Pool Disassembly

We’re part way through the long task of disassembling the above-ground pool and surrounding deck in our backyard. While it proved fun the few times we got a chance to use it, the cost of the chemicals to keep it going as well as a continuing parade of expensive failing equipment just doesn’t add up. When you wonder whether the green is the algae or the money spent on upkeep, it’s time to try something different.

At the moment the deck is 1/4 taken apart and the long since de-chlorinated water has been slowly siphoned out with hose over the last week. The treated lumber used to build the deck can probably be reused in other applications around the property. And the space left behind, well that’s still open to some discussion. I’d like to see a nice water garden with a pond of koi, but then that would require more upkeep than the pool did. I’m sure we’ll think of something…

Going for a Walk

We are participating in the 2005 MS Walk to benefit the National MS Society, Greater Washington Chapter in Bellingham this upcoming weekend. If you’d like to make a donation, sponsor our walk and help those with multiple sclerosis, you can click this link to make a pledge.

For those who like to know about how efficiently the donated money is used, Charity Navigator has some details on this chapter of the National MS Society. The chapter’s website has more information about the programs and services they offer.

Twilight Zone Pinball in Issaquah

There is a Twilight Zone pinball game at the Red Robin restaurant in Issaquah. It looks fully functional aside from the clock being broken, although I didn’t manage to test the gumball machine or the “Powerball.”

I did get a replay on it though despite the touchy zero warnings tilt sensor.

MySQL 5.0 “Triggers”

Just a quick note here after looking over this article about MySQL 5’s triggers while I was trying to find their “download the source” page. Apparently from inside a MySQL 5 trigger you can’t access information from any table. This basically reduces these “triggers” to being a local constraint; local because trying to do things with foreign keys would require a SELECT which is, of course, forbidden.

And there’s one more thing, don’t alter a table with triggers. It will crash your database. And triggers won’t be fired if there is a NOT NULL column. And a handful of other problems that they are working on right now. I’m sure they’ll get the hang of it eventually.

Yes, I usually use something else and it has a few of its own obscure problems with triggers.