February 25th 12:49PM
Network Solutions can go straight to Hell
Network Solutions is the most frustrating pile of contemptible, incompetent dog-vomit I have ever had the kick-a-gypsy-in-the-nuts, stab-a-black-cat-with-shards-of-a-broken-mirror bad luck to soil my shoe in. I hate their domain-management website so much, it blatantly defies description. Their insistence on ever-increasing levels of unnecessary complexity and incestuous, bureaucratic labyrinths of head-in-your-ass, fuck-your-sister-and-blame-it-on-your-cousin authentication schemes and constantly-shifting terminology would give the most sadistic DMV employee a hard-on that John Holmes would have to stop and admire.
Fuck 'em, the whole lot of those thumb-twiddling, booger-smearing regrettable excuses for customer service pretenders. The company I work for is dumping each and every domain with which they do business, and transferring them to another registrar as they come up for annual renewal. The company we are transferring to is more competent, less expensive, and volumes easier to deal with, as are most, if not all, other registrars on the planet. My only regret is that we cannot pack up each and every single domain and vacate them to this other registrar all at once, causing a thunderous implosion sufficient to suck Network Solution's collective head out of its ass. I hate them so much.
February 22nd 9:00AM
Big day in Blogville
Joe Crawford opines on the most valued aspects of his blog, in answer to a question from yours truly. After asking him via his website's contact page, I considered my own response to the very same question, and I have to say that his answer tracks very closely to mine. In my own reflection, I thought it was interesting that most of the value found (blog as a form of expression, blog as a personal history, blog as self-examination) was in things that having a journal of any kind would serve. That it is online represented a relatively small portion of the return on time and trouble invested. Again, in my own opinion.
Friday, whilst wearing my tech support hat (it's the orange and yellow one, with little bells on the floppy ends; comes with pointy shoes and a cane bearing my likeness at the top), I took a phone call from a user asking about personal web space that comes with some of the services we offer. I mentioned the idea of an online journal to the blue-collar-sounding fellow, and he seemed to turn up his nose at the idea and sneer "Well, whah wouldja wanna do THAT?" I could sense that he wouldn't really appreciate the idea no matter how well it was explained to him, so I gave him a few flimsy justifications for having a blog, and we moved on to other topics. Blogging isn't for everybody, but I like it.
Finally, Monsieur Atkielski finally got his Paris Journal up an humming again, after a two-month leave of absence. He even updated it with a backlog of entries from the beginning of February. Good to see it up and running again, and he even made another trip through the street where we set up our temporary home (okay, the street of our hotel) during our stay. I haven't read his entries yet, only noticed they're there, but it's nice to see.
Beer, hecticness and the overall scheme of things
My pen-pal wrote me back before the weekend, and I will be lucky to have the time to reply this morning. My weekends feel crowded with chores and responsibility, and only promise to become more rigid and busy in the coming months. I would really benefit from a change, but what to change? My schedule, my outlook, my behavior? I am beginning to realize that regularly dosing up on beer is eating up large blocks of time that could otherwise be spent doing some of the things I would like. Since they involve a conscious mind, perhaps I will continue to avoid self-medication for the rest of the weekend, and see if I can reclaim some of the time I am always whining about not having.
February 21st 9:00AM
Another day, another 'A'
Okay, I'm not feeling that cocky about it, but I did manage to secure another 'A' in my math class, and I do feel really good about it. I'm finding out that although I'm not good at everything, I don't have to live in fear of learning something new, even if it's given me night terrors in the past. :)
So this is Hell
This week has been absolutely frantic. With numerous unforeseen demands on everybody in the joint, my coworkers and I have had to kick into a higher gear to keep client and interoffice needs met. Fortunately, nobody suffered overmuch, everybody got what they needed, and nothing slipped between the cracks (that I know of). Sweaty and panting, I am glad the for the weekend break. In a less positive tone, our work environment has never been a model of enthusiasm and efficiency, but for us, we did okay.
Did somebody say "weekend break?"
I came home last night not to a peaceful haven from the tumultuous work week, but to my wife's ambitious and half-finished living room reorganization project. A lesson in fortifying my patience level, I managed to help her reach a stopping point in a few short hours (!), and we settled in for the night. This weekend promises to be an extension of this project and two or three others that tie into it. I wonder, if I hid in the hall closet, how long would it take her to find me . . . ?
February 18th 7:49AM
Good news, confirmed
I got my "evaluation" from the Powers That Be at my college yesterday, confirming that if I keep it together for this Algebra class, I'm on track to graduate this summer. Great!
Oh, and it will take until two months after the ceremony to get the actual diploma. Why so long? People have been printing documents for hundreds of years; has the technology truly not evolved to the point where with two and a half month's notice (from now until the end of May), we can't get an 8 1/2" by 11" slip of paper with my name on it? I understand they used to print on sheepskin. Do they still do that? If so, there's still time to raise the little lamb from infancy, and still get him him big enough for 6 or 7 diplomas. It had better look pretty damn nice when it comes. Two months. Sheesh!
February 16th 2:55PM
Yesterday rocked, Part II
Oh man we got a lot of stuff done. We hauled a literal truckload of junk to the dump, primed over half of the garage for painting, and defragged most of the stowed miscellaneous junk in the garage. I was beat. The garage is primed and ready for big things, or at least a new coat of paint, which it sorely needed.
Today - Meh.
Today, I finished my homework and lounged more than I should have. Getting our taxes done tonight.
I feel like there is a more rewarding experience in store, if only I could find it. How? Where? Ach! I need inspiration, a challenge, a quest.
February 15th 8:55AM
Yesterday rocked
My wife and I had a great Valentine's Day. We exchanged gifts and cards, all well-chosen. We celebrated our Love at the Outback (her chicken was too peppery, my Outback Rack was too stringy), and had a good time. We embarked on multiple household projects together, and remarkably, didn't bicker. We love each other very much, but don't always work well together. We patched some drywall craters in the garage in contemplation of some aesthetic improvements later this season, and began consolidating our relics from our past and tossing jetsam overboard, two projects fairly custom-made to put people at odds, yet patience and bliss reigned. Way cool.
Today may well rock, too.
Today I am casting a skeptic eye towards the ceiling of our garage, seriously considering scrubbing it before applying a coat of primer, then paint, in advance of attacking the rest of the garage. I have more regular household chores to tend to, but as it happens, I have Monday off, so I can afford to be less disciplined, and let the "have-to's" (oh, how they pile up) languish temporarily.
Neglected to pump myself full of beer yesterday, for the first Saturday in a while. Sounds tempting today, though. Hmmm...
My Algebra homework is really starting to piss me off. I understand the steps prescribed for solving the assigned problems, but in putting them into practice, I keep tripping over my Johnson. Simple math errors keep tripping me up, causing terrible confusion and require me to start all over with the 20-minute task. I need more practice, that's all there is to it.
Haven't heard from my pen-pal buddy yet from last week. I should write him today, but my French studies suffer and my assigned Algebra homework barely gets the attention it deserves. Crap. How unfortunate.
I am seriously considering celebrating the receipt of my A.A. this summer with a tattoo. It seems like the right thing to do. But where, and what? Since it's a degree in Computer Science, I think a ceremonial cap (the pizza-box lookin' lid, with the tassels?) with some circuit-board chips and printed circuits built into the top would be cool. Also, the date or year worked in their somehow. If anybody wants to send me suggestions, feel free to do so. I know there's a more creative and symbolic choice out there, but I cannot conceive of it just now. Since it's a cerebral achievement, I should put it on my forehead, but somehow I don't think that's the right way to go. I'll let you know if I change my mind.
February 10th 12:49PM
La vue dans la rue
In addition to paris-views.com, wanadoo.fr, and atkielski.com, I've run across aviewoncities.com, a web spot for Paris images and information. Certainly there's much more out there, but I'm not in a big rush. Good stuff. The thing I like best is skimming along the areas I remember from our trip; brings back good memories.
February 10th 7:50AM
Get it right
The French law regarding religious symbols is not a head scarf ban, dammit. It is a ban on conspicuous or visible religious icons of all types in public schools, which happens to include Muslim headscarves, but apparently the Muslims are the only ones who see fit to raise Hell about it. When headlines are written like: "French Lawmakers Overwhelmingly Back Head Scarf Ban," it sends absolutely the wrong message. This law (and I think it's a good one, especially if overt religious symbols are disrupting school activities) applies to all symbols of faith, but the headlines are making it out to be simply an anti-Muslim law, and it's pissing me off.
'Yeah, just what this fire needed - gasoline.' Great. Things aren't bad enough, we have to have this irresponsible journalism stirring things up and preventing a reasonable debate. What the hell...? It's nothing more than dress code law, but inaccurate reporting may just fan the discontent and inspire the ignorant to object to it for the wrong reasons. Knock it off!
February 10th 7:49AM
Communication Continuation and Facilitation
The Internet continues to help me talk to people. I maintain a letter-a-week with my penpal, and I posted a note about our good treatment in Paris last year. That note prompted a request for information from a guy who is taking his wife there at the end of March.
I picked up a couple of books from the used bookstore in town, to learn a little Spanish. I have a sweet little old Mexican lady living across my street, and she is always so nice, but I have no idea what she is saying. This week she came over with a wedding photo and started yammering away - I thought she was recounting a happy event, so I gave her a smile and a laugh - just as she started to cry, and point from the groom's photo, and then to her head, and saying something about "la cabesa." Well, I got somber real quick, as the poor hombre obviously took a shot to the head at some point, and was either hurt or dead, and I wished I knew what the hell she was getting at. I don't even have time to study my French, but maybe I can squeeze in a few minutes to see how Manuel's noggin is doing. I dunno...
S'cool
I manage to keep up with my Math class, and have a quiz coming up next week. So far, so good, knock on wood.
Ma femme
My wife continues to do well. I think she's getting sick less often, but maybe I'm just not home all day with her to watch her experience the joy of motherhood. Hopefully the sickness is subsiding - she's one of those people who just hates vomiting. She's toughing it out pretty well though, I am proud of her. She is starting to tell me she can feel the baby squirming around in there - that rocks. We both look forward to feeling it kick with more strength in the months to come.
February 7th 4:15PM
Family Reunion
Michelle's brother came down for a visit with his lady and their new daughter. This caused something of a family reunion, and a couple generations of Cunninghams gathered to drink beer, share babycare tips and shoot some shit. A good time was had by all. I bought a lot of beer and even drank some.
Anthony's Paris page
Dammit. Anthony Atkielski's Paris Journal has been on hold since the end of December. This guy is killing me - his journal (blog) is the closest thing to Virtual Reality, Paris-Style, and it's been off-line since the day I sent him money. I'm cursed, I tell you. In the last week, he has altered his journal, but not necessarily for the better. He has removed his excuse for not updating the journal ('Gee whiz, I'm booked through January'), and simply left the previous month's journal entries, which I had hoped would be directly followed by new updates (since he's paying attention to his journal again, I thought, updates might follow).
For the last two days, nothing. God bless him for the entries he's posted up 'til now, but I am dying for some everyday, l'homme dans la rue (man on the street?) information. Tony, I'm beggin' ya. Do it for Tommy...
February 5th 12:49PM
Even Brillianter
Got my Math test back, got an A+. If this keeps up, I'm going to be positively impossible to live with.
Totally boss
I work with a guy who has a big deal, four-year college degree from Berkeley. I won't mention him by name, but if you're looking to identify him, he's the one who always asks me how to spell words and hits me up for marketing ideas. God, I'm underpaid.
February 4th 7:49AM
Kiss me, I'm brilliant
Last Monday, I got my first math quiz back, got me an 'A.' I rock! I took our first test that night, and feel good about it. I should get that back tonight, but I think I did well. I just might make it through this...
The joy of motherhood
My nephew's girlfriend had their baby last night, around 6:00PM, a little girl, weighing 6 pounds, 7 ounces. I'm told everything is fine. That's a relief too, bcause when my wife called, a little before the climax of the blessed event, the mother-to-be, who had refused an epidural, could be heard screaming in the background: "KILL ME!! KILL ME!!!!!!" I uh . . . I guess it was painful. Since my wife is expecting, it may have made her a little apprehensive. Ah well - all's well that ends well.