Collwen- Woman of varied worlds

Finally!

I start work on Monday!

Help Desk on contract at the state for OCFS (Office of Children and Family Services). I figure that I will probably be on the application support team, since I've already had experience with one of the applications back when I was uber-secretary and helping out with testing and creating screenshots for a new release. And I know a bunch of people from different aspects of that application team who are still around. But, I may be wrong in that feeling.

"Not All Geeks are Ugly"

re: the amount of eye candy at work, and how a number of the guy geeks fall under that category (the originators of the conversation were looking over the ladies).

Particular program actually needs disks to install. Go to the person who has the disks.

Me: I need Program_version_x.
Him: Ok- hands over a set of disks, now it's expensive so guard them with your life.
Me: This isn't Program_version_X, it's Development_package_of_the_Program_Version_y
Him: It's the right set of disks.

2.5 hours later- I can't get the application to install correctly because the software won't activate and I keep getting messages that the application and the serial # don't match. I've gone back to him, other people he's suggested, and finally to my boss - who then tells the person who gave me the disks to call the application support line (because I'm not supposed to call the vendor)

Him (via instant messenger): Oh... here's the problem. I gave you the wrong disks.

So we got a shock today- one of the 2nd tier Unix technicans has left suddenly. The search is on for another one already. I have the job requirements that I can send to any interested person.

but it's not. I'm figuring I might be able to catch up more than I have been while I'm on a break.

Work is fairly slow right now, but I expect that to change out of the blue on Jan. 2, 2007 when all of the GE employees come back (and call in the issues they didn't take care of before they left for vacation or issues that developed over their time away) and their can buy stuff again (purchasing was limited during most of the month of December).

I'm going back to Weight Watchers. A blouse that I purchased for Philcon last year (for a LARP) didn't fit anymore when I went to MEPACon Fall. My pants are getting tight again. I used a gift card that was given to everyone in my team here to get a new outfit, and had to get size 22 pants again. I was down to where I could contemplate 16s and 18s depending on the construction.

I'm no longer in the state of flux from my aunt's condition. Things are still hectic but I have to take control of this again.

There's a meeting that's in between home and work in Latham. It pretty much ties for the most meetings in the area (the other location being out by Crossgates and has only one more morning meeting than Latham). Does anyone go to meetings at either of those locations, and if so, how are they?

I'm figuring that I can probably hit the Thursday 5:30 meeting on my way to dance practice (in the future, when it's back up and on Thursday that week).

I'll be at the Stronghold for New Year's Eve. {nb The Stronghold is my term for the BesterGryphMurphSeoMorton house. If nothing else, it's easier to say} I know I emailed purpura saying I'd be there. I hope she got it (can you let me know?)

Apartment hunting proceeds apace.

Ok... it may not be as bad as I thought. I spoke to HR, making it clear that I'm an Long Term Supplemental, and he said at manager discretion I could get up to 5 days. I forwarded the email link he provided, and his name, to my manager.

Now to wait for said manager's response. *crosses fingers*

"Thanks for 'Stickin' with us" - the surprise is a little notepad in the shape of a sombrero wearing, guitar playing cactus with a handlebar mustache.

It's not even a sticky note pad.

India’s Technology Capital Braces for Protest

Karnataka, the Indian state that has Bangalore in it, is being shut down by a set of organized activist groups today/tomorrow (12 hrs starting at 8:30pm EST tonight) over a border dispute with Maharashtra, the state to the north.

Not only does IBM have a lot of people in Bangalore (including the other group of people who takes calls on my account), but other companies like Yahoo, Google, Infosys, and Texas Instruments have major resources in Bangalore.

So I'm here tonight for OT on the possibility that by effectively losing the India Desk we're going to get slammed. And tomorrow morning they have more people coming in the early hours as well. Even though the protest should end at 8:30 am EST), there would be time before the city and transportation are back enough for the Indian agents to get from home to the office.

I wish that there was a cause big enough that a disruption like that could be done here in the States. Heck... back in April an actor's death (by cardiac arrest) in Bangalore caused riots that actually killed additional people.

ioldanach mentioned yesterday in his journal that it was Customer Service Week. We're having it too. There's a fiesta theme... and yesterday we got little boxes of Hot Tamales cinnamon flavored candy. With a note- "Your Customer Service is HOT!!!"

There's also red and yellow streamers and balloons (orange balloon as well), for the "fiesta" theme and signs with dancing chilies on them.

Usually they will have lunch one day for us, but no idea when. And last year they had a chili cookoff, but they should have told us about it already if they were going to have one (so we could get ingredients and cook....)


I also came in to find an email about our dress code- They're loosing up the requirements. Basically, the "casual" level of dress code is now the base dress code. We can wear jeans, sneakers, and casual shirts... as long as it's clean, neat, and tasteful.