Around 8:40am this morning one of our webservers suddenly starts going haywire. It floods a network switch which then promptly crashes. So we take the server offline after some more diagnosing and decide that the onboard nic has finally choked.

Michael picked up a new nic on his way in to work this morning and I came over to ATG to install it at lunch time. Two hours later, after installing the new nic and having the same problems, I've run through just about everything I can think of to fix the problem. I've tried a different network cable, different network switch, different ports in two different network switches, etc. All with the same results. After being up for about 40 seconds it floods the switch and everything that was connected to the switch is now killed off the network.

So I start playing around with other less obvious things. I disable this, I disable that. Always with the same result. Finally I disable the NLB feature and *bam* that fixes the problem. Only now, Application Center is way pist off and refuses to behave (connect, run, start, you name it).

I hop on the google newsgroups and sure enough, other people have had this same problem. Microsoft's solution to this? Uninstall Application Center and reinstall it.

Not that bad on the first glance. Only if you have already installed Application Center 2000 SP1 then you now no longer have any way to uninstall Application Center 2000 (with or without SP1). It gets about 10 minutes into the uninstall and says "Unable to continue -- backing out changes" and proceeds for another 5 minutes to the state where you already were. It was quite humorous in the newsgroups to see the replies to the MS guy -- going "Well -- that would be great if you could actually UNINSTALL THE DAMN THING" and someone else going "Yah -- you might as well just throw in the towl and start reformatting now"

So guess what I'm doing?
Yup.
Format c: time baby.

w00p!
--B--

I've been doing these endurence climbs -- no particular reason -- but I noticed that I'd get pumped out after climbing to the top of a single 5.11. So I've been doing endurance climbs.

There's an awesome V2 named (appropiately) the Traverse of Doom. It starts in either bouldering room and traverses around all the way to the other bouldering room. I've now done this one both directions without coming off the wall. My goal? To make it three times. That would be start in the right room, traverse to the left, go back to the right, and then end in the left room. If I make it three times, I'll shoot for four.

The other climb that I've been doing to build up endurance has been a 5.7. It's pretty much just jugs all the way up to the top of an overhanging wall. But go up and down that enough times and you can get pretty pumped. On Tuesday I did it 5 times up and down (climbing up and down that is). Tonight I made it six times. w00p! Next time? Maybe 7. We'll see.

A big thanks to Sarah, Rob, and Sarah for encouraging me as I started to get pumped out. Hopefully Super Lap will also become easier after this!

Oh -- and on a somewhat related endurance note, I sent in my application for the Santa Rosa Century. I signed up for the 200km ride -- thats about 124'ish miles. It's in early May so I've gotta start riding a lot again.

--B--

So I was pretty dead when I left the climbing gym last night. I kept forgetting things -- like my rope, chalk bag, etc. I got all the way home and realized I had left my water bottle at the gym. I figured I'd just go tonight to pick it up but that would mean tonight I'd be without water...

As I'm getting ready to head out on my morning bike commute, I open the door and there it is! Now there are several possibilities as to how it made it's way home.

1) It grew feet and walked -- while possible, not very likely
2) A wormhole opened up and it traveled past the planets of Vega and returned in a fraction of a second -- only it was off by half a mile when it returned -- still not very likely (but possible! I've seen it on TeeVee!)
3) Aliens abducted it, realized it was a sentient being, asked where it belonged, and it gave them my address -- While this sounds like an X-Files plot, it's doubtfull that this happened
4) Someone (maybe Terry and Rachel?) saw it at the gym, recognized it as mine, and dropped it off on their way home -- most probable explanation.

So to whomever made the connection, many many thanks -- and see ya at the gym!
--B--

On Saturday, Terry, Rachel and I went down to try out climbing shoes at Split Rock in Tiburon (near San Rafael). After an initial problem finding the place (never trust directions given over the phone from someone who says "Yah -- I've been there once"), we found the place and went on up.

There were reps there from Misty Harnesses, Five Ten, La Sportiva, and Metolius.

I tried on several shoes by Five Ten -- I've been on the hunt for a comfortable pair of climbing shoes now for some time -- I've got quite good sport shoes right now but if I want to do longer stuff I am going to need more comfortable stuff. Surprisingly enough, I ended up trying on a size 10 in their Mesa climbing shoes -- in their sport shoes, on the other hand, I wear a size 8. Big difference!

Anywase, it was a great day of climbing -- got a little windy in the afternoon but was enjoyable all the same. Pictures are posted here:
Split Rock Shoe Demo

Thanks to Terry and Rachel for giving me a ride down and back up!!
--B--