Blogs, Business Blogs

Mornings Eleven

2007-04-08T19:55:00.000-04:00

Dear Blog,

Don't worry, I'm still alive. I've let you become rather lonely as of late, but that doesn't mean that I have lost touch with the greater interweb of America; it just means that I have become pretty bored with the blogging thing. Sorry blogmosphere. I hope you can take consolation in the fact that I am merely following in the footsteps of such great blog abandoners as The Deuze. Can you? Will you? Let's hope so.

At any rate, I'll try to post again sometime but to be fair I make no promises. I hope you are well. Try not to forget the good times we had.

Amongst the vending machines and year-old magazines in a place where we only say goodbye

2007-01-24T17:27:00.000-05:00

I've been spending an alarming amount of time playing HL. I blame Stephen. And Valve.

Winter is finally here. It's about damn time.

As I type this post, Richard is on his way back from Chicago carrying a bottle of bourbon* that will soon be mine.

If anyone else wants to see Martin Sexton in April let me know, soon.

Casino blackjack is my new favorite thing. But only when I can turn $120 into $600. So basically just the one time.

Apparently my propane grill does not meet fire code. Boo, safety.

The YMCA gym is set aside for adult basketball every weekday from 12 - 2. Thanks, the Y!

* Only the greatest bourbon ever while simultaneously being the main ingredient in a drink commonly known as a pappnapple.

there are probably only 6 people who will appreciate this post

2006-12-06T10:26:00.000-05:00

This morning I traded several Sugar Bowl predictions with a certain Brian Vnak...

Brian's Prediction:
ND: Mike Vath @ Red Death
LSU: Brian Vnak @ Red Death

My Prediction:
ND: Ken Dye
LSU: Brian's impression of Ken Dye

The crowds keep me coming back. Cheering.

2006-11-17T12:28:00.000-05:00

Now Playing: Rilo Kiley

This has been an interesting week. There have been some goings-on at work that won't be divulged here. Perhaps later. Also, I had a 12-hour period of weakness during which I considered skipping the Notre Dame game this weekend. How foolish of me...

So sometime tonight I will pack up my car with all the necessary game-weekend equipment* and head to South Bend for the last time this fall.

I'm taking a brief lunch break and need to get back to work, so lastly I'll just note that my apartment has been adorned with some new stylings courtesy of mom and dad vath. Thanks to you both and get healthy soon, mom.

* beer, ticket

Your blog is bad and you should feel bad.

2006-11-08T22:58:00.000-05:00

This has been a busy week indeed. I've somehow been able to manage work days less than eleven hours long despite the fact that things continue to get more hectic. There was a moment today (as I was walking out the door) when I felt a little bit guilty for not working harder/longer; fortunately cooking in my apartment to a glass of whiskey and music was enough to shake the feeling.

Tomorrow morning I'll be driving to Indianapolis with a coworker to try and provide a development prespective to a high-profile costumer that is struggling to optimize their internal systems and workflow.

Looking ahead, this weekend should be one of those nice, relaxing, away-game sort of weekends that I've grown to love this fall. Not to take anything away from football weekends, but there's something to be said for being able to sleep, sit, and use the bathroom as much as - and whenever - you want. Of course, next Wednesday I'll most likely be saying something like, "this weekend should be one of those high-impact, tailgating sort of weekends that I've grown to love this fall."

Lastly, I'm happy to announce that my family's Thanksgiving and Christmas plans are taking solid form. I'll be off for a week for Thanksgiving and slightly over two for Christmas (with slightly over one in BR). Thanksgiving will see the Vath boys reunited in Ann Arbor (fortunately for the three of us we'll also have Mary and Claire to keep us in line) while Christmas will see the entire Richard Vath family reunited in Baton Rouge.

Okay, enough for one evening. I'm off to watch Futurama. Ohhhh Zoidberg, you make me laugh.

Tailgater In The Dark

2006-11-05T19:37:00.000-05:00

A lot has been going on since my last post. In the past I've had success with bullet-point-style-recaps, and I'm feeling as lucky tonight, so here goes:

My dad and older brother were able to accompany me to the ND game against Stanford back in October. Great times were had by all, despite the fact that I split my time between family and NDBand alumni (as it was a reunion game of sorts). It sounds lame, but the weather could not have been better; campus just looks better on a gloriously sunny fall day.
Work has been, well, work...But also particularly stressful as of late (though not much more time-intensive).
In terms of the weather, this fall has been lame.
Today I returned to Ann Arbor from the next-to-last home game of the season. It's been a great fall of spending most weekends in South Bend; I even considered skipping the last game, Björk-style, but then I realized that didn't make sense. In two weeks I'll return once more to finish the season in what is predicted to be the best outing yet*.
Ellen and Will are engaged. I have been asked to play a Sufjan song in the wedding, which is incredibly flattering. Also, I'll probably brew some beer for the reception with Ellen's brother Dan.
Stephen and Claire will be in Ann Arbor for Thanksgiving. Menu plans are already in the works; it will most likely be as glorious as some of the previous holiday spreads we've had in town.

At this point I need to get going so I can watch the Patriots/Colts game. More sooner as opposed to later. Hopefully.

* This prediction comes courteous of the manager of Hotel Spo.

Stunning

2006-09-26T16:56:00.000-04:00

Just wanted to quickly post a picture of the chapel in which Neal and Alia were married this weekend. Behind the altar on the back wall of the chapel there is a large, 5 x 10 window that looks out to the peak of the mountain you see here. The peak, located in Big Sky, is about 11,500 ft; at the base we were somewhere in the 4000 ft range, I believe.

Today's Poll

2006-09-18T20:17:00.000-04:00

Which version of Blackbird is better?

(a) The Beatles
(b) Crosby, Stills, & Nash
(c) Kenny Rankin

Fall's coming soon. You can punch my right eye.

2006-09-06T20:42:00.000-04:00

Last fall was the first since '98 in which I did not see a single game in Notre Dame Stadium. This time around I'm looking to make amends with tickets to every home game*. And so this Friday will begin what will be a season-long tradition of driving to South Bend in time for trips to CJ's , Legends or The 'Backer, closely followed by the early morning tailgates I have grown to love***.

It seems as though every Notre Dame acquaintance I've ever had will be in SB this weekend for the Penn State game. There's hardly a chance the weekend could disappoint. And on that note, I'm off to take care of some laundry.

Currently Listening: "Sideways In Paradise" ~ Jimmy Thackery & John Mooney

* Unfortunately I will have to miss the UMich game to attend a wedding**.

** To make matters worse, the groom is a buddy of mine from college who should not easily be forgiven for getting married on a football weekend.

*** And undoubtedly some new ones.

That's just good business sense.

2006-08-31T17:56:00.000-04:00

Cancelling Cinemax: $15 savings.
Adding HD television: $5 cost.

College football in hi-def and $10 in my pocket. I wish it hadn't taken me as long as it did to do this math.

Such grace, such beauty.

2006-08-04T23:21:00.000-04:00

From the guys that brought you "A Million Ways" comes a new video:

watch it here!

The long awaited return (or, how I keep my posting average around 1/month).

2006-07-16T23:22:00.000-04:00

Courtesy of the deuze, I give you Claire Vath:

Smooth travels to the down south

2006-06-01T22:25:00.000-04:00

Well, it's been far too long, and unfortunately I'm only returning to say goodbye (temporarily anyway). Tomorrow Richard and I will drive to B'ham. After spending an evening with Stephen and Claire the four of us will continue on to BR.

Saturday night: Stephen's bachelor party.
Next week: fun in the new house.
Next weekend: wedding funtimes.

...should be glorious.

Like nothing ever happened.

2006-05-04T12:32:00.000-04:00

This week has been one of the (336)craziest I've seen yet at work; not so much the hours, but the amount of things I'm having to juggle at one time. So I'm taking my ever-so-brief lunch break to write the post; here goes.

The Deuzesja Wedding rapidly approaches. This is great for many reasons, some of which are:
1. The Deuzesja Wedding.
2. Checking out the new house.
3. Celebrating my dad's new job.
4. Cold, refreshing lemon wheat.
5. Road trips.

So that's cool. Being off the road has also been nice; I've been around for some interesting nights with friends (watching The Pistons), enjoying my new entertainment center, and my brother's birthday...not to mention next weekend is Luke's bachelor party. It's gonna be ridiculous.

Some guy at work just told me my shirt looks like "a Pink Floyd version of a Hawaiian shirt." I'm not sure what that means. Is that a compliment? Should I thank him? I'm so confused.

"Only at the boat can you get red bull and vodka by the pitcher."

2006-04-07T12:05:00.001-04:00

Last weekend in Chicago was certainly action-packed. It was really interesting to get to know all the sales guys and administrators that I've known in name only for so long. Each day was basically made up of customers, seminars, and demos; each night was dinner and bars with coworkers. I only had one meal worth speaking of...courtesy of a wonderful traditional french brasserie located downtown. It was found and approved by an Irish coworker of mine who lived in France for 14 years, so the "foodies" of the company all made an evening of wine, frisee salade, escargot, foie gras, lamb, creme brulee and coffee.*

This weekend I'll be in South Bend to show some Michigan folks around as well as meet up with a couple of old friends. It should be great...if it weren't for the fact that I'm on site with a customer I probably would be on the road already.

* that's just what I had. skate, swordfish, steak frites, halibut en papillote, and chicken coq au vin were also enjoyed.

Rally Sons

2006-03-30T22:49:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow begins my final tour de work (Am I allowed to say that? Probably not.) and I couldn't be happier. Two more weeks of traveling and I will finally be finished. Hooray. My bags are packed, my presentations rehearsed (well, sort of), my (car's) oil changed, my whiskey consumed; the time is now.

I'm pretty excited for the trip, despite the fact that I completely loath the idea of being on the road for another two weeks. I think it's because I'll be visiting areas that are largely familiar to me...going to Chicago is always nice, and I'm about due for another trip to South Bend anyway. Some buddies from the math program here will be in SB the same weekend; combine that with SPO, Fullback, a few familiar establishments,* and Jim's grill and you've got yourself a solid weekend.

Well, there you have it. Time to finish packing.

* The 'Backer, Parisi's, Oyster Bar among others.

I'm just like all those boys from Texas

2006-03-27T08:55:00.000-05:00

Since we're still in the midst of March Madness, I find it necessary to give a few bracket updates. I rebounded quite well from the sustained losses I mentioned in my previous post. In fact, on Friday I was in first place in my bracket at work* and third place amongst my O'Neill Hall & Friends Bracket.

This weekend my picks plummeted. I think Florida is the only team I have left in the Final Four. Damn you, LSU, for beating Texas. What kind of nickname is Big Baby anyway?

Ok, time to move on. This weekend I'll embark on my final business trip. It should be a good one, too. First, a big trade show, then an installation, finally, a return to glory. I'm more excited about this round of travel than I have been all year.

One last thing before I get back to work: huge thanks to Vnak for his surprise donation of Prince cds to the "cause for giving me prince cds." A mildly amusing story was meant to accompany this post explaining the arrival of this package but I decided to omit it. Sorry Vnak.

* I know what you're thinking...software engineers can't pick good brackets. This may be true, but the salespeople at work can - and do - pick winners every year. They must be stopped.

B for Bad Bracketology, Betas, Bugs, and Bird

2006-03-18T17:40:00.000-05:00

The luck of the Irish was not with me yesterday, as the demise of Michigan State and Kansas was accompanied by that of my bracket picks. Is there anything more humbling than losing to both friends and coworkers in a game of 'who will win?' Probably, but I can't think of any at the moment.

I saw V for Vendetta today. If it weren't for Natalie Portman and her performance there would be little to speak of with regards to this film. Seeing it made me want to see Garden State all over again.*

This past week was slightly crazier than I thought it would be. I'm here in Charlottesville, VA assisting in the installation of my new product. It's going alright but this site is turning out to be more of a beta site than a commercial installation. See, they're using our software in partnership with some layout/design software that we have yet to use with our new product, and the two aren't playing quite as well as they should. Combine that with a couple of to-be-incorporated-soon-but-not-at-this-time features that they really want and you've got a recipe for some tense times. The site has been great about it all, though, and I couldn't have asked for more knowledgeable people to help us work through these issues.

We're having some Adobe CS 2 training sessions all this week at work; it's bad enough I have to miss Monday but I'm on a 6am flight home Tuesday morning so I can make it to the rest of the show.

* despite the fact that I just watched the last half of it last week.
Current Music: The Mysterious Production of Eggs ~ Andrew Bird. I love this guy.

(small) worlds collide?

2006-03-13T21:06:00.000-05:00

1. I joined the local YMCA last week. It feels great to be lifting again.
2. I've already begun the small task of brewing some travelin beers to take down to the Deuze-Clairesja wedding.
3. Back in Virginia...the weather is most definitely here.
4. March madness...fantastic.
5. My iBook broke. Again.
6. While running today I passed an apartment complex, Turtle Creek, here in Charlottesville. It shouldn't be surprising to some how many memories rushed to the surface of my mind at this find.

let's pretend

2006-03-07T10:39:00.000-05:00

My compies are pretending they're bunny rabbits. Every day this week a new one has appeared on my desk. It's starting to get scary.

unpimp my ride

2006-03-03T20:29:00.000-05:00

one.
two.
three.

go.

like sometimes when i hear myself on the radio

2006-02-27T09:02:00.000-05:00

What was looking to be a slow, agenda-free weekend turn into one of the best I've had in months. Friday night I went to Live at PJ's with Sneaks, Ben, and Chris to check out a band that Chris knows. (PJ's is the former site of Damato's (above Gracie's) for those of you keeping score.) Good times were had by all, and the walk back to Joe's apartment at 3am was reminiscent of a few years ago when we walked to Gracie's regularly. Ahh, the memories.

Saturday saw the visit of Jim and Sheila. With six of us piled in Jim's Benz, we spent the day in Detroit. Sites included the DIA, Andiamo's at the RenCen, the Heidelberg Project, and Cuisine.

As yesterday was winding down I received a phone call from a friend inviting me to come over and watch The Dukes of Hazzard. Seriously. My friends actually wanted to watch this movie. I went, reluctantly, and found myself glad I did, for the mix of homebrew and company overcame all odds resulting in the best time anyone has ever had watching that movie.

Today begins another week of travels, taking me to the likes of Charlottesville, VA and Big Rapids, MI. Speaking of traveling, I should go pack for my flight...

Current Music: Arcade Fire - Funeral

do i know a pat refsnider?

2006-02-24T19:56:00.000-05:00

That question was posed to me by a certion C Schuster just moments ago. I can't say that I know this person for sure, but I can say that C was drunk and it's possible that he got the name wrong. It's also possible that I can't remember the last name of the trumpet gradass who joined the ranks of ndband as I was leaving. What I can say for certain is that some parties are not as fun as they used to be*.

* I realize most people reading this will not understand what I mean, and I am perfectly okay with that.

i love you because

2006-02-19T19:52:00.000-05:00

just a quick note: anyone in the nyc area should definitely check out my college buddy's off-broadway show. speaking as someone who's never actually seen it but who knows the author, i can tell you it's fantastic.

oh what a world we live in

2006-02-15T18:07:00.000-05:00

I hate days like today.

It was one of those days where, despite working in "customer service", you can only think of doing two things:

1. Punching the customer in the face, and
2. Punching your salesman/boss in the face even harder.

That's all I have to say at this time. Maybe after I relax with a beer I'll feel like telling the story. For now, glorious bud lite...

~mvath

Random notes

2006-02-09T12:19:00.000-05:00

Today, as I walk around the office with my Power Step orthodic insoles creaking, I cannot help feeling a little bit like Larry David. Ok, a lot like Larry David. But with more hair.

In more important news, Happy Clairesja Daiye.

shattered cd's everywhere!

2006-02-05T16:15:00.000-05:00

This weekend finally brought my rendezvous with Vnak and Katie to fruition*. On Friday morning Vnak and I discussed where we would meet, being that Rochester was about 75 minutes from Minneapolis. He told me that he had picked a place that was "in the middle" so that everyone would have to travel about the same distance**. Turns out, the bar he picked was about 65 minutes from me, on the outskirts of Minneapolis. Not surprisingly, Vnak also had coups to this particular establishment. Classic Vnak; well done, I say.

I didn't mind. Miller Lite Girls and a waitress with an attitude added to the enjoyment of the evening***. The only downside was a loud country/classic rock band that started playing around 9:30.

Yesterday was nothing more than a travel day, but today has brought the near-completion of my Dark Winter English Bitter**** and the re-racking of my Mid-Winter Summer Wheat. Later, a Super Bowl that I don't care about at all will take place.

And that concludes my weekend.

* Kimlinger made an appearance as the added bonus.
** In the snow, mind you
*** Especially the part where they competed over whose beer special was a "better deal".
**** DWEB for short. It should be finished tonight at Richard and Mary's apartment.

I have a sister somewhere in Detroit.

2006-02-01T22:39:00.000-05:00

It appears the boredom induced by Rochester, MN has had at least once notable side effect. I have watched the mini series and almost the entire first season of Battlestar Galactica. I gotta say, it's good. So many questions!* I think I would like it even more if I hadn't overloaded on it this week. I'm definitely going to give myself a break before diving into season two. But still, it's good. I recommend.

* For those of you who may end up watching the show later I won't begin listing my questions here, but perhaps in comments or subsequent posts.

Current music: Sufjan Stevens, Seven Swans

Rally who?

2006-01-28T20:18:00.000-05:00

Tonight has brought another disappointing loss for The Irish. With seconds left we fell to Villanova. That makes 7 losses by 6 or fewer points this season. Heartbreaking. I'm going to have to give up soon.

Different Names For The Same Thing

2006-01-27T20:19:00.000-05:00

The weekend is finally here, for better or worse.

The worse: a sizeable portion of this weekend will be spent doing work.

The better: I don't have to return to the paper until Sunday morning, which means that tonight, for example, it is perfectly acceptable that I had a few pints of Guinness next door before sitting here to start working.

There will be some time for fun this weekend, though. I'm hoping that my efforts tonight will provide for a relatively work-free Saturday afternoon/evening. You might be wondering what kind of fun there is to be had in Rochester, MN. Well, so am I. This* is the best list I've been able to find so far.

I'm sure I'll find something. For now I better get back to work.

Current Music: Sufjan Stevens, Illinois

*Sesame Street Live!

If I could open my arms

2006-01-26T21:32:00.000-05:00

I don't get this weather. I never know what to expect in the morning when I walk outside. Will it be warm? windy? cold? And yet no matter the answer I find myself relieved. It's confusing.

Tomorrow finds me wrapping up the first week of my second to last project in the I&T department at work. It's a little bit of a difficult time because I have so much that I could be doing for my new position but no time to do any of it. Sigh, maybe this weekend.

Totally changing gears for just a moment, I've noticed there's this exclusive gang of super-cool-bloggers who share (a) the music to which they are currently listening or (b) the book they are currently reading. In an effort to join:

Current Music: Death Cab For Cutie, Plans
Current Show: The Office

I'd like to point out that I am only a few miles from Vnak and his "preggers" wife; so close, in fact, that sometimes I burst spontaneously into laughter. Vnak has that effect on people.

And on that note...

An email from Spo

2006-01-13T15:07:00.000-05:00

"...Anyway, the other day I was sorting through some stuff that was
left in my office by the guy who had my desk before me. His name is Jason Daly, and I think you know him, or at least have met him, because he was once your TA. I found this old grade card from freshman year... I couldn't believe he still had all this old stuff, and that he was your TA. crazy..."

I feel like Jay Leno

2006-01-13T09:09:00.000-05:00

The following is "Today's Poll Question" as posted on the website of one of our newspaper customers:

Who do you think will win the county basketball tournament?

1. Yes
2. No

I voted yes.

So many questions

2006-01-12T19:19:00.000-05:00

Does anyone else think that Napoleon Dynamite is funny but definitely not the funniest movie ever?

Is it me or is Scrubs getting weirder and weirder?

Is there anyone on the planet funnier than Ricky Gervais?

Why can't Notre Dame Men's Basketball break free of mediocrity?

Anyone remember Rat Chicken?

A post for me.

2006-01-09T22:59:00.000-05:00

Well, I'm back on the road again. This time, though, I've got some key area contacts* to tap for much needed respite**. Tonight we had traditional*** Monday night New Orleans fare...red beans and rice. It was great; like a little plate of home-cooked goodness to get me through the week. Adam and I shared a heated conversation about the good and the bad of the BCS while Erin and Jenny, eyes rolling, tried to distract us with desserts and stories of home****.

That's going to be it for now. It's not much, I know, but it's something. Small steps.

* my cousins Jenny and Adam and his wife Erin
** from work, traveling, etc.
*** so much so that Adam finds it offensive to consider not eating this dish each and every Monday
**** with some, but not not total, success. Actually, the stories of home were phenomenal. The Nolan's, among other things, are terrific story-tellers, a talent they no doubt inherited from Uncle Bruce, so it's always a pleasure to sit and chat about New York and The Bayou.

my least favorite group of people is 14-year-olds

2005-12-31T22:20:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year!

and of course, Baxter here

2005-12-31T19:31:00.000-05:00

A picture from Christmas in BR, courtesy of Clairesja.

now the day is over, night is drawing nigh

2005-12-20T22:42:00.000-05:00

Well, after only a few days at my apartment, I'm back on the road; tomorrow will be another pre-5 am morning for me. Too bad I can't sleep.

A quick recap of the events of the past few days:

1. My first day of vacation, Monday, was spent entirely in my office. Oh well.
2. Dinner with Ellen, Liz, and Will. We played trivial pursuit. Haven't laughed that hard in a long time.
3. Dinner with Richard and Mary. Pad Thai + nice wine + tea from Mary + "the curb"* = success.
4. Completed almost all of my Christmas shopping.
5. Got my hair cut.
6. Met Faz of "Hello Faz Pizzeria".

All in all I'd say that's a pretty good few days. I expect the next few in BR will follow suit. Maybe I'll even post about them, but in case I don't, Happy Holidays.

-mike

* Curb Your Enthusiasm

on a jetplane

2005-12-16T20:58:00.000-05:00

In about 7 hours I'll be leaving, sleepy-eyed, for the airport and my trip back to Michigan. There, my Christmas vacation officially begins (though I will undoubtedly spend at least one day in the office). I can't wait. Snow, Christmas songs, egg nog, my own bed...these are all good things.

Still haven't made definite plans for New Year's Eve, but more and more choices are presenting themselves each day. I'm too tired to type more at this point. Hopefully more soon.

A quiet week

2005-12-14T22:45:00.000-05:00

I've been promoted! Starting next week my new title will be "Assistant Product Manager, ProductionManagerPro".

PMP is another product line developed and sold by my company (not the one with which I currenly work). I'll be the second in command when it comes to directing the development process and direction of the product, as well as playing a key role in the sales, installation/integration, and support facets of our company. Lastly, I'll be off the road!

Ok, not totally off the road. I'll still have to travel to a few trade shows to demo the product as well as some of our beta sites to handle beta installations/integrations/support. But we're talking weeks per year as oppossed to months per year - at last count I spent approximately 30 weeks on the road in the last year.

Well, that's the news from Lake Micvatbegon; I'm off to do a little reading.

DeuzeNet

2005-12-12T22:51:00.000-05:00

Today, while waiting for some background processes to complete on my computer, I took the liberty of running this search. Both pictures are worthy of at least a smile, if not a laugh.

Interestingly enough, one picture that was common to a search result of myself and my older brother: a headshot of Leonardo DiCaprio. No lie.

Alright, back to work.

(some of my) Favorite Albums of 2005

2005-12-06T21:49:00.000-05:00

This time of year, the media seems to run rampant with "Best Of" shows, lists, games, etc. So, today I thought, "Why the hell shouldn't I join the party?"

Thus, I give you my favorite albums of 2005, in no particular order, except maybe my order of preference, which is pretty particular.

1. Illinois, Sufjan Stevens
2. The Mysterious Production of Eggs, Andrew Bird
3. Z, My Morning Jacket
4. Funeral, Arcade Fire*
5. Picaresque, The Decemberists
6. I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning, Bright Eyes

* I think this was released in the UK in 2004 but I'm still considering it as eligible.

But I was alive and kicking through this cruel world.

2005-11-11T23:11:00.000-05:00

Well, it's 11:11 on 11-11, and I'm doing fine. I'm through with what seems to have been the longest three weeks of my life. I'd love to tell stories of the hardships, the trials overcome, but for now I'm exhausted. But...I'm finished, and I'm doing fine. At eleven eleven.

Besides that, Mrs. Lincoln, how was the play?

2005-10-28T21:22:00.000-04:00

As I sit here playing with my new mighty mouse drinking a Miller Lite and listening to It's Your Thing I find myself increasingly thankful for the weekend. We are currently one-third of the way towards completion of this site and I feel like we are nowhere and it's now.

Speaking of Bright Eyes, he/they is/are playing this weekend at a music festival along with Emmylou Harris, Norah Jones, CSN&Y, Dave Matthews, and more. Unfortunately my Michigan-friends who live here aren't into $60 for an all-day lineup like that. They're also not into Sonoma for some wine-tasting. Fools. So instead we'll site-see in the city and go out tomorrow night.

*** I really love this mouse, and I thought I would hate it. Is it sad that I used the words "love" and "this mouse" in the same sentence? Probably, but I guess I'm okay with it. ***

Ok, I meant to post some more but my coworker just walked in and grabbed a beer, so I guess I should play the good host and stop typing on this laptop. More tomorrow? Hopefully.

Just a quick one

2005-10-24T00:13:00.000-04:00

So, I'm here in California. The 4.5 hour flight from Detroit was nice and uneventful, and the drive from the city out to Vacaville was beautiful. The sun was out, my windows were down, and I found a fantastic radio station that was playing nothing but soul classics from the 70's. Maybe three weeks here won't be so bad? I should wait until at least one day of work before I say that.

Speaking of which, I should get some sleep. More to come.

Mic "We're not here to talk nonsense to Bob Loblaw" Vat

Everyone else is blogging about Gold Digger, I probably should as well.

2005-10-22T10:12:00.000-04:00

These last two weeks (two weeks that I was able to spend in Ann Arbor for a change) have swept by all too fast. Fall is setting in nicely, bring its seasoned mix of crisp winds, half-grey skies, and bright colors. Unfortunately I will miss the rest of it as I am leaving for California tomorrow. I'll be there for three straight weeks, but fortunately I'll have the companionship of one coworker and two U of M friends to help pass the time.

I brewed another beer with Joe, but I still don't have my fridge. This means that when I get back in November I'll have 10 gallons of beer begging to be consumed and no way to do so. Sigh, what a tough life. Oh, and I just realized that when I get in November it will be almost Thanksgiving. Damn, I better make some pumpkin ale. 15 gallons of beer and no way to consume it; that sounds better.

Finally, I want to buy every new Apple product that just came out. New iPods, PowerBooks, iMacs, PowerMacs, I want them all! Maybe my brothers and I can form a family band* and tour the countryside. Then we could be cool like Bono** and get our own iPods and other free toys.

* I can play jazz flute.
** Bono is a loser.

Right State. Wrong City.

2005-10-04T23:12:00.000-04:00

Today was the last day my Purdue-loving coworker was on site. Tomorrow he flies back to Ann Arbor to prepare for his next site (which begins NEXT MONDAY). Though I'm sorry to see him go in some ways, in many others I'm glad to finally be on site by myself again, a state of being I have not practiced since the days of Ireland. My enjoyment of the next few days will be furthered by the fact that I do not have another completely solo site again until 2006, and there's something sad about that. What I really mean is that there's something nice about being able to eat and sleep and site-see and socialize according to one's own schedule/preferences without having to factor someone else's into the process.

In other news, I recently shared emails with TayTayBabyCakesT336Clary and it was a delight. Oh how we laughed and laughed! Good times; it makes me anxious for the USC game as I will be in attendance. Booya.

In still other news my apartment is shaping up nicely with much help from my brother, sister-in-law, and cousin (Adam). I'll post some pictures as soon as I get it all in order (which, as Richard and Mary can tell you, may take a while).

Lastly, in still other other news, Arrested Developement is absolutely hilarous. Everyone should watch it always. And Fox should never cancel it. Ever.

As Marie and Kathleen used to say, "Poop on Purdue!"

2005-10-01T18:19:00.000-04:00

Jake comes home.

2005-09-09T19:21:00.000-04:00

My mom finally got her puppy. After months and months and months she finally got him. So far, he seems to be well worth the wait; very docile, affectionate, and well behaved. And healthy! Here are just a few pics, with perhaps more to come...

Recently Played

2005-08-16T20:59:00.000-04:00

I want to comment on two albums that have been consuming me - absolutely - recently. Indeed, I have listened to these two almost exclusively*.

1. Sufjan Stevens Invites You To Come On Feel The Illinois
If you've never listened to Sufjan ("SOOF-yahn"), his lengthy titles (his track titles are even longer!) and difficult first name should give you at least some indication of his relative position to the norm. When I was first introduced to his music I actually laughed out loud; it seemed so amateur. It was, I think, the most rapid progression from contempt to adoration of an artist I've ever experienced.

I won't attempt to do his music justice on this blog, but let me at least present some of his lyrics. Lyrics that haunt me.

In the tower above the earth,
There is a view that reaches far
Where we see the universe,
I see the fire, I see the end.

Seven miles above the earth,
There is Emmanuel of mothers.
With his sword, with his robe,
He comes dividing man from brothers.

In the tower above the earth, we built it for Emmanuel.
In the powers of the earth, we wait until it rips and rips.
In the tower above the earth, we built it for Emmanuel.
Oh my mother, she betrayed us, but my father loved and bathed us.

Still I go to the deepest grave,
Where I go to sleep alone

~ from Seer's Tower

I cried myself to sleep last night
And the ghost of Carl, he approached my window
I was hypnotized, I was asked
To improvise
On the attitude, the regret
Of a thousand centuries of death

Even with the heart of terror and the superstitious wearer
I am riding all alone
I am writing all alone

Even in my best condition, counting all the superstition
I am riding all alone
I am running all alone

And we laughed at the beatitudes of a thousand lines
We were asked at the attitudes
They reminded us of death

Even with the rest belated, everything is antiquated
Are you writing from the heart?
Are you writing from the heart?

Even in his heart the Devil has to know the water level
Are you writing from the heart?
Are you writing from the heart?

And I cried myself to sleep last night
For the Earth, and materials, they may sound just right to me

Even with the rest belated, everything is antiquated
Are you writing from the heart?
Are you writing from the heart?

Even in his heart the Devil has to know the water level
Are you writing from the heart?
Are you writing from the heart?

~ from the title track

2. Andrew Bird & The Mysterious Production of Eggs
His influences are clear, comprising an all-star list including Nick Drake, Paul Simon, The Beatles, Jeff Buckley, and Sting, but his sound is all his own. While a lot of people reading this might already be familiar with Sufjan, I doubt many have heard this classically trained violinist from Chicago. Admittedly, TMPoE is my first exposure to his work, but you can bet I'm going to try and track down some of his older stuff. Check out one of the tracks here. Or listen to the whole thing streamed here. Give him a good listen, he will not disappoint.

* I've also been listening to Rilo Kiley's first album as well - Take Offs and Landings. However, the two albums mentioned here are the only albums I have ever purchaced on iTunes to date and the ones I've been listening to the most.

Torrey Pines

2005-08-13T12:34:00.000-04:00

I almost missed my flight to San Diego last weekend. Well, sort of. Pat and I, on our way there, were dropping off Thomas at a friends house. While waiting for the front door to be open and Thomas to be let in the house, Pat rolled down his window to say say something to him. There was an unusual crunch as the window began descending. For a fleeting moment I thought that maybe something had gone wrong, but I quickly convinced myself it was all in my head. That is, until Pat attempted to raise the window to louder, more terrifying crunch sounds. In a moment of rapid decision making we decided to drive to Chris's house to enlist his services. Fortunately he was available, so the three of us raced to the airport in my windowless car.

Upon arriving, Pat quickly ran off to pick up Lisa's van (this is the whole reason he was coming to the airport in the first place), I ran to the baggage check (fortunately my elite status with Northwest allows me "elite" access to "special" check-in lines. After getting through security I ran to my gate, boarding pass in hand. I rounded the corner, prepared to walk straight onto the plane, and as I looked up I saw, in big red letters, "DELAYED".

Most of the passengers at this point were already in the gate area and had a perfect view of the scene; I could tell they were pretty amused. I felt their stares as I calmly walked to an open seat and called the folks to tell them the story of my car.

My week, though, has been much calmer. The installation at SDSU is going well, the weather has been perfect, and San Diego is a beautiful city. How could I complain? I'll actually be a little sad to leave, though I would never pass up a chance to actually be home.

Speaking of home, I'm feeling a stronger and stronger sense of unrgency about getting my own place. It needs to happen, I think, and soon. The search has begun.

I've looked at blogs from both sides now.

2005-07-22T11:15:00.000-04:00

A lot has happened since I left Houston. Last Sunday I flew into Baltimore and took my Toyota Avalon rental out to Frederick, MD where I'll be working through next week. Back when I was a newby with BV I went on a training site with Chad. This site has seen us reunited as two seasoned* installation/integration experts. In addition, we each have our own newby to train so that a total of four BV folks have descended upon this paper. As a result, the week has been a bit more social than many installs; Tuesday night had the four of us drinking 40s in my hotel room playing my Game Cube. It was a classic scene.

This weekend I had tentatively planned on trying to get to the Philadelphia/NYC area to meet some friends, but instead I think I'll hang out around here; I have some friends and family in this area as well so that should be pretty cool. Next week will just have me and Ben (my trainee) on site, as the other two are leaving this afternoon. It'll be a lazier** week of post install troubleshooting and demo-ing one of the new features that I installed at our first site in Houston.

As has most of my family, I finished Harry Potter, and it was compelling and rich. My thirst for the next installment is at an all-time peak. And, because I don't have any other books on the road with me, I might find myself rereading book 6 again this weekend.

And on that note, back to work...

* Can I be "seasoned" after 9 months? I feel as though I can.
** Hopefully!

Rally, Sons!

2005-07-07T22:24:00.000-04:00

Mary must be feeling jealous these days, as I'm currently spending some time in the humidity and Rudy's of Texas. I arrived on Tuesday and will be here through next weekend. THIS weekend, however, will be spent in Baton Rouge with Mom, Dad, and The Deuze. I'll drive there after work tomorrow and almost assuredly drink mansies and/or black russies while watching Anchorman. Booya, as they say.

The site has already proven to give me headaches, and by the end of Day 1 (yesterday) it was already unclear as to whether the installation would proceed. (Don't worry, it will.) My evening's have been somewhat relaxing (though partially work-filled), though, since the suite in which I'm staying is pretty great. I've got an almost-full kitchen (no stove), free laundry, free hot breakfast, and free happy-hour w/ aur dourves each weekday. In addition I've brought almost every dvd I own as well as my GameCube to pass the time. Top it all off with Shiner Light and you've got a recipe for success. Or something.

Lastly, I can't wait for Notre Dame football to start. Will it be a good season?! Maybe, maybe not, but either way it's going to be a very exciting season. Go Irish!

Isn't it a beautiful summers eve?!

2005-07-01T10:15:00.000-04:00

Dear blogstyles,
Sorry for neglecting you, but sometimes you just gotta look in the mirror and say, "When in Rome!"
Sincerely,
MicVat

Now that I got that out of the way I can move on to tell the tales of our little family reunion here in southeast Michigan. Mom, Dad, and The Deuze flew up here for a week of relaxing, sight-seeing, movie-watching, grilling, swimming, whiskey, fire-making, and mostly, Anchorman-quoting.

Ooooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhhh!

We had a great time, and discussions of the future Vath-brother summer vacation spot were reignited. Other possible spots include:

Â Austin, TX
ÂÂ Florida Gulf Coast
ÂÂ Michigan UP
ÂÂ Grand Isle, La
ÂÂ Spain

So many choices! Wait, it's clear. I know what to do...

This weekend more family will be in town: Nolan Cousins. Excellent. We'll probably spend some time at the boat and watching the symphony/fireworks thing in Detroit. Next Tuesday I leave for an insane road-stint which will take me to Houston, Maryland, and San Diego. The result of which is my doing work over my vacation, and on that note I'll get back to it.

Irish Adventures Part III

2005-05-16T11:53:00.000-04:00

Ready for some more Irish observations? I'm not. First, I should offer up three cheers for The Deuze on his graduation this weekend. No Guinness was consumed in his honor. Instead, whiskey. It was the first drink I've had while here that wasn't Guinness, but it had to be done. I thought about drinking a car bomb so as to toast all graduating peoples at once, but decided it would be best to enjoy both my whiskey and my Guinness rather than tainting each with the other. So, here's to you, The Deuze.

And now, on to the observations/stories:

On Friday I found my new favorite pub in Ennis. Having grown weary of the pub at The Old Ground, I ventured to the other side of town and found Ciaran's Bar. I knew it was a local place when I walked in and found only middle aged businessmen in suits throwing back pint after pint of Guinness (and yes, Budweiser). (Another solid indication, though, is the fact that I can't find a website for the bar.) I sat at the end of the bar and had three pints myself before heading off for some dinner.

Saturdays, even in a small Irish town, are quite exciting. Absolutely everyone was out walking the streets of town. Tables and tents were set and pitched as the streets became a bustling market of all sorts of goods. Was it the beautiful weather that made this happen? Definitely, and I'm glad I was able to experience it.

Irish towns have lots of pubs, yes, but they also have lots of butchers. Pubs and butchers, pubs and butchers. That's all I saw on saturday. Butchers I didn't even see during the week (I believe Saturday is "butcher day" or something). Apparently the thing to do in Ireland on Saturday is buy some fresh grillables and then take them home and boil them. Afterwards it's off to the pub for a pint of (you guessed it!) Budweiser. Or Guinness, but I've seen just as many men drinking Bud as I have Guinness.

Sunday was quiet. I went to mass across the street from my hotel at a pretty-though-not-breathtaking traditional Irish Catholic church. No music. No singing. Just the mass. I think it took about 35 minutes. But it was nice, and I didn't have any trouble understanding the priest.

The streets were dead on Sunday, so I wandered back to Ciaran's and had a few quiet pints and watched a European handball match between some Irish teams. There was an older guy watching the match as well (everyone else in the place was watching horseracing) and he and I bonded non-verbally by cheering for the same team. He clearly felt passionate about his choice, while my decision was based on the names of the teams alone: Armagh -vs- Fermanagh. Both are towns in Northern Ireland. Don't ask me how to pronounce them.

As the game wound down the bar started getting packed with a younger crowd. It turns out that the thing to do on Sundays is drink Guinness while watching the Hurling match between Limerick and Tipperary, the two neighboring towns, in a heated quarterfinal match. As I cheered Limerick on (who wouldn't cheer for a town by that name?), Guinness in hand, I felt like a true local. Well, except the fact that some of the rules of hurling are a total mystery to me. No matter, it was a splendid weekend! I'm thankful I spent it in Ennis.

160th Commencement Exercises

2005-05-15T07:58:00.000-04:00

Just a quick word of congrats to all those graduating at ND today. This is actually the first graduation weekend I've missed since I graduated in 2002. Sad. No matter, Guinnesses will be had for you all. Guess I better get started...

Again, congrats, cheers,
Mike

Irish Adventures Part II

2005-05-12T04:13:00.000-04:00

I'll try to respond to a few of the comments posted to my last entry, as well as a few new observations:

* I don't have a camera, which is pathetic. I might buy one while I'm here, but in any case I'm relying on my "photographic memory" and my "keen artistic skills" to timelessly capture this place. No need to worry.

* Ireland, or at least this town in Ireland, does have lots of pubs. They also have lots of places to get coffee. Probably espresso too, but so far I've only been drinking coffee. Some of it is crappy in the same was that crappy coffee in the states is crappy but some of it is that fantastic European-style coffee with the nice froth on top. Mmm.

* It still might rain Guinness here; I haven't actually seen it rain yet. I have heard that the Oompa Loompas sprinkle Guinness from the ceilings of the Guinness factory. Yes, Sarah, there are Oompla Loompas. You probably didn't recognize them as such because they look just like Jim Stevens. Crazy, I know. Or perhaps they are invisible to those who can't appreciate Guinness. I've never heard of the river of Guinness, but it's probably one of those things that's very hush hush. Reading Srta's post made my mouth water, though. "Wild, free-flowing, unkegged Irish Guinness" sounds divine. Do you write for their brochure?

* Pubs are interesting here. No distinction is made between tender-of-bar and tender-of-tables. For example, the bar in my hotel seems to be one of the lunch/dinner/evening hot spots. Last night I was there having a nightcap (two pints of Guinness) and I was fascinated by the waiters/waitresses. There were several of them buzzing about the entire bar, taking orders at every table, mixing drinks, bring out food, cleaning, socializing, etc. This non-assignment of server-to-table is only made possible through two simple truths:
1. when patrons are ready to pay, the bring their check (which sits at the table available for any server to make additions when necessary) to the bar
2. no tips are given
An additional note about tips: I left a tip for the nice lady who cleaned my room the first day, complete with a little note saying thanks...she didn't take it.

Alright, that's about enough for now. Time to get to work.

Irish Adventures

2005-05-11T07:34:00.000-04:00

So here I am in brilliant Ireland. From the moment I flew over the coast to the moment I sit here typing away, this place has been beautiful. I arrived Monday morning and had no troubles getting a taxi into Ennis. The driver was quite nice (not surprisingly, we spoke almost exclusively about Guinness and President Bush) and knew exactly where to take me despite the fact that I had no address for the hotel. Though it was 9 am when I arrived, I was able to check into my hotel and immediately passed out on my bed for about half an hour. Feeling a bit more awake, I walked around town looking for Guinness, ultimately settling on the hotel bar.

Guinness was, is, not what I expected at all. In my head I had imagined that it would be this explosion of creamy goodness unsurpassed by all imitators. What's worse is that I somehow expected that it would be EVERYWHERE. I mean, doesn't it rain Guinness here? Can you walk down the street and NOT see rivers of heady beer flowing through the narrow streets? Little Irish boys in yellow raincoats and boots, stomping in puddles of the stuff and singing in Gaelic?

Wi' nae wee bairn ye'll me beget
Untwinkle, little ee
My ainly pang'll be regret
A maiden I will dee

Ok, so maybe I got a little carried away there. I'm not even sure if that's Gaelic. It might simply be babyspeak, but it is true that Guinness is not as intertwined with Irish life as I had imagined. To be fair, I'm only in one little town; and, just as it is the states, Guinness can apparently differ quite a bit from place to place, and even bar to bar. Maybe I should train up to Dublin for the weekend and see for myself.

For fear of writing an entire post devoted to Guinness I'll move on, but not without the intent to revisit the topic later. Late Monday afternoon I met some of my work contacts for a coffee and a hike out to the training site. The site is pretty nondescript (however the soon-to-be-complete building is very cool) so let's move right on to talking about the Irish lads, beginning with some gross generalizations. They're quite pleasant - though not in an overly saccharine sort of way - and very nice/accommodating. The men (especially the older ones) are quite jovial and a bit difficult to understand, the ladies are much quieter and so a mystery.

The people starting up this paper are fantastic. They're all relatively young and very bright. The editor is my favorite. He's very grounded and at the same time driven to make the most of this opportunity. They're doing some pretty neat things; the paper will be the first in the country to have color print on every page. If that doesn't sound impressive to you just pretend it is... Today we were discussing different things he wanted to do with the paper and how our software could accommodate his needs and I thought, "I should just stay here and work for this guy for a while."

Anyway, so that's pretty smashing. And by the look of the clock I see it's time to get back to work. More to come soon.

Cheers!

Another day, another Molson.

2005-05-05T18:20:00.000-04:00

Well, it's been a while, and I have little desire at this point for a detailed recap. I will say that I survived three weeks in Greenville and am only slightly worse for the wear. While in Greenville my schedule for the month of May took an unexpected twist, resulting in my departure for Ireland this Sunday. I'll be there for two weeks working with a startup paper. Let me put some emphasis on the word "startup" with the following pieces of information:

Only a day and a half ago I received tentative rates that they will use to sell advertising.

They do have an editor and most of the staff hired, but they are not in place yet so an external company has been contracted to run the IT/install/staffing.

The building that will house this new weekly (and free) paper is still being built, so when I spoke to my contact this morning she was in a hotel conference room that they have rented out to facilitate the training. They're still working out all the logistics that this will entail, but certainly anything will be better than sharing a roofless building with construction workers.

Needless to say this should be an interesting adventure.

As the tittle would suggest, Molson is here with me at work again. Right now she's asleep on the floor, but a minute ago she was bounding up and down the building up and down the building looking for other playfriends. She didn't find any. Sad. Anyway it's about time to get back to work. More stories (and hopefully pictures) from Ireland soon.

Happy Easter every peoples!

2005-04-03T10:22:00.000-04:00

Congrats to The Deuze and Clairesja on their engagement!! Since The Deuze no longer maintains his, you'll have to refer to the bloggstyles of Clairesja for pics and the like.

In less important news, my 3-week stay at the office is almost up, and pretty soon I'll be travelling out to Greenville, MI* for 3 hellish weeks. My only consolation is that upon returning from Greenville I'll have all of May in-house after which, hopefully, I'll be going to Ireland.

Today I'm going to do my taxes. "Bravo!" says the pig.

* The birthplace of Meijer!

Disaster Relief

2005-03-18T15:18:00.000-05:00

Please help Srtalutha raise money for Tsunami relief by donating to UNICEF here.

Days like today.

2005-03-15T20:09:00.000-05:00

I love 'em. Especially when a site has gone well, the last day (particularly the last afternoon) is a delight. It's great to see the software functioning, and functioning well, outside of the artificiality of the office. What's even better is that onsetting feeling that for the next day or so I can pretend that I have no work to do. Oh what a world we live in...

"Jamaica wasn't as Americanized as I expected. It was really annoying. The locals were really annoying."

2005-03-14T18:14:00.000-05:00

This is actually something that a student here at Univ. of S. Carolina said about her recent spring break trip. She actually had more to say but I couldn't bear to listen. Ohhh, you ethnocentric idiot!

BV, the place to which dogs go when they retire.

2005-03-13T15:20:00.000-05:00

Molson @ Baseview
Originally uploaded by MicVat.

Because I've been so bad recently about posting and I now have several things to say I'm going to fall back on my old friend the list. Besides, using lists is hott.

Molson, the neighbor's dog, came to work with me two weeks ago. At first she was a little confused as to why I was taking her away in the morning, but as soon as we arrived at the office, she was in heaven. What made the day an even bigger hit was that she was far and away the most well behaved dog in the building. She got compliments all day on how beautiful/disciplined she was...way to go Molson! In a few months I'll start bringing Amstel, her baby sister, as well.

I arrived in Columbia, SC last Sunday to find out that one of the girls I'm training has ringworn and that I could ad another name to the list of crazies that think I look like Tom Hanks. I just don't see it, but I did learn a lot about ringworm. "Never miss an opportunity to learn about fungus", that's what my folks used to say.

I can't wait for Thursday's St. Patrick's Day celebration (a celebration that more than likely will spill into the weekend). It looks like we should have a good crowd, green beer, and hopefully the grill going. Not only that but my return from this trip will mark the start of a nice long home-stay. Three weeks. Excellent.

All that's left is for me to enjoy this sunny, warm Sunday afternoon. If it's snowing when I get back to Michigan I'm going to cry. Snow in March after experiencing temps in the mid 70's is definitely not hott.

All things Alaskan (or Tennesseean?)

2005-02-20T09:37:00.000-05:00

Ketchikan 17
Originally uploaded by MicVat.

Well, I finally transferred some pictures to the world wide web. The image presently at right is one of many mediocre pictures I was able to capture while in Ketchikan, Alaska a few weeks ago. Keep in mind they were all taken with my cell phone; I take no responsibility for their quality and I hold true to the claim that, when handed a real camera, I can take some pretty nice shots.

Currently I am in Knoxville (or more precisely, Maryville), Tennessee. The trip so far has been a large success. The folks drove into town for a few nights to hang out, which was teriffic, and they brought with them a final draft of the house plans, so they walked me through the house over (hotel-plastic) glasses of Makers. They departed on Friday, so yesterday afternoon I went solo into Smokey Mountain National Park to visit Cades Cove. The weather held out just long enough for the trip to be a success. Unfortunately my cell phone was dead at the time so I have no pictures. Alas.

It's about time to wrap this thing up - I've droned on and on for hours now - but first I have two quick things to share. The first is that I might be going to Galway, Ireland for work in June, a trip which would amazing for two reasons - that I'd be in Ireland and that I'd be on someone else's dime. I'm not getting my hopes up yet, because the site is not confirmed and June is too far away for anything to be set in stone. I learned earlier this year - the hard way - that it's best not to count your marbles even when they are a week or so from hatching.

The second item I have to share with you is a funny story from work this week. It goes like this: Some dunce walked into the newspaper where I am working and saw one of the girls drinking a can of Pepsi, to which he commented, "Only communists and yankees drink pepsi!" Wow, welcome to Tenessee. I actually had to restrain myself from saying something or at least giving him a dirty look. What stopped me was the thought that maybe he was right. Maybe Pepsi is the clear link between Communism and Yankeeism. Maybe Nazism too! He might be on to something. And on that note, I'm outa here.

for the record have you eva rode a horse?

2005-02-15T17:28:00.000-05:00

Murphy's Law For The Business Traveler comes in many forms, some of which I'll include here:
(a) If you need to wake up at a certain time in the morning in order to make your flight and you make the (quite generally safe) assumption that the children with which you live will have you out of bed well before the hour becomes late, you will sleep right through the first quiet morning the house has seen in days.
(b) If you stop to get gas and wash your vehicle on the way to the airport, the car wash will certainly not be operational despite the $9.95 that has been charged to your credit card and you will be forced to leave the station, disgusted, in your filthy-yet-no-longer-thirsty vehicle.
(c) After you have caught your flight and landed, after this has happened if you let down your guard, the jetway will break down and you will be forced to sit on the plane while it is repaired.
(d) And when you finally get to your hotel and are unable to check-in because your room is still not ready, if you go to the nearby grocer to buy perishable items because "Holiday Inn Express rooms always have a fridge and micro," at that point my friend, if you check into your room holding perishables there will be no fridge, no micro, no highspeed, and certainly no apparent way to connect the Game Cube you carried all the way from home.

I've found the only way to stare Murphy's Law in the face and not be defeated is not getting yourself caught up in the 'nilla 'nilla...

Detroit bound

2005-02-05T13:47:00.000-05:00

Today Ketchikan is a different place. My site is complete (it went resplendidly), the sun is shining, and there's about a quarter inch of snow on the ground. Honestly, it doesn't even look like the same town. Of course, all of this came to pass on the day in which I depart. Fortunately, though, I don't leave here until after 5, so as soon as I pack up and check out I have the rest of the day to explore the totem pole parks and the docks and the trails and the mountains and the forest. As I type all of that, it occurs to me I should get started...

2005-02-02T16:09:00.000-05:00

a footnote:

I feel as though I should take some of my lunch break to post this addendum to my last story. The rain has stopped, and though the cloud cover is still remarkably low, it has lifted just enough - and this is not an exaggeration - for me to notice the fact that this town, and its accompanying lake, are completely surrounded by snow crested mountains. Obviously I knew that it sat on a hill but the fog was so dense that I wasn't able to appreciate the landscape. It's actually quite nice, and I can imagine in the summer months this must be a beautiful town under the sun.

Of course, I don't want to discredit my last post entirely. It is scheduled to rain again before I leave for the day.

no groundhog here

2005-02-02T13:00:00.000-05:00

Greetings from Alaska. I just arrived at the newspaper for day 3 and I have only a few minutes before we go live on the new system. Hence, I have just enough time to tell the tale of a quick encounter of mine this morning.

I overslept. If my hotel has taught me anything these past three nights it is the hard truth that waking up early in the morning to go to work is quite difficult when you have no clock. Waking up at five in a panic that you overslept is remarkably easy, but waking up a second time shortly after that is like trying to [insert hurdle too difficult to overcome here] while underwater. Back to the story, I quickly showered, shaved and ran downstairs, stopping briefly to grab a complimentary coffee (Raven's Brew, what a name). On my way out the door the old man that I've grown accustomed to sharing breakfast with in the morning scampered up to me; he had been hosing of the sidwalk in front of the place and he had, for the first time all week, a youthful spark in his eye. When he was within reach he grabbed my arm and cried, "You missed it!" I smiled and asked, "What did I miss?" "For about two hours this morning it stopped raining!" was his reply. Because I was running so late I had already freed myself of his grasp and began walking away, but I smiled and said, "I guess I should start waking up earlier, then." A cheesy reply? Yes. But he nodded vigorously, and besides he's only my old nameless breakfast buddy who tells me the same story each morning...what more is there to say in response to such an outburst?

But that's Ketchikan. The two hours since I've been here that it stopped raining is the current best-moment, despite the fact that I was sleeping. And what was this old guy doing hosing off the sidewalk?! Was he afraid those two hours might have dehydrated the concrete? I'm baffled. The story ends when I arrived here at the paper to find the doors locked and no one here. I slipped in the back entrance (through the actually press room...I got some weird looks from those guys who have no idea who I am...) and started typing. Good thing I rushed myself this morning. But now everyone is present and the game of putting out tomorrow's paper can begin.

Fin.

Beers-a-Plenty

2005-01-29T13:05:00.000-05:00

My adventures in homebrewing continue to impress (me, anyway). Last weekend Joe and I decided to brew a Hogaarden-esque summer white beer. But before I talk about that, let me backtrack for just a second. A month or so ago Joe decided he wanted to brew a Belgian Abbey. This was quite experimental for us as the recipe called for all kinds of ingredients we had never used before such as honey, belgian candy, and corriander. We were quite nervous about the whole ordeal, but in the end the beer came out wonderful - one of our bests, in fact. So, when we decided to forge ahead into the realm of summer whites it didn't phase us that the recipe called for rice hulls, flaked oats, and other grains that needed to be mashed*. Things were going quite well...until we made a simple calculational mistake and added over twice the amount of sugar we had wanted. This is a BIG problem, as the beer would then turn out with a much higher alchohol content and sweetness. To remedy this, we doubled everything we could double (corriander, orange zest, wheat extract) and left the rest up to the gods of homebrew. The mashing process had been completed at that point so we couldn't double the rice hulls or the flaked oats. So really it's no longer a summer white but now two summer off-whites. And yet, I have faith they'll turn out to be quite satisfactory.

Why do I have such confidence? Well, mainly because the oatmeal stout that we brewed a few months back here at the Nolan's is magnificent. Our stouts just keep getting better and better; if these keeps up we'll have to open up our own brewery. Our signature beers will of course be Redbeard's Pumpkin Ale and Sneak's Coffee Stout; the house beers will be the Oatmeal Stout and the Belgian Abbey.

Look out Leopold Bro's.

* Mashing is painfully slow process by which all sugars are drawn from the grains and included in the beer for the yeast to feed on. Normall we practice extract brewing which eliminates the need for mashing grains.

They ain't from Washington or Michigan, no no!

2005-01-17T23:08:00.000-05:00

Here are three discoveries that made my day today:

Mac mini

iPod shuffle

tgs8

"...keep on...keep truckin, ya know? Ok, good stuff..."

Made for pure enjoyment.

2005-01-16T13:40:00.000-05:00

Well, I finally saw Moulin Rouge!, and though I did enjoy it I'm not entirely sure it is, as mhogan5 (see pg 4) might say, better than Jesus. While on the movie topic, though, here are the currently running movies that are still outstanding on my list to see:

The Incredibles

Sideways

Ocean's Twelve

Closer

Spanglish

The Life Aquatic

It's quite a list, I know, and I really should get started whittling it down. I think tomorrow I'll see what the fine theatre(s?) of Walla Walla has(have?) to offer. If it's playing I'll start with Spanglish.

That's it from this end on a snowy Sunday. Yesterday I worked for 12 hours so I plan on spending much of today reading/napping/watching tv in my room. Oh yeah, and enjoying the cool refreshing taste of Almaden. Happy Sunday.

Wine Country

2005-01-15T10:16:00.000-05:00

Here I am at the Walla Walla Union-Bulletin on a brisk Washington Saturday morning. I've been here since last Sunday and things have been going as well as can be expected considering the circumstances*. The town is actually pretty quaint; it has a population of about 26 thousand, but it has nearly 60 wineries in the area. Of course since I am sitting here it's easy to surmize that I have yet to sample the fruits of the vine, but tomorrow and/or Monday should have some fun tastings in store for me. I just hope the weather holds up.

Here's an intersting tidbit from the newspaper world: all newspapers smell the same! I mean the actual buildings...they smell the same. I think it must be the ink. It only took visits to two papers to figure this out; I suppose the fact that the physical paper always smells the same should've been my first clue.

The hotel I'm staying at is sweet, though though they are holding out on putting a fridge in my room. Consequently I've been eating a lot of subway. Sometimes twice a day. Look out Jared, there's a new kid in town!

Alright, back to work for this guy, but more soon, I promise.

* I had two-and-a-half days to prepare for this site, and though they had months to prepare for me, it appears they used that time to pursue other ventures.

Ketchup contains natural mellowing agents.

2005-01-04T01:36:00.000-05:00

These are the good years,
Out here in the sticks.
Winter is coming,
The weatherman predicts.
Life is flowing,
Like ketchup on trail mix.

Ketchup, for the good times.

~Prairie Home Companion

Pantone 292

2005-01-03T03:30:00.000-05:00

Well, another restless night here in Michigan. One of these days I'm gonna have to go back to work, and these late nights will probably have to stop. I just can't sleep, so instead I listen to the magnetic fields on repeat.

Wi' nae wee bairn ye'll me beget
Untwinkle, little ee
My ainly pang'll be regret
A maiden I will dee

But I'll turn into a nightingale
My song will warm thy heart
Well I'll turn into a threshing machine
and tear thy bird apart...
But I'll turn into a vampire
and kiss you on the neck
Well I'll turn into a siller cross
and send thee back to Heck...
But I'll turn into a hydrogen bomb
and atomize the air
Well I'll turn into a cockroach
and you'll see if I care...
But I'll turn into a supernova
and burn up everything
Well I'll turn into a black little hole
and you'll turn into string...
But I'll turn into God Himself
and then you'll come to me
Well I will not believe in you
and then where will you be...
My ainly pang'll be regret
A maiden I will dee

Video Killed The Customer Service Star

2005-01-01T12:00:00.000-05:00

This Tuesday I had a most depressing experience at my local Best Buy. On Monday I ordered four dvd's for store pickup. On Tuesday afternoon Richard and I headed over to the store with the purchase order receipt to pick them up and purchase a flash memory card for Richard's new camera. Upon walking into the store I was directed to the customer service desk to pick up my order; the same customer service desk to which all item-returns are directed. Obviously, this time of year, the line was long. My first reaction was that there had to be a better way to facilitate in-store pickups; why, why did I have to stand in this line? I immediately began thinking of all the ways that I would've done things differently, and I came up with at least a few alternatives that I deemed much much better.

But this was not the biggest problem, which was the lack of staffing behind the customer service desk. For all these people with their returns and their pickups, there was one ambling employee taking his time with the customers. This was infuriating, not only to me but to everyone else in line who stood watching as many as six employees man the computer help desk with four people in line there.

Meanwhile, Richard had shopped for his flash card, brought it over to me to show me the price, got in line, purchase it, and returned. I had moved about ten feet. After another twenty minutes or so I made it to the front of the line. My conversation with the customer service rep went something like this:"

"Hi. How are you today?"
"Not very good, actually."
"..."
"I have a question for you."
"Yes?"
"I'm having trouble understanding what the point of ordering online for store pickup is if you have to wait in this line. Can you explain that to me?"
"Well, you have to understand that this is our busiest time of the year."
"I understand. But this desk is very understaffed..."
"I completely agree."
"...and I realize that is not your fault, but my brother has already shopped the store, checked out, and is now waiting on me. That is ridiculous."
"I completely agree."
"Yes, and like I said I realize this is not your fault, and I would love to speak to your manager about this."
"I'll get him right away."

So, a few minutes later the manager on duty walked over without introducing himself. Our conversation went something like this:

"Are you the manager?"
"Yes."
"I just wanted to let you know how unacceptable this customer service desk is..."
"Okay."
"...and basically the problem is that it is severely understaffed for this crowd, etc..."

I proceeded to tell him the same stuff, pointing out that the situation was unacceptable to me. But here's the part that really burned me up later on: his response was, "Okay. Thanks." and he walked away. At the time I was too stunned to say anything, but as I said, looking back on the way he handled things infuriates me. My mood would have been placated by a gift certificate or a discount, but only insofar as it would have been a gesture that he cared about me as a customer. What I really wanted was his sincere apology for the fact that I had a bad experience and his assurance that measures would be taken so that others would not have such an experience. And then, of course, I would expect that he follow through with his assurances.

I will never shop at that Best Buy store again. I will probably hesitate to shop at Best Buy at all. And in my little idealistic head it seems like such a travesty that customer service no longer has a place in much of the business world. As a consumer, I feel obliged to speak up when my expectations are not met. I have been tempted on a few occasions to make a few phone calls or write a few letters to Best Buy and the Better Business Bureau, but so far my laziness, like the laziness of most consumers out there, has allowed the man to win. I mean, it's not like the owner of Best Buy reads this silly little blog.

One thing's for sure, I won't be writing any letters today; I'm tired of typing and I must go to Spoon's place for gumbo and football.

Oh, and by the way, Happy New Year,
Mike

the deuze almost walked out

2004-12-26T18:11:00.000-05:00

It's been ages and ages since I've sat down to write one of these things; I blame the weather. Yep. So to rectify the situation I've come offering the gift of story. Once there was a man. I won't say a hero, cause what's a hero? But he was a man who celebrated life through his love of all terrible movies.

Wake Up, Maggie May

2004-12-11T18:57:00.000-05:00

Greetings once again from Oklahoma. The Sooner State, whatever that means. I'm one week into a two week stint here. Despite having to battle severe boredom, things have been going very well here: the weather's been sunny and unseasonably warm, my hotel is much nicer than previous ones (new, clean, microwave, fridge, high speed, continental breakfast, etc), and in my humble opinion the site has been going extremely well.

As I mentioned, except for last Sunday's afternoon in OKC this week has been outrageously boring. Last night, however, I had the chance to get out of this town and do a bit more exploring. Dinner and $1 draughts of Amberbock at Rock Island Grill made for a lovely start to the evening. From there it was back to Bricktown to a place called Tap Werks to enjoy some nice beers on tap. It was a pretty cool place, and a band played a set or two that were fairly enjoyable.

Today I spent the early afternoon hours driving around downtown OKC and visiting the Musem of Art, which was pretty enjoyable. Just recently I suffered through an embarassing ND men's basketball game against DePaul. As I'm pretty sure someone once said at some point, boo on DePaul. Well said, someone.

Now I await the announcement of the Heisman Trophy winner. Before I go, here's one amusing tidbit from last night: there was a guy at the bar who looked exactly like Rod Stewart. The resemblance was incredible. I almost asked for his autograph, just to see what he would do. I mean, if I looked exactly like Rod Stewart, I know I'd give autographs every chance I'd get, singing Maggie May while doing it.

What would you do?

Bowling WAO!

2004-12-05T21:01:00.000-05:00

Well, it's been a little too long since my last post. Let me try to give you some of the updates:

* Fort Frances continued to be a good site, and I had some good follow-up contact with the owners of the paper this past week.

* Thanksgiving was great, though the weekend was scarred by a virus that ran rampant through my family. I doubt I'll ever be able to convince my folks to visit me in November again (it wasn't the first time this sort of thing happened).

* My pumpkin ale was quite good; there are only a few minor adjustments I would make the next time around. All in all, success.

* This past week I really hit my stride at work. It was my first chance to really do everything for a site, hence it was the first opportunity for me to test myself. I feel I did pretty well, and I think I'll settle in nicely to the position.

* Friday post-work was an interesting evening of hanging out with coworkers (and some important ones at that) over beer and bowling. Let me translate. Interesting = fun but kinda weird, as hanging out with coworkers must almost always be. The highlight of the evening by far was watching one of the higher ups in the company singing karaoke, poorly, at the bowling alley. Haha. So shady. If only I had brought my camera.

* Today I arrived at my next site: Oklahoma City. We (Kelly, a coworker, and I) got in around 11:00 so to kill some time before checking in we visited the Oklahoma City Memorial and then had a late lunch/beer at a brew pub in Bricktown. I had their irish dry stout; Sneaks brews a better one. The Memorial was nice, though. Despite the fact that it's been nearly 10 years since the bombing, walking around the site is very surreal. For every life lost that day, a chair can be found in a nine-row set (one for each floor of the building) adjacent to the outdoor memorial. I'm not exactly sure why chairs were used, but it's a pretty staggering site. I'm thankful I got to witness it.

That's pretty much it for now. Oh, I did get to fly first class on the way out here (only my second time to experience that joy) which was fantastic. Hopefully I'll have some fun stories later this week. For now it's time for a little Steely Dan. Is there anyone who doesn't not dislike Steely Dan? I don't think so.

Is LSU the next Duke?

2004-11-20T22:43:00.000-05:00

Well, it was a crazy day of college football. At least for those following the Big 10 and Rose Bowl births. One thing's for sure: Michigan will be making its second Rose Bowl appearance in a row. Maybe this year they won't embarass this state I call home.

Much in the same light, as I type this post LSU is losing to Ole Miss. What happened to you, LSU? You used to be good. LSU?!!!

Let's see, more sports embarassments...check this out if you haven't already. Total craziness. And here's what I think about the whole thing: (a) the players that went into the stands deserve to be suspended indefinitely (as they have been) if not thrown out of the league; okay perhaps that's a little harsh but I don't think there's ever an instance where a player crossing that line is justified, and (b) detroit fans are complete punks; in general there should be better security at sporting events and those charged with enforcing such security should start throwing fans out of the games and perhaps pressing charges against such behavior. But hey, what do I know.

Tonight Chad (my coworker here in MN/ON for those unaware) and I had dinner at the house of one of the owners of the paper we're here training. It was an enjoyable evening indeed, and we even managed to cross the border with a bottle of wine with no problems. We're getting good at this game.

Hmm, well, Florida and Florida State are battling it out at the moment and with 6:00 left in the game I can type no longer. I'm not even sure who I want to win this one - so much emotion tied to this game - but I know I have to see how it finishes.

Lastly, I'll simply say that I've been bitten by the airport express bug. That is all I will say.

Goodnight,
RB

bvmikevath crosses the border

2004-11-18T15:12:00.000-05:00

I haven't posted in a while. No excuses, just a combintation of lazyness and a lack of exciting stories to share. My week in Michigan was enjoyably low-key, and now I find myself on the road again. One of my coworkers - with whom I was supposed to travel this week - came down with a nasty case of pneumonia, resulting in a last minute itinerary change that led me here. I'm in Fort Frances, Ontario. Located just across the river from Internation Falls, MN, Ft. Frances is the home to a wonderfully pollutant paper mill. And a pretty rediculous border crossing. See, we're actually staying in "the falls" so we've had to cross over each day. Let me share our adventures:

Monday: The guy checking cars that pass through (customs) asked us to park and come inside so that we could talk to both the immigration people and the customs people. Immigration gave us the appropriate documentation to expedite our crossing each day, but asked that we bring by some extra paperwork on Tuesday just to be safe. Customs let us go with no problems.

Tuesday: The guy at customs again let us drive through with no problems, but then we parked and walked in voluntarily so that we could give the paperwork to immigration. A different lady was working that day but after a little bit of waiting everything was worked out.

Wednesday: Total chaos. The customs guy was a total ass, accusing us of smuggling software across the border, because they had let us through for two days prior. They were talking about making us pay all these taxes and penalizing us and all this craziness. At this point Chad lost his temper and got a little short with the Customs Officer. I don't blame him. So they made us sit and wait for a while. But the funny part was that as soon as the woman from the newspaper walked into the customs office to help us sort it out, everyone switched from bitch-mode to super-laid-back-anyone-can-cross-the-border mode. So she ironed things out with them while Chad and I shared a laugh about it all with the immigration ladies - our new best friends, apparently). In the end the customs people apologized for their harsh canadian ways, and all was right with the world.

Today was much easier. Crossing the border I mean. And now I'm sitting in the hotel having a glass of boxed wine and watching friends while laying out tomorrow's paper on my powerbook. Go Apple.

And on that note, goonight.

Wearing Tube Socks With Style

2004-11-05T16:43:00.000-05:00

Ignore the time stamp on this one, I'm writing from the Roanoke airport and it's about 12:00 pm. Fortunately the airport has free wireless but blogger is being somewhat of a hassle so I'm stuck typing this text file for now.

The area immediately surrounding the airport here is quite beautiful. The horizons of rolling mountains is a welcome change from the flat landscape of lower Michigan (beautiful though it is). In fact, it's such a beautiful day that a part of me wishes I had one more day here to play in the sun. A larger, He-Man sized part of me, however, just wants to get back to Michigan.

************

Ok, I'm on the plane now. I usually don't like to use my computer on the plane, as I refuse to be the guy who uses the cabin as his personal office. You know the type: making calls very loudly while having a drink and making a big show of the spreadsheets he's staring at in Excel. "Buy! Sell! I don't care, I want steel. I don't want alloys. Steel, Harry!" I don't like that guy. And I feel pretty secure in my current use of the laptop, as I am sitting quietly against the only windowless window seat on the plane (as the jet propeller is spinning a mere 3 feet to my right) in worn out jeans and a t-shirt listening to The Magnetic Fields. On this plane I'm student traveler Mike, and that's fine by me.

Enough of that. I wanted to tell all those Rufus Wainwright fans out there to check out the Want Two Player on his website. You can hear/see a few previews of his new cd/dvd combo coming out later this month. Be warned, though, that good old Ruffy has taken his dramatic sensibilities to new heights with this one. For now I'm not really talking about the music, but just things like the web/liner art. If you thought iron clad Rufus from Want One was crazy just wait until you see what he has in store for you this time.

(Ahh, pretzel twists and Diet Pepsi, two things no flight is complete without.)

Changing gears again, here are some funny stories from Staunton:

---> As I may have mentioned, the bar located on the first floor of the holiday inn that was my home for 10 nights was THE hotspot of Staunton's nightlife. I went a total of three time, once last Thursday and then again this Wednesday and Thursday. By the third night, the bartender greeted me by name and knew my drink (Tanqueray and tonic) before I even reached the bar stool. I even got introduced to another bartender in the following way: "Penny, this is my friend Mike. He's got a tab running. Tanqueray and tonic if he needs anything." I'm a little embarrassed to admit that but I'm slightly comforted by the fact that there were others at the bar who shared a much higher level of "regular" than I. And to think that I spent 4 years going to bars in South Bend and never came close to such status as I achieved in Staunton in a few nights....

--> This past Wednesday, at the bar, there was a couple performing quietly on stage. I'm pretty sure they were married. The husband was sitting on a bar stool playing guitar and singing, while the wife was standing and singing. They had very little presence in the bar that night. But here's the funny part: they reminded me so much of the characters in that SNL skit with Will Ferrell and Ana Gasteyer. The one where they're singing their own renditions of pop music. See, this couple sang things like The Stones, Tom Petty, Johnny Cash, The Soggy Bottom Boys, etc. but the wife was singing all the melodies (with the husband occasionally harmonizing) and it was a little scary and a lot like that skit. But it made the bartender and those of us at the bar laugh quite a bit.

--> Yesterday was our last day on site at the paper in Staunton. We didn't have a whole to do other than fielding the occasional question and gather some info/data to bring back to Baseview. Or so it seemed until about 4:00 when the IT guy at the paper kicked the plug our from the wall and all the servers went down. I happened to be in the server room moments after it happened (the reason for this is quite ironic, as we had just finished a session in which I instructed him on proper server maintenance). News editors, adtakers, and layout artists came flooding in, all very pissed they they had lost their server connections. The IT guy - who had been completely laid back about everything since the day we arrived - was now sweating, running around frantically trying to get the servers back up. A few minutes later it seemed like everything was okay. Crisis averted, right? Of course not. The database which holds all information for the classifieds (customer accounts, ads, billing info, layout stuff, etc.) would not restart after crashing when the power went down. Note that this is the very same database that we had been there to set up and train. It was, in a very tangible way, the foundation for everything we had done at the paper. And now it was dead. I realize this is all sounding overly dramatic but this really was the scene yesterday afternoon. Without this database the classifieds could not go to print and the newspaper could not bill any of their customers. And so for me, a first timer on the job, it was looking pretty terrible. After numerous phone calls to managers and support staff at Baseview, things finally got resolved, though I'll spare you the details. And after an 11 hour day, the longest of the week, we went home. For good.

Wow, retelling that last story has me ready for a mid-flight nap. Maybe the attendant will bring me a pillow.

~Student Traveler Mike

East Siders

2004-10-31T19:12:00.000-05:00

Because we worked late on Friday night at the paper converting their database to the new system, I had the entire weekend to play. Yesterday I drove out to Richmond to visit Jeff and Myrle. I saw the sights of downtown, and we went to Bottom's Up Pizza for dinner, which was excellent. After grabbing some Amberbocks we went back to their place and watched the LSU game. It was great to see them, only regrettable in that they are currently moving to another place, so I neither got to see the old one fully furnished nor the new one. So it goes.

This morning I drove to DC and hung out with Adam, Erin, and Jenny. Adam was sick in bed, Erin nursing him, so my trip was capped off by a trip out to Linden Vineyards with Jenny for some wine, cheese, and sausage overlooking beautiful Virginia landscape. As an added bonus I now have 3/4 a bottle of Claret to get me through the week.

So there's the brief summary of my weekend. I'll try to post again later in the week with some stories of my interactions with some of the Staunton locals patroning the Holiday Inn bar. Until then...

I've looked at fog from both sides now.

2004-10-27T19:02:00.000-04:00

Greeting from Virginia! Today was my first day out on site. Wait, let me start at the beginning.

Yesterday was never meant to be a long travel day. One flight, one quick drive, and one hotel check-in. Sounds easy enough. But fog got in my way. The airport was a zoo: delays, gate changes, cancellations left and right. Seven hours later I finally left the airport and headed for Roanoke. And really, after that, things began to look up. The drive to Staunton was gorgeous. Staunton, located in the Shenandoah Valley, is very quaint, old, and historic. I look forward to some runs if this rain ever passes. Oh, and as a fantastic bonus I'm only 100 miles from Richmond, so I should get to see Jeff, Myrle, Jenny, Adam, and Erin (friend, friend, cousin, cousin, cousin-in-law, resp).

But getting back to my first day on site. Today was, well, interesting. I don't have a whole lot of experience from which to judge, but it seems as though the office is managed about how I expected: effectively but inefficiently. People in this level of employment, it seems, are often times driven by one force: inertia. Little or no emphasis is placed on actually evaluating or improving the ways in which work is carried out, but rather all efforts go into make sure things are done exactly as they've always been done. I'm reminded of the calculus student who spends more energy resisting the possibility that he'll learn anything than he actually would simply learning. Perhaps this stasis infects us at all levels.

But despite those random observations, I enjoyed my first day. I really felt like I was able to contribute and help out when the managers had questions. I'm looking forward to sitting in on the training sessions that will take place later in the week.

After work I headed to the local Food Lion to buy some food for the room. Since I don't have a fridge I came back with fruit, crackers, tortilla chips, bread, peanut butter, granola bars, cheese in a can, pistashios, and canned soup. I'm calling tonight's dinner "New York dinner done Staunton style" as it consisted of crackers, bread, peanut butter, cheese in a can, and pistashios. Awesome*.

Alright, for now I'm gonna relax and watch some tv. Too bad I don't have a glass of wine. Goodnight.

*Don't worry, mom, I went out to a big lunch.

A Nice Fit

2004-10-21T18:59:00.000-04:00

Can anyone think of a creepier song than Meat Loaf's "I'd Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That)" ? Seriously, that song makes me want to curl up under a pile of coats and cry. Is there a song that's more disturbing out there? Tell me please; though I can't wrap my mind around that thought, I'm oddly curious.

In other news, I found out today that at 4:30 every Friday the large majority of my office stops working and starts eating/drinking. They have a keg in the kitchen (Bell's is on tap right now I believe) and someone is in charge of picking up some food. Fantastic! What a way to start the weekends.

Of course, many weekends I'll be on the road, but still...

cube decorations to come soon

2004-10-19T22:11:00.000-04:00

Well, after two days of work I'll share some thoughts. I hesitate slightly - because how much can one really know after such a short time? - so be warned that I might be way off with my assessments. At any rate, here goes:

-> Baseview/Harris & Baseview is a very good company for which to work. They're established, respected, and seem to do good business. The Baseview campus is very laid back. Yesterday, while walking through the hall, I shared a smile with the VP of Sales who was walking his dog through the building, wearing jeans. No, not the dog. So that's what they meant by casual business casual. Needless to say it was jeans to work for me this morning. If only I had a dog to bring with me. Additionally, everyone seems really friendly and willing to help me out. This is key, as I'm a newborn when it comes to the world of newspapers.

-> When I arrived monday morning my supervisor had a checklist of things to do with me that day. This list included things like:
a) getting my laptop: a 15'' PowerBook G4, 1gHz, 1gB, 60gB, Combo Drive, external mouse, keyboard, monitor, and Targus bag
b) setting up my AmEx corporate account, phone card, email and server accounts, and Front Base developers license
c) spending hours setting up software on my computer
d) cleaning my cube - incidentally this was on the list two or three times - ha!
e) blah

-> Today was spend learning how to use our customer database system, as well as scratching the surface of how the product that I will be training works.

-> Tomorrow? More of the same.

-> I leave for my first trip next Tuesday, returning the following Friday (after Halloween). Staunton, VA. I might squeeze another trip in before Thanksgiving, in which case I might be returning the day before Thanksgiving. Oh well, at least I get a 4-day weekend.

-> Speaking of Thanksgiving, read my brother's latest post. I like the idea of the new foodstuffs blog, as long as I am allowed to contribute my famous green spam 'n cabbage souffle for St. Pat's.

Well, the battery on this little guy (iBook) is getting a little low, which means it's time for his nap. Sweet dreams, iBook, sweet dreams.

meet you at the pole

2004-10-04T22:52:00.000-04:00

Elizabeth said it best, so I won't bother. I'll only add a few things:

"RIVALRY! PURDUE!" [Does "The Donald"]

Pink Fuzzy Hats + The Backer = Belle of The Ball
Pink Fuzzy Hats + Legends = Victim of Theft

Jim's breakfast choices still baffle me

Mic "meet me in montauk" Vat

a daiye in the sun

2004-09-30T13:07:00.000-04:00

I don't remember what I was going to add to that last post, so let's move on. Two job interviews this week: one very promising (and I really hope it works out) and one not as much. In addition, Chris Ellswood -- a friend of the Nol's -- could potentially come through for me with something. I'm very ansy and anxious to start working, so here's to hoping something turns up soon.

I love fall. I love it. I love the crisp, gray days that we had earlier this week and I love the crisp, sunny day we're having today. The leaves are beginning to change and the smell of burning firewood is beginning to fill the air.* It's beautiful.

It's also football weather. Tomorrow I head back to South Bend for a big game against Purdue. I don't really like the term "must-win" -- I don't always know what it's supposed to mean -- but in the realm of must-win games for the Irish this season, this one ranks near the top. Go Irish!

It's also See's Candies weather. No, seriously, gourmet lollypops aren't for the summertime. Only fall and winter. Just ask the wine taster in Kerrytown. Damn I wish I had one right about now. A gourmet lollypop, that is, not a wine taster.

In conclusion, and in summary, I love this weather. Lastly, congrats to anyone who may or may not have recently purchased iToys. Enjoy them, don't paint them.

Cuidate.

* Though admittedly I've been lighting patio fires at the house all summer.

Camp Fires Ignite

2004-09-26T16:20:00.000-04:00

Well, it's been a few days, so there are a few things of interest to share. Here goes.

Happy Birthday Dad!

The end of my week was filled with highs and lows. The highs included booking two job interviews for next week; the lows included a 24 hour battle with what was either a GI Virus or a case of moderate food poisoning. The jury's still out on the culprit.

Despite the fact that I opted not to go to South Bend my weekend, along with my rebound from said illness, was marinaded in the sweet glaze of Zoolander, Big Boy's Eats, and thrift store shopping. Add a ridiculous tailgate and a Michigan game for extra flavor. The only weak moment here was the coffee at BB's, which by all other accounts has been quite satisfactory. Where did we go wrong, Big Boy? It used to be you and me and your coffee in this crazy world.

I will definitely be at next week's ND game versus Purdue. I hate you, Purdue!

Hmm, there are more but Richard and Mary are on their way over so I better wrap this up for now and continue later. Let me just say, lastly, that Flavor Flav is my hero.

Food For Thought

2004-09-21T14:24:00.000-04:00

I've always wondered what the hell makes a graham cracker a graham cracker. Does graham mean anything? What the hell does it take for a cracker to be graham? Earlier today I grew restless. I wanted answers. Here's what I found:

G. David Graham was born August 6, 1883 to Gertrude and Bertrude Graham in a small town outside Birmingham, Alabama. As a child, G. David was used to getting into all sorts of trouble. At the age of five, in a legendary case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time, he was found trying to stuff a nearby companion into a hollow tree stump about 2 feet high, "just to see if he would fit." Also found in the stump were nearly a dozen pork sausages, rancid, Bertrude's missing spectacles, and a dead field mouse. In school G. David only excelled at making enemies. Sighting experiments in gravity, he would often be found hiding in trees, defecating upon passers by.

G. David's childhood was troubled indeed. So far reaching did his reputation become that his name began to assume everyday roles in the English language; much to the dismay of Gertrude and Bertrude, the name "Graham" became synonymous with trouble, with social exclusion. "Do what I say or you'll end up Graham," parents would tell their kids. It was a dark time for the Graham family name.

And so, years later, a cracker was born into the world. This cracker, however, did not fit the mold that had been formed over the years by its predecessors. It was oddly shaped and colored. It tasted delightful when sandwiching chocolate and marshmallow. It was the outcast of the cracker world, and it didn't take long before it was known as the Graham Cracker.

And that is the story of how the legend of G. David Graham survived through the ages to leave a lasting mark on the world of crackers as we know it. Gertrude and Bertrude may not have been proud of their son's actions, but at least they can rest in the comfort that for as long as there are crackers in this world their name will be known, loved , and s'mored.

Note: the above information is 100% factual and can be found here

...but he wants to be a paperback writer.

2004-09-17T13:50:00.000-04:00

As Ivan winds down, Jeanne and Karl grow. No matter, they're too small and far away to worry about. For now. I was greatly amused to learn that in some areas of Michigan the local weathermen find it insightful to superimpose satellite imagery of the hurricanes over various areas of the mitten state. "Here's what Ivan would look like if it were centered over Clare; now here's Charlevoix," for example. Awesome.

Now that the WSOP Main Event has aired to completion, I must turn my attention to CPS. Sneaks and I are determined to get a weekly game going. Anyone want it? If hold'em is not your game, how about 9-ball?

And so ends another boring post. Until next time...

Ivan The Terrible

2004-09-15T13:48:00.000-04:00

That's right, it's my turn to mention Hurricane Ivan. I was not around for Camille or Betsy, but growing up in south louisiana does not allow for a hurricane season to pass without hearing their tales. The only real taste of the season I ever got was Andrew in 92 which, though terribly destructive as well as being the most expensive natural disaster in US history, was in other ways nothing by comparison. It is pretty safe at this point to assume that new orleans will not get the worst of the storm - and thankfully the people of florida are not having to endure a third hurricane in one month. In that sense, my thoughts turn to the mississippi and alabama gulf coasts; they face destruction that could rival that of Camille's. But new orleans is certainly not out of harms way. Regardless of what kind of storm passes through, flooding becomes a huge issue, as a large portion of the city is built below sea level. The city has been evacuated, and I'm thankful that Deuze and most of my family members have left, but there are those who simply cannot leave. NPR did a piece today in which one such story was told. Listen to it here (real player) or here (windows media).

As the final hours wind down before he hits the coast, I find myself checking the national hurricane center hourly for updates. This whole thing is crazy. So for now, I think I'll go for a run and clear my head. I hate to admit it, but the weather in southeast michigan is mockingly beautiful today. Wish you were here, as they say. Cuidate.

wowwie wow wow

2004-09-13T11:52:00.000-04:00

What a weekend! It's hard to believe so much can occur between Friday and Sunday afternoons. There really is nothing like a game weekend in South Bend. Nothing at all. Highlights include:

~ Legies
~ Post Rallies at BDowling's apt.
~ Trumpets
~ Corby's with Slobs, Taylor, Fullback and Erik (what a group!)
~ Picture time at the bar -- 5x7's for lyfe!
~ Burger King staying open until 3:30
~ Damn, this burp tastes like _____
~ O'Neill Boys
~ Shotgunning
~ Weatherman SPO welcoming all to sunny SB
~ Some people drive Buick LeSabres and other people _____ _____
~ Dan Block's game day outfit
~ Playing cups with CWhite2, DP, Gino, Faye, and Jenna
~ Showering, napping, etc. in Cavanaugh -- thanks Erin
~ Breakfast at Jim's

And that about sums up my weekend. It was great to see everyone, and now it pains me to have to resume my job hunt. Blah.

For now, Mic "Don't worry I lived in O'Neill I can fix this...*poke* *poke* *poke*" Vat signing off.

you're a leonard cohen song

2004-09-10T10:27:00.000-04:00

I'm working on about 3 hours of sleep, so I'm not sure if this will make sense. See, I tried to fall asleep last night around 2, but was quite unsuccessful. So instead I rode the gin and televizle train til about 4:30. Did you know it is still possible to find reruns of Wings if you stay up late enough? That was a pleasant enough surprise around 3:30. Apparently that show, like a keg full of the elevensies, will never die.

In a few hours I depart for South Bend. I can't wait...so many people will be around for the game (which at this point is the most irrelevant ingredient of the weekend):

O'Neill
336 minus one
Band Folk
The Backer

Wow, I should just leave now. Hmm, this is a lame post. Only 3 hours, what do you want from me? I'll leave by posing this question: what is it about the portable copper fire bowl that makes it so remarkable? Discuss.

Cuidate.

digiwhatie?

2004-09-07T19:07:00.000-04:00

First things first. I just had an online chat with my old friend Beverly, and I thought I'd share it with the world. Here goes (I'm in the blue):

nite ho?
heyyy
hiiii
whats up
nothing much. i was thinking of making a dfilm tonight.
ooooh you should what will it be about?
i dont know! i need a funny topic. oh, here's one: i was watching "Bands Reunite" on Vh1 and they were trying (unsuccessfully) to reunite NKOTB and JMAC was one of the ones who said no apparently he's too cool to reunite with jordan, donnie, and those other two. but it's like, "helloooo, what have you done that's so great lately?" "i mean, besides wearing all blue and seatbelt buckles "
good point! that's funny that you saw that i don't have vh1 anymore and it's sad
jmac was kind of an ass about it, too grrrrr
oh not cool
he definitely does NOT have me laughing, kid
me no likey the negative attitude no way! that bastard!
jmac forgot that NKOTB was real. i thought i told him.
even on oprah!
exactomundo!
oh yeah! i forgot about my plan to use that more often
i'm here for ya
thank thanks
it's how i do it
hey actually i have to run - watching sex and the city with my roomie - so i'll talk to you later on tonight or something
ahhh, yeah cool talk to you slashie see you soon
ok PEACE!
bieye lslevs
byeeeeeeeeeeee

So, after rereading that I realize it's only funny to me and maybe the other members of the 336Comedy Troop. But that's ok. In other news I've found myself, over the past few days, particularly drawn to the musical stylings of Little Strong Bad. No, wait, I mean Randy Newman. Yes. Good old Randy. I've listened to him off-and-on over the past 3 or 4 years, and I find that my interest grows stronger with each reoccurrance. Though my mom might disapprove, how can I not feel a connection with the guy who wrote such songs as

"Short People" - sadly, his only real pop-culture hit, and
"Birmingham" ?

Another beautiful song of his is called, "Marie" if you ever want to check it out. Or perhaps you would enjoy his comedic yet poignant geopolitical musings in "The Great Nations of Europe"?
Well, I've said enough about Randy for one day.

And on that note I'll sign off. I might head into Ann Arbor tonight to hang out with Joe and Khachik. Haven't seen them in a while; should be good times. Cuidate.

ps if you're wondering what a dfilm is, find out here and have the time of your life

Some things never get old.

2004-09-03T13:47:00.000-04:00

Especially giant cowboy boots with dollar signs on them. In the past few minutes I've watched three old homestarrunner cartoons that are a must-see for all. If you've seen them before, watch them again; if not, what the hayell are you waiting for?! All of these fall under the category, "Powered by the Cheat." They're silly and ridiculous, but I cannot deny that they make me laugh immensely. Enjoy.

Crazy Cartoon
Mile
New Boots

Mim's the word

2004-09-02T12:51:00.000-04:00

For the past few days one thing has haunted me. One question has driven me. One idea has consumed me.

When you think of cookie perfection, what comes to mind?

There, I said it.

*******************

It all started when I was a senior at Notre Dame. Elizabeth introduced me to a confection so magnificant it could only be called Famous Dave's Famous Kahlua and Coffee Cookie Delight (FDFKaCCD, for short). Now, I realize that FDFKaCCD is quite a moniker, but just wait 'til you taste these little babies. They'll change your life!

*******************

And so, for the past 3 years FDFKaCCDs have shaped the ways in which I view the world around me. And like a good attitude, or a really strong tea, the powers of the FDFKaCCD are contagious. I can't even begin to count the number of times people would say to me, "Mike, how's about you whip me up a batch of them FDFKaCCDs." Or, "Mike, your FDFKaCCDs are like little pieces of heaven. With chocolate chips." Or, "Mike, I've heard a lot about your FDFKaCCDs, but I'm just not sure if they're right for me. Can you tell me more?"

I've made FDFKaCCDs with all kinds of ingredient variations. I've used butter, I've used margarine, I've used apple butter. I've measured ingredients, I've not measured ingredients. I've done it all. But no matter what happens, the FDFKaCCDs never fail to please.

Except when Clairesja and SteVat make them.

So earlier this week Clairesja and I "whipped up a batch of them FDFKaCCDs," as they say. It was like watching her open her eyes for the first time. I almost wept it was so beautiful. Almost. Thank you, FDFKaCCDs, for being just a little piece of heaven. With chocolate chips.

Have you been touched by a FDFKaCCD?

Team Snoodies

2004-08-30T16:45:00.000-04:00

Charlotte: I just don't know what I'm supposed to be.
Bob: You'll figure that out. The more you know who you are, and what you want, the less you let things upset you.

Well, the weekend in New Orleans was, by all accounts, a success: good food, cheap booze, The French Quarter, Cooter Brown's, a deck of cards, season 5 of Friends, and roaches were enough to provide all the necessary ingredients. Hmmm, I'm not sure exactly what that means, "the necessary ingredients," but I assure you all were present. So there's that.

Stephen's apartment, by the way, is pretty damn sweet. The low ceilings and less-than-abundant amounts of natural light are made up for by the enormity of pretty much every room in the place. Most notably is Stephen's bedroom, which I'm pretty sure is twenty by a million feet.

Oh, I should add that over the weekend I was able to enjoy a Bud's Broiler burger. I don't know what they put in their special barbeque sauce, but I just love those burgers more than I feel I should. *

Hmm, what else? Ahh, I took my dad's new car out for a spin yesterday. It was my first time behind the wheel of a sports car of that caliber, and I was definitely amazed by the level of performance it was capable of reaching (and that's just on the city streets...today or tomorrow I'll take it on the highway for some real fun).

Well, I think that's all for now. Tonight the folks and I are planning on "dining out." Baton Rouge has a wide array of good restaurants to be enjoyed; any suggestions? Good luck to SColson on her CPA exam, and cheers to Stephen on his first day of his last year of college.

*A note to all the ND folk reading this: a Bud's Broiler burger in no way compares with a CJ's burger. Bud's falls under the category of fast-food burger, though the name belies the quality.

foodstuffs

2004-08-26T23:37:00.000-04:00

Thanks to the folks, today I was able to enjoy one of the best lunches I can remember eating. Additionally, I got to see my younger brother's new New Orleans apartment; it's quite the DeuzePad, I must admit. We even got to toast the place with a round of whiskey. Not a bad day. I should be heading back to the Big Easy (as they say) with Claire sometime this weekend for some nights out. Madigan's here I come!

That was a joke. An awful, awful joke.

I mentioned in a previous post a fast that I might be undertaking in the near future (snacks...eww). Well, after some consultation with my dad, I might be changing the plan -- only slightly. We'll see what kind of mood I'm in when I get back to Plymouth.

I still have yet to really take the new Audi out for a thorough test drive. I'm hoping to remedy that tomorrow sometime. And on that note, I think I'll go watch "The Cone Zone" or read some Garrison Keillor or do some crosswords or all three.

Finding Your Voice

2004-08-25T18:10:00.000-04:00

It's hot here in south Louisiana. Hot and humid. In preparation for the trip I managed to put a large dent in the stack of cds in my library that had not yet made it onto my iPod. I now carry over 1600 songs in my pocket. Booya.

I saw Garden State this afternoon.

Three trophies for the slobs!!!