Hangar Blog

Things are going slow

2010-05-08T21:49:00.002+02:00

This is not a blog but a collection of small notes. I envy those who are able to add to their blogs on a daily basis! One of capabilities of the combination iPhone plus the NAS this site runs on is the direct upload, with labels, of the pictures I take. They are on-line almost in an instant, very impressive.

I need to find time to expand the content of Hangar Four. I have spare time but I have to use this for other matters. We'll see.

Take care,

The Quartermaster.

A year!

2009-08-08T20:25:00.004+02:00

Maintaining a blog is much harder than it appears, at least to me. A year has passed without a single entry. I'm glad to say we are still healthy and there are no major problems or anything. We will go to Indonesia again and will leave on 9 October. So still some months ago but it will be worth the wait. I have so many chores and things to but will try to expand this site some more in the near future.

Take care,

The Quartermaster.

And back again!

2008-07-13T21:08:00.002+02:00

After 14 great days, we returned from our vacation this week. We are still recuperating :-) To take a cruise is a good way to visit many different places in a relatively short period of time. We liked it so much that we will do it again in 2 years. Will be back for the rest of the story soon.

Take care,

The Quartermaster.

Almost!

2008-06-15T00:11:00.005+02:00

My vacation almost starts. Next Monday, my stand-by duty ends at 08:00 and my vacation starts. We have a quite good fringe benefit package so I will be able to take off for four weeks, with extra days to spare. I value this very much. Although I like my job, I like the free time even more. In The Netherlands we have a complicated scheme in which employers and employees came to a mutual agreement about 20 years ago. The weekly working hours were reduced, both parties took their share of the costs, and the resulting spare hours were to be used to employ more people. This is called ATV and can be translated to 'Labour Time Reduction'. In some industries, like the one I'm working in, this was impossible to put into practice so that time has been put back. That means that effectively, I'm using a part of my pay to buy extra free time. Resulting in 52 days a year. Oh yeah!

Take care,

The Quartermaster.

Yep

2008-06-11T21:05:00.002+02:00

The new domain name is a fact! www.hangar4.nl as of now. And just two days more before my vacation starts. I'm trying to wrap things up but it seems that new work keeps coming. But that work will be done, even while I'm gone.

To my joy, the iPhone will finally become available in my country and what's even better, my current provider will become the dealer. I won't have to switch, hooray! And the price will be lowered to 199 Euro. So, who wants to buy a brand new, unlocked LG Viewty :-)

Take care,

The Quartermaster.

www.hangar4.nl

2008-06-08T20:54:00.002+02:00

Soon, my site will receive a real domain name. I've filled out the paperwork last week and hope that www.hangar4.nl will be up and running this week. The only snag is that due to the fact I'm on cable for my internet access, my router receives a dynamic IP address. So if I have to switch it off for a prolonged time, it will get a new address and thus will break the link to the domain name.

By hosting myself, I've gained a lot of freedom and what's more important, a lot of disc space! 680 GB net. I use a RAID 1 configuration so my data is pretty safe. I also make regular back-ups to another location.

I have a couple of ideas for the site I want to try out, all in the graphics department. But we're experiencing a spell of very nice weather over here so that I'm reluctant to spend too much time tinkering with Hangar-Four. I'd rather sit on a terrace, enjoying a glass of wine!

Take care,

The Quartermaster.

Vacation

2008-06-03T22:29:00.002+02:00

This year will be our first venture into the world of cruises. We went to Indonesia last year and to Portugal the year before that but this year we really had no clue. So Anne picked a Mediterranean cruise. We will leave from Nice and visit many countries 'round the Mediterranean sea. Tunisia, Egypt, Italy and Malta to name but a few. Sailing at night and visiting the cities during the day.

I'm very much looking forward to it. We like to visit foreign cities to enjoy the local atmosphere. You have to take the tourist traps for granted and never buy things at first sight. Also have a meal before you venture into town, otherwise you'll go to the very first eatery you'll see. And that often is an expensive tourist trap as well :-)

Take care,

The Quartermaster.

One of those Weeks

2008-05-29T22:06:00.006+02:00

One needs work to provide for a number of things. Income, part of your social network and to keep you from becoming a lazy git. But there are days, weeks even that one wishes for a little less of all of this.

This is one of those weeks. All those projects and things to do on the side are starting to take their toll. And the everyday duties have to be performed as well. To most other employees, IT is either invisible or 'rocket science'. I sometimes get the feeling that my colleagues think we just sit there and wait for problems to arise and otherwise do nothing. But the bulk of our work is completely the opposite. We are constantly planning ahead to improve. There is always something to do. We have been rebuilding our complete back-office and virtualised all but one server and two processes. But no one realises this and that is just how this is supposed to be. Ah, the irony of it all!

On a lighter side, I love my independence and the autonomy of my department. And today I moved this site to my own NAS server. It is a Synology DS207+ with two 750 GB hard drives in RAID 1. It runs its own web server and a plethora of other functions that still are uncharted territory to me. Time, I need more time.

Take care,

The Quartermaster.

The Swamp

2008-05-25T23:53:00.003+02:00

I'm besotted about M*A*S*H. I have the book, the movie and the Martinis & Medicine collection. And my secret wish is to convert a spare room into 'The Swamp". When in Lebanon I lived in a tent like 'The Swamp' for about three months, so I know. Anne thinks I lost all my marbles right now but building 'The Swamp' provides me with my very own little world.

So, who has the original plans, lay-out or detailed pictures of 'The Swamp?'. I would be very, very grateful.

Take care,

The Quartermaster.

Eating out

2008-05-25T08:53:00.002+02:00

We decided to eat out last evening. The weather more than permitted it, today the temperature is 10 degrees C lower and it's raining. Only a five minutes walk away from our house, it is a small, real Italian restaurant with about 9 tables on the side walk. Because it was a Saturday there was live music. You are welcomed with a small glass of red wine, some olives and toasted slices of French loaf with cheese and herbs. All on the house, it doesn't magically appear on your bill afterwards. Anne chose the gambas and I went for an Italian classic, veal in a Marsala wine sauce. The gambas were the size of small lobsters and very fresh. My veal in sauce was top notch although the chef could have used some less wine. Both dishes were excellent. I drank white house wine with my veal, a good choice. As Anne doesn't drink, she had a small bottle of Pellegrino.

We finished with cappuccino and chocolate-truffle cake. The first time we went there, it was just for drinks, from now on we will have lunch or dinner!

Take care,

The Quartermaster.

Time

2008-05-21T19:55:00.003+02:00

I don't have enough time. Work takes a lot up of it :-) And the weather is too fine to sit in front of my Mac all evening. So the work on Hangar Four is only slowly progressing. Another problem is my relatively simple digital camera. Some of the pictures of the objects were taken in the evening, in low light conditions. I will have to wait for the weekend so that I can redo them in full daylight.

So I'll be happy as soon as the blurriness is gone. Where do others find all that time to construct those gorgeous websites?

Take care,

The Quartermaster.

The Top Ten

2008-05-19T21:11:00.003+02:00

The Top ten may vary from time to time. Depending on how I feel perhaps. But my wife Anne will always be in this Top Ten :-) The Top Ten will also show a bit of myself, of who I am and what I like.

Take care,

The Quartermaster.

Welcome to The Hangar Blog

2008-05-19T19:43:00.000+02:00

And why Hangar-Four? Well, I needed a name for my website. A name that captures what the site is about. A hangar is a building to store aircraft and equipment, my hangar is is 'building' to store my hobbies and a part of my life.

Much is inspired by vintage flight jackets and gear. And my love for nostalgia. But what have I gotten myself into? A website, a blog? More work? More 'to do'? We'll see. I bid you welcome to The Hangar Blog!

Take care,

The Quartermaster.