Category: Uncategorized

I was in my third project meeting on Monday, having been on my new project for two weeks. Things weren’t going so well. My computer was set up completely wrong for the sort of work I was required to do so I was working with the systems support group to get those problems resolved. Plus, as with any new project, there is a thing call ramp up time. Or, time taken trying to understand what the hell you’re supposed to be doing. That takes a while. So, combine computer not working properly with ramp up and you’ve got a bad start.

Anyway, the reason I got put on the project was because someone said I was supposed to be a fast learner, that I was supposed to be what they call “smart”. I can be a smart arse sometimes but that’s about it I reckon. I gave my new project manager the low down on why I was a couple of days behind some of the other guys in the group. She just looked at me and said “I thought you were supposed to be smart?” My response? Nothing really. What the hell am I supposed to say to that??? I had a good laugh at it later on and it’s the joke of the week with my friends and former technical lead (who I believe is the one who stated that I was “smart”).

Needless to say, I’m not behind in my work anymore and if anything I’m even a little ahead – but it took a little unpaid overtime to get there. Now I’m thinking I’m actually not that smart and my manager was right. I think I walked right into this little trap that she set for me. And get that dangling carrot out of my face.

Well, here is the first one. The northern gate of my apartment block got taken out last night by someone trying to get out of the complex. This happened between midnight last night and 8 am this morning. Likelihood that it was someone from the party on the floor below me last night? Pretty high!

But this is even worse than what happened above. I’ve run out of milo.

Ok, yes, there is some still caught in the top and if I scrape hard enough I can get what’s left in the bottom, but, hell…

Right, it’s nearly 2:15 am and I’m pissed off. There is something in the exhaust duct of my clothes dryer that keeps on making a tap-thud sound. I heard this sound a few weeks ago but then it stopped. I thought it was the wind at the time and there was some sort of valve that was loose or something but it can’t be that tonight because it’s as calm as a Hindu cow… and don’t get me started on Indians! There are a bunch of them having a party on the floor below me and they’ve got their freaking balcony door open. I think they work at my company, I’m not sure. It’s bloody 2 am in the morning. Shouldn’t they be programming or something!?! Bloody hell, I’m trying to get some sleep so I can do good work so I don’t become a victim of outsourcing. Jesus!

Sorry, but they’ve been pissing me off just about as much as tap-thud sound. I’ve been trying to think of what it is. I’m wondering what stopped the sound last time. Perhaps it just died. It sounds awfully like a frog. But how the hell would a frog get up there? I’m on the top floor, 4 floors up. It could be a super frog or something like that, bred by Frenchies to have really good leg muscles. Maybe it somehow jumped in the exhaust vent for my dryer after having double dare/physical challenges with its Frenchie frog mates to see who could jump over my apartment building.

I can’t check to see WTF is going on because there is no way I can look outside.

Maybe the people below sent it on a mission to piss me off.

I was thinking it could be a bird… but it’s not chirping.

Oh shit it’s really pissing me off now.

That’s it. I’m going to wash some towels and dry them on high heat. I’ll cook the f&*ker… and then I’m going to get a flamethrower and fry the people downstairs. Check the papers tomorrow.

Yeah, you can already tell this post is going to be full of all things nerdy. Well, I gotta say it, but hats off to the folks at NASA/ESA/Uni Arizona for getting a space probe to land on Titan. That’s just freaking amazing when you consider what must be done to accomplish something like that. I had to laugh though when they only got half the pictures they wanted because someone missed a command. Hehe.

I actually think about that and then I can totally relate to my own programming screw-ups. Hell, I just spent 6 hours fixing up/improving some software I wrote ages ago. If I didn’t do that though, I probably would have just sat in my bed watching “My cousin Vinny” followed by “Death to Smoochy”. Instead, I feel like I’ve achieved something today… something I probably should have achieved last week but hey. I was spending too much time rediscovering the Monkees and so forth and when I get nostalgic everything else can go get stuffed.

I went to a really cool party on Saturday night. No rum barrels involved, thank God, but I had a smashingly fun time. It was a girl’s 30th birthday and some gay ex-neighbours threw a party for her. Of course, the place was in immaculate condition. It was very, very clean and I have to say very tastefully furnished. My favourite thing though was an old rotary telephone that they actually use. I reckon I might try retrofitting one in my future home. A re-dial function would be pretty cool 🙂

Everyone at the party was either married or engaged. Normally I don’t mind being the third wheel – I mean a few of my mates back in Australia have girlfriends and so forth so I get pretty used to it. But shit, lately it’s just been beyond a joke!

I did meet a nice couple who lived about an hour out of New York city. They were really cool and offered me a place to stay when I go up around that area. Excellent! I’m waiting on some availability for tickets to see the Daily Show. That will pretty much determine when I’ll go up that way.

I have a stack more pics to put up yet, but I just can’t be arsed using my current computer to do that. I’ve ordered a new beast which should be arriving this coming week and it’ll be ideal for the music stuff I want to do. It’s taking a bloody long time to get my music stuff sorted out with all this travelling that keeps getting in the way!

Hmmm, well I’m starting to dribble more than I do in person. I better go to sleep before I send you to sleep.