...even if the sushi robot eventually gets taken over by malignant code and kills me.
It would be worth it.
In other news no one cares about but me, all of my rose bushes, even the baby one I planted in November, have new growth on them. I'm very excited, after things looking so grim last summer, that they are making a come back.
Friday, April 6, 2012
Thursday, April 5, 2012
smashed windshield, sugar canvas
My friend S reminded me at lunch today about another "exciting" thing that happened last night...
S insisted we take a pedi-cab the last 6 blocks back to the hotel because his legs were tired. Turns out the pedi-cab driver had just dropped off Bret Michaels (Poison lead singer) and Tommy Lee (Motley Crue) right before he picked us up. They're in town to promote some concert or something. He took them to a strip joint and then picked us up. He was very excited about meeting them.
I was driving home from the airport after dropping S off (he filled my car with gas, I mean, he filled the tank with gas and paid for it, and then told me to wash my car) when a rock flew off the back of a truck (think it was a rock) and smashed my windshield to pieces:
That pretty much sucked.
S insisted we take a pedi-cab the last 6 blocks back to the hotel because his legs were tired. Turns out the pedi-cab driver had just dropped off Bret Michaels (Poison lead singer) and Tommy Lee (Motley Crue) right before he picked us up. They're in town to promote some concert or something. He took them to a strip joint and then picked us up. He was very excited about meeting them.
I was driving home from the airport after dropping S off (he filled my car with gas, I mean, he filled the tank with gas and paid for it, and then told me to wash my car) when a rock flew off the back of a truck (think it was a rock) and smashed my windshield to pieces:
That pretty much sucked.
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| I can take pictures and drive at the same time |
But then I got home and found a package from my brother's girlfriend. She made me cookies!She has a business called Sugar Canvas. Leave me a comment if you want information on how to order some for yourself. There were more cookies than this but I ate them before I took the picture.
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| I'm eating the flower tomorrow for breakfast |
denver lebanese style
So after I dropped off my piece of shit new laptop (turns out the image they loaded on it was corrupt, which is why I was having so many problems - it was a known corrupt image but they loaded it anyway - and I won't get my computer back until today at the earliest because most of the routers in my company's IT building are down and it's taking forever to download the new image - oh, and of course, no loaner laptop - I've said it before, we are an IT company) and met some sales people for lunch. They're in town for a data conference for the intell community.
Afterward S and I went back to his hotel so he could change. We were going to go to the botanic garden. So I waited in the lobby for 30 minutes but S didn't come down. I texted him and he said to order a glass of wine.
I hate waiting.
Then, right after I got the wine S showed up. But he still hadn't changed so I brought the wine up to his room so he could change. Then he decided we should go see the gym of the hotel. I poured the wine into a coffee cup and we went to the gym, which was like a real gym and not a crap hotel gym. S insisted I go into the men's room with him to see how nice it was. It was kind of weird walking around a men's room in a gym carrying a glass of wine.
We headed back to my house, got into my car, and went to the botantic gardens. Because S had fucked around for so long we only had 30 minutes until the gardens closed. Sami tried to argue with the woman at the ticket counter that it should stay open longer for us. Lebanese people are like that. So she told us to walk a certain way around the gardens because security walks the opposite direction and it would give us more time.
We made it around the gardens in record time and then I wanted to show S the poison frogs, lollipop plant, chocolate tree, and orchids. But the doors to the green house were locked. S saw a security guard and knocked on the locked door but the guard ignored us. Then he opened another door for a group of three women. That totally pissed S off so he started banging on the locked door. I was like "dude, let's just go in the open door". Then he tried to argue with the guard for not unlocking a door for him. I distracted him with the orchids.
We were finally thrown out by security who wouldn't even give us two more seconds to see the poison frogs.
We went back to my house and had a glass of wine. It was almost 7 o'clock so we walked down to 16th street mall to find a restaurant to eat in. S always says he isn't picky and then he's super picky when I suggest a place. We went to writer's square but he didn't want to eat there. So we walked down to Wazee because I was trying to find this indian restaurant I like. But I couldn't find it and S was accusing me of taking him down a dark street, like what, I was going to mug him?
He decided we should walk back to this steak place named Willie G's. We were seated but there was a large table of drunk obnoxious people and he said they gave him a headache so we had to leave because the waitress wouldn't seat us in a booth in a quieter area of the restaurant (he argued with her for like 10 minutes). He made the waitress look up the address for the indian place even though I told him I could look it up on my blackberry. She seemed pretty pissed by the time we left.
So we walked all the way back down to Blake Street (not far for me but S doesn't like to walk). We found the indian restaurant but it was closed for some reason. Then he decided to go to a restaurant we had seen that was even further down 16th Street. But there was a 45 minute wait.
By then I had the impression that if I didn't find a place soon S was going to kill me. We ended up eating at this asian fusion restaurant. Thankfully it was good and S was happy. It was 9 pm before we got our food.
He wanted to know exactly how far I made him walk...
Then we went back to his hotel and met up with Cosmo, who's from Jamaica, and Bill, who works with S and is also a friend of mine. Cosmo told me where to visit in Jamaica and then revealed his plans to leave his girlfriend in Denver and move to NYC. I was like "why don't you tell her your leaving?" Oddly, his response was "because she's just not feelin' the city." Also, he told me a story about a Jamaican artist who he admired who's work he wanted to buy. But before he good the artist was shot and killed in Kingston. The robbers got $30 and a watch. A gallery in LA hoarded the artist's work and the price skyrocketed and no one could afford to buy it. Cosmo was pissed. Then, 5 years later, a friend of his lost his home. Cosmo went to help him pack and found out all along the friend had been hoarding two of the artist's paintings. Because he had no money he sold them to Cosmo. There was a cleverly phrased moral to the story but I can't remember what he said. I should have written it down.
Then we all piled into Bill's car and he drove me home.
Afterward S and I went back to his hotel so he could change. We were going to go to the botanic garden. So I waited in the lobby for 30 minutes but S didn't come down. I texted him and he said to order a glass of wine.
I hate waiting.
Then, right after I got the wine S showed up. But he still hadn't changed so I brought the wine up to his room so he could change. Then he decided we should go see the gym of the hotel. I poured the wine into a coffee cup and we went to the gym, which was like a real gym and not a crap hotel gym. S insisted I go into the men's room with him to see how nice it was. It was kind of weird walking around a men's room in a gym carrying a glass of wine.
We headed back to my house, got into my car, and went to the botantic gardens. Because S had fucked around for so long we only had 30 minutes until the gardens closed. Sami tried to argue with the woman at the ticket counter that it should stay open longer for us. Lebanese people are like that. So she told us to walk a certain way around the gardens because security walks the opposite direction and it would give us more time.
We made it around the gardens in record time and then I wanted to show S the poison frogs, lollipop plant, chocolate tree, and orchids. But the doors to the green house were locked. S saw a security guard and knocked on the locked door but the guard ignored us. Then he opened another door for a group of three women. That totally pissed S off so he started banging on the locked door. I was like "dude, let's just go in the open door". Then he tried to argue with the guard for not unlocking a door for him. I distracted him with the orchids.
We were finally thrown out by security who wouldn't even give us two more seconds to see the poison frogs.
We went back to my house and had a glass of wine. It was almost 7 o'clock so we walked down to 16th street mall to find a restaurant to eat in. S always says he isn't picky and then he's super picky when I suggest a place. We went to writer's square but he didn't want to eat there. So we walked down to Wazee because I was trying to find this indian restaurant I like. But I couldn't find it and S was accusing me of taking him down a dark street, like what, I was going to mug him?
He decided we should walk back to this steak place named Willie G's. We were seated but there was a large table of drunk obnoxious people and he said they gave him a headache so we had to leave because the waitress wouldn't seat us in a booth in a quieter area of the restaurant (he argued with her for like 10 minutes). He made the waitress look up the address for the indian place even though I told him I could look it up on my blackberry. She seemed pretty pissed by the time we left.
So we walked all the way back down to Blake Street (not far for me but S doesn't like to walk). We found the indian restaurant but it was closed for some reason. Then he decided to go to a restaurant we had seen that was even further down 16th Street. But there was a 45 minute wait.
By then I had the impression that if I didn't find a place soon S was going to kill me. We ended up eating at this asian fusion restaurant. Thankfully it was good and S was happy. It was 9 pm before we got our food.
He wanted to know exactly how far I made him walk...
Then we went back to his hotel and met up with Cosmo, who's from Jamaica, and Bill, who works with S and is also a friend of mine. Cosmo told me where to visit in Jamaica and then revealed his plans to leave his girlfriend in Denver and move to NYC. I was like "why don't you tell her your leaving?" Oddly, his response was "because she's just not feelin' the city." Also, he told me a story about a Jamaican artist who he admired who's work he wanted to buy. But before he good the artist was shot and killed in Kingston. The robbers got $30 and a watch. A gallery in LA hoarded the artist's work and the price skyrocketed and no one could afford to buy it. Cosmo was pissed. Then, 5 years later, a friend of his lost his home. Cosmo went to help him pack and found out all along the friend had been hoarding two of the artist's paintings. Because he had no money he sold them to Cosmo. There was a cleverly phrased moral to the story but I can't remember what he said. I should have written it down.
Then we all piled into Bill's car and he drove me home.
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
one of these kids...is just like the other!!!!
I've been obsessed with sharks since I was little. It appears the obsession is genetic. My nephew is obsessed with sharks too.
My sister is being a good sport about it.
My sister is being a good sport about it.
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| Michael won't put his shark book down even at dinner. |
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| Michael - coming to a shark tank near you! |
Monday, April 2, 2012
you broke it again????
I spent an hour with my customer today trying to figure out why SQL Server permissions were only working for some people trying to access the software tool I support. I kept telling him the problem was with the SQL Server app but he kept insisting it was tool permissions.
Finally I asked to drive. It turned out:
1. he had spelled the two non-working account names wrong
2. instead of deleting the wrong accounts and importing from LDAP like I told him to do he just imported from LDAP so the right accounts didn't get picked up
Then he was like "Oh, I guess you were right." Um, yeah.
Then, at 5 pm sharp, he broke something else. Then he wanted to have an in depth discussion about his meta model. At 6:30 I was like dude, I have to get up at 3 am tomorrow and I have work to finish.
I think, actually, he likes hanging out with me. And he said he's going to invite me back. No one in my customer's group knew about the insane asylum or the ghost town and they want me to come back and take them on a hike.
Which is kind of weird because 3 of the 7 people come from families that have lived in Smithfield since the early 1800s. I guess that's why people hire consultants, to find those kind of things out.
Finally I asked to drive. It turned out:
1. he had spelled the two non-working account names wrong
2. instead of deleting the wrong accounts and importing from LDAP like I told him to do he just imported from LDAP so the right accounts didn't get picked up
Then he was like "Oh, I guess you were right." Um, yeah.
Then, at 5 pm sharp, he broke something else. Then he wanted to have an in depth discussion about his meta model. At 6:30 I was like dude, I have to get up at 3 am tomorrow and I have work to finish.
I think, actually, he likes hanging out with me. And he said he's going to invite me back. No one in my customer's group knew about the insane asylum or the ghost town and they want me to come back and take them on a hike.
Which is kind of weird because 3 of the 7 people come from families that have lived in Smithfield since the early 1800s. I guess that's why people hire consultants, to find those kind of things out.
another potential lead on my book
The editor I pitched on Saturday afternoon wants the first 50 pages of my book!!!!! Even though she was sick and I was her 30th pitch of the day!
Four other women got picked too, and I'm really glad one was the woman who wrote the book about the lawyer, especially since she was told no one would be interested in her book. Go Christine and semper fi!
Four other women got picked too, and I'm really glad one was the woman who wrote the book about the lawyer, especially since she was told no one would be interested in her book. Go Christine and semper fi!
Sunday, April 1, 2012
insane asylum hike
Today I went hiking in the area around my customer's site. There's a huge farm there with lots of trails.
My customer's site was built near the ruins of an insane asylum that was active in the late 1800s. Lots of murders and abuses went on there and eventually Rhode Island came up with a series of reforms and the asylum shut down. It was run by the owner of Smithfield Farm and he often beat and raped the women who were housed there (most of them for being unwed mothers). He would also kill the really crazy people.
As I walked along the trails I could see remains of Hanton City, also known as the lost city. I was lucky to be here before the vegetation was in bloom, so I could see the remains of the city.
No one knows what happened to the city. One theory is that the residents were runaway slaves living there secretly (one assumes they eventually left when slaves were freed). But the theory is unlikely because they would not have had the equipment to build the structures that are found in the lost city.
Another theory is that the city was where people with communicable diseases were isolated, which would explain why it's so remote.
A third theory is that the city was founded by British Loyalists, who were either forced to live in isolation or did it on their own.
I found the grave yard:
My customer's site was built near the ruins of an insane asylum that was active in the late 1800s. Lots of murders and abuses went on there and eventually Rhode Island came up with a series of reforms and the asylum shut down. It was run by the owner of Smithfield Farm and he often beat and raped the women who were housed there (most of them for being unwed mothers). He would also kill the really crazy people.
As I walked along the trails I could see remains of Hanton City, also known as the lost city. I was lucky to be here before the vegetation was in bloom, so I could see the remains of the city.
 |
| one of the many stone walls built in the forest |
Another theory is that the city was where people with communicable diseases were isolated, which would explain why it's so remote.
A third theory is that the city was founded by British Loyalists, who were either forced to live in isolation or did it on their own.
I found the grave yard:
...which was pretty creepy. Also, all along the trail were stacked cairns. It felt like walking around the woods where they filmed the blair witch project.
Finally I came out on an area of the trail where the power lines are:
It was pretty bizarre to walk out of a dense forest and see this. The power lines made a low hum. And, oddly, I could hear a band playing at what I'm guessing was the Bryant University campus. Spooky.
Then the weather turned and I was worried it would start snowing again (it snowed yesterday) so I headed back to my hotel (getting lost, briefly, on a trail).
That was one of the eeriest hikes I've ever done.
I head back to civilization Tuesday morning. I'm glad. I only brought one outfit to work out in and it smells really bad.
If you ever happen to find yourself in this area I recommend the house of pizza and yamoto sushi. I've been eating at both places all week.
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