The Kalmyk
Well-Known Member
There’s the thought that books end up in the Young Adult Genre because the protagonist is a young adult not because it’s solely intended for young adult readers.
James Pearl Thinks Blogging is Dead
- Thread starter Norm
- Start date
There’s the thought that books end up in the Young Adult Genre because the protagonist is a young adult not because it’s solely intended for young adult readers.
I have been on the outside of drinking all my life. There always seems to be someone that wants to questions why you don't drink. I always loved this question:
Did you stop because you had a problem or for health reasons?
This one always struck me as weird. I guess it is one of those things that isn't a problem until it is. I guess it is big enough of a deal to mention that you are not doing it. In any case, welcome to the sober life (I assume you haven't replaced drinking with doing coke or something), may I suggest that now you work on riding outside?
Did you stop because you had a problem or for health reasons?
This one always struck me as weird. I guess it is one of those things that isn't a problem until it is. I guess it is big enough of a deal to mention that you are not doing it. In any case, welcome to the sober life (I assume you haven't replaced drinking with doing coke or something), may I suggest that now you work on riding outside?
moose35
Well-Known Member
I get this question asked all the time.
Most people assume you stopped cause you had a problem.
Then when you tell them you just wanted to they look at you like your full of shit.
ChrisG
Unapologetic Lifer for Rock and Roll
Books: If you haven't read it recently, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has so much relevance now, it's ridiculous. And, if you don't want to get all socio-political, the art that Twain used in creating a legitimate American narrative voice is pretty impressive.
@stb222 - I didn't stop because I had a problem, other than the "calories in/calories out" equation problem. In a way the Other Half beers made the beer just too good, and it was easy to say I wanted just 1...or 2. But with these beers, that's 300-600 calories that I just don't need. I have been drinking on & off since high school and my nickname comes from the biggest drunk in sitcom history. I have never turned to alcohol as a means to escape. I never woke up and drank. I never snuck drinks in while at work. I never had a problem other than "I like to consume calories." So no problem in the sense you ask. Just something that I have stopped that I have been doing my whole life. That in and of itself makes it notable. I would make the same sort of proclamation for quitting ice cream. But why on earth would I do that?
~
Much goodness in the book suggestion list.
I have read these before, but would not be against reading any of them again:
If you have not read Murakami, especially Kafka on the Shore, you're missing out.
I don't remember Catcher in the Rye, it's been a long time. I do think that some books need to be read at a certain time. There was a point in my life when I really enjoyed Tom Robbins, and it was at the same general time period I was reading Vonnegut. I think Vonnegut stands the test of time, while I am not sure about Robbins. I am torn between wanting to pick up Still Life with Woodpecker again versus leaving it as a great memory in my head.
I have always enjoyed Rushdie as he is brilliant. But if you do not put the effort in, it is not worth trying. There is 1 exception to that, Haroun. This book is accessible to anyone and you don't need to make a study of it. One day I will pick up Midnight's Children and The Satanic Verses again. I have read both and I am not afraid to admit that they are both above my head at points. I once read about some mathematical theories that are so complex that only ~50 people can truly understand them. I feel that way about Rushdie.
Ok enough about that. I love books.
~
I know I need to get outside but I took another conference call on the bike today. This is life, for now. I am mildly thinking of doing the Ringwood endurance race on Sunday. It's like Zwift, no?
~
Went to Sean's today for a podcast where we brought in Dave VW for the second half. I feel like this podcast was a little erratic and aimless, from start to finish. The second half is better since we had a subject. But even then, at times, I felt like we were off rhythm today. I hope I'm wrong.
~
I am off to Duke tomorrow for an overnight. I will be balls-to-the-wall from 8:30am through about 10pm. I'm sure you'll read all about it later. I will pick a new book before I go but I will need to finish up the last 40 pages of the current one, which I will do tonight or tomorrow morning.
~
Much goodness in the book suggestion list.
I have read these before, but would not be against reading any of them again:
- Camus & Sartre - I have a philosophy minor so I have dabbled in these. I would not do it again without a guide or professor telling me what it all means (Basil)
- Brave New World - Several times, in the college years
- Animal Farm - This is good, I think Zac read it within the last 6 months
- Fahrenheit 451 - I read this a few years ago, and liked it, and remember none of it
- 1984 - I read this a long time ago. I just saw it on the bookshelf. I may take this with me tomorrow
- Grapes of Wrath - High school. I loved this. I have been meaning to read Steinbeck again for the past few years
- Of Mice & Men - Same
- Huck Finn - Read it twice maybe, though not in at least 10 years
- Clockwork Orange - ok I did not read this, I watched the movie. I am not sure I want to read it but I can be convinced
- Handmaiden’s Tale - I know the name but this is the first time it has crossed my radar as a book to check out
- Oryx & Crake - Have never heard of it
- In Cold Blood - Yeah, Capote & Lee were good friends.
- The Wanting Seed - Never even heard of this, being honest
- 20,000 Leagues - Know of it, never read it
- Mutiny on the Bounty - I am only maybe vaguely aware of this
- * Lord of the Flies - Nobody mentioned this but it popped up in my head while looking over this
If you have not read Murakami, especially Kafka on the Shore, you're missing out.
I don't remember Catcher in the Rye, it's been a long time. I do think that some books need to be read at a certain time. There was a point in my life when I really enjoyed Tom Robbins, and it was at the same general time period I was reading Vonnegut. I think Vonnegut stands the test of time, while I am not sure about Robbins. I am torn between wanting to pick up Still Life with Woodpecker again versus leaving it as a great memory in my head.
I have always enjoyed Rushdie as he is brilliant. But if you do not put the effort in, it is not worth trying. There is 1 exception to that, Haroun. This book is accessible to anyone and you don't need to make a study of it. One day I will pick up Midnight's Children and The Satanic Verses again. I have read both and I am not afraid to admit that they are both above my head at points. I once read about some mathematical theories that are so complex that only ~50 people can truly understand them. I feel that way about Rushdie.
Ok enough about that. I love books.
~
I know I need to get outside but I took another conference call on the bike today. This is life, for now. I am mildly thinking of doing the Ringwood endurance race on Sunday. It's like Zwift, no?
~
Went to Sean's today for a podcast where we brought in Dave VW for the second half. I feel like this podcast was a little erratic and aimless, from start to finish. The second half is better since we had a subject. But even then, at times, I felt like we were off rhythm today. I hope I'm wrong.
~
I am off to Duke tomorrow for an overnight. I will be balls-to-the-wall from 8:30am through about 10pm. I'm sure you'll read all about it later. I will pick a new book before I go but I will need to finish up the last 40 pages of the current one, which I will do tonight or tomorrow morning.
GTHCGTH
what about something earlier - but it would need context, which means 'notes' - like Canterbury Tales ?
presented in bitesize parts, but we don't know the miller doesn't like the blacksmith apriori.
for more science/genetics/heredity/history/sociology Edward O. Wilson. Much better than Carl Sagan and Steven Hawkin in the science genre.
--
bring back the warm!! (you can claim responsibility....)
presented in bitesize parts, but we don't know the miller doesn't like the blacksmith apriori.
for more science/genetics/heredity/history/sociology Edward O. Wilson. Much better than Carl Sagan and Steven Hawkin in the science genre.
--
bring back the warm!! (you can claim responsibility....)
Robbins doesn't stand the test of time. That is my experience.
Clockwork Orange- I have multiple copies (apparently makes a great Xmas gift, from the same person, year after year), I'll loan you one of you like.
Ditto on In Cold Blood. Just one copy, but will loan it if you like.
Also have Cold Mountain and all the Krakauer books for an oddly related reason.
My library was purged mightily when Mrs Manic and I began cohabitating, but I fought to keep the good stuffs.
Some of which would bring back college days.
You should do it. Seems like a zero pressure, with tons of potential for fun race.
Talk about blog material. You could write for days just second guessing your nutrition.
Sorry if you misread, I was just making a general statement, not a pointed comment towards you.
That being said, the problem lies within the mask of it not being a problem. 3 "drinks" (whatever a drink amounts too, a beer, a glass of wine, SHOTS) a night can't fall into the good category but you have already mentioned this.
I have seen a number of friends where killing a bottle or 2 of wine a night, usually because it makes food taste better or something. The Norm.
That being said, the problem lies within the mask of it not being a problem. 3 "drinks" (whatever a drink amounts too, a beer, a glass of wine, SHOTS) a night can't fall into the good category but you have already mentioned this.
I have seen a number of friends where killing a bottle or 2 of wine a night, usually because it makes food taste better or something. The Norm.
1speed
Incredibly profound yet fantastically flawed
I've read many of the books that have been listed, but I don't think I can say I've read any of them twice, nor would I. I'm sure I'd have a different reaction to something like "Catcher in the Rye" or anything by Orwell if I re-read them, but I don't really think it's necessary to do that. There are enough that I haven't read that should keep me busy for the rest of my life.
One thing that has been mentioned a few times is how a lot of these books were first read in high school, and of course I'm sure that's true. I think most people would probably expect that to be the period when they encounter more of the "classics". But as I think back to when I was in school, I recall that what we were given for reading assignments varied widely depending on the interests of the teacher. I remember one teacher I had was really into science fiction, apparently, especially David Brin. I think we had to read Waterworld, The Postman and Startide Rising that year. That's a lot of David Brin for one high school English class. The further I get away from it, the stranger that seems - I mean, I think I enjoyed them, but I would never call any of them "classics". My school always gave summer reading lists - usually six or seven books that we could be tested on the first week back. I actually recall some of my favorite fictional works came from those lists - I especially recall enjoying "The Once and Future King" and, as random as this sounds, "Pride and Prejudice".
I don't read much fiction anymore - I will now and then just to mix things up - but I gravitate more toward non-fiction. And a very specific genre of non-fiction at that: I love historical disaster stories. I blame my mom for this - one year a long while back, she gave me a copy of "In the Heart of the Sea" by Nathaniel Philbrick as a Xmas present. I had read Moby Dick in college (that's one of those classics that polarizes people but I'm actually one of the few people I know who enjoyed it start to finish) so I thought it would be interesting to read the real story. I was blown away - it was fascinating and, IMO, much better than the fiction. Now, they are two completely different stories -- the real horror of The Essex occurred only after they were rammed by the whale and that's pretty much where Moby Dick ends. What those men endured after they were set adrift on lifeboats was incredible. I was hooked after that - since then, I've pretty much devoured every non-fiction "adventure-gone-wrong" book I can get my hands on. And it's given me a much greater appreciation and enjoyment of history than I ever had previously. I've read all kinds of disaster stories - from mountain climbing expeditions gone horribly wrong to stories of suffering on the high seas to stories of what happens when societies clash. Central lessons seem to emerge over time and I feel like I've read enough of these stories at this point to say at least three things with a degree of certainty: (1) for most of human history, being a sailor was pretty much the most dangerous thing anyone could choose to be, (2) human beings heading off into the wilderness - especially when that wilderness is frozen - is just a recipe for guaranteed disaster and (3) whenever western civilization carries its natural hubris and sense of superiority into foreign lands and new cultures, really horrible events tend to follow.
At any rate, I've enjoyed reading the back and forth on the books listed here. Good stuff!
One thing that has been mentioned a few times is how a lot of these books were first read in high school, and of course I'm sure that's true. I think most people would probably expect that to be the period when they encounter more of the "classics". But as I think back to when I was in school, I recall that what we were given for reading assignments varied widely depending on the interests of the teacher. I remember one teacher I had was really into science fiction, apparently, especially David Brin. I think we had to read Waterworld, The Postman and Startide Rising that year. That's a lot of David Brin for one high school English class. The further I get away from it, the stranger that seems - I mean, I think I enjoyed them, but I would never call any of them "classics". My school always gave summer reading lists - usually six or seven books that we could be tested on the first week back. I actually recall some of my favorite fictional works came from those lists - I especially recall enjoying "The Once and Future King" and, as random as this sounds, "Pride and Prejudice".
I don't read much fiction anymore - I will now and then just to mix things up - but I gravitate more toward non-fiction. And a very specific genre of non-fiction at that: I love historical disaster stories. I blame my mom for this - one year a long while back, she gave me a copy of "In the Heart of the Sea" by Nathaniel Philbrick as a Xmas present. I had read Moby Dick in college (that's one of those classics that polarizes people but I'm actually one of the few people I know who enjoyed it start to finish) so I thought it would be interesting to read the real story. I was blown away - it was fascinating and, IMO, much better than the fiction. Now, they are two completely different stories -- the real horror of The Essex occurred only after they were rammed by the whale and that's pretty much where Moby Dick ends. What those men endured after they were set adrift on lifeboats was incredible. I was hooked after that - since then, I've pretty much devoured every non-fiction "adventure-gone-wrong" book I can get my hands on. And it's given me a much greater appreciation and enjoyment of history than I ever had previously. I've read all kinds of disaster stories - from mountain climbing expeditions gone horribly wrong to stories of suffering on the high seas to stories of what happens when societies clash. Central lessons seem to emerge over time and I feel like I've read enough of these stories at this point to say at least three things with a degree of certainty: (1) for most of human history, being a sailor was pretty much the most dangerous thing anyone could choose to be, (2) human beings heading off into the wilderness - especially when that wilderness is frozen - is just a recipe for guaranteed disaster and (3) whenever western civilization carries its natural hubris and sense of superiority into foreign lands and new cultures, really horrible events tend to follow.
At any rate, I've enjoyed reading the back and forth on the books listed here. Good stuff!
The Day I Flew to Duke
12:20am: (the night before) - Finish up the 3rd book of The Expanse series, Abaddon's Gate. This specific story was not the best of the 3 but the underlying story is good, and I like the characters enough to want to keep going. The fact that I already have the 4th, 5th, and 6th books does help. I will likely pick up #4 next week. I have decided to not exactly rapid-fire these but I will try and finish them up this year. There is a 7th which I believe is the end of the series but you know how these go. Then I went to sleep.
8:45: Read @stb222's post - no I did not take it as a direct comment on me. But to be clear, I was not drinking 3/night. Most of the time I wouldn't have any drinks during the week. I do agree that a "normalcy" of 3/day is a bit on the heavy side. I think the real problem would be when it came to wine. We would open a bottle and each have 2 glasses, which frankly isn't enough. So then you open another bottle of wine and then you know, corking wine is never good so let's polish that thing off. 2 glasses turns into 4 or 5. Is this bad in/of itself? I don't know the answer to that question but for me, yeah that's probably bad.
8:55: Zwift while working. Sent a bunch of emails and talked to a few coworkers while climbing today's Alpe Du Duke. The Minnesota people are training this week so they are really hyper-sensitive to any bumps in the road. With my time limitations today, this meant I could not be far again. I do intend to ride outside Friday through Sunday this week. The weather looks good for it. As for the race, I am not sure. I seem to have a cyst or something on my left sit bone. This is "a thing" which is annoying but not a show-stopper. What I am more concerned about it my right knee. Since we have come back from Florida my right knee has been bugging me and today it started out better but ended worse. I was going to try and ride in the hotel tomorrow morning but I will rest it instead. I admit that this time I am a little worried about it. It's possible that the 4 days of barefoot walking then 2 days of endless standing actually irritated it in ways I didn't realize until we got back.
As for nutrition, @jShort - don't you remember the last race I did at Iron Hill? I ate 3.5 salami sandwiches. I got that shit nailed. I may order a whole buffalo chicken pizza and eat a slice each lap.
11:15:
11:45: Shower & shave. There's never enough time to do anything properly.
12:00:
12:15:
12:30: Pack bag, in which I feel like I have done this so often that I now feel like I am surely forgetting something. One day I would like to show up with just a book, or just my phone. And maybe a pair of underwear in my jacket pocket. Or a jar of peanut butter and a spoon. Then wash dishes, because I feel like an asshole if I leave the house a mess while D has to take care of all 3 kids the next 2 days. After that whatever else, clean up my tools in the driveway which I am using to clean up this sloppy hedge row next to the driveway.
Also picked 2 new books:
* The Demolished Man, by Alfred Bester (sci fi)
* The Forgotten, by David Baldacci (a present I got at some point)
2:15: Uber to Newark and start the Sci Fi book. So far it is of no consequence. Looks like the cornerstone of this is the concept of a "peeper" that can see into your mind to some extent. It's like 240 pages so if it ramps up I may be able to read the whole thing in these 2 days. Or maybe I'll just get to the hotel room tonight and watch shitty TV. Oh actually, this is the hotel where you can sign in with their smart TV and watch Netflix or whatever.
2:45: TSA line which was quick, then 15 minutes later camp out in the terminal and work until my 5:00 boarding. First was this, to which I say United can eat a dick:"
But then honestly they have made the United terminal waiting areas pretty good in Terminal C. Say what you want about United. But this is much nicer than that shit hole sluice gate Terminal A:
5:00: On the plane, in my seat. While waiting for the boarding call I was summoned to the gate to discuss things with the...pilot. Ok this is a new one. So he wanted to talk to me about the crosswinds coming into Durham and...ok ok, maybe not. But it was the pilot and he wanted to make sure I was ok with the fact that my seat did not have a working tray table. I mean, I guess people freak about this stuff but it's kinda surprising that he would care at all about 1 person. Later he came up to me in the waiting area and told me I could get on with boarding group 1 because of it.
Flight was mostly uneventful, though these smaller planes on smaller trips bounce around a tad more. I don't know if we ever reached cruising altitude as the flight was pretty much, "Ok we're up, here's a coffee, ok get ready to go down." Landed 20 minutes early. I did manage to ready 60+ pages of my book. So far it's ok.
Many containers:
7:40: Sitting in Namu, which is the Korean place I went to last time. Took the Uber straight to dinner and got the same thing I got last time, the Bo's Special and a double espresso. Sat down to eat and got the email to check-in for the return flight. Barely on the ground an hour and it's time to check-in for the return. IDK. It is what it is. I have no idea if this trip will be worth anything. The last 2 weren't really.
Worked on the PM's PPT while I ate, then just hung out here for a little bit because the rush to hotel is not the most exciting thing in the world. The PPT didn't take long, as it was all of 6 pages long, including the cover page and logo on the last page. And the 1 page agenda. And 2 pages of attendees. Yeah, you read that right. 1 slide with any content. And I can't make sense of that 1 slide so I'm'a wing it and see what happens.
That reminds me of a Rutgers game against West Virginia, when Schiano was still the coach. RU had the punt return team on the field and WVU lined up to fake. It was clearly a ploy to draw a TO or maybe an offsides. Well, RU does not call timeout, and leaves the punt return team out there. I think maybe WVU scored a TD on that play or a subsequent one. When asked later why he let it go, Schiano said he just wanted to see what would happen.
9:05: In the hotel room, eating my complimentary ice cream sandwich, working on some things I want to cover tomorrow, and watching Dark. I stopped watching TV on the trainer when I picked up Zwift and I was stopped on episode 7 of 10. Picked up at #8 and watched #9 as well. Just 1 more to go. I don't think these last 2 really did much of anything for me.
11:10: In bed, reading the rest of the night. Will post the return of this trip tomorrow. I need to be at the meeting at 8:00am and it's about 15 minutes away. I'll probably jet around 7:15 and grab a coffee in the hood when I get there.
12:20am: (the night before) - Finish up the 3rd book of The Expanse series, Abaddon's Gate. This specific story was not the best of the 3 but the underlying story is good, and I like the characters enough to want to keep going. The fact that I already have the 4th, 5th, and 6th books does help. I will likely pick up #4 next week. I have decided to not exactly rapid-fire these but I will try and finish them up this year. There is a 7th which I believe is the end of the series but you know how these go. Then I went to sleep.
8:45: Read @stb222's post - no I did not take it as a direct comment on me. But to be clear, I was not drinking 3/night. Most of the time I wouldn't have any drinks during the week. I do agree that a "normalcy" of 3/day is a bit on the heavy side. I think the real problem would be when it came to wine. We would open a bottle and each have 2 glasses, which frankly isn't enough. So then you open another bottle of wine and then you know, corking wine is never good so let's polish that thing off. 2 glasses turns into 4 or 5. Is this bad in/of itself? I don't know the answer to that question but for me, yeah that's probably bad.
8:55: Zwift while working. Sent a bunch of emails and talked to a few coworkers while climbing today's Alpe Du Duke. The Minnesota people are training this week so they are really hyper-sensitive to any bumps in the road. With my time limitations today, this meant I could not be far again. I do intend to ride outside Friday through Sunday this week. The weather looks good for it. As for the race, I am not sure. I seem to have a cyst or something on my left sit bone. This is "a thing" which is annoying but not a show-stopper. What I am more concerned about it my right knee. Since we have come back from Florida my right knee has been bugging me and today it started out better but ended worse. I was going to try and ride in the hotel tomorrow morning but I will rest it instead. I admit that this time I am a little worried about it. It's possible that the 4 days of barefoot walking then 2 days of endless standing actually irritated it in ways I didn't realize until we got back.
As for nutrition, @jShort - don't you remember the last race I did at Iron Hill? I ate 3.5 salami sandwiches. I got that shit nailed. I may order a whole buffalo chicken pizza and eat a slice each lap.
11:15:
Got off the bike at 11:10 then hopped right on a call with this guy in Austin. I have no idea what this was for but it was part of the transition. Long story short - don't expect too many additional resources in the weeks to come. And maybe someday we'll figure out what I want to do when I grow up. Fun. I honestly don't know how long we'll be able to maintain this pace. It's going off the charts again, and with this Duke trip we have a big project starting up again next week. So we could see a pop in the future.
11:45: Shower & shave. There's never enough time to do anything properly.
12:00:
Was supposed to be on a 2 hour call but the douchebag Account Rep from the implementation partner was not there, so we dropped it at 15 minutes. The 2 TCs and the PM are nice enough, but I do not think I can trust the PM. Every time I email him he emails the Account Rep and he roid rages about nothing most of the time. This partner is being drop-kicked after this implementation so I do not need to worry about these assholes anymore.
12:15:
Boss called to touch base. He is stuck in Austin at their yearly conference and as such, I am picking up all the holes that are opening in the dike through the day. We talked about my Work Call 1 and what it means for our future. I am not sure if he thinks this will work out. If they don't give us resources, there's no way the 2 of us can keep this lead balloon afloat.
12:30: Pack bag, in which I feel like I have done this so often that I now feel like I am surely forgetting something. One day I would like to show up with just a book, or just my phone. And maybe a pair of underwear in my jacket pocket. Or a jar of peanut butter and a spoon. Then wash dishes, because I feel like an asshole if I leave the house a mess while D has to take care of all 3 kids the next 2 days. After that whatever else, clean up my tools in the driveway which I am using to clean up this sloppy hedge row next to the driveway.
Also picked 2 new books:
* The Demolished Man, by Alfred Bester (sci fi)
* The Forgotten, by David Baldacci (a present I got at some point)
2:15: Uber to Newark and start the Sci Fi book. So far it is of no consequence. Looks like the cornerstone of this is the concept of a "peeper" that can see into your mind to some extent. It's like 240 pages so if it ramps up I may be able to read the whole thing in these 2 days. Or maybe I'll just get to the hotel room tonight and watch shitty TV. Oh actually, this is the hotel where you can sign in with their smart TV and watch Netflix or whatever.
2:45: TSA line which was quick, then 15 minutes later camp out in the terminal and work until my 5:00 boarding. First was this, to which I say United can eat a dick:"
But then honestly they have made the United terminal waiting areas pretty good in Terminal C. Say what you want about United. But this is much nicer than that shit hole sluice gate Terminal A:
5:00: On the plane, in my seat. While waiting for the boarding call I was summoned to the gate to discuss things with the...pilot. Ok this is a new one. So he wanted to talk to me about the crosswinds coming into Durham and...ok ok, maybe not. But it was the pilot and he wanted to make sure I was ok with the fact that my seat did not have a working tray table. I mean, I guess people freak about this stuff but it's kinda surprising that he would care at all about 1 person. Later he came up to me in the waiting area and told me I could get on with boarding group 1 because of it.
Flight was mostly uneventful, though these smaller planes on smaller trips bounce around a tad more. I don't know if we ever reached cruising altitude as the flight was pretty much, "Ok we're up, here's a coffee, ok get ready to go down." Landed 20 minutes early. I did manage to ready 60+ pages of my book. So far it's ok.
Many containers:
7:40: Sitting in Namu, which is the Korean place I went to last time. Took the Uber straight to dinner and got the same thing I got last time, the Bo's Special and a double espresso. Sat down to eat and got the email to check-in for the return flight. Barely on the ground an hour and it's time to check-in for the return. IDK. It is what it is. I have no idea if this trip will be worth anything. The last 2 weren't really.
Worked on the PM's PPT while I ate, then just hung out here for a little bit because the rush to hotel is not the most exciting thing in the world. The PPT didn't take long, as it was all of 6 pages long, including the cover page and logo on the last page. And the 1 page agenda. And 2 pages of attendees. Yeah, you read that right. 1 slide with any content. And I can't make sense of that 1 slide so I'm'a wing it and see what happens.
That reminds me of a Rutgers game against West Virginia, when Schiano was still the coach. RU had the punt return team on the field and WVU lined up to fake. It was clearly a ploy to draw a TO or maybe an offsides. Well, RU does not call timeout, and leaves the punt return team out there. I think maybe WVU scored a TD on that play or a subsequent one. When asked later why he let it go, Schiano said he just wanted to see what would happen.
9:05: In the hotel room, eating my complimentary ice cream sandwich, working on some things I want to cover tomorrow, and watching Dark. I stopped watching TV on the trainer when I picked up Zwift and I was stopped on episode 7 of 10. Picked up at #8 and watched #9 as well. Just 1 more to go. I don't think these last 2 really did much of anything for me.
11:10: In bed, reading the rest of the night. Will post the return of this trip tomorrow. I need to be at the meeting at 8:00am and it's about 15 minutes away. I'll probably jet around 7:15 and grab a coffee in the hood when I get there.
JDurk
Well-Known Member
That was the day your bike was eating 29" tubes, right?
huffster
Well-Known Member
Have any of your co-workers asked you why you are breathing heavy?
Nah...they saw on @Norm CV that he used to do crank calls in college, so they probably thought he was doing a reprise on that role haha
6:00: The alarm goes off. I have no desire to wake up but i know this will be a short-term thing. It doesn't make getting out of bed any easier, but it makes the future brighter? I shower and I am still able to button my pants, and the belt is the same as last time. The week in Florida appears to not have been too destructive.
Just in case you were confused:
6:45: Breakfast. I find it almost impossible not to eat eggs when I am in the hotel but today I supplemented it with the gruel they claim is oatmeal. I am not sure what this is but I topped it with a little PB and it filled me up a lot. It may be cement. After I eat I stare into space a little more, because I am not yet fully awake. I will be meeting 3 new coworkers today and I have no idea what to expect as far as how useful they will be. Plus I am unsure if this day is pointless or not yet.
7:15: Get the Uber. The PM screwed up both the hotel reservation for the rest of the team, in addition to the meeting location. If I hadn't reached out to someone I know down here, I would have shown up at the wrong place. On top: she is flying out at 5:00, but the day is supposed to end at 4:00. This after she told us to plan to stay for the day. I know you can't expect the PM to do much of anything right, but this stuff plus the PPT - I mean this shit is her job. File this in the "you had ONE job" category.
8:00: Now sitting in the smallest conference room in the world. These hospital system basements are a stark contrast to what you see on the main floors. Duke's is actually better than some others I have seen, which resemble a Home Depot floor, complete with fork lifts and skid marks on the floor. We have taken all available seats, call it a sardine can. We turn the AC down to 68 because it's that kind of party.
10:00: We take a break, and while I grab a coffee I talk to 2 of the guys I met last time I was here. They both tell me that they know 1 of the new guys and not to expect too much. They are both happy we took this implementation in-house as the previous org was Hour mining, which is my expression for overloading every meeting with 4-5 guys so they could charge 4-5x as much. Tracey, the Director, takes me on a short tour of the shop and also expresses that she is thrilled to have us back.
12:00: Jimmy John's for lunch. I really enjoy this kind of work and I could see myself wanting to do this when I grow up some day. Hopefully I can keep doing this with the new org but again, it is what it is. For now little will change but when things shake out, I hope that I can keep working with the customers like this. I really enjoy the customer-facing part and being able to tie the project side with the development side and the user side and all the connections in between.
2:00: Day is over. I will say that this trip was totally worth it, and I'm glad I came down. Unlike the last 2, this was a very worthwhile endeavor. 2 of the 3 new people are not leaving until much later, but they opt to run to the airport right away. I say I am going to the coffee shop to work but they are uninterested. This is fine by me because I have spent the last 6 hours with them and I really don't need any more time with them. One of the guys has made the same joke about his last name 4 times in 6 hours, "Call me whatever, just not late for dinner."
3:00: It is probably better that nobody came here with me because I think most of the people in this coffee shop are from the LGBT community. I typically like these places as the clientele here generally DGAF about what anyone thinks, which makes everything more relaxed & comfortable. I get a cold brew coffee because it is so warm out I started sweating on the walk. I work for 2 hours in the AC then get some coffee beans, and espresso, and call the Uber.
5:30: Through TSA, in the airport. There is a ~6:00 flight to Newark but when I go to the gate there are 7 people on standby already. Oh well. I grab some airport food for dinner and look for a Duke magnet to put on the fridge. I find UNC and NCST, but in the words of @Dominos, GTHCGTH. We collect random magnets when we travel but I cannot find anything that works for me here. I eat my dinner, camp out in the terminal, and wait for my boarding while I work. Amazingly, no work magically got done today while I was in the Duke basement.
In all this was a useful trip. We got a lot done and this should serve as a good re-start to the Duke project with the right pieces in place. How that plays out remains to be seen in the next few weeks. I am now point on 4 different projects plus support on 1 other one. That's too much to balance but I'll do what I can. At least I have 2 resources with this one, even if they literally have zero experience in the platform. At this point I'll take a high-functioning squirrel. I also have 2 resources on the Seattle project and I am contractually not allowed to put in more than 5 hours a week, so that's limited, thankfully. Right now I am putting all my energy in landing this Minnesota plane. I will be out there the week after next to try and make sure this doesn't happen:
Actually...I'll take that.
@Carson - I don't really know what to think of the pilot yesterday. On one hand, I agree with you. On the other hand, I was reasonably sure this guy wasn't going to plow the plane into the ground intentionally if he cared that much about a tray table. Then again, should I be worried about him caring too much about the wrong things?
7:45: On the plane, waiting for the 8:00 roll out. Plane was delayed by a whole minute which is totally going to throw off the flan I have in the oven. I mostly read while waiting then read on the plane then read as the captain announces we will sit on the runway for 25 minutes then read as we take off then read until they roll through with drinks & pretzels. At that point the guy next to me strikes up conversation and it turns out that he is a mountain biker who hurt his knee last September and is looking to move to NC. We talk the rest of the flight and then through the 25 minute circling of Newark and to the ground and waiting until the 21 rows in front of us funnel out. Then I wish him a safe trip and am on my way. Nice guy.
@huffster - no, god no. I think half the people I work with mow their lawns while on conference calls. I used to do this only on internal calls but now IDGAF and will do most calls there if I have to.
10:30: Get in the Uber and knock out the rest of this post. This car is like driving in something you would see in Sanford and Son so I am going to say good night then hit submit.
Good night!
Just in case you were confused:
6:45: Breakfast. I find it almost impossible not to eat eggs when I am in the hotel but today I supplemented it with the gruel they claim is oatmeal. I am not sure what this is but I topped it with a little PB and it filled me up a lot. It may be cement. After I eat I stare into space a little more, because I am not yet fully awake. I will be meeting 3 new coworkers today and I have no idea what to expect as far as how useful they will be. Plus I am unsure if this day is pointless or not yet.
7:15: Get the Uber. The PM screwed up both the hotel reservation for the rest of the team, in addition to the meeting location. If I hadn't reached out to someone I know down here, I would have shown up at the wrong place. On top: she is flying out at 5:00, but the day is supposed to end at 4:00. This after she told us to plan to stay for the day. I know you can't expect the PM to do much of anything right, but this stuff plus the PPT - I mean this shit is her job. File this in the "you had ONE job" category.
8:00: Now sitting in the smallest conference room in the world. These hospital system basements are a stark contrast to what you see on the main floors. Duke's is actually better than some others I have seen, which resemble a Home Depot floor, complete with fork lifts and skid marks on the floor. We have taken all available seats, call it a sardine can. We turn the AC down to 68 because it's that kind of party.
10:00: We take a break, and while I grab a coffee I talk to 2 of the guys I met last time I was here. They both tell me that they know 1 of the new guys and not to expect too much. They are both happy we took this implementation in-house as the previous org was Hour mining, which is my expression for overloading every meeting with 4-5 guys so they could charge 4-5x as much. Tracey, the Director, takes me on a short tour of the shop and also expresses that she is thrilled to have us back.
12:00: Jimmy John's for lunch. I really enjoy this kind of work and I could see myself wanting to do this when I grow up some day. Hopefully I can keep doing this with the new org but again, it is what it is. For now little will change but when things shake out, I hope that I can keep working with the customers like this. I really enjoy the customer-facing part and being able to tie the project side with the development side and the user side and all the connections in between.
2:00: Day is over. I will say that this trip was totally worth it, and I'm glad I came down. Unlike the last 2, this was a very worthwhile endeavor. 2 of the 3 new people are not leaving until much later, but they opt to run to the airport right away. I say I am going to the coffee shop to work but they are uninterested. This is fine by me because I have spent the last 6 hours with them and I really don't need any more time with them. One of the guys has made the same joke about his last name 4 times in 6 hours, "Call me whatever, just not late for dinner."
3:00: It is probably better that nobody came here with me because I think most of the people in this coffee shop are from the LGBT community. I typically like these places as the clientele here generally DGAF about what anyone thinks, which makes everything more relaxed & comfortable. I get a cold brew coffee because it is so warm out I started sweating on the walk. I work for 2 hours in the AC then get some coffee beans, and espresso, and call the Uber.
5:30: Through TSA, in the airport. There is a ~6:00 flight to Newark but when I go to the gate there are 7 people on standby already. Oh well. I grab some airport food for dinner and look for a Duke magnet to put on the fridge. I find UNC and NCST, but in the words of @Dominos, GTHCGTH. We collect random magnets when we travel but I cannot find anything that works for me here. I eat my dinner, camp out in the terminal, and wait for my boarding while I work. Amazingly, no work magically got done today while I was in the Duke basement.
In all this was a useful trip. We got a lot done and this should serve as a good re-start to the Duke project with the right pieces in place. How that plays out remains to be seen in the next few weeks. I am now point on 4 different projects plus support on 1 other one. That's too much to balance but I'll do what I can. At least I have 2 resources with this one, even if they literally have zero experience in the platform. At this point I'll take a high-functioning squirrel. I also have 2 resources on the Seattle project and I am contractually not allowed to put in more than 5 hours a week, so that's limited, thankfully. Right now I am putting all my energy in landing this Minnesota plane. I will be out there the week after next to try and make sure this doesn't happen:
Actually...I'll take that.
@Carson - I don't really know what to think of the pilot yesterday. On one hand, I agree with you. On the other hand, I was reasonably sure this guy wasn't going to plow the plane into the ground intentionally if he cared that much about a tray table. Then again, should I be worried about him caring too much about the wrong things?
7:45: On the plane, waiting for the 8:00 roll out. Plane was delayed by a whole minute which is totally going to throw off the flan I have in the oven. I mostly read while waiting then read on the plane then read as the captain announces we will sit on the runway for 25 minutes then read as we take off then read until they roll through with drinks & pretzels. At that point the guy next to me strikes up conversation and it turns out that he is a mountain biker who hurt his knee last September and is looking to move to NC. We talk the rest of the flight and then through the 25 minute circling of Newark and to the ground and waiting until the 21 rows in front of us funnel out. Then I wish him a safe trip and am on my way. Nice guy.
@huffster - no, god no. I think half the people I work with mow their lawns while on conference calls. I used to do this only on internal calls but now IDGAF and will do most calls there if I have to.
10:30: Get in the Uber and knock out the rest of this post. This car is like driving in something you would see in Sanford and Son so I am going to say good night then hit submit.
Good night!
My take on the pilot....he does not GAF about your tray table but he is the face of United, so to speak, and United's face has taken a beating lately. He's just doing his part to make sure he maintains his employment. Just like all of us.
Uber home...was is a Subaru with no working lights?
Uber home...was is a Subaru with no working lights?