10 Yr Reunion

Last weekend I attended my 10yr HS reunion back in TN. Stayed at my mom's on Friday night and at the location of the Reunion Saturday. To give an idea of the lay out of this place, think convention center type place with a hotel tower (6-7 floors) on one end of the building, a decently sized bar and lobby area along with a very large outdoor patio, then the far side of the building are the ball rooms.
Highlights were as followed.
Alcoholess tailgate prior to the HS game Friday night.
Me doing 42 push-ups on a platform held up by 4 scrwany HS kids ala the Tiger at Clemson games. Search youtube for my name and 42 pushups. I'm not stupid enough to post the link.Yes this was on a dare and I made $25 for it. It kept people interested in the game too so that was fun.
A set up basketball game with 12 of us playing full court complete with scoreboard and ref. 32 minutes of basketball. 53 total points and lots of shots. It was fugly basketball but one of hte most fun sporting events I have particpated in since HS. We even had shirts made up. I may get a pic link of that action up at some point.
The reunion complete with competitions to see which table would go to the buffett line first. So mishandled the last three tables were waiting to win a competition while there was no buffett line. They did show a slide show with pictures of past and present which was pretty cool. I definetly dipped it low, grinded on married women with their spouses there, did a little Vanilla Ice dance, then hit on a chic there with two kids and currently going through a divorce. She was sans kids and soon to be ex husband.
I walked back and forth making my own cheap and strong drinks a couple times before saying screw it and bringing in a bottle of ginger ale and a bottle of Jack (empty water bottles refilled) to keep my own party going. We ended up on said patio after midnight when the party was ended due to contract. They let us drink our own stuff without question as late as we wanted as long as there were no complaints from other guests. I was up until after 3 though everything after 1:30 is a blur.
Checked out on time (I think), went back to my mom's, slept a couple more hours, and got back here around 8:30 that Sunday night.
It was a helluva weekend as most of my HS crew was in for this. It was great seeing everyone, especially as I have missed out on a few gatherings those guys have put together since. Hopefully we can get together like that more often and the emails about in general things that have happened are still popping up. I just hope we can keep the college crew doing the same regarding getting together in mass.

A Few Notes

So, they reversed the extra payment into my account. Guess I could have kept my mouth shut but I would have felt guilty about it. The funny thing is, it's not my old companies fault. It supposedly had to do with Paychex. With that in mind, they make enough cash, once it was in my account and clear, those morons should have had to eat it. Oh well.

On to more pleasant thing. 10yr HS reunion this weekend. A few events planned. It should be a good time. I hope so. Seeing some of the folks will be interested. I keep up with most of the guys still. Seeing all the girls that are married, and many with kids will be weird. Should be fun like I said though. Hopefully I'll have a good story or two come Monday.

Avast!

Tomorrow, Sept 19th is International Talk Like a Pirate Day. I expect emails to be written as such. It also should be fun to listen to some of the morning radio shows as they typically pick up and run with this. One was prepping us this morning for tomorrow on air festivities. Now if I could only find a lady pirate that will let me shiver her timbers. Aye!

I'll Take It...Maybe

So, I'm going through my normal routine a bit later than normal. The bosses car is dead (battery) and we have been trying to jump it, unsuccessfully. As I am waiting on him to figure out what he is going to do, and if I need to tote him around, I figure I will do my normal check email, online bank statement, ESPN, etc. to start my day. It’s what I do when I come into the office. If I don’t go through this routine, I’m usually set up for a crappy day. Anyway, tomorrow is the 15th which means I get paid either at midnight last night or tonight. I hadn’t quite figured out when JCI posts to your account when the date falls on the weekend. I check the account and my check is in and showing pending. However, I also noticed that my account is up from what a normal paycheck would reflect and commissions aren’t paid mid-month. I check the details and low and behold, my old company has a payment pending into my account as well. Extremely odd as they pay commissions quarterly and I got that check a couple weeks ago from previous services rendered. I noticed the amount looked familiar and cross checked it to my last check from them. The totals matched exact. It was for half what my typical check on salary draw was, when I was there. Now, both of these payments are pending so there is a chance that the one from the old job will be rescinded. I have never seen this happen though. Usually once it is showing as a pending payment and monies in your account, it’s as good as there.
Now the fun part. Do I call my old company? Do I let it slide and see if they deduct it from what I believe will be my last commission check from them in a couple months? Do I not think twice about it until tomorrow AM when it will be either officially posted or not? Ethics suck and I honestly don’t know what to do. I would have understood this maybe in the first month after I left, but considering they had my time documented well enough to give me half a check for my last week or so, previously, why would they have me in at all now? Had it happened in July, I would have happily called, told them what was up and had it corrected. At this point I kinda look at it as a “If your accounting is that screwed up, tough crap, go fix your own problems.” I am guessing taxes and everything have been taken out since the amount match perfectly. I’ll check the mail for a pay stub or something on paper from them. Maybe they shorted me on my commissions for the amount of half a check and found the mistake. I didn’t notice so that’s mighty nice of them to take care of it. Of course, I might have caught it had they sent me my June commission numbers as well. Who knows? If I get more info, I’ll crank out an update. Otherwise, one of the dude’s (and his Mexican’s) coming to give me a paint estimate this afternoon are gonna get the job and it will be as if I didn’t have to pay according to my budget and bank account.

I love you, Tonya

Yes, Tonya. At this moment, I love her very, very much. You are probably asking who this person is and why I love her. Well, Tonya was my customer service rep for Time Warner Cable. See, on Thursday, I ordered the ESPNHD package for college football season. When you have a decent TV, it should be put to use this time of year. Sunday's are for yard work and house chores. Saturday's are for beer and college football. Well, I ordered the package at work and was instructed to check it out when I got home that evening but everything should be good. With the use of computers they can adjust your service now with just a few key strokes, or so I thought. Well, with previous committments on Thursday I didn't get to check on the service but did last night. I found quickly that I did not have my HD ESPN, or the Deuce. After searching around, I did find that I had some kind of Major League Baseball package with a bunch of games. Nice consolation prize I guess but not what I wanted. Now keep in mind, I was on the phone 15-20 minutes just to say "Hey, upgrade my HD package to include ESPNHD, thanks." So last night I get on the phone and get what I assume to be a trainee. I was on hold for nearly 15 minutes before I got a voice then was on with her for an additional 30 minutes. I reset the box, checked the channels, etc. I was put on hold for a few minutes. Supervisors were supposedly being used, I don't know. Then I went on hold and got the same intiall music I get when you first dial into the system. It was time to head out and I punted. Total time on the phone, 1hr and 10min. Read here to see other great communications companies and their service. Got home last night with fingers crossed, no dice. Well, I jumped on after Gameday this morning and thought i was going to get more of the same. On hold for a customer service rep for about 10 minutes, then I got Tonya. Told her the issue, what I think had happened with the MLB package and that I was a TWC customer because of the local Adelphia service buyout about a year ago. Within five minutes, I was looking at the clean, crisp, clear HD ball game while the MLB package was being cancelled. I was elated and Tonya could tell as she got a chuckle out of my candidness. I'm glad there are a few diamonds in the rough, that actually know their jobs, in the customer service world.

Random Weekend

This past weekend was quite random. After taking my 2 hour post work Friday nap I got up and running just in time to catch a ride to the Rusty Rudder. The lake action is usually stronger on Friday's as that crowd is typically done and done come Saturday nights. The crowd was surprisingly week and I attribute it to the pre-season game for the Panthers that were in town. That was fine as a couple of us hung on the porch; I drank $1.50 beer and got a free ride out of it. Low key with cheap beer. Works for me. During the time there I received a call from a 919 (Raleigh-Durham area) but don't know the number. It was definitely female and had it been on a voice message I would have enjoyed it for many nights to come. Apparently someone wanted to enjoy the rest of the evening (the call came in around 12:15) with me and was at a bar down town. I have no clue what the name was but they claim to know me from a bar downtown we have been frequenting on Thursday night the past couple months. I was told in some very descript terms what they wanted to do, they wanted to know where I was and why I wasn't at the bar I had met them. I had excused myself about 30 seconds into the call. While standing on the side deck I still couldn't figure out who it was and wasn't going to ask again. I laughed heartily, told them if they wanted me they needed to come to the lake and let it go. Having taken a long nap I was up around 2:30 after getting dropped off at home. I decided I would find out who this was as I suspected it to be a prank via a friend of a friend’s phone from someone who knew where I headed out too periodically. At 2:40 they answered and went back into the same dialogue questioning my manliness as I hadn’t come downtown to meet them. They asked for my address and I told them simply to get in a cab, come to my exit, and I would guide them from that point. I went to bed and didn’t get a call but I also haven’t figured out who it was either. Inquiring minds want to know as it was a helluva prank or I missed out on the easiest action since, well I won’t go into that.
Saturday was good times. Lilley and wife ventured up to the lake and we headed to the sandbar and watched girls dance like strippers on the other boats. Matt and I also got the tailgate game plan together for FSU and I issued the email upon returning home. Did a little yard work had one of the best evenings at home in quite some time. Hopefully I will be able to go into more details on that one in the future.
Sunday was pretty standard. Slept in, did housework. hung by the pool and had dinner and Skippy and wife’s then killed a bunch of time on the phone that evening with friends and primarily family.
Considering I had a really good weekend and don’t have anything other than the phone call off the wall to report, I found it kinda random, but I’ll take it anytime. A positive ending to the call and it would be damn hard to beat.

F-You Fortune Cookie Man

Ok, I know the little Chinese folk that run the cat buffet don't actually write these (they were started by someone in the San Fran area years ago and their are varying stories with some roots in ancient China) but I'm still gonna blame them. The sad thing is, I like the one we go to here, it tastes good and has 97.5 health rating. Unheard of in the buffet world. But they pissed me off todya. On to my story and issues. We all know I have an issue with over thinking and over analyzing pretty much everything. We also know that all fortune cookie messages should be followed with "In bed," or at least it's much more fun that way. Well, as if my complete analytical treatment of everything, including figuring out the best place to meet women and what their actions and words mean, I get slapped with this at the buffet today at lunch. "Your mentality is alert, practical, and analytical", in bed. Great, so I am cursed with the same problem between the sheets that keeps me from getting there to start with. I needed any help screwing things up instead of just doing the screw part? To top it all off, I'm head to Chucktown this weekend, where the odds are supposedly so good for guys. You know why I am going though? Oh yes, an engineering professional organization conference where I will be representing the Charlotte Chapter in all the business meetings, dorking it up through late afternoon Saturday preventing me from heading out on the town until then. Will I even feel like going out. Probably not since I have breakfasts for this damn thing at 6:30 both tomorrow and Sat. morning. Of course fortune cookie writer man has already screwed me. 1 of 4 engineers at the table and I get this one, real effing nice. F-you fortune cookie man, f-you.

Maybe I am useful

As we have all learned, I can't paint. From now on, I won't paint. Well, can't say that, I won't paint other than the ongoing touch up and fixing of the job mentioned a week or two ago. Especially considering the amount of original paint that peeled when the tape came up along with the places the new paint peeled back from the edges. One thing I will say, if you start having orignal paint peel along with your tape, spray down the tape with Goo Gone and let it soak for a minute. It seemed to help on the last quarter of the room that I peeled.
Anyway, though I can't paint, it seems I can do a few handy man things. Hung a bunch of organizer stuff in the garage, replaced all my kitchen cabinet hardware (a 5 y/o could have pulled this one off, but I expedited it with the use of a screw drive bit on a drill) and my most recent feat.
I've had some moderately annoying electrical clitches with my refridgerator. Needless to say they didn't spring up until about the time the one year warranty was up on anything other than the refrigerant cycle. Read in the compressor and other parts that allow the appliance to do it's work. Your heat pump kinda works the same way. Anyway, the light was randomly fading in and out on the front panel for ice and water. The water dispenser wouldn't always work, neither would the ice dispenser. Skippy tended to be on the receiving end of this until the past month or so and therefore I didn't seem to worry too much about it as I didn't know the frequency of the problem. Well, I came home the middle of the week to find the ice in the dispenser fused up as though a thaw and re-freeze cycle had occured in teh freezer. A clicking sound was coming from the rear of the fridge. I got it restart after simply powering off then replugging it (causing the cover plate to the recepticle to completely crumble and fall in the process). After getting home Friday, I foudn it clicking again, warming inside in both the fridge and freezer and the restarting trick to not rememdy the issue. Off to the store for 50 lbs of ice and to the grarge to round up all the coolers. I let things go, keeping all the perishables iced over the weekend, 75% of which I was able to save. In the process of this mess, I checked the pack, removing a cover plate and finding the sourse of the clicking sound. I knew it was electrical from the previsouly mentioned problems and the fact that the little fan in the freezer was attempting to spin but only doing so in sync with the clicking sound and never actually "kicking on." Today I got after the job at hand, first calling GE's service hotline and having what I was afraid of confirmed. Everything but the condenser and associated parts was out of warranty. Tomorrow being the earliest they could come giving me a lovely 8-5 time frame with a call ahead that I had to request (and probably wouldn't actually occur). While on hold, I was instructed that parts could typically be purchased locally from a distributor (not the same place I bought it from though) . At the same time I was already online checking out the GE appliance home page which luckily had a parts listed also present. I scheduled the appt for tomorrow but was able to track down the part number (I had the model and serial numbers of the unit with me) while at the office. A phone call later and I had tracked down the part, at a store just up the street from a customers office. Three hours later I had the motherboard for the fridge in hand. 6 hours later, the board was installed and I was up and running again.
I will say I am proud of myself. I know I've saved a fair amount of cash even if the board was much more than just a possible capacitor to be replaced ($100 vs 25 or so) compared to $70 for a service call and whatever parts and predetermined labor fee I would have been hit with for a 15 min job. I don't have to spend half tomorrow waiting for a call ahead. I didn't drop $10 on ice tonight. I actually gambled on a solution and won. Keep me away form the paint. Give me something with nuts, bolts, or real basic electrical stuff (I self diagnosed the boat but didn't have the tools to make that one happen). OK, so be leary about the electrical stuff but I'm getting better at it. Now, if things would go my way with wood products I would be ok. Good tools would help. Guess it's time to call and cancel that appt for tomorrow.

Weather Man

Those who read this probably know I have an "thing" for the weather. No, I don't get "excited" by it but I like to know what the forecast is, like to know there is a chance in hell that the forecast I am getting will be correct, and I like taking my own stab at with a bit of commentary on how it will affect goings on. Let me continue by saying, this week has sucked. OK, I know I live in the Piedmont area, an area prone to high heat and humidity during the summer. Hey, we get mild winters and the legitimate threat of severe weather (Tornadoes, Hurricane's, etc) are minimal compared to other places with a similar climate. This will be the 3rd or 4th day in a row that the thermometer has topped 100. I'm not talking hit the mark, I'm talking exceeded it. So hot that even with my windows down, the steering wheel is almost too hot to touch. I had some Nivea Q10 heat so much in my car yesterday that it oozed out of the pump, with the cap still on.
Now I knew it was going to be a warm one. Initially the week was forecast to be much like what we had the one prior and this upcoming. Mid 90's lows around 70. As the week went on, not only did they update it but the temps kept bumping up, and have been achieved. This weekend we are supposed to be back in the mid 90's and sadly this will be our "relief" for the next week as Monday and Tuesday it's supposed to push 100, again. The 10 day has us in the upper 80's the end of next week, and you know that crap isn't right. That forecast is only based on historical data for the date and has no relevance to what is actually going to happen. I guess all this will make fall that much more pleasurable. "Sweltering" tailgates in the sun in the 80's won't seem nearly as bad. I know I won’t have to worry about melting Bowman at least. Now if my grass would just stop growing, I would be ok. Mowing in this crap sucks. And for you people in the swath from Augusta GA through Fayetteville NC, I know, you have it even worse but you knew this going in.

Kinda Sad

I jsut watched 40 yo Virgin for the first time. Laughed my ass off and wish I would have seen it earlier. This isn't the sad part. I can understand half what the character was thinking. Sad...really, really, sad.

Not Gonna Do It

So, with the new job and everything I've decided I would be making some home improvements. I have quite a list including cutting in a new landscaping bed in the back and transplanting the front bushes to back there this fall and putting some new stuff in the front. Most of the changes will be on the inside though. I've already installed some of the Rubbermaid rods in the garage and moved the shelving around. Inside the house I have a plan that will probably take several months to move through. Cabinet hardware has been replaced in the kitchen and I plan to switch out all the knobs throughout the house going from teh old cheap looking brass look to the more up to date brushed nickle. There will also be some lighting changes sticking with darker metal theme. Skippy's old room is being turned into the "Man Room" that will be for fun and games including darts and foosball. The formal living room will become a sitting room with a couple comfortable chairs, bookshelf and the bar. Some of the most noticable adjustments will be with regards to paiting though. The kitchen. living room, maybe sitting room, and the man room are all getting fresh coats. To see what kind of skills I have, I began work on the man room this weekend. It's getting an Orange and Purple theme to go with the Clemson and some UT pictures that will be in this room. Took a couple hours to tape off the windows, doors, outlets (after removing cover plates of course) and intersection with the ceilings and other walls. I've put two coats on both walls. The colors look good, the workmanship sucks. If you get up close, especially to anywhere that required detail work using and edger foam or foam brush and there are clots, small run lines, and just not an overall good looking detail job. Becasue the room will probably not see many if any women, I'm not going to worry about though I have no clue what it's gonna look like when the tape comes off. Since most of this is detail work high against the ceiling or only noticable up close the hell with it. However, knowing I've spent a fair amount of time, and more than expected cash to get these results you can bet your ass Mexicans will be hired out to take care of all the stuff downstairs. It's gonna cost me a little but I should be able to leave in the morning and come home with a painted house once I figure out what the sitting room will get and who the best option to use will be. Why didn't someone warn me before. Wait, they did, and I was a dumbass and didn't listen.

Add...I just did some more finishing touches type stuff like giving the dart board backing a coat of orange to match. That was a disaster trying to get all the edges before it went on the wall then watching the plastic drop cloth stick and smear. I f'ing hate painting. This shit better me in decent shape when I pull the tape. I have a feeling I will have a little sanding and some more touch up to do this week to get some serious streaks out but after that, I'm paying someone to the other room fo sho!

Tasty

I just had a four scoop reminder of why I love Bryers Rocky Road ice cream. It's great. Go buy some and enjoy yourself. That is all.

New Start

Well, the new job has officially started. I received my new work computer this morning and am trying to get all the proper software loaded while fighting the corporate red tape for a phone, straightening out my benefits packages, I've already started learning plenty. I knew I would be thrown into the mix immediately but reviewing final submittals for the new Wachovia High Rise that is under construction, is a bit more than I was expecting in the first two days. I have great accounts both with engineers and contractors in the Charlotte market and I'm looking forward to the added responsibility. I'll keep things up to date as things move along. Not many exciting things to report at this point otherwise. About two months until football season so the stories are just down the road I'm sure. Oh yeah, the boat did crap out in the middle of the lake last weekend but I was pulling up next to a freind and was close to the ramp so getting back in was easy and uneventful. The question is whether I bother fixing it.

Sorry Kids

OK, it's been quite a while since I blogged. A bunch going on so if you think some of this stuff is worthy of longer posts, let me know and I will expand my ramblings.

First the work stuff. My last day wasn't the 19th as the expected. It ended up being this past Friday the 22nd. Things were delayed due to a death in the family (thanks for the messages and condolences from those that knew) I had to back things up a few days as I was in WV most of the week prior to this past. I had my exit interview on Wednesday. It didn't have nearly the fireworks I was expecting. Spoke with my boss about an hour and half over lunch. He had previously heard most of what I had to say over the past few months from me so it wasn't a ton of surprises. Stayed pretty busy all week but I think I was as professional as possible and left them in pretty decent shape with regards to my accounts.

I'll be "unemployed" until July 9th. Will be spending most of the week of the 4th in Florida with family. I'm looking forward to that as well as getting some stuff done around here in the mean time. Probably spend a day or two in TN as well.

Speaking of family, I was looking through some of my sisters pictures on Facebook today. Since she is college bound later this summer she got her account set up. In the pictures is a shot of my 12 yr/old brother with a traditional pyramid as seen in beer pong in front of him. I know he had seen it at a tailgate with us old fogies but wow. He looked a little glazed but I doubt my sister would have let him partake. It's just weird seeing a him playing this at my parents house

Done and Done

I turned in my official two week notice yesterday afternoon to my boss Rick who is the company President and heir apparent to his father. It was twice as smooth as I imagined it would be. I was not counter offered which was a pleasant surprise. I expected it but I also think it is a move of desperation. To borrow a phrase from Nobrainer, "Desperation is a stinky colgne." With this in mind I was extremely pleased to not have to deal with it and proud my boss didn't go that route. This occured between 5:30 and 6 last night. This morning we told Richard (Rick's dad and the CEO). He was shocked and disappointed that I would be leaving. Rick was also disappointed but not nearly as shocked. I have a feeling this stems from a fear he has had over the past year or two (he expressed this concern) along with the donscontent that I have been expressing from time to time and my curiosity in leaving this office for another one in the company. I will be having an exit interview sometime this week over lunch. I really don't want to sling any mud or say something taht could jeopardize a good working relationship moving forward but I think if their are any fireworks, that's when they will happen.

Go Time

It's go time as in I'm gone. Details to follow.

What's Wrong Here?

We've had two temp's in our office helping with phones and some secretarial work this week due to family illness issues keeping some of our normal support staff out. The first one sucked so I don't care that she didn't come back. No surprise. The other is here and owrking up front. I think she is different from the one yesterday. I didn't pay enough attention to lock in what the other one looked like other than she had one of those funny pull over hair do's with the hair on the "pulled from side" cut really close. Anyway, the one here today is driving a Mercedes ML type SUV. It sports a vaniety tag reading "BlkBarbie." I kid you not. Obviosuly not mom or dad's car. I jsut wanna know how payments are taken care of on a temp workers payroll unless she is doing this to fill time between normal jobs or works like 18 hours a day doing other stuff too. I thought I had de-senstized myself to stuff like this but I was shaking my head again this morning, so I guess not. Doesn't "that" Barbie have a name anyway?


***********UPDATE****************
I officially feel like a fool. I overheard an introduction of the the temp from last week to the lady she was in for this morning. She was brought in as our regular person was iffy depedning on her husbands health after the weekend. Anyway, the temp apparently has served time in Iraq with our armed forces. To what extent and in what role, I don't know, but either way I should maybe not be so quick to judge in the future. It's something I do, I know it, and this time it made me the fool....again.

Ouch

My face and brain hurt. Out of four of us who drank heavily, we went "0-fer" with regards to making it to work on time today. If I hadn't awakened to the sound of Mexican's building houses behind my friends place, there is a good chance I would still be asleep. Still uncertain if I slept somewhere other than a bed for any length of time. I didn't crap myself, but I missed a damn good opportunity. That is all.

Countdown to Begin

According to a phone call I just received I will be receiving a formal offer from York/Johnson Controls in the coming days. Once this offer is officially received I will hasten my current withdrawl from current employment. Unless a mighty stout offer is also received in the coming days for a sales position based in Richmond involving coal and material handling systems for industrial and utility (power production) facilities, I plan to stay put in Charlotte and start playing ball with the big boys. Getting into the corporate world should also give me the chance to move up the ladder should it be the thing for me and my skills allow for it. I'm just excited that I get to move into more of a truly technical sales position, or so the plan goes.

Chess Match

Well, I think the chess match has officially started. My boss randomly sauntered into my office about 5:45 this evening while I was finishing up a quote. A fair amount of evenings, he or I am already gone. He asked about the Columbia thing and I said that I just don't want to go. Said I had thought about it a lot. The market is what I am looking for (no BS) but I just don't like the town. Said I had spent some time there and tried to give it another shot but I just don't like it. Most of which is the god's honest truth. Needless to say it caught him off guard. He wondered if I had been going down there or thought about getting in that groove. My answer was the above. He said he had to go but we would talk more about it later. So now what. I am supposed to have some finality on two options in the next week. The third is out there and Career Builder has all my info and I have shot my resume out to a few local corporations in the Fortune 500. If I wanted to do insurance he would be a piece of cake. Since the resume has been up they have emailed me a ton and called a few times. They make telemarketers peons on the scale of annoying people.
Sounds like I need to throw the strategery gear into 5th and figure out a plan. Hopefully I can sneak my Bishop around before the King rallies his knights and pawns.
Stayed tuned, conversation may get interesting for a change.
but for now...it's time to get out of here and go have a beer or three downtown.