Do you know what I really dislike? Waking up to the sound of a truck engine and fucking mariachi music. I mean I know I had a fun night last night, but I am pretty fucking sure I didn't somehow end up in Mexico during my sleep. And now I have to poop. Dammit this morning is not starting off nice. Hold on, I will be right back.
Okay better now. So yeah, despite how this morning is starting, yesterday was pretty good. I did a conference call in the morning. It was supposed to be a kick off meeting for the client that had requested the background check. The irony of the situation? In the end it looks like my schedule will not line up with their needs and that whole background check thing was for nothing. Total waste of time. The only good thing to come out of that was finding those random court cases on my record and getting those disputed. Otherwise, once again, sales was useless. I also talked to one of my other clients and we finalized some things for a July training I will be doing for them.
B and I then took a break and went to IKEA. We aren't in a position to buy anything obviously since we are moving, but we wanted to get some ideas. Just figure some things out for when we do move and see what we might want to replace. We are also considering getting a storage unit when we move so we don't have to unpack everything. I looked one up out there and it's about $100 a month but that would store quite a bit. I could put the fridge and the couch plus my surfboards. Stuff we don't need right away.
When we got back, B napped while I worked. We are updating one of our classes and I managed to get about 12% new content added to it. I will finish it up on the 9th when I have more free time. I worked until about 4 and then we got ready to go out. One friend met us at the house and drove with us to the restaurant. We met up with about 10 people and went back to that awesome sushi place I went to a couple of weeks ago. Man oh man it was even better the second time around. The chef did really well given that he had a party of 11 show up with no reservation and 7 of us order omekase. We were there for over three hours and shut the place down. I know our table ended up being a good $500 for him so he had a good night. I think he was honored that the second time I come in I not only came back at all, but brought 10 of my friends. He came over and talked with us a couple of times during dinner which was fun. Everyone had a good time and it was reasonably priced for everything. He charged us $35 per head this time, but it was so worth it. Seven courses and every one was great.
After we stopped by our friend's house as they live a couple blocks away but unfortunately couldn't join us. We stayed for about a half hour then came on home. We were in bed by 11:30. I had a little buzz going, but never did I get out of control or irresponsible. I like my behavior these days in that respect. I have learned how to go out and not be a wild idiot. How not to embarrass myself. Growth, it's what's for breakfast.
I have a list of little things to do today. Time to get them done!
Saturday, May 31, 2014
Friday, May 30, 2014
Y6 D5
I got hit with a case of the sad last night. I guess in some ways I felt it creeping up on me throughout the day but it turned into full blown sad last night. I had an okay day even with all the work shit. I did a two hour mentoring session with a client, watched some stuff on new features, researched things, caught up with my boss, and got ready for some meetings today and next week. Also filled in some of the holes I had going for June. June is now blocked except for three days. Not horrible, but all just kind of blah. I did manage to pack three more boxes yesterday. I think it's the packing and moving that's starting to get to me. I feel like there is chaos all around me and there's nothing I can do about it which is frustrating. B and I went out for dinner and it was okay. The food was good, she was in a good mood, it was me. Just off all day. We got home and did stuff. Nothing of any merit. Like she played with her cat and I did stuff online kind of stuff. She ended up watching a movie and I just kind of hung out. Went to bed around 11. I am hoping to shake this mood today. She is off and as of right now I have two meetings and that's it on the calendar for me. We are meeting up with a large group of friends tonight, including the kid, for sushi which should be fun. I also have a plan for the boxes which I will execute tomorrow which should help better organize things and make me feel less out of control. Also have a show this weekend which will get me out of the house and around people. I think that's what I need is some people time. I don't know. Maybe that or a road trip. I have one of those in three weeks. I am looking forward to that big time.
Thursday, May 29, 2014
Y6 D4
Stressful day for me yesterday. I got nothing accomplished for work which is causing me serious problems for today. I have to do a web session with a client in 45 minutes and I am not even prepared for it. I got up, tried to get things done, went out picked up some drives from our admin at our remote office, went to the bank, came back, and had some time to take care of things. Unfortunately B needed to go to the doctors where I spent the next three hours. I tried to make up the time but we also needed to get laundry done, things around the house, etc. I did manage to get the new printer setup, gave the old one to a friend who feels he can fix it, order chinese food, go to the grocery store, and take care of packing. So it's a catch-22. I got shit done around the house, but nothing for work which is a problem. I am stressing out right now. I am also about to be thrown on to a project I don't know if I am right for either. Fuck my thoughts are all over the place right now. I am just stressed. I don't even want to write any more today.
Wednesday, May 28, 2014
Y6 D3
Good morning! I am up early without any real reason but it's not a problem. I got about 7 hours of good solid sleep. This bed rearrangement appears to be helping me. I seriously slept like a log again last night. That's two nights in a row. I could get used to this.
Worked on some documentation and catch up yesterday. Got a nice text from my director around 1. She and her husband were going to the movies near us and invited us to join. Unfortunately it was too early for us to make it, but I did appreciate her thinking of us. Took a break to go to the grocery store around 3. Made chicken breasts in cream of mushroom soup for dinner. That actually turned out pretty well. I made it up on the fly and was surprised at how tasty it was. I also did some fresh squash with it. After dinner B and I went out for ice cream. I had a pleasant surprise happen yesterday. Technically two things, both in the mail.
First my buddy sent me a shirt from his radio show he does. I will wear it proudly! So thank you for that. I love the shirt. Secondly, I got a check from work. I don't normally get expense checks because of money I owe the company (which at this point should be zero, but whatever) and because I put everything on my corporate card. Imagine my surprise to get a $300 check in the mail yesterday. I called our CFO and double checked with him that it was right. He said yep, cash it. It was mileage reimbursement for my trip to Reno. Since that's not a tangible and did directly put wear and tear on my car, it was mine. Yay! While we were out for ice cream I deposited the check. B wanted to go to the pet store to pick up some soft claws for her cat and we decided to pop into Home Goods and Best Buy since they were right next door. I ended up buying a new printer. Ours has been dead for about a month now. It has been generating an error code and when I looked into it, it was going to be $50-$75 to have it repaired. That wouldn't be an issue except I only paid $80 for it in the first place. There was a newer Canon model of the same thing on sale at Best Buy last night. Guess how much? Yep. $80. New printer purchased. I am going to give the old one to a friend who does repair work and if he can make it work, then all the better. By the time we got back I didn't feel like setting it up and figured I would save that for today. We relaxed, watched some TV, put the caps on her cat, and headed off to bed.
So far this new year is starting off pretty damn swell. More documents and the like today.
Worked on some documentation and catch up yesterday. Got a nice text from my director around 1. She and her husband were going to the movies near us and invited us to join. Unfortunately it was too early for us to make it, but I did appreciate her thinking of us. Took a break to go to the grocery store around 3. Made chicken breasts in cream of mushroom soup for dinner. That actually turned out pretty well. I made it up on the fly and was surprised at how tasty it was. I also did some fresh squash with it. After dinner B and I went out for ice cream. I had a pleasant surprise happen yesterday. Technically two things, both in the mail.
First my buddy sent me a shirt from his radio show he does. I will wear it proudly! So thank you for that. I love the shirt. Secondly, I got a check from work. I don't normally get expense checks because of money I owe the company (which at this point should be zero, but whatever) and because I put everything on my corporate card. Imagine my surprise to get a $300 check in the mail yesterday. I called our CFO and double checked with him that it was right. He said yep, cash it. It was mileage reimbursement for my trip to Reno. Since that's not a tangible and did directly put wear and tear on my car, it was mine. Yay! While we were out for ice cream I deposited the check. B wanted to go to the pet store to pick up some soft claws for her cat and we decided to pop into Home Goods and Best Buy since they were right next door. I ended up buying a new printer. Ours has been dead for about a month now. It has been generating an error code and when I looked into it, it was going to be $50-$75 to have it repaired. That wouldn't be an issue except I only paid $80 for it in the first place. There was a newer Canon model of the same thing on sale at Best Buy last night. Guess how much? Yep. $80. New printer purchased. I am going to give the old one to a friend who does repair work and if he can make it work, then all the better. By the time we got back I didn't feel like setting it up and figured I would save that for today. We relaxed, watched some TV, put the caps on her cat, and headed off to bed.
So far this new year is starting off pretty damn swell. More documents and the like today.
Tuesday, May 27, 2014
Y6 D2
I enjoyed my damn holiday that's for sure. Even though I was up at 5am it worked to my advantage. I went and got the car washed at 6, cleaned the house by 7, made B breakfast when she got up, packed boxes, went to the grocery store, went to Target, and all before 9 am. Not too shabby. I then went back out at 11 and got her lunch. She had a horrible day. They were closed to the public but her boss (who seemed to forget it was a holiday) called her right after she clocked out with some stupid request. The sad part is she loves her job but hates her micromanaging boss. She will email and call her at the weirdest times. Basically when something 'urgent' pops into her head.
I took a nice two hour nap, watched some TV and got my wizard to level 70. I now have two level 70s and one more at 69. After I deal with some work stuff today you know what I am doing. I am going to enjoy this light week whether anyone else likes it or not. I also talked with one of my friends. He got a new Mac and we did a webinar session where I showed him some stuff on my Mac. B got home around 6 and I made us steaks for dinner. Felt appropriate given the whole concept of barbecuing on Memorial Day. She was so exhausted that we basically just watched TV to let her relax. We also did something different at bed time. We tried switching sides of the bed to see if I would roll over less. I felt like it worked as I slept really well last night. She was already out the door this morning when I got up so I don't know how she slept.
Okay, right now I have to record a sample webinar for some tests, watch a presentation, update a training guide, and then go to our offices. My big day.
I took a nice two hour nap, watched some TV and got my wizard to level 70. I now have two level 70s and one more at 69. After I deal with some work stuff today you know what I am doing. I am going to enjoy this light week whether anyone else likes it or not. I also talked with one of my friends. He got a new Mac and we did a webinar session where I showed him some stuff on my Mac. B got home around 6 and I made us steaks for dinner. Felt appropriate given the whole concept of barbecuing on Memorial Day. She was so exhausted that we basically just watched TV to let her relax. We also did something different at bed time. We tried switching sides of the bed to see if I would roll over less. I felt like it worked as I slept really well last night. She was already out the door this morning when I got up so I don't know how she slept.
Okay, right now I have to record a sample webinar for some tests, watch a presentation, update a training guide, and then go to our offices. My big day.
Monday, May 26, 2014
Y6 D1
It's a holiday and I am up at 5am. Why? Because I felt guilty about my snoring. I woke up because B was angrily putting in earplugs. It's the weight. I put too much weight back on and it's blocking my throat again. No matter what other benefits I get from being skinny, no matter how 'bad' some people might say I look when I am skinnier, at least I don't fucking snore and I can (plus everyone around me) get a good night's sleep. Until that happens though, I am going to buy a snore mouth piece. I can't use a CPAP, tried that once and it was a major failure. I have two choices - mouthpieces or 40 lbs. One I can do immediately, once I have to do to survive. This isn't about vanity, it's about life choices. Sigh.
So yesterday. We got up, hung out, I made breakfast - which was a nice omelet and healthy - and then we watched some TV and just enjoyed doing nothing. B took a long nap while I read and packed boxes. I got three more boxes packed. Around 5 we headed out to our director's house. It was a workshop day for the cast. Plus we have picked out the next special event movie we are planning to do and it was a time for us all to watch it and figure out how to do it. I won't mention the name of the movie yet but it's a 'good' movie and probably damn near impossible to pull off. We had a fun time despite the traffic getting there being awful. It was a beautiful day at the beach which means everyone and their mother was headed there. Took us an hour to get there instead of the normal 20-25 minutes. We headed home around 10 and fell asleep around midnight. Well, I did. I couldn't sleep because I was just thinking about too many things both good and bad. Nothing serious, just stuff. All the stuff. So not only am I up but I am going on 5 hours of sleep.
Oh what a fun holiday.
So yesterday. We got up, hung out, I made breakfast - which was a nice omelet and healthy - and then we watched some TV and just enjoyed doing nothing. B took a long nap while I read and packed boxes. I got three more boxes packed. Around 5 we headed out to our director's house. It was a workshop day for the cast. Plus we have picked out the next special event movie we are planning to do and it was a time for us all to watch it and figure out how to do it. I won't mention the name of the movie yet but it's a 'good' movie and probably damn near impossible to pull off. We had a fun time despite the traffic getting there being awful. It was a beautiful day at the beach which means everyone and their mother was headed there. Took us an hour to get there instead of the normal 20-25 minutes. We headed home around 10 and fell asleep around midnight. Well, I did. I couldn't sleep because I was just thinking about too many things both good and bad. Nothing serious, just stuff. All the stuff. So not only am I up but I am going on 5 hours of sleep.
Oh what a fun holiday.
Sunday, May 25, 2014
Y5 D365
I DID IT! I lived through five years. I am still here and in one piece, mostly. My prostate is the only thing that has given out on me in the last five years. And this time, finally, we get to end the year on a high note. I am doing okay with my bills, I have plans for the next year that will radically alter my life financially, I have drastically reduced my drinking and most importantly, I am not ending the year alone. I have someone. I have a life. Took my five years to get things back on track, but dammit, I did it. So many ups and downs through out the last five years. Jesus fuck where have five years gone? I would say that this last year saw me happy more often than not. That in itself is a victory. A huge victory. Wow. I can't believe how much things have changed in just one year. B is here, the kid is on her own, I have a good circle of friends. It's all so overwhelming.
Yesterday was okay. B's car wouldn't start in the morning so she had to take mine. I then did some research into mobile mechanics and found one near by who could come out today. We ended up not making an appointment because when B got home her car started right up. I am thinking it has to do with the timing chain. It starts to catch but then can't quite do it. Like you need to crank it to get it just right and then vroom. Starts. Regardless, because she had my car, there wasn't a lot I could do outside the house. I ended up staying in and cleaning. Scrubbed the bathtub, organized some stuff in the office, took down garbage, and did general cleaning. Right now the place feels cluttered because we have been starting to pack and there are boxes everywhere. I want to possibly do some more today to minimize the clutter.
When B got home we invited a couple of friends over and we went to the grocery store to pick up some stuff. We needed a few things ourselves, plus some snack food. They came over around 7 and stayed until 11. We just hung out, played some games. Nothing exciting. B got really tired and went to bed around 11 and I stayed up until midnight. I am so used to being up late on Saturdays that I don't feel ready to sleep until at least that time. I slept well too.
Let's see how year six treats me. I have a feeling that is going to be a wild ride since it will end on a wedding.
Yesterday was okay. B's car wouldn't start in the morning so she had to take mine. I then did some research into mobile mechanics and found one near by who could come out today. We ended up not making an appointment because when B got home her car started right up. I am thinking it has to do with the timing chain. It starts to catch but then can't quite do it. Like you need to crank it to get it just right and then vroom. Starts. Regardless, because she had my car, there wasn't a lot I could do outside the house. I ended up staying in and cleaning. Scrubbed the bathtub, organized some stuff in the office, took down garbage, and did general cleaning. Right now the place feels cluttered because we have been starting to pack and there are boxes everywhere. I want to possibly do some more today to minimize the clutter.
When B got home we invited a couple of friends over and we went to the grocery store to pick up some stuff. We needed a few things ourselves, plus some snack food. They came over around 7 and stayed until 11. We just hung out, played some games. Nothing exciting. B got really tired and went to bed around 11 and I stayed up until midnight. I am so used to being up late on Saturdays that I don't feel ready to sleep until at least that time. I slept well too.
Let's see how year six treats me. I have a feeling that is going to be a wild ride since it will end on a wedding.
Saturday, May 24, 2014
Y5 D364
Had troubling dreams last night. I slept well and I slept in, but I woke up at least once from a bad dream. One dream was about B the other about X2. Both bugged me. Story of my life.
Taught my last class for a week yesterday. Thank god. I can take a break. And now I have three straight days off. I also have no shows, no nothing for the next three days. We did all of our errands last night and I don't even need to leave the house today. I really can't leave the house anyway as B's car wouldn't start this morning and she had to take mine. Yes, I have the bike and I may take it out for a ride but it's not like I could go grocery shopping or something on it.
During lunch, I packed two more boxes of books. Since B was off yesterday she went and got us Taco Bell at lunch so I didn't have to go out. After class I took a little nap and then B and I went out. She worked on her story she has been writing. When I got up we went out for a somewhat early dinner at BJs. Neither of us was too happy with it which is surprising because we both normally like it there. The service was off and her food was kind of bland. Afterwards we went to Target and Petco and took care of things we needed for the house.
Got home and she wanted to keep writing. I let her be and went to play Diablo. I am almost to my second level 70 character. I have all of them but one over 60, but not quite there with level 70. Around 11 B came into the office all smiles and told me she had finished. She was so proud of herself. It ended up being an 18 page story that now she has to edit before she can let anyone read it. I am proud of her too. Despite her own feelings, she is an excellent writer. I think that she will have a book published before 30. You watch, I have predicted it.
We headed off to bed and that's about it. Right now I am going to shower and take the bike out for a ride and that's my day.
Taught my last class for a week yesterday. Thank god. I can take a break. And now I have three straight days off. I also have no shows, no nothing for the next three days. We did all of our errands last night and I don't even need to leave the house today. I really can't leave the house anyway as B's car wouldn't start this morning and she had to take mine. Yes, I have the bike and I may take it out for a ride but it's not like I could go grocery shopping or something on it.
During lunch, I packed two more boxes of books. Since B was off yesterday she went and got us Taco Bell at lunch so I didn't have to go out. After class I took a little nap and then B and I went out. She worked on her story she has been writing. When I got up we went out for a somewhat early dinner at BJs. Neither of us was too happy with it which is surprising because we both normally like it there. The service was off and her food was kind of bland. Afterwards we went to Target and Petco and took care of things we needed for the house.
Got home and she wanted to keep writing. I let her be and went to play Diablo. I am almost to my second level 70 character. I have all of them but one over 60, but not quite there with level 70. Around 11 B came into the office all smiles and told me she had finished. She was so proud of herself. It ended up being an 18 page story that now she has to edit before she can let anyone read it. I am proud of her too. Despite her own feelings, she is an excellent writer. I think that she will have a book published before 30. You watch, I have predicted it.
We headed off to bed and that's about it. Right now I am going to shower and take the bike out for a ride and that's my day.
Friday, May 23, 2014
Y5 D363
Two more days and the year is over.
ONE more day of training and I get a fucking break finally. A well deserved break. Yesterday's class went okay. No major issues. While I was teaching though I had to deal with some bullshit. Some client won't let us train them unless we all submit a fucking background check. I was pretty pissed off about that and pushed back. While the hell does some corporation need to know my credit score in order for me to teach them. Because the reality is that's all their going to get from a background check on me. I ranted to the sales person about how it's a damn invasion of my privacy and they need to have some fucking backbone. Needless to say that didn't go over well. I also don't give a shit. Left me in a cranky mood all day.
I finished class and B came home. I made us dinner. Chicken and egg noodles with spinach and corn. You'd think I would be able to shit but for right now that's causing me problems too. Go figure. I packed three more boxes, watched some TV with B, and then she wanted to write. Fine. I went in the other room. I went to bed around 10:30 and I don't know when she came to bed.
I am still in a lousy mood. I need to get through this fucking day.
ONE more day of training and I get a fucking break finally. A well deserved break. Yesterday's class went okay. No major issues. While I was teaching though I had to deal with some bullshit. Some client won't let us train them unless we all submit a fucking background check. I was pretty pissed off about that and pushed back. While the hell does some corporation need to know my credit score in order for me to teach them. Because the reality is that's all their going to get from a background check on me. I ranted to the sales person about how it's a damn invasion of my privacy and they need to have some fucking backbone. Needless to say that didn't go over well. I also don't give a shit. Left me in a cranky mood all day.
I finished class and B came home. I made us dinner. Chicken and egg noodles with spinach and corn. You'd think I would be able to shit but for right now that's causing me problems too. Go figure. I packed three more boxes, watched some TV with B, and then she wanted to write. Fine. I went in the other room. I went to bed around 10:30 and I don't know when she came to bed.
I am still in a lousy mood. I need to get through this fucking day.
Thursday, May 22, 2014
Y5 D362
Still sleepy. But this time it was our own doing. Well B's, not mine per se. I got up, did my class with my one lone student and as expected was done by 10:30. The advantage of a single person class and starting early. While I know that sounds super early, we started before 6:30. It ended up being a half a day class. The student didn't mind as she was working from home and was able to take a half day. When class was over I started laundry. Got all the laundry done before noon. Then B and I went out to run a couple of errands. First we went to the bank to cash her check, then we stopped at Goodwill and donated four bags of clothing. We grabbed some lunch while we were out and when we got back we decided to start packing some stuff up. We have five boxes packed already. She seems to think this will be easy and I think that if we do five boxes a day for the next month we might be close to being done in time. We have about 60 boxes right now but I know that's not even going to scratch the surface. I have lived in this place for 4.5 years. I have a lot of stuff. The last time I moved it was easier because I had reduced my clutter down. It's right back up there. B decided to take a nap after we did everything and I played some Diablo. When she woke up I was about to make dinner. I say about because I got a text from a 'friend' who was down the street at the bar and he was having car problems. He wanted to know if we could come down and help out. I was frustrated but agreed. Bad mistake. See this 'friend' has been going through AA for the last six months and the fact he was at a bar kind of pissed me off. I asked if I should be worried he was at a bar and his text reply was 'oh no, it's okay'. Begrudgingly we threw jumper cables in my trunk and headed down. Turns out the reason he needed help is that the courts had installed a breathalyzer on his car and he was too drunk to start his own car. He needed me to give him and his GF a ride home. Fine. He gets points for not trying to work around the breathalyzer but minus 1,000,000 for luring me down there under false pretenses. I agreed to drive them home if they left right then. Oh, well my GF wants to party some more. We thought you guys could join us. No. You thought wrong. I got in the car and we left them there. I was pretty pissed off. Got home, made dinner, and watched some TV. Around 8 I got a text from an actual friend. It was our friend's birthday yesterday and I had texted him Happy Birthday earlier in the day. When I told B she told me to invite him and his boyfriend over to hang out. Okay. They came over around 8 and stayed until 11. I made him a birthday cake in a mug and we just hung out talking. That part was fun but it did make for a late bedtime for me.
I have a three person two day class starting today. Then finally a break. I am so looking forward to three days of nothing. B will have to work Saturday and Monday but I get some peace and quiet for a few days. Heaven.
I have a three person two day class starting today. Then finally a break. I am so looking forward to three days of nothing. B will have to work Saturday and Monday but I get some peace and quiet for a few days. Heaven.
Wednesday, May 21, 2014
Y5 D361
SO sleepy. I can't wait until next week when as of right now I don't have to get out of bed for at least a couple of days. I can sleep in and not be up at 4:30 in the morning. Small victories. Another boring one on one day yesterday. But this time at least coughy mccoughy kept herself on mute. She wanted to rest her voice and not cough all over me I guess. Today is the last day with her and then I have three students for thursday and friday. After class I did mostly nothing until B got home. The UPS store next to where she works gave her a bunch of boxes for free which means we have about 20 boxes right now to start packing. That is how I plan to spend a good part of next week. Getting stuff we can live without for a month packed away. I hate moving but I know it's a needed evil right now. When B got home I made dinner - carne asada, corn, mac and cheese. Basic dinner. We watched some TV together, then she wrote while I gamed. I went to bed around 10:30 and she followed shortly after. I know sometime around 11 someone called her. I think it was her mother. Whoever was on the other end sounded drunk but I didn't pay much attention since B went in the other room to let me sleep. She has the day off today and I don't know when she came back to bed.
God I can't wait for this day to be over.
God I can't wait for this day to be over.
Tuesday, May 20, 2014
Y5 D360
Remember what I said yesterday about stomach problems being in our way? Not last night. Woo! Explains why I slept so well last night too.
Taught yesterday to one student. One non-english speaking, isn't really paying attention, coughing up a lung the entire class, student. Seriously. My student is from MO and I don't know how anyone there understands a word she says. She is Chinese and has a strong thick accent. She also is recovering from a bad cold and spent the entire day coughing up a lung. The upside? With only one student class went extremely fast yesterday. It's a 3 day class and we are already 3 hours into day two material. I am figuring we can get through this in 2.5 days instead of three. That's the good part. It doesn't really surprise me though. A class like this has a certain amount of buffer built in to it for a reason. When there's 10 people, it takes me much longer to get everyone logged in, setup, etc, With one person we got through the hard stuff like that in minutes. Also she has some knowledge of the system already which means I don't have to go through all the basic slides. I skipped through about 10 slides. Downside is I am not doing any of my jokes or normal material that makes the class flow well because it's one person and it would be weird. We finished up early yesterday and I took a nap. After I woke up I watched Arrow and waited for B to get home. She was in the mood for Italian and we headed out for dinner. We went to a little local place which turned out to be really good. A little pricey but good. When we got home B's words to me were "I am going to take a hot shower and you're going to join me.". Okay! That led to some fun time for both of us.
Afterwards it was still early and B wanted to write. She has been writing again lately which makes me happy. I let her be for about an hour and then we both got into bed around 10:30.
Time for day two of Hung Chuk Loo. Sigh. The other upside honestly is she is east coast and wants to start early. Means we will finish early. Yay.
Taught yesterday to one student. One non-english speaking, isn't really paying attention, coughing up a lung the entire class, student. Seriously. My student is from MO and I don't know how anyone there understands a word she says. She is Chinese and has a strong thick accent. She also is recovering from a bad cold and spent the entire day coughing up a lung. The upside? With only one student class went extremely fast yesterday. It's a 3 day class and we are already 3 hours into day two material. I am figuring we can get through this in 2.5 days instead of three. That's the good part. It doesn't really surprise me though. A class like this has a certain amount of buffer built in to it for a reason. When there's 10 people, it takes me much longer to get everyone logged in, setup, etc, With one person we got through the hard stuff like that in minutes. Also she has some knowledge of the system already which means I don't have to go through all the basic slides. I skipped through about 10 slides. Downside is I am not doing any of my jokes or normal material that makes the class flow well because it's one person and it would be weird. We finished up early yesterday and I took a nap. After I woke up I watched Arrow and waited for B to get home. She was in the mood for Italian and we headed out for dinner. We went to a little local place which turned out to be really good. A little pricey but good. When we got home B's words to me were "I am going to take a hot shower and you're going to join me.". Okay! That led to some fun time for both of us.
Afterwards it was still early and B wanted to write. She has been writing again lately which makes me happy. I let her be for about an hour and then we both got into bed around 10:30.
Time for day two of Hung Chuk Loo. Sigh. The other upside honestly is she is east coast and wants to start early. Means we will finish early. Yay.
Monday, May 19, 2014
Y5 D359
Very productive day yesterday even though I kept thinking/wishing it was Saturday. Coming home from the client on a weekend day threw me off. I woke up around 6:30 and went out to where my friend was hosting a martial arts tournament about 7:30. He had some boxes for us for moving. Really good size and thickness too. I ended up getting nine boxes from him. While I was out, I stopped at Target and got some basic groceries and stuff like toothpaste. We're going to need more groceries laster this week since I am home the next two weeks but I just wanted to take care of some immediate needs like toothpaste and eggs.
Got back and B was just waking up. I made her breakfast and around 10 we went out to run some errands. She has been wanting to get some summer clothes as she doesn't have much in the way of that. This was also prompted by me going through a bunch of old clothes and putting together four (FOUR!) garbage bags of stuff to be donated to Goodwill. Since she doesn't do fancy and there's no Walmart around (her desired choice), we ended up at Kmart. I know. But it makes her happy so what can I do? She ended up finding two dresses, three tops, and six pairs of underwear for $110. Okay, good job. After that we had some lunch which ended up making us both sick later in the day. We stopped at Payless where I found a new pair of sandals for the summer for $20. We then came home and we both took a solid nap.
When we got up, she wanted to write and let her cat roam so me and the evil one stayed in the office. Neither of us wanted anything to eat. We ended up going to bed around 11 after watching the season finale of Criminal Minds. It really sucked that we both had stomach problems because otherwise right now I would be telling you we had a much better time in bed. But alas no, we tossed around on the bed with trips to the bathroom.
Feeling better this morning, but not 100%. A little queasy in the tummy still. I have three days of one topic this week followed by a two day class. The first class? One student. Yeah. One. This should be interesting.
Got back and B was just waking up. I made her breakfast and around 10 we went out to run some errands. She has been wanting to get some summer clothes as she doesn't have much in the way of that. This was also prompted by me going through a bunch of old clothes and putting together four (FOUR!) garbage bags of stuff to be donated to Goodwill. Since she doesn't do fancy and there's no Walmart around (her desired choice), we ended up at Kmart. I know. But it makes her happy so what can I do? She ended up finding two dresses, three tops, and six pairs of underwear for $110. Okay, good job. After that we had some lunch which ended up making us both sick later in the day. We stopped at Payless where I found a new pair of sandals for the summer for $20. We then came home and we both took a solid nap.
When we got up, she wanted to write and let her cat roam so me and the evil one stayed in the office. Neither of us wanted anything to eat. We ended up going to bed around 11 after watching the season finale of Criminal Minds. It really sucked that we both had stomach problems because otherwise right now I would be telling you we had a much better time in bed. But alas no, we tossed around on the bed with trips to the bathroom.
Feeling better this morning, but not 100%. A little queasy in the tummy still. I have three days of one topic this week followed by a two day class. The first class? One student. Yeah. One. This should be interesting.
Sunday, May 18, 2014
Y5 D358
Made it home in one piece. Took me 3 hours and 38 minutes to get home from Reno. Not bad. I never once drove insanely over the speed limit either. The majority of the way is 65 and had cruise control on at 72. A good pace but still safe. Through the mountains for the most part I was the only car which was fun. It felt so odd to be driving through all that without any snow. It made B's morning that I was there when she woke up which was my main reason for leaving so early. Once B left for work, I went and took care of emptying the Mercedes because as of yesterday it is gone. Yep.
After doing the car, I came upstairs and relaxed. Played a little Diablo, watched some Arrow and waited for my friends to arrive to take care of the car. They got here about 3 and we hooked it up to a trailer. It is now on its way back to the original owner which in a way makes me feel good. I know it is getting a good home. I am a bit pissed off at the kid, who I saw later in the night, that I spent $1500 for something and it just sat for 4.5 years, but at least it's done, gone, and out of my hair. It took a while to get it ready to tow as he needed to remove the driveshaft. They just did a two wheel front tow and the driveshaft needed to be disconnected to make sure the transmission didn't get damaged on the way home.
While we were doing that B had come home from work. She had a rough day thanks to an asshole cat who decided to hide where they couldn't see it. Took them an hour to find this cat. We both needed to get out of the house. We met friends for the most incredible sushi dinner ever. We did omekase - chef's special - at this tiny little sushi place walking distance from their house. Holy fucking shit. $35 per head for the freshest, most imaginative Japanese dinner I have had in a while. Toro, white tuna, salmon skin salad, snapper, assorted nigiri, something I can't remember but it was awesome, and a hand roll that felt like an ice cream cone to close out the meal. 7 courses, $35. Perfect. We went back to their house and the kid and KBF came over. They were still there when we left at 11:30. We were in bed by midnight and I slept like a log. All the food and exhaustion caught up with me and I collapsed. I missed my bed and pillow.
Today I am picking up some boxes from a friend who is doing a martial arts tournament to use them for packing. Then I am undertaking a big project - creating clothes piles for donation. That's going to be huge but rewarding.
After doing the car, I came upstairs and relaxed. Played a little Diablo, watched some Arrow and waited for my friends to arrive to take care of the car. They got here about 3 and we hooked it up to a trailer. It is now on its way back to the original owner which in a way makes me feel good. I know it is getting a good home. I am a bit pissed off at the kid, who I saw later in the night, that I spent $1500 for something and it just sat for 4.5 years, but at least it's done, gone, and out of my hair. It took a while to get it ready to tow as he needed to remove the driveshaft. They just did a two wheel front tow and the driveshaft needed to be disconnected to make sure the transmission didn't get damaged on the way home.
While we were doing that B had come home from work. She had a rough day thanks to an asshole cat who decided to hide where they couldn't see it. Took them an hour to find this cat. We both needed to get out of the house. We met friends for the most incredible sushi dinner ever. We did omekase - chef's special - at this tiny little sushi place walking distance from their house. Holy fucking shit. $35 per head for the freshest, most imaginative Japanese dinner I have had in a while. Toro, white tuna, salmon skin salad, snapper, assorted nigiri, something I can't remember but it was awesome, and a hand roll that felt like an ice cream cone to close out the meal. 7 courses, $35. Perfect. We went back to their house and the kid and KBF came over. They were still there when we left at 11:30. We were in bed by midnight and I slept like a log. All the food and exhaustion caught up with me and I collapsed. I missed my bed and pillow.
Today I am picking up some boxes from a friend who is doing a martial arts tournament to use them for packing. Then I am undertaking a big project - creating clothes piles for donation. That's going to be huge but rewarding.
Saturday, May 17, 2014
Y5 D357
This is the only morning thing I am doing right now. The rest will wait until I get home. I want to get home before B goes to work to surprise her which is why I am up so early.
Finished classes yesterday and then had an hour long meeting with the powers that be because they wanted to do a brain storming session on next steps. I foresee future work based on what I did, but I am not going to tell the salespeople yet. I am going to wait until the time is right for the client. I already have goodwill there and don't want it blown by a pushy sales person which I think is what happened with the folks in Tulsa.
Got back to the hotel around 5, packed, ate leftover pizza which has given me horrible indigestion all night, watched arrow and went to bed early. That's it.
I am now headed home.
Finished classes yesterday and then had an hour long meeting with the powers that be because they wanted to do a brain storming session on next steps. I foresee future work based on what I did, but I am not going to tell the salespeople yet. I am going to wait until the time is right for the client. I already have goodwill there and don't want it blown by a pushy sales person which I think is what happened with the folks in Tulsa.
Got back to the hotel around 5, packed, ate leftover pizza which has given me horrible indigestion all night, watched arrow and went to bed early. That's it.
I am now headed home.
Friday, May 16, 2014
Y5 D356
Slept incredibly well last night. Don't know what I did differently than the night before, but man I finally got a good night's sleep. I went to bed around 10 and woke up on my own at 5:30. Still three hours before I have to be in class, but it was a nice solid REM sleep.
Another non-excitement filled day yesterday. Did my teaching which included an hour interruption for an impromptu meeting with the company CIO. This is the second time in three classes where the students have asked their management to come in and hear me talk to make sure they understand the challenges being faced by the group. I am the hatchet man. The guy who says it likes it is. King Abrasive. Don't get me wrong, I am okay with this role. Because it positions us to come back in and do more work in the future. If a companies infrastructure is perfect, then I never see or hear from the client again. But if I can show them where they need to improve...
After class I took a drive. First I went to the walmart to get things for my class today. Some donuts and other trinkets. Then I found an Old Navy and bought a new shirt since the one I brought with me for yesterday turned out to be missing a button on the sleeve. I had to wear today's clothes yesterday. Meaning I needed an extra shirt for today. Not a big deal as it was only $25, but it was a bit of a hassle. On the way back to the hotel I grabbed Del Taco because it's Del Taco and I never get to eat at them any more. Got back, talked to B, watched Arrow, went to bed.
Today is the last day. I want to leave early in the morning tomorrow and be home before B goes to work which means I need to be in bed pretty early. I want to be on the road by 4. Up at 3, home by 8 is the goal. Another quiet night is in store for me. We don't have anything planned for the weekend which is nice. If all goes well it should be a good quiet weekend. I have one more week of training scheduled next week but then I get a real break for a few days. Very much looking forward to it.
Another non-excitement filled day yesterday. Did my teaching which included an hour interruption for an impromptu meeting with the company CIO. This is the second time in three classes where the students have asked their management to come in and hear me talk to make sure they understand the challenges being faced by the group. I am the hatchet man. The guy who says it likes it is. King Abrasive. Don't get me wrong, I am okay with this role. Because it positions us to come back in and do more work in the future. If a companies infrastructure is perfect, then I never see or hear from the client again. But if I can show them where they need to improve...
After class I took a drive. First I went to the walmart to get things for my class today. Some donuts and other trinkets. Then I found an Old Navy and bought a new shirt since the one I brought with me for yesterday turned out to be missing a button on the sleeve. I had to wear today's clothes yesterday. Meaning I needed an extra shirt for today. Not a big deal as it was only $25, but it was a bit of a hassle. On the way back to the hotel I grabbed Del Taco because it's Del Taco and I never get to eat at them any more. Got back, talked to B, watched Arrow, went to bed.
Today is the last day. I want to leave early in the morning tomorrow and be home before B goes to work which means I need to be in bed pretty early. I want to be on the road by 4. Up at 3, home by 8 is the goal. Another quiet night is in store for me. We don't have anything planned for the weekend which is nice. If all goes well it should be a good quiet weekend. I have one more week of training scheduled next week but then I get a real break for a few days. Very much looking forward to it.
Thursday, May 15, 2014
Y5 D355
10 more days and this year is over. Getting close.
As expected yesterday was pretty uneventful. Woke up, did my morning stuff, headed over to the client around 8:30. Taught until 4:50, headed back to the hotel. They brought in lasagne yesterday which became last night's dinner. With the exception of the first night, I have not had to expense anything. This too was expected. That's why I treated myself to a good meal on Monday. I knew the rest of the week would be like this. I think tonight I may have to go out because we are doing a taco bar for lunch and that will be difficult to have leftovers from tonight.
Went for a walk after changing clothes. It is really nice here right now and I walked down to the grocery store about a mile away. Picked up some snack pretzels and rockstar for the rest of the week. Was back in the room around 6:30 and then laid down on the couch to watch Arrow.
I have to say I am enjoying the show so far. My experience with Green Arrow has been more relegated to the Green Arrow of the comic books and animated shows. The dark one armed GA of the Frank Miller days as well as the smart ass older version in JL/JLU. This Arrow is a nice contrast but stays in line with the other versions. I also like the way they have introduced other characters from the DC world without being heavy handed. So far we have seen Deadshot, Deathstroke, The Huntress, and Firefly. The only one I wish so far they would do more with is Merlyn but they have at least touched on that character. I wish movies could be the same way as TV shows when it came to stuff like this. The Spiderman series have been awful at shoving too many characters too fast into a 90 minute movie. At least with TV you have 12-13 hours to introduce all the characters which gives you better development in my opinion.
That as you can see was my evening. I watched five episodes then went to bed. Talked to B briefly. She had the day off yesterday and spent it watching a Harry Potter marathon then went out to dinner with friends. This last part is important and I am happy about. She actually found the nerve to call up a mutual friend of ours and they went out to dinner last night. I am happy for her on this.
Today is day three of training. This is the less formal day where we will be switching gears and going more into mentoring mode. I should finish early today and tomorrow which will be nice. The hotel should also be less crowded tonight as I have seen at least 5 doors on my floor with receipts sticking out from under them. Soon I will be one of those people heading home.
As expected yesterday was pretty uneventful. Woke up, did my morning stuff, headed over to the client around 8:30. Taught until 4:50, headed back to the hotel. They brought in lasagne yesterday which became last night's dinner. With the exception of the first night, I have not had to expense anything. This too was expected. That's why I treated myself to a good meal on Monday. I knew the rest of the week would be like this. I think tonight I may have to go out because we are doing a taco bar for lunch and that will be difficult to have leftovers from tonight.
Went for a walk after changing clothes. It is really nice here right now and I walked down to the grocery store about a mile away. Picked up some snack pretzels and rockstar for the rest of the week. Was back in the room around 6:30 and then laid down on the couch to watch Arrow.
I have to say I am enjoying the show so far. My experience with Green Arrow has been more relegated to the Green Arrow of the comic books and animated shows. The dark one armed GA of the Frank Miller days as well as the smart ass older version in JL/JLU. This Arrow is a nice contrast but stays in line with the other versions. I also like the way they have introduced other characters from the DC world without being heavy handed. So far we have seen Deadshot, Deathstroke, The Huntress, and Firefly. The only one I wish so far they would do more with is Merlyn but they have at least touched on that character. I wish movies could be the same way as TV shows when it came to stuff like this. The Spiderman series have been awful at shoving too many characters too fast into a 90 minute movie. At least with TV you have 12-13 hours to introduce all the characters which gives you better development in my opinion.
That as you can see was my evening. I watched five episodes then went to bed. Talked to B briefly. She had the day off yesterday and spent it watching a Harry Potter marathon then went out to dinner with friends. This last part is important and I am happy about. She actually found the nerve to call up a mutual friend of ours and they went out to dinner last night. I am happy for her on this.
Today is day three of training. This is the less formal day where we will be switching gears and going more into mentoring mode. I should finish early today and tomorrow which will be nice. The hotel should also be less crowded tonight as I have seen at least 5 doors on my floor with receipts sticking out from under them. Soon I will be one of those people heading home.
Wednesday, May 14, 2014
Y5 D354
Slept better last night. I have the air in this room figured out which helped. I tried going to bed with it off but it suddenly was 76 degrees in the room and I was dying. Once I got that fixed it was better. My class went pretty well yesterday. The group is good. More importantly they stocked the room with all sorts of drinks, snacks, and they brought it lunch from Jimmy John's. When I arrived at 8:40 almost everyone was already there which is amazing. I was a little thrown off to walk in and see so many people. Usually people trickle in right before start. We went almost right up to the 5pm mark too. I could have gotten us out a little earlier but I used the time to go over some other stuff that will buy us more time later in the week. After class I walked back to the hotel and relaxed. I took home leftovers from lunch and didn't need to go back out at all. I ended up watching four episodes of Arrow. I have been holding off watching the show until I had a time like this to power through it. I am enjoying it so far. I keep wishing for Batman to show up, but otherwise it's pretty good. Talked with B a little bit. She is doing better it seems with her whole grandmother issue. Around 9:30 I was getting a bit of a headache and crawled into bed. Today should be pretty much a repeat of yesterday. Teach, eat leftovers, watch TV. I may go for a walk though to pickup Rockstars for the rest of the week. That will be my big adventure tonight.
Big difference from two or three years ago when I would be on the road isn't it? No spending the night in bars waking up with a hangover. No feeling sorry for myself. Time has done me good I'd say.
Big difference from two or three years ago when I would be on the road isn't it? No spending the night in bars waking up with a hangover. No feeling sorry for myself. Time has done me good I'd say.
Tuesday, May 13, 2014
Y5 D353
I slept like shit last night. The desert air here is so damn dry. First I tried sleeping with the windows open because the AC was drying me out, but that didn't work so I turned the AC back on and kept waking up every hour. This is not going to be a good week. I may stop at Target and buy a small humidifier for the room. The one advantage to being on the road with my own car. They make little tiny ones where you can insert a water bottle into the base. That would be perfect for me.
Left the house yesterday around 9:45 and made it to Reno in 3 hours and 35 minutes. Always nice to make this drive when there is no snow nor traffic. I just cruised right along. I got all checked into the hotel then walked the .3 miles to the client. Dear god I am glad I decided to go to them last night instead of this morning. It took us over two hours to get the room situated, make sure there was network access, get me a machine that would work on the projector, etc. They use dumb terminals for all their employees and we couldn't get one to talk to the projector. Then they had to track down network cables because they don't have any wireless in their building. Fiasco. I finally finished up with them around 4.
Came back to the hotel and decided to head downtown for dinner. While I was on my way down there B texted me. She got some really bad news last night. Her grandmother has been in remission from breast cancer for the last 15 years and they just found out last night it's back. This put her in a real bad depression because she worries she will get it. It's hit a number of the women in her family and this made her all worried about the future. I tried to console her but there's only so much one can do.
I ended up at the El Dorado in their nice restaurant and ate like a king. I basically blew my entire meal budget for the week but it was so worth it. I had foie, a beautiful wedge, a waygu burger, and chocolate orange pot de creme. All with a butterscotch martini. DAMN it was a fine meal. I got back to the room about 7:30 and relaxed. Did some file updates, caught up on emails, and basically did a whole lot of nothing. I tried once more to talk to B but it wasn't happening.
Fell asleep around 10:30 and then proceeded to deal with everything mentioned above. Time for breakfast and then I don't have to leave here until 8:30. Only 2.5 hours to kill.
Left the house yesterday around 9:45 and made it to Reno in 3 hours and 35 minutes. Always nice to make this drive when there is no snow nor traffic. I just cruised right along. I got all checked into the hotel then walked the .3 miles to the client. Dear god I am glad I decided to go to them last night instead of this morning. It took us over two hours to get the room situated, make sure there was network access, get me a machine that would work on the projector, etc. They use dumb terminals for all their employees and we couldn't get one to talk to the projector. Then they had to track down network cables because they don't have any wireless in their building. Fiasco. I finally finished up with them around 4.
Came back to the hotel and decided to head downtown for dinner. While I was on my way down there B texted me. She got some really bad news last night. Her grandmother has been in remission from breast cancer for the last 15 years and they just found out last night it's back. This put her in a real bad depression because she worries she will get it. It's hit a number of the women in her family and this made her all worried about the future. I tried to console her but there's only so much one can do.
I ended up at the El Dorado in their nice restaurant and ate like a king. I basically blew my entire meal budget for the week but it was so worth it. I had foie, a beautiful wedge, a waygu burger, and chocolate orange pot de creme. All with a butterscotch martini. DAMN it was a fine meal. I got back to the room about 7:30 and relaxed. Did some file updates, caught up on emails, and basically did a whole lot of nothing. I tried once more to talk to B but it wasn't happening.
Fell asleep around 10:30 and then proceeded to deal with everything mentioned above. Time for breakfast and then I don't have to leave here until 8:30. Only 2.5 hours to kill.
Monday, May 12, 2014
Y5 D352
Mixed range of emotions and enjoyment yesterday. We got up around 8 as we had to be in the city before noon. Things were great in the morning. We got up, got ready, and headed out to the train station about 10. Got into the city about 11:15 and made it to the wedding dress shop at 11:30. Since it was Mother's Day the place was pretty quiet and they were able to see us early. B tried on four different dresses and found one she really likes. While it wasn't cheap, it was definitely in the realm of being okay. It's a gorgeous dress and with customization and fitting it is about $1300. Compared to what they would be at most places, it's a steal. The entire bodice is covered in Swarovski crystals and I did some searching when we got home and found comparable dresses for $3000 - $5000. So yeah, more than we were hoping but not outrageous for the dress itself. Plus the place was really low key and made B feel really comfortable. She got through the appointment feeling good and not rushed, pushed, or feeling bad about her body. Important stuff.
After we hit the mall and things kind of got frustrating. We mostly went there because we were hungry and they have like the largest food court ever. But the center kiosk people are pushy and rude. She got accosted by one who even touched her hair. It was a bad scene. We got on the train feeling frustrated. Got back home around 3 and saw our friends posted for folks to come on over and hang out. Big mistake. First off, we were the only ones there. Second, they were so drunk already that it made things really awkward. The wife kept repeating herself. I mean like really bad repeating. We ordered pizza and in a 45 minute timeframe she asked him six times if he had ordered the pizza.
Then they made us watch Walking Dead which neither of us really like. I should say I am apathetic to it, where as B flat out dislikes it. But we knew if we tried to say anything it would start an argument. We ended up leaving around 9 but B was pissed off, I was tired, and it just caused the evening to fall flat.
Now she is off to work and I am off to Reno for a week. I wish I wasn't going out of town so her and I could have some time, but it is what it is. I get back Saturday morning. Hopefully it will be a good week.
After we hit the mall and things kind of got frustrating. We mostly went there because we were hungry and they have like the largest food court ever. But the center kiosk people are pushy and rude. She got accosted by one who even touched her hair. It was a bad scene. We got on the train feeling frustrated. Got back home around 3 and saw our friends posted for folks to come on over and hang out. Big mistake. First off, we were the only ones there. Second, they were so drunk already that it made things really awkward. The wife kept repeating herself. I mean like really bad repeating. We ordered pizza and in a 45 minute timeframe she asked him six times if he had ordered the pizza.
Then they made us watch Walking Dead which neither of us really like. I should say I am apathetic to it, where as B flat out dislikes it. But we knew if we tried to say anything it would start an argument. We ended up leaving around 9 but B was pissed off, I was tired, and it just caused the evening to fall flat.
Now she is off to work and I am off to Reno for a week. I wish I wasn't going out of town so her and I could have some time, but it is what it is. I get back Saturday morning. Hopefully it will be a good week.
Sunday, May 11, 2014
Y5 D351
Yesterday ended up being a throw away day. Reasons why I drink and party on a Friday night and not Saturday night. At least I can throw away one weekend day without feeling guilty. I still have all of today to do things. Plus since B works on Saturdays I felt even less guilty that I didn't do anything. By the time she got home I was mostly recuperated and was able to give her attention. I did run a couple of errands in the morning including bringing her lunch. But after lunch, I laid down on the couch, watched a couple of TV shows and took a 2 hour nap. Very enjoyable. I finished packing for my trip tomorrow somewhere in there too.
When B got home she was upset. I saw her arms and knew what happened. One of the damn cats at her work went ballistic and attacked her all over. She has scratches up and down both arms. Really sucks too because she told me she had been having a great day up until that happened. I decided to make her feel better by going against my own nature and taking her out for dinner on a Saturday night. We went to Chili's because she likes it. It was packed and we waited about 30 minutes for a table, but it made her happy.
Got home and tried to introduce the cats to each other. Yeah, that went over like a lead balloon. We are going to try again today but if last night was any example, it's going to be an uphill climb getting them to like each other. To make it easy, I went in the other room with one while the other got to explore for the first time.
Went to bed around 10:30. Today we have a dress appointment in the city. Yes, I am going with her because she doesn't want to try and go into the city on her own and she doesn't have enough female friends that she feels comfortable inviting along. Hence, I go with her. We have to be up there by noon which is why I am up early on a Sunday. I am actually looking forward to this, but I know she isn't. I think she will have fun regardless.
That's about it. I need to go to the bathroom now.
When B got home she was upset. I saw her arms and knew what happened. One of the damn cats at her work went ballistic and attacked her all over. She has scratches up and down both arms. Really sucks too because she told me she had been having a great day up until that happened. I decided to make her feel better by going against my own nature and taking her out for dinner on a Saturday night. We went to Chili's because she likes it. It was packed and we waited about 30 minutes for a table, but it made her happy.
Got home and tried to introduce the cats to each other. Yeah, that went over like a lead balloon. We are going to try again today but if last night was any example, it's going to be an uphill climb getting them to like each other. To make it easy, I went in the other room with one while the other got to explore for the first time.
Went to bed around 10:30. Today we have a dress appointment in the city. Yes, I am going with her because she doesn't want to try and go into the city on her own and she doesn't have enough female friends that she feels comfortable inviting along. Hence, I go with her. We have to be up there by noon which is why I am up early on a Sunday. I am actually looking forward to this, but I know she isn't. I think she will have fun regardless.
That's about it. I need to go to the bathroom now.
Saturday, May 10, 2014
Y5 D350
You don't know how bad I needed last night. I let loose and it was enjoyable as hell. I really needed a night of letting loose and it did not disappoint. I am paying for it a little right now, but man so wroth it.
I woke up early because I was supposed to meet a coworker at our office to pick up some stuff for next week. She had explicitly told me she needed to be out by a certain time and I was trying to accommodate her schedule by being ready as early as possible. At 6:30 she sends an email that plans have changed. Motherfucker. Seriously? On top of that I had 8 emails from our damn sales guy to go through almost all of which didn't impact me. But I still had to go through them all. From there I sat and waited until some other things got confirmed. I gave up around 9 and decided to go to Target to take care of some stuff. I needed a few things for my trip next week. I was back home by 11. B had the day off yesterday and was able to come with me. Saved me from having to go out today which is nice. I still have a few things to do today but not so much that I feel rushed or overwhelmed.
Got back and from 11:45 until 1, did a webinar for our internal folks. We do these lunch and learn sessions once a month where we teach the consultants some best practices and tricks from the field. They are our way of beta testing the presentations before offering them to the general public as one of our free webinars. It's a great way to gauge reaction and see how they will go over with normal folks. The webinar went well and we were all happy at the response. This will definitely be one we offer in the future. After that I had a conference call with the sales VP and one of our other folks. THAT was a pain in the ass. They wanted follow up from my trip to Tulsa last week and they were pissed off when I told them sorry, there's nothing you can sell them today. I positioned us for long term partnership not immediate money in hand. Got off the phone around 2 and took a nap. Just a little one because the plans were for friends to come over and go out.
Everybody got to the house by 6:30 and we went out for sushi. It was a great time. Beers, sake, and plates of fish were had all around. It was me, B, one other couple, and our friend whose girlfriend is currently in Mexico on a ladies trip. So yes, we were babysitting a little and supposed to make sure he stayed out of trouble. Boy did that go south quickly. After dinner we went to my friend's Hawaiian bar where we sucked down two of their signature 'Fishbowl'. Essentially it's an entire bottle of booze mixed with fruit juices, jellybeans, and swedish fish. It was insane. B drove home after that. We got back to the house around 9:30 and some other friends came over. We played games, drank 4Loko and vodka, laughed, and just had a great time. B went to bed around 11:30 since she had to get up this morning. I gave up around 12:30 and joined her. When I woke up at 6 there were people on the couch, the floor, and the spare bedroom. Nice. I always feel like a good host when that happens.
But now it's 9:30 and everyone is gone, the house is clean, and it's time for me to do errands and pack.
Man I needed last night though. I feel so much more refreshed and ready to deal with next week.
I woke up early because I was supposed to meet a coworker at our office to pick up some stuff for next week. She had explicitly told me she needed to be out by a certain time and I was trying to accommodate her schedule by being ready as early as possible. At 6:30 she sends an email that plans have changed. Motherfucker. Seriously? On top of that I had 8 emails from our damn sales guy to go through almost all of which didn't impact me. But I still had to go through them all. From there I sat and waited until some other things got confirmed. I gave up around 9 and decided to go to Target to take care of some stuff. I needed a few things for my trip next week. I was back home by 11. B had the day off yesterday and was able to come with me. Saved me from having to go out today which is nice. I still have a few things to do today but not so much that I feel rushed or overwhelmed.
Got back and from 11:45 until 1, did a webinar for our internal folks. We do these lunch and learn sessions once a month where we teach the consultants some best practices and tricks from the field. They are our way of beta testing the presentations before offering them to the general public as one of our free webinars. It's a great way to gauge reaction and see how they will go over with normal folks. The webinar went well and we were all happy at the response. This will definitely be one we offer in the future. After that I had a conference call with the sales VP and one of our other folks. THAT was a pain in the ass. They wanted follow up from my trip to Tulsa last week and they were pissed off when I told them sorry, there's nothing you can sell them today. I positioned us for long term partnership not immediate money in hand. Got off the phone around 2 and took a nap. Just a little one because the plans were for friends to come over and go out.
Everybody got to the house by 6:30 and we went out for sushi. It was a great time. Beers, sake, and plates of fish were had all around. It was me, B, one other couple, and our friend whose girlfriend is currently in Mexico on a ladies trip. So yes, we were babysitting a little and supposed to make sure he stayed out of trouble. Boy did that go south quickly. After dinner we went to my friend's Hawaiian bar where we sucked down two of their signature 'Fishbowl'. Essentially it's an entire bottle of booze mixed with fruit juices, jellybeans, and swedish fish. It was insane. B drove home after that. We got back to the house around 9:30 and some other friends came over. We played games, drank 4Loko and vodka, laughed, and just had a great time. B went to bed around 11:30 since she had to get up this morning. I gave up around 12:30 and joined her. When I woke up at 6 there were people on the couch, the floor, and the spare bedroom. Nice. I always feel like a good host when that happens.
But now it's 9:30 and everyone is gone, the house is clean, and it's time for me to do errands and pack.
Man I needed last night though. I feel so much more refreshed and ready to deal with next week.
Friday, May 9, 2014
Y5 D349
I have been up since 3:45. Why? Because the stupid new cat - HER cat as she points out - has not yet learned when it's dark and the humans are sleeping, you should be sleeping. At least my old ugly ass stupid cat knows how to sleep at night. Fucking animals. Sometimes I enjoy being on the road because there are no animals or other humans to bother me. I also woke up to 8 fucking emails from our dick faced VP of Sales. I have been off his radar for a while and it's been nice not having to get stupid ass emails from him. Somehow I ended up on a CC on an email and am stuck on the thread. That's the most annoying thing, waking up to emails that have absolutely nothing to do with me. Fuckers.
I got a couple of things accomplished yesterday. Amongst them was completing all the DVD rips I was doing. I added 102 episodes of Classic Doctor Who to my collection yesterday. While that may seem like a lot, when you are talking about a show with 50 years of episodes, it ain't shit. From the new series I am still missing seasons 3, 4, 5, and 6. From the originals, way more than I can count. I would like to at least get the new stuff to finish that off. Plus we have season 8 starting soon. Oh and I just learned this morning that in June, season 2 of Orange is the New Black starts.
I also managed to get laundry done last night. I needed to get it done for my trip next week. That was a positive thing. In addition to all that, I did a write up for the folks in Tulsa, completed the slides for a webinar I have to give today, and played email catchup. You see? That's how you do it. You don't send emails at 1 in the fucking morning. You wait and take care of them when you have time. No one died because I didn't get that write up done until yesterday. Sigh. Sales people suck balls.
Had pork chops for dinner. B was and is grumpy because one of our friends wants to go out with her tonight as a girl's night and B's social anxiety and general loathing of humans is making it more complicated than it is. If she doesn't want to go, don't go. But she is trying to get ME to make excuses why she can't go and I am refusing. She feels I am not taking her seriously about this and I am, I just am not going to be her scapegoat.
She also came home complaining about her job again. I told her that she is welcome to quit after a certain date because we will need her home packing. I fully support that. I also told her that if she plans on not getting a job when we move, fine, but that doesn't mean she can sit around all day. As I said to her, I believe in the concept of a housewife. I respect and believe that is as real a job as any IF the person does stuff. I will not work all day to just have to clean and do other stuff if she is home all day. It's not fair and it leads to some serious resentment. I also warned her that I do not want to hear any of the following "I'm bored", "I have nothing to do", "I have no friends". Those are all unacceptable if she chooses not to work.
Goddamn I am grumpy and mean right now aren't I? And I have to run an errand shortly as I have to pick some stuff up for my trip next week from my coworker. This is not going to be a good day. I will mention there was one positive thing yesterday - my new phone case from China arrived. Only took the post office a week and a half. Took 4 days to come from China, 9 to go 3 miles. Yay USPS. Fuckers. I do like the case. It's a nice flip style with pockets on the inside. This will help me when I don't want to bring my whole wallet somewhere. Just need a couple of things and bam I am good to go.
Okay. Next up, showering and errands.
I got a couple of things accomplished yesterday. Amongst them was completing all the DVD rips I was doing. I added 102 episodes of Classic Doctor Who to my collection yesterday. While that may seem like a lot, when you are talking about a show with 50 years of episodes, it ain't shit. From the new series I am still missing seasons 3, 4, 5, and 6. From the originals, way more than I can count. I would like to at least get the new stuff to finish that off. Plus we have season 8 starting soon. Oh and I just learned this morning that in June, season 2 of Orange is the New Black starts.
I also managed to get laundry done last night. I needed to get it done for my trip next week. That was a positive thing. In addition to all that, I did a write up for the folks in Tulsa, completed the slides for a webinar I have to give today, and played email catchup. You see? That's how you do it. You don't send emails at 1 in the fucking morning. You wait and take care of them when you have time. No one died because I didn't get that write up done until yesterday. Sigh. Sales people suck balls.
Had pork chops for dinner. B was and is grumpy because one of our friends wants to go out with her tonight as a girl's night and B's social anxiety and general loathing of humans is making it more complicated than it is. If she doesn't want to go, don't go. But she is trying to get ME to make excuses why she can't go and I am refusing. She feels I am not taking her seriously about this and I am, I just am not going to be her scapegoat.
She also came home complaining about her job again. I told her that she is welcome to quit after a certain date because we will need her home packing. I fully support that. I also told her that if she plans on not getting a job when we move, fine, but that doesn't mean she can sit around all day. As I said to her, I believe in the concept of a housewife. I respect and believe that is as real a job as any IF the person does stuff. I will not work all day to just have to clean and do other stuff if she is home all day. It's not fair and it leads to some serious resentment. I also warned her that I do not want to hear any of the following "I'm bored", "I have nothing to do", "I have no friends". Those are all unacceptable if she chooses not to work.
Goddamn I am grumpy and mean right now aren't I? And I have to run an errand shortly as I have to pick some stuff up for my trip next week from my coworker. This is not going to be a good day. I will mention there was one positive thing yesterday - my new phone case from China arrived. Only took the post office a week and a half. Took 4 days to come from China, 9 to go 3 miles. Yay USPS. Fuckers. I do like the case. It's a nice flip style with pockets on the inside. This will help me when I don't want to bring my whole wallet somewhere. Just need a couple of things and bam I am good to go.
Okay. Next up, showering and errands.
Thursday, May 8, 2014
Y5 D348
Good to be home. Back in my own bed. Even if it is short lived, it's nice. I get four days at home before I am gone again for 5 1/2 days.
Got up, left the hotel around 6:30, stopped at Walmart to pick up some donuts and snacks for my class. Taught until about 2:30 and headed home. Got home and dealt with a bunch of bullshit issues. First off, the apartment complex is charging me for the parking space that they fucked up and forgot about for a year. They left a notice on my door saying I owed them $23. I was going to fight it but in the end said the hell with it because soon enough the Mercedes will be gone and I can get rid of the parking space. I got confirmation yesterday that it will be picked up on the 16th of this month. At that point I can move the bike to a regular space and tell them they can have the parking space back. So I paid the $23 and just said fuck it.
The bigger is with our mailman. They have failed twice to deliver a package and I am getting sick and tired of them. The mail carrier here is horrible. He did leave me one 'present' yesterday though - a nice thick letter from the fucking IRS. Apparently I missed a signature on my return. Fuck me. They sent the whole thing back because it was missing a signature. I had to run to CVS get envelopes, sign in the missing spot, and luckily I hit the mailbox the same time as the mailman was collecting. That is going to delay my refund though and I was really hoping to start paying some stuff off. Bastards.
I ended up taking a short nap which I paid for later in the evening. B treated us to burritos for dinner, we watched some TV, and then went to bed.
The new cat is doing okay. Better than my stupid ass cat who is just noisy and annoying. The new one is quiet and living in the bedroom. So far no issues with her. I hate to admit it but she is cute. Let's see what happens when we let the two of them meet. I figure Sunday will be a good day to test this out. We will both be home and if something goes wrong we can quickly address it.
Today is finalizing a webinar, catching up on documents, etc. Hopefully everyone else will leave me be.
Got up, left the hotel around 6:30, stopped at Walmart to pick up some donuts and snacks for my class. Taught until about 2:30 and headed home. Got home and dealt with a bunch of bullshit issues. First off, the apartment complex is charging me for the parking space that they fucked up and forgot about for a year. They left a notice on my door saying I owed them $23. I was going to fight it but in the end said the hell with it because soon enough the Mercedes will be gone and I can get rid of the parking space. I got confirmation yesterday that it will be picked up on the 16th of this month. At that point I can move the bike to a regular space and tell them they can have the parking space back. So I paid the $23 and just said fuck it.
The bigger is with our mailman. They have failed twice to deliver a package and I am getting sick and tired of them. The mail carrier here is horrible. He did leave me one 'present' yesterday though - a nice thick letter from the fucking IRS. Apparently I missed a signature on my return. Fuck me. They sent the whole thing back because it was missing a signature. I had to run to CVS get envelopes, sign in the missing spot, and luckily I hit the mailbox the same time as the mailman was collecting. That is going to delay my refund though and I was really hoping to start paying some stuff off. Bastards.
I ended up taking a short nap which I paid for later in the evening. B treated us to burritos for dinner, we watched some TV, and then went to bed.
The new cat is doing okay. Better than my stupid ass cat who is just noisy and annoying. The new one is quiet and living in the bedroom. So far no issues with her. I hate to admit it but she is cute. Let's see what happens when we let the two of them meet. I figure Sunday will be a good day to test this out. We will both be home and if something goes wrong we can quickly address it.
Today is finalizing a webinar, catching up on documents, etc. Hopefully everyone else will leave me be.
Wednesday, May 7, 2014
Y5 D347
I need a day off. I am starting to reach critical mass. I have been teaching for four weeks straight. I get something of a break tomorrow and Friday but not enough. My next real break comes at the end of the end of the month and it can't get here soon enough.
Taught, finished up, checked into the hotel, met some friends for dinner, came back to the hotel, played Diablo, went to bed. That sums it up. Didn't talk much to B mostly because I need some down time. Not from her per se, just from everyone. I am seriously looking forward to being alone tomorrow. She got the new cat and from what I can tell everything is fine so far. Let's see how this works out.
Last day of training this group. It *should* go quick. I am anticipating being done early which means I can be home early. One can hope and pray.
Taught, finished up, checked into the hotel, met some friends for dinner, came back to the hotel, played Diablo, went to bed. That sums it up. Didn't talk much to B mostly because I need some down time. Not from her per se, just from everyone. I am seriously looking forward to being alone tomorrow. She got the new cat and from what I can tell everything is fine so far. Let's see how this works out.
Last day of training this group. It *should* go quick. I am anticipating being done early which means I can be home early. One can hope and pray.
Tuesday, May 6, 2014
Y5 D346
Decent day even if I ended up sleeping on a couch and waking up way too early. I spent the night at a friend's house to avoid having to drive all the way back home in horrendous traffic last night and dealing with the drive again this morning. Tonight I am staying at a nearby hotel for the same reason. I know in the grand scheme of things having to do this drive is minor but at the same time, it's still a pain in the ass and if there is a way for me to avoid it, I will.
Arrived on site yesterday around 6:45 and waited until people arrived at 8:15. Got setup and taught class. I have 16 students each day this week. Yesterday we went until about 4:45 but today and tomorrow I feel will wrap up earlier. They're a decent group even if I can't pronounce half of their names without pulling out my tongue. I also got a bunch of emails from our sales guy asking about OK and how that went. I told him that on Thursday I will be putting together a summary document and he can just wait. I am sure that irked him but so what.
Arrived at my friends place around 5:30 and met up with him at his work. He is a martial arts instructor and I got to watch him interact with one of his classes. That was fun watching him deal with a bunch of small children. After he finished up we headed to Chili's next door for dinner. Not bad. I had a nice mango tilapia.
We got back to his place around 7:30, I talked with B a bit but she had a headache coming on and went to bed early. I played some video games while my buddy watched baseball. Around 10, I passed out on his couch.
Today is more of the same.
Arrived on site yesterday around 6:45 and waited until people arrived at 8:15. Got setup and taught class. I have 16 students each day this week. Yesterday we went until about 4:45 but today and tomorrow I feel will wrap up earlier. They're a decent group even if I can't pronounce half of their names without pulling out my tongue. I also got a bunch of emails from our sales guy asking about OK and how that went. I told him that on Thursday I will be putting together a summary document and he can just wait. I am sure that irked him but so what.
Arrived at my friends place around 5:30 and met up with him at his work. He is a martial arts instructor and I got to watch him interact with one of his classes. That was fun watching him deal with a bunch of small children. After he finished up we headed to Chili's next door for dinner. Not bad. I had a nice mango tilapia.
We got back to his place around 7:30, I talked with B a bit but she had a headache coming on and went to bed early. I played some video games while my buddy watched baseball. Around 10, I passed out on his couch.
Today is more of the same.
Monday, May 5, 2014
Y5 D345
Yesterday was pretty good but it ended on a bit of a sad note. Sad is the best way to describe it too. Not upset, not bad, just kind of sad. Not my fault either. I am dealing with the same problem with B that I had with the kid - their inability to make friends on their own. The difference is I feel more indebted to B to help her than I did to the kid. I am the reason B lives here now and therefore I feel more of an obligation to help her out.
I got up yesterday at 9:30 and caught up on the week's news, read my morning comics, etc. B got up around 1:30, yes 1:30. Talk about sleeping in. I made us pancakes and bacon which was fun to eat at 2 in the afternoon. We then went and ran some errands. B needed some new shoes and it looks like later this week we will be fostering one of the cats at her work until a permanent home can be found for it. I told her this was all on her and if she wanted this to happen then she has to be the one to by the supplies. We stopped at the pet store where she got all the needed stuff. This should be interesting. When we got back B watched some TV while I played Diablo. Got my barbarian to level 62. Afterwards B was craving mexican food and we found a little place neither of us had been to before. The food was fantastic. Great place. A little slow on the service, but the food made up for that. We got back home and both of us were stuffed. We relaxed for a while and then around 8 had the sex. Yay! That part was great. It was later around 10 as we were laying there that B hits me with "would you ever consider living in MI". Um no. Not my part of the world. I would not be happy there. The end result was her feeling homesick and since I am about to be out of town again for the next few days, lonely. She misses her friends. Most of her friends she has known since childhood. She admitted it's hard for her to make friends and she was feeling very lonely for them as she thought about me being out of town. I was honest and told her that while I can't empathize, I can hold her as that really was all I could do at that time.
Fell asleep, but I think she was up much longer. Oh well. Like I said, a sad ending to a good day.
I got up yesterday at 9:30 and caught up on the week's news, read my morning comics, etc. B got up around 1:30, yes 1:30. Talk about sleeping in. I made us pancakes and bacon which was fun to eat at 2 in the afternoon. We then went and ran some errands. B needed some new shoes and it looks like later this week we will be fostering one of the cats at her work until a permanent home can be found for it. I told her this was all on her and if she wanted this to happen then she has to be the one to by the supplies. We stopped at the pet store where she got all the needed stuff. This should be interesting. When we got back B watched some TV while I played Diablo. Got my barbarian to level 62. Afterwards B was craving mexican food and we found a little place neither of us had been to before. The food was fantastic. Great place. A little slow on the service, but the food made up for that. We got back home and both of us were stuffed. We relaxed for a while and then around 8 had the sex. Yay! That part was great. It was later around 10 as we were laying there that B hits me with "would you ever consider living in MI". Um no. Not my part of the world. I would not be happy there. The end result was her feeling homesick and since I am about to be out of town again for the next few days, lonely. She misses her friends. Most of her friends she has known since childhood. She admitted it's hard for her to make friends and she was feeling very lonely for them as she thought about me being out of town. I was honest and told her that while I can't empathize, I can hold her as that really was all I could do at that time.
Fell asleep, but I think she was up much longer. Oh well. Like I said, a sad ending to a good day.
Sunday, May 4, 2014
Y5 D344
I have a headache this morning. No booze, well a little, but not enough to have created a headache. Feels more sinus pressure related than anything else. Late night, insufficient sleep, that sort of thing. I did very little during the day yesterday. I went and got kitty litter in the morning, came back and worked on organizing the office since it was a bit of a mess, ironed clothes for the show, and took a 2.5 hour nap. That was enjoyable. Made steaks for dinner, got ready, and headed out to the show. Before the show we met up with friends to celebrate a birthday before hand. That's where the one drink came from pre-show. I was emcee last night, did my stuff, had a decent time doing it, did the show, and was home around 3:15. That's about it. Today I have to pack as I will be gone M-W this week. No flying on this trip or the next one, but I will still be out of town. The next three days are at the client I hate driving to and then a week in Reno. Whee.
Saturday, May 3, 2014
Y5 D343
I'm home. Thank goodness. I was up for 22 hours yesterday but I got more accomplished when I got home than most people that's for sure. Let's put this all in PDT to avoid time zone issues, shall we? I was up at midnight, left the hotel at 1:30, got to the airport at 2. Security actually opens early in Tulsa and I was able to go right to my gate. They only have about 30 gates which made it nice and easy. I had a nice first class seat for the ride to Dallas. Why do I bitch so much about not getting my upgrades? The arm room. I don't need the leg room, but the arm room is nice. When I got to Dallas I had 3 hours to kill. Got some food, found a lounge, and settled in to watch some TV shows. I didn't get my upgrade on the flight home and had to cram my arms into my seat since apparently the giant next to me didn't understand the concept of sharing an arm rest. See my previous rant above on arm room space. Otherwise, the flight was uneventful and I got home 25 minutes early. B had the day off and picked me up. Got home around 1. So at that point I had already been up for 13 hours. When we got home here's what I got done:
- Laundry
- Groceries
- Unpacked
- Time sheet
- Expense report
- Misc emails
- Bills
- Ripped two DVDs
- Organized everything that came down the pipe while I was gone
I took care of EVERYTHING which leaves me with a nice open Saturday today. The only thing I need to do today is get kitty litter. I will also point out that B paid for all the groceries which I am thankful for as I spent a lot of money on the road and then took care of bills. B took a nap at one point while I was doing stuff and while she slept I made dinner. Made a nice lasagne and salad. After dinner we relaxed and I finally collapsed around 10. Show tonight and then I am back on the road for three days next week. Busy weekend starts now!
- Laundry
- Groceries
- Unpacked
- Time sheet
- Expense report
- Misc emails
- Bills
- Ripped two DVDs
- Organized everything that came down the pipe while I was gone
I took care of EVERYTHING which leaves me with a nice open Saturday today. The only thing I need to do today is get kitty litter. I will also point out that B paid for all the groceries which I am thankful for as I spent a lot of money on the road and then took care of bills. B took a nap at one point while I was doing stuff and while she slept I made dinner. Made a nice lasagne and salad. After dinner we relaxed and I finally collapsed around 10. Show tonight and then I am back on the road for three days next week. Busy weekend starts now!
Friday, May 2, 2014
Y5 D342
I am up way too early yet again. Yay travel days. It's fucking 12:30am back home and I am about to get on the road soon to drive to the airport. I just hope I can get some sleep on the second leg of my flight today. I doubt I will given that I have a three hour layover in Dallas. At that point I will be so 'awake' it will be hard to sleep. Sigh. A nap will be due when I get home.
Yesterday went really well for me business wise. It was a free form mentoring day and we went over all sorts of things. We broke for lunch and the group of us went to BBQ. It was pretty good. It wasn't the best I have ever had, but it didn't suck either. While I was at lunch, the client I am going to be at next week texted me and told me to block of a certain set of dates in July as he wants me to do training for yet another group. I am cool with that because right now I have six days free in June but two whole weeks still open in July. Need to start booking those days. Then in the afternoon session we started talking about one topic which ended up getting both the director and the CTO involved. In the end after an hour or two of talking it looks like I may have lined up a 50k+ future engagement for us with this client. THAT'S what my training classes do for the company. I am the 'hook' if you will. Bring me in, let me get them excited, let them see where they have gaps, hire us to fill the gaps. A simple three day training class turns into a 3 month engagement. Bam. Felt good about that.
Got back to the hotel around five and watched some TV. For dinner I went to a place called "Raising Canes". They only do chicken fingers. Yep. That's it. I was reading about their background and how everyone thought they were nuts for having such a simple menu, but it works. They have multiple franchises across the country and I have to admit, the food was pretty good.
Kept watching shows and trying to sleep. I knew I needed some sleep but it was hard coming. I talked to B a bit but she had a bad headache coming on and didn't feel much like talking. I ended up falling asleep around 10 and woke up at 2. Yay me.
Time to go home.
Yesterday went really well for me business wise. It was a free form mentoring day and we went over all sorts of things. We broke for lunch and the group of us went to BBQ. It was pretty good. It wasn't the best I have ever had, but it didn't suck either. While I was at lunch, the client I am going to be at next week texted me and told me to block of a certain set of dates in July as he wants me to do training for yet another group. I am cool with that because right now I have six days free in June but two whole weeks still open in July. Need to start booking those days. Then in the afternoon session we started talking about one topic which ended up getting both the director and the CTO involved. In the end after an hour or two of talking it looks like I may have lined up a 50k+ future engagement for us with this client. THAT'S what my training classes do for the company. I am the 'hook' if you will. Bring me in, let me get them excited, let them see where they have gaps, hire us to fill the gaps. A simple three day training class turns into a 3 month engagement. Bam. Felt good about that.
Got back to the hotel around five and watched some TV. For dinner I went to a place called "Raising Canes". They only do chicken fingers. Yep. That's it. I was reading about their background and how everyone thought they were nuts for having such a simple menu, but it works. They have multiple franchises across the country and I have to admit, the food was pretty good.
Kept watching shows and trying to sleep. I knew I needed some sleep but it was hard coming. I talked to B a bit but she had a bad headache coming on and didn't feel much like talking. I ended up falling asleep around 10 and woke up at 2. Yay me.
Time to go home.
Thursday, May 1, 2014
Y5 D341
Just checked in for tomorrow's flights. Got one upgrade at least. Nothing yet on my other flight, but I am not complaining. One is better than zero. If I get pre-cleared I won't know for another 4 hours so it's not a big deal yet.
Slept in this morning as I don't have to be at the client for another 2 hours and it's all of 4 minutes away. I think I have time. Plus today is the 'mentoring' day. It's a free form, ask every question you have ever wanted, kind of day. I expect us to finish early which will let me have the evening to pack and relax. I can handle this.
Yesterday was group two. A little less enthusiastic than group one was, but they got through the day. We finished around 4:40 which was perfect. Almost to the money but enough of a buffer that everyone felt good. I got back to the hotel a little after 5 and chilled. B was off yesterday and we got to talk right when I got back to the room. She spent the day watching Sherlock. While she is enjoying it, it isn't as emotional to her as it was to me when I first watched it. We decided that British TV doesn't hit her as hard as American TV where I am just the opposite. I find the shows she watches to be so damn stupid and cliche that there is no emotion. British shows to me are better written with more intricate plots and I feel more invested.
For the rest of the evening I watched 4 episodes of "The Tomorrow People". I know it's been cancelled already (or I am pretty sure) but I have almost all of the first season (one episode still left to air) and I figure why not watch it. It's not bad. I am curious to see how it goes which is enough to keep me watching it. That was my evening. I went to bed around 10 and slept pretty good. I had one weird dream about X2. That's the second one in recent days. I don't know why my mind is going to that, but whatever. It wasn't a bad dream, just weird.
Time to shower and get ready.
Slept in this morning as I don't have to be at the client for another 2 hours and it's all of 4 minutes away. I think I have time. Plus today is the 'mentoring' day. It's a free form, ask every question you have ever wanted, kind of day. I expect us to finish early which will let me have the evening to pack and relax. I can handle this.
Yesterday was group two. A little less enthusiastic than group one was, but they got through the day. We finished around 4:40 which was perfect. Almost to the money but enough of a buffer that everyone felt good. I got back to the hotel a little after 5 and chilled. B was off yesterday and we got to talk right when I got back to the room. She spent the day watching Sherlock. While she is enjoying it, it isn't as emotional to her as it was to me when I first watched it. We decided that British TV doesn't hit her as hard as American TV where I am just the opposite. I find the shows she watches to be so damn stupid and cliche that there is no emotion. British shows to me are better written with more intricate plots and I feel more invested.
For the rest of the evening I watched 4 episodes of "The Tomorrow People". I know it's been cancelled already (or I am pretty sure) but I have almost all of the first season (one episode still left to air) and I figure why not watch it. It's not bad. I am curious to see how it goes which is enough to keep me watching it. That was my evening. I went to bed around 10 and slept pretty good. I had one weird dream about X2. That's the second one in recent days. I don't know why my mind is going to that, but whatever. It wasn't a bad dream, just weird.
Time to shower and get ready.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)