I got nothing. No super interesting stuff is happening at the moment. It's a cold, rainy day out. OK, given the standard cold I've been enduring, I'm kind of happy it's warm enough out to rain. But the grey of today is a contrast to the blue skies of the past couple, and the sample of spring that had the entire town out in force. On a Wednesday afternoon, the patios were full, the sidewalk traffic heavy, and the doors and windows thrust opened.
Growing up in the South, I never got how oppressive winter can be. And truly, Louisville is not "North" really, but it's the same attitude. A little bit of warmth and clear skies brings the citizenry out in droves. After the months of being confined in coats and scarfs or bring locked indoors suddenly ends, it's time to open the windows and air out the house. It's time to send the kids outside and let the dogs play in the yard. Yeah, there's still a little chill in the air, but it's nothing a cup of coffee (or something stronger) can't easily overcome.
I guess it's time for the spring cleaning. I used to wonder why you had to clean in spring, seemed kind of dumb to just clean during one season. In case you don't know, the term spring cleaning comes from olden days of gas heated and oil lamps. After the winters of confinement, the soot and residue from burning of lamps, fireplaces, and hearths had layered everything in a home. So, when warm weather returned, and it was no longer so cold you needed to have something burning at all times to stave off hypothermia, the servants (if you had them) and you would clean the residue of winter away.
So, now here comes Spring time, kind of natures "spring cleaning", kicking the cold and dead of winter away. I do realize it's only February and this blast of spring is probably going to be ending shortly with a late snow, but it's nice while it lasts. It's a reminder that soon, if not already, the sun will shine and patios will be open and that the cold and dark days of winter are soon over.
But just in case the groundhog was right and spring has indeed come early, I've got my flippy floppies out and ready.
Hopefully soon, I'll have my motorcycle out and riding down Peachtree soon to get to work.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Friday, February 11, 2011
On the train to Bangkok, aboard the Thailand Express. We'll hit the stops along the way, we only stop for the best.
I looked outside today and saw something I haven't seen in a while, or didn't see something. There was no snow to be seen. It seems like every third day had brought snow since Thanxgiving. I'm sure there's some kind of record being broken here, but I can't be bothered to investigate. It was almost the same feeling that I used to get as a child when I looked out the window and there actually was snow. Of course, my childhood didn't involve much snow, or the scrapping of it off my car in numbing cold, or the potential for frostbite to get to work. So today's sunny, snowless landscape is a welcome change.
If only we could get Mother Nature to crank the thermostat up above freezing.
Nothing much has happened of late, which is really kind of downing. I've developed an obsession with checking my email to see if a potential opportunity is in the works. SO far nothing out of them. I'm sure they're not overlooking my keen interest, but more just moving at the speed of business. But I'm still hoping for the change to come through... certain irony the name is the same as the Greek letter that represents change in mathematics.
But this whole situation presents a problem that's more immediate. Normally the idea of waiting to get the call I can manage with minimal neurosis. The problem currently ahead of me is expressed based by the lyric "should I stay or should I go?"
For those who don't know (which I'm guessing that since so few people read this you all do, but I may have a wider readership than I know), part to the current employers "keep your job by taking time off with out pay so we can make an extra $20,000 profit and tack it onto our $1.4 billion in profit we already make" program resulted in me taking a month off without pay. So, the month of March I don't have to report to the dispatch dungeon. To be fair, I like the whole taking more time off part, even without pay. They were ncie enough to deduct the money for the past year, so I didn't have to budget it myself (which would have been a disaster).
So, I've got this whole huge plan to head to the far side of the world and see some things I haven't seen in a while (Grace and the Sydney Harbour... though not simultaneously) and some things I've never seen. But now, here's the problem. Let's say I get the call to come out for an interview for a position I'm very very interested in. So, there I'll be on an island in the gulf of SIam, laying on a beach getting a massage... and the "Can you be here on Thursday" call comes. (It's always a Thursday)... just thinking about it gives me a logistical headache. And I'm kind of tired of "hearting" Logistics.
So, that's the current quandary. As for now I'm planning to go foreward with the trip, as planned. Or more accurately, unplanned. Having everything going in a bit of a hectic pace hasn't left much time for me to sit down and map out the journey. I tried this on the last trip to Thailand, and it worked fairly well. Though we did have some general ideas of things to do and when we needed to be where. So this time, it might be even more on the fly.
So far the plan is fly to Sydney, spend 2 days bopping around the harbour (because it makes me smile when I'm there) and imbibing Victoria Bitter. Then form there, a quick jumpseat up to Singapore. I've always wanted to visit Singapore, and I was forced to back in December on the way to Vietnam. This time, I plane to spend the majority of my time outside of the airport.
From here it get's a bit murky. I'm thinking a train ticket through Malaysia. Of course there will be some stops, along the way. Then crossing the border and continue the train theme up through Thailand. Again, stops along the way in some fo the areas around Phuket (though not necessarily Phuket itself.. except for a HRC pin). On up to Bangkok to meet up with Adam before flying over to VIet-F'n-Nam to hang with the Lewii and Tanjoe (visa approval pending). After some side trips around Vietnam and maybe Laos and Cambodia, back to HKG and home.
Pretty grandiose huh?? And once outside of Singapore, it gets real cheap to live.
I'd hate to put all that on hold and sit around my apartment waiting on a phone call that may never come. But then again, I'd hate to have to leave and run back here after 3 days on the road...
Blah. It's the not knowing that kills me... I'm not good not having a plan. EVen if the plan sucks, it's still a plan. Then again, Custer had a plan and it look where it got him.
Other than that, my work schedule for the next year is pretty much set. After April I go back to working midnights all the time. Tuesday-Friday, 11PM-8AM. Let me see if I can contain my enthusiasm. I honestly was hoping for a weekend shift if only to stay on the international side of the room. But not to be.
That's all, now we wait.... the hardest part.
If only we could get Mother Nature to crank the thermostat up above freezing.
Nothing much has happened of late, which is really kind of downing. I've developed an obsession with checking my email to see if a potential opportunity is in the works. SO far nothing out of them. I'm sure they're not overlooking my keen interest, but more just moving at the speed of business. But I'm still hoping for the change to come through... certain irony the name is the same as the Greek letter that represents change in mathematics.
But this whole situation presents a problem that's more immediate. Normally the idea of waiting to get the call I can manage with minimal neurosis. The problem currently ahead of me is expressed based by the lyric "should I stay or should I go?"
For those who don't know (which I'm guessing that since so few people read this you all do, but I may have a wider readership than I know), part to the current employers "keep your job by taking time off with out pay so we can make an extra $20,000 profit and tack it onto our $1.4 billion in profit we already make" program resulted in me taking a month off without pay. So, the month of March I don't have to report to the dispatch dungeon. To be fair, I like the whole taking more time off part, even without pay. They were ncie enough to deduct the money for the past year, so I didn't have to budget it myself (which would have been a disaster).
So, I've got this whole huge plan to head to the far side of the world and see some things I haven't seen in a while (Grace and the Sydney Harbour... though not simultaneously) and some things I've never seen. But now, here's the problem. Let's say I get the call to come out for an interview for a position I'm very very interested in. So, there I'll be on an island in the gulf of SIam, laying on a beach getting a massage... and the "Can you be here on Thursday" call comes. (It's always a Thursday)... just thinking about it gives me a logistical headache. And I'm kind of tired of "hearting" Logistics.
So, that's the current quandary. As for now I'm planning to go foreward with the trip, as planned. Or more accurately, unplanned. Having everything going in a bit of a hectic pace hasn't left much time for me to sit down and map out the journey. I tried this on the last trip to Thailand, and it worked fairly well. Though we did have some general ideas of things to do and when we needed to be where. So this time, it might be even more on the fly.
So far the plan is fly to Sydney, spend 2 days bopping around the harbour (because it makes me smile when I'm there) and imbibing Victoria Bitter. Then form there, a quick jumpseat up to Singapore. I've always wanted to visit Singapore, and I was forced to back in December on the way to Vietnam. This time, I plane to spend the majority of my time outside of the airport.
From here it get's a bit murky. I'm thinking a train ticket through Malaysia. Of course there will be some stops, along the way. Then crossing the border and continue the train theme up through Thailand. Again, stops along the way in some fo the areas around Phuket (though not necessarily Phuket itself.. except for a HRC pin). On up to Bangkok to meet up with Adam before flying over to VIet-F'n-Nam to hang with the Lewii and Tanjoe (visa approval pending). After some side trips around Vietnam and maybe Laos and Cambodia, back to HKG and home.
Pretty grandiose huh?? And once outside of Singapore, it gets real cheap to live.
I'd hate to put all that on hold and sit around my apartment waiting on a phone call that may never come. But then again, I'd hate to have to leave and run back here after 3 days on the road...
Blah. It's the not knowing that kills me... I'm not good not having a plan. EVen if the plan sucks, it's still a plan. Then again, Custer had a plan and it look where it got him.
Other than that, my work schedule for the next year is pretty much set. After April I go back to working midnights all the time. Tuesday-Friday, 11PM-8AM. Let me see if I can contain my enthusiasm. I honestly was hoping for a weekend shift if only to stay on the international side of the room. But not to be.
That's all, now we wait.... the hardest part.
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