Sometimes I Miss My Colleagues

When I left my old company, the one thing I knew I would miss were my colleagues.  They were the creme of the crop - and not just because they knew a little bash.  They were smart, and they weren't jerks about it (probably unlike me).

One of the big things was that they liked to cause others to question their mental stability through various pranks.

Yeah, I really miss that.

However, along the new team, the same kinds of camaraderie exists, albeit one or two don't want to play that way.  We're in a cube farm at the new place.  I really didn't like that at first, because I couldn't turn around and ask a colleague a question.  But then I finally found a use for the cube farm :

Yeah, that's where the entrance to someones cubicle USED to be.  Gonna be tough to find their way in.  I really do miss those guys.

pepper spray

Okay. My father LOVES peppers. He has three full plants full of habanero's. So, I grabbed a few and brought them in to work. The results are in :

• One man thought he was tough, and decided to bite a little bit out of one. He stormed out of the office, crying, and trying to maintain his dignity, stating (shakily at that), "this is how we roll".
• One man bit half off, and it hurt so bad he was hiccuping. And choking. Poor guy. That one at least knew what he was getting into.
• One more thought that we should be sticking one into someone else's water bottle. Probably not a good idea.
• And someone took some home, used some turbinado sugar, and candied the habaneros. He brought in some habanero lollipops. I was tearing up on that, because it keeps the pepper right in your mouth for even longer, and keeps the fire going. Nice thought! Candied Habanero Pepper Lollipops!

Do I really work with these crazy people? Yup. I don't like to think I'm one of them, but that topic is for another conversation. Just don't ask my wife.... or them.

Functionality

I keep getting called to create new automated tasks for the company. Things just get layered on, and I'm falling behind little by little. Then I'll make a good leap and get some done once I figure something out. It's been interesting to become "the report 8i+(h" in the co.

So, what do I do? I dunno. I'm leaning to taking a little time off to let my mind vegetate. I need to get taxes done so I can buy a new french door, plus change windows upstairs (and down), and figure out a new storage technique (I'm thinking a mobile shelf that can be raised or lowered above cars in the garage). [sigh]. No rest for the wicked.

(this is a previous blog message, but due to blogger's inability to import anything, I'm using this as a new post).

I'm off work, and on a computer?

So, I am off of work. And, here I am, sitting at a computer putting in a blog entry. Surprising, isn't it? Yup. But I'm not working in IM and not doing any work. Finally, time to relax! A little cleaning, and a great weekend!

(this is a previous blog message, but due to blogger's inability to import anything, I'm using this as a new post).

Along comes another weekend...

.. and I am going on call. Frustrations about the corvette, work schedule, season, and the house have all compounded into a couple of lessons for the ages. What I have learned is...

• An expert is only an expert because they do that on a regular basis, meaning you, yourselves, should be able to do as well as any expert if you set your mind to it.
• Just because someone claims that they are willing to work things out doesn't mean they actually are willing to.
• Do things on your own. That way, you can expect a specific result. If you don't like the result, just do it over, until you are satisfied.

That's not to condone becoming a hermit, but just a simple principle. You are the best expert when it comes to things that are close to your heart.

(this is a previous blog message, but due to blogger's inability to import anything, I'm using this as a new post).

How awesome my beautiful woman is!

I must say, that my wife is the greatest woman ever to exist!

Last night, overstock.com was doing a database change, and she was asking me about that. In case you didn't know by now, let me spell it out for you. I am a nerd, and when I start to talk about work, I often start to drop jargon into the conversation that is standard for work, so I didn't even pay attention. And... as I told her about the changes that needed to be made, I dropped "DBA" into the sentence, and she caught me in the middle and said, "database administrator, right?"

I had forgotten that I was talking to someone that wasn't a nerd, and had started our relationship a year ago with only a basic understanding of computers. She had reminded me that I'd never told her what the acronym meant! Here she was, giving the right phrase for the three letters.

It reminded me of another blog post I read once upon a time. I smiled, called her a nerd, and told her she has a job as a Linux Systems Administrator in her future (just to egg her on, mind you). However, with what she has learned in a year and a half just from listening to me, she could definitely have a future in Systems Admin if she decided she wanted to.

But the coolest thing? She listens, and remembers. I caught the BEST woman to ever exist!