Another Day, another Dollar

So, I get up this morning and get to work on time (a big change from the usual 9 to 5), and get a few things done. When I say work, now, I'm actually talking about the bread-winning job wherein I have to write things and do some administrative stuff for everyone. This morning, in fact, I was a gopher, and got to go for few pieces of equipment to take back to another organization. I actually used this hardware for some testing that I had to do, but it was supposed to be taken back months ago, and it just never happened.

But, after that it was 0935 and I decided that since I had four hours of leave, I'd just take part of it early and head to the store (where I was slated to work for Judy for a few hours). It turns out that I got there around 0945, and left around 1535, so that's about six hours at the store. Today was, in fact, a fun day at Great Spirits. It was a little slow in the very beginning, but definitely picked up as the day wore on. I did the lifting for Judy and Judy handled all of her regulars and worked the floor, and I did everything else. We even had a brand spanking new wine rep come in, and I just felt so sorry for her... she kind of knew what needed to be done, and that there was a good bit of work to do, but she hadn't got a real good idea of what was going on, so I couldn't help but help her. Like all the rest of them, she was a very nice young lady who could probably have done with a heavy drink before coming to work to stave off the madness, and she just seemed so innocent... so I helped her find stuff and pointed her in the right direction and hoped that she didn't get sucked into the salesmanship void with us...

So I have to make this statement about distributors: some of us don't like to be sold to as if we were children. Talk to me like a) I know what I'm doing and b) like you know that you're trying to sell on the strength of your product. There are times I don't like reps because they try to push crappy wines just because. I mean, help me help you by bringing in product that you actually think will move; help me have the products that fit my image; allow me to sell your wine because it's good wine, not because I want to get it the hell out of my store. And that's not directed at any specific rep, or specific distributor, but its my beef with salespeople in general. Give me the benefit of the doubt and learn to understand my depth of knowledge as a buyer as well as a seller, because trying to talk down to me doesn't help my opinion at all, and spinning the truth doesn't make me want to buy from you.

We got that done, Judy got almost to tears over beer people, and then got all happy about the situation, and I think she should have stayed hardline on the guys. Some people have this thing where they'll have an opinion and then change it at the drop of a hat, but I must be a lot more cynical than that. Like, "Oh, you just did something that's a mediocre gesture that you might never repeat? I'll forgive you and give you the stars!" No, someone's got to prove to me over time that their actions aren't the immediate result of their previous screw-ups (i.e. you're not trying to just make up for the bad bits before going back to doing the bad bits again), but that their actions and/or motivations have changed such that their future behavior is based on different maxims (and in case you don't know and Kant, a maxim is a rule or law by which you try to strictly adhere to in all your actions). Like SBC needs to just change the way they do business if they're just going to jerk us around as if they had a monopoly (which they mostly do) and bad business practices (it sure looks like they have those, too).

But, my dad comes home tonight from a long business trip to Colorado, and I've got laundry to do so now I leave my office.

Salut!

ARGH!

You know, I always write out this post, and it's always really long and detailed... and then either I have a system crash, or I close the window unwittingly... or something. Who knows? Either way, I'm going to keep this entry short for the sake of my sanity.

Things are good. Two jobs going well. The Office is picking up with some interesting work, and the Store is winding down a little (thank goodness!) since Steve got back from his vacation. No more 15 hour days for me!

I'm working on getting a MySpace page up somewhere, but it requires a little bit of creative design on the HTML and CSS part, seeing as Myspace refuses to do anything but use a table-based layout that makes it impossible for people like yours truly to do any really decent layout with any ease or clarity of code. Either way, there are work arounds, and I'm working around with them. Link to be posted when it gets finished.

Om-ma's leaving for Korea in a few days--on her birthday, in fact. I'm actually going to leave the Office to go look for a birthday present and I'll have to stop by the Fresh Market at some point so I can pick up some fish (I think it'll be best to get something that I can sear in a pan and serve up in less than 20 minutes. Some veggies with a light cream sauce... should be quick, easy, and colorful. Ohn-ni is doing the cake and stuff, so I don't have to worry about that.

I just got back from looking for a birthday gift for mi madre, and decided to just get her flowers and do the nice dinner thing. I'm not sure there's really anything more I could do to make her happier.

Back to the grindstone for me...

So the thought was...

...that I should blog about last night's events, and I think that I will.

Every Sunday evening, B and I, as well as a large group of friends, come together to enjoy a Tuesday night dinner. That is to say, before the night got moved to Sunday, it was Tuesday on which they prepared their weekly meal, and then when B and I joined the rotatiion and the aforemention change occurred. So, we eat, and we leave at a reasonable hour (somewhere in the neighborhood of 2100hrs), and head back to her house, and sit in the driveway, chatting for a while, before we go out for a walk.

It's kind of chill night, but still nice enough for a walk. It's just the slightest bit misty, and it's still a little wet, but the temperature's okay, and the air's very clear, all adding up to good weather, in my book. So, we walk, and we go down in the area around Highland Dr. in Madison, and stroll about. We stroll past a little park, and pass a few parked cars, one of which has a small light that we can tell is a cell phone, in the back seat. So we make snide remarks when we're suitably far enough away, and continue walking.

The occupants of this car, though, lock their doors. We can tell because the lights flash and there's a little beep. They seem to be doing this on purpose, because they do it again, three times in a row. We think they're just bloody idiots and continue walking, but this car starts up, leaves its lights off and starts to follow us. They follow a short way, then stop a little bit, and wait until we're out of sight, and then edge into sight again. We're on a street with no turns in it, so I thought that it must just be some kids being asinine jerks, but B is spooked (not that I can blame her). We turn down another street as soon as there is one available, stay in the light well away from the road, and wait for them for a moment before quickly doing an about-face as they turn 'round the corner in our direction.

So B's mom finds us, and we hop in, and she keeps going down the street and we find this car sitting with its lights off at a yield sign around the corner from where B and I turned around while we were walking. B's mom rolls down the window and asks them if they're lost, and it's three teenage kids, who say that they aren't. So we tail them and give them a little hell, and they try to follow us around. We head toward the police station, and they take off in a different direction.

To sum all that up, B was frightened, and I was angry. I really wanted them to come up to us and stop so I could ask him to roll down his window and give him a black eye or rip out his windpipe, one or the other would have been sufficient for me. Just thinking about it raises my ire.

So that was our evening. I also have to point out that I got some Amarula Cream, and it's really good stuff, so if you get the chance, head down to a liquor store and look for it. It's a South African cream liqueur, and tastes a lot like Bailey's but with a fruity flavor. I say this because I'll need a drink to calm down after writing about all that.

...f***ing stupid kids...

Oh, poor blog...

...neglected for far too long, I don't know how you've survived without refreshment for these many long weeks. It's been almost two months since my last post, and it's likely to be about time for an update.

Firstly: I'M NO LONGER AN UNDERGRAD!

I squeaked by in my final semester with a 2.8 GPA, which brings me down, overall to something like a 3.1. I walked across the stage on December 17, 2006, as deadpan as could be, took lots of pictures, went to dinner at Luciano's with B, and then went home. It was a little anticlimatic, because they hand everyone, as they walk across the stage, a little padded folder thingy, which contains a piece of paper, with big, bold letters at the top stating: DON'T PANIC!!! (that's a direct quote, exclamation points and all)

I have to go back sometime in mid-February in order to actually get my real diploma, while at the same time returning their stupid little padded folder thing. The only real thing I got from UAH was a stupid little keychain, which I obligingly put on my keyring. It now sits there like a miniature steel blackjack, waiting to knock someone around the ear. Thank you, UAH Alumni Association, for making me feel as if I spent four years in the wrong place.

And then there was Christmas & New Year's Eve/Day. I worked my butt off at the store, doing practically everything there was to do, and it was fun, if tiring. I'm still trying to get back into the swing of going back to work early in the morning, because I never even went into the store before 10 o'clock. But, I got to drink some really expensive (and really really good) wines this last season, and I got socks out of it, too. I got to spend time with my babe, my family, and with most of my friends. J came down from Nashville, N & E were back from ATL, SE was back from W&M, D was up from Bham, and L was up from AU (I'm still sorry about New Year's!). New Year's Eve was a little crazy... I some cognac, wine, et al (still not that much... I was good to drive home at the end of the night), and everyone else had way too much to drink. B went berserk, and I got to smoke a few very nice cigars.

Oh, and I'm telling myself to only smoke once a week, max. Like last week, i.e., the week of New Year's, I smoked two cigars in one sitting, and I smoked a shortie cigarillo-styled one (a little Fuente from the Humidor on the Parkway, which was actually a nice smoke) this Tuesday. So, I'm waiting until Sunday, at the very least, to have the next one, probably more like Tuesday. Abstinence from too much possible nicotine!

Back on the other track: I got a few nice things for Christmas. B got me a titanium ring with a celtic dog on it (I'll look up a reference for the image later) that I really liked (though it may turn out that my fingers just aren't well suited for wearing rings). My mom got me kitchen implements, and my dad gave me a Dewalt router set for graduation--now all I need is some time to use them. I got gift cards for both my parents--Bannana Republic for my mom, Home Depot for my dad, both of them $100, both of them acquired with my AmEx rewards points, of which I have just over 5,000 left.

And I got another AmEx, this one is the One. I've only had it for a month or so, so we'll have to just see how it works out. It's the one with the savings account attached to the card, with a relatively high APR (intro rate is 5%, but I hope it'll still be really competitive after the intro is over). But, so far it's worked just like the rewards card, but apparently I can't pay my balance before it registers on a new month, so I just have to pay within a two week window after I get a statement. We shall see...

Oh, and I got B a ring:

I liked it a lot, and for the price, it couldn't be beaten. I think she likes it, too.

OK, now on to the subject of employment. I'm still with the Army RDEC, but unfortunately still as a Co-op. As soon as the paperwork comes down the chain, I'll be an intern, but we still have to negotiate a starting salary. While frustrating, it's just how life goes. I'll just have to wait until my branch chief decides to come back and ask him about it.

And I'm going to a Mardi Gras ball in Mobile! That means a tux and a night in South AL for me, in late Feb. It'll be a night of debauchery and sin... or, for me, watching people sin. I intend to stay reasonably sober and partake only of what will likely be a very nice spread of food and wine, although I'm sure that will be compromised, I'm still sticking to the intent, which is to remain coherent and cognitive throughout the evening.

[yawn] and work has been amazingly boring the last few days, because I've decided to let it be the employer that comes to me for me to do some kind of work for him. It's really quite frustrating.

So that's the blitz of my life for the last two months. I'm now waiting on my permanent employment to become official, still working a few nights a week at the store, and trying to enjoy life a little bit, but still not sleeping a whole lot (something that needs to be remedied soon).

Lord A'mighty!

IT's been almost two months since my last post! Holy crap, people, someone remind me to post!

Anyway, I'm well. All is well, the grass is green, the sky is a very very dark blue, as the sun has set already. For the last few nights, when we've had the moon just before and after the full, it's been really gorgeous out at night, because the moon's been just amazingly luminous. There's been a few really cool harvest moon sunsets, where the moon has been absolutely huge, and there was this one instance, where the sky was really really purple in the east, and B and her little brother and I were driving down 565 toward the rocket, and the moon was really huge and yellow, and when we went around the curve, it looks like the moon is passing in time-lapse photography behind the rocket. (Kids, don't write run-on sentences like that, only people who don't care and aren't getting graded get to do it.) I wish I would have had my old camera, with it's 10x zoom, because then B probably could have framed the picture better.

I need a new camera though. I have a beater, a little Sony that I kind of like for the money ($150 for 6MP? rock out!), but I need one with a little bit more capability. After being spoiled with a long zoom capability, the urge arises within my breast to buy one with a long zoom and some image stabilization; enter, Canon S3 IS. It's about my dream budget camera. The Rebel XTi would be nice, but I won't pretend to need to spend that kind of money on anything right now.

Of money and wine... I'm still at Great Spirits, still enjoying it. I admit, there are some days that I'm not really looking forward to it, but most times, it's not really a trial or anything. But, I've tried lots of good wine, bought a lot of good wine, drunk a lot of wine both good and bad, and generally had a good time. It took for-freakin-ever to get me a key made, because Wal-mart had the right sized keys, and so did Home Depot, but apparently the keysize is deceptive, because the key is actually a special length/slot type that isn't very common. So, to actually get the thing right, I had to get them to cut the key as a different type of blank (a 95, in case that means anything to anyone) that was too long, and just file off the end. I jabbed myself a few times with my Leatherman, while I was filing, since my utilities for the project were so limited and primitive.

But, now I have a key, and there exists a spare key. Lots of work, but what else do they pay me for? Every once in a while, I have a twinge of guilt when I think that I may have steered someone wrong in their selection of vino to gift or imbibe, but that's all quickly washed away in the wake of all the other work that the Jude always has for me.

And the weirdest thing has happened, here, lately... My dad has bought wine (not unusual) and minis of liquor (very unusual). But, I can't complain if my parents loosen up a little bit. It'll do everyone some good.

[ASIDE]
...[lips smack smack smack smack] I think I didn't wash out my glass very well, because I smell/taste a little soap in my wine... damned if I'm not going to finish it, though...

Well, let's see... Oh, I've skipped more class than at any time since freshman year physics (I and II). History 101 doesn't enthrall me, and none of my other classes (except for controls) are really that interesting. Controls is a very interesting class in a few different ways. For one, the instructor isn't really qualified, in the strictest sense, to teach our class. If there weren't any grad students in the class, he might be able to handle it, but there are grad students, and as such, he's kind of been keeping his head above water when he's teaching. But, I like Rice, he's a good guy and he admits when he doesn't know something. I can't wait for Dr. C. D. Johnson to teach class, though, because the guy is just so much fun to listen to! He's old and ornery, and always has one of those "I know something you don't, and I might not tell you all of it" smiles on his fase. And he says, "Well, I know you're questioning, but fear not, dearhearts..." That turn of phrase is enough to endear this crochety old man to me. I'm going to get to class early on Wednesday, just so I can sit up front and watch and listen closely, 'cause his lectures are an art in and of themselves.

And I decided that I might take his 605 class in the Spring, if he'll teach it. I want to learn more about controls, and systems, and their dynamics, and it'll be so cool if I can get Dr. C. D. Johnson. Dr. Shtessel sounds like a trip, too, but I'd rather have a guy who speaks English as his first language.

Let's see... Well, it's fall and besides the moon, I've been enjoying this year's fall colors more than ever. Maybe as a result of my eyesight getting a little worse (I'm almost certain that my eyes haven't gotten any better, because my vision is proportionally worse, I think, with my glasses off) I'm taking notice of colors more than usual, but it has really stricken me this year how much I enjoy the fall colors of the trees, especially the amazingly brightly plumaged ones. The oaks with their oranges, and maples with their yellows and reds, and a spattering of evergreens mocking them all with continuedly green foliage. I wanted to go for a drive into the Appalachian foothills, this last weekend, but it turned out to not be an available course of action, so I can only hope that the colors will still be there this coming weekend, when, I hope, B and I at the very least, will be able to go for a long drive, just for the sake of the drive.

[sigh] Another thing, and this is a little low... but I got sucked in by my curiosity. I started watching the lonelygirl15 videos on YouTube. I'd heard about them, I think off of Jay Leno, but they're interesting, and you should watch them if you've got a lot of time to kill. They're... I dunno. Only partially amusing because there's so much that you feel like you should notice, after you watch them for long enough. Anyway, go to YouTube and look them up. I'm not even going to post a link, because I don't want to be actively privvy to anyone else's becoming involved in watching them.

Speaking of thinking about things, I've been thinking about replacing the console in my dash. See, the actual console really sucks. The compartment lid is broken, the cup holders are a complete load of crap, and if something spills in the cupholder, everything in the whole console is just SOL. So, I think I'll get a couple of pieces of wood and make my own. Maybe I'll keep the flip-top thingy, and hinge it myself so I don't have to care about the stupid thing being attached properly (I thought about just superglue or epoxy to fix it, but I'm not sure, I'll have to look up how well it bonds metal to metal). Either way, that'd be a good semi-indoors project, right? Carve myself a new console?

Ciao, folks, 'cause I need some serious sleep.

Delayed Post

The following is a delayed post from last Wednesday, saved on my laptop:

So, here's the skinny on the low-end of the tech ladder: Roberts Hall (fourth floor at least) has no wireless access. This really blows. I mean, if we could just get a single access point in the building, it'd be great. You could stick it on the 3rd floor, in the lounge... 'cause the first floor's not got a whole lot of stuff, anyway. It's got the practice rooms, the art workshop and the auditorium, so we really don't need all that crap to have access to the network/internet. And, it'd be great to have wireless access in the classrooms, for those boring lecture days.

No update for a while, so I'll jump into the last week or so: Had a drink and a late snack with Ch, the Unfamous One (which is not an insult--I just never thought about him after say, January of this year). Nothing too unusual, basically just caught up on life. Stayed up until the sun came up (~0600hrs) a few times, mostly trying to be encouraging. Have sampled what amounts to a lot of wine, including (but not limited to) the following:

Shotfire Barossa Shiraz (2004) - Excellent: inky purple color, lots of dark fruit, and a solid core of cedar/aromatic wood in the nose and the palate.

Marques de Concha (?) Syrah (2005) - Very good: dry, but with red and black fruit, big tannins. Heavy alcohol, good finish.

Windmill Lodi Zinfandel (2005) - Good (for the money, Very Good): red fruit flavor, classic zin spice and wood, but not too heavy, with some good, slightly sweet tannin.

Capcanes Mas Donis (2004 ) - Very Good: One of my favorite styles from Spain, dark and purplish, it has some leather and tar in the nose, which continues in the palate, with some very dark fruit, heavier tannins, good long finish. For $13, one of my favorites for a cool evening that needs a good warm wine!

An old-vine Garnacha from Navarra, whose name I can't recall (I think it was a 2004): OK to Good before decanting/oxidization, Very Good after: out of the bottle, full of acid, little fruit, almost caustic. After some air (an hour or so), the acid dies out and leaves some good earthy wine with some red fruit peeking through. Definitely dry.

Mark West Central Coast Pinot Noir (2004?) - Very Good (as a light pinot style): Tannins? None here! Watery mouth-feel, nose and palate of light fruit, including peaches, dark plums. Lots of white wine characteristics; tasty when chilled slightly.

Blue Oyster Pinot Noir (2005) - Good: heavier pinot, some spice, a little fruit, drier than expected. Not too shabby.

Blue Oyster Merlot (2005) - So-so (read: bad): Kind of green. Closed nose, simple. Not something I'd buy.

Blue Oyster Sauvignon Blanc (2005) - Good: Typical New Zealand Sauv Blanc, with fruity, a little floral, just a bare mineral nose. Has those melon-y, exotic fruit, (papaya? I dunno, something like that) crip flavors, and a little sweet.

Blue Oyster Chardonnay (2005) - Good to Very Good: Also good fruit here, smooth flavor without being too heavy. A chard for light fish, I think.

This afternoon...

...is turning out to be a study in people-watching. I'm in the UC lobby, and there's a trio of black guys who have been talking about football and just generally shooting the breeze here for a while. There's a table of political activists, who are trying to get people to vote on something or other, I haven't actually been able to make out what, though.

And then there's one white guy, looks like he hasn't shaved in about a week, but he's doing homework quite avidly, and is apparently completely oblivious to the rest of the world. There's also this tall, thin guy who looks vaguely familiar, but also looks too young to be anyone that I would actually know from recently. There's a few people who have kind of popped in and popped out and a few recurring faces. Apparently most of these people just don't have anything specific to do, they just have an agenda of self-enjoyment.

The only thing that's really constant among the majority of them isthat they aren't focused on anything too specific, and have a general fixation on sex and related topics. There's also been some UAH staff come through, and I've recognized a few engineering grad students, and almost no engineering undergrads. Hm, funny enough, all the engineers that I've seen on this side of campus have been TA's, or are employed by UAH in some capacity or other.

Two above-average skinny white guys with very hip hair just walked in, along with a number of other young kids. It's funny how I can think of these guys as kids, but they have the young-seeming faces of kids who are much closer to having just jumped out of high school, and they have a very different sort of exuberance about them that implies... I dunno, either innocence or ignorance. Probably a comination of the two. There's definitely been more good- and almost-good looking women walking through here than I would ever see on the other side of campus, any time of day, or practically all day.

Lots of skinny kids, too. Not quite so many obese ones as one might expect of a university in Alabama. Then again, this is also a university in a very Yankee-influenced town, with a sort of anomalous population pattern.

Well, while there's this group of kids who are just sitting here, chatting, I'll elaborate on what my schedule has looked like today. I took care of classes, then dropped by the store, got my hours. Went to the Main Branch of the Madison County Library. Got some language (Korean) CD's that I'm burning right now in the hopes that I can return the things sometime tonight, and thusly not incurring the usual late fees for my trouble. There's also a Dirk Gently (a Douglas Adams creation) novel in my laptop bag, and a book about papercraft by Ogawa, and a Xanth novel in my car. After that, I just came straight to the UC, in the hopes that L calls me soon, so I'll have something to do.

Well, something more productive that sitting in the UC and watching people. I'll probably just go downstairs and look for something to sate my hunger. The problem with that is that I'm going to go eat sometime soon, as soon as L tells me that S&S are up for eating something, somewhere.

BLAH!

It's been good typing practice, though, seeing how I can't see the screen too well, since it's kind of bright in here and my laptop screen brightness is turned all the way down. I'm going to move. That'll help me a lot more than anything else I can do, since I really need the exercise. I need to work the fat off of my hips before supper starts. If I wasn't so lazy, I'd go to the fitness center, but the freaking place is probably covered over with little scabs (kids) and the really annoying big huge guys in the weight room, who are just way too intimidating for me to want to spend long periods of time in there. Also, I don't have a music player, so I have no means of entertaining myself using mobile melodic means (you like that alliteration, do you?).

BLAH!

Once again...

...a boring day is at hand. I've got a few things that need to be completed today:

1.) Go to Great Spirits and write down my hours for this month. Pray that Judy isn't in, so I can get out of extra work.

2.) Buy an excellent bottle of wine to share with friends.

3.) Pay for my federal ticket (cut the check and get it into the mail).

4.) Go hang with L and S and SZ. Watch Crank (I'm looking forward to it, as it looks like a really entertaining movie).

That seems to be a pretty decent little schedule. B works in there, somewhere, but she's a priority, so she fits in wherever the heck she wants. School, it sucks. I take that back, it doesn't suck, it's just boring. Everything is still in review mode, except for Dr. Wells, 'cause he's just plodding along as usual, God love 'im.