Author: Ian

Just got back from lunch with about 15 people. Today is sign out date for a lot of people at my company. It is sad and fun saying good bye to people you have worked with for more than 3 years. I also saw the noc schedule they want me to work 6 am to 10 am a couple days. When I saw I went “You can not be serious”. The honest true is that I am not sure what value it will be to have me there doing that.
I am waiting on someone calling me back. I also got an email from an HR person at an other company doing Unix Admin type work which should be fun. I haven’t hit the websites today. I still have to go through the job in the washington post on Sunday.

More presents. I am not quite sure what my parents were thinking, but I got a cheque for 3 pound 50. This is a cheque that I talked to my mum about a long time ago and the agreement was that she would pay it into my bank of Scotland chequing account, but here it is sitting on my desk…… I also got a book by michael lewis, the future just happened. “With his knowing eye and wicked pen, Michael Lewis reveals how much the internet boom has encouraged great changes in the way we live, work, and think…..” I don’t think I am in the right mood to read this just yet. Be careful what you tell your parents. I told them that I have been going through a celtic/scottish music phase, so now I have a couple more CD’s one is for doing scottish country dancing too, the other is celtic music, I haven’t listened to them but I might need a partner to test the dancing one.
The last thing in my package other than the various credit card statements random bits of paper is a books on the history of Irn Bru. I just learned that during the war soft drinks were rationed and the manufacturers were told to make concentrate juice like orange squash. “The government encouraged concentrate (squash) production because it would save resources (being diluted five times before consumption, leading to saving in fuel – less deliveries and less consumer visits to the shops). The Second World War thus resulted in a large and unique mass market for concentrates in the UK”
That was one of the things that amazed me when I first moved to the US. I wondered why I couldn’t buy orange concentrate. I have learned to live with this but I always wondered why everything in america was sold in large un concentrated form.
I am going out tonight with HY and her roommates. I better finish eating and get over there

I got my first birthday card yesterday 🙂
One from my parents that plays Happy Birthday when you open it. One from my sister which is a play on a computers crashing and one from my granny with drinking vouchers inside 🙂 They are in the British denomination so I will have to wait till Xmas before I can exchange them for beer. The Card from my parents had a piece of brown tape on the back of the envelope. I wonder if they opened it thinking it might be bomb because of the electronic bits in it.
I also got an amazon gift card from Elaine and a parcel of Cadbury’s chocolate from my sister MMMM and Veggie cook book from HY.

Yesterday evening was spent with HY, the original plan was to meet up with JW and others go see a friend who is acting in a play. But when I phoned him I got some girl on his cell phone. Turns out he was doing some more drinking with people from his boat house.
So instead we went to the Arlington Cinema and draft house to watch memento, $4 movies and Beer 🙂 thanks to for the idea.
Kind of funny about 10 people in front in the queue was a certain ex employee. There are 2 people I have zero interest in ever speaking to again. One is an old manager the other is this guy. I didn’t realize until we were already sitting that he was on the row behind. Just as well I checked before saying anything more :).
As far as the movie goes all I can say is
I am confused
After words we went back to my place and talked till about 3 am 😉

JW: I am rowing tomorrow at 2pm at the head of the Potomac
I: I am not sure if I am in going to be here
JW: Ok
JW on IM: Are you coming tomorrow
JW on IM: SIGN OFF

I went to the Potomac and hung around. I couldn’t find JW or anyone else I know. I managed to miss his race but saw him when he got out of the water. I didn’t bother bringing my camera this time. There is only so many pictures you can take of a guy in Lycra




Plus I had iso 100 film my camera which is too slow for zoom lens I would have to use. The photo was from his last competition. After words some beer was in order. It was really warm sitting watching the boats sail by.