Water sucks -new diet changes

Several months ago we discussed the new Mountain Dew “throwback.”  I tried it for a while and thought it was ok, but I had to go back to my regular Dew.  For the last 2 weeks though, it has been different.  Now I drink about 8-10 bottles of WATER a day instead of my usual Dew!  To get my caffeine kick I am back to coffee in the AM like I”m working at Bob Evans again or something??  Why water and coffee again?  A recent visit to the doctor has changed my life forever.

It’s not as bad as I am making it sound but it really bothered me for at least a week.  Thinking of missing out on all those delicious Filet-o-Fish, Big Macs, steaks, bacon potato soup, pizza, and my beloved Taco Bell food.  It’s almost all gone.  Now I must “treat” myself to something really good only once a week.  I have decided though if I can only eat bad stuff once a week, I’m gonna do it good!  No burgers, only a steak!  No other crappy fast food, just Taco Bell……it’s my favorite.  This weekend I treated myself to the Hearty Bacon Potato soup at Tim Horton’s, that stuff is awesome!

I will only be 34 in a little less than 2 months and I already have high cholesterol.  My whatever score was 400 when it’s supposed to be about 140.  I was happy at the visit, I had actually dropped about 15 pounds in the last 5 months so I thought I was doing good.  However the next day after the blood work was in, I found out my diet was horrible.  So I think I went to extremes.  I freaked out and bought a bunch of “healthy” food and did some reading about the type of diet I should be on.  The first night I ate a salad for dinner!  That’s not horrible or nothing but with no cheese, “good” salad dressing, or meat in it.  I went to Subway a few days in a row and my first visit kind of surprised me.  When the girl asked me what kind of cheese, I said “none”, and she looked at me like I was crazy!!  That really cracked me up!  While I don’t have it all figured out and realize I’ve made a few small mistakes, I’m sure I’m on the right track.

I have always proclaimed that I hate water!  It has no color, no taste…..it is nasty!!  I don’t like to swim because I can’t stand being wet.  I would probably never shower but I don’t wanna be known as “that stinky guy.”  I do find it cool that when I have to drink it, I can handle it.  It really isn’t that bad, well except for all the bathroom breaks!!  That is honestly driving me nuts.  After a few days of drinking water I honestly do not want to drink Mountain Dew anymore!  I never thought I would drop the Dew.  It’s now strange to even try and drink one in the afternoon after drinking water all day, the MD is too sweet?!!

With all the trips to the hospital over the last 2 1/2 weeks, I figure I better at least take care of myself.  With my wife and her migraine, headache, neck pain, whatever it is and Troy trying to kill himself on his bike, I’ve at least gotta be healthy to take them to doctor appointments!!  I guess I should take care of myself and stick around for a while longer?

Made & supported in the USA, is it PC?

Is it “politically correct” to still demand “Made in the USA?”  In at least the last 20 years society has demanded that we be more sensitive to women, homosexuals, and other races.  Some of it is fine but I feel a lot of it is way over board.  Things were so much better and simpler in the 70′s and 80′s, I think?  Now you can not say anything without many different groups jumping down your throat.

I have thought about the “made in the USA” problem that we have many times.  I hear people complain about not being able to understand overseas support.  Is that kind of talk offensive to the Chinese, Indians, etc., that live here in the great USA?  Is demanding “made in the USA” or “Supported in the USA” insensitive to those people?

This question was reinforced to me by an email I received this morning from one of our distributors.  Propaganda that showed links to a few surveys that were done stating that US citizens were willing to pay more if an item was assembled and supported in the USA.  I seriously doubt the results of these surveys.  I think we have a bigger issue here and most citizens will not be honest.  I do not think that a person would pay $1 more for an item just because it was made in the US.  They would think about the big picture and how that cost really affects them.  If you bought 1000 items in a year and paid $1 more for each item because of where it was made, would you do it?  No I doubt it, you are going to think about yourself and the ability to save yourself $1000 a year.  Almost every American is cheap and selfish.  We are to blame for the current failings of the US car market.  We are lazy and build crappy cars.  We are selfish and demand $40 an hour just to continually put one bolt into a car to attach a door to it.  Thanks to unions people think they have the right to do a low skill job and demand high wages and benefits.  So now, we make crappy cars that don’t sell and when we do buy them we are paying for you to get laid off for 6 months and still get 80% of your pay!

In some ways I am cheap and only think of myself.  However I do consider the big picture and wonder at times that if I pay a little more for something…..will it really help our economy or nation to get out of this slump?  I still wonder though, is it politically correct to make a big deal about “made and/or assembled in the USA?”  Comments are always welcome.

Like a “haunted house”

Comments from one of Troy’s little girlfriends.  She said “the pictures do NOT prepare you for what he really looks like.”  Like I said in the post yesterday, he looks like hell.  If you want to see some pictures, check out this link.  His girlfriend and a few other friends have stopped by to make sure he is ok, but I just had to mention Kendra’s comments.  When she went home she told her more “it was like going to a haunted house or horror movie.”  I guess it does.  It’s just crazy to think so much damage can be caused just by wrecking your bike!  I rode skate boards, dirt bikes, and regular bicycles when I was his age and older but never did anything like that to myself.  Then again, I never did a face plant into anything either!!  I do want to add also that kids messed up on Vicodin can be a lot of fun!  It’s prescribed to him and we are only giving the recommended dosage, but he is quite goofy at times.  He has “honked” my nose and “squonked” one of my little man boobs.  Kinda makes you feel better.  My last thought again though, he still won’t go for a bike ride with me??!!

Plan on some less personal posts in the up coming days.  I really want to talk about the “Big Ben BS” going on, Windows 7 availability, and a few other things.  I hope to find the time to post something everyday this week!

The most scary day of my life

I haven’t whined and complained too much lately.  I have a new found health issue for myself and Amy (my wife)  has been in the hospital about 4 times over the last two weeks.  We don’t think it’s anything severe but I don’t know if the doctors are really doing enough for it.  It’s just been annoying for her to have a constant and sometimes severe headache/migraine/whatever it really is.  She has been in bed for the most part.  But that is just the icing on the cake.

Seeing your son laying in a pool of blood in the middle of the road is not cool.  It was very strange.  Everyone had been gone all day and I was sitting at my desk getting work done, as a matter of fact I was chatting with my UBCD4Win “development team” about our new road-map I posted in our beta testers area.  I heard something outside and decided to look out the window.  I saw several cars stopped in the street so I went out.  Then I saw someone laying in the road.  My first thought was the neighbor kids, I thought one of them was hit by a car.  I walked up and noticed the belt, the dark hair, and familiar MP3 player then became confused.  He was laying on his belly unconscious, about 7 people around trying to help him.  I got down to figure out who the hell it was and even after I saw his face a few times I didn’t think it was Troy.  It’s strange how the mind will put you in denial, or just hopeful thinking?  The wife and kids were still out of town, right?  I am just glad that I am a calm person.  The most I did was yell at everyone once “What the F really happened?”  I was ready to kick some ass!  I remember looking at all the stopped cars for damage and looked at the bike thoroughly when I ran in the house for my cell phone to call for Amy.  Luckily it was just a simple and kinda stupid accident that didn’t involve anyone else.  Nice people stopped to see why the hell a kid was laying in the road.  He spent 4 hours at the hospital and in the end he broke his nose, had a concussion, many bruises and scrapes, and 7 stitches in his face.  He looks like hell!

That was one of the most scary moments of my life.  The way your mind puts you in denial is incredible.  The goofy “rush” like feeling and everything just seeming like it’s in slow motion but moving fast also?  Being aware of the surroundings but only really paying attention to your son on the ground.  People were talking and saying stuff, I have no idea what now.  There were many people around, I have no clue who they were or what they look like.  All that mattered was making sure he was ok and would be taken care of.

What is Burrows Solutions, really?

People have made nice comments about my new venture and I really appreciate them.  However I feel I really want to explain my intentions with my website/company so you all really understand.

My original plan 6 years ago (after I started distributing UBCD) was to provide affordable but professional CD shipping.  I found AutoPatcher months later and became their distribution person.  The dedication from Victor (UBCD) and the AutoPatcher team changed my plans a little because I decided I wanted to help people even more.  So I created UBCD4Win.  A few CDs have come and gone over the years and UBCD4Win kept me very busy, but I always wanted to provide more.  I created my Burrows Solutions LLC at the start of 2008 to start moving things forward.  My job at a local “mom & pop” shop for the last 3 years has helped shift my business model for Burrows Solutions also.  There I am constantly checking prices, quoting systems for customers, etc.  So that made me think that I could help more by providing low prices on quality parts.  I am out watching for great deals and hope to keep my store stocked with them!

Do I want Burrows Solutions to become a “New Egg” or something similar? No, not even close!  I don’t really want to be a “jack of all trades” but I can do a lot.  All I really want to do with Burrows Solutions is sell a little software, some quality computer systems, provide affordable laptop repairs, and pass on great deals on other computer related items.

Do I want this business to replace my “real” job?  No, I hope it never does.  The experience and knowledge I have gained over the last 3 years is invaluable.  Talking to my boss and Tracy is invaluable information.  It’s nice to be able to discuss new things or problems with a computer I am working on with them.  The experiences with UBCD4Win over the last 5 years has been invaluable also.  At work though I am looking at people, talking to them, helping them, and seeing them smile are all things I love about my job.  My boss has been in business for over 16 years now and I really hope to help him still be in business 20 years from now.

Do I want to become rich from Burrows Solutions?  Everyone wants to be rich, right?  No not really.  I am pretty comfortable with my income right now, a little more would be really nice but I do not want too much.  All I want to do is be able to provide for my family with honest good work.

If you need something fixed or want to see if I can get you a good deal on something, PLEASE email me.  I consider myself the “laptop guy” at work and I have done a lot of repairs on many laptops over the years.  I will gladly provide you a quote if you would like me to repair something.  Want to see if I can find you a good deal on a piece of hardware or software, please email me.  I will gladly see what kind of a deal I could get you.

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog, I really appreciate all of my visitors.  Thank you also if you have visited my Burrows Solutions website.  I hope to some day sell something to you and I’m sure you will be happy with that purchase.  If you have questions or comments feel free to comment here, email me, or contact me via the Burrows Solutions site.

Free Kaspersky AV, Super AntiSpyware, and BUILT UBCD4Win!!

BurrowsSolutions.com has been up and running to my satisfaction for about a week now.  I’ve done a few upgrades to give better security (SSL Certificate) and added more payment options.

The biggest question you probably have is, Free built UBCD4Win?  You read it right, but it’s for a limited time.  The Intel Atom computers I’ve been talking about selling will finally be up for sale on Wednesday and I plan to offer the option for me to build a UBCD4Win for that computer purchase.  Since you will be buying a licensed copy of XP with the computer, I can then legally build you a UBCD4Win disc!!  I plan to offer that as a service option for all new computers and charge about $19 for it.  You will receive a ready to boot UBCD4Win disc along with your computer having the latest version of UBCD4Win installed on it.  I will do the build on that computer so if you need another copy or need to update it, all you have to do is run the builder.  Your bootable CD will come in a slim CD case and will be on a printed CD.
Well wait, you mentioned Kaspersky AV and Super AntiSpyware??  Yes I did.  First I need to clarify this free offer.  It will be on the first 3 Intel Atom computers sold on my Burrows Solutions website.  You will receive a bootable UBCD4Win CD, 1 year of Kaspersky AntiVirus protection, and a lifetime license of Super AntiSpyware.  Please show some appreciation to Super AntiSpyware also, because they gave those keys away to me for this promo.  The others, I had to pay for.  The first 3 systems sold will contain this package of $100 worth of software for FREE.

So please check out the Burrows Solutions website in the mean time for more information and pricing on the Intel Atom systems.  Please also check out some of the other stuff I am selling.  I have some pretty darn good deals on 19″ and 20″ Acer LCD’s!  If you happen to have any questions feel free to comment here, email me, or use the contact information on the Burrows Solutions website.  Thank you for visiting!!

What constitutes a “big” security/privacy issue??

I had a situation happen today.  One that at this moment I am noting going to get into too many details.  I will say that it was a VERY sensitive email attachment from one of the “big 4″ computer manufacturers.

In my inbox I received a strange email from a company where an individual was complaining about some account holders complaining about getting mass emails from them.  So attached is a copy of their customer list so the others in the team can make any possible notes or whatever.  So I have an Excel spreadsheet with 4700+ lines that include: customer number, name, location, email, and phone numbers.

People make mistakes and it’s just good to see the file went into the right hands, someone trustworthy.  The only thing I’m just not sure about is if this is news?  A leak of almost 5K peoples account information for that vendor could cause problems.  I still have a copy of the file but I have placed it in my safe so it would never get into the wrong hands and I just wonder if I should really keep it or not?

Anyways, what do you think?  Should others find out about this secruity/privacy breach??

BurrowsSolutions.com ready for orders

While the site software still needs some changes to make it look more appealing, the functionality is there and ready for orders.  Although I haven’t setup the Google Checkout for it yet but hope to have that up within a few days.  I haven’t listed the Atom computer systems yet either but those should be up tomorrow or the next day.

Please check it out and see the great deals I have on Super AntiSpyware, a few Acer LCD’s, and the lower prices and better shipping on the Ultimate Boot CD and UBCD4Win CD’s.  If you happen to have questions or concerns, feel free to post here or contact me via email.  Thank you very much and I hope to pass on some great deals I have come across and will come across in the future.

What an AWESOME week!! Thank YOU!

Our latest “donation rally” is officially over, but you can always donate any time you wish on the UBCD4Win site. We are always in need of something or have bills that need paid.

I am so happy and proud of our users, I’m really at a loss for words. Every time we need assistance with something, you are ALWAYS there to help us!! It makes me so happy to realize our work is that greatly appreciated. Our hosting is paid up for a year, some domains were purchased and renewed, and we paid for the support package for IPB so we could upgrade to the latest version. If you haven’t been to the forum in the past several days, get over there! The new version is very cool!!

I was contacted by several people that couldn’t donate but were willing to sell a few items on eBay to help.  I had to kindly turn down their offers.  I’ve said many times before, if you really can’t afford to donate then please don’t.  When you get back on your feet or more comfortable then please give us something.

Thanks again to everyone!!  Now we just need to find the time to create a UBDVD4Win7!