Presentation Tip

If you are commonly giving presentations to groups and are using your 'working' laptop...
take a quick note to self -
"The people at your presentation do NOT need to see your scattered miscellaneous desktop icons... Nor do they need to see your personalized background image."

Here's a simple fix.

Create a separate 'user profile' called 'presentation'.
When you go to log-in prior to the presentation - simply pick 'presentation'.

It would also behoove you to have your company's LOGO as a background image and the desktop looking spick and span (only the items for the presentation present).

Professionalism could make the difference between securing the contract or not... or even repeat clients.
:)

Seminar Techniques

Here's a not so hot tip on keeping the audience on the 'edge of their seats' during a presentation.
Turn the temperature down to 'ARCTIC'.
It worked great in the seminar I was in yesterday.
It wasn't all that fun sitting there curled up in a ball, chattering my teeth.. but I was awake!
:)

Printing/Plotting Black Hole

I got sucked into the vortex of printing/plotting today (and worse in the recently past).
Today was only 24 or so sheets.. but we recently printed an entire document set... and had to schedule HOURS of our Team's time to do it.

Our Architecture firm is almost there.
We are about to implement Autodesks ADT 2005.... we've been bumbling along with 3.3 for what seems ages.
This is a mindless plug for Autodesk's newest product... I DON'T WORK FOR THEM.

If you own/use Autodesk ADT 3.3 and have needed to plot a long list of sheets.. get a fresh cup of coffee and begin the tedium.
Anyone else getting sick and tired of printing/plotting?
Having to open every drawing one at a time, tell them (yes I talk to the drawings) the page setup is 'previos plot', and hit print.. is tiresome at best.
Every single drawing, one at a time... for many many sheets.
Woof.

Best solution actually is to either hire a person that's sole responsibility is to print/plot (which I have suggested on more than one occasion) or upgrade to Autodesk Architectural Desktop 2005.
With 2005 (provided you use the Project Navigator - and only a fool wouldn't) you can simple pick the sheets to plot, tell them (I will probably always talk to my drawings) which size paper you desire and 'bam'.. DONE... it prints in the background while you keep productive (I can get back to my crossword puzzle).
They call it "automated documentation" or even "file-based collaboration".. but I call it "going home on time".

Camping / Lost in the Woods

Camping was incredible.
We called Sherando Lake Camp Ground about 25-30 Miles out to make sure of directions on the approach... they said they were ALL FULL.
The suggested we try Cave Mountain Lake about 45 minutes away.. and it turned out better!
No crowds (60 tent sites and only 30 or so used).
Cave Mountain Lake was chilly water, but wonderful.
The first evening there was NO ONE at the lake... we swam and played like we were the only ones on the planet!
The lake was surrounded by mountains and thick forest... which is where we camped... walking distance away.
We pitched out tent right on the edge of a stream which my kids played in to hunt (and catch) craw-dads.
We ate most everyone of the little critters they caught (after boiling).
We hiked up a mountain ridge on the second day.
Since the campsite was directly at the base of the ridge, I told them all they could run ahead to the camp.
We broke up into 3 groups.. the kids had to burn some energy.
My wife, carrying our 2yo, followed them and then I was behind that... with our 4 year old.
When I caught up to the 'first' group (4 kids) and asked where 'Mommy' was I got dumb looks.. and concern from my teenager.
I grabbed the boys and headed back up the mountain looking for my LOST WIFE!
We searched for about an hour and headed back to camp.
She had inadvertently taken a side ridge down a separate canyon and gotten lost.
Luckily she followed the stream back to our campsite... sheesh.
She had taken a fall too, but wasn't too badly hurt.
This is the sort of thing you read about in the newspaper - "Woman and child - lost for weeks in the woods".
Thank God it didn't end like so many stories I've read!
All in all it was a great trip... even the Copperhead snake in the dark.
But that's a different story!
:)

Sherando Lake - Virginia

We're heading camping this 4-day weekend (took Friday off)!
I expect we will be rained out totally... And I am sure to tell you all about it when we get back... But we're NOT only going for the sunshiny times.
The sun doesn't always shine and we know that... We learned a long time ago to make the absolute best of every adventure we go on... Rain or shine.
It's memories we're building here.. And they will be good ones if I can help it!
:)