about Verizon’s Broadband plan. It works fine in Petaluma. It just doesn’t work up here at Bush-Field. I’ll have to return it tomorrow. The Tier 3 support guy at Verizon said that there are two reasons why the broadband service doesn’t work:

• Cell range is approximately 8 miles. We have to be within 8 miles of a Verizon cell tower. I can’t guarantee that we are. Systems are so fickle.
• There are huge AT&T towers right behind our property. There may be some sort of interference (and that is an understatement).

I am going to try the Cingular (hence AT&T) data plan next. Maybe I’ll have more luck.

Those guys at Petaluma Wireless are going to be sick of me by the end of next week. Until then, I’ll be in my SAD hell at home.

My new laptop kicks butt though. I just have to find some relatively secure public WiFi hot spots.

My SAD (slow-ass-dialup) days are numbered. I’m sure of it. I’ve been trying to find a high speed solution for Bush-Field. I’ve tried DSL. I’ve tried cable. I’ve tried satellite. No go.

We are too rural for DSL or cable. We’d have to pay our own contractor to lay the cables. Upwards of $50 000. Don’t think that’s going to happen.

Satellite was feasible but there were a few things I didn’t quite fancy about that solution. Namely, the cost, the technology, and the latency. It could cost $500 for the equipment alone. Then up to $80 per month. I was leery about the technology because it’s rare. Imagine if something went wrong? How long would it take to get fixed? I certainly wouldn’t be able to troubleshoot it. Finally, the latency factor. That satellite is 45000 miles away. Even if the download and upload speeds were fast, there would still be a latency in the clicking. It would be like talking to somebody on the other side of the world and you hear that delay sometimes. One speaks, but you don’t hear what they’ve said until after you’ve spoken and the questions collide along the way. It would be very easy for me to get confused, I think.

I also tried a company that specializes in getting small rural businesses (i.e.: wineries) online. Vista Broadband came up and sussed the property last Friday. Alas. No luck. We weren’t within line-of-site from any of their terminals. Ix-nay on the line-of-site option too.

Finally though, because I was calling random telecommunications companies in the Yellow Pages, I stumbled on Petaluma Wireless. I called them because they were local. I thought I would just explain what I wanted and maybe they would have a creative idea to sort me out. It turned out that they do have a solution! Verizon Broadband. High speed internet access to the cellular data network. Anywhere you get a Verizon cell signal, you can get online. Also, they said the speed is faster than DSL, but slower than cable.

How exciting is that?? High speed internet access from your lap top and you don’t have to go finding WiFi hot spots!!! $60 per month with an existing voice account. I investigated their voice accounts because when AT&T bought Cingular (I currently have Cingular)…they axed my North America calling plan. Oh. Sucks to be me. I just realized I started a new contract with Cingular when I updated my phone a few months ago.

Whatever. I’ll sort it out. Maybe I’ll just get another phone with the North American plan (call my parents or the rest of my family anytime anywhere!). I’ll just be an uber geek with two cell plans and a data cell plan.

So, Catherine and Redd… prepare for your pics to be posted. I’ll be freed from SAD hell and you’ll have to release GB jr from wherever you’ve put him. Oh. Good God!!! You didn’t give him to Chris Danton did you???

My parents put a compostable toilet in their house. My parents live in a two-story log cabin in Whitehorse, Yukon–so it somehow doesn’t seem so far-fetched. It’s actually quite a good toilet as far as compostable toilets go.

If Mum’s in the middle of her quilting projects, she doesn’t have to run downstairs anymore to visit the loo. It’s right there. I think she’s put a kettle upstairs too–for tea. Cozy. Warm. She’s settling in for the winter.

Best of all, Dad’ll have the downstairs completely to himself. If she settles in, he won’t see her until spring.

Redd and Catherine are holding GB jr hostage until I post their more recent pics!!! Ahhh…. They don’t know I’ve been living in SAD(slow-ass-dialup) hell for the last month. I feel like I’ve been off the grid. Oh–woe is me. I can’t complain too much though. I’ve been doing other things instead. Other things that are taking up some time. Let’s see–what have I been doing?

I’ve been getting some administrative things cleared up. They’ve been weighing me down for a while. I’m also getting some things sold. There is nothing like feeling the weight of stuff being lifted off your shoulders. Nothing!!!

I’ve also been just doing nothing. That is a complete luxury. For example, this morning, I didn’t even get out of bed until after 10h00 a.m. I was reading a book I’d taken out at the library. Oh. I did that too. One afternoon last week I spent at the library reading a book. Complete decadence. I was waiting for my friend so I could help him with his English. I’m making him read “The Little Prince” out loud in English. He got to page 21 before the library closed. He took it home to finish reading. I hope he doesn’t finish it before next week.

Also, I’m lucky enough to be going to the gym a few times a week. I like that. I’m getting back into working out. My schedule was killing me before I quit my job. Too many things were getting in the way of my physical and mental health.

Right now. I think I’m going to plan a writing workshop for Fitch Mountain Lookout for February or March. I have just been pumped up from a total stranger about the possibilites. I’m also going to have to give it a serious think to see if it’s going to work. I think it has potential though–LOTS of potential.

Now, I have to answer an inquiry about the best wineries to visit in Dry Creek and Russian River appellations. I have my own favourites, for my own reasons. I don’t know if I’m qualified to recommend wines though. I’ll have to see what I come up with.

Also, I’m looking to buy a laptop. My need for high speed is so great that I can’t wait to see if we can get it at Bush-Field. I’m going to buy a laptop and search out the WiFi hotspots in Sonoma County. Yes Redd and Catherine, I have to buy a laptop and get it sorted before I can post any more pictures of GB jr. Dial up just doesn’t do it.

So. That’s that. I have so much to do and so little time. My life just got started.

I feel like a farmer today. I am muddy and grubby and just dirty in general. I have dust in my ears. I have dust in my nose. I have dirt under my fingernails. I can’t remember when I have felt more completely and utterly satisfied.

We harvested the grapes from the fields today. Well, I didn’t really seem to have anything to do with it. I just took pictures and got in the way a lot. Man, those guys were fast. Here are the stats from this year’s harvest:

• 17 men, 2 women, 1 proprietor, 2 dogs
• 5.5 acres of Pinot Noir grapes
• 17 men started picking at 7h30 am
• 17 men finished picking at 1h30 pm
• 28 half-ton bins
• 14 tones of grapes
• 2 truck loads of grapes down to the custom crush facility
• A dozen more people worked into the night to sort, de-stem, and crush the 14 tones for initial processing

Today, I learned (or re-learned) the value of process: The right people in the right positions and being able to repeatedly perform the same quality of service over and over. How else could we have harvested, cleaned, de-stemmed, and pressed 14 tones of grapes all in one day? Orchestrated. Performed. Like music. It could have been a symphony–simply beautiful.

All-in-all, I think it was a good haul and I feel like today, we put Bush-Field on the map. I am completely and utterly knackered though, so I will just say good night.

If you aren’t aware already, I have quit my job. Yes. I have quit the job that was paying the bills. I simply could not face my workplace anymore. Turin has taken its toll. I’m not the only one. There are quite a few people who have left for one reason or the other. Most are going back to school–MBA. Others just up and quit. I planned my termination though. I now have four months to figure out what I am going to do next. I have a few projects planned. I have a few goals I’ve set. I have a few things I want to accomplish.

The first thing I wanted to do was to attend a writer’s conference at UCLA. I went last weekend. My idea was to check out some options and to jump start myself into the writing life. I attended three seminars and during a break, I sussed out various creative writing programs. I was trying to find something where I would fit. The main thing that I learned at that conference was that I still have a lot to learn about writing.

What was missing for me though, was the online connection. I went to the workshop about getting started as a writer. And one on short stories. I also went to one on writing scenes. At the end of the day, I was still searching for that online, multi-media, multi-disciplinary connection.

This evening, I realized I was in the wrong place on the weekend. I was at a writer’s conference. Not at a conference on new media–or even a blogging conference. Note to self: Find new media conferences–or blogging conferences–or something more 21st Century.

I am discovering that I don’t have a plan for my time off. I think I have been afraid to make a plan. It took me all summer to figure out that it was OK that I didn’t have a plan. I could take the time to make one. I think I’ve told everyone who has asked a different story. I have many plans. Which one will work out? “…these pages must show”.

For the record, here are a few things I have planned for the next four months:

• A makeover for this blog site. Yes. Everybody is getting a makeover now-a-days. Why can’t I make over my site?
• English and computer lessons for a friend who wants to improve himself (always an admirable quality).
• A few online projects–like creating a website for another set of friends and creating a workable site for bush-field.com.
• For my family, I want to finish Grandma’s recipe book. This has been a project I’ve had for quite a few years. But my life has been a bit of a nightmare, so I’ve never finished it. I have a new idea for it and am anxious to get it finished.
• I bought a video camcorder today because we are harvesting the grapes at Bush-Field tomorrow. I want to be able to document the process. I think I’ve jump-started my multimedia requirement. I will be able to add sound and visuals to my blog. How exciting!!!
• Learn more about RSS. Learn more about podcasting. Learn more about being online.
• I have a few writing projects I’ve started–or want to start. They excite me. I think I should probably see if they excite some editor before I start. That would make it more worth my while.
• I also have a series of stories to write for this blog: Toilet Humour, parts II and III. The most interesting thing you’ve ever eaten. Travels of GB jr and more.

Back to my entry on 19 January 2006: “Welcome to 2006. We got lots to do. Let’s get it started.”

I have received the first installement of pictures of GB jr on holiday in Fiji. I’d planned to track him all the way to Fiji, but, before I knew it–he’d arrived. Catherine and Redd sent these photos early last week.

He’s arrived!!	Checking in.
Hitching a ride.	Learning to drive.

Myself?? I’ve been on holiday too, since last Friday. Except, I’ve been too busy on holiday to post any interesting stories at all.