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i'm drunk

Corporate politics can suck my ass. I am very ranty right now about everything that is going on at work. The cause of the problem last night that kept me up working from home is (due to insufficient historical reporting capability at this particular location) unexplainable. How do you give someone an answer when it is impossible to know? Here lies the problemed foundation formed when nontechnical people at the senior executive level interface with technical people below them... it's like dipping chocolate chip cookies in beer... the shit just doesn't jive. That's all I'm going to say about that. My boss ordered like one million pizzas to the deposition (a.k.a. conference room of death), but I really didn't want to participate, so I ducked out for some steamed dumplings over at the Park Shops. Since I was there and had decided on the S230, I decided to pick up my camera at lunch too. I haven't even had a chance to open the box. I am supposed to leave for Colorado in the morning and I feel like a foolish, misguided romantic. Silly. I have to jump back in the think tank and try to weave some bullshit that can be stretched with accuracy to satiate the political gorilla. I can prevent shit like this from happening in the future, but it costs money... and hey, everybody seems to want something for nothing these days.

<sarcasm> There's nothing like a good 'ole fashion IT witch hunt to fill your morning with holiday cheer. </sarcasm>

I don't think I made it out of the office until almost 8:00 this evening. Another long day of politically driven delays. I had dinner and wine with Irfan, Wendy, Carl, and Yenny at Café Brasil before a brief stop in the village. Irfan and I met his friend Christa at Sherlocks Westheimer for a cocktail however, I ended up spending most of my time on the phone with work... precipitating my early departure toward my home office to work. Looking back on the time I've been under current employ, this is the month hectic month to date. I'm physically and mentally drained. If I hadn't worked past the closing time of all the camera shops in town, you'd be able to see the purple bags under my eyes right now. ;-) Anyhoo... I have some more work to do before sleepytime.

I can't wait for the Toadies concerts this month... especially the one on the 30th... because it's with Sean. It's kinda like a special appreciation we share that we developed together. I have been really fuckin' busy this afternoon preparing everything for tonight's evolution. I want it to go smooth as a baby's butt so I can get the hell out of Dodge. I have that weariness about me that lends my consciousness to amateur narcolepsy when I'm not in motion. I think I must have boosted the stock over at Chez Satan a few points from my consumption today alone. Speaking of stock, my employer is in the news again today... more shit being stirred with an unsavory stick. It's difficult for me to go through the motions at work with a negative buzz in the air. Everyone whispering gossip and rumors that I'm convinced travel faster than fission fragments. I don't have time to follow the market and I don't have the constitution to continually watch the news. I'm doing good if I catch a tidbit of pseudo-reliable hearsay and don't get wet because I didn't know it was supposed to rain. Life is better that way. The periodicity of confusion, disappointment, and pain is sufficient in my life such that I have little need for external stimulus in those departments... especially the misguided and poorly conveyed "news" found in our very own domestic services. Anyhoo, I stained the carpet in my office by accident... not that I would intentionally place an unsightly discoloration in the entryway of my office, but it just seemed like the thing to say. I was greasing the chain on my mountain bike. Guess what... that shit drips. Duh. I was not built for slacks and tie schmoozing. I'm a barefoot, blue jeans kinda guy. I like simple pleasures and comfort. My office, other than the streaky stain on the floor, is covered in boxes of crap. Not crap as in poo... but crap as in equipment that I haven't had the time to place in storage. I'm thinking of tying a string to the door knob and the other end to my belt loop... just so I don't get lost. It's a blustery, cold day outside. I'd really like some of that hot cider they make at Montague's in the Springs. I'd really like to get away.

"Mister Love" - Toadies Are you gonna save me?
Can you save me?
Are you gonna save me?
Can you save me?
Ya gonna make me happy?
Ya gonna make me smile?
Can you save me?
Tell me, Mister Love!

Are you gonna save me?
Ya gonna make me happy?
Can you save me?
Tell me, mister... MISTER!

We gonna show you a thing or two about love
Be... patient!
Be... patient!
Love, love, love, love, love
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha...

yeeaaaAAAAHHH!

Are you gonna save me?
Can you save me?
Are you gonna save me?
Can you save me?

Are you gonna save me?
Ya gonna make me happy?
Can you save me?

Tell me, Mister Love!

Sam and I met his brother for lunch at Surfers Paradise. The food sucked. I was still a little out of it from lack of sleep and a stuffy head. I have narrowed my digital camera search down to either the PowerShot S230 Digital ELPH or the PowerShot S30 or S40. Regardless of which I choose, I'm going to be a picture taking fool. Oh yeah. I don't want tonight to turn into another last night at work... yeah... because I just fucking love 15 hour work days. Welcome to the winter of my discontent.

After work last night, I met Irfan and Audra for dinner at The Black Labrador before going home and watching Lovely and Amazing. I was tired, but was feeling movie rental guilt. When I go to the video store, I always pick a movie or two more than I really have time to watch... so they go back unwatched... usually late by the requisite day or two. I woke up this morning feeling like ass. My throat is still sore and I'm sneezey. I don't feel sick in the traditional sense... I am just sporting the symptoms really well. Éclair is at the sitters for my trip this weekend already because I am having to work late every day. I feel myself starting to drag. Harry and Eric are gigging at Baker Street Pub tonight, so I'll probably stop by to say hi, but I really want to try to get in bed early. I don't know what I feel like I'm forgetting something this morning. I hate that feeling.

Ugh!! I am FINALLY done at the office. I want to head home on a positive note and share something cool with ya... I'm a big Asylum Street Spankers fan and I'm a big Nina Simone fan, so using the same theory that makes peanut butter and chocolate tasty together, here is Christina Marrs and the Spankers version of a Nina Simone classic.

If you don't like ChristiNina (get it? tee hee), then have some artist formerly known as the symbol that used to be known as the artist... or something like that... Prince is cooler than the other side of the pillow, so here's some way back Spankers style Prince... or was it this?

Ok. I need my toes playing with carpet and a sweet kiss from a glass of firewater. I'm outta here!

Work sucks right now. You know what I could go for? Please take a plagiarized educational journey with me to the land of cool refreshing mother's milk... "THE SPICES
56 herbs, roots and fruits are brought together from all across the globe. Cinnamon from Ceylon, bitter oranges from Australia, ginger root from South Asia, red sandalwood from East India, blueberries from Europe... plus of course one or two secret herbs and spices to round off Curt Mast's special recipe. Twice a year these herbs and spices are delivered to Wolfenbüttel, strictly checked for quality and put into storage until required for further processing...

WEIGHING, GRINDING AND MIXING ...
To produce the basic mixture for JÄGERMEISTER, the herbs and spices must first be precisely measured to match the exact proportions in the secret recipe, ground in various strengths and mixed. Conveyor belts then bring the mixture together in barrels for the maceration process...

THE MACERATION
This is where the herbs and spices mixtures are reduced to macerates, or extracts. The barrels are filled with cold water and alcohol, and after a steeping period of 2 - 3 days the resulting extract is pumped out. The process is repeated up to 6 times and a special installation is used to reduce the water to below 2° German Standard water hardness. Five different macerates result from these processes and are then mixed together in barrels, in carefully specified proportions. Once completed, the basic mixture must undergo a further quality check before being pronounced ready for a year's storage in our oak barrels...

THE STORAGE
Around 400 oak barrels, with a total capacity of 3.5 million liters, are available for storing the basic mixture. First we filter it, then we pipe it into the barrels in which it will spend at least one year. This is where, thanks to the opening of the wood's pores, it develops its distinctive aroma. After a year, the basic mixture is ready for the production process to become JÄGERMEISTER...

THE PRODUCTION
Following its one-year storage period, the basic mixture is filtered again. Inside the dosing apparatus, it is mixed with liquid sugar, caramel, water and alcohol, then filtered once more. Regular laboratory analyses provide information on anomalies, which are promptly corrected. At last JÄGERMEISTER is ready for the green bottle.

FILLING THE BOTTLE
Before filling, every bottle must be strictly tested for quality and safety. Ultra-modern mechanisms convey JÄGERMEISTER into its green bottle, sealing the bottle off and labeling it. A fully-automated process packs the bottles into cartons and shrink-wraps the cartons onto pallets. Now there's only one thing left to do - drink it!"

This is the part of the day when I'm getting ready to shut down my laptop and change clothes for the commute home. Today however, it is pouring outside and I have hours of work ahead of me. This is not good.

"NOBODY expects the Spanish Inquisition! Our chief weapon is surprise... surprise and fear... fear and surprise... our two weapons are fear and surprise... and ruthless efficiency... our three weapons are fear, surprise, and ruthless efficiency... and an almost fanatical devotion to the Pope... our four... no... amongst our weapons... amongst our weaponry... are such elements as fear, surprise... I'll come in again."

A $3800.00 expense report later, I am back at clock watching for the day. I wish I was playing spades. I realize I should have known how to play already at my age, but ErinLynn taught me how to play in Colorado and I dig that game. Maybe caffeine will help?

Not often, but some days I wonder why I come to work at all. Maybe I'll understand why the fuck I'm here after lunch. It must be the holiday pace around here, but I could get more accomplished from my home office.

Doh! I forgot I had this... and apparently this cheesy free service (which is a cool concept) deleted the data from previous entries. This is so for precisely two reasons: 1) I don't program... and probably never will... and B) you get what you pay for... :-)

Update: I ditched the old one for MapCheese Version 2. Leave a stain por favor.

Happy 54th Birthday Ozzy Osbourne! I don't know... let's ride the crazy train over the mountain and find us some war pigs and show them that you're iron man... we'll bark at the moon and have a bloodbath in paradise. I can be your tattooed dancer and you can be my miracle man while we smoke some sweet leaf. I realize it's no suicide solution, but we'll be flying high again and we can write about it in your diary of a madman. Like I said... I don't know.