May 20, 1999
Dear Everyone:
A status report on previous Letter subjects:
I got the torn patio shade fixed during my vacation
last week. After considering
several possible options, I ended up using good, old-fashioned
duct tape.
I put the torn edges together, then laid a short strip of 2”-wide
tape over them on the under side of the shade.
Then I continued with the next section, overlapping the tape each
time. When I got to the
point where the tear ended, I just continued laying tape over the
original seam to reinforce it.
For good measure, I also laid a continuous length of tape along
the outer side. So the
entire seam is now encased in tape.
So far, it’s working great.
Updates as they happen.
This, by the way, was the only constructive thing I
did during my entire vacation.
Unless you count last week’s Letter, which I printed at home.
Since I got the new printer, I realized that if I didn’t use the
color cartridge every now and again, it would just dry out like the last
two color cartridges I had on the old printer.
It is truly a case of “use it or lose it”.
So those of you who have been receiving hard copies may have
noticed the color graphics in the past few weeks.
Or not.
“Jeannie’s” hand-me-down computer is now on its
previous cart. “Jeannie” has
a friend at work who occasionally asks her to house-sit for her.
This is generally in payment for the friend cat-sitting when
“Jeannie” is out of town, so it all comes out in the wash.
The friend also has one of the dreaded
Sport Utility Vehicles (pronounced “SUV”).
The friend was away last weekend and said, “Sure you can borrow
the car.”
So, on Sunday, “Jeannie” drove the big, red SUV
down to my place. She
arrived muttering, “I’ve always wanted to know what it feels like to
drive an
aircraft carrier.” We
wrestled the computer cart into the back of the SUV, then rendezvoused
at her place where we hauled the cart up the stairs into the bedroom
that she uses as an office.
The computer and cart are now set up next to the desk in a fairly useful
arrangement.
And “Jeannie” has been studiously working on her
computing skills, conscientiously playing at least two or three games of
Solitaire
every day. Also
Hangman.
Nevertheless, her mouse skills still have plenty of room for
improvement (she says she needs a bigger mouse pad).
As for replacing
Versatile,
that loud noise you heard Tuesday afternoon was me yelling,
“Hallelujah!!!” I finally
got the green light to buy the software and start negotiations with CITC
over leasing space on one of their servers.
At last we can start to move forward on this.
Regarding the
downsizing that’s
going on at work (Microsoft
Word’s dictionary recognizes “downsizing” as a real word—now that’s
scary), I got a call from my boss while I was on vacation last week.
Terribly sorry to disturb me at home, but they needed me to come
down to the office and officially sign the official letter that
officially offered me the job I’m doing now, stating whether I accepted
or declined the job. And it
had to be signed by that Thursday.
The call came in on Tuesday, but I was out watching
Shakespeare in Love (again).
Needless to say, I went into the office on Wednesday and signed
up. For the moment, it looks
like I’m safe, although we all know nobody’s safe forever.
IMS is looking to cut 8-10 jobs in total by the end
of next year. So far, four
people have notified management that they would like to “take the
package” (the special retirement package has some added goodies if
you’re looking to retire early).
And a fifth person obliged the rest of us by getting himself
fired for doing something remarkably stupid involving (according to the
grapevine)
pornography and the company email system, a system with an excellent
audit function. (For heaven’
sake, it says right on the “Warning!
Hackers will be crucified…” login screen that the entire system
is monitored. What was this
guy thinking?)
Finally, I’m still using the
treadmill 3-4
nights per week. I even used
it during my vacation. Have
Law &
Order,
will walk.
Regarding movies…
Saw
Pushing
Tin and
William
Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream while I was vacationing,
but can’t really recommend either one.
And as for the new
Star Wars
film, “Jeannie” and I don’t intend to try and see it just yet.
Too much hype and too many people.
We’ll wait a week or two.
On the plus side, we won’t have any trouble finding parking.
The theater where it’s playing is a ten-minute walk from my
place.
Love, as always,
Pete
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