The Making of a Zebra Driver

I just did like a grown up thing. I gave Matt something to do. We have a project, and I need software written for a Zebra bar code printer. What did you think I meant? Like a zebra jockey? Oh, people, people, no. He's the best choice to write the driver, and maybe to jockey a zebra, but we don't have that much free time.

Speaking of free time, I spent my one day off this weekend cleaning my garage. My wife insist I clean the garage this weekend. Hmmmm, you know if not for the fact my parents and some friends are coming up to visit this weekend for my birthday I might think nothing of it. I'm wondering of it has something to do with my birthday. Maybe she's getting me that 69 Camaro ZL-1 that I want, maybe a Yenko. I'm sure we have the cash sitting around for a six figure car. Stuffed in the mattress perhaps? Although as lumpy as that mattress is, I think the money is all in nickels.

Chasing A Wombat Stampede On a Scooter

Just so I don't disappoint anyone, work is still very busy, I still have an upcoming birthday, and I have no clue what I want. I think that pretty much sums up most of writing for the past, ummm forever. Well, there was the brief trip on installing Linux on a dead beaver, but we can pretend that didn't happen, can we not? Besides, I at times have enough trouble installing Windows, much less Linux, beaver or not. I figure if you can install something on an Apple, why not a furry woodland creature. I'd try installing something on the cat, but I've seen they way she reacts at the vet when they try to install that stool sample test, and we will NOT be trying such silly things at home.

I'm told plans for my birthday are progressing nicely, I honestly have no clue where it is. I know when, just not where. I think I sort of like it that way. It's not a surprise party, but it is enough of a mystery to maintain my interest. I'm still not sure the thought of turning 30 has fully hit me. I still feel the same as I always have. I've always thought 30 was so old. It's going to take some getting used to, that's for sure. I don't really consider other people in their 30's, or even 40's to be old, I just don't really want to join them in their 30's or 40's. I mean I do hope eventually to grow older, I'm just not in a rush to do it.

I sort of continue to write a little about my birthday in hopes of it giving me insight into how exactly I feel. I still don't know. I know I didn't particularly enjoy turning 29. I'm still not sure that even now after 51 weeks of being 29, that I've gotten used to it. Maybe the main thought I'm having right now is that I only have 1 week left of being a 20 something. After that, I'm a 30 something. I say 30 something and all I can think of is that old TV show. I think it was on ABC, who knows? The thought does scare me, so does the old TV show, but that's another story. I sort of feel like it's a week to until high school graduation, and I only have a week left and I'll never be a high school student again. I picked that analogy rather than like a prisoner on death row, but both could be used I think. I'm sort of partial to the graduation reference because I do think the end of my 20's is more of a change than a life ending event. I'm certain me saying that will be viewed as good news by many. I'm just not certain what the change means.

I continue to reflect on my 20's. It wasn't a bad decade. Skip those pesky Clinton years, and the whole OJ thing, and it wasn't so bad. I got married, I got a dog, graduated college, got a job, bought a house, bought a car (or two, maybe 3), and a few other things. There were low times also, like the death of my dog from childhood, tight times with money, stress from work, less freedom than I had in college, but all in all I'd say it was pretty good. Just a few of the thoughts I've been having, I'm sure I'll bore you with many more soon.

Random Goat Crossings

I'm starting to think my post sound like borken records. I say this and suddenly think who listens to records any more, let alone broken ones. All I do is say how busy I am. Oh sure, occasionally I'll have a few brilliant insights and provide world chaninging social commentary, but honestly every update is not up to those standards. I still think most are however.

Matt is still out sick. So are 2 other people from the office. Just to stay with my pattern, I'll go ahead and say it, things are busy. Aren't they always.

Yet again, to spite my efforts, my birthday is still rapidly approaching. Oh, the joy of having others shop for me. I will admit I'm hard to shop for. I like nice things. I've talked about this before when I was discussing the car speakers I wanted. Same with watches. I have an Citizen. It's works fine. Doesn't need a battery, which is good, and looks ok I think. Looks as grown up as you can with a little gold Mickey Mouse on your wrist. When I want another watch, I want one with Swiss movement. That means lots and lots of money. More than I will ever sainly put towards a watch. On a side note, I do think there is a good business out there for anyone who can produce a lower cost Swiss movement watch, but I'm not a watch maker, so what do I know?

I've been trying to come up with things I want that won't send me to the poor house. Somehow the new Escalade just sounds a little out of reach right now. Sara has been asking me what I want, and I think she's right, I am hard to shop for. It's not my fault. Well, maybe it is, but I don't know what to do about it. She is much easier to shop for, any shiny rock, set in gold, and I'm good. I'm fairly safe ordering anything from Tiffany's and I'm good with her. I'm not as easy to shop for. I guess anything from JL Audio for me and I'm good, but that's not very easy to do. On yet another side note, I do need my JL Audio polo shirt replaced. The bleach was not very kind to it. I think the same can be said with CompUSA. Most anything from there makes me happy, laptops, DVD burners, things for my iPAQ. Here again, I'm thinking, wait, those things are expensive. Same with my short list. I want an MP3 player for my truck. Think I can be happy with the $150 MP3 player? No, I want the Alpine. Am I nuts? Wait, Matt, don't answer that question.

Train Spotting, Literally

Not like the movie, I mean literally spotting the train, as I cross the tracks. It was a ways off, but I think I should take it at an good sign that I didn't get caught behind the train. When I crossed the tracks it looked fairly close and I expected the gates to lower any moment. Hopefully not on top of me. Well, two cycles of the traffic light passed the tracks later, and I finally see the light at the crossing start to blink. I could see the train as I drove, it was long, and slow, and I fear that had I been a few minutes later, I might still be sitting at the crossing.

The crossing I mention, up until lately has doubled as a ramp for Evil Knievel. Not literally this time, but you know what I mean. I still remember the first time a friend of mine came to my house and I forgot to warm him about that crossing. He got there, barely. They've recently smoothed them out some. Still not something I want to cross at a high rate of speed, but much better.

Ok, enough talk of trains. Things to do, as always.

Did I Mention It's Still Raining?

Looks like the flu has arrived. It's not a good thing. Matt's wife has it, that means Matt will soon have it, and we all went out to dinner Friday night. I hope that doesn't mean we soon all have it. Work is far too busy for that right now. We have so much to get done that missing a few people for a few days would be a very bad thing.

The part that concerns me even more is that he said the doctor told him it last about 7 days. That's a bad flu. A week? Yikes. So, now in addition to thinking about my birthday, I'm thinking of how to be sure I'm not sick for it. I often try to tell my self that I don't have time to get sick. Usually that works fairly well, the flaw in that plan is when I do have time, I get sick. Like my body says, ok we can wait, but it gets me back. I've been sick many times after finals in college. I know that is probably due to how stressed and busy I was doing finals week, then it was over, so I got sick.

I hope Matt doesn't get sick, and I hope his wife feels much better soon.

Sunday, Rainy Sunday

An update on a Sunday. Had I groups of crazed fans, they would be going mad right about now. Since I don't, and my chief critic is standing beside me playing with her paper shredder, I guess no one cares.

We've been out looking for decorations for my upcoming birthday. Despite by best efforts to freeze time I have thus far been unsuccessful. It always looks so easy on TV. I tell you now my friends, building your own time machine out of some Legos found in the couch and spare parts from a failed build your own model boat kit takes far more time than you would imagine. I've also had no luck in finding a 1985 DeLoren for a reasonable price.

I think I must now leave the computer, not for some great noble quest, just Sara is making me move so she can do something pesky like pay the bills.

Busy, Busy, Busy

I have but a few moments for a quick update. I hate so not to update and anger my huge fan base, both of you. Work is very busy. We are trying to pull of a complex job in far too short a time. It will be impressive if we do it. A disaster if we don't. I'm not sure I like the odds, but I think it can be done.

Other than that, I need more sleep. Sara needs something to go right for her trying to plan my birthday, and we both need to avoid the stomach flu that appears to be going around. How's that for a easy list of things? They say I'm hard to shop for.

Eating Popcorn in Peace

I rarely eat popcorn without there being a dog nose trying to work it's way into my popcorn bag. Today, I took a bag of popcorn to work with me to eat lunch. Lucky for me it wasn't bring your dog to work day, so I get to eat my popcorn in peace.

I'm busy waiting right this moment. Busy waiting, sounds like a job doesn't it? I'm waiting on a test station to arrive. When it does, I'll be very busy, until it does I'm waiting and planning for its arrival. I'm thinking the guys delivering it stopped by Tunica, MS and bet the station on the roulette table. One test system, on red, let it ride!

You have to work in my industry for that to be funny. Even, then, it may not be. Welcome to my world. I think I'll just continue listening to this Xzibit mp3 and wait.

Where's My Ticket to Tropics?

Yesterday was such a pretty day. Warm, sunny, nothing to complain about for a February day as far as I'm concerned. Today is a high in the 50's and sort of rainy. I can understand why it seems like half the town took yesterday off. I sort of think I should have also. I have no clue what I would have done, but anything outside would have been great.

Work calls, lots to do today. Hopefully something interesting will happen so I at least have something to write about.

No Catchy Title Today

My creative juices just are not awake this morning. Hopefully I'll be a little more alert after the coffee sinks in. Right now I could take a nap and be very happy. Again, the pesky work thing gets in the way.

I must say the bowling went much better last night. Sara and I both did ok, our team still lost, but at least unlike last week no one could point directly at me and say it's all your fault. Last week they could, and would have been correct.

Grab Your Balls, We're Going Bowling

At least that's what my t-shirt says. It's Valentines Day and we are going bowling. No, that's not my romantic plan for the day, it's just we are on a league, and tonight is the night to bowl, so we are bowling. Hence why we had the Valentines weekend, instead of just one day. It's sort of the shortened Hanukkah version of Valentines day. Follow that logic if you dare. I can hear the Adam Sandler song now.

It's mid afternoon, and I don't want to be at work. The weather is so nice outside. I have no clue what I want to do outside, I just want to be outside. Great day to sit in a lawn chair. Instead I'm staring at my monitors working on an Excel spreadsheet. Does the joy ever end?

Ok, my short vacation from work is over.

Monday Morning Musings

Mmmmmm, mmmmm, mmmmm. Great now I have that song by the Crash Test Dummies going through my mind. Happy Valentines Day while I'm thinking about it. I'm guessing by the total lack or response to my last post that no one reads what I write. Cool, nice to know that I have free reign to say anything I want. Insert evil laugh here.

In an effort to please my wife I am trying to be happy and cheerful about by upcoming birthday. We won't mention the number. So, today is happy cheery thoughts. Maybe today is happy cheesy thoughts, but then again, what day isn't?

Does Anyone Read This?

Serious question, does anyone read this? I know a few of my friends who visit and read my prose, but I was wondering if anyone else actually reads this? I've had a few comments from people that I don't know and I'm always happy to know that someone has taken the time to read some of this, and thought enough about it to even say something nice. I am very grateful to those people.

I am curious who actually reads what I write. I've watched the site traffic and some days I think it's only me when I update the page, other days I've had over 100 page impressions. I was just curious why the difference. To anyone who reads this that I don't know, hi. I hope you enjoy. Try the veal.

Yummy?

How to make a Jeremy

Ingredients: 1 part mercy 5 parts crazyiness 5 parts leadership

Method: Blend at a low speed for 30 seconds. Add lustfulness to taste! Do not overindulge!

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Personality cocktail
From Go-Quiz.com

Another Day, Another Radioactive Dingo

Happy Thursday. I'm happy to report my insane pace of work from earlier this week has slowed a bit. Not much, but some. Enough I can breath. (Gasp) Valentines day is coming up Monday. What a romantic day I have planned. Work all day, then bowling that night. Sara knows this is sarcasm. Sorry, but I'm not the one who put the 14th on a Monday. I think maybe it should be a moving holiday, maybe have it the second Friday in February. Sounds like a reason for a day off to work to me.

I have lots of fun work to do, nothing I wish to do. I have a question, who your loved one ask what you want for Valentines day and you're a guy, what do you say? All the gifts I want cost a fortune. Things like new rims for my car, a Borla exhaust, perhaps a new paint job, and the like. I don't have a cheap shopping list. I have a hard time coming up with some reasonable that I want. I also got several of the things like that I wanted for Christmas. I got a Game Boy, and Halo 2. I'm not sure what else I want. Just things I think about. In the coming weeks I'm sure there will be many rants about my upcoming birthday, but for now, I'm just going to pretend like it is a long way off.

Tuesday, uhh Wednesday? Someday

I'm not even certain what day it is. Yesterday was a busy work day. One of those days that is sort of a blur it went by so fast. I only had 1001 and things to get done. I think I made it through most of them. With lots of the jobs I'm working on now I feel like a trained monkey riding a bike, or jumping through hoops. Whatever tricks you teach trained monkeys to do. No smoking monkeys please.

I have a second to catch my breath this morning and few moments of almost clear thought, so I wanted to write down a few of the things I've been thinking about. First off my birthday is coming up in March. I'm not too big on birthdays, especially not this one. The one thing that sort of makes it an interesting day is it's also the day Martha Stewart gets out of jail. I wonder if sending her an invitation to a party would be in bad taste? I think the house arrest thing afterwards might cause a problem anyway. Who knows.

Well Duh!

LOOK OUT! ïòð

Jeremy is a radioactive squirrel!!

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From Go-Quiz.com

One More Thing

After reading Sara's Blog this morning, I felt I should mention the printer issue. After hours of tech support for these people, I have the following conversation.

Them: There is an online error with the printer. What do I do?

Me: Does it have paper?

Them: Let me check.

Me: Ok.

Them: I spoke to soon, that was the problem.

Me: Good.

Now, is when I smash my face into the keyboard.

Sundays.....Mondays

At times all the days blur together. Yesterday was not the day I hoped for, neither was Saturday, nor the Friday before, you get the concept. So far I've not taken a liking to 2005 yet. I was working almost the entire Superbowl trying to fix some code in the middle of nowhere. Honestly, when you tell me you've had problems all day, then wait until kick off to call with a problem, what the hell are you thinking. I know it's not a holiday, but honestly, even if you hate football, others might like it and you could at least respect that. Oh, and I don't know, call with your problems before 6 in the afternoon. I mean what in the hell do we have business hours for? Why do I even bother? Oh, that's right, so I can get all sorts of other work done, just to go home and be at their beck and call on my own time. Wait, I don't seem to have any time that is my own time. Can you guess, I'm a little upset?

Sunday sucked. I wanted to watch the Charmed marathon, have a few grilled burgers, relax and enjoy a good a day. I had the food, had the Charmed marathon, I even had cupcakes. Think the rest of my day went annoy sorts of right? Hmmmmm, no comes to mind again. I didn't even get to sit and eat a hamburger in peace, I got to eat one running between rooms trying to fix the computer program and catch a glimpse of the Superbowl and be social with other. None of which seemed to work out very well for me.

In my ever cheery mood, I doubt today is going to be much better. I have lots of other depressing topics I'd love to rant about, but right now, I'm too busy for even that.

Saturday Mornings

Saturday mornings were such fun when I was kid. It was before we had cable so I remember Saturday morning cartoons. If I got up very early Bullwinkle and Rocky were on, and the Smurfs for like an hour I think. Amazes me I'm having to try and think of other shows. Really kind of depressing. There was the Littles, Garfield and Friends, and of course always classic Bug Bunny cartoons. Then at lunch time it ended. Sad time.

Now I'm all grown up, I'd like to still be watching cartoons. Instead I'm answering phone calls from customers on Saturday mornings. I'm not certain when that became part of my job. What ever happened to doing things during business hours? I guess in our fast paced world that also has become a thing of the past, like my Saturday morning cartoons.

Morning Greeting

Several people this morning were greeted by the Huntsville PD. Apparently it was time to slow a few drivers down on 565 amd the Parkway. Lucky it was not me. Although I do like how one policeman with one car pulled over manages to slow down 4 lanes of traffic so everyone can watch and make sure they are not next. There was also news on the radio this morning about them finding a body beside the interstate. Scary start to a Friday morning.

Sara and I did see the land yesterday. I should have brought the climbing gear. Vertical, rock face, peril, death, etc, you get the picture. Climbing to the top was like a Fear Factor challenge. I'm sure I wouldn't have won the challenge. She though it had character. I though its' character was more like Chucky, cute, but deadly.

Col. Mustard with the Anthrax in the Jacuzzi

It's a Thursday. I think I'm a little more with it today than I have been for most of this week. I have no proof of that, it could be just wishful thinking. Sara is on her way over soon and we are going with the realtor to look at some land. We've already taken a sneak peek. If you like rock climbing, it's perfect. If you want a driveway and prehaps some small bit of flat land, look elsewhere. Granted we could only see the portion right by the road, but I hope the realtor has repelling and rock climbing gear if we are to see the rest of the property.

Don't look now, but Justin Timberlake's dancing with Oprah.

It's that kind of day. My brain hurts. No jokes about that being a small ache please. It' s just feels like a rough day. I'm not sure I can point to any one thing that makes it a bad day. I just have a feeling of rush and panic that I don't really enjoy. I'm certain I'm forgetting to do about a half dozen things. I'd list them, but you see the flaw in that plan. I'm hoping that taking a moment here to catch my breath and collect my thoughts may help me. It has before.

Oh, if you are curious, I think it is still raining. Can groundhogs predict rain? Is there like a rabid wolverine day for rain predictions? I don't think wolverine live in holes though, so that probably wouldn't work. It also sounds like lots of work to cram one of them down into a hole, especially a rabid one.

Who'd have ever thought that mixing chainsaws, a tightrope and a half-dozen Long Island iced teas wasn't a good idea?

It's Groundhog day. It's also raining. If I were a groundhog I'd stay inside all day. What does that mean if you don't see the little bugger at all? No more weather for the rest of the year?

It started out being a strange Groundhog day when the two on the radio this morning were talking about groundhog being low carb. Nothing good can follow that.

On a side note today, my theme for the day is I hate taxes. I was looking at the tax tables last night and how much money the government takes and it hurts. They should get a job and have someone take a big junk of their income.

Land Ho!

I'm a little nervous. I called a realtor. Not an obscene phone call like apparently Turbo Tax has you make to ask for help, but a regular call to inquire about some land. Sara and I already own a house, in a house farm. It really does look like the neighborhood in Edward Scissorhands, except without all the cool topiary shrubbery. We want more room, a larger house, things like that. So, I called a realtor and we are going to look at some land. I'm trying not to call it a plot of land because that sounds like we are looking in a grave yard, and that's just not a happy thought.

Oh, my worrying is interrupted by a conference call. Such fun.

Happy Happy Joy Joy

Oh Sara, look what I found. Credit is due to Matt, although I would have known except that commercial skip feature on the DVR works too well.

Happy Tuesday

Yes, happy Tuesday. Don't ask about bowling. I won't tell. Although do tell Sara how proud you are, she had her highest game ever last night. I was not as lucky. Sad thing is, I've done worse.

My only excitement for this morning is that I've found a nifty site that combines two things I like, Escher drawings and Lego blocks. It sounds like my kind of fun. Off to work.