There's days when I feel like I'm not really a very good at being Database Architect because I don't have some kind of fancy/shmancy Oracle certification and the headhunters who occasionally call me up to ask questions have never heard of the database I manage (i.e. PostgreSQL for the techo-nerds out there).

And then, there are those days when I see billion dollar companies who hire people like that who would refuse to hire people like me (on principle alone of not having a computer science degree) who have the guys with certifications and who do databases headhunters are familiar with who are unable to make the simplest and wisest of decisions (i.e. choosing a proper primary key for their business model, for the techno-nerds out there). On those days, I don't feel quite so bad about not having rubber stamps of approval.

- Spent the week with my parents, who left on friday. They really helped (e:inscrutable) and I a lot with setting up our apartment. Which we really need ready for the baby come April.

- Mom showed me how to make both her famous chicken and knuflies and her water chestnut stuffing. I will now be able to make these recipes for my family (the one I'm raising).

- Had thanksgiving dinner with my family (the one who raised me).

- I finally got a new vacuum cleaner to do battle with (e:ktmuffin) and her effect on my ability to breathe.

- Also purchased was a new washer and dryer. I've never actually had my own personal laundry machines in any apartment I've owned. It will be really nice being able to walk five feet to wash my boxers while simultaneously wearing boxers.

- Caught the tail end of (e:lizabeth), (e:john), and (e:jbeatty)'s non-traditional Thanksgiving.

- (e:inscrutable) and I took a road trip to see her parents in Dansville. I got to meet her other brother as well as several aunts. Had a second, belated thanksgiving with them.

- I had way too much turkey. This entire weekend, all I've wanted to do was sleep.

(e:inscrutable) got the sonar today.



The stubborn kid kept its legs crossed the whole time, so our master plan to choose pink or blue stuff is foiled once again.

I turned 32 today. It's cool that my birthday's finally on a saturday. I think I'll check out grandma moras tonight. For some strange reason, Buffalo doesn't really have quite as many Mexican restaurants as Raleigh-Durham has; I can't explain why but it's been two years since I've had anything in a decent mole sauce.

(e:inscrutable) made me a buttercream icing cake. Yum. I'll try to snag a picture of it later.

I haven't posted in a while. I'm not dead; I'm just in the process of moving into my new apartment. Although at times, I can't tell the difference.

Combining two households really sucks. When you move out from your parents for the first time, you have the evilness of having the expense of duplicating all the items you used to have back home. When you move in with someone, you have the its evil twin: duplicates of everything you own and deciding how to get rid of them.

What silverware do we keep? The heavier more expensive ones they don't make anymore, or the ones that go with the dishes? Whose furniture is sacrificed for extra space in the living room, and whose hobby is the recipient of that space? Which blender makes better margaritas, and should we keep the other one as well because it has more fancy settings, even if keeping both of them takes up more room?

I can only take solace in the fact that I can still store my car in the garage--I refuse to let it get taken over entirely by secondary storage.