Friday, January 31, 2003

I was really looking forward a fun evening out last night. Steve F had booked tickets for a group of us to see Dame Edna Everage's show at the National Theater. I hadn't seen Dame Edna in person before but had seen her on TV, and saw some of her interviews with locals promoting the show. Arch Campbell said he'd never laughed so hard in his life, and the Post's reviewer raved. Six of us met for dinner at the Red Sage restaurant nearby, which was nice but I prefer the Old Ebbitt Grill, also in the area. The show itself was fun, and everyone had a good time. Unfortunately, if you'd seen the previews you'd seen most of the show & as a result I found myself enjoying the audience's reaction more than being entertained by Edna myself. Not sure I'd pay almost $70 again.

Work is almost unbearable, and I know it's mostly what I make of it. I called in sick Tuesday again. Today was frustrating, as I received contrary instructions & had several annoying and annoyed customers.
4:32:00 AM

Wednesday, January 29, 2003

I have been toying with the idea of buying a video game console. The first one my brother and I owned (after pestering our parents persistently) was the Atari 2600. We must have had about four or five dozen of the little game cartridges, which seemed so advanced back then but are obviously dated now. I spent hours and hours playing Adventure and Pitfall. I last owned a game console over two years ago--a Sony Playstation that I bought on ebay for $89 & sold for more than that a year later. Sony has since released and shipped over 50 million of its next-gen Playstation 2, and Microsoft has also entered into the market with its hugely-publicized X-Box. Nintendo, once the market leader, also has a console in the running--the GameCube--which seems geared more toward kids. According to the NPD, sales of video games hardware and software increased over 10% last year, to over 10.3 billion dollars. That's more than was spent last year at the theaters by US movie-goers. The thing is, I don't play many games on my computer: I don't have the time (and feel guilty if I'm "wasting" time on a game). Some games are more fun playing with others rather than on your own. And while the video game hardware is relatively inexpensive ($149 for the console, a game controller & a game), the games themselves are relatively expensive ($50/game). I may change my mind after my move, but I will wait until then at least, as anything I buy now would not work with the British PAL TVs. And if I were to choose one now, I'd lean towards the PS2.
5:45:00 PM

Tuesday, January 28, 2003

Comcast showed up at 5:07, replaced my cable modem, and left by 5:17. I wish I needn't have left work early. Is it just me, or is there only crap on TV lately?
3:12:00 AM

Monday, January 27, 2003

OK, I promised I'd let you know what I thought of The Office. I taped it Friday night and watched it saturday, and again when it was re-shown last night. I need to see another episode or two before I pass judgement. It's definitely not your (below) average, laugh-track-happy american sitcom. That's a good thing. I really dislike the main character, David, and I'm supposed to. But it all seemed a bit ... juvenille. We'll see. Perhaps I shouldn't have spent the better part of the weekend watching The Forsyte Saga.
7:39:00 PM

Welcome, visitor number 3000 to my little corner of the web. You have a computer registered at pearson.com and were trying to locate information about "Nytol two night" on google's UK search site. Hope you found what you were looking for!
7:26:00 PM

I'm not looking forward to a full five-day work week starting tomorrow. I have to go in early as it is, as I have an appointment with Comcast Cable to look at my high-speed internet access sometime between 5 and 9pm. Just my luck they'll show up at 8:59. I've also had to adjust my work schedule, as a week or so ago my government manager asked me whether I was taking an hour lunch (he'd needed me for something "urgent" while I was out eating & didn't think to page me). I said yes that's what I'd been told when I started by my supervisor (who works for my company) & he said "oh, no.... that's OK but we only take a half hour here." So I've insisted (as I always go out & can't do anything in 30 minutes) on an hour & as a result have to go in a half hour earlier. It'll be OK ... it's not for much longer.
4:57:00 AM

So, that's two of the three trips I have planned in the next four months booked: Colorado for Dan's pinning-on festivities in February, Oklahoma to deliver the beasts to grandma's in March, and the big move to London in mid-may. It's only hit me this past week that I really am a short timer here in the US, and I've got loads to do.
4:55:00 AM

Saturday, January 25, 2003

$171.50/rt Outbound Flight: Saturday, March 29, 2003 American Airlines # 1817 depart 12:46pm Balt/Wash Intl (BWI) arrive 2:07pm Lambert-St Louis Intl (STL) American Airlines # 2935 depart 3:02pm Lambert-St Louis Intl (STL) arrive 4:40pm Will Rogers World (OKC) Oklahoma City total duration: 4h 54min Return Flight: Saturday, April 5, 2003 American Airlines # 3026 depart 11:21am Will Rogers World (OKC) arrive 12:50pm Lambert-St Louis Intl (STL) American Airlines # 2902 depart 1:48pm Lambert-St Louis Intl (STL) arrive 4:54pm Balt/Wash Intl (BWI) total duration: 4h 33min
12:08:00 AM

Friday, January 24, 2003

The magic number is now

72

5:08:00 PM

This show, premiering on BBC America tonight, has received rave reviews, so I've set my VCR. I'll let you know what I think over the weekend.
12:44:00 AM

I ran across an article on the BBC's site yesterday about London's impending Congestion Charge. Essentially, starting Feb 13 they will be charging anyone driving into central London 5 pounds sterling for the privilege. There are some exceptions but 230 traffic camera stations will be capturing license plates & issuing charges. The idea is to reduce traffic in London (by ~15%), where the average motor vehicle travels at 3-4mph. The money raised--130 million pounds/yr anticipated--will be plowed back into London transport. Those against the idea point out the costs of setting up and running the system, the potential impact on traffic just outside the zone, and the affect on housing prices in the area. I for one (not owning a car and, oh yeah, not even living in London right now) think it's a good idea.
12:40:00 AM

OK, it's officially very very cold here. Today was the coldest day so far, around 16 for a high, and tonight it's supposed to get down to 13 (below zero with the wind chill). I know people from Chicago or North Dakota probably think I'm a wuss, but there it is. We had a small crisis at work as my colleague called our Vice President to complain about the lack of heat, and left halfway through the day. The customer wasn't too happy and of course is bending over backwards now to accommodate us; we've been offered space on another floor during the "temporary cold snap," and they have plans to install a heating system in our room. Just in time for next winter, for those who are sticking around....
12:34:00 AM

Wednesday, January 22, 2003

I have brought a heating pad in to work this morning. One reason is that, even after ten days, the building engineers have been unable to fix the heat & as a result yesterday my toes were no longer speaking to me. It is 18 degrees out right now (-8 Celsius) and is only supposed to get colder. I am sitting in my "office" with four layers of clothing, a hat & gloves, and the lovely heating pad. I've already started going through the proper channels to raise a stink. The other reason is that I pulled a muscle in my upper back Monday while tidying up. It's more annoying than painful but has unfortunately contributed to two sleepless nights. I'm a bit cranky right now.
2:20:00 PM

Tuesday, January 21, 2003

I had the day off today as it's a federal holiday. I put 107 things up for sale on ebay, and I'm still not done. It's been frigid here for the past week, so I'm not complaining about spending the day indoors with the beasts. I pulled out some old CDs (it's been awhile since I listened to a CD on my stereo, rather than an MP3 I ripped from my collection on my PC) and had fun listening to Nik Kershaw, Paul Simon's "Graceland," and my "NOW That's What I Call Music" collection.
4:44:00 AM

Sunday, January 19, 2003

I've just come in from spending fourteen hours with the Boivins. I hadn't planned to, but when I got home from work yesterday I spoke to Beth & Cathie who had found a house (after two weeks of hunting) and invited me along to see it in the a.m. We met the realtor there at 9:30 and had a look around; Cathie & Leo had put in a contract the night before, and were just waiting to hear whether the sellers would accept. It's a super nice house, and will be much better for them in all respects than where they are now. Unfortunately another family put in a competing contract some time during the day, so it was touch-and-go until about 8pm, when they finally got the good news. Settlement will be in March, and they'll be moving in April! After touring the house, Cathie and Beth and I had brunch/lunch at Austin Grill, and then went to a Stamping party hosted by Beth's friend Rachel. A company called Stampin Up sells all the supplies you might need to create cards, gift tags, gift bags, scrapbook pages, etc. I had seen some of Beth's masterpieces and was intrigued enough to attend the party. About fifteen others attended, and we were given a demonstration by one of Beth's other friends, Julia. Well I was hooked & wound up buying my own starter set. Look out!
4:58:00 AM

I should probably consider not going out to restaurants for every meal, as it seems I've been doing excessively lately. The wallet and the stomach just can't handle it. Wednesday evening I met my former boss from D A R P A, David S, for a meal at Chevy's in the mall. It's not my favourite place but it was close and convenient and not very crowded. Nice to catch up on D A R P A gossip and other news. The more time passes, the happier I am that things have worked out in my move away from D A R P A. Thursday during the day I met up with my sweetie darling friend Nicky and our colleague in the Legal technical group, Xiao-An (Shaun). It was very nice of Xiao-An to suggest meeting, and again a lot of fun catching up on what's changed & what's stayed the same at the Bank. Unfortunately Xiao-An's english is not stellar, and humor is sometimes lost on him. I'm ashamed to say Nicky and I sometimes take advantage of that & in fact one sly comment by Nicky sent me into a choking fit: you know, soda up the nose, uncontrollable coughing, that sort of thing. Tres tres embarrassing.
4:54:00 AM

Thursday, January 16, 2003

Items #34 and #35 in a list of things I don't like about my current work situation: #34 I work in the basement of an office building that was probably built in the late fifties or early sixties. The C S B actually has offices on the fourth and sixth floors, but they are for "real" staff members. Particularly on a day like today, the room where I sit gets COLD. There is no heating in the room as we are right next to the server room, which needs to be kept cool at all times & thus never had heating ducts installed. We are not allowed to bring portable heaters in as the fire code prohibits them. I have taken to wearing bulky sweaters & keep my gloves on most of the time. I also make frequent visits to the 4th & 6th floors, just to see if anyone needs any help. #35. The elevators are "programmed" to stop on the ground floor each and every time they pass that level. If I get on in the basement and press "4", invariably the elevator will stop, open its door, and sit for 10 seconds (even if no one is on the ground floor, waiting to get on) before proceeding up to my floor. The same thing happens on the trip back to my office in the basement. 10 seconds may not sound very long, but when you do it 37 times during the course of the day....
4:34:00 AM

Wednesday, January 15, 2003

An interesting tidbit: Ireland ranks as the world�s most global country for the second year in a row, according to the third annual A.T. Kearney/FOREIGN POLICY Magazine Globalization Index released [Jan. 7, 2003]. Ireland�s high score is the result of strong performance in measures of global social integration, as well as its robust trade and investment links with the rest of the world. Ireland was followed by, in order, Switzerland, Sweden, Singapore, and the Netherlands. The United States finished in 11th place, up one spot from last year�s index. Also noted in the press release: Ireland is also the world�s most talkative nation, with more than 737 minutes of international telephone calls per person in 2001.
5:58:00 PM

Now you can be brilliant and flawless forever. But you have to be cremated first. According to a recent article in the Post, this company has accepted its first deposit for manufactured diamonds made from carbon captured during the cremation process so that loved ones--family members or even pets--could be mounted into a ring, pendant or other jewelry. The cost of a quarter-carat diamond, not including cremation or setting, is $1,995. A three-quarter-carat diamond costs $9,995, and the company hopes soon to offer larger sizes.
3:07:00 AM

One of my favourite christmas gifts, from my sister-in-law, which she bought from her local Disney store:

2:58:00 AM

Tuesday, January 14, 2003

I'm not a big fan of Hecht's department store, but it's the only one within walking distance. Since Halloween, it seems, they've had their coupons in the Post, offering 15-20% of their "already low sale prices," in an attempt to draw the crowds in to spend spend spend in the true spirit of Christmas. Apparently you didn't spend enough, because the coupons are still being published. I decided to take advantage of this by purchasing a bathroom scale yesterday. It was already on sale for 10% off, and with the coupon wasn't a bad deal. Unfortunately, when I tried to pay for it, the cashier indicated that the coupons don't apply to "Sale" items, only to "Clearance" items. I thought she was on crack. "What's the difference?" I asked. "Clearance items have these red for sale signs on display, except they say 'clearance' instead of 'sale.'" Fine, I paid for the scale without the coupon. And then I went on a hunt, looking for any Clearance signs. Any at all. Any on this floor? No? Any on the floor below? No? Oh, I see one now. It's in the Christmas section. That's right, the only things you could apply Hecht's coupons to were the damaged, pawed, leftover decorations and the ugliest of ugly wrapping paper. No thanks. I thought about it some more today, and became angrier the longer I thought about it. I wonder how many others woke up yesterday, and over a cup of coffee and a plate of waffles decided, "hey, it might be a great day to go shopping ... and Hecht's has coupons--bonus!" As a marketing ploy, it stinks. I returned the scale today for a full refund.
3:03:00 AM

Sunday, January 12, 2003

$206.50/ person, round trip: Outbound Flight Thu, Feb 27 9:00am Depart - Wash. DC-Dulles (IAD) NW Airlines 1257 10:44am Arrive - Minneapolis/St Paul, MN (MSP)Nonstop Thu, Feb 27 11:41am Depart - Minneapolis/St Paul, MN (MSP) NW Airlines 1231 12:55pm Arrive - Colorado Springs, CO (COS)Nonstop Total Travel Time: 5 hrs 55 min Return Flight Sun, Mar 02 2:05pm Depart - Colorado Springs, CO (COS) NW Airlines 1230 5:07pm Arrive - Minneapolis/St Paul, MN (MSP)Nonstop Sun, Mar 02 6:40pm Depart - Minneapolis/St Paul, MN (MSP) NW Airlines 1046 10:00pm Arrive - Washington DC-Dulles (IAD)Nonstop Total Travel Time: 5 hrs 55 min
7:26:00 PM

OK, I'll admit it: I've become a huge Kylie fan. Guilty pleasure.
6:45:00 AM

If you've been following along, you'll remember that I cancelled my cell phone service last April. I haven't missed it that much in the interim, but I discovered this week how antiquated and backwards the old pagers seem. I have one assigned to me at work, and it has voice mail attached to it, but it is relatively useless as whenever I am out on a trouble call, I invariably return to my desk before the paging service has actually forwarded the next page to my pager. So now I've been asked to report to my boss whenever I leave the tech support area, and to tell him where I'm going. I feel like I'm in kindergarten. At least I don't have to ask permission for a glass of water or to use the bathroom. The day after I arrive in the UK, I'll be at the local cell phone store, throwing down my plastic. Just which one I'll buy, though, is yet to be decided. I have never heard anyone rave about his cell service.
6:28:00 AM

I had lunch with Linda T the Law Librarian yesterday. We got to talking about my plans for the Big Move, and she pointedly asked me why move, why London and why now? I have been thinking about this question lately, as I'm certain it's one I'll be asked during any prospective job interviews. Yes, why exactly do I want to move away from the Capital of the Western World, with all its ammenities, and from a challenging, fun job paying close to six figures, and from a wonderful apartment in a safe, attractive neighborhood, and from my two lovely pets, and family and friends? Why give all that up? Just why exactly give up on America? I must be outta my head.
6:10:00 AM

Sweetie darling Nicky called yesterday and asked, "Are you only going to update your blog once a week?" I am duly chastised. If I may just make excuses: it's just that this past week was not particularly convenient for blogging; all of the sudden I was super busy at work every day, and I had Rob K here each night hogging the equipment. I shall endeavor to post more often.
5:59:00 AM

Tuesday, January 07, 2003

Today is the one year birthday of this blog, and as such is a time for introspection and analysis. What a year it has been! Without looking at the Archives, I can't recall whether I fully explained the reason(s) why I started this up. I had been intrigued by some of the other blogs I had stumbled across, and as my citizenship application was submitted around this time last year, I set out to find some Authors in London with whom I might strike up a trans-oceanic correspondence and/or become friends with. (I met up with a group of them when Steve and I visited London in February). I had, for the last several years, been using a day-planner or a PDA to keep track of my activities & comings and goings--but not necessarily a full blown diary. This blog has taken its place, and will be a nice record to look back on in a few years. I have struggled a few times during the past 12 months, wondering whether keeping it up has been worthwhile, as I don't have nearly the number of readers or comments as some of the other major Bloggers, but that wasn't really the point of this. I think there are about six or seven people who read this regularly. One friend told me he felt slightly strange as he wouldn't call me to catch up as the blog filled him in on all my comings & goings. Two friends of mine started blogs themselves, and seem to have let them peter out.... I think eventually, after I move, I will be able to use this as a launching point to meet new people and to keep in touch with old friends & family.
4:05:00 AM

I couldn't sleep again last night (and forgot I had the Nytol) so I called in sick today and slept from 10 to 3. I'm just not yet up to having a full five-day week. Thank god MLK Day is just around the corner.
3:45:00 AM

Monday, January 06, 2003

50 Things you May or May Not have known about Me (Part Four): 20. I don't make promises. You never know what may happen to prevent you from following through. On a related note, I don't make New Year's Resolutions. 19. I am not at all superstitious. When I was in junior high, I used to study astrology and numerology, but it was just for a lark. 18. Speaking of junior high school, the entire three years of seventh, eight and ninth grades were taken up by Dungeons & Dragons, which I spent hours and hours playing with my friends Dave B, Adam H & Paul F. I spent a small fortune on books, dice, little tin figurines, maps, etc. We had many, many all-nighters (and I'm sure drove my parents & bother up the wall) playing for hours and hours on end. I used to know the most detailed minutia about Tolkein & Middle Earth. I haven't decided yet whether it was all a waste of time or whether I'm more imaginative and creative as a result. 17. I first kissed a girl in second grade. Her name was Cindy Chapman. She and another girl were both my girlfriends (at the same time--polygamy wasn't frowned upon by us seven year olds). 16. I last kissed a girl (in a "romantic" way) in 1990. 15. I love to ride rollercoasters, but I don't like the long lines, the heat, the crowds, the expensive crap food, or the aching feet & sticky clothing at the end of the day--pretty much the whole amusement park idea. 14. I want to be cremated & have my ashes scattered. I haven't decided where. 13. I have never owned a car. Luckily, I have always lived with someone who owned one and/or lived close to a metro station or at least a heavily-frequented bus stop. 12. I have never been on a cruise, or had a vacation in the Caribbean. 11. I'm sure I mentioned before that Amadeus is my favourite movie. I don't think I've yet announced that Tears for Fears' Songs From the Big Chair is probably my favourite album of all time; I could (and have) listen to it over and over. I'm not sure that I have a favourite book, but A Seperate Peace and From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler were read repeatedly as a kid.
5:42:00 AM

So I didn't write more Friday. Sue me. I had a great weekend, camped out on my couch doing absolutely nothing. I've plowed through my netlifx allottment, and will now have to resort to the large stash I acquired over Christmas. It's snowing, again, too.
5:00:00 AM

I stole this from another blogger:

4:54:00 AM

Friday, January 03, 2003

Happy 2003, yeah. I'll write more tomorrow, as I'll have the whole day free (my supervisor's been out for the entire week) and it's hard to fill up 8 hours with nothing. New Year's was completely uneventful. Yesterday I had a nice day out with Beth B as we drove up to Baltimore for dinner at the Cheesecake Factory. If you haven't been, you must go. We shared the crabcakes to start, and I ended with their White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cheesecake. Yumm. Rob K's been staying here since Monday as his dorm is still shut for the winter break and he had to be in town to ring bells at National Cathedral for new year's. One of his cats has a bladder infection or something so he'll be taking it down to his sister's tomorrow. I haven't made any resolutions, as usual, but I have decided what exactly needs to be the focus my attention on for the next four months. It's nice to have a plan.
4:51:00 AM