Monthly Archive: January 2008

The desk dilemma

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Wed. January 16, 2008

Today was the last day for someone who just joined our team recently. I guess it wasn’t a good fit for whatever reason. So, that leaves a vacancy in terms of desk space. His old spot is pretty integrated with the group. It’s pretty close to the manager with the monitor facing just about everyone else. I suppose it really doesn’t matter because no one’s monitor is really all that hidden. My manager started musing out loud: “so…which one of you two are going to move here?” He was referring to my colleague and I. The two of us are sort of farther away from the rest of the group. My desk is probably farthest away and pretty much in the area of another team, however I’m still basically in the vicinity. The other guy’s isn’t so far, but still a little distance away. Neither of us really expressed any interest in moving to that new spot. It’s like we were in a standoff over who would be forced to move.

My manager eventually did say, “[Jason], I think you should move here.” I’m not sure what came over me, but all I replied with was “mmmmmaybe.” See, I can see merits to moving desks. I’d certainly be closer to the rest of the group and I’d actually be able to keep closer tabs on conversations that I tend to miss since I’m at a distance. It would be nice to not miss out on some of the jokes. However, do I want to give up on some of my freedom? As well, on principle, I sort of don’t want to give up my spot. Between the two, my spot seems to have the aura of higher desirability. Why would I give that up and give my colleague the spot?

I could play hardball and designate that I’ll make the move on one condition: that my colleague doesn’t move to my old spot. Ooh, that would be evil :twisted: . Am I willing to go that route though? Does he want to be so far away? It would really isolate him because there would on longer be a link to the other group. As it is now, he’s sort of midway between me and the rest of the group, so there’s still a slight feeling of connectedness for me at my desk. I’m OK with a little isolation because I’m capable of working that way. If he moves to my old spot, and I move to the closer desk, he’s on his own.

So many things to consider. I’m almost sort of hoping that my manager will just flat out tell someone to move desks. It would make things easier on my colleague and I. Although, I have the feeling that I would be the target anyway. Damn, why do I have to make this harder than it has to be?

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Hunger, laziness and bordeom don’t mix

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Tue. January 15, 2008

You know, boredom/laziness and hunger is not a very good combination. It can lead you to eat things that probably should not be eaten. Yesterday after being in bed all morning I ventured over to the kitchen out of hunger and because I had nothing better to do. I suppose I could have toasted bread and fried up an egg or two, but I wasn’t in the mood. So, I decided to default to whatever required little effort. There were various leftovers in there. I popped some rice and tocino in the microwave. At that point I would have been good to go. However I took another glance in the fridge. I was surprised when I spotted in the corner a plate of sushi that was leftover from last Saturday–two pieces of crab roll and two pieces of salmon. I’d set it aside for my father, but he never got around to eating it like I thought he would.

See what I mean? Under normal circumstances I would have tossed that out. I mean, it’s so not fresh. However, that afternoon all I thought about it was: “uh…well at least I won’t have to microwave it…”

I unwrapped it and gave it a good sniff. There was no fishy odour, no discolouration, and no mold. I judged that I was good to go, so I popped them in my mouth. Yes. In hindsight…not a good idea–it was pretty gross. To tell you the truth though, what made it gross wasn’t the fish: it was the cold, hard, semi-dehydrated rice. That stuff is hard to chew and swallow. Good news is, there was no poisoning or over-active GI tract involved.

Oh GOD. I’m eating like I’m in university again! 8-O

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Rest and sleep took priority today

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Mon. January 14, 2008

This morning when I woke up, I was feeling even more rotten than I did the night before. I was considering heading in to the office but decided to first see how gross my expectorations were. And yeah, they were gross. I also had a bit of a headache, so I gave up. I emailed my manager to tell him that I would be staying home. I told him that I’d be actively taking meds so that I could be in office tomorrow (hopefully).

For most of the day I was lying in bed trying to blank my mind out in between trips to the tissue box. Man, I generally hate being this unproductive. When I knew I was taking a sick day, part of my mind was already making plans on how to best use this time at home. I wanted to tidy up, do laundry, and find some other things around the house that needed some sort of action. I felt the need to be busy because honestly this is like a gift of an extra day to bring order back to one area of my life. Heh. So much for those plans. Rest and sleep took priority today–and you know what? I have no regrets.

I wonder what’s going on with me lately. It’s only recently that I’ve come to the realization that my health isn’t so robust as it once was. Now though? This cold has happened way too soon after my bout with bronchitis. If I was stubborn and went for a long slow distance run this past Sunday morning (just like I did last October), I’m sure I would have ended up with bronchitis just like back then. I’m not too concerned though. I mean, I guess it would be really easy to blame things like my job and running for weirdly affecting my health levels. However, I think this has just been a tough few months–nothing more. I think soon enough these things will pass and my health will be good enough so that I won’t have to stress about it.

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Is it next Sunday yet?

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Sun. January 13, 2008

This week is going to be hectic. We have a code launch this Friday which means a big push to get bug fixes done and out the door during the days prior. This Saturday is our company’s holiday party. It was postponed from last month due to the big snowstorm. If I wasn’t in the spirit last month, I sure as hell won’t be in it this weekend. I mean, seriously…we’re well into January–we should be over and done with the festivities. I guess the only thing going for that evening is the free booze. I get three drink tickets, but I think I can scrounge for more from some of my colleagues. And hey, if not, I can always fill up on wine during dinner.

Uh…not that I’m a drunkard or anything.

To top it all off, I seem to have picked up a cold from work. There are a couple of people there that have been sick over the past week, and I’m sure I got something from them. I’m not sure how I feel about them going into the office when their orifices are extremely productive. I want to be angry, but I understand the need for them to be in office doing work. Where does that leave me though? Well, I’m not coughing all over the place, but I’ve got headaches and I’m mildly drippy. Who am I to not take part in the corporate culture of spreading illness? I’ll just do my best to keep it contained.

Well, I’ll see how I feel in the morning. Maybe I’ll try to work from home. Maybe I’ll just go into hiding.

Is it next Sunday yet?

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It’s my carrot

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Sat. January 12, 2008

Doesn’t it seem like the year is flying by at a good clip? Mid-month/pay day is just a few days from now. It seems like it was only a very short while ago that we were going through the whole new year thing.

I remember that host Jay Ingram on Daily Planet once spoke about a study that seemed to suggest that people experience the passage of time at a faster rate as they age. It’s interesting stuff there. If I think about how I experienced my childhood, it seems like time periods stretched out far beyond what was expected. Back then I didn’t really pay attention to that fact though. I guess at that point in life people can afford to be carefree, right? As soon as expectations and responsibilities start creeping into the picture, that’s when things become tougher. All of a sudden there aren’t enough hours in the day to accomplish what needs to be accomplished. It’s like your eyes are suddenly opened after years of clouded vision.

A big difference that I can identify between life now and life back then is the fact that now the things to strive for happen more frequently. Does that make sense? In elementary, school is just routine, with maybe summer vacation as the main delineator. Sure, there are tests and exams, but they didn’t feel like they were of too much consequence (whether or not that’s true is another matter). Now, there are deadlines galore where my ass is on the line. There’s also pay day which really acts as a time marker of sorts. With these things always looming on the horizon, there’s enough to keep me moving forward. It’s that transparent dangling carrot that Alanis sings about–at least, it’s my carrot.

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Lament of a homebody

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Fri. January 11, 2008

Damn it.

I don’t understand why I have to be the butt of a joke just for the reason that I currently don’t have a terribly active social life. It’s not like I’m friendless–I’ve got friends that I meet on a semi-regular basis. I just don’t find myself in a position right now to drop everything to do something spontaneously. I don’t party or go clubbing all that much either.

Some people are just homebodies. I’m like that–my home is my sanctuary. I need that place to get away from the world. And so what of it? It really just pisses me of when I’m made to look like I have less worth because I’m not a party animal type. Screw that!

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A feature of the falafel

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Thu. January 10, 2008

(A bit of a gross out entry. Skip it if it’s not your cup of tea.)

I was introduced to falafels during my time in university. I wasn’t too impressed with them at the time because the place I got them from produced these dry ochre starchy things. The restaurant pasted them out on a pita in a manner that didn’t look appetizing. I don’t want to get graphic about it but it reminded me of spreading things that food shouldn’t remind you of with a spatula. Nope, it wasn’t all that pleasant. It’s only in recent months that I’ve decided to give them another try at a place around the corner from work. Wow, what a difference. These ones are fragrant and very tasty. That place’s falafel sandwich is now on my list of alternatives when I’m not in the mood for meat at lunch.

Thing is, when I eat that sandwich it sort of stays with me for a long time. I mean, falafels are made of chick peas–read: beans. Get what I’m trying say? A few days ago I had a sandwich and thought nothing of it until the day after. On the way home I was hit by a heavy duty bout of gas. I’m already a gassy guy, but daaaamn. You know how I could tell it was because of the falafel? Let’s just say that what I was producing was very triggering the same receptors as the sandwich from the day before. Hah! Frankly, it’s mildly entertaining; it’s something in the back of my mind when I buy a falafel. I consider it a “feature.” Heh.

(Being that I’m in tech (sorta), considering it a “feature” sort of amuses me. Any computer geeks out there know what I’m talking about?)

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Language shyness

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Wed. January 9, 2008

As a FirstSecond-generation Canadian, I feel that it’s something of a blessing that my parents made it a point for me to learn Filipino. It’s a good skill to have because it’s a link to my parents’ culture which I wouldn’t normally have growing up here. Even though my hold on the language is pretty loose, I can still get by and have broken conversations. Sometimes I find myself a little embarrassed attempting to converse with relatives though because inevitably they’ll poke fun at a malapropism or say something to the effect of “I love it when you speak Tagalog! It’s so cute!” Blarg. So, I’m not exactly confident.

Lately though, I’ve been kind of getting over my shyness over using the language in public. How? Well, I mean, I encounter Filipinos in a few places from day to day. Most of the time I’ll greet them as I would other people with a simple “hello!” However, sometimes I’ll have the presence of mind to attempt a “kumusta!” When I do though I get a little nervous.

Will they start speaking fast?
Will I be able to understand and come up with good responses?
Am I using the correct honorific particles where needed?

Seriously! It’s hard to get into using respectful forms of Filipino because there sort of isn’t any direct equivalent in English. Now, all I know is that it’s probably a safe bet to throw in a “po” here and there to at least have a semblance of respect. God, the last thing I want to do is offend the people I’m trying to link with in new ways. Do I need my pharmacist thinking that I’m an ass?

Anyway, this is a skill that I want to build on. I wouldn’t have readily pinned the language as part of my identity, but as my parents get older I’m finding that it’s becoming more and more important to me. I may not become proficient at it, but at least I’ll be capable.

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