Nine days ago I blogged about how the IT industry in the US is outsourcing itself out of existance and how this might directly affect yours truly. Buried in one paragraph was the intimation that I was looking for employment in the private industry (I'm currently a State worker) and closer to home. Specifically, someone very new to the local BBS I frequent posted a job opening. It looked promising as I had much of the required skill set so I went for it and emailed my resume. This apparently worked well enough to earn me a response detailing a little more about the company and asking if I'd be interested in "an informal interview". Yes, I responded and we set it up.
So yesterday, I leave work early and the light rail, bus and my pedal power all align nicely getting me home 35 minutes before the interview. As the office is just two miles from my house, this gave me plenty of transition time. I arrive there a perfect three minutes before the schedule two o'clock appointment and am soon greeted by a tall man who looks familiar. He notes that I look familiar, too, and soon realizes it is because his step-daughter and my youngest daughter are good friends. Well, there's a nifty ice-breaker.
The interview goes well, I thought. I did learn that while this is the leading national company delivering medical financial software for reporting the the federal government, it is also a small shop with just over a dozen total employees. I'm informed that they carry the usual benefits and a generous self-directed, retirement benefit (he told me that with profit sharing it usually works out to about 20-25% of salary). The downside is that the health care option is limited to just one: Kaiser. We've done Kaiser and were pleasantly surprised when we finally tried another HMO. Oh well, Kaiser isn't awful, just...mediocre. And we do have a concern with my middle daughter's epilepsy treatment. While we didn't talk hard numbers or even ranges of salary, he did make the statement that my salary, should I get the job, would be definitely increased. He seemed like he was almost laughing at the incredibly low amount I am being paid now. Hmm, that sounds promising.
Anyway, I guess I passed that audition because he told me that he would be scheduling a second "informal" interview with the company's owner and his daughter who is also apparently the heir-apparent for the owner's eventual retirement. Yes, it is a family business and, it would seem, well taken care of. I've never known working in a place like that. I've worked for the State for the last 18-1/2 years, almost straight out of college.
I'm somewhat excited about the prospect of more money and working so incredibly close to home. But on the other hand, I've nothing to lose as I've already got a job. Still, I think I'm begining to want this so much that I might get nervous. We'll have to wait and see how the next step goes.
Wednesday, October 27, 2004
Monday, October 25, 2004
Daddy's Little Girl
My youngest daughter had been a acolyte at the Presbyterian Church we used to attend. Her duties then were to walk down the center aisle, slowly so the flame on the end of her candle-lighter does not go out, and then light the two candles on the altar table and leave back up the center. Then at the end of the service she was to come down the aisle again, snuff the candles, then stand with the minister and exit with him. She started doing that when she was in the second grade.
But having moved south a few miles we wanted to find a church closer to home--it really helps build a sense of community when you see familiar faces at church and school and soccer and the grocery store, etc--and my wife was finally submitting to her years long pull toward the Catholic Church. I feel it is important that the family not attend separate churches so I had to consider becoming Catholic myself and putting my daughters through that as well. I was raised Catholic and missed much of the traditions, however, I was very leary of re-joining them as I was afraid much of my political and theological leanings would not fit well. Turns out the parish priest is even more liberal than I am, I think, and his explanation of the usage of the term "virgin" helped me accept some of the Marian ideas of the RC. So last Easter, the whole family was confirmed into the RCC.
Still it was a tough slog for the kids. Frankly, a Catholic Mass is not as fun a most Protestant services mainly because the kids have to stay through it all. Before my daughters would go off to their classes after about 10-15 minutes in the sanctuary, but the Catholics keep them all in for the most part. But my youngest (who still pines for our "old church") is game girl who tries to make the best of her situation. She started singing off and on with the children's choir and just recently signed up to be an alter server. Now, back in my day it was only the boys who could do that as it was seen as a possible step toward the priesthood, but I guess back in the 80s the pope cleared the way for girls to participate, too.
Yesterday was her first time as an alter server. I was surprised at how proud I was to see her up there. She looked so incredibly sweet as she was the only fourth grader up there, the rest were sixth graders I believe. The other two girls and the boy were very kind and helpful which helped a lot. She asked them and they allowed her to hold one of the candles while the priest read the gospel and she held the bowl for him to wash his hands in preparation of the Eucharist. Once when she was sitting with the rest during the homily, she was looking kind of bored. I caught her eye and winked at her and she smiled the sweetest smile. That's going to be one of the memories I'll be able to rely on to make me feel better for years to come.
But having moved south a few miles we wanted to find a church closer to home--it really helps build a sense of community when you see familiar faces at church and school and soccer and the grocery store, etc--and my wife was finally submitting to her years long pull toward the Catholic Church. I feel it is important that the family not attend separate churches so I had to consider becoming Catholic myself and putting my daughters through that as well. I was raised Catholic and missed much of the traditions, however, I was very leary of re-joining them as I was afraid much of my political and theological leanings would not fit well. Turns out the parish priest is even more liberal than I am, I think, and his explanation of the usage of the term "virgin" helped me accept some of the Marian ideas of the RC. So last Easter, the whole family was confirmed into the RCC.
Still it was a tough slog for the kids. Frankly, a Catholic Mass is not as fun a most Protestant services mainly because the kids have to stay through it all. Before my daughters would go off to their classes after about 10-15 minutes in the sanctuary, but the Catholics keep them all in for the most part. But my youngest (who still pines for our "old church") is game girl who tries to make the best of her situation. She started singing off and on with the children's choir and just recently signed up to be an alter server. Now, back in my day it was only the boys who could do that as it was seen as a possible step toward the priesthood, but I guess back in the 80s the pope cleared the way for girls to participate, too.
Yesterday was her first time as an alter server. I was surprised at how proud I was to see her up there. She looked so incredibly sweet as she was the only fourth grader up there, the rest were sixth graders I believe. The other two girls and the boy were very kind and helpful which helped a lot. She asked them and they allowed her to hold one of the candles while the priest read the gospel and she held the bowl for him to wash his hands in preparation of the Eucharist. Once when she was sitting with the rest during the homily, she was looking kind of bored. I caught her eye and winked at her and she smiled the sweetest smile. That's going to be one of the memories I'll be able to rely on to make me feel better for years to come.
Tuesday, October 19, 2004
Dreams...Hopes...and Reality
Two nights ago I had another bad dream. It was kind of similar to the one I wrote about before. Much shorter this time and updated to be in our new car. I was driving alone in our new (used) Mercury Villager. I was doing okay but I was running just a bit late. I was coming up to an intersection on the other side of which were two separate freeway entrances: one going off to the right and one to the left. The one on the left went up a large overpass structure as it veered leftward and it was banked at a severe angle. The light at the intersection changed just as I was approaching it and slowing down. I had to accellerate and barely had time to read the signs and figure out that I needed to take the left entrance. I went up it and the bank of the overpass was too much. The van started to go over and I started plummetting in free fall. I saw the ground below spinning as the van was falling and I had time to say a prayer and will my love out to each of my daughters and my wife and then...I woke up. It was about 3:30am and I didn't sleep anymore that day.
The next day (or was it the same day) we had a follow up appointment with my daughter's neurologist. That day in the email that Mrs. Koko sent me to remind me of the appointment, she said that since surgery was no longer seemed like a reasonable option and the latest medicine wasn't working (the Felbatol made her shaky, jumpy and gave her a "weird feeling" which was a lot like a pre-cursor to her seizures) she was ready to push for the Vagus Nerve Stimulator (VNS). We arrive at the doc's office and as it is a late appointment no one else is in the waiting room and we are ushered right in by the doctor even though we were a few minutes early. As soon as we enter the room, the first words out of his mouth are "I think we should try the vagus nerve stimulator." (No, he's not one to say 'hello' or any of the other common courtesies one might expect; he's not rude necessarily as much as he is a skilled and focused professional.) Well, the wife was surprised (she thought she'd have to fight for it) and pleased. Me? I'm dubious. The data is hardly conclusive on the VNS and they still don't know why it does work when it does. It seems hardly more than a crap shoot to me. But like the doc said, it's like a lottery ticket; what have you go to lose? Well, it is a surgery being peformed on my daughter, albeit a far more minor one compared to what we had contemplated earlier this year.
Interestingly, he also told us that his partner presented my daughter's case at a national gathering of epilepsy doctors at the Bowman Gray School of Medicine. Many of the docs there suggested a something-or-other scan which would mean invasive probes and injecting a dye during and after a seizure which would have to be monitored inside a gamma scanner. They also offered that the VNS should be explored as an option. When you have the nation's top experts in the field telling you something, I guess you should listen. So, we're going to start moving along this line.
The thing is, as my wife points out: time is passing and in less than a year our daughter will be in high school and she is not learning enough. What the hell is going to happen to her in the future? She is a bright enough girl and she's turning into a real beauty (if she wasn't so shy we could probably get her jobs as a print model; she is quite thin and long-legged with nice coloring). But she has an incredibly low self-esteem and no self confidence about anything. What is to become of my precious little girl?
The next day (or was it the same day) we had a follow up appointment with my daughter's neurologist. That day in the email that Mrs. Koko sent me to remind me of the appointment, she said that since surgery was no longer seemed like a reasonable option and the latest medicine wasn't working (the Felbatol made her shaky, jumpy and gave her a "weird feeling" which was a lot like a pre-cursor to her seizures) she was ready to push for the Vagus Nerve Stimulator (VNS). We arrive at the doc's office and as it is a late appointment no one else is in the waiting room and we are ushered right in by the doctor even though we were a few minutes early. As soon as we enter the room, the first words out of his mouth are "I think we should try the vagus nerve stimulator." (No, he's not one to say 'hello' or any of the other common courtesies one might expect; he's not rude necessarily as much as he is a skilled and focused professional.) Well, the wife was surprised (she thought she'd have to fight for it) and pleased. Me? I'm dubious. The data is hardly conclusive on the VNS and they still don't know why it does work when it does. It seems hardly more than a crap shoot to me. But like the doc said, it's like a lottery ticket; what have you go to lose? Well, it is a surgery being peformed on my daughter, albeit a far more minor one compared to what we had contemplated earlier this year.
Interestingly, he also told us that his partner presented my daughter's case at a national gathering of epilepsy doctors at the Bowman Gray School of Medicine. Many of the docs there suggested a something-or-other scan which would mean invasive probes and injecting a dye during and after a seizure which would have to be monitored inside a gamma scanner. They also offered that the VNS should be explored as an option. When you have the nation's top experts in the field telling you something, I guess you should listen. So, we're going to start moving along this line.
The thing is, as my wife points out: time is passing and in less than a year our daughter will be in high school and she is not learning enough. What the hell is going to happen to her in the future? She is a bright enough girl and she's turning into a real beauty (if she wasn't so shy we could probably get her jobs as a print model; she is quite thin and long-legged with nice coloring). But she has an incredibly low self-esteem and no self confidence about anything. What is to become of my precious little girl?
Whiskey Buisiness
Last week, in anticipation of the third presidential debate, I got a hankerin' for a nice martini. Unfortunately, I didn't have any Grey Goose handy (and is there really any other vodka for a decent martini?). Oddly, on the local BBS I frequent, another fellow was thinking the same thing. Could there have been a zeitgeist at work?
Later that week, Friday I think, Mrs. Koko and I traipse over to Macroni Grill for supper. We get our favorite server: Sarah (yes, with an "h" at the end or as she says, "'Sarah', fully dressed."). She is a kick. I just wish she could ignore all her other patrons and just sit down with us. But, as my martini mood had once again revisited me, I seized the opportunity to finally order one. Oh...yes.... A fine, Grey Goose martini with a twist (no olive, please). Here's to civilized living...and satisfying the zeitgeist.
Now, with that martini thirst quenched and the weather turned blustery and decidedly wet, it is finally that wonderful time of year I call "Whiskey Season". To be sure, brandy is also encouraged. It's really a matter of my wallet and how much I'd like to consume in an evening. I have to go a bit slower with the Irish Whiskey than I do with brandy. I used to be an unwaivering Bushmills, even though it comes from the Protestant distiller which no "real Irishmen" would drink from (except for the special dispensation for Guiness, of course). Jameson always seemed a bit harsher to me going down though it does have a nice finish. But now, I can't say as I really have preference of one over the other. That is, as long as we're talking about the "basic", low-end bottle. I've not tried Jameson's 12 year old whiskey but Bushmill's Black Bush is by far my drink of choice, especially this time of year. And it makes a great gift.
Later that week, Friday I think, Mrs. Koko and I traipse over to Macroni Grill for supper. We get our favorite server: Sarah (yes, with an "h" at the end or as she says, "'Sarah', fully dressed."). She is a kick. I just wish she could ignore all her other patrons and just sit down with us. But, as my martini mood had once again revisited me, I seized the opportunity to finally order one. Oh...yes.... A fine, Grey Goose martini with a twist (no olive, please). Here's to civilized living...and satisfying the zeitgeist.
Now, with that martini thirst quenched and the weather turned blustery and decidedly wet, it is finally that wonderful time of year I call "Whiskey Season". To be sure, brandy is also encouraged. It's really a matter of my wallet and how much I'd like to consume in an evening. I have to go a bit slower with the Irish Whiskey than I do with brandy. I used to be an unwaivering Bushmills, even though it comes from the Protestant distiller which no "real Irishmen" would drink from (except for the special dispensation for Guiness, of course). Jameson always seemed a bit harsher to me going down though it does have a nice finish. But now, I can't say as I really have preference of one over the other. That is, as long as we're talking about the "basic", low-end bottle. I've not tried Jameson's 12 year old whiskey but Bushmill's Black Bush is by far my drink of choice, especially this time of year. And it makes a great gift.
Monday, October 18, 2004
Time for a career change?
Uh-oh...
There's a famous scene in The Graduate where Benjamin Braddock is making his dazed but cordial rounds at his graduation party. A neighbor or family friend corners him and tells him, "One word, Ben: 'plastics'." "Plastics" was the word of the future of industry in the sixties & seventies. By the eighties though it was "Computers". You'd always have a job if you "knew computers". That was my time.
Well, on a whim while hanging out with my girlfriend (who would eventually become my wife) in the early mid-eighties, I answered an ad from one of those trade schools for computer programming. It seemed a particularly good idea as I was a drama major and not getting many roles. Anyway, I got the financial aid and did the course: every single weeknight for an entire year (with one week off for Christmas). I learned BASIC, COBOL and something called RPG. About half to two-thirds of the students washed out before the end of the year. I made through and it qualified me for an entry level programming job with the State of California and thus began my programming career some twenty years ago.
Now, midway through my earning years I see my industry dwindling. I see my competition growing. I'm looking at 20+ years on my mortgage and college for my oldest daughter in two and a half years. And my career advancement prospects are dwindling fast.
Currently, I'm still a civil service worker although I've started sniffing around some private industry shops. I'm hoping for more interesting work and a much shorter commute without losing any money. Now, I've got to wonder how long any private industry job will be around.
OR...
Maybe it's time to start working on changing careers. As much as I'd love plying my trade as a full time freelance writer, it is unlikely I could make much more than 2/3 of my current income and that's not including losing the benefits I now enjoy. My other potential passion? Well, it'll take some years and some money but I've always wondered about a career in law. I understand that the McGeorge School of Law has a decent reputation. I've perused a couple of LSAT books and they seem like a veritable cake walk. Okay, that's overstating it a bit but the test is not a knowledge quiz but a critical thinking examination. This is not only be something that could open up a second career option, it could be something I could truly enjoy. However, I don't see myself being one of those uber-wealthy tort lawyers. My interest lie in helping folks negotiate and combat government bureaucracy, especially in special education. It may not make me much more money than I'm making now but I'd be able to sleep well at night. Then again, politics is interesting, too...
I'll have to look into it because I have NO idea what it'll cost in terms of time or money. But there's this...this aching, nagging feeling in my chest when I think about it...pulling at me... But dare I put my family through such an ordeal?
Friday, October 15, 2004
All Hallow's Eve Eve
Okay, so Halloween falls on a Sunday this year. It's bound to happen at least once every 14 years (7 days a week and a 50/50 chance of it being a leap year which could "leapfrog" Oct 31 from Saturday one year to Monday the next). As it is I've got to make sure I go to church that morning instead of playing guitar at the evening service so I can take my girls out for the Great Candy Shakedown. But, come ON, people! I just don't get people who say stuff like from this article.
For on thing, the term "Halloween" comes from "Hallow e'en" which is a shorted form of "All Hallow's Evening". It marks the day before All Hallow's Day which is November 1. I remember taking my first communion on that day. It is a day of some, albeit forgotten, significance in Christendom. "Hallow" refers to the "hallowed ones" sometimes called "saints" (little "s"). As a matter of fact, November 1 is often referred to as "All Saint's Day". Maybe if the last day in October was known as "Saintseen" it would have a totally different connotation. Hallowed ones, or little-s saints, refers simply to the dead. The night before All Hallow's Day, tradition tells us, our dead relatives are allowed to walk the earth to check up on us. I believe this is exactly the tradition behind the Mexican Dia de los Muertos or Day of the Dead where we've seen pictures of people marching around with large skeletons around them. Though morbid, it is actually a sweet tradition to honor one's passed relatives.
Later, of course, as many people are uncomfortable with the dead walking around and probably due to the confusion of the word "Underworld", things took a more devilish turn. Underworld used to refer to the place where the dead went. You know, crossing the River Styx, ruled by Hades...ah, "Hades". Somewhere along the line, Hades got confused with Hell and now we can see where the satanic association may have been derived from.
Oh well...that ain't gonna help those poor trick-or-treaters down in Georgia.
But on the plus side, they do have some enterprising young'uns there. The article notes some kids are taking advantage of the double dose of trick-or-treating and going out both nights. At least they'll get a better return on their costume expense dollar.
"'It's a day for the good Lord, not for the devil,' said Barbara Braswell, who plans to send her 4-year-old granddaughter Maliyah out trick-or-treating in a princess costume on Saturday instead.
For on thing, the term "Halloween" comes from "Hallow e'en" which is a shorted form of "All Hallow's Evening". It marks the day before All Hallow's Day which is November 1. I remember taking my first communion on that day. It is a day of some, albeit forgotten, significance in Christendom. "Hallow" refers to the "hallowed ones" sometimes called "saints" (little "s"). As a matter of fact, November 1 is often referred to as "All Saint's Day". Maybe if the last day in October was known as "Saintseen" it would have a totally different connotation. Hallowed ones, or little-s saints, refers simply to the dead. The night before All Hallow's Day, tradition tells us, our dead relatives are allowed to walk the earth to check up on us. I believe this is exactly the tradition behind the Mexican Dia de los Muertos or Day of the Dead where we've seen pictures of people marching around with large skeletons around them. Though morbid, it is actually a sweet tradition to honor one's passed relatives.
Later, of course, as many people are uncomfortable with the dead walking around and probably due to the confusion of the word "Underworld", things took a more devilish turn. Underworld used to refer to the place where the dead went. You know, crossing the River Styx, ruled by Hades...ah, "Hades". Somewhere along the line, Hades got confused with Hell and now we can see where the satanic association may have been derived from.
Oh well...that ain't gonna help those poor trick-or-treaters down in Georgia.
But on the plus side, they do have some enterprising young'uns there. The article notes some kids are taking advantage of the double dose of trick-or-treating and going out both nights. At least they'll get a better return on their costume expense dollar.
Monday, October 11, 2004
Look, up in the sky...all the way to heaven.
The "rule of three" gathered its final victim today. First was Janet Leigh of Psycho fame. Next, we lost Rodney Dangerfield. And today we lost another celebrity who, ironically, was a real stand-up guy: Christopher Reeve. Meaning no disrespect for Ms. Leigh or Mr. "No Respect", but Mr. Reeve was really accomplishing something. His advocacy for spinal cord injury research and stem cell research helped boost those areas many times over. His is a legacy that goes far beyond his film career. He was a great man who will be missed.
Monday, October 04, 2004
Flotsam & Jetsom
Back in September whilst shopping for a gift for my mommy, the Mrs. Koko accompanied me and we perused some wedding bands. You see, hers had sad date with Mr. Garbage Disposal a couple of years ago and mine became too uncomfortable to wear as I wear all my beer weight in my fingers. So while we both got sized (in a place recommended by DarkWings, thank you), I passed a discrete word to the salesgirl to pull some 1/4 karat solitaires. Whys so small, you ask? Cuz that's what Mrs. Koko has before she bent the prong and lost her diamond and I don't know WHAT ever happened to the ring! Plus, frankly money is not flying out my cornhole so we gotta be a bit practical (and if I can seal that in a romantic "how it used to be" wrapper, all the better). Bit of an ordeal navigating RT to get to the jeweler during lunch break...somehow was able to keep it to myself...finally I totally surprised her with the ring on the 20th anniversary of our first "date". Yes, she was quite smitten all over again.
...
Major hailstorm a couple of weeks ago. Man, the hailstones were easily about 1/2 to 3/4 inch in diameter and it lasted for about 10-15 minutes. The rain continued to downpour for another half hour after that. I went out in it just to experience it (and to look for one of the two stray cats we've semi-adopted). Man, I got soaked but I love to experience the fullness of what Nature can bring.
...
Was called upon for a couple of solos for church choir 'cause the teen girls weren't paying attention and Chris, the leader, was getting a bit frustrated with them. I did okay. Got a nice compliment on my Psalm bit. We do it to very AME-style gospel (damn but I wish I was born a black woman sometimes) which I love and even added a little "Mmmmm-mmmmmm" between the lyrics. Got a nice compliment for it afterwards.
...
My daughter's soccer team WON! I coached many of these girls two years ago--turns out both them and I too last year off--and we went 0-10 then. So this was our first victory of this year AND before. Now, if I could just get my assistant coach to shut up during the game. He is so damn negative, especially with his own daughter. They've got enough pressure out there, dammit, they don't need to hear complaints and whining from their coaches during the damn game. They're only nine and ten years old!
One of the new girls (new to me anyway) asked if I was going to coach next year so that she could ask for me specifically. That really was sweet.
...
Y'know...there was something else...something I've been meaning to share for a couple of days now...but I just can't think of it. Damn!
...
Couldn't order the tickets ahead because Koko has absolutely NO credit whatsoever. Couldn't get to the box office because they're only open during my work hours Monday through Friday. And I told this to my oldest daughter, a fifteen year old who is borderline GATE qualified but lacks the common sense God gave a goat. At 6:10pm tonight as I come through the door after over an hour's commute home, the rest of the family is at the table, halfway through their dinner. My daughter asks me about the tickets. I explain that, as I told her I was unable to get them. She asks me when the concert is and I tell her it is scheduled to start in about an hour. Bit of panic and last minute prep and we're out the door about 20 minutes later.
We hope to be able to by tix at the door...I explain that this may not be possible. Furthermore, I explain that while I know the name of the venue and that it is on the UCDavis campus, I do not know exactly how to get from the freeway to the concert hall. We pick up her boyfriend (he is begining to wear on me not because he is her boyfriend but because he is her first boyfriend and has been her boyfriend for many months now--it is time to move on!) and after a few last minute words with his stepmom (that dad and stepmom are cool, the mom is flake-a-zoid supreme) we're off. Long story short: the concert is sold out. Oh, why such the hue and cry for this concert? It was the "Nintendo Fusion" concert and Sonic Youth were supposedly going to perform music from Nintendo games. THIS is what my gamer daughter was all hyped up about. On the way there, her and her BF were discussing Final Fantasy characters and comparing the various incarnations post FF7 and how they stacked up. I mean they were even critiquing the costuming and the depth of the NPC (which I take to mean "non-primary characters"). These are real gamer geeks. But you know what? They applying legitimate critique and analysis to their world; as a former Star Trek geek, I gotta respect that.
...
I know there was something else...something I wanted to relate...oh well...maybe later.
...
Major hailstorm a couple of weeks ago. Man, the hailstones were easily about 1/2 to 3/4 inch in diameter and it lasted for about 10-15 minutes. The rain continued to downpour for another half hour after that. I went out in it just to experience it (and to look for one of the two stray cats we've semi-adopted). Man, I got soaked but I love to experience the fullness of what Nature can bring.
...
Was called upon for a couple of solos for church choir 'cause the teen girls weren't paying attention and Chris, the leader, was getting a bit frustrated with them. I did okay. Got a nice compliment on my Psalm bit. We do it to very AME-style gospel (damn but I wish I was born a black woman sometimes) which I love and even added a little "Mmmmm-mmmmmm" between the lyrics. Got a nice compliment for it afterwards.
...
My daughter's soccer team WON! I coached many of these girls two years ago--turns out both them and I too last year off--and we went 0-10 then. So this was our first victory of this year AND before. Now, if I could just get my assistant coach to shut up during the game. He is so damn negative, especially with his own daughter. They've got enough pressure out there, dammit, they don't need to hear complaints and whining from their coaches during the damn game. They're only nine and ten years old!
One of the new girls (new to me anyway) asked if I was going to coach next year so that she could ask for me specifically. That really was sweet.
...
Y'know...there was something else...something I've been meaning to share for a couple of days now...but I just can't think of it. Damn!
...
Couldn't order the tickets ahead because Koko has absolutely NO credit whatsoever. Couldn't get to the box office because they're only open during my work hours Monday through Friday. And I told this to my oldest daughter, a fifteen year old who is borderline GATE qualified but lacks the common sense God gave a goat. At 6:10pm tonight as I come through the door after over an hour's commute home, the rest of the family is at the table, halfway through their dinner. My daughter asks me about the tickets. I explain that, as I told her I was unable to get them. She asks me when the concert is and I tell her it is scheduled to start in about an hour. Bit of panic and last minute prep and we're out the door about 20 minutes later.
We hope to be able to by tix at the door...I explain that this may not be possible. Furthermore, I explain that while I know the name of the venue and that it is on the UCDavis campus, I do not know exactly how to get from the freeway to the concert hall. We pick up her boyfriend (he is begining to wear on me not because he is her boyfriend but because he is her first boyfriend and has been her boyfriend for many months now--it is time to move on!) and after a few last minute words with his stepmom (that dad and stepmom are cool, the mom is flake-a-zoid supreme) we're off. Long story short: the concert is sold out. Oh, why such the hue and cry for this concert? It was the "Nintendo Fusion" concert and Sonic Youth were supposedly going to perform music from Nintendo games. THIS is what my gamer daughter was all hyped up about. On the way there, her and her BF were discussing Final Fantasy characters and comparing the various incarnations post FF7 and how they stacked up. I mean they were even critiquing the costuming and the depth of the NPC (which I take to mean "non-primary characters"). These are real gamer geeks. But you know what? They applying legitimate critique and analysis to their world; as a former Star Trek geek, I gotta respect that.
...
I know there was something else...something I wanted to relate...oh well...maybe later.
My Pirate Name?
My pirate name is:
Red Davy Flint
Passion is a big part of your life, which makes sense for a pirate. Like the rock flint, you're hard and sharp. But, also like flint, you're easily chipped, and sparky. Arr!
Get your own pirate name from fidius.org.
And y'know...the cockatiel we just got does seem to favor me...rides on me shoulder most o' the live-long day, he does. Why not? I don't do the laundry, ye scurvy dog!
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