Author: alohawild

So it has been a few days. Again, I am tired from my illness (I am improving slowly) and the 14-18 hours workdays for the shoe company. Last night I was too tired to cover the day.

Thursday started early with me up and ready for the meetings that were endless Zoom-ing, or so they felt. I was frustrated as we continued to have issues running our processes because others were not prepared for the volume of data and the speed and accuracy requirements. I cannot dwell on much of that here.

I would love to write the remarkable visions of the near shouting I had, but it is best not to cover that in a blog. It is unfair to make fun of people who cannot answer the charges here. But, it is tempting. I have new ideas for Howard’s stories and new models of villains to harvest. Thusly, I may yet profit from all the mind-destroying frustrating adventures of the last few days.

Mariah joined us , skipping to the evening on Thursday, and we enjoyed Thursday Night Football. We had the dinner box from Pizza Hut Delivered with Diet Pepsi. After opening one bottle that should have been opened half a decade ago, we found some drinkable wine, and all then switched to Diet Pepsi. There is lots of caffeine in Diet Pepsi, so we enjoyed the game wide awake. Washington DC against NY Giants, with Washington pulling it out at the end. The NY Giants played better, but Washington found their mojo a few times and kept the score matching–they got a field goal in with no time left to win.

It was a lovely night. I did keep up with the shoe company on my iPhone and checked online here and there.

Friday started early again, hoping to join a user group meeting instead of status meetings, but when I read the emails and messages in Slack, I had to do the status meetings. The same frustrating issues returned, and I calmly asked questions to try to understand the problems.

It is Friday; I had lunch with Udaya at Golden Valley Brewery. I had not seen him in 15 months, and it was nice to see each other and just chat.

I returned home by Air Volvo and was called by Zerida, and she suggested that she could cut my hair now. So I got back in the car and got my hair returned to my short, neat look.

The traffic back was terrible, and Corwin had to find a ride to work–I usually drive him to work around 2:45. Also, my boss called a meeting to discuss our issues. I managed to connect my iPhone to the discussion on my third try. Finally, I finished the session sitting in the Air Volvo pilot seat in the driveway at the Volvo Cave (home).

One more Zooming status meeting and I am tired. The health issues tire me out. I rest for an hour and then find the newly acquired and recommended Schwann’s Italian Chicken Cutlets. I bake them in the oven while I heat some Alfredo Sauce from a jar. I make angel hair pasta to go with it. Susie wanted seconds, so it must have worked.

I am sleepy and the data conversions were completed tonight. No serious work, I hope, over the weekend. I will just watch and try to be a tourist.

I found a new video by the Russian Christian singer that I often add to the blog. I hope you enjoyed the writing today and this music:

The day started at 6:30 with me reading email and Slack messages to get caught up on what happened overnight. I then got dressed and was ready for the first meeting at 8AM, all clean and shiny. We had hours of status meetings. We then had a workshop that went for more hours as we looked into various issues and plans.

The front door nob is not working and needs some maintenance. You can’t have a door you can’t open, especially if it is the front door. While the workshop was happening, I grabbed a screwdriver and some WD-40 and fixed the problem. I did not want a chance that the door would not open if Susie needed help. Fixed! I could listen while working on the door.

Next, I watched and talked about a demo of some exotic fix code that the shoe company wrote to handle issues that the vendor could not fix yet. I ordered Mexican Food delivered while the demo was performed and discussed. It was a success.

Susie got going a bit later, and I made her fav of Eggo Waffles with peanut butter.

We had update meetings all afternoon on plans for data conversions. We had to wait for certain events. Thus every hour, we had a meeting.

Finally, the last status meeting. More planning. Then Susie and I take off in Air Volvo to Wild Buffalo Wings (WBW). Mariah can’t make it; just the two of us.

They have Belgium beer on tap, Duvel. Susie has Mexican Beer. I order wings on special on Tuesday, and Susie orders a happy hour cheeseburger. We were surprised when told that someone bought our dinner and drinks. A nice surprise. I do order a coffee that I pay for myself as I am back to work after dinner.

WBW has careful use of masks, and cleaning is more than just a wipe. They really clean the tables. Masks go on the moment someone stands at a table. The staff and the customers all make me feel safe.

I take Air Volvo home. It is a wonderful bright sunset as we drive home. But, soon it will be gray and rainy. We miss the rain!

When home, I keep following along on my Nike laptop and iPhone while also reading a bit. I read for 15 minutes and then checked my phone. So far, I am not needed. I will stop at about 11ish tonight. India is already awake and helping.

It was a nice surprise that someone in WBW picked up our tab.

Turning to my reading, I am now reading a newish Star Wars book. I bought it the old-fashioned way at Powell’s and have a physical paperback. So strange now reading a new paperback after buying only hardback history books and kindle fiction. More on it in another blog.

I am at my time limit. I hope this is more than just a crazy outline. Thank you for reading!

It has been a complex weekend with me working 7/24 and the exhaustion forcing me to rest. So I had to give something up. The blog just could not get done this weekend.

It is now Monday, and I will cover the things I remember from this weekend.

Starting on Friday, it started early like most Fridays. I do not dress until later morning on Fridays now. I have the camera off for the mornings! I did all the status meetings. We are running the transactional data conversions practices over the weekend. Yes, my weekend is working a 7/24 schedule, grabbing rest when I can.

I turned down playing games this weekend with Richard and Kathleen and Evan.

Back to Friday, I also had a video meeting with a new doctor. It took me a month to get the introductory appointment. Details do not belong in a blog, but I will say I have an appointment during my sabbatical that involves drinking 4L of salty lemon-flavored liquid. I suggested mixing it with high-proof clear liquids, but I was informed that it would be better to use water. I was not sure after hearing what the procedure involves that being sober is good.

The rest of Friday afternoon online was my watching things run and chatting online.

Mariah, Susie, and I met at The 649 Taproom for dinner and had very nice mixed drinks. It was great for Susie to get out. Everyone is masked and very careful. The customers and the staff are very supportive of Susie and her walker. We had a nice time, and I got some nice pics.

We all headed home. I was resting at 10PM when I saw on my phone that I had a meeting. Things broke.

After hours and hours of discussion and work from teams all over the earth, we were able, very slowly, able to continue our data conversions. I was up to 2:30 Saturday morning.

I managed to crawl out of bed at 8ish, make the 8:30 meeting, and start working with the teams on multiple problems. All day I was online and working. I can’t share the details here. I had a few breaks but worked until 11:30PM.

I got Kentucky Fried Chicken for dinner delivered for us as I was too busy and tired to cook.

Sunday, I started again at 8:30. I had managed more sleep, so it was not a difficult start. Again, the whole day was working on data conversions. Status meetings and some resolution and alignment meetings.

I also did laundry and dishes.

I ordered breakfast from Tom’s Pancake House. Susie had her fav of a scrambled egg with cheddar cheese and various sides. I ordered hash that was so sweat flavored it was almost a dessert. Last time for that from Tom’s.

I ordered Red Robin burgers for dinner. These were perfect. I never got outside on Sunday. I managed to stop about 10ish and got more sleep.

Today, Monday, was a more normal day. I was dressed and ready for the 8AM meeting. I started at 6:30, reading emails and getting caught up. India and Europe had been busy fixing the shoe company’s software.

More status meetings and a few alignment meetings. I also had a crisis of the moment. So I was busy until 10ish.

More tests. I drove Air Volvo to the lab to have more medical tests, stopped by a few places to get some painting (Blick’s) and reading supplies (Powell’s), and then lunch at Pastini in Cedar Hills Mall. The food was better this time. Last time it was just average, but this time the food was a step above and good. No wine but iced tea. I brought Susie back a tiramisu for later.

One of the magnolia trees at the mall had one last late bloom.

Returning home by Air Volvo, back to work, and still online, watching and helping where I can.

More meetings and soon the normal end-of-day, 5PM. Data conversions will run all night. India will take over in their morning.

I make pasta sauce from a jar (Paul Newman’s Sockarooni), orecchiette pasta, with hamburger fried until just browning. It was a bit plain, but I did have a few bowls.

The ants are back in the kitchen. I found them raiding my cheese for the pasta. One little ant was carrying away a piece of expensive cheese. I am afraid I moved the cheese and committed insecticide. I can’t believe they are back again!

The weather today was cold, 49F when I started, and cloudy in the morning. It was a wonderful sunny day at the end of the day. No smoke. The rains return at the end of the week. All of us Oregon-based folks can’t wait for the gray days of rain.

Thanks for reading and I am sorry if it seems more like a crazed outline than a blog. But that is what it was like! I will try not to miss again.

 

 

 

This morning started a bit late with me stealing 30 minutes of sleep and getting going at 7ish. The meeting started with endless Zoom calls on status and alignment. I just sat through most of them as others could answer the questions. It was a busy morning of reading emails, reading Slack channel updates, and keep track of the goings-on of the data conversions.

Lunch was driving to the Golden Valley Brewery and meeting Madhular from Wipro and Michael G for lunch. It was my first biz lunch in 16 months!

We talked about work mostly and about how the project was going. We did get a few comments about gold, running, and traveling in. It was a typical catch-up biz lunch. We will have another lunch soon. Not wait another 16 months!

I rushed back using Air Volvo and had three hours of Zoom meetings. The afternoon was full of surprises (none I can write about) and frustration, best forgotten. It turned out to be a better day than I expected as the surprises were all nice. The workday ended after 5PM. I did follow along on Slack.

I ordered a take-an-bake pizza from Papa Murphy’s for dinner with a chicken caesar salad using the app. I got there, and they had a crowd, at least masked and sort of socially distanced, and my order which was supposed to be done, was not even started.

I told them to not hurry, but they did, and I had my pizza and salad soon. I stood outside to avoid the crowding inside, and they brought it out for me. I was just polite and with a friendly smile.

Tonight was Theology Pub on Zoom. Susie watched the first NFL game tonight. I managed to catch the start and the ending of the game. It was a close and amazing good game.

We talked about how the founder of Methodism, John Wesley, would see the problems of today. We would expect he would suggest only do good and help people. That grace would be obvious, and helping people is the most important thing to do. Wesley would expect people to not state ideology but to work with the poor and the sick.

Sorry for the short story. It is what happened today. I am tired again tonight.

I just finished dinner. I made fried hamburgers with a loaded baked potato (well, microwaved) with canned peaches. Sour cream, butter, and even cheese for the potato–my fav. I watched the Star Trek 2 movie while cleaning and cooking. This is the new version. I made fresh coffee to enjoy and brought the sense of control I had back into my life. Cooking and cleaning the kitchen before I start cooking always bring calm back to me.

Going backward, I was exhausted by frustration and staying up late to follow along with the data conversions. I fell asleep at 5ish and could have slept forever. I woke past 6:15 and got going again, making coffee, and made dinner.

Before that, I had Zoom meetings on and off all afternoon and followed along with all the events happening. After my experience in the morning, I was still frustrated. So I made chocolate chip cookies. I had put out the butter soften yesterday. So I baked the angry out and broke a rule. I had cookies!

One of the advantages of working from home, you can bake while listening to the endless Zoom meetings. Yes, the camera was off, and I did this between meetings, mostly.

Still going backward, nobody was up for lunch, and I had more Zoom meetings over lunch. So I ordered Pho from the local Vietnam place. Soup fits the tired feelings and frustration.

I also watched more of the Nerd of the Rings videos once the meetings stopped and could take a lunch break and eat my soup. These videos are wonderful part of a channel on Youtube. Patreon is funding Nerd of the Rings–so many wonderful things are coming from Patreon–and if you need your LOTR fix, this has everything you need.

The morning started as usual with status meetings with no real breaks as I had a few crises of the moment to handle.

I forgot to put on my alarm and overslept to 7:40 and was missed my first meeting. Nobody noticed as there were no issues for me in the meeting.

The day was bright with clear skies again. It was a hot, dry day. I walked about side a few times when I could not take the emails, Slack messages, and endless talk.

Susie had trouble sleeping last night and was up and down all night. My sleep was limited.

I will stop there as it is already late. Thanks for reading, and I try not to name the cause of my frustration because it is not fair to people. Please be safe.