I was able to do things from a hotel room in Hungary that just struck me as incredible.
One, I was able to surf, and apply for, jobs in Raleigh 4500 miles away.
Two, (my favorite), I was able to order parts from a warehouse in California, for a PC that I will build in Raleigh, and have them shipped to my parents' house in Fayetteville.
All without talking directly to anyone. Of course, that might also explain how people get ripped off on a daily basis, too.
Monday, April 24, 2006
Saturday, April 22, 2006
Nearly the End..
It's Saturday....I leave here Monday for Vienna, Austria..and then leave Vienna for DC Tuesday morning. Maybe this time it won't be so cloudy and I can catch a glimpse of the Alps. I looked into way of spending more time in Vienna, as is usual working with this particular manufacturing company (a European branch of my former employer) the schedule is A.F.U. and I have to be there Monday...even for half a day.
A long overdue shout out to the guys at Camp Adder in Iraq. I see one of the guys likes Hooters' wings. When he gets back, I'll have to intertroduce him to Highbeams' wings...and the staff. He'll forget all about Hooters.
I haven't found a single souvenier to take home from my visit to Hungary. It's not like this city is set up for tourists. Though I'm sure I could find something if only I got out and looked. I'm just not inspired to do so. Though it is nice that we've now had 3 sunny days in a row. Hungary is known for three things I can think of, good food, Paprika, and wine. I've eaten the food, I'm not going to buy paprika here to take home, and I don't know crap about wine. Maybe, when I get home, we'll look for a nice Hungarian red and have a cookout with my attorney. I see some handmade lace thingies down in the lobby of the hotel but I think it's just a display Hungarian heritage. Maybe I should read through the damn tourist books I bought before I left?
Oh, and then there's "Palinka" and "Unicum". Palinka is a "brandy" made from different fruits. Like 'Barackpalinka' is called Apricot schnaps/brandy in the room's minibar menu....and I've had a peach version and a plum version. Both taste, to me, like they have a hint of tequilla to them. Others in the group said whiskey. I know whiskey...and I know tequilla...and that was tequilla. "Unicum" is some sort of spicey liquor made from roots...sounds too much like Jagermeister to me so I'll pass on that.
Pepsi Cola is big here for some reason. Though I can get Coca Cola at work, so I'm covered there.
Anyway, I'm looking forward to Tuesday evening. Back home where I can understand everyone, at least what they're saying. I hope I have the energy to do two things:
Pick up a couple of Hershey's bars with almonds, and get a steak dinner with a real salad. Beats the crap out of me, but that's what I'm hungry for.
A long overdue shout out to the guys at Camp Adder in Iraq. I see one of the guys likes Hooters' wings. When he gets back, I'll have to intertroduce him to Highbeams' wings...and the staff. He'll forget all about Hooters.
I haven't found a single souvenier to take home from my visit to Hungary. It's not like this city is set up for tourists. Though I'm sure I could find something if only I got out and looked. I'm just not inspired to do so. Though it is nice that we've now had 3 sunny days in a row. Hungary is known for three things I can think of, good food, Paprika, and wine. I've eaten the food, I'm not going to buy paprika here to take home, and I don't know crap about wine. Maybe, when I get home, we'll look for a nice Hungarian red and have a cookout with my attorney. I see some handmade lace thingies down in the lobby of the hotel but I think it's just a display Hungarian heritage. Maybe I should read through the damn tourist books I bought before I left?
Oh, and then there's "Palinka" and "Unicum". Palinka is a "brandy" made from different fruits. Like 'Barackpalinka' is called Apricot schnaps/brandy in the room's minibar menu....and I've had a peach version and a plum version. Both taste, to me, like they have a hint of tequilla to them. Others in the group said whiskey. I know whiskey...and I know tequilla...and that was tequilla. "Unicum" is some sort of spicey liquor made from roots...sounds too much like Jagermeister to me so I'll pass on that.
Pepsi Cola is big here for some reason. Though I can get Coca Cola at work, so I'm covered there.
Anyway, I'm looking forward to Tuesday evening. Back home where I can understand everyone, at least what they're saying. I hope I have the energy to do two things:
Pick up a couple of Hershey's bars with almonds, and get a steak dinner with a real salad. Beats the crap out of me, but that's what I'm hungry for.
Thursday, April 20, 2006
Nose Hairs!
Great. I thought I'd taken care of at least this personal grooming problem before I left the USA. I don't know if it's the difference in weather - the humidity here is like %10 or so...so frickin dry I can barely drink enough water during the day to keep up......or it's just the season itself...but I know I trimmed the buggers back before I left...and I wake up this morning to a shrubbery!..and no scissors of suitable size.
Oh, and they are all attached to some critical portion of my brain so I get that extra little pain when I yank the bastards out.
But it sure is nice to be able to breath through my nose again.
Oh, and they are all attached to some critical portion of my brain so I get that extra little pain when I yank the bastards out.
But it sure is nice to be able to breath through my nose again.
Sunday, April 16, 2006
What the F is keeping me up?
Here it is early morning in a Hungarian town, and yours truly is wide awake. Could it be those two tiny damn cups of "coffee" I had after dinner? Cups? I'd say enthusiastic thimbles! And they didn't taste like they had a lot of caffeine in them. Dessert was a local specialty that consisted of thin pancakes wrapped around banana slices and ice cream..with chocolate syrup..not really a whole lot of sugar. And hell, I had two beers with dinner. I've been working steadily all day long...I should be tired.
It could be the fact that I've just made up my mind to pass on this "opportunity" of working over-seas for the rest of the year. And I've gone on from that to figuring out how to explain my history at my former employer and what led to where I am today. And it's a pretty convoluted story. What with non-disclosure rules and stuff like that. I thought I might just get up and write it down. That, and eventual e-mail letting certain parties know that I've chosen at this late juncture to turn down this opportunity.
And I just can't go to sleep. Maybe it's a good thing...it may be 3a.m. here..but it's only 9p.m. back home...a time I would normally be awake. But, there's another week until I go home. dammit.
It could be the fact that I've just made up my mind to pass on this "opportunity" of working over-seas for the rest of the year. And I've gone on from that to figuring out how to explain my history at my former employer and what led to where I am today. And it's a pretty convoluted story. What with non-disclosure rules and stuff like that. I thought I might just get up and write it down. That, and eventual e-mail letting certain parties know that I've chosen at this late juncture to turn down this opportunity.
And I just can't go to sleep. Maybe it's a good thing...it may be 3a.m. here..but it's only 9p.m. back home...a time I would normally be awake. But, there's another week until I go home. dammit.
Saturday, April 15, 2006
The Bells, the Bells!
I don't yet know if this is a typical Friday night thing. I don't know if it's a Catholic thing. I don't even know if it's just an Easter thing. At around 9:15pm here in this Hungarian town, the church bells started ringing..and ringing...and they're still going some 20 minutes later. Granted, tomorrow is Easter Sunday, so it may be something special.
At least they don't ring out every hour and quarter-hour like one of my Dad's clocks with it's Westminster chimes.
And it's not that I don't like bells. The Methodist church very near my apartment rings out 6pm every day. And probably more things that I've just learned to tune out.
But these are the old, huge, loud bells...and the church is maybe a block away.
I hope to get a decent day out there and take a picture of the church. The weather here has been mostly gray and cloudy. It was sunny earlier today, but I'm dealing with a major case of Spring Head..so I slept through most of the day.
At least they don't ring out every hour and quarter-hour like one of my Dad's clocks with it's Westminster chimes.
And it's not that I don't like bells. The Methodist church very near my apartment rings out 6pm every day. And probably more things that I've just learned to tune out.
But these are the old, huge, loud bells...and the church is maybe a block away.
I hope to get a decent day out there and take a picture of the church. The weather here has been mostly gray and cloudy. It was sunny earlier today, but I'm dealing with a major case of Spring Head..so I slept through most of the day.
Saturday, April 08, 2006
The eve of the Grand Adventure
Yup, I'm off to Washington DC tomorrow, and then off to Hungary. Yes, Hungary over in Eastern Europe. I was excited, but now I'm nervous. And I'm realizing what effects an over-seas job will have on my personal life. And I'm surprised that I don't like it. But I hope to have fun on my travels. Why else would I take the opportunity?
Monday, April 03, 2006
Too Much time on my hands
I think I fucked up. A couple days ago I bought a 1000 piece puzzle of the Mona Lisa. Why? Damned if I know. I do know I wanted a picture of her face to try to transform into a scroll saw pattern. But 1000 pieces? Just after I got the border pieces all put together, it ocurred to me to scan in the picture on the box...and I've got the picture I needed. But I still have this dam puzzle to put together.
And what the phuque is with all the Da Vinci Code tie-in stuff? I know there's a movie..but it don't come out for some time yet.
So, I've been un-employed for what? 3 weeks now?..and I've been busier than I ever was when I was working. I guess because when I was working, I could ignore all the "round-tuits" laying around the apt. Today it was vacuuming...tomorrow it's the bathroom. And the bank. And the Passport office. Because I won't be un-employed for much longer.
And what the phuque is with all the Da Vinci Code tie-in stuff? I know there's a movie..but it don't come out for some time yet.
So, I've been un-employed for what? 3 weeks now?..and I've been busier than I ever was when I was working. I guess because when I was working, I could ignore all the "round-tuits" laying around the apt. Today it was vacuuming...tomorrow it's the bathroom. And the bank. And the Passport office. Because I won't be un-employed for much longer.