Tag: work

Uncategorised

Make a Splash

I got up extra early this morning and made it home to clean up and pack so I could pick up Summer in Conway. We headed straight to the new Splash on Chenal in Little Rock, and tried to navigate through the enormous facility to find where help was needed. Summer would be giving tours in the evening, along with just about everyone else. Then afterward, we would have the evening to party.

I got a bit aggravated by being a bump on a log, but I didn’t have a place to be or a thing to do. Eventually we were released because the fire marshal had arrived, but we quickly discovered that he had actually blocked us in. We hung around for quite a while as a few other brave souls squeaked by. I wasn’t willing to risk it, but by the time it would have been our turn, a couple of the guys came out and moved their trucks.

I had been pretty hungry, and it was already lunch time, so we went around the block to eat at Chuy’s, which is always delicious. I figured a big lunch would last through a long evening of hors d’oeuvres. Then we stopped at the fanciest Kroger I’ve ever seen for a bit before heading to the hotel, where we parked and charged for a couple hours before we could check in. I found the outtakes video of Bo Burnham’s Inside on Netflix, so I watched that while Summer kicked back to relax. I got a little restless and super tired, so as soon as we could check in, I made some coffee and we relaxed a while.

The rain had started to get a little clumpy, but we never really saw any substantial ice or snow. We made it back to the wash, and I parked inside next to a single charge station that wasn’t actually activated, nor did it have a connector I could use, even with the adapter I had. The Jeep that was there previously had been replaced with a Model X from a used car dealer. I popped the frunk and presented a bottle of V8 for comedy, which seemed to be a big hit.

I was impressed at how many people showed up in spite of the rain. It was quite the shindig, and it was incredible how much money they had poured into not only the facility, but to the single event night. It really does seem like a money laundering scheme.

We stayed super late, but it was a pretty good time. I got pretty restless, but Summer enjoyed interacting with the other employees she rarely sees. We finally made it back to the hotel, where she crashed pretty quickly. I relaxed in a bath for a bit, and eventually made it there myself.

VTEC TYPE-R SPONSORED BY REDBULL

Uncategorised

Nailed It

It was relatively quiet at work today, but I kept pretty busy. Jacob was looking for answers for Adobe, but I still had none. After a little while, I ended up running to the high school to pick up some depot kits from him. He had completely rearranged the office in a way that didn’t make a whole lot of sense to me, but I guess it kept him out of the line of sight. I would find it aggravating to walk around all of the shelving when trying to image all of the devices.

When lunch time came around, I took Thomas and Zach to Popeye’s, where Greg met up with us. On the way, I noticed my tire pressure was dropping pretty rapidly, but figured I would patch the tire after lunch. I had just finished eating and Greg still had food left when Zach wanted to run back to work to check on a switch that may have been down. I wasn’t convinced that it was, but he pushed the urgency. We stopped for air since I was down under 20PSI, and made it back to the shop.

After getting settled in a bit, I loaded up some stuff and went to Superfast to see if Justin could get me a better deal on patching the tire. He had me park next door, and then I waited in the Superfast lobby for a while before going back to wait in Hindsman’s. The whole ordeal took about an hour, and I was out for about 25 bucks, so it wasn’t too bad. What upset me was the fact that they replaced my factory valve stem cap with a bright silver one, but I didn’t notice until after I got back to work. I called them and then took a trip back to try and find it, but when the guy came out with a handful of generic black ones, I knew it was pointless. I know it seems ridiculous, but I feel like tire shops just love stealing OEM caps. It makes no sense.

I stopped by Dwight after that, and took care of a few work orders, including a months-old one for a new microphone in the saferoom. It took me a bit to figure out what the manual was showing me, but I got the thing paired and working.

Thomas had me deploy some iPad software when I got back to the shop, just in case we send kids home for inclement weather later this week. I don’t really see it, but I guess a bunch of people are panicked and already sending devices home as “practice.” I finally left when it was time to get Eaddie from her PSAT tutoring, and we went home so I could pack for our overnight trip to Little Rock for Summer’s VIP night and subsequent neuropsychologist appointment.

When we got to their house, I spent the evening shopping for hotels with EV chargers. The new wash on Chenal is supposed to have one, so I should be topped off when we leave there, but I’ll still want to keep it topped off overnight for a stress-free trip home.

Seriously, take the cap off, do the work, and put the cap back on. Why are these guys so bad at this?

Uncategorised

But Now We’re Stressed Out

I had some wild dreams last night, ranging from Josh coming back, to literally falling over dead out of my office chair. We had our morning meeting with an assortment of some other cake donuts this time, and then we were told of our temporary assignments for covering the junior high until our new hire starts. It was still ambiguous at the time about whether it was public knowledge that Ryan was coming back, but at least some of us know he’ll be back the first Monday in February.

I was sent to the junior high for the whole day, and would be alternating with Greg on Fridays until Ryan returns and we’re all restructured. I never made it to Dwight yesterday though, so I wanted to stop by on the way across town to wrap up a couple things. They were also bothering Greg about their intercoms, but that turned out to be a weird, easy fix.

The junior high was pretty chill, but was primarily student device repairs. It seemed to be very, very dysfunctional, and there was clearly no accountability with the students. I troubleshot what was in the library, but never spent any time in the office. Ronda was there by herself, aside from all the random foot traffic, so it was nice to catch up with her again.

Zach and Greg went to lunch a little early, and I met them at IHOP for a surprisingly quick lunch. It wasn’t cheap, but it was also a ton of food. It was there that I learned that at least Greg knew Ryan was coming back, but I don’t know if they’ve discussed a restructure with him yet. I presume not, and Gary’s out all next week.

I finished up the day at the junior high, taking a break to avoid a tornado drill. Instead of sticking around for that, I ran to Sonic for a couple drinks, and then finished the day closing out some classroom tickets. At the end of the day, I went back to the shop to clean up. As everyone else filtered out, I dropped by Thomas’s office to talk about my own headspace.

We had a good talk, and I got him to tell me that he’d like for me to stay, which was more than I could get from anyone else. In fact, everyone else told me that he’d never say it, so I felt pretty good about it. I hated getting so sappy about it, but I had clearly been stressing all night over it. Clarksville would be a great raise, but I just wasn’t sure it was worth the cost.

I went home for quite a while until Summer got home late. Then we tried and failed to get discount gas before going to Brangus for dinner. We ate and paid too much, and then went back for gas before making our way home. The girls had All-Region Clinic until late, but they got home a little while after we did. Then it was off to bed.

When our momma sang us to sleep, but now we’re stressed out.

Uncategorised

Should I Stay or Should I Go

I did not expect today to go the way that it did.

Shortly after I got to work, I had Zach pick me up from Clear View Auto Glass and Tint, where I dropped my Model 3 off to get the windows tinted. I took the opportunity to try out valet mode, which seemed straightforward enough. It was neat getting notifications when my car was unlocked while I was at work.

After that, I was stuck in the office without a vehicle, so I spent most of the day helping others. I finally fixed something for Jeff, for real this time. Unfortunately I didn’t have the same luck with Adobe for Jacob. That was when things got weird.

Brody called, acting all cloak-and-dagger, and wanted to know if I was serious about wanting to go to Clarksville. I’d been interested, at the very least, but I had never put much serious thought into it. Evidently Ryan is coming back to fill Josh’s slot, and I hadn’t even considered how that would shift the teams around.

I went to lunch with the Big Three, and Gary asked if I had talked to Brody lately. I figured the gig was up, but everyone was acting like nothing was going on, so I just played it off. After lunch was a different story. Gary came into my office, shut the door, and asked me again. Then he shared that Ryan would be coming back, obviously onto the Engineering team, and that Thomas required that only two people could remain on that team. I couldn’t really tell what any of their thoughts were on how the dynamic of that team might improve or worsen, based on what Gary would tell me. He just indicated that there were very differing opinions.

About that time, I got a call that my car was done, so Zach took me back to get it. We chatted a bit on the way, and when we got back I quickly did some math, and wasn’t immediately thrust into comfort with the idea of leaving. Things have been rocky with the latest regime, but I hadn’t taken any serious measures to leave. A raise would be nice, but to be at the cost of drive time and vehicle wear made it less appealing. It also wasn’t particularly clear why I would have to report an answer back, other than to make them feel better about who they would send back to the Operations team.

Gary and I chatted a bit more after work, and then I went home briefly before having to pick up Eaddie from robotics. Ben called shortly after I arrived at home, and we talked for quite a while as I retrieved Eaddie. That conversation kind of served to reassure me that the ball was in my court, but I’ve never been good at taking advantages I’d been given.

I took Eaddie on home and helped her with homework while texting Brody to get a better idea of the environment. The hours would be shorter in spite of what the contracts read. I’d like to hear what Ryan has to say about the place, but an equal part of me would simply enjoy working with him again. I feel like I could learn a lot more just by being around him. In contrast, I would be at the top of the ladder with Brody, without peers. I’d have more control, but also no structure or guidance, or even anyone useful to bounce ideas off of. I would be diving in, head-first, hoping to swim.

More math is required, but I think I have a magic number. Even then, there are still too many other variables I need to understand. Time doesn’t seem to be on my side.

If I go, there will be trouble, and if I stay it could be double!

Uncategorised

I Love Cows

I kept testing myself for fever this morning as an excuse to call in, but it just wouldn’t happen. I made it in and started working on the EAST domain controller again, and miraculously, I remembered the password I had set. Evidently I just kept trying a slightly different variation yesterday in my brain fog, and couldn’t get in.

After a while, Zach needed to go to Dwight, so I took him over there while I took care of a couple work orders. That would turn out to be one of many trips I made over there throughout the day. We went to lunch a bit early when we got back to the shop, and then we had interviews in the afternoon, so I left my office.

I went back to Dwight multiple times to complete everything that came up. Once, I stopped by Ridgewood to kill a couple minutes and see the guys prepping their meats. Then I just kind of lingered anywhere I landed for any length of time. My last stop was Transportation, where I waited until the last interview was done.

After work, I went home for a bit and then picked Eaddie up from robotics. She said she was hungry, but then decided she wanted to go straight home. Summer was at Superfast, so I thought I’d drop Eaddie off at home and then get dinner with Summer. By the time I made it back into town, Summer seemed like she just wanted to go home, so I traded vehicles and picked up some more Taco John’s on the way up.

Summer made a frozen meal that they ate, and then Eaddie and I sat on the couch watching music videos while she did homework. Then I bounced between music and comedy for a bit until she went to her room. Autumn was out super late with the basketball team, because evidently she’s a “manager” for them now. I nursed my cough a bit, and made it to bed early.

Just less excited.

Uncategorised

WHAT’S THE PASSWORD

I was several minutes late to work this morning because the D&R railroad was blocking both major roads I could take. I possibly could have driven around it, but I didn’t expect it to last as long as it did. Shortly after I got to the shop, we all headed to Crawford to deploy new docking stations. Since we actually had to wait for someone to get the docks, I stopped by McDonald’s for a coffee with the hopes that it would help me feel a little better.

Deploying the docks took all morning, and we made it back to the shop for lunch at La Chiquita. After lunch, I wanted to make it over to the high school to try and get the new virtual domain controller joined to the EAST domain. Unfortunately, it had been so long since I spun that VM up that I couldn’t remember the admin password I set. I spent the rest of the day trying to get in, but my mental state just got foggier in a pretty steep decline until we were let out an hour early.

I stopped by the tint shop on my way out, to try and schedule an install before Summer’s next big VIP night. The price I was quoted this time was less than half what I was given before, so I scheduled it for Thursday and continued home to get some paperwork for the DMV. Unfortunately they were closed for the holiday, so I stopped by Superfast to see Summer for a bit before going back home to rest.

I just felt worse and worse all night until I made it up to Summer’s for the evening. I made some ramen that helped me feel a little better for a bit, but then my head cold just got worse again until I made some Theraflu and went to bed.

Who nose?

Uncategorised

So Long, and Thanks for All the Carbs

Today was Josh’s last day, so we had a bit of a long meeting to socialize before everyone split off. Once that happened, Kyle asked me for help on a one-person job. I had my own things to tend to, so he okayed delaying that until Monday when the kids are out. I actually did a fair job of keeping busy for the rest of the morning, even finishing up some things at Dwight before making it back for lunch.

Just as I got back to the shop, Tammy was walking out to pick up Pasta Grill for lunch. I rode along with her, and then the whole crew got together to eat. Travis missed out on account of some unexplained intercom issues at Oakland, but made it back for some leftovers after everyone else had split off.

The remainder of the workday just creeped by. I went across the street for some ice and talked to Kayla for a little bit, but otherwise it seemed like several of us were just riding out the clock. I ended up taking the leftovers home, but there was hardly enough for a couple people left.

I went home and tended to the shrimp for a bit, and eventually made it up to Summer’s for the evening. Eaddie wanted to watch TV, so after she finished baking brownies and Summer ate some food, we watched one episode of Umbrella Academy. Then everyone was off to bed, because the girls had all-region in the morning. Summer hadn’t felt well all afternoon, so she went straight to bed. I still had heartburn and indigestion from lunch, so I struggled to settle down for the evening. I burned so much time tending to frosty survivors on my phone.

Of course I overpaid.

Uncategorised

Savory Pie

Today was one of my busier days at work. Josh is on his way out this week, so Greg has been taking care of the junior high. I’m a little surprised nobody has asked more of me, but I’ve had enough random questions come through to keep me busy. I actually didn’t get out of the office until lunch, when several of us went to Quiznos. I spent quite a bit of time at Dwight in the afternoon, up until the end of the school day.

After work, I went home for just a little bit until Eaddie was done at Robotics. Summer made it home early and surprised us with dinner, which was a shepherd’s pie after our conversation about my unusual preference for sweet breads and savory pies.

Autumn was actually at the dinner table working on homework when Eaddie and I arrived. Then Eaddie worked on homework after we ate. It was a quiet evening after that, and I did my best to keep a reasonable bedtime.

Ground will be the death of me.

Uncategorised

Uncountability

The junior high started actual testing this morning, and of course it was a cluster just as it always is. Instead of holding students accountable for bringing charged devices to school, they just sent any kid with any inkling of a problem to the library. It wasn’t as many kids as yesterday, but it was still a lot, just sitting around and socializing instead of doing their tests. Josh was there with me to help Jacob, but we weren’t needed for very long. I stopped by Dwight on my way back to the office, but that was a short visit.

It was quiet in the office until we left for lunch. I was thinking Arby’s, but I was mildly disappointed by the spicy roast beef. It was a quick lunch, so we made it back to the office a little bit early.

I decided to take care of the road sign, but I had to run to the high school to borrow Jacob’s Allen wrench. Then I walked around the building with an eight foot ladder and called tech support from the top of it. Swapping panels for troubleshooting was relatively easy, and we’ll have a replacement part on the way.

After work, I went by Oakland to give Sheri her laptop back. She paid me double what we agreed, but I didn’t notice until after she wandered off on a phone call. I took Stephen for a quick ride down the road, and he was super excited for that. Then I continued home to start some laundry.

Eventually I made it up to Summer’s for the evening, but everyone was in their rooms. I finished up a bit slower than I wanted, but made it to bed at a reasonable time.

Reasonablish

Uncategorised

LGBTQIAPSATNMSQT

Gary sent me to the junior high first thing today to help Jacob with some pre-test-testing. I hadn’t realized that this was one of the testing platforms that would be affected by GoGuardian, so I had to push a Group Policy update at the last minute, and then of course we had loads of students that didn’t have software installed, or hadn’t received the policy update yet. It was nice to get to chill out in the library, but it also reminded me of all the things I didn’t like about being over there.

I made it back to the shop just in time to pick up half of the crew that was going to La Chiquita for lunch. I parked next to a Plaid Model X, which is a car that always surprises me by how small and short it is for an SUV. After lunch, I made it over to Dwight for a bit, and then took Ian for a ride around the block. Then I mostly hid out for the rest of the afternoon.

Karen sent out the CPPC Minutes, and I received a few comments about how boring they were in comparison. Maybe next month’s superintendent will appreciate having a personality, but for now I guess I’ll either lay low or move along.

I had to get Eaddie from her private lessons after work. She also had a meeting in the evening about her PSAT score, so I took her home to eat before we picked up Summer at Superfast to go to the high school. They’re offering multiple opportunities for tutoring so she will have the best chance of earning a National Merit Scholarship.

Once the meeting was over and I dropped the girls off at their car, I went to the car wash to clean mine. Then I took the long way home to dry it off before parking and taking the Montego up to the girls. They were mostly wound down, and I never once saw Autumn out of her room. I just did my best to get to bed on time.

I seriously cannot possibly care any more.