Category Archives: Cool Cold Reality

Where it is and what it came from. The end-all, be-all, and all-for-a-dollar.

Big Science

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It’s a cold and rainy Friday and it’s also February 1, Groundhog’s Day Eve and also the day before my brother in law Rex’ birthday. So happy birthday Rex. I guess they’ll be watching Groundhog’s Day tomorrow in Arcata as well as all over the US. I’ve seen it, I’ve enjoyed it but not like the Arcata Three. They watch it every year and why not? A tradition that has been going on for a number of years and I wish them many more years of watching together. Cheers to them!

Last night, came home feeling somewhat dreadful as you could have probably seen in the previous entry. Once I wrote about it I felt better, no longer bitter. I settled in for the evening, really looking forward to Lost. I appreciated the first hour recap, set things up nicely it did. The actual season premiere was very good, a return to form almost. Some things I had forgotten that were briefly touched upon in the recap where explained further as usual.

But as good as it was, I was left to wonder whether or not it was good because it was actually good, or was it good because there was nothing on lately that wasn’t a reality show? And the fact that it’s going to be on Thursday nights opposite the NBC comedies could pose a problem. Already there is Ugly Betty opposite Earl and 30 Rock. Oh such dilemmas. If only everyone’s problems could be as serious as what to watch on TV and what to record.

I tried watching the new show after Lost, Eli something, but the George Michael gimmick wore off quickly and I watched Will Arnett and Chi McBride in Let’s Go To Prison, which is raunchy but still funny. I must make a confession here, a few weeks ago I watched a little bit of Jackass 2 and it was pretty funny.

I turned it off once the guy was piercing his face with a fishing hook, I do have some limits. I had enough TV for the night, so I decided to go to bed earlier than usual, which caused me to wake up a little bit earlier than usual but I was able to snooze it off and that was very nice. I found myself laughing whenever I could and there was a noticeable effect so thanks for that tip Anne!

Finished last week’s New Yorker on the bus so now I’m ready for this week’s. Got to the office at the same time as Greg Stevens. I wasn’t expecting him to come in today, we had some pleasant chit chat before the office started up and after I set the office up for the day he called me into his office. He asked me to find a restaurant in Long Island for some function. I’m sort of his personal assistant.

He also decided to do the employee review right then and there. First off he started by saying he hates employee reviews and so this review was over. He told me I would be getting my bonus at the end of the month and that he was happy with the job I’ve been doing. He knew it would be this way since we both worked at Wanker Banker. It’s good when the president of the company you work for likes you.

He also mentioned that Tom Chin has a problem with me sometimes, but then again Tom Chin has a problem with everyone at one time or another. He drives Bill crazy sometimes as well. That was reassuring. He made it a point to shake my hand as I left his office, feeling like a great weight had been lifted off my shoulders. I emailed Anne and Bill to let them know that everything was alright. And it was alright, Tom Chin was staying in Connecticut today. It was almost like a three day weekend.

It’s always darkest before the dawn
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and something funny

Nineteen Hundred Eighty Five

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Well here it is, Wednesday. Started out rainy, started out with me sleeping later than usual and that was because I was up until midnight which I rarely do. Maybe on Fridays or Saturdays, but not Tuesday. Bill’s dad is still unresponsive, in a fetal position. His heart rate slows and speeds up and he’s breathing on his own, but I guess not much else is going on. Bill spent most of the day at the hospital. The bitch of a home health care aide threatened to call social services, claiming that Bill is neglecting his mother’s care.

Of course this happened after Bill told her there will be no money under the table, and that her services were no longer required. Oh and she’s a judgmental religious type to boot. I tried to reassure Bill that she’s probably gone forever, and that was her last attempt to get back at Bill. She will probably move on to another family to torment, holy book in one hand, and a steel rod up her ass.

After a slow hustle around the apartment I got to the bus stop to see the regulars standing there, leaving me to think that either everyone woke up late or the bus was late. It was the bus because it was crazy crowded when I got on it. Since it was rainy and since I was late, I decided to take the train, and once on the platform I remembered why I don’t like to take the train. Too crowded and I couldn’t fit onto the first train that pulled in, I mumbled Fuck this shit and stepped off waiting for the next E train.

Got to the office a little bit late yet still in before anyone else. I did what I had to do, and also deftly avoided Tom Chin who is probably wondering why I don’t have anything to say to him that’s not work related. Maybe it’s because he yelled at me last Friday when I was still sick, or maybe it’s because he’s just a 58 year old nerd. It’s probably a mixture of the two. I heard tomorrow is the employee review day.

Two of the Three Stooges were in and they mentioned they were probably going out for drinks after work, I told them I would probably be logging onto Monster.com. I was joking really. I don’t think anything will happen, that they will fire my ass. I don’t even care about the bonus that could depend on the review. If I get it, great. If I don’t, no big deal. If they try anything though, I do have an ace up my sleeve.

I did hear from a former Wanker Banker colleague, that one of the IT guys, my old pals, Vinnie’s father passed away yesterday. That was sad to hear, Vinnie being a really good guy. I made a point to go to a card shop and buy a card for Vinnie, a birthday card for my brother in law Rex, who got the Onion Atlas that I ordered for his birthday this weekend, and a card for my late cousin Jackie’s widow, Corinne to let her know I was thinking of her. I didn’t send a holiday card to Corinne, it didn’t seem like the thing to do, they were probably still grieving and having a sad Christmas. A handwritten card a month later could say so much more.

I left the office a whole fifteen minutes early, even said good night to Tom Chin but his head is so far up his ass that he probably couldn’t hear me, being so gassy and all. Had to buy coffee for the office, I was glad to see that girl was not behind the counter. One guy filled my order, a new guy filled it, charging me for two pounds instead of three. I had to tell him the actual price. I turned and walked out the store after the purchase, and there she was, the girl who was so tired and cranky the first day I walked in. I think she thinks we’re friends. I don’t know why. I do my best not to give her that impression. ‘Oh you’re buying more coffee?’ she said. ‘Yes I am’ and I walked out the door into the brisk, yet refreshing arctic air.

Added a few hours later