The not-dead update
Still alive. Healthy. Obnoxious.
I changed jobs. I'd gotten this weird, passive-aggressive review from my manager who I suspected of blocking my advancement in the company, and a dinky raise, and so I started listening to all the headhunters who like to bother me. One of them came up with a really interesting job with a better title and better pay and much better benefits, so I went through this whackaloon three-month interview/yes/no/we changed our focus process that ended up with me getting a cool new job in the new year. The hilarious part is that I gave my manager time to come up with counter-offers, if the company wanted to make them, and he did come up with some, but they were...well...sordidly lame-ass. Sort of non-offers to be talked over later. He told me that our CIO was in on the offer process, so I figured they were happy to see me go.
Until the 'pit viper is leaving' email went out, when within an hour three managers of other departments were in my office, offering me jobs. Hmm, I thought, I guess my leaving was not exactly trumpeted about.
Then, after I was at the new company, I crashed the party of the old company (yes, I do that sort of thing. I know everyone is shocked. Shocked!) because they do know how to throw a bash, and I ran into the CIO (the annoying manager never goes because he's a schmuck). Turns out, despite what I'd been told, HE wasn't told I had another offer and was infuriated. Apparently, certain people were coal-raked over letting me go. Oh, and I always have a job there. Heh. I nearly told him that I was interesting in being the manager of my former department, but I thought that would be pushing the karma a little too far. Besides, I like hiding in my office and futzing with data.
I went to Switzerland in November and went to Expovina, a wine festival that consists of twelve yachts moored in Zurich harbor, full of wine vendors just dying for you to taste their product. And taste I did. And they had a fondue restaurant, so we ate white wine and gruyere fondue and drank MORE wine and YUM. Then on to Luzern (after a side trip to Bern, because Mr. Viper lost his passport and we had to go to our embassy to get a new one - for the record, our Swiss embassy is ruthlessly efficient). In Luzern, I discovered that I am in love with Miro's work, and Picasso really was a hilariously dirty old man, and am seriously freaked the fuck out by Francis Bacon (the painter). I would stare at his paintings in awe, and then terror would set in and I would run away from them.
We went with a bunch of friends to a traditional beer hall, where the other table in our room was having a birthday and they hired a very bad oompah band. The oompah band played Bolero in polka tempo, while we ate bread-soaked vodka dipped in fondue, which is kind of like a cheese shot? Anyway, we toasted to Bo Derek. She was with us in spirit.
I was planning on going bobsledding because I could, and talking about it to a friend during a big reception. There were other people standing around who didn't know either of us well, and when Jeff asked where I was going bobsledding, I said "Titless" (which was the name of the mountain) and he got this great quizzical expression and said "That's not appropriate for you at all." Which.....true. Then I looked around and realized everybody around us was horrified because they didn't think Jeff knew me. Hee. Alas, due to the craziness of travel, I did not get to go bobsledding, but I will someday. Or maybe I'll luge, tits and all.
During the exhibition-vendor-hall part of the trip, where Mr. Viper was talking to his colleagues, I got tipsy with a nice pair of Scotsmen selling some kind of medical device, and who broke out a flask of really good Scotch instead of the tepid conference wine.
Mr. Viper found his lost passport in his noise-cancelling headphone case as he was boarding the plane. D'oh!
I am still trying to plan a major conference for summer 2009. I am still terrified about it all.
More travel coming up - Mr. Viper has talks to give in Capetown, Istanbul and Beijing this year. Now, I have a decent amount of vacation but not enough vacation time for all three. I was going to skip Beijing, but he's going to be there during the Olympics and I am the junkie to end all Olympics junkies. I wanna see me some Olympic fencing and sumo wrestling! So....I don't know. I can't pass up going back to Africa, and I feel I must go see the ancient ruins around Istanbul. But the Olympics! I am so fucking lucky to have this kind of problem. Damn.
Um...the cats are well, although our mentally challenged cat seems to have burned herself sleeping on our cast-iron radiators, and I need to get her to the vet tomorrow. Sherpa hasn't stolen my lunch in a while, mostly because I've switched to a bag with a zipper.
I changed jobs. I'd gotten this weird, passive-aggressive review from my manager who I suspected of blocking my advancement in the company, and a dinky raise, and so I started listening to all the headhunters who like to bother me. One of them came up with a really interesting job with a better title and better pay and much better benefits, so I went through this whackaloon three-month interview/yes/no/we changed our focus process that ended up with me getting a cool new job in the new year. The hilarious part is that I gave my manager time to come up with counter-offers, if the company wanted to make them, and he did come up with some, but they were...well...sordidly lame-ass. Sort of non-offers to be talked over later. He told me that our CIO was in on the offer process, so I figured they were happy to see me go.
Until the 'pit viper is leaving' email went out, when within an hour three managers of other departments were in my office, offering me jobs. Hmm, I thought, I guess my leaving was not exactly trumpeted about.
Then, after I was at the new company, I crashed the party of the old company (yes, I do that sort of thing. I know everyone is shocked. Shocked!) because they do know how to throw a bash, and I ran into the CIO (the annoying manager never goes because he's a schmuck). Turns out, despite what I'd been told, HE wasn't told I had another offer and was infuriated. Apparently, certain people were coal-raked over letting me go. Oh, and I always have a job there. Heh. I nearly told him that I was interesting in being the manager of my former department, but I thought that would be pushing the karma a little too far. Besides, I like hiding in my office and futzing with data.
I went to Switzerland in November and went to Expovina, a wine festival that consists of twelve yachts moored in Zurich harbor, full of wine vendors just dying for you to taste their product. And taste I did. And they had a fondue restaurant, so we ate white wine and gruyere fondue and drank MORE wine and YUM. Then on to Luzern (after a side trip to Bern, because Mr. Viper lost his passport and we had to go to our embassy to get a new one - for the record, our Swiss embassy is ruthlessly efficient). In Luzern, I discovered that I am in love with Miro's work, and Picasso really was a hilariously dirty old man, and am seriously freaked the fuck out by Francis Bacon (the painter). I would stare at his paintings in awe, and then terror would set in and I would run away from them.
We went with a bunch of friends to a traditional beer hall, where the other table in our room was having a birthday and they hired a very bad oompah band. The oompah band played Bolero in polka tempo, while we ate bread-soaked vodka dipped in fondue, which is kind of like a cheese shot? Anyway, we toasted to Bo Derek. She was with us in spirit.
I was planning on going bobsledding because I could, and talking about it to a friend during a big reception. There were other people standing around who didn't know either of us well, and when Jeff asked where I was going bobsledding, I said "Titless" (which was the name of the mountain) and he got this great quizzical expression and said "That's not appropriate for you at all." Which.....true. Then I looked around and realized everybody around us was horrified because they didn't think Jeff knew me. Hee. Alas, due to the craziness of travel, I did not get to go bobsledding, but I will someday. Or maybe I'll luge, tits and all.
During the exhibition-vendor-hall part of the trip, where Mr. Viper was talking to his colleagues, I got tipsy with a nice pair of Scotsmen selling some kind of medical device, and who broke out a flask of really good Scotch instead of the tepid conference wine.
Mr. Viper found his lost passport in his noise-cancelling headphone case as he was boarding the plane. D'oh!
I am still trying to plan a major conference for summer 2009. I am still terrified about it all.
More travel coming up - Mr. Viper has talks to give in Capetown, Istanbul and Beijing this year. Now, I have a decent amount of vacation but not enough vacation time for all three. I was going to skip Beijing, but he's going to be there during the Olympics and I am the junkie to end all Olympics junkies. I wanna see me some Olympic fencing and sumo wrestling! So....I don't know. I can't pass up going back to Africa, and I feel I must go see the ancient ruins around Istanbul. But the Olympics! I am so fucking lucky to have this kind of problem. Damn.
Um...the cats are well, although our mentally challenged cat seems to have burned herself sleeping on our cast-iron radiators, and I need to get her to the vet tomorrow. Sherpa hasn't stolen my lunch in a while, mostly because I've switched to a bag with a zipper.