Despite completing all my Christmas shopping ONLINE and EARLY, I still somehow found myself at the shopping mall on December 26th.
I had a gift card for Sears and I was intending on using it and picking up either a new pair of jeans, new running shoes, or both.
My shoes were "new" back at my old job (From Hell!), which means I bought them in 2003. They have holes in the sides and just scream "old". Scream of a bad smell too, but I digress...
I have 2 pair of jeans left these days since I've put on all the weight I lost in the job From Hell. If I can shed a couple inches, I have 6 pair of jeans waiting for me. At the moment, I have one semi-faded (and fairly thin) pair of Nevada jeans and a pair of Levi's that got a bleach stain on the back of one knee and have worn through. Obviously, new jeans are needed ASAP!
I hit Sears and spent about 20 minutes trying on different styles of jeans before deciding on a fairly decent pair that are a bit on the darker side than I usually wear, but they have that semi-stylish greenish/fade thing happening too. They're not like my other jeans and that was their big redeeming factor, really. I still try to break out of my clothing rut every Christmas (when crappy sweaters usually prevail as gifts --why do people insist on buying sweaters with horizontal striping for me!?!?). Sears had virtually everything on sale after Christmas and I did look at several shirts before finally acknowledging anyone sized Small would have a grand old time, but anyone a little heftier was at a loss. I have to say 'virtually everything' because I discovered when I finally made it to a cashier that my jeans were most likely the only item in the store inventory NOT on sale. Alas, since it was going on a gift card (thanks Mom), I bought them anyway.
I next went to check out the shoes. I saw very little in the way of running shows for men, and those that I did see were surrounded by an East Indian family and I thought better of trying to nab a pair of shoes from the middle of the family... So, no new shoes yet!! That's okay, though, as it's Winter and my black shoes and winter boots will do for a while.
No post-Christmas sale time is complete without adding to the DVD collection. Why I let my wife in on this, I'll never know as she still has "favorite" movies I got her for special occasions that are still in their shrink wrap from years ago. I picked up just over a half-dozen movies this year:
1. The Matrix. I had the tape, but for $3.50 it was a deal, as were the two sequels (even though I couldn't stand the 3rd one)
2. The Matrix Reloaded... see above. Another $3.50 "bargoon."
3. The Matrix Revolutions. Purely to "complete the set". For $3.50 I'll do it.
4. Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events. Loved the movie and the books, for a steal at $5! Besides, I know a Newfie, so the captain always makes me giggle!
5. 9-to-5. I actually picked this up for my Dad either for Father's Day or his birthday. He loved this movie when it came out, so for $5 it makes a great (and cheap!) gift.
6. Star Trek: Nemesis. It was $5 and I know I saw it. I just can't remember a bloody thing about it!
I also happened upon a copy of Sarah McLachlan's 'Wintersong' album for $4 and snatched it up right quick! I love her singing. It's pure bonus that she sings 'The River' (I love Joni Mitchell's original) and even better is a duet (of sorts) with Diana Krall on 'Christmastime is Here.' I'll be enjoying that tomorrow while I take care of the kids for the day!
I'll also be prepping my final post for 2007 and getting ready to publish a little thing about Africa.... along with my new theme for '08.
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Saturday, December 22, 2007
The One With The Naked Aunt
I always say at work that policies don't exist until after one was needed. It was something I heard a lawyer say years ago and it always made sense to me. Sexual harassment policies came about after they were needed, reading personal emails at work wasn't a problem until it was...It appears now, that I need a new policy when dealing with my mother sending me emails. See, I already have one. If she ever sends me a message with 'FW' in the title, then it goes directly in the trash.
So imagine my surprise the other day when reading my email when I suddenly receive a naked picture of my aunt. It appears she's posed for a calendar, much like the film 'Calendar Girls' and my mother thought to share the picture with me.
And she can't figure out why I'd want some type of warning before opening an email like that!!
The One With The One Head Cold To Rule Them All
I'm pretty sure I've survived most of this year without my traditional head cold. Don't get me wrong, I've been perfectly happy with the occasional flu, or flu-like symptoms and "taking a day" for myself every once in a while.
I'm even more excited with my raise coming when it did, knowing that I now have 11 days off and it's PAID time off!
I woke up this morning with a pounding headache and a nose so stuffed up, it almost feels like somebody stuck some cucumbers up each nostril and I'm feeling a little pressure. I finally, finally get some quality time off and this happens!!
My wife's been working all day, so I've had to deal with the kids. They were sure to wake me up whenever I fell asleep and to constantly interrupt me if I was in the bathroom or trying to type something on the computer....
I'm pretty sure a couple gallons of disgusting liquid has run out of my nose. It feels like my forehead's being pushed through to the back of my head, and my eyes just want to close and not open for a long, long time.
And then there's Christmas around the corner....
I'm even more excited with my raise coming when it did, knowing that I now have 11 days off and it's PAID time off!
I woke up this morning with a pounding headache and a nose so stuffed up, it almost feels like somebody stuck some cucumbers up each nostril and I'm feeling a little pressure. I finally, finally get some quality time off and this happens!!
My wife's been working all day, so I've had to deal with the kids. They were sure to wake me up whenever I fell asleep and to constantly interrupt me if I was in the bathroom or trying to type something on the computer....
I'm pretty sure a couple gallons of disgusting liquid has run out of my nose. It feels like my forehead's being pushed through to the back of my head, and my eyes just want to close and not open for a long, long time.
And then there's Christmas around the corner....
Sunday, December 16, 2007
The One with the 7-10 Splits?
Between the little health-scare and continuing commuting stress... piled on top of people quitting left, right, and center without any acknowledgment of what my future in the department held, this past week I was about ready to walk into my boss' office and give notice. I have 2 quotes out for web design projects that almost equal 6 months' pay at my current job. And getting sick in a bad way wasn't doing much for my motivation.
So, I made it to my boss' office door when he asked me to join him in the cafeteria. He grabbed some papers and we made our way to sit down and discuss my lack of future with the company.
And then he handed me a new job offer. With a 20% raise. And loads of benefits.
I didn't sign it. Right away, anyway. I made him sweat for a day. And I do mean sweat! He actually was perspiring by the time we finished our little meeting. He knew then just how unhappy I was, but also how powerless he was in fixing the problems --for the most part. He fixed the communication issue right away, but commuting stress is all mine to deal with.
The reason I accepted the offer was the 20% pay increase. I still want out, sooner rather than later. If they're willing to pay me 20% more while I make my escape, then so be it. I'll take it!
So, is the end? Am I having some satisfaction around the office? No, not really.
Things stirred up the very next day. One of the guys I'd worked closely with over the Summer quit in September and moved to the company that was always at the top of my list when I was in school. But being the best company on my list also means it's virtually impossible to get in to a job there. You really need someone on the inside who will vouch for you.
Just like my former co-worker who started there in September!
The very next day after signing the offer sheet, I got a phone call informing me that he'd recommended me for a similar job at the better company. Better company also means better pay. Better company also means a longer commute... but it's better too!
See, where I'm working now, I have to get off the train before it hits the final station, then grab a bus to take me to the skytrain, before moving along that route to take yet another bus! This better company is at the end of the train route and the station also joins up with the skytrain station, which sends me on my way to within 2 blocks of my office in 10 minutes. So, while my morning commute start time doesn't change, I get to take the train on a longer, faster trip and not have to worry about missing connections to and from home!
That I get to sit by the hotties in Car 4 for an extra 30 minutes is just an added bonus. :)
For now, I'm still with the company I've been with since March. By mid-January, it could all change again.... and all for the better.
So, I made it to my boss' office door when he asked me to join him in the cafeteria. He grabbed some papers and we made our way to sit down and discuss my lack of future with the company.
And then he handed me a new job offer. With a 20% raise. And loads of benefits.
I didn't sign it. Right away, anyway. I made him sweat for a day. And I do mean sweat! He actually was perspiring by the time we finished our little meeting. He knew then just how unhappy I was, but also how powerless he was in fixing the problems --for the most part. He fixed the communication issue right away, but commuting stress is all mine to deal with.
The reason I accepted the offer was the 20% pay increase. I still want out, sooner rather than later. If they're willing to pay me 20% more while I make my escape, then so be it. I'll take it!
So, is the end? Am I having some satisfaction around the office? No, not really.
Things stirred up the very next day. One of the guys I'd worked closely with over the Summer quit in September and moved to the company that was always at the top of my list when I was in school. But being the best company on my list also means it's virtually impossible to get in to a job there. You really need someone on the inside who will vouch for you.
Just like my former co-worker who started there in September!
The very next day after signing the offer sheet, I got a phone call informing me that he'd recommended me for a similar job at the better company. Better company also means better pay. Better company also means a longer commute... but it's better too!
See, where I'm working now, I have to get off the train before it hits the final station, then grab a bus to take me to the skytrain, before moving along that route to take yet another bus! This better company is at the end of the train route and the station also joins up with the skytrain station, which sends me on my way to within 2 blocks of my office in 10 minutes. So, while my morning commute start time doesn't change, I get to take the train on a longer, faster trip and not have to worry about missing connections to and from home!
That I get to sit by the hotties in Car 4 for an extra 30 minutes is just an added bonus. :)
For now, I'm still with the company I've been with since March. By mid-January, it could all change again.... and all for the better.
Saturday, December 15, 2007
The One with the Idiot in Car 4.
[yep, 3 posts in one night! Gotta get them out of my system!!]
So, now that my morning commute is somewhat settled, I find myself sitting on Car 4 instead of Car 1 on the trip into work. After a couple close calls, I found it very important to hit the nearest car from the bus stop.
And this is where my inner idiot makes an appearance again.
Car 5 is actually the closest one to the bus stop, but it gets crowded as it's also the car that is central to every station along the route. I'm not a big fan of crowded cars, so I made my way to the next car. I recognized one man on the car from one Summer morning. This was the car where there was a high number of very social people. While most cars had 2-4 people who would sit in a section and talk about things, Car 4 has always had 6-10 people engage in a conversation. That's 2-3 sections of people discussing things. It's extremely odd, especially after sitting in Car 1 where barely anyone spoke at all!
Car 4 also has, the inner idiot discovered one group of women with an absolute hottie sitting among them. It was coincidence (honest!) that I'd sat in such a location that this girl's in my line of sight for my entire trip on the train. She's enjoyable to watch and over the past few weeks, we've talked a couple times and smiled on a regular frequency as well. On my scale, this girl was sitting pretty at an 8. It's cold outside, which means she's usually bundled up, so my '8' comes from face, smile, voice, and personality. I must say, the way she licks her yogurt spoon every morning helps a little too.
I'm such an idiot.
Whether things get worse or better from here really depends on whether or not you thought I was an idiot from reading the above information....
A couple times early on in my morning residency on Car 4, there was another woman who would occasionally sit in my section. I couldn't help but notice her at first. In fact, just going by looks alone, she was a 9.5. But that's only looks and there's so much more that needs to go into the "wow" factor for me.
But now, as the weeks roll by, she's sitting across from me on a daily basis. And that's when I started noticing the little things about her. She's got fantastic eyes. Very blue. She reads a lot. She looks good in glasses (and without glasses). She bites her lip while she reads. She can be funny when she feels like talking. She's just... wow. She makes the other hottie drop to an 8 just due to proximity.
She's helped my stress come down on my commuting.
Too bad I'm such an idiot.
So, now that my morning commute is somewhat settled, I find myself sitting on Car 4 instead of Car 1 on the trip into work. After a couple close calls, I found it very important to hit the nearest car from the bus stop.
And this is where my inner idiot makes an appearance again.
Car 5 is actually the closest one to the bus stop, but it gets crowded as it's also the car that is central to every station along the route. I'm not a big fan of crowded cars, so I made my way to the next car. I recognized one man on the car from one Summer morning. This was the car where there was a high number of very social people. While most cars had 2-4 people who would sit in a section and talk about things, Car 4 has always had 6-10 people engage in a conversation. That's 2-3 sections of people discussing things. It's extremely odd, especially after sitting in Car 1 where barely anyone spoke at all!
Car 4 also has, the inner idiot discovered one group of women with an absolute hottie sitting among them. It was coincidence (honest!) that I'd sat in such a location that this girl's in my line of sight for my entire trip on the train. She's enjoyable to watch and over the past few weeks, we've talked a couple times and smiled on a regular frequency as well. On my scale, this girl was sitting pretty at an 8. It's cold outside, which means she's usually bundled up, so my '8' comes from face, smile, voice, and personality. I must say, the way she licks her yogurt spoon every morning helps a little too.
I'm such an idiot.
Whether things get worse or better from here really depends on whether or not you thought I was an idiot from reading the above information....
A couple times early on in my morning residency on Car 4, there was another woman who would occasionally sit in my section. I couldn't help but notice her at first. In fact, just going by looks alone, she was a 9.5. But that's only looks and there's so much more that needs to go into the "wow" factor for me.
But now, as the weeks roll by, she's sitting across from me on a daily basis. And that's when I started noticing the little things about her. She's got fantastic eyes. Very blue. She reads a lot. She looks good in glasses (and without glasses). She bites her lip while she reads. She can be funny when she feels like talking. She's just... wow. She makes the other hottie drop to an 8 just due to proximity.
She's helped my stress come down on my commuting.
Too bad I'm such an idiot.
The One with the Parking Tickets
I'm on a roll tonight and have numerous stories to tell. No, 'Africa' is not being published quite yet, but if you can hold off until the new year, you're going to be entertained. It'll be a great way to kick off a new theme for a new year!
I hope.
I've mentioned that my morning commute has changed. I didn't explain why, though.
Months ago, one morning when I missed the train, I'd been fighting with the pay parking machine. I punched in my parking stall number, just like I had everyday for 3 weeks. I'd put my money in, just like I had everyday for 3 weeks. This one morning, though, the machine kept giving me my money back. The train leaves as I'm trying to pay for parking and I end up driving in.
So, the following Monday, I start the little "dance" again. Stall number, money in, money comes back out. Again and again. Fine, screw it, and run for the train! I worry all day about a parking ticket, but assume when I return to my car that the machine was broken, hence, no ticket. The same thing happens on the Tuesday. Only this time, there's a $25 parking ticket. I"m not happy about it and resolve on the Wednesday that I'll be parking down a side street where the parking's free. I just have to run to catch the train!
All's well and good for a few months parking along the side street. That is, until one day I come back to my car and discovered a parking ticket on the window. It seems at some point either that day or the day before, the city put up no parking signs along the street. Somehow, with my leaving town before the Sun rises and coming home after it sets, I missed the tiny little signs. Truth be told, I had noticed one day that there was a metal post in a spot where I didn't recall seeing one before, but thought maybe a speed limit sign had fallen off.
As if getting the ticket for the surprise no parking section wasn't bad enough, I also discovered that the city had deemed a 40-foot section of the street as a no parking zone. 40-feet! Not the whole street! 40-feet of parking in front of trees, weeds, and blackberry bushes!!
So here was another $25 ticket staring at me for parking in the dark in a 40-foot section of no parking bush and "somehow" I missed the response deadline, which fell only on business hours of the day the ticket was issued... what the?!?!?!
The relief came when I realized I could easily fight the ticket. See, never in my life have I owned a 'Chysler'. Nor have I known anyone else to own a 'Chysler' either. And if they were to argue that it should read Chrysler, I'll give that to them too. I don't own a Chrysler, either. I just happened to buy my Japanese car from a Chrysler dealership.
Putting aside the ticket, I also decided that parking even further away was too risky. I checked the bus routes and discovered that the bus that stops directly in front of the train station runs right down my street. Well, how convenient is that?
So, my morning commute went from: 'drive, train, bus, train, bus' to: 'bus, train, bus, train, bus.'
And I couldn't be happier.
I hope.
I've mentioned that my morning commute has changed. I didn't explain why, though.
Months ago, one morning when I missed the train, I'd been fighting with the pay parking machine. I punched in my parking stall number, just like I had everyday for 3 weeks. I'd put my money in, just like I had everyday for 3 weeks. This one morning, though, the machine kept giving me my money back. The train leaves as I'm trying to pay for parking and I end up driving in.
So, the following Monday, I start the little "dance" again. Stall number, money in, money comes back out. Again and again. Fine, screw it, and run for the train! I worry all day about a parking ticket, but assume when I return to my car that the machine was broken, hence, no ticket. The same thing happens on the Tuesday. Only this time, there's a $25 parking ticket. I"m not happy about it and resolve on the Wednesday that I'll be parking down a side street where the parking's free. I just have to run to catch the train!
All's well and good for a few months parking along the side street. That is, until one day I come back to my car and discovered a parking ticket on the window. It seems at some point either that day or the day before, the city put up no parking signs along the street. Somehow, with my leaving town before the Sun rises and coming home after it sets, I missed the tiny little signs. Truth be told, I had noticed one day that there was a metal post in a spot where I didn't recall seeing one before, but thought maybe a speed limit sign had fallen off.
As if getting the ticket for the surprise no parking section wasn't bad enough, I also discovered that the city had deemed a 40-foot section of the street as a no parking zone. 40-feet! Not the whole street! 40-feet of parking in front of trees, weeds, and blackberry bushes!!
So here was another $25 ticket staring at me for parking in the dark in a 40-foot section of no parking bush and "somehow" I missed the response deadline, which fell only on business hours of the day the ticket was issued... what the?!?!?!
The relief came when I realized I could easily fight the ticket. See, never in my life have I owned a 'Chysler'. Nor have I known anyone else to own a 'Chysler' either. And if they were to argue that it should read Chrysler, I'll give that to them too. I don't own a Chrysler, either. I just happened to buy my Japanese car from a Chrysler dealership.
Putting aside the ticket, I also decided that parking even further away was too risky. I checked the bus routes and discovered that the bus that stops directly in front of the train station runs right down my street. Well, how convenient is that?
So, my morning commute went from: 'drive, train, bus, train, bus' to: 'bus, train, bus, train, bus.'
And I couldn't be happier.
The One With A Little Scare
To say things were getting a little stressful at work is putting it mildly.
After getting moved to my new team, my previous boss was fired after 10 years with the company and just wrapping a successful project. None of it made sense, especially when two of his underlings were promoted the same week due to the project's accomplishments.
I knew the company was going through a major restructuring and the timing hit the same week that a number of projects were wrapping. What that meant, was a huge personnel shuffle, and a whole lot of people shown the door.
But that wasn't the end of it. The new team I was put on saw several people quit and move to competitor companies at the same time a handful of us arrived. I mentioned in an earlier post that I was quickly going from the #12 guy to the #7 person.
As of this week, I'm #3.
So, a ton of responsibility is now on my shoulders. I'm expected to train the "new hires" in an area of specialization where my "work experience" counts for less than 40 hours. Gee, I'm no expert, but I guess I'll train them! A little stress, yes?
The weather has recently taken a turn for the worse as well. We've had a few snowy days, none of which result in copious amounts of the white stuff hanging around longer than 24 hours, but it's enough that my morning commute has had a few disruptions and the close calls to the train on the way home now happen occasionally in the morning too. There's no worse feeling than running to catch a train morning and night. I'm tired of running. Especially in my dressier shoes.
Since Daylight Savings, the evening commute has gotten progressively worse. Where before I could expect to get to the train station in about 15-20 minutes, it regularly hits the 25-30 minute mark. This means I have a 40-50 minute wait for the next train and with wet/snowy/cold weather, I'm seeking shelter in one of the closest fast food joints. So much for healthy eating!!
Spending money in said fast food joints also means that I'm trying to balance the spending by eating cheaper lunches (still brought from home) at work. Noodle soups have become a staple diet for my lunches, which with less friends around the office also means I'm eating at my desk rather than socializing in the cafeteria. I noticed one day that my noodle soup has an extremely high sodium count. Roughly 72% of my daily sodium intake occurs over a 30-minute period every day. I've never been one to put salt on anything, so I'm taking in a lot more sodium now than probably ever before in my life.
Stress at work.
Less friends around.
Commuter nightmares.
Fast food diet, punctuated by higher salt content.
A week ago, I woke suddenly at about 4 in the morning. My chest hurt and I couldn't get back to sleep. I dealt with it as I got ready for work. I felt the pain as I jumped on my morning train. I struggled on the bus to the office. And by 10am, my left should was sore. By Noon I was convinced the fingertips on my left hand were feeling a little numb.
24 hours in the hospital followed, but there's nothing wrong with me. My body may have been scaring me, especially after the way I've treated it in recent weeks.
I'm fine.
I think I'm fine.
But definitely got a little scared.
After getting moved to my new team, my previous boss was fired after 10 years with the company and just wrapping a successful project. None of it made sense, especially when two of his underlings were promoted the same week due to the project's accomplishments.
I knew the company was going through a major restructuring and the timing hit the same week that a number of projects were wrapping. What that meant, was a huge personnel shuffle, and a whole lot of people shown the door.
But that wasn't the end of it. The new team I was put on saw several people quit and move to competitor companies at the same time a handful of us arrived. I mentioned in an earlier post that I was quickly going from the #12 guy to the #7 person.
As of this week, I'm #3.
So, a ton of responsibility is now on my shoulders. I'm expected to train the "new hires" in an area of specialization where my "work experience" counts for less than 40 hours. Gee, I'm no expert, but I guess I'll train them! A little stress, yes?
The weather has recently taken a turn for the worse as well. We've had a few snowy days, none of which result in copious amounts of the white stuff hanging around longer than 24 hours, but it's enough that my morning commute has had a few disruptions and the close calls to the train on the way home now happen occasionally in the morning too. There's no worse feeling than running to catch a train morning and night. I'm tired of running. Especially in my dressier shoes.
Since Daylight Savings, the evening commute has gotten progressively worse. Where before I could expect to get to the train station in about 15-20 minutes, it regularly hits the 25-30 minute mark. This means I have a 40-50 minute wait for the next train and with wet/snowy/cold weather, I'm seeking shelter in one of the closest fast food joints. So much for healthy eating!!
Spending money in said fast food joints also means that I'm trying to balance the spending by eating cheaper lunches (still brought from home) at work. Noodle soups have become a staple diet for my lunches, which with less friends around the office also means I'm eating at my desk rather than socializing in the cafeteria. I noticed one day that my noodle soup has an extremely high sodium count. Roughly 72% of my daily sodium intake occurs over a 30-minute period every day. I've never been one to put salt on anything, so I'm taking in a lot more sodium now than probably ever before in my life.
Stress at work.
Less friends around.
Commuter nightmares.
Fast food diet, punctuated by higher salt content.
A week ago, I woke suddenly at about 4 in the morning. My chest hurt and I couldn't get back to sleep. I dealt with it as I got ready for work. I felt the pain as I jumped on my morning train. I struggled on the bus to the office. And by 10am, my left should was sore. By Noon I was convinced the fingertips on my left hand were feeling a little numb.
24 hours in the hospital followed, but there's nothing wrong with me. My body may have been scaring me, especially after the way I've treated it in recent weeks.
I'm fine.
I think I'm fine.
But definitely got a little scared.
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