last entry

This will be my last post on Blogger's server (tenyjr.blogspot.com). I will continue my blog off my own web space at tenyjr.com. My site is still under heavy construction; it will take some time to work on each section. I don't have a logo at the top of the page, and the site looks very blah. I'm new at this, so bear with me. I will say that I'm learning a lot with HTML, but I have a very long way to go. I will continue to use Blogger to publish my blog to tenyjr.com until I learn to use yet another program, Movable Type. So keep in mind, no more updates if you're visiting tenyjr.blogspot.com!

be vewy, vewy quiet - i'm hunting wabbit

Terrible start to my day. I let Salem out in the backyard, and after 15 minutes, he returns with a dead baby rabbit in his mouth. I was so disgusted with him. In a matter of 1 hour, he brought me 2 more!! Why did I let him out each time? There must be a nest somewhere. The dog next door wanted in on the action. Salem could not figure out why I was so mad at him. Normally, he'd hide under the bed. Instead, he craved my attention. No, I think it was my approval he wanted. He's a mix of cocker spaniel and beagle. So the beagle in him is a natural hunter. And he seemed very proud to bring me back his prey. I feel terrible for the rabbits, but I felt just as bad for scolding Salem. I need to check the perimeter of the fence to make sure no more rabbits get into the backyard.

Salem hiding

Salem hiding
Originally uploaded by tenyjr.

caught Salem in the bay window

Borders 30% Off Coupon

Borders 30% Off Coupon - this is valid Thursday 4-28 thru Sunday 5-1. Pass this link on to a friend!

AKA Secretary Day

What a long day; not being able to listen to the iPod drove me crazy. Not as busy - just long and slow. One bright moment: Hillman and I did get a nice surprise from our fellow co-horts in the office, since we're considered "administrative professionals" (Hillman still insists he's a "case aide" and should not be classified with me). We both received a card signed by everyone, along with gift cards - one of the girls made some delicious sweet treats to feast on all afternoon. A BIG thank you to my fellow team members. The gifts were too much (food woulda been enough; you know I love to eat), but I appreciate your thoughtfulness. Thank you :)

I was reminded of the great team I belong to. I feel guilty knowing I plan to quit when the right opportunity comes my way.

crap

damnit, forgot my headphones.
i need my music, my tunes, and i don't have my headphones!!
man, this sucks.
so stupid.

slow progress

Web sites take a lot of work. And a lot of time. I'm learning that the hard way. I know for sure I won't keep my blog on Blogger. Too much hassle to publish one thing to both places. I want to move most of what's on my blog to my main homepage, but I need to manually write up a draft before I can tackle that. I hope to do another podcast soon. I was able to set up a feed so aggregators can download my podcasts (news aggregators can also download my blog posts).

It's been a while since I talked about work. Pete's out til Thursday; on vacation or at a seminar, who really knows. Sly has been doing his best to get a grasp on the daily functions of the dept. I like Sly, but I think he should slow down and take things one at a time. Me? I'm doing fine, but I still can't get a handle on what it is I should be doing anymore. I feel like I've been demoted from an office manager to a secretary in less than 2 months. I don't do things on my own anymore; I do what I'm asked or told. To tell you the truth - it really sucks.

tenyjr.com

I think I did it. For the time being, tenyjr.com is this - my blog. The only difference is the address. The blog can still be accessed at Blogger, via tenyjr.blogspot.com, at least for the next week or so. Then I will post that I will no longer update this on Blogger since I have my own space now.

"teny.com"(?)

I'm still trying to figure out this web hosting bit. It will take time to sort out all my files, figure out where to put them, and learn how to make it all mesh together. I got my own domain and more web space to play with now. D is anxious to do another podcast, and he wants to know why other people haven't listened to what we got so far. I have a lot of learning to do as far as presenting it to the masses and getting it out there in the podcast world. Can you say "RSS"? How about "aggregator"? Words I've heard a lot of since the beginning of the year but don't know much about.

D told me Grandpa was reading my blog. He wasn't quite sure what a "blog" was. So I thought I'd give a shout out to him - "Hi Derek!!" For a definition on what a blog is, click here.

Some may have noticed I used a different photo site for Victoria's pictures - Flickr.com. It's free, easy to use, and looks good too. I'm sure I'll host my own pics, but until I figure that part out, I thought I'd give Flickr a try.

Cards sweep Astros

St. Louis 8, Houston 5

Mulder lasts 10 innings

St. Louis 1, Houston 0

support our troops

Remembering Pat Tillman - Tillman left the NFL after the 9-11 tragedy to "pay something back" to his country. It was a year ago yesterday that he died in a firefight in Afghanistan.

Armed Forces Tribute - We take a lot for granted these days. We should remember not only those who have sacrificed their lives to serve America in our Armed Forces, but the many men and women who defend our freedom to this day in the US and overseas. We thank you - our troops - and pray for a quick and safe return home!

Victoria Eudora Welty

Friday evening, after taking D to rendezvous with his dad, CL and I headed to Missouri Baptist Hospital in St Louis to visit Terry, Brandi, Emily and their new addition, Victoria. We got to the hospital to find out they were discharged earlier that morning! So we called them up and paid them a visit. Brandi was nursing the baby when we arrived, so her mother force fed us dinner while we listened to Terry retell the past few days. Then Mom and Baby came out to visit; it was the first time I held a baby as an adult. I was terrified (the picture does no justice). She is so precious! Didn't cry once. We hope to see her again soon when Grandma and Grandpa come to visit in a few weeks. Thanks to Terry and Brandi for allowing me to post these, along with some of our own ...

Baby pictures
video clip
(file size 1.1 MB, playtime 10 sec)

Cards nail Cubs

St. Louis 4, Chicago Cubs 0

episode iii

Bought 2 tickets online last night for Star Wars - Episode III: Revenge of the Sith! D doesn't know yet; I don't want his excitement to boil over. I think he's frustrated and thinks we're the only 2 big fans who have yet to buy tickets. It opens May 19, and we're going to the midnight show in Fairview. CL and I will allow him to miss school for that day since the school year's practically over. I was able to get the day off. I did tell D that if his behavior didn't improve, he wouldn't get to see the movie until it came out on video!

found some space

Successfully uploaded the lunch podcast to AOL. I will probably go with VizaWeb to manage my web sites. This includes the blog and my photos. Photosite.com currently hosts my pics, and I'm up for renewal in August. Once I figure out how I want to present them, I will cancel my account with Photosite. So I could be hosting my own sites this weekend!

Morris returns, shuts down Bucs

St. Louis 7, Pittsburgh 1

podcast - lunch in the park

Got away for lunch today. Talked about long lunches, lack of web space, podcasts, and work.

mp3
(size 8.2 MB, playtime approx 18 min)

Pope Benedict XVI

CNN.com - German cardinal elected new pope - Apr 19, 2005

lacking space

D stayed in bed this morning instead of getting up early ("tomorrow, I promise"). We'll see. Another gorgeous day, had lunch in the park, and recorded another podcast. CL and D went to Fairview to get him some summer clothes. The pup and I walked to the neighborhood park and back. The rest of my evening was spent trying to find a place in cyberspace for the podcast (with no luck). Lacking web space is really starting to get to me. I will look into VizaWeb, recommended by Leo Laporte. It sounds like my best choice for web hosting, it's cheap, and I can manage more than just my blog with it. This may mean I will require more computer time, but that's another issue for another day.

something new?

CL and D got up at 6 this morning to walk. D is trying to show that he can do something and stick to it. His dad won't let him stay in NC this summer as long as he'd like, so D needs to get on the ball and show some commitment by being responsible and active (not just a kid who sits in front of the tv all day). I hope that attitude spreads to other areas; I'm anxious for some improvement.

simple

It was a gorgeous day; sunny, high of 80. What a waste to spend it at work. Got the grass cut, had a nice steak dinner with CL, took Salem for his walk, and enjoyed a great episode of 24.

hodgepodge

Links of interest ...

• Fan interferes as Sheffield tries to field 2-run triple - Thursday night, Gary Sheffield for the Yankees took a hit to the face as he was fielding a ball. What is the world coming to? The fans that act like this don't deserve to ever attend another sporting event. You can boo and jeer and heckle them all you want, but when you want to get physical, be prepared to face the music. I know I'll hear about this, but I feel if they stop serving alcohol - that might teach some people a lesson.
• Star Wars - Episode III tickets on sale now - Thanks to Donny for the update! D cannot wait to see this movie, and neither can I. I've been disappointed with the prequels to this point, and I'm anxious for the saga to go out with a major bang. It's the episode SW fans have been waiting for. We know what happens; we just want to see it happen! I'm debating on when we'll see it; D's behavior needs to improve before I can say it's ok to see it on opening day.
• OpenOffice.org - a free productivity suite that is compatible with Microsoft Office. I just downloaded this the other day. Our PC has a 60-day trial for Office 2003; I'm waiting to see if this is a better alternative (not to mention cheaper).

Pics of my niece Jasmine ...

• Jazzy looking cute
• Jazzy's Easter pictures

My podcasts are on hold until I can figure out where I can put them. "The DNT Show" will be on hiatus as well until D gets his act together - can you say "attitude"?

Hope everyone had a nice weekend; here we go with a new week. Have a good one!

weekend

This week is a blur. Podcasting has dominated my time since I acquired a microphone for recording. And D is anxious to hear what others think about our own podcast. I was finally able to upload it and create our site last night. Check it out - "The DNT Show". Again, our podcasts are large files, so be patient in downloading (those of you who dial into the internet, I'm sorry).

I am terrible with birthdays. My niece Jasmine celebrated her 3rd on April 10, and I'm planning on sending her a gift, but I won't be able to order it til next paycheck. She's a fan of Dora the Explorer, and I saw a dollhouse on Amazon I'm sure she will enjoy. Some might think it costs too much, but I feel horrible that I've missed 3 birthdays now, and her Tito needs to make up for it. Also, a special belated birthday wish goes out to my brother-in-law, Steve. I'm sorry I missed yours as well (April 12). I STILL owe you a set of pictures (I need to get my act together).

A special mention (and long overdue congrats) to my cousin Rowena and her husband Dave on the birth of their son Hamilton Joseph. If I have their permission, I will post pics of the little guy; he looks like a Jose! (no offense, Dave)

Busy day (as usual); good thing it was Friday, and I got to leave early. I also made my rounds for the first time since I was caged in February. It was kind of liberating to see the building again and those I work with in their environment. I hope to do this more in the near future.

Well, I'm going to go relax; it's Friday afternoon, the weekend, and I wanna enjoy it. You do the same!

DNT

D was so pysched about recording our own podcast that he wouldn't stop talking about it. He kept throwing out ideas of what we would do and how we would do it. I needed to get D used to the whole recording thing, so we took Salem for a walk while I recorded. Well D started to script everything by acting like he was talking to an audience. I told him to not do that; I want him to be natural and be himself. When he first heard our test recordings, he was like, "I sound like a dork!" I told him that what he hears in his head is always different than what everyone else hears. In time, you'll get used to it. We finally got started on the podcast after dinner.

I'm surprised we were able to get one done after roughly 2 takes, 2 phone calls, and nearly 2 hours of importing, editing, and recording! We call it "The DNT Show" (Danny and Teny) and it's basically a review podcast where we talk about a something and give our opinions. Our first one is about Star Wars - Episode I: The Phantom Menace, and it lasts 20 minutes. I honestly felt it sounded uninteresting. I didn't feel any flow, and I think that stemmed from the fact that we were "performing" for an audience. Listening to our recordings earlier, those sounded natural. But the actual "show" was awkward; I think D tried to hard too shine. It doesn't sound bad; besides, it was our first.

I still have to create a website to represent "The DNT Show" and provide links to the podcast (D's classmate called when I got home and asked where he could download it, and we hadn't even started!). Oh, and I don't have enough webspace to store all the podcasts. I still haven't posted part 2 of my walk! Podcasting takes a lot of time, and I don't like hogging the computer, because once I get started, I can't stop!

Anyway, I hope to have the DNT website up tonight, along with the 1st podcast.

i hate monday

Today ended on a sour note. I interrupted my partner as he told our manager the situation with one of our other members, and I finished explaining it for him. Terrible for me to do. It wasn't intended that way; he was very busy, and I tried helping him out. Then he had to tell our manager what was going on, and I had to butt in. Stupid. I feel horrible about it. It made me feel like the "chicken of the sea" (if you know what I mean). And that's the last person I want to emulate.

When I got home, D was having problems with his homework, and I tore into him. It was unfair of me to take it all out on him. He got it all, the frustrations I have had in the past few weeks. He took it pretty well. I apologized and told him I would help him with it.

Anyway ... to sum it up, (pardon my french) it was a really shitty day.

my first podcast

Ordered the Lapel Mic Thursday, and got it Friday! Put it to use Saturday AM when I took the dog for a walk. Aside from occasional noise (wires rubbing together, the mic swung as I walked), it sounds great!! I used my MiniDisc recorder with my iPod headphones to monitor the sound. A lot of rambling, really. I noticed I seem to talk like Mr. Adam Curry - I must stop that immediately! This is my own podcast, and I have to be myself. It may sound loud, so be prepared to lower the volume. I had to split the MP3 file into 2 parts so people could download smaller files (plus I have limited webspace for now).
Here's part 1:

Started recording when CL and I went to Waterloo and South County; after maybe 15 minutes she noticed I was taping and wanted me to stop, so I did. After talking to her today, she sounded as if she may allow me to post it. But she needs to listen to it first!


Tiger Woods wins his 4th Masters in a playoff with Chris DiMarco

Sunny day, and it hit 80! Actually, it all depended on what side of the street you were on; in Swansea, one bank sign said "83" and another said "77". Cut the grass today. I hope to spend more time outside next weekend.

It'll take some time to get used to the technical side of podcasting. I'll probably do this once a week. Until the next time ... g'night!

last opener at Busch

Friday! A beautiful day, sunny, low 70's, with the Cardinals opening their final season at Busch Stadium against the Phillies. Cards are down at the moment, 4-5, bottom of the 8th, 2 outs, and the bases are loaded with Larry Walker at the plate. Exciting stuff! Man, I wish I was at Busch right now.

It was dress-down day at work to support the Cardinals. I went to the 10:00 meeting regarding Code 44. Code 44 took all but 3 minutes. The rest of the time they talked about ABN's. Wasted my time.

My foot feels better, but there is still pain. I can walk now without looking like a dork. I'll continue the ibuprofen until it goes away.

They walked in the tying run! Bases loaded, and Albert Pujols is up.
Omigosh, they walked in another ... the Cards are now winning 6-5!

Anyway, busy day at work; very unmotivated due to the circumstances I explained at the beginning of this post. Discovered someone else is unhappy with one of the team members. I just wonder if there's an end in sight to the frustrations we feel in the dept.

Hope to get a lot done this weekend outside. I also hope for it to be slow and relaxing. Yeah, right.

Cards win!!

Til the next time ... have a great weekend!

successful test

I think my audio test with Audioblogger went well. Sound quality isn't great because I was on my cell phone. It definitely served its purpose, and I'm quite happy with the result. Is that how I sound everyday?? I sound like a dweeb! Until I figure out how to do my own "podcasts", I will go with Audioblogger for the time being. I will definitely use them when we're on vacation; it's free!

A shout-out to Sonja at FM99 for playing "Ten Years Gone" by Led Zeppelin during Free Form Lunch! Unfortunately, I didn't request it. Someone called in and asked for any song by Zep that you wouldn't normally hear on the radio. And this is what Sonja dug up. It was awesome to hear this gem played by someone else other than me.

Gonna go rest; hope my foot heals in the next day or so or I'm off to see a doctor.

my 1st audio blog

podcasting

I mentioned before that I’d like to do my own podcast. Maybe a weekly thing. I’d keep it simple and talk about, well, anything (or in some cases, nothing). It’ll be like having a conversation with Teny, only I'd do all the talking (which is no different than my real life conversations; just ask CL).

My iPod requires an accessory to record, like Griffin's iTalk. But it records in mono, and I want the podcast in stereo. So I won't use the iPod. I have a MiniDisc recorder that I can use for on-the-go recording; only downside I see is I'll have to encode to MP3 after recording (kind of like recording twice). Adam Curry uses an iRiver flash MP3 player/recorder, which records and encodes in MP3 all in one step. But I can’t afford to buy me a new gadget right now.

I’ve been browsing around for a decent microphone. Target and Walmart have headsets that could work, but I'd hate to invest more than $20 on what could give me bad quality. Griffin sells a Lapel Mic that has received good reviews from actual users on the Web. And it's only $15; that suits me just fine.

D said he'd like to give podcasts a try. He got hooked after listening to Michael Geoghegan's Reel Reviews. D liked listening to his movie reviews of Heat and Get Shorty. So now D wants to do his own reviews. I told him he could once I had the right gear.

I know while we're on vacation I won't have access to a computer. But I should have a cell phone. So I will probably "blog" via cell phone one night to update as to how things are going. The audio blog should post here, and it will be in MP3 form. You'll just need to download and listen to it. I'll be testing this out before the end of the week.

catching up

My left foot is killing me. Woke up yesterday with pain, and I can't put much weight on it. As the day goes on, I can walk (I try to ignore the fact that it hurts). It really hurts when I haven't been on it for a long period of time; I practically fell out of bed this morning. I don't know if it's a pulled muscle or a sprain or if something's broken (CL laughs at me). This has happened before, and it took a week for it to go away.

Pepsi/iTunes promotion - Free songs to date: 70! This ends Monday, 4-11. After that, I'll try to clean up whatever caps are still on the shelves (caps expire in May). Thanks again to everyone for their donations.

Vacation is a little over 2 months away. We'll do the Disney thing the first week with the family, then everyone leaves while CL and I head on to Tybee Island, Georgia for some serious RnR. I can't wait to not have a care in the world for 2 weeks.

St Louis 7, Houston 3

Work has been ok. I hate it when I'm there. I feel I've rubbed several people the wrong way since I got in trouble, and there's this cloud over me when they see me coming. I shouldn't worry what others think, but they were my friends, and now I feel like I've been shunned. I'm sure someone's been talking about me. Damnit, I hate gossip.

kids

I have patience for everything in the world. Except kids. Actually, it's just one kid. I don't know what it is. D has driven me to the point of madness with his ability to annoy, aggravate, and ignore me.

I feel we've spoiled him rotten this weekend. New "Star Wars" toys came out Saturday, and he wanted to buy 3 with his own money. Grandpa bought him 5, D bought 5 of his own, and I got him a special edition figure. He also asked me for a $15 advance on his allowance so he could get the novelization of "Episode III" (which he didn't get because Walmart didn't have it). This week, he got 2 new games for his XBox. Grandma bought him a SW poster, and CL bought him 2 more. Oh, and he got the novelization for the original SW trilogy.

Yet he acts sad or bored while the rest of us watch the Final Four Saturday night. Today, he talks to me like I'm his "homey", badgers me as to when I'm gonna finish doing my things so I can do what he wants, and during dinner and afterwards, he is obnoxious even after repeated attempts asking him ... no, telling him to stop. We all gathered to watch "The Incredibles", and he launches into a fit of uncontrollable, yet forced, laughter. I got mad at him, and now that I have his attention, he glares at me like I will pay the price for being mad at him. Once again, I left the room so I could cool off. He has no idea what respect or responsibility is, and no matter what I do or try, he continues to do what he wants until it's too late.

They are still watching the movie, and I am in the same room typing this. I'm sure CL is upset that I didn't stick around and spend time with the family. I know if I did, I would spend most of the time yelling at him. In fact, he's getting yelled at by the others as he eats popcorn (he dips it in his juice, threatening to make a mess). I'm gonna go shower and watch the Red Sox take on the Yanks.

Reality check

What a long day. I spent the majority of the day working on the dept's orientation manual. We have 2 printers that don't work well and the copier is a piece of junk. So needless to say, the manual looks like crap. The bosses would like one ready for a new employee who starts Monday. My daily charges were put off to the last minute. I was so busy with the stupid book I forgot to eat lunch. And I was so tired I was craving a nap. The end of the week continued the trend of "busy" and "slow".

No pranks took place, nor did I attempt any (I'm not that creative). The local radio station did something neat and changed their format from adult contemporary to basically whatever they felt like playing. It was kind of neat to hear Jimmy Buffett, AC/DC, Green Day, MC Hammer, and Leann Rimes all in the same hour.

FM99 also pulled a fast one on its listeners by allowing their intern to take over the station and play whatever he wanted. Unfortunately, I didn't get to listen to the stream because it was so friggin busy.

CL and her mom are out playing bingo. D and Grandpa are waiting for me to finish so I can join them in a game of "007 Scene It". Whoopee. That's ok, D's such a Bond expert it'll be over so quick I won't feel any pain. Have a nice weekend!

wow

A fantastic day! We got 2 new printers and a new scanner, got all the filing done, cleaned out the closet, one of our vendors bought us lunch from the Bread Co., won an iPod via the Pepsi/iTunes promotion, and our boss and his boss quit the company!!

I'm sure you know what today is.

(sigh)

Had a wonderful dinner last night with the family. CL made cube steaks, mashed potatoes, the works. It was delicious. Afterwards, I did the dishes, showered, and played a game of hoops on the ps2. I was planning to post while they watched their tv shows, but D was being a pain. Constantly talking when he shouldn't and with a smart mouth. We felt he was crabby and should go to bed early, and that sent him over the edge. I had to leave the room for fear I'd let him have it in front of everyone.

I'm so tired. I didn't get much sleep, and I don't want to go to work today. I heard today's practice for the Final Four teams is open to the public. I'd love to go, but - damnit, I gotta work. I really can't wait for June to arrive. I don't know if I can survive 2 more months til vacation and some much needed RNR.

Quickie post

Don't have a lot of time.

Spring fever continues, as does the in-house vacation, and my motivation is nowhere to be found. I have plenty to keep me busy, but the days are just dragging. "Busy" and "slow" aren't supposed to be in the same phrase, but that's how this week has been so far.

My in-laws arrived today from NC. Most people dread the time their in-laws come to stay with them. I love having them here. I love the both of them and get along with them very well. We'll be having our Easter dinner with them this weekend. D is happy they're here while he's on spring break from school.

Hope to have more time to post tomorrow. Survivor will be on, and everyone but me will be watching. I should be able to use the PC then. Until then, g'night :)

Blogger up, Blogger down

Don't know what's up with Blogger's server - I'm having difficulty getting anything to respond tonight.

I lacked serious motivation today. Another beautiful day, sunshine, 70's, and a bonus in-house vacation day (due to illness; forgive me for being cold). As much I have to do at work, I'm losing interest in the job fast. Need to get on the ball if I want to move on.

I finished reading Ren's blog today on his holiday travels in Southeast Asia. Wonderful stuff with excellent pictures to accompany them. It'd be even better if I could hear him tell the stories himself. Could make a great podcast, eh? Hmm, don't know if he'd get into that.

FM99 WNOR, Norfolk VA. Living in Virginia Beach as a teen, and later as a student at Old Dominion University, I would tune in to 98.7. The greatest rock station I ever listened to. I was happy to discover they're now streaming live on the Web! The music ranges from Zeppelin to Metallica to Linkin Park. It's great to listen to them again. I like KSHE in St Louis, but the music just doesn't consistently rock like it does on FM99. I'm probably biased being from Hampton Roads, but who cares?

Pepsi/iTunes promotion - Free songs to date: 66. I've stalled big time with my caps. The last 6 have come from donations (thank you again!). Everything else I come up with are losers. The other downside: contest ends on 4-11, and the shop that I buy my Pepsi's from are no longer selling bottles with the contest caps. I don't really know why I'm complaining; I've got $66 worth of songs. It must be the caffeine bitching.

Gonna hit the sack - til the next time!

Spring fever

Sun shined today for the first time in maybe a week. Company volume was nice and low. People were smiling and in good spirits. More free songs came my way (thanks to Lou and Marlin!). It was steady and busy, but all in all, it was a decent and productive day.

Received an e-mail from my cousin Ren in SF. It was great to hear from him. I got him to create his own blog today. Check it out - "pigs in space" (of particular interest - check out his travel fotos, and eyedentity).

Final Four is set. Michigan St takes on UNC, while Louisville battles Illinois. I see UNC taking it all (against ILL), but I wouldn't mind the Illini taking the championship. All this basketball is making me antsy - can't wait to get outside to shoot some hoops.

Gotta go ... 24's almost over ... night!

Crabby

Saturday, and it wasn't a great day. Very blah and chilly outside with no sunshine. And I was crabby. I was busy reorganizing my side of the bedroom. CL seem to give me the silent treatment; D tried to get me to hang with him (I did play a game with him). I pushed everyone away. Didn't mean to be that way. I just wanted to get my project done.

Watched Louisville advance in OT against West Virginia (who had a 20 pt lead). Also saw Illinois come back from 15 down to beat Arizona in OT as well. Was disappointed with both results, with WV being a Big East team and the Illini being the top dog all year. Not that I don't like Illinois; I just like to root for the underdog. I will say Illinois did play the role of the underdog, having been in a deficit against the Wildcats.

Just discovered how to change the look of my Links field. So I added new sections, including podcasts I listen to and buttons for the software I use. As I get more time, I'll add more.

It's late, and it's cold down here. I'm gonna hit the sack.

Good Friday

It's early this morning. It's cold, and I don't want to go to work. It is Friday, and an in-house vacation day, so that should be plenty of incentive for me to get going.

A note/reminder to those who read this (particularly those I work with):

This blog is my journal. It is a means for me to communicate, speak my mind, and vent my frustrations. Because it can sound depressing at times, I try to talk about things I have interests in - fun stuff for me (and maybe for you too). Only a select few have access to this. I am discreet when I discuss the workplace, and I will only talk about things that happen in my presence (no hearsay). I please ask for discretion from you as well. Thank you.

I haven't been watching college basketball (what is wrong with me????). Here's the updated bracket. This weekend, I'd like to pack up the winter clothes and rearrange my dresser; I'll try to watch as I work on that.

With the end of Lent coming, I am so ready to add more music to the iPod! I have 63 free songs from iTunes, and I don't know where to begin! A very special "Thank You" to everyone who has contributed their winning caps! I greatly appreciate them!!!

Gotta get ready for work - blog at ya later - Happy Easter!!

Too tired to think of a title for this post ...

Not much to say today. Accomplished two things at work - the minutes for yesterday's staff meeting (I hate doing minutes) and charges. I never got to scans, and my planned database maintenance was postponed due to lack of cooperation (it happens).

• Pepsi/iTunes promotion - Free songs to date: 63!

It's late for me, and I'm tired. We went out to eat for dinner, then stopped at Target to pick up a few things. I hope tomorrow lives up to its name. Good Friday begins the Easter weekend.

I wish everyone a Blessed Easter :)

Happy hour

Had a great time at Severs this evening! I was very happy to see those who made it after work. Those who could not, we missed you and hope you can make it the next time we get together (to be determined, of course). It is so nice to hang out, chat, catch up, and vent all while we grab a bite and drink a few.

A few notes about blogs and blogging. The term "blog" is short for "weblog". It's basically an online journal. A blog will show posts as they are published, with the most recent on top. Older posts are archived (I think you get the idea). I'm still learning how to do this as I go, but I am enjoying the process. I hope others enjoy reading it.

I tinker with the templates to change how the blog looks. What you see now is its third incarnation. I'm considering doing an audio blog or podcast of some sort. I have to do some research on what gear I'll need to accomplish this. I wouldn't mind doing a soundseeing tour, like Adam Curry does. I'll probably use my MiniDisc player for recording instead of the iPod (better sound quality).

• Pepsi/iTunes promotion - Free songs to date: 61!

As for work, well ... to be honest with you, nothing new to say, and I'd rather escape from it. Until tomorrow, g'night :)

My playlists

The job search has been difficult. I've found another technical apprenticeship in Southern IL that I applied for (cross your fingers). I may have to start looking for "assistant" type jobs instead of techie ones. I certainly need to go back to school.

I mentioned yesterday that the playlists on my iPod were gone. I noticed when I got into the car that there weren't any, and it made me think my home PC wiped it clean again. The music and podcasts were on it, but not a playlist was to be found. Once I got to work, I plugged it in. Thankfully, they reappeared!

I don't just listen to songs or albums anymore. The beauty of using an MP3 player is the playlist feature. You're basically creating your own mix. I like to use random playlists, so you never know what you're going to hear (sort of like listening to my own radio station).

• What's on Teny's iPod
• Pepsi/iTunes promotion - Free songs to date: 60!
• The Scribbler - if you like to draw, try this out
  

Spoke to Sandy this evening. She'll be at Severs tomorrow evening after 5! Hope to see you there!

Monday, Monday

As rough as the morning was ...

• computers down all over the place
• the copier would not cooperate
• heard my name called at least 999 times
• phone would NOT stop ringing
• the playlists on my iPod were gone!!!!

... it was a rather decent Monday. The boss was in a surprisingly good mood, and he tried to make everything work out for Sly's first day as our coordinator. Sly's office had a flourescent light bulb that needed replacing, and I sent a work order to maintenance. Within an hour, it was fixed. Pete mentioned to me on my way out that I apparently "have some pull" in the company. I really don't know how to take that.

This weekend, March Madness was in full swing, and boy, was it mad! The field of 64 was whittled down to 16 after 4 days, and of the 16 top seeds, 8 of them were eliminated. My team was one of them ...

• Hodge snaps Huskies' hopes for consecutive titles
• Pepsi/iTunes promotion (ends 4-11-05!!) - Free songs to date: 57
• Think you know your favorite band's music? Play "What's That Song?"

Don't forget - Severs - Wednesday 3-23-05 - 5 PM!

"Ten Years Gone"

Friday. Not a bad day. Pretty uneventful.

I thought I'd discuss the origin of the name "Teny". When I first ventured online nearly 9 years ago, I was really into chatting. Particularly in chat rooms on AOL. I made lots of friends in a 2-year span. I don't really chat anymore. It got pretty old fast.

Instead of the usual JSmith0704 format, I created a different screenname. Seeing all the diffrent names people had, I couldn't come up with anything real creative. I decided on taking my favorite Led Zeppelin song and making it my name. Ten Years Gone was the song, but due to the character limit imposed by AOL at the time, my name was Tenyrsgon. My profile was another play on Zep tunes (Name: Poor Tom, Location: Over The Hills And Far Away, you get the idea).

When chatting, people tend to cut your name short if it's too long to type. Instead of calling me "Ten", it was "Teny". And it stuck. A circle of friends knew me by that name, and it spawned various screennames: TenysBack, TenysHere, and CL's favorite, TenyBear. After moving to the Midwest, I couldn't use TenyBear (at the time AOL had restrictions with using names on different accounts). So Teny jr was created and is still used to this day.

Next time, I'll tell you how Teny met CL.

Dark day

Another in-house vacation day. It wasn't a good one. I was stressed over how to do my job, and even though I was "independent", I felt I had no control. No matter what I did or where I turned, I felt a "presence". And it bugged the hell outta me.

I love my co-workers. But they seem to depend on me more these days, and I can't support them as well as I used to. Each time I hear my name and am pulled in 15 different directions, I get aggravated. I think I can now honestly say, "I hate my job."

• Pepsi/iTunes promotion - Free songs to date: 55

Today was the congressional hearing on steroid abuse in Major League Baseball. Probably the most disappointing thing is Mark McGwire's continued silence on the issue. I commend him for stating that baseball has a problem, and he certainly wants to help do something about it. But not stating either "yes" or "no" as to whether he has used steriods has placed him under the very cloud he's trying to help remove.

Sammy Sosa and Rafael Palmeiro both denied ever using steroids. Palmeiro did so in convincing fashion. McGwire is sincere in his statements, and he showed great emotion. He's a Boy Scout to Jose Canseco's Bad Boy. Because he's a good guy, I believe he cannot lie. If he's telling the truth, it should be no problem for him to say "no, I have never used steroids". But his lawyers tell him not to say that.

If he has used them, his lawyer, and possibly McGwire too, feels admitting it would destroy him. Unfortunately, his refusal to say anything today may already have done the damage.

I will always like McGwire, regardless of whether he has used steroids or not. I'll take the good guy over the bad guy any day.

Hump day

I received an interesting e-mail regarding a new "patriotic" can that Pepsi is supposedly putting out. The e-mail claims the Pledge of Allegiance is on the can, minus the words "under God", and the author requests a boycott on Pepsi. Pepsi issued a statement to clarify the issue.

As for my free songs, I'm in a bit of a slump; I'm stuck at 51.

CL was off today, and she stopped in to take me out to lunch. We ate at Jack in the Box (coupon for a free sandwich). We hadn't had lunch together in a long time, and it was so nice to get out of the office. I need to go out for lunch more often.

Puppy got a bath and a haircut today too. He looks so prim and proper! I'll upload a pic as soon as I can (he hates cameras).

Reminder - Severs, Wednesday, March 23 after 5 PM. Hope to see you there!

The Ides of March

As I adjusted the date and time on a co-worker's pager, I noticed today's date and muttered "Beware the Ides of March".

I'm not superstitious, but in light of how things have been lately, I was wary of what the day might bring me. It was busy (isn't it always??); unfortunately, I was not as productive as I would liked to have been.

Communication is still terrible; everything is assumed. It seems as if no one will take the extra effort to find out the answer from another member; they'll just "assume" it was done (or not, in some cases). There's always a bigger picture, but that doesn't seem to matter anymore.

A ray of sunshine did appear - Sandy stopped in to say Hi! It was so nice to see her, and she said she misses everyone. We couldn't talk long, but we did discuss events that have changed the dept. She plans to go to Severs next week. If you can, come along - we'll be there after 5 PM Wednesday, 3-23-05. It'll be good for the mind :)

Losing control

• Pepsi/iTunes promotion - Free songs to date: 51
• NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament Bracket
  

Today was a challenge. I thought I had everything under control up until 9 AM. The boss asked the weekly question of "how are things going? Do you need help with anything?" He seems determined to have someone else involved in doing my work.

He called me twice afterwards. Wanted a volunteer to help with scans. I asked if the volunteer would be comfortable using a computer. "Oh. You need a computer to scan? Hmm. I don't think so." I almost laughed out loud.

The second call was to inform me that the staff director's secretary would have time to help me with - what else - scans. I told him in order for that to happen, my scanner and software would need to be set up in her office. Boss said he would put a request in to the IT dept (didn't hear from them today).

So now I have time to do other things, since someone else will be handling the scanning. I don't really know how to react. I feel somewhat liberated, but at the same time, I feel like I'm losing control over my job. Maybe I'm making more out of it than it really is, but I can't help feeling ... well, helpless.

The day was busy as usual for all of us. I was so unprepared for today as far as assignments went, and because I was clueless, I mishandled some tasks and messed others up in the process. A total lack of communication made for a very trying day.

When team players are not communicating, you get confusion. And there was a whole lot of it today.

Frustrating.

March Madness!

• Pepsi/iTunes promotion - Free songs to date: 48
• Big East tourney: Warrick, Syracuse hold off UConn 67-63
• Win a pair of tickets to the Cardinals' home opener

I'm late with this post, I guess. Just didn't have time Friday night.

Friday was busier than normal. The boss and the safety team had an open house for their new office (located just above ours). To be on the boss's good side, I felt I should attend; besides, they had free food! But I didn't go. I had a lot to do, and I figured that was a good enough reason not to attend. And I didn't want to go.

It's March, and it's Tourney time! The Madness hasn't kicked in yet, but I haven't watched a lot of college basketball this year. My team are the Huskies of the University of Connecticut, or as we fans know them, UConn. They've been on from time to time on national TV, but I've missed most of them. Finally got to see them in action last week when they blew out Syracuse in the season closer. The two met again in the semifinals of the Big East tournament, and Syracuse got their revenge. UConn has a young team, and they have the ability to repeat as national champions. But they still have some work to do; last night, the Orange dominated the Huskies in all areas UConn excels in.

On a sad note, the mother of Coach Weber of Illinois died last night after emergency surgery. Our thoughts and prayers go to Coach Weber and his family.

Nothing new

Pepsi/iTunes promotion - Free songs to date: 46

Hmm ... don't have much to say. Busy day. Scans were not touched due to other issues (possible denials, making sense out of our assignments, too many calls regarding billing).

CL and I took Stinky to the vet; he gained 3 pounds since last year. They're concerned about his teeth. We need to have them cleaned this year. He did ok with the shots and blood work but getting him to sit still for them was rough. He did get rewarded with dinner (I won't get into that now).

Sorry ... that's all I have for now. Tomorrow's Friday, and I'm so ready for it!

To blog or not to blog ...

I read an interesting article today about blog-related firings (thanks to Scott for the tip!). Funny how my last post talked about discretion. Almost like I saw this coming.

As you can see, I've changed the title of my blog. I will also do my best to refrain from including any of (what we now know as) the "players". If an event involves me, I will probably vent about it. Otherwise, everything else is hearsay.

And I need to move on. I archived my previous posts. They will not be accessible to anyone but me. If someone I trust is interested, please e-mail me about it (especially if you're out of the loop).

Now about my day. Blah. It was busy. I had a ton of online notifications. Did a handful of scans. Almost had to issue a letter at closing time. My partner had a meeting this afternoon, and I actually did a return (boy, was I nervous!!). Got it done, though. Oh, and my Pepsi caps were losers.

The blog article did stick in my mind. Not that it bothered me so much; I guess it just made me try to rethink my approach and my attitude. I really am tired of all that's gone on. I'm ready to go elsewhere.

On a lighter note, I want to share some pics with you. Here are pics of my niece Jasmine:

• From the holidays
• Jasmine and snow

Dad is using Shutterfly. There's no need for you to join; just click on "View Pictures" underneath the image you see.

• Ankiel to switch from mound to outfield
  

My sincere apologies to those who were to hang out with me at Severs. Not everyone got my post regarding my cancellation. I will try to make sure everyone is aware when I cannot go. Not that I need to be there! I insist everyone go for a little bit, whether it be for a bite, a drink, or just to talk or listen. It's good for you :) I'll let you know when I plan to go again, and I'll stick to it!

Til the next time ... g'night!

In-house vacation

In-house vacation. It's basically a length of time (in this case, a day) at work in which the boss is not there. I could breathe easy today. No pain, no stress.

I feel terrible that my stress is spilling over onto other members of the team. Why do we feel this way? Why don't we say something? I was told it's "my choice" to be in the dept. And the words "the company owes you nothing" ring through my head. "You can be replaced."

So what's the point?

Like I said, a painless day. I focused on getting as much as I could done at my desk. Scans was my priority, and it took up most of my day. Few interruptions, nothing major.

A reminder to those who read this. This is a means for me to vent and inform. I won't include much more of what people are hearing; only what I hear. I don't want anyone to feel uncomfortable about what's in this blog. I may not have used discretion in writing my entries, but I will from this point on. I trust those that I've given access to this blog, and I would appreciate if it did not go any further.

Thanks for understanding, for the kind words, and for listening.

Free songs!

I've been drinking Pepsi since the iTunes promotion began on January 31. I've bought between 6 to maybe 10 sodas a week. I've won around possibly 12 free songs (out of maybe 30 sodas??).

Including everyone's contributions and my winnings, to date, I have 41 free songs from iTunes! Last year, I won 14 songs. A very special thanks to everyone who's been donating their caps from their soda bottles (Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Diet Mountain Dew)! I'm only taking caps from people who won't have any use for the free music, so please, keep them coming!

Unfortunately for me, I gave up putting new stuff on my iPod for Lent. I can download songs to my computer, since I'm not putting them on my iPod. And I do have until May to redeem a free song (but I'm sure I'll have done that well before then!).

Obviously, I changed the way my blog looks. I thought the other one a bit bold at first site, then more "blah" as you read on. I like the one I have now; it looks a little more organized with an even balance of color. As I said before, I plan to include more links and pictures as time allows.

As for Severs on Wednesday night (3-9-05), I'll have to cancel my plan to hang out. I will post the next time I plan on being there.

I'm missing 24!! Gotta go ...

Beautiful day

It's Sunday, and it was gorgeous outside! It felt like it was in the 70's with the sun shining. Stinky and I went for a long walk in the neighborhood, and I think I wore him out.

I spent most of the day trying to fix a leaking pipe in the bathroom sink. I think it's fixed (after 2 trips to Don's trying to get the right parts). It was like putting a puzzle together. Either the part was too short or too long. I had to be careful in cutting pieces. It hasn't leaked yet, but each time I thought it was fixed, it started leaking.

CL made two of her Homemade Gourmet meals this weekend. Yesterday, we had chicken stir-fry, and it was delicious. Today, she made gumbo - it tasted so good! I'm gonna bring some for lunch tomorrow.

I applied for 2 jobs this weekend. They're both intern-type positions, but in the computer field. They certainly pay more than I get now. One of them is on base, and the other is across the river. I'd prefer the one on base, but I won't know anything from them for maybe 6 weeks (applying in the civil service is such a long process). I have no idea who the other company is, but the job description was enticing.

In future blogs, I'll try to include links and pics to interesting tidbits that I come across. I just don't spend enough time in front of the PC anymore. I can't wait to have my own (particularly a Mac mini)!

Teny's iPod

You know lately I've been wearing headphones while I work. It's a way to keep my focus, keep me sane, and enjoy my day. My parents gave me an iPod for Christmas, and it's certainly my favorite toy right now. It's a 4th generation 20 GB iPod.

I currently have 5 gigs of music on it. I originally had 15 GB filled up, but our new PC wiped it clean. So I'm just taking my time filling it up now. What's hot for me right now: Hoobastank's The Reason. Their ballad is a great one, but the album itself rocks. Kelly Clarkson's Breakaway is my wife CL's fave, and I enjoy it as well. Other current faves: Alanis Morissette's So-Called Chaos, Eminem's Encore (I'm sure I'll hear about this one), U2's How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb. My favorite song at this time: The Killers "Mr. Brightside".

What I really enjoy listening to are podcasts. Basically an audio show (usually 30 minutes) broadcast over the Internet. They're downloadable and usually played back on an MP3 player like an iPod, hence the name. There are many types of podcasts, ranging with subjects from sports to movies to music.

One of the podcasts I listen to is the Daily Source Code with Adam Curry. Curry was an MTV VJ in the late 80's, and he's the pioneer behind the podcast revolution. He usually talks about music, technology, and helps promote other podcasts. Curry would occasionally take the listener on a "soundseeing" tour, like South Beach, Florida, as he walks past restaurants and clubs, and talks to people on the street as cars drive by. It's entertaining, educational (for me, anyway), and honest.

The other is The Dawn and Drew Show. This is a couple sitting in their living room talking about anything, or, in most cases, nothing. Dawn likes to shock while Drew plays the straight man. The show tends to get a little risque, so ... I won't get into it. I love listening to them because they're funny, down-to-earth (sometimes), and honest. With their honesty comes TMI (too much information), so beware (pay attention to their site's disclaimer).

The thing I like about podcasts is the honesty. It's unscripted, uncensored, and anything happens. Mistakes are all over these programs, and you hear them as they happen, like a painting falling off the wall or Curry queuing up the wrong audio bit.

Well, I rambled on too much here. CL wants me to quit so I can watch 24 with her. See ya ...