Author: kathleen

Just loaded the latest build of the Windows 10 Mobile.  I tried to use it a few months ago, and it sucked.  I just can't live without One Note, Word, etc. on my phone.

I decided to grab one of my old phones (a Lumina 1020) and load it today and am pleasantly surprised, I'm almost ready to put a SIM card in it.

It works, it looks nice and I have my favorite apps.  Next I need to update the apps I developed for it.

More as I play with it.

I'll be honest, I liked Windows 8, though I did find it annoying.

I just finished upgrading my almost last machine to Windows 10 — I have an older machine downstairs in the guest room that last week claimed wouldn't update because of a driver, need to check on that again.

Here's what I like best about it:  It fixed a driver on my ASUS tablet that has been a problem for a long time, to the point I didn't use that machine.  This tablet has an attached keyboard/touchpad that came with the tablet, and the touchpad would almost instantly disconnect after booting.  It's the last machine to update and the touchpad has been working well.  The keyboard still randomly disconnects/connects, but I think that's a hardware design problem.

Another part I like — the Windows apps now run in a window rather than full screen.  I still don't understand why they did that in Windows 8.

I love the size of most tablets, but I haven’t found one I liked.

iPads have been returned. Androids have been returned. I liked Kindles but I can’t do work on them. I have been able to stand, but not really like a Samsung tablet. I don’t really like or trust android.

I liked my Surface 2 RT, but traded it in on a Surface Pro 3, along with a Surface Pro.

So what do I have? Yeah, a Surface 3. I’ve gone so far as to get a port for it. Here’s what I have – yes, I bought it yesterday – I have the 64 gig version with LTE – ATT and yes I’ve had an account with them since the 90’s. I’ve tried Verzon, Sprint and TMobile, but have never been happy with the coverage. Let’s face it ATT has the Dallas area covered.

I’ve been able to grade student work on it while out. I love the almost instant wireless, though I’ve had that in the Kindle’s and the Samsung. Very happy! Though it is a bit big.

I like Windows 10 desktop, but then I've always like Windows 8.  What happened to Windows 9?

Anyway, the mobile version sucks and I had a bad time getting rid of it and getting my Nokia 1520 working again.  It's currently installing its last good backup, and will take a while but its looking all good right now.

Sure thought it was bricked, to the point I was looking up the cost of the deductible.

I forgot how much fun tutoring face to face can be.

I have hit a spell with WyzAnt where I was ready to give up.  In fact, this reminds me that I need to ping a potential student and see if we can get started again.

I currently had two people contact me.

One is another WyzAnt tutor and she's gotten tired of the tutoring thing so needed help  branching out in a new business.  She and I had loads of fun together last week.

The second one is a parent of a 14 year old.  I thought she might be looking for someone to supervise the kiddo, because she was very cautious.  Wanted another background check which is fine, mine was a year old and  I paid for it.

He is so cool.  He really does want to learn how to make websites that work with databases.  So I am starting him out with the basics, we've started with both Java and HTML.  I am also answering questions as we go and he has so many good questions.

So if you want to learn programming and web design, we can do it face to face or online.

I got a bill from the old web hosting service this morning billing me for next month.  However, I've got everyone moved over to Azure with no hitches.

The next things to do if to figure out the best way to edit things and convert them all to full .NET sites.  One was done with ExpressionWeb and is a flat site, and it's good the way it is.

The American Beagle Rescue Fund site needs to go to .NET for the web application I want to build.

The old host is fine if you don't want to do .NET

I've also reviewed how to set up a new MVC website, pretty easy stuff.  Next have to figure out how to reference an old site.

I want to move all my websites from a CPanel box to Azure because I ultimately want to host some applications there.

So I have http://www.kweaver.net working but their directions weren't clear.  I also have Network Solutions holding my names.

So here's what I had to do.  I had to change my Network Solutions account to go to Network Solutions.  Then I had to take my Websites from free to Shared or Basic.  I picked Basic.

Then I had to get the IP address from the portal, and use it for my ANames.  Then I had to go in and put in the right cnames in.  I ended up with this:

Which is confusing because Network Solutions website added the period at the end and I didn't realize I needed the A names for both kweaver.net and www.kweaver.net

Working beautifully now.

The Texas Teacher Retirement System finally received my paperwork!  I'm all set for retirement pay now, AND it's only taken six months to make it happen.

I was able to pay for it with different 401B accounts, all of which are accounts that can't be touched until I'm much older unless I do the roll over.  I was also eligible because I taught technology courses.

I urge anyone who teaches a technology class to see if they are eligible and figure out how to pay for it.  I'm paying just around $30,000 to get two years of retirement at something over $29,000 + insurance for two years.

I may not make sense for everyone to retire this early BUT I do have some serious health issues that make teaching in a face-to-face classroom difficult.  I still teach part time for Johns Hopkins and really enjoy it.  I had a really busy day yesterday!

Retirement Transfers are still in limbo.  I've contacted MetLife, and haven't seen any movement 🙁

One of the things about working remotely for me, is I start feeling like I'm not accomplishing anything.  Here are my priorities:

• Work out every day — cardio and weights.  I go to a local Planet Fitness and then to the city pool.  Sometimes I have to skip one or the other.
• Do Johns Hopkins stuff first thing in the morning.  That's check email, start new students, etc.
• I have a dilemma but it might resolve itself tomorrow — the pool has been full of kids in the afternoon.  I want to use my mornings for work, me stuff, housecleaning, etc. and then go workout.  I think it would be better if the workout happened after lunch.
• Train the dogs.  I don't want to get a new dog until I get regular dog training back in the schedule for the existing dogs.

Tutoring for WyzAnt hasn't been working out well lately, it seems that most of the people signing up for it this year are deadbeats.

Another priority is to get back to programming myself. 

It will soon be six months since I started on this.  I am working on the last rollover.

The good news, Texas Teacher retirement system has all the money I need.

The bad news, is the supporting paperwork is missing.  They can't process it until they have everything.  I have a copy of the necessary paperwork, but not the required signatures.

Just sent an email so hopefully it will get resolved soon.