Tuesday was primarily occupied with a troubleshooting video conference call between several co-ops, the Arkansas Dept of Information Systems, and the Arkansas Dept of Education. Through the process, the screen kept "blinking" randomly in what was best described as "Vaseline." It was a weird "smearing" on the screen that lasted only for a blink of an eye, but it was at something that was regular enough that it showed up on some of the screens and not others. When it was all said and done, our co-op seemed to be one of the leading culprits. We had a lot of packet loss. According to ADE/DIS, the problem is most likely a line issue but might be a router problem (because we have been having issues with our data connectivity in addition to the video-related problems).
Then, at 1:00pm, the co-op tech coordinators met online through Adobe Connect with Debbie Coffman about several items. We talked about our service-to-schools surveys, keeping our work logs (like the one I keep on here), and we talked about Arkansas IDEAS and MyEvents. All certified teachers in the state are to have an Arkansas IDEAS login before the year is out. If you happen to be a certified teacher and have not signed up for IDEAS yet, you can visit http://ideas.aetn.org/ and sign up! I spent the rest of Tuesday helping the construction supervisor find and record various issues that still needed to be fixed.
Wednesday - Terry, Josh, and I went to the old building and rounded up all the desktops and laptops that we are selling in the auction. We hooked them up, removed our networking information, removed any of our users' information, and set the units up for the buyers. We also moved some furniture around for "traffic flow" during the auction. That took up nearly the whole day. When we did get back to the new building, I spent the rest of the day helping the construction supervisor again and I laid out the Panduit to be hung at various places around the co-op.
Thursday - I cut and hung the Panduit in one conference room (the other was occupied by a workshop), in the Distance Learning Lab, and in Terry's office. I also replaced some of the ceiling tiles that had been removed at various times during the move-in and set-up. Then, a group of us met with the sprinkler system guys as they had to shut down and drain the system to replace a leaking head.
I have to say, I hope I never have to mess with that ever again. In this case, I had to call our monitoring system and let them know we were going into "test" mode. The system was shut down and drained. Before we could turn it back on, we realized that turning it on would mean "fireworks" - that is, lights and sirens - would start immediately. After a phone call and some closet work, we were able to engage the refill of the sprinkler system without causing 'fireworks.' Whew!
I called the monitoring system to let them know we were done, and the woman said, "Well, I show that someone has changed the date and time." "Yes, ma'am, when we brought everything back up, it had the wrong date and time so I reset it," I told her. "So, you are the one that changed the date and time?" Maybe she didn't understand me. "Yeeeeesss....??" I half asked, half answered. "Okay, just a minute," she told me as I heard her click on her keyboard. The system panel on our end cleared all messages. "Okay," she said, "Well, you are still throwing events our way, so I can't take you off test until that stops. Call back in ten minutes." I waited about 20. Everything was good to go.
The Director and Assistant Director met with several employees (including myself) regarding the Open House we are having on October 8th, the auction on the 9th and the AMTRAK meeting/presentation the next week. I think everyone will see stress levels come down to a "normal" level once these events are over. We are all VERY excited about showing off our new building, but there is a lot of behind-the-scenes "stuff" that has to happen in order to pull it off.
I spent the rest of the afternoon cleaning up the computer and DL labs, and helping Josh install the televisions that still needed installing. Around 3:20 or so, I went into the downstairs telco closet and started making the wiring closet "look pretty." That is, routing cables through the tracks and installing the cover panels. It'll look really good when it is all said and done!
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Monday, September 27, 2010
Monday, Monday, Monday!
After spending the weekend feeling as if I had been run over by a monster truck or two (read, sick!), I got to work this morning, checked in for the layout of the day, then headed to Texarkana for a supply run.
I never really thought buying some "knick-knack" shelves (for video cameras) and a few cables would be such an adventure. I started the trip at Home Depot. Did you know Home Depot does not carry anything shorter than 23.5" in the way of shelves? I didn't. In fact, I think they used to. Oh, well. I figured I would try another store.
I went to Best Buy to look for an S-Video extension cable, a couple of VGA extensions, and to see if *they* happened to have shelving for speakers (that I could use for video cameras). They did not have an S-Video extension. In fact, they only had a 6-foot standard one. So, I bought two VGA extensions I needed and a small switch for the Sympodium cabinet (way too many network connections wrapped up in one unit for me!).
After Best Buy, I drove over to Lowe's to look for shelving. I actually found a two-pack for $20 that had two black shelves with hardware for mounting it "bracketlessly" to the wall. Very slick! I picked up two of those and headed for Radio Shack.
I arrived before Radio Shack opened, so I checked my phone messages and had one from an area tech. I returned the call and he was having trouble getting some users to log in to his Novell network. He said users could log in to "Workstation Only (WSO)" mode. I suggested that he have one of the WSO users login in using the Novell system tray icon once they were logged in to WSO mode. It worked - the users could read mapped drives and get to Groupwise. Now that we had a way for users to function, the next step was to isolate the problem. I said that I thought the problem was either in a login script or was happening as part of the login process. He told me that some users had received an anti-virus message that a couple files on the server were infected. It's important to note that not all users were having trouble logging in. Because the users could login through WSO (which runs scripts as part of logging in), I had eliminated the login scripts as the culprit. The tech said he would call me back later.
Though Radio Shack did not have an S-Video extension cable, they did have an S-Video coupler, which would serve the same purpose.
I got back to the co-op and worked with Josh to install the shelves in the Conference room, do some cable management and get wires ready for the Panduit I have coming. After that, we worked on the Distance Learning room. From there, I began moving telephone lines around in the telco closet. We've been having trouble with the fire alarm/security system and the elevator not playing nicely with each other. So, like a teacher in a classroom, I separated everyone. The elevator is now on its own line and the security system is on two completely different lines than it used to be. I had never used a 66-block punchdown tool before. It's not quite the same as a 110-punch. I kept getting the wire turned sideways, so it wouldn't cut. I finally showed it who was in charge. It wasn't me. Just kidding.
I spent the rest of the day checking email and answering phone calls (which amounted to about 30 minutes total. It was a full day!)
I never really thought buying some "knick-knack" shelves (for video cameras) and a few cables would be such an adventure. I started the trip at Home Depot. Did you know Home Depot does not carry anything shorter than 23.5" in the way of shelves? I didn't. In fact, I think they used to. Oh, well. I figured I would try another store.
I went to Best Buy to look for an S-Video extension cable, a couple of VGA extensions, and to see if *they* happened to have shelving for speakers (that I could use for video cameras). They did not have an S-Video extension. In fact, they only had a 6-foot standard one. So, I bought two VGA extensions I needed and a small switch for the Sympodium cabinet (way too many network connections wrapped up in one unit for me!).
After Best Buy, I drove over to Lowe's to look for shelving. I actually found a two-pack for $20 that had two black shelves with hardware for mounting it "bracketlessly" to the wall. Very slick! I picked up two of those and headed for Radio Shack.
I arrived before Radio Shack opened, so I checked my phone messages and had one from an area tech. I returned the call and he was having trouble getting some users to log in to his Novell network. He said users could log in to "Workstation Only (WSO)" mode. I suggested that he have one of the WSO users login in using the Novell system tray icon once they were logged in to WSO mode. It worked - the users could read mapped drives and get to Groupwise. Now that we had a way for users to function, the next step was to isolate the problem. I said that I thought the problem was either in a login script or was happening as part of the login process. He told me that some users had received an anti-virus message that a couple files on the server were infected. It's important to note that not all users were having trouble logging in. Because the users could login through WSO (which runs scripts as part of logging in), I had eliminated the login scripts as the culprit. The tech said he would call me back later.
Though Radio Shack did not have an S-Video extension cable, they did have an S-Video coupler, which would serve the same purpose.
I got back to the co-op and worked with Josh to install the shelves in the Conference room, do some cable management and get wires ready for the Panduit I have coming. After that, we worked on the Distance Learning room. From there, I began moving telephone lines around in the telco closet. We've been having trouble with the fire alarm/security system and the elevator not playing nicely with each other. So, like a teacher in a classroom, I separated everyone. The elevator is now on its own line and the security system is on two completely different lines than it used to be. I had never used a 66-block punchdown tool before. It's not quite the same as a 110-punch. I kept getting the wire turned sideways, so it wouldn't cut. I finally showed it who was in charge. It wasn't me. Just kidding.
I spent the rest of the day checking email and answering phone calls (which amounted to about 30 minutes total. It was a full day!)
Friday, September 24, 2010
Friday.. Whew!
Man, what a day!
First thing this morning, I worked in the Distance Learning Lab setting up the instructor station. Turns out I need a few pieces and parts (read, cables) but that room is nearly finished. Then, I went to the computer lab and did some cable management and organizing. That room is nearly "done."
Spent the rest of the morning gearing up to run wiring (mics and cameras) in the conference room. I had lunch with one of the local techs (Prescott), and we had a very good conversation about various things going on and possible solutions.
After lunch, Josh and I hung ceiling mics, ran cabling, and did some general set-up/maintenance in the conference room. We will finish that up on Monday after I make a shopping trip this weekend for shelving (cameras) and some wiring (extending a video run). By mid-morning, the conference room should be good to go! Then, a group of us will head to the old building to get the auction items prepared for auction.
It's been a BUSY Friday! I am worn out from climbing up and down ladders all day! Whew!
First thing this morning, I worked in the Distance Learning Lab setting up the instructor station. Turns out I need a few pieces and parts (read, cables) but that room is nearly finished. Then, I went to the computer lab and did some cable management and organizing. That room is nearly "done."
Spent the rest of the morning gearing up to run wiring (mics and cameras) in the conference room. I had lunch with one of the local techs (Prescott), and we had a very good conversation about various things going on and possible solutions.
After lunch, Josh and I hung ceiling mics, ran cabling, and did some general set-up/maintenance in the conference room. We will finish that up on Monday after I make a shopping trip this weekend for shelving (cameras) and some wiring (extending a video run). By mid-morning, the conference room should be good to go! Then, a group of us will head to the old building to get the auction items prepared for auction.
It's been a BUSY Friday! I am worn out from climbing up and down ladders all day! Whew!
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Catching up, sort of
I don't recall much of Monday's activities, except that I spent a part of it arranging the computer lab and getting the Smart Board hooked up to the presenter's iMac.
Tuesday - I took the day off
Wednesday - Went to the office to help set up for workshops. Took a call from an area tech about a weird email problem that appeared to a virus outbreak or a worm. then headed to Texarkana to troubleshoot/swap-out a computer that has reached its end of life. On my way there, I called the tech back with a few ideas (maybe the user's home computer was infecting email through Outlook Live? Maybe not). When I got back to the office, I sent out a message to the area techs and Supts about a survey they are to take in order to evaluate my performance and relevance. The co-op staff have their survey for the same purpose, so I emailed the link to that, too. I took a trip through the spam filter to release any mismarked emails. I also talked to the local cable company about getting service for our building. Turns out I have to make an in-person visit because we fall under "special services." I am hoping to do that on Friday.
Thursday, Video-Reality came down and installed projectors in the conference rooms and the DL lab. The DL Lab ceiling did not have a finished power outlet, so thankfully our electrician showed up to install one. Unfortunately, we didn't leave the building until almost 5:30 this evening.
I talked to the fire alarm folks about putting together a contact list and to discuss the phone-related issue we are having. That seems to be traced to the elevator room, so hopefully that will be fixed soon.
I spent the bulk of the afternoon working on the Sympodium and DL Equipment in the conference rooms. There were a LOT of wires we had attached to that thing from the old building. I traced each wire and eliminated all the ones we were not going to need. On Friday, I plan to continue that process and get everything hooked up to the new projector.
Tuesday - I took the day off
Wednesday - Went to the office to help set up for workshops. Took a call from an area tech about a weird email problem that appeared to a virus outbreak or a worm. then headed to Texarkana to troubleshoot/swap-out a computer that has reached its end of life. On my way there, I called the tech back with a few ideas (maybe the user's home computer was infecting email through Outlook Live? Maybe not). When I got back to the office, I sent out a message to the area techs and Supts about a survey they are to take in order to evaluate my performance and relevance. The co-op staff have their survey for the same purpose, so I emailed the link to that, too. I took a trip through the spam filter to release any mismarked emails. I also talked to the local cable company about getting service for our building. Turns out I have to make an in-person visit because we fall under "special services." I am hoping to do that on Friday.
Thursday, Video-Reality came down and installed projectors in the conference rooms and the DL lab. The DL Lab ceiling did not have a finished power outlet, so thankfully our electrician showed up to install one. Unfortunately, we didn't leave the building until almost 5:30 this evening.
I talked to the fire alarm folks about putting together a contact list and to discuss the phone-related issue we are having. That seems to be traced to the elevator room, so hopefully that will be fixed soon.
I spent the bulk of the afternoon working on the Sympodium and DL Equipment in the conference rooms. There were a LOT of wires we had attached to that thing from the old building. I traced each wire and eliminated all the ones we were not going to need. On Friday, I plan to continue that process and get everything hooked up to the new projector.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Friday?
What happened on Friday? Ah yes, I hung one of the digital signage TVs, worked on a couple computers, then suffered through the afternoon videoconference about Tech Plan Addendums. The subject wasn't bad, and the presenter wasn't bad, but the network-related issues were horrid. It was, with no trace of humor or exaggeration, like a bad "Max Headroom" episode or as if the Matrix were coming apart at the digital seams. Stuttering, dropped packets, unwatchable.
So, the area techs that had come to the conference decided to learn more about some VERY cool techie apps for the iPad that Jeff Madlock was sharing with us. I write more about those another time. We took a tour of the new building and pretty much called it a day at that point.
So, the area techs that had come to the conference decided to learn more about some VERY cool techie apps for the iPad that Jeff Madlock was sharing with us. I write more about those another time. We took a tour of the new building and pretty much called it a day at that point.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Wednesday and Thursday
I have come to the sad, but true realization that many of my self-taught skills work in the following manner: Get a general idea of when needs to be done, Gather up various tools (though not all the tools I will need to do the job at that time), Proceed with more caution than a car approaching a crossing guard, Turn a 30-minute job into a nearly all-day affair.
Now, what person in their right mind would admit such a thing? Well, right mind or not, I admit it. The way I see it, I am in a very fortunate position where my boss lets me figure things out while still performing other duties throughout the project. To wit, on Wednesday, I installed a printer for the Medicaid machine and then was told that we really needed a phone extension in the breakroom. I am pretty sure we had plans for that in the original scheme of things, but somehow it got lost in translation. I offered to install a phone line, never having actually done one before. Running the line and cutting (VERY carefully) the necessary holes in the wall was the easy part. Somehow, though, I managed to get my fish tape stuck between the various conduits in the wall such that I could not make the thing budge once I reached a certain point! I finally enlisted the help of the Early childhood Coordinator (who happened by, saw my head up in the ceiling and asked if she could help). We got the fish tape loose and tried from the other direction (I had been trying a top-down approach. Now, it was time to try from the bottom up). This ultimately ended up with the help of our temporary helper, Josh. He has smaller hands and was able to reach into the hole (I tried and could not).
Now, what I just explained in a few lines took several HOURS to accomplish. At lunch, I ran to the hardware store to get a box for the hole and to attach the phone jack. Wait, let me back up. During the course of the morning, I found a phone jack in a wall that we will most likely never use (it was in a hallway where we would never have a phone. Go figure.). I removed the jack, cut the wire and put a blank plate cover over the now empty box. I have NEVER done a punchdown before. Yes, you read that correctly. It has never come up in all my years of tech support. Well, I examined the connector, got my punch down tool and cut off the end of the wire I had run. In the telco closet, I did the same thing.
Once the line was run and punched, I plugged in a phone and it worked! I unplugged the phone so I could manipulate the cover into the wall. Well, that was the plan. Drywall is not plate-friendly. Or, more specifically, not screw-friendly. I was going to need a box for support. Okay, now we're caught up to lunch.
At the hardware store, I checked the aisles for electrical boxes. Did you know they come in about 5 different "standard" sizes? I didn't. Luckily, I had measured the size I thought I needed and found a box to fit. I also bought toggle bolts to help keep it in place.
Before I could finish that job, the new desks/hutches came in for Lindy, Phoebe and Ramona. These are NICE desks - they have USB ports, power taps, and a power strip built in to a control panel. Since we (Josh and I) had three of these to do, we spent about and hour-and-a-half or so setting things up once the delivery guys had them installed (and *THAT* took forever). I worked on the hole for the phone drop while we waited for the delivery guys.
I hit a snag when I plugged the phone back in - it would not work. UGH! I checked the jack and it appeared fine. I checked the closet and I had reversed two of the wires. I also managed to plug a patch wire into the *wrong* port! DOH! Oh, sure, I could omit that part but why not provide a little entertainment along the way, right?
After the desks were installed and moved into place, I finished the job by setting the box in place and attaching the plate. If I do say so myself, it looks good. And it should for as long as it took. On the other hand, now that I have that skill, the next one will take about 30-60 minutes. It just works out that way. Weird.
THURSDAY
I set up the computer lab for a workshop, helped move one workshop to another room, and worked with the elevator technician on a couple issues. That led to troubleshooting a phone line problem, which took several HOURS to nail down. UGH. Well, the upside is that I never have the same day twice! For the record, now that I know *exactly* what the problem is, we have a telephone service person coming to fix it. Could I have fixed it? Sure, if I had the right tool. I just don't happened to own a 66-block punch down tool. Why would I? Er, well, I guess in case I ever ran into this kind of situation - which I have not before this. Ah well, there is the experience of learning and the satisfaction of knowing I *could* have fixed it.
I met with the service tech from the company that did our electrical work. he showed me the various break panels and explained where things went. That was very helpful! He and I also talked about some contract work we'd like him to do.
After lunch, my VGA cables had arrived for the digital signage, so I started mapping out my plan. I ran the fish tape up the wall, attached the cable to it and pulled the wire back down through the hole. Once that was done, I attached the end of the cable and it was ready to go! That was upstairs. The one downstairs was not as easy. I had to work around the elevator shaft, which added quite a few feet to the run. Not a big deal, but enough of one that I am rethinking some of my original ideas for the digital signage. Monitor and adjust, as we say in education.
I also installed a new wireless keyboard and mouse in the Director's office and installed a new table for her printer. I received an email from Video-Reality and they will be at the office next Thursday to install our projectors! I cannot wait to have that done and get everything that has been on hold completed!
Now, what person in their right mind would admit such a thing? Well, right mind or not, I admit it. The way I see it, I am in a very fortunate position where my boss lets me figure things out while still performing other duties throughout the project. To wit, on Wednesday, I installed a printer for the Medicaid machine and then was told that we really needed a phone extension in the breakroom. I am pretty sure we had plans for that in the original scheme of things, but somehow it got lost in translation. I offered to install a phone line, never having actually done one before. Running the line and cutting (VERY carefully) the necessary holes in the wall was the easy part. Somehow, though, I managed to get my fish tape stuck between the various conduits in the wall such that I could not make the thing budge once I reached a certain point! I finally enlisted the help of the Early childhood Coordinator (who happened by, saw my head up in the ceiling and asked if she could help). We got the fish tape loose and tried from the other direction (I had been trying a top-down approach. Now, it was time to try from the bottom up). This ultimately ended up with the help of our temporary helper, Josh. He has smaller hands and was able to reach into the hole (I tried and could not).
Now, what I just explained in a few lines took several HOURS to accomplish. At lunch, I ran to the hardware store to get a box for the hole and to attach the phone jack. Wait, let me back up. During the course of the morning, I found a phone jack in a wall that we will most likely never use (it was in a hallway where we would never have a phone. Go figure.). I removed the jack, cut the wire and put a blank plate cover over the now empty box. I have NEVER done a punchdown before. Yes, you read that correctly. It has never come up in all my years of tech support. Well, I examined the connector, got my punch down tool and cut off the end of the wire I had run. In the telco closet, I did the same thing.
Once the line was run and punched, I plugged in a phone and it worked! I unplugged the phone so I could manipulate the cover into the wall. Well, that was the plan. Drywall is not plate-friendly. Or, more specifically, not screw-friendly. I was going to need a box for support. Okay, now we're caught up to lunch.
At the hardware store, I checked the aisles for electrical boxes. Did you know they come in about 5 different "standard" sizes? I didn't. Luckily, I had measured the size I thought I needed and found a box to fit. I also bought toggle bolts to help keep it in place.
Before I could finish that job, the new desks/hutches came in for Lindy, Phoebe and Ramona. These are NICE desks - they have USB ports, power taps, and a power strip built in to a control panel. Since we (Josh and I) had three of these to do, we spent about and hour-and-a-half or so setting things up once the delivery guys had them installed (and *THAT* took forever). I worked on the hole for the phone drop while we waited for the delivery guys.
I hit a snag when I plugged the phone back in - it would not work. UGH! I checked the jack and it appeared fine. I checked the closet and I had reversed two of the wires. I also managed to plug a patch wire into the *wrong* port! DOH! Oh, sure, I could omit that part but why not provide a little entertainment along the way, right?
After the desks were installed and moved into place, I finished the job by setting the box in place and attaching the plate. If I do say so myself, it looks good. And it should for as long as it took. On the other hand, now that I have that skill, the next one will take about 30-60 minutes. It just works out that way. Weird.
THURSDAY
I set up the computer lab for a workshop, helped move one workshop to another room, and worked with the elevator technician on a couple issues. That led to troubleshooting a phone line problem, which took several HOURS to nail down. UGH. Well, the upside is that I never have the same day twice! For the record, now that I know *exactly* what the problem is, we have a telephone service person coming to fix it. Could I have fixed it? Sure, if I had the right tool. I just don't happened to own a 66-block punch down tool. Why would I? Er, well, I guess in case I ever ran into this kind of situation - which I have not before this. Ah well, there is the experience of learning and the satisfaction of knowing I *could* have fixed it.
I met with the service tech from the company that did our electrical work. he showed me the various break panels and explained where things went. That was very helpful! He and I also talked about some contract work we'd like him to do.
After lunch, my VGA cables had arrived for the digital signage, so I started mapping out my plan. I ran the fish tape up the wall, attached the cable to it and pulled the wire back down through the hole. Once that was done, I attached the end of the cable and it was ready to go! That was upstairs. The one downstairs was not as easy. I had to work around the elevator shaft, which added quite a few feet to the run. Not a big deal, but enough of one that I am rethinking some of my original ideas for the digital signage. Monitor and adjust, as we say in education.
I also installed a new wireless keyboard and mouse in the Director's office and installed a new table for her printer. I received an email from Video-Reality and they will be at the office next Thursday to install our projectors! I cannot wait to have that done and get everything that has been on hold completed!
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Monday and Tuesday
And so, we see how long it took before my regular daily posts would become something updated after a few days. I hope to get back onto regular daily postings.
On Monday, (not necessarily in the order in which things happened) I helped set up one of the conference rooms for a conference. Helped troubleshoot a couple connectivity issues in the building. Both turned out to be bad patch cables from the wall to laptops. I spent the bulk of the day in the technology closet finally emptying some of the boxes from the move. Though I emptied more than 6 boxes, there are still plenty to unpack. During that time, I also set up the bookshelves in my office and began organizing software and books. It's starting to look like an office! I handled the SPAM and sent/replied to email.
On Tuesday, I installed the LCD TV in the computer lab. The TVs we bought have internet connectivity, so during lunch I hooked up the TV to see just what that is all about. The Sony Bravias have a selection of "apps" that allow the viewer to watch YouTube videos, NetFlix, and other video content (surprisingly, there is a nice selection of educational "channels"). Additionally, there are music channels and photo channels (so you could use the display as a picture frame, if one so chose). Some Bravias have a cool Widget feature where one could customize the layout of the main screen with weather, news, etc. Ours does not have that. Bummer. I found some really cool VGA cables that have S-Video style connectors between the ends. Why is this cool? Because, I can separate the cables, run each end through conduit, then reconnect the wires, and voila! I just ran VGA through the conduit. I can't wait to try this out. I will be using these in order to get our digital signage up and going in the hallways of the building. Our front office does Medicaid billing and they needed a computer set up to be dedicated for that purpose. I set one up, but received a phone call as I got home that it had "Blue-Screened" on me. I'll take a look at that on Wednesday. We had a video conference on Tuesday, so I helped the presenter get set up with that while I made some needed updates/changes to the co-op web page. During the day, I also handled daily business with schools, vendors, etc via email and/or phone.
On Monday, (not necessarily in the order in which things happened) I helped set up one of the conference rooms for a conference. Helped troubleshoot a couple connectivity issues in the building. Both turned out to be bad patch cables from the wall to laptops. I spent the bulk of the day in the technology closet finally emptying some of the boxes from the move. Though I emptied more than 6 boxes, there are still plenty to unpack. During that time, I also set up the bookshelves in my office and began organizing software and books. It's starting to look like an office! I handled the SPAM and sent/replied to email.
On Tuesday, I installed the LCD TV in the computer lab. The TVs we bought have internet connectivity, so during lunch I hooked up the TV to see just what that is all about. The Sony Bravias have a selection of "apps" that allow the viewer to watch YouTube videos, NetFlix, and other video content (surprisingly, there is a nice selection of educational "channels"). Additionally, there are music channels and photo channels (so you could use the display as a picture frame, if one so chose). Some Bravias have a cool Widget feature where one could customize the layout of the main screen with weather, news, etc. Ours does not have that. Bummer. I found some really cool VGA cables that have S-Video style connectors between the ends. Why is this cool? Because, I can separate the cables, run each end through conduit, then reconnect the wires, and voila! I just ran VGA through the conduit. I can't wait to try this out. I will be using these in order to get our digital signage up and going in the hallways of the building. Our front office does Medicaid billing and they needed a computer set up to be dedicated for that purpose. I set one up, but received a phone call as I got home that it had "Blue-Screened" on me. I'll take a look at that on Wednesday. We had a video conference on Tuesday, so I helped the presenter get set up with that while I made some needed updates/changes to the co-op web page. During the day, I also handled daily business with schools, vendors, etc via email and/or phone.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Finally Friday
Friday, September 10, 2010
I planned to spend the day cleaning up some of the still-as-yet-packed boxes in my office and the tech storage closet. "Planned" is the key word there. Turns out, my workday had other plans.
I started the day by verifying that all the equipment needed to hang our various projectors was indeed on-hand. Yes, yes it is! Now, we just wait for Video-Reality to come down for installation.
Next, I set up three new computers on the network. Two of them had already been in use, but needed to be joined to the domain, have "bloatware" removed and have our standard software installed. I also spent a considerable amount of time troubleshooting an issue where people printing to a Toshiba eStudio35 were getting weird page prints from SEASWeb. I eventually printed pages and graphics from other applications and determined the problem with with SEASWeb. Frankly, that is not a surprise. I've been dealing with SEAS since it was a stand-alone Microsoft Access application. To say the program is difficult to work with is an understatement. We actually tried an alternative program, but could not work out the kinks.
While installing the computers, it occurred to me that our antivirus server was offline ever since the move. In fact, it was standing in a corner. This did not affect computers already protected because our computers are set up to update themselves from the internet if the local server is offline. But, as you might have guessed, when the server is offline, new computers cannot have the software installed on them!
I took the server out of its "time-out" position and got it connected to the network. Once it was booted up, I looked through the computers in the list of protected devices and realized that many of those computers do not even exist anymore. So, I deleted all the entries and set the server to scan the network for devices. In retrospect, I should have just imported computers from Active Directory. On Monday, I believe I will clean up Active Directory and do the import. Mainly because it is MUCH faster.
I sent out (and answered) various emails, including those related to updating the FCC FRN's for the districts in my service area.
Hopefully, the upcoming week will have the Tech Coordinator survey ready to send out to techs, superintendents and co-op staff. We techs will use the survey to gauge the perception of our effectiveness and then we can adjust to meet schools needs and desires.
On a lighter note, the inserts arrived for our phones. Since we made some changes in our phone system after the move, we needed new "cards" for the phones so that staff could know which buttons do what. I handed out cards and installed them on all the phones in the building.
Throughout the day, I also took care of minor issues that arose.
I planned to spend the day cleaning up some of the still-as-yet-packed boxes in my office and the tech storage closet. "Planned" is the key word there. Turns out, my workday had other plans.
I started the day by verifying that all the equipment needed to hang our various projectors was indeed on-hand. Yes, yes it is! Now, we just wait for Video-Reality to come down for installation.
Next, I set up three new computers on the network. Two of them had already been in use, but needed to be joined to the domain, have "bloatware" removed and have our standard software installed. I also spent a considerable amount of time troubleshooting an issue where people printing to a Toshiba eStudio35 were getting weird page prints from SEASWeb. I eventually printed pages and graphics from other applications and determined the problem with with SEASWeb. Frankly, that is not a surprise. I've been dealing with SEAS since it was a stand-alone Microsoft Access application. To say the program is difficult to work with is an understatement. We actually tried an alternative program, but could not work out the kinks.
While installing the computers, it occurred to me that our antivirus server was offline ever since the move. In fact, it was standing in a corner. This did not affect computers already protected because our computers are set up to update themselves from the internet if the local server is offline. But, as you might have guessed, when the server is offline, new computers cannot have the software installed on them!
I took the server out of its "time-out" position and got it connected to the network. Once it was booted up, I looked through the computers in the list of protected devices and realized that many of those computers do not even exist anymore. So, I deleted all the entries and set the server to scan the network for devices. In retrospect, I should have just imported computers from Active Directory. On Monday, I believe I will clean up Active Directory and do the import. Mainly because it is MUCH faster.
I sent out (and answered) various emails, including those related to updating the FCC FRN's for the districts in my service area.
Hopefully, the upcoming week will have the Tech Coordinator survey ready to send out to techs, superintendents and co-op staff. We techs will use the survey to gauge the perception of our effectiveness and then we can adjust to meet schools needs and desires.
On a lighter note, the inserts arrived for our phones. Since we made some changes in our phone system after the move, we needed new "cards" for the phones so that staff could know which buttons do what. I handed out cards and installed them on all the phones in the building.
Throughout the day, I also took care of minor issues that arose.
Friday, September 10, 2010
Thursday: Full of a half-day!
Thursday morning was spent sitting at the car dealer waiting for them to fix my wife's van.
Thursday afternoon (literally, at noon), I went to the Texarkana Early Childhood program to install a new computer. That was not hard, but they require Adobe Reader 6 for the SEASWeb program so I had to find a copy to install. Again, not a big deal, just a little adventure.
After I left there, I dropped by the office to grab the ol' Fox&Hound before riding up to Blevins. Blevins was having several issues, one of which turned out to be a network wire someone had found unplugged and then subsequently plugged it back into the switch. OOPS. The tech and I traced out a couple of wires, but I will spend a full day out there soon (next week) and we will trace down (and mark!) all of the wiring in the High School (and then other buildings as time permits).
I left there at 4:00pm.
Thursday afternoon (literally, at noon), I went to the Texarkana Early Childhood program to install a new computer. That was not hard, but they require Adobe Reader 6 for the SEASWeb program so I had to find a copy to install. Again, not a big deal, just a little adventure.
After I left there, I dropped by the office to grab the ol' Fox&Hound before riding up to Blevins. Blevins was having several issues, one of which turned out to be a network wire someone had found unplugged and then subsequently plugged it back into the switch. OOPS. The tech and I traced out a couple of wires, but I will spend a full day out there soon (next week) and we will trace down (and mark!) all of the wiring in the High School (and then other buildings as time permits).
I left there at 4:00pm.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Of email, equipment, and virus outbreaks
I spent a decent portion of the morning catching up on email - helping local techs, checking shipments with vendors, gathering E-Rate information from area school techs.
When I wasn't addressing email issues, I (and Josh - our temporary help) moved a large screen TV and cart to the main conference room for a couple video conferences we have on Thursday and Friday. Since the DL cart was in complete disarray from the move, I had a lot of...fun... untangling S-Video cables, network wires, microphone wiring, and some cabling that I'm not quite sure where it came from or where it goes. I'll save that for the "real" install!
We had a Board meeting today, and during lunch, I spoke a little while on the technology in the new building as well as talking about my visits to some of their districts recently and about upcoming visits.
After that, I drove to an area school with a SERIOUS viral outbreak. The tech had taken one machine off the network that had over 5000 infected files - ouch! I helped him do some trouble shooting and testing and then after a call to their A-V company, we headed off to one of their buildings to start rolling out the antivirus on their Windows 7 machines.
When I wasn't addressing email issues, I (and Josh - our temporary help) moved a large screen TV and cart to the main conference room for a couple video conferences we have on Thursday and Friday. Since the DL cart was in complete disarray from the move, I had a lot of...fun... untangling S-Video cables, network wires, microphone wiring, and some cabling that I'm not quite sure where it came from or where it goes. I'll save that for the "real" install!
We had a Board meeting today, and during lunch, I spoke a little while on the technology in the new building as well as talking about my visits to some of their districts recently and about upcoming visits.
After that, I drove to an area school with a SERIOUS viral outbreak. The tech had taken one machine off the network that had over 5000 infected files - ouch! I helped him do some trouble shooting and testing and then after a call to their A-V company, we headed off to one of their buildings to start rolling out the antivirus on their Windows 7 machines.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Post Labor Day = a LOT of labor!
Tuesday saw me putting the Distance Learning Lab together. Well, putting MOST of it together. I will buy a couple shelves for the cameras, but for the most part, I've got everything else ready for our next videoconference. Actually, as it turns out, there *was* a conference today, but we had no participants. This worked out very well, since I could test connectivity, video and sound in a real-world situation.
Except for lunch, I spent the entire day working on the DL Lab. Then, around 3:30, I caught up with some of my email and installed the phone in the Computer Lab.
After work, I called the tech at Prescott to talk about some DL issues they were having (scheduling) and to talk about some other tech-related issues he was having.
A short week means more work in fewer days. Let's get after it!
Except for lunch, I spent the entire day working on the DL Lab. Then, around 3:30, I caught up with some of my email and installed the phone in the Computer Lab.
After work, I called the tech at Prescott to talk about some DL issues they were having (scheduling) and to talk about some other tech-related issues he was having.
A short week means more work in fewer days. Let's get after it!
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Meeting, Troubleshooting and Finding metal studs
The day started by getting the APSCN workshop up and going in the Mac lab. Later in the day, I realized we had not installed Adobe Reader during the setup. this was not a problem, but certainly a stumbling block. Turns out the users can set their reports to Excel or HTML and see what they need to see. Nice!
At roughly 8:40a, the state techs met with Debbie Coffman regarding a survery that will help us get feedback on the perception of our jobs, duties and importance. We will be able to use the data as a gauge for our performance and to present our worth to those who need to know (ex: budgeting, funding, etc). The meeting went very well and lasted a short while.
At 9:00a, I went to the Early Childhood center to work on their network copier issues. i called VANCO for help, and it turned out I had installed the wrong driver. In my defense, there was no way to know that without knowing the ins-and-outs of Toshiba copiers, which I do not. The tech pointed me to the correct driver and they were back in business.
At some point during the morning, I helped the DL Coordinator with an online class she is going through as part of her training.
I had some concerns about hanging the LCD TVs on our steel-frame/drywall walls, so I emailed the contractor about his suggestions.
I called DIS for help withour connectivity issues. We are getting data throughputs around 40k/sec. That is insane. We are supposed to be running at 3Mbps minimum! When the tech called me back, he had trouble getting into our router from Little Rock, which indicated an issue between here and there (meaning it was most likely *not* a local issue). They were going to run some tests and get back to me. Still waiting to hear from them.
The contractor contacted me and assued me that the hallway walls were heave gauge and would easily support the TVs. He also told me to take steel wool to locate the metal studs. i had to look that one up. I found a guy that said that is how he does it. I took steel wool and cut it in half. Since the studs are 16-inch centers, we measured from a nearby corner and started the magic. I rubbed the two pieces together near the wall (but not touching it) and the shavings fell to the floor. I moved back and forth along the wall and didn't see anything happening. And then, my clerk (who was watching me with uncertain eyes) and I stepped back to see what was happening. Sure enough, the filings STUCK to the places where the screws in the drywall were! The metal studs were not magnetic, but the shavings took on magnetic properties as I rubbed them together! The shavings were then attracted to the screws in the drywall! Holy smokes, that was one of the coolest things I had ever seen!! Now, I will have no problem finding the studs and avoiding the screws! Plus, since the screws are in the center of the studs, I can also determine the center (16 inches apart)! Sweet!
I found a couple of wireless video broadcasters, so I hooked a receiver up to one of the new TVs (sitting in my office, waiting to be put on the wall) and to my computer. I was able to transmit my desktop to the TV wirelessly! I may implement that for our digital signage. A lot of that depends on how well the signal travels up the stairs, through the floor. I'll keep you posted.
I spent part of the day answering/getting caught up on emails and phone messages. I also posted the Active Directory troubleshooting I did the other day. That can be found here: http://techblog.k12.ar.us/Lists/Posts/Post.aspx?ID=103
I will spend the rest of the afternoon installing a phone on the third floor and possibly a phone in the kitchen downstairs. It all depends on how things go. I also need to configure several desktops for users (new machines). Busy, busy!
I am exercising my FLEX day from the Saturday I worked a couple weeks ago and will be taking a nice, long four-day weekend! On Tuesday, I'll have my drill and will be ready to hang TVs!
At roughly 8:40a, the state techs met with Debbie Coffman regarding a survery that will help us get feedback on the perception of our jobs, duties and importance. We will be able to use the data as a gauge for our performance and to present our worth to those who need to know (ex: budgeting, funding, etc). The meeting went very well and lasted a short while.
At 9:00a, I went to the Early Childhood center to work on their network copier issues. i called VANCO for help, and it turned out I had installed the wrong driver. In my defense, there was no way to know that without knowing the ins-and-outs of Toshiba copiers, which I do not. The tech pointed me to the correct driver and they were back in business.
At some point during the morning, I helped the DL Coordinator with an online class she is going through as part of her training.
I had some concerns about hanging the LCD TVs on our steel-frame/drywall walls, so I emailed the contractor about his suggestions.
I called DIS for help withour connectivity issues. We are getting data throughputs around 40k/sec. That is insane. We are supposed to be running at 3Mbps minimum! When the tech called me back, he had trouble getting into our router from Little Rock, which indicated an issue between here and there (meaning it was most likely *not* a local issue). They were going to run some tests and get back to me. Still waiting to hear from them.
The contractor contacted me and assued me that the hallway walls were heave gauge and would easily support the TVs. He also told me to take steel wool to locate the metal studs. i had to look that one up. I found a guy that said that is how he does it. I took steel wool and cut it in half. Since the studs are 16-inch centers, we measured from a nearby corner and started the magic. I rubbed the two pieces together near the wall (but not touching it) and the shavings fell to the floor. I moved back and forth along the wall and didn't see anything happening. And then, my clerk (who was watching me with uncertain eyes) and I stepped back to see what was happening. Sure enough, the filings STUCK to the places where the screws in the drywall were! The metal studs were not magnetic, but the shavings took on magnetic properties as I rubbed them together! The shavings were then attracted to the screws in the drywall! Holy smokes, that was one of the coolest things I had ever seen!! Now, I will have no problem finding the studs and avoiding the screws! Plus, since the screws are in the center of the studs, I can also determine the center (16 inches apart)! Sweet!
I found a couple of wireless video broadcasters, so I hooked a receiver up to one of the new TVs (sitting in my office, waiting to be put on the wall) and to my computer. I was able to transmit my desktop to the TV wirelessly! I may implement that for our digital signage. A lot of that depends on how well the signal travels up the stairs, through the floor. I'll keep you posted.
I spent part of the day answering/getting caught up on emails and phone messages. I also posted the Active Directory troubleshooting I did the other day. That can be found here: http://techblog.k12.ar.us/Lists/Posts/Post.aspx?ID=103
I will spend the rest of the afternoon installing a phone on the third floor and possibly a phone in the kitchen downstairs. It all depends on how things go. I also need to configure several desktops for users (new machines). Busy, busy!
I am exercising my FLEX day from the Saturday I worked a couple weeks ago and will be taking a nice, long four-day weekend! On Tuesday, I'll have my drill and will be ready to hang TVs!
Failure to Communicate
On Wednesday, I arrived at the office at 730am and left the office at 715pm.
I had two main things on my agenda for Wednesday: 1) Get the iMac lab set up with Parallels/Windows/APSCN for Thursday's workshop, and 2) Get the Smart Board moved and projectors set up.
I've got Parallels ordered, but have not received the licenses yet, so I downloaded and installed the trial version. Trish (our DL Coordinator) helped immensely with the set-up and install throughout the day and even stayed after hours to lend a hand getting the 26 iMacs up and going.
Around lunchtime, the Video Reality guys came (they had to stop at Blevins before coming to the co-op). We went to the old building, where they dismantled the old Smart Board (from classroom) and the sound system (conference room). The board we had installed used a 200lb cement block as a counterweight that allowed the unit slide up and down. It was very cool to demonstrate, but for our purposes, basically unused (we always kept it at the highest point so folks could see). Since our new building is metal and drywall, and after a bot of discussion, I decided it was best to forgo the sliding system and simply mount the board directly to the wall. I will take pictures because it looks NICE!
The communication breakdown came when I asked the guys about installing the drop-down projectors. They told me that they only had orders for the board and sound system. I was not upset nor surprised at this because we had to modify the projector order. In a different miscommunication, I thought I had mentioned our conference room ceilings were raked (slanted) but evidently I only *thought* it. So, we had to adjust the order to accommodate the tilted ceilings. Not a big deal, but I called James with V-R to determine when the projectors would be installed.
During the Smart Board install at the new building, I continued to work on the iMac setups. We've got a MAJOR connectivity issue and I have to figure out what it is. Instead of getting 1.5 or 3.0 Mbps connectivity, I was getting around 40K. It took FOREVER to download updates, upgrade IE to version 8, etc. I tested other machines and they appeared to be operating normally. This indicates a bad switch in our system. I will be troubleshooting that on Thursday.
As mentioned above, Trish and I left the office at 715pm with several computers still installing Office from CDs. We had been installing from one of my servers, but even that was taking way too long (another indication that I've got a switch problem).
I received a phone call from one of our schools asking about the Classroom Walkthrough software on a Blackberry. I've given it some thought, and will talk to the tech about it on Thursday. I think the problem may be that the unit is not syncing the data to the CWT web site. Evidently, calls to TeachScape have gone unanswered. Not sure I can fix the problem but I'll at least offer my thoughts.
I was not able to post the Active Directory rebuild information on Wednesday, so hopefully I can do that Thursday. I've got a meeting via Adobe Connect on Thursday morning, along with a videoconference going on and the APSCN workshop in the lab. Whew! Thursday's gonna be a busy one!
I had two main things on my agenda for Wednesday: 1) Get the iMac lab set up with Parallels/Windows/APSCN for Thursday's workshop, and 2) Get the Smart Board moved and projectors set up.
I've got Parallels ordered, but have not received the licenses yet, so I downloaded and installed the trial version. Trish (our DL Coordinator) helped immensely with the set-up and install throughout the day and even stayed after hours to lend a hand getting the 26 iMacs up and going.
Around lunchtime, the Video Reality guys came (they had to stop at Blevins before coming to the co-op). We went to the old building, where they dismantled the old Smart Board (from classroom) and the sound system (conference room). The board we had installed used a 200lb cement block as a counterweight that allowed the unit slide up and down. It was very cool to demonstrate, but for our purposes, basically unused (we always kept it at the highest point so folks could see). Since our new building is metal and drywall, and after a bot of discussion, I decided it was best to forgo the sliding system and simply mount the board directly to the wall. I will take pictures because it looks NICE!
The communication breakdown came when I asked the guys about installing the drop-down projectors. They told me that they only had orders for the board and sound system. I was not upset nor surprised at this because we had to modify the projector order. In a different miscommunication, I thought I had mentioned our conference room ceilings were raked (slanted) but evidently I only *thought* it. So, we had to adjust the order to accommodate the tilted ceilings. Not a big deal, but I called James with V-R to determine when the projectors would be installed.
During the Smart Board install at the new building, I continued to work on the iMac setups. We've got a MAJOR connectivity issue and I have to figure out what it is. Instead of getting 1.5 or 3.0 Mbps connectivity, I was getting around 40K. It took FOREVER to download updates, upgrade IE to version 8, etc. I tested other machines and they appeared to be operating normally. This indicates a bad switch in our system. I will be troubleshooting that on Thursday.
As mentioned above, Trish and I left the office at 715pm with several computers still installing Office from CDs. We had been installing from one of my servers, but even that was taking way too long (another indication that I've got a switch problem).
I received a phone call from one of our schools asking about the Classroom Walkthrough software on a Blackberry. I've given it some thought, and will talk to the tech about it on Thursday. I think the problem may be that the unit is not syncing the data to the CWT web site. Evidently, calls to TeachScape have gone unanswered. Not sure I can fix the problem but I'll at least offer my thoughts.
I was not able to post the Active Directory rebuild information on Wednesday, so hopefully I can do that Thursday. I've got a meeting via Adobe Connect on Thursday morning, along with a videoconference going on and the APSCN workshop in the lab. Whew! Thursday's gonna be a busy one!
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Active Directory and preparing for a busy day
On Tuesday (8/31), I headed straight for Bradley. Since some time this summer, they have been having some weird problems where certain users could log in and others couldn't. Then, the users that couldn't log in suddenly could but the others couldn't. On top of that, a random assortment of users could get into Outlook and others would be prompted over and over for their password.
Over the weekend, I did some poking around remotely and ran a few tests, which showed the Active Directory to be corrupt. Additionally, there was a File Replication error between their two servers. I had never recovered/repaired Active Directory before, so this was going to be interesting.
When I arrived, I met with the Superintendent and we talked about possible causes for the corruption. We speculated that it could have been user-related (corrupted profiles, etc) or hardware-related (drives failing, etc). Turns out, it was really a combination of things. A power outage (and subsequent failure of an aging battery backup) caused the servers to become out of sync with each other. Since the servers were unceremoniously shut down, the secondary Domain Controller's AD database got dinged a little.
I will save the details of the Active Directory recovery for the tech-related blog hosted by my service center: http://techblog.k12.ar.us. That article will be posted sometime Wednesday.
I left the district around 1:30pm, having fixed Active Directory, defragged Exchange, and verified that users could log in, access their home directories and check email from the Outlook client. I also set the Exchange for a backup. When I left, everything checked okay. I plan to talk with the technology coordinator on Wednesday to make sure they are still rolling.
Back at the office, I concentrated on several issues going on there. Our TVs for digital signage and video conferencing, etc had arrived. I ordered 32-inch units because of the wall outlets (recessed) we have. Sometimes, we have to monitor and adjust. Two of the units will be replaced by 27-inch models in order to accommodate furniture that was not in place (and the placement of which was not yet determined) at the time of the order. I don't think that'll be a big deal.
Something that *is* a bit of a big deal, however, is a workshop we are having on Thursday. Originally, we had about 4 or 5 people signed up. Yesterday, I found out that 14 people were now signed up! Since the Distance Learning Lab is already booked with videoconferences that day, we would be conducting the workshop in the computer lab. No biggie, right? Er, well... The computer lab has new iMacs that have not been set up yet. That, in itself, is not bad, but I also have to install Parallels and Windows XP on them (27 computers) because this is an APSCN workshop that requires software that only runs on Windows. Even that is not bad by itself. But, THEN, Wednesday is the day that Video Reality is coming down to move our Smart Board from the old building to the new one and install our hanging projectors. Seriously, when is that whole cloning thing going to happen?
I'll let you know how the day goes. I am going in to work early on Wednesday and will be staying as late as I need in order to get everything done. Who knows, maybe 9 hours will be be just fine!
Over the weekend, I did some poking around remotely and ran a few tests, which showed the Active Directory to be corrupt. Additionally, there was a File Replication error between their two servers. I had never recovered/repaired Active Directory before, so this was going to be interesting.
When I arrived, I met with the Superintendent and we talked about possible causes for the corruption. We speculated that it could have been user-related (corrupted profiles, etc) or hardware-related (drives failing, etc). Turns out, it was really a combination of things. A power outage (and subsequent failure of an aging battery backup) caused the servers to become out of sync with each other. Since the servers were unceremoniously shut down, the secondary Domain Controller's AD database got dinged a little.
I will save the details of the Active Directory recovery for the tech-related blog hosted by my service center: http://techblog.k12.ar.us. That article will be posted sometime Wednesday.
I left the district around 1:30pm, having fixed Active Directory, defragged Exchange, and verified that users could log in, access their home directories and check email from the Outlook client. I also set the Exchange for a backup. When I left, everything checked okay. I plan to talk with the technology coordinator on Wednesday to make sure they are still rolling.
Back at the office, I concentrated on several issues going on there. Our TVs for digital signage and video conferencing, etc had arrived. I ordered 32-inch units because of the wall outlets (recessed) we have. Sometimes, we have to monitor and adjust. Two of the units will be replaced by 27-inch models in order to accommodate furniture that was not in place (and the placement of which was not yet determined) at the time of the order. I don't think that'll be a big deal.
Something that *is* a bit of a big deal, however, is a workshop we are having on Thursday. Originally, we had about 4 or 5 people signed up. Yesterday, I found out that 14 people were now signed up! Since the Distance Learning Lab is already booked with videoconferences that day, we would be conducting the workshop in the computer lab. No biggie, right? Er, well... The computer lab has new iMacs that have not been set up yet. That, in itself, is not bad, but I also have to install Parallels and Windows XP on them (27 computers) because this is an APSCN workshop that requires software that only runs on Windows. Even that is not bad by itself. But, THEN, Wednesday is the day that Video Reality is coming down to move our Smart Board from the old building to the new one and install our hanging projectors. Seriously, when is that whole cloning thing going to happen?
I'll let you know how the day goes. I am going in to work early on Wednesday and will be staying as late as I need in order to get everything done. Who knows, maybe 9 hours will be be just fine!
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