What Green Color Are You?

You Are Olive Green

You are the most real of all the green shades. You're always true to yourself. For you, authenticity and honesty are very important... both in others and yourself. You are grounded and secure. It takes a lot to shake you. People see you as dependable, probably the most dependable person they know.

  ¶ 11:09 PM 0 comments

 

Joe and Monkey

Joe and Monkey is a cute web comic that I was turned onto by Player vs Player web comic creator, Scott Kurtz. He told me to go read it, not personally cause he and I have never met. I doubt that I could pick him out in a line up, and I doubt that he knows I exist. No make that I'm sure that he doesn't know that I exist. Truth be known, he simply posted "GO HERE" on his web site, and like the drone I are, I did.

Joe and Monkey is good though. It took a few days worth of comics to get rolling, but it has this quirky cool look and humor to it that I like. Plus it has a guy named Joe and a monkey. Both are things I think are cool. Twice I've almost stolen a pic to turn into an avatar, and I'm only 20 comics in or so.

So go read the damn thing and tell other people about it. Joe and Monkey, that's good readin'.  ¶ 1:37 AM 0 comments

 

How Cool is This?

I've been linked! moonshadow’s coffee corner Ok so I know I'm not the first ... hell I'm probably not even the millionth to be linked, but this is the first time I know I've been linked by someone I don't know in person. And just remember, I TOLD YOU my Legend of the Green Dragon Site was cool! :-P

H0ot!!

My day is made. Not just because I've been linked, but because something I've done has been appreciated by others, THAT's the real coolness. OK, so I didn't write the code or anything, but still. Maybe my php game will get someone to link me one day ... not that I've written it yet or anything ... I'm still a novice's novice with php and mySQL ... soon though ... very soon.

:D

Ok ... go have your dreary little lives again. I know tomorrow will be pretty dreary for me. Blech.

Speaking of Bleach ... if you haven't done so already (what are you insane?) check out the Bleach Manga. Ok so this is a "bigger bigger" type of manga but it's still damn cool.

Ok ... back to your less than as dreary as they were before I turned you onto Bleach lives. :D  ¶ 11:48 PM 1 comments

 

I Hate My Job

I do. If I were wise, I would finish my senior project and get a real job. I'll illustrate my pain if possible.

For the past 6 weeks or so I've worked 80% or more closing shifts. I don't like to close, but I have to since the other people who are skilled in the area are doing things like taking classes that force them to be unavailable for closing shifts or working other jobs, never mind that company policy forbids any outside of work involvement that would preclude you from working at the company. Yeah it is a bit strange that they encourage people to continue classes but then tell you that you can't do anything that gets in the way of work. Whatever.

So finally I have a week of NO CLOSES! Woo Hoo!!! I get to wake up with real people, have lunch at a real lunch hour, and come home and have a real evening with the wife and baby. Wow, life is great.

Well that lasted for less than one hour into my actual work week. The closer for the day called in sick (yeah right), and I was left not only opening but closing too. That's a 12 hour work day. Luckily I got a long lunch so it's only a 10 hour work day. Then later I find out that I'll have to do that two more times this week. (OK so maybe I'm off base here. I was told I'd have to close two more nights, and since my days are going to be frelled anyway I opted to just repeat what I had done today). ANYWAY I'm now down to 2 non-closing shifts regardless.

My supervisor is all "boo-hoo" I hate being the bad guy. I believe her, mostly. Where I find myself doubting is in some of the nuances that I can't quite put into words. I kind of think that management likes to push things off on me because then know I'll bend over and take it. My supervisor might "hate being the bad guy" but at the same time it's a hell of a lot better for her and her boss than doing anything else ... so hate really isn't the right world.

My general manager I trust even less. I have the feeling that her motto is "if it causes me duress, I don't want to deal with it". Sure I can understand that ... to a degree. Here are some things I believe cause her duress: spending five minutes on a project for me so that I can save several hours of work otherwise, disciplining her staff when appropriate, telling the problem workers "no" for anything under the sun, and of course coming out of her office for more than ten minutes to help with anything (you see she's busy).

There are some things she loves to do, such as: making fun of you in a way that she tries to pass off as "just teasing" but actually comes across as "just teasing but not really", telling me how much she is disappointed by people who are not me and blaming me for it (Did I mention that I applied for a supervisory position and was not accepted? Now I'm not bitter. The people who were picked for the two positions are good workers and potentially really good supervisors. Plus I didn't know if I really wanted the job. I would have to work more closely with my GM and that wasn't really something I was "jonesing on" if you get me. But come on, if I'm not good enough to be someone's supervisor then don't treat me like I'm supposed to frelling be their supervisor! Especially when they have worked for the company longer and make more fricken money than me. Geesh, do YOUR job and keep me out of the loop like I'm paid. That is all I am saying), and giving her work to others during the day and at the end of the day so she can get out of the building as fast as possible. Sure she's all "I'm by the book and I want all my staff to be by the book too," but what she's really saying is "When someone asks, I and my staff are by the book, but when no one is looking I'll bend the rules so far they make a circle and I don't really care if someone breaks a few rules as long as things are comfy for me in my office and I go home quickly".

So after the whole car repair fiasco, we've had to reschedule the infant's baptism. That will be in three weeks. I have requested two days off, the Saturday before and the Monday after because I would like a nice long weekend to celebrate. What I will be offered IF I end up getting any time off is "How about we make those days your normal days off and that way you get to keep your vacation time"? I know it will happen. I am planning on it in fact. I have two basic ideas how this will go down.

--- Idea #1 ---
Super: How about we make those days your normal days off and that way you get to keep your vacation time?
Me: Actually I would like to use my vacation time. That way I'm not worn out after all the driving and such.
Super: Well I don't see how we can do that, I simply don't have anyone to cover you those days. Person x has job y, and person z has classes.
Me: Not my problem to figure out. (Actually I try not to be this crass, but my evil inner joy shouts these things!)
Super: Then we'll see you Monday. Be thankful you get Saturday off. On the up side you still get to keep those vacation days!
Me: *mumbling* Like they fricken count for anything

--- Idea #2 ---
Super: How about we make those days your normal days off and that way you get to keep your vacation time?
Me: Actually I would like to use my vacation time. That way I'm not worn out after all the driving and such.
Super: Well I don't see how we can do that, I simply don't have anyone to cover you those days. Person x has job y, and person z has classes.
Me: Oh ... well then I quit.
Super: Shucks.
Bad Coworker x: I quit too.
GM: Oh we can't let Bad Coworker x quit! Her have another $1.50 an hour raise. Niassne can bite me though since we were counting on him.
Me: Tomorrow I'm coming back with an axe. (I was thinking I would go with an Uzi but really, who has an Uzi? So an axe is a LOT more believable. PLUS with an axe I can let my anxiety take over and destroy a bunch of stuff but still have that "I'm going to hurt you if you get in my way" mystique going. In truth I'd never actually harm anyone ... break stuff ... sure I could see that. Stuff can be replaced ... hurt someone? NO! I could not live with myself if I did that.)

Idea #1 is has a 99% chance of occurring, Idea #2 (minus the axe bit) a .95% chance, Idea #2 (with axe) a .045% chance, Idea #2 (with UZI! (Who knows what one might find on the streets of middle-of-nowhere Deep South?)) a .004% chance, and rounding out the category Actually Getting the Vacation Time Off at .001% chance. Yes, that's right, me finding and using an Uzi to display my displeasure is FOUR times more likely to occur than me getting vacation time off. Phew.

I have only brushed the surface of why I hate my job too. I didn't mention how the GM thinks that if I tell my super that I really would like a little praise in what I do that doesn't mean I want her to tell me how great it is that I got one of my friends to come to the store in a way that drips with honey and sweetness. Sorry. #1 I don't go for that kind of praise and #2 that's not for what I frelling want praise! Ungh.

Somebody hit me with a bat ... Whiffle bat though please!  ¶ 10:44 PM 0 comments

 

Anxiety and the Art of Automobile Repair

Ok, so those that know me know I have anxiety, some form I haven't been to the doctor yet so that's about all I know. I've gotten a self-help books and that has really helped, but there are a few things that get under my skin and bring my anxiety to a boiling point. One of those things is automobile repair.

Three weeks ago on Easter Sunday, my wife, daughter and I are traveling back from the in-laws' place where much Easter Sundayness was had. Vast amounts of nasty water erupted from under the hood to spray my windshield. Quickly I pulled over and cut power to the motor. Lifting the hood told me nothing. So we call the wife's dad who comes with his trailer and carries us to his house where we are provided a "loaner" vehicle.

The next day we return to survey the possible damages. Nothing was obvious but one thing was for sure, the engine was devoid of coolant. Well for the volume and speed at which the liquid escaped the engine, the radiator seemed to be the most likely suspect. I feared that greatly. Would I be able to do that level of repair? Anxiety said "Hell no loser". I wanted to agree.

So I start filling up the radiator when I notice that above the crankshaft pulley, something was leaking and leaking pretty quickly. The leak was from a weep hole in the water pump. "Great!" I thought to myself, "A water pump I've replaced before. I know I can do that. Plus, the cost will be less! Woot!"

During the course of the week following, I purchase a water pump and thermostat (which had never been replaced). For good measure I purchase new hoses and belts for the car too as it has been over 100,000 miles since they have been replaced (with the hoses never being replaced over the course of the 233,000 miles on the car). Cost for everything was about $100, not too shabby.

Well I don't know if you know this, I certainly didn't, but the water pump on a 1997 Nissan Sentra is in a very difficult location initially. Also, the thermostat is not at the engine side end of the upper radiator hose either! So not knowing where to begin, I returned to Autozone to purchase a Haynes Repair Manual for my vehicle. Guess what. The thermostat is located in a housing just behind the water pump. Riiiight.

Ok I start easy and remove the hoses and belts. Well the belts were not exactly easy since the water pump belt adjustment was hard to reach, plus the damn thing was stuck. Then the repair manual talks in generalities. For instance one step says disconnect all hoses from the thermostat housing and unbolt the water pump and remove the two pieces together as one unit. What it doesn't tell you is that you have to have infant sized hands to reach behind the damned thing to pull the hoses apart, not to mention the fact that tools will not fit back there either! Bastards.

Well needless to say my endeavors with the water pump and thermostat were difficult. So difficult that at one point my anxiety was so high that all I could think of doing was pulling my socket wrench out and throwing it as far as I could. Luckily, my hands and tools were completely stuck in the confines of the engine compartment that my rage was sated before I could expedite my hands.

It took me close to 4 hours to remove all components that day. The next day it took me close to 5 hours to put everything back. I'm getting anxious just thinking about THAT ordeal.

So now I have everything in place. I fill the old girl up with water and the water pump doesn't leak. Woo hoo! I crank her up. She comes up to temp. Water pours out of a corner of the radiator.






Turns out I WILL have to replace the radiator, but my weekend is shot so things had to wait until next weekend. Oh but wait there's more. The next weekend was to be the daughter's baptism! Joy. I have one out there. If I was to get a day off of work, I do could the vehicle repairs and the baptism would not need to be rescheduled. Did I mention that I work for the Devil herself? Yeah that didn't happen. So this weekend I pony up the $180 for a new radiator only to find that not only is it easier to replace (it took 30 min tops to remove and the same to put back on), but I only had to use two tools. Heck it was so easy to replace that when I initially thought I had the wrong part I drove from the inlaws to my hometown (where I purchased the part) and back wasting a good hour and a half and STILL had time to replace the part, get a test drive, figure out what was going wrong NOW (I shouldn't have washed the engine ... go figure), go to the local Autozone to pick up new plugs and distributor cap ($30 total), and get the car running.

Oh, did I mention there was still a vibration when driving that turned out to be a busted belt on one of the back tires? I'm just going to give up now.

See you in a while ... a good long while.  ¶ 2:57 PM 0 comments