Monthly Archive: April 2008

The week needs to end right now

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Wed. April 30, 2008

Damn it, man. I’m just tired. I got home last night at about 1, got a few hours of sleep before getting up again to head back to the office. I had to arrive early so that I could leave early in order to make my run. We did hill training pretty vigorously and I’m a bit wiped right now. The week needs to end right now. Ugh.

Yesterday I wrote about how some people end up infecting their coworkers by coming in while sick. Today, suspiciously, two team members were away sick. Maybe I dropped a viral bomb of sorts causing them to lie in bed miserably. Maybe my body is a cage holding illnesses in that would knock down any lesser man.

Ha! As if.

I wonder if the release of GTA IV has anything to do with it. I somehow doubt it, but it’s possible. Hmm. Why do I care? Actually, I think I need to muse about this aloud just to appease my guilty conscience. However, why am I even guilty at all? Damn it!

Is it Saturday yet?

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Painting from splatter

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Tue. April 29, 2008

[9:05:39 PM] my ox is broken: quick! boot pick!
[9:05:49 PM] jenelle: brooke & syesha bottom
[9:06:02 PM] jenelle: i’m so tempted to say syesha goes
[9:06:07 PM] jenelle: in a carly-esque elimination
[9:06:15 PM] jenelle: but i think its brooke’s time to say goodbye
[9:06:53 PM] my ox is broken: syesha gets to stay in the mansion while brooke gets the one way ticket to the everyman shanty town?
[9:07:24 PM] jenelle: yeah
[9:07:27 PM] jenelle: i guess so
[9:07:35 PM] jenelle: damn ur witty banter is getting better with time
[9:07:55 PM] my ox is broken: maybe i’m just losing my mind
[9:08:19 PM] jenelle: or maybe you’re high on the good stuff
[9:08:22 PM] jenelle: and i mean LATE NIGHT CODE JAMS
[9:08:26 PM] my ox is broken: or that i like painting pictures from the splatters of my verbal runs?
[9:08:31 PM] jenelle: OOOOOOH damn
[9:08:38 PM] jenelle: that was hilariously disugsting

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My temporary mental lapse

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Tue. April 29, 2008

I don’t want to say that the differing work hours are messing with my circadian rhythms because it’s only been one night thus far. However, I think something is up. This morning as well yesterday morning I woke up at my usual time, had breakfast, puttered around for a bit before getting this uncontrollable urge to go back to sleep. So, both times I headed back to the bed and passed out for another 3 or 4 hours. I don’t think it’s entirely healthy because each time I woke up from that sleep period I felt groggy like I had a hangover or was recovering from jet lag. I haven’t been feeling well so it could all be tied together. All weekend I was sneezing and feeling generally congested. Those symptoms went away, but I was left with a general uneasiness. I think I just need to get out into the sunlight and expend some energy.

It’s hard to be on the ball in this state. Yesterday I was feeling especially brain dead. I recall going up to the sink at work and grabbing for the non-existent hot water handle. Now, the handle’s been broken for weeks. I knew that. I saw the missing handle and yet, I still grabbed for it, felt air, and wondered what the heck was going on. Apparently I left my intelligence at home.

It’s not like I could have called in sick–we’re in a period of time where you better be damn well sick if you’re going to miss a monitoring shift. I wasn’t hacking or drippy–just mentally gone. That’s not a good enough excuse, really. It kind of makes me think about corporate culture tends to cultivate this type of super-heroism. It’s not uncommon for people who should be in bed to actually come into work anyway all in the name of productivity. From one point of view it’s sort of admirable. However, as it happens, that person often ends up infecting other colleagues causing even more problems. How is that helpful at all?

In my case, last night it seems that my temporary retardation did have an effect. When I came in today I heard news that there was a problem with one of the graphs indicating an issue that one of my colleagues had to fix. I took a look and it seemed like the problem started all the way back to 6PM last night. It took my a few moments before I realized that that was during my shift. I should have noticed the issue and raised a red flag or two. However, I was caught up with a bout of momentary stupidity to do anything about it. I swear, I was checking out the graphs and didn’t really spot the issue at all. I was aware enough to be able to report other issues…but not that important one. That’s one of our essential jobs during this monitoring period: watch the graphs! I was watching, but not comprehending, I guess. Luckily the site wasn’t down or anything like that. Rightfully so. I was actually placing orders on the site and nothing seemed out of the ordinary, so lucky there. I guess everyone is also fortunate that I wasn’t put in charge of operating heavy machinery. I spoke with my PM and everything seems alright. I’m a little bit better off today, but that might just be because I’m increasing my vigilance to not have a repeat of yesterday.

Oh man. What the heck is going on with me?

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Transit city, tolerant city

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Mon. April 28, 2008

I’m thinking that I might have underestimated the Torontonian public. To get to my shift today I had to take the bus, RT, subway and streetcar–one of each, eh? I was half-expecting some sort of half-assed hostility toward the union employees given the disturbance over the weekend. I observed the people though and everyone was well-behaved. I didn’t see a single person cussing out an employee. Instead, to every driver and ticket collector I came across I saw public giving polite nods and greetings. It’s all well and good for sure–don’t get me wrong; however, I’m kind of surprised. It’s not that I have little faith that people here can be polite. It’s just that over the news broadcasts and what not it seemed like most of the people voicing opinions were rather blinded by rage. I can’t say that they’re wrong to feel so angry either. I just expected those sentiments to carry over into today. I suppose it did help having the Premier and Mayor publicly ask people to behave and be polite. I’m sure there are still some isolated incidents here and there that will happen, or have already happened. Regardless, I’m still impressed with the city.

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Running log: 2008/04/27

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Sun. April 27, 2008

Do you remember that Arnold Schwarzenegger film Junior where he gets pregnant?

Yeah…neither do I. Actually, no, that’s not true. I vaguely recall one scene where he goes up close to DeVito complaining about how sensitive his nipples were.

So why am I mentioning all of this nonsense? Well after this morning’s run I came home and peeled off my shirt which had really retained a large amount of sweat. As I did I felt a bit of stinging around my chest. I felt around and was surprised at how sensitive my nipples were. So, really this is a first for me. It’s the first time I’ve actually experienced the dreaded nipple chafing that my clinic instructor talks about. Ugh! It’s real!

See, during the clothing talk of each clinic I’ve been to, the topic inevitably comes up. There’s always talk of marathoners coming back with bloodied chests because of the friction. It’s kind of gross. I’ve never had to deal with the excessive friction though. Why? Well, last summer I didn’t have to deal with really long distances. When I did get to longer distances it was during colder weather meaning that I didn’t sweat quite as much. Well, now it’s getting warm again and I’m running 10K on Sundays. Man, today was the first day in a long while that I really felt the effects of the sun just beating down on me. The water I was carrying really helped. I really needed the water to replace what I was losing through sweat. So all of those factors combined to increase the amount friction, leading to a bit of pain. This might just be a one time thing for me. If I come across this problem again I’m going to purchase some BodyGlide and apply it liberally. Apparently it helps when doing shorter distances. Worst case scenario, I can rely on band-aids to reduce the rubbing.

As for the distance, I’m not sure how this is possible, but this 10K group seems to be a lot faster that my last 10K group. Either that, or the group just let loose since neither the coach or run leader was there to help us along and keep us in check. Yet again, I was trailing everyone by a good distance. Seriously though, what else is new? I was feeling some tightness in my shins that really prevented me from going any faster. So, I just watched as everyone pulled farther and farther ahead. It didn’t matter, because I had my HRM telling me that my heart rate was OK. Except…I didn’t. See somewhere between 3 and 4K the display on my HRM went all wonky. It sucks because I lost all of the HRM/calorie data for the run. Oh well, I still had my Garmin on me telling me my pace. Seeing the pace helped push me forward. It kept me going forward because it reminded me that if I wanted to make it back in good time I’d have to push harder. With my legs rebelling though it was tough to do so.

At about 7.5K or so, a marathoner who was running with the group came running back to check on me. I really appreciated him running all the way back for me. As we ran he told me about why he started running and how far he’d come. Here’s this 68 year old guy, speedy as ever, running ridiculously long distances and loving every minute. He’s very inspirational. As I was listening, I could feel myself pushing just a little bit harder. I told him that it would be nice if I could finish in under 80 minutes. My watch told me that it was possible so I really dug deep.

In the end, I made it in 78 minutes. Hahah. I’m sure the others arrived at 70 minutes or less, but really, so what? I remember back to when I first ran 10K. I was so proud of myself for doing the distance. Now, I’m about 6 minutes faster than that first time so there’s definitely a little bit of progress.

People need to understand, it’s not that I’m putting less effort in. I’m really giving it a lot of effort! It makes me think of something that John Bingham wrote with regards to slow running:

It’s not a matter of trying. It’s not a matter of motivation. It’s just a matter of speed. A fast runner friend of mine put it succinctly when I asked him what he thought was the limiting factor in my running future. His answer was as insightful as it was concise: “Maybe you’re just slow!”

Indeed, eh? Ultimately I just get a lot of pleasure from just making it to the end, slow or not. I’m going to keep working hard to improve. However, I fully recognize that improvement isn’t the be-all and end-all. I’m glad it isn’t or else I’d go bloody crazy. No, I find much value in the act of moving forward, being outdoors, and greeting smiling people as I waddle on by. I just have to accept my limitations and enjoy what’s there to be enjoyed.

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Drained of good will

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Sat. April 26, 2008

It’s that time of season again. Two weeks prior to M-day and we’re going to be in full monitoring mode starting Monday. Twenty-four hour doesn’t start until one week before, but we still have evening shifts to deal with until then. I have six shifts: five in the evening and one midnight shift–I have none during normal daytime hours. So, once again my sleeping patterns are going to be thrown all over the place making me a little bit nutty over the next little while. At the very least, I’m going to be given cab rides back home during the late hours, but getting to work looks a little bit sketchy especially with the sudden transit strike.

I didn’t really want to write about the strike, but no matter how long I sit in front of my laptop, that’s the topic that keeps on coming to the forefront. Last weekend, when the threat of the strike was looming in the air, I think there was a good sense of understanding among commuters. I think people were rather polite about the whole affair because there seemed to be something of a bit of mutual respect. The union said that they would at least give 2-days notice so that people could get alternative methods of transportation. The notice was given, and people had time to get things in order. Then, the deadline passed, and negotiations went into overtime. All was well! Crisis averted!

So what the heck is this all about? One to two hours is not enough notice for the public. So many people were stranded and that’s just sad. People had a false sense of security and were simply caught off guard. It’s not like this is a small city–it’s freaking wide! It’s a slap in the face to Torontonians. It was very much a “fuck everyone” move. Any good will that the public had is now all but drained. I was fortunate to not be stranded downtown, but the news is full of candid reports of commuters have to walk for several hours to just get home. I can’t imagine how long it would take me to get back home from downtown just by walking. Sure, I can afford to take a cab, but what of those who just can’t afford to do so?

Well, now that we’re all in this situation, I can’t imagine that this is going to get a lot better before it gets worse. If the union is legislated back to work, the workers are gong to get harangued by commuters. Not everyone is going to be understanding–it’s going to get ugly. I don’t know. What a mess. In my case, by the time my late shifts come around I think transit will be running again. The union people aren’t seeking my respect–and so who cares–all they’re going to get from me for the next little while is the stink-eye.

That just makes me sad.

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Like a muffin or a beet

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Fri. April 25, 2008

Out of the blue this old commercial popped into my head and I haven’t really been able to get it out.

In my mind, I associate this PSA with grade 6. It reminds me of this guy named Luke who used to sing this damn tune on the bus. I’m sure he thought he was being funny, but in the end it just made me think of that guy as being a nutjob.

What do I remember about this guy? Well, he took a liking to pretending to have trashy orgasms on the school bus. It became routine for the school driver from hell to bellow out: “Luke-a-shuttuppa!” He used to howl when you said “snare drum.” On a dare, I got him to do a snot rocket in the school yard. Unfortunately for everyone, he found enjoyment in doing them. Even more unfortunate is the fact that the guy was brimming with mucus. You could hear it in his voice. I’m sure that he would have suffocated if he didn’t expel that glop somehow.

I had to do a dance routine with the guy once for gym class. Fuck, I don’t know what to say about that event. There’s a midpoint somewhere between having fun and being mortified. I’m sure I leaned toward the mortified end of the spectrum, but that guy was pretty damn shameless.

I remember being stuck with him on a research project on the Galapagos Islands. At some point early on in the process he announced that he’d be going on vacation in the Caribbean. He said that he wanted to help out but his computer suddenly came down with serious virus. Bullshit. He even printed out a sheet with some bloody garbled junk on it: “5the 5the 5the”. Of course, back then I had no idea about computer stuff back then so I just accepted it while knowing he was a being an outright bastard about it. It didn’t matter anyway: I was perfectly capable of doing the work on my own. In the end, I submitted the report without his name on it. What could he do about it being off in the Caribbean?

In the end, the guy moved to Buffalo. Prior to, he kept bragging about being enrolled into Nichol’s Academy, and making a joke that they had a high school named “Dime’s.” Ooh Lord. The joke wasn’t funny the first time around. Interestingly enough, it didn’t get any funnier by the 23rd time.

That’s all I care to drag out of my head for now. It’s quite enough for me to remember his telling me not to put it in my mouth.

ICK.

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Possessed vehicle

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Thu. April 24, 2008

I swear, there’s something wacky going on with the car. After eating out tonight, I got in the car and flipped on the lights. The parking lights came on but the headlights remained off. Strangely, the act of turning on the lights actually unlocked the car. I tried to manually push the latch to lock the car but it felt like the motor was forcing it open. I turned the lights off and on a few times, and whenever I switched it on I heard the sound of the car unlocking. I pressed the automatic lock and the latch didn’t budge. I tried the wipers and they refused to move either.

I shut the car off and turned it back on. It didn’t really have any effect though–the headlights still wouldn’t come on. I sat around wondering what the heck to do, but moments later the headlights came on, the doors were lockable and the wipers worked once more.

What the heck? This isn’t the first time this sort of thing happened. I’ve seen this behaviour before but didn’t really pay too much attention to it. I’m sure there’s a perfectly logical explanation to it all, but at the same time it’s kind of amusing to be able to say that I am the owner of a possible possessed vehicle. Ha!

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