Author Archives: Maria Langer

Computer Woes

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My Dual G5 Becomes Comatose

My Dual G5 has been acting up for a few months now. It started when the Firewire ports caused system crashes and iPod errors when both were in use. The iPod’s dock is plugged into the rear Firewire port; my iSight camera is normally plugged into the front Firewire port (so I can move it around easily). I had all kinds of problems when they were both plugged in and working at the same time.

Doctor, it hurts when I do this.

Then don’t do it.

So I stopped using them both at the same time, figuring it was a system software problem that would iron itself out in a future update. After all, the sleep/power problem I had on my PowerBook went away when I upgraded from Mac OS X 10.3.8 to 10.4.

Then came the startup problems. The problem: it wouldn’t start up. The power would go through it — I could hear all four fans running in there — but no startup tone, no video, no nothing else. Except a condition I call “hyperventilation.” It’s when the computer’s fans rev up to high speed, as if I’ve just put the computer out in the sun in the parking lot in front of my building on a July afternoon. (I truly believe I could fry an egg out there.) But pulling the power cord and letting it sit for a while usually cleared things up. Which was a good thing, because I had to finish a book before I went away and I needed that computer to get the job done.

When I got back from Howard Mesa for a week in civilization (or Wickenburg’s version of civilization, which misses the mark by a wide margin), I went to my office to take care of some accounting stuff and write an article for Informit. I pushed the computer’s power button. Power but no startup. Fans but no video. And no amount of power cord deprivation could bring it back to life.

I had a problem.

Although there’s a guy in Wickenburg who claims to fix Macs, I’d worked with him a bit on a networking puzzle and the solution he came up with was not workable. And although I was perfectly willing to pay him to come to my office to work on the problem, he insisted on working with me via telephone and e-mail. Which got me thinking: why wasn’t this guy willing to make house calls? Was it because he really didn’t know what he was doing? Or maybe he’s just really ugly and doesn’t like to go out?

Hell, I used to get $80/hour to make consulting house calls. Maybe that’s the problem. No one else in Wickenburg is willing to pay decent money for a decent computer consultant.

Of course, there is a great resource for Macintosh problem solving: the Genius Bar at any Apple Store. So I unplugged all the wires from the G5 and lugged it out to my car. My Jeep is at Howard Mesa, so I’m “stuck” with the Honda S2000. Not a bad thing to be stuck with, but the trunk was too small for the computer. I had to lay a blanket out on the leather seat and set the computer on that. And on the way down to Phoenix, every time I made a turn, I had to hold onto the computer so it wouldn’t fall over and either bash its way through the door or knock me senseless. (Okay, so it isn’t that big or heavy, but it sure seems like it when you’re lugging it down a flight of stairs.)

I went to the Biltmore Apple store. I waited about 30 minutes for a genius. She listened to the symptoms, then plugged it in and tried powering it up. I did the same thing for her as it had done for me: just about nothing.

“Power supply or logic board,” she announced. “Probably logic board.”

I wasn’t too stupid to know that the logic board for a dual processor computer was probably a cost-intensive item. I was right. It would cost about $700, plus labor. Ouch.

I started wondering whether I’d be better off just buying a new computer. The G5 was already a year and a half old (out of warranty, of course). But I usually buy a new desktop machine once every 2 to 3 years. It wasn’t time for a new one. And besides, perhaps I should hold off until Apple starts using those new-fangled Intel chips it plans to use. Just in case that change resulted in a major change to the operating system. I have to write about this stuff, you know. To do it, I have to have a computer that runs the stuff I write about. And I’m not interested in buying a new computer every year.

Instead of leaving it at the Biltmore store, I decided to get a second opinion. One of the Apple Store guys lugged the computer back out to the car and I drove down to Chandler. I was now about 80 miles from home. It was lunch time and I hadn’t eaten. I got a hand truck from the Chandler Apple Store guys and went back out to the car to bring in the patient. There were already 2 G5s sitting there on the counter. I wondered whether there was some kind of epidemic that was affecting G5s.

I waited a long time. I sat at the bar, using my laptop to check my e-mail and surf the Web. The good thing about Apple Stores is that they’re wireless hot spots. I got a lot done while I waited.

I finally got to speak to the Genius and, unfortunately, he had the same diagnosis. But the Chandler Store guys know me from my appearances there and my book. They were willing to eat the labor cost. All I’d have to do was pay for the logic board.

Why couldn’t I pay for the labor and let them eat the logic board?

Did you know that the logic board for a G5 is blue? I’m so accustomed to seeing green ones. And if you’ve never opened the side of a G5 dual, you owe it to yourself to do so. The darn thing is absolutely beautiful inside. It’s made of shiny aircraft-grade metal (whatever that means) and, when its new and clean, it’s a piece of artwork. “Sexy” is the word one of the Apple guys used. I have to agree. After all, if a car can be considered sexy, why can’t the inside of a computer?

So I left the computer there. Hopefully, it’ll be done this week. I still have letters to write and accounting records to play with. Sales tax payments — ugh!

The only good thing about driving the 80 miles back to Wickenburg is that I had my iPod to listen to in the car. And, of course, I didn’t have to worry about a G5 in the passenger seat falling over on me.

Maria’s Semi-Sweet Brownies

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I get to use an oven!

I’m home from Howard Mesa, at least for a while. Although our camper (where I was living at HM) doesn’t have an oven, my house does. And today, with a craving for something chocolate, I’m making brownies.

Unlike other people, I usually bake from scratch. That means I measure out all the ingredients, mix them the way they need to be mixed, and pop them in the oven to do their thing.

Today, I made brownies based on the instructions on the Baker’s Unsweetened Chocolate Squares package. I say “based on” because I’ve modified it for my own tastes. Here’s my version.

Ingredients:

4 squares Bakers Unsweetened Chocolate. Now if each square is 1 ounce, that’s 4 ounces. So if you don’t use Baker’s brand, you can figure out how many squares it is for your brand. I’ve successfully made this recipe with semi-sweet chocolate from Trader Joe’s — you know, the kind in the big bar. If you do that, just cut back on the amount of sugar you add.

3/4 cup (or 1-1/2 sticks) of butter or margarine. I used a stick of butter and a half stick of margarine.

1 cup sugar. The recipe calls for 2 cups of sugar, but I think that’s too darn much. Last time I made it with 1-1/2 cups and it was still too sweet for me. So I cut it back to a cup this time around. (Note: After tasting these, I decided that a cup wasn’t enough, even with the chocolate chips. Next time I’ll try 1-1/4 cups.)

3 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

1 cup flour

1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate pieces. Yes, I mean chocolate chips. The recipe calls for 1 cup of nuts, but I don’t like nuts in my brownies, so I never put them in. I added the chocolate this time to make up for the reduced amount of sugar.

Preparation Instructions:

The recipe is really easy and only takes one bowl and one spoon. Since the baking pan is foil covered, cleanup is very easy.

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (or 325°F for a glass pan).

2. Line a baking dish with foil. The recipe calls for a 13 x 9 inch pan, but since I don’t have one, I used a 10 x 7 inch pan. Grease the foil. I use spray oil because it’s easier.

3. Melt the chocolate and butter in the microwave in a large microwaveable bowl. 2 minutes should do it. When it’s melted, stir it until it’s well blended.

4. Add the sugar and stir until blended.

5. Add the eggs and vanilla and stir until blended.

6. Add the flour and stir until blended.

7. Add the chips (or nuts or both) and stir until blended.

8. Spread the chocolate batter into the prepared pan.

9. Bake until done. I figure about 40 minutes, but you want to keep an eye on it after 30 minutes. Overbaked brownies suck. You can use a toothpick or knife inserted into the center to check for doneness; it should have fudgy crumbs when it’s done.

10. Cool in pan.

11. Lift out of pan onto a cutting board. Cut into squares or whatever shape your heart desires. (I’m doing triangles this time.)

I find that some of the best recipes are the ones that come on the packaging for an ingredient. I once found an excellent recipe for oatmeal chocolate chip cookies on a chocolate chip package; that’s my favorite type of cookie.

And no, I don’t make recipes off Cool-Whip packages or cakes with pudding in them.

If you try this recipe, let me know what you think.

In the meantime, I’m going to put a glass of milk in the freezer so it’ll be all ready when my brownies emerge from the oven.

Ah, For a Good Night’s Sleep!

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Jack the Dog defends his territory.

I’ve been living at Howard Mesa for almost a full month now. And it’s been almost a full month since I’ve had a good night’s sleep.

The problem is Jack the Dog. You see, he feels as if he has to protect me from animals of the night. I’m talking about coyotes.

Howard Mesa is home to a wide range of wildlife, including rabbits (cottontails and jackrabbits), antelope, elk, coyotes, ravens, hummingbirds, nighthawks, and a variety of other birds. Since our property is fenced-in, we don’t usually see antelope or elk. This year, we haven’t seen any coyotes (yet) either. But that doesn’t mean we haven’t heard them.

Every night, packs of coyotes on various parts of the mesa, howl. They do it around sunset and then at various times throughout the night. The sound is distant and rather pleasant in a wild sort of way. It doesn’t usually wake me. It isn’t usually close enough to be that loud.

But it’s loud enough for Jack the Dog to hear, even in the dead of night when he, Alex the Bird, and I are sound asleep. And every time he hears those darn coyotes, he reacts the same way: by barking.

So, in the middle of the night, I’m likely to be awakened by my own dog barking at least two or three times.

The other night, he barked so suddenly that I heard Alex the Bird fall of the perch in his sleeping cage.

I don’t know why he barks at the coyotes here. He doesn’t do it at home. There’s no threat of coyotes attacking us in our camper. And they really aren’t very close.

Tonight, I’m bringing a cup of water to bed with me. When Jack barks, he’ll not only get yelled at, but doused. We’ll see if that makes things any better.

I’d like to sleep a whole night through.

The Truth about Wickenburg

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A few facts, from a long-time resident.

We’ve lived in Wickenburg for about eight years now. Sadly, neither of us like the way things are going in town.

When we came to Wickenburg, it had small town charm and lots of open spaces. Since then, the developers (and their good buddies or relatives, the Realtors) have taken over. They’ve reshaped the desert so there are flat spots where there were once hills and they’ve planted houses on them. They’re kind of tricky the way they do this. They cut the land into lots, then build on every other lot. Folks buy the houses because they see so much space between them. Then the developer fills in the gaps and gets other people who like close living to buy those homes.

We have 2-1/2 acres in a very hilly area, with a wash flowing right through our property. That’s good because it keeps our neighbors far away — which we like. It’s not that we don’t like people. It’s just that we don’t like the idea of people looking into our windows from theirs. Now they’re all far enough away that we really don’t need to close the curtains for privacy. I like that. I like lying in bed at night and looking out at the stars.

But the rest of the town is being sold off at an alarming rate. One developer, who I took for a helicopter ride so he could get aerial photos, commented to his friends on how he was hoping to buy the land a church and pastor’s house is on so they could bulldoze it down and build some more condos. I was shocked. The church can’t be older than five years. And where will the parishioners go? I’m not a religious person, but I do have feelings for churchgoing people. Sadly, the developers don’t.

It wouldn’t be so bad if the town’s infrastructure would grow with the development. But it doesn’t. The downtown area is dying, slowly but surely, with much of its space taken up with private “Not a Retail Outlet” offices and vacant storefronts. Every strip mall has at least one empty space, if not more. One block downtown had about 50% of its space empty. I spoke to a property manager about renting one of the storefronts with the idea of setting up a cooperative art gallery, a place for local artists to sell their work. I told her I was concerned about having so many empty storefronts nearby — the area would never attract browsers. She assured me that she was talking to others about renting the other empty storefronts. When I asked her what kind of businesses might be going in, she told me a title company would be moving next door. A title company? There was already a mortgage company in that block. And more offices across the street. Why would I want the only retail business on the whole block? I decided to save my efforts — and my money — for a town with more potential.

Wickenburg’s job situation is equally dismal. There are a few good paying jobs with Remuda Ranch, the Meadows, and the Town of Wickenburg. But most of the town’s other businesses offer low-paying, minimum wage (or slightly higher) part time jobs with few or no benefits. The good jobs aren’t easy to get, either. A friend of mine interviewed for a wrangler position at Remuda Ranch a few years ago. She came away from the interview with a bad taste in her mouth. “I wasn’t Christian enough,” she told me. I guess 20 years of experience wasn’t enough for them if the applicant couldn’t meet the unspoken (and unadvertised) religious requirement.

The new business survival rate in Wickenburg is pitifully low. I think that problem is threefold:

(1) Many businesses are undercapitalized when they begin, so they’re doomed to failure. Common business sense says you need enough capital to pay for business expenses for a whole year before you start your business. Too many people depend on revenue that just doesn’t cut it. That’s why that Property Manager’s client prefers to rent to offices; they’re not depending on retail revenue for survival.

(2) Some businesses offer goods and services that there just isn’t a demand for in Wickenburg. The skateboard shop on Valentine Street is a good example. It was a great shop with lots of good merchandise professionally displayed. But let’s face it: Retirees don’t skateboard. And there weren’t enough skateboarders in town to support the business. Another example was the clothing shop that opened in the relatively new strip mall on the east side of the bridge. I never got a chance to get in there — they were open for less than a year — but I was told that their merchandise was expensive. That just won’t fly in a town where the fixed income retirees and minimum wage workers would prefer to shop in Alco or Wal-Mart.

(3) The town and Chamber of Commerce has no clue (or desire) to help local businesses survive. The town seems more interested in increasing town revenues through property taxes than sales taxes raised by thriving businesses. The town fathers have no qualms about allowing chain restaurants to open next door to existing locally-owned and operated restaurants selling the same type of food. (How many pizza places does Wickenburg need, anyway?) Lately, the only new businesses to come to Wickenburg and last more than a few months are the two “dollar stores” and two check cashing/payday advance places. These are the kinds of businesses that appeal to the lowest income tier or, worse yet, the fringe element responsible for the town’s drug problems and crime. The few events sponsored by the local Chamber of Commerce benefit only a handful of businesses — the motels and restaurants on their favorites lists. Many of these events are poorly publicized and have disappointing attendance anyway. Worse yet, they’re the same old events, year after year, without any new twists. Ho hum.

So people might ask who’s buying all these houses if the town has these economic problems. I ask it all the time. But the answer is clear: retirees.

Wickenburg regularly makes a list of top places to retire. So the folks from the midwest flock to Wickenburg and buy homes. Some of them live there only half the year, which, in turn, further deteriorates the town’s economy by making it impossible for some businesses to survive in the summer. Others live here year-round, but do most of their shopping down in Surprise, at Wal-Mart. That’s also where they fill their cars with gas and visit their doctors. Every once in a while, they clamor that they want a Wal-Mart in Wickenburg. I guess it really doesn’t matter to them if Wickenburg’s remaining small town charm is destroyed by a big box store, as long as it makes cheap shopping more convenient for them. After all, it might increase the choices of minimum wage jobs: clerk in housewares, clerk in electronics, clerk in ladies clothing, etc. It certainly won’t increase the number of employers — if a Wal-Mart comes to Wickenburg, just about every other retail business will be forced out of business.

I wish I didn’t have to report these sad truths about Wickenburg. I wish I could lie or paint a rosy picture of town, the way the Chamber of Commerce and newspaper do. But I’m not a liar. And my rose-colored glasses just don’t tint the picture enough to report it any other way.

Breakfast in Winslow…No, Page…No, Marble Canyon

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I start off on a flight to Winslow and end up at Marble Canyon.If you regularly read these blog entries, you may know that I had breakfast in Winslow, AZ the other day. There was a second item on La Posada’s breakfast menu that I wanted to try. I thought I’d go back today.

I invited my friend Elizabeth to come with me. She lives, with her husband Matt, at Howard Mesa year-round. I took Matt and two of their friends for breakfast at Sedona for my birthday a few weeks ago. Matt is on a business trip, so I thought I’d invite Elizabeth this time.

I also invited Larry Fox, another Howard Mesa full-timer. He’s an older guy, 65, and apparently old fashioned. He said it wouldn’t be appropriate for him to go on a trip with two other women without his wife present. I invited his wife, too, but he says she’s afraid of heights. I’m starting to think that he’s afraid to fly with me….

Matt and Elizabeth's HouseElizabeth arrived at 7 AM and I was ready to go. We started off with a little tour of Howard Mesa. Elizabeth used my camera to take a photo of her house (see photo). I pointed out all the little cabins and sheds and trailers that you can’t see from the road. Then we went up to Valle and followed 180 east. She showed me where some friends of hers had just bought some land and I showed her Red Mountain. From there, we headed north. It had rained the day before and I was interested in seeing if there was water in the Little Colorado River. There wasn’t. I took her to the Little Colorado Gorge lookout, just outside the Grand Canyon SUA, and was disappointed to see the canyon bottom just as dry as it had been the last time I flew over.

At that point, I realized that we were probably as close to Page as we were to Winslow. I checked my GPS and learned that we were actually 2 miles closer to Page. I asked if she wanted to go to Page instead. “Sure,” she said.

Near the GapAs we flew along the cliffs near The Gap, she admitted that she’d never been to Page. I told her a little about it. I figured we’d land at the airport, then take the free shuttle to the marina where there was a restaurant. But when I pointed out the Vermillion Cliffs in the distance ahead of us, I got a better idea. Marble Canyon. The runway is right across the street from the lodge and restaurant. Elizabeth was game. Actually, I don’t think she cared where we went. I didn’t really care either, for that matter. Elizabeth took a few photos of the landscape we flew over, including this shot in the Cedar Ridge area. She was fascinated by the geology of the land, especially the tilted layers of multi-colored rock. I explained how some of the more obvious formations were made and told her I had a book about Grand Canyon geology that probably explained a lot more. We were flying over the Navajo Reservation and, when we were away from the main road, we saw lots of ruins of old hogans and animal pens. That’s the kind of stuff that interests me. I especially liked the animal pens that had been built into natural rock formations — like a box canyon with its open side fenced off or animal pens built entirely of stone.

N630ML at Marble CanyonWe crossed the Colorado River at Marble Canyon and landed at Marble Canyon’s airstrip. I set down on the dirt ramp area and shut down. It was about 8 AM and the morning sun was still low enough to make the Vermillion Cliffs behind us…well, vermillion. In my opinion this is the most scenic spot anyone can use as a backdrop for a photo of their aircraft. In fact, it’s enough of an excuse to fly in to Marble Canyon. Just be advised: the runway is very narrow.

Marble CanyonWe had breakfast at the lodge restaurant. It wasn’t anything special. I think our waitress may have been more interested in listening to her MP3 player than serving us. Afterwards, we climbed back on board and took off to the north. A plane had just taken off from Marble Canyon’s runway, so I had to stay a bit low until it passed over us. (I didn’t use the runway.) Our flight path gave us great views of Navajo Bridge and the river at Lees Ferry, as well as Horseshoe Bend further upstream. Elizabeth kept snapping photos, like this one, which kind of gives you an idea of the visibility in a helicopter. Don’t mind the reflections in the bubble; I was wearing my loud white pants again. And yes, that’s my hand on the cyclic.

I wanted to get fuel at Page before going back. I figured I’d show Elizabeth a little of the town and the lake and Antelope Canyon, too. Page airport was hopping, with lots of planes coming in. I slipped in behind a Cessna and set down at the helipads. Representatives from both FBOs came out to meet me with carts. Their fuel is the same price, so I picked Classic, since my friend Rod works for them. It took a while for us to finish up the transaction because the guy in the FBO office was new and was completely over his head. Elizabeth paid for the fuel, which was very nice, considering she’d also paid for breakfast. We got a ride back out to the helicopter and took off over the lake. I got to see the new Antelope Point Marina, then followed Antelope Creek until it dried up and we saw the two slot canyons.

From there, we followed the edge of the Grand Canyon SUA back to Howard Mesa, making a few detours to check out some ruins, a canyon, and a controlled burn. We buzzed Larry Fox’s house — well, not really — before heading up to my pad on top of the mesa.

It had been a nice morning out. But then again, what morning spent in flight isn’t?