Okay, so ... I somehow survived the first day of work at my new job. It turns out they're even more disorganized than the big K was ;) but I was kind of expecting that. I actually get to institute my own process and have already scheduled my first meeting as well as evesdropped on conversations and jumped into them. Since I've only been on a few hours, nobody really has a grip on what I need to be part of. So I'm showing them :). (We'll see if I survive the week at this rate). Interestingly enough the requesition for my equipment was not put in until Monday, so I don't have a computer yet. Makes things just a BIT difficult (actually I'm at a temporary office with a crap pc).

And on the second day, our intrepid explorer revealed his secret weapon: The IBM Clicky Keyboard of DEATH. Let's hope they still let him work there.

ALRIGHT!!!

I'm back. And I'm BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAD... or something like that. I have decided to come out of my "zen-like" trance and once again return to the world of .... blog ....

"Why" one might ask? stay tuned...

Hmm... I'm becoming consistently lazy with my blogging. That's not a good thing.

I was reading an article in a recent issue of some free computer magazine in Seattle. It was about Windows XP the latest installment in the global domination known as Microsoft Windows (just for clarification, I'm using Windows as I write this now). From the sound of the article Microsoft is finally cleaning up some of the TRASH that's been floating around their operating system since 1995 (or maybe earlier). I'm not here to write about what it does, go look it up youself, I did find it interesting though. I was hoping for some pictures, but there were none in the article, so I went online to Microsofts webpage and found this. WOW, the technology may be getting better, but what the HELL is going on with their designers. WICKED. I thought Mac OS X was getting too "Gel-cap" but this is SOOOO much worse. *sigh* ... let's all hope for a Kaliedoscope like utility.

The only thing that beats that is the prototype 3D Windows interface I saw a video of. I had to pick my jaw up off the floor it was so bad. Here's an article about it, but I can't find the video I saw. I sounds like Microsoft might be showing it of at CHI 2001, let's hope they don't. Their reputation is bad enough as it is. I do find it interesting since I'll be doing 3D interface design for the next few years. ** I can hardly contain myself **

On a side note, I think we've decided not to give our son a middle name. We have been trying to understand the whole point of it and are having trouble. I mean, sure, if I had a boy name John, a middle name might be useful considering there's so many Johns (no offense to any Johns out there), but if the name isn't all that common I don't really see the need. I don't have anything against them, I have a middle name, I'm just not sure that it's necessary. Hopefully my son won't be scared for life by it and have lots of anger towards me because of it. "All the other boys have a middle name, why don't I???"

:)

Of all the wonderful, beautiful things in the world I find it hard to believe that situations such as "Negotiating for Money" come up. I would have to say that negotiating for a salary I could accept was not only against my personality, but that it went so far as to ruin my whole day. I had to mentally steel myself, I literally had to take a few deep breaths, then concentrate very intensely on what I believed I was worth. The MINIMUM I believed I was worth. It's not that I was under-appreciated, it's not that they were trying to take advantage of me (I truely believe this), it's that their method for determining salary is based on some extensive research. Where this falls appart is that the type of work I do doesn't fit into any known category in any of the salary research places. This is the ONLY reason I was able to negotiate at all, in all other cases their offer is final. Thankfully, in my special case it was not, and I was not forced to decline their offer. I'm not ecstatic about it, but the increase in quality of employment should take up the slack. I was given an enormous (in my opinion) stock option grant, but it really is of no value right now so it's not all that interesting. Maybe it will turn out to be intereting, who knows.

Of course, now comes the part I've really be waiting for (not), now I get to tell my manager that I'm leaving. He should have been expecting it, but I still think it's going to be a surprise to him. It makes me sad, because I really do like him and the other people in the Group. It's just the wrong time, for me, for the company to be doing poorly. *sigh*

Honestly, I'm a little nervous. This new job is going to be a lot more than I'm used to. I hate being bored at a job and I don't think I'll get bored of this one anytime soon, but it's still a lot of crazy new stuff. Okay, so I'm nervous and Wicked excited. *GRIN*

Wow, I guess I'm a little behind. My parents came out to visit and we were having such a great time I totally neglected blogging. Now they're gone and we all have to work off all the food we ate while they were here. Where possible I like to plan visits around food, I think it's very important :)

On the Job front I should finally have the last bits of information on monday. I really like the company and the people. I'm really excited about it. I expect everything should go fairly smoothly, though there are a couple minor details that will need to be worked out. I'm hoping they won't turn into problems. I find it funny though, that after I frantically got ahold of my references to make sure they'd be available (Thanks everyone!!!) it seems that nobody was contacted. The recruiter guy made it sound like they wanted to contact the refrences before they moved forward. I figured they wanted proof that I wasn't nuts. Maybe they just feel that if I'm confident enough to give them 5 names then I must not be nuts and they don't really need to contact anyone. Who knows??

I called some people to be references who I had been (inadvertantly) neglecting to call in general. It really made me realize how much I missed talking to them. I (we) really miss a lot of our friends that we left when we moved. I've spent the last few days going, "GEEEEEEZ, I really miss *so-and-so*." And I hope you know who you are:)

So I finally get a call... actually let's be more specific... I simultaniuosly (practically) get 2 calls and an email. It would seem that they want me to come in to meet everyone else. So I "know what I'm getting into." Which seems to say if I'm willing I can get into it. *BIG SIGH* So next Wednesday I get to go and have another 3 hour chat... and maybe get some details.

That's a wet bunny

And he's not happy either. We just gave him a bath. Nothing really seems as pitiful as a wet rabbit. Their itty-bitty little tails are so funny when they're wet.


The suspence is leaving a path of death in it's wake.