Chris Hemp

2012 Computer Build

Chris — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 19:12:35 +0000

It is time to upgrade the computer at home. My last computer build was completed in December of 2007. It was a Intel Q6600 based system. The Q6600 has been stable at 3.2ghz for all these years and I have been very happy with it.

Ever since that build I have been watching out for the next CPU that could overclock well. Enter the Intel 2500K.

This CPU is solid and with very little ‘tweaking’ I am running at 4ghz. Once I find more time I hope to reach the 4.2ghz or 4.5ghz range.

Part list:

2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee Headlight Restoration

Chris — Sun, 26 Feb 2012 02:04:28 +0000

Today I used the 3M headlight restoration kit on a Jeep Grand Cherokee. I snagged the kit off Amazon for 10 dollars as a slickdeal.

Here are the results:

Winter is Coming – Zenith Zoysia in Falls River Community

Chris — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 01:42:00 +0000

The grass is finally turning brown. Here it is in transition. Will follow up once it is fully dormant.

Shackleford Banks newest addition

Chris — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 03:03:21 +0000

Thanks to hurricane Irene, Shackleford Banks has a new addition named Aftermath who was born early due to the stress of the storm. Here he is lounging:

6 Weeks – Zenith Zoysia in Falls River Community

Chris — Sun, 24 Jul 2011 12:57:43 +0000

Freshly cut and surviving 100+ degree heat for a week. Watered twice during the week.

3 Weeks – Zenith Zoysia in Falls River Community

Chris — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 00:06:26 +0000

Here is the sidewalk strip after two weeks of watering and its first mow at the end of the third week…

Looks pretty good. We’ll see how this winter fairs. If it goes well we’ll replace the whole front with Zenith Zoysiagrass.

1 Week – Zenith Zoysia in Falls River Community

Chris — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 02:46:37 +0000

Now that the Falls River Community HOA has approved Zoysiagrass for our lawns, we jumped on it for our sidewalk strip.

Week 1 of Zenith Zoysia from Super Sod at the Raleigh Farmer’s Market.

Lost or Found a Pet in the Triangle Area (North Carolina)?

Chris — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 06:00:08 +0000

My wife and I found a lost dog on July 4th, 2010. We were lost ourselves after finding the lost dog did not have a collar or RFID chip. It was July 4th and we could see the many fireworks scared it. Our family helped find the owners, but I figured posting this somewhere for future reference would be handy:

Create a found/lost posting in lost & found on: http://raleigh.craigslist.org
Create a found/lost posting at: Triangle Lost Pets (sponsored by Wake County)
Want to check for a RFID chip? Animal Hospitals can read these chips. If it is after hours, this vet is open 24 hours: Quail Corners Animal Hospital
Lost and Found @ SPCA
Leave your phone number with people when asking around the neighborhood (just in case the owners ask the same folks later).
Pet Finder also has alot of information for finding hospitals.
Wait… for any replies (hardest part).

Dell Mini 10v Component Upgrades

Chris — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 23:53:28 +0000

Recipe for the best diaper-bag companion for a new mom After the upgrades, closing the lid yields 2 second suspends and it also awakens just as fast. Not to mention it has multiple USB ports and SD card reader for offloading and reviewing photos.

Here is dismantled 10v photo in order to install the new SSD and RAM.

The biggest help in the tear down of the machine was one of these: Norton’s universal cleaning stick from CountyComm.

There are many plastic snaps the case uses in place of screws in the keyboard palm rest. The cleaning stick worked wonders in prying those apart without damage. There are also ribbon cables that can be easily separated from the motherboard with it.

Resources for doing the upgrades

Things to do when switching Companies

Chris — Sun, 02 May 2010 01:10:15 +0000

Letter of Separation

State timeline and intentions clearly. It does not need to be overly detailed, but it will go in your file with HR. There are plenty of example letters online for reference.

401k

Decide how to handle 401k, which Clark Howard would say: Roll it Over! Just need to call to see if roll-over is an option.

Benefits

Determine when health benefits from the old Company end and at the new Company begin. If there is any lapse (which is bad) between when your old coverage ends and the new begins, decide on paying for COBRA Insurance which may be offered from the old Company’s health plan. Keep in mind, single-payer insurance can be expensive and COBRA insurance normally is not subsidized due to voluntary separation. If the job-loss is involuntary, COBRA is actually subsidized and pretty economical. Going on a spouse’s plan is an option as well. Typically a job-loss is a qualifying condition for the spouse to update their benefits.

Stock options

If vested but not exercised, and it is beneficial to use them (after taxes, etc), don’t forget about them before leaving!

Vacation

If you have unused vacation and it has already been accrued for the year, ask about getting paid for it.

And lastly, enjoy the adventure