Rheniel

I just wanted to write something. I have a thesis to work on, a house to clean (ok, so the toys got put up last night and the steam mop only takes ten minutes; it still needs doing), and my other half has been nice enough to take the kids for a few hours so I can do those things and I really should not be wasting a second of that opportunity, but I was feeling... I don't know, nostalgic? I don't think anyone else goes on LJ anymore either, and it's not like I'll think to check back here any time before the end of the decade, but there's something about writing down the way you feel and thinking that your friends might read about it that's just... nice.

Because I think Facebook is really a piss-poor substitute for LJ, you know? I know more about what my friends ate for dinner last week than about how they're feeling or thinking. About how life is changing. It's like we're so in touch with everyone nowadays that we don't know anyone, or something like that.

Whatever. I think the last time I was writing in this we were still in St Mary's, or maybe in Savannah. Either way, a really long time ago. A lifetime ago, almost, with as busy as these last years have been. I've learned so much, and I'm so thankful for all the opportunities I've had, even with the parts that give me nightmares.

I wonder, if someone got Alzheimer's and was given the chance to choose the memories they couldn't keep, which ones they would pick? I think the really hard ones sometimes define you too much to be willing to let go of. And even all those little mundane moments of hard work or little failures -- I used to think things like intelligence or ability were really important, but now I don't think they are. And if I forgot those moments and just saw my life today, I wonder if I'd see it like my kids sometimes do, like I'm successful at this-or-that because of some natural ability, which is just a straight up lie; there are lots of smarter and better people than I, and I have what I do mostly just because I didn't give up (a trait that is as much due to my husband as myself).

Every generation despairs of the next, I suppose. It always seems that they don't work hard enough, don't realize the consequences of their actions. But maybe we really just are so different as adults, at the other end of that strange divide, that it's impossible to see things from the perspective of someone who can barely remember they need a book for class tomorrow, much less plan for next month or next year or ten years from now.

Either way, that's enough woolgathering. Until we meet again,

Rheniel

Since it's been almost a year, again, I should update. I will say that, paying for badges for two kids is detrimental to my pocketbook; I'm glad the youngest is still under the cutoff age... sorta. I don't think I'll take Anya next year though; it's getting busier every year, and she hated the crowds. The subway/train ride was super packed, and none of us found that especially fun. Nick and Kaiya came too; Nick was nice enough to take the little girls for a few hours so I could attend a costuming track with Dawn and Tamara, and Tammy was nice enough to watch the kids Sunday and Monday so I could run around like an idiot teenager.

But I should focus on major updates, since I'm not sure when I'll bother posting again. Grad school is going well, and I think I'm narrowing in on a Thesis (dun dun DAH). I'm a TA this term, for the first time, and I like it tons better than holding an actual job. I think one more year of data analysis and I may have sounded like the kids in the morning "I don't wanna go, don't make me, please please!" *cry*

Brian's final project went amazingly. His skill is now truly astounding with both machining, and with automation programming (which sometimes seems so very far from what I do, because I'm still not completely sure what Arduinos and PLC's do, and I get the feeling that's like not knowing what a GPU is). Apparently, the one-ball-balancing robot algorithms are similar to those used to balance rockets. His final presentation has several thousand (probably way more, by now) hits on YouTube, and we've connected with some people who do some really cool things (his field seems to be full of neat people).

Brian's new job is fantastic, not for the pay (no complaints with that, mind, it's letting me do school without said 'real' job) but because he actually likes it. They let him work to deadlines, and if there's less to do, well, sure, work from home. And if he goes in at 7 after dropping our boy off at school, well, then he gets to come home early and spend time with the family (and friends. And Scadian stuff. And his robots. And.... you know, everything that keeps us busy nowadays. I seem to remember being bored out of my mind at one point, and I remember hating it, so I guess I wouldn't trade... but now and again a day off wouldn't kill us, would it? Coronation is this weekend, and it's been a madhouse getting ready. Brian and Nick are both making major presentations). It's only some days that I think he should've gone with Planetary Resources, because I would really hate to move, and who knows what the work environment would be like, but it's such a Neat Idea.

And... that's it, I guess. That's the last year in a nutshell. Oh, and I'm going to take up fighting myself. Because I'm a crazy person (oh, yeah, wait, we established that at some point... I think we all are, that live in this wonderful, beautiful madhouse). I blame it on the women-in-fighting class at Pennsic. Which was AWESOME, by the way. But I'm not getting started on that, or we'll be here all night. Knight! Queen by her own hand three times! Oh, Elina is so... right, moving on.

Oh, and the upstairs plumbing broke. But aside from the kids having to use the master bath for a week or two, that doesn't count for major news. Oh! And we bought a camper, to trade for our eventing trailer, but we haven't used it yet. The former owners completely remodeled it before selling it, so it's in great shape.

Aaaand... that's what I got. I still love walking out onto the deck and staring at the forest. I still love knowing all my neighbors and being part of some great communities. I love my family, and my friends, and I am, for the most part, content.

My thanks and love to everyone who is a part of that.

... since I made a public post. Heck, it's been more than a while since I had something to post about publicly. But I do know there are people who read these, ergo I shall post.

If my flist wishes to ignore this, feel free. I'm not saying anything new here.

Therefore: greetings, from the planet of insanity, specifically the land of fall and sunshine which mayest be called Liberatus.

Life is good, I have recently moved from the land of Gluteus Dividicus (and if you don't get the joke, you're not meant to). I have a job as a programmer, which I like, and I don't have to go in to an office, which I like even more.

The family is all quite well.

I do believe that's all...

;) May the force be with you...

2 things making me happy right now

*Jobness
*Sushi Night


Does life get any better?


Oh, wait, you guys aren't here to go to sushi night with me... okay, so it could be better...


But, still...

*bounces in seat*

AHHHH!

So, guess what?

I just had what could almost count for an interview (technically, I'm told, the interview will be next week), for the job I've been chattering on about. There's a test I have to take, but, from what he showed me of it, it's all just some easy Excel problem-solving (the first question seems to just be writing a summation, of all things). He got to the end of showing it to me, and I was thinking, sure, I can do this (along with gosh, I hope my more absent-minded side doesn't take this moment to type something in backwards or something) - and then he says it's a take-home test.

Oooooh, this is going to be fun. By the end of tonight I'll have run everything through three times and have it all quite perfect. Wooohoo!

The only question I couldn't answer, that I think I should have been able to, was running a V-search (like maybe a v-lookup only he said the wrong thing, or maybe something similar on the same concept)... logic tells me what it might be, and if so it's something I've done before many times, but I didn't want to say the wrong thing and sound like an idiot.

Excitement!

So, wow, today was a little overwhelming - in a good way. I met with my team lead, and I expected it to be a usual sort of meeting - from my team lead's perspective "here're your stats, you're doing great, let's talk about whatever we can think of for thirty minutes because you don't want to be on the phone and I know how it is". Instead - well, I'll have to go back to our team meeting last Thursday.

So, Thursday, at our meeting, I told my team lead about some suggestions I had for our system; things I've scribbled down over the last days and weeks. I had covered a sheet of paper front and back in my scribble, jotting down the ideas as I had them throughout the month. He thought I had some really good ideas, and mentioned that he might want to pass some of them on. So, I went home and typed them up, and emailed them to myself at work, so he could have a list. On Monday morning, I sent the list on to my manager. By noon, I had an email back from my manager's manager (who I never expected to hear from) noting that he was both surprised and impressed (I had no idea anything would be passed on to him, and, if it had been, I would have thought that would happen in a meeting where my name was only barely mentioned, if at all)(and, gosh, was I embarrassed - I had just typed up a bit of an outline; it wasn't meant to be anything spectacular).

Today, I had a meeting scheduled with my team lead for the last 30 minutes of the day - like I said, this is normal, and I didn't think anything of it. But instead of the usual routine, he tells me that not only did he mention my ideas to the other team leads at a meeting, but that many of them are liked a great deal, and that the information has been not only forwarded to his manager, but to his manager's manager (the regional VP). And then, we spent half an hour where he took notes while I explained, in detail, the reasons for each suggestion, where I thought they could benefit the company, and how I thought they could be implemented. And at the end of that, he introduced me to the head of the Information Systems department who is doing the hiring for the Business Analyst position that I've applied for, and we three sat and discussed my ideas until well after I'd been supposed to leave for home.

And at the end of that, I found out that he'd never got my resume' from HR. My day ended with my potential boss going to HR to find out what had been done with my resume' (mind you, he did this completely of his own motivation - I didn't ask or anything), sending an email to HR myself, and hearing from my team lead that he'll make sure they find what they did with that resume'. And that, just in case, I should bring a copy with me tomorrow.

Oh, and, I forgot to say, my team lead introduced me as "This is (rheniel), she's one of my best PCA's"... and, another comment that sticks out in my mind - "I walk past, and she's sitting there studying Cold Fusion; the rest of my team do crossword puzzles between calls. It's people like this that I like to see promoted."

Yeah, so, I'm thinking I might still have a shot at that Business Analyst job...

Here's to hoping!

"If somebody says 'martial arts', and you think the policemen have taken up painting...

you might be a Georgian"

...yup yup.

I'm bored. Not much else to say. I guess it's good that I'm bored... lately, 'exciting' has only meant bad things. I've pretty well got my choice of writing fic or working on fixing the house... guess which is getting done?

Here's a laugh for you tho... my ex-beta (still a good friend, but she couldn't beta for me anymore) was looking at my horoscope, (apparently there's a yearly version... who knew?) and had to pass this on to me:

"An event will take place on the 21st of June that will forever change the way you look at things."

And don't forget...

"Something you've always viewed as a hobby may seem a potential career: follow this, and you'll learn your true calling."

Um... that's just too wierd. Really. That's just part of it, but the rest was all just-as-wierd. Um... if you didn't know, the 21st of June was a major date...

And as for the second, my brain keeps telling me... "they can't mean fic, they can't... but oh, pretty please, can that be it?"

yeah...

Although, it does say that my financial problems will "clear up as though by magic" this fallish winter... ooooo, don't I hope so!

Hey, so, everything's still crazy, here, even though I know I didn't tell almost anyone it /went/ crazy. So, I'll get to the telling at some point, really. Unfortuantely, I've barely the time to read through, and catch up on everyone's news. My cell is totally dead now, btw, so if you've been trying to call it, I'm really really sorry. Everything just went to crazy to track, or update, and I'm really terrible for not calling and stuff.

Hugs to everyone, and thanks for (yet again) being patient.

I'll explain soon, I swear.

In the mean time, I still haven't gotten /my/ copy of HBP either, and I'm too cheap to buy it when I already paid for it. Which is agony, really, and I'm going to kill a certain book company if I don't get it soon. In the meantime, I stoled this survey and did it, 'cuz it looked really nifty!



( Collapse )

rheniel Look out for the

m HOLE

From Go-Quiz.com


By the way, this was "What's your warning sign"