tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64035353976318176612024-02-21T05:12:24.984-05:00You Can Take The Boy Out Of DundalkKeeping True To His Southeast Baltimore Roots.Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08758907559917010752noreply@blogger.comBlogger291125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6403535397631817661.post-42260589881153442742011-11-27T10:44:00.000-05:002011-11-27T10:44:19.687-05:00So the adventure beginsDay one – November 25 <br />
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Today’s trip started out from my parent’s house around 7 a.m.<br />
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States covered: Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Tennessee.<br />
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Thirty-eight different state license plates, and two Canadian provinces.<br />
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Smelled three dead skunks.<br />
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Saw three major accidents.<br />
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Got stuck in traffic several times (one because of a major road closure in Knoxville).<br />
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Total miles covered yesterday 725. We have 1600 more to cover to be broken up into three shorter segments.Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08758907559917010752noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6403535397631817661.post-55232420888346051052011-11-22T13:08:00.001-05:002011-11-22T13:10:31.224-05:00Tomorrow is a big day<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB7I_6LeP0EM-2IljZi8d6pUZufmRZQX8uD1ZiAhL79Vc1gSfQWBUkI7EqG1WkSTsbgMxE1jm5bFeBuVBm-1GmTI8_GVSfAwIFHvPgACi8Wx4SRdt8oPBdPYPV_A4417K2P_6XQwDMecLe/s1600/ar12766120565324.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB7I_6LeP0EM-2IljZi8d6pUZufmRZQX8uD1ZiAhL79Vc1gSfQWBUkI7EqG1WkSTsbgMxE1jm5bFeBuVBm-1GmTI8_GVSfAwIFHvPgACi8Wx4SRdt8oPBdPYPV_A4417K2P_6XQwDMecLe/s1600/ar12766120565324.png" /></a></div><br />
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I know for most people who commute from Columbia or points north and east, today was the big day, but since I work from home on Tuesdays, tomorrow is the big day for me. Tomorrow I get to realize the culmination of almost four years of construction delays, re-routings, and general headaches. Tomorrow, I will be able to get on I-95 and go south to MD Route 200, and drive it until it ends, exaclty .3 miles from my office. I'm not going to lie, I'm a little bit excited, but I'm more excited by the fact that tomorrow will be the last day that I have to make this dreadful commute. There is an element of irony that I get to drive this road only once. I'm going to go with the "glass half full" approach and be thankful that I got to drive it once FOR FREE!<br />
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Lately, my expectations for things have been way way too high, so I'll keep the trend going for the new road. I expect it to be lined with gold, I expect to have my very own police escort, I expect there to be random hockey players on the side of the road signing autographs for me as I drive by, and lastly and most importantly, I expect there to be no other traffic, so that I can make the fourteen mile run in world record time. There ya go, I'll report back tomorrow.<br />
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Oh yeah, did I say it's my LAST DAY working at TheraCom? I might have forgotten that detail.<br />
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Until tomorrow...Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08758907559917010752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6403535397631817661.post-59184841463999768072011-11-14T14:56:00.000-05:002011-11-14T14:56:10.451-05:00Yes, this is really happening...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSe4LUoxmanFlcbDp4n8LI5-xEIu22220DlyezBOxtkH-2kDpu5PgY7YrlED_1ycbVtyeBsv8890plFyiO8BFCKssHPJ74p0mpQc3ccz5aNMwXO8ITl3Cwu_nuc8yF8qssS-GdNVpYbKbv/s1600/SunsetAZ3W.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSe4LUoxmanFlcbDp4n8LI5-xEIu22220DlyezBOxtkH-2kDpu5PgY7YrlED_1ycbVtyeBsv8890plFyiO8BFCKssHPJ74p0mpQc3ccz5aNMwXO8ITl3Cwu_nuc8yF8qssS-GdNVpYbKbv/s1600/SunsetAZ3W.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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My apoligies for the long break in between posts. Needless to say we have been super busy trying to cover all the details and make this move happen. It's incredible how much work we've done, and how things have come together for us. The biggest part of this was "downsizing" the amount of stuff we had, so we could cram it all into our new apartment. I'm thrilled to be able to say that we sold enough stuff that we PAID FOR THE MOVE ENTIRELY. I would have never thought we had that much stuff. Here's a little sample of some of the stuff we sold:<br />
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Solid Wood Bedroom Set<br />
Couch and Chair Set<br />
Dining room set<br />
Twin trundle bed<br />
Grandfather Clock<br />
90% of my sports memorabilia<br />
Toys/Stuffed Animals/Purses<br />
CD's and DVD's<br />
Tube TV and Stand.<br />
Chair and Ottoman<br />
Cups, Glasses and Dishes <br />
My Car <br />
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The list could go on, but I will spare you. We are leaving on Saturday November 26, arriving in Phoenix on November 30. We successfully leased an apartment in the Paradise Valley suburb of Phoenix, and will be putting our house on the market to sell in the next couple of weeks. We've packed up just about everything we don't use everyday and spent many hours prepping the house for what we hope is a very quick sale. The truck is reserved, Carey's car is getting shipped, so we're just about done. All we need to do is load up and go. My new co-workers seem to be excited for my arrival and I am ready for the challenge.<br />
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Next up is the 4 day drive across this country. I'm really excited to see whats out there. Thanks to everyone who has helped us, and supported us this far...we can't wait for the next chapter of our life to get started. Carey has taken to calling this our big adventure...and I agree. <br />
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Lastly...for those who want to come visit, January will be a bad month. The new boss is not approving any time off in January. Apparently it's "Welcome Season" for people to re-enroll in their benefits and our phones will be going nuts. Plan your trips for February or March(Spring Training anyone?)<br />
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I will do a better job of keeping this up to date. I'm sure there will be PLENTY of stories to share. <br />
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ScottScotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08758907559917010752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6403535397631817661.post-51424884303606167672011-09-21T14:14:00.001-04:002011-09-21T14:14:55.697-04:00ANYONE LOOKING FOR A JOB??Below is the job ad for my replacement. Feel free to email me with resume's or questions. The job is in the healthcare industry and is located in Rockville, MD. No clearance required. The VMWare experience is also desired, not required. The same for the certifications, if you have them great, but they aren't required. Thanks for looking.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Full Time </b><br />
<b>Location/State/City MD - Rockville </b><br />
<b>Position Summary As a Windows Systems Administrator, you will be responsible for operating system and hardware support for our systems including server monitoring and administration functions. You will be responsible for diagnosing and repairing system problems working closely with vendor support. You will install, monitor, and support advanced functions of Windows Operating Systems and related applications such as, IIS, and DFS. You will be responsible for maintaining and monitoring compliances to corporate security policies. </b><br />
<b>Education Ideal candidates will have a Bachelor's Degree with 5-7 years of Windows System Administration. . </b><br />
<b>Experience Experience with Windows, 2003, and 2008 is required. Strong troubleshooting skills (Hardware and Software) are required. </b><br />
<b>Microsoft certifications a plus MCITP, MCTS</b><br />
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</b><br />
<b>Experience with setting up CITRIX and VMware environments </b><br />
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</b><br />
<b>A solid understanding of TCP/IP network concepts and network trouble-shooting is required. </b><br />
<b>Qualifications Ideal candidates will have a Bachelor's Degree with 5-7 years of Windows System Administration. </b><br />
<b><br />
</b><br />
<b>Experience with Windows, 2003, and 2008 is required. Strong troubleshooting skills (Hardware and Software) are required. </b><br />
<b>Microsoft certifications a plus MCITP, MCTS</b><br />
<b><br />
</b><br />
<b>Experience with setting up CITRIX and VMware environments </b><br />
<b><br />
</b><br />
<b>A solid understanding of TCP/IP network concepts and network trouble-shooting is required. </b><br />
<b><br />
</b><br />
<b>Candidates must have a basic understanding of database concepts, routers, firewalls, and traffic managers. </b><br />
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</b><br />
<b>Excellent interpersonal skills and a genuine desire to help resolve technical issues are essential </b><br />
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</tbody></table>Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08758907559917010752noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6403535397631817661.post-72297129155424521642011-09-21T14:06:00.000-04:002011-09-21T14:06:51.549-04:00Catching up...Sorry I've been gone for a while, things have been craaaaazy busy. Here's a quick rundown:<br />
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Big/furniture type things we've sold:<br />
Green couch and chair<br />
Dining room set<br />
Twin Size day bed<br />
Bedroom Set<br />
grandfather clock<br />
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Big things left to sell:<br />
End/coffee tables<br />
End tables(yes we have 2 sets)<br />
Papasan Chair and ottoman<br />
My Car<br />
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We had 2 successful yard sale's, and need to have one more before we start giving/throwing stuff away. The house is 99% ready for the rental inspection. We've come a long long way in the last few months. There are entire rooms that now look like we are moving. It's very exciting and I'm proud of our progress. We are putting up a new railing down the basement steps on Sunday. I hope to get the house on the market by the end of the month, and that leads me to my next point.<br />
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Apparently my company is having trouble finding a qualified individual to fill my role. It's getting to the point now where it may end up putting my move date in jeopardy. I honestly don't understand how this is happening, considering all the doom and gloom we get from the media about the job market every day, but oh well. We're going to be ready to move by the end of November, will it happen by then? Who knows.<br />
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And they wonder why we drink....Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08758907559917010752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6403535397631817661.post-74980556973722820502011-09-02T12:24:00.000-04:002011-09-02T12:24:24.791-04:00Things are starting to move...I found out this morning that my boss is interviewing a Windows System admin on Tuesday next week. Hopefully this guy will get the job and I can start getting him trained asap. We don't have any candidates for the telecom position, but hopefully that won't keep me from being able to transition to my new team on 9/18 as planned. We shall see.<br />
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This weekend is a big weekend for our move. We are having our second yard sale, and we hope to finish the projects that need to get done so the house will pass the inspection for the rental permit. The stuff that is left is mostly small, smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, cleaning, etc. The last big project is installing a railing going down the basement steps. I'm going to see if I can get some help doing this myself. I'm not very sure of my skills, but I'll give it a shot. We also are going to try to re-paint/stain/coat our tiny little deck. It's not a safety issue, but it will make the place look better. A good looking place will rent faster...we hope. :-)<br />
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I wish you a happy and safe Labor day weekend, and will update you again as I go along. <br />
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sScotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08758907559917010752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6403535397631817661.post-26281336964454962862011-08-30T14:06:00.002-04:002011-08-30T14:06:54.806-04:00I like this pic.Take the 30 second to read the whole thing. I apologize if you have seen it before, but I thought it was worth sharing.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl1VnCA0u8Rv7BgVrBOIwfU1T7AKRE9_7V67mxE3gnsEnsa38idVKjRjS5FIyRxvzqWCf0V-256V47KYFGKGSZDVZLju1VewwLSnvJoxGh6ll86SsEtZZmip5H5PWhl7CwnXZiXnMg15V4/s1600/IMG_2325.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl1VnCA0u8Rv7BgVrBOIwfU1T7AKRE9_7V67mxE3gnsEnsa38idVKjRjS5FIyRxvzqWCf0V-256V47KYFGKGSZDVZLju1VewwLSnvJoxGh6ll86SsEtZZmip5H5PWhl7CwnXZiXnMg15V4/s320/IMG_2325.JPG" width="264" /></a></div><br />
Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08758907559917010752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6403535397631817661.post-45597872665369808692011-08-30T12:05:00.000-04:002011-08-30T12:05:09.068-04:00YARD SALE!!!We took part in our very 1st yard sale this past weekend. We got up early, drove through the rain, and set up in Catonsville. I was amazed at how many people came out, even with the threat for rain being so high. We made almost $300 selling stuff that was collecting dust in our basement. Unbelievable. We decided that we are going to ride this horse till it bucks us, so we set up another sale, this weekend. This time in our front yard. I cant wait to see how it turns out.<br />
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The house is coming together, we fixed some small issues with our ceilings, finished off some crown molding and chair rail, and had the gutters cleaned. We decided we are going to re-coat the deck with the awful red paint that's already there, and we need to get the shingles on the porch roof straightened out. The next step is to apply for the rental permit and get it inspected. Things are moving along, and we are getting close. <br />
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Until next time.Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08758907559917010752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6403535397631817661.post-65348169523843217502011-08-22T11:08:00.000-04:002011-08-22T11:08:37.378-04:00The hole, it's dissapearing...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-r8w1SsysMSU/TlJw0peM8HI/AAAAAAAAAb4/hYFPBQl4yy0/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-r8w1SsysMSU/TlJw0peM8HI/AAAAAAAAAb4/hYFPBQl4yy0/s320/photo.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />
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I have good news on the hand, the hole appears to be closed now, so I won't have to wear a bandage like the one pictured past today. I've managed to keep infection away, which makes me very happy. I'm hoping that by the end of the weekend I'll be ready to go for hockey playoffs. It's quite amazing how fast your hands heal.<br />
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On the move front, we cleaned out our dressers and night tables yesterday. We have a couple of old dressers that we will be able to use in the mean time, and the mattress and box spring will sit on the floor. It's not the prettiest of setups, but it works for the short term. There is a small mutiny going on at work. The best helpdesk guy we have put in his notice on Friday, and another one will be doing the same this week it looks like. We did have a new helpdesk guy start today, but it will take him a while to get up to speed. The next few weeks ought to be interesting. I'll keep you posted.<br />
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sScotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08758907559917010752noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6403535397631817661.post-10660994072850003302011-08-19T08:55:00.000-04:002011-08-19T08:55:28.328-04:00Another 1st...I learned an interesting lesson that I can share with you yesterday. You should be careful when you are walking up steps with keys in your hand. I was on my way home from work yesterday afternoon, walking into my house and stumbled up the steps. I caught myself with my hands, and managed to stab myself in the hand with one of the keys on my ring. I was very fortunate, because the key that got me was the shortest one on my ring, it didn't go all the way through, and it got me on that soft part of the hand between the base of the pinky finger and the wrist. It was my 1st ever trip to the ER, which ended very anti-climatically with a Tetnis shot and a band aid basically. So the lesson learned, keys in pocket when going up steps. Sadly, this will also keep me off the golf course this weekend. It's ok, as it could have been so much worse. Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08758907559917010752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6403535397631817661.post-91959245187423749242011-08-18T11:49:00.000-04:002011-08-18T11:49:56.751-04:00SOLD!!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOUiBsVgMYsj5PAlU-P_YDmz_7rV9Pzuhf_mTlEUWkB_Dc16yRO-dq_pfIkMjsQn9sUGGIFjMVxPNlYqBxra6nLbYmyWgpiAVHeU1Bp4UfpBliMOYdLRoEHYB4tK7Aea5Z0YqtsjxUHS_3/s1600/sold-sign.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOUiBsVgMYsj5PAlU-P_YDmz_7rV9Pzuhf_mTlEUWkB_Dc16yRO-dq_pfIkMjsQn9sUGGIFjMVxPNlYqBxra6nLbYmyWgpiAVHeU1Bp4UfpBliMOYdLRoEHYB4tK7Aea5Z0YqtsjxUHS_3/s320/sold-sign.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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I've been stressing about getting stuck with our bedroom set. It's a huge solid wood set that we bought when we moved in the house. I figured I'd need a couple months to get it sold, so I listed it on Craigslist last night. I got a call at 9:30 this morning and by 10:30 it was sold, unreal. My buyer is driving up from Richmond to get it on Tuesday. I'm still in shock. I know it will be weird sleeping in a bedroom with no furniture, but hey, that set will pay for a large portion of our move, so I'm not complaining. <br />
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My new boss announced my transition to the rest of the team I'm going to be working with yesterday. I found out that they already have my cube set aside for me. I guess they're excited to have me. They made me feel so welcome, I just hope I can go out there and produce for them.<br />
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Lastly, I had an embarassing moment this morning. Apparently I never closed my fly when I left the house for work. Sadly it was 10:30 before I went to the bathroom and realized this. *DOH* <br />
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Until next timeScotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08758907559917010752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6403535397631817661.post-30746640434079648052011-08-16T09:06:00.000-04:002011-08-16T09:06:27.373-04:00Stood Up<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyYmfBZdm86PCVb3pkxJBqElFwAfTdS5-_Ni6vhbvL59NNkrmOtPD5q2CWSfrZDwP9FTQ3MJCOIh4DsP4LwskFMqKyYNS5bJAQjCgLcoyiou6M56EphfRjvDTvCzwkLBwUkD-NIEdBckPx/s1600/satc_LoveLsns_stoodUp1_160x169_062920061129.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyYmfBZdm86PCVb3pkxJBqElFwAfTdS5-_Ni6vhbvL59NNkrmOtPD5q2CWSfrZDwP9FTQ3MJCOIh4DsP4LwskFMqKyYNS5bJAQjCgLcoyiou6M56EphfRjvDTvCzwkLBwUkD-NIEdBckPx/s1600/satc_LoveLsns_stoodUp1_160x169_062920061129.jpg" /></a></div>I guess I should have known my run of luck on Craigslist would end eventually. I was supposed to sell my 50 gallon fish tank to a Craigslister on Sunday and he stood me up. I should call his mom. It's back to the drawing board on that one. Tonight I'll be cleaning out my fancy sports memorabilia curio cabinet, it's next on the chopping block. One piece at a time, my furniture is vanishing. We're gonna have a yard sale in early September as well, so we'll see whats left by then. <br />
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Tomorrow is another big day in the progression of the move. My new team will find out tomorrow that I'm coming, officially. It's been kinda strange, the whole world here in Rockville has known for 2 weeks, but very few people in Scottsdale know. I have a feeling that will change tomorrow. It should make for a fun afternoon. <br />
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Until next time!<br />
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sScotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08758907559917010752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6403535397631817661.post-33124920741398905282011-08-13T11:35:00.000-04:002011-08-13T11:35:22.833-04:00We have a date...sort of.September 17 2011, if things go according to plan will be my last day working for TheraCom. September 18th will be my first full day as a member of the CVS/Caremark telecom team. The move wont happen for some time after that date, but at least I have one. My new boss and I still have to work out the details of exactly where I'll be working from, and the date for my "find a place to live" trip to Arizona. All this could change if the development team here drags there feet hiring someone or someones to replace me. Honestly, I don't see that happening, because the sooner they get someone in here, the sooner they start making more money on a new contractor. I'll be sure to keep you guys in the loop.<br />
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Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08758907559917010752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6403535397631817661.post-82832548571823985722011-08-09T13:28:00.000-04:002011-08-09T13:28:18.106-04:00Answers...finally.It looks like I will have to be moved to Arizona by the end of November at the latest. The company wants me to stay here to train my replacements. Yup, they are hiring two people to cover the role I currently handle on my own, with a little corp. help. I'm looking a 2-3 weeks to get someone hired, then 2 weeks to train, then I make the official transition. I know it sounds like a long time, but it's not...it will be over before I know it. I'm very fortunate that my new manager in Arizona likes me enough to hold the job for me. I hope I can meet the expectation. <br />
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Part of me still cant believe I'm going to do this. I have so much to do...and so little time. Here we go....Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08758907559917010752noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6403535397631817661.post-19238710684886330292011-08-09T08:39:00.001-04:002011-08-09T08:40:35.736-04:00A place for your stuff...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-arv52Pz4gdw/TkEn-K1JK4I/AAAAAAAAAbs/Eae7j9Q7ahU/s1600/clutter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-arv52Pz4gdw/TkEn-K1JK4I/AAAAAAAAAbs/Eae7j9Q7ahU/s320/clutter.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>George Carlin once said that your house is just a place for your stuff. I always enjoyed that routine, always thinking "I don't have that much stuff." Well that all changes when you decide to move across the country and downsize to an apartment. We decided that we are going to sell/get rid of as much stuff as we can. Originally it was a really easy thought to wrap my brain around. "I'm not emotionally attached to most of this stuff, hell...it's just stuff." Uh huh...yeah, right. I sold my grandfather clock this weekend, and actually had to call my parents after it was gone to help deal with the guilt. My father said it best "Scott, it's a piece of furniture, not a family heirloom" and he's right, but it didn't make the feeling suck any less. I experienced a similar feeling as I disassembled my 55 gallon fish tank. Hell, I hadn't cleaned the thing in a month, I shouldn't be attached to it...ugh. I never expected to feel this way about "stuff", but I do. I'm still getting rid of it, but I didn't expect to feel any attachment. Live and learn I guess.<br />
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I still haven't heard anything about my transfer. I feel like I'm walking a fine line between being proactive and being annoying. I know this for sure, patience is hard...and being in limbo sucks. The silver lining...I still have a job, so it's not all bad. <br />
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Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08758907559917010752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6403535397631817661.post-89710312811642030022011-08-08T09:56:00.000-04:002011-08-08T09:56:16.367-04:00We're Moving!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkMoSu0d5B4H78iOiOyzgL0xW8WBnI6pSzUxo3xog8vnDL_Aa1SK9yBKsKeMoLPGUDS2JwfdiHAe5F7Z3kNaRh5ksJNtd2Vxd9AX_XCaiY35eyYid267rL-HgicSAkVn5jtQSzAbXnGxTF/s1600/phoenix+az.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="252px" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkMoSu0d5B4H78iOiOyzgL0xW8WBnI6pSzUxo3xog8vnDL_Aa1SK9yBKsKeMoLPGUDS2JwfdiHAe5F7Z3kNaRh5ksJNtd2Vxd9AX_XCaiY35eyYid267rL-HgicSAkVn5jtQSzAbXnGxTF/s320/phoenix+az.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><br />
Phoenix, Arizona here be come. I've finally decided to take a full time Avaya Telecom position with my company(CVS for those who don't remember) in Scottsdale, Arizona. It's taken me almost three years of on and off talks about going out there, and it's finally coming to fruition. I've never lived anywhere except the Baltimore/DC area, so this is both extremely exciting and petrifying all at the same time. I don't have a time line for the move of yet, because my little divison on CVS decided that they want to put up a fight. My first lesson in this move process appears to be patience. I will need it as "the suits" are deciding my fate. I must say, it's not the most comfortable feeling in the world to have someone else deciding your career path, and you get little to no input. I really wan't this job, so I'm willing to be patient and wait them out. Hopefully I'll get some kind of information in the next day or so. Going to work everyday in limbo is not fun at all. <br />
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Obviously, the direction of the blog now will be "move-centric". I'll be sharing my experiences, feelings, ups and downs as we go along. Thanks for coming back and reading, and I hope you enjoy the ride!<br />
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S<br />
Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08758907559917010752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6403535397631817661.post-45787964118971772292011-08-08T09:41:00.000-04:002011-08-08T09:41:32.288-04:00The blog is back!So I took a break...ok, a BIG break from the blog. I honestly had run out of weather stuff to talk about, AND I didn't feel it had a good direction. For those of you that read a lot, I'm sorry I cut off without any warning. But now I'm BACK, and I have big news.<br />
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Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08758907559917010752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6403535397631817661.post-38332942940066990212010-12-16T15:41:00.000-05:002010-12-16T15:41:54.202-05:00Uh oh...Well, I hope my winter classic forecast turns out better than my 5 day for this week:<br />
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12/14- Sunny, windy, COLD. High, 38 Low 30. Winds 30+ MPH (<strong>CORRECT, except for the snow flurries on Monday night)</strong><br />
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12/15- Sunny, cold, still windy. High 40 Low 30 Winds 30+MPH and decreasing(<strong>Partially Correct, temperatures off by more than 10 degrees)</strong><br />
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12/16- Sunny, still cold, still windy. High 41 Low 29 Winds 20 MPH and decreasing(<strong>WRONG...didn't see the clipper on the computer models)</strong><br />
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<strong><u>Below are my revisions for the next two days:</u></strong><br />
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12/17- Sunny, cold, windy High 32 Low 19<br />
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12/18- Partly Cloudy, High 34 Low 18<br />
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On another note, my 1st semester at community college is finished, and I know why it snowed today. It snowed because I'm currently carrying a 4.0 GPA. Yup, A's in both classes. Scary huh. <br />
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sScotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08758907559917010752noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6403535397631817661.post-28912207628121049422010-12-13T11:14:00.000-05:002010-12-13T11:14:18.982-05:00This week's forecast...This is something that I'm going to try to do regularly to see how I do. Feel free to comment: <br />
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Rest of today: Clouds giving way to sun. WINDY, COLD. High 32(earlier today) Low 19. Look out for wind chills in the teens. <br />
12/14- Sunny, windy, COLD. High, 38 Low 30. Winds 30+ MPH <br />
12/15- Sunny, cold, still windy. High 40 Low 30 Winds 30+MPH and decreasing<br />
12/16- Sunny, still cold, still windy. High 41 Low 29 Winds 20 MPH and decreasing<br />
12/17- Sunny, cold High 39 Low 29<br />
12/18- Partly Cloudy, warmer High 45 Low 32<br />
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Five days is about as far as I'm willing to go at the moment. I'm curious to see how this works out. Looks like a fairly consistent week as the storm that rained on us all weekend moves to the northeast slowly. The winds will die down slowly as it moves away. Clouds in the area Friday are from a possible storm to our south. The model for 7-10 days out shows something worth watching for early next week, but it's far too early to give that much credence. Enjoy!<br />
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sScotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08758907559917010752noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6403535397631817661.post-58886998902766118482010-12-10T17:40:00.000-05:002010-12-10T17:40:46.456-05:00Thunderstorm or Supercell Thunderstorm, whats the difference?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCdpKAHr5-bgi7sfqd3nkOC8fa3GvSe0GHJu0g3ZwQSuAGC9zzm6rxD1X_Zn54sXAtojZJ7P9iAKEv96wO5j0ThdXiJbgf506dD6h2elgviGrN_BDfg83C8byDZYNlGhxiR3kzan0BEbhv/s1600/sc25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCdpKAHr5-bgi7sfqd3nkOC8fa3GvSe0GHJu0g3ZwQSuAGC9zzm6rxD1X_Zn54sXAtojZJ7P9iAKEv96wO5j0ThdXiJbgf506dD6h2elgviGrN_BDfg83C8byDZYNlGhxiR3kzan0BEbhv/s320/sc25.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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My meteorology 111 final is coming up on Tuesday, so the next few articles will help me in studying for the test. Today we tackle thunderstorms.<br />
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I think it's safe to say that we've all experienced a thunderstorm in our lifetime, and most of us have probably heard of a supercell thunderstorm. The big difference is at the core of the storm. A regular old, garden variety thunderstorm is formed as warm air rises into the atmosphere, gets above the freezing level, condenses to form a nice tall cloud and then the air rushes back down toward the ground as a downdraft. Regular mid-summer afternoon storms have a life cycle of about 45 minutes to an hour before the rain that is falling, cools the air below the storm enough that it no longer rises, robbing the storm of the lift it needs to continue on, and it rains itself out. Regular thunderstorms don't usually need a strong trigger(i.e., frontal lifting or convergence lifting) to get going, they can pop anywhere that the atmosphere will support the lifting air.<br />
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A supercell storm is a little different kind of storm. The ingredients are all the same for a supercell, they are just much stronger. A storm will be classified as a supercell if the core of the storm is rotating, also known as a "rotating updraft". Supercells usually require some kind of "trigger" in the atmosphere to get the strong lifting they need. Triggers like a strong cold front, or moist tropical winds converging tend to do the trick. The air that is drawn into the storm and forced upward will begin to spin, thanks mainly to wind shear in the atmosphere. Once it gets spinning, if the core of the storm is tall enough, it may be able to tap into the jet stream winds aloft and pull them into the storm, they usually get forced down to the surface by the existing downdraft, making it that much stronger. Supercells have a much longer life cycle as the lifting mechanism that caused the storm also helps to continually provide the warm air needed to feed the updraft. The downdraft from a supercell can spread out for miles after it hits the ground, sometimes strong enough to case damage. Imagine pouring a bucket of water out on the floor. The descending air from the downdraft does the same thing when it hits the ground. The rotating updraft of a supercell thunderstorm is also the main cause for tornadoes, which we will get to later on. Don't get me wrong, both types of thunderstorms can cause tornadoes, for example, the November 17th storms that hit northeast Baltimore with an EF1 tornado were not supercells. The odds are much greater for a supercell to put down a tornado.<br />
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The thing to remember here is rotation. "Regular updraft"= regular thunderstorm. "Rotating Updraft" = Supercell.Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08758907559917010752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6403535397631817661.post-40093361861671264242010-12-07T14:53:00.000-05:002010-12-07T14:53:58.018-05:00Cold, Cold, Cold...and did I say cold?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1OFV1IB50e3CUdyEmoGWXmKC1c0E-1tV9wBAf9cz-2OfY6j7CFL-7U9HiaBd0CIT0wJxticM5RF27ewdGofxChRS5HNTOGaNQz5klvkW0jqTtsVK3AzErszX07xTmP2L3BiHEc5U5JTFT/s1600/images.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1OFV1IB50e3CUdyEmoGWXmKC1c0E-1tV9wBAf9cz-2OfY6j7CFL-7U9HiaBd0CIT0wJxticM5RF27ewdGofxChRS5HNTOGaNQz5klvkW0jqTtsVK3AzErszX07xTmP2L3BiHEc5U5JTFT/s1600/images.jpeg" /></a></div><br />
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It appears that old man winter has finally gotten a really tight grip on the Mid-Atlantic region, for me that means my first semester studying Meteorology is coming to an end. I've really picked up a lot of knew knowledge from this class, even if we didn't do the mathematics or science to back it up. Today is our last class before the final and we are going to try an apply all the things we've learned during the fall and make a forecast.<br />
A forecast is the one tangible thing that people get from a meteorologist, and most people have no idea how much effort forecasters put into their predictions. Heck, I was one of those people back in September. Now, I have a very limited knowledge of the art of forecasting, but I have gained a huge amount of respect for the folks that do it. There are several popular ways to put together a forecast, so I'll share some of the highlights with you.<br />
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1. <u><b>Now-casting.</b></u> The art of relaying to the people what is happening right now where they are. Twitter is full of now-casts, just look up the Capital Weather Gang, or Accu-Weather, or The Weather Channel. They are constantly posting updates about current weather all across the country.<br />
2. <u><b>Persistence Forecasting</b></u>: This is used when the weather pattern is the same, day after day after day. Use the desert for example. The forecast of Sunny, and hot is very reliable over a period of days.<br />
3.<u><b>Climate-Forecasting:</b></u> This is the art of using the climate data collected for a given area to build a long term forecast. These forecasts are usually pretty vague but try to give people an idea of what they can expect over a period of weeks or months. <br />
4.<u><b>Computer Forecasting</b></u>: Plugging data from points all over a given area into a computer, and letting the computer model out what it thinks is going to happen. This is how most of our local 72 hour, 5 day and 7 day forecasts are generated. The computer will run several models with the data that is entered and the forecaster will apply climate data, and current data to try and get as close to the actual events as possible.<br />
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So the next logical question is 'What exactly is a good forecast?' The answer that is most popular is "One that is right.", but how do you gauge "right"? If you got the temperature right, but it was raining and you forecasted sun, were you right? The matter of being right is difficult to define, so we broke it down into categories that you can score:<br />
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1. Did you get the temperature right? Were you within 3-4 degrees either way?<br />
2. Did you get the conditions right? You called for rain, did it?<br />
3. Were you able to successfully prepare people for the conditions they will encounter during that day?<br />
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So that's the very basics of weather forecasting. From time to time I'll try to throw a forecast out there, just to see how well I do. The outlook this week is a simple persistence forecast: Sunny and COLD for the DC area. Highs around 35 degrees F all week. You can look at the current U.S. Radar composite and see, there isn't much out there that will impact our region....<a href="http://weather.unisys.com//index.html">see for yourself here</a>. The wind will die down after today though. So there it is, my 1st official weather forecast, let the criticism begin!Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08758907559917010752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6403535397631817661.post-42720026886321724232010-12-07T14:10:00.000-05:002010-12-07T14:10:56.299-05:00Triumphant ReturnI never intended on taking a break from my blog, but it looks like that's what I did. Between work, school, holidays, hockey and the like, I just ran out of time. School for the semester is over, so I should be able to give my little corner of the Internet the time it deserves. All it took was a little encouragement from my wife and a buddy, and I'm back on track. Thanks guys.<br />
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Speaking of school, I'm excited to report, that with only the finals left for both of my classes, I'm still carrying an "A" in each. The final will determine my fate in my math class, I could pretty much not take the final in Meteorology and still get an A. Both of these are firsts for me. I'm enrolled in the next math class(basically advanced high school algebra)and a computer information security course for the spring. I'm using the computer course to update my skills and have a "fall back" plan in case something bad happens at work before I can get into the meteorology field. Besides, I couldn't take the science I want yet, I'm not advanced enough in math.<br />
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And now back to our regularly scheduled content! <br />
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sScotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08758907559917010752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6403535397631817661.post-49254358436180608982010-11-19T17:18:00.000-05:002010-11-19T17:18:11.375-05:00Pure Hockey Gold<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_jm5ZvFlDlL4/TOb3gtZ1xlI/AAAAAAAAAbQ/vBYjNlU3nbY/s1600/chris-chelios-chelio-s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_jm5ZvFlDlL4/TOb3gtZ1xlI/AAAAAAAAAbQ/vBYjNlU3nbY/s320/chris-chelios-chelio-s.jpg" width="271" /></a></div><br />
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Happy Friday. I found this image gallery on <a href="http://si.com/">SI.com</a> this afternoon and couldn't pass up the opportunity to share it with you. Enjoy!<br />
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<a href="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/multimedia/photo_gallery/1011/nhl-hockey-culinary-delights-could-have-been/content.1.html">http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/multimedia/photo_gallery/1011/nhl-hockey-culinary-delights-could-have-been/content.1.html</a><br />
sScotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08758907559917010752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6403535397631817661.post-5233899520863877042010-11-08T17:24:00.000-05:002010-11-08T17:24:48.773-05:00THE DROUGHT IS OVER!!!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgLmz41SHJkQObUshUDwuWBZ_MU1pFboX_qpx796MzT0cX7WVoHh04IquhAjp_HSjMMGRq0r83t1VOOVio4DjC6AD3OnGxXr0EUYQ22lou0niB7FMPictW_lXFiHK7ZOHubOvB5MZiFLS6/s1600/706d78c84c69b2c99ac2b5245ddb.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgLmz41SHJkQObUshUDwuWBZ_MU1pFboX_qpx796MzT0cX7WVoHh04IquhAjp_HSjMMGRq0r83t1VOOVio4DjC6AD3OnGxXr0EUYQ22lou0niB7FMPictW_lXFiHK7ZOHubOvB5MZiFLS6/s320/706d78c84c69b2c99ac2b5245ddb.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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I had two separate hockey league games yesterday and they couldn't have been more polar opposites. The 1st game was a 12-2 blowout at Wells as we had no goalie. I also decided to use my head to closely inspect the ice and the boards about 5 minutes into that game. The second game was later at Columbia and I was on the right end of a 9-2 decision. I finally broke both the Columbia and the Mutineers Red Jersey curses with two goals and an assist on the evening. The second goal was particularly pretty, a one timer on a cross ice feed. Today I'm paying for it, as I'm tired and sore, but ohhhhh was it worth it. What a fun day!<br />
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sScotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08758907559917010752noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6403535397631817661.post-64384188188328468472010-11-05T14:42:00.000-04:002010-11-05T14:42:54.790-04:00College UpdateMy boss was here all week so I didn't get much chance to blog. <br />
Enrollment for the spring semester at Howard Community opened up this week. I wanted to take the next math class and chemistry, but you need to be DONE the next math class before the college will let you take chemistry. SO, in order to make the most of my spring semester, I signed up for math, and a CISSP class. CISSP is an IT industry standard for Information Security. I'm hoping that getting this cert will allow me to get out of this job that I drive to far too and hate so much. It would be so nice to finish my IT career working close to home while I go to school. <br />
The spring semester for me has been VERY successful. I'm 3/4 of the way through and still carrying an A in both of my classes, which is a first for me. I'm very excited about being in school and it's showing in my grades. I'll be taking time over the spring to start looking at schools to take my main Meteorology or Atmospheric Science coursework at.<br />
Lastly, I've decided to create a new blog that is specifically for the Meteorology content that I have been posting here. I'll still maintain this blog with the non-scientific content. I'll be sure to post the new blog URL after I get the template going.<br />
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That's it for now...enjoy the weekend!<br />
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SScotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08758907559917010752noreply@blogger.com0