Fun and Games Dept

045.365, originally uploaded by iMachias.

So after a few years of doing this on-call thing I have finally discovered what makes it a little easier to get through an evening of doing the work thing.

I need to shed my work clothes as soon as I get home and get comfortable. Once I’m in gear that feels good I am good to go and feel like I can accomplish anything.

I’m in full blown geek mode this week and I’m kind of enjoying it. I have a few computer projects in progress in the basement and I’m going to be selling a BUNCH of stuff very soon. I think I’m going to list what I have for sale here first and then if no one bites after a week or so I’m going to list it on ebay. I’d rather have my old computers go to someone that stops by and work out a deal that way.

By the way, I’m very proud of the Irish in me (and celebrate the fact that I’m the only one of my generation on both sides of the family that has red hair) and would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a happy St. Patrick’s Day. I hope you’re celebrating safely.

So I’m sitting on the aforementioned Delta flight to “Northern Kentucky”. Today’s flight attendant is Niki. She is very friendly and easy to understand on the intercom.

She said one thing during the safety announcement that I really appreciated: “While I am here primarily for your safety, if you need you assistance I’d be happy to help you.” I’m sure many flight attendants say this (though it’s the first time I’ve heard it in a long while), it seems that few passengers remember this. This makes me a little angry.

Flight attendants are well trained individuals that are there for the safety of the passenger and in case of an emergency. Whilst many think they are there to be a servant, this is hardly the case. Barking at a flight attendant is not only rude, but it is evidence of a misconception of what they are there for. The whole pop and peanuts thing is a courtesy on their behalf.

I have mentioned before that I enjoy flying. I’m a bit of an aviator geek. I know what type of plane I’m on, usually how old it is and who owns it (usually a leasing company). I know when a pilot turns ‘base’ and ‘final’ on an approach and I can almost always identify the moment that our wheels should leave the runway. I know where all exits are, even if they are behind me.

I still pay attention to every safety announcement and follow along with the information card in the seat pocket in front of me. It’s the responsible thing to do. I wish more people would put the paper down or shut up during the announcements. They’re not doing a stand up routine up there, they are sharing important information.

And one other thing. Every passenger on the plane has paid something in some way to get a seat. No matter the method of payment, your credit card isn’t better than anyone else’s. Sitting in seat 9A does not entitle you to any special treatment over the person in seat 9B.

So as an aviation geek that enjoys flying, loves a flight attendant and wants the experience to be a beautiful thing for all involved, I ask everyone to make an effort to be a friendly, responsible passenger.

Thank you and enjoy your flight.

043.365, originally uploaded by iMachias.

So I am sitting at Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma City, awaiting my flight home. I have a short layover in Cincinnati, which is suspiciously in Kentucky. That airport in Cincinnati can’t be as busy as they planned it would be because they have that whole Terminal C being closed thing going on. I understand that’s a relatively new phenomenon according to airliners.net, but it is a little disconcerting to board a crappy bus and then shoot across taxiways and runways between arriving and departing flights.

I’m just saying.

My trip to OKC has been both productive and quite enjoyable. I could get all insightful in this blog post about a renewed spirit and such but then it would seem like I say that a lot and my spirit would be about worn out from all the renewing that it’s been getting lately. Let’s just say that I feel really good and energised and that I’m ready for my next challenge. Let’s see if I feel that way three or four days from now when I’m in the midst of an on-call week.

Last night I went out for one more drink and browse around the gayborhood near the Habana in Oklahoma City. I hung out with Olivier et all for a bit before calling it a night around 1:00 a.m. and heading back to the hotel. I know I had more fun last night than I normally would because I didn’t drink any alcohol. This not drinking thing is working quite well for me.

I was ready to breeze through security this morning like a well seasoned traveler, but I inadvertently left my boarding pass in the snappy plastic bin they have to run through the xray machine and that hosed up the process a little bit. It’s a good thing that the folks at OKC are so jovial. The attendant still referred to me as “sweetheart”. That’s one thing I love about this area; you can be as dumb as a box of rocks and still be a sweetheart.

I should remember that.

Now, if she had said “bless your heart” I knew I would have been in trouble because that implies pity, but she didn’t say that so I didn’t get worked up.

They just announced that the flight is oversold and they are offering “Delta Dollars” to give up your seat. Hmmm, tempting…

042.365, originally uploaded by iMachias.

So today after lunch with friends I took a road trip to Dallas and back. I was originally just going to dip into Texas a little bit and then head back to Oklahoma City but since I already most of the way there I kept on driving until I got to almost Dallas. Then I saw a sign that said “President George Bush Turnpike” or something like that, found that it unnerved me, and turned around and headed back to Oklahoma.

I amused myself by listening to the large number of religious stations on the radio. I thought there were a lot of these stations in Upstate New York, Texas has them beat hands down. It’s amazing to hear what people believe. They have the right to free speech just as anyone else does, but sometimes it does boggle the mind. It’s always productive to hear the thoughts of others.

All in all the drive helped me digest what I learned in the training over the past couple of weeks and clear out my head so I’m ready for the trip back home tomorrow.

I’m in this oldies mood lately and here’s one of my favourite dance tracks from the 60s. I’m glad I found this video as I usually picture that Red Lobster commercial with the lobsters running around when this plays in my head.

I am not a good singer by any stretch of the imagination (I do better singing backups with the mic turned down low if I have to be on stage at all), but nevertheless sometimes it’s good to bust out in song when you hear something good on the radio.

I have fallen in love with KOMA 92.5 here in Oklahoma. They play the Super Hits of the 60s and 70s. I think I’m burned out on dance music. This is the type of music I needed to hear.

So today is my second day in Oklahoma. My class is complete, I feel I am armed with a great deal more knowledge than I arrived with and I’m ready to take on the project that lies ahead at work. Working one on one with the instructor was an excellent experience. Today we went to a local BBQ place (Van’s Pig Stand in Norman) for lunch and I just loved it. Terry, the instructor, and I talked about all sorts of geeky stuff. We shared stories of our first computers and discovered that we both have an interest in the older technology that we grew up with. We both have a basement or garage full of stuff others would consider junk, we consider them treasure. I feel inspired to find some more legacy equipment, the groan you heard was Earl thinking of more stuff going into the cellar.

After class I freshened up a bit and went out exploring again. Earl and I were first here in 2004 and I distinctly recall a conversation that we had as we approached Oklahoma City from the east on I-40 as we approached Tinker AFB. I had just had a crazy blowup at work (when I worked at the radio station) with one of my co-workers and was not feeling the job at all. I was quickly feeling out of place at the station and was not enjoying what my job responsibilities had morphed into. Earl and I discussed this that day as we drove along I-40 with the top down on the Jeep and the sun shining in on us. I remember him asking me, “What are you going to do about it?” I threw my hands up in the air, palms toward the sky and yelled, “I’m going to find a new job!” as we moved along I-40 at 70 MPH or so. I told Earl of the telephone company I had been working with (on behalf of the radio station) and how they seemed to be a good company. They were a smaller company but they seemed to have a heart and I was interested in working in their internet division.

Two months later I was working in the job I have today.

Tonight I drove along that stretch of I-40 again. I smiled as I remembered the conversation and thought about how excited and happy I was when I was told that I got the job. The same company that brought me back to Oklahoma City this week for training because they felt that I had something to contribute and/or they believe in what I bring to the party and want to invest in me as an employee. On top of the training I had yesterday and today, I honestly feel more excited about my career than I have in a while. I intend on enjoying my little vacation this weekend in Oklahoma, but I have to admit I’m a little more excited than usual about returning to work on Monday.

Tonight I’m going to go out to the gayborhood and explore a little bit and probably meet up with Olivier for a drink. We’ve chatted a bit on the phone and over text message. Our friend Dave speaks volumes about him, I look forward to meeting him in person.

040.365, originally uploaded by iMachias.

I arrived in Oklahoma City last night around 11:25. The flight between Dallas and Oklahoma City was a little comical as it was only 25 minutes and we leveled off at our cruising altitude of 27,500 feet for a total of two minutes. The flight attendants stayed in their jump seats the entire trip, though I did have a very friendly conversation with flight attendant Sherri before we took off. She saw me using my iPhone and chatted me up about her iPod Touch. We compared apps and talked for about the 15 minutes before pushing away from the gate. I sat in the aisle next to the back emergency exit on the MD-80 so the flight attendant’s jump seat was right next to me – Sherri sat in the back seat so the hunky bear with the perfect haircut sat next to me. He wasn’t chatty though. Funny, AA flight attendants usually like me.

Anyways, once I figured out where I was going (by the way, printed Google directions suck when it comes to exit numbers in Oklahoma, stick to GPS), I got settled into my room at 12:30 CDT which translated to very late according to my own clock. So I hit the hay and was up bright and early this morning for the first day of my training class.

The class is designed for six students and one teacher. (It’s a good thing they remembered the teacher part!) They had five students confirmed, two sets of two and me. The other two sets didn’t make it due to canceled flights. They took a rain check.

Which leaves me one-on-one with the teacher for this training class for two days.

And it is truly an AWESOME experience.

Not to get too technical but I am learning about the latest incarnation of the software we use to monitor all the telephone, internet and network connections we manage at the telecommunications company I work for. When all is said and done, I will be the focus point for the project I now think of as The Big Upgrade. I absolutely crave the challenge and this one-on-one time allows the teacher to focus specifically on our setup. I think the company is getting a really good bargain with these circumstances. In the first half of the day I already had about 16 ways we could improve the way we do take care of these things at work.

The training company usually has the lunch catered but because it was just me, the teacher and I went to a local restaurant together for BBQ. He is a really good guy and we have a lot of similar geeky interests (plus, he really loves his Linux!) I am really enjoying the experience.

After class I did some roaming around a bit and did some exploring. Earl and I have been here twice in the past so I have a rough idea of how to get around. The Chrysler 300 I have for a rental car feels like a Land Yacht but it fits in with the general vibe I find on the freeways. I’m still pretty beat from last night’s late arrival, so I roamed a local mall, picked up a few goodies for the hotel room (I’m staying at a Residence Inn which makes my room actually an apartment) and am now calling it a night early.

The class ends tomorrow afternoon, though I am here until Sunday simply because I had the opportunity to do so. I’m going to meet up with our friend dave’s friend Oliver tomorrow night, something I am really looking forward to and on Saturday I’m going to be a geek and just explore the area. Hopefully the weather will cooperate as it has been in the mid 30s all day today.

I wanted to try a little video FX. It’s been a while since I’ve played around with Final Cut Express.

On my way to Oklahoma City. First stop Cincinnati.