resolutions
43 Folder – Getting Things Done: Recap for 07 | digg story
It’s a new year. But a lot hasn’t changed. It’s still very busy for both me and CL at work. For me, the long work day seems to be taking a toll on me. All I wanna do is crash when I get home.
holiday update
I love the holidays. It’s a special time of year; I cherish the time spent with family and friends. I love the music, the lights, and the atmosphere. What I don’t like is how busy it gets. (more…)
week in review
Another busy week ends …
- I learned quite a bit with coding and report writing during my training, but it never really sunk in until this week. It’s a good thing my predecessor is available as a resource whenever I run into a jam, and my counterpart is very willing to help anytime I need it.
- The helpdesk chains that bind me may break in time for Thanksgiving, and for that I am grateful. One half started Tuesday, and he’s gotten to be comfortable fairly quickly. He still has a bit to learn, but it’s very early in the game. His other half starts this week, and I will be assisting with training since he will be my replacement.
- I start my normal schedule Monday, working 10-hour days. That may seem long, but it’s necessary to get the job done. I am currently trying to accomplish a 10-hour day in 5 hours, and it’s not easy. The payoff of the new schedule will be the day off each week. The next 3 weekends will be nice (3 days, 4 days, 4 days). Can’t beat that!
- My headaches returned with a vengeance on Thursday. I’d like to attribute it to stress, but I’m not so sure. Thursday was a busy day, and I felt pressured to get things done. But the stress was not as bad as when my headaches initially started in late September. I’m sure stress doesn’t help, but I’m not so sure it’s the cause. The headache is accompanied by pain in my left ear, and something new: an occasional shooting pain down the left side of my upper back. I didn’t sleep well Thurs and Fri night due to the pain (I slept better last night because I lacked sleep). I plan to see the doctor this week because this is getting out of hand; I finished a bottle of ibuprofen all on my own in 5 weeks.
- I’m still not sure what to do with tenyjr.com.
- I changed my theme since D took mine.
- Rams lose another close one to Seattle. We need to work on 2 things: penalties and time management.
- When We Were Kings – **** – a fine film that transcends boxing. Ali proves to the world why he is the “Greatest” (and not just in the ring).
- X-Men – **** – Jackman steals the show as Wolverine, although I think the hair-do isn’t necessary to make the part work. Enjoyed this more the 2nd go-round (in preparation for “X3: The Last Stand”).
And another one begins.
rambling
So much is happening these days, I don’t even know where to begin.
My headaches come and go. Work is not as stressful as I try to continue to separate both jobs. I was assured that my replacement will be starting in a few weeks. With the remodel finished, IT is somewhat back to normal.
i feel fine
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It occurred to me that my posts the past 2 weeks might be depressing to some. In reality, all is well. Yes, work sucks, but it’s a part of life that I’m dealing with. Blogging allows me to let off some steam and vent in ways that I normally can’t do in the workplace. That was the whole point of me starting a blog in the first place a year and a half ago.
update 081906
It’s been awhile since I’ve blogged about what’s up here in the Midwest.
It’s been hot, but not too bad.
I’ve been to Busch Stadium twice in the past 2 weeks.
- First game was on a Sunday, and CL and I stayed through the 5th inning. It was so hot that day, the sodas and lemonade weren’t enough to keep us hydrated. As we left, we missed the 3-run homer hit by Juan Encarnacion. Cards beat the Brewers, 7-1.
- Second game was last Wednesday night; coworker had a spare ticket. The Cards stunk up the joint, losing 7-2 to Cincinnati.
I will say that the new Busch Stadium is a sight to see. Once I’m done uploading vacation pics (I know, I know; it’s already been a month; I hope to be done soon), I will post our pics of Busch.
Speaking of vacation pics, I’ve decided to bring back the vacation blog (started summer of 2005, but never finished). I will continue this personal journal of our travels. I will be working on this along with uploading pics, so I hope to have it up by next weekend.
D starts school on Tuesday. He’s excited to get back to some serious stud…, er, socializing. Look up “teenager” in the dictionary, and you’ll see his picture (see also “attitude”, “crab”, and the antonym for “good listener”).
I don’t normally weigh myself, but I know I’ve gained some weight. My belly has grown, and it bothers me. My pants fit a bit more snug than usual. And I feel the extra inch(es?) when I sit at my desk. Maybe it’s time to start doing some sit-ups. “Welcome to the 30′s!”
update 052606
It’s hot in the land of Lincoln …
- I’m getting a crash course in IP management for work. IP addresses, subnet masks, VLANs, DNS, DHCP. I got a lot of studying to do this weekend.
- Taylor Hicks is this season’s American Idol. He has heart and soul when he sings, and I’m glad he won. Kat McPhee was not consistent and way over the top.
- Our cable went out during the season finale of Lost. Thank goodness ABC offers full episode streaming (with ads).
- Did I mention it’s hot?
- King Arthur – ** – not quite like Braveheart. Quite boring, actually.
- 11:14 – **** – more of a black comedy than a drama-thriller; be sure to look both ways before crossing the street!
- I plan to play more with the Lightbox javascript.
Summer’s unofficially here. Enjoy the holiday weekend 
update 050206
- Laptop is better. I’m trying new things, like not having any icons on the desktop.
- Storms continue to rage through the area. I slept through Sunday’s set, but last night’s rumbles kept me up. Today was beautiful – sunny and 80. Tomorrow: more storms.
- Unbreakable – **** – great storytelling from M. Night Shyamalan; Bruce Willis shines.
- Sahara – **** – nice mix of humor and action (a la Indiana Jones); very entertaining.
- American Idol – the girls don’t stand a chance as we approach the final four. My personal favorite is rocker Chris Daughtry. The man won me over with his rendition of Bryan Adams’ “Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman?” I never liked the original, but Chris put some heart and soul into his performance. I would purchase this song if it was released by him.
- I haven’t had a chance to edit the audio from D’s fine arts festival. I plan to be out in the yard this weekend (weather permitting), so it may not be until the following weekend.
fast weekend
Time flies.
- Cut the grass for the first time this year. I’ll need to treat the yard for weeds and prune some tree branches.
- Washed CL’s car; after last week’s trip, dead bugs everywhere. Looks good now.
- Being outside this weekend is beating me up. My allergies are getting the best of me. Need to stock up on drugs.
- cooling pad before
and after 
- Jarhead – *** – great performance by Jake Gyllenhaal.
- Mission: Impossible – **** – a birthday gift from the kids. It’s amazing how much more you enjoy a movie when you actually “get it”. Looking forward to M:I-III.
- Chicago Cubs 7, St Louis 3 – Greg Maddux still got it. What else is there to say?
Final week of April; one-third of the year is about done. Time flies.
update 040906
just trying to keep up …
- Work is good. Staying busy, but the dept is still dysfunctional. Everyone has something to say about somebody, and it’s difficult to keep a straight face. I’m on the fence and I’d like to stay there. I don’t agree with everyone, but I’ve learned it’s best to keep your mouth shut.
- Weather here in the midwest sucks. Warm. Storms. Cold. Repeat cycle. People are happy that spring is here, but we can do without severe weather. Especially the tornadoes.
- CL did her scrapbooking thing the past few days. Last night, I went out with some friends. We went to Soulard, and ate at Hammerstones (BLT was excellent) while One Kindred Soul performed; good food and good music. We then hit McGurk’s a few blocks down to eat and drink some more. Afterwards, we hit the Loop in U City. I had never been there, and it was nice to take it all in on a cool evening. CL and I will have to go back for some Thai and Lebanese food.
- Been playing with the design of my site. It’s pretty frustrating. I like one layout, but certain plugins don’t work. So I go with another that allow them to work, but now another set is broken. This one theme, Durable, is awesome. It uses AJAX to allow readers to customize the colors and settings. But the document size is much larger than normal, so it takes a bit to load. And if you play too long with changing the settings, the color panel breaks on you. So I’m sticking with K2.
3 days til we hit the road.
update 040206
It’s April, and a quarter of the year is complete.
- My hair was getting pretty thick and shaggy; hadn’t had it cut since November. Couldn’t take it anymore, so Great Clips helped me out.
- The craziest work week to date for me. Thursday I nearly let a coworker have it after he tried telling me how to do my job. Stress and frustration were getting the best of me. Thankfully, I let it go and am over the whole thing now.
- Salem is misbehaving again. Stormy night Thursday, and he had the nerve to get up and go out in the thick of it. I was so mad that at 3 AM – his third trip out – I left him out there and went back to bed. I woke up an hour later to his barking to be let in.
We leave for NC in 10 days to spend Easter at my in-laws.
That’s right; I’m counting down.
patience
It’s been a trying day. Some realizations …
- the customer isn’t always right
- never assume anything
- I’m losing my patience with certain people
This week has been rough, and I wonder if I’m going to lose it again.
super bowl sunday
Went to Walmart for a few items this morning, and upon leaving, my car wouldn’t start. Dead battery. CL showed up, and I tried jumping it, but no luck. We went to the garage at Walmart, and the guy told me they were short-staffed at the time but it would get done. The problem was my car was sitting in the main lot, and he didn’t have anyone to bring the car to the garage. So he had me choose a battery, pay for it, and he would come out with me to the car and replace the battery. Not even 15 minutes later, he had the new battery in and the car was running again. I couldn’t thank him enough for stopping to help. I always hated Walmart’s customer service (their “happy face” campaign is a bunch of BS). But this guy went above and beyond to help me out, and God knows I greatly appreciate good customer service.
Super Bowl Sunday.
CL and me in front of the TV.
CL’s gumbo!
I hope for a good game and good commercials.
I say Pittsburgh over Seattle, 30-21.
Enjoy the game!
update 020406
This week at work was busier than usual for me with my partner being sick. I actually played “tech” a few times because our guys have been swamped. I also learned a few new things along the way.
Our trainer Joanne retired this week after 20+ years with the organization. She was very tearful in saying goodbye to everyone. Her family threw her a surprise retirement party last night; the IT department was invited. We were glad to see her all smiles this time; she was happy to see everyone in there. However, a handful of us were starving and wanted “real food”. So, one by one, we filtered out and headed to Lottawata Creek. As bad as that sounds, Joanne had a lot of people to see and chat and be with; this group needed to get away. It was a good opportunity for the rest of us to hang out and talk about “things”, to clear the air and vent freely without others around (IT still has issues). It was a very good evening, and we all hope to get together again soon.
update 012706
Probably the busiest week I’ve ever had in IT. Of all the projects we have that go live this month, this one was the biggest. It was felt all over the organization. It wasn’t perfect, but it’s live now, and the users are learning. We’ve gotten past some of the major bugs, and hopefully, people will get used to the new system. As difficult as this week was, our director and the crew that led the command center felt it was a successful transition.
The dog was bad last night. After nearly a week of behaving, he went back to his chasing mode last night. Woke me up 3 times, and I gave it to him by way of newspaper on his way back in. I locked him in the guest room when I got home (I hate that I carry a grudge). He cried and scratched at the door. After a while, I let him out. He whimpered, almost like he was asking for my forgiveness. I kept yelling at him, and he looked dejected as he lay there. I felt so bad; I started petting him and telling him it was ok. To make him feel better, I took him for a walk (something we rarely do lately).
Buying my computer is on hold for now; not ready to fork over the $. I could easily get a desktop now, but I really want a laptop. And I can afford the models from Best Buy or Circuit City, but that would be taking the cheap and easy way to satisfy my craving. I want a good PC that will last me at least 3 years, and I will have to be patient to get exactly what I want – the Dell Inspiron 6000.
see-saw
Monday was unusually slow; today was awfully busy.
It was cold yesterday; it’s warm today. January = cold, but someone didn’t get the memo.
My knee was fine yesterday; it hurts today. My coworkers say I’m getting old.
update 012206
A lot has been happening, particularly at work. I’m still trying to keep up …
Major projects are going live in the next few weeks, starting with the biggest one on Monday. I think this one scares us all the most; it affects the entire organization, and management waited til the last minute to realize how important this system is. Now the entire place is freaking out.
We’re experiencing more change. We lost our secretary at the beginning of the month; we’ll have a new “assistant” start on Monday. Terrible timing, but we need the help. We’ve been interviewing for 2 more system administrators to assist our current one. I just found out Friday that one of our techs might be filling a slot, which would open up his position. I like what I’m doing at the helpdesk, but I prefer to be running around putting out fires. Another door might be opening for me.
MIA on tenyjr.com
audioblogs (no time)
new photos (no time)
WordPress 2.0 (no time and too new)
What I’m watching:
NFL Playoffs – I like Pittsburgh to go all the way, beating Carolina in the Super Bowl (sorry to my in-laws). Highly unlikely, but that’s what I’d like to see.
Lost – you either love it or hate it. I love it.
24 – ditto. If you haven’t watched this show, where the hell have you been the last 4 years?
American Idol – I hate this show. I’m only watching because we talk about it at work.
The Godfather Part II – I remember seeing this over 15 years ago and thinking to myself, how can this be better than the first? It was so depressing. But I watched it again yesterday, and now I know. It is still depressing, but the contrasts between Vito Corleone and his son Michael make the story so powerful. If it weren’t 4 hours long, I’d watch it again today.
I visited the Dell kiosk at our local mall Friday night. I got to see with my own eyes and touch what could potentially be mine soon. The salesman was very helpful and very honest on what is new, neat, and necessary. As soon as I got home, I customized several more laptops. I’m now down to 3 candidates:
It will most likely be the 6000, but if they can knock off some unnecessary options and up the warranty, I’ll go for the M140.
The dog is going through some phase. He gets up every other hour in the middle of the night to go out and chase something. He’s been doing this for a week now. Last night, CL tried locking him up in the guest room. He barked for a good hour or so. She let him out of the room, and he went straight to the door to be let out. After he got it out of his system, she locked him back in. This time, he started scratching at the door. We finally let him loose; he slept in our bed.
He didn’t wake us up to go out again.
update 011806
I’m just now noticing how unattractive the picture of my knees were. Just wanted to get the point across. I’m doing much better. It’s not as swollen, and there’s not much pain. I don’t have a regular doctor, though, and that’s been the issue as of late. I plan to remedy that hopefully in the next week.
Work is insane. I think I’ll leave it at that.
I think I’ll be ready to invest in a laptop late next week. Been shopping around and reading reviews on potential candidates. I’ve put a lot of thought into the features and capabilities of many laptops – Dell, Sony, Toshiba, HP, Gateway, Acer, even Apple. I always wanted a Mac, but now that I’m working in IT, I need more Windows experience, and I obviously can’t get that from Apple. I’d like to go with the Dell Inspiron 6000. It’s perfect for me to maintain my site, plus it’s powerful enough for me to handle photos, music, and movies. I hope to get a good deal with Dell; I just wish their offers would stop changing every week.
Lent is around the corner, and I think I’ll be giving up the pod this year. It’s gonna suck, but that’s the whole point. I’ll live.
A special shout-out to Amarot Mai and Sam – Happy Birthday, guys!
the 13th
“Clean Off Your Desk Day”
payday
(most importantly) Friday!
holiday recap
What I hadn’t blogged about for the past week and a half …
Thursday – 12-22 – “Friday” for us at work. Opened presents when I got home. CL got a new purse, D got a portable DVD player, and I got a new watch (among other things, of course).
Friday – 12-23 – Took Salem for a long walk, then to “camp”. He hated it, as did the rest of us. Flew to CT.
Saturday – 12-24 – Drove to NJ to see Dad’s family. Had dinner at the “white house” in Franklin Lakes. Returned to CT after midnight.
Sunday – 12-25 – Went to Christmas Day mass with Mom and Dad. Had brunch; my sister and her family arrived. After they ate, we opened gifts. Jasmine had a field day with her pile of presents. Everyone was happy; needless to say, I’m well on my way to purchasing my own computer
Monday – 12-26 – Day of rest. Rainy but mild. Took CL to Mohegan Sun; she made $.25! Picked up D and went shopping.
Tuesday – 12-27 – Mom and Dad took us to breakfast, then to the airport. D got sick after the first flight; he slept on our connecting flight from Charlotte. Arrived home around 6:30 pm. Got sick that night.
Skip to Saturday – 12-31 – Got sick again that morning. Went to Applebee’s for dinner (didn’t finish mine, but did ok). We played games and watched War of the Worlds; good movie, yet weird and confusing. Celebrated the New Year, then went to bed (uneventful).
Hope everyone had a nice holiday
feeling better
Been fighting what seems like a stomach virus since Tuesday. Did not go to work the past 2 days. I’m not quite 100%, but I am able to eat without having problems. So not much has happened since our return from CT.
I did promise to take D to see King Kong today, and thankfully, I survived.
What a fantastic movie! Excellent effects, a classic story, and driven well by good acting. Probably not “Best Picture” material, but a great popcorn movie. Certainly a keeper; I highly recommend it.
Christmas in Connecticut
9 days til Christmas, 7 til holiday vacation – life is good.
It’s also busy. But that’s life for ya.
Just about done with shopping (thank God). A few stragglers here and there. D and I hit the stores hard yesterday after I got home from work. We shopped at 8 stores in 2 and a half hours; we did pretty good. Now I face the monumental task of wrapping gifts. Yay.
Friday the 23rd, CL, D, and I fly to New England to visit my folks. It will be our first family Christmas in Connecticut. D has never had a Christmas without CL’s parents, so this will be a shock to the system. But he’s 13 now, and he should be fine. It’ll just be a different experience.
I’m hoping for snow when we’re in Connecticut. Lots of it. An extended vacation would be nice. I could take the family on a ski trip. Of course, it can’t snow until after we land and we’re safe at home.
update 1203
22 days til Christmas, 20 til holiday vacation, never enough time …
Went Christmas shopping last night with CL.
Good news – got a lot of gifts. Bad news – spent too much.
Work is better. Well, not really. It’s still tense and full of conflict. I guess I’m just used to it now.
Hamazahn.com – My cousin’s son Hamilton has his own site! I’m amazed what this kid can do!
It’s cold here.
Mmmm … I smell bacon. Catch ya later …
