So, the random explosions of rancid-animal-death-feces in the restroom have stopped... I am happy.

Today has been a good day for the most part. I have closed a lot of customer issues, got down to under 20 from over 30 a couple weeks ago... so that's good, means I'm closing more than I'm causing... :)

But, the bad part of the day comes from the cubicle nextdoor... I just heard her talk for 15 minutes about how busy she was and about how she couldn't work with this customer (by the way, the customer was on hold this whole time) and how she was gonna give him a piece of her mind if he thought he was the only person she had to take care of and all this sorta stuff. Then she picked him up off hold, blew butterflies up his ass and solved the problem in like 30 seconds. And we wonder why our Support Department is sinking. We have people who think they have SO much more to do than everyone else and they spend 10 minutes talking about it and then 30 seconds solving it.

And then we have people who get on their Blurty to bitch about it, thus wasting even more time. Oh well, I've closed like 5 of my issues and 3 of someone elses' today, I've already had a productive day as far as I'm concerned ;)

Laters.

Okay, I have been wanting to post this for a while and am reminded every time I go into the bathroom at work, but I forget every time I leave the restroom by the time I get to my desk.

Now, there is a noted difference between human and animal (i'm talking pig, cow and horse style stuff) excrement. I mean a VERY notable difference. Well, that being said, somebody at my work place takes animal shits evidently. I mean, I walk in and I am nearly killed by the exotic scent of the restroom. I seriously expect to look down and see straw and hay with clodded up animal feces in it. It's horrible. I am going to find out who this is and tell horseass that he needs to dump elsewhere; it's killing me.

That's really all for now :) I know it's disgusting, but I had to get it off my chest.

Work went by quickly today... at 5:00pm, I was like why the hell is everyone leaving? It felt like 2:30pm to me, at latest... but I guess... I dunno why. I didn't get the formal offer today that I was hoping for. That's not to say I got one that wasn't what I wanted, but more like I didn't get one yet. I know why... my boss needs to talk to everyone in our group individually about stuff that's changing and then she's going to talk to the group as a whole. The plan is actually that I will be moving to development now, one of the other guys is being made the boss of the position I was (for those to whom I've spoken about this, it's Bill, the guy I really thought deserved it) and one of the other techs my age will be migrating to Development in 3 months. The 2 old guys, no one knows, few of us care what happens. Cindy (my boss) has given Bill the job of reviewing some 26 applicants for the job and selecting 3 to hire. So, it's not like we'll be crippling the department by moving everyone out of it. Anyway, it all is very exciting, but the only part I really truly care about is that I'll be in Murray with Shaina and all my friends come December, and late December, I'll be married. Best. Thing. Ever.

Anyway, I'm sorta tired actually, may take a nap, who knows. Much love guys.

Subject:	Good stuff
Date:	Sunday, September the 14th 2003 { 06:36 pm }
Security:	Public
Mood:	chipper
Music:	Bowling For Soup - Girl All The Bad Guys Want (Radiostorm.com: ALTERNATIVE)

Yeah, so I'm a broken record. Sue me. I love Shaina. I like my job. I am about to love my job when this change goes through. How could you not love doing something you enjoy for a company you see real potential with, from your home, living with your wife and the three best dogs in the world? I mean, I can't think of many things that would make this better.

I'm just really seeing the bright side of life lately. I like to think I've always been a rather happy optimist with the exception of last fall semester when I really wasn't too bad but then last December when those who know me well saw me in a state I never want to be in again (no, not Utah). Things are going well, and it seems that everything with the wedding is really just falling into place. The only thing that isn't going well right now is my fiancees health. It makes me so sad that she's sick right now, and I hope she gets to feeling better. I love you baby. Aside from that, there isn't a thing going bad. I guess I'm certainly not rich and am, in fact, in debt pretty bad, but money is < *. Just not that important to me. They say it's never important to those who have it and almost always is the most important thing to those who don't have it. Here's proof that it's not always true. I am poor and happy. I am making good headway on paying off my debt, but a certain ring set me back a good month or so here recently, so that's a little ouch. :) Well worth it.

I need to figure out the tuxes for my groomsmen soon, but I finally came up with something I think I can do for that, so I'll keep that posted here.

Happiness ensues.

Subject:	Yeah, and yet again...
Date:	Wednesday, September the 10th 2003 { 10:31 pm }
Security:	Public
Mood:	ecstatic

So it's been a while again. Things are crazy. I am now the most happily engaged person I've ever known. I will be marrying Shaina Kristine Murray on December 20th and I couldn't be happier :) We have decided upon a date (December 20th) a time (11:00 am I believe, unless that's changed), Colors (hunter green, silver and som dark maroon/red), the groomsmen/bridesmaids (no ushers I'm thinking), the maid of honor and my 'best man' (my sister). We have a photographer, someone to do the ceremony, she has her dresses for her, the flower girl, the bridesmaids and her mother picked out, some of which are already being made, we have found our wedding bands we want, we have a place (i THINK) for the reception, the rehersal and rehersal dinner have been planned and we're almost done making a list for invitations. Now, know that when I say we, this is like 90% Shaina and her mom. The two of them have been amazing through this all... I'm dumbfounded at how much they've been able to get done and how quickly Shaina has jumped all over getting this thing done. I'm really excited :) That is certainly the highest point of my life right now.

Another good thing is my job situation. For those who know me well, you knew I got hired on at Ideal Software Systems in Meridian, Mississippi and thus had to leave my friends and my (at the time) girlfriend behind for a job that paid less than adequately. Then, I was feeling like I was taking the corporate cock in the butt for a while, but I think things have gotten better. A friend of mine at work said you have to "pull out your balls, put them on the table and say 'this is what needs to happen' sometimes" and I guess I did just that. After being contacted about an interview in Benton, KY for a software company, doing the same job, only being paid better and living closer to my soon-to-be-bride and my friends, I went to my boss and after discussing some stuff said "I want to live closer to my friends (read that as Murray) and I want to stay with this company, but only if I can live in Murray and get a little more money." So, I'll be moving to Murray December 1st at the latest. I will be getting a pay adjustment to the level of a Level 1 Programmer (should be a 1-2 maybe more dollars per hour) and will get to work from home. So that sounds like a good deal to me. I'm excited, as I think Shaina is too, since I'll be around more. And this is the beginning... if I can get some raises out of them, working at home has always sorta been my end-goal, so if I can get semi-not-so-crappy pay and work from home now, the company is really starting to take off... they still pay worth shit, but they're growing and I have a feeling in the next 2-3 years, it's going to be a VERY good company to work for... and I could move whereever we decided to move and keep doing my job... so awesome.

Anyway, that's the best news for now, thought I'd let you guys know. I hope you guys are having a good time and that life is going well for you. Keep in touch.

Rick

p.s. there, i did it, ya happy? :)

Subject:	It's been a while, I know
Date:	Friday, August the 29th 2003 { 11:18 pm }
Security:	Public
Mood:	tired

Okay... so, I've not had internet at my house for a while... We did have dialup, but then somebody at either the ISP or at the phone company decided to screw us over, so we're dropping both the service from that ISP and the phone line. Screw 'em. We signed up for Comcast high speed cable internet access today (rather I did) and now I'm happily pulling up to 300kbps in decently peak times. I'd love to see it around 3am but I'll never again in my life be awake that late it seems.

So, I've put in 51 hours so far this week. Thing is, I'm on call this weekend, so that COULD mean as much as another 5-10 hours pretty easily. The position is a 40 hour per week job, with 45 hours/week pretty much unquestioned. They look at you funny as if you're wasting their time if you go over 45. This will be the third week since I started working for them that I've broken 50, and possibly the first week I will have broken 60. I'm loving 60 hours because that means it's 20 hours at time and a half.. and my time and a half pay is ALMOST what I could be paid anywhere else... so it makes me feel like 20 hours of my week were only half-wasted rather than completely. I mean... oh well, that's a rant and I'm too tired to rant.

I'm currently considering a job that I have had an interview offered for in Benton Kentucky, doing what I'm doing now, making a wage equal to what my overtime pay is now and being able to see everyone I know more frequently. I really want to jump at it. Also, Andy Hill located for me a job doing basically what Craig Clayton is, in another school system. This would probably pay even a little bit better, and I think it'd be a nice job too. So, either one of them would be cool. I'm also looking in Colorado still, but less actively since I really think it would be best/easiest to return to the Murray area for a short time and then move on from there after Shaina's out of school and such. We'll see.

I'm tired... and tired doesn't begin to have enough letters to describe what I am. If someone calls the after-hours support tonight they are going to be dealing with a pissed off Rick.

G'night friends.

Subject:	Early mornings
Date:	Thursday, August the 21st 2003 { 07:40 am }
Security:	Public
Mood:	quixotic

So, this it is Thursday. Every day this week other than Monday I have had to be in the office at 7am. This is because we have customers who have customers. So, we have to take care of our customers before their customers show up; in most cases, we have to take care of our customers before all the employees show up. So, such are my mornings. I come to work at 7:00am, it's a mad dash to get stuff done, and then by about this time (7:30-7:45ish) everything dies off and I'm not busy again until 4:45 or 5:00 and then I'm swamped 'til 6:00, sometimes 7:00. Yeah, it's great for the hours of work and stuff but man it's wearing me out.

On a side note, one of our customers got hacked severely and I believe had their credit card authorizing info stolen along with a lot of credit card numbers of their customers. I think their bank account was closed due to someone running up lots of fraudulent charges on all those credit cards, claiming to be our customer. Man that was rough. Heh, so I'm dealing with 3 credit card processing companies, 2 banks and 1 pissed off customer of mine because they're dealing with like 100 pissed off customers.

Oh well, fun times. I'm going to go hump a chair (read that as sit here drinking coffee and solving problems like a cubicly-contained Superman).

(btw, I need to look up the word 'quixotic' if I'm going to be in that mood)

Wow, the working world is busy once people take you seriously and give you responsibilities. I have been a madman at work, getting issues worked out. But mostly, I've been getting chewed out by irrate users who haven't been contacted in four months; who can blame them? Anyway, it's all good though, because those are the people I enjoy fixing problems for... because then I get to tell them that despite their attitude, I (being the man of Christ-like patience and understanding) have fixed their problem and now they can begin bowing to me whenever they like.

Saturday I see Shaina!!!! WOOT!

Friday I get drunk with coworkers, eat mexican food and watch Freddy vs. Jason!

Tonight I get to program again.

This is going to be a good 3 day stretch. Sunday will rock too, since I'll wake up next to my Shaina :)

Monday's going to suck.

That's all.

Subject:	SOOPER BIZZY
Date:	Tuesday, August the 12th 2003 { 11:23 pm }
Security:	Public
Mood:	productive

So, lately, I've been a lot busier at work, and honestly, I'm glad. It's really making the days go faster. I can see how it can get overwhelming now (which was a mystery before) but it's not bad really... I rather be busy that bored.

And also, another update in the never-ending saga of Bellsouth software creation, I have been struck once more by the inspiration to work on it and am now really hammering at it. 2 nights since I restarted and I've gotten a massive amount of the user interface done. Now, note, there are like 18 sections to this part of the UI (the only part of it i'm doing in this phase) and I've only done the first 4. But two of those were two of the ones involving the greatest workload, so I'm pretty happy to have them done. Honestly, once I get the other 14 done, all that remains for this implementation is designing the backend database (going to be very simple in the first version) and then getting the product to Create/Read XML files to interact with Bellsouth's servers. So, I bought an O'Reiley book about XML.

Anyway, lots to be done still, but I've gotten a lot done and that feels great.

Other than that serious stuff, I get to see Shaina this weekend and that is a topic about which I cannot hide my enthusiasm (I miss you babe).

I guess that's really all that's been going on lately. Hope this one is a little more upbeat looking than the last one :)

I would be 200 ft tall, 25 tons and filled with a rage that has not been seen biblical times and I'm not even kidding.

First of all, someone, we will call him Chink McIAmGonnaBreakHisLegs (or CM for short), who is a person I know, decided to do something that breaks every rule of common courtesy and friendship and for it, he is lucky I live 7 hours away. I don't think he reads this, but if he does, "Go back to Taiwan. Now." If/when I am in Murray next time, if I even smell curry, I'm going to hunt his ass down and break his legs.

Okay, now that that is out of my system, we come to the other reason I'm very angry right now.

For those who don't know, I was working a good deal with a new project for our company (it is very hush hush i guess) and I was really putting long days (10-18 hour days) into it and taking a great deal of pride in the way it was coming out. Anyway, because I stepped on someone's toes, I'm now being jerked around and excluded. I am upset about it, and now have NOTHING to do. Such is the way, I guess.

Now I have to go to lunch. I'm pissed in general. I'll see you guys later.