End of the Road

So I was thinking the other day about this neglected little blog, wondering why I didn't feel the need to post to it. Then it hit me: this blog has basically been my sounding board for when the stress of my last job got to be too much to keep pent up. Since switching jobs, I've been....well, happy. Sure, it's a job, and every job has the inevitable frustrations you come to expect, but things are different at this company. I've actually been able to quit taking my blood pressure medication, and my life is dramatically different. How different, you ask? Well, this time last year I would come home around 7pm, walk in the door, cast off my coat and other detrius and crash on the couch in front of the tv. I would be too drained to cook anything, so supper would be some frozen food-like substance or some overpriced meal at at soul-dead chain restaurant. After supper, it would be about 10:30 or 11:00, so off to bed I'd go. I couldn't sleep; I'd doze for about 20 minutes at a time. The next morning I couldn't drag myself out of bed before 7:30. I'd drag my sorry carcass into the office around 9:00am and the fun would begin. Rinse, repeat.
Compare that to nowadays: I'll wake up around 7-ish, get to the office around 8:30. Eat lunch at my desk, leave at 4:30, home by 5:30. I'll try to take a walk around the neighborhood, then relax at home for a little bit. After that, I've still got the energy to do housework and cook a decent meal. I still can't sleep, but that's mostly because my neighbors like their stereo a little too much. Other than that, things are better. Things are much, much better.
So I guess what I'm saying is that this blog seems to have outlived its usefulness. I'll probably start another blog, just with a different focus this time. Adios.

This is Not Gloating. Nope, No Gloating Here.

Wow, has it really been two weeks since the last post? Why, that's just enough time for.....a two weeks' notice! I'm writing this from my new desk, in my new office. Yep, it's an office with a file cabinet, book shelf, desk, white board and a DOOR! I've been entertaining my new coworkers with tales from the Dark Side old job.
By the way, the coffee's great.

Escape from Crazy Town

I'm Free. My shackles are no more, and I can will my feet to take me to new places, my ears to hear music, and my eyes to see the sunshine of a free world. I. Am. Free.
Quite a few things have been going on, and I haven't written about them because of the childish notion that speaking/writing about them would undo all that was done. (Ever get that feeling? That if you name something it'll evaporate like last night's dreams?) Last week, I received not one, but two job offers. What that represented to me was an opportunity to break away from the job that has all but ruined my mind and self-esteem. (Well, that, and a shot at a lot more money!) So now I've accepted one of the offers and turned in my two-week notice, and am dealing with a generous smorgasbord of emotion. I don't think I'm quite ready to put all this into words, so I'll stop now. Well, at least until I've had my coffee.

Layoff Update.....The Saga Continues.....

The contract has been extended yet again to Jan. 31, 2006. So I won't be using my unemployment check to pay for Christmas gifts, after all. (Socks for everyone!)
This is some lame crap. I mean, I'm glad not to get laid off just yet, but this job is like the bad relationship that won't end with a clean break. You know, the situation where breaking up takes wa-a-a-ay too long and you don't really know if you are really "dating" dating, or just friends, or maybe friends with benefits, or if you even want to date, because the concept of dating is kind of outmoded, like who goes out on a formal date anymore, and who gets to set the boundaries of what "dating" means, anyway? And I'm not giving the ring back, dammit! I don't care how much you can get for it down at the pawnshop, we both know that money will go straight to pot and beer! And don't even think of giving it to that new skank of yours, you insensitive prick!
....So it's kinda like that.

Grunt Work + Rant

Right now I'm doing the part of the job that no one likes, documentation. This software project I've been working on has to be documented by the time they boot me (Nov. 18th). We've got roughly, what, about 300 source files, couple of thousand lines apiece? Not a problem, I'll just skim through, and clean up the code comments that the other two gents working with me have no doubt left behind, and.......WTF?!?!?!?! Those @#$%^*!!!!!!!!!!!! The technical lead, my "boss" didn't comment a DAMN thing. The other dude, the one with ...... "issues" has peppered his code with comments like this one (method names changed to protect the not-so-innocent):

NOTE: Maybe this isn't the best place to do it, but I'm adding the following quick-and-dirty kluge. If I looked at the code more carefully, I might discover that it's better to invoke goDoStuff() someplace to accomplish this.

...and if you looked at the code even more carefully, you might gouge out your eyes to spare them some pain. I mean, WTF? It's cute when someone like Larry Wall does this, but the code from this dude just hurts my heart. Variables are passed into methods and never referenced, half-finished methods are hanging around, never called by anything, etc. The error messages read something like "WARNING!!!! Dongle has bad widget name! Do you want to continue???????" Seriously. Here's a tip to any programmer writing the text for an error message that users might actually see: users get the idea that you are serious after the first punctuation mark. If you feel the need to use multiple exclamation or question marks after your sentences, then it's time to break out the old thesaurus, because you need other means of self-expression.
Ok, my head is about to blow up, I've got to stop thinking about this now.

Brrrrr.......

We've finally gotten some cooler weather in this area. The ForecastFox plugin just ground my computer to a screeching halt to let me know that it is currently 49 degrees, F.
The cubical I'm in is on the 6th floor in an area that doesn't have many other tall-ish buildings, so I get a nice view. Right now there are baleful dark clouds filling the sky; I can't really look at them for long or my cube-mate might think I'm staring at him, since he's right next to the window.
This was a day made for staying in bed under the covers until noon, and spending the afternoon sipping some warm beverage whilst swaddled in blankets and gazing out a window. One might even watch Food Network if feeling adventurous.

Breathing Room

Got the word late last week that the 14th would not be my layoff date, and that the contract had been extended to Nov. 18th. So that's the new layoff date. It comes down to getting a few more paychecks and putting up with some really asinine sh*t for a little longer, that's all.
Since finishing up with all that overtime last week, higher brain activities have pretty much ceased. I've got a giant case of the "don't wanna"s and the apartment is a major wreck. There are friends I haven't returned emails and phone calls to, and I think the cats are a little afraid of me right now. Shouldn't I be a little cheered up from getting the contract extension?