There was that report on the news about the doofus who nearly fell into Niagara Falls trying to retrieve his cell phone. I wandered up to see the level of stupidity for myself today. If you go out to Goat Island for optimal Falls viewing, you can traipse to the upper viewing area. Most things are closed and you are blocked by snow and gates from going to the lower area. This doesn't stop chuckleheads from standing atop the snow and posing for photographs, stupidly not realizing that with one false step they are in for a real view, if you know what I mean (and I think you do).

Since this is offseason, a lot is unspoiled, just a few paths created by passing footprints. It seemed like a good place to go play with the new camera.





Can you imagine having that waterslide out your hotel room?

I've been in a "train the trainer" kind of session all week at work. We've been learning a new operational system for Time Warner's computers. Basically, it will hold all customer data in new graphic use surroundings, and will also ease the introduction of digital phone. I know that sounds exciting. I'll pause for a moment while you digest that information. Okay, having mopped the sarcasm, I'll continue.

There are various folks from all departments taking part in this riveting exercise. To my immediate right, is the new marketing manager. After 4 fun-filled days of this, she started chatting me up about "I understand you've done some web site work in the past." My internal lightbulb is glowing with nova brightness by the time she gets this sentence out. She goes on to explain that she could use some backup on the websites since her current coordinator (the doofus who supplanted me) has no abilities in this area. I kept it quick and casually dropped that I knew the content management software pretty well, I did a profit making page from literally scratch as well as applied for the coordinator opening that she has posted. "Awesome, that's cool" was the reply. Since we had to get to work, I left it at that.

Friday morning, I walked into class with a screen capture that I photoshopped off one of the sites I did for adelphia. It can't compare to this site since it was a Frontpage job, but it made money without spending anything. Those kinds of results go far in corporate circles. Again, without making a big production, I handed one to her before our class started. "Obviously, we can't really talk about this here, but if you are interested in having a conversation down the road, I thought this might let you know a little more about what I can do," said our hero, casually handing over the one sheet as he headed for coffee.

She replied, "That's great, can I keep this?" I told her sure and that if there was anything else I could supply her with, let me know.

So, here's hoping there is some there there. Be nice to use that part of my brain before I get too much older.

In other news, the gift card I wrote about turned into an butt kicking laptop from toshiba. I can be one of those pretentious bastards at Spot to take up a label with lots of grafts and charts, only to play Halo while sipping coco mocos. I don't this counts as a mobile post since I'm in my overstuffed chair in the living room, but what the hey.

I'm getting tired of driving in the miniwhite outs, been over a week now and it's losing it's charms. I think it was Tuesday I was picking a rut to stay into on the way to work traveling down the Kensington. THat road doesn't scare me much by Tuesday was one of those times. I got home on Wednesday after a jocularity laden time on the highway only to see the snow plows blocked the driveway. I have a small car and it struggled to make it up the driveway. I had visions of it getting stuck without any wheels touching the ground. It's a little embarrassing to get pity looks from other cars on Delaware while you try to make the ascent to the dry pavement. I did merit applause from the folks at the bus stop by Delaware and Utica.

The little Mitsubishi that could.....

My car was so grey with road salt that I took it for a bath last night. The Delta Sonic on Delaware didn't have much of a line, so I slid right in. Didn't pay much attention but the "Superkiss" took out a sticker I had on my rear window that looked like a hockey puck was about to break the glass. That wasn't a great loss, but the cleaning knocked my estrip sticker off the back of the car and into superkiss oblivion. Guess I know now the limitations of the magnet on the back of the sticker. Least, the car is its more normal red for the moment.

I'm taking a class this week to learn a new billing program that Time Warner will be using, It's a nice breather from the usual routine, different building and all. Twas a little weird to drive home in the midst of the storm hysteria. The Wegmans lot on Walden was jammed. I needed some stuff and held off until I got back to our Wegmans where it was flooded with shoppers who assume the sky is falling. My class teacher is from Atlanta so I can't help but wonder if he is in for a show or if all the weatherforecasters are just panicking for the sake of viewers. During one of his drier parts of his presentation, I spent my gift card online for a proper laptop -- should be cool.

Thanks again for the estrip birthday wishes, the hullabaloo came to end finally on Sunday when the kids and I trekked out to the parents house for much reverlry (okay, dinner and cake), but it felt good to be a little spoiled. Kids and their mom took me to breakfast at Betty's on Saturday. Nothing like a 5 day Mikestock to pick you up.

One little footnote, (e:dragonlady) rocked the rink saturday night. Tje rollerderby was a hoot, with (e:zobar) looking on like the proud dad. Next match whenever it is should be a (e:strip) field trip, chicks and skates and beer and crashes! That was truly entertainment.

As soon as I finish reading the directions, I can mobile post from my new camera. I'm 30 for the 13th time, getting good at it.

Fuck, I'm getting up there. Good thing I still got the looks (Shaddup!)

For awhile now, I've been lusting after Samsung's version of the Razor phone. I've had Samsung phones for awhile and have been pretty happy with them as phones. Being a little crumudgeonly (shaddup) I been pleased with how they do has phones. Sprint being high performing jerks won't give any deals to any existing customers. What's a boy to do but to turn to ebay, where I've purchased previous phones. I got a good price on the "razor" and sent off a money order. Today I was checking on a couple of other things in "My Ebay" and noticed that my phone vendor is no longer registered as a user. Serves me right.

Hope he gets mugged taking my mo to the bank.

In other news, I was doing a little research at work today and thought I'd pass along a little bon mot to any of you folks who get your tv/internet from Time Warner. The Customer I was talking about had a "Silver Advantage" pak. This was set up under Adelphia. Whenever anybody changes anything, we're supposed to get them into Time Warner pricing. I discovered that if you put the Silver Advantage customer into Time Warner pricing, the customer doesn't lost any channels, the internet costs go down and the tv goes down about $9.00-$10.00 a month. Not a big amount, but hell, that's a decent bottle of wine (A much better way to spend money). If you got Silver or Bronze from Adelphia, shoot me a post-it or sumthin.

I did get the wine I wrote about in a previous post, 12 bottles of Mcwilliams Australian vino. For free, it's pretty damn good. I got the wooden case (nice touch) out to the car. I popped open a saval blanc open for this post and it's quite tasty. Being a good guy, I gave 3 bottle to the ex and there is still a line to get into my excuse for a wine rack. That is never a bad thing.

On the subject of booze however, my boss came up to me as I was leaving and asked if I could help her out. Turned out there a guy dead to the world in our lobby. Dude had two empty bottles of St. Ives at his feet. No telling how long he had been there. She tried talking to him and you could hear his eyes roll as he went right back to sleep. Cops from next door came and took him to some place to sleep it off. By this time, the cleaning crew arrived. I couldn't help but laugh a little as the crew chief told one of his people to "be sure and clean that chair reaaaal good."

Got an early birthday present today as well. Bagged a $1000 gift card to Circuit City. I'm thinking 43 will be my HD birthday! Wrinkles be damned. The xbox 360 will look so much nicer with the compatible HD set. Good times.

Stay warm ya'all