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Why does my right arm hurt so much. I’m using the mouse so much less now. Perhaps my arm is not used to that Mostly, i spend all day in vi in a terminal window these days. Editing some code for a program that the customer still won’t approve. I think my code is solid now, but we are going to have to change the way we store some data in our database. That’s the only way I’m going to be able to meet their requirements.

This weekend should be a light one. I would have said that last week too. But I had a small intent to actually go to Tuscaloosa and visit some friends this weekend, as well as taking in the Ole Miss/Alabama game. It looks like I will forgo that though and instead take the kids to the Zoo on Saturday, and TiVo the football games that I’m interested in for watching on Sunday, when there is usually no football that is worth watching on Television. (yeah, I said it. NFL Sucks)

So, if we do make it out to the Memphis Zoo on Sat. I’ll post a few pictures that everyone can enjoy of both my kids. We’ll likely take a picnic, and head back fairly early. I might post some live pics on my facebook page too, in case your interested. But I’ll take a real camera and post some of those here Saturday evening.

Laters, Chris.

written by Chris \\ tags: Facebook, Ole Miss, Programming, Zoo

I’m thinking about writing my own BGG database, hopefully one that works with the BGG website a little bit.

With some of the recent downtime over at BGG, and trying to go through my games for my purge. Sometimes, information about my collection just isn’t available to me like I want it to be.

Also, the play tracking on BGG could be improved a bit, and I’d like to track plays of online, or even AI plays and mark them without them counting, and being able to filter on those with some of my queries. Of course, I’ll also add a flag for moving my plays into the BGG database as well. (Probably everything except AI plays, since I track online plays against real players).

I’d also like to be able to add notes to each playing of the game. And while viewing a game, look back on past plays of that game and see notes and such. That doesn’t sound too difficult.

I’ll probably fiddle with Access and put a front end on it in Delphi or Visual Basic since that’s what I know best. I need to look at BGG and see best how to get information from them for filling out some fields automatically though. JM pointed me toward the xmlapi that is available for querying BGG data directly.

If I get a free weekend, that’s my next project. I’ll make it available to anyone if I actually do it, and if they want it. I’ll post here if that’s the case. If someones already done that, be sure and let me know. Although I doubt anyone’s done specifically what I want to do directly. At least, the way I want it done.

It’ll probably be a couple of weeks before I can start though.

written by Chris \\ tags: Boardgames, Databases, Programming

So this past weekend, Valerie hosted the GARC Championship for the fourth year in a row. It’s almost becoming a regular thing. I’m sure that all the kids are tired of coming to Ole Miss, but they do have a great facility for shooting here, and it keeps getting better and better every year. This year, the entire competition was shot on Electronic Targets.

On another note, this year was the first year that I did not have to be there in any official capacity. Since Valerie has switched to Electronic Targets, it has rendered the program that I wrote for her to display all the scores and automatically figure out the placings etc. has officially become obsolete.

That’s a good thing in my book. Now I won’t be inundated with the request at 3:00 the afternoon before that they changed the tie breaker rules and I need to recode my SQL query that figures out who won based on the new tiebreaker. It’s not like I didn’t enjoy providing that for her, but to be honest, they could have been a little bit more forward and open on things like the changes, rather than waiting for me to set it up and seeing that something doesn’t work like they thought and then realizing that they made rules changes. Obviously, this is now a concern for the dudes that wrote the software for the electronic targets. Good luck with that!

Actually, it turns out she did use my database and viewer. But really, only for the standings, and to generate the final results PDF’s. Perhaps I’m not as obsolete as I think I am…

Anyway, as far as the results, you can head over to GarcRifle.com for the scoop, but to pull out Ole Miss in Context:

• Team Smallbore: 5th (Army Finished 1st)
• Team Air: 5th (West Virginia Finished 1st)
• Team Overall: 5th (Army Finished 1st)

It wasn’t a great meet. I suppose it’s been a fairly down year as well. But she looks poised to bounce back. On a high note. Shannon Wilson (One of Valerie’s two Seniors) did win the Individual Smallbore Championship this past weekend. So Congratulations to Val and Her for that accomplishment. Chris Abalo from the U.S. Military Academy finished 1st in Air Rifle and the Overall Combined Categories. Wilson finished fourth in combined.

On a side note. This is the second time I’ve seen those electronic targets in action. Those things are just too cool. They make shooting actually a pretty decent spectator sport during the finals.

written by Chris \\ tags: GARC, Ole Miss, Programming, Rifle, Valerie

Not a whole lot going on with us over the past month. I just finished working on Valerie’s Program. It’s a good thing too, it was due tomorrow. I’ll probably be busy all this weekend with the GARC Championship stuff for Val.

When I have had time away from work, and second job of supporting Valerie’s Rifle team with some hobby programming, I’ve stolen a few moments of time playing games with the Kids. We like board games. We like video games. But we really prefer the ones that are easy to pick up and fun for everyone to play and watch.

Here are the two little ones playing a little bit of Karaoke revolution.

Karaoke Revolution

Only problem is, Olivia has more fun licking the microphone than singing into it. I don’t care though, it’s neat to watch them playing.

But even cooler than all that going on… Dad and Mom came to visit us last week. Only problem was it was too short.

Dad’s shipping off to Iraq again in a few more days. So he wanted to see the kids before he left. He also happened to be bringing us a Big Screen TV since he had just bought a new HDTV and needed to get rid of his. Seeing as how our new house sorely needed a big screen television because of the sheer size of the living room (I no longer have to wear my glasses just to see the screen) we were happy to oblige.

Anyway, because he had to go get ready to pack and all, he decided to leave the next day. We packed up the Kids and went to Tupelo with them (since it’s on their way home) and messed around in town a little bit. Which leads me to my next topic.

Wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii..

I’ve been looking for one for a while. They are nearly impossible to find in the stores. I’m sure that will get better soon. But we still look every time we go. Anyway, Last Saturday, we got lucky and scored one at a Wal-Mart in Pontotoc. It was their last. I set it up that night on the big screen that we just got.

We really do have the perfect room for this console. Anyway, the whole family’s had a blast with it. The Wiimote is just too cool. We don’t have anything except the Wii Sports games that come with it. But honestly, those are pretty good, and they really show off what it can do.

The bowling and Tennis are definitely my favorites though.

Sarah’s getting good at Bowling too.

Last night, she actually bowled three strikes in a row in the tenth frame to beat me by one point! 186 – 185. This console is too cool.

Until next time. I’ll try to get Val to post some good pictures sometime. I’ll maybe post a few from GARC this weekend as well.

written by Chris \\ tags: GARC, Pictures, Programming, Rifle, Valerie, Wii