It figures. I finally find my camera yesterday, so my DVD player dies on me today. I guess that way the universe is still in balance. It’s not a huge loss, since I paid $30 or so for the thing and used it for a year. Still annoying, though. Maybe it’s time to get a burner for the computer, so I can watch things there and rip them and so on.

By the way, the diet is still going fine. I had a sausage, spinach, mushroom frittata yesterday that was very good. Frittatas are great. Melt some butter in a hot skillet, pour in beaten eggs, then when they’re cooked about halfway through, spread your meat and veggies on top, then sprinkle with some cheese. Put it in the oven on high heat until the cheese bubbles, and you’re all set. Takes a little longer than an omelet, but you don’t have to stand over it the whole time.

I discovered one thing today, though: venison burger isn’t very good with eggs. It’s too dry a flavor somehow; like beef, only worse. I’ll stick with pork sausage or bacon for breakfast from now on, and save the deer meat for chili and casseroles and such.

I’m trying out Google Adsense, the system that’s responsible for the small google ads that you see all over the place, related to the content of the page. They might not show up for a couple days, depending on how long it takes them to start the account, and I don’t know if I’ll keep them, but I thought I’d try it as a way to generate a tiny bit of revenue.

Please don’t click on the ads just to try to help me out, by the way. If Google sees that a lot of people are clicking on the ads and then not going any further, they could consider that a sign that I’m cheating with an automated program. But by all means, if one looks interesting, check it out.

Now for the important stuff: I’m looking for work. As I think I saw in a Dilbert strip one time, when you’re self-employed, you’re always one job away from unemployment. (Or as I like to say, being self-employed is a lot like being unemployed, except the government never sends you a check.) I thought I’d list some of the things I do or have done here, before I develop them further for my web site. The problem nowadays with being a jack of all trades (and master of none, or at least degreed in none) is that it’s hard to make up a resume that makes you sound particularly skilled at one thing. So I’m just going to put it all out there, and see what comes of it. If anyone in the Barry area has work for someone who’s a hard worker and can learn to do anything, please let me know.

Computer/Internet Consulting — This can be anything from cleaning spyware and viruses off your computer to building a web site. I’ve been working with the Internet since it first started coming to homes in the area around 1994, so if you need something done on the net, I can do it. My favorite operating system is FreeBSD, but I’ve worked with most Unix-type systems, and can handle any of them. Just contact me for a quote.

eBay Sales — Related to the last one, I’ve sold quite a few things on eBay, so if you have one item you’d like to sell, or a thousand, get in touch with me. I can simply help you get started and teach you to do the work yourself, or do all the work for you, so all you have to do is point me to the items. (Also, I finally found my digital camera, so I can take pictures again!)

Programming — I’ve been programming in Perl for over ten years, and have also dabbled with Java, C, and a few other languages. A lot of that has been CGI or other Internet-based programs, but I do stand-alone programs too.

Remodeling — I’ve helped build two houses from the ground up, and can do any part of it, from pouring concrete to finishing the trim. Since I’m not a full-time pro, I don’t have all the tools for a typical remodeling job, but if you need something small done, or need an extra hand on a project, I’m your guy.

Editing — As I hope shows in my blog and other sites, I write pretty good English. My spelling is excellent, if I do say so myself, and I’ve just always had a knack for grammar. My writing may not be exciting, but it’s almost always correct. If you have a term paper, a manuscript you’re working on, or anything else that you think could stand to be proofread or edited, I can do that for a reasonable fee.

Well, I think that’s enough for now; if I think of anything else, I’ll put it in another post later.
Oh yeah, I’m also selling my 1978 Ford 150. It runs fine, but has a bad leak in the water pump. I’m asking $300 or best offer. It’s buried in snow behind the Cree-Mee, if you’re in the area and want to take a look.