As some of you know, I took last week off of work. Going into work today was met with a deep-rooted, gnawing dread that was completely justified as it turns out...
And as all of you, when I take a week off I tend to set some lofty goals for myself which I never seem to be able to accomplish. Notice I didn't do that this time around. The only goal I set for myself was to think a bit about life the universe and everything.
A good portion of the week was spent with Laroo, and that's always good. I managed to meet some of her family and made a good impression, some of her co-workers (and likewise) and actually helped her in her dramatic endeavors. That didn't turn out so well but I blame false advertising on that. Anyone want ten walkie-talkies cheap?
There were a couple of job interviews. Well maybe "interview" is too strong a word. One was a "getting to know you" session with a recruiter (which went well) and one was a recruitment for an RRSP pyramid scheme (which went well considering the pretenses I was offered and there was not a lot of blood shed afterwards).
Add a "boys night out" with the bros as we re-lived our violent childhood by playing board games; accusing each other at cheating, rules lawyering and all around poor sportsmanship, more time with Laroo, another interview for the writing group and various trips to the airport, it sums up to a busy week.
But I did engage the brain. What I engaged it with was some thought on routine.
I am very much a routine kinda guy. But getting into that routine takes some effort as I am also a lazy kinda guy. Two things I need to get into a routine: working out and writing. And they both take a considerable amount a of time given my schedule.
Consider: on a good day I get home at 5:30 PM (today, not so much....). After whatever I call dinner and the cleanup it's about 6:30 or 7. Which leaves me about 2 hours of energy left before I spend the night listening the elephant stomping around upstairs (not as much metaphor there as you think or as I wish).
The gym is two hours fifteen minutes from out the door to back at home.
The goal is to write 1000 words a day. Which takes me about two hours. And also scares the hell out of me.
So I can't do both. Not every day (maybe on weekends, but from now until April 1, all my weeks are belong to Laroo).
So I'm going for either/or. Either I go to the gym and do a full work out or I write or do writing-related stuff for two hours. Yes, I will include this blog (practice) and the writing blog (more practice). I'm also including reading about writing as that's educational and if it's all like Stephen King's "On Writing" it's also a treat.
How many words is that? 511... Okay back to Mr. King! 517...
Monday, February 26, 2007
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
V-Day
First off, Happy V-day to everyone! And a very special V-Day (although we will be celebrating on the weekend) to my Laroo who said some very nice things about me and who needs a hug. So I drove through a blizzard (okay a lot of ice fog) lousy roads and the Driver Stupidex at "Danger! Danger Will Robinson!" levels to give her lots of them.
I'm such a good boyfriend.
One of the things we have in common is the whole competency thing. And the very low threshold for allowing people to do a lousy job. With the big production she's doing at work, it's getting her down, so all of you go wish her well just because she makes me happy. Happier. Okay, less full of hate. And that's a miracle in itself!
Love ya, Laroo!
So in job hunting news: I've had some time for the Hate-o-meter to settle down and stabilize a bit. It's still pretty high up on that there chart and the urge to quit (I just backspaced over "urge to kill") is still daily.
But I'm not going to just up and quit without having a new job. I've spent seven years getting this cash together and dammit I'm going to enjoy it!
So I've been putting the booster on the job hunt engine. I've applied for a couple jobs at specific places I want to work and a couple generic resumes at contracting companies.
And I got a request to apply for a position in the ol' email-o-tron today. Looks interesting actually: small company looking to grow. Been there done that, will ing to take the salary they are quoting to do it again (woohoo!).
Now go get sick on chocolate, you crazy kids
I'm such a good boyfriend.
One of the things we have in common is the whole competency thing. And the very low threshold for allowing people to do a lousy job. With the big production she's doing at work, it's getting her down, so all of you go wish her well just because she makes me happy. Happier. Okay, less full of hate. And that's a miracle in itself!
Love ya, Laroo!
So in job hunting news: I've had some time for the Hate-o-meter to settle down and stabilize a bit. It's still pretty high up on that there chart and the urge to quit (I just backspaced over "urge to kill") is still daily.
But I'm not going to just up and quit without having a new job. I've spent seven years getting this cash together and dammit I'm going to enjoy it!
So I've been putting the booster on the job hunt engine. I've applied for a couple jobs at specific places I want to work and a couple generic resumes at contracting companies.
And I got a request to apply for a position in the ol' email-o-tron today. Looks interesting actually: small company looking to grow. Been there done that, will ing to take the salary they are quoting to do it again (woohoo!).
Now go get sick on chocolate, you crazy kids
Monday, February 05, 2007
Not Quite As, But Still, Angry
Alright so the $500+ dollars was the gub'mint's share of my stock option cash in. Sheesh. It means I'll stop paying into CPP (but will never see a thin dime, I'm quite sure) and EI (likewise). Thanks again to Capa for setting me straight. I didn't get a chance to look into things today.
As for work, well, I was training a room full of individuals who will be removing the six-ton albatross from around my neck, so that was okay. But after that was over it was the usual round of me going to various people and asking "Did you actually think about this? Really? Are you sure you thought about this?"
But the plan still holds: new job by the 28th or I'm out by March 15th. A gotta novel or two to write.
And of course on the home front, things get better and better. The L-word was exchanged between myself and Laroo (and I initiated it! yay me!). Yes, that L-word. No not the one on TV. No the other one. L-O-V... never mind.
This is so cool. It's kinda funny too as she is a bit bewildered by the whole thing (and I am too, just not as much). It's kinda cute.
So anyways, just that quick update. Now, I have to surf the various job sites and maybe even (gasp) get some concepts down for writing (had a great idea for a setting for a sci-fi series: TV, movie, game comics or novels? Who knows? When you get lucky, you get all five.)
L-O-V-E. There. I blogged it. Now the whole world knows! Virtually I mean. You know.
As for work, well, I was training a room full of individuals who will be removing the six-ton albatross from around my neck, so that was okay. But after that was over it was the usual round of me going to various people and asking "Did you actually think about this? Really? Are you sure you thought about this?"
But the plan still holds: new job by the 28th or I'm out by March 15th. A gotta novel or two to write.
And of course on the home front, things get better and better. The L-word was exchanged between myself and Laroo (and I initiated it! yay me!). Yes, that L-word. No not the one on TV. No the other one. L-O-V... never mind.
This is so cool. It's kinda funny too as she is a bit bewildered by the whole thing (and I am too, just not as much). It's kinda cute.
So anyways, just that quick update. Now, I have to surf the various job sites and maybe even (gasp) get some concepts down for writing (had a great idea for a setting for a sci-fi series: TV, movie, game comics or novels? Who knows? When you get lucky, you get all five.)
L-O-V-E. There. I blogged it. Now the whole world knows! Virtually I mean. You know.
Friday, February 02, 2007
So Much for That
What a day. The feeling of not-rage has cumulated into the state of being known as "Full of Hate".
Actually Capa contributed to that in a way by forwarding an email that would have set me off on a murderous rampage. Okay, at least assault and battery with a blunt instrument (a 5' 2" lead administrator) against a pair of application managers (who seemed to epitomize at least two of the deadly sins each, so they would have had it coming). If he hadn't I would be posting this from holding cell. You know what I mean.
What today did was high-light the fact that whenever I need someone to get something done, I have to fight for even the simplest request tooth and nail. Meanwhile when someone asks me to do something, I generally do it (although I have to strain some of them through the Idiocracy filter).
So a decision has been made. The entire office (or at least my department) are moving to a new location in March. Personally, that means that my half-hour walk to work now becomes a sixty minutes drive to work. Where there isn't enough parking. And a cubicle that is about four feet wide. And that's one of the big ones.
It's just not worth it.
If it so happens (and it's a good possibility) that I don't have a new job by then I will give two weeks notice. After that my time would be dedicated to a job search and my writing. I have enough cash to get me through three months without dipping into credit. Not my favorite as it's taken me quite a while to get that sum together, but it's money or health. And you can't put a good price on health.
And on top of that today, the roads are a mess. So the chances of seeing the wonderful Laroo for a hug and snuggle session is fading quickly.
Update: And on top of all that I just noticed my last paycheck is about $500 short. This may move up the schedule.
Actually Capa contributed to that in a way by forwarding an email that would have set me off on a murderous rampage. Okay, at least assault and battery with a blunt instrument (a 5' 2" lead administrator) against a pair of application managers (who seemed to epitomize at least two of the deadly sins each, so they would have had it coming). If he hadn't I would be posting this from holding cell. You know what I mean.
What today did was high-light the fact that whenever I need someone to get something done, I have to fight for even the simplest request tooth and nail. Meanwhile when someone asks me to do something, I generally do it (although I have to strain some of them through the Idiocracy filter).
So a decision has been made. The entire office (or at least my department) are moving to a new location in March. Personally, that means that my half-hour walk to work now becomes a sixty minutes drive to work. Where there isn't enough parking. And a cubicle that is about four feet wide. And that's one of the big ones.
It's just not worth it.
If it so happens (and it's a good possibility) that I don't have a new job by then I will give two weeks notice. After that my time would be dedicated to a job search and my writing. I have enough cash to get me through three months without dipping into credit. Not my favorite as it's taken me quite a while to get that sum together, but it's money or health. And you can't put a good price on health.
And on top of that today, the roads are a mess. So the chances of seeing the wonderful Laroo for a hug and snuggle session is fading quickly.
Update: And on top of all that I just noticed my last paycheck is about $500 short. This may move up the schedule.
Thursday, February 01, 2007
Sunny Walks
For the first time in months, the walk home was actually not done in complete darkness. Granted the sun had slunk behind the horizon (probably to get out of the wind and cold). You have no idea how much of big deal that is. Or maybe you do: most of my readership lives within ten miles of me.
An odd thing happened to me yesterday: I was at work and it actually didn't suck. This may have had something to do with Capa loaning me his DS with Elite Beat agents for a while, but I doubt it (although getting a DS has moved up in the "gotta have" list).
No, what happened was I had a productive day. At least in relation to all the other days since September where I felt like I was fighting a zombie army of clueless wonders. Today was a bit more "normal" although that probably had something to do with software we developed four or five years ago not working with Vista. So now the zombie horde is wondering how we can rewrite 120 applications in two weeks.
I'm still applying for jobs elsewhere: this is probably just my winter blues beginning to fade.
Laroo rocks. For those just tuning in, she is my significant other. Her schedule over the next two months is going to be insane (check out her blog for reasons why) and we probably won't see each other as much as we want but all that means is that when we do get together, it's very special. Not short-bus special. Limo special.
Still, I'm tempted to drag her from her place of work, pick up her dog on the way to the airport and wing our way to a tropical location where bathing suits aren't required (Laroo doesn't own one. I see that as an opportunity).
Get this: we bought a Lego dragon and built it together. She actually hung it up in her house. How cool is that?
An odd thing happened to me yesterday: I was at work and it actually didn't suck. This may have had something to do with Capa loaning me his DS with Elite Beat agents for a while, but I doubt it (although getting a DS has moved up in the "gotta have" list).
No, what happened was I had a productive day. At least in relation to all the other days since September where I felt like I was fighting a zombie army of clueless wonders. Today was a bit more "normal" although that probably had something to do with software we developed four or five years ago not working with Vista. So now the zombie horde is wondering how we can rewrite 120 applications in two weeks.
I'm still applying for jobs elsewhere: this is probably just my winter blues beginning to fade.
Laroo rocks. For those just tuning in, she is my significant other. Her schedule over the next two months is going to be insane (check out her blog for reasons why) and we probably won't see each other as much as we want but all that means is that when we do get together, it's very special. Not short-bus special. Limo special.
Still, I'm tempted to drag her from her place of work, pick up her dog on the way to the airport and wing our way to a tropical location where bathing suits aren't required (Laroo doesn't own one. I see that as an opportunity).
Get this: we bought a Lego dragon and built it together. She actually hung it up in her house. How cool is that?
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