Well THAT was easy!
I had this spare computer at my house. During my first year in Watson, we didn't get SaskTel high speed internet. (Not that its rock-solid now that we do have it) So if I wanted accelerated speed on my dial-up connection, I had to have satellite internet. And, if I wanted to network it in my house, I needed a server (loose interpretation of the word) from which to share the internet connection.
I got high speed internet last January. (by that I mean January 2003) This computer became redundant so it was disconnected, and stashed under a table in my 'office' at my home in Watson. (What I call my 'office' is really more of a huge closet, as I just pile stuff in there, and rarely do anything with it) I ended up lending it to my friend Greg, for some event he needed computers for. I think it was a mine safety contest, or something like that. He hooked it up and it didn't do what he wanted it too. I got it back from him, agreed that it wasn't right, and again shelved it. I took it out one more time, a couple months ago, and again it did not snap to attention right away, so it was stowed once more.
My buddy Sean and I developed a plan that would ideally include using this computer again. I remembered it was broken, so I brought it with me, to Saskatoon, to attempt to fix it. I began the attempt this afternoon.
Funny thing happened on the way to fixing the computer. It didn't need to be fixed. I plugged it into my setup here, and it booted on the first try. It had no issues. So I find myself relieved that I'm not tech support-ing my own equipment again. However, I am disappointed that I have not figured out what its problem was the last couple times I tried it.
This is probably one of those 'gift horse' situation. So, to follow the standard instructions for recieving one of these, I will not check any mouths.
Toodles folks!!!
Saturday, May 22, 2004
Friday, May 21, 2004
My pants have fallen down.
Please submit your engineering proposals on how to remedy this situation to the following email address.
Grant's Pants
This contract will be conducted in a cost-plus arrangement. All due haste is required as there is a critical, public decency, crisis surrounding the current 'down' position of my pants.
Bonuses will be available for proposals of an inventive, or ingenious manner.
Please submit your engineering proposals on how to remedy this situation to the following email address.
Grant's Pants
This contract will be conducted in a cost-plus arrangement. All due haste is required as there is a critical, public decency, crisis surrounding the current 'down' position of my pants.
Bonuses will be available for proposals of an inventive, or ingenious manner.
Thursday, May 20, 2004
How do you thank someone that has done you a wonderful favor, but you're really not in contact with anymore?
In my last job, I worked in a very traditional, business environment. Suits, ties, formal and stuffy. In this company we had a front line administrative assistant. Her name was Amanda. It was a daily affirmation to walk through the front doors in the morning, and get the sunny 'good morning' that she always gave freely. I liked her, but was always intimidated by her. She had that effortless beauty and grace that has always left me befuddled and nervous. Eventually I left that company, and embarked on a new career direction. Which, I would like to take the opportunity to say, I love with enormous passion. Amanda and I exchanged a few emails, but not long after I left, that fizzled out to no communication at all.
However, destiny is a funny thing. What I learned, as it turned out, was that the company I move to, was one that Amanda's father had owned. Amanda's father was no longer a partner in the company I move to, but her uncle remained the silent partner, to my boss, who was running the show. This piece of information came my way when Amanda took her trip to India. I was on her list of people to mail with her Indian exploits. I loved reading about her adventures, and must confess I was a little sad when the endeavour was over. At her request I printed copies of her exploits, so that her aunt and uncle could read about her trip.
I had a long talk with my boss this afternoon. It was the first time we'd crossed paths in the office in awhile, so there was a lot to be said. One thing led into the next and we ended up sitting there until 6:30. Towards the end, as we were talking about the company, its financial standing, and the ownership situation, Murray told me that Amanda had provided to her uncle a very glowing recommendation about me. I have to confess, I was a little shocked to hear that. I knew Amanda was a wonderful person, and I am infinitely glad to have met her. But, I did not know that I'd made any kind of impression on her, in the year and a half that we knew each other. I find myself in a place where, I'd like to thank her somehow, for the kind words, but I'm not sure how to do that.
Amanda, if by some miracle you end up reading my words, thank you. Your words, a simple act of kindness, are a deed I can think of no way to properly repay. Thank you Amanda, and know that anything good you could ever have said about me, is magnified tenfold, in my opinion of you.
In my last job, I worked in a very traditional, business environment. Suits, ties, formal and stuffy. In this company we had a front line administrative assistant. Her name was Amanda. It was a daily affirmation to walk through the front doors in the morning, and get the sunny 'good morning' that she always gave freely. I liked her, but was always intimidated by her. She had that effortless beauty and grace that has always left me befuddled and nervous. Eventually I left that company, and embarked on a new career direction. Which, I would like to take the opportunity to say, I love with enormous passion. Amanda and I exchanged a few emails, but not long after I left, that fizzled out to no communication at all.
However, destiny is a funny thing. What I learned, as it turned out, was that the company I move to, was one that Amanda's father had owned. Amanda's father was no longer a partner in the company I move to, but her uncle remained the silent partner, to my boss, who was running the show. This piece of information came my way when Amanda took her trip to India. I was on her list of people to mail with her Indian exploits. I loved reading about her adventures, and must confess I was a little sad when the endeavour was over. At her request I printed copies of her exploits, so that her aunt and uncle could read about her trip.
I had a long talk with my boss this afternoon. It was the first time we'd crossed paths in the office in awhile, so there was a lot to be said. One thing led into the next and we ended up sitting there until 6:30. Towards the end, as we were talking about the company, its financial standing, and the ownership situation, Murray told me that Amanda had provided to her uncle a very glowing recommendation about me. I have to confess, I was a little shocked to hear that. I knew Amanda was a wonderful person, and I am infinitely glad to have met her. But, I did not know that I'd made any kind of impression on her, in the year and a half that we knew each other. I find myself in a place where, I'd like to thank her somehow, for the kind words, but I'm not sure how to do that.
Amanda, if by some miracle you end up reading my words, thank you. Your words, a simple act of kindness, are a deed I can think of no way to properly repay. Thank you Amanda, and know that anything good you could ever have said about me, is magnified tenfold, in my opinion of you.
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Wednesday, May 19, 2004
I sit here tonight, cautiously optimistic about the future course of my working life.
I was in Maple Creek today. That project is coming along wonderfully. It does not look very complete, in any of the pictures I could show (which I won't because they won't really mean anything to anyone else) but we're real close. By the end of next week, with two guys working, we will have 3 units complete, and ready to make water. In six weeks. 6 weeks and I've gotten the capacity for 650 USgpm of bottled water to be produced by a water treatment plant. I am taking a considerable amount of professional pride in that achievement.
And from 'The Place We Do Not Name' there is also positive news. The 'loan' membranes have come out, and the original membranes (each one having been individually, chemically cleaned) have gone back in. Performance on Day 1 from the original (but cleaned) membranes is slightly better than what we had from the loaned (new) membranes. This is an exciting turn of events as all previous attempts have been rather dismal failures. I have hope again, that maybe that project will finally, mercifully, go to sleep.
So I am happy, and full of hope tonight. Thanks for listening. Your support is more valued than I can say.
Toodles!
I was in Maple Creek today. That project is coming along wonderfully. It does not look very complete, in any of the pictures I could show (which I won't because they won't really mean anything to anyone else) but we're real close. By the end of next week, with two guys working, we will have 3 units complete, and ready to make water. In six weeks. 6 weeks and I've gotten the capacity for 650 USgpm of bottled water to be produced by a water treatment plant. I am taking a considerable amount of professional pride in that achievement.
And from 'The Place We Do Not Name' there is also positive news. The 'loan' membranes have come out, and the original membranes (each one having been individually, chemically cleaned) have gone back in. Performance on Day 1 from the original (but cleaned) membranes is slightly better than what we had from the loaned (new) membranes. This is an exciting turn of events as all previous attempts have been rather dismal failures. I have hope again, that maybe that project will finally, mercifully, go to sleep.
So I am happy, and full of hope tonight. Thanks for listening. Your support is more valued than I can say.
Toodles!
Tuesday, May 18, 2004
One more day of tribulations.
My #1 technician turned in his hat this morning. Well, he won't officially be gone until June 11. Thank god for that much. He will stay on long enough to get Maple Creek complete, to the stage of mechanical completion. There is other stuff to be installed, connected, and made work. Most of this being process instrumentation and devices not critical to installation. Still, my #1 guy will be out of the company, before we go to turn the switch on.
I can't fault him for trying to get a step up in life. He's moving on to a government position which, with his hands-on experience, should turn into a significant raise. However, this leaves me with the problem of, more work than staff. We were just trying to get a new technician trained, so we'd have three field agents instead of two. Now, instead of that, I have one trained technician, and an apprentice that is of little use to me yet. The strain is going to be significant for the next little while. The situation I was bemoaning a few weeks ago, where we had no projects, is now a sense of relief, as we're too committed for what we have on the go now.
Sorry for such a boring blog entry from my life. The staffing question has been plaguing me all day today, and thus weighing heavily on my mind. I thank you for listening. Toodles!
My #1 technician turned in his hat this morning. Well, he won't officially be gone until June 11. Thank god for that much. He will stay on long enough to get Maple Creek complete, to the stage of mechanical completion. There is other stuff to be installed, connected, and made work. Most of this being process instrumentation and devices not critical to installation. Still, my #1 guy will be out of the company, before we go to turn the switch on.
I can't fault him for trying to get a step up in life. He's moving on to a government position which, with his hands-on experience, should turn into a significant raise. However, this leaves me with the problem of, more work than staff. We were just trying to get a new technician trained, so we'd have three field agents instead of two. Now, instead of that, I have one trained technician, and an apprentice that is of little use to me yet. The strain is going to be significant for the next little while. The situation I was bemoaning a few weeks ago, where we had no projects, is now a sense of relief, as we're too committed for what we have on the go now.
Sorry for such a boring blog entry from my life. The staffing question has been plaguing me all day today, and thus weighing heavily on my mind. I thank you for listening. Toodles!
Monday, May 17, 2004
Sunday, May 16, 2004
A few comments that I feel need to be made, after working another concert.
Why do people care so much about when the bars will close? Let's be honest, even if you know the time that bars are going to close, when the ticks on the clock reach the appointed time, you'll be too drunk to remember. In many circumstances you'll be too drunk to remember you're wearing a watch.
And why is it you can't know? Some yahoo will ask a front line person when the bars will close. Why can't you just tell the idiot, you don't know. Because you don't! Then you'll turn around and ask someone else, and of course the won't know either. Because no one knows! It hasn't been decided. Accept it and move on. Also, don't be so damn accomodating to the yahoos. They aren't going to remember anyway.
And why is it that so many concert-goers can be stupid enough to walk up to a completely darkened bar, and still want to buy a drink? Yes, I know they're stupified by alcohol, and aren't thinking clearly. But you'd think the frigid darkness that surrounds the bar counter would be signal enough that there will be no more liquor. Nope, the idiots still have to ask, can I get a drink? You're already drunk. Stick yourself with a pin and drink your blood. Its probably 2% more alcohol than you'd get from a beer.
And why do we gotta be SO, DAMN, ANAL about the bloody tips!?! This is a concept that I do not fathom. To watch people ferret through the quarters and loonies they've collected in a cup over the night, you'd assume they were homeless people we'd pulled off 1st Avenue. They scrap and forage through a collection of coins like they haven't seen hard currency in two years. Its a few, measly dollars. Relax people. Its just money.
Why do people care so much about when the bars will close? Let's be honest, even if you know the time that bars are going to close, when the ticks on the clock reach the appointed time, you'll be too drunk to remember. In many circumstances you'll be too drunk to remember you're wearing a watch.
And why is it you can't know? Some yahoo will ask a front line person when the bars will close. Why can't you just tell the idiot, you don't know. Because you don't! Then you'll turn around and ask someone else, and of course the won't know either. Because no one knows! It hasn't been decided. Accept it and move on. Also, don't be so damn accomodating to the yahoos. They aren't going to remember anyway.
And why is it that so many concert-goers can be stupid enough to walk up to a completely darkened bar, and still want to buy a drink? Yes, I know they're stupified by alcohol, and aren't thinking clearly. But you'd think the frigid darkness that surrounds the bar counter would be signal enough that there will be no more liquor. Nope, the idiots still have to ask, can I get a drink? You're already drunk. Stick yourself with a pin and drink your blood. Its probably 2% more alcohol than you'd get from a beer.
And why do we gotta be SO, DAMN, ANAL about the bloody tips!?! This is a concept that I do not fathom. To watch people ferret through the quarters and loonies they've collected in a cup over the night, you'd assume they were homeless people we'd pulled off 1st Avenue. They scrap and forage through a collection of coins like they haven't seen hard currency in two years. Its a few, measly dollars. Relax people. Its just money.