Little Tiger (aka Nacho)
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Below are the 20 most recent journal entries recorded in the "Little Tiger (aka Nacho)" journal:[<< Previous 20 entries]
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12:35 am
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Hey neat, the internet
You may notice there were no entries for the month of May. This is understandable, and actually has a rather simple explanation.
I was supposed to be in California this week. Instead I'm here in town (mild shock). So why am I not in California? That's an amusing explanation.
Facebook is the latest "look at me, I'm on the internet!" site. It's actually cool if used the way it was meant to be used. It's fun to find old friends, high school classmates, or even the first girl you kissed back in Grade 4. Ya, that's right ... 4, I was a playa. I've found most of the old elementary crew, and the class pictures too ... yes, good times were had by all. Damn them all for getting married since I saw them 15 yrs ago.
So, about May. There's nothing to say, it never happened and you're all obviously confused about it. Trust me, there was no May. Sssssshhh ....
California is a great place, I hear nice things. What happened was my boss wanted us to go on training. So he told HR to so get the money to do so. HR got the cash. Yay! No .... my boss assumed that telling them to get the money, also meant they should go sign me up for the training course. HR assumed that was someone else's task. See where assumptions get you? So needless to say, there is no California until the next offering which is July 16th.
Did I mention I burn in the shade? hehe ... I'm going to cherry red by the time I get back here.
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04:13 pm
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1956 called ...
So our usually spot for staying here wasn't available. They did however have a second building, which is where I am now. Following along so far? Good. I'm sitting in a very small and sexy loft apartment. I can smell the wood. Yes, this is rustic and I love it. It also sucks some sweaty goat nuts.
Mixed emotions I know; but there is a difference from a place you can live in and a place you can work in. To describe, they took an ancient large house, and essentially put a lock on each bedroom door. Now they're "suites", ta da! My "room" is actually the loft upstairs, which is now an open kitchen, bathroom, and 2 bedrooms. Its slick, its got character, but it has no internet connection in the main room. You can sense the geeks squirming.
There is a washer & dryer in the basement. This is shared for all parties occupying the premises. How quaint and meet your neighbour. The machines are occupied, and I desperately need to wash some work clothes. I suspect I'll be raiding the machines around midnight in hopes they're free.
So being a man of action, I've dragged the kitchen table in front of the stove. This is the point that my cable can stretch from the bedroom to the laptop. Why the stove? Does anyone think I'll be doing any cooking while here? Exactly.
Mike arrives on Wed night. 2 guys, 1 Net connection, 1 shower. There's a sit-com or a murder scene in there somewhere.
Current Mood:  amused
Current Music: Def Leppard - Pour Some Sugar
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02:30 pm
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Double Negative
So since everytime I mention I'm going to "that which shall not be named", something happens and I end up flying home. Clearly this means mentioning that I'm going to "that which shall not be named" is the cause.
Tomorrow around noon I'm mostly defintely not going to "that which shall not be named". I will not be attempting to finally complete this damn project. Two weeks is how long I will not be in "that which shall not be named".
Guitar Hero 2 for 360 is looking mighty tempting. Assuming things don't go like they usually do, I'll treat myself for not getting the job done.
Current Music: Rooster - Alice In Chains
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02:56 pm
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All bets are off
So I'm supposed to be in Moncton right now, and if things were going well be in the last few hours of rolling out what is almost a year's worth of effort. Instead I flew back home on Thursday after the client delayed us again.
Le sigh.
I'll avoid trusting any more timelines I get from the boss since they seem to change 10 min after I get them.
My jeep hunt is still going, I've checked out a few so far but none really stood out. Looking for a vehicle is always a fun adventure, its amusing what some dealerships will try and sneak past you.
I eagerly await the first patio day.
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12:30 am
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The Code
The code, or the rules that all men (or shall we say true men) live by:
1) Guys don't date their buddy's sister.
2) Guys don't date their buddy's ex-gf.
3) In order to break either of the above, the guy must discuss it with his buddy.
Sounds dumb? Surprisingly this is a very easy code to live by. It ensures friendships last, and builds respect betwene men who follow it. Do women have something similar?
[Musical Interlude]
I leave for Moncton monday night. This will get me there for the week to prep for the rollout. Yes that's right, assuming the planets remain aligned; I'll have this project wrapped up and delivered by Monday of next week.
Then I'll come home on Wednesday, say hello, maybe have a beer or 16. After which I'll fly out to Toronto to rollout another project. FUN!
So basically, from now until Apr 23rd or so .... I'll be off the grid. Expect me to resurface around that date with either a smile on my face or an ulser.
Current Mood:  busy
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02:08 pm
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Feel appreciated?
So despite a late night and valiant effort, this crap still doesn't work. The outcome is my boss has decided I'm staying here all weekend. I'm to "get it done" so to speak. Sure, that was nice of you to decide for me, even nicer to completely ignore the root of the problem: over-worked, lack of time = cluster fucks like this.
So flights are canceled, and re-booked for Monday afternoon. I'm coming home Monday whether this works or not, no way am I staying longer. Fire me if need be, there are a dozen jobs for same pay and half the stress.
Job hunting is fun.
Current Mood:  frustrated
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11:00 pm
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FUBAR
Still here, now 11pm local time. And I'm fucked. Hard, and with a rusty pole. Came here to do a test run of our rollout in 2 weeks. It involves some code I wrote and some code another guy wrote. Guess which stuff doesn't work.
I'm so fucked. Fucked fucked. I'm supposed to show the client this stuff in the morning. RIGHT! Easy, I'll now learn the broken code, decide what isn't working and re-write it all. Then I'll start the several hour long process of feeding data into said code so that it will all look nice and pretty in the morning.
I'd say I'll be starting my job hunt when I land in Ottawa, screw this shit. I'm just about ready to burst from the stress, and funny enough it isn't the first time, but it does usually involve this client.
I think it'll be a bender weekend, might as well string along some bad choices with some bad fucking days. What little hair I have left is swan diving off in droves.
Current Mood: angry
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07:05 pm
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It all seems familiar
It is currently 7:05 pm AST (Atlantic Standard Time). Yes, that means I'm in Moncton. This is day 4 of 5, luckily its a just a week trip this time to show them our stuff works. How well does it work? Well enough that I'm here at 7pm working after hours, grinding it out till it does. Some things never change. The good news is their internet connection rocks, and I'm on the open network, sucking down whatever bandwidth this little bucket of bolts can handle.
Top 5 things on the wishlist:
- a Jeep
- 40lbs
- a nice head to shave
- an epiphany on guitar technique
- a new couch
Current Location: Moncton, NB
Current Mood:  aggravated
Current Music: A dusty server fan
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12:43 am
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And then I was old
Things to note:
- Work is possibly heading to a formal complaint with the employment standards people. They're pulling some severe bullshit with our vacations. To sum up, their new motto is:
"You must use up your vacation days before end of March, we'll only give you 3 weeks notice, and any unused days will be lost and not payed out. Oh, and since its March, nobody is allowed vacations."
Hrmm. Right, ok lets review. Ah yes, fuck you. Pay me the days I have remaining or talk to my lawyer, its pretty simple I'd say.
I'm balls to the wall this week with work, I need to make the planets align. Once the planets have aligned, I fly to Moncton on Sunday for a week.
Current Mood: angry
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09:05 pm
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I was young once
After a crap day at work, I got home and decided sitting around was not what I was in the mood for. I checked the weather and apparently it was fantastic outside (-4), so I grabbed the skates and headed off to the canal after supper.
5km of skating later, I'm feeling good. My legs are a little wobbly, but otherwise it was a good skate. Mental note: they don't light most of the canal, so night skating has the added excitement of not being able to see the rough patches.
If I'm lucky I'll be able to get out a few more times before it melts or the ice is too rough from snowfall.
In other news, there is no other news so this entry ends here.
Current Mood:  accomplished
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04:46 pm
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A brief vacation
So as I stated yesterday I was suposed to fly to Moncton for a few days. My original timeline looked liked this:
7:00pm
Fly to Toronto
9:10pm
Fly to Moncton
And here's how it actually happened:
6:45pm
I notice the plane hasn't arrived at the gate ... think we'll be late? I did.
7:30pm
Plane arrives, and we're told Toronto is closed because of snow storm.
8:30pm
I leave secure zone and head back to ticketing hoping to get sent to Montreal instead. Result? Nobody was working at AC desk, and they eventually showed up only to brush me off. Just as I was finally about to get served, they announce boarding for the Toronto flight. I haul ass back through security.
9:00pm
We're boarded onto the plane. There was much rejoicing.
10:00pm
We finally leave the gate. AC refused to let us leave until the aircraft was full. Because so many flights had be diverted to Toronto they wanted to squeeze all the Toronto bound passengers onto one plance. Result of course is we became the milk run waiting for AC to decide the flight was now cost effective.
10:30
We take off, after spending 30 min sitting on the runway waiting for Toronto to authorize us to fly to them. This is getting fun.
11:40pm
Arrive at Toronto, get put into a holding pattern while they sort out the traffic jam in the air since only a few runways are cleared.
12:00am
We Land, and soon discover everyone else has gone home. Ticket agents? AC staff directing us where the bloody heck to go? Nope, gone home. We're told to check the board and see if our flight is still at a gate waiting to take off (I'm 3hrs late, I didn't have a chance lol). If our flights are gone then we have to pickup a phone and call AC reservations to make arrangements. Marvelous.
3:00am
After spending 3hrs on hold in the queue, and quite possibly going just slightly insane around 2:30am, I finally here the sweet voice of an airline staffer. As it turns out Moncton is the happening-est place to be at the moment and there isn't a chance in hell of me getting there before Friday. Oh shit. So I booked a flight back to Ottawa, thanked the lady and proceeded to cruise around looking for a spot to sleep.
5:00am
The terminal seats in Toronto have arm rests between each seat. I'm kind of tall. Despite some rather honorable attempts to contort and squeeze, I don't fit anywhere. Sleep comes when it does in between the cleaning crews buffing the floors or vacuuming. I am no longer fit to make any legal decisions, the mind is now running on its 5th wind.
7:10am
I manage to get on standby for an early Ottawa flight instead of waiting till noon for my scheduled one. Score. I get to bed hours before I might possibly start stalking the terminal doing a zombie impression just cause it sounded fun.
The end.
Chris go sleep now.
Current Mood:  tired
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05:05 pm
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It's like déja vu
I fly to Moncton tonight, actually in exactly 2 hrs.
It was such a blast last time, I just couldn't go another day without getting my east coast fix. Well that and work told me to, so maybe it wasn't exactly my choice. Luckily this is only a quick 2 day trip, so I'll be back before anyone will realise I was gone.
The good news ... its currently +2 in Moncton. Score!
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05:01 pm
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Toronto, Day 1
I arrived in Toronto on time, but at the wrong airport. I had asked for Porter airlines, since they land downtown but instead I was booked AC. Crap, $50 cab ride from Pearson to downtown ... there goes today's budget.
Travel agent did not fax credit card info, Delta girl gave me "that look". Called work, got the info sent, got my room. Well actually just the room, this superb internet and security deposit came out of ze pocket. Mental note, fill out expense forms Friday.
Arrive at client site around 11 am slightly later than the expected 9:30; but hey I'm mr. elite help desk, who're they gonna call? The licenses I was to be emailed were missing, several phone calls later they arrived. Hour and a half delay. One of the installations was corrupt / mislabelled and needed to download. An hour download on client's blazing internet. My expected timeframe is skewed worse than Escher art.
4:45pm, queue up an install and tell by partner in crime lets get out of dodge cause it'll take hours. The adventure will continue.
So here I am, back in the room after a rather long and stressul day. Kick back? Cruise the wild streets of Toronto? All good suggestions. All not going to happen. No no, instead I'll sit here on the little laptop that could barely survive the flight and work on this proposal from hell. I think my answers to some of these are starting to get just that extra hint of corporate sarcasm that's needed in the work place.
What I need? Someone to come home to, that I can have a kick ass fun time with and not think about work. I'm skating on the canal this weekend, even if I need to wear a lifejacket. Dinner for two, seating available, book now.
Current Location: Toronto, ON
Current Music: Forgot to bring some.
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04:54 pm
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Oh right, update
Time flies when you're doing nothing it seems.
I'll be in Toronto for a few days this week on business, and then probably Moncton for a few days the week after. I'm a busy man.
So our random question is: How do you usually go about telling someone you like them? It's always a fun encounter the first time you bring it up. I have the bruises to prove it.
Current Mood:  blah
Current Music: Alice in Chains - Rooster
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06:10 pm
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RCB '07
The first weekend bender of 2007 went off ok. No new tatoos to speak of, and I didn't do anything I wouldn't do sober.
Friday night was varconis' bday, we hit the Honest Lawyer drinks and then ended up at Zaphod's for some late night dancing. Good times, I'm pleased to say Zaphod's is the same as I remember it 6 years ago. The floors are still sticky, and so are the ladies *cha bum ching* ;) It was a fun night as always.
Saturday was RCB, nice suit, cheap wine, and dancing with lovely ladies pretty much sums up the night. I got a few dances in with Jen and several with Erika. Erika was quite amusing since she was quite "vocal" about wanting to dance and how her date didn't. lol I think I took it too literally (remember I said CHEAP wine) and pretty much danced the rest of the night with her.
Ya don't ask, we all know how much I usually enjoy dancing. Again ... wine. Did I mention Jen & I killed off 2 bottles? Great night, made our way to ESD afterwards, because we all know the best way to sober up is poutine. MMMMMMMM mmmmm it was good.
I'm no longer sick. Yay!
I am however starting round 2 of the cough that shall not die. Boo!
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06:45 pm
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Well, its green.
This morning I woke up with the usual free flowing nose, a deep cough that occasisonally brought fluid up with it (LE EWW) and some chest pains. So being the hardcore worker I am, I started for the shower and then looked outside. Hrmm, looks bad lets check weather .... -21 with the wind.
Screw that shit, back to bed I went. Crawled out of bed around 1:30, hacked up the green sludge that'd be been preventing me from breathing and had a nice long shower. Ah yes, feel like crap but I'm squeeky clean.
So far today I'm had Tylenol Extra Str., Benylin Chest & Cough, Advil Sinus & Cough, and a round of Neo Citrin Chest & Sinus. Good times, maybe one of them will work. With any luck they'll mix, and stimulate some sort of hair growth on the scalp (or else I'm shaving it all soon). More than likely they'll just give me some funky dreams tomorrow.
I did a bit of work here and then spent an hour or so strumming on the guitar. My acoustic rendition of Hammer Time is coming along nicely, expect the CD due out sometime in July.
No, the Neo Citrin has not taken effect yet, stay tuned in a couple hours when it does.
p.s. What's the best thing to have when you're sick? Someone to take care of you. It's true.
p.p.s. Nope, nobody here but me and the green stuff.
Current Mood:  sick
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09:29 pm
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Not amused
So early Dec I caught some sort of little flu bug. Was sick for a week, and since then I've had the absolutely worst cough a non-smoker could have. Things were looking up, I was barely coughing anymore and thought maybe it was finally healed (my throat).
Today? Woke up feeling awful, I'm managed to catch yet another damn cold. Hurray! This means I'll have a new cough, since chronic-bronchitis means these things always manage to irritate and cause a relapse. Huzzah I say!
So to those who thought my cough was annoying before? Well here comes round 2.
Current Mood: angry
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09:34 pm
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*twang*
The happy post:
I've had a little more time to make some noise with the guitar. There's still a long ways to go before I'll play for someone, but its all about the baby steps.
I'm also going to finally get around to grabbing a ymca membership again. I have an alarming amount of free time, and would rather go workout, swim or do something active than sit here.
As for the free time, well that's the bad post, since nobody cares I'll just sign off here.
Current Music: Hockey Night in Canada
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12:20 pm
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It's all about the Timing
With relationships timing is everything. When you meet someone are they available? Are they looking? Do they want the same thing you want? Many focus on attraction and think that alone will sustain. How many of us have been in a relationship that started great, had potential and then suddenly ended when our partner said "they weren't ready for ... ". Timing is what decides if it will last.
A quote from Killing Yourself to Live by Chuck Klosterman:
We all have the potential to fall in love a thousand times in our lifetime. It's easy. The first girl I ever loved was someone I knew in the 6th grade. Her name was Missy; we talked about horses. The last girl I love will be someone I haven't even met yet, probably. They all count. But there are certain people you love who do something else; they define how you classify how love is supposed to feel like. These are the most important people in your life, and you'll meet maybe four or five of these people over the span of 80 years. But there's still one more tier to all this; there is always one person you love who becomes that definition. It usually happens retrospectively, but it always happens eventually. This is the person who unknowingly sets the template for what you will always love about other people, even if some of those lovable qualities are self-destructive and unreasonable. You will remember having conversations with this person that never actually happened. You will recall sexual trysts with this person that never technically occurred. This is because the individual who embodies your personal definition of love does not really exist. The person is real, and the feelings are real-but you creat the context. And context is everything. The person who defines your understanding of love is not inherently different that anyone else, and they're often just the person you happen to meet the first time you really, really want to love someone. But that person still wins. They win, and you lose. Because for the rest of your life, they will control how you feel about everyone else. If someone asked ....... to rank romantic relationships of her life, I think I would place third or fourth. I might even end up seventh, which is a difficult thing to admit. But she will always be No. 1 for me, no matter whom I meet, and that has far more to do with me that it does with her. And now she's officially gone, just as ........ is figuratively gone and ....... is potentially gone. I'm still alive, but i feel myself dying, person by person by person by person
Think its true? Can you think of an ex or a friend that in your mind is how you define or hope your relationships will be like? I do, one of the girls that decided the time was no longer right is probably what I base my idea of love on at the moment. Curious, when you think why base it on something that didn't work out? Is it just us being human? I'd say I base it on what was a good feeling, which died because the time was wrong, and maybe not so much that the feeling was wrong. But, that's just wishful thinking maybe ;)
It's all about the timing, and as mine reaches two years; I wonder if there ever is a good time.
Current Location: Ottawa, Canada
Current Mood:  thoughtful
Current Music: Smashing Pumpkins - Today
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05:54 pm
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Cliff Notes
Got a raise at work. Yay!
Got told I'll be given a cellphone for doing on call 24/7 support. Boo!
I get paid $50 each day I have the phone. YayBoo....?
This weekend was helping a friend move, partying at Steve's place, then installing blinds, and other move in stuff. Its been fun.
You'll notice nowhere is there mention of Xmas shopping. Ya about that ... I have no ideas at all. I'm hoping for some sort of enlightenment sometimes around the 23rd when I go shopping.
Current Mood:  exhausted
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