I changed the database that wordpress (the blogging system) acesses and writes information to the main site’s database as opposed to the forum’s database. Response times should be quicker now.
I changed the database that wordpress (the blogging system) acesses and writes information to the main site’s database as opposed to the forum’s database. Response times should be quicker now.
Tom: “You’re moving up in the world”
Me: “What are you talking about? I’m used to doing my laundry in my house! If anything I’m moving down!”
So today marks the first time I did my laundry in a Laundromat. Yeah. What a great time that was. I was supposed to go home durring thanksgiving, which I did, but as I got halfway home I realized something. “I forgot my dirty clothes.” So that’s how well that worked.
So I got in, confiscated five washers at once (no kidding) and got to work. Paced around a bit, drank my dew, listened to my tunes and was plain old bored. After I started drying, I ordered a pizza for later and saw a girl putting hangers on her clothes as they came out of the dryer. Considering the space in my apartment, I thought, this could be a good idea. I go home and put all the empty hangers I have on my left arm. Yeah.� I couldn’t use it after that. I was walking towards the door and saw the broom in my bathroom I never use because there’s no place in the apartment to use it. I drop the hangers on my bed then attach them all to the broom handle, throw it in the car and head back. By now my clothes are done so I start hanging them on the broom handle and start getting weird looks from people. I can’t help being resourceful sometimes, and this certainly worked. I came home and I just threw all my clothes in the closet and dresser without having to fold them or hang them. Then ate.
I played some Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2 for the hell of it and realized that with my new strategies (I’m less of a turtle and more of a go to it guy, not to mention my resource gathering practices have improved greatly) I can beat the allied campain from start to finish� in exactly one hour (if I would of skiped all the cutscenes anyway). I guess that means I’ve become a bit too good at this now. Heh. Anyway, time for bed.
I remember why I’m not a fan of my family. I’m constantly ignored by them. Oh sure, come home for Thanksgiving and while you’re at it, fix my computer. Sure I’ll fix your car. What a joke this day has been.
I come home. First thing I do is get the computer out of the way. No thanks for it. So my stepmother burns some food. Smoke goes everywhere. So they open the door and leave the cat unattended. She gets away. I find her. I get no thanks for that either. So then the party starts. I try to give some trivia and facts about “Franksgiving” (Wiki this one.) but of course, nobody cares. It’s why we even have this damned holiday. Once again, nobody cares. Ok. I’d let this one go simply because it’s a somewhat useless fact. But still, nobody would take five seconds to listen to me?
Dinner. Please. I couldn’t get a word in. Though, the ending activity was somewhat interesting because it showcased my cleverness (there’s a nice word for you). Basicly it asked: What’s something you’ve never done that someone else has. The object was to get as many nuts from everyone else by comming up with as many things you haven’t done that others have. In two sentences I won. “I’ve never had a boyfriend or girlfriend.” and “I’ve never legaly drank alcohol.” That made me feel bad later though. Once again I was at a family gathering with no date. Heh. Brings new meaning to my name. Zero. As in loner.
And we decide to do Karoke after. Yeah. I get up to have my turn, my family leaves and the second I start talking my brother laughs at me. I stick around for a while then am like: I need to get out of here. I stick around for a while then suddenly my cell rings. I look at it. It’s Tom. I let it ring and run upstairs then answer it by saying “Yes?” hoping they’d think it was an employer or something. Luckily I managed to spoof the conversation long enough to get into a room. I explain what’s going on, say thanks and hang up. I go back down stairs and scream (seriously) to get my family’s attention. I never get it because they’re too drunk off their asses to even consider the feelings of their son/brother/cousin/in-law/etc. Finaly I get on top of the stairs, take a few steps back down and shout: “Thanks for waisting my time and gas money for nothing. Good bye.” Get out in my car (that never got fixed by the way) and sped home.
While I was driving home I call Piro to see if he can console me a bit. And here was a sad thing I had to say: “It’s scary to think that someone I’ve met over the internet (her) probably cares more about me than my own family.”
Next time I’m at a family gathering I’m making sure to bring someone. I don’t care who. Just someone who’s more interesting to talk and will listen to me more than my damned family.
Yeah. Let’s take a step back at this. What the hell is thanksgiving anyway? I mean, originaly it was a feast between the indians and the settlers right? But now? Hell. I don’t think it means anything to anyone. As far as I’m concerned, it’s just a corprate holiday now. Give the retailers a day off before the day we all know as “Black Friday”.
Ok. Sure. A day to give thanks for something. We need a damned holiday for that? It’s just like my feelings about church. You should be thankful (or faithful in the other case) everyday and not need an event just to confirm this to someone and/or yourself.
So yeah. I will be returning to New Hartford to have dinner with my family. But I won’t be all excited about it. Once again I will be going to a family event without a date. It always seems that everyone in my family has someone in tow when we get together. My father is married, my siblings either have signifigant others or really good friends. I guess I know how my mother feels. She never seemed to have anyone in tow either since she divoriced my father.
After getting up so late on Sunday, I missed my chance for a Wii. They were all gone when I arrived. But that didn’t bother me really, I had other things to do. Mainly, Command & Conquer. This is one of those games I just absolutely loved from some time ago but lost somewhere (similarly to my obsession with Freespace). I never got to finish the original Command & Conquer (probably because I just sucked at it) and never finished the Allied side for Red Alert. So when I heard Westwood (I refuse to call them EA, they bought Westwood and C&C and did some stuff I wasn’t happy about) came out with a compilation of every game on one DVD plus a bonus, I decided that it was time to pick it up. I enjoyed the bonus features and am feeling extremely nostalgic every second I play the game. Sofar I’ve gotten decently far in the GDI and NOD campaings but for the Allied side from RA I haven’t gotten to where I’ve left it off yet (A mission involving guarding the Chronosphere, I don’t remember where it is). It also gave me access to Generals which is a game I’ve never played. I enjoyed it to an extent, but unfortunately I think a better name for it should be: “Command & Conquer: Starcraft Edition”. It didn’t play very much like a C&C game. First was the Construction Yard. They did away with it. The supply pile system is clever and workable so I have no objections there. There are some enjoyable parts, specificaly the Aroura Bomber when playing as the Air Force general (think of it this way: it moves so fast, has defensive lasers and countermeasures/chaff that it’s practicaly invincible.)
Unfortunately I forgot to backup my saved games so I’ve got to start over again. I decided that it was time for some housekeeping on my computers, backed up everything I thought was important and wiped out the OS drives on my machines. Now that they’re back to functional status, they seem quicker and cleaner now, which is good and excactly what I was trying to accomplish. I take great care of my computers and that gives me some pride. But after installation, I forgot to install Final Fantasy XI before I left for work. That means I got home and then had to update which means I missed Dynamis – San d’Oria entirely, which was the last one I needed for northlands access. Oh well. I will have other times.
I’ve also been working on a couple projects at work. One of them is a web based punchclock. I found something on Sourceforge which was nice, but incomplete by a longshot. So I took it, spiced it up and now it’s ready for installation anywhere and is usable. I think I’m going to relase this to Sourceforge under my own title and continue to update as needed. The company technicaly cannot own what I’ve made because it’s not in the contract and most of this stuff I made while I was off the clock. If I’m lucky, someone will assist me with the program and getting it to do what I want.
I’ve picked up some anime related goods too. I’ve bought the entire saga of Nadesico (finaly) and picked up the Tick! Tack! artbook. That cost me about $50 when I was all done. I think I’m going to get some more related stuff later.
Anyway, it’s shaping up to be a rather boring morning again, so I’m off to find something to do.
Yeah. I saw it in a Moutain Dew raid and thought: “I’d try anything once.”
Ok, so this doesn’t really taste like strawberries, Pepsi or strawberry Pepsi for that matter. It’s like a foamy mess of who knows what and it tastes terrible. So I’m on the last glass of the stuff and I’ve come to the conclusion it’s terrible tasting.
Now onto something relavant. This morning I took care of some bills then looked at my Time Warner bill, at my TV, at the ugly cable box and thought, “When was the last time I watched television?” I decided it was time to get rid of the box and my TV service. A few months ago I always checked to see if there was something new on The Anime Network: In Demand, but sometime ago they got rid of it. I think it was then I stopped watching TV. So I’m going to have a slightly smaller bill and a little extra cash every month. Though, I wonder what I’m going to do when the new season of 24 comes on. Oh well. I’ll figure it out later.
Over the past two days at work things have been…weird. I am the Systems Administrator for the company I work for (and we’re still in business, so that’s good) but over the past two days I’ve done little work that’s IT related. I’ve assembled a large cubicle and put together a wooden filing cabinet. I also spent some time trying to fix the lighting in the building. So what should my title be now? Systems Administrator/Handyman/Carpenter/Electrician? Good hell. I really don’t mind the extra work to do because to be honest I never find enough to do at work anyway because things that are in my control don’t break. I have done research for new equipment, but that’s really all the IT stuff I’ve done.
Finals are comming up. I’m ready to get out of Linux because it seems like a bore to me. My Math II course should be a breeze to blow by and my VB.NET 1 class I already have a 50 for my Final. So I think I have two more weeks and this quarter ends.
I finished Shadow the Hedgehog. To be perfectly honest, the game was good, but I wasn’t…well…satisfied. I don’t feel the need to get all 316 endings. I beat the final boss when all was said and done, but that’s all I felt like doing. All the levels seem the same and none of them are really interesting or challenging. It was good for $15, but I was hoping for more.
I’m ready for a hopefuly relaxing weekend. Tommorow I have to go fix a Mac, but other than that I’m open and hope to have some fun or get some sleep.
So even though it’s been a few days since the incident (see “Heartbroken” if you’re lost.) I still feel bad. I still ponder what I did wrong and how I couldn’t get her with me. I kept trying to place it on distance, but that didn’t set well in my mind. So I decided I needed to enlist some help from the only person I know who’s an actual expert on the subject of love.
Courtney Forbes.
Yeah. I kinda had a crush on this girl durring my junior year in BOCES, but that never worked out. That’s another story that I preffer to keep dead and buried. Basicly we talked about it and posed the question that’s been boggling my mind since early this morning (And I hope she reads, I’m curious).
What does she see in her boyfriend that wasn’t in me?
So yesterday I struck up a conversation with my friend that I’ve been trying to get with since…oh… the end of high school. Ok, first a little backstory. After high school she went to college in Morrisville while I chose to remain in New Hartford and try to get some work out of school. At the time, we kind of broke conversation until I got an email from her at the end of July of that year. Since then we’ve been somewhat fired up in conversation. Talked a lot, learned a lot about each other and generally had a good time playing what we called “The game”, which was originally like a truth or dare over the internet, but since there was no real way to do the “Dare” part, we just turned it into a game of honest questions. Sometime later I realized something. I think I love this girl (mind you, I’m not one who understands love.). I discussed with my sister what she thinks and she thought we’d be a good fit together. So I went ahead and said that to her about one year later at the end of June. She flat out said I don’t want a relationship and didn’t believe in love. I was crushed. Just crushed. I had a hard time talking to her. Sometime later it was added she just didn’t want to get into it again until after she graduates. I began to distance myself from her from there and did not drill the subject. I thought she was serious.
Then about two months ago I started to talk to her again. I admitted my feelings again and cleared up what I meant when I confessed that night. Something she also mentioned was she wanted friends and perhaps someone to fool around with. I thought, could I be that man for her? I pursued the idea of being her boyfriend again but was more cautious by never really using the phrase “I love you” around her. We talked a lot again, really got into it, but then Sunday evening shattered my heart badly in five words.
“um, i have a boyfriend”
It struck like a crazy Newtype reaction. Just nailed me and hurt like hell. I was unsure what to say from there. This girl, who told me that she didn’t want a relationship until after college went ahead and got a new boyfriend. I was about ready to cry. I tried to keep my complexion but it was about to overflow. Hell, just writing this is almost bringing me to tears. This has happened before with a girl I knew over the internet, but she turned out to be a real bitch. I wanted to be her boyfriend. I don’t know if she didn’t return any feelings or just didn’t like the fact that I was in Liverpool and she was far from me. I really am not sure what to do. I’m mad at her for this all to happen but even more mad at myself.
“And I guess that’s why they call it the blues.” -Elton John
Ok, so yesterday after my coffer fustration, I slept, got up, got some friends and went to Garlaige Citadel and figured, “With my luck, I’ll be here the rest of the day.” First spawn point I checked and…
It was there.
Dumbfounded, I drop invisible and pick it up. Yay. Black Mage Artifact 3/5. Then I ask the friends if they’d like to come up to Xarcabard and kill Dark Spark with me. I jump off Black Mage and onto White Mage/Dark Knight to try making use of Arcana Killer. So me and them build some TP when we get there, I pop, Hiddenw provokes, gives me warcry, I fire up Last Resort, Souleater and unload a 2700 damage Hexa Strike. I imediately think, I gotta get a screencap of this, it’s a new record. Then my mind went onto something more pressing. I’m in deep red. I’m going to die. Weighing my options, I start with an extremely sloppy Cure V then I intimidate Dark Spark. I’m in yellow again. Dark Spark is about dead so I don’t care. So we finish, I get the flame then Hiddenw and Thalberg decide that they should break Thalberg’s Sapara of Trials. I figure, let’s skill up my Great Sword. I do that for a while on my Paladin then I think I logged out for the day for I haven’t a clue what else I did. And as I’m writing this, I total forgot to get the cap because I was on to more pressing matters at the time.
The next day I participate in besieged and get a couple levels in healing magic from the undead swarm (It’s at 226 I think) and then the Mamool Ja decided to join the party. There was a small break in the action and I see a Japanese player synthing silk cloth. I ask to buy one and she just gives it to me. After the Mamool Ja (got nothing in healing from it) was finished I went to Windurst jumped on Black Mage, completed some of the quest, went to the canal to click the two ??? that had to be done on Black Mage then warped back to Whitegate.
Then, I checked my cash supplies again. Hmm… 720K and dropping slowly. So I think, let’s go back to my White Mage and Merit. Get me some gold to sell, get me closer to my goal of putting even more teeth on my White Mage and beefing up my other jobs as well. Started playing some Shadow the Hedgehog while I wait. I’m unsure if I really want to grind out all 316 storylines. It’s one of those, oh, lofty goals without a real reward, just like dogtags in Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes. I got a party at…oh…3PM or so with my Warrior sub. Grinded out two merits and then ran to Dynamis – Windurst with Summoner sub. No White Mage Artifact Dropped (It’s not that great anyway), but I got the clear and got the start on my new project.
Relic Maul.
About four of them dropped the entire run. So I got one for kicks. After the run, I poke around to see if anyone wants to help me with my Petasos (It’s the hat for Black Mage Artifact). The Red Mage, Shomari, I’d been doing Dynamis with was up for the challenge (and used a Martial Analace which was a massive help). For the first time since me breaking the latent for Black Halo I was subbing Ninja and so was he. Because of the weapon Shomari was using, he ripped the Magic Sludge to pieces. It doesn’t have a lot of HP but an extreme ammount of defense and magic defense, so Spirits Within goes to town on this one. Anyway, I kill him, get my Petasos for my final piece of Black Mage Artifact. That was my day.
But, now I feel sick. It has been going around the office and I think it’s hit me. I can’t sleep either and I have to get up in an hour and a half to get ready for school. I’m going to go lie down now…
I’ve spent 6 hours getting my Wizard’s Sabatons, Coat and Tobans. Seriously painful stuff. My head hurts so I’m going to bed.
Yes, I’m sincerily worried about this job that I’ve had for…oh…a month. Is it because of something I’ve done? Oh hell no. My office manager is stuck dealing with stupid people. Namely, the CEO of the company, Michael Adelberg. You’re probably asking, “What’s this got to do with Zero?” Well, it’s simple. The CEO is a figurehead. He’s got hardly any idea what goes on in his company and the process of being the office manager. The office manager gives me my small jobs (Clean the computer for extra speed) and orders while the COO (not to be confused with CEO, they’re not the same person, Ryan Santiago) gives me the big jobs, such as “Deploy Firefox on all machines.” Generaly, the said office manager is quite pleasing, good to talk to and generaly prevents me from being bored when I’ve got no work to do. The CEO generaly makes desicions and choices that are more of a detrament to the office than a help. For example, we’re now outsourcing our work force to Kelly Services (Piro might know these guys.) instaid of having the office manager hand pick personel which are probably much better. And the list goes on, but I can’t think of any more right now.
So, she’s resigning. Not only her, but she started a snowball effect. Half the office is quitting now. As of this morning we had ten employees (Office Manager, CEO, SYSADMIN (That’s me) and seven “Funding Specialists” who make the calls) and we’re now down to 5 (CEO, SYSADMIN, Three Specialists). Oh, the COO is in the NYC office along with a team from there. This is why I’m worried, if this company can not bounce back, I’m without a day job. I will be going back to the career services person at ITT to see if I can get out of this and into a new job. And this line may not make any sense, but:
Thank you Cassey. You will surely be missed.
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Edit, about 5:15PM: So I went to ITT. They already have a job lined up for me if this falls through the planks. It’s making me feel better, but it’s not perfect. Basicly the CSR said: Don’t let it ruin your weekend. And I won’t.