September 19
From my brain
2008
Me 09:17, 19 September 2008 (EDT)
I spent two hours last high tide', stayin' here a full 45 minutes after I could be havin' port (t' empty th' garage in preparation fer all th' popcorn that`s bein' delivered tonight) workin' on th' Project from Hell. I be talkin' wi' VacuumCleanerSalesman (VCS from here ou'; I call th' lad's this on accoun' o' he has that yo ho ho ye associate wi' a vacuum cleaner salesman, that almost-slimy demeanor, an' he has this attitude that he`s better than ye), an' he he says that th' one date field I changed fer origin moves ortin' ta also be done fer destination.
What???? I explain this be a huge change an' ortin' ta I be havin' changed this wi' th' changes I made t' origin, an' he danced around but spake aye, they both ortin' ta be based on on th' same "promised" date. I spake fine, an' sailed' about updatin' a myriad tables t' get th' fields in line.
This mornin', I crank ou' th' file in plenty o' time fer th' 8:15 deadline, send 't ou'...only t' find that I *wasn`t* supposed t' make th' change. He jus' wanted t' be seein' 't if 't happened t' be thar. I then had t' go aft an' correct all th' changes t' th' output. Thankfully I didna be havin' t' change th' database aft-end or I would be havin' had t' lose me job fer walkin' ou' in a blind rage.
...an' I really wanted me first post on TLAPD t' be a happy one. I did, I really did.
Me 10:10, 19 September 2008 (EDT)
So, I`ve shared plenty o' Spiffworld`s videos fer Jonathan Coulton songs. 't appears he`s now become a fan o' Paul an' Storm as well, an' has branched ou'.
As this be TLAPD, 'tis only proper that he completed th' followin'...
Me 10:12, 19 September 2008 (EDT)
And while I be at 't, I might as well share a bit o' myself...
2007
Me 08:11, 19 September 2007 (EDT)
Yarr!
What do be the usage of wearing yer pirate hat, speakin like a pirate, when the fool girl behide the speaker do not be phased by ya? Here be the tale of me plunderin the food spoils of the Dublin ship of the McDonald family:
- Welcome to McDonald's, may I take your order?
- Good mornin' to you lass! I'll be havin' two Egg McMuffins -- with no ham 'pon either of them -- and put with it two hash browns.
- OK. Thank you
(I begin to drive off, but note that the screen only do have the hash browns.)
- There be no McMuffins!
(The screen updates, "w/o Candn Bcn".)
- Thank ya!
- $6.30, please pull up to the first window.
- $6.30
- Here ya go! {hand over me card}
- Thank you. {takes another order from some bilge rat} Have a nice day. {hands back me card}
- {Next window} Thank you.
- Could ya give me some hot sauce? {I did fail me duty here. What conscionable pirate would be so polite to a wench?}
- OK. Have a nice day.
And that be the end of it.
I do recall that in the movie Beetlejuice", the two spirits asked the wee lass how she be seein' them when no one else did.
- Most people ignore the strange and unusual. I myself am strange and unusual.
I do agree and identify with that there statement. I drove me car around this morning, and did one person give the faintest double take? No. They put it in the corner of their eye and moved on.
No fun people are. No fun.
Me 09:19, 19 September 2007 (EDT)
As a complete break from TLAPD, I should talk about the interview.
First and foremost, let's just get it out of the way: Quick Solutions is a consultant agency. There, I said, but what's the craziest thing in the world: I'm really OK with it.
I spent all day yesterday (in between about a total hours worth of work that I had to do) creating a presentation to take to the interview. In the end, I had 26 slides documenting every major project I've done here, and a short blurb on some of the minor things (if you consider a generic UI for 90% of our databases "minor"). I tested it and ran through it, but I knew it all because...it was me.
I go there 10 minutes early for the meeting (yes, me, 10 minutes early; got to chat with the rather pleasant receptionist) and she saw me at 4:30 on the dot. We sat and chatted a bit more about my experience and skills and whatnot, and then I mentioned I brought the presentation. She immediately bounced a bit in her chair, and said, "Oooh! Let me see!"
She sat through it. All of it. Once I looked at a clock when I left, it meant she sat through a full thirty minutes of me babbling about myself. She actually was a bit dismayed even that once it ended there wasn't more (but not negatively as in she wanted more samples; it felt more like she was enjoying the presentation).
Then she rolled out the benefits. Holy crap. The usual health/dental, 401K, "time off" (26 paid days, with 7 of them as paid holidays to start), and all that. The cool part is that it's a 100% employee owned company; everyone is a shareholder. The books are completely open, and at the end of an accounting cycle (per quarter I think???), they share everything that happened at a completely opened meeting...including the profits. At that point, bonus checks are doled out as well...to everyone whether they're salaried or hourly.
Now that is the big clincher among the metric ton of post-interview questions (many of which prompted by Wifey). If I'm salaried, and they don't have a new contract when the one I'm on expires...I'm fine. I get a paycheck same, same. If I'm hourly though, I'm unemployed. Since I'm a new employee...how does that work? Which will I be? She's going to send me an email with the entire list of benefits, so maybe that's all in there.
It's less than 300 people (exactly the size I'm looking for), and so it's a very family community. She said that in addition to all the other benefits (one of which is that after three years, they pay for a monthly housekeeping service to come to your home...LOL!), they really encourage a monthly gathering that goes on. Usually a barbeque of some sort, but it's to get people to know each other.
I like that idea. I miss the family feel this place used to have, and told her the same. I told her a lot of things. I told her of all the analogies you've seen in this blog over the dates I've posted.
The best thing about it: She didn't hard sell me. She stopped before that. She 100% agreed it was time "You're right, it's time for you to move on and take a proactive step," but never said "Quick Solutions is the place for you!" She stopped well before that. I have a great deal of respect for the lack of a hard-sell.
I've got another email from another consultant firm that came in yesterday and he said he'd call me in the next couple days. I clicked on the link to their company but the certificate was wonky, and makes me all weird. It also came in as a form letter rather than the direct personal call and non-formal attitude I got from QS. I'm going to go into with an open mind though, and wait for his call before I go any further.
But if I can get in at QS, and things can work out that well...this rat may just have found a very nice stable piece of driftwood.
2006
Me experiences with Talk Like a Pirate Day are thus...
Me 06:10, 19 September 2006 (EDT)
- Played me Do what you want because a pirate is free... and then promptely put me Pirate Hat on. A right good start on the day it do be.
- I intends to be wearin me hat whenever I be leavin me desk. At me desk tho, I can no wear me hat cuz I be needin me headphones.
Me 06:35, 19 September 2006 (EDT)
- Greeted me scallywag Shipman JJ with a Yarr! and he do be replyin back with the same.
Me 07:34, 19 September 2006 (EDT)
- Greeted Shipmate Callistana
- (07:34:09) Me: Yarr!
- (07:34:19) Callistana: Arrr, me matey!
- (07:34:37) Me: How do ye be this mornin lass?
- (07:35:09) Callistana: Not seein' the effects of an early turn in, ye salty dog
- (07:35:26) Me: Arrg
- (07:35:40) Callistana: Aye, mate, aye
- (07:35:48) Me: I do be me self tho. I be settin me alarm at 4:30, and do be nearly on time fer work.
- (07:36:06) Me: Not that it do be helpin as I can no play the game today, but progress be progress.
- (07:36:22) Callistana: (we can't really do this all day...you'll kill me trying to keep up)
- (07:39:05) Callistana: I didn't tell you the whole "called just to arg at me" story
- (07:39:16) Me: ?
- (07:40:09) Callistana: I answer the phone: "Acordia National, this is ****, how can I help you?" I hear, "Arrrrrrrrg!" I go, "Excuse me?" I hear, "Arrrrrrrrg, dammit, Arrrrrrrg!"
That do be a laugh riot!
Me 08:00, 19 September 2006 (EDT)
- The normals be walkin in. Me Former-Captain Pam O'Hook be havin the cancer, so her hair be fallin about. So, she be wearin what the typical skull cap that them women be wearin durin the chemo. I do be tellin her about Talk Like a Pirate Day, and after our laughin and jocularity, I decide she do be me first mate for the day.
Me 08:29, 19 September 2006 (EDT)
Sends me e-mail greetin to me mates.
It do be Talk Like a Pirate Day! http://www.talklikeapirateday.com/
Lawgirl 08:31, 19 September 2006 (EDT)
- You are killing me!!! :-)
Shipmate Amanda 08:35, 19 September 2006 (EDT)
- aye mate!
Me 08:40, 19 September 2006 (EDT)
- Wanders up to Lawgirls desk and gives her a Yarr! and relates the stories thus far.
Shipmate Perry 08:48, 19 September 2006 (EDT)
- Awsome Matey, however I am websensed for the link, anyway to unlock that
Curse ye vile arbiters of the sites we be tryin to visit!
Me 08:50, 19 September 2006 (EDT)
- Begins this here log.
Me 19 September 2006 (EDT)
Sorry for the lack of info, but it be much of the same mostly.
Me 11:26, 19 September 2006 (EDT)
- Me: "Yarr! I do be wantin a #4, and be sure that there be no pickles an' no onions on that!"
- "Okay. What size, small, medium or large on that combo?"
- Me: "Make it a medium, lass. And if ya could, make swap out me drink for a vanilla frosty."
- <chuckles> "Okay, that'll be 4.98."
- Me: "Thank ya lass."
(11:36:22) Seraphene: VANILLA FROSTY? (11:36:27) Seraphene: /stare (11:36:35) Me: yup...columbus is a test market a lot (11:36:41) Seraphene: zomg. (11:36:42) Me: ...wendy's corporate offices (11:36:43) Seraphene: /wants (11:37:03) Seraphene: so did you still talk like that when you got to the window?
- (in mexican accent) 4.98
- Me: "Here ya goes."
- (receipt)
- Me: "Thank ya mate!"
- (at window., gets bag)
- Me: "Lad, ya fergot me drink!"
- (wide-eyed smile) "Uhh...here you go."
- Me: "Thank ya matey!" (drive off)
Me 06:20, 20 September 2006 (EDT)
Reflections on Ye Olde Talke Like a Pirate Day...
- Next yarr, pick up donuts from Jolly Pirate fer me mates (NOTE: There be no JollyPirate.com??? Ner there be JollyPirateDonuts.com neither!).
- Also, I do believe I should be goin to Long John Silvers rather than "Wendy's". She be a right good wench and all, but Captain Silver be more fittin for the grub.
- Screw up me courage and wear me swashbuckler boots aboard ship.
- Hope that luck prevails and the red tide hasn't come into port so whens I arrives home, I can grab me some booty from me wench.
Me 07:14, 16 October 2006 (EDT)
The picture to the right do no be from TLAPD, but was taken by me shipmate Callistana whilst she and her Captain did come into dock at me home port. I did need a picture of me in me hat though.
