Outlook to the Mac

by

Last year I found software that would export mail in my outlook pst files to plain old text and html files. That was great for archiving. I exported everything so I can keep it in a universal format such as plain text instead of being reliant on Microsoft’s outlook pst file format. I was very happen until recently when Andrew showed me O2M. It is a tool that exports outlook pst data into mbox files so I can then import them into Mail or Entourage on my Mac. This is also very helpful since now I can keep all my old mail in the mail program that I actually use. I have been cleaning up my PST files so I can port them over to Apple Mail. My results so far have been great. Well worth the $10 for the tool!

My only problem now is that I have (will have) everything in Apple Mail. I hope there is a tool where I can extract mail from that program and port it to something else? I like having my options open even if I don’t have an immediate plan to move off of Apple Mail.

Technorati Tags: , , , , , ,

My Exercise Routine

by

So far I have gone for 3 rides on the new bike. I just got back from one a while ago. Man I was tired. I think if you feel like you are going to puke you did a decent work out? I remember that feeling when I was in training for the life guard test my senior year of High School.

I think I have a routine I am going to follow until I get more stamina and build up the cardio. I leave my apartment and head over to Central Park. I take the bike road/trail up to the 102st service road (cuts the look down by a mile or so), then I cut over to the west side. I ride on the west side until just 72nd street (i think). From there I can cut back over to the east side and ride back uptown to the exit from the park by my apartment. From there it is all down hill back home. The hardest part is the big hill south of 102st on the west side, and another incline on the east side north of 72st. those two areas alone give me a crazy work out. Well honestly I can’t make it up the hill on the east side just yet. I walk the bike each time I have tried it.

My goal is to get in decent enough shape that I can expand my ride to eventually include the entire 6+ mile look of the entire park. From my progress so far I need to work on my condition a bit before I can try that. The good thing is the last 2 times I rode I actually looked forward to the ride. That is a good sign to me!

Technorati Tags: , , ,

Superman Returns

by

We left work early today since not much was going on. Danny, Jayson and I went to see Superman Returns. Overall it was a good movie. I did come to a few realizations during and after that movie though that had nothing directly to do with the movie, and that is I don’t want to goto movies anymore. I used to love going to the movies. My friend Rich and I used to do it all the time. Now I can’t really justify it to myself. I don’t want to spend $11, plus another $10 for food (i have to have popcorn and a soda when I goto a movie) to sit in a theater with noisy inconsiderate people. I also don’t want to have to get there an hour early just to get an OK seat. I finally got fed up with the whole process today. One of the final straws was the fact that the theater didn’t even have the AC at a decent level during the movie. That was after the lobby of the theater didn’t even have AC on. That seemed to me to be a purely cost thing. Why run AC on the ground level by the tickets, but upstairs in the theater it was on? It wasn’t some sort of problem. That is like the 3rd movie I have been to at the theater south of Union Square on 13th and had that issue.

Superman wasn’t a bad movie, but it wasn’t worth that level of aggravation, and cost for a movie. I would rather wait for it to come out on DVD and watch it on my 40″ LCD in HD for the flat rate I pay on Netflix than deal with all that production at the movies. Now some movies I will just suck it up and go, but I won’t go as much as I used to. It just isn’t worth it.

Technorati Tags:

My Travels to Date

by

According to my calculations I have been tot he following states in this country (see picture below). I am not sure about ever being in Idaho or West Virginia, but I may have been there. I used to travel extensively through work, and I did a cross country trip with a camp when I was younger so I may have driven through both states. I have been all over this country, but not very many other countries. I am working on that!



create your own visited states map or check out these Google Hacks.

Technorati Tags:

A New Old Hobby

by

Today I finally went out and did something I have been saying I was going to do for a while. I bought a bike. Since the winter time I have wanted a bike to ride for a few reasons. First I need to exercise a bit more (aka at all). Second as a backup mode of transportation. I was fed up with walking during the transit strike. The funny thing is that biking for me is not something new. When I was a teenager and younger I used to bike everywhere. I did it all the time, and I enjoyed it. Even when I was old enough to drive I still would use my bike to go places locally.

Since college my off and on outdoor exercise has been roller blading. It is fun, but it is not something you want to do if you want to travel long distances. The more I think about it, I don’t know why I didn’t go out and get a bike sooner? After recommendations from friends I bout a Trek bike. The model I originally wanted was out of stock. It was a bike specifically designed for urban areas like Manhattan. I ended up with something similar in the same price range. So far it seems great.

My goal is to ride a few times a week, weather permitting. I have one ride down today! I need to force myself into this, since I think I need to exercise!

Technorati Tags: ,

Cisco Networkers 2006

by

It is weird, for months you are preparing yourself (mentally if not physically) for some event. And then it is over and it is like OK what now? I am back from Las Vegas. I had a great time, and I learned allot at Networkers. And now it is like what’s next? I know that answer but it is just a bit different with this big event over with.

In the short term I have to focus on my office move, and a few other issues. The next few weeks will probably be a bit hectic while we transition into the new place.

As for what I took away from Networkers, I learned allot. I got insight on what’s next for IPCC (UCC I guess now). Upgrade options for Call Manager, and a ton of great disaster recovery and disaster resiliency ideas. I have to start laying the ground work for going to California for Networkers 2007!

Dinner After Dinner

by

Last night we went to Spago at Caesars. The food was good, but it wasn’t enough for any of us. First there was no “normal” food. Now I understand it is supposed to be upscale, but you should have one normal dish that I can identify by reading its description on it. The portions where really small also. I ended up back at the Pizza Hut at my hotel about a hour after we ate to get a mini pie since I was still so hungry. Everyone else had show tickets so I walked around the shops at Caesars for a while before heading back to the hotel on the monorail.

,

Really Good Steak

by

Last night Joe, Karen and I went to a steakhouse in Ceasers called Nero or I think that is what it was called. Man do they make great steak. My friends had a nice bottle of wine (i don’t drink wine) and we enjoyed a really nice steak. I honestly can’t remember what else I did yesterday except have that awesome steak.

On the business front, the convention is very informative so far. I am finding tons of useful stuff out.

Bite

by

Last night we went to the show Bite at the Stratosphere. Joe did nothing but talk about this show for months before we came to Vegas. He was all into the fact that there was topless dancing, but in a tasteful way. So we all decided to give the show a try. It was interesting. It was a vampire theme thing, and there was allot of topless dancing and biting. The songs they danced to where really good and the dancers where great so the show overall turned out to be really good.

The only down side was the really long walk from the monorail station to the Stratosphere. We ended up taking a cab back to the hotel after the show because we didn’t want to walk that trip again at 1AM.

I was just glad that I made the show at all. I got a migraine from sitting in the sun all day, and ended up skipping the buffet dinner everyone else went to. I took a Butabital and went back to the hotel room to rest for a while before the show. Thankfully the medication kicked in and I was fine for the show.

Technorati Tags: ,

Sunday Resting

by

The convention doesn’t really start until tomorrow, so today is resting. We headed over to Joe’s hotel (Flamingo Grand Vacation something or other) to hang in his pool. We relaxed and hung out. I got really hot and tried to nap in the nice shade area with the misting system. Man those things rock. Not much went on today besides lying at the pool. It is nice to relax before the hectic week of juggling conferences and staying on top of work at the office begins.

Jayson and Gretchen also moved into their own room for most of the remaining week. We share a room again on Friday when the convention is over for one more night! At least I don’t have to wait for the bathroom for a few more days!

Technorati Tags: ,