Monday, August 30

Some people need to be taken to a field and shot...

Ok, so I'm watching the Olympic Marathon yesterday and this guy runs out of the crowd and grabs the guy in first and carries him into the crowd. He just got a $3600 fine. Turns out he has done this before, being stupid enough to run into an F1 race in Great Britan. People like this should be taken to a field, shot in the head, and left for the vultures to feed upon.

ABCNEWS.com : Man Who Grabbed Runner Won't Be Jailed

Saturday, August 28

Vacation Report

That's right folks, it vacation time for the Dren!

This is a group post for the whole experience, as I didn't have access to the Internet for five days, that is the longest I have gone without e-mail and Slashdot in years.

This was also my first vacation with the boy. Let me tell you, there is nothing like traveling with an eight month old. My parents were also along on this journey. They watched the boy while we played.

Here is the travel log:

Thursday, August 19th, 2004:

11:30 AM - Get a call from mom. I thought you said Southwest flight 1255 left at 5:50 PM. Yeah, mom, that's what they told me when I called last week to check the reservations. Turns out the attendant told me wrong, the flight leaves at 5:00 PM instead. Mom had called to double check the flight information. Glad she did, that would have screwed up the whole trip because we would have shown up at the airport at 4:30 pm, and likely not made the flight.

11:45 AM - Paniced phone calls to folks who we had appointments with, cancelled a 1:00 PM appointment, made sure the dogs were going to be back from the groomer on time to get them to my brother. Got mom to pick up dad instead of us picking up dad.

2:30 PM - Leave the house. Got all the luggage, and all the trip plans. Have two dogs on board, with their beds and food.

3:00 PM - Meet my brother at his work as he is leaving for the day, pass the dogs on to him. He has two boys, 7 and 2, they love having our dogs over and playing with them.

3:30 PM - Arrive at Hobby Airport. Use Southwest's rapid checkin, had some problems, and got some help from the attendant. Went on to security. You can't go through security yet, you don't have the special boarding pass for your infant, you have to go down to the "Information" line and wait a while in the line, then get your special boarding pass. Ok, went and waited in that line, complained to the personel there that we were not told of the special requirement by the staff at the rapid check-in.

5:50 PM - Waiting at the gate, Mom and Dad arrived a while ago. No sign of the plane.

6:10 PM - Plane finally shows up. We board and take off shortly. Southwest does do a good job of turning the plane around quicly. Noticed that when we take off, we head nearly due south, then head east along the coast. Since this flight is to Chicago, then to Cleveland, this seems strage. Not to long after noticing this, the pilot comes on the PA. Turns out there is some really bad weather north of Houston, and that is why the plane was late getting into Houston, and why we are going to be even later getting to Chicago.

11:30 PM - Arrive Cleveland. Got off the plane ok, and got our luggage. Cleveland's airport has this unified rental car depot. When we got out to the pickup, the first van was full, so we headed to a second van. Remember WE is me, my wife, our eight month old boy and my parents. Plus all our luggage. So, get to the second van, the door opens and out comes the driver. Here is what he asks, "What is wrong with the other transport?", in a really nasty manner pointing to the other van. So I answered, "It's full. What is wrong with this transport?" Then he went into the tirade about how two vans cannot be loading at the same time. Great, the first person I meet in Cleveland is a dick. After he shut-up, the other van pulled out, and he let us on his. When we got to the Budget Rental counter, we tried to complain, but they had no way to complain about the drivers.

Friday August 20, 2004

12:45 AM - Arrive at Cedar Point. Check into a smallish suite in the Sandcastle Suites. Got the boy down and got to sleep.

7:00 AM - Woke up early, no particular reason, I just do that. Got dressed and ready to hit the park.

9:30 AM - Hit the park. It was raining. Figured nothing would be open, but here is a surprise, Cedar Point keeps many, if not most of it's rides running in the rain, so here is what the wife and I rode, while mom and pop babysat the boy, in as clsoe to the order that we rode them as we can recall.

1. Millennum Force - This was my first "Giga Coaster". It rocked. 300 Foot drop. Wow, it was amazing. Do have a funny side story about the guy that must be the dumbest I'll see on this or any other vacation. We were close to the boarding platform when the whole ride shut down, with one train about 1/3 the way up the lift. After about a 45 minute delay, we discovered that some dumb-ass had UNBUCKLED HIS SEAT BELT. The emergency safetys kicked in and stopped the ride. When it eventually did run, the park police were there to remove him from the property.

2. Millennum Force - Only thing better than a Giga Coaster once? Giga Coaster twice!

Purchased two really cool blue Cedar Point rain ponchos.

3. Iron Dragon

4. Mantis

5. Disaster Transport

6. Space Spiral

7. Cable Cars

Noonish - Had some mini-corndogs and hand-cut fries. Went back to room, took a three hour nap.

Fourish - Headed back to the park.

8. Wicked Twister

9. Raptor

10. Magnum XL 200

11. Millennum Force

8:00 PM - Top Thrill Dragster had not opened yet, and we were tired and hungry, so we headed to dinner.

9:00 PM - Had Pizza at the Pizza place in the Breakers Hotel. It was some damn good pizza, was dissapointed that I got full after three slices.

10:00 PM - Top Thrill Dragster was running as we left the resturant, stood and watched it as we waited for the Resort Shuttle. Looked really cool. Too bad I was full of pizza, and the park was closed anyway.

Saturday August 21, 2004

We all went to the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in Cleveland, OH. Then had a snack at the Hard Rock Cafe before heading back to Cedar Point. Had dinner that night at Famous Dave's Bar-B-Que, which is in the Marina at Cedar Point..

Sunday August 22, 2004

4:30 AM - Wake up to mainiacs in the next room slamming doors and throwing each other into the walls. Called Hotel Secuirty.

4:35 AM - My wife opens the door to our room, and a naked teenage boy runs down the hall in into the room next door.

4:40 AM - Hotel Security shows up. We tell them what has been going on. He calls in Cedar Point PD. They show up pretty quickly, promise remove the 6 drunk teenagers from the room next door, and that we won't be disturbed again.

6:00 AM - Really can't sleep. Got up and got dressed, went and watched the sun rise over Lake Eirie drinking the complementary coffee in the lobby.

9:00 AM - Lined up at the gate waiting for it to open, we see Top Thrill Dragster is up and running, as soon as we got into the park, we went straight to Top Thrill Dragster. Here is what we rode that day:

1. Top Thrill Dragster - 9:45 AM - Only a 45 minute wait. We have been told that the average wait is about 4 hours, so this appears to be a pretty good deal. We also rode in the front seat. There just are not words enough to describe this ride. It is big, fast, scary and fun as hell! It kinda goes like this - They roll your car down to the starting section, and there are starting lights like at a dragstrip. If you are in the front car, you will see the catapult shuttle coming back to latch into your car. Then the car shifts forward and back a couple of times, like a real dragster staging for launch. Next, the breaking fins descend to below the track. Next thing you notice, the launch sequence lights are on and counting down. By the time you realize these lights have run, you are moving fast, really fast. The launch speeds on the rides before ours were consistently between 122-125 MPH. Now, by the time you realize just how freaking fast you are moving, you are heading up the hill. By the time you realize you are heading up the hill, you are rotating 90 degrees to the right. By the time you realize that you have rotated, the coaster is slowing, and if you are not holding on, you are floating up out of your seat as the coaster tops the hill. Just about the time you realize that you are at the top of the hill, you are flying down the hill, spiraling through 270 degrees of turns. Scary turns, all you can see is the support posts that look like they are going to rip your head off. Finally the coaster curves back to the ground and brakes. A couple of seconds after it slows you realize that the folks in the queue are shouting at you, and you shout something inane back. And start thinking of a way to talk them out of making you get off the coaster.

2. Mean Streak

3. Cedar Creek Mine Ride

4. Gemini

Noonish - Lunch - Really subpar burgers for way too much money at the diner off the midway - Return to room, drop off photo from Top Thrill Dragster and souvineers we purchased that morning.

1:00 PM - Wait in line 1 hour to get a 5-6 PM Freeway handstamp for Top Thrill Dragster

5. Wildcat

6. Gemini

7. Blue Streak

8. Magnum XL 200

9. Top Thrill Dragster

10. Wicked Twister

Dinner - We had Brautwurst at the German Beer Gardens right by the main entrance, it was very tasty.

11. Gemini

12. Power Tower 'Up'

13. Gemini

9:30 PM - Both Millennum Force and Top Thrill Dragster have 2 hour waits. We're tired, head to the suite to pass out.

Monday, August 23, 2004
Flew home from Cleveland via Nashville, nothing exciting happened.

Tuesday, August 17

Things that make you go, hmmmm......

Working with a nice lady at the bank today. Had to upgrade her encryption key as the old one was expiring. Went to export the key to a floppy to put it on a second computer. Got to the step where you password protect the key. I said, "Now type in a password," and pointed to the screen where there was a line for PASSWORD: and a line for VERIFY PASSWORD:. Then I got asked one of those great questions, "Do I have to remember it?"

Hmmmmmm.......

Monday, August 16

Having trouble paying for your girlfriends breast implants?

Then sell all your stuff on eBay!

eBay.com Seller List: bishop287911

Sunday, August 15

What I do on a Saturday off:

Yesterday I (We? Wife and Boy participated in most activities yesterday.)

Muliple Choice:
1) Got up early, had breakfast at Chick Fil A.
2) Went to the Houston Zoo.
3) Went to Joe's Crab Shack for lunch.
4) Checked the mail.
5) Repaired the back door that had started rotting at the bottom.
6) Repaired the miniblind on the back door that got screwed up while repairing the back door.
7) Took two showers.
8) Went to Home Depot to get 1 Can Good Stuff Foam, 1 Can Killz Primer, 1 Pair Gloves & 1 Tube Calk.
9) Had chocolate chip cookies and Diet DrPepper for dinner at about 9:30 PM
10) Watched the Olympics Opening Ceremony on HD in repeats on DTV Channel 84.
11) Watched several swimming events on HD on Local ATSC NBC affiliate.
12) Watched last week's Stargate: Atlantis that I missed while in Dallas.
13) Took a 30 minute power nap on the couch during the Olympics watching.
14) Played Project Gotham Racing online for about an hour.
15) Read the newspaper.
16) All of the above.

If you ansered 16, you are correct. I need a clone!

And these are just the things I remember doing.

Wednesday, August 11

Open Mouth, Insert Keyboard

Got an e-mail from my work buddy from the project I finished over the weekend. Probably shouldn't call him my buddy anymore. In venting my frustrations, I think I forgot that two different people's perception of the same events can be completely different.

He was definately doing the majority of the work on the project. I'm not sure what else I could have been doing, but I did probably drag my feet a few times when I could have been accomplishing something instead. Just let my frustrations with the job get in the way of both helping him better, and doing the quality of work that I usually want from myself.

So this is my personal apology to my buddy. None of the stuff I said was accurate. I was just pissed and venting at the wrong person. Kind of a pattern for me. So if you're still pissed off at me, I'll understand. This was my fuckup and I take responsibility for it now.

Sunday, August 8

The Road Warrior Returns Home!

Got home around 10PM last night. Ate another healthy meal (Flamin' Hot Cheetos & Diet Dr. Pepper) in the car so we could get home faster. I think my work buddy is just plain clueless. Kept saying all the way home, "I didn't want to leave so late, I didn't want to get home Saturday night." I just didn't have the energy to start a fight by saying, "You should have called for the extra help the office offered." Shit, we could have been home by midnight on Friday with a couple of extra bodies. Instead I got home late on Saturday, after my boy had gone to bed. Didn't get to really see or do anything with him till he woke up around 7 this morning.

It was so nice to sleep in my own bed, take a shower last night in my own shower, have some coffee that didn't taste like old sneakers this morning.

Which reminds me, if you ever go to Terrell, Texas, do not by any means stay in the LaQuinta there. I mean this completly and honestly. They place was infested with crickets and silverfish, the ceiling in my bathroom was caving in, and the room smelled like mildew. On top of that they were out of butter for the waffles one morning, and their breakfast buffet has no variety. I guess it is ok if you are there one night occasionally, but when you are there for most of two weeks, they food starts to look pretty nasty. On top of that, they had the worst coffee I have ever encountered. I don't think I could make something called coffee that tasted that bad if I tried. I went into their breakfast preparation area one morning when I couldn't stand the coffee to pour it out in their sink. I discovered that they are using "Members Mark" coffee. What the hell is that? I'm paying $70+ per night and you serve shit coffee. Sent a complaint to LaQunita's "Tell Us How We're Doing" web page.

Dallas is an ok city to work in, but they are funny. Everyone there had something bad to say about Houston and why they would never live there. I think they are just angry that now they are the third largest city in the state, behind Houston and recently San Antonio. Oh, and they really don't like it if you point that fact out. :)

We saw H. Ross Perot on an escalator in the Dallas Galleria. Guess he has to buy underwear and such somewhere.

The Dallas Hard Rock is still the coolest one I have ever been to in terms architecture, it is in an old church, but it looks like an old courthouse. They also have the world's worst Elvis impersonator. He looks like Andy Kaufman, but sings like me.

That's all the shit to report from this trip. With any luck I'll be abducted by aliens soon and not have to travel.

Saturday, August 7

I'm still stuck in northeast Texas

I'm still stuck, working in northeast Texas. My partner is fucking retarded. The boss told us on Wednesday to ask for help if we needed it to get the project done before the weekend. I told him over, and over to call the boss and ask for help. Oh no, he said, we'll be done Friday afternoon. We'll be done Friday evening. We'll be done Saturday morning. Well, its fucking 10 of noon on Saturday, and we're still here. Dumbass won't quit asking the customer what else they want done, and the fucking project keeps growing and growing. I'm not getting one red cent for working today, but I'm being billed out at $100.00

I fucking hate this job.

1:45 PM Update - Still at the fucking branch. The install of five machines that was going to take, "Just a few minutes, I do that in my sleep", has lasted over four hours. I've got a killer headache. Won't be home for dinner. We still have to go to the main sight in Dallas, and do the eight other things that will take, "Just a few minutes." I'm fucked.

Tuesday, August 3

Being a road warrior sucks.

Woke up about 3:45 AM this morning and had to piss. Realized after hitting the head that it was pointless to go back to bed for 15 minutes. Took my shower last night. Not feeling very motivated, just brushed my hair till the bedhead look was minimal. Threw on some jeans and a polo. Took my shit out to the car after putting my insulin and alarm clock into my luggage. Traveling with insulin is fun, have to keep it cold, so I have this little pouch with a freezer bag in it, and my insulin and my syrenges. My flight was at 6:00 AM from Houston, Hobby to Dallas, Love Field. Got to the airport parking garage at about 4:50 AM after leaving the house at 4:30 AM. Got my suitcase checked, had to show my ID to get my boarding pass and have them check the bag. Got to the security line at 5:00 AM, as instructed, one hour before flight time. Fucking closed. That's right, they were closed. Lots of folks sitting there on their asses, only letting in the flight crews. Finally, at about 5:15 AM they opened. Had to show my picture ID again, and my boarding pass. Last time I flew I just about got a full body cavity search when the metal detector went off on me. So this time I emptied all my pockets, took off all my jewelry, my shoes, my belt and considered removing my pants. After I went through the line, they took my little knife that is shaped like I key. However, I was allowed to keep my 12 insulin syrenges. I guess since I have a prescription for them, I won't be using them to kill anyone on the flight they think. Next, they guy starts in on me, I need to show him my picure ID and boarding pass (didn't I just do that when I got in this line?), then goes on to mention that he wants to see a credit card, ssn card, urine and blood samples. Tired of this shit, I looked him in the eye and said, "I'll give you a semen sample right now if you like." Shut the fucker up, and he let me go on my way. I was at the airport so early that there were none of the complimentary coffee or donuts available. I just went to my gate so I could be first in line. Go the good seat on the exit row with all the leg room. When I got to Dallas, it was hotter and more humid that I really want to talk about, however, I did find the coffee and complimentary donuts. As an added bonus, my suitcase was the first one down the chute at the baggage claim area. My buddy was about 1/2 hour late picking me up, Dallas traffic sucks as bad as Houston traffic evidently. Now I'm here, had to take an extra large dose of insulin due to the stress shooting up my blood sugar. Maybe I'll even do some work today. Right now I'm off to find some breakfast.

Monday, August 2

Stupid folks I work for...

I have to go to Dallas tomorrow, so I booked the 8 AM flight from Houston Hobby to Dallas Love.

I get this e-mail:

I just left you a voicemail message on your cell phone. Per , {removed bosses name because I'm a chickenshit} you are to take the first flight out of Houston to Dallas, believe the flight leaves at 6:00 AM.

Please change your flight for tomorrow to the first flight out of Hobby to Dallas.

Send me a copy of your revised itinerary.

In the voice mail she said, "It would ruin the day by getting into Dallas at 9 AM instead of 7 AM.

Yeah, now I have to get up a fucking 4 AM to make my flight. I'm going to be fucking worthless most of the day from being tired. They will also expect me to work till midnight, and be back a the jobsite at 8 the following morning. Wonder why I make so many simple mistakes on the jobsite that have to be corrected later.

Fucking senseless. Maybe Wal-Mart is hiring greeters.

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