Thursday, June 28, 2007
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Photo gone!
So I decided that the blog needed some more pics. I went out and took some great ones, let me tell you. Let me tell you, because I can't show you. As I was showing a couple to the guy at the front desk the camera froze. When I got it un-froze the memory card was corrupted and all of my pics got erased.
I guess that means I have more room on the card now to take pictures at least.
I guess that means I have more room on the card now to take pictures at least.
Monday, June 25, 2007
Uhhh... Yuck
So as I was laying in bed waiting for tomorrow to arrive, I saw something moving on the wall. Yeah... It was a large cockroach. I am thoughly disgusted. I will have to go through all of my belongings now to make sure that they do not follow me to my next location. My view of this hotel has dropped several points.
Yuck.
Yuck.
Access
Well, since no one else wants to update my blog for me, I guess I have to do it. :)
I worked on MS Access today for pretty much the whole day. I actually enjoyed it because it felt like I was accomplishing something, but by 4:00 it had also given me a nice headache.
---
I am still looking for things to do at night. Hanging out at a bar, while fun in a group on the weekends, is not something I am likely to do on a weekday. Working on the computer, playing on the computer, and watching TV all fall under the heading of "No more CRT today." Reading and puzzles are fun up to a point, and I have reached that point. Even driving and site seeing is no longer fun alone.
I crave human contact. L won't be here for at least a couple of weeks, perhaps longer if she keeps questioning whether I actually want her to come down. I have called most everybody in my phone's contact list, and I am actually tired of just talking over a tenuous digital signal. The hotel staff are also rather boring and unengaging. I want someone to hang out with. I know that, I went on much longer alone in Ohio and FL the first time around, but in both of those cases, I hadn't been living with L like I have been now. I know I should just buck it up and wait.
It is 8:00 right now. In a couple of hours I get to go to bed. Then I can start my day tomorrow and be doing something again. I look forward to work. It seems like the wrong reason though.
I worked on MS Access today for pretty much the whole day. I actually enjoyed it because it felt like I was accomplishing something, but by 4:00 it had also given me a nice headache.
---
I am still looking for things to do at night. Hanging out at a bar, while fun in a group on the weekends, is not something I am likely to do on a weekday. Working on the computer, playing on the computer, and watching TV all fall under the heading of "No more CRT today." Reading and puzzles are fun up to a point, and I have reached that point. Even driving and site seeing is no longer fun alone.
I crave human contact. L won't be here for at least a couple of weeks, perhaps longer if she keeps questioning whether I actually want her to come down. I have called most everybody in my phone's contact list, and I am actually tired of just talking over a tenuous digital signal. The hotel staff are also rather boring and unengaging. I want someone to hang out with. I know that, I went on much longer alone in Ohio and FL the first time around, but in both of those cases, I hadn't been living with L like I have been now. I know I should just buck it up and wait.
It is 8:00 right now. In a couple of hours I get to go to bed. Then I can start my day tomorrow and be doing something again. I look forward to work. It seems like the wrong reason though.
Sunday, June 24, 2007
At the mall
So I went to the mall today to pick-up something to reduce the boredom I am experiencing on the weekends. It was lunchtime when I was there, so I went to the food court to get some food. Of course, I had to make a short pit stop first. As I was standing there in front of the john, I heard some rustling behind me. This being a busy place, I didn't think twice about it until I felt something brush up against the side of my leg. I looked down and saw a long white stick.
At this point a thousand possibilities come rushing to me all of the way from
-an inept and overzealous cleaning person trying to use a stick to a grab some trash at my feet, to:
-a sick-o trying to get a peek of some men in the bathroom with some weird camera on a stick, to:
-kids playing in the wrong spot.
I had flash of irritation, but then a blind man holding his white cane sidled up to the urinal beside me. The irritation was gone, instantly replaced by what I hope was understanding and not pity. I am thankful for my site, and the fact that it allows me to enter situations and not immediately cause irritation by just trying to find my way around.
At this point a thousand possibilities come rushing to me all of the way from
-an inept and overzealous cleaning person trying to use a stick to a grab some trash at my feet, to:
-a sick-o trying to get a peek of some men in the bathroom with some weird camera on a stick, to:
-kids playing in the wrong spot.
I had flash of irritation, but then a blind man holding his white cane sidled up to the urinal beside me. The irritation was gone, instantly replaced by what I hope was understanding and not pity. I am thankful for my site, and the fact that it allows me to enter situations and not immediately cause irritation by just trying to find my way around.
Friday, June 22, 2007
A chance out
I finally got a chance to get out and go hang with people from work at the bar. It was a great change from sitting in the hotel every night until bedtime. Apparently there was a little drama because I left in a cab without anyone seeing me and then a fight broke out complete with police and nobody knew where I was. I am good and had an interesting dicussion with the cabbie for all $25 home. Now it is beddie bye time.
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
L
If the truth is really that simple, then the answer is just as simple. Do the little things. Look for the big things that happen while you do the little things. Be happy and the rest will happen. Come be with me... All you have to do is jump.
When you are happy, let me know. Yes you tell me how happy you are at times, but more often I only hear how wrong things are. I love you. I want to do what it takes to make you happy, but often I don't know how. If it is true that you want to be near me, the come down and be happy. It is that simple. If that is all it takes...
If it takes every small thing working in concert, well then we have something to work towards. I know you want stability. I like variety. You like a warm bed, I like the cold night sounds. You like to know that tomorrow will happen just as planned. I hope for a change of plans to spice things up. Where do our lives meet? How can I provide the stability you want while working the job I love? How can you live life on my edge, when you are much happier rooted at home. How do we make this work? I want to make it work. You want to make it work. We just are stumbling a bit on the how, where, and when. Talk to me.
The coldest I feel is not when there is a foot of snow and I am lost in the woods. It is when you shut me out because you want to protect me. You describe yourself as the ball of emotion bouncing against my wall of logic. I like that. I like it when you open up to me. Perhaps I like it because you are the emotions that I shut out of myself, or just don't have at all. But when you take those emotions and bottle them up, it makes you unhappy and it makes me unhappy.
Come live with me.
When you are happy, let me know. Yes you tell me how happy you are at times, but more often I only hear how wrong things are. I love you. I want to do what it takes to make you happy, but often I don't know how. If it is true that you want to be near me, the come down and be happy. It is that simple. If that is all it takes...
If it takes every small thing working in concert, well then we have something to work towards. I know you want stability. I like variety. You like a warm bed, I like the cold night sounds. You like to know that tomorrow will happen just as planned. I hope for a change of plans to spice things up. Where do our lives meet? How can I provide the stability you want while working the job I love? How can you live life on my edge, when you are much happier rooted at home. How do we make this work? I want to make it work. You want to make it work. We just are stumbling a bit on the how, where, and when. Talk to me.
The coldest I feel is not when there is a foot of snow and I am lost in the woods. It is when you shut me out because you want to protect me. You describe yourself as the ball of emotion bouncing against my wall of logic. I like that. I like it when you open up to me. Perhaps I like it because you are the emotions that I shut out of myself, or just don't have at all. But when you take those emotions and bottle them up, it makes you unhappy and it makes me unhappy.
Come live with me.
Good morning
I am bleeding through my band aids. My hip kills. I slept through my alarm. But otherwise I am ducky.
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Idiot!
I hurt. I hurt because I am a royal idiot.
It was raining. I didn't want to get wet. I decided to run. As I approached a small fight of steps, I thought, "This might not turn out ok." I hit the bottom, slipped, dove, slid, rolled, came up to my feet, and did my best impression of a gymnast ending a floor routine. I was soaked from head to toe, and bleeding from the elbow and both knees. Pictures will appear later. I also have a softball sized lump on my hip. I am an idiot.
It was raining. I didn't want to get wet. I decided to run. As I approached a small fight of steps, I thought, "This might not turn out ok." I hit the bottom, slipped, dove, slid, rolled, came up to my feet, and did my best impression of a gymnast ending a floor routine. I was soaked from head to toe, and bleeding from the elbow and both knees. Pictures will appear later. I also have a softball sized lump on my hip. I am an idiot.
Monday, June 18, 2007
I'm Sorry
If you are reading this, you most likely know me. Since I know of you as well, there may be a federal agent knocking on your door sometime in the future asking questions about me such as, "Is he a reliable person? Do you consider him loyal to the United States? Has he ever killed a man just to watch him die?
I am sorry for any inconvenience this may cause you.
So, I had to fill out this big "application" for lack of a better term. The basic gist of it was, "Who are you? How can we track you down? How can we track down anyone you may have come in contact with in the last 7 years? The End."
I never knew I had a selective service number. Well I know it now. The good news was that I had access to the internet the whole time so I could track down much of the information I needed, like that secretive selective service number. On the bright side, this gave me an opportunity to contact a number of people I hadn't talked to in a while to ask if they would be a reference for me.
I am so glad that you only have to apply for positions on an irregular basis. It always feels to me like I am selling my soul to the lowest bidder. yes lowest.
And for the reading impaired, here is a picture of a flower at my parents house.
I am sorry for any inconvenience this may cause you.
So, I had to fill out this big "application" for lack of a better term. The basic gist of it was, "Who are you? How can we track you down? How can we track down anyone you may have come in contact with in the last 7 years? The End."
I never knew I had a selective service number. Well I know it now. The good news was that I had access to the internet the whole time so I could track down much of the information I needed, like that secretive selective service number. On the bright side, this gave me an opportunity to contact a number of people I hadn't talked to in a while to ask if they would be a reference for me.
I am so glad that you only have to apply for positions on an irregular basis. It always feels to me like I am selling my soul to the lowest bidder. yes lowest.
And for the reading impaired, here is a picture of a flower at my parents house.
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Storage
So, I have some storage needs. I enjoy travelling lightly, but with the current job, need to travel with clothes for a week at least. What would be nice would be a system where I could store a small to medium amount of stuff and have it where-ever I end up. Think about it as a bus-station locker that can be called up where ever you are.
Enter: Mini-Pods.
I am sure that you have all seen the storage container service ads for PODS.
...
...
I just called PODS to see if they already had this service. No they don't, but they are looking into it. They customer service rep, mentioned that they were trying to get a program called Baby PODS going. Everyone steals my ideas. Honestly. I am actually glad that they are doing this. They have the name recognition and the worldwide distribution to make this work. I think they would be really smart to pair up with a company like Fed-Ex so that the baby pods could be delivered anywhere in a day.
I also asked about their current service and I think that might be a good solution for L and I when we pack up the current place.
Enter: Mini-Pods.
I am sure that you have all seen the storage container service ads for PODS.
...
...
I just called PODS to see if they already had this service. No they don't, but they are looking into it. They customer service rep, mentioned that they were trying to get a program called Baby PODS going. Everyone steals my ideas. Honestly. I am actually glad that they are doing this. They have the name recognition and the worldwide distribution to make this work. I think they would be really smart to pair up with a company like Fed-Ex so that the baby pods could be delivered anywhere in a day.
I also asked about their current service and I think that might be a good solution for L and I when we pack up the current place.
Saturday, June 16, 2007
Head and Heart
After listening to a piece on NPR about thinking with your heart instead of your head, I began to wonder. Is there a way to think with your "heart" when you are new to something?
The example given in the piece was about playing music. It was a person describing that although a person can learn a piece to perfection, it doesn't begin to sound good until the head stops thinking and the heart starts playing the piece. Now, beyond the whole argument that this definition of "sounding good" is merely the undescribeable notions of an elitist zealot, there is a general perception that somethings are done better when you don't "think" about doing them.
There are obvious counter examples to this: Anything safety related is better when you think each step through as you do it. However there are also many examples where doing something on autopilot gives better results. Music, art, even writing all seem to fit, which brings me to my topic. If you have never played an instrument or picked up a brush, could you "think with your heart" ?
The NPR piece stated that in order to think with your heart, you must quiet the noise coming from your head. I don't think that this is the case. Instead, the heart is mearly the conductor of the orchestra. When the orchestra is filled with 6th graders new to music, it doesn't matter how hard the conductor tries. Many middle school music teachers would attest to this. On the other hand, when the orchestra is well versed in music, the players watch the conductor and follow his cues instead of focusing on the music. The conductor needs the music to work with. If you "quiet the noise from your head" there will be nothing for the heart to work with.
What sorts of activities can become second nature? It is easy to see how physical activities such as chewing, walking, swimming, gymnastics, sports, driving and physical labor can become mindless activities. But what about mental activities? Can writing become second nature? What about music? Chess? Math? Can anything be practiced to the point where it becomes natural? What about social interactions? Social intereactions are natural for almost everybody, and yet we still mess them up all of the time. I don't have the answer to that.
I do know that I have been "in the zone" before. I have seen articles and discussions on how to reach the zone more easily. But all of those resources left out an important piece. You must know what you are doing, before it can be second nature.
Oh, and here is a picture of an ice cream truck:
The example given in the piece was about playing music. It was a person describing that although a person can learn a piece to perfection, it doesn't begin to sound good until the head stops thinking and the heart starts playing the piece. Now, beyond the whole argument that this definition of "sounding good" is merely the undescribeable notions of an elitist zealot, there is a general perception that somethings are done better when you don't "think" about doing them.
There are obvious counter examples to this: Anything safety related is better when you think each step through as you do it. However there are also many examples where doing something on autopilot gives better results. Music, art, even writing all seem to fit, which brings me to my topic. If you have never played an instrument or picked up a brush, could you "think with your heart" ?
The NPR piece stated that in order to think with your heart, you must quiet the noise coming from your head. I don't think that this is the case. Instead, the heart is mearly the conductor of the orchestra. When the orchestra is filled with 6th graders new to music, it doesn't matter how hard the conductor tries. Many middle school music teachers would attest to this. On the other hand, when the orchestra is well versed in music, the players watch the conductor and follow his cues instead of focusing on the music. The conductor needs the music to work with. If you "quiet the noise from your head" there will be nothing for the heart to work with.
What sorts of activities can become second nature? It is easy to see how physical activities such as chewing, walking, swimming, gymnastics, sports, driving and physical labor can become mindless activities. But what about mental activities? Can writing become second nature? What about music? Chess? Math? Can anything be practiced to the point where it becomes natural? What about social interactions? Social intereactions are natural for almost everybody, and yet we still mess them up all of the time. I don't have the answer to that.
I do know that I have been "in the zone" before. I have seen articles and discussions on how to reach the zone more easily. But all of those resources left out an important piece. You must know what you are doing, before it can be second nature.
Oh, and here is a picture of an ice cream truck:
Friday, June 15, 2007
The pressure begins to crank up
The heat is on! ...on the street. Inside your head, on every beat.
Ugh! Enough of the 80's already!
So you probably think this is going to be about the pressures involved with the new job.
Nope!
Maybe it's about how much I miss L and the stress of not being able to see her.
While that is true, it is not the topic of this post.
Is it the problem of being in a new place and starting over?
No, no and more no.
Here is a long shot, but could it be about the current world situation and the dire straight that many of the world population is in due to a person that was voted into office partially due to me.
Most definitely not!
The intense pressure is coming from the loyal fan-base of this blog. All two of them. I skip one day, and it's like the world is going to pieces. Honestly, I didn't think this was more than a pasttime until I talked to certain people and realized how their lives suddenly revolve around the (now 5 or 6) posts in my blog. All complaints aside, I am glad that they (you) enjoy this, and it does help to unwind a bit. If you have a public blog, post a link in the comments and I will add you to some kind of links list err something.
On a completely different note, working with southerns can be amusing. "You're assin' up agin." "So, then I started workin' on this hoochyblah." and "That ain't right." are some common phrases I now hear. ("Now, I'm not sayin' he's a bad driver, but when I got out, I had a strip of nauga-hide trailin' me cuz I was puckered up so hard.")
I think in my next post I will offend my entire audience by delving into a game idea that I have been chewing on for a while. Or perhaps I with discuss the metaphysical state of ineptitude surrounding the entire Paris Hilton ordeal. Or maybe it will be about ice cream. I don't know.
Ugh! Enough of the 80's already!
So you probably think this is going to be about the pressures involved with the new job.
Nope!
Maybe it's about how much I miss L and the stress of not being able to see her.
While that is true, it is not the topic of this post.
Is it the problem of being in a new place and starting over?
No, no and more no.
Here is a long shot, but could it be about the current world situation and the dire straight that many of the world population is in due to a person that was voted into office partially due to me.
Most definitely not!
The intense pressure is coming from the loyal fan-base of this blog. All two of them. I skip one day, and it's like the world is going to pieces. Honestly, I didn't think this was more than a pasttime until I talked to certain people and realized how their lives suddenly revolve around the (now 5 or 6) posts in my blog. All complaints aside, I am glad that they (you) enjoy this, and it does help to unwind a bit. If you have a public blog, post a link in the comments and I will add you to some kind of links list err something.
On a completely different note, working with southerns can be amusing. "You're assin' up agin." "So, then I started workin' on this hoochyblah." and "That ain't right." are some common phrases I now hear. ("Now, I'm not sayin' he's a bad driver, but when I got out, I had a strip of nauga-hide trailin' me cuz I was puckered up so hard.")
I think in my next post I will offend my entire audience by delving into a game idea that I have been chewing on for a while. Or perhaps I with discuss the metaphysical state of ineptitude surrounding the entire Paris Hilton ordeal. Or maybe it will be about ice cream. I don't know.
So here I Sit at
So here I Sit at the office with nothin to do except take the time to compose a really long message on my phone. Oh work!! Gotta go!
Thursday, June 14, 2007
I have finished all of
I have finished all of the paperwork set out for me and I an now just waiting for my badge to be made. Posted via mobile.
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
What a day!
Today I woke up at the hotel, checked out, and went to the site. I had a going away lunch with the guys and then left around 2:45 for the airport.
I got to the airport and did a couple of laps looking for rental car returns until I asked someone. When I got to the return area, I realized that I hadn't filled the tank, so I left on search of a gas station. The airport was not in a good part of town. If I had been looking for "Cabarets" and Adult-marts, I would have been fine. I was looking for a gas station, though, and had to travel quite a distance.
I finally got my car squared away, and made it to the airport throug security and to my gate. A shoe shiner asked me if I wanted my shoes shined, and since I had some time, I did so. The result is posted below. (BTW mobile blogging is fun... there may be more in the future).
After a short delay and a $2.00 bottle of water, I boarded along with a straggling few other people.
L has persuded me to leave out the part about open-head-wound-man.
I got to the airport and did a couple of laps looking for rental car returns until I asked someone. When I got to the return area, I realized that I hadn't filled the tank, so I left on search of a gas station. The airport was not in a good part of town. If I had been looking for "Cabarets" and Adult-marts, I would have been fine. I was looking for a gas station, though, and had to travel quite a distance.
I finally got my car squared away, and made it to the airport throug security and to my gate. A shoe shiner asked me if I wanted my shoes shined, and since I had some time, I did so. The result is posted below. (BTW mobile blogging is fun... there may be more in the future).
After a short delay and a $2.00 bottle of water, I boarded along with a straggling few other people.
L has persuded me to leave out the part about open-head-wound-man.
As you can see, the interior of the plane had been vandalized by some kids apparently under the supervision of one "Ronald McDonald." I hope they catch the little bastards and throw the book at them.
Outside of the plane was a different story. Mother nature puts beauty into everything she touches, but sometimes she really out does herself. When we took off, the sun was starting to get lower in the west on my side of the plane. The sun reflected off each and every little lake and pond with a golden gleam like gold flecks scattered across a table. I was captivated for quite some time. As we rose through the clouds, the ponds continued to shine brightly enough that they cast a white halo around themselves. It was beautiful and elegant.
The clouds continued to facinate me as always so I took some pictures this time. Here are a couple:
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Here I come!
"'Cause I'm leaving on a jet plane
Don't know when I'll be back again."
Florida... Florida... How do I miss thee, let me count the ways.
Steve
Dave
Kim
AJ & Acorn
Dave's Boat
Kim's colors.
Sophia's laugh.
206
Diving
Driving
Thriving
Slightly sub par Sushi
Athens
Salads in the living room
The life
The times.
The weather.
The sea.
Most importantly a happy L
I am sure there is a bit of nostalgia clouding the bad times. But I do know that I was happy.
What a day. I think I am still coming down from the high earlier. I am sure there will be pictures to follow.
Don't know when I'll be back again."
Florida... Florida... How do I miss thee, let me count the ways.
Steve
Dave
Kim
AJ & Acorn
Dave's Boat
Kim's colors.
Sophia's laugh.
206
Diving
Driving
Thriving
Slightly sub par Sushi
Athens
Salads in the living room
The life
The times.
The weather.
The sea.
Most importantly a happy L
I am sure there is a bit of nostalgia clouding the bad times. But I do know that I was happy.
What a day. I think I am still coming down from the high earlier. I am sure there will be pictures to follow.
First Post
This is indeed my first post on my first blog (not counting a spoof account or 2). I am currently working on site in Ohio instead of my home of Michigan. That may drastically change soon. I am keeping my fingers crossed as I wait for a certain phone call to occur.
On a different note, I think I will use this opportunity to post some pictures of my dog (well L's dog). Enjoy.
On a different note, I think I will use this opportunity to post some pictures of my dog (well L's dog). Enjoy.
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