Farewell to a Work Computer

For five and a half years now, you've sat by my side, churning and plugging away with me through help files, manuals, customer support sites, and XML research. When I first came here, you were a wonder, and an enigma. The first Pentium IV in our office, you challenged the IT department to greater heights, figuring out how to make our software work on you. After a few weeks, they emerged victorious, and I was able to do something besides read hard copy manuals.

We've been together since then. Through the RoboHelp x4 nightmare, new versions of Office, and even an operating system upgrade to XP. I can't lie, as the years progressed I began to notice how other people were able to build their help more quickly, copy source to and from the network in far less time. But, in general you were trustworthy and crash-free. The only times I've regretted our partnership are when you make The Noise. Your random, phantom fan noise that comes and goes as you see fit. I can hear your voice softly ringing in my ears....

"GGGGGHHHHGHHGHGHKCKCKCKCKCKCKCKCKCKCKCCKCCKCK!!!"

But still I stuck with you. I even thought it was cute how you toyed with the IT guys, stopping the noise whenever they came around, and making them think it was the fan on the right no matter how many times I told them it was the fan on the left.

So, I don't know why you are so angry with me today. I didn't request your replacement, I swear. The IT guy came knocking on my cube door, saying another group needed a set of identical machines and you fit the profile, and asking if I would give you up for a new machine. How could I possibly keep you from this higher calling? You've been hand-picked for a greater purpose! (Or maybe to be a lab machine, but that's important too.) I know I've been playing with the new laptop I got last week, but I wasn't planning on replacing you.

So please, don't ruin our last days together. Please.

I beg you. Stop....making....that....infernal...NOISE!!!!!!!

Pet Peeve #43: JB Robinson

Ah yes, it's the holidays again, which means the J.B. Robinson jeweler ads are out in full force.  The same ones they've had for years...the video looks older and fuzzier than the TV rerun of The Hunt for Red October that I'm currently watching.  For the record, no she didn't find his secret hiding place, yes he was still able to surprise her after all these years, and amazingly enough, he still was never worried about the earrings/bracelet/necklace/whatever.

At least the one where the guy puts the necklace on his wife while she's sleeping and then pretends to be asleep when she wakes up is sweet and endearing.  Much more romantic than the Rick Santorum lookalike and that horribly awkward hug the couple gives each other at the end.  And the song in the other one is way better.

Happy Halloween!

Today I celebrate the first day in over a week and a half that I took no pain killers for my tonsil.

So, for my costume I kind of thought that the scariest thing I could think of right now would be a swollen, infected tonsil. But I don't have that much time and handiness to make an infected tonsil costume, so I went as a yinzer instead.

Catsup

Oh, where to begin.

- Strep throat and more sleep than I ever thought possible
- New glasses
- Unexpected trip to DC
- Bizarre office movements at work
- LT and I hit one month
- 162 (86th percentile) on the LSAT
- MG passed the bar (YAY!!)
- Can't think of a Halloween costume
- Two of MT's foster kits got adopted (bittersweet YAY!!)
- Addiction to Overheard in Pittsburgh
- Visit from some Cincy buds for a Pens game
- Central Pittsburgh season started with a 4-2 win
- Can't think of a Halloween costume.

Oh, and this article makes me want to write headlines.

Glasses! and More

About a month after I ordered them, I finally got my new glasses in. Which is nice because now, y'know, I can work on the computer without my eyes going buggy and causing an awesome headache within 15 minutes. This is a very good thing. Excellent thing.

Anyway, it's been a good couple of weeks since I posted last. The Ice Maidens started back up last weekend; both classes look to be a lot of fun this year. Some new faces in the beginners class to learn, and it was great to see the old familiar faces back from last year. Funny though, thanks to the 80-degree weather, the rink was so foggy you couldn't see either net from center ice.

And of course, exploring new things and new feelings with LT. No deep and meaningful things to expound upon about that in this public forum. Just that she makes me smile.

Fun Things

Experiencing good new people is fun.

Climbing onto the roofs of closed and locked buildings in public parks is fun.

Combining the two is very fun.

Climbing back down can be slightly intimidating, but is still fun.

Turn to Section One and Begin

Well, there we have it. I've been LSATed! All in all, not bad I think. The section that I thought would be hard was true to form. So, I have no illusions that I aced the thing but I feel OK about it. A few days ago I got very nervous, but really, whatever happens is gonna happen, y'know?

It was very funny sitting in a room with a bunch of college kids panicking and freaking out about how they would do. I felt old and embued with perspective. I also felt bad for one girl who just left at the break, she didn't even finish the test.

This is a very scatterbrained post because my brain is pretty much toast. I'm going to take a nap now.