One of the other people on our floor seems different. And, not that being different is really a negitive quality; however, I think in this case being different really means making people feel awkward. I think I started on the wrong foot there...
Uh, what I mean is, have you ever seen people walking down the sidewalk in the city, people coming and going, some smiling and laughing, maybe people will say hi. Now, picture a person walking a little be faster than everyone else, head and shoulders poked out infront of their chest, stomping with each passing step and moving their arms about far more than necessary...
Keng(14:30:43): make them move!
D(14:31:01): huh
D(14:31:07): there is assburgerlar
Keng(14:31:16): i can't look
D(14:31:19): look
Keng(14:31:21): is it really?
D(14:31:26): "yeah yeah yeah"
Keng(14:31:29): gallagher's looking right at me
D(14:31:34): that's all he can say
D(14:31:42): 'i'm lungign at assburger
Keng(14:31:47): lol, yep, that was him
D(14:32:01): flashbacks of the urinal incident
Keng(14:32:02): that boy ain't right
D(14:32:32): i know
D(14:32:51): i wonder if he's good at anythign
D(14:33:00): besides making people feel uncomfortable
D(14:33:09): he's a savant at that
Keng(14:33:31): LOL
Keng(14:33:43): dude, "I wonder if he's good at anything"....classic!
Keng(14:33:58): that's pretty much the meanest thing i've ever heard
Keng(14:34:34): i can't stop laughing at that one
To learn more about Assburgers, check out this link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asperger_syndrome
Friday, February 1, 2008
K Can Be Grouchy...
K(11:02:33): another rant....this morning i've already received emails asking that I boycott mcdonald's b/c they're importing beef from s. america, about how to check gas pumps for aides infected needles (seen that one for the past 10 years), and now about how guys are getting their next rape victims by telling women to not let crafty guys at gas stations tell them that they dropped a $5 bill.
K(11:03:58): i wonder if people in Costa Rica have to deal with those garbage emails? probably not
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Brazil is nice......
So last night I had the pleasure of briefly working with an analyst from one of the vendors. In most cases this wouldn't be anything to write about...what's interesting about geeks...let alone one more geek from another vendor/company. Well, this time the geek wasn't a social challenged male...it was a female...from Brazil at that. Very nicely groomed, eyebrows arched, nails painted, perfume and a new hair cut to boot. Sorry...how did I know it was a new hair cut...she's been here before.
You can only imagine the type of up roar this caused in the building amongst the rest of us male geeks. Trust me if you have worked in the IT department you know that most of your female counter parts are not lookers. Needless to say that just about every guy; associated with the project or not; swooped around to her cube for one reason or another.
Now this brings me to my next question...why aren't there any nice looking females in IT? I can honestly count the amount of decent looking females that have done IT work where I have been employed. Is this only in the states? Must be...I am sure that the lady working here currently isn't the best looking female from her country...but she is leaps and bounds ahead of the "females" that I have seen state side in the IT world. I put female in quotes because you never know... ;-)
Disclaimer: I am not very good with some of these "sayings"...like "to boot" and all that so please work with me.
Just thinking out loud.
You can only imagine the type of up roar this caused in the building amongst the rest of us male geeks. Trust me if you have worked in the IT department you know that most of your female counter parts are not lookers. Needless to say that just about every guy; associated with the project or not; swooped around to her cube for one reason or another.
Now this brings me to my next question...why aren't there any nice looking females in IT? I can honestly count the amount of decent looking females that have done IT work where I have been employed. Is this only in the states? Must be...I am sure that the lady working here currently isn't the best looking female from her country...but she is leaps and bounds ahead of the "females" that I have seen state side in the IT world. I put female in quotes because you never know... ;-)
Disclaimer: I am not very good with some of these "sayings"...like "to boot" and all that so please work with me.
Just thinking out loud.
Monday, January 21, 2008
Friday, January 18, 2008
Can You Take Me Higher (Or Record For Consecutive Creed Song Repeats)
4 times.
It was the first day back at 6100. We were just trying to refresh our memories of what it is we do here. As soon as we returned to our desks and stopped stirring, we heard some noise. It was music, very faint, in the background. It was reminiscent of Milton Wadams -
Anyway, this person was listening to the music too loud. The residents in the adjacent cubes could clearly hear the music. We were not sure who was "rockin' out" at their desk... There are were two suspects: L, who listens to satellite radio at her desk and T, based on the location that the music was coming from. Well, I was pretty sure that it was not L...she normal asks me permission if she can listen without earphones. Remember, she is the person that is a timid as a beaten puppy. I went for a little stroll to find out who the offending party was...
5 Times.
I walked down the aisle. The music was getting louder and louder. I slowly passed the opening of T's cube. I was not prepared to see what I observed next. I thought, perhaps, that a careless cube neighbor, T, was just playing music through the external speakers of his laptop. No. No. No. T had earphones on, not just the little, cheap buds that come with many players. These earphones were big, expensive, cover-the-ears, "I really like music" kind of earphones. And, he did like music; he was rocking hard in his chair about to pump his fists in the air to show his appreciation to Scott Stapp. So, who knows how loud the music was underneath the earphones. I mean, we could hear the music from cubes away just from the loudness escaping from the very substantial earphones.
The worst part was poor T doesn't seem to have very many songs. It is like he just got an iPod and purchased a few songs, like 8 of them. And, now he is listening to them. He did not just say, "play 'em all and then loop them," he said, "Play Creed. Again, play Creed again. Again, play Creed again. And, then, play Creed again and again and again!!!"
6 Times. This really has to be a record...
It was the first day back at 6100. We were just trying to refresh our memories of what it is we do here. As soon as we returned to our desks and stopped stirring, we heard some noise. It was music, very faint, in the background. It was reminiscent of Milton Wadams -
Uh, they said I could listen to the radio at a reasonable volume from nine to eleven while I'm collating...I, I told Bill that if Sandra's going to listen to her headphones while she' working, I can listen to the radio while I'm collating...I enjoy listening to the radio at a reasonable volume from nine to eleven.
Anyway, this person was listening to the music too loud. The residents in the adjacent cubes could clearly hear the music. We were not sure who was "rockin' out" at their desk... There are were two suspects: L, who listens to satellite radio at her desk and T, based on the location that the music was coming from. Well, I was pretty sure that it was not L...she normal asks me permission if she can listen without earphones. Remember, she is the person that is a timid as a beaten puppy. I went for a little stroll to find out who the offending party was...
5 Times.
I walked down the aisle. The music was getting louder and louder. I slowly passed the opening of T's cube. I was not prepared to see what I observed next. I thought, perhaps, that a careless cube neighbor, T, was just playing music through the external speakers of his laptop. No. No. No. T had earphones on, not just the little, cheap buds that come with many players. These earphones were big, expensive, cover-the-ears, "I really like music" kind of earphones. And, he did like music; he was rocking hard in his chair about to pump his fists in the air to show his appreciation to Scott Stapp. So, who knows how loud the music was underneath the earphones. I mean, we could hear the music from cubes away just from the loudness escaping from the very substantial earphones.
The worst part was poor T doesn't seem to have very many songs. It is like he just got an iPod and purchased a few songs, like 8 of them. And, now he is listening to them. He did not just say, "play 'em all and then loop them," he said, "Play Creed. Again, play Creed again. Again, play Creed again. And, then, play Creed again and again and again!!!"
6 Times. This really has to be a record...
Welcome Back...
Well, we are back at this shitty office... There was a tray of "Coffee Break Snacks" in the "Break room." It's funny for a couple reasons - there is NO coffee and the snacks were certainly a few days old and already picked over. Never the less, I observed a very "healthy" looking person come in, see them, get excited, and then rip the top off to have a couple mini muffins.
Gone are the spoils of a fully stocked break room. Hell, I had a frozen Lean Cuisine Pizza in there. It is gone - no doubt that it was taken and enjoyed without my blessing. However, the half and half that I left here for close to a month was still in there. I know the freezer was not cleaned out...someone just took it.
It was good while it lasted. Good break room of my dreams, I will see you next quarter!
Gone are the spoils of a fully stocked break room. Hell, I had a frozen Lean Cuisine Pizza in there. It is gone - no doubt that it was taken and enjoyed without my blessing. However, the half and half that I left here for close to a month was still in there. I know the freezer was not cleaned out...someone just took it.
It was good while it lasted. Good break room of my dreams, I will see you next quarter!
Thursday, January 17, 2008
How could this happen?
I got back from lunch today and ran into a co-worker in the hall outside our offices. Our system had been down in the morning and she had helped out with some data entry for one of my projects, so I stopped to chit chat and say thanks. When she turned to walk away I noticed something sticking to her back. She had on two shirts - the top one was sort of a crotchet over-shirt, so had lots of holes in it. The object was long and white, and was stuck to the top shirt near her shoulder blade.
I called her back over and said "You've got something stuck to your back...I think it's a pen." It wasn't a pen. It was a CIGARETTE! We both then sort of awkwardly went on our way as she said "I have no idea how that could have happened."
I can't think of one single reasonable scenario that would result in a cigarette getting stuck on anyones back. What did she do on her break? Now every time we pass in the hall I'm going to be scanning her for runaway cigarettes...
-eec
I called her back over and said "You've got something stuck to your back...I think it's a pen." It wasn't a pen. It was a CIGARETTE! We both then sort of awkwardly went on our way as she said "I have no idea how that could have happened."
I can't think of one single reasonable scenario that would result in a cigarette getting stuck on anyones back. What did she do on her break? Now every time we pass in the hall I'm going to be scanning her for runaway cigarettes...
-eec
Monday, January 14, 2008
The Reconciliation
We have not been at "6100 Pacific" for a couple weeks now. It is nice...as previously posted, we are enjoying the luxuries of being at the home office - shorter days, no real work to speak of, and a sweet break room.
We are totally missing out on the normal gossip that we might be exposed to at 6100. Well, I was fortunate enough to report to 6100 this morning. It is quiet, at least quieter than it used to be and that might be the fact that many of us are back at Rainwater.
I was at my desk for about 10 minutes when I heard a familar voice over the cube wall. "This is T on the bridge..."
Oh, wow. "This could be good" I thought to myself.
"Yes. Things are going pretty good."
What I heard next far exceeded any expectations that I might have had...
"Yep, going to a trainer is the way to go."
Like many of T's conversations, this one started slow and then quickly caught my attention. Then, digresses to a, well, what some may consider, a conversation that is not appropriate for a professional setting.
"My wife and I have been going to a trainer. We are getting back together. The "Divorce Diet" really takes off the weight. I lost 57 pounds since last August."
WTF? Back togeter??!
"My wife lost a bunch too - went from a size 12 to 0. And, she is 5'8""
And, to refresh your memory, T's new wife (actually, his old wife) has now been married eight times to three different men.
We are totally missing out on the normal gossip that we might be exposed to at 6100. Well, I was fortunate enough to report to 6100 this morning. It is quiet, at least quieter than it used to be and that might be the fact that many of us are back at Rainwater.
I was at my desk for about 10 minutes when I heard a familar voice over the cube wall. "This is T on the bridge..."
Oh, wow. "This could be good" I thought to myself.
"Yes. Things are going pretty good."
What I heard next far exceeded any expectations that I might have had...
"Yep, going to a trainer is the way to go."
Like many of T's conversations, this one started slow and then quickly caught my attention. Then, digresses to a, well, what some may consider, a conversation that is not appropriate for a professional setting.
"My wife and I have been going to a trainer. We are getting back together. The "Divorce Diet" really takes off the weight. I lost 57 pounds since last August."
WTF? Back togeter??!
"My wife lost a bunch too - went from a size 12 to 0. And, she is 5'8""
And, to refresh your memory, T's new wife (actually, his old wife) has now been married eight times to three different men.
Spotlight on L: Personal Grooming (At Work)
Each person has some different impression of what etiquette is and should be. Many people would have a different idea of what might be appropriate for, say a quiet evening at home versus a night out at a nice wine bar versus a smoky english pub. I would say it is not just appropriate but required to have different manners depending on the setting. I think an office setting with cubicles should necessitate some additional considerations due to the close working quarters.
Imagine yourself on a glorious Monday morning. You are in your own personal hell - sitting in a little cubicle, starring at a computer screen all day, filling out useless forms and listening to eight different bosses drone on about mission statements... You hope that things should be a little slower, a little easier at least for a couple of hours, after all, it is just Monday morning. It should take a few hours for things to ramp up. You sit quietly sort of staring at your desk and sort of checking your email.
Click!
"What was that?" you think to yourself.
Click!!
"Well, that does sound familiar..."
Click!! Click!!
"Wait one second. I know that sound!!"
Disgusted you realize that L is clipping her fingernails. She is clipping them at work. And, not just at work...She is clipping those fingernails in the cube next to you. This cube is so close that you can possibly be struck by one of the stray clipped nails because you are clearly in the danger zone. Not the good kind of "Danger Zone" where Maverick is walking ahead of you down the tarmac...It's is bad danger zone where a gross fingernail can hit you square in the head.
I will leave you with a short excerpt from a Life At Work transcript from the washingtonpost.com.
Clipping fingernails in the office! Seriously, I think that I am going to start a cause to fight for manners education in elementary and high schools. It should be a requirement because it's obvious that parents spanning across generations aren't teaching their kids manners. My parents taught me good manners and etiquette and, thus, based on what I've learned I would NEVER clip my fingernails in any sort of public setting.
Imagine yourself on a glorious Monday morning. You are in your own personal hell - sitting in a little cubicle, starring at a computer screen all day, filling out useless forms and listening to eight different bosses drone on about mission statements... You hope that things should be a little slower, a little easier at least for a couple of hours, after all, it is just Monday morning. It should take a few hours for things to ramp up. You sit quietly sort of staring at your desk and sort of checking your email.
Click!
"What was that?" you think to yourself.
Click!!
"Well, that does sound familiar..."
Click!! Click!!
"Wait one second. I know that sound!!"
Disgusted you realize that L is clipping her fingernails. She is clipping them at work. And, not just at work...She is clipping those fingernails in the cube next to you. This cube is so close that you can possibly be struck by one of the stray clipped nails because you are clearly in the danger zone. Not the good kind of "Danger Zone" where Maverick is walking ahead of you down the tarmac...It's is bad danger zone where a gross fingernail can hit you square in the head.
I will leave you with a short excerpt from a Life At Work transcript from the washingtonpost.com.
Clipping fingernails in the office! Seriously, I think that I am going to start a cause to fight for manners education in elementary and high schools. It should be a requirement because it's obvious that parents spanning across generations aren't teaching their kids manners. My parents taught me good manners and etiquette and, thus, based on what I've learned I would NEVER clip my fingernails in any sort of public setting.
Friday, January 11, 2008
New Contributor!
I am very please to share the news that a new contributor will be joining 6100 Pacific. eec will be bringing us tales of ridiculousness from a whole other world. Tales of crazy clients, HR health care issues, misdirected owners, other employees, and out of place plants.
Stay tuned for eec's first entry!
Stay tuned for eec's first entry!
Well stocked breakrooms are hard to find...
Well, it has been a little while since the last entry. We do not have a signed SOW. It is great. Great! Sure, I have to drive farther than normal and pay a toll. But the most important thing is the breakroom at the Rainwater office.
There is enough food and variety that you really don't need to leave for lunch or even a coffee. There is always fresh hot coffee, usually a starbucks blend. With the seasonably cool weather the other week, the vast selection of teas were great - peppermint, orange, lemon, green, black, red, earl grey, and so on... The granola bars, muffins, cakes, brownies and cookies are the perfect snack after lunch. We have milk, OJ, half & half, smoothies, yogurt, prepackaged fruit, fresh oranges, apples, pears, bananas...
If we ever end up at 6100 again, we can contrast the differences. Basically, it is all that versus nothing...we could post some pictures to illustrate how awful 6100 is.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)