Thirtyone - Sunday Run

I went for a run this afternoon. It snowed all morning, almost an inch, and when I went running it was a mess. Icy, slick, cold, but nice. For some reason it didn't feel like it was zero degrees out. The sunset too was nice, but the cloud cover was just enough to prevent it from being amazing. I was a nice run and made me think I should do it more. I don't really want to train for anything or compete in a running race, but today, just enjoying the process felt good.

Thirty - Let it Snow...

It has been snowing for like four weeks it seems. Not that it is constantly accumulating, but it comes and goes and comes again. It warms up a little, and then freezes again. It is kind of nice, but then it goes away and you miss it again.

Twentynine - Friday!

I usually wake up at five, have some breakfast, and catch the train to work which takes a hour with one transfer. Most days it is quite busy, and when it is the first leg of the journey, which is only ten minutes, it is so packed that I don't bother to take a seat but rather stand in the aisle by the door with hoards of other people. The second leg is usually dominated by noisy school kids who seem do board in drove upon drove at every other stop and who are either playing games, listing to their music on their cell phone speakers (why do people have to listen to crappy music on even crappier speakers?!? get headphones please!), and laced up on faux Redbull energy drinks. These kids are all of 8, 10, 12 mobbing ever body's unadulterated silence. Anyway, it was friday, and for some reason, the same train I normally take was completely empty. It was still early enough to make it feel like two in the morning, and I was probably just as tired. But the Friday train ride to work was fantastic for some reason. Maybe because I was the only one on the train, or maybe I knew it was the last day of a seemingly long week.

Twentyeight - Let it Snow

It hs been snowing (off and on) for what seems like the last 3 weeks. It should continue, it looks like, for the next 3 days. This week however is quite cold, below freezing, and is a good week to stay inside. It looks realy nice outside, so I don't mind it so much, but you can only stay inside so long.

Twentyseven - Reactions and Interactions

We are all taught to do our best, try harder, improve. Yet, how many of us are truly and critically objective to themselves? Perhaps we all want to be better than each other in some way, or even better then ourselves the last time we checked. In some way or another, we give ourselves more credit while dismissing the contrary which would right us back to center. We lack honest self judgment. This is not competitiveness, which is truly a metric to gauge ourselves against others. Self judgment is knowing, understanding, and reconstructing your own self (in reflection) in situations, environments, projects, interactions, and work such that you are able to see what is good, bad, or indifferent. Sometimes we think we are hot shit, and sometimes we are. But were not hot shit all the time, and not hotter shit that the last time we checked. This isn't a tirade on people who are positive, optimistic, competitive or good at what they do. Nor is this a reasoning for the negative. I think we all may become better if we are able to be honest with ourselves. I believe, that if we are truly and constructively self critical, then who can tell us otherwise that we are better than those who are not?

Twentysix - Tuesday

It's Tuesday, but the post says Wednesday. Looks like I missed a day. Too busy to conjure up a topic.

Twentyfive - Another Monday

Even though it was another Monday, it didn't really feel like it. There was still a lot to do, and meetings, and the daunting personel reviews this week, but other than that, not too bad. I still managed to get some work done, call my parents, plan the week, help out others, and make it home on time. Lets hope the reviews go this well.

Twentyfour - Fourtyeight

The weekend is over. I just don't think it is all that fair. You spend most of your time working and with your work colleagues, and then you only get a few hours on the weekend. I would work 12 hour days just to have friday or monday off. The weekends are never long enough.

Twentythree - Product Returns

I returned a seemingly defective phone today. Normal procedure; here it is, it doesn't work, yep - receipt, thanks. But when I bought the phone, I only bought it and nothing else, but there was another charge on my bill. While returning the phone I questioned this thinking it was some kind of warranty or something. Nope. It was the charge from the person in front of me who bought a pack of CD-R's. I was told I can't get the money back without returning it. I never F***ing bought it, but you took my money! Then since I returned the phone, I needed to buy a replacement. Great, I either buy the same piece of crap I had before which didn't work, or shell out some more coin for another model. Now I'm out 19 bucks for CD-R's which somebody else has, and 10 more for another phone (this is my third one). Gotta love the financial times we live in, even the cashiers are scamming for money by not closing out the previous customer.

Twentytwo - Friday

Another long week has deservingly come to an end, or a beginning to a weekend. It is a celebration not just to relax a bit, but to enjoy time with family. Yeah!

Twentyone - Responsibility

I was in a meeting where someone got upset for bring up a topic for which they were not responsible for. I really wondered why they were taking the responsibility to discuss a topic which they were not a part off. Strange. This kind of ruined the group dynamic for the rest of the day. Then I started to think how we each have a responsibility, to ourselves, our families, our friends, co-workers, and eachother - even those we don't know. It's an important topic, especially when people take responsibility from those who should be, or we neglect our responsibilities to help others who may be less capable.

Twenty - Hee Haww

Today I felt like this...

image found on photobucket.com

Nineteen - Soap (Part 2)

In an attempt to know where our products come from and at the same time make a less expensive laundry soap... which we then used to do the rest of our laundry on Sunday. We may have had better results using old socks as soap or fabric softeners, than to use this simple recipe. Everything which was washed using this new formula came out of the wash smelling awful. Needless-to-say we had to redo much of the wash today using more expensive soap, however, our stove is still clean.

Eighteen - Boomtown Rats

Tell me why
I don’t like Mondays
Tell me why
I don’t like Mondays
Tell me why
I don’t like Mondays
I wanna shoo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oot
The whole day down, down, down, shoot it all down

This was the theme for most people today, even though they may not have hear their little voice inside their head shouting out the lyrics to this song. Thank you Boomtown Rats for giving us some of the best (most applicable?) lyrics in one of the most (worst?) melodramatic songs I have heard.

Seventeen - Soap

I don't know very much about soap, except that it's a surfactant used with water for the purpose of cleaning, some have ingredients which I cannot pronounce, some have Glycerol, and salts, and some leave "a sticky film on you which just won't rinse away." In an attempt to know where our products come from and at the same time make a less expensive laundry soap - which by the way we were short on and all the stores were closed on Sunday - we set forth with a simple recipe of water, baking soda, and bar soap shavings, which were combined into a heating pot. As my wife left to go down stairs to check the laundry, she had asked me to check the heating pot while she was gone. After a few minutes, I checked, nothing happening, so I went back to whatever it was I was doing. Well, somewhere between nothing and when my wife got back, the heating soap solution took to our kitchen like Vesuvius to Pompeii. The baking soda was the special ingredient which allowed for the pot to boil over like crazy, silently. I swear I heard nothing. Needless to say the added benefit of making inexpensive soap is that you can clean your kitchen and stove in the process.

Sixteen - Workout Day

Not only did we do an early morning run around the blustery river, we also enjoyed a seemingly long hike through the snow, wind, and cold. All around fun and fatigue, Nice!

Fifteen - Friday

Another work week awards us with a weekend. Not much else matters except the promise of spending time with the family.

Fourteen - Never Enough Time

There are things I have put off, small things, for about a month. But it never fails, every time there seems to be a small window of opportunity to catch up, I get a call which requires some type of resolution which takes two days, or weeks to solve, and inevitably, that call, is not the only disturbance. There are already about 50 things happening, long term, short term, high prio, back burner kind of things, but no matter the issue, I could spend all my time working, and still not have enough time to finish. Then I would never have enough time for my family, or myself. So we make choices. Personal priorities, work-life balance compromises. But still not enough time.

Thirteen - It's Early

It's too early to go to work right now. The good side; I can get some work done, and there is no one at the coffee machine.

Twelve – Smokers Suck

In 2010, most first world countries realize the health detriments to cigarette smoking and second hand smoke. Even in Japan those who do decide to plague their lungs with tar and impregnate their tissues with carcinogens are quarantined in small cubical containers with independent ventilations systems, which are now being removed from public buildings; similar in nature to the “smoker lounges” in many airports. In the US, some regulations (for which I am pleased) mandate that smoking be performed more than ten yards away from the front entrance of a public building, and in California, no smoking at all in, around or near any building practically. Subsequently these regulative successions have led to the curbing of addictive habits, which more than just the smoker can benefit from, all cravings aside. Here in a country which appears to pride itself on outdoors lifestyle, above average fitness, natural / biological / organic products available frequently, and innovation, it appears to be a big step back. I walk down the street on a calm day, and I can smell the guy smoking in front of me a block and a half away. I am waiting for the train and from all directions and various locations, smokers on the platforms. I have to go into a cubical if I don’t want the smoke! At lunch, I’m walking to get something to eat, 12 year-olds are getting out for lunch, yep, their smoking. On the way home, I get off the train, and the same guy who was smoking at the stop where we boarded the train, lights up as the door opens to let us all out; It’s a nine minute train ride!!! I understand about peoples right to choose, and if someone wants to choose a long term suicide plan even though I am not a proponent of that selfish decision, go ahead it their choice; but don’t allow you’re right to choose infringe upon my right to breath smoke free air. I am aware that laws here are in place to mandate no smoking in restaurants and bars, but let’s face it; does it really take over 18 months to execute such a plan? It's a placard on the door, not a construction project. I can’t wait until this is in effect in April!

Eleven - Train Home

I was glad to take the train today; you should have seen the traffic!

Ten – Oh, the people we’ve known…

This morning revealed a few more inches of fresh snow. It was quite cold. Today is not about cold or snow, it’s about the past. The main topic of conversation today was about past people we’ve known – girlfriends (boyfriends), friends, neighbors, classmates, etc. - which made me think. All these people we know which come in and out of our lives, positive or negative, have helped in some way to make me who I am. Think about that. I am a different person now than I was because of a choice I made based on the interactions of people I have been in contact with. I chose to be different, react to, remain passive, retain anger, brush off, laugh about, try harder or not at all, interact, plan ahead, enjoy more, respect others, be lighthearted, forgive, and enjoy life. Everyone has shown me this, good or bad, I thank you… Everyone!

Nine – Still cold after all these posts…

We woke up today with about 2+ inches of fresh powder. I love the snow, even more when I don't have to scrap it off my car (because I don't own one presently). I did have to go pick up some groceries earlier this morning. The snow had stopped, but the wind didn't. Later on we went for a walk through the city, past frozen fountains and through slushy streets. It was fun, and really wasn't as cold as one would expect. Well, here's to some nice snow during the winter months!

Eight - Oralhygenification

Not much today. Went to the dentist, cause it's been a while. I must have had more anesthesia than ever before, or maybe it had been a while, cause I was numb for most of the day. I ready hate that dead feeling in your face. I was paranoid to eat lunch; I kept thinking of chewing on my lip or tongue. I seemed to have made it through the experience. I don't really mind the dentist, I actually really don't like the minor occlusal change that you realize after the Novocain wears off. It'll be a couple of weeks for me to get used to the 0.5mm change, maybe it's only perception, but it is noticeable. Anyway, to make a short story shorter, eat less chocolate, and drink less coffee with less sugar more quickly.

Day Seven – Familiar Whiff

I left for work this morning. Cold. Dark. and I missed the tram. This usually means the connecting train may be missed as well, so I began to walk faster to the next stop to catch another one which would put me at the station in time. As I was walking down the cold and icy street, a familiar smell hit me, and for some reason it smelled good. I can't explain why, but it just did. The reason there is absence of logic in that last sentence is due to the fact that the smell reminded me of scrapple. I have only smelled this in Philly, and if you are unfamiliar with it, it is a sausage like meat product constituted from the parts of animal which one would typically not use for anything else, thereby combining all non-usable or solely inappropriate parts into one lump sum and serving it, at least in Philly, on an Amoroso Roll for breakfast from a roach coach, a.k.a. the food truck normally parked in the street. Now you know what I mean by the smell awkwardly revealing a comfortable scent. Perhaps it was the bacon undertones, or the savory salinity in the gristly oder. I wasn't hungry for it, actually, I just had breakfast. In fact, I've never eaten scrapple, and knowing what it is, I will never knowingly eat it. This topic even came up at work because a few colleagues had recently traveled to Philly and were enlightened to learn something new.

Six - Werk

It's only Wednesday. It seems like the work week should be over by now. After a holiday, it always seems like a long week. Fortunately, I feel like I am actually getting some work done, despite the repetitiousness of the inundations of spontaneous distractions and side tracks. If this were last week, holiday, the week would be over. I don't know why that is. Days off, weekends, holidays, vacations, etc. seem always to go by too quickly. Work only goes by fast upon reflection, and not while your in the middle of it. Oh well, tomorrow will be Thursday, and then one more later it will be the weekend, Yeah!

5 - as in Degrees Below

Wow, it's cold. Today was quite cold. But as my wife puts it, "it wouldn't be so cold if you didn't wear that thin ass jacket." I did have several layers on, but still while waiting 3 minutes for the Tram, I was able to get so cold, that I was unable to thaw on the heated tram during the ride home.
A couple of us ventured out for lunch today to hunt for some food. It was definitely a hot lunch sort of day, but as we walked we joked about the little dog that barks at us around the corner from the office. He was not out today. "He's probably in the house by the fireplace." "He's probably in the fire!" "that's where we should be..." "at least we're not in Siberia, there it's so cold, thoughts freeze." Anyway, it was quite cold, and tomorrow is supposed to be colder. Maybe I'll wear a warmer jacket.

IV – Work Begins

(ISP was down... Delayed post)

It's the first day of work and school for the new year. Lots to do, but not all the pressure to do it like before the break. I think everyone I work with is getting their bearings, or using today and tomorrow as bridging holidays for the 6th.

3 - Positivism

The conversation about my Diablog occurred today with my wife. She brought up a good point about maintaining a relatively positive and upbeat tone throughout the Diablog experiment. I do not want to post anything that I am not willing to say to someone’s face, or have a rationally constructive debate with. Although I cannot guarantee that all posts may be positive, I can, in the process of Diablogging, retain the deliberation to resist negative connotations. Typically, negativity can make for a more dramatic or interesting story, but perhaps a positive spin could be used, I am not sure if this is possible, but I will have to try this. In reality, I do not wish to turn this into “the daily rant,” “a diary of mental venting” on the daily crap that can be just that from time to time, nor is this a “diurnal psychology session.” However, in an attempt to maintain the overall positivity of the Diablog, I will begin to post with a positive, neutral or negative label, which will appear in the margin tallied. We’ll see how the score goes…

Day Two – Transaction Shi…

I think part of the reason online transactions are not as popular as they were expected to be is because of how complicated it has become. I can go into a brick-and-mortar and pay with cash, card, or check in some places, but online you have all these third party verifications, like Saferpay, Verisign, 3D Secure, which can be a real pain in the… or a deterrent to order something simple which you don’t need in the next 24 to 48 hours. These third party services sometimes over complicates a 30 or 40 dollar transaction and wastes time, by requiring all the data the second party would need anyway, but just going through a more extensive infrastructure which the second party isn’t willing to setup for the customer convenience, but will still charge you a fee to use. I get it though; I don’t want some zero-hacker-net-tool taking my data to buy crap they don’t need with my money. Whatever, looks like I have to go to another store to get what I need, there goes convenience, right?

Day One - Blog Start – Resolution Experiment

I thought about what to Diablog for day one. Maybe it’s too much self pressurization to be poignant on the first day of the Diablog 365 experiment.

I thought I should Diablog about this kid on the bus on our way back from Ikea. He was driving me crazy, and was all up in my son’s grill with his fingers in my son’s mouth. We kept pushing his arms away, and for a minute we thought he was a bit special. He was about 4 or 5, but still should have known better than to put his hands in the mouths of other kids. All we could do was move our stroller a few inches away. I need to teach my son how to bite other kids, because this kids’ mom wasn’t doing much on the discipline front.

Then I thought maybe I should Diablog about New Year’s resolutions, which this blog is, in a way, but more of an experiment. This is an attempt at the experiment in the one-blog-a-day test on socially distinctive interactions which all of us have on a daily basis, whether it be at home, with friends, at work, commuting, buying things at the store, being a foreigner (or local), watching the news, or overhearing another’s conversation. Even with reflecting on past issues and occurrences, conjuring up future ones, and dealing with the present, the Diablog is just this, a personal dialogue on one issue a day.

Let’s see how this goes...