Wednesday, July 08, 2009
Monday, June 22, 2009
Sweden's Contribution to the World, The Hex Screw
The hex screw. If you ever have purchased furniture from Ikea, you have intimate knowledge of this fastener, and the Alan wrench that you get with each furniture purchase. Sure the hex screw is trendy, neat, and somewhat European, but you get over that after using that small, ridiculous Alan wrench after 2 screws. On our last trip to Ikea, I bought a utility tool that included the two standard sizes of hex heads. And looking back at that $5.95 impulse purchase, it is one of the best things I've ever bought:
See, my Sharkey had her heart set on new deck furniture this year. She wanted the wicker stuff with the all weather cushions (which I'm waiting to see if the cushions really are all weather). She purchased it, and the honking box came last week with the furniture ready to assemble. As luck would have it, it came with one of those nice little Alan wrench things for 32 hex screws. The locations of some of the holes were a little tricky, but my Ikea impulse purchase came in handy. It was way faster than using that cheap ass little wrench that came with the furniture. Two hours and a few colorful metaphors later, Sharkey's furniture (sans cushions, I'll let her do that) was finished!
See, my Sharkey had her heart set on new deck furniture this year. She wanted the wicker stuff with the all weather cushions (which I'm waiting to see if the cushions really are all weather). She purchased it, and the honking box came last week with the furniture ready to assemble. As luck would have it, it came with one of those nice little Alan wrench things for 32 hex screws. The locations of some of the holes were a little tricky, but my Ikea impulse purchase came in handy. It was way faster than using that cheap ass little wrench that came with the furniture. Two hours and a few colorful metaphors later, Sharkey's furniture (sans cushions, I'll let her do that) was finished!
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Quick Poll...
After attending a Phillies game recently and the US Open, it left me with a few questions. Here they are:
1. On a hot dog, do you use mustard or ketchup?
2. If you had the choice, Coke or Pepsi?
3. At a ball game, Budweiser metallic bottles or Tap beer?
4. Would you root for Tiger Woods or Phil Mickelson?
5. If you catch a foul ball and are sitting next to a 10 year old, do you keep the ball or give it to him?
6. If you had the choice, soft pretzel or Cracker Jacks?
7. Would you ever consider buying tickets from a scalper?
8. Cheesesteak or cheese fries?
9. If someone initiates the wave, do you participate or look around aimlessly like it never happened?
10. Would you use a Port-O-Potty 10 feet away or beat feet to a real bathroom 1000 yards away?
1. On a hot dog, do you use mustard or ketchup?
2. If you had the choice, Coke or Pepsi?
3. At a ball game, Budweiser metallic bottles or Tap beer?
4. Would you root for Tiger Woods or Phil Mickelson?
5. If you catch a foul ball and are sitting next to a 10 year old, do you keep the ball or give it to him?
6. If you had the choice, soft pretzel or Cracker Jacks?
7. Would you ever consider buying tickets from a scalper?
8. Cheesesteak or cheese fries?
9. If someone initiates the wave, do you participate or look around aimlessly like it never happened?
10. Would you use a Port-O-Potty 10 feet away or beat feet to a real bathroom 1000 yards away?
Tuesday, June 02, 2009
I Am Back!
It has been a very long time since I posted. Whew!!! My monster projects are C-O-M-P-L-E-T-E! It is hard to believe, but I can now say I am done. It feels good!
The official score is:
JP: 2
Godzilla & Rodan: 0
I have basically been living at the office. Sharkey called me at 10pm one night and told me I needed to come home. Yeah, definitely not good. But now that those two projects are behind me I can get back to some normal life. It is amazing how the 40 hour week seems like nothing after working on these projects. I can take a breather and enjoy the summer!
The official score is:
JP: 2
Godzilla & Rodan: 0
I have basically been living at the office. Sharkey called me at 10pm one night and told me I needed to come home. Yeah, definitely not good. But now that those two projects are behind me I can get back to some normal life. It is amazing how the 40 hour week seems like nothing after working on these projects. I can take a breather and enjoy the summer!
Saturday, May 02, 2009
Exhaustion Battling The Monster
Have you ever battled a huge monster? You know what I'm talking about? The nasty, fierce kind of creature you look up at and shudder with fear in your inner most being? The campaign to battle the monster is long and full of sacrifice. You gain some ground some days and you lose some ground on other days. Then there are the evil people who sent the monster. They have their own agenda for unleashing this terror upon you.
I have been preparing for this campaign since November. And this past week was the showdown with the "monster." My monster is the project I have going on at work. It kicked off in November and it has been a nonstop roller coaster. It is without a doubt, the most complex thing I have ever worked on. I'm still wondering how I drew the short straw on this one. I admit I do have Superman syndrome, where I like to be the hero with the red cape flowing in the wind, but I have been pushing it all week long. I've been pulling 12 hour days for the past 4 days, I was in today, and I have to go in tomorrow. I keep thinking about that 5 For Fighting song, it's not easy...
And the other thing is the client. They are without a doubt the most difficult, demanding, inflexible, unreasonable, and finger pointing individuals I have ever worked with. I try to always stay professional, but I really do not like them at all. They want everything and they want to pay nothing and do nothing for it. Oh, did I also mention they want it to be 100% perfect. Most of my co-workers cave to them and are afraid of them. Sorry, I do not play that game. I believe in equality in business partnerships and that clients need to give a bit to get a bit. It makes it difficult, and I would rather not deal with them at all truth be told. But as with anything I give it everything I have. And this project has taken everything I've got. I just hope it is enough.
I have 2 more things to do and I can put this "monster" down. Unfortunately, "monster-2" is only three weeks away. Yes they have two monsters. If you want a rubber Japanese monster analogy, it's like fighting Rodan this week and Godzilla three weeks later. And the next one is worse than the current monster I am battling. But I have two weeks to recoup and regroup. I also have some "lessons learned" I can apply, so like every good hero I learn, adapt, and throw care to the wind and head into battle.
I will not be defeated. I will prevail. I will fight and I will win. Yeah, I need some sleep in the worst way...
I have been preparing for this campaign since November. And this past week was the showdown with the "monster." My monster is the project I have going on at work. It kicked off in November and it has been a nonstop roller coaster. It is without a doubt, the most complex thing I have ever worked on. I'm still wondering how I drew the short straw on this one. I admit I do have Superman syndrome, where I like to be the hero with the red cape flowing in the wind, but I have been pushing it all week long. I've been pulling 12 hour days for the past 4 days, I was in today, and I have to go in tomorrow. I keep thinking about that 5 For Fighting song, it's not easy...
And the other thing is the client. They are without a doubt the most difficult, demanding, inflexible, unreasonable, and finger pointing individuals I have ever worked with. I try to always stay professional, but I really do not like them at all. They want everything and they want to pay nothing and do nothing for it. Oh, did I also mention they want it to be 100% perfect. Most of my co-workers cave to them and are afraid of them. Sorry, I do not play that game. I believe in equality in business partnerships and that clients need to give a bit to get a bit. It makes it difficult, and I would rather not deal with them at all truth be told. But as with anything I give it everything I have. And this project has taken everything I've got. I just hope it is enough.
I have 2 more things to do and I can put this "monster" down. Unfortunately, "monster-2" is only three weeks away. Yes they have two monsters. If you want a rubber Japanese monster analogy, it's like fighting Rodan this week and Godzilla three weeks later. And the next one is worse than the current monster I am battling. But I have two weeks to recoup and regroup. I also have some "lessons learned" I can apply, so like every good hero I learn, adapt, and throw care to the wind and head into battle.
I will not be defeated. I will prevail. I will fight and I will win. Yeah, I need some sleep in the worst way...
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Anger
I played my first 18 hole round yesterday. Yes I "was" still in the western suburbs of Shanksville. But I did have some shots of brilliance, so I feel like I'm slowly moving out of Shanksville. It is a work in progress. That's just how golf is.
Yesterday was beautiful. It was a perfect day. One of the best things about playing golf is walking the course and just being outside. I think that's the most relaxing thing about it. So even though I was not at mid-season form, I was still having a great time, until...
We crossed the 8th hole and went to the 9th. It was at that time an "older" guy and his group on the #7 hole told my group we needed to pick it up and that we were holding everyone up on the course. My reaction was one of absolute surprise and disbelief. He totally caught me off guard. I said to him, "Are you serious?" He was. He kept saying "You are holding everyone up, and you need to speed up" and was saying it pretty angrily. Now, yesterday being the perfect day it was, meant the course was crowded more than usual. I was playing with my partner and we were practicing for our upcoming Thursday league. We were paired up with two other guys who do not play all that much and they were a bit slow, but they were in a golf cart and were keeping up OK. And we were always on the tee box when the group in front of us were on the green, so we were moving along just fine.
So after Mr. Crabbypants and his foursome yelled at us I just could not let it go. I was ticked off. I mean I was really angry. You need to realize that it takes a LOT for me to get to that point because I am pretty even keel all the time and I hardly ever lose it. I'm still a little hot thinking about it while I'm writing this post. I think I was/am mad because he treated us like we were all hacks who did not know what we were doing and was extremely rude. He and his ignorant friends talked down to us like they were better than us. I think I handled the situation fine by shaking my head, laughing at him, walking away and not saying anything else, but I am rethinking that I should have told him to shove his driver where the sun doesn't shine instead of silently dissenting (which is what my parents programmed into us growing up; you know, Japanese Americans are the strong/silent people). I also think I was miffed because it was a gorgeous day. It was one of those "great to be alive in God's world" days, and this hockey puck, jerkstore just ruined it for me.
I suppose I could have kicked him in the throat, and then broken all his golf clubs and walked away. But I will let karma do its thing. Still, I hope he drove at least a dozen of his ProV1's into the lake or the woods and had the worst scoring day ever. Yeah, I know, I know, "vengeance is mine says the Lord"
Yesterday was beautiful. It was a perfect day. One of the best things about playing golf is walking the course and just being outside. I think that's the most relaxing thing about it. So even though I was not at mid-season form, I was still having a great time, until...
We crossed the 8th hole and went to the 9th. It was at that time an "older" guy and his group on the #7 hole told my group we needed to pick it up and that we were holding everyone up on the course. My reaction was one of absolute surprise and disbelief. He totally caught me off guard. I said to him, "Are you serious?" He was. He kept saying "You are holding everyone up, and you need to speed up" and was saying it pretty angrily. Now, yesterday being the perfect day it was, meant the course was crowded more than usual. I was playing with my partner and we were practicing for our upcoming Thursday league. We were paired up with two other guys who do not play all that much and they were a bit slow, but they were in a golf cart and were keeping up OK. And we were always on the tee box when the group in front of us were on the green, so we were moving along just fine.
So after Mr. Crabbypants and his foursome yelled at us I just could not let it go. I was ticked off. I mean I was really angry. You need to realize that it takes a LOT for me to get to that point because I am pretty even keel all the time and I hardly ever lose it. I'm still a little hot thinking about it while I'm writing this post. I think I was/am mad because he treated us like we were all hacks who did not know what we were doing and was extremely rude. He and his ignorant friends talked down to us like they were better than us. I think I handled the situation fine by shaking my head, laughing at him, walking away and not saying anything else, but I am rethinking that I should have told him to shove his driver where the sun doesn't shine instead of silently dissenting (which is what my parents programmed into us growing up; you know, Japanese Americans are the strong/silent people). I also think I was miffed because it was a gorgeous day. It was one of those "great to be alive in God's world" days, and this hockey puck, jerkstore just ruined it for me.
I suppose I could have kicked him in the throat, and then broken all his golf clubs and walked away. But I will let karma do its thing. Still, I hope he drove at least a dozen of his ProV1's into the lake or the woods and had the worst scoring day ever. Yeah, I know, I know, "vengeance is mine says the Lord"
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Shanksville
I entered the town of "Shanksville" recently. It is a very crappy, sucky town. It has no paved streets, no tall buildings, no lights, no bright colors, everyday is rainy with high winds, and everyday you spend there feels most unnatural. I think the population is large but I can only perceive my presence in the town, so it feels really like a population of one. Me. Or that's how it feels anyway. You do not enter "Shanksville" by choice. It is not a desirable destination to get to. And it is almost impossible to leave "Shanksville" no matter how much you want to.
The "shank" is one of those goofy things that happens totally out of the blue. There is no rhyme, no reason, it is tough to figure out. And it looks something like this:
Yes, this is another JP golf post.
I have a flaw in my swing. It causes the ball to shoot off to the right. No distance, totally off line, and it feels like my arms want to shake off my body when I hit the ball. And the most annoying part of it all is it is very, very repeatable. I cannot stop from doing it. It sucks rocks! I am just hoping I can figure something out so I can leave the awful town of "Shanksville"
The "shank" is one of those goofy things that happens totally out of the blue. There is no rhyme, no reason, it is tough to figure out. And it looks something like this:
Yes, this is another JP golf post.
I have a flaw in my swing. It causes the ball to shoot off to the right. No distance, totally off line, and it feels like my arms want to shake off my body when I hit the ball. And the most annoying part of it all is it is very, very repeatable. I cannot stop from doing it. It sucks rocks! I am just hoping I can figure something out so I can leave the awful town of "Shanksville"
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