Looking At The Front Door
This past Sunday, was Claw Day -- which was not all that special at all.
Though, I did get a big grin out of the Eagles stealing an impossible victory from the Giants. Michael Vick and DeSean Jackson essentially delivered the best birthday present I had seen since my father showed up with an ominous cardboard box with the Volvo logo some twentysome-odd years ago.
I hate watching Eagles-Giants games, as I do watching Eagles-Cowboys games and Eagle playoff games under Andy Reid. There's no option for them but to win. Which is every game, if you're a fan like me, but it's doubly unacceptable, should they lose. I wanted something to celebrate this year, anyway.
So yeah, another year, no bait under the proverbial tree. Even though I threw a long ball into traffic more than once. One of these days, I'm going to thread that needle... Michael Vick style.
I've always been a Vick fan, and that he has unexpectedly raised the spirits of so many in Philly (and outside, like me, that root for the Eagles) is one of those little things that has consistently made me smile (particularly because I wasn't looking to a corporate-ass year of rooting for Kevin Kolb and pretending that he was McNabb's apparent heir). Though I've gone on record being disappointed with many of Vick's life decisions, I've also identified with him in sort of a way, as he is controversial figure, in the midst of a crazy redemption story. For someone who is essentially a strange incarnate of Hank Hill, this seems strange to a number of you reading, but for anyone who has known me more than ten years, maybe fifteen, it is not so much.
Shout out to the New York Post, showing their tabloid/News Corp/Fox News heritage with the maddest cover image in some time. And you wonder why I call it "one-ply toilet paper".
I emerged from a horrendous project at the job, something of which I've been handling (albeit a little more lightly than I should have) for the greater part of the time since I've been back home. Spent a good 3-5 days plus a weekend working from home, grinding it out from 5:30 AM to past 11PM some nights, trying to get the damn thing done. This past week has felt like a breeze compared to that nonsense.
Despite the high praise, the verbal assurance of "value-add" I've been given recently, and especially for this critical mass project... I'm anxious as hell about next year. They don't use the word "re-org" but that's essentially what is looming. Which means things could change in a way that would fuck with the relative comfort I've had at my job. Ain't lookin' forward to it. I've already started training myself to getting up earlier and out the door earlier, just because. Not a good thing when it's this late at night, and I'm writing this, but... I fell asleep early, anyway.
Now, if only I could do the same with my diet/exercise routine. I'm very reluctant to do the right thing now. I have to be in the right mindset, as I was 2 years back to get on such a thing, but understandably... it's just not there. It wasn't there before everything went south, and I'm wondering if I will ever get right. A step in the right direction is that I haven't had a proper beer in a week or so. Or rather, I can't remember the last time I had one. Which is a good thing. I haven't quite put the bottle away, though I didn't move over to harder stuff, which is a good thing, considering.
I'm considering a move to an in-dash navigation option for the Volvo. I'm leaning toward Kenwood; they use Garmin (which is the GPS brand I currently use) and the illumination color of the buttons can be changed (this is key, since I'm not dropping mega-Geld on something that can't do such a thing), and they've made them for more than a few years. Sony came out with a satnav unit not too long ago, but since it can't be hooked to my CD changer, I'm beginning to think it's about time the venerable CDX-757MX gets retired. I only use it on long trips, and that was only because the iPod was fucking up (more on that later). The one functionality of Sony iPod-interfacing head units I also don't really want to give up is one that isn't oft advertised: playlists that play in sequential order. When one playlist finishes playing, instead of stopping, or repeating the same one until you change it yourself, it will move to the next in sequence. The same goes for genres, artists, albums, whichever play mode you have selected. I love that feature, particularly for playlists, because it's like they function as a CD changer of sorts. On long trips, that's invaluable.
Problem is, the cost of such a thing is pretty high, and there is one thing I need to do with the Volvo that takes precedence: those goddamn lovebugs or whatever the hell they're called, screwed the hell out of the paint on the Volvo's hood/bonnet when I was down South earlier. I didn't get it repainted immediately because during the winter months, I need to be able to brush that area to remove snow. Which means I'd have to wait until around April or May. I also don't want to put myself on the hook for that kind of Geld not knowing what else is going to blow up in my face, remembering the surprise wheel bearing incident this past spring.
Recently, The People's iPod was getting on my nerves so much, I finally bit the bullet and sent it back to Apple (for a fee that was cheaper than buying a new one, even though they eventually replaced it). Process was smooth until it came time to ship the iPod back to me. They used FedEx Ground, but the big problem is Apple's stupid-ass loss-preventing contract that only allows for "direct signature". This means if I'm not home to sign for it, unlike what FedEx does with missed deliveries normally (send it to the nearest FedEx location for pickup), and miss it three times, I'm ass-out. Needless to say, this part of the process was annoying.
Two Thursdays ago, FedEx was supposed to show up with the package. I was actually home, working on the aforementioned project. They didn't show up. Not a single update signaling they even tried to do anything but put it on the truck. The next day they delivered, but of course I was not home. The following Monday was a weather nightmare, thanks to the stupid water blowing over the lake. Tuesday, despite the roads being drier and the way to my home plowed, they failed to deliver citing a "weather delay". After this, I called FedEx and told them to do what they could so I could drive all the way out to the distribution center to pick it up (since Apple was on that aforementioned bullshit). This somehow got lost as they tried a third time to deliver the package, and even though I was home, they cited a failed delivery even though they neither knocked on my door or left a door tag. Incensed, I called them to absolutely ensure that the package was held and made them record that I made the request. The next day, after work, I finally drove out and picked up a package, that by all rights, should have been in my hand a week prior by their own estimation. Now that's what I call rubbish. The bulk of the blame is on Apple, because if FedEx was allowed to do what they usually do, none of this delivery BS would be an issue. I can only hope my service request with the fine folks at Hewlett-Packard (or whatever they call themselves nowadays), is not so laden with excrement.
Right now, I kind of feel as if I'm in a free fall. Sure, I could be playing a game, or out in the gym, but I don't feel like doing much of anything. There's an emptiness... exacerbated by the events of two months prior. Even though I managed to get through a couple of personal annoyances (the aforementioned iPod, and a strange issue w/my netbook), and got a couple of key items from the fallout of my father's passing handled (services are paid in full, and I was able to scrape enough together to help my youngest sister get a new car), I still feel like there's something bothering me that's keeping me from going forward.
I dunno.
Not enough time in 2010 to handle it, so let's just hope that from January forward, it looks better.
Cluttered as usual,
Dr. Claw
Though, I did get a big grin out of the Eagles stealing an impossible victory from the Giants. Michael Vick and DeSean Jackson essentially delivered the best birthday present I had seen since my father showed up with an ominous cardboard box with the Volvo logo some twentysome-odd years ago.
I hate watching Eagles-Giants games, as I do watching Eagles-Cowboys games and Eagle playoff games under Andy Reid. There's no option for them but to win. Which is every game, if you're a fan like me, but it's doubly unacceptable, should they lose. I wanted something to celebrate this year, anyway.
So yeah, another year, no bait under the proverbial tree. Even though I threw a long ball into traffic more than once. One of these days, I'm going to thread that needle... Michael Vick style.
I've always been a Vick fan, and that he has unexpectedly raised the spirits of so many in Philly (and outside, like me, that root for the Eagles) is one of those little things that has consistently made me smile (particularly because I wasn't looking to a corporate-ass year of rooting for Kevin Kolb and pretending that he was McNabb's apparent heir). Though I've gone on record being disappointed with many of Vick's life decisions, I've also identified with him in sort of a way, as he is controversial figure, in the midst of a crazy redemption story. For someone who is essentially a strange incarnate of Hank Hill, this seems strange to a number of you reading, but for anyone who has known me more than ten years, maybe fifteen, it is not so much.
Shout out to the New York Post, showing their tabloid/News Corp/Fox News heritage with the maddest cover image in some time. And you wonder why I call it "one-ply toilet paper".
I emerged from a horrendous project at the job, something of which I've been handling (albeit a little more lightly than I should have) for the greater part of the time since I've been back home. Spent a good 3-5 days plus a weekend working from home, grinding it out from 5:30 AM to past 11PM some nights, trying to get the damn thing done. This past week has felt like a breeze compared to that nonsense.
Despite the high praise, the verbal assurance of "value-add" I've been given recently, and especially for this critical mass project... I'm anxious as hell about next year. They don't use the word "re-org" but that's essentially what is looming. Which means things could change in a way that would fuck with the relative comfort I've had at my job. Ain't lookin' forward to it. I've already started training myself to getting up earlier and out the door earlier, just because. Not a good thing when it's this late at night, and I'm writing this, but... I fell asleep early, anyway.
Now, if only I could do the same with my diet/exercise routine. I'm very reluctant to do the right thing now. I have to be in the right mindset, as I was 2 years back to get on such a thing, but understandably... it's just not there. It wasn't there before everything went south, and I'm wondering if I will ever get right. A step in the right direction is that I haven't had a proper beer in a week or so. Or rather, I can't remember the last time I had one. Which is a good thing. I haven't quite put the bottle away, though I didn't move over to harder stuff, which is a good thing, considering.
I'm considering a move to an in-dash navigation option for the Volvo. I'm leaning toward Kenwood; they use Garmin (which is the GPS brand I currently use) and the illumination color of the buttons can be changed (this is key, since I'm not dropping mega-Geld on something that can't do such a thing), and they've made them for more than a few years. Sony came out with a satnav unit not too long ago, but since it can't be hooked to my CD changer, I'm beginning to think it's about time the venerable CDX-757MX gets retired. I only use it on long trips, and that was only because the iPod was fucking up (more on that later). The one functionality of Sony iPod-interfacing head units I also don't really want to give up is one that isn't oft advertised: playlists that play in sequential order. When one playlist finishes playing, instead of stopping, or repeating the same one until you change it yourself, it will move to the next in sequence. The same goes for genres, artists, albums, whichever play mode you have selected. I love that feature, particularly for playlists, because it's like they function as a CD changer of sorts. On long trips, that's invaluable.
Problem is, the cost of such a thing is pretty high, and there is one thing I need to do with the Volvo that takes precedence: those goddamn lovebugs or whatever the hell they're called, screwed the hell out of the paint on the Volvo's hood/bonnet when I was down South earlier. I didn't get it repainted immediately because during the winter months, I need to be able to brush that area to remove snow. Which means I'd have to wait until around April or May. I also don't want to put myself on the hook for that kind of Geld not knowing what else is going to blow up in my face, remembering the surprise wheel bearing incident this past spring.
Recently, The People's iPod was getting on my nerves so much, I finally bit the bullet and sent it back to Apple (for a fee that was cheaper than buying a new one, even though they eventually replaced it). Process was smooth until it came time to ship the iPod back to me. They used FedEx Ground, but the big problem is Apple's stupid-ass loss-preventing contract that only allows for "direct signature". This means if I'm not home to sign for it, unlike what FedEx does with missed deliveries normally (send it to the nearest FedEx location for pickup), and miss it three times, I'm ass-out. Needless to say, this part of the process was annoying.
Two Thursdays ago, FedEx was supposed to show up with the package. I was actually home, working on the aforementioned project. They didn't show up. Not a single update signaling they even tried to do anything but put it on the truck. The next day they delivered, but of course I was not home. The following Monday was a weather nightmare, thanks to the stupid water blowing over the lake. Tuesday, despite the roads being drier and the way to my home plowed, they failed to deliver citing a "weather delay". After this, I called FedEx and told them to do what they could so I could drive all the way out to the distribution center to pick it up (since Apple was on that aforementioned bullshit). This somehow got lost as they tried a third time to deliver the package, and even though I was home, they cited a failed delivery even though they neither knocked on my door or left a door tag. Incensed, I called them to absolutely ensure that the package was held and made them record that I made the request. The next day, after work, I finally drove out and picked up a package, that by all rights, should have been in my hand a week prior by their own estimation. Now that's what I call rubbish. The bulk of the blame is on Apple, because if FedEx was allowed to do what they usually do, none of this delivery BS would be an issue. I can only hope my service request with the fine folks at Hewlett-Packard (or whatever they call themselves nowadays), is not so laden with excrement.
Right now, I kind of feel as if I'm in a free fall. Sure, I could be playing a game, or out in the gym, but I don't feel like doing much of anything. There's an emptiness... exacerbated by the events of two months prior. Even though I managed to get through a couple of personal annoyances (the aforementioned iPod, and a strange issue w/my netbook), and got a couple of key items from the fallout of my father's passing handled (services are paid in full, and I was able to scrape enough together to help my youngest sister get a new car), I still feel like there's something bothering me that's keeping me from going forward.
I dunno.
Not enough time in 2010 to handle it, so let's just hope that from January forward, it looks better.
Cluttered as usual,
Dr. Claw