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Mrmike's Journal

mrmike
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07/26/2006 19:18 #29566

Ever whistle during a drug test??
Category: on the upswing
"it's getting better all the time. (Can't get much worse)." I may just be shaking the (e:strip) funk

The winds might be shifting, gentle readers. I finally got my official job offer from the new cable guys today. It is a tremendous monkey off my back, knowing all the health care issues and whatnot won't get interrupted. It triggers the screening process so I had to pee in the official new company cups, but I was so relieved to get that offer with I almost didn't to drive to the lab.

Our current GM stopped me briefly to say "we've got big plans for you" which is intriguing because she doesn't say something unless something is truly up so my mental gears were rolling before she finished walking away. My current boss said that the GM wants me to be the marketing coordinator (my current title) for the GM's about to be formed department. It gave me a lot to mull as my work friends and I parked ourselves at a back picnic table to watch the Adelphia trucks get repainted with the new logos.

I'm getting a bit of a bonus in August for our work the first half of this year so I'm bucks up for my vacation week. Can't really go anyplace during the time, but it will be nice to have some temporary breathing space.

I relayed all this to the ex-wife who was supportive, and she also pointed to a mutual friend of ours who apparently asked her about me. It's been a day of interesting surprises.

I thought I was headed for the dumper when I had to help the H.R. department pack employee welcome kits -- cable tchotchkeys -- but as the day transpired there seems to be a little more light shining.

Robert Randolph is at the square tomorrow night. Might be time for me to celebrate a slowing shifting of events by stepping out.

Anybody up for it?

07/24/2006 22:21 #29565

Gonna fly now...
Been checking where I can use a Free Jet Blue ticket to. I'm juggling through a number of factors. The one criteria is I'm looking for something new. Done New York and Chicago so I'm trying to broaden my horizons.

I'm thinking of a lazy weekend in either
Miami or
San Diego.

Or a more wanderlust kind of thing
Vegas
Boston
San Francisco

Fun to think about.
Pros and/or Cons??
mrdt - 07/27/06 13:38
It's friggin' hot in Miami & San Diego - beach it or sweat it out in misery. I recommend heading north like Maine or some place in Canada like Prince Edward Island or British Colombia (maybe even Montreal).
metalpeter - 07/26/06 19:24
I have been to Oakland and San Fran and Miami. From what I remember San Fran was verry nice and don't remember much about oakland other then going to an A's game. I wasn't in Miami verry long I was in the art deco part and didn't have much time to do a lot.

I guess where you want to go should be based on what you want to do. I have heard there are all kids of shows, gambeling, brothels and lots of entertainment in Vegas. But if a going to the beach is your thing Miami might be better, but I'm sure it has to be verry hot. From what I understand they have a great party scene. San Fran from what I remember is about buffalos tempature and has a lot of things to do. I have heard San Diago is gorgeous. Never been to Boston.

The one thing I would suggest doing is trying to do some online reserach. I don't know how good each cities websites are. It would be good to look up what is going on in each place for the dates you are going. maybe there is some type of festival or concert or maybe even a sporting event or something you would enjoy going to during that time and that would make the city a better choice. I'm sure whereever you pick you will have fun.
leetee - 07/24/06 22:59
My vote is for San Francisco, but it's a place i have always wanted to visit, so i am sooo biased.

twisted - 07/24/06 22:48
I have to second that opinion, but of course I'm prejudiced. ;-) Technically, Jet Blue flies into Oakland, but I'd be happy to pick you up at either airport and show you around. One caveat: my Dad and step-mom will be visiting August 30-Sept 6, so I'm kind of booked those days.
uncutsaniflush - 07/24/06 22:28
go to SF, my mom, god rest her soul, thought that SF was the most interesting city in North America. And there are (e:peeps) there.

07/24/2006 14:11 #29564

Riding the Paperwork Wave
There used to be a commercial from IBM that showed some poor slob riding a tidal wave of paper. I'm starting to relate.

I signed a letter to keep me on the payroll back in June and the upshot was that you get a kit to register for everything under the new employers. Here we are, eight days before the new employers take the keys and I'm still empty handed. I bitched to the boss who I'm reluctantly leaving. I bitched to my new supervisor and her boss. It's getting to be very cyclical. Since nothing showed in the weekend mail other than the usual collection of final notices, magazines, etc, I went to H.R. to bemoan what's going on (little tip for you just out of school folks, H.R. runs or ruins the world), so an all points bulletin is out for my file of stuff.

We have to get new I.D. Badges taken and it turned into a clusterfuck in impressive timing. Old boss says see new boss. New boss so far says nothing.

Did I mention that nobody's said what I'm doing come next Monday?

I can't even decipher what is going on via 401K stuff. The treehouse I built for my kids came with less complicated instructions.

Do I look tired? I sure feel it. Good thing vaca is only a few more weeks away. That will just be a time for my son and I to hang out. I'm more looking forward to what may happen in September. My dad is offering me a open Jet Blue ticket and I'm looking for something new. I've done the NY schtick enough and I think I want to explore someplace new for a few days.

Any ideas? Anybody want to come along?
metalpeter - 07/24/06 20:41
I wish you luck with the transition. The story got me thinking about an episode of Drew Carey. The place where he used to work goes out of business and the same building is taken over by a new company where he gets a job. He has no idea what he is supposed to do or what his job actually is. There is another one where he is hired to figure out how the company can save money and run smother some kind of cost analyst and he figures out in the end that his job isn't needed. I know it is TV comedy but I'm sure a lot of it is based on things that really happendend. Just try to remember that you arn't the only person going through this. I wish you the best of luck.

I admit I don't really have any suggestions of where to go. I guess it all depends on if there is anyplace you really want to go, or anyplace you really want to see. I hope you have a great time and use it as an escape from work.
leetee - 07/24/06 19:55
Man, you need to make sure you have yourself a good weekend. Good luck.

07/22/2006 10:54 #29563

Weekend is off to a promising start
Grabbed my youngins' last night and did the parental thing. Dropped the eldest off at a play at McKinley and took the other two for a quick bite at Subway. We scooted back to the apartment so my daughter could use the pc to rip a couple of cds to her mp3 player. By that time, the eldest was ready. So we collected her and began a scheme.

I thought it was time to start educating my children and cost cutting at the movies. My middle child pointed out that if we bring our own beverage, that's more money for popcorn.

At the market arcade, where popcorn rocks and crowds are thin, you have to appreciate that logic. So, a quick trip to Willie Farms for juice and proper arrangement of said juice in the purse of my eldest. We hit the theater for "Monster House." It was actually pretty good and added to the fun. Kids had a good time hanging for a "late" show and we all had a case of the giggles walking back to the car at 10:30 at night.

"Omigawd, we're having fun with Dad!?!"

who'd a thunk it. Such things are possible.

07/21/2006 09:09 #29562

Free On Demand
Category: tv
Here's the new cable toys coming to your cable box for free in August

A&E
Adult Swim
Anime
AOL Music
BBC America
Cartoon Network
CNN
Comedy Central
Court TV
Driver TV
Exercise TV
G4
Great American Country
Golf
Movie Trailers On Demand
National Geographic
NBC Universal Free Movies
PBS Sprout
Speed Channel
Sportskool
Sundance Free Movies
TBS
TNT
Turner Classic Free Movies

I'm actually looking for to the AOL Music. You get the good tunes without all the requisite AOL propaganda.


leetee - 07/21/06 09:57
We already get some of those toys... then again, we have one of the digital cable packages (man, do i love that dvr stuff.. mine is very overused). Some of them, though... wow... if someone told me 10 years ago that i would be subscribing to a cable tv package that included Golf and Exercise TV, i would have told that person they were full of shit.