Mission log

Morning commute

Walking in this morning was interesting. Our power went out while I was in the shower. Fortunately, we had enough hot water in the tank for me to finish. We have a gas water heater, but I don't think it works properly if the electricity is off. Finished my shower in the dark. I've done that for no good reason before so it was not a stretch for me. Kept right on shaving without missing a beat. I got dressed by flashlight. Kissed Nat and was out the door.

The traffic light up the street was out. It was not even blinking red. I had to wing it. I was happy to have my new brighter flashlight. I would have had to break out my Maglite and froze my hands off. The newer light is small enough to fit half way up my jacket sleeve and allow me to keep my hand mostly warm while using it.

Made it in to work just fine. The bus still had about the normal number of people on board. Most of the people from my neighborhood that was out of power do not ride the bus. It did smell like a wet dog. That is most likely a coincidence. The coldest part of the commute was waiting at the stop and crossing the street in front of the building. Not sure what is up with that.

Morning

Spent most of the morning with a pounding sinus headache. Dealt with user rights and connections to the network. Figured out who gets upgraded hardware. This kind of thing.

Then I get paged by the big boss. I'm at my desk. He just likes saying my name I suppose. I head over and hook up a computer for someone. This is normal. He wants things hooked up a specific way. This is not relay the most efficient way. I can't argue. I have to be very careful to choose my battles. This is normal, but highly desirable with my boss.

I need to verify that a wireless computer can still share printers. Access points may not allow two wireless devices to talk directly with one another.

Lunch

Skipped it.

Afternoon headache

The sinus headache has turned in to a full blown stumbling migraine quality cranial agony. I don't have anything to take for it except pain killers. They just don't do the trick on sinus headaches unless you follow them up with some kind of decongestant or the like. Why don't I carry these things with me? I have in the past. We were just at CVS, but they don't have the decongestants that do any good out on the shelves any more. You pick a card off the shelf and go ask about it and they say they don't have that in stock. Yes, that whole keeping people from supplying a meth-lab with cold medicine is really working out for the honest citizen with bad sinuses.

Oh, wait there are a couple pills in my bag. Score!. ... After about an hour, They are not really touching the dizziness, but they are helping the headache. Need to get some more. I hate to admit it, but this affected my productivity.

Afternoon

Spoke with a bunch of people about upgrading their work hardware. It never fails to crack me up how many people do not want to upgrade. It is a hassle. I do most of the work, but there is quite a bit on the victim's plate as well. Every one has files to move around. There is all kinds of software changes and possible hardware checks we need to do. Blah.

Someone came in to barrow a squirt of hand lotion. I'm a guy and have lotion in my office. If I don't have lotion available, my hands will crack to the point they bleed. This is bad for electronic equipment. So, I keep some on hand. News has gotten around. No big deal. It gives people an excuse to come by besides a problem with the network.

The rest of my afternoon was just IT crap. I couldn't tell you half the stuff that happened unless I go look at my log.

Tea time

I've discussed what tea time is at my work before. Recently, twenty or so people turn up. It is most of the software department. It is really cool to have a mass break where the primary point of being there is to drink something that I consider disgusting. I don't like real tea.

Conversation topics

• Tea, Brisk is blasphemous.
• Overalls/coveralls
• Warring two shirts
• Corduroy
• Who doesn't attend tea time
• Something about some TV shows
• I noticed how many people were on their phones.

I like the new tea time. I like the five different conversations going on. I like the fact that it lasts about fifteen minutes.

Going home

It was cold on the way home. I stopped at CVS to get some day time cold medicine. I shot some footage of me just complaining. I might put it up. I might not.

An amazing thing happened. When I walked in the bedroom to drop off my coat and bag I noticed the bed was made. I have to say that the bed hasn't been made more than a total of like five days since we moved in. Nat was concerned with my well being because of the rolling blackouts. How wonderful is this?