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Mrmike's Journal

mrmike
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04/28/2007 13:50 #39074

Alright, who beat me up
Category: work
Alright, I know I have a few more miles on me than some of you all, but damn, who knew.

Four straight twelve hour days have feeling like the loser in a bar fight. We've been short staffed and the solution seems to be to have me fill in. At 43, I'm not too old for much, but apparently I pay for it the next day. All the final pushing to get shake off the Adelphia and implement the Time Warner (especially all the Road Runner Technical goodies) are getting implimented over the past few days and should finish by the middle of next week. This is a good thing because my supervisor's supervisor is about to explode. Given her turtle like physique & demeanor, that will not be a pretty thing. The result of the changes has had me tossing modems and dvrs every which way. When my muscles stop aching they might be in a little better shape. But what price. I've picked up work tomorrow just early enough to wreck any chance of roller derby tonight and in at 7 on monday (we need your computer skills...bitch, please). They need me to be better caffienated at that hour. Can office coffee successfully run through an IV? I may just find out.

Interviewed for a slighty different position within the company that has my interest. I must have put on a good show since they already called my direct boss. Might be kind of nice to head to the waterfront provided the pay is right.

Anybody up for a matinee on a rainy day? Popcorn for lunch seems like a good thing


metalpeter - 04/28/07 18:28
I have worked a 12 day before and they arn't fun. One thing that can make them even longer is if you do the same thing all day as opposed to differant tasks. Not sure if it happens to you but it does to me is that you feel ok at work but then when you get home the tiredness sneaks in from nowhare and one second you are fine and the next you are almost passed out.

04/23/2007 18:43 #39018

Me and Stanley
Category: sports, sorta
Well, his cup anyway. Occasionally work yields some cool things. The network "Versus" (the cable channel broadcasting the Hockey playoffs in the US for you non-fans) threw a private shindig for TW employees during the game last friday. Free food, comped ale and the following souvenir. Couldn't say no especially after the free food part. About nine people took this picture at once and they all pretty much suck, but can't beat the price of the souvenir.

image
jason - 04/29/07 20:57
Lookin sharp!
metalpeter - 04/23/07 18:50
Hey what is better then free food and getting to pose with the Cup. Well one thing would be (so it would be kinda gross to) But if they would let you drink from it.

04/22/2007 23:16 #39010

Sunday in the Park without George
Category: ohoto
In lieu of dinner tonight, and not really wanting to go home too soon, I grabbed my camera and headed out to the marina for a hike. Got to see a few interesting sites

image
Iceburgs were migrating south for the summer.
image

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I'll never be a postcard photog
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And then again, maybe
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Where do the wealthy store their boats until May 1st when the marina opens up anyway?

Saw ducks and seagulls making like the Jets and the Sharks over what food there was in the water. Interesting to watch until somebody did something then the whole scrum headed further out into the water.



Having created the illusion of exercise and free air, I repaired to Spot to put a proper end to the day.


james - 04/23/07 21:00
This event should be followed by a little night music

ba boom ching
metalpeter - 04/23/07 17:36
Nice pictures. I will admit I don't think I have ever been brave enough to go all the way down to the docks when there was still ice in the water.

04/19/2007 22:54 #38966

Bluetooth jackoffs and other oddities
Category: potpourri
Like most of us here, I like gizmos, but the bluetooth headset wearing fools are grating on me. I used to not really care that our fellow citizens like to walk around looking like Lt. Uhura with metal sticking straight out of their ears. I guess the use of hands free stuff is good for the car drivers and such. The past week and half however, I've been pressed into service at various Time Warner payment centers and these chucklheads are popping up at a high rate of speed. People so abosorbed in a phone call they can't be bothered to pay attention to the person directly in front of them. I used to think that the biggest sin was in being too fucking lazy to reach into your pocket ( or god help us, to your belt clip) and answer the fucking phone. Has it not dawned on us as a people that just because we can take a call anywhere does not mean that we actually have to take the call anywhere.

I set a guy up with internet service without him actually speaking to me. I wandered to the front of the Buffalo Time Warner building the other day and there were no less than four people carrying on intense conversations with people who were not there. Happens all the time on Allen Street, except the people doing the talking there really have blue teeth, if you know what I'm sayin. I mentioned this to my supervisor and we agreed that if we could set em all down, you'd have a helluva round table, prepared to castigate the mayor, tell the Islanders to quit whining that it was a goal and many other issues.

I couldn't resist. As each person got to the counter, none of them got off the phone. Each clerk had to wait for lapses in the conversations or episodes to transact business.

Oy, in other news, I got invited to a short party at Pearl St Brewery tomorrow at the start of the Sabres game, get to have my picture taken with the Stanley Cup. The fact that this is exciting is a tad worrisome to me, but what the hey.

Beta testing for digital phone means I'll have a home phone in the next couple of weeks. TW is going to make a full launch in June. As soon as the prices are determined, I'll say something. Anybody with an adelphia.net email is going to complete the Road Runner change soon.

Lastly, how about that thursday??!?? I only got a little sun at the end of the day, but damn going from Lancaster where I was working to Wegmans on Amherst for foodstuffs was the most fun I had all week. Window down, Ipod cranking some decent driving music, hell, I was giddy just walking to the car.

My firefox weather add on says 68 and Sun tomorrow. People will be hugging spontanously in the streets. Could almost smell (e:joshua)'s grill firing up, as I got closer to down town turned out it was just Cocoa Puff Day at the Cheerios plant.

My Dad stopped by the office to leave me some souvenirs of him and Mom stocking up on Canadian pharmiceuticals. A case of Sleeman's Draught - damn fine beer, yet another reason to believe that the best liquor store around is still the Ft. Erie Duty Free.

Dad needs to stop by work more often.
metalpeter - 04/20/07 17:50
I agree with Z on that one if they are to big of an asshole to stop talking when they are in line then everyone else can go before them. When they are done talking then they can be waited on. Since talking on the phone is more important to them, then they get service once they are off the phone.
zobar - 04/20/07 08:49
If [God forbid] I was working at the customer service counter, I'd ask 'Can I help you?,' stare at them for about five seconds, then look over their shoulder and call 'Next!' [But then again, nobody ever complimented me on my people skills.]

- Z

04/17/2007 09:19 #38924

Mr. State Trooper
Category: potpourri
I have to work in Lancaster today and the journey did wonders for my morale. I was cruising down the 90 doing 55ish. A doofus in a Toyota didn't think I was properly showing my manhood. He was riding my bumper and just as we past the Ogden Street toll barrier, he blew past me, bird flipping all the way. Also at the Ogden St toll barrier is a favorite hiding spot of the New York State Troopers who saw the whole thing. Said Trooper spots the doofus as we collectively make the turn to head north. Trooper waits until the turn is finished for him and cranks on the lights. I pass the stopped cars to see the doofus getting a ticket and looking properly red faced.

Made my morning and we're just getting started.

Hopefully an omen for the day.
theecarey - 04/17/07 11:49
sweet.

usually i am just wishing a trooper would pull the offensive person over- nice that you got to see that :)
joshua - 04/17/07 11:28
Magnificent!
mrdeadlier - 04/17/07 10:30
that is the best feeling in the world.

i remember once i was driving down parker in tonawanda and some jerk zipped out in front of me, coming from a sidestreet. like 5 seconds later a cop appeared out of nowhere, zoomed up next to me and shouted "did he just cut you off?" i replied with an affirmative and then said cop zoomed away to get him some tickety goodness (i assume).

it felt good since it always seems there's no one around when that stuff normally happens. :)
zobar - 04/17/07 10:14
I was commuting Buffalo ↔ Rochester for a while and [well, it was kind of a boring commute] determined my optimal gas mileage was at 68mph - faster than most of the semis but slower than most of the passenger cars. Whatev!

I cannot count the number of times some dillweed would blow by me at 80mph+ only to find, when my slow ass finally made it to the Williamsville toll barrier, he was still getting a stern talking-to and not looking likely to be getting on his way any time soon.

- Z