Virtual Enrollment Party

I have a bunch of things I've been MEANING to blog about, and haven't necessarily got "a round tuit" but now's a good time. This entry is going to combine info about what happened to the servers last week, and what MIGHT be happening in the reorganization that will affect Blue Ribbon. Hot topics, eh?

First, the easier one--last week. Apparently a router in Durham that controls off-campus access to Extension servers (like the X drive) went down, and it was probably brief, because Darin hadn't gotten any notice about it when I sent him a message saying that I had three--no, four--no, wait, seven--counties with the same issue, which seemed to indicate that it wasn't a coincidence. Anyway, the short version is that anyone who was working in Blue Ribbon when that happened had problems. If Blue Ribbon was not running, no problems. So, if you're having issues with Blue Ribbon that include "search table not active", just back out of the program, send me an email and I'll fix it for you. Takes less than 5 minutes, and is easier/faster to do than to send instructions to you!!

Well, time to talk about the Elephant in the Room. What's going to happen with Blue Ribbon when/if county offices contract for internet service with a local provider instead of using the T-1 we currently have? I'll tell you what I know (not much), what I think (some of it) and what I think I know (subject to change). My understanding right now is that you will still have access to the Cougar Mountain server, which SHOULD mean that you could also still access the X (Blue Ribbon) drive. This all falls under the category of "what I think I know".

What I KNOW is that T-1 service is darn fast, and easy to get used to. There may not be a local provider in your community who can give you service at that same level. Some may be at DSL speed, hopefully not dial-up. Don't ask me to expand a lot on that. I'm stretching my technical limits just typing those words. I have DSL at home, and I can use Blue Ribbon with server data. I'm spoiled because I think we have faster than T-1 speed on campus, so it seems slow for me at home. It's pretty acceptable once the program is up and running, but I do notice a speed difference. I'm not sure how different it will be than your current office speed, but it could be.

So, let's play "What if". What if you contract with a local internet company and it's INCREDIBLY slow--so much that running Blue Ribbon is a burdensome task? We'll fix it. We'll have to move the Data folder back to your C: drive and you'll have to go back to sending me backups, probably on a monthly schedule. What if I'm wrong about the Cougar Mountain & Blue Ribbon servers, and they're not accessible to county offices any more? Same answer, on a larger and faster scale.

The larger question is what are we going to do over the long-term, not patching this up to get by? I need to rustle up some more money and get serious about moving to a web-based platform, faster than I thought I had to. Given the new sense of urgency, I probably only have one option, since it's "done" and more importantly, "I could sell that in Iowa". Whenever I saw one of these potentials, I had to consider if there were deal-breakers, and I did it with the words, "I can't sell that in Iowa... it would have to be fixed." One company listened closely and fixed everything I found, so I'm going to have to visit more seriously with them!!

There are lots of budget issues still working themselves out, but Chuck and I have visited briefly about moving this up the priority list. We have SOME of the money we need (from your Blue Ribbon support fees), but have to find some more. That's why I can't give you a definite date or even more details. There are negotiations waiting to happen. As things start to shake out, however, I'll update you on progress through this blog. I'll be looking for victims, but we won't be the first state to transition, so it might not be as painful as it could be!!

I'm being as open with you as I can be at this point. If you have questions I've not addressed, post them to the blog. I'm hesitant to do too much "guessing" but if I KNOW something, I'll share that. You can also email me if you have concerns that you don't want to share on the blog. Basically, the short version of the story is that we'll make it work. I'm not quite sure HOW yet, but I AM sure we'll come up with something. And I'm also sure that YOU are the most important consideration in that plan. What works best for me is never as important as what works best for you. There's only one of me, and I can make ...whatever... work.

Posted by Becky at 10:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

You know, I think I'm going to have to dream up some "issue" in Blue Ribbon, because this is quickly turning into the "baby blog"!! I think that's probably pretty darn positive.

The latest Blue Ribbon Baby is Klaire, shown below with her brother Dalton (who's 3 & "petting her head")--their proud grandma is Stacey from Jasper Co. Klaire was born on July 1, and Stacey's pretty sure she looks just like her mom!

Thanks, Stacey, for sharing, and the rest of you keep watching the blog for more babies, and maybe even a little more information of a "business" type!!

Posted by Becky at 02:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Nicole from Appanoose County just returned from some time off getting to know her new son, Gradey. She sent along this picture of him and his brother, Brody (5). I don't know about the rest of you, but it seemed that the "new baby" delight and affection wore a little thin as they got older... but we can hope that Brody continues to be as happy as he appears in this picture!!

Another pair of GREAT Blue Ribbon kids!! Thanks, Nicole, for sharing!!

Posted by Becky at 04:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Well, it's about time!!

Sophia Marie (Sophie) arrived Saturday night, July 5, at 9:20 PM, weighing in at 6# 12 oz, 21 inches long, 10 fingers, 10 toes, and quite possibly the most adorable baby ever born! She has lots of soft blonde hair, blue eyes, and an ecstatic extended family to welcome her home. Everyone asks if she looks like Dan, but the truth is, I never had a baby that small, so it's kind of hard to tell. She looks an awful lot like herself at this point.

I've posted a few pictures on Picasa for those of you who just can't get enough baby pictures!! I'm sure there will be more!! Thanks for all your good wishes as I waited and waited and waited!!

Posted by Becky at 03:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Well, Donna from Adair Co. beat me to the Grandbaby Album... she sent this picture of Davin Earl, her grandson who was born on June 12. Obviously, from the picture, you can see that Grandpa thinks he's pretty special!!

Looks to me like being a Blue Ribbon Baby means that they're automatically CUTE!!

Posted by Becky at 05:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Okay, somebody's an over-achiever... Steph in Sac county not only gave birth to this adorable litte girl, Kinzie Lynn, but she ALSO sent the picture at 9:55 this morning, which is only 13 hours and 30 minutes after Kinzie's big entrance. What the heck??? Steph, you need to get some sleep. Seriously.

Anyway, here's the latest addition to our Blue Ribbon Baby Album--and I must say, she's another cutie! Unless any of the rest of you really hurry, I think I'll be the next one to add a picture--MY little granddaughter is due to make her appearance within the next 2 weeks! Oh, yes, we're excited!

Thanks, Steph, for sharing this picture of Kinzie. Now get some sleep!

Posted by Becky at 10:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

I got this information and link from a colleague in Pennsylvania last night, and thought it would be something good to share with all of you. I don't know about you, but Google is my favorite (read pretty much ONLY) way of searching for information on the internet. This "malware" (stuff that's bad for your computer and your privacy) attack has specifically targeted Google through infecting the computers of people who come to the compromised sites through a Google search.

Although the article has some techie stuff, there are some very useful tips on the second page for staying safe when you're visiting sites as a result of a Google search.

“Beginning on November 24 and continuing for less than a week, bad guys loaded up more than 40,000 Web pages with malicious software and thousands of common search terms. They then employed an automated network of malware-infected botnet computers to link to those sites in blog-comment spam and other places…”

link: How to use Google and stay safe

From: www.techworld.com

Posted by Becky at 07:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Reading other people's blogs can sometimes be productive. I just found the following site by going to Anne Adrian's blog (she's from Auburn and writes some interesting posts about social networking), then following a link to a Twitter account called "ittotd" which stands for IT Tip of the Day... and that led me to this Microsoft site. Never underestimate the power of social networks on the web!

Anyway, I know that some of you have new computers, and that they may have been pre-loaded with Office 2007, which has a very different look and feel than the previous version. It'll do the same things (maybe more), but it does them in a completely different way, which can lead to frustration, and in my case, lower productivity. It took me longer to get things done. So I solved the problem by uninstalling Office 2007 and reinstalling Office 2003, and I'm happy.

In case you'd like to EMBRACE new technology, rather than IGNORING it, go to the training site on the Microsoft website that has some comprehensive lessons on various tasks you might be doing in Office 2007.

Posted by Becky at 01:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Here's the latest addition to our Blue Ribbon family! Trystan's proud mommy, Amanda from Greene Co., is just now returning to work after spending some quality time getting to know him! What a cutie--he sure looks happy to be here!

Posted by Becky at 04:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

As promised, here's Delaney Lea. Proud daddy is The Livestock Guy, Mike. Looks like this is some of his best work! We're all anxious to meet her in person!

Posted by Becky at 10:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

For those of you who've been following this little experiment from the beginning, I want to remind you of a sentence from my first post: "I hope I don't make too many mistakes in the beginning, and that I get better as I go along."

Thanks to Anjanette in Carroll Co., I've fixed one mistake, and gotten better (hopefully). Although I had the lovely button for signing up for news via email working right (you could subscribe to the list), I hadn't thought that maybe I should tell the computer to send the notification messages to that list. So, I was getting all my nice notifications, but unfortunately, nobody else was. Sometimes all you can say is, "duh".

Anyway, now if you've signed up, you'll actually GET those messages telling you when the blog is updated.

My next goal is to get all of you leaving comments on the blog!

Posted by Becky at 03:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

I thought you might like to see a couple of "baby" pictures--one is MY new "baby"--kinda has an uncanny family resemblance, but some unique characteristics all her own! Look quick if you want to see me as I whiz by. No tickets yet, but she's new, so I don't expect that to last long!

Posted by Becky at 04:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Well, the wedding was a success, as judged by the criteria "they were married at the end of the evening"! And the reception was also a success, as judged by the crowded dance floor, the laughter, the food, the weather (incredible), the attendance (about 300), and most important, the new couple!! I can't think of a more perfect way to celebrate a marriage that we have waited a LONG time to see! Though there are some "parental types" that are definitely (but temporarily) at a loss as to what to do with ourselves, we spend a great deal of time congratulating ourselves on what a splendid party we threw!!

Let's see--highlights... well, there was the tent--somehow hearing 40x60 didn't translate into "bigger than my house" until I saw it taking up most of my backyard. Then there was the "damdest thing you ever saw" sweet corn cooker that Don manufactured from an industrial size stainless steel pressure cooker and a drying bin burner (that I would NOT let him hook to our 1000 gal. propane tank, regardless of whining and pouting). The sight of nearly 300 people eating corn on the cob as we arrived isn't something I'm likely to forget soon, either! We proved that it is possible to light up 2400 sq. feet with only Christmas lights (but LOTS of them), to keep bugs at bay with several dozen citronella candles, and entertain small children with gazillions of sparklers (lit at the aforementioned citronella candles).

My Saturday Coffee Group gave a whole new meaning to "friends", as they arrived early Saturday morning with their supplies, their gorgeous planters filled with flowers, and their incredible ability to work harder and faster than anyone I've ever met--and then stayed until the carpets were being rolled up to see to it that everyone was fed and happy! They were the secret to the success of the party. A suggestion was made that we just BUY the tent and host weekend parties all summer, but that didn't go any further than the propane tank idea!

In the end, my baby's married to the love of his life, and we have the most wonderful memories and life stories to tell--what more could you possibly ask? Well, probably for the same sort of experience to report after the fast-approaching September Wedding!! I'll post a picture of Dewey and his bride, Kelli, for now--maybe some tent pictures after I get them sized and so forth...

Thanks for all your kind wishes in the crazy days leading up to this!! See you at the fair if I don't post again before then!

Posted by Becky at 03:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (10)

Welcome to the Virtual Blue Ribbon Party, which takes its name from the infamous Traveling Blue Ribbon Parties! Those are the ones that allow me to spend time each spring with all my friends in the counties, chatting about Blue Ribbon, Filemaker, kids, spouses, office news, and a grand variety of other timely topics. That's going to be the format of this weblog as well. I hope that we'll use it for exchanging information, ideas and solutions to Blue Ribbon and Filemaker questions, as well as building a virtual community--sharing news and tidbits. That will only work if YOU participate by leaving comments to the posts, so please do that!

There are presently three categories for the best-sellers I'm intending to write: Blue Ribbon, Filemaker, and Potluck. By definition, you never really know what you're going to get with potluck, but you can count on something good, and plenty of friends to visit with.

As is the case with most of my life, this is a "learn as you go" project. I hope I don't make too many mistakes in the beginning, and that I get better as I go along. I suppose that's the key to success in many areas of life, isn't it?

Be patient with new posts right now... I'll be off next week for The Wedding, but then I'll be back and hopefully provide a few details and maybe even a picture or two!

Posted by Becky at 04:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)