gigamatic

so, I officially hate CVS pharmacy.

Last week, I went in to have a prescription filled, of something they don't keep in stock. At any location. I was given the choice to wait up to 3 days or go somewhere else. A suggestion was made to go to the local drugstore instead. When I asked "but do they take OSU insurance?" the pharmacist yelled NO! AND WE DO NOT EITHER!

So, I politely said "but I know you do take the insurance. I just used it here." Frustrated, he responded, "YOU SAY STUDENT! WE NO TAKE STUDENT INSURANCE HERE. YOU STUDENT!"

And, frustrated, I left. Thankfully, the family-run pharmacy could MAKE what I needed, but couldn't assure me it would be covered by insurance, because our insurance doesn't cover pharmacist-mixed suspensions all the time. Fine, I agreed, since I needed it. Then. Not days from then.

So, it came time to refill something I knew CVS carried. I used to like going there, because they always had what I needed, they were friendly and close. Sunday, I called in a prescription refill, arranging to pick it up yesterday. I had another 2 doses, so I was safe. Or so I thought.

On lunch break today, I ran to CVS to pick up my prescription, only to be foiled by yet another assistant who told me "we lost all the prescription information that was called in Sunday. what was the prescription?" Dude, why would I have that with me? It was a refill and I ran out. "Sorry, I can't help you then."

Can anybody do anything right? You're dealing with people's health, here. Come on. Don't fuck it up. If you can't do the job, get out of the way and give it to someone who can.

Posted by gigamatt at 2:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Floorjack(s). Exterior Paint. Damper. Cleanouts. Furnace. Gutters. Siding. Regrade. Humidifier.

Isn't that enough for now? Sure. And as a treat, we could have the chimney fixed and swept so once we get it all done we could enjoy a small fire in the fireplace. But that last one isn't a dealbreaker.

Posted by gigamatt at 11:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

My German 104 TA is a geek. A very pretty girl-geek, ala Free Enterprise. She collects Wonder Woman and loves Alan Moore. And she's a WWII history buff, apparently.

I could swear the end of the world is at hand.

Posted by gigamatt at 2:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

this week is not starting out well.

more details later.

webserver down. drives full.
people thinking email to boss's boss will fix it? bastards. (yes, this means you.)

project for vprovoosts husband? havent called.
2 pages for client? not done.
1 page for other client? in progress.

plans to upgrade and migrate servers? not done.
plans to monitor up/downtime? need done.

so much testosterone... and adreanaline...
beware, i might hulk out.

Posted by gigamatt at 10:18 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Saturday, it rained, so I finished the sheer for the dining room. I did laundry and dishes and cleaned the catbox, and moved the lumber out of the kitchen. Boring, I know, but what can you do, when the weather is supposed to be stormy and then ends up nice.

Sunday, I mowed grass in the early morning, and did some more laundry, and took out the trash. I finished the swag for the dining room. Unfortunately, the swag looks lopsided to me (it's the hanging, not the swag itself), and may take some adjustment.

Despite my early chores, the trip to Barnesville was not meant to be, which both simulteneously angered and disappointed me. But I've been like that lately. I mean, we were going to go Saturday, but then it was supposed to storm all day, and of course, the weatherman was wrong, and then it was too late to find a dogsitter. And Sunday, Nala just didnt want to go. Trust me, without someone else there, the PF is boring as hell. There's nothing left to see Sunday anyway. So, yeah. Here's me, angry and disappointed. Surprise.

I did my German homework, some more laundry, and clipped coupons from the last 3 weeks papers. We went to lunch and then shopping, got a featherbed from Andersons, (happy anniversary, Nala, it was going to be a surprise), and I mended a pillowcase. I also picked up a set of misc. clamps, and used the bar clamps to re-glue one of the two chairs for the breakfast nook. I hung Nala's grandmother's lenticular ressurection in the nook, and found a bulb to fit. I cleaned up all the misc. hats and gloves and moved those to the appropriate closet, put the citronella candles away, and gathered up a crate-ful of gardening gloves, tools, and shoes.

Verena and Asa, I have a present for you, too late to use this year, though.

Yeah, I got a lot done, but it doesnt make up for not having a day away and eating a lot of festival food.

I'm grumpy. And I know why. And it's not Nala or the lack of pumpkins.

Posted by gigamatt at 10:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Unfortunately, weather.com still says storms tomorrow. 50% chance all day long... National Weather Service says 80% chance of rain, and showers & thunderstorms all day.

Sunday, of course, looks great.

I guess the pumpkins will have to wait another year. And yeah, that sucks. I was looking forward to the pumpkin ice cream, really.

Posted by gigamatt at 9:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

i apologise. i didnt call you. i didnt feel like being social at all, or talking to anybody but Nala. No offense, truly. Homework and studying was the last thing on my mind.

I do have an 80-word essay due tomorrow on who I am and what I did this summer. I'll give it a shot on my own. So far, it starts like this:

Ich heisse Matt, und ich bin neun-und-zwanzig Jahre alt. Ich arbeite hier am Ohio State, und ich bin auch ein Student. Ich bin ein Netzentwickler fur neun Jahre gewesen. Ich arbeitete fur eine Jahr und ein Halfte als Ehandel Berater. Ich habe zwei Katzen, Chester und Sieggy, und ein Dachshund, Hensley.

Diesen Sommer kaufte ich ein Haus und zog um. Für meinen gesamten Sommer erneuerte ich mein Haus, und ich ging auch zu vielen Hochzeiten.

Ich werde alt.

That's 81, if my quick count was correct. 80 if you count um zog as one. (Separable prefix verbs, anyone?)

Posted by gigamatt at 8:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

So, VIA, makers of the wondrous Mini-ITX motherboards, have announced yet another (forthcoming) smaller form-factor, called the Nano-ITX. It's even smaller, at 12cm x 12 cm by what looks like 4cm, which opens up another whole realm of custom pc's. Think about it! You could (probably, since I haven't measured) make Unicron's planet form into a computer!!!

Posted by gigamatt at 10:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

It is the OHIO PUMPKIN FESTIVAL... well, unless they changed the name after the chairman embezzeled all that money.... which would be a shame.

1,279 lb King Pumpkin!!!

Alas, rain is still forecasted for Saturday. Grr.

Posted by gigamatt at 6:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Doctors can't fix what they don't know needs fixing. And if you don't tell them, then they have no clue. Even if they have no clue to begin with. Which, unfortunately may be the case sometimes.

Letting things ride is never a good choice on your own. If you don't improve, then you need to seek help. Not, "lets see how long I can survive." Call someone, talk to a doctor, even if it's not your own.

So, I did... and I got a referral.

At 2:30 today, I go see a specialist. I can't talk about what it's for, but suffice it to say, it's unsightly, uncomfortable, and has been making me miserable for about 2 months now, thanks to my not acting on my doctor's bad decisions. Don't worry. I'm ok, and it's not life or death. I think. And you're not going to get it, for sure.

And, if this doctor doesnt take steps to fix it (and quickly) you can bet, I'll be going onwards to someone else. I simply cannot live like this anymore.

And if the new doc says the old doc was totally wrong? Well, then, I've been miserable without reason.

Posted by gigamatt at 1:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Jhames was getting grilled...

How did you learn to spot other gay guys? How did your guy friends react when you told them you were gay? How old were you and how long did it take for you to be, if you are, completely open and comfortable about being gay? Were you not comfortable, in the beginning, when it came to talking about the guys you liked, etc. with your straight friends? Did you ever actually approach a guy at school that you though might be gay?

And it made me think about all the crap I've been asked... and all the crap I've asked, or learned from my surroundings.

First... How did I learn to "spot" other gay guys? Dude, they're easy to spot... well, usually the ones you don't want to know are. But, I thought all gays were like that, and were supposed to be like that... all flamboyant and lispy and gross. Thankfully, I grew out of that. Otherwise, you just have to get introduced, if you're like me, and shy.

How did your guy friends react when you told them? Well, I never had many friends, and the ones who I told had no problem. I was lucky. It was the aquaintances who found out later who had a problem.

How old were you and how long did it take for you to be, if you are, completely open and comfortable about being gay? I was in college when I realized I had feelings for the same sex. I'm not open about it. It's not something I feel is anybody's business. And you can be fired in Ohio for being gay.

Were you not comfortable, in the beginning, when it came to talking about the guys you liked, etc. with your straight friends? This question should really be "were your friends comfortable with you talking about people you liked", and that depends on the friend. Guys dont like it, but obviously (straight) girls can deal with it better.

Did you ever actually approach a guy at school that you though might be gay? Not really. I asked a roommate once if he was gay, but I was wrong. Mostly, I don't ask. I'm shy to begin with, and it's really none of my business.

Posted by gigamatt at 10:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

So, another annoying factor in the |BM is the integrated Inte1 graphics controller. I mean, screen refresh is AGONIZINGLY slow. I'm investigating the hardware differences today, not only to make this report complete, but also to verse myself better in hardware issues.

My stress test is running POORLY. WebTrend5 is processing logfiles as slow as it was on the PII-400 I had it installed on before.

You may ask why I'm testing this new machine... Well, it seems my workplace made a $75M (maximum, if everybody bought from them) deal with |BM as a "prime vendor". We don't have to use them, but they gave us "great pricing" on their hardware. Funny, buzz on the distributed computing site echoes what I'm experiencing... they just cant compete hardware-wise, dollar for dollar with De11.

This is what happens when you put dollars in front of quality.

(Footnote: |BM claims on its site that we made a $75M deal. A woman who I trust who was in charge of the paperwork for the deal, says that |BM has misreported their facts and would only be in the millions if we decided to use them for all of our purchases. Again, I trust her. After all, she knows the policies.)

[breakfast done]

Back to the testing... Now I know why the graphics are so unresponsive in the test machine...

shares and dynamically allocates system main memory with video memory usage up to 64 MB based on application, demand and available resource. For [...] models without a separate video card, memory supports both system and video. Accessible system memory may be up to 64MB less than the amount stated, depending on video mode.

This, of course, is in comparison to the ATI Tage 128 GL AGP card in the Gatew4y. Or my 3D RAGE II+ PCI card, also in the Gateway.

It sometimes feels as if I'm using my old Performa 6300... UGH!

This box simply won't do, with an integrated card.

Posted by gigamatt at 8:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I'm not really seeing much difference so far. I normally use a G4teway E-4200 P3 with 320MB of RAM, but today I started testing an IBM N3tVista with a 2.4GHz P4 and 256MB RAM.

Granted, I'm not a heavy Phot0shop user... I probably wont see a difference till I get W3bTrends going. That thing sucks up the resources like a... well... it just sucks em up. We'll see how it does on 3 years of back web server logs.

Posted by gigamatt at 2:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Well, plans are to head east to the big Ohio Pumpkin Festival this Saturday, but looks as if the weather might not cooperate. I'll reserve judgement till Thursday. I'm thinking I'll cancel the hotel... but we still need someone to feed Hensley and let him out @ 4pm Saturday...

Do you like giant veggies? And small town parades? And mullets? Pumpkin bread, pumpkin fudge, pumpkin ice cream, pumpkin burgers? And quilt and craft shows, antique stores, and elephant ears??? Don't forget carnies and rides that cost too much...

Posted by gigamatt at 7:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

i just had to listen to my boss tell my coworker how great QE4tSG (you know, that horrifying show on Bravo) is. My coworker hadn't even heard of the show.

For all it's faults, (Carson included as one of the large faults...), I will say the Art Director did a great job in designing the opening credits and logo. And the concept of a team makeover show incorporating Fashion Emergency/What Not to Wear, Design on a Dime, and Food 911, is a great idea.

But the whole gay thing just still bugs me. Especially Carson. If Bob Mackie can be straight, then you really could do the show with 5 heteros, or a mix. Of course, I think the title created the show, not vice versa. I mean, what the hell would you call the show otherwise? Extreme Makeover?

Posted by gigamatt at 7:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

damn ohio weather. my head hurts.
my monitor died.
and the new sewing machine doesnt work.
and my doctor pissed me off.
my day has been full of disappointments and pain.

Posted by gigamatt at 8:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

laundry
lunch with christy
mow grass
kitty platform
finish sheer
finish swag
dishes
coupons
move lumber out of nook
measure for kitchen curtains
measure for ottoman
fix phone wiring (with junction box from store)

Posted by gigamatt at 7:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (1)

my parents, having heard of my mishap with losing a part to my sewing machine cabinet at Lowes (an unrecoverable part nonetheless), attended two auctions today, and just a few minutes ago, dropped off a new sewing machine (in cabinet) taking the old one with them.

and then they left.

Posted by gigamatt at 4:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

so, on my way to work this morning, i took a tour down the alley. the garbage man DID clean up the mess they'd left for 2 weeks. that's a good garbage man.

Posted by gigamatt at 10:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

as usual, nobody showed up for the meetup. there's one guy who's getting on my nerves, though. for his profile link in meetup, he just links to the democratic.meetup page. and all of his comments are telling people about the democratic rally or meetup. not anything to do with blogging or the web.

now, i've also noticed that LIVEJOURNAL meetups have 100+ members here in Cowtown, and I'm wondering why such an unwieldy tool has such a high usage rate.

oh well, sucks to be them.

Update: You know what? Screw meetup. Who needs em. We can do it without them!

Posted by gigamatt at 8:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

the man with the pan has a weblog!

Posted by gigamatt at 1:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

it's that meetup time of month again. i responded "yes, i'll be there," but backed out of being the host weeks ago.

it's at Victorian's Midnight Cafe, and while the venue is in a fairly convenient location, I can't say I'm happy about it being in a place without wireless. (That is, of course, unless they've added it since I've been there last.

Last time Nala and I went there for a meetup... no other bloggers showed up.

Mike and Juice might be there again, so I will probably drag myself over.

If I get up the courage, I'll email Evan to see if she will come. Ok, maybe I won't. She's a mom, too. I'll leave her be.

Posted by gigamatt at 9:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

so, thanks to blog.meetup.com, i found a couple new blogs to read, although one seems to have ended in january 2003.

there was a photo, on meetup, of two guys at the Dublin, Ireland meetup, and beneath that, their names, Rory and Tom, and their links.

Tom (the one in the front of the photo) has a site (still operational) at www.tomcosgrave.com.

Rory, the one looking over his shoulder, seems to have let his site die (screamingvoices.blogspot.com) and hasnt listed a new one.

But, Rory did teach me a new term. Shirt lifter. Never heard that one before.

Posted by gigamatt at 8:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

damn. ernie's referring page is breaking this design. there has to be a way for me to make it shorter. this sucks.

Posted by gigamatt at 10:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

file amended tax returns to get more money back. duh.

i keep forgetting this. it must be done. my employer messed up my w2s. this works out another $200 or so in my favor.

Posted by gigamatt at 8:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

off to pick up nala at the airport...

Posted by gigamatt at 11:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I have a list of gripes a mile long, which include Christians who want to see gays dead (and still think AIDS is a gay plague), rich aging hipster wannabes who instruct their nephews half-way across the country what opinions to have and how to voice them, and government officials (and hopefuls) who wont tell the goddamn truth.

But, if I take the time to voice those gripes, I won't finish the tasks I must complete before he arrives home.

So, I'll focus on what I've learned this week.

• sometimes, rest is well-deserved, and necessary, even if it's inconvenient as hell.
• family who are friends are always great to have nearby.
• rockwool SUCKS ASS.
• sheer materials are a BITCH to sew. and iron.
• a homeowner's work is never done.
• eye irritations can mimic pinkeye
• life without nala is boring.
• our cats love me more. really. the hoont loves anyone with a ball.
• german girls kick butt. and so do their boyfriends.

Posted by gigamatt at 11:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

i've been napping a lot lately, as have my cats, who have kept me company for the last 4 days, both laying either next to me or on my feet the entire time. it's made me feel loved. even with nala not snoring, the cats have tried to mimic that too (well, chester has -- he snores more like a teakettle just warming up)

i need to run a couple errands, run the dishwasher, and do some laundry. i'd like to do some bigger jobs, but those all take 2 or more people.

so much to do, i'd better get off my ass and get going.

Posted by gigamatt at 9:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Posted by gigamatt at 10:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

someone just sideswiped our neighbor's car (and ran). they never reinstalled the speedbumps after repaving, and thus the car never even slowed down.

i heard what i thought was a thunk on our porch, and upon looking out the window heard the girl yell "motherfucker!" -- evidently she didnt get the license number.

glad i parked in back.

now i'm trying to decide whether to walk to Rally's or drive somewhere. Or just order some pizza.

Posted by gigamatt at 8:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

so much for american splendor. vee forgot she had to pick up a new student at the airport, and the only other showtime was past my (and her) bedtime.

i cant wait for nala to get home.

Posted by gigamatt at 7:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

according to both my dad and my grandmother, there's no way I had pinkeye. nobody else around me had it, and still nobody who had been around me (drinking and or eating after me) has it.

most likely, something DID get in my eye, seeing as how there is a big red (bloody) dot which is now starting to heal. i'm still hitting it with the antibiotic, but it's not swollen anymore.

mom and dad visited today, and it was a nice day, even though most of their frustrations with each other got voiced. mom got my sewing machine working, and dad helped me get organized with my tools.

now, it's time to get a shower and maybe go see a movie (american splendor) with juice and vee. i just wish i could find my regular glasses. the spare pair makes me look like an 80s throwback instead of a late-90s cranky hipster.

Posted by gigamatt at 5:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

so... i might be the living dead. i didnt visit scott baio, that's for sure, and i wasn't abducted by aliens.

but i have eye ointment. and i'm to use it every 4 hours. and i am at home. bored.

i'm falling apart, i tell ya.

Posted by gigamatt at 11:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Stupid people piss me off.

Stupid people who wallow in their stupidity and blame others when things go awry piss me off more.

Yes, I used "awry", and yes, I have been less than eloquent in my journaling for a very long time.

If I took the time to be eloquent, I wouldnt be able to write as much or release as much pent up anger.

Those who know me, know I can be a bitch. But, you havent seen anything till you try to play your helpless, stupid enduser tricks on me.

I have a client who continually drags their feet. We're talking YEARS now. YEARS. What the hell is the use, anyway? By wasting that time, the site we were supposed to have been developing would be hopelessly out of date.

Weeks ago, she plopped a new package of brochures on my desk. When I finally had time to look at them, I discovered each brochure had 3 to 7 items on it which may or may not have needed to be included. One stack had been annotated with a list from the vendor of which to include. The other three stacks did not. I emailed and said "I need a list of which items to include."

I got the response "I'm taking care of it." A few days passed. I emailed again, this time going one step further and making a list of all available items in that stack, to be checked off.

"I'm taking care of it" she said.

A week passed, and she made the idiot move of advertising the new website as having all new items and a new update to the text.

Still nothing from the client.

Then, this morning, an email from her, forwarding an angry email from a customer about out-of-date information.

My response? "Until you get me those lists and we finish the site, this is going to happen."

Then my boss called her. She played dumb. "But I got him a stack of brochures" On speakerphone. Don't taunt me. I have documented proof you're a moron.

And then, I explained to my boss the fact that we had emailed several times and gotten no response. With lists to check off. How simple? But nothing.

"Oh, the vendor didnt get back to you?" Douchebag (can a woman be called a douchebag, or is that in poorer taste than bitch?) "You were sent the list. I'm not dealing with the vendor!"

After hanging up, my boss made the assumption that the vendor never received the list, since he's usually very quick in the turnaround.

What makes this worse, is the client provided me with a list from ONE of the vendors, but not the other three, and when I asked for them, she ignored my repeated requests. For weeks.

This site "had to be done" by last Christmas, and was "started" a year ago.

I'm angry. I'm bitter. I could even be called cranky. And I'm really going to miss Nala.

Posted by gigamatt at 12:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

oh, lordy. i just registered for my fourth and final foreign language class. sure, i'm scared. my pronunciation sucks, and my vocabulary isn't far behind.

but, i have a secret weapon, who lives just up the straBe. thank goodness.

of which am i more scared: making a fool of myself in front of the Germans, or getting a bad grade?

Posted by gigamatt at 3:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

A lot of shit is bugging me lately. Personally and professionally. I'm getting increasingly infuriated by the littlest things. I'm told, by those older and wiser, that this could be directly related to the amount of stress, and physical pain, and the lack of control I have over said situations.

Some things just bug me no matter what.

Back when I started my journals, in the bad old days of late 1999, while I was still working for the consulting-firm-which-fancied-itself-as-a-software-company, I learned a lot about how (some) small companies do business. Having worked freelance here and there since that time, I've seen the same practice over and over.

It's not quite bait and switch when you say "We can do that". It just doesn't mean "We will do that." Nor does it mean "That will be included in the scope of this project". Nor does it mean "We know how to do that." Or "We give a shit what your requirements are."

It just bugs me.

And, what bugs me just as much, if not more, is the level of apathy when it comes to the people buying the product, which must do this, this, and this. Oh, but this other thing, which our higher-ups say must be done, we don't care about. It can be done whenever, despite a looming deadline a mere 10 months away.

And people who dont read. That pisses me off, too. You ask me a question but dont read my answer. Then ask again. And dont read my answer. Then ask again. Look, I answered your question 3 emails ago, retard!

And another thing... people who give you advertising for an event, with prizes, insisting that it go live to the web ASAP. Then, a week later, say they've made a mistake, and they cant possibly award the prize listed, which is tied to a date (football tix for a specific game), so can you change it please, to read "tickets to a future football game"? What kind of moron advertises a prize before they even know if they can procure it?

Posted by gigamatt at 1:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

so, an update on my friends overseas.

my friend Raf, in the 4th ID, finally emailed me to let me know he's ok. he had had really good internet access, but then, the iraqis started heavy attacks on them, and now, they are apparently on the offensive, and limited to a very short period of email.

my friend Krista's husband, Jason, who just came back from Afghanistan a couple months ago, left for Iraq last week.

Our Idiot in Chief tells us he needs $84 BILLION to keep the "War on Terrah" going in both Iraq and Afghanistan.

I watched a video documenting the Bush-takeover, citing facts and figures regarding the de-facto coup performed by the "Christian"-right-wing-Republican party here in the US of A.

What kind of crazy world are we living in?

I had a vision of what the future holds for this country if we all continue to stand back and do nothing. It wasn't pretty. Frankly, if we all live through it, I will be surprised.

And yeah. I disabled comments.

Posted by gigamatt at 7:49 AM | Permalink

my dizziness is back. i'm hoping it's just a sinus problem, and have begun taking the medicine which helped it before.

one of my cats didnt like the fact i cleaned the litterbox and took it upon himself to poop outside the doorway to the box.

i stepped in dog poo on the way to the car.

i nearly hit a cat driving to work because it was too stupid to notice that cars were coming in its direction. every time a car came, it would jump away, but then start back across. my laptop flew out of my bag and onto the floor of my car, along with my unopened can of soda. my pop-tarts, also in the bag, are now crumbs.

my plans to come home for lunch were thwarted by the fact that i will be on campus with my boss from 10am - 2pm. i also need to stay late since i'm leaving early tomorrow to take nala to the airport.

it is, as they say, most definitely a monday. crumby poptarts and all.

Posted by gigamatt at 7:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

S T F U
st F U
S T F U
st F U

I swear I will kill this person down the hall if she doesnt shut up. I can hear her, clearly, every word, in my office. Nobody else in this building talks so laut.

She's another one of those fools. She didnt understand she could use Outlook to do her contact list. She insisted we buy her a copy of ACT (which, if you know, is not the same thing, but has MANY MANY more features, which she doesnt use).

So yeah. She buggered up her laptop. AGAIN. And she had to bring it to us. AGAIN.

This is the woman who insisted she couldnt do her job without speakers on her computer. And a subwoofer.

She doesn't work in this building anymore.

Her visits make me realize how little I actually talk here at work.

Posted by gigamatt at 3:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

you dont often hear (see?) me talk about work on this website. usually i'm too frustrated, or it will take me too long to explain the multiple levels of moronitude which exist at my workplace.

but, as it so happens, while i was typing that first paragraph, something occurred which is a good, simple example.

one of our administrative (ha!) assistants was complaining she couldn't log on to her computer to get a file she needed. instead of calling the person in charge of network logons, she called our boss. of course. well, she's telling my boss how she needs this file and how everything is too complicated with too many passwords and yadda yadda yadda... for ten minutes. meanwhile, our network security guy is trying to think what might have happened. he checks the security logs, and it seems she's putting in a bad password. "i know that's the right password!" she keeps insisting. "i need that file now!"

for ten minutes she's trying to get someone to understand that she's putting in the right password but it isnt taking it. "is your username right? is the caps lock on? is the numlock on? is the domain correct?" -- all the answers were correct.

finally, she realized, "oh! i changed my password 10 minutes ago."

Posted by gigamatt at 8:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

i stole these questions from juice, who stole them from kofuzi, but that's okay because he snagged them from someone else:

what's on your bedside table?

currently: remotes, a lamp, a clock, and my laptop charger. usually supplemented by some form of illustrated book.

what's the geekiest part of your music collection?

everyone has some geekiness in their music collection. however, mine needs some cleaning out. especially the 90s dance stuff. yuck. the geekiest part? probably my Matthew Sweet collection, since I have most of his pre-2000 albums and ep's. or possibly my Cure collection, which was pretty complete up till the mid-90s. That's gotta be about it, since I gave my Morrissey and Smiths collection to my sis. Oh, and I suppose They Might Be Giants would count as geeky, no matter how few albums you have. Same with B52s.

what do you eat when you raid the fridge at night?

I dont raid the fridge past dinnertime.

what is your secret guaranteed weeping film?

Donnie Darko. That baseball film that everyone loves so much makes me puke. ET used to make me cry. I cried at the end of the Sum of Us. Wit makes me cry. I don't cry often. Boys don't cry.

if you could have plastic surgery, what would you have done?

if I could have? or if I would have.

do you have a completely irrational fear?

snakes. aliens. dark scary Blair-Witch basements at night in a dark house by yourself.

what is the little physical habit that gives away your insecure moments?

i either get quiet or talk too much. or look away.

do you ever have to beg?

no.

do you have too many love interests?

no. hobbies and objects of lust, maybe.

do you know anyone famous?

know? no. met? sure. had class with? sure.

describe your bed.

an average mattress on an old, rickety box spring on a plain headboard and footboard.

spontaneous or plan?

plan.

who should play you in a movie about your life?

crispin glover. he's the only one creepy enough.

do you know how to play poker?

yeah. my dad taught me when I was... 8ish. although I havent played much since then.

what do you carry with you at all times?

keys. wallet. phone.

how do you drive?

mostly under the speed limit. a tad reckless if i'm alone.

what do you miss most about being little?

lack of responsibility. free room and board. my mom's cooking.

are you happy with your given name?

sure. but i also like my family nickname. plus, the whole dunn thing. i used to wish i'd been named anything BUT what my parents named me. but now I can't imagine being named anything else.

what color is your bedroom?

bluish white with an ugly scallop border.

what was the last song you were listening to?

4 Non Blondes: What's Goin' On. Or at least that's what's in my head.

have you ever been in a school play?

yes. a couple. Diary of Anne Frank, I played Mr. Van Daan. Faust, I played Dr. Faust to my best friend's Mephistopheles. And the Mayor in the Pied Piper.

have you ever been in love?

yep.

do you like yourself and believe in yourself?

yeah. kinda.

do you think you're cute?

bahahaha. no.

do you consider yourself to be a nice person?

yeah, sure. except when i'm not. ask nala about my mood swings.

Posted by gigamatt at 8:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

no, really, go away.

so, talking to my dad made me realize how uncommon this (past) rain-filled month really was. then talking to the guys at work, i heard the same story: basements which were never wet, were wet now. it was nearly the wettest month in the history of recordkeeping.

incredibly uncommon.

i am SO glad we got those drains flowing away. now we need to have it trenched and re-done. i think a good few paces up and down in the saturated soil would probably provide drainage for now by compacting it and creating a divot. now would also probably be a good time to roll the lawn in the back, which was also retaining water.

Posted by gigamatt at 9:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Well... I'm still considering returning the Linksys and getting an SMC 2804wbr instead. Same price, the SMC seems to have a) a better firewall, and b) email notification if you have intrusion attempts.

But, I can find less reviews of the SMC.

Anybody worked with them before?

Posted by gigamatt at 8:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)