Cruftbox: My Box of Cruft

Currently, I’m in Orlando for a series of meetings about dry IT topics. We just so happen to also be at Walt Disney World.
As a break in the day, we took a trip to see underneath Disney. After a quick trip on the monorail, we were soon walking down into the Utilidoor beneath the Magic Kingdom. The Utlidoor is the beneath ground aspect of the themepark that allows the cast members to prepare for work out of sight of the guests.
The complex underneath the Magic Kingdom is huge, based on a ring that is around two miles long. Places for people to get costumes, change, eat, rest, and do anything else are all in place. Seeing the rubberheads half out of costume was strange. I don’t recommened ever letting a child see it.
After the tour, we were back at work pouring over some spreadsheet. One of the guys, Paul, had a Treo 600 and I got to play with it while not paying attention. Here’s a selfportrait I took of us sitting around the table.

That’s my first camera phone picture. I don’t know if I want a Treo 600. It’s cool and all, but all I wanted to do was take a picture and make phone calls. The Treo 600 seems like a bit of overkill.
Time for me to get ready to head out to continue work on ‘business process mapping’ and ‘optimization opportunity’. I’m living in Dilbert land.

A new group weblog in Los Angeles has been launched today.
Go check out blogging.la, they are good folks and this should be a good place. Events, news, gossip! Who knows what else is in store?
There seems to have been a lot of prep involved in the launch and I hope they find it rewarding.
Go forth now my LA brethren and link to blogrolling.la on your site.

Tivo is a great thing, but there is one problem. I never know when new shows are coming.
Since I tend to fast forward through the commercial breaks, I miss the promos for new shows as well. In the last couple days I’ve realized that there are several things I have not heard about, yet want to watch. I like both Jeremiah and Horatio Hornblower, yet I was unaware that new episodes were coming. Luckily with Hornblower, I found out today, two days in advance. Unluckily with Jeremiah, I’ve already missed the first two episodes.
Tivo suggestions is good but I rarely check it, but there needs to be a companion web site that emails you info on recommended upcoming shows.
This is a symptom of the bigger problem the PVR is bringing to Television. When people stop watching promos, it’s going to be much, MUCH harder to get them to watch new things. I’m not sure what going to happen, but the way television is promoted is going to change.

Since Thanksgiving, I’ve been doing a little cleaning around the house. In the study here, there is a closet which is the closest thing I have to a private space in the house. That’s where I keep tools, computer bits, empty boxes, and anything else I don’t want the girls into. Over that last few months it had become full to the brim.
I cleaned it out. Below you can see all the trash I pulled out.

I finally put together a page on the Doodah Parade that I went with the kids last weekend.
Enjoy -> Doodah Parade 2003
Next year, I want you all to be in the parade with me.

After a bit of work, I compiled the pictures into my typical story about cooking the turkey in my homemade electric smoker.
Take a gander at How to Smoke a Turkey.

Because I’m so effing good at Call of Duty…

The briskets look good and are in the oven now.
The turkey is now in the smoker. Once I’m sure that the smoke and heat get going again, I can go back to bed.
My throat hurts.

The two briskets have just been placed in the smoker. I need to stay awake until the smoke and heat gets rolling before I can grab a little shut eye.
The rub smells great and the briskets are HUGE. Pics to follow.

I took today off from work, and it’s a good thing I did. I feel like crap. Sore throat and a headache. Trudging through a day of meetings, email and phone calls would have crushed me.
Instead, I prepared for the holiday. First thing, I wrapped the smoker in insulation to try to keep the temperature up. I used special water heater wrap, so it should stand up to the heat. Take a gander.