first client first actual repair

well i just finished for the second time tonight working on my first clients computer after backing up their documents and then updating their virus scanner and installing an anti malware program for them i went about cleaning the dust out of their tower and almost broke the cpu and started having a mini freak out cause i thought i had just lost my first client untill they asked me to do my best to look around and see if i could find a replacement for cheap and then call them with the price. so after they left and i took a few deep breaths i hit google looking for a new processor for them then it hit me like a barrel full of building bricks. was there a way to save the processor so i started looking on google again and sure enough there was one said to apply light pressure to the corners of the processor and turn it left and right well at first i wasn't having much luck then further down it said to leave it in isopropol alcolhol for five minutes well i dont have any on hand third was to use a heat gun on the heat sink again dont have one so the last one i read and really it was the third but i had missed it so i had to go back and read it was to get a piece of dental floss under one corner of the processor and start working it back and forth towards the opposite corner and then try turning the processor and low and behold once enough of the thermal glue was loose it popped right off and then all i had to do was make sure all the pins were straight (only three had been slightly bent and i had part of computer repair kit i found at goodwill so i was able to straighten the pins out put new thermal paste not glue paste is easier to deal with and reassemble the heatsink and fan combo plug the fan back in lockdown the heatsink and replace the rear fan i had removed to get the whole thing loose in the first place and as sure as i have a nose on my face when i plugged it in and turned it on it started right up so all in all i think im lucky and hopfully after this little scare they will still wish to use me as their computer tech

vista print

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2010 nw warrior dash

Well i did it i successfully completed the NW warrior dash 2010. This year it was 3.15 miles of hills, streams, climbing over logs in bogs, hauling ourselves up a hill with a rope, climbing over a wood bridge climb, climbing up and down a cargo net, and then repelling down another hill using ropes again, spider crossing a net, jumping over junker cars, jumping over two rows of burning dura-flame logs, high stepping through tires, and then belly crawling through mud under barbwire then finally crossing the finish line and getting a banana and a glasses of water. all in all total hell. but hella fun.

red robin

Today's post is about red robin restaurants. I went in to the red robin at Gresham station this evening and waited ten minutes for a server to come take my order and then waited another fifteen for my meal to be delivered when it was i had mushrooms on it and i had asked for no mushrooms on my burger so all in all my dining experience was poor.

independance day

The holiday not the movie but still its the only day where civilians can legally play with explosives. But great power comes great responsibility. So here is a reminder to everyone have a bucket of water ready to put spent fire works in and a hose to put out any grass fires.

My Favorite Restaurants In Portland

Today's post is about my favorite restaurants in Portland Oregon.

My top three favorite nice restaurants for dinner in Portland are; Kells Irish pub on second downtown, the Dan and Louie's Oyster Bar which is almost across the street and The Original Taco House on Powell Blvd. Kells has some of the best bangers and mash that I've ever had as well as other Irish foods such as Sheppard's pie their Irish chips and their soda bread. The oyster bar has excellent clam chowder and other seafood even if the only thing I really like is the clam chowder. Last but not least is The Original Taco House they have some of the best enchiladas i have ever had except for maybe El Erradero in baker Oregon. Now breakfast on the other hand is a different story just down the street from me is this little greasy spoon called Mavericks that has some good biscuits and gravy as well as some of the best coffee outside of Starbucks. Another place that has good breakfasts is a little restaurant called toms on 39th. and division. Both places also are a good place to have lunch but my three favorite places are cruisers, happy garden and subway. There are a number of other places I like to go but these are my favorites.

A Look In To One Of Portland,s Nerd Meccas....

Today we look at Free Geek.


Free geek is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization On any given day as few as five to as many as twenty five hardware donations (to give a ballpark figure) are made ranging from computer towers to monitors and printers, speakers or parts of and from computers. They start in receiving then go to eval one where all systems are checked out and disassembled some parts are sent on to eval two while obsolete or items with serious visible damage. Such as blown capacitors and broken or damaged PCB (Printed Circuit Board) are sent to recycling while parts with no visible damage are sent on to eval two to be tested and cases with motherboards from systems that have been disassembled are stored in the warehouse to await an eager builder to turn it in to a whole system again. there are four systems that are built there are the freak boxes that are given to volunteers after having volunteered for twenty four hours or after having built five systems the sixth one that is built can be taken home by the builder. Then there are the Grant boxes that go to non-profit organizations, while Regular, High and Low End systems even Macs and Laptops get sold in the thrift store. Extra and or parts that are not used in the different types of systems can be found in the thrift store also, such as; SCSI drives, raid cards, wireless cards, routers, towers without motherboards, mice, keyboards, networking cables, kvm switches, bare motherboards, speakers, internal connectors and cables, laptops for parts and occasionally flat screen monitors just too name a few. All systems weather they are Macs, Laptops, High End, Regular, Grant, Freak or Low End boxes all come with ubuntu installed on them. Ubuntu is a free open source version of Linux that can be used instead of windows or the Mac operating systems or dual booted on windows machines. At free geek all are welcome weather you are donating used equipment, volunteering, contributing money or even doing community service new faces are always welcome. Volunteers can range from children and young teens with their parents to senior citizens. Volunteers under the age of 16 must have an adult with them at all times when they volunteer.


They will be welcoming and happy to see you.

So swing by from 11:00 am to 7:00pm Tuesday through Saturday to see what its all about when you get the chance.


To learn more visit their website at http://www.freegeek.org/ .

Call or fax them at Tel (503)232-9350, Fax (503)230-8815, or visit them at

1731 SE 10th Avenue, Portland, OR Portland, OR 97214.

Reusing Resealable Energy Drink Cans As Water Bottles

When reusing resealable energy drink cans like Venom or Rockstar can and freezing them for cold water do not handle them for long periods of time unless you dont mind getting burned. Water + Metal Cans + Freezing Temputures + Human Skin= Ice Burns.