Friday, January 30, 2009
looks like i joined the team just in time.
sure, they say they’re like pets... for now. pretty soon they’ll be overlords.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
cutting-edge coffee technology. with stars!
while i don’t care to trash-talk prior employers, at least, not in writing, i do want to say that the Robots is much more awesomer than my last job. not only do they pay a reasonable salary with excellent benefits (for reals, i have great inexpensive insurance and 401k matching with none of that ‘vested %’ crap, along with a gym membership), they know how to have a pretty decent workplace.
see, back at the JWeek, we had marginal offices, with the kind of furniture that you get for free off Craig’s List. Not that it was terribly crappy... just kinda ghetto a little. we had free all-staff lunches every quarter, with mediocre food, which i suspect was mediocre because we got Kosher foods. the mediocrity stems not from the Kosher aspects but probably because the place we got it from wasn’t that great, but it was a) nearby and b) Kosher.
anyway, the point is, it was OK, but that’s about it.
but here at the Robots, i have my own cubby with nose-high walls (privacy!), a wii (for team-building!), a graphics tablet (Intuos3 6x8) that i didn’t have to buy myself, Adobe CS3 (and Quark 7 if i cared to use it), lots of restaurants and a grocery store within walking distance, and company-paid lunches whenever an excuse can be found.
on tuesday we had a delish lunch with pita sammitches and sammitches on rolls and spicy pepper hummous, two types of chips, veggies, salsa and dips, soda (including Coke Zero!), two types of cookies, and special foods for folks who may have had other dietary needs... there might have been more but i just can’t remember. we had this spread in the conference room because the new administrative assistant started. when i first started, we all went to lunch across the street at a restaurant. before i started they asked me to come for lunch on a friday.... just to hang with the peeps.
and just this week the coffee maker came. it seems they used to have a regular coffee maker, like one might have at home, but during the expansion the carafe was broken. so we now have this spacey single unit coffee maker, in the open sunny lunch room that affords a view of Shirlington rooftops and access to a deck. the coffee maker is reasonably cool — you put a little cup of what i assume is concentrated drink in the top, press a button, and sphfffissssshhhhsssfffffssshhhh yer coffee or tea or hot lemon drink is dispensed. but my favorite part is the drain plate...
stylish!
profile-ish!
STAR!
all the beverages taste better because of the star.
i think i’m gonna like it here.
see, back at the JWeek, we had marginal offices, with the kind of furniture that you get for free off Craig’s List. Not that it was terribly crappy... just kinda ghetto a little. we had free all-staff lunches every quarter, with mediocre food, which i suspect was mediocre because we got Kosher foods. the mediocrity stems not from the Kosher aspects but probably because the place we got it from wasn’t that great, but it was a) nearby and b) Kosher.
anyway, the point is, it was OK, but that’s about it.
but here at the Robots, i have my own cubby with nose-high walls (privacy!), a wii (for team-building!), a graphics tablet (Intuos3 6x8) that i didn’t have to buy myself, Adobe CS3 (and Quark 7 if i cared to use it), lots of restaurants and a grocery store within walking distance, and company-paid lunches whenever an excuse can be found.
on tuesday we had a delish lunch with pita sammitches and sammitches on rolls and spicy pepper hummous, two types of chips, veggies, salsa and dips, soda (including Coke Zero!), two types of cookies, and special foods for folks who may have had other dietary needs... there might have been more but i just can’t remember. we had this spread in the conference room because the new administrative assistant started. when i first started, we all went to lunch across the street at a restaurant. before i started they asked me to come for lunch on a friday.... just to hang with the peeps.
and just this week the coffee maker came. it seems they used to have a regular coffee maker, like one might have at home, but during the expansion the carafe was broken. so we now have this spacey single unit coffee maker, in the open sunny lunch room that affords a view of Shirlington rooftops and access to a deck. the coffee maker is reasonably cool — you put a little cup of what i assume is concentrated drink in the top, press a button, and sphfffissssshhhhsssfffffssshhhh yer coffee or tea or hot lemon drink is dispensed. but my favorite part is the drain plate...
stylish!
profile-ish!
STAR!
all the beverages taste better because of the star.
i think i’m gonna like it here.
the government has the memory of a goldfish.
i just heard on the radio today that the government of Maryland is considering charging EZPass users a $1.50 monthly fee, whether they use the pass or not.
what???
i don’t have an EZPass, i don’t even live in Maryland, and i avoid toll roads at all costs (pardon the approximate pun), but i still think this is outrageous. one of the reasons the gov likes an EZPass system so much is that it reduces the cost of collecting tolls. so what they’re saying is, “hey, yeah, i know we all encouraged you to sign up for this to save us money and increase usability of our toll roads, but now we’re going to punish you for that privilege. cos all that money we saved? er, we kinda blew it.”
in brainless government news a little closer to (my) home, the VA state House passed, and the VA state Senate has sent back, a law banning cell-phone use while driving unless a hands-free device is used.
ahem. what???
clearly, the twits either are illiterate or simply don’t remember reading the numerous studies that show it is not HOLDING the phone that causes distraction, it is the CONVERSATION on the phone. i am at just as much risk HOLDING (not talking on) a cell phone as i am holding a bacon cheeseburger. if they really want to save people from distracted drivers, they need to ban ALL use of cell phones, hand-held or hands-free.
but all this is a moot point anyway, in my opinion, because we already have laws to punish distracted drivers. they’re laws against reckless driving, and they encompass pretty much anything an officer thinks you’re doing behind the wheel that would endanger yourself or others, and the punishments are wide-ranging, depending on how serious the court finds your infraction.
it’s almost enough to make a girl a libertarian.
what???
i don’t have an EZPass, i don’t even live in Maryland, and i avoid toll roads at all costs (pardon the approximate pun), but i still think this is outrageous. one of the reasons the gov likes an EZPass system so much is that it reduces the cost of collecting tolls. so what they’re saying is, “hey, yeah, i know we all encouraged you to sign up for this to save us money and increase usability of our toll roads, but now we’re going to punish you for that privilege. cos all that money we saved? er, we kinda blew it.”
in brainless government news a little closer to (my) home, the VA state House passed, and the VA state Senate has sent back, a law banning cell-phone use while driving unless a hands-free device is used.
ahem. what???
clearly, the twits either are illiterate or simply don’t remember reading the numerous studies that show it is not HOLDING the phone that causes distraction, it is the CONVERSATION on the phone. i am at just as much risk HOLDING (not talking on) a cell phone as i am holding a bacon cheeseburger. if they really want to save people from distracted drivers, they need to ban ALL use of cell phones, hand-held or hands-free.
but all this is a moot point anyway, in my opinion, because we already have laws to punish distracted drivers. they’re laws against reckless driving, and they encompass pretty much anything an officer thinks you’re doing behind the wheel that would endanger yourself or others, and the punishments are wide-ranging, depending on how serious the court finds your infraction.
it’s almost enough to make a girl a libertarian.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
this picture sums it up nicely.
Pants and i were busy disagreeing on my hairstyle for the GWU Inaugural Ball Clusterf- uh, show last week, so while i went with his opinion on how to actually wear my hair, i still insisted he see it exactly as i intended on wearing it to make sure he was making a fully informed decision.
eventually i'll blog about the actual show (and the show which Ms. McHidingersons attended the following night), but for now, here's a couple shots of me, the gown in action, and the aforementioned hairstyles.
exhibit A: the straight hair and gown.
exhibit B: curly hair.
also, i love this picture because something about it is so ”us.”
eventually i'll blog about the actual show (and the show which Ms. McHidingersons attended the following night), but for now, here's a couple shots of me, the gown in action, and the aforementioned hairstyles.
exhibit A: the straight hair and gown.
exhibit B: curly hair.
also, i love this picture because something about it is so ”us.”
Friday, January 16, 2009
The Board, The Snow, and The Neophyte
a week later, i finally (kind of) have time to post my snowboarding trip! yes, i went snowboarding last Saturday, despite my better judgement.
we got a moderately early start from Pants’ place. our first stop was Manhattan Bagel for Juevo Ranchero Wraps (verdict: Yummy!) and coffee for me. it’s important to start your adventure day off with a good breakfast. next stop was at Pants’ friend’s place up in Frederick, which was on our way. he kindly loaned me some thick gloves, because apparently my nice leather gloves aren’t adequate for snow sports. we left ahead of our trip companions in the name of expediency, as both Pants and i had some business to take care of up at the mountain.
our destination was Liberty Mountain, which is surprisingly close for being in Pennsylvania. after what seemed like forever waiting for Pants to get his boots on and gather his gear, we headed off to the ticket booth. it seems like forever when you are losing your nerve with each passing moment.
we got on our way to the Member Services area, where Pants was picking up his discount card for the season (he intends on frequenting the joint, for some reason). i purchased the “Beginner’s Package,” which provides the newbie with a day-long lift pass good on the easiest two slopes, equipment rental, and an hour-long lesson in your chosen death-means (to prolong the inevitable, i presume). i went to get my equipment whilst Pants went to have his board waxed. after i had gathered my numerous bulky objets d'sports, Pants assisted in encumbering my feet in snowboard boots, and we trundled off to find the lessons.
we had about 20 minutes before lessons began, so again, Pants showed me how to work the bindings and hop around. i shooed Pants away so he could actually snowboard, and waited until the instructors showed up and a large group of new boarders was split into sets of 5-6 people. the lesson ended up being two hours (in a good way), and my instructor was thankfully very nice. i also was the first to fall down, before we were even moving. but no one was really looking so my story is that i was NOT the first to fall down. i was like the second or third to fall once we started sliding down the hill.
at one point, i was having difficulty with a particular maneuver called a toe-side turn, so i asked what i was doing wrong — and lo and behold, it turned out the bindings for my left foot were not fastened tightly to the board! the extremely kind, experienced snowboarding boyfriend of one of my classmates took my board back to the shop to have it fixed, and offered me use of his board in return — his CUSTOM SHINY GIANT board. i was really uncomfortable with that, so the instructor traded me HIS CUSTOM board for the other guy's. it was nearly a moot point anyway, cos by the time either of us needed to use a board and fastened the bindings, the fellow was back with the screws tightened on my board. later, after the lessons, i had to have it tightened again, but it stayed put (mostly) for the rest of my day there.
Pants kept stopping by to see how it was going during the lesson, and got some video of one of my turning maneuvers. the thumbs up at the end is not because i executed it so well, but more that i remained upright through the entire move.
he and our slope-mates also snapped a few shots. here we are!
that’s yours truly during the lesson.
the blokes and myself.
aw, aren’t we a cute bunch!
so i survived, if a little achy for the next couple days (and by a little, i mean a LOT). strangely my arms were the most affected, probably from all the push-ups i had to do to get up. it was really hard to open doors after the trip. ow, my most of me!
final verdict: i guess i’m going again in a week. but i’ll be getting the beginner’s package again, since i won’t be venturing off the first two slopes — it’s cheaper than buying a four-hour all lift pass and a rental.
we got a moderately early start from Pants’ place. our first stop was Manhattan Bagel for Juevo Ranchero Wraps (verdict: Yummy!) and coffee for me. it’s important to start your adventure day off with a good breakfast. next stop was at Pants’ friend’s place up in Frederick, which was on our way. he kindly loaned me some thick gloves, because apparently my nice leather gloves aren’t adequate for snow sports. we left ahead of our trip companions in the name of expediency, as both Pants and i had some business to take care of up at the mountain.
our destination was Liberty Mountain, which is surprisingly close for being in Pennsylvania. after what seemed like forever waiting for Pants to get his boots on and gather his gear, we headed off to the ticket booth. it seems like forever when you are losing your nerve with each passing moment.
we got on our way to the Member Services area, where Pants was picking up his discount card for the season (he intends on frequenting the joint, for some reason). i purchased the “Beginner’s Package,” which provides the newbie with a day-long lift pass good on the easiest two slopes, equipment rental, and an hour-long lesson in your chosen death-means (to prolong the inevitable, i presume). i went to get my equipment whilst Pants went to have his board waxed. after i had gathered my numerous bulky objets d'sports, Pants assisted in encumbering my feet in snowboard boots, and we trundled off to find the lessons.
we had about 20 minutes before lessons began, so again, Pants showed me how to work the bindings and hop around. i shooed Pants away so he could actually snowboard, and waited until the instructors showed up and a large group of new boarders was split into sets of 5-6 people. the lesson ended up being two hours (in a good way), and my instructor was thankfully very nice. i also was the first to fall down, before we were even moving. but no one was really looking so my story is that i was NOT the first to fall down. i was like the second or third to fall once we started sliding down the hill.
at one point, i was having difficulty with a particular maneuver called a toe-side turn, so i asked what i was doing wrong — and lo and behold, it turned out the bindings for my left foot were not fastened tightly to the board! the extremely kind, experienced snowboarding boyfriend of one of my classmates took my board back to the shop to have it fixed, and offered me use of his board in return — his CUSTOM SHINY GIANT board. i was really uncomfortable with that, so the instructor traded me HIS CUSTOM board for the other guy's. it was nearly a moot point anyway, cos by the time either of us needed to use a board and fastened the bindings, the fellow was back with the screws tightened on my board. later, after the lessons, i had to have it tightened again, but it stayed put (mostly) for the rest of my day there.
Pants kept stopping by to see how it was going during the lesson, and got some video of one of my turning maneuvers. the thumbs up at the end is not because i executed it so well, but more that i remained upright through the entire move.
he and our slope-mates also snapped a few shots. here we are!
that’s yours truly during the lesson.
the blokes and myself.
aw, aren’t we a cute bunch!
so i survived, if a little achy for the next couple days (and by a little, i mean a LOT). strangely my arms were the most affected, probably from all the push-ups i had to do to get up. it was really hard to open doors after the trip. ow, my most of me!
final verdict: i guess i’m going again in a week. but i’ll be getting the beginner’s package again, since i won’t be venturing off the first two slopes — it’s cheaper than buying a four-hour all lift pass and a rental.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Monday, January 12, 2009
where do i work, again?
i woke up this morning about 6:30. this was because i forcibly broke myself away from a nightmare that was becoming extremely distressing, and thankfully that little part of my brain that says “yo, this ain’t right” kicked in and awoke me.
i was having a horrible, horrible work nightmare. i don’t usually have work nightmares, so i’m still not quite sure what triggered this one. but the gist was, i was at the Jewish Week (my last job), helping out. except the new guy had royally f*ed up some stuff, and he was nowhere to be found. so i was working my little mitts off, trying to get things squared away... except i was also working at the New Job (hereinafter referred to as the Robots). so apparently i had stopped in at the JeWeek to help out, got caught up, looked at the clock and it was 5:11 p.m. -- i had missed the entire day at Robot work. no one had called to ask where i was, and i had the most terrible feeling in my gut, not knowing what to do...
and then i woke myself up. which leads me to question why the hell i’m having nightmares about a place i don’t even work at anymore.
i was having a horrible, horrible work nightmare. i don’t usually have work nightmares, so i’m still not quite sure what triggered this one. but the gist was, i was at the Jewish Week (my last job), helping out. except the new guy had royally f*ed up some stuff, and he was nowhere to be found. so i was working my little mitts off, trying to get things squared away... except i was also working at the New Job (hereinafter referred to as the Robots). so apparently i had stopped in at the JeWeek to help out, got caught up, looked at the clock and it was 5:11 p.m. -- i had missed the entire day at Robot work. no one had called to ask where i was, and i had the most terrible feeling in my gut, not knowing what to do...
and then i woke myself up. which leads me to question why the hell i’m having nightmares about a place i don’t even work at anymore.
Gowns Ahoy!
the weekend preceding this past weekend had a day of shopping crammed into it -- a day being about four hours, which in a crowded mall feels like ten. the week since has been over-stuffed with events; hence the tardiness in posting. But here they are, the gowns from two Saturdays ago, modeled by our heroine in the fitting room of Et Amore, the gown store at Tyson’s. Et Amore has a sign posted outside their fitting rooms stating “No Pictures.”
this little number is in the Grecian style, a lovely plum colour with a gauzy drape and high waist that’s accented by a rhinestone band (also available in red).
for those preferring a less classical, but still classic look, we have a full skirt with bodice in a strange tan shade. the bodice is decorated with embroidered accents and the skirt is gathered asymmetrically. this look made me think “Southern” for some reason... and the colour i liked was actually green, but they didn’t have it in stock in my size.
and this darling red & black number was the winner. it has thin straps so i don’t worry about my dress dropping while playing, but it also has beads, which makes me worry about it scratching up my guitar. but whatever. it looked good and was only a little over $100.
this little number is in the Grecian style, a lovely plum colour with a gauzy drape and high waist that’s accented by a rhinestone band (also available in red).
for those preferring a less classical, but still classic look, we have a full skirt with bodice in a strange tan shade. the bodice is decorated with embroidered accents and the skirt is gathered asymmetrically. this look made me think “Southern” for some reason... and the colour i liked was actually green, but they didn’t have it in stock in my size.
and this darling red & black number was the winner. it has thin straps so i don’t worry about my dress dropping while playing, but it also has beads, which makes me worry about it scratching up my guitar. but whatever. it looked good and was only a little over $100.
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