If your end users will need to run 24 hours a day you will need to test 24 hours a day.

We have number of little (Linux of course) boxes using 3G USB modems here in Sweden, and have discovered that Telia does all sorts of maintenance at night and at weekends.

Furthermore the latency (as measured by ping) varies quite a bit depending on time of day, i.e. when the local farmers are downloading their porn.

Another thing we've come across is that the versions of the USB modems changes with great frequency! Which of course means when they break you have to be very careful who changes them.

Good luck!

I will be whole. I hope he will be too.

Thank you, I think that keeps everything in perspective.

Heh, I'd say my life is spent at least in part surrounded by unrecognized monkeywrenches. I think I perhaps dodged some that I shouldn't have. But - I'm not of the temperament for regret. I am generally happy in most circumstances, and even my worst days, or biggest despair rarely survive overnight.

So, I suppose I'm either blissfully ignorant or criminally stupid. One or the other.

gawd you're right about twitter. It's crack for information junkies. I hope the funding comes through, is the possible state change because of the economy?

We would normally be snowmobiling, but my husband has really bad tendonitis in his arm, so we've been benched. I can't believe how much I miss it. I like so many things about snowmobiling, that just doesn't work for other things, like ATVs for example. I console myself with the fact that it hasn't been a stellar snow year :)

OK is tough - hard not to feel guilty if you aren't satisfied, but hard not to wish for more. If you could pick any monkeywrench to throw in, what would it be?

Is there a mouse in your future?

Woohoo! Now if only we had a wheelbarrow, that would be something! :)

I've been doing very well - but 2008 was not my favorite year. Not a horrible year. Just not my favorite :) I blew my knee out and perhaps have ended my sports career forever. And I ended up in a couple of contracts that just sucked the life out of me. It took time to recover.

So, 2009 will be the year I try having more time than money :) If it doesn't work out, at least I'll go back to having other people set my agenda and be a little more grateful.

How about you? How did 2008 turn out?

Two great stories in one comment :)

I've gotten review copies of two different technical books, but I only really made good on one of them. It's one thing if you buy the book for reference reasons - but to read it cover to cover takes me forever, I keep going off on daydreams of my own and then having to reread everything. As such, I have all the more respect for your abilities, and your philosophy about taking books.

As for my own philosophy, I'm all about singing till the cat eats me - We'll see how that pans out, heh.

Not that I think I could get on it now, but still it could be useful thing for the future :)

I'm looking forward to your thoughts.

Pixie