Month: September 2004

As predicted, I felt it today. That brain numbing tiredness that leaves you all groggy and slow. Might be the fact that it's 5:30 pm and I haven't had breakfast yet too.

I had to go to McGill this morning, to go see the client. That went well, as her network problems finally got resolved by the mcgill network people and I was able to get some good work done with that. She's also writing me a reference letter, so we spoke about that as well.

Once that was done, I dropped off the IBM business proposal I was asked to comment on last week and chatted a bit with the lady who's in charge of the project. I wanted to know what the next step was, when I could expect some sort of answer from them. Basically, I want to give current bossman as much notice time as I can before leaving. I still owe him that much courtesy. From our conversation, it would seem that unless things go horribly wrong, I should get a firm offer soon – as in end of next week or early next. They're just waiting for my reference letters to see where I fit in the McGill staff hierarchy. That will determine the salary range and benefits package. They said that my proposed salary range should be possible, so once they have an offer on the table, it'll be a matter of hammering out the fine points, and then I can give my notice here.

Can I have a Huzzah?

1. I can see your point, but I still think you're full of shit.
2. I don't know what your problem is, but I'll bet it's hard to pronounce.
3. How about never? Is never good for you?
4. I see you've set aside this special time to humiliate yourself in public.
5. I'm really easy to get along with once you people learn to see it my way.
6. I'll try being nicer if you'll try being smarter.
7. I'm out of my mind, but feel free to leave a message…
8. I don't work here. I'm a consultant.
9. It sounds like English, but I can't understand a word you're saying.
10. Ahhh… I see the screw-up fairy has visited us again…
11. I like you. You remind me of when I was young and stupid.
12. You are validating my inherent mistrust of strangers.
13. I have plenty of talent and vision. I just don't give a damn.
14. I'm already visualizing the duct tape over your mouth.
15. I will always cherish the initial misconceptions I had about you.
16. Thank you. We're all refreshed and challenged by your unique point of view.
17. The fact that no one understands you doesn't mean you're an artist.
18. Any connection between your reality and mine is purely coincidental.
19. What am I? Flypaper for freaks!?
20. I'm not being rude. You're just insignificant.
21. It's a thankless job, but I've got a lot of Karma to burn off.
22. Yes, I am an agent of Satan, but my duties are largely ceremonial.
23. And your crybaby whiny-butt opinion would be…?
24. Do I look like a people person?
25. This isn't an office. It's Hell with fluorescent lighting.
26. I started out with nothing & still have most of it left.
27. Sarcasm is just one more service we offer.
28. If I throw a stick, will you leave?
29. Errors have been made. Others will be blamed.
30. Whatever kind of look you were going for, you missed.
31. I'm trying to imagine you with a personality.
32. A cubicle is just a padded cell without a door.
33. Can I trade this job for what's behind door #1?
34. Too many freaks, not enough circuses.
35. Nice perfume. Must you marinate in it?
36. Chaos, panic and disorder – my work here is done.
37. How do I set a laser printer to stun?
38. I thought I wanted a career, turns out I just wanted paychecks.

7 hours of game night with the boys. We started playing Risk: godswar at 7pm and that game ended at 10pm. (I won, yay) We decided we had time for a game of runebound. We didn't count on it lasting 4 hours!!! (I won that too, yay)

Now, it's 2am and I just got home and I'm going to feel this tomorrow.

Night everybozzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

I love 2 minute phone calls that turn into hour-and-a-half phone calls.
I love it when my cat climbs up on me and falls asleep on my legs.
I love it when a cute girl sits next to me in the metro and I get a whiff of nice-smelling perfume.

…So tell me, what do you love?

Edit: yes, I realized today is tuesday. The title stays like it is :P

Went to see my old boss at Ste-Justine to talk about their IT needs and the possible collaboration they want to do with IBM. The project is really interesting, and I have an idea the job is mine for the taking if I want it. The only thing is that I need to take a pay cut if I want it. As in 10% of what I'm making now. I'm not sure I can afford that, with the lifestyle I've grown used to and the long-term financial plans I've made. He says that there's a possibility that the salary might be readjusted later on, but the first year would be tight.

I told him I'd give him an answer by the end of the week. I think my mind is already kind of made up, but it sucks that I have to say no and limit my options to the McGill thing only.

Meh.

quote of the day on talk like a pirate day:

Tia says:
     LOL... behold, he has attained enlightenment.
Rc says:
     arrrrgh, i says ta ye
Tia says:
     ROFL... a buddhist pirate?
Rc says:
     buddha says arrrrgh
Tia says:
     buddhargh

Went to bed really early last night – read 10:30 – and had a good night's sleep which was marred by only one weird-ass dream (of the I have a deadline, I'm late and there's no way in hell I can get it done so all hell is breaking loose). Anyway, I turned over and went back to sleep and all was well.

Had breakfast with sbourge this morning, after which I went to Linen Chest to soothe a Jones I'd had for months :) I finally bought 600-threadcount cotton sheets. They're all silky and smooth and I can't wait to try them out with that special someone :D They're going to stay in the package until she gets here – just another reason to be impatient about october 1st :P

I just finished prepping a big batch of pasta sauce goodness, so that's going to simmer away for a while. Marc and I also finished the tile work in the kitchen (well, there's one spot that still needs work, but that's behind the fridge and we're both fed up, so it'll wait until another day). All my chores are done for today, so now I'm going to curl up with a book and read a bit on the futon.

Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck.

Marc's mother is driving me NUTS. Here's a recap of all that I don't like about her, in no particular order:

1. The woman will NOT SHUT UP. The woman cannot stand the sound of silence, so she does her damn best to make sure there's none surrounding her. Yak!Yak!Yak! I don't care about the minutia of your life, woman. Don't get me wrong, I like a good conversation. I also like peace and quiet. Especially when I wake up. I'm not a morning person.

1b. She keeps talking even when there's nobody around, and expects you to follow her conversation.

1c. For as much as I love to listen to english accents (british, irish, scottish), some others just grate on my nerves. I make exceptions for people I like. For people I don't, it's just that much more aggravating.

2. She keeps locking the cat in rooms, or letting it go out of the apartment into the stairwell. She's absentminded. When I don't see the cat around for a while, I look in her room. 9 times out of 10, it's there. The other, it's locked in the kitchen pantry. Marc told me he grew up with cats, so the woman should be used to this by now it would seem. Apparently not. I live on the second floor of a duplex. My apartment door open onto a stairwell that leads to the outside door. The cat is always trying to go into the stairwell. I told her this. MANY TIMES! So what does she do? She opens the door wide open to go out, and is surprised because the cat goes down the stairs. And instead of going after it, she just stays there looking stupid and saying “oh no, the cat is in the stairwell”. I go to get him, and she tells me “he's so undisciplined!” and looks at me like its my fault. HE'S A CAT! I'm getting more and more worried that I'm going to lose him before she leaves. All it takes is for both doors to be open at the same time….

2b. She keeps referring to Boris as my son, and me as his daddy. From now on, for those who happen to read this, unless you want to be hurt, you will not use either of those terms in my presence.

*sigh* there are others, but I'm getting tired of complaining about something I essentially can only grin and bear. Like the fact that she does my dishes, but does a crappy job and leaves schmutz on the plates and cutlery. Or the fact that she keeps locking the inner apartment door – something I never do – so I keep running into a locked door and having to constantly look for my keys.

Anyway, she's leaving in like 10 days, so I just need to survive a bit more than a week without killing her.

Wish me luck.

Cat is sleeping on the couch next to me and is dreaming right now. I can see him twitching and making little mewling sounds. I wonder what cats dream of.

Loooong day today. Game night with the boys ended late last night, and I felt it today. the fact that I stayed at the office until 8pm to make up for the time I took yesterday morning really didn't help either. I left the office with a bit of a headache that's still with me. Dinner should help with that.

Got home to find an envelope from raspberrysalmon containing two of the tackiest fridge magnets I've seen in a long time. I love them :) And yes Tia, I was able to read your handwriting without a magnifying glass :P

This weekend will be a slow one. Only cooking and some chores allowed :)