Thursday, July 19, 2007

West Virginny

How weird is it to find a building that looks like this in the middle of nowhere West Virginia, also known as Pineville pop. 670. Here's another shot of it (I didn't take this one).


















Bite Me

I ordered several new computers for a couple of consultants that just started. How many complaints did I get because the new people have LCD monitors and we are stuck with old CRTs? Too many to count. Look people, I don't make the rules.

I knew this would happen...

When I started here there were three "technical" analysts serving 2 departments. Two of those analysts were in the other department and I was the lone analyst in my department (we share a common upper manager).

I don't remember if I posted about the other guy leaving a couple of months ago, but now the other one told me today that she is leaving. That leaves me hanging in the wind. I don't even have access to alter tables in their database or even execute stored procedures. And there's no guarantee the powers that be in IT will even give me those rights. They denied me before. They'll probably have to now though.

A few good things might come out of this.


  • I might actually get my butt in gear and actually start to send my resume out again
  • I will get access to a SQL Server and not have to use crappy Access for my projects.
  • I might actually get good projects to work on now. Especially if the upper manager moves me from my department to the other department.
  • The burden of submitting user request forms and fixing PCs and answering stupid questions like, "why is my cpu so slow?" or "can you set me up to print to that printer? it's closer to my cube" might cease.


We'll see. The best option is the first one anyway.

Monday, July 16, 2007

Dear Blog,

I missed you so much and I am glad we are back together.

Love,

Me

Neighbor Quotes®

I have some interesting neighbors on either side of me. The ones to the left are the trash collectin', fussin' and feudin' kind, but they don't talk to me, so that's good. The ones to the right are the loud, boisterous, too friendly for their own good kind. And of course, for good measure, they have kids the same age as mine, which makes it harder to avoid them (I maintain the Northern tradition of ignoring people).

Anyway, I want to start keeping track of some of their quotes and other foibles, a la Lurleen. I need nicknames for them too. Hmmm. I'll have to think about that for a bit.

So yesterday, I finished mowing my lawn. Its a big lawn, similar in size to the neighbors, and they only mow half of theirs, which they tell me is to keep kids from cutting through and because of snakes, specifically copperheads and water moccasins (their words which they've told me on several occasions).

The thing is though, I haven't seen any kids cutting through and isn't it better to remove snake habitat rather than provide the perfect place for them to live? Not too mention rodents.

Hmm. RIP Papi. I can't even think about rodents without getting all choked up about Papi. I wonder if he met his match with a snake or something.

Oh jeez, I digress. So next door neighbor comes up to me and she says, "I can't believe y'all even mow all the way back there. We don't. We did it a few times, but its just not worth it."

Indulge me for a moment while I poke a big fat hole in that statement. They have a riding mower (more on that later), so in terms of effort (I have a push mower), ehhh, I label thee lazy, and NOT worried about snakes or transient teens.

Crazy rednecks. Think I can't remember a previous conversation, compare it with a current conversation and come up with a conclusion? Ha. I may not be able to add double digits in my head, but there was a time when my verbal skills were top-notch.

I still haven't come up with nicknames, well, one. Cooter. The neighbor's boyfriend. His laugh is a dead ringer for Roscoe P. Coltrane (coo coo coo), but that name doesn't fit him in any other way.

As far as she goes...man, I have no idea. She's almost attractive but her voice (and roots and other stuff)...it's a bullhorn...a shrill suicide inducing vocal assault that makes me want to vomit whenever I am near. Maybe I will search Greek mythology for a proper nickname.

Friday, July 13, 2007

No New Development

The company I work for announced a while back that they are merging with another well known company from the midwest and that our corporate headquarters will be be moving to a well known midwestern city.

My first thought was, "Whooptiddydo", when I heard the news. Truly, I couldn't care less, although it sucks for people who have worked for the firm 5, 8 or 10 years, but they will generously compensated, so, whatever.

Anyway, I got a direct order from my boss the other day, the same guy who doesn't understand the difference between an interface and a database, told me NO NEW PROGRAMS when I asked him if I could do such and such.

"That's fine," I casually responded, "I haven't done anything really worthwhile since I've been here anyway."

Uncomfortable silence. The sound of cicada's buzzing loudly in trees (not too many crickets chirping here)

"Well, alright then, talk to you later," I said.

Crap with a Hint of Crap

A perfect spiraling mound of dog poo. That would be a good idea for a piece of novelty of candy.

Thursday, July 12, 2007

In Other News...

Papi the Cat, blood thirsty killer, aloof friend, purveyor of the classic claw to face 5 am wake up call, is MIA. We were away last weekend and asked someone to feed him and our other cat, a recent new addition named Trixie. They let him outside and apparently he never came back. Who knows when they came back to check on him.

Is it Sunday already? We should go check on the cat.

We've been hoping he would turn up, but he hasn't as of yet, which is not a good sign.

And moles the world over rejoiced!

Just for the record, since I last posted a Bodycount update, he had killed a bird and a mole.

No TV and No Internet Make Andy Go Something Something

Its been a month since I had cable or internet. I didn't really mind too much, but it would have been nice to post to my blog once in a while.

I'm stuck with this ridiculously overpriced Comcraptic internet right now. For some reason I can't get DSL at the new house.