I got sort of a promotion. We got a new contract, for a small project related to $big_project which I am working on. I was named lead engineer on the new project, it's mostly a slam-dunk use of an existing system with a couple new pieces of hardware. I'll have two other engineers "working for me", which mostly means I monitor what they're doing and get the blame if they don't get it done. Interestingly, when I asked exactly what was expected of "lead engineer" I was told "basically what you're doing on $big_project, taking responsibility for the technical details". Also, I may be officially named lead engineer on $big_project in a few months if $related_project goes well, which it SEEMS almost guaranteed to do. I travel a lot with my boss (he hates to drive, I hate being a passenger, so it works) who is currently lead engineer on $big_project, and he's made it clear he wants me to officially assume that title at some point.

Since the new project is going to add a bit more traveling to my already busy schedule, and I've run into a couple situations where it would be nice to be able to VPN into work, I've considered buying a new laptop. My "old" laptop is alright, but it's getting up there and I'd like to only have to set up VPN once. One could argue work should supply me with a laptop, and they would, but I'd have to give up my desktop, which I'd rather not do as it's a fairly smokin' machine. Plus, work laptop = work stuff only, my laptop = my stuff. For traveling, I'd rather have my stuff.

So I could get a laptop with XP Pro, but then I'd be limited to ~3 gigs as I understand it. Does anyone sell laptops with XP Pro 64? I haven't seen it, but even if I could get it, are there compatibility problems with XP64 since it doesn't seem too popular? Or I get Vista which as I understand comes as a 64 bit O.S. so I could get 4 usable gigs. I know Vista has problems (understatement) but I keep hardware a long time. My current laptop is a Sony Viao with a 900 Mhz Duron processor I bought refurbished six years ago. So my worry with XP is when will it be EOL'd, and my worry with Vista is will it ever work as well as XP, as low of a bar as that is. I guess XP SP3 is due out "soon", as is Vista SP1.

Does anyone have any confidence that MS will eventually get Vista "working"? I recall XP being not so good when it first came out, but it's fairly good now. Given that I keep hardware a long time, should I get XP Pro or Vista?

Also, Mac really isn't feasible. If I'm using it for work, I need MSOffice, and I'll probably get AutoCad as well.

Parental rights of TFT's bio-parents are terminated. If they do not appeal in 60 days, then we can start the adoption process, which should take 6 months. Also, we have now stopped all nasty meds. TFT only takes meds for her thyroid condition and a sleeping med. At her doctor's suggestion, we plan on replacing the sleeping med with melatonin at spring break, in case it doesn't work out well.

Mrs. FT had a mammo about 10 days ago. Last Monday (11 Feb) we get a letter from the mammo place that says something about an area that looks benign and to follow up in six months. Okay, LOOKS isn't good enough folks. So we are nervous all week until Friday (15 Feb) when her now-normal post-mammo follow up with her oncologist was scheduled. Where we find out that what it meant was, there was nothing new, just the existing scar tissue from the surgery, but that they wanted her to continue a six-month schedule for mammograms rather than drop down to every year as is "normal" for 2 years post lumpectomy. Even the doctor was pretty horrified at how the mammo place had worded the letter, and assured us there was nothing new. Thanks for a week of needless worries folks, you suck.

So, as part of the adoption, we'll have an "agreement" with TFT's bio parents for visitation (at a neutral location, along with some other details), phone calls, and letters. Part of the agreement calls for us to have a P.O. Box for them to send cards and letters to (rather than have our home address) and a phone number they can call on. Rather than give them her "real" cell number we are going to get a prepaid cell for her so that we can monitor the calls and so that if they begin to behave inappropriately we can simply cancel it without having to give a new number to everyone else.

There are a lot of options for prepaid phones, none seems a clear winner. has anyone had any experience with prepaid phones and have any suggestions? Our goal is to keep this as inexpensive as possible, we won't be taking it with us on vacations and such, so coverage area isn't really a consideration as I'm certain whoever we pick will have good coverage where we live.

Thesis: None

Flying: None - New exhaust cost about half of what I was verbally quoted. Aircraft Spruce was a bust, found an ad for an outfit called Dawley in a magazine, sent them teh broken exhaust, they sent back a newly manufactured one. Good news indeed. Now all I need is $mechanic to get back into USizicstania to put the airplane back together

Organization: None

Overall Status: Abject Failure.