Geek out complete (day 65)

The NAS is set up.  It works fabulously.  It is acting as a Time Machine, file server, iTunes server, audio station, and photo station.   I can upload and download files remotely which is great when I'm at work and need project files.  It's really neat to be able to stream my audio library from anywhere using my iPhone.  It's too bad iTunes does not do that on the iPhone.   For home, I'll have to buy an Airport Express to get my iTunes library to output onto the speakers in the living room, with iTunes remote on the iPhone to control the playback. 

I feel more responsible already.  I'm ashamed to admit I was at the mercy of the disk gods until today.  So far, I've had good luck with hard disks but luck always runs out. 

This weekend of geeking out has left me feeling distant from work, like it's a world far far away.  I wish I'd set aside a bit more time to enjoy the sun.  Especially today.

A song for this post.

Me and my machine (day 36)

At some point I started having an arms length relationship with the machine.  This does not feel so good.  I probably will go back to manipulating data directly but for now I'm in interface hell.  Yes, I'm in menus with options that I'm not sure about trying to achieve thing that clearly these menus weren't meant to facilitiate.  Often there is a nagging suspicion that perhaps it's not me or the menus, but something wrong in the implementation or an unintended interaction with another plugin or widget.   These mild irritants used to be motivations to go to the code and change things directly.  Now they are stumbling blocks that keep me from getting things done because either I don't have access to the files I need or I simply don't have the time to fiddle.  You see, I've become an administrator.  Administrators delegate.  My problem is that I still secretly long to fiddle.  Sometimes I give in and spend hours tweaking or programming something.  It's like being on a diet and suddenly binging on ice cream.  It feels good in the moment but then the cold hard reality of my inbox hits me in the morning.

I think that for my own sanity I'll have to carve out some time at least three times a week to assuage the programming urge.  I've just ordered a new Macbook Pro and I'm looking forward to working with Field.  I think it could be a nice mix between menus and low level wrangling.

A song for this post.