I've never been big on Thanksgiving or parades (I know, I'm unAmerican). But Boise is decorated for the benignly named Holiday Parade (which used to be the totally politically incorrect Fairyland Parade) which is Saturday (no, I won't go), the Christmas tree is up in the Grove just waiting for Master Beater (oh, sorry Mayor Bieter) to light it. So what does this mean? Christmas time has arrived.
As much as I'm anti Thanksgiving, I love Christmas. Christmas has gifts, and giving, and cold weather and Christmas carols and Santa and of course the Birth of the Big Guy (I just miss sharing birthdays with Him by 10 hours and 25 minutes). One custom that is sometimes celebrated here is the Mexican tradition of fireworks at Christmas. There is nothing more gorgeous that fireworks in middle of a snowstorm. (yes, I also love the Fourth of July, I think I was a pyromaniac in a former life)
Now I can confess I've been listening to Christmas Carols on Spotify for the last week.
And as for the Mayan calendar,and their prediction that the world will end on December 21. Please, that is the Druid's day of Yule. I respect the druids, they worship oak trees. As an Oakes, I have to like that. So my bet is the Druids can beat the Mayans any day.
Anyway, Happy Thanksgiving and happy beginning of the Season of Yule.
Thursday, November 22, 2012
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Morning Has Broken, Sort of
I have today off (have to work tomorrow, but these two day workweeks are nice). Anyway, I can sleep in this morning. That's why I woke up at TWO in the morning. Now at 5:22 AM, I've taken all my drugs, shot up my peptide and am eating breakfast. It's still dark out. Growl!
Monday, November 19, 2012
SBD
I'm currently in middle of a book, so I shall report on the first half. I'm reading The Last Man by Vince Flynn. This is the 13th (I believe) in his Mitch Rapp series. Mitch is counterterrorist operative for the CIA, or in his words he "kills terrorists". I love the Rapp series and wait in eager anticipation for November and the next book. This one is no different. Excellent and totally fun. There is one small section that is a bit different. Mitch suffers a subdural hemotoma and for a day or so, hasn't the memories of the events in his life that turned him into the major badass he is. So we get to see a "softer" side of Mitch.
Another thing about these books that I like is that one of the other major characters is a female. Now Irene Kennedy is an attractive forties something female. No, she isn't the brainless helpless female type so often found in these types of books. No Dr. Kennedy is the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency and the only person Mitch answers to.
All of the old gang is in this book, a benefit of a series, you get time to really know and care about the characters.
Well, I'm off to finish my book. Next week, I shall report on the second half.
Another thing about these books that I like is that one of the other major characters is a female. Now Irene Kennedy is an attractive forties something female. No, she isn't the brainless helpless female type so often found in these types of books. No Dr. Kennedy is the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency and the only person Mitch answers to.
All of the old gang is in this book, a benefit of a series, you get time to really know and care about the characters.
Well, I'm off to finish my book. Next week, I shall report on the second half.
Sunday, November 18, 2012
Ooops
Well, there is a big controversy at NASA. A man had personel data on a laptop, left laptop in locked car and guess what, it was stolen. Personal info on about 10,000. An oh sh*t moment.
When reading this, I couldn't help but think of when I worked as a Customer Service Rep for DHL (the overnight delivery service). I get this call, from what can best be described as an Asshole (with capital A). He had sent a laptop across country and now he thought it was lost. He starts out with "You probably don't know who X Company is." One don't insult your CSR you never know who is on the other line of the phone. I answered with "Yes, I believe X Company is an AeroSpace contractor with the government." (Dumb female CSR 1) has a degree in Political Science, and 2) is a space geek). You could hear it running down both legs as he realized that I knew whatever was on the laptop probably shouldn't have been shipped via commercial carrier. His whole attitude changed, it was wonderful. Yes, I am a low creature, I enjoyed it, every second of it. And Yes, I found his laptop for him, it had been delivered to where it was supposed to be. Gave him the name of the person who signed for it and he was releaved and happy, well except for his soiled pants.
The morale of this story: make sure your data is encrypted, don't leave your laptop laying around (even if you locked the car, any thief can pop that lock in a second), and don't send it commercial.
When reading this, I couldn't help but think of when I worked as a Customer Service Rep for DHL (the overnight delivery service). I get this call, from what can best be described as an Asshole (with capital A). He had sent a laptop across country and now he thought it was lost. He starts out with "You probably don't know who X Company is." One don't insult your CSR you never know who is on the other line of the phone. I answered with "Yes, I believe X Company is an AeroSpace contractor with the government." (Dumb female CSR 1) has a degree in Political Science, and 2) is a space geek). You could hear it running down both legs as he realized that I knew whatever was on the laptop probably shouldn't have been shipped via commercial carrier. His whole attitude changed, it was wonderful. Yes, I am a low creature, I enjoyed it, every second of it. And Yes, I found his laptop for him, it had been delivered to where it was supposed to be. Gave him the name of the person who signed for it and he was releaved and happy, well except for his soiled pants.
The morale of this story: make sure your data is encrypted, don't leave your laptop laying around (even if you locked the car, any thief can pop that lock in a second), and don't send it commercial.
Unsticking the J Key
OK, I figure this is as good a time to start blogging again. It's 4 days 'til Thanksgiving, 43 days 'til New Years Day, 38 days 'til my birthday, 37 days 'til Christmas. Or for the abbreviated version 33 days until the end of the Mayan calendar. If the world ends before Christmas and my birthday I WILL BE PISSED.
Nothing major has been going on, except the "j" key on my laptop keeps sticking. So if some word would look better with a "j" and it doesn't have it, blame the laptop. I am in the process of buying a car (I've been carless for 3 years). It's not new car, but it runs. I'll have details later this week.
I thought I was going to have to work 4 days this week, with only Thanksgiving off. Then it was decided they only needed a skeleton crew at work on Friday, so enough bones volunteered that I get Friday off as a holiday. THEN, my supervisor realized that most of us forgot our "floating" holiday that we need to take off by the end of the year (or end of the world whichever comes first), so I took Tuesday off. Which means, wait for it, I have a two day workweek (Monday and Wednesday). WHEEEEEEEEE.
I'm also in middle of reading a book (gasp!), I'll have more on that tomorrow for Beth's blog.
Well, I'm out of here now, off to figure out if I can unstick the j key.
Nothing major has been going on, except the "j" key on my laptop keeps sticking. So if some word would look better with a "j" and it doesn't have it, blame the laptop. I am in the process of buying a car (I've been carless for 3 years). It's not new car, but it runs. I'll have details later this week.
I thought I was going to have to work 4 days this week, with only Thanksgiving off. Then it was decided they only needed a skeleton crew at work on Friday, so enough bones volunteered that I get Friday off as a holiday. THEN, my supervisor realized that most of us forgot our "floating" holiday that we need to take off by the end of the year (or end of the world whichever comes first), so I took Tuesday off. Which means, wait for it, I have a two day workweek (Monday and Wednesday). WHEEEEEEEEE.
I'm also in middle of reading a book (gasp!), I'll have more on that tomorrow for Beth's blog.
Well, I'm out of here now, off to figure out if I can unstick the j key.
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