The Domino Effect

ho hum

2008-05-14T18:44:00.000-07:00

This was quite a day. That's all.

gregster

Life hands you stuff

2008-05-13T22:00:00.000-07:00

It's fascinating to me that I'm going to get $600 back from the gov in the next couple of weeks.

They went to all that trouble to collect it from me in April, and now, they're giving it back?

And people wonder why inefficiency runs rampant in this country.

Gregsta: OUT

PBJ

2008-05-11T17:39:00.000-07:00

Captains Log - Stardate 51108540 - There's really nothing to report of any interest to anyone. Thankyou.

Trekingly,
Gregsta'

Cheese Me

2008-05-10T10:18:00.000-07:00

It's Saturday morning. I remember being a kid, I would race downstairs and watch cartoons all morning long. It wasn't until some program came on (probably Love Boat or Perry Mason) that I gave up the boob tube for real life.

Now that I'm 30, I don't watch cartoons on Saturday morning anymore. Nope. It's real life, all the time. For instance, this morning, I'm conducting some systems maintenance on my web server. Later, I'll head to the store to get groceries. After that, I'll probably start re-organizing my garage. Then, it will be time for dinner, then bed. Actually, I'll have 2 hours left in the day after dinner that I could finish doing some work-from-home for the office in.

I'm not one to be overly sentimental (though I have been known to save all sorts of memorabilia from my childhood), but I do long for the days where responsibility didn't exist. Truth is, in my life time, that will never happen again. Sad, but true.

Woo hoo! I just cleared 10GB of logs out of my web server! Yay! Microsoft Updates installing! YAHOO!!!

Wow. My teenage self just called me from his Motorola Brick Phone in 1997 to let me know how lame I am and how I should get a life.

How lame: Indeed.

Gregsta'

Home, Home on the Range...

2008-05-08T15:40:00.000-07:00

Finally heading back home from an overnight stay in Seattle. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to complete everything that I needed to. It never ceases to amaze me how the smallest part will keep things from working. In this case, a specialized cable. Oh well.

The nice thing about taking the train to and from Seattle is that you have time to enjoy some quiet time. In my field of work, quiet time is hard to come by - users bug you day and night for help. At least on the train, when I'm bugged, I can choose to ignore it long enough to give the issue at hand the necessary thought. I choose when I hit "refresh" on my email. I choose when I'm going to respond to something. I choose when I answer the phone. At the office, people come up constantly and demand my attention. I do it to others, too. Sometimes it a necessity in the grander scheme of things. I can accomplish more learning and decision making in a 2 minute conversation in person than I can in an email conversation over a few hours.

Oh, did I slide off subject again? I did, didn't I. Dagnabit. I need a hobby to give me something to do when I'm bored. Reading trade magazines, catching up on MeFi and Slashdot don't count as hobbies.

Gregsta'

Ugh

2008-05-07T20:51:00.000-07:00

9:00 and I haven't even been able to start the meat/potatoes of an upgrade that I'm in Seattle to complete. I guess when I jokingly said "I'll be here till 4AM," I really wasn't kidding.

Ready for a nap. Waiting for Ibuprofen to kick in. Productivity kept me away from the proper doses of coffee today. Bad juju.

Techingly,
Gregsta'

Training

2008-05-07T12:15:00.000-07:00

I'm sitting on the train to Seattle for the first time in awhile. It's like a working vacation of sorts. I get to sit around in the dining car, enjoy fabulous scenery and get work done all at the same time. Normally, the outside pressure is relatively low and I can focus nicely.

Train rides are an interesting combination of beautiful scenery and industrial wastelands. It's amazing how little industrial operations clean up.

Well, thats about the extent of my blog-worthy thoughts for now. Back to work!

Gregsta'

Killer

2008-05-06T20:44:00.000-07:00

Let me just start out by saying I make a killer Grilled Salmon.

Tomorrow - Business Trip to Seattle. I like to keep busy, but this is getting crazy. Tomorrow I hope to have some sort of relaxing time in the morning. Actually, that will probably amount to "recovery" time for the drinking I intend to do tonight (I'm perfectly aware that it's Tuesday).

Our good friend Lori leaves for Belgium tomorrow. She's able to work from there. Talk about the ultimate in telecommuting.

I guess Sea Lions are turning up dead everywhere.

Poaching: It's not just for eggs!

Did I really go there? Sick fuck...

Postingly,
Gregsta'

10?

2008-05-03T21:58:00.000-07:00

It's 10:00. I'm finally done working.

For today.

I suppose one of the drawbacks of being Technology director for a group of design professionals is that when things get busy, there's no mechanism to truly defray the added workload. I'm left to take up my own, project-imposed slack. The owner group doesn't really get the whole idea of not working to death. Most of us aren't interested in burning every waking hour for the sake of the profession. We have lives and things that we do outside the office. The owners pin the problem of how to deal with the deluge on us and offer no financial or staffing support. That's the short version.

Enough whining I guess.

Considering an early night to bed. We were out way too late last night.

Gregsta': Out like a light.

Sit

2008-05-03T14:27:00.000-07:00

I was going to clean my garage about now, but it started raining. I love Oregon.

Instead, I'm in my home office, getting things done.

Good night last night @ Vertigo.

Happy Birthday, Nate (who turned 30 recently).

Back to werk...

Gregsta'

More Quotes

2008-04-30T18:39:00.000-07:00

When did it become so important that I have to drop everything to save you from looking like a douche?
- Daily thought process, Me

Life. It's quite amazing. The people that is. It's amazing that more of 'em don't get hit by cars.
- G.D.

When Technology and Architecture collide, expect to see something akin to a 3-year-old vs. a pitbull stand-off.
- Me again

There should be a planned parenthood around the corner from this library.
- Guess who!?

I'm so tired, I could vote Republican.
- Anonymous

Quotingly,
Gregsta'

It's the silly things...

2008-04-29T20:23:00.001-07:00

I don't know why, but the silliest things make me happy.

Like my keyboard.

I give you the Microsoft Office Keyboard:

This is by far the best keyboard of all time. On the left, you have buttons Cut, Copy and Paste! How often do you find yourself doing the CTRL-C, CTRL-V routine? Never again with this keyboard.

There's also the Scroll wheel on the left. I set this to Uber-fast mode. I use it to scan quickly through long documents and then use the scroll on my mouse for the more precise scrolling action.

Geeky? Yes. That's the point. Too bad Microsoft discontinued this model after it's first year of production. Fuckers. I've bought a few on eBay over the years. Stock piling for a bleak, otherwise unproductive existence.

There's no doubt about it, geeks have ways to save time that anyone else can have. You just have to start thinking like one of us: Lazy. Anything you can do properly, a geek can do half-assed in a quarter of the time.

Then again, there is this sub-set of geeks that are perfectionists. I don't claim to be one of them. I aspire, but I don't achieve. These geeks tend to find themselves wondering why they spent their entire life perfecting something the rest of us figured out was a waste of time 20 years prior.

Okay, this blog has gone on too long.

If your curious: http://www.gigandbets.com

Gregsta': Working late

Oblivion

2008-04-28T21:44:00.000-07:00

I like not knowing what's going on in the news. I feel like my little world is interesting enough. Why should I complicate it with a bunch of noise? Have you seen prime-time TV news in recent years? You have? What is it like?

The world could be suffering from plagues, famine, food shortages - I wouldn't know or care. Nope. That's me. Living in the here-and-here.

I suppose I'm no better than those people I complain about that know nothing about new technology, 'cause they ain't been pay'n attention for the last 20 years.

I'm sure at some point my stuck-in-1999-and-happy-about-it will backfire on me. Until then, I'm going to put on some Bryan Adams and reminisce about the good ol' days... like when Clinton was President, before NAFTA...

Waking up the Neighbours,
Gregsta'

Me too

2008-04-28T09:06:00.000-07:00

I'm with Gooch on this issue. (Yes, the small hands comment, too) Main Page.

No drinking this week. I feel like poo this morning. I had more wine, booze and beer this weekend than should be allowed by law. I ate like French, Thai and American cuisine was going out of style. My head throbs, breakfast was difficult to get down and I've already ingested enough water to flood New Orleans again.

Working overtime this week to get some things done at the office. Updating the blog more. Eating better. Working out. Signing contracts.

Born to be miiiiilllldd...

Gregsta'

Speed of ?

2008-04-24T09:02:00.000-07:00

I suppose I should write here more often when I'm busy. That way, when times are slow, I've already set the precedent that I write in my blog all the time.

Self-imposed guilt is a bitch.

Worked from home yesterday. I got more done in the 6 hours I put in glued to my office chair than I ever get done in 8 hours at the office. Someday, when I work from home all the time, I'll probably utter "I'd get more done if I was at the office."

Exciting times in Gregster's mild mannered existence. Wedding planning is going well. Some huge projects at the office are actually happening. Things are staying comfortably busy.

I've fallen off the exercise bandwagon this and last week. Lame excuse: Too tired and stressed out. I suppose that's exactly WHY you would go exercise in the first place. Isn't it amazing how we can make an excuse to do or not do just about anything?

Back to work.
Gregsta'

Quotes

2008-04-15T21:12:00.000-07:00

"I have ADD when it comes to boys."
- Good friend, still single.

"When it Rains, it Pours."
-Noah

"Half off sale in the kids underwear section? I'm there..."
-Michael Jackson

"Can I get a witness?"
-Rodney King

"Bring on the shots!"
-Me, my 30th Birthday @ the Bar

"Are those boy pants? I didn't think so, either. I don't think he's going to be able to procreate after tonight."
-Annonymous

"I'm never drinking again."
-Jenn every Sunday (aka Jenn with "two n's")

"What the hell?"
-Me after finding out that I don't have any more money in the joint account.

"Buy some shoes for yourself."
-My last words before going into debt for life.

"No complaints yet!"
-My defacto standard response to the question 'How are you today?'

Quotingly,
Gregsta'

Blahgah

2008-04-13T20:53:00.000-07:00

The thing I love about blogging is that you can be a complete moron, but depending on a number of circumstances that you or anyone else have little or no control over - you're opinion might be the deciding factor or basis for opinion of someone else, or for that matter - quite a few people.

These are in fact scary times. (ranting follows) I think the sharing of information is good, don't get me wrong. Where I think folks are starting to get it wrong is their expectation for summarization. Nothing can quite beat the powers of discussion for hashing out opinions and making good decisions. Credibility, not so surprisingly, plays a key role that is often left out or forged online.

Why do we keep going back to the web seeking out information in this manner? Google and other resources used to be good at finding the end-all answers to all your questions. Now, that's not always true. We then turn to other forms of information collection (forums, wikis, message boards, etc.) only to find the same weaknesses (and in most cases, even weaker) exist.

I suggest that a high degree of certainty and accuracy isn't really possible anymore for any information found online, particularly considering how easy it is to manipulate data when motivated.

Time to start going back to the old fashioned way of finding things out - asking the real experts and validating that you are in fact talking to an expert. Hopefully this will be the Web 3.0 premise...

Gregsta'

New Toy

2008-04-11T20:38:00.000-07:00

Still drooling and I haven't even fired it up yet...

Cookingly,
Gregsta'

Flat You Lents

2008-04-08T20:17:00.001-07:00

More stuff from the Dutch having to do with my favorite subject...

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Gregsta'

Funny Americans

2008-04-08T11:19:00.001-07:00

I was searching for the recipe for a Duck Fart (a layered shot, not fowl flatulence) and this came up:

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The Dutch continue to be a source of misunderstanding and amusement. We love the Dutch. I would have my own children watch these kids shows (sans the amusing sub-titles) if they weren't so damn scary sounding when they sing... It sounds more like a death march than a kids tune...

Gregsta'

Duck Farts and Pizza

2008-04-06T11:27:00.000-07:00

Wow. Last night was a Par-tay!

I haven't been drunk like that in a very long time. This morning, I'm amazingly in good shape (thanks to constant re hydrating during the night and a large dose of Ibuprofen).

When Vixens closed at 11, as planned, we all headed over to Vertigo where the bartender hooked us up with a round of Duck Farts (no, that's not slang for what I do after eating mass amounts of pizza). It's a coffee shot that's super potent. After 2 or 3 of those, I was done for the evening. Betsy drove us home.

It's nearly lunch time and I'm just now getting up. Wow. Rockstar: I am for just one day.

Gregsta': 30 years, 16 hours and 13 minutes old.

30

2008-04-05T08:52:00.000-07:00

The waxing continues...

Today, I enter another decade of existence. Something that happens maybe 7 or 8 times in ones life. That means I'm already 37% dead.

We're getting older. Anyone in denial of this should take a Physics course. More importantly, I'm giving into the realities of being a responsible adult, though I didn't put up much of a fight before. It would seem that this milestone is somewhat of a modest point; a paragraph in an otherwise boring read of a Biography.

Sure, I've got a few more distinguishing facial features and my weight has shifted into strange places, but I'm still the same person - that mild mannered man who makes interesting decisions and works too much.

Off to breakfast...

Gregsta'

Birfday e Fud

2008-04-04T07:57:00.000-07:00

My fascination with dinner parties, cooking shows and kitchen gadgetry continues to baffle me. Apparently, it's very white. I remember a time when I hated the kitchen and having to do any work. A good ol' Totinos Pizza was dinner. Yes, those were simpler times. Back then, the idea of having a TV dinner sounded like a darn good idea. Then something changed. Something sinister and evil.

It dawned on me that what I was eating was so processed and mechanically extruded, that maybe I was in fact doing more harm than good. Now that's not to say I didn't appreciate the ease of popping a burrito in the microwave or a pizza in the oven. Fact is, I can't recall what I was doing that made it so darn important for me to free up time.

Perhaps I was busy all the time working tirelessly on my computer. Sometimes I would even venture out to have yet more food at a restaurant with some friends. Yet, other times I would just sit at home and wait for the phone to ring.

The opportunity then was to experience, first hand, that I could in fact cook something from scratch that people would actually eat. Case in point: Sometime in my early 20's, now in my second apartment and moved out of my parents house for the second time - I decided I would try my hand at homemade Steak Fajitas. At this point, I was still a ways off from making my own salsa and tortillas, but it was a considerable departure from a frozen Resers Burrito.

I had some friends over that evening (bandmates of mine) that were hungry. After devouring what I had made, it was declared that I somehow made a great Steak Fajita. After that, there was no stopping me - Meatballs, Pasta Primavera, Homemade Pizza and Cheeseburgers - it went on. I started inviting people over for dinner. Cooking meals from scratch just for myself.

In fact, I had been so bitten by the cooking bug that when I went to buy my first home, I insisted that there be a gas hookup installed for connecting a gas stove. I've been in the kitchen ever since. Heck, I barely give Betsy the opportunity to cook (and trust me, she's a very good cook herself). I'm addicted to making food from scratch and learning about new techniques.

The point of this story? Is there ever really a point with what I write?

Today, I'm taking the day off. Tomorrow is my Birthday. A party is planned. We will be eating delivered pizza and other Delivered Dish fare. I won't be in the kitchen this time. While it pains me to leave such culinary opportunities in the able hands of others, I am glad to put down my spatula and relax for just one evening.

Now, I thought about going on and on and on about how I'm turning 30 and how that's a big deal. Truth is - it's not a big deal. I've been 30 for the last 15 years. My birthday is simply a great excuse to hang out with my friends and enjoy life.

Where's my cane...

OneFootInTheGrave,
Gregsta'

Work It

2008-03-31T08:06:00.000-07:00

Got a sweet Elliptical trainer over the weekend. Big thanks to Nate for helping us move it upstairs. You know, those things are about as awkward as you can get in terms of weight and shape. You would be hard pressed to make something any more awkward and difficult to take up the stairs. To my product designer friends: That's not an invitation to prove me wrong.

Back to work this week. It feels like the winter snap is still in effect. I had 4 layers on at one point this morning. Good thing my phone didn't ring. It was on layer 2 where the pockets aren't easily accessible. Had someone tried to mug me, I probably would have gotten stabbed by the time I was able to peel my wallet out of layer 1. (I was going to make a joke about "layered security" here, but only 2 people would get it and neither would have found it funny.)

Next weekend is my birthday. I should be more excited. It's going to be the big "30". I'm convinced that 25 is the new 30. What happens on your 30th? Nothing. No insurance discount, no AARP, not letter from Ted Nugent - nothing. It's just a lame excuse for your friends to raz you about an age that is about as inconsequential as Casey Afleck's role in Oceans 11.

Now 35 - Theres a fucking party. If you've made it to 35 and still have friends, you're doing really well and should celebrate. I know plenty of 35+ folks with only kids, mortgages and ex'es.
Bets' and I are going to pick out a caterer (and hopefully) a photographer this week.

Gregsta'

Powder?

2008-03-28T08:40:00.000-07:00

It's snowing outside. Nearly sticking.

It's April, folks! Furthermore, it's Spring Break. What the fuck?

I thought it was supposed to be rainy and warming up by now. Is this what global warming is doing to us?

Better get my snow shovel for the sidewalk. While I'm at it, maybe the kids down the street need some help with their snowman.

Gregsta'