Save Tonight
The Ocean Blue
Royal Carribean has some cruises to the Carribean starting at like $359. But that's for a 4-night cruise, and well...blah. Basically, the 7 night cruise is a good deal...takes you to Key West (or Jamaica, depending on your desired itinerary), then to Grand Cayman, Cozumel, and back to Galveston. The starting price is like...$649, but it'll end up being $750 or so, unless you get triple occupancy. The staterooms aren't too bad, and actually have a good amount of space if you still are fine with the college atmosphere. As it is, I'm gonna try to sell the idea to my coworkers about paying $691 per person, and if I drive, along with a friend with another suburban assault vehicle, we might be able to park at my Grandmother's. Ok, this would be the true test if I can organize anything. As it is, I do the organizing for lunch, after-work hours, and what-not for work... let's see if this might even get their attention. So far, I've thrown the idea out and it's being received fairly well.
I Look Like I'm 17?
We went to a family friend's birthday party today, and some of them hadn't seen my in a long time. Then they see me with the new hair. And apparently, I lost 10 or so years to my age. Yeah, basically, I decided to have my mid-life crisis early to get it out of the way. Heh.
I dunno. My hair grows out pretty fast, and I'm even considering growing it out long again...like 10 yrs ago. If it weren't for this picture someone took, me with long, red, wavy hair, no one would have believed it. Eh, it's all good. But I doubt having a flannel shirt and a chain-wallet as my 'Presentation clothing' during a Board review would be all that great. baby steps...baby steps...
Nightmares
Sometimes, things get so intense when I'm awake, it carries over to the happy place and invades. I mean, I love my work (most of the time), but it's a sign for me to slow down every now and then when I dream about work, and wake up thinking...wait a minute...
It's like a scene from the Matrix... when does the dream world stop and the real world begins? Long story, but at least I've scaled back at work enough to not have them again. As for stress relief? Heh. I used to play the Tom Clancy games for my own personal version of stress relief.
Rainbox Six is a personal favorite, as well as SOCOM, but I swear, the hostages we're meant to save are retarded. Yes, we just freed you, yes you are to stay behind us cuz we can take a few more hits before you do... SO QUIT GETTING IN FRONT OF US WHEN WE OPEN THE DOOR. Heh heh. I mean, ya go through the trouble of dodging bullets, taking out targets, rescue the hostage, and should have it fairly easy escaping...only to have the hostage run through the door you just opened and get shot by a straggler terrorist. Oh, and yeah, we did tell the hostage to stay down and not move. What's this got to do with nightmares? Eh, well, between the game and the news, I one-time dreamt that I couldn't save a hostage in time.
Maybe it's just a message that you can't save them all no matter how you try... which coincides with work.
This is What I Get Paid To Do
What exactly is a Project Engineer? Some say the task-master. Some say the scapegoat. Some call us the assholes, while others say we -are- the project. To me? We're the social engineers. We have to know the hardware, the people, and things to make it all come together, from the start of the project until its certification isn't needed anymore.
You have someone thinking, Hey, this would be a great idea to have on-orbit, it comes down the chain, and we look into it if it's doable or not. Then we sit down, figure out how to approach the hardware, what it needs to do and not do, how much, how long, etc. Then the paperwork and social engineering starts. I call it social engineering because you have to go out there, see the people you work with eye-to-eye, associate faces with names and make it more personal.
The one thing to always remember is that people make things happen. They have lives outside of their office or cubicle, and that's what some of the coworkers sometimes forget. Sure, so-and-so didn't complete this aspect that they had to deliver to you. But did you consider that his son is in the hospital and has to visit him as a parent should? That sort of thing. If you get a roadblock, our job is to find ways around that roadblock to still deliver the hardware on-time and at cost. Sometimes, you have 3 months to a year to do the job... and sometimes, you have just three weeks...sometimes even days to complete something depending on the dire need.
And it takes the entire team to pull it through. It's amazing what a Thank you can do as a lasting impression. That or a smile, a handshake, and just keeping things good. Optimism is a must, and as for me, being labeled a 'charmer' among the rest isn't a bad thing.
The coolest thing about it is, I do this at NASA. I think of us as the best of the best, the finest minds and talents the nation has to offer. Some ask why we even have a Space Program. But the things we have today are the technology this agency has helped move forward. It's one of the best jobs in the world. It ranks up there with teachers and doctors.
DVD Release Overload
Tuesday, 9/7/04, a LOT of DVDs come out on release. The Punisher, Soul Plane, Eddie Murphy RAW, Clerks: 10th Anniv., The Ladykillers, Jersey Girl, Alias Season III (mmMMmm....Garner....) are some of the few. And Red Dead Revolver is on sale for $20...saving $30. Hrm. So yeah, I need to get myself pimpstressed out by some of my female friends. They know their cut on the take is a good payoff... now if they only had the time to actually do it... Best Buy would love me. Oh, that and it's also bowling night.
We might actually get everyone to come out this week.
Ok, dinner time. Laters B-log
Royal Carribean has some cruises to the Carribean starting at like $359. But that's for a 4-night cruise, and well...blah. Basically, the 7 night cruise is a good deal...takes you to Key West (or Jamaica, depending on your desired itinerary), then to Grand Cayman, Cozumel, and back to Galveston. The starting price is like...$649, but it'll end up being $750 or so, unless you get triple occupancy. The staterooms aren't too bad, and actually have a good amount of space if you still are fine with the college atmosphere. As it is, I'm gonna try to sell the idea to my coworkers about paying $691 per person, and if I drive, along with a friend with another suburban assault vehicle, we might be able to park at my Grandmother's. Ok, this would be the true test if I can organize anything. As it is, I do the organizing for lunch, after-work hours, and what-not for work... let's see if this might even get their attention. So far, I've thrown the idea out and it's being received fairly well.
I Look Like I'm 17?
We went to a family friend's birthday party today, and some of them hadn't seen my in a long time. Then they see me with the new hair. And apparently, I lost 10 or so years to my age. Yeah, basically, I decided to have my mid-life crisis early to get it out of the way. Heh.
I dunno. My hair grows out pretty fast, and I'm even considering growing it out long again...like 10 yrs ago. If it weren't for this picture someone took, me with long, red, wavy hair, no one would have believed it. Eh, it's all good. But I doubt having a flannel shirt and a chain-wallet as my 'Presentation clothing' during a Board review would be all that great. baby steps...baby steps...
Nightmares
Sometimes, things get so intense when I'm awake, it carries over to the happy place and invades. I mean, I love my work (most of the time), but it's a sign for me to slow down every now and then when I dream about work, and wake up thinking...wait a minute...
It's like a scene from the Matrix... when does the dream world stop and the real world begins? Long story, but at least I've scaled back at work enough to not have them again. As for stress relief? Heh. I used to play the Tom Clancy games for my own personal version of stress relief.
Rainbox Six is a personal favorite, as well as SOCOM, but I swear, the hostages we're meant to save are retarded. Yes, we just freed you, yes you are to stay behind us cuz we can take a few more hits before you do... SO QUIT GETTING IN FRONT OF US WHEN WE OPEN THE DOOR. Heh heh. I mean, ya go through the trouble of dodging bullets, taking out targets, rescue the hostage, and should have it fairly easy escaping...only to have the hostage run through the door you just opened and get shot by a straggler terrorist. Oh, and yeah, we did tell the hostage to stay down and not move. What's this got to do with nightmares? Eh, well, between the game and the news, I one-time dreamt that I couldn't save a hostage in time.
Maybe it's just a message that you can't save them all no matter how you try... which coincides with work.
This is What I Get Paid To Do
What exactly is a Project Engineer? Some say the task-master. Some say the scapegoat. Some call us the assholes, while others say we -are- the project. To me? We're the social engineers. We have to know the hardware, the people, and things to make it all come together, from the start of the project until its certification isn't needed anymore.
You have someone thinking, Hey, this would be a great idea to have on-orbit, it comes down the chain, and we look into it if it's doable or not. Then we sit down, figure out how to approach the hardware, what it needs to do and not do, how much, how long, etc. Then the paperwork and social engineering starts. I call it social engineering because you have to go out there, see the people you work with eye-to-eye, associate faces with names and make it more personal.
The one thing to always remember is that people make things happen. They have lives outside of their office or cubicle, and that's what some of the coworkers sometimes forget. Sure, so-and-so didn't complete this aspect that they had to deliver to you. But did you consider that his son is in the hospital and has to visit him as a parent should? That sort of thing. If you get a roadblock, our job is to find ways around that roadblock to still deliver the hardware on-time and at cost. Sometimes, you have 3 months to a year to do the job... and sometimes, you have just three weeks...sometimes even days to complete something depending on the dire need.
And it takes the entire team to pull it through. It's amazing what a Thank you can do as a lasting impression. That or a smile, a handshake, and just keeping things good. Optimism is a must, and as for me, being labeled a 'charmer' among the rest isn't a bad thing.
The coolest thing about it is, I do this at NASA. I think of us as the best of the best, the finest minds and talents the nation has to offer. Some ask why we even have a Space Program. But the things we have today are the technology this agency has helped move forward. It's one of the best jobs in the world. It ranks up there with teachers and doctors.
DVD Release Overload
Tuesday, 9/7/04, a LOT of DVDs come out on release. The Punisher, Soul Plane, Eddie Murphy RAW, Clerks: 10th Anniv., The Ladykillers, Jersey Girl, Alias Season III (mmMMmm....Garner....) are some of the few. And Red Dead Revolver is on sale for $20...saving $30. Hrm. So yeah, I need to get myself pimpstressed out by some of my female friends. They know their cut on the take is a good payoff... now if they only had the time to actually do it... Best Buy would love me. Oh, that and it's also bowling night.
We might actually get everyone to come out this week.
Ok, dinner time. Laters B-log
posted by Bum at 17:36
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