Friday Short Takes

I just installed Windows XP on my computer. I had managed to keep 98 running for a while on up to date hardware, which some folks seemed to feel was kinda impressive. I did this partly to be cheap and partly because XP was the new target for every bit of mal-ware to come down the pike. Win98 was apparently passe` for hackers. But I went to spend some of my Christmas money on a new game and it wouldn't run on 98. I checked around and the supply of software that would run on 98 was getting thin, so I decided to bite the bullet. The install actually went quite smoothly. My old copy of Norton AV doesn't quite work, and I hard a surprisingly hard time getting Firefox going, but all seems good now. I'm sure a few more kinks will turn up, but all in all, it went a lot better that I feared it might.

I could use advice on how to make Explorer (not Internet Explorer) open up on the C drive instead of My Documents. 90% of the time, I don't need a document.

I'm having a devil of a time getting Jacob to drink milk for lunch. Its not that he dislikes milk. Quite contrary. The problem is that he vastly prefers whole milk over any lower-fat version. And the organic milk we like to give him does not sell small (6-8oz) containers in whole, only lowfat, or flavored lowfat, which of course makes them very sugary. So far, he isn't real thrilled with the other varieties of whole milk that do come in smaller containers that we've tried. The other option, using a thermos or kids cup to send in his regular brand of whole milk, is foundering. The best device we have found so far to use to hold the milk is actually a variety of baby cup. It's actually pretty "big kid" for a baby cup, being equipped with a straw that folds down to make a solid seal using a flip-top thingy. But apparently some kids at lunch teased him for having a baby cup. I might head up to lunch with him today and use it myself. With luck, that'll put a kibosh on the baby cup thing, but we'll just have to see.

One problem with being home all day is snacking. I've done a lot more snacking on cookies, chips, etc. in the past month or so that I used to, and certainly more than I did while working. Now, I am getting more exercise than before, so I'm not actually gaining weight, but it is still irritating. I could lose 20 pounds and not miss it, and this isn't helping. At this moment I'm chomping on an apple, which I hope will help.