I'm sorry, but the saga continues.  On a completely separate technical support matter, I received the following email - reproduced here in its entirety.

It sounds like you are another victim of the firewire card with an Agere chipset that Apple has started putting in all of their new Macbook Pros and iMacs.  This chipset is giving a lot of firewire interface companies problems.  I am so sorry for this news as there is no fix for it at this time.

Please indulge me by allowing yet another *sigh*.  (And email me if you know of a fix for this "chipset"!!)

Signed,
Fig You're Itt Owt

We tried some more "stuff" in an effort to store MP3s on the network.  No dice.  But....

I noticed a document with a title I didn't recognize.  After awhile, I realized it was several words from the "middle" of a quote by Roy Rogers - the one about going out on a limb because that's where the fruit is.  So I opened it and...tada....it was my quotes document!  For some reason my Mac renamed my "Quotes" document with several words which appeared random but which, like I said, were from the MIDDLE of the RR quote.

Peculiar indeed.

Some days a "paperless society" doesn't sound all that appealing.

Signed,
Itss Bakk

I think yesterday was the first day that I've felt optimistic about life for about a week!  (I'm not sure if it was totally the flu's fault, but it certainly didn't help.)  And today would have been even better, except....

My high view of Apple support has cratered.  I'll admit that we're "cross platform" at our house - meaning that we have both Macs and PCs.  But after spending a couple of hours with Apple trying to figure out how to store an MP3 from my Mac onto our network - it was MORE than disheartening to FINALLY make my way to the upper echelons...to the all-important "specialist", only to be told that he couldn't help me.  "We're only authorized to deal with Mac-to-Mac issues."

Great.

So I guess that means the PC people will have to take up the slack.  Somewhere.  Somehow.

Near the end of the phone call, I put the guy on speaker phone - and Scott was getting p-r-e-t-t-y  u-p-s-e-t. 

I had a 2nd issue as well - which they had absolutely no clue how to handle - calling it "peculiar".  Here's what happened - I opened my precious "quotes" document yesterday, added a quote, and saved.  Alas.  The entire document has disappeared completely.  Not even on the network anymore, even though it's been there for over 2 years.  We tried everything here at home, and so did Apple support.  The final analysis?  They don't know.  Sorry.

Signed,
Heh V. Sy

Awhile back I read an interview that Matthew West did with Natalie Grant.  As I was reading it, I was keeping in mind some advice I've heard Dave Clark give out more than once - basically about listening to what a singer says "inbetween" their songs, because that's what they really want to sing about.  So I figured that what she was saying in this interview probably qualified.  Based on the interview, I just knew Natalie needed to be singing a song called "Make It Matter" ... or something close to it.

So I wrote "Make It Matter", which eventually ended up as "Make It Count."  Although I'm proud of certain things in that song, there are other things I would probably change if I revisited it.  In retrospect, I don't think the song style fits Natalie Grant.  And I definitely never got it demo'd properly.

But here's the cool thing!  I bought Natalie Grant's new CD last week, and she has a song on it entitled - you guessed it - Make It Matter!  The song was a cowrite between Natalie, her husband Bernie, and Matthew West - so there's no way in the world my song was ever going to get to her, even if it had been good enough.  But I'm still encouraged that I nailed an idea that fit her.  Maybe someday that ability will pay off for me.  Maybe.

Side note:  I'm on day four of the flu.  We thought we could save a few bucks and skip flu shots this year.  Duh.

Signed,
Behd Hehd

My daughter Shelby and I attended the REVOLVE tour this past weekend - an event for teen girls put on by Women of Faith.  This was our second year and it was excellent as always.  Because of "who" the crowd is, this is the kind of event where you can openly talk about bulemia, abstinence, what guys are like, cutting, family issues....you name it.  As always, there were excellent speakers ("Girls, are you a target or a treasure?"), drama sketches (which moved me to tears), and musicians, including one of my favorites for the second year in a row - the incomparable Natalie Grant!  (Her CD came out this past week, so it was fun to hear some of my new favorites sung live.)

But I gotta tell ya - I should have remembered ear plugs.  Denver's Coliseum was sold out, and you can about imagine how big of a "roar" a crowd of that size can produce.  Okay - so convert that to a crowd of teenage girls screaming and you have an entirely new definition of "ear-splitting"!  And when did they scream the loudest?  Every single time the band "Hawk Nelson" was even alluded to!!  And then there was Hawk Nelson's actual mini-concert on Sat. afternoon.  Hang on!  I didn't even know the lead singer's name was Jason, but I sure do now.  He got one of the girls from the front row and took her up on stage to play the kazoo.  The poor thing was almost hysterical and I thought she was going to faint right on the spot. 

Oh - my - goodness.

It's a day later and I think my ears are still ringing.

Signed,
Owch

I’ve finished reading Quiet Strength by Tony Dungy.  Who woulda thought football and songwriting would have so much in common?

Two quotes:

That, to me, is where we find our best definition of success.  We’re not all going to reach the Super Bowl or the top of the corporate ladder, but we each have a chance to walk away from something saying, “I did the ordinary things as well as I could.  I performed to the full limits of my ability.  I achieved success.”

Some people say it’s a letdown to finally reach a destination, but for us, reaching the Super Bowl was even more exhilarating that I had anticipated.  That may be because it hadn’t really been my focus.  All along, my focus had been on doing things the way I thought was right – walking where I felt the Lord was guiding.  Sure, I absolutely wanted to reach the Super Bowl, but I always tried to keep that goal in its proper place in my life.  With the Lord beside me, I felt certain that whatever was supposed to happen was going to happen.  He didn’t call me to be successful in the world’s eyes.  He called me to be faithful.

What’s your Super Bowl?

Signed,
Duz Nt Mad Rrr!

Scott is moving ahead with a business start-up...Spyglass Systems.  Today I asked him what "date" I could put on my iCal as the official anniversary of our new beginning.  He wasn't sure.  Sometime in January?  January 31?  February 1?  We could choose February 8 because that's one of our kid's birthdays.  ....  I said we could choose January 24 because that was the day, two years ago, that a "crucial resignation" at our existing business began the downward spiral that spawned the chaos of the last two years...kind of like redeeming the date.  Um.  Nah.  Maybe not.

We finally decided we would use the date that Scott registered the name "Spyglass Systems" with the State of Colorado.  Sure!  Sounds good to me.  That way there's some objective reason for the date choice.

He looked it up and - you guessed it - January 24!!  Not only does God have a sense of humor, but He has impeccable timing as well.  Redemption it is!!

And to seal the day with a kiss, I opened the mail and discovered my very first Single Song Agreement.  Maybe that's "old hat" to most of you out there, but it's a day worth celebrating at the Herrema household!

Signed,
Heez Inn Charj

Our brother-in-law Dan, the one we used to be in business with, has been having health issues.  They figured out that he is having issues with his thyroid.  But they also "ran across" a spot on his bladder.  It is being removed tomorrow, but we've been told that there's a 95% chance it's cancer.  After removal, there will likely be chemo.

Would you please send up a quick arrow prayer for Dan and Barb?

And would you be willing to include Scott while you're at it?  He's still not sure what direction to go with a business, and the clock is ticking.

Life seems extra saturated with uncertainties and distractions tonight.  Praying that God grants better vision tomorrow....

Signed,
I. Wont 2 C. U.

A friend and I are writing a song we love.  Based on some of the feedback we've garnered so far, we'll likely be doing some rewriting.  But in the interest of celebrating more of those baby steps I was writing about earlier this week, I will report two recent reactions.

1.  My college freshman wrote to say that our worktape, among other things, gave him chills "up and down his entire body."  He tends to listen to rock alternative and movie scores - I'll let you guess which genre this song falls closest to!

2.  An evaluator included these words:  "I think this is the best thing of yours that I've heard."

Strangely, although it feels wonderful to hear #2, it means just as much - if not more - to hear #1. 

One of my baby steps for the upcoming week?  Installation of firewire recording interface.

Signed,
2 More O. izz Mund A.

The thing about baby steps is that they're so...tiny.  But ya might as well celebrate!

1.  On the road to starting up a business that's run "out of the house", this afternoon we found a used L-shaped desk that's exactly the right size.  Only $125.00!  The seller lived a mere 3 minutes away - and since we only had our car, he loaded it into his pickup and followed us home.  (pretty good for the big city)

2.  On the road to becoming more proficient on my Mac, I took a class in Garage Band.  I also held my first iChat - with our pastor.  (I figured he didn't have anything else to do.)

3.  On the road to helping Blake re-learn how to get out of bed in the morning "by himself", we held the line on some unpopular consequences.  (ouch)

Doesn't seem like much, but why dig up more examples when it's time for pizza and a movie with the kids? 

Mark Twain once said, "The secret to getting ahead is getting started."  Okay.  I'll "re-start" first thing tomorrow morning.

Signed,
Tipp Tow Ing