Well this week is almost over. Thank goodness. I took the tree down last night and the BF decided that the carpets should be washed. He then spend the next few hours shampooing them. Didn't ask for help, didn't moan and groan about doing "women's' work", just got down and cleaned them. I was sorry that I'd already printed out my list of Reasons Why I Love You. Cause let me tell you - last night would have made the top 10 list.
Apparently I am now a manual writer at work. I've never written an Install Manual before in my life. I've read quite a few and none of them have ever left me with the desire to sit at my keyboard and write one. That being said....my very first manual is at the printers now and will arrive at work next week. It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. Everything was templated out for me and I was really just revising on old one. However when it comes time to update the ole resume...yeah I am not going to include this particular skill. I have no aspirations to be a technical writer. This blog is about as much writing as I like to do in a day.
The business next to ours is visted once a week by a cryogenic truck. The truck hooks up to something inside the building. It's a big mystery around here. We NEVER see anyone who works next door except on the days this truck arrives. Do they have frozen heads over there? Whole people? Is it a storage place for frozen sperm?
It's so much more fun trying to guess then it would ever be to just go over there and ask.
Thursday, December 29, 2005
Tuesday, December 27, 2005
The wasted week
The week between Christmas and New Years is such a waste of time. Most of the people in our industry take this week off which makes it difficult to get projects done. I've always suffered from a kind of post Christmas depression. PCD. Even really great Christmas' leave me feeling sort of hollow and empty. I think it's the big build up associated with it all. Then the day after you're left with the mess, the prospect of taking down the tree and all the decorations you've put up, and if you're unlucky enough having to go back out to the mall.
The BF and I went out on Friday night and saw Fun with Dick and Jane. It was hysterically funny. There was absolutely no chemistry between the main characters but it doesn't really matter. It was just fun watching Jim Carrey be Jim Carrey. Afterwards I spilled soda all over the interior of my car, including into my CD player and touch screen navigation unit. I was horrified! I have a warranty on all the electronics in my car but not if they've had soda spilled on them. It only took the BF two and a half hours to pull my dash apart, remove and clean everything even remotely electrical and put it all back together. I am very happy to say that it all works perfectly. And I am never drinking in my car again.
The BF and I went out on Friday night and saw Fun with Dick and Jane. It was hysterically funny. There was absolutely no chemistry between the main characters but it doesn't really matter. It was just fun watching Jim Carrey be Jim Carrey. Afterwards I spilled soda all over the interior of my car, including into my CD player and touch screen navigation unit. I was horrified! I have a warranty on all the electronics in my car but not if they've had soda spilled on them. It only took the BF two and a half hours to pull my dash apart, remove and clean everything even remotely electrical and put it all back together. I am very happy to say that it all works perfectly. And I am never drinking in my car again.
Thursday, December 22, 2005
Holiday goodies
My mom hates Christmas. She doesn't like shopping, can't stand crowds, and is generally rather Scrooge like every December. Unfortunately her attitude tends to rub off on me. This year it was really hard for me to get into the spirit of things. Money has been tight and for the last few years it seams like the quantity and quality (money) of the gifts you buy for people is more important then anything else. The holidays have become a ritual of greed in which, as the only female in my family, I am expected to lead. It is up to me to buy the gifts we send out, decorate the house, prepare the holiday foods, and keep tabs on the emotional well being of our extended network of friends and family. Granted all these jobs are somewhat self appointed but the social pressure to conform and take on these tasks is enormous.
It was with these things in mind that I headed out to do the last of my Christmas buying last weekend. Needless to say nothing much was accomplished. When I came home I saw that the BF had hung up Christmas lights around the exterior of the house. I love Christmas lights. They are my favorite part of the holidays. The Frex never saw the point of putting up lights. To him it was just an additional expense and another chore he didn't want to do. The last Christmas we were together he did put up lights but it was to compete with the neighbors, not to make me happy. So anyways, I was crying by the time I pulled into the driveway. Lights, red and blue, strung along the edges of the roof, the tree glowing through the window. My family safe and warm inside. I Love Christmas.
It was with these things in mind that I headed out to do the last of my Christmas buying last weekend. Needless to say nothing much was accomplished. When I came home I saw that the BF had hung up Christmas lights around the exterior of the house. I love Christmas lights. They are my favorite part of the holidays. The Frex never saw the point of putting up lights. To him it was just an additional expense and another chore he didn't want to do. The last Christmas we were together he did put up lights but it was to compete with the neighbors, not to make me happy. So anyways, I was crying by the time I pulled into the driveway. Lights, red and blue, strung along the edges of the roof, the tree glowing through the window. My family safe and warm inside. I Love Christmas.
Wednesday, December 21, 2005
Baaaaaack!
So I was going to take a week or two off from blogging.....yeah it became a 4 month break. Don't worry you haven't missed much. I bought a new car, well new to me. It's a 2003 Jaguar S type R and I love it! Horsepower was never important to me until I had 400 of it all packed into a sleek and, I think, sexy, curvy, road hugging, package. Okay so it sucks down gas like a fat kid sucks up cake, but I still adore every white inch of it.
Work is crazy right now. We're suppose to be in our slow period - HA! I think we should send our sales guys on vacation or something because they're killing us with all these new jobs.
I found a blog last week that has completely sucked me in. I don't want to post a link to it because I feel like I would be violating his privacy by "advertising" it. Weird concept considering it is an on-line blog, but that's how I feel right now. Reading his posts is like catching a glimpse of what my marriage would have been like had I stayed instead of leaving when I did. Some couples can recover from an affair and some just can't.
My older boy is no longer allowed to go into the drugstore with me. A few weeks ago we're wondering the aisles waiting to get a prescription filled and he finds the condoms. He has a peculiar fascination with them after reading about them in the "sex book" I gave him when we had The Talk. In his "outside voice" he says,
"Hey mom I found the condoms."
"Great, but we don't need them."
"Res.....res....mom what's a res-a-vo-eer tip"
"Oh my god will you just leave them alone and get over here?!"
"Studded. Is that like the snow tires?"
"I am leaving now. Good bye!"
I though the woman at the other end of the aisle was going to fall over and wet her pants she was laughing so hard.
I received an email from an old HS friend just before Thanksgiving. I wrote her back but have yet to hear from her again. Odd.
Work is crazy right now. We're suppose to be in our slow period - HA! I think we should send our sales guys on vacation or something because they're killing us with all these new jobs.
I found a blog last week that has completely sucked me in. I don't want to post a link to it because I feel like I would be violating his privacy by "advertising" it. Weird concept considering it is an on-line blog, but that's how I feel right now. Reading his posts is like catching a glimpse of what my marriage would have been like had I stayed instead of leaving when I did. Some couples can recover from an affair and some just can't.
My older boy is no longer allowed to go into the drugstore with me. A few weeks ago we're wondering the aisles waiting to get a prescription filled and he finds the condoms. He has a peculiar fascination with them after reading about them in the "sex book" I gave him when we had The Talk. In his "outside voice" he says,
"Hey mom I found the condoms."
"Great, but we don't need them."
"Res.....res....mom what's a res-a-vo-eer tip"
"Oh my god will you just leave them alone and get over here?!"
"Studded. Is that like the snow tires?"
"I am leaving now. Good bye!"
I though the woman at the other end of the aisle was going to fall over and wet her pants she was laughing so hard.
I received an email from an old HS friend just before Thanksgiving. I wrote her back but have yet to hear from her again. Odd.
Thursday, August 04, 2005
Lame lame lame
I think I am making strides in my effort to break into the HMWHC. They took me out to lunch yesterday and it wasn't to a bar. It's still very quiet in here and I am absolutely hating the lack of privacy. They played Loverboy and other bad 80s music yesterday until I thought I was going to scream. Overall though I think it'll be okay working with them. It's the commute that is going to do me in. I hate getting up at 6 only to get into work at 7:50. No sane person should have to drive for an hour and a half to get to work.
The BF is becoming a pretty good Mr. Mom. This is only his first week but he's doing great with the boys and man I am loving not having to get them up in the morning. Supposedly they are going to the Frex's this weekend. We haven't worked out how they are getting to his house. He must not be too concerned over it because he hasn't called at all asking about it. Not that I am expecting him to. He's very good at just ignoring the things he doesn't want to deal with. Even when those things are 11 and 6 years old.
I just finished reading "The Arab Mind" (I can't remember the author's name right now). It's an old book but I found the information to still be relevant. It doesn't dig as deep as I would have liked into some subject matters but it gives a pretty good overview of how Arab opinions and attitudes are formed. What I got out of it was an understanding of why the terrorists who strike in Europe and over here are predominately western educated and/or have lived in the west for a number of years. I also came away thinking that if it wasn't for oil, the rest of the world would ignore them like they do Africa. Anyhow it's kind of dry and textbook like but I think it's worth reading.
So it's been over 80 degrees here for the past couple of weeks. Today it's suppose to hit 90. Now I know that's pretty cool compared to many parts of the US right now, but that's freaking HOT for Seattle. I now live farther inland then I did before so it'll hit 90 at my house with no problem today. I miss the cooling off-shore breezes and the morning marine layer that kept everything tolerable for a few hours every morning. The great thing about working in Seattle was the wind off the Sound. It kept the air moving and even if it was 85 outside you felt great when the wind hit you. Summer days when the wind is from the south or east and it was hot as hell you want to die. Just melt into a puddle right there on the sidewalk. We're a hardy bunch us Pacific Northwesterners, but that's really only true when it comes to the cold and the rain. We've never learned how to drive properly in the snow and we go crazy with the heat. But on those grey overcast days when the temperature is in the 60s and the breeze carries the tang of salt water....man we are in our prime. It's those days that we invent ways to get the rest of the country addicted to over priced coffee, and point and click operating systems with which to buy books and other goods on-line. Yes those were blatant plugs for Starbucks, Microsoft, and Amazon.com.
Well I am off to get more green tea and to raid the Red Vines bucket.
The BF is becoming a pretty good Mr. Mom. This is only his first week but he's doing great with the boys and man I am loving not having to get them up in the morning. Supposedly they are going to the Frex's this weekend. We haven't worked out how they are getting to his house. He must not be too concerned over it because he hasn't called at all asking about it. Not that I am expecting him to. He's very good at just ignoring the things he doesn't want to deal with. Even when those things are 11 and 6 years old.
I just finished reading "The Arab Mind" (I can't remember the author's name right now). It's an old book but I found the information to still be relevant. It doesn't dig as deep as I would have liked into some subject matters but it gives a pretty good overview of how Arab opinions and attitudes are formed. What I got out of it was an understanding of why the terrorists who strike in Europe and over here are predominately western educated and/or have lived in the west for a number of years. I also came away thinking that if it wasn't for oil, the rest of the world would ignore them like they do Africa. Anyhow it's kind of dry and textbook like but I think it's worth reading.
So it's been over 80 degrees here for the past couple of weeks. Today it's suppose to hit 90. Now I know that's pretty cool compared to many parts of the US right now, but that's freaking HOT for Seattle. I now live farther inland then I did before so it'll hit 90 at my house with no problem today. I miss the cooling off-shore breezes and the morning marine layer that kept everything tolerable for a few hours every morning. The great thing about working in Seattle was the wind off the Sound. It kept the air moving and even if it was 85 outside you felt great when the wind hit you. Summer days when the wind is from the south or east and it was hot as hell you want to die. Just melt into a puddle right there on the sidewalk. We're a hardy bunch us Pacific Northwesterners, but that's really only true when it comes to the cold and the rain. We've never learned how to drive properly in the snow and we go crazy with the heat. But on those grey overcast days when the temperature is in the 60s and the breeze carries the tang of salt water....man we are in our prime. It's those days that we invent ways to get the rest of the country addicted to over priced coffee, and point and click operating systems with which to buy books and other goods on-line. Yes those were blatant plugs for Starbucks, Microsoft, and Amazon.com.
Well I am off to get more green tea and to raid the Red Vines bucket.
Monday, August 01, 2005
Working for peanuts
First day in the new office. I tried to avoid traffic by going in before 7. Ha! Can't believe I thought that was going to work. Thankfully I arrived at the same time as some other employees who let me in the building. I don't have a keycard yet.
My new "office" is an 18"x48" table pushed against a wall with a picture of, god help me, Chuck Norris hanging above it. Fabulous. All the parts of my computer are on the desk waiting for me to assemble. No problem I've put together plenty of computer systems and hey this way I can get my "desk" set up the way I want it. Computer is up and running....I can't log in. They didn't give me a password. It's still before 8am and there are about 5 of us in the building and the other 4 are not in the IT dept. I decided it was tea time.
A perk of the new company is the free peanuts in the breakroom. Yep folks free peanuts. And if you don't like peanuts there's pretzels and Red Vines. So we aren't allowed to bring over any alcohol but we get all the bar food we can eat. I run into a fellow Seattleite and he tells me the magic password to get me into the system. Thank god cause they were running low on Red Vines and I was gonna have to start in on the pretzels pretty soon.
I ran into a few problems getting Outlook to accept the PST files I'd made. No surprise there. Outlook is a pain in the ass on a good day. The IT guy and I are getting along pretty good especially when he finds out that I can actually read the binary clock I have on my desk. He's probably the only person there I feel comfortable asking for help from.
There are two projects in my In-Box that are due tomorrow. One of them I was able to pretty much do today. I spent most of my time trying to figure out how to get our drawings into their titleblocks or vice versa. The He Man Women Haters Club (HMWHC) is less then helpful. They told me that their blocks are stored on the B drive. HMMMM never used a B drive before. Yeah that would be the engineering drive on the company server. It propagates a unique drive letter when you map it. No one had thought to set me up with permissions on the server so I could map the engineering drive. Why would an engineering drafter need that?
Most of the day I just wanted to go home. I didn't want to be there and I didn't want to work. I didn't want to sit in a room with a bunch of guys that weren't even going to ask if I needed any help figuring out how to find the right plotter on the print server, or what CTB file I should use to print, or even say Happy Fucking Monday to me.
I need a new job. I did see a couple of openings, while they were all at lunch and I felt free to surf the net for awhile, that I am going to send my resume in for. Cross your fingers for me.
My new "office" is an 18"x48" table pushed against a wall with a picture of, god help me, Chuck Norris hanging above it. Fabulous. All the parts of my computer are on the desk waiting for me to assemble. No problem I've put together plenty of computer systems and hey this way I can get my "desk" set up the way I want it. Computer is up and running....I can't log in. They didn't give me a password. It's still before 8am and there are about 5 of us in the building and the other 4 are not in the IT dept. I decided it was tea time.
A perk of the new company is the free peanuts in the breakroom. Yep folks free peanuts. And if you don't like peanuts there's pretzels and Red Vines. So we aren't allowed to bring over any alcohol but we get all the bar food we can eat. I run into a fellow Seattleite and he tells me the magic password to get me into the system. Thank god cause they were running low on Red Vines and I was gonna have to start in on the pretzels pretty soon.
I ran into a few problems getting Outlook to accept the PST files I'd made. No surprise there. Outlook is a pain in the ass on a good day. The IT guy and I are getting along pretty good especially when he finds out that I can actually read the binary clock I have on my desk. He's probably the only person there I feel comfortable asking for help from.
There are two projects in my In-Box that are due tomorrow. One of them I was able to pretty much do today. I spent most of my time trying to figure out how to get our drawings into their titleblocks or vice versa. The He Man Women Haters Club (HMWHC) is less then helpful. They told me that their blocks are stored on the B drive. HMMMM never used a B drive before. Yeah that would be the engineering drive on the company server. It propagates a unique drive letter when you map it. No one had thought to set me up with permissions on the server so I could map the engineering drive. Why would an engineering drafter need that?
Most of the day I just wanted to go home. I didn't want to be there and I didn't want to work. I didn't want to sit in a room with a bunch of guys that weren't even going to ask if I needed any help figuring out how to find the right plotter on the print server, or what CTB file I should use to print, or even say Happy Fucking Monday to me.
I need a new job. I did see a couple of openings, while they were all at lunch and I felt free to surf the net for awhile, that I am going to send my resume in for. Cross your fingers for me.
Thursday, July 28, 2005
How much is it worth to you?
As expected the BF didn't make it home last night. On the upside I had the best night's sleep. I love having the bed to myself. Left alone I tend to sleep diagonally across the bed and have the covers twisted up around me. I missed having him there, don't get me wrong but damn....big bed all the pillows and blankets to myself....Heaven.
So I rolled into his shop this morning to pick up the parking garage pass and there he was up under the dash of the car wiring up stuff. This car is suppose to roll onto the exhibition floor in just over 24 hours and the interior is still not done. The seats are out of it. The finish trim pieces around the center console aren't in. I didn't look in the back so I am going to guess that the sub boxes and amps are installed and I saw that they were able to cut through the carbon/kevlar and put in the door speakers. I am pretty sure they'll be done in time but man they are cutting it close. It still needs to be detailed out and I don't know if they've fixed the wiring for the electronic windows yet.
In other news, the movers will be in the office Friday. Can I say once again how much I don't want to move? I hate Redmond - it's souless. Office Park Hell! Don't even get me started on going to work in the "He Man Woman Haters Homo Club" that is their engineering dept. I have my eye on a palm plant in our lobby. My boss said if it makes it's way into my car he won't tell anyone. Hmmm wonder what else I could fit in my trunk. We have a fully stocked bar and beer fridge here at work. Friday we're having a big "Drink it while we can" party cause we're not being allowed to take it to Redmond with us. There are some great wines here I wouldn't mind opening up and having a glass of but I do have to drive home so I think I am going to have to skip the party. Damn.
I don't know if I'll have an internet connection at the car show this weekend but if I do I'll blog from there. I may have to figure out how to post pictures on this blog so I can share the car and the car hos with everyone.
Happy Thursday y'all.
So I rolled into his shop this morning to pick up the parking garage pass and there he was up under the dash of the car wiring up stuff. This car is suppose to roll onto the exhibition floor in just over 24 hours and the interior is still not done. The seats are out of it. The finish trim pieces around the center console aren't in. I didn't look in the back so I am going to guess that the sub boxes and amps are installed and I saw that they were able to cut through the carbon/kevlar and put in the door speakers. I am pretty sure they'll be done in time but man they are cutting it close. It still needs to be detailed out and I don't know if they've fixed the wiring for the electronic windows yet.
In other news, the movers will be in the office Friday. Can I say once again how much I don't want to move? I hate Redmond - it's souless. Office Park Hell! Don't even get me started on going to work in the "He Man Woman Haters Homo Club" that is their engineering dept. I have my eye on a palm plant in our lobby. My boss said if it makes it's way into my car he won't tell anyone. Hmmm wonder what else I could fit in my trunk. We have a fully stocked bar and beer fridge here at work. Friday we're having a big "Drink it while we can" party cause we're not being allowed to take it to Redmond with us. There are some great wines here I wouldn't mind opening up and having a glass of but I do have to drive home so I think I am going to have to skip the party. Damn.
I don't know if I'll have an internet connection at the car show this weekend but if I do I'll blog from there. I may have to figure out how to post pictures on this blog so I can share the car and the car hos with everyone.
Happy Thursday y'all.
Wednesday, July 27, 2005
Pampered Pets
I have actually had to do real work this week. I know, I know, it's a shock to me too but let's all hang in there together and we'll get through this. It would help of course if people would quit buying over priced crap for their pets so that one of my main accounts could slow down building new stores. They are a great account and I love them dearly but they are on a tear recently. Today I will be drafting out my 15th location for this month. This is second only to Feb so far when we had 20 new stores pass thru my office.
I used to think cat people were crazy. Okay I still do. Dressing your cat up in little costumes and taking pictures of them to bring to work and annoy your co-workers crosses the line into crazyville in my opinion. However I have recently met some dog owners that are making those costume loving cat owners look very sensible. Dog Dancing anyone? Anyone? I was discussing an article I had read in Slate about Dog Dancing classes and how I didn't understand why anyone would do that when a woman at the next table proceeded to tell me how wrong I was and how her and her two dogs just LOVE dancing together. She then whips out pictures of her and the canines in question dancing at a nursing home for the enjoyment of the residents. The residents I might add have looks on their faces of either utter boredom or sheer confusion about what the hell is going on. I was only able to extricate myself from the conversation by looking at a non-existent clock on the wall above her head and exclaiming how I needed to get back to work.
The long hours at the shop continue. The BF didn't get home last night till after 1am. This is better then 4:30; the time he came home Monday night (Tuesday morning). Tonight will be another long night and Thursday he probably won't come home at all. The car is suppose to roll into the Exhibition Center at 3pm Friday. From everything I have heard they will probably make the deadline but it's gonna be close. The undercarriage lights didn't ship
I used to think cat people were crazy. Okay I still do. Dressing your cat up in little costumes and taking pictures of them to bring to work and annoy your co-workers crosses the line into crazyville in my opinion. However I have recently met some dog owners that are making those costume loving cat owners look very sensible. Dog Dancing anyone? Anyone? I was discussing an article I had read in Slate about Dog Dancing classes and how I didn't understand why anyone would do that when a woman at the next table proceeded to tell me how wrong I was and how her and her two dogs just LOVE dancing together. She then whips out pictures of her and the canines in question dancing at a nursing home for the enjoyment of the residents. The residents I might add have looks on their faces of either utter boredom or sheer confusion about what the hell is going on. I was only able to extricate myself from the conversation by looking at a non-existent clock on the wall above her head and exclaiming how I needed to get back to work.
The long hours at the shop continue. The BF didn't get home last night till after 1am. This is better then 4:30; the time he came home Monday night (Tuesday morning). Tonight will be another long night and Thursday he probably won't come home at all. The car is suppose to roll into the Exhibition Center at 3pm Friday. From everything I have heard they will probably make the deadline but it's gonna be close. The undercarriage lights didn't ship
when they were suppose to so they won't be here in time to mount onto the car. At least they were able to get the rest of the wire and terminals that they needed. I've stopped going to the shop to see the progress. I want to see the finished project, see where all that hard work and long hours went. I think that taking unemployment and relaxing for a month or two is the best idea the BF right now. He needs a break, and if the car generates the business they are hoping it will, he'll need to be able to devote some more time down there. Preferably during normal business hours. After all I didn't move in with him to never see him and just act as his maid.
Monday, July 25, 2005
Not Exactly A Geyser
Finally finished re-reading book five the Harry Potter series. I figured that there was plenty that I had forgotten in the past two years so it would be a good idea to refresh my memory before I bough the new book. Like I had forgotten Grawp and Frienze (sp?) the new Divinanation teacher.
I took the boys out to flaming Geyser state park on Sunday. The booth collecting the $5 parking fee was all new to me, so was the parking fee. We were just going to each lunch there but since I had to pay for the privilege of entering the park and parking my car there I was going to make the most of it. After lunch we hiked out past the hordes of people BBQing and launching inner-tubes down the Green River to the park's namesake. It's not exactly a geyser like you would see in Yellowstone. It's a 6-10 inch flame that comes from a round block of concrete that caps a hole in the ground that's over 1400 feet deep. At one time the flame was very impressive, reaching heights of over 10 feet. It was still nice to look at. This little flame burning mysteriously on top of a block of concrete. A quarter mile hike into the woods brought us to Bubbling Geyser, again not much of a geyser. Methane gas percolates up through the ground and bubbles into a small pool of water turning the bottom of the pool and everything in it grey. On the way back I slid down part of a hill (I was wearing open toe sandals because I was not expecting to go hiking) and somehow managed to poke a stick through my middle toe. Say it with me OUCH! It went right through the skin on the side of my toe so it's really just a flesh wound but I am milking it for all the sympathy I can get.
It looks like the China thing may be a "No Go". We decided that they had to offer up a guaranty of full time employment upon his return. So far it doesn't sound like they are in a position to do that. I don't know how I feel about it. This past couple of weeks has been hard, not having him around. The idea of two months with him on the other side of the world is a bit scary. That said it's a wonderful opportunity for him to break into a new industry and get out of the world of AV. What better thing could there be for him then to get a chance to design and build off road vehicles? The BF is never more happy then when he is racing his cars or playing around on the quads. To work for a company that builds them would be a dream job. It would be like me getting a job doing field research with a Social Anthropology team. Pure Heaven.
My dad sent me this joke:
A Spanish teacher was explaining to her class that in Spanish, unlike English, nouns are designated as either masculine or feminine. "House'' for instance, is feminine: ''la casa.'' ''Pencil,'' however, is masculine: "el lapiz.''
A student asked, ''What gender is 'computer'?'' Instead of giving the answer, the teacher split the class into two groups, male and female, and asked them to decide for themselves whether ''computer'' should be a masculine or a feminine noun. Each group was asked to give four reasons for its recommendation.
The men's group decided that ''computer'' should definitely be of the feminine gender (''la computadora''), because:
1. No one but their creator understands their internal logic
2. The native language they use to communicate with other computers is incomprehensible to everyone else
3. Even the smallest mistakes are stored in long term memory for possible later retrieval
4. As soon as you make a commitment to one, you find yourself spending half your paycheck on accessories for it.
The women's group, however, concluded that computers should be Masculine (''el computador''), because:
1. In order to do anything with them, you have to turn them on
2. They have a lot of data but still can't think for themselves
3. They are supposed to help you solve problems, but half the time they ARE the problem
4. As soon as you commit to one, you realize that if you had waited a little longer, you could have gotten a better model
The women won.
I am not so sure I agree with the conclusion of this joke. BTW does anyone know what computer is in Spanish? I could look it up but I am too lazy.
I took the boys out to flaming Geyser state park on Sunday. The booth collecting the $5 parking fee was all new to me, so was the parking fee. We were just going to each lunch there but since I had to pay for the privilege of entering the park and parking my car there I was going to make the most of it. After lunch we hiked out past the hordes of people BBQing and launching inner-tubes down the Green River to the park's namesake. It's not exactly a geyser like you would see in Yellowstone. It's a 6-10 inch flame that comes from a round block of concrete that caps a hole in the ground that's over 1400 feet deep. At one time the flame was very impressive, reaching heights of over 10 feet. It was still nice to look at. This little flame burning mysteriously on top of a block of concrete. A quarter mile hike into the woods brought us to Bubbling Geyser, again not much of a geyser. Methane gas percolates up through the ground and bubbles into a small pool of water turning the bottom of the pool and everything in it grey. On the way back I slid down part of a hill (I was wearing open toe sandals because I was not expecting to go hiking) and somehow managed to poke a stick through my middle toe. Say it with me OUCH! It went right through the skin on the side of my toe so it's really just a flesh wound but I am milking it for all the sympathy I can get.
It looks like the China thing may be a "No Go". We decided that they had to offer up a guaranty of full time employment upon his return. So far it doesn't sound like they are in a position to do that. I don't know how I feel about it. This past couple of weeks has been hard, not having him around. The idea of two months with him on the other side of the world is a bit scary. That said it's a wonderful opportunity for him to break into a new industry and get out of the world of AV. What better thing could there be for him then to get a chance to design and build off road vehicles? The BF is never more happy then when he is racing his cars or playing around on the quads. To work for a company that builds them would be a dream job. It would be like me getting a job doing field research with a Social Anthropology team. Pure Heaven.
My dad sent me this joke:
A Spanish teacher was explaining to her class that in Spanish, unlike English, nouns are designated as either masculine or feminine. "House'' for instance, is feminine: ''la casa.'' ''Pencil,'' however, is masculine: "el lapiz.''
A student asked, ''What gender is 'computer'?'' Instead of giving the answer, the teacher split the class into two groups, male and female, and asked them to decide for themselves whether ''computer'' should be a masculine or a feminine noun. Each group was asked to give four reasons for its recommendation.
The men's group decided that ''computer'' should definitely be of the feminine gender (''la computadora''), because:
1. No one but their creator understands their internal logic
2. The native language they use to communicate with other computers is incomprehensible to everyone else
3. Even the smallest mistakes are stored in long term memory for possible later retrieval
4. As soon as you make a commitment to one, you find yourself spending half your paycheck on accessories for it.
The women's group, however, concluded that computers should be Masculine (''el computador''), because:
1. In order to do anything with them, you have to turn them on
2. They have a lot of data but still can't think for themselves
3. They are supposed to help you solve problems, but half the time they ARE the problem
4. As soon as you commit to one, you realize that if you had waited a little longer, you could have gotten a better model
The women won.
I am not so sure I agree with the conclusion of this joke. BTW does anyone know what computer is in Spanish? I could look it up but I am too lazy.
Friday, July 22, 2005
Can you get the Friday blues?
Happy Friday everyone. Surprise...it's raining. We've a nice run of sunny weather here in Seattle, almost two weeks worth of sunshine, so naturally it's time for the clouds and rain to make an appearance and remind us all that we do indeed live in the Pacific Northwest. It's a good thing too cause all us pale native Washingtonians were wilting with the heat and begining to shrivel up because the dry air. We need the cool moist breezes that come in off the ocean to sustain the moss between our toes.
The BF received a call yesterday from a company he's done contract work for in the past. They want to send him to China for two months to work with their manufacturing facility redesigning some of their product line. It's an amazing opportunity and I am very excited for him. I am just feeling a little sorry for myself though right now. I think I underestimated how lonely I would be moving down south. I am not very good at meeting people and making friends. The farther I sink into this depression the less inclined I am to get out of the house and do things. Because of the BF getting laid off and me not receiving any child support right now I am being very careful with my money. Many of the plans I had made, to fix up the yard and do some projects in the house, have been put on hold until I can catch up financially. What I have found is that it's a good neighborhood to go for walks in. The boys and I have started going for walks each night before bedtime.
Over all though I think I have a case of buyers remorse. The school district down there sucks. I am worried that the boys won't get a proper education. If I didn't work with the BF and drive to and from work with him I would hardly ever see him. The house is tiny and there is too much stuff in it. Because of the merger my commute to work has been lengthened to almost an hour and a half each way. I am tired of telling everyone how great things are and how happy I am when it's not and I am not. I knew all these things (except the change in commute) when I moved in so I have no one to blame but myself.
The BF received a call yesterday from a company he's done contract work for in the past. They want to send him to China for two months to work with their manufacturing facility redesigning some of their product line. It's an amazing opportunity and I am very excited for him. I am just feeling a little sorry for myself though right now. I think I underestimated how lonely I would be moving down south. I am not very good at meeting people and making friends. The farther I sink into this depression the less inclined I am to get out of the house and do things. Because of the BF getting laid off and me not receiving any child support right now I am being very careful with my money. Many of the plans I had made, to fix up the yard and do some projects in the house, have been put on hold until I can catch up financially. What I have found is that it's a good neighborhood to go for walks in. The boys and I have started going for walks each night before bedtime.
Over all though I think I have a case of buyers remorse. The school district down there sucks. I am worried that the boys won't get a proper education. If I didn't work with the BF and drive to and from work with him I would hardly ever see him. The house is tiny and there is too much stuff in it. Because of the merger my commute to work has been lengthened to almost an hour and a half each way. I am tired of telling everyone how great things are and how happy I am when it's not and I am not. I knew all these things (except the change in commute) when I moved in so I have no one to blame but myself.
Thursday, July 21, 2005
Bling Bling
Came home yesterday to find my anniversary gift to myself waiting in the mailbox. The BF and I had a good laugh over how huge this ring is. It's shiny and real looking on the outside but it's fake and worthless on the inside just like the frex.
The story of my awful day at the new company has made the office rounds. I received a reply from my new boss to the e-mail (see below) I'd sent him. Nothing of much substance to it. He doesn't anticipate any problems with collaborative support....quirky personalities....yadda yadda yadda. Then he says he'll call to talk things over but never does. I am taking this as a sign of things to come. In a nut shell the day started out fine. We met some very nice people and went on a tour of the place. They are stacked in there nuts to butts and everytime we asked how and where we would fit in there was a lot of nervous laughter and a breezy "Oh we'll find you a spot somewhere." Hmmm. I guess they are looking into leasing the empty space in a building next door but no one seemed to know when that was going to happen. We spent most of the day in a conference room with people from various departments coming in and giving us an over view of what they do and how their work process runs. We got to listen to part of the new Herbie Hancock CD - Joss Stone and Johnnie Lang singing a duet version of When Love Came to Town. That was the best part of the day. Well actually lunch was pretty good too. Two of their project managers took us out to lunch and between double martinis and beers we had a great time talking about the people in the industry that we all know and getting to know each other on a personal level.
The day went south for me when I ducked out of the last presentation of the day, going over contractors and installer agreements (not my area), and I went back to the engineering department to talk with my future co-workers.
Okay let me set the stage here...
They work in the back end of the building, one wall is actually a garage door. To get into their area you walk through a door that is plastered with a life size poster of what looks like some guy from Baywatch (yes a guy in the red swim trunks not some gal with her boobs spilling out of the red swim suit) and you walk into an area that is covered from floor to ceiling (which is very high because it is a warehouse after all) in posters of other guys. I didn't want to stare at them too much so I didn't take in any of the details but I was told that each of them had a face of one of the engineers superimposed onto them. Very weird. It was like walking into the grown up version of the He Man Women Haters Club. So I walk in and am standing in this space surrounded by images of testosterone pumping manly maleness and not a single one of them acknowledges my presence. Every attempt I made at getting a conversation started was greeted with grunts or monosyllabic answers. Are they angry at me personally? Do they treat all new people this way? Is it cause I am a female entering into their all boys club? Are they pissed off about this merger (take a number boys) and are taking it out on me? Don't know.
So I have let everyone I know, know that I am looking for a new job. I even broke down and told my dad that I would be willing to work at Boeing. I have worked too hard and have accomplished too much to be treated that way.
In other news - I am beginning a new dry spell counter. We are now at roughly 74 hours. I will be soooooo happy when this car show is over and done with. Alas there is always another show and another list of modification that need to be done just waiting in the wings.
The story of my awful day at the new company has made the office rounds. I received a reply from my new boss to the e-mail (see below) I'd sent him. Nothing of much substance to it. He doesn't anticipate any problems with collaborative support....quirky personalities....yadda yadda yadda. Then he says he'll call to talk things over but never does. I am taking this as a sign of things to come. In a nut shell the day started out fine. We met some very nice people and went on a tour of the place. They are stacked in there nuts to butts and everytime we asked how and where we would fit in there was a lot of nervous laughter and a breezy "Oh we'll find you a spot somewhere." Hmmm. I guess they are looking into leasing the empty space in a building next door but no one seemed to know when that was going to happen. We spent most of the day in a conference room with people from various departments coming in and giving us an over view of what they do and how their work process runs. We got to listen to part of the new Herbie Hancock CD - Joss Stone and Johnnie Lang singing a duet version of When Love Came to Town. That was the best part of the day. Well actually lunch was pretty good too. Two of their project managers took us out to lunch and between double martinis and beers we had a great time talking about the people in the industry that we all know and getting to know each other on a personal level.
The day went south for me when I ducked out of the last presentation of the day, going over contractors and installer agreements (not my area), and I went back to the engineering department to talk with my future co-workers.
Okay let me set the stage here...
They work in the back end of the building, one wall is actually a garage door. To get into their area you walk through a door that is plastered with a life size poster of what looks like some guy from Baywatch (yes a guy in the red swim trunks not some gal with her boobs spilling out of the red swim suit) and you walk into an area that is covered from floor to ceiling (which is very high because it is a warehouse after all) in posters of other guys. I didn't want to stare at them too much so I didn't take in any of the details but I was told that each of them had a face of one of the engineers superimposed onto them. Very weird. It was like walking into the grown up version of the He Man Women Haters Club. So I walk in and am standing in this space surrounded by images of testosterone pumping manly maleness and not a single one of them acknowledges my presence. Every attempt I made at getting a conversation started was greeted with grunts or monosyllabic answers. Are they angry at me personally? Do they treat all new people this way? Is it cause I am a female entering into their all boys club? Are they pissed off about this merger (take a number boys) and are taking it out on me? Don't know.
So I have let everyone I know, know that I am looking for a new job. I even broke down and told my dad that I would be willing to work at Boeing. I have worked too hard and have accomplished too much to be treated that way.
In other news - I am beginning a new dry spell counter. We are now at roughly 74 hours. I will be soooooo happy when this car show is over and done with. Alas there is always another show and another list of modification that need to be done just waiting in the wings.
Wednesday, July 20, 2005
The Aftermath
A letter I am drafting to my new boss following our meet and greet yesterday.
Hi ***,
It was great to finally meet you yesterday and to see the company. Overall I felt warmly welcomed by just about everyone we met; engineering being the exception to that.
I don’t know what precipitated the chilly greeting I received when I went back there on my own yesterday afternoon. I don’t know if it’s my gender that put them off or just me being an unwelcome outsider.
My work at *** has been in a production capacity. I am not an engineer/designer, nor will I pretend to be one. I am anticipating that upon coming to work at ***** my essential job duties in regards to my existing accounts will not change. There is a large learning curve ahead of me as I learn the work processes and integrate our existing accounts into them. Judging by the hostile reception that I received, I am not counting on getting any help from your engineering department making these changes.
This merger has put us all under a great deal of stress. There are many questions yet to be answered regarding how we will all work together. I have always enjoyed the collaborative spirit and group effort that we put into each and every project. My hope is, that given time this spirit of cooperation will make its self felt again.
Regards,
Yup that's how my day went.
Enough said.
Hi ***,
It was great to finally meet you yesterday and to see the company. Overall I felt warmly welcomed by just about everyone we met; engineering being the exception to that.
I don’t know what precipitated the chilly greeting I received when I went back there on my own yesterday afternoon. I don’t know if it’s my gender that put them off or just me being an unwelcome outsider.
My work at *** has been in a production capacity. I am not an engineer/designer, nor will I pretend to be one. I am anticipating that upon coming to work at ***** my essential job duties in regards to my existing accounts will not change. There is a large learning curve ahead of me as I learn the work processes and integrate our existing accounts into them. Judging by the hostile reception that I received, I am not counting on getting any help from your engineering department making these changes.
This merger has put us all under a great deal of stress. There are many questions yet to be answered regarding how we will all work together. I have always enjoyed the collaborative spirit and group effort that we put into each and every project. My hope is, that given time this spirit of cooperation will make its self felt again.
Regards,
Yup that's how my day went.
Enough said.
Monday, July 18, 2005
Yup, I am lost
What a fabulous way to start my week. I opened up my e-mail and, color me amazed, I have comments! Yip yip yippeee! On a side note, ever read through something that you've written and find spelling and grammar errors that you missed finding before you posted or turned in your work? Okay it's probably just me.
Unless you live under a rock it can't have escaped your notice that the 6th Harry Potter book was released on Saturday. Way back in January I was ordering books on-line and had put this book in my "basket" to have it delivered to my house bright and early on the day of it's release. All was well until it came check-out time and I was informed that all my books would ship at one time. In other words, the other 9 books I was buying wouldn't ship to me until the HP book shipped. Totally not acceptable! I had just started a new book series and NEEDED those other 9 books. Picture a crack whore with no crack in sight. So HP came out of the basket and a book on Celtic history went in. I made a mental note to pre-order HP, but like many of the mental notes I make it got lost in the chaos. End of story - the 16th arrives without the long awaited HP book landing on my doorstep. Damn.
Tuesday is fast approaching and with it my trip to the new offices in Redmond to meet my new co-workers. So this past Saturday I decided to drive out to the new place, kind of check the route I am going to have to take. Did I bring the address with me. No. Why would I do that? I know where it is - kind of. Well Redmond is pretty familiar to me I've driven through there and have spent a fair amount of time in that area so I wasn't really worried about it.
On the way back home I decided to take this back road which I thought would take me pretty close to home. After all it went south and that's where I needed to go. How far south it went was the question. Well the answer is; pretty dang far people. I was feeling pretty good about this little detour until I realized that I the road I had counted on taking me the rest of the way home was closed for construction. Okay, there has to be another road to get me where I am going around here right? Apparently not. I am in the neighborhood from hell. It's all cul-de-sacs and dead ends everywhere I turn. When I pass the same blue house with the beautiful prairie style chimney (that really needs some repair work) for the third time I admit to myself that I am hopelessly lost.
I pull over and call every single person I know who has a computer and who could possibly give me some directions. No one, not a single one of them is home. If they do answer the phone they're on their cells driving somewhere or are out of the house having a life. How dare they? Don't they know that they have to be at home waiting beside their computers ready to help me get out of the trouble that I get myself into? I finally call the BF's mom, who is very willing to help but unfortunately couldn't find me any other way to get home other then via the closed road. I finally make my way back to a main road and defying conventional wisdom turn Right; the opposite direction from where I5 should have been. This turns out to be an okay move as it leads me to a road I sort of recognize which in turn brings me to road I am more familiar with and 30 mins later I am home. Oh well, it was better then pulling weeds.
Unless you live under a rock it can't have escaped your notice that the 6th Harry Potter book was released on Saturday. Way back in January I was ordering books on-line and had put this book in my "basket" to have it delivered to my house bright and early on the day of it's release. All was well until it came check-out time and I was informed that all my books would ship at one time. In other words, the other 9 books I was buying wouldn't ship to me until the HP book shipped. Totally not acceptable! I had just started a new book series and NEEDED those other 9 books. Picture a crack whore with no crack in sight. So HP came out of the basket and a book on Celtic history went in. I made a mental note to pre-order HP, but like many of the mental notes I make it got lost in the chaos. End of story - the 16th arrives without the long awaited HP book landing on my doorstep. Damn.
Tuesday is fast approaching and with it my trip to the new offices in Redmond to meet my new co-workers. So this past Saturday I decided to drive out to the new place, kind of check the route I am going to have to take. Did I bring the address with me. No. Why would I do that? I know where it is - kind of. Well Redmond is pretty familiar to me I've driven through there and have spent a fair amount of time in that area so I wasn't really worried about it.
On the way back home I decided to take this back road which I thought would take me pretty close to home. After all it went south and that's where I needed to go. How far south it went was the question. Well the answer is; pretty dang far people. I was feeling pretty good about this little detour until I realized that I the road I had counted on taking me the rest of the way home was closed for construction. Okay, there has to be another road to get me where I am going around here right? Apparently not. I am in the neighborhood from hell. It's all cul-de-sacs and dead ends everywhere I turn. When I pass the same blue house with the beautiful prairie style chimney (that really needs some repair work) for the third time I admit to myself that I am hopelessly lost.
I pull over and call every single person I know who has a computer and who could possibly give me some directions. No one, not a single one of them is home. If they do answer the phone they're on their cells driving somewhere or are out of the house having a life. How dare they? Don't they know that they have to be at home waiting beside their computers ready to help me get out of the trouble that I get myself into? I finally call the BF's mom, who is very willing to help but unfortunately couldn't find me any other way to get home other then via the closed road. I finally make my way back to a main road and defying conventional wisdom turn Right; the opposite direction from where I5 should have been. This turns out to be an okay move as it leads me to a road I sort of recognize which in turn brings me to road I am more familiar with and 30 mins later I am home. Oh well, it was better then pulling weeds.
Friday, July 15, 2005
Um...that was weird
Yesterday was my one year anniversary. Yup one year ago I packed up the kids and myself and with $5 in my pocket and 1/4 tank of gas I left the frex. Best decision I ever made. Funny now to look back and know that I'd only made that decision about two hours before. Sometimes enough is enough.
When I logged on today I saw that my previous post had been saved as a draft. The posting took longer then usual on Wednesday and I guess it never did complete successfully. At least it was saved as a draft instead of being lost forever.
I was flipping through channels last night (my god TV is boring) and noticed that we get 3 shop at home channels, 3 religious, 2 foreign language, 1 Canadian, 1 all news, 1 all local sports, and 10 regular program channels - 2 of which are PBS. So with only 21 channels to choose from you can understand why I was so damn bored. I have to talk to the BF about upgrading his cable. Yeah I should have been outside pulling weeds or having yet another Nerf dart war with the boys but I wanted to veg out for a few hours. Naturally I ended up watching two dumbasses try to disprove evolution for about 20 mins until I got so fed up with their selective sampling of science and the half truths they were spitting out that I ended up on Shop at Home. Yes sparkling things caught my eye and I was hooked. Lets just skip ahead and say that I am expecting a package to arrive at home in about 3 days. I am calling it an anniversary gift to myself. That's my story and I am sticking to it.
We were driving home yesterday and I saw this large silver thing in the sky. Nothing all that noteworthy since we live in the land of Boeing. But this thing was huge and seemed to just be hovering there. I thought maybe it was a blimp, I could only catch small glimpses of it through the trees. We finally round a bend in the road and OMG it's a 777 coming almost straight at us about 500 feet off the ground. "Holy sh**!" says I gripping onto the BF's arm. What an amazing sight. The plane was landing at Boeing field, naturally. This was the first time I'd seen an airplane of that size land there. We usually see helicopters and small airplanes take off and land all day but never one of the larger planes. It reminded me of flying into San Diego. If you've ever been there you'll know what I am talking about.
Well I am off to redo the last half dozen projects I've done recently. Equipment changes after the fact - drives me crazy but at least their easy and fast.
Happy Friday everyone - have a great weekend.
When I logged on today I saw that my previous post had been saved as a draft. The posting took longer then usual on Wednesday and I guess it never did complete successfully. At least it was saved as a draft instead of being lost forever.
I was flipping through channels last night (my god TV is boring) and noticed that we get 3 shop at home channels, 3 religious, 2 foreign language, 1 Canadian, 1 all news, 1 all local sports, and 10 regular program channels - 2 of which are PBS. So with only 21 channels to choose from you can understand why I was so damn bored. I have to talk to the BF about upgrading his cable. Yeah I should have been outside pulling weeds or having yet another Nerf dart war with the boys but I wanted to veg out for a few hours. Naturally I ended up watching two dumbasses try to disprove evolution for about 20 mins until I got so fed up with their selective sampling of science and the half truths they were spitting out that I ended up on Shop at Home. Yes sparkling things caught my eye and I was hooked. Lets just skip ahead and say that I am expecting a package to arrive at home in about 3 days. I am calling it an anniversary gift to myself. That's my story and I am sticking to it.
We were driving home yesterday and I saw this large silver thing in the sky. Nothing all that noteworthy since we live in the land of Boeing. But this thing was huge and seemed to just be hovering there. I thought maybe it was a blimp, I could only catch small glimpses of it through the trees. We finally round a bend in the road and OMG it's a 777 coming almost straight at us about 500 feet off the ground. "Holy sh**!" says I gripping onto the BF's arm. What an amazing sight. The plane was landing at Boeing field, naturally. This was the first time I'd seen an airplane of that size land there. We usually see helicopters and small airplanes take off and land all day but never one of the larger planes. It reminded me of flying into San Diego. If you've ever been there you'll know what I am talking about.
Well I am off to redo the last half dozen projects I've done recently. Equipment changes after the fact - drives me crazy but at least their easy and fast.
Happy Friday everyone - have a great weekend.
Wednesday, July 13, 2005
...and the Micky Mouse high heels you came prancing in on
Happy Hump Day everyone!
So yes it's Wednesday and my day got off to a late start but hey the dry spell is over so it's all good. I have to go to my "new job" next Tuesday for a meet and greet/orientation thing. Yippee. I was kind of an add along when the new boss invited the acct mgr over.
In other work news I am on my third printing of the same job. We're putting new speakers into these stores and I forgot to pull out the mounting instructions for the old speakers. Oooops my bad. So I take another run at it and then spend some time searching for a supplier of cheap RCA stereo patch cords because the account mgr informs me that while we have had the installers buy them in the past she would like us to supply them from now on. I find one and send it off to our purchasing mgr for approval and addition to our inventory system so that I can include one in the job and all other jobs for this acct in the future.
I send the drawings to print, second time, and am waiting for the patch cord to be put into the system before I print out a modified equipment list. Drawings are done but I am still waiting for the inventory update. Along comes the account mgr, "For the ***** project, I want you to put in the A series amp and pull out the BG, be sure to include the right MOH module and we'll be using these new amps for all projects going forward." She says as she makes her morning rounds. Fabulous. Re-do the drawings - no need for that stereo patch cord now - the A series doesn't have RCA connectionss on the back, only screw terminals. Print the drawing, for the third time and redo the equipment list. Now the whole package costs $120 more then it did before, it's harder for our installers to wire up because they have to cut the end off an RCA cable and wire it into the module that they have to install into the back of the amp. And by the way there is no system improvement by using this amplifier. True it won't go into protect mode and cut it's output down if it's under stress like the BG will thereby cutting down the volume on the system but what it does do is shut it's self off. So instead of a quiet music system you have NO music system. Good Choice! And did I mention that she doesn't dare pass along this price increase to the client so we are going to have to eat the extra $120. Yup she's a smart one.
For those of you keeping track - the frex sent an e-mail and left a voice message within an hour of my e-mail to him, letting me know that he has to work the next two weekends and isn't able to see the boys. Lovely.
So yes it's Wednesday and my day got off to a late start but hey the dry spell is over so it's all good. I have to go to my "new job" next Tuesday for a meet and greet/orientation thing. Yippee. I was kind of an add along when the new boss invited the acct mgr over.
In other work news I am on my third printing of the same job. We're putting new speakers into these stores and I forgot to pull out the mounting instructions for the old speakers. Oooops my bad. So I take another run at it and then spend some time searching for a supplier of cheap RCA stereo patch cords because the account mgr informs me that while we have had the installers buy them in the past she would like us to supply them from now on. I find one and send it off to our purchasing mgr for approval and addition to our inventory system so that I can include one in the job and all other jobs for this acct in the future.
I send the drawings to print, second time, and am waiting for the patch cord to be put into the system before I print out a modified equipment list. Drawings are done but I am still waiting for the inventory update. Along comes the account mgr, "For the ***** project, I want you to put in the A series amp and pull out the BG, be sure to include the right MOH module and we'll be using these new amps for all projects going forward." She says as she makes her morning rounds. Fabulous. Re-do the drawings - no need for that stereo patch cord now - the A series doesn't have RCA connectionss on the back, only screw terminals. Print the drawing, for the third time and redo the equipment list. Now the whole package costs $120 more then it did before, it's harder for our installers to wire up because they have to cut the end off an RCA cable and wire it into the module that they have to install into the back of the amp. And by the way there is no system improvement by using this amplifier. True it won't go into protect mode and cut it's output down if it's under stress like the BG will thereby cutting down the volume on the system but what it does do is shut it's self off. So instead of a quiet music system you have NO music system. Good Choice! And did I mention that she doesn't dare pass along this price increase to the client so we are going to have to eat the extra $120. Yup she's a smart one.
For those of you keeping track - the frex sent an e-mail and left a voice message within an hour of my e-mail to him, letting me know that he has to work the next two weekends and isn't able to see the boys. Lovely.
Tuesday, July 12, 2005
2 Days and counting
Just sent off and e-mail to the frex letting him know how to get the boys out of their new daycare this Friday. Who wants to lay odds on him calling me later today claiming to be broke and out of gas and unable to make the drive down to Covington to get them? Anyone? Anyone?
Hot Import Nights is just over two weeks away and the building frenzy is on down at the shop. The BF has started to once again spend his nights down there, coming home around midnight or later. The show should be great though and I am sure it will be worth all the time and trouble we have to go through to get ready for it. It had better be. After all I am giving up going to my family's reunion and the BF is missing out on his 10 yr HS reunion; both of which fall on the same weekend as the show. Adam's girlfriend, who went to the last big show while I was in MA, wasn't sure she was going to go to this one. Too many car hos for her to handle. Now that she knows I'll be there she is thinking of coming along as well. I am hoping that AC, and E&S will make it as well. The more people the better. Besides AC loves him some car hos.
I built a bookcase last night. God bless IKEA. It's not the greatest bookcase ever but it'll serve it's purpose for now. Right now it's home to most of my hardback books and some of my brass and china collection as well. Three more empty boxes! That's what really excites me the most about the whole thing. I know - pretty pathetic.
The boys met Fred yesterday. Fred is the little kid who lives across the street. Fred's dad is......odd. Fred's mom is odd too because she lives with Fred's dad who as I said is....odd. Fred is allowed in our house but I don't think the same will hold true for the boys and Fred's house. By the way....I love the name Fred.....can you tell? It's just fun to say.
I am starving. Extra strong black tea just isn't cutting it this morning. I am debating the merits of going into the kitchen and eating more Chex Mix. It didn't do me wrong yesterday. I just wish I had a better alternative. But beggars can't be choosers and since the Chex Mix is free.....well you get the point. Yup the stomach wins this round. I am off to go stuff my face.
Happy Tuesday everyone.
Hot Import Nights is just over two weeks away and the building frenzy is on down at the shop. The BF has started to once again spend his nights down there, coming home around midnight or later. The show should be great though and I am sure it will be worth all the time and trouble we have to go through to get ready for it. It had better be. After all I am giving up going to my family's reunion and the BF is missing out on his 10 yr HS reunion; both of which fall on the same weekend as the show. Adam's girlfriend, who went to the last big show while I was in MA, wasn't sure she was going to go to this one. Too many car hos for her to handle. Now that she knows I'll be there she is thinking of coming along as well. I am hoping that AC, and E&S will make it as well. The more people the better. Besides AC loves him some car hos.
I built a bookcase last night. God bless IKEA. It's not the greatest bookcase ever but it'll serve it's purpose for now. Right now it's home to most of my hardback books and some of my brass and china collection as well. Three more empty boxes! That's what really excites me the most about the whole thing. I know - pretty pathetic.
The boys met Fred yesterday. Fred is the little kid who lives across the street. Fred's dad is......odd. Fred's mom is odd too because she lives with Fred's dad who as I said is....odd. Fred is allowed in our house but I don't think the same will hold true for the boys and Fred's house. By the way....I love the name Fred.....can you tell? It's just fun to say.
I am starving. Extra strong black tea just isn't cutting it this morning. I am debating the merits of going into the kitchen and eating more Chex Mix. It didn't do me wrong yesterday. I just wish I had a better alternative. But beggars can't be choosers and since the Chex Mix is free.....well you get the point. Yup the stomach wins this round. I am off to go stuff my face.
Happy Tuesday everyone.
Monday, July 11, 2005
Chex Mix in the Morning
Happy freaking Monday people.
Yup the weekend is over and it's time to get back to work in the real world. For the one person who I think still reads this, "yes dear that means you get to sit there at your desk in the hallowed halls of higher education and pretend that you are working for the next 8 hours."
Well I left my phone at my aunts place on Saturday. Didn't notice it was gone until this morning. Par for the course with me. E&S have created a little check sheet for every time I visit them to make sure I am taking home with me everything that I brought with. They know me and my forgetful ways very well. While on the subject of E&S I would like to put out a quick prayer for S's dad who is going in for a Quintuple bi-pass this morning. I guess the first one he had was so great that he wanted to do it all over again but even bigger this time.
So I spent a few pleasant (HA) hours in the yard yesterday digging out weeds from one of the BF's row of roses. Yes folks just of of the rows and I didn't even finish it. The yard is so weed, moss, and fern infected that I have serious doubts that there is any real actual grass still alive in his yard. I am working away, ignoring the occasional bouts of rain pulling out a sh** ton of dandelions and other assorted flora, when I see it. This monster of a stickerbush that is obviously the mother of all that I have just spent the last two hours ripping out of the ground. I kid you not this thing stood nearly 6 feet tall and a stalk the size of a five year old's forearm. It loomed over me as I knelt before it, mouth agape in awe at it's size and it's very existence. My trusty garden shovel which until now had been the smiting weeds with the ferocity of a barbarian, cowered under the malevolent gaze of this monstrous weed. Just then big fat raindrops began to fall and I took this timely interruption as a sign from above, picked up my things and scooted out of there with my tail between my legs. I will be back. With a full sized shovel, a pick-axe, a bottle of brake clean, goggles, up to my elbow gloves, my dirt bike helmet, and a nasty attitude. You're going down monster weed!!!! Muh ha ha ha
I have discovered, to my horror, that the nearest Barnes & Noble is over NINE miles away. Okay that may not sound like much but when you look at it in time spent getting there, 35 -40 minutes, it might as well be on the moon. And those time estimates are on a good day. I have been spoiled by having my favorite book store five minutes away all these years. There are three places to buy turnips and hamburger within two miles of the house but I have to travel nine miles to be able to buy a cup of tea, find a cozy chair, read a good book and do some people watching. Covington, where are your priorities? Get yourself a damn bookstore!
Since the meeting on Friday I have started cleaning out my office. It seems all too likely that I am soon doomed to become a cubicle dweller. I took my Ross Nicoll water colors home on Friday along with my pictures from Mexico that had been decorating the kitchen here. Today I have packed up my diplomas, certifications, airplanes, and will probably grab the my albums that have been hanging up in the reception area. I am in debate as to whether or not to take the albums and their frames or just the albums and leave the empty frames still hanging on the wall. I'll have to give this one some thought. Weigh in with your thoughts if you'd like.
Yup the weekend is over and it's time to get back to work in the real world. For the one person who I think still reads this, "yes dear that means you get to sit there at your desk in the hallowed halls of higher education and pretend that you are working for the next 8 hours."
Well I left my phone at my aunts place on Saturday. Didn't notice it was gone until this morning. Par for the course with me. E&S have created a little check sheet for every time I visit them to make sure I am taking home with me everything that I brought with. They know me and my forgetful ways very well. While on the subject of E&S I would like to put out a quick prayer for S's dad who is going in for a Quintuple bi-pass this morning. I guess the first one he had was so great that he wanted to do it all over again but even bigger this time.
So I spent a few pleasant (HA) hours in the yard yesterday digging out weeds from one of the BF's row of roses. Yes folks just of of the rows and I didn't even finish it. The yard is so weed, moss, and fern infected that I have serious doubts that there is any real actual grass still alive in his yard. I am working away, ignoring the occasional bouts of rain pulling out a sh** ton of dandelions and other assorted flora, when I see it. This monster of a stickerbush that is obviously the mother of all that I have just spent the last two hours ripping out of the ground. I kid you not this thing stood nearly 6 feet tall and a stalk the size of a five year old's forearm. It loomed over me as I knelt before it, mouth agape in awe at it's size and it's very existence. My trusty garden shovel which until now had been the smiting weeds with the ferocity of a barbarian, cowered under the malevolent gaze of this monstrous weed. Just then big fat raindrops began to fall and I took this timely interruption as a sign from above, picked up my things and scooted out of there with my tail between my legs. I will be back. With a full sized shovel, a pick-axe, a bottle of brake clean, goggles, up to my elbow gloves, my dirt bike helmet, and a nasty attitude. You're going down monster weed!!!! Muh ha ha ha
I have discovered, to my horror, that the nearest Barnes & Noble is over NINE miles away. Okay that may not sound like much but when you look at it in time spent getting there, 35 -40 minutes, it might as well be on the moon. And those time estimates are on a good day. I have been spoiled by having my favorite book store five minutes away all these years. There are three places to buy turnips and hamburger within two miles of the house but I have to travel nine miles to be able to buy a cup of tea, find a cozy chair, read a good book and do some people watching. Covington, where are your priorities? Get yourself a damn bookstore!
Since the meeting on Friday I have started cleaning out my office. It seems all too likely that I am soon doomed to become a cubicle dweller. I took my Ross Nicoll water colors home on Friday along with my pictures from Mexico that had been decorating the kitchen here. Today I have packed up my diplomas, certifications, airplanes, and will probably grab the my albums that have been hanging up in the reception area. I am in debate as to whether or not to take the albums and their frames or just the albums and leave the empty frames still hanging on the wall. I'll have to give this one some thought. Weigh in with your thoughts if you'd like.
Saturday, July 09, 2005
Friday, July 08, 2005
Meeting Meltdown
For my first post merger meeting things went about as well as expected. When our old president, who is now our new executive vice president, said that the next few months are going to suck it was first time I think he's told us the truth in almost a year. My desire to stay here and see how thing shake out, ie see if a project/account mgr position opens up, is lessening daily. I almost wish it was me that was let go so that I would feel more of a push to find a new job. Why is it that we will settle for something that makes us unhappy just because the thought of change is so scary?
Why are we willing to sacrifice ourselves to conform to the expectations of others?
Is looking out for yourself really such a bad thing?
Companies have no shame about being disloyal to their employees; why then do we feel the need to be loyal to them?
And lastly; is the reverse position of 69 (man on top) called 96?
Why are we willing to sacrifice ourselves to conform to the expectations of others?
Is looking out for yourself really such a bad thing?
Companies have no shame about being disloyal to their employees; why then do we feel the need to be loyal to them?
And lastly; is the reverse position of 69 (man on top) called 96?
Sunburns, Sand and Freckles part 2
So I took yesterday off from work, and pretty much life in general. I didn't manage to make it out of bed until nearly noon. The house still doesn't feel like home and I am unmotivated to do anything about it. I am tired, snippy, and on the verge of tears every time I turn around. Obviously I am having a hormonal induced breakdown. I hope that tomorrow is sunny so that I can swim in the lake with the boys, relax with my family and hear tales from Mexico from my Uncle Tom who is up visiting this weekend.
While camping this past weekend I rediscovered my inner martyr. A trait I picked up from my mother and my grandmother. We have a tendency to take on more of a load then we should and then we feel slighted when no one around notices this "sacrifice" of our time and energy on their behalf.
The BF and I have a deal when we're at home, I'll cook and he'll clean up. It's a nice division of labor and I have come to really enjoy it. I though it would be the same while camping. So I was doing actual cooking of meals not just roasting burgers over the fire (which was nearly impossible because of how wet the wood was and how damn hard it was to get any real flames going) and I was doing all the clean up as well. When my family used to camp we cleaned up everyday so that when it was time to pack up and leave there weren't huge piles of trash everywhere and we didn't have to worry about animals coming into camp at night. This daily clean up isn't part of the camping routine that the boys had been accustomed to so naturally they didn't feel any need to help out and do any of it. If I had asked I know they would have helped out, their mom raised them to help out whenever they are asked. I am just very stubborn and refused to ask them to do something I thought they should just do on their own. Typical female thing.
By Sunday this martyr had had enough. I knew I was being stupid and that I needed to chill out. No one had asked or was expecting me to cook and clean for them. Those were chores I had assigned to myself and if I didn't want to do them I didn't have to. The BF, who had been receiving the cold shoulder all day, took me down to the beach and let me unload on him. I was hurt that he didn't feel the need to help me out like he does at home, and I felt rejected when earlier in the day he'd taken off with his friends on the quads while I was cooking breakfast without even saying anything to me. I went camping to be with him, not to be left alone. I am proud of myself that I managed to get all that out without resorting to tears. I often think that tears are a form of emotional blackmail and I don't like them. It was close though. I am not used to actually talking things out with a guy. It's a very nice very new experience.
Why do people drool when they sleep? I never used to drool when I was younger. What's changed in the past couple of years that now when I sleep on my side or stomach I wake up with a puddle of drool under my face more times then not? I fell asleep on the beach Monday when everyone was hanging out down there talking and goofing off. I woke up and my arm, which I had been using as a pillow, was soaked. Gross. At least I've figured out how to sleep without snoring like a chainsaw. Somtimes
My friend Melinda sent me this joke and I thought I would share it; a little pot-head humor for the day.
The lizard, while walking through the jungle, looks up and says to the monkey, "Hey! What are you doing?"
The monkey says, "Smoking a joint; come up and join me, my cold-blooded friend."
So the lizard climbs up and sits next to the monkey and they smoke.
After a while the lizard says his mouth is 'dry', and that he's going to get a drink from the river. At the riverbank, the lizard is so stoned that he leans too far over and falls in.
A crocodile sees this and swims over to the stoned lizard, helping him to the side. He then asks the lizard, "What's the matter with you?!"
The lizard explains to the crocodile that he was sitting in the tree, smoking a joint with his new monkey friend. He then explained how his mouth got dry, and that he was so wasted that, when he went to get a drink from the river, he fell in!
The inquisitive crocodile says he has to check this out. He walks into the jungle and finds the tree where the monkey is sitting, finishing a joint.
He looks up and says, "Hey, MONKEY!"
The monkey looks down and says, "SHIIIIIIIIT, DUDE.........How much water did you drink?
While camping this past weekend I rediscovered my inner martyr. A trait I picked up from my mother and my grandmother. We have a tendency to take on more of a load then we should and then we feel slighted when no one around notices this "sacrifice" of our time and energy on their behalf.
The BF and I have a deal when we're at home, I'll cook and he'll clean up. It's a nice division of labor and I have come to really enjoy it. I though it would be the same while camping. So I was doing actual cooking of meals not just roasting burgers over the fire (which was nearly impossible because of how wet the wood was and how damn hard it was to get any real flames going) and I was doing all the clean up as well. When my family used to camp we cleaned up everyday so that when it was time to pack up and leave there weren't huge piles of trash everywhere and we didn't have to worry about animals coming into camp at night. This daily clean up isn't part of the camping routine that the boys had been accustomed to so naturally they didn't feel any need to help out and do any of it. If I had asked I know they would have helped out, their mom raised them to help out whenever they are asked. I am just very stubborn and refused to ask them to do something I thought they should just do on their own. Typical female thing.
By Sunday this martyr had had enough. I knew I was being stupid and that I needed to chill out. No one had asked or was expecting me to cook and clean for them. Those were chores I had assigned to myself and if I didn't want to do them I didn't have to. The BF, who had been receiving the cold shoulder all day, took me down to the beach and let me unload on him. I was hurt that he didn't feel the need to help me out like he does at home, and I felt rejected when earlier in the day he'd taken off with his friends on the quads while I was cooking breakfast without even saying anything to me. I went camping to be with him, not to be left alone. I am proud of myself that I managed to get all that out without resorting to tears. I often think that tears are a form of emotional blackmail and I don't like them. It was close though. I am not used to actually talking things out with a guy. It's a very nice very new experience.
Why do people drool when they sleep? I never used to drool when I was younger. What's changed in the past couple of years that now when I sleep on my side or stomach I wake up with a puddle of drool under my face more times then not? I fell asleep on the beach Monday when everyone was hanging out down there talking and goofing off. I woke up and my arm, which I had been using as a pillow, was soaked. Gross. At least I've figured out how to sleep without snoring like a chainsaw. Somtimes
My friend Melinda sent me this joke and I thought I would share it; a little pot-head humor for the day.
The lizard, while walking through the jungle, looks up and says to the monkey, "Hey! What are you doing?"
The monkey says, "Smoking a joint; come up and join me, my cold-blooded friend."
So the lizard climbs up and sits next to the monkey and they smoke.
After a while the lizard says his mouth is 'dry', and that he's going to get a drink from the river. At the riverbank, the lizard is so stoned that he leans too far over and falls in.
A crocodile sees this and swims over to the stoned lizard, helping him to the side. He then asks the lizard, "What's the matter with you?!"
The lizard explains to the crocodile that he was sitting in the tree, smoking a joint with his new monkey friend. He then explained how his mouth got dry, and that he was so wasted that, when he went to get a drink from the river, he fell in!
The inquisitive crocodile says he has to check this out. He walks into the jungle and finds the tree where the monkey is sitting, finishing a joint.
He looks up and says, "Hey, MONKEY!"
The monkey looks down and says, "SHIIIIIIIIT, DUDE.........How much water did you drink?
Wednesday, July 06, 2005
Sunburns, Sand, and Freckles
I had every good intention of blogging last night but other things kept coming up. Besides my hand still hurt from using a pick-axe and trying to type on the lap-top was very hard.
So, I made it through my first camping trip in a dozen or so years relatively unscathed and in one piece. What is more amazing is that I am not burned to a crisp. As a member of the Pale Blue Irish Society I have a tendency to burn just by looking at the sun through the windows of my house. SPF 48 is a wonderful thing.
Shopping Thursday night was actually rather fun. The Frauline is a great gal altogether and the trip would not have been as much fun without her. I am keeping the Costco bill a secret for now cause I don't want the BF to know how much I spent and start worrying over money. The boys wanted a bug collector that one of their friends has. We searched High and Low for this particular item but alas no such thing was to be found. The eldest was reduced to tears as we were leaving. I think some of those pubescent hormones are kicking in cause he's getting moody and even more sensitive then usual. I thought that having boys would save me from dealing with teenage hormonal histrionics but alas....
Friday morning got off to a very slow start.
Sample from our game: 2000 Tiburon with front passenger side fender damage
My guess - pissed off asian female in her early 20s who's driving her boyfriend's car to work because he took her car this morning because her's doesn't have the damage and will look cooler when he goes to the illegal street race tonight.
BF's guess - 30-ish male making minimum wage and trying to have a car that looks fast (but isn't). Damage came when he peeled out from the Jack-In-The Box this morning after they screwed up his breakfast order. Real answer - Young asian male. Yes it's a stupid game but it kills time and makes us laugh.
About the campsite, or as it is called by everyone who goes there every year, The Property, (capitals are a must) it's about half a mile from the beach and has two 5th wheel trailers on it. Only one of which is used. The distance to the beach isn't much of a problem since they generally bring the quads and use them to get around. This year we also brought the Kasea buggy with us. It's a two seater that it came in handy plus it's loads of fun to drive along the beach. The most important part of the whole thing is that the trailer has a working toilet. Yes there was no outdoor peeing for me. No bug bites on the butt. No dodging of pee as it splashes on the ground. No hunting for the perfect private spot to squat only to be "found" by unsuspecting passers-by. A little closet sized heaven.
I'll have to give you more details of the trip later. For now I actually have work to do and office gossip to catch up on.
So, I made it through my first camping trip in a dozen or so years relatively unscathed and in one piece. What is more amazing is that I am not burned to a crisp. As a member of the Pale Blue Irish Society I have a tendency to burn just by looking at the sun through the windows of my house. SPF 48 is a wonderful thing.
Shopping Thursday night was actually rather fun. The Frauline is a great gal altogether and the trip would not have been as much fun without her. I am keeping the Costco bill a secret for now cause I don't want the BF to know how much I spent and start worrying over money. The boys wanted a bug collector that one of their friends has. We searched High and Low for this particular item but alas no such thing was to be found. The eldest was reduced to tears as we were leaving. I think some of those pubescent hormones are kicking in cause he's getting moody and even more sensitive then usual. I thought that having boys would save me from dealing with teenage hormonal histrionics but alas....
Friday morning got off to a very slow start.
- 5am - alarm goes off
- 5:07 - alarm goes off again
- 5:14 - alarm goes off (BF rolls over and hides under blanket)
- 5:21 - alarm goes off and gets turned off. If he isn't going to get out of bed neither am I
- 6:34 - I drag both of us out of bed and demand that we get this show on the road
- 8:20-ish - We're on our way back down south after dropping off the boys. A call from the brother, did we pack something (I forget what it was)? This reminds me that I forgot to pack the hamburger patties (out main food item for the next 4 days). We go home before meeting them at the shop and grab the hamburger and a few other last minute items
- 10-ish - and we're off....... (two hours behind schedule)
Sample from our game: 2000 Tiburon with front passenger side fender damage
My guess - pissed off asian female in her early 20s who's driving her boyfriend's car to work because he took her car this morning because her's doesn't have the damage and will look cooler when he goes to the illegal street race tonight.
BF's guess - 30-ish male making minimum wage and trying to have a car that looks fast (but isn't). Damage came when he peeled out from the Jack-In-The Box this morning after they screwed up his breakfast order. Real answer - Young asian male. Yes it's a stupid game but it kills time and makes us laugh.
About the campsite, or as it is called by everyone who goes there every year, The Property, (capitals are a must) it's about half a mile from the beach and has two 5th wheel trailers on it. Only one of which is used. The distance to the beach isn't much of a problem since they generally bring the quads and use them to get around. This year we also brought the Kasea buggy with us. It's a two seater that it came in handy plus it's loads of fun to drive along the beach. The most important part of the whole thing is that the trailer has a working toilet. Yes there was no outdoor peeing for me. No bug bites on the butt. No dodging of pee as it splashes on the ground. No hunting for the perfect private spot to squat only to be "found" by unsuspecting passers-by. A little closet sized heaven.
I'll have to give you more details of the trip later. For now I actually have work to do and office gossip to catch up on.
Thursday, June 30, 2005
May a camel come out your....
The HR gal from the company that we've merged with came in this morning to help us all fill out the "new hire" paperwork. I'd asked her to bring in the form for medical coverage for a Domestic Partner. Hmmmm turns out you have to have been living together for at least six months. Guess these past six days aren't going to cut it. The BF wasn't that surprised or upset by this little set back. I'm sure he'll find a job before the six months are up but at least we know that it is possible for him to be covered under my policy. I have another problem though. I don't have a social security card. I am pretty darn sure I grabbed it when I left the Frex but it's where abouts right this moment are a mystery. It might be easier to go to the dept of records and get a copy of my birth certificate then to try and get another copy of my S.S. card. Or I might go for a passport. Hmmm wonder what it takes to get one of those. I'll have to ask the BF. He had to get one for his last job. Besides I think it would be cool to have a passport. It would fit in perfectly with my plans to one day soon go to Ireland.
I left work early today hoping to avoid traffic. No dice. I don't think there is a good time of day to travel along the southern part of I405. This green Maxima was weaving in and out of traffic all along I90. Dumb biotch still ended up behind me as we merged onto 405. Driving crazy like that really doesn't get you anywhere. You hear that Miss "Drive it like you stole it" license place holder? I would hope that if you were gonna steal a car you would steal something better then a Maxima.
So I am suppose to go shopping with the BF's brother's girlfriend. Costco - lovely. Okay Costco is one of the coolest places to shop cause they have the best sh**, and is mass quanities, but it's also a pain in the ass to shop at. The lines are always horrendous and I am always tempted to spend about three times as much as I should. Or can. I have to come with a grocery list. I don't even know how it is that we will be cooking and storing food. How the frell am I suppose to figure out what to buy without even this basic information. I have to go track down the BF and sit on him until he gives me some answers. Or we end up shagging. Hmmm that one sounds pretty good actually.
I left work early today hoping to avoid traffic. No dice. I don't think there is a good time of day to travel along the southern part of I405. This green Maxima was weaving in and out of traffic all along I90. Dumb biotch still ended up behind me as we merged onto 405. Driving crazy like that really doesn't get you anywhere. You hear that Miss "Drive it like you stole it" license place holder? I would hope that if you were gonna steal a car you would steal something better then a Maxima.
So I am suppose to go shopping with the BF's brother's girlfriend. Costco - lovely. Okay Costco is one of the coolest places to shop cause they have the best sh**, and is mass quanities, but it's also a pain in the ass to shop at. The lines are always horrendous and I am always tempted to spend about three times as much as I should. Or can. I have to come with a grocery list. I don't even know how it is that we will be cooking and storing food. How the frell am I suppose to figure out what to buy without even this basic information. I have to go track down the BF and sit on him until he gives me some answers. Or we end up shagging. Hmmm that one sounds pretty good actually.
When bad things happen
I have been here since 6:25 and am on my second cup of extra strong black tea. In about an hour the HR manager of the company we have merged with will be here to walk us through signing up for our new benefits. Those of us that are still employed that is. Yup out of an office of 12 plus one summer intern 3 are leaving. Plus the intern but we don't' really count him. One of those not offered a position with the new company was the BF. Apparently they don't need a 7th engineer. However he's being kept on till the end of July and once they see the kind of work that he does, namely the video and satellite portion of his work, they may change their minds and ask him to stay. I for one hopes that he finds a new job in the intervening month and tells them to kiss his ass.
We will be sitting down this weekend or possibly next week, after the vacation, to draw up a budget and try to figure out how we'll survive in case he doesn't find a job soon. I know that we'll make it but is a scary prospect. I wish I made more money so that he could concentrate on getting his business running up to capacity and actually bring in some money from that instead of just making enough to pay some of the bills associated with it. Right now he's feeling kind of like a schmuck being unable to provide for the people he just invited to move in with him. While he's never stopped me from picking up the tab for a meal and the one time I bought him a tank of gas, he has the old fashioned notion that the man must be able to provide for and take care of his family financially. This is a notion I find quaint and really don't want to disabuse him of. After all I kind of like the idea of being taken care of. That being said, however, I know that I am not cut out to be a stay at home mom. I tried that once and it ended with me miserable and bitchy. I admire the women that can successfully pull it off and still have their self esteem intact, the house clean, and the kids not in need of psychological help.
One other person may be leaving our happy family here at work. An account manager received her offer from the new company and felt it to be an insult. The offer was returned to our president and he was told to "do better". Hmmmm I wonder how this will turn out. I for one would not be sad to see her go. She is a fabulous person and a pretty good account manger. However this job has worn her down and makes her physically ill. I think she would be doing herself a favor if she left it.
Things seen in Seattle yesterday and so far today:
I am adding a couple of links to some blogs I like to read. If anyone ever reads mine then I encourage you to check these guys out. They are far wittier then I will ever be and Tanya makes me laugh out loud when I read some of her posts. The one about Texan cheerleaders and falling on a weiner had me in tears. I had to leave my office and go to the bathroom to compose myself. I know it's childish but the phrase, "fall on a weiner" still makes me laugh even as I am typing it.
We will be sitting down this weekend or possibly next week, after the vacation, to draw up a budget and try to figure out how we'll survive in case he doesn't find a job soon. I know that we'll make it but is a scary prospect. I wish I made more money so that he could concentrate on getting his business running up to capacity and actually bring in some money from that instead of just making enough to pay some of the bills associated with it. Right now he's feeling kind of like a schmuck being unable to provide for the people he just invited to move in with him. While he's never stopped me from picking up the tab for a meal and the one time I bought him a tank of gas, he has the old fashioned notion that the man must be able to provide for and take care of his family financially. This is a notion I find quaint and really don't want to disabuse him of. After all I kind of like the idea of being taken care of. That being said, however, I know that I am not cut out to be a stay at home mom. I tried that once and it ended with me miserable and bitchy. I admire the women that can successfully pull it off and still have their self esteem intact, the house clean, and the kids not in need of psychological help.
One other person may be leaving our happy family here at work. An account manager received her offer from the new company and felt it to be an insult. The offer was returned to our president and he was told to "do better". Hmmmm I wonder how this will turn out. I for one would not be sad to see her go. She is a fabulous person and a pretty good account manger. However this job has worn her down and makes her physically ill. I think she would be doing herself a favor if she left it.
Things seen in Seattle yesterday and so far today:
- An older lady dressed like fairy princess picking up things from the gutter
- A young couple leaving (probably home baked) bran muffins in the door ways and other areas where the homeless in this part of town tend to reside. Wonder if they thought ahead to when all that bran starts to work in these people?
- A deck of perfectly good pokemon cards scattered across 4th ave. Some kid is probably crying right now.
- One window washer kissing another window washer about 14 stories up in the air.
I am adding a couple of links to some blogs I like to read. If anyone ever reads mine then I encourage you to check these guys out. They are far wittier then I will ever be and Tanya makes me laugh out loud when I read some of her posts. The one about Texan cheerleaders and falling on a weiner had me in tears. I had to leave my office and go to the bathroom to compose myself. I know it's childish but the phrase, "fall on a weiner" still makes me laugh even as I am typing it.
Wednesday, June 29, 2005
To blog or not to blog
Really didn't' feel like blogging yesterday. I surfed through dozens of other blogs trying to get inspired but nothing really worked for me. I saw some great stuff out there but of course forgot to bookmark any of them. There is a fantastic blog by a woman in North Carolina; she posts pictures from her garden and the wetlands around it. I'll have to search for that one and put a link to it from here. I am not much of a gardner but I would like to be. The pictures she takes are worth looking at even if you don't read a word she writes. There are also a fair number of sex blogs out there. A few good ones and one or two rather disturbing ones. I was reading a blog by a woman in New York; she writes about her various sexual encounters and the things she thinks about and feels during and after. I was struck by how similar she and I are in that way. Her sex life (real or not) is much more "active" then my own but the funny things she thinks about while having sex is the same.
Surfed through e-bay yesterday as well. Found some books I'd like to buy. Yeah I already own several copies of this series of books but I want them anyway. I would have a complete hard back set from the same printing run if I buy them. Something I don't have now. I own two of the series in this printing and one of the books is missing it's dust cover. I am bad about taking off dust covers when I read books so I don't tear them, and then forgetting to put them back on when I am done reading. Speaking of books; my 100 year old leather bound book of middle eastern love poems made it through the move. The book is already in sad condition and I was afraid moving would damage it all the more. I love that book and I cried for two days when the leather on the spine came off in my hands while I was reading it. I wonder if I can find a place to repair it. It's not worth anything that I know of so I don't think I'll be hurting the value of it any by having it repaired.
I met the frex last night at the apartment to help him move my old couch and the nightstand that goes with his bedroom set. I took it when I moved out. He smelled all sour and gross. The way alcoholics do. I felt repulsed and sorry for him at the same time. He's gonna turn into a bitter old drunk just like his mom was.
I am still waiting on the CDs for this dang Muzak box to show up. Muzak is rolling out these boxes to all their clients and we are getting service calls left and right to come in and fix the sound systems in the stores where they are going in. Without a CD to put into this thing I can't test it and find out why all these stores are having problems with their sound systems. We've sent in two different styles of amplifiers to a test location and both of them have failed within a few weeks of being installed. These are good indestructible amps. We have never in 10 years had them fail like this. Everyone is scratching their heads over this issue and so far all clues point to this Muzak box and they way it is being integrated into the existing systems. In the mean time all I can do is continue to design our systems the same way as always, incorporating the new box into it with the wiring hook up as described by Muzak. It's frustrating - very.
I am caught up on all my projects until the 12th of July. Hopefully I'll be able to leave early tomorrow to start my vacation. The BF and I are heading out to the coast for the 4th. We'll be back Tuesday the 5th, so no updates during that time. He's been working like a demon getting the quads ready to bring with us. It should be fun riding them on the beach and playing around. It'll only be my second time riding and I hope I don't make a fool out of myself. I'd like to pick up a book or two to bring with us so I can veg out and read but I don't know if I'll have the time to hit a bookstore before we go. OMG I just realized that I don't know where the nearest Barnes & Noble is in Covington. I don't think they even have one. A wave of panic just hit me. I'll have to search their web site and look up the nearest location. Argh! Things I should have thought about before moving. C'est la vie.
Surfed through e-bay yesterday as well. Found some books I'd like to buy. Yeah I already own several copies of this series of books but I want them anyway. I would have a complete hard back set from the same printing run if I buy them. Something I don't have now. I own two of the series in this printing and one of the books is missing it's dust cover. I am bad about taking off dust covers when I read books so I don't tear them, and then forgetting to put them back on when I am done reading. Speaking of books; my 100 year old leather bound book of middle eastern love poems made it through the move. The book is already in sad condition and I was afraid moving would damage it all the more. I love that book and I cried for two days when the leather on the spine came off in my hands while I was reading it. I wonder if I can find a place to repair it. It's not worth anything that I know of so I don't think I'll be hurting the value of it any by having it repaired.
I met the frex last night at the apartment to help him move my old couch and the nightstand that goes with his bedroom set. I took it when I moved out. He smelled all sour and gross. The way alcoholics do. I felt repulsed and sorry for him at the same time. He's gonna turn into a bitter old drunk just like his mom was.
I am still waiting on the CDs for this dang Muzak box to show up. Muzak is rolling out these boxes to all their clients and we are getting service calls left and right to come in and fix the sound systems in the stores where they are going in. Without a CD to put into this thing I can't test it and find out why all these stores are having problems with their sound systems. We've sent in two different styles of amplifiers to a test location and both of them have failed within a few weeks of being installed. These are good indestructible amps. We have never in 10 years had them fail like this. Everyone is scratching their heads over this issue and so far all clues point to this Muzak box and they way it is being integrated into the existing systems. In the mean time all I can do is continue to design our systems the same way as always, incorporating the new box into it with the wiring hook up as described by Muzak. It's frustrating - very.
I am caught up on all my projects until the 12th of July. Hopefully I'll be able to leave early tomorrow to start my vacation. The BF and I are heading out to the coast for the 4th. We'll be back Tuesday the 5th, so no updates during that time. He's been working like a demon getting the quads ready to bring with us. It should be fun riding them on the beach and playing around. It'll only be my second time riding and I hope I don't make a fool out of myself. I'd like to pick up a book or two to bring with us so I can veg out and read but I don't know if I'll have the time to hit a bookstore before we go. OMG I just realized that I don't know where the nearest Barnes & Noble is in Covington. I don't think they even have one. A wave of panic just hit me. I'll have to search their web site and look up the nearest location. Argh! Things I should have thought about before moving. C'est la vie.
Monday, June 27, 2005
Do you have medical insurance?
PHEW! Moving day is over and I survived. It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be but it was exhausting in all the ways I remember moving to be. My last move - from the Frex's to my apartment - wasn't bad at all. I had nothing to move. I had three twin beds, two side tables and a 13" TV. Over time those measly possessions managed to quadruple in quantity and it took the two of us 6 hrs and a 14' U-haul truck to move them. I am giving my couch and a night stand to the Frex if he ever makes it over to pick them up. My lease is up on the 30th and on that day the BF and I will move the items to the dumpsters if they aren't picked up. I am not in the furniture delivery business.
The BF's cousin showed up last night. He took some pots and pans, a dresser,a hairdryer, towels, a vacuum, some glasses and lots of boys clothing with him. Thanks to his timely visit we can now walk around in the garage. We still can't park a second car in there but we're a step closer.
Four hours after my mom picked up the boys she called me asking about my medical coverage. Great conversation starter.
mom: who do you have medical insurance with?
me: why? regence blue shield. what happened to the boys?
mom: can you read me the policy number
me: let me get the card. are you going to tell me what happened to the boys or do I get to let my imagination run wild?
Turns out the youngest boy got a fish hook stuck through his lip. The hook, previous to catching my son, was catching sand sharks and doing a good job of it from what I was told. The older boy in his rush down the beach to see the excitement got a bloody nose and my mom was having a hard time getting it to stop. The rest of weekend passed much more smoothly although the youngest continued on his quest to be sent to the ER by climbing on a barnacle covered boulder and scraping about an inch and a half of skin off his legs. A thorough washing of all wounds prevented infection, and a stern lecture about the dangers of imitating fish and climbing on things larger then himself prevented further injury. The boys were returned to me only slightly more battered and bruised then when they left, but very happy and with a bag of oatmeal chocolate chip cookies.
Weather forecast for the 4th calls for rain. Showers actually. Lovely. I'll be camping on a beach.
Seven days into summer and our score stands at: rain - 4.5 days sun - 2.5 days
The BF's cousin showed up last night. He took some pots and pans, a dresser,a hairdryer, towels, a vacuum, some glasses and lots of boys clothing with him. Thanks to his timely visit we can now walk around in the garage. We still can't park a second car in there but we're a step closer.
Four hours after my mom picked up the boys she called me asking about my medical coverage. Great conversation starter.
mom: who do you have medical insurance with?
me: why? regence blue shield. what happened to the boys?
mom: can you read me the policy number
me: let me get the card. are you going to tell me what happened to the boys or do I get to let my imagination run wild?
Turns out the youngest boy got a fish hook stuck through his lip. The hook, previous to catching my son, was catching sand sharks and doing a good job of it from what I was told. The older boy in his rush down the beach to see the excitement got a bloody nose and my mom was having a hard time getting it to stop. The rest of weekend passed much more smoothly although the youngest continued on his quest to be sent to the ER by climbing on a barnacle covered boulder and scraping about an inch and a half of skin off his legs. A thorough washing of all wounds prevented infection, and a stern lecture about the dangers of imitating fish and climbing on things larger then himself prevented further injury. The boys were returned to me only slightly more battered and bruised then when they left, but very happy and with a bag of oatmeal chocolate chip cookies.
Weather forecast for the 4th calls for rain. Showers actually. Lovely. I'll be camping on a beach.
Seven days into summer and our score stands at: rain - 4.5 days sun - 2.5 days
Friday, June 24, 2005
Wheels on the bus.....
Most days I ride the bus into work. It's fast and convenient for me. That fact that my job buys me a monthly bus pass helps too. Generally speaking the bus is filled with my fellow commuters. Tired, bored, corporate types and the occational person coming into Seattle for jury duty. In the afternoon you'll see tourists oh the bus but they generally stay in the downtown area so their ride is limited to the tunnel stops. This morning however was one of those rare times when we, regular riders, were treated with a visit from "the crazies". I know it's not PC but some people are just crazy.
I woke up from my mid commute snooze to the sound of the driver putting down the wheelchair ramp. Quickly learning that I did not need to vacate my seat to accommodate the four wheeled passenger I leaned back and prepared to resume my slumber. This is when the "crazies" entered the bus. A humongous man like woman named Barbara, a mentally chanllenged teenager named Chantelle, and a churlish woman who was driving an electric wheelchair and was the mother of the Chantelle. The girl and her mom proceeded to physically fight, bicker, and threaten each other for the entire trip into the city. At various times the mom would yell loudly for the bus driver to make her daughter give back the scooter key, quit touching her, and to please call the police to take the daughter away. The mention of the police, and the threat of being sent to jail seamed to be the mothers chosen way of keeping her daughter in line. Barbara tried to remain aloof from these goings on but was invariably dragged into this tawdry tableau when one of them would seek her out as a mediator. Keeps the commute interesting that's for sure.
I spent a pleasant hour this morning pricing out Jaguars and going through all the different options packages that are availible. The fact that the one I want the most is three times my yearly salary is wee bit intimidating. However a girl can always dream can't she? If I buy a Jag, which I have wanted to do since I was 7, I'll probably be buying one of their entry level X-types. I dont' know why I am looking at cars. My car is only a year old. It is paid for....hmmmm wonder what I could get at trade-in? Stop it! You don't need a car payment. Especially with $47,000 in student loan debt about to come due. The price you pay for enriching your mind.
I woke up from my mid commute snooze to the sound of the driver putting down the wheelchair ramp. Quickly learning that I did not need to vacate my seat to accommodate the four wheeled passenger I leaned back and prepared to resume my slumber. This is when the "crazies" entered the bus. A humongous man like woman named Barbara, a mentally chanllenged teenager named Chantelle, and a churlish woman who was driving an electric wheelchair and was the mother of the Chantelle. The girl and her mom proceeded to physically fight, bicker, and threaten each other for the entire trip into the city. At various times the mom would yell loudly for the bus driver to make her daughter give back the scooter key, quit touching her, and to please call the police to take the daughter away. The mention of the police, and the threat of being sent to jail seamed to be the mothers chosen way of keeping her daughter in line. Barbara tried to remain aloof from these goings on but was invariably dragged into this tawdry tableau when one of them would seek her out as a mediator. Keeps the commute interesting that's for sure.
I spent a pleasant hour this morning pricing out Jaguars and going through all the different options packages that are availible. The fact that the one I want the most is three times my yearly salary is wee bit intimidating. However a girl can always dream can't she? If I buy a Jag, which I have wanted to do since I was 7, I'll probably be buying one of their entry level X-types. I dont' know why I am looking at cars. My car is only a year old. It is paid for....hmmmm wonder what I could get at trade-in? Stop it! You don't need a car payment. Especially with $47,000 in student loan debt about to come due. The price you pay for enriching your mind.
Thursday, June 23, 2005
Cautious Optimism
A quick update - from msnbc - "Eight states forbid the use of eminent domain when the economic purpose is not to eliminate blight; they are Arkansas, Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Maine, Montana, South Carolina and Washington."
I am breathing easier now that I know Washington doesn't allow a city to take over your property unless it's a danger or an "eye sore" and part of an neighborhood that is run down and economically depressed. I have seen a few candidates for this blight status and so far I haven't seen the state or any government agency rushing into to take the property over.
I received some drawings today for a project at SeaTac. The files are HUGE. I put them through a purge program I have that will strip an overly large file of all it's unnecessary baggage and leave it sometimes less then half the size it was before. No dice this time. This is a tiny store/cafe not an 80 story sky scraper what the hell are these architects putting into their drawings?
BTW just in case anyone ever reads this - we're on our third day of summer here in beautiful Seattle and the score is: rain 2, sun1
I am breathing easier now that I know Washington doesn't allow a city to take over your property unless it's a danger or an "eye sore" and part of an neighborhood that is run down and economically depressed. I have seen a few candidates for this blight status and so far I haven't seen the state or any government agency rushing into to take the property over.
I received some drawings today for a project at SeaTac. The files are HUGE. I put them through a purge program I have that will strip an overly large file of all it's unnecessary baggage and leave it sometimes less then half the size it was before. No dice this time. This is a tiny store/cafe not an 80 story sky scraper what the hell are these architects putting into their drawings?
BTW just in case anyone ever reads this - we're on our third day of summer here in beautiful Seattle and the score is: rain 2, sun1
Bobby
That's the name of the little boy who was found in Tacoma yesterday. His grandmother ID'd him and led the police to her son, the boy's father. They still haven't located the mom so the mystery continues. I was so happy that someone turned up to claim him and that excuses were not made for the reprehensible behavior of the father (and possibly the mother).
Speaking of grandmothers - my mom is taking her grandchildren for the weekend so I can move without worrying where they are and if I am going to trip over one of them. No clue on how she is going to fit them into the house with the dogs. Should be interesting.
I received an e-mail from my alma mater last week looking for copies of research papers from recent graduates. They want to create a portfolio of student work. I have two different research papers I am thinking about giving them but I only have paper copies of each since the hard drive on my computer crashed several months ago. I've actually started re-writing one of them. My problem right now is that I can't find page 5. I am much to lazy to try and wing it and make up a page 5 and try to make it fit into the paper as a whole. Besides I am not sure the school is really wanting to publish copies of my paper on the history of sodomy laws in America and why people should be able to use sex toys in privacy of their home.
Not that the government would care about what you're doing in your home. Not when now they can force you out so some developer can build a shopping mall on what used to be your property. When I heard about the Supreme Court decision today I just about threw up. My stomach is still in knots when I think about it. I have to read more about this decision. There HAS TO BE some way for property owners to protect what's theirs from a city that just wants to fill it's coffers. As someone who is looking to buy acreage I am scared silly that a few years down the road the city or the county may decided that they would prefer something/someone else be using my property. How can they do this?!? So if you own 10 acres and the town is going bankrupt because of bad leadership they can sell YOUR property to a developer who promises to bring in more revenue for the town. What is even more unbelievable is that it was the LIBERAL justices who made this ruling.
On to other things that make me mad. The frex called on Tuesday and let me know that since the boys have more fun at the daycare he is going to leave them there instead of picking them up when he gets off of work. This is the same man who insisted that we leave them at the same daycare so they could go to the same school and he could see them everyday. I guess being a parent and having to be responsible everyday for a couple of hours got to be too much for him. He is suppose to take them next week for a week over the 4th of July. Hmmmm wonder how that will go? I have a feeling that he is going to find one excuse after another why he won't be able to pick up the boys every other weekend for visits. Right now his big excuse is that he's broke and can't afford the gas which is why I have to pick them up on Sundays. I don't mind that at all. What I won't do is drive them up there and drive them back home so all he has to do is sit on his ass. FREX!
Well now that I am in a properly pissy mood it's time to sign off and do some work. Ciao
Speaking of grandmothers - my mom is taking her grandchildren for the weekend so I can move without worrying where they are and if I am going to trip over one of them. No clue on how she is going to fit them into the house with the dogs. Should be interesting.
I received an e-mail from my alma mater last week looking for copies of research papers from recent graduates. They want to create a portfolio of student work. I have two different research papers I am thinking about giving them but I only have paper copies of each since the hard drive on my computer crashed several months ago. I've actually started re-writing one of them. My problem right now is that I can't find page 5. I am much to lazy to try and wing it and make up a page 5 and try to make it fit into the paper as a whole. Besides I am not sure the school is really wanting to publish copies of my paper on the history of sodomy laws in America and why people should be able to use sex toys in privacy of their home.
Not that the government would care about what you're doing in your home. Not when now they can force you out so some developer can build a shopping mall on what used to be your property. When I heard about the Supreme Court decision today I just about threw up. My stomach is still in knots when I think about it. I have to read more about this decision. There HAS TO BE some way for property owners to protect what's theirs from a city that just wants to fill it's coffers. As someone who is looking to buy acreage I am scared silly that a few years down the road the city or the county may decided that they would prefer something/someone else be using my property. How can they do this?!? So if you own 10 acres and the town is going bankrupt because of bad leadership they can sell YOUR property to a developer who promises to bring in more revenue for the town. What is even more unbelievable is that it was the LIBERAL justices who made this ruling.
On to other things that make me mad. The frex called on Tuesday and let me know that since the boys have more fun at the daycare he is going to leave them there instead of picking them up when he gets off of work. This is the same man who insisted that we leave them at the same daycare so they could go to the same school and he could see them everyday. I guess being a parent and having to be responsible everyday for a couple of hours got to be too much for him. He is suppose to take them next week for a week over the 4th of July. Hmmmm wonder how that will go? I have a feeling that he is going to find one excuse after another why he won't be able to pick up the boys every other weekend for visits. Right now his big excuse is that he's broke and can't afford the gas which is why I have to pick them up on Sundays. I don't mind that at all. What I won't do is drive them up there and drive them back home so all he has to do is sit on his ass. FREX!
Well now that I am in a properly pissy mood it's time to sign off and do some work. Ciao
Wednesday, June 22, 2005
Left in Tacoma
On the same day that search and rescue teams found that little boy in Utah, somebody left a little boy on some church steps in Tacoma. The little boy is believed to be about two and looking at his picture in the paper he is as cute as can be. The police say he hasn't learned to talk yet which is very sad. I couldn't shut my two boys up by the time they were two. All things considered I am glad that he was left somewhere reasonably safe and not just dumped somewhere like a dog that is no longer wanted. I wish sometimes that it was harder to have a child; that you had to go through a series of tests before getting pregnant.
I brought three more boxes of books down to the house last night. I really need my own room to set up as a library. Just as the BF collects speakers and electronic gear, I collect books. The frex (f***ing retarded ex-husband) once demanded that I start throwing out books. He couldn't believe that I'd actually read all of them and if I had why I would want to keep them around. I said I would be happy to start tossing them out and I would make him a deal; I would get rid of a book for every movie/DVD that he threw away. My collection was safe from that moment on.
All the buildings are done being painted and are ready for their glow in the dark windows. The boys are very excited about the new room. The thrill of getting to paint and re-do the house is wearing thin. I hope I have enough enthusiasm and energy left to paint the living room, it really needs it. I was hoping to get the house done by the time I moved in but that is not going to happen. It will continue to be a work in progress for awhile. Probably a very long while.
Why do towns crowd in all their shops and businesses onto one street? It usually starts innocently enough with a few stores coviently located along (generally) a main thru street. As the town grows more shops and businesses move onto the road then instead of building a parallel street to handle the over flow the town builds perpendicular streets that lead right into parking lots for still more stores. All traffic is forced to drive on the ONE road in order to get to the stores or to just go through the town. Woodinville is a prime example of this and so is Covington. What irritates me is that Covington is a "bedroom" community. There are no industiral or business parks nearby. If you don't work in one of the stores or restaurants (service industry) near by you are obviously communting to work and home each day. All these communters have to crowd onto the ONE road in order to get to the main Hwy. This design may have worked 20 or even 10 years ago but it certainly doesn't now. I am so going to hate my commute everyday.
Things seen in Seattle yesterday:
I brought three more boxes of books down to the house last night. I really need my own room to set up as a library. Just as the BF collects speakers and electronic gear, I collect books. The frex (f***ing retarded ex-husband) once demanded that I start throwing out books. He couldn't believe that I'd actually read all of them and if I had why I would want to keep them around. I said I would be happy to start tossing them out and I would make him a deal; I would get rid of a book for every movie/DVD that he threw away. My collection was safe from that moment on.
All the buildings are done being painted and are ready for their glow in the dark windows. The boys are very excited about the new room. The thrill of getting to paint and re-do the house is wearing thin. I hope I have enough enthusiasm and energy left to paint the living room, it really needs it. I was hoping to get the house done by the time I moved in but that is not going to happen. It will continue to be a work in progress for awhile. Probably a very long while.
Why do towns crowd in all their shops and businesses onto one street? It usually starts innocently enough with a few stores coviently located along (generally) a main thru street. As the town grows more shops and businesses move onto the road then instead of building a parallel street to handle the over flow the town builds perpendicular streets that lead right into parking lots for still more stores. All traffic is forced to drive on the ONE road in order to get to the stores or to just go through the town. Woodinville is a prime example of this and so is Covington. What irritates me is that Covington is a "bedroom" community. There are no industiral or business parks nearby. If you don't work in one of the stores or restaurants (service industry) near by you are obviously communting to work and home each day. All these communters have to crowd onto the ONE road in order to get to the main Hwy. This design may have worked 20 or even 10 years ago but it certainly doesn't now. I am so going to hate my commute everyday.
Things seen in Seattle yesterday:
- A man with his hand in his pants scratching his balls while walking down the sidewalk.
- A young woman walking with her elderly grandmother (I presume) and argueing over which way to go. The grandmother kicks the gril in the shin and walks the way she wants to go. The girl gave in and followed her
- A guy with a suped up/pimped out sports car who spent the majority of my lunch hour trying to parallel park and then ended up rubbing his nice shinny wheels against the curb.
- Lightning over the Sound
Tuesday, June 21, 2005
I don't think that's blue
There are two magic abilities I've always wanted to have 1) to be able to speak and read any language at any time 2) to stop and start time.
That second one would have really come in handy this past weekend. The BF and I cleared out the second bedroom and started painting it. I'd picked out a very deep dark blue from the Ralph Lauren collection at Home Depot that I wanted to paint silhouettes of the Seattle skyline on the wall with. However I wasn't that happy with the last gallon of paint from Mr. Lauren so I took the paint chip to a local paint shop and had them try to match it. Admittedly I was also hoping to pay something less then the $30 a gallon that I paid earlier. The guy at the paint store was very nice and very helpful. He even managed to convince me to spend $35 on a better quality of paint that had a tinted base so I wouldn't have to put on multiple coats.
When he opened the lid of the paint he'd just mixed for me however.....it was purple. A nice purple but not certainly not blue. He did a few things with the computer, added a few more ingredients, and voila....deep dark rich blue. It was thick as hell and a bit hard to paint with at first but true to the mans word it covered perfectly and I never had to go over it a second time like you often do with dark colors. When the sun hits it and you look at it from an angle you can see the purple in it but I like it. Plus it was a pain in the posterior to get all the straight lines and angles for the buildings done, not to mention the Space needle so there is no way I am going to paint that room again.
The BF went through all the computers he'd had stashed away in a closet and I think he managed to toss about half of the stuff he had in there. Hidden away under an inch of dust and a couple of old blankets were a few pairs of shoes and a backpack of old clothes that his last girlfriend had left there a couple of years ago. That man obviously had never even looked in that closet except to toss more computer things in there.
For Father's Day I had a Lego replica of the Wright Bros plane sent to my dad along with a Father's Day card. We talked on Friday and he let me know that my grandmother had been taken into the hospital the night before and had surgery to remove a mass from her colon. No word yet on if it's cancer. I called the hospital Friday night but she wasn't accepting phone calls or visitors. My grandmother has been an alcoholic for nearly 30 years now and has managed to drive away the majority of her family. For all her faults I love her but I won't play into the "woe is me I am such a martyr, I gave everything to my family and never asked for anything in return" act that she like to throw.
I think I found a Target down south. Phew! I love Target. I was afraid I would be reduced to going to the Mall or Fred Meyers. There's a Wal*Mart that was just put in but I refuse to shop at the Evil Empire. The BF teases me about that and will sometimes suggest we go there when I say we need to get something like shampoo or cleaning supplies. My standard reply is."if you're buying I don't care where you go, but my money will not go to support that company." He loves it when his mom stops in to say she's going to Wal*Mart, do we need anything?
The BF's brother Adam's car took first place at a car show this weekend. Last Halloween Adam was in an accident with that car. The BF, Adam, and another friend took the opportunity to rebuild the car and turn it into a show car for the business they were starting. This is their first trophy! I am so happy and excited and proud of all of them. It was a ton of work and months of very long hard nights to get to where they are now. I dread the next project car they take on because that means more long nights where I won't see the BF.
That said, I really want to see the business succeed and I love how excited he gets when he's being creative and working on a project. This next time around whenever it happens we'll be living together so he'll be forced to see me sometimes unless he actually moves into the shop.
That second one would have really come in handy this past weekend. The BF and I cleared out the second bedroom and started painting it. I'd picked out a very deep dark blue from the Ralph Lauren collection at Home Depot that I wanted to paint silhouettes of the Seattle skyline on the wall with. However I wasn't that happy with the last gallon of paint from Mr. Lauren so I took the paint chip to a local paint shop and had them try to match it. Admittedly I was also hoping to pay something less then the $30 a gallon that I paid earlier. The guy at the paint store was very nice and very helpful. He even managed to convince me to spend $35 on a better quality of paint that had a tinted base so I wouldn't have to put on multiple coats.
When he opened the lid of the paint he'd just mixed for me however.....it was purple. A nice purple but not certainly not blue. He did a few things with the computer, added a few more ingredients, and voila....deep dark rich blue. It was thick as hell and a bit hard to paint with at first but true to the mans word it covered perfectly and I never had to go over it a second time like you often do with dark colors. When the sun hits it and you look at it from an angle you can see the purple in it but I like it. Plus it was a pain in the posterior to get all the straight lines and angles for the buildings done, not to mention the Space needle so there is no way I am going to paint that room again.
The BF went through all the computers he'd had stashed away in a closet and I think he managed to toss about half of the stuff he had in there. Hidden away under an inch of dust and a couple of old blankets were a few pairs of shoes and a backpack of old clothes that his last girlfriend had left there a couple of years ago. That man obviously had never even looked in that closet except to toss more computer things in there.
For Father's Day I had a Lego replica of the Wright Bros plane sent to my dad along with a Father's Day card. We talked on Friday and he let me know that my grandmother had been taken into the hospital the night before and had surgery to remove a mass from her colon. No word yet on if it's cancer. I called the hospital Friday night but she wasn't accepting phone calls or visitors. My grandmother has been an alcoholic for nearly 30 years now and has managed to drive away the majority of her family. For all her faults I love her but I won't play into the "woe is me I am such a martyr, I gave everything to my family and never asked for anything in return" act that she like to throw.
I think I found a Target down south. Phew! I love Target. I was afraid I would be reduced to going to the Mall or Fred Meyers. There's a Wal*Mart that was just put in but I refuse to shop at the Evil Empire. The BF teases me about that and will sometimes suggest we go there when I say we need to get something like shampoo or cleaning supplies. My standard reply is."if you're buying I don't care where you go, but my money will not go to support that company." He loves it when his mom stops in to say she's going to Wal*Mart, do we need anything?
The BF's brother Adam's car took first place at a car show this weekend. Last Halloween Adam was in an accident with that car. The BF, Adam, and another friend took the opportunity to rebuild the car and turn it into a show car for the business they were starting. This is their first trophy! I am so happy and excited and proud of all of them. It was a ton of work and months of very long hard nights to get to where they are now. I dread the next project car they take on because that means more long nights where I won't see the BF.
That said, I really want to see the business succeed and I love how excited he gets when he's being creative and working on a project. This next time around whenever it happens we'll be living together so he'll be forced to see me sometimes unless he actually moves into the shop.
Friday, June 17, 2005
TPS Reports
Thank goodness it's Friday! Unlike last week I actually did real honest to god work this week so I am feeling pretty good. Every two weeks we have a Friday afternoon meeting where we give Individual Activity Reports IARs. Basically this serves to let the executive mgmt know what we've been doing for the past two weeks and what we plan on doing for the next two. Yes it's as much BS as it sounds. There are 13 people who work for this company. Thirteen. Total. Three of whom qualify as executive mgmt. Are they so out of touch with what the other 10 of us are doing that we have to waste time like this filling them in. My reports all have the general theme of...."Did my job these past two weeks, and planto do pretty much the same thing for the next two weeks." At least I don't have to do them in triplicate and use the new cover sheets - blatant Office Space reference.
I did my duty as the good daughter that I am and called my mom last night. I usually try to call her once a week. Sometimes its more but I rarely go more then a two weeks without calling in. She bought a new dog last week. He's a Rat Terrier and his name is Rusty. He is half the size of Pete her other dog but he is firmly in charge of the house now. I haven't met him yet but I will next weekend. So now my mom lives in a 700 sq. ft. house with enough furniture for a 1200 sq. ft. home and has two dogs. I am waiting for the call from Kitsap county EMS letting me know that she's tripped over one of the dogs fell over a chair bounced off the buffet and landed by the victrola knocking the TV off of it and onto her. I don't know whether I'll be laughing or crying the whole drive over to visit her in the hospital.
My paternal great grandmother who turned 90 in Febuary just moved into an assisted living center this week. She lost her hearing last month and finally decided that it was for the best that she move. Until now she has lived on her own and done very well. I come from a long line of very stubborn people who live to very old age. I hope I can do the same.
We finished painting the bedroom last night. It's now a shade of green that is better suited to an english library then a bedroom. Don't ask. I still have the ceiling to do (it's NOT going to be green) and accessories like curtains to find that will break up all that green. Did I mention that the carpet is green also? A legacy from the previous owner. I was teasing the BF about bringing in a bunch of plants, putting an animal skin on the bed and making him wear a loin cloth to bed. We could play Tarzan and Jane. "Is it okay if this Tarzan drives a race car instead of swinging on a vine?" was his reply. He may think he's had the last laugh but wait until the leopard print bikini briefs I just bought on Amazon.com get delivered to the house.
I did my duty as the good daughter that I am and called my mom last night. I usually try to call her once a week. Sometimes its more but I rarely go more then a two weeks without calling in. She bought a new dog last week. He's a Rat Terrier and his name is Rusty. He is half the size of Pete her other dog but he is firmly in charge of the house now. I haven't met him yet but I will next weekend. So now my mom lives in a 700 sq. ft. house with enough furniture for a 1200 sq. ft. home and has two dogs. I am waiting for the call from Kitsap county EMS letting me know that she's tripped over one of the dogs fell over a chair bounced off the buffet and landed by the victrola knocking the TV off of it and onto her. I don't know whether I'll be laughing or crying the whole drive over to visit her in the hospital.
My paternal great grandmother who turned 90 in Febuary just moved into an assisted living center this week. She lost her hearing last month and finally decided that it was for the best that she move. Until now she has lived on her own and done very well. I come from a long line of very stubborn people who live to very old age. I hope I can do the same.
We finished painting the bedroom last night. It's now a shade of green that is better suited to an english library then a bedroom. Don't ask. I still have the ceiling to do (it's NOT going to be green) and accessories like curtains to find that will break up all that green. Did I mention that the carpet is green also? A legacy from the previous owner. I was teasing the BF about bringing in a bunch of plants, putting an animal skin on the bed and making him wear a loin cloth to bed. We could play Tarzan and Jane. "Is it okay if this Tarzan drives a race car instead of swinging on a vine?" was his reply. He may think he's had the last laugh but wait until the leopard print bikini briefs I just bought on Amazon.com get delivered to the house.
Thursday, June 16, 2005
When birds attack
I saw the oddest thing today coming into work. I came out of the bus tunnel and decided that I really needed a coffee so was just walking into Tully's when this horrible screeching started up. Just coming over the roof of Uwajimaya was a seagull with a crow on it's back.
This drama was played out while the gull flew dangerously low - hard to compensate for the added crow weight on it's back - down 5th ave. Everyone and everything came to a complete stop and watched this display of avian aggression until finally the crow relented and flew off back over Uwajimaya. The gull landed on the corner of Jackson and fluffed up it's feathers and strutted around as though it was saying, "I am cool, that was nothing you should have seen what I did last week."
It was the best public display I'd seen since the man who took a dump along the side of 4th ave and proceeded to wipe his ass with a Dick's wrapper while car whizzed right by him. Our entire office stood outside our building across the street from him and applauded when he was done.
I brought some boxes of my things down to the BF's house last night. I quickly became very depressed as I realized that there was almost no place to put anything. We have been going room by room cleaning it out and painting. Which means that everything is out in the open while we decide where it goes or if we are going to keep it So nothing is put away and I am only adding to the general confusion by adding my things to this unholy mess.
The BF has way too many hobbies which have way too many components to them. For example, RC cars. He's not content to buy a single RC car or even a couple of them. He has to build his own. This means that there are a gazillion RC car parts spread from one end of the house to the other. They are mainly concentrated on the "dining room table", but I have found car shells in the living room and the electronics for the controllers in the bedrooms. These are of course mixed in with the one dozen computers and the one million computer parts that have a) been pulled out of said computers, b) are going into them, or c) are just hanging around because "I might find a use for it". In his defense he has started, under his own initiative, to go through all these things and do a bit off pruning.
After nearly breaking down in tears last night cause I felt like I was chasing my tail trying to get the house ready he hugged me and told me that I wasn't alone, that he knows it's a huge chore and was doing the best he could to help me out. Then he kicked it into high gear and within an hour had a large portion the garage cleared out and ready for more damn boxes to wait in while we cleared and cleaned the rest of house. I love this man cause he knows when I need words and when I need action. Last night I needed both and he delivered like always.
This drama was played out while the gull flew dangerously low - hard to compensate for the added crow weight on it's back - down 5th ave. Everyone and everything came to a complete stop and watched this display of avian aggression until finally the crow relented and flew off back over Uwajimaya. The gull landed on the corner of Jackson and fluffed up it's feathers and strutted around as though it was saying, "I am cool, that was nothing you should have seen what I did last week."
It was the best public display I'd seen since the man who took a dump along the side of 4th ave and proceeded to wipe his ass with a Dick's wrapper while car whizzed right by him. Our entire office stood outside our building across the street from him and applauded when he was done.
I brought some boxes of my things down to the BF's house last night. I quickly became very depressed as I realized that there was almost no place to put anything. We have been going room by room cleaning it out and painting. Which means that everything is out in the open while we decide where it goes or if we are going to keep it So nothing is put away and I am only adding to the general confusion by adding my things to this unholy mess.
The BF has way too many hobbies which have way too many components to them. For example, RC cars. He's not content to buy a single RC car or even a couple of them. He has to build his own. This means that there are a gazillion RC car parts spread from one end of the house to the other. They are mainly concentrated on the "dining room table", but I have found car shells in the living room and the electronics for the controllers in the bedrooms. These are of course mixed in with the one dozen computers and the one million computer parts that have a) been pulled out of said computers, b) are going into them, or c) are just hanging around because "I might find a use for it". In his defense he has started, under his own initiative, to go through all these things and do a bit off pruning.
After nearly breaking down in tears last night cause I felt like I was chasing my tail trying to get the house ready he hugged me and told me that I wasn't alone, that he knows it's a huge chore and was doing the best he could to help me out. Then he kicked it into high gear and within an hour had a large portion the garage cleared out and ready for more damn boxes to wait in while we cleared and cleaned the rest of house. I love this man cause he knows when I need words and when I need action. Last night I needed both and he delivered like always.
Wednesday, June 15, 2005
It's not all bad....but there are alot of boxes involved
Last night was day three of the great apartment pack up. I'd brought home about dozen or more boxes from work thinking that that would handle the majority of my possesions. Wrong. My books took up the two thirds of those boxes and I still have my entire reference section, and the architectural history portion of my "library" to pack.
I gave up on the books for awhile and turned my attention to the kitchen where the second largest collection of - things - is concentrated. Wanting to finish up as quickly as possible I tried to to convince the contents of my kitchen to just pack themselves. Oddly enought there were no takers.
We had a tsunami warning along the coast last night. By the time I heard about it they had already called it off so I didn't bother calling my mom who lives a block from the water in Keyport. I figured the warning probably didn't extend into the Sound where she's at anyway.
Well I suppose I should get some work done while I am here. Untill I move I'll only have an internet connection at work. For the first time in weeks I actually have multiple projects to work on so I suppose I'd better start earning my keep.
I gave up on the books for awhile and turned my attention to the kitchen where the second largest collection of - things - is concentrated. Wanting to finish up as quickly as possible I tried to to convince the contents of my kitchen to just pack themselves. Oddly enought there were no takers.
We had a tsunami warning along the coast last night. By the time I heard about it they had already called it off so I didn't bother calling my mom who lives a block from the water in Keyport. I figured the warning probably didn't extend into the Sound where she's at anyway.
Well I suppose I should get some work done while I am here. Untill I move I'll only have an internet connection at work. For the first time in weeks I actually have multiple projects to work on so I suppose I'd better start earning my keep.
Tuesday, June 14, 2005
Moving on down.....
There hasn't been anything in my in-box at work for a very long time now. Consequently I have been spending entirely too much time surfing the web and teaching myself how to play Sudoku. What this means is that when work does make it's way to my desk I am not so much grateful to actually have something to do, as I am mad at being interrupted from my web surfing. I really need to find a new job so that I can useful again and my employers can get their monies worth out of their employee.
At the end of this month I am taking the plunge and moving in with my boyfriend. We've been dating for about a year and the distance (almost 60 miles) is getting to be a pain in the.... I wish there had been a valid and compelling reason for him to move up north where I live but alas there wasn't. So down south I move into a small town/city that is on the border of nowhere. Okay Covington isn't so bad; it has potential. However the neighborhood into which I am moving is less then desirable. Ironicly it's the same neighborhood that my parents moved into when they were first married. And nothing has changed in the past 30 odd years. The houses are all cheaply made and have been cheaply maintained. They are very possibly the last houses within King Co. that aren't 100 miles from Seattle and don't cost more then 200k.
Not to be a snob but I feel like I am taking a huge step backward by moving into this area. However the BF is a part owner of a business nearby, I am not ready to buy a house with him yet in a better neighborhood and he isn't ready nor able to buy a bigeer house and tie up a larger portion of his income with a new mortgage.
At the end of this month I am taking the plunge and moving in with my boyfriend. We've been dating for about a year and the distance (almost 60 miles) is getting to be a pain in the.... I wish there had been a valid and compelling reason for him to move up north where I live but alas there wasn't. So down south I move into a small town/city that is on the border of nowhere. Okay Covington isn't so bad; it has potential. However the neighborhood into which I am moving is less then desirable. Ironicly it's the same neighborhood that my parents moved into when they were first married. And nothing has changed in the past 30 odd years. The houses are all cheaply made and have been cheaply maintained. They are very possibly the last houses within King Co. that aren't 100 miles from Seattle and don't cost more then 200k.
Not to be a snob but I feel like I am taking a huge step backward by moving into this area. However the BF is a part owner of a business nearby, I am not ready to buy a house with him yet in a better neighborhood and he isn't ready nor able to buy a bigeer house and tie up a larger portion of his income with a new mortgage.
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