Pay Day

It's pay day here at work. The owner writes the checks himself. It's a small (but growing) company.

It's almost quitin' time, but everyone's still here, waiting for their check. As soon as they're delivered, if they're delivered today, everyone will run for the hills. I know I will.

My office is just outside the owner's office and I can't tell you how many people I've seen slink by his closed glass door and glance in (some more subtly than others) to see what he's up to. He ought to be up to writing checks, and everyone knows it. I'm waiting for the least personable employee here to just walk right in and loudly ask, "So, are the paychecks going to write themselves this month or what?"

Money Grubbers.

I think I'll just go knock politely on his door, peek my head in and gently ask, "So, are the paychecks going to write themselves this month or what?"

Telethon

I think I'm going to start a telethon.

Yesterday, I took my car (a free car that my mother-in-law so generously gave us, but still a low milage, clean, 1995 Cavalier) in for a simple oil change because it was time and the light was on (a rare occurance that both should happen at the same time). What was supposed to be a $40 simple maintainance quickly turned into a $996 major repair to fix a minor leak in the head - which in turn gave me a minor leak in the head. We're now left to try to sell it or trade it in, for a grand less than it's worth (surprisingly not much according to Kelly's Bluebook), and get something else - the good news, though I'm not crazy about having two car payments again.

Today, I get a call from the camera shop where I dropped off our new digital camcorder for repair. During our daughter's last birthday, I set it up on top of the refridgerator for a bird's eye view of the festivities and so I could be freed up to participate. A few minutes later, my wife went to get something out of the fridge... with the ensuing crash I relized that one of the tripod legs was sitting on the fridge door. It still records fine, but the LCD display is cracked and lifeless, leaving us to use the single eye viewer. A gift - again from my mother-in-law - for Christmas which will now cost almost as much as she spent on it to fix it, which we won't, but we're out the $45 deposit for them to estimate repair costs and the ability to record life we both eyes open.

I know, poor us - one of our two cars on the fritz (and much of the world's population doesn't even have one) and a camcorder that's now missing a convenince feature (which nearly all of the world's population doesn't even have one).

Like I should complain.

We have way more than we deserve, and plenty to thank God for.

And if you're reading this, no matter how 'tough' life might seem at times - so do you.

Tech that's worth using...

I've discovered some really interesting, entertaining and/or useful websites over the last several years; here are just a few from the last week:

I was looking for a way to save some files online so that I can access them easily. I usually use my email, but it takes space. Enter the Yahoo! Breifcase - a free online storage solution for your files.

While I was there, I discovered how much Yahoo! Launch has improved since I last stumbled upon it. Sitting in the corner of my screen, It's been an extremely helpful diversion at work.

The Oregonian recently ran an article about the creator of the humanclock.com and of course, I had to check it out. Makes me wish I had the idea!

As a response to a discussion at work, about human clock, I rediscovered Look At Me. Really makes me wish I had the idea.

Drivel

I've found myself neglecting to blog lately because it seems like all I'd be doing is complaining - not that life is all that bad, or that I'm in all that dark of a mood - I just fear I'd turn a bit negative.

The funny story about the sound of my daughter closing dresser drawers in her room, at 6:00am on Father's Day because she had a blowout dirty diaper that she was trying her best to take care of herself - will just have to wait.

The story about aimless meetings and projects left unfulfilled at work - will have to wait too.

The story about how I learned that the goldfish had died - will also have to wait.

Oh, I'm sure I'll get to them - after I've forgotten how boring it must be for you to be subjected to such drivel.

And my opinions and angst over things like more beheadings in the middle east, more misinformation over the 9/11 commission findings, less political backbone, and less moral strength - will all have to wait, but not because they're not worthy of my time or effort.

Not Bad, Yourself?

I'm acutely aware that whenever someone asks me, "How's it goin'?" or "How ya doin'?" my response is invariably, "Not bad, yourself?". As if spoken before I consciously think of a response. I've got to come up with a couple more replies to use randomly so as to not appear the simpleton I am.

Sad, I know...

Mind Melt

It seems as though Tuesdays and Wednesdays are turning out to be marathon meetings at my current job. Forget actually working, talking about working is enough it seems.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy a good, productive, meaningful meeting as much as the next drone, and I even like meetings that are just about 'nothing' but coming together as a team - but when one meeting turns into another, or a meeting spirals out of control and what should be a five minute pointed discussion rambles on for 20 minutes, I just feel like I'm suffocating!

It's days like these, spent doing what I'm doing for the 'right now' - that what I'm really meant to be doing, my calling, feels far away, adrift and intangible.

At least I can take meaningful notes...




... and escape a little early when I just can't take it anymore.

One nation, under God...

As short lived as I'm sure the respite will be - I'm a firm believer (as a patriot, a Christian, a Traditionalist and a Potentialist) that the Supreme Court ruling of this morning, keeping '...under God' in the Pledge of Allegiance is an absolute good thing.

Red Skelton and his teacher, Mr. Laswell explain my position well.

Photo Blogging

Just installed Bloggers partner application Hello for instant photo additions to the my blog. Really a nice, easy to use application - and it's free. Don't expect to see a ton here necessarily, as I'm already pushing limits on my space allotment - but once I improve that situation, you might be seeing more of the world through my eyes.

Noteworthy... you decide

Recently added: My Noteworthy section to the right links panel, under the profile, down toward the bottom.

Listed (in reverse chronological order) are some of my most memorable posts (or so I've been told, or so I've determined). Handy for those of you who don't want to wade through the archives to get a pulse on the blog, but feel free to do that as well. And, feel free to comment away...

Why Blog?

"Ships are safest in the port... but that's not what ships are for."

Blogging, for me, can be cathartic - but that's not necessarily why I do it. It's a chance to be seen and known by others, hopefully genuinely - but that's not necessarily why I do it. Some describe it as geeky, voluntarily voyeuristic, aimless, creative, a cry for edification or validation, even self-serving - it is all of those things - but that's not necessarily why I do it. It gets thoughts and, sometimes, feelings out - but that's not necessarily why I do it.

I blog for none of those reasons and for all of them. My reasons for blogging are probably not your reasons, those should be yours.

I often question why anyone reads my blog, and even though I write for an audience, I'd still blog even if you weren't reading - though I'm glad you are, it keeps me focused, responsible and on my toes.

Not-So-Dummy Text

I recently inserted the following dummy text into a document I'm working on.

If you're reading this optional text, you're probably only interested in the way this document looks or behaves, not in how the actual content (real or imagined) impacts (positively or negatively) your life. You're simply trading eight hour increments of your life for monetary sustenance so you can have the things you and your family think you want and/or need). They call that making a living, not making a life. Please enjoy the rest of the document.

Can you tell I really want to be at work today? Does that make me an ungrateful ogre?