| Author | Post |
|---|
mollymoo24
Distinguished Member
| Joined: | 30 December 2007 |
| Location: | Chicago, USA |
| Posts: | 6301 |
|
Posted: 5 July 2010 09:24 pm |
|
"Binary". All or nothing. You certainly possess drive and focus which I admire, although to which I no longer aspire.  The Japanese soap opera sounds like a great pastime for you and the family. I would have never thought of it. Do you have your tv hooked up through the internet? I would like to figure out how to do that.
|
jackbenimble
Distinguished Member
|
Posted: 7 July 2010 11:29 pm |
|
Hey Hiker - ok, I get it. There had to be a good reason. No one in their right mind would learn kanji unless they had a really good reason. Anyway, I'm doing it, but, hey my wife is Japanese. That's a reason.
So, I got through all that review of kanji it it went really well. One trick is to write them, not just read them. It makes a big difference. I could review them some more, but I need to get going on these other aspects of the language - particularly the listening and the grammar, and of course the vocabulary. The kanji will help accelarate that process.
I played tennis all three days last week, and for hours. Mostly doubles, thank God. Doubles is just about right.
I've started reviewing some old JLPT tests. My kanji helps out a lot, but you still have to know the language. Plenty of words aren't written in kanji. Some of the old tests are so poorly scanned that the kanji are literally indistinguishable. But mostly it's just getting used to the language. I need to make a decision fairly soon, and I'm thinking level 3.
The boss was about to give me another proposal on Monday - and then she suddenly gave it to C. I have no idea why. It could be she's trying to accommodate my request for more development, or it could be she's getting ready to cut me loose. I don't think she's going to cut me loose, at least for now. So, I'm just enjoying not having to do research and writing.
Software development has its challenges, of course. Example, the better part of my day was spent trying to figure out why the first line of an XML file wasn't coming out right. I finally narrowed it down to some open source software we are using, just by eliminating all the other options. It's a pain, I may have to get into the open source and debug that.
We had a bit of fight with our neigbor over the weekend. He's noisy, my wife tries to keep it down by retaliating with music. I just went out back and basically let off some steam over the fence. They were pretty quiet, I thought. But my wife is unrelenting. You don't want to make an enemy of her. She despises the guy with a passion. Whenever you get on her bad side, man, you are in deep doo doo. She's got this black attitude toward people who she feels like they crossed her. It's pretty scary. If we ever get divorced, she is going to cut me to pieces.
More boring Japanese tonight. I'm thinking about going out tomorrow night, on my own, up around here, a rare thursday away from home. Party! Maybe I can get B to meet me 1/2 between somewhere. Wouldn't that be something.
Last edited on 7 July 2010 11:32 pm by jackbenimble
|
mollymoo24
Distinguished Member
| Joined: | 30 December 2007 |
| Location: | Chicago, USA |
| Posts: | 6301 |
|
Posted: 12 July 2010 01:45 am |
|
Hi Jack, ooh wow, I wouldn't want to cross paths with your wife either. Can't we all just get along?
Hope all is well. Did you go out and partay?
|
jackbenimble
Distinguished Member
|
Posted: 12 July 2010 10:40 pm |
|
Hey Mol,
In the end, I did not in the a go out ot pay-tay, or pahh-ty as I say in my boston way. I did get in a nice hour-long workout at the gym, and then spent the rest of the night doing something with Japanese.
I'm goofing off - the boss wants me to look something up, but I don't have the same access as her to this web site.
I went to the japanese meetup and decided to go for level 2, after all. It's highly likely that I flunk it, but it will give me motivation. I've been keying in the flashcards for the level 2 vocabulary. There are 95 pages worth and I'm up to page 8. Of course, I have to review them as well. Since the test is december 1, I need to get about 10 pages a week keyed in, so I have time to review them. the time-consuming part is, I'm copying sample sentence from the internet along with the the actual meaning to get a flavor for the word and to get some actual japanese going on. Otherwise, it would be quicker - but perhaps not as good for my Japanese.
My wife has been telling me that I'm making mistakes in pronunciation, so I'm focusing on that more carefully on my japanese tapes I listen to in the care. I got the end of the first series of lessons for lower-intermediate, so I started at the beginning again (there were about 85 of them). It was fun, I understood every word. Second lesson was much easier than the first time, as well.
I listened to the "little match girl" in japanese last night, after reviewing the translation. Poor little kid. It's a tear-jerker, that's for sure.
I'm trying this experiment in learning in your sleep. There's the 24/7 Japanese learning station on live365. It's mostly just words, but that's actually good, because you aren't going to get more than a word at a time in your sleep. I don't know if it will actually penetrate my mind when I'm sleeping, but this morning, before I woke up, the words were forming a part of my dream. But I think the biggest effect will be before I fall asleep, where I can just listen the the words and clean up on my pronunciation.
I played tennis yesterday, first doubles, then singles. We picked up this stray old guy who wasn't that good - he was my partner and he would just stand there when the ball was on his side, sometimes. Then he said I was screwing him up. But, we still one one set out of two. Then, I played singles with one of the guys, and I beat him. You can't tell if you are going to win or not until you actually play. He has solid ground strokes and a solids serve - just a bit inconsistent. I more or less waited him out. I had no choice - my are felt like a piece of spaghetti because i had been playing all morning.
Why do I always end up leaving work at 6:30? C. left at five today. Smart guy. It's like throwing precious time down the drain.
Ah, I'm alwasy so tired after work. No energy! I'm a morning person, no doubt about it. But I'll go home to my little room and review japanese all night long, and be enthralled every second of it.
- Jack
Last edited on 12 July 2010 10:41 pm by jackbenimble
|
mollymoo24
Distinguished Member
| Joined: | 30 December 2007 |
| Location: | Chicago, USA |
| Posts: | 6301 |
|
Posted: 12 July 2010 10:44 pm |
|
I like the technique of listening before you fall asleep and during sleep. The intonation and prononciation at least should sink in, even if you don't understand everything which is being said. I don't get spending so much time cutting and pasting as opposed to actual studying though. Wouldn't it be more useful to get a study guide or buy pre-made flash cards? Just asking.
Have a great week, and good on ya for leaving the office at 5. Hope you are enjoying a little spare time this evening.
|
Hiker
Distinguished Member
|
Posted: 13 July 2010 10:26 am |
|
Jack, listening the the Japaneses station before and during sleep sounds like a great idea, I really think that could help. Of course I have no proof but it sure sounds like a good idea. As for your accent I wouldn't worry too much, the fact that you are learning Japanese at all is great and if you speak it with an American accent...well you're an American  .
I used to have your problem leaving work, I was a bit of a work-aholoic, then the company decided to leave the state and I found out just how much my hard work was worth...basically nothing. Now, I go in, I do my job I go home. I am not on the fast track for promotion but life is sure better. Of course in this economy we need to do enough so that we aren't the expendable ones either. It's a balancing act.
|
suenos
Distinguished Member
|
Posted: 13 July 2010 03:46 pm |
|
That's a good idea about listening to the language in your sleep. I would love to know exactly how that works...but I know from experience that it does (well, not the learning pronunciation part, but the general learning in sleep part).
And about your wife's temper. Wow, I thought I was a terror when angry (I don't get mad easily or often, but when I do - man I scare myself!) but I gotta admit, I think I'd stay very, very close to her good side.
|
jackbenimble
Distinguished Member
|
Posted: 17 July 2010 01:57 am |
|
MM, Hiker, Suenos - great of you all to stop by - it makes my day:)
Hiker - that is my goal in life - to come in - do my job - and go home.
But somehow, it always seems there's a *little* more I could do.
Next week, I'm going to come and leave at the same time as everyone else. I want to see how that works out.
I did a calculation on who would be the first to get laid off. First off, I am one of the highest paid. Secondly, I don't "own" an area, like V who is the video guru. Third. C is getting paid way less than he deserves and is frankly probably a better developer than I, though a bit less creative. J is a young guy who works fast, is very bright and concientious, and he would be the last guy I would fire. C and his two PHD's are working on two active contracts and they are in good shape. P can't really program but he did win a contract which he's working on. Plus, I'm no a manager type, either. Basically, I'm kind of a jack of all trades. A do a lot of things well, but nothing great. So, I might just be the first to go. Not a comforting feeling.
Despite this job insecurity, I'm continuing to ignore working on my computer skills in favor of Japanese. I doesn't make sense, but I'm doing it. I just like the idea of finally putting it together. I can't stop myself. If not now, when?
MM - I haven't been able to find a good set of flash cards out there for the level 2 test. There is are two really good ones for level 3 and 4 (easier). They have about 700 words apiece. I reviewed them between yesterday and today. They were all words I knew for the most part.
The level 2 is a world apart from level 3 and 4. It has 2500 or so words, and there are a lot - most of them - I don't know. I would love to avoid cutting and pasting - that's the time consuming part. but, when a word is unfamiliar, I like to see it couched in a sentence or two. Thus I have to hunt down example sentences, then figure out when the sentence mean - and past them.
Actually, there are study official study books. I may end up getting them. I'm kind of seeing how far I can get without it for now.
On the learning while sleeping part - well, it definitely is not going to get me over the top with Japanese, that's for sure. Plus they do a ton of imported English words, which basically are useless for learning real Japanese. It essentially saying the word in a Japanese accent. Learning that "panties" are called "panntee" in Japanese - that's cure, but it's not going to help matters much. Actually, the station has one really good benefit. The pleasantly repetitive manner in which it's presented somehow creates a rhythm that makes it relatively easy to drift off to sleep. It's good for insomnia!
I got up at like 4 this morning and reviewed Japanese for a while. At like 5 or 5:30, I jogged down the beach (on the beach - it's better for my legs). I played some doubles tonight. I didn't play that well - or maybe the level of competition was a bit higher than I'm used to. We one the first set, lost the second one.
Oh, yeah - I finally got my missing tooth replaced. It was the one behind the dracula tooth - canine tooth, I guess - visible enough to create a hole in my smile of which I was self-conscious. I had broken it over a year ago, and it took long for the whole implant procedure to finally take place. I will be smiling like a rich man for the next few days.
I may do some android programming this weekend - it dovetails with a proposal I'm doing for work. Smartphone programmming is the wave of the future. I may give it a shot - I've already done a hello world program...
Last edited on 17 July 2010 02:01 am by jackbenimble
|
suenos
Distinguished Member
|
Posted: 17 July 2010 04:22 pm |
|
| Hiya jack! Your comment about being a "jack of all trades' reminds me of an article I read last week (I don't even know why i was reading it, but anyway....). It was about the impact that outsourcing has had on the U.S. IT market. Some of it was pretty over my head (cause I'm a techo-idiot) but the gist of it was that the face of the U.S IT profession has been changed forever because it's just more cost effective for companies to outsource programming....it went on to talk about the diverse skill sets that IT guys now have to bring to the table in addition to programming skills to remain competitive.
|
jackbenimble
Distinguished Member
|
Posted: 20 July 2010 05:59 am |
|
suenos wrote: Hiya jack! Your comment about being a "jack of all trades' reminds me of an article I read last week (I don't even know why i was reading it, but anyway....). It was about the impact that outsourcing has had on the U.S. IT market. Some of it was pretty over my head (cause I'm a techo-idiot) but the gist of it was that the face of the U.S IT profession has been changed forever because it's just more cost effective for companies to outsource programming....it went on to talk about the diverse skill sets that IT guys now have to bring to the table in addition to programming skills to remain competitive.
Don't I know it, Suenos. Guys I work with are earning half what they used to. If you go into any IT department, it's typically dominated by H1 workers who work for cheap but send money back home, where the dollar goes a long way. That's what's letting employers like mine get away with things like cutting vacation time. Everyone's afraid for their job. Naturally, there is zero protection from the government - the businesses contribute because they have the $$$, so the pols do what they're told and open up the gates to the hordes of tech workers. But very little of the money paid to these H1 guys is spent in the states - last year 40 billion dollars went straight to India - tax exempt in many cases, by some bizarre rule. How is all this good for anyone but the rich employers? Anyway, this is the reality - I've accepted it and am trying to figure a way around it. You can still make reasonable money, if you have the right skill-set and experience, but it's definitely nowhere near like it used to be. There's a reason I'm always working, even when I'm not working.
That's why I've finally backed off the non-stop Japanese. It's fun, but Japan is not where the money is at right now. That's China, or Canada is another good economy. So, what I decided to do is focus on doing learning how to do Android (non-apple smart phone) applications. Google has a fantastic tutorial site on it. It's a really well thought out scheme. It's a nice compromise for me - I protect my earning capability by picking up a new skill, I can do a program for learning Japanese words, and it also has something to do with the proposal I'm currently working on. I actually went through a bunch of tutorials tonight, including one that creates records on a database. This will be the first new language I've picked up for a while - the last was C++, which is infinitely more difficult and which I don't really have a desire to be good at. Android applications are fun!
I got in to work early today, about 8:30 - and left at 7:30 anyway. That's why I don't go in early. Well, there's some pressure because the boss wants this mega-proposal to be done by next week even though the actual deadline isn't until end of August. It won't happen, but we have to look like we're putting in the effort. I managed to duck getting the project dumped on me, which P was shooting for, partially by declaring I was going on vacation at the end of this month.
Yesterday I played doubles for a loooong time - like 6 hours, 8 am to to p.m. Oddly, I'm not dragging that much today. One of the guys I play with is a doctor, and he told me that it very import to stretch *after* you do sports, because it decreases the lactic acid build-up. Just five minutes or so. I tried it, and I think it worked - I was not limping around all day today with a sore body like I usually am after the whole weekend warrior deal. I'm *definitely* going to try that again He also recommended a CD called "7 minutes of magic", which tells you how to stretch for 7 minutes in the morning and 7 minutes in the evening. I've already ordered it.
Well, I starting pushing my wife again on the job front. It's just not a tenable situation for us to be relying solely on me for the income/health plan. Not these days. If I get laid off, and the odds are 50/50 it happens in the next 3 months, we will be back where I was in 2001, albeit with about 8 months cash-cushion this time. Still, health care will cost at least $1000 a month, maybe more. If she can just get a job at like Home Depot, or Starbucks, they will pay for the health plan after a few months. Or at least defray the cost. It will be very good protection in the economically difficult times. Plus, she needs to build up some quarters for Social Security - we can get a few more bucks at retirement if she gets those logged in.
She didn't take it well. I ended up sleeping in the couch! Ah well. I've really got to hang in there this time. Can't give up. She's a tough nut to crack, though.
I'm again considering moving to Canada. The cost of living is cheaper up there, and the economy is good. And they have a health plan, which is really the biggest concern I have going forward, along with retirement savings. OK, the alimony laws are tough - but you can't have everything, I guess. It might be the best compromise to getting health care, and still being not that far from Beantown, and something the wife might be ok with.
|
Hiker
Distinguished Member
|
Posted: 20 July 2010 12:18 pm |
|
Hey Jack, sounds like you are incredibly busy as always but I wanted to mention that if you ever have time and the inclination for a bike ride there is a great trail right out of Cambridge. It starts at Alewife and goes into Bedford. I haven't done it for a while but I think it's about 10 miles each way. It's crowded on weekends though, we avoid it because of that but it is a nice trail, very flat and goes right trough Arlington where you can stop and grab a drink or even a sandwich if you are so inclined. Anyway thought I'd mention it.
Question--what is it that your wife objects to with working outside the home? Is it a self confidence or fear, does she not like working with others? I only ask because maybe if you could find that answer maybe you could find some ways to work with it? It just seems odd to me that someone wouldn't want to work. I mean of course if you have small children at home, then that in itself is a job but other than that....I would think she would want to be independent? Of course I have no idea what her personality is but I guess from my perspective there is no way I want to be dependant on a man...you guys are not all that dependable you know . So anyway if this is too personal I apologize, I am just trying to understand the motivation.
|
mollymoo24
Distinguished Member
| Joined: | 30 December 2007 |
| Location: | Chicago, USA |
| Posts: | 6301 |
|
Posted: 21 July 2010 03:23 am |
|
jackbenimble wrote:
She didn't take it well. I ended up sleeping in the couch! Ah well. I've really got to hang in there this time. Can't give up. She's a tough nut to crack, though.
Sure sounds like it. How to get her motivated...it has to be something she's interested in doing I am sure...combined with seeing how it could be in her own best interests in the long run. Would she enjoy teaching (music, Japanese, cooking, etc)?
Good luck getting off the couch and back into the bedroom.
|
jackbenimble
Distinguished Member
|
Posted: 23 July 2010 04:43 am |
|
Hey Mol - the couch thing was a bit exaggerated. She wanted to get away from the conversation we were having / not having and went down to the couch. I volunteered to take her spot, because sometimes when I'm tossing and turning I sleep down there anyway.
So, my friend B who plays guitar dropped an email suggesting we get together for a jam. Now, the problem is I have this all or nothing theory going on, where I was focusing strictly on Japanese. I still think that's really the only way to go. But - I have worked hard at achieving a basic level of competence in guitar. It's a great, great thing and after all that I've gone through to get here - I don't want to lose it. So I ended playing guitar for a few hours last night and again tonight.
On top of that, I spend several hours learning this Android tutorial. So, all of a sudden the Japanese thing has kind of dropped off the cliff. Just like that.
The worst part is, even though the boss was out all week - I still put it 9 and 10 hour days. Everyone else was kind of cutting out early etc. And there I am like a sucker, last one out as usual. Why do I do it when my free time is so limited?
Anyway, my fingers were a bit sensitive but i was able to play a bunch of songs, some better than others. The ones I did best at were Hey Joe and Knockin' on Heaven's door. There is something about Hey Joe that connects with me somehow. Knockin is pretty easy and I have played it a lot.
I'm on vacation for *most* of next week. The boss demanded that I come in Thursday or Friday - she will be coming off a big road trip and wants to do a brain dump, or something. Anyway, with so little vacation time, it's saves me a day for later on.
So I'm confused, again. But, I was optimistic earlier in the week, because I was thinking I am *really* going to make that first step toward immigration to Canada.
The problem is, I'm at this job which is paying a very good wage. I don't expect to be able to make this kind of wage necessarily at my next job, the way the economy is and the way IT is so competitive these days. So, I'm kind of waiting it out. But 7 1/2 years is a long to to wait for the hammer to fall, you know?
Ah, one nice thing. The guy at the gas station today, who I was chatting with longer than usual, seemed kind of surprised I had a daughter in college and asked how old I was. When I told him, he said I looked like early 40s, which I liked. I actually do feel pretty good these days. I'm in reasonable shape - I play tennis with guys in their mid-thirties and I get around the court faster than most of them. I've got my weight under control, I've got my tooth back and can smile un-self-consciously again, and I'm a Harvard man. Why shouldn't I be in a good mood? Other than lack of free time, limited retirement funds, a shaky job situation and a rocky marriage, that is :/
Last edited on 23 July 2010 04:50 am by jackbenimble
|
mollymoo24
Distinguished Member
| Joined: | 30 December 2007 |
| Location: | Chicago, USA |
| Posts: | 6301 |
|
Posted: 23 July 2010 12:29 pm |
|
I hate your job and I hate your boss for making you come in on the limited vacation you are even granted. Jack Jack...do keep looking... . Even if you don't make as much money, I am guessing you can make a lot more than you think...and be just fine....and have time for both guitar AND kanji. I wish you'd have told her "no" you are not coming in on your vacation. Brainstorming can't wait a couple of days? Sheesh.
|
jackbenimble
Distinguished Member
|
Posted: 25 July 2010 06:17 am |
|
Yeah - I could've fought her on that. But - this was one she really wanted, for some reason. She was saying she was trying to figure who to give what it was short notice, it was hard for her - at least she was giving me reasons, instead of just orders.
I've been lazy about looking for the job. But, it is what I should be doing - not Japanese and guitar, get the new job first. I need to be all about that.
We had a party at my sister's house last night - just the families and kids. They have a good entertainment system and T played the song by lady Gaga - bad romance - with the words. It's a very catchy, dancable tune. I have been in a good mood recently so I started dancing. I'm actually a pretty funky dancer - I do weird things, just whatever comes to my mind. It turned out I was entertaining everyone without realizing it, until my daughter came over and gave me a hug - I asked her if she wanted me to stop, but she was like, no keep on going, it's fun. Everyone started dancing and the party started rocking - we stayed on till midnight.
Went to Japanese today. The girl who runs the group is a lot of fun. We ended reviewing the japanese together after everyone left and it was a pretty good time.Fancy that, me and this pretty, young Chinese girl. We rode the train together for a few stops on the way back, and I had this thought to kiss her right on the lips when she got off - she has these kissable lips. Of course, I didn't act on it. I'm just not the daring type, I guess. Plus, well - it could be really awkward, I mean. She's trying to run this club, and what am I after anyway?
I was talking to this guy today - he's an ex-software developer, retired now. He says, he got a job with a big company when he was like 45, and now he's got a nice pension. He reads, he travels, he plays tennis. Man, am I jealous. I won't be able to retire until I'm 69 or 70 to get the full SS, and I'll have to work under the table doing freelance stuff as well after that. Oops - Obama just passed a law basically making every work-related transaction taxable. Dohp!
I have to stop screwing around with all this stupid stuff and make some hard decisions. I'll be 53 next month - I may have missed my chance already. Oh, well, you can't look at it like that. I *feel* younger than 53.
|
mollymoo24
Distinguished Member
| Joined: | 30 December 2007 |
| Location: | Chicago, USA |
| Posts: | 6301 |
|
Posted: 27 July 2010 03:07 am |
|
I read what you posted in Suenos' diary about your wife's own parents...gees, I'm sorry. How late in life we sometimes learn to see these things, and even later, really come to understand what they mean. Do you think she sees it herself and if she does, does she have any interest in trying to improve things?
I don't really know many Asian women, but I worked with 2 Filipino women and mannnnnn were they tough; determined, uncompromising, inflexible. They got what they wanted. It sounds like your wife. She reminds me of a diva, to be honest.
|
jackbenimble
Distinguished Member
|
Posted: 29 July 2010 01:06 am |
|
mollymoo24 wrote: I read what you posted in Suenos' diary about your wife's own parents...gees, I'm sorry. How late in life we sometimes learn to see these things, and even later, really come to understand what they mean. Do you think she sees it herself and if she does, does she have any interest in trying to improve things?
I don't really know many Asian women, but I worked with 2 Filipino women and mannnnnn were they tough; determined, uncompromising, inflexible. They got what they wanted. It sounds like your wife. She reminds me of a diva, to be honest.
Hey MM - Diva fits - although, at least she bargain hunts and doesn't like to spend money - that is a GOOD THING. interesting about the Filipina's - one of my buddys married a young one and brought her to the states - she strikes me as a kind of girl using her looks to get a deal. Can you blame her - I think they are dirt-poor in the Philippines.
We just came back from a 3-day vacay down the cape - I got in a couple of nice jogs, my legs feel good - I got in a sunburn, on my right stomach of all places - it's finally better, but it was stinging for like three days, I got it on Sunday.
I could get into it about my wife - but I won't. I'd want to make my language refined, positive, optimistic, classy.
Ok, I've dialed back into Spring again, after cyclying through Japanes and Android. I just want to get one chapter in.
|
suenos
Distinguished Member
|
Posted: 29 July 2010 04:33 pm |
|
Just gotta say, my bff is filipina and there's not a cooler more generous, level headed and loving chick on the entire planet...but the crazy chick I told you about who looked like your movie star ...also filipina...actually when I lived in Florida 90% of my girlfriends were filipina and, other than the fact that they are genetically blessed with the body type (petitie and slim but round in the right places) and hair distribution (long and thick on the head and zero on the body) that sends me green with envy, at the end of the day, women are women - some of us are pscyco and some of us are sane - and most of us are a mix of the two depending on where our hormones happen to be on any given day
and........I want a 3-day vacca in Cape Cod!!!!!!!!!
|
jackbenimble
Distinguished Member
|
Posted: 30 July 2010 03:33 am |
|
suenos wrote: Just gotta say, my bff is filipina and there's not a cooler more generous, level headed and loving chick on the entire planet...but the crazy chick I told you about who looked like your movie star...also filipina...actually when I lived in Florida 90% of my girlfriends were filipina and, other than the fact that they are genetically blessed with the body type (petitie and slim but round in the right places) and hair distribution (long and thick on the head and zero on the body) that sends me green with envy, at the end of the day, women are women - some of us are pscyco and some of us are sane - and most of us are a mix of the two depending on where our hormones happen to be on any given day
and........I want a 3-day vacca in Cape Cod!!!!!!!!!
Can't blame you for that, Suenos. The weather was spectacular, and the water was perfect. I'm not a big swimmer but the water was lovely - I actually improve my swimming a bit. Then again, you just had six months off to rejuvenate and reset! I'll trade my 3 day vacation for that, any day.
On Philipinas - I actually visited the Philippines once in my traveling days, and I found the girls there uniformly sweet and very attractive. But it might change them a bit when they get over here - first of all, they moved from their home country, which maybe takes determination and giving up a lot, e.g. family, community etc.. Suenos - I'd like to know where you're running into all this Philipinas - is it your job, your church? I'm just curious.
I kind of messed up my short vacation by bringing my computer interview problem book down with me, though. Those problems are *hard*. I got few of the string-related ones, a binary search one, a riddle, some standard programming questions - and even some of the simple simple recursion ones - but once they get into it, forget it! Brutalness. I had headaches.
Anyway, I wanted to say one of the guys I played tennis with is a doctor, and he recommended this book called "7 minutes of magic". It's about Tai Chi or Qi Gong by Lee Holden - it looks pretty good. Very easy to do, covers all the basics - very undemanding. He throws in a little meditation, a little walking, drink your water - and he gives reasons for each of the exercises/suggestions. A lot of the excercises focus on the lower back, which is perfect for me because I always get sore there.
On meditation, he said a couple of things which really struck home. The first is the idea of "monkey thinking" - mentally running from this thought to that, one idea to the next, without ever really relaxing and letting deeper, calmer thoughts emerge. It reminds me of my constantly shifting goals, japanese, guitar, spring, android, groovy on grails, get a new job, worry about getting laid off, complaining about my boss. He also said, 95% of our thoughts on a given day as the same ones from the day before. Again, that's how it is with me - what will I do if I get laid off, who will hire me, how hard should I push now to change jobs, should I wait till after the Japan trip. Basically he says do just a bit of the meditation, and let the calmer thoughts emerge.
Speaking of getting laid off - I ran some numbers. If I get laid off and collect unemployment, I could actually go maybe 18 months before running out of money. We've got that much sitting in the bank. This is even while paying for college. Or, if my wife gets a job with health plan, I could go on further, because the health plan is at least a grand per month. Plus whatever money she would earn. But that's going to be hard, hard hard hard hard sell. Sigh. Still, I have equity in the house as a final resort. I could take a loan, or sell it outright. Selling it would get me through years - enough to get a business up and running, say. Now that would be quite the thing.
|
suenos
Distinguished Member
|
Posted: 30 July 2010 03:56 am |
|
Suenos - I'd like to know where you're running into all this Philipinas - is it your job, your church? I'm just curious.
The part of Florida I lived in had a very large Filipino population, primarily because at one time there were three Naval Stations there (now there's only one) so a lot of military and ex-military guys and their Filipina wives and who were once stationed in the area and liked it and returned after getting out of the Navy...also one of the larger Naval hospitals is there making it another draw for vets (and of course thier wives). The Filipino population there is actually large enough to support a couple of Fillipino restaurants and markets....and pretty much any business you go to, from restaurants to utility companies to a factory will have at least one (or sometimes several) Filippinos working there. It's a pretty ethnically diverse community in general so most of my freinds were either Filippina, Black, Latina, White and some truly beautiful combinations of the above.
Last edited on 30 July 2010 03:57 am by suenos
|
Hiker
Distinguished Member
|
Posted: 31 July 2010 11:56 pm |
|
jackbenimble wrote: Speaking of getting laid off - I ran some numbers. If I get laid off and collect unemployment, I could actually go maybe 18 months before running out of money. We've got that much sitting in the bank. This is even while paying for college. Or, if my wife gets a job with health plan, I could go on further, because the health plan is at least a grand per month. Plus whatever money she would earn. But that's going to be hard, hard hard hard hard sell. Sigh. Still, I have equity in the house as a final resort. I could take a loan, or sell it outright. Selling it would get me through years - enough to get a business up and running, say. Now that would be quite the thing.
Jack, it sounds like you do have some decent options if you were to loose your job and it even sounds like it could be an opportunity for you to do what you really want. I just don't get your wife not wanting to work but I don't know her so maybe she has her reasons, it just seems so foreign to me but again, I don't know what's in her head and heart. I do hope it works out for you.
|
jackbenimble
Distinguished Member
|
Posted: 2 August 2010 01:02 am |
|
Hiker wrote:
jackbenimble wrote:
Jack, it sounds like you do have some decent options if you were to loose your job and it even sounds like it could be an opportunity for you to do what you really want. I just don't get your wife not wanting to work but I don't know her so maybe she has her reasons, it just seems so foreign to me but again, I don't know what's in her head and heart. I do hope it works out for you.
Thanks, Hiker. If I get laid off, I'm pretty sure I would take maybe 3/4 months off to upgrade my computer skills and get this Japanese test out of the way. Also, I got an invitation to apply for a TA/Web designer job from the prof. at my last course, which would be a cool thing, as long as it didn't interfere with unemployment payment - I'm pretty sure the pay su*ks. One problem is that you have a lot more leverage in salary negotiation of you currently have a job, which is why I maybe should be more pro-active.
2 - 3 things to talk about - for the past three or four days I've been doing these Qi chong/Tai chi stretches, morning and evening. They're described in a book called "7 minutes of Magic". It's good stuff - because it makes you think in terms of your own personal peace and joy. Also, the stretching and breathing is very calming and good for you, mentally and spiritually. Of course, it's a lot easier to succeed with this stuff on weekends than weekdays, when time is so short. We'll see how the week goes. I just have to be determined to keep on with the routines.
Influenced by the book, I took my wife and daughter for a walk in the woods today. It was very nice and pleasant, and we all chatted for a while. It is a place I went to a long time ago, like 15 years ago, and meant to go back and never did. It's just in the town next to us. It has water, trees, a small lake, ducks, birds, a little dam, a bike path. You can't see any buildings from it, so you really feel like you could be in say, Africa or something. The wife was in a less aggressive mood afterwards. I maybe should be more pro-active in our relationship, do nice things unilaterally instead of the ongoing passive/aggressive mode we're in now.
Played tennis today. The early shift guys (8 a.m) are older than me, plus they only play once a week, so by now I'm like a level or two above them. The second shift (10 a.m.) guys are much better, they are all about my level - all in their mid-30's. We are either good skills but inconsistent, or more consistent but less power, with myself in the latter category. I was playing with E, who is really athletic and extremely good at the net, but at the same time can do things like double-fault three service games in a row which he did in the second set.
J, a friendly guy who I played with only once before, played on the other side and turned out to be a really good net player. That can get into your head on the service return, and for a while I kind of got tentative and he was putting balls away on me. E and I were down like 4-2 when I got back on track. Part of it was because I made a *great shot*, going way back to chase down a high backhand. Normally, the extremity of the shot would force a miss or a weak return, but the combination of the experience I have by now and *maybe* the calm that these Tai Chi exercises are giving me helped me get it back, nice and deep. E put away the return shot and we were back business.
Other than that, I purchased a couple of Japanese reading books which have parallel translations and grammar points. It's tough sledding, but the stories are pretty good, all current fiction by Japanese authors. I read a couple of them yesterday, and by the time I finished the second one, it was 1:30 am! Wow, that's engrossing - easily more interesting than flashcards and textbooks. Like playing tennis instead of exercise, studying a foreign language by reading (and speaking it if you can find people who will do it with you) is the best.
I'm having trouble with my computer. This one is my wife's. Mine won't boot, except in startup mode with no internet. I'm trying to figure out how to fix it now.
Last edited on 2 August 2010 01:10 am by jackbenimble
|
mollymoo24
Distinguished Member
| Joined: | 30 December 2007 |
| Location: | Chicago, USA |
| Posts: | 6301 |
|
Posted: 2 August 2010 05:36 pm |
|
I enjoyed reading about your nice walk with the family. Sounds like maybe both you and the wife benefitted from a serene, natural, and neutral environment. The home is always charged with a history of dynamics which are difficult to escape, even when you don't realize they are there. Maybe the two of you would benefit from a nice vacation together to somewhere you've never been before...not visiting family or friends, but just to the mountains or something. It may provide an environment for a more open dialog about working, the future, aspirations etc. I know it helps me immensely with my thinking when I get out of the house...
Hoping you get your internet fixed soon. Its so frustrating to be without a computer of your own.
|
suenos
Distinguished Member
|
Posted: 3 August 2010 12:36 am |
|
On the tai chi, never done it but there's a group who used to (umm, I guess they still do) do it together every morning in a park near our house in Florida. It looked very, very cool with slow controlled movements...like they were in total harmony.
Love what you said about being "unilaterally proactive" with your wife. And really happy that you guys (and your daughter) had a nice experience just being together in the park...it's the little stuff like that sometimes.
It's good you've got the financial resources in place in case you do get laid off. I think you're dead right about the leverage you have being employed while looking to change jobs though. Also, I think employers look more favorably on someone who is presently employed and seeking advancement than someone who is unemployed. Since you so recently graduated with your Masters, it probably looks even better because you have a solid, logical reason (other than the dreaded "present job dissatisfaction") for looking to advance and switch jobs right now.
AAAAAAnd, speaking of jobs, I was wondering how professionally marketable you wife is right now even if she chose to work. I mean in terms of the present economy and unemployment rate, which has created (by design?...don't get me started ) such an unfair 'buyers market'....
And finally, kudos on being the tennis guru.....hey, how's that for a sideline, you could be a tennis pro to hot housewives?
|
jackbenimble
Distinguished Member
|
Posted: 4 August 2010 02:31 am |
|
Hey Mol, you are definitely right about the house. When she's in it, she's always worried about doing this or that, never enough time.
Suenos - I'm not nearly good enough to be a tennis pro - but I like your idea!
As far as my wife - she could get a job as a bi-lingual CSR making 30k, I'm pretty sure. But, she wants to save her voice. She says she did it before. She could always take a job at the supermarket chain, or Walmart, or Home Depot. She knows a *lot* about gardening. All I really need is the old health plan. She refused outright the idea of working at the grocery store.
I need to get better at the Tai Chi - watch some videos, and stuff. I think I'm doing it too fast.
I was reading today about "the undivorced". This about couples who live apart, but don't divorce. I wonder what it would be like just to separate - I already have an apartment - well, a room. We could still be a couple, for family occasions and so on. I would never marry again, for sure, so that's not a problem. It would be more expensive, I guess - me doing my own shopping, and laundry and cooking and what have you. The only problem is, I'd be stuck in basically this oversized closet while she gets to bask in the glory of the whole house to herself - which I paid for.
Actually, yesterday I mentioned the idea of dropping the appartment and moving back home. I have enough Japanese tapes to keep me amused through the long ride. Let's put it this way - she didn't exactly jump for joy. I could tell she didn't like the idea.
Today the boss was out - P came in late left early - he's smart. For some reason, I worked till 7:15. I put in 9.5 hours yesterday, 9.5 today. We've got a meeting thursday with a couple of potential collaborators, and I want to be ready.
Than I put in an our on that machine whose name I have a mental block about - the one where you jog but don't take your feet off the pedals. I don't know why, I always block on the name of that machine. Whatever it is, I did an hour. Oh, yeah, let me go weigh myself. Ouch! 169 - after excercise - I haven't been good. I need to drop the Japanese meetup on Saturdays and play tennis instead.
I signed up for the Japanese Proficiency test. I'm taking level 3 of 5. It's the first sort of serious level. About 2500 words to learn. I know a lot of them, but a lot I don't. Plus not speaking it much - 3 is plenty.
Wow, I'm sleepy already. Well, I did get up at 4...
|
jackbenimble
Distinguished Member
|
Posted: 4 August 2010 11:49 am |
|
Got up at like 7:30! Must have needed the sleep. Weighed myself - 166 - I lost 3 pounds while sleeping. How does that work?
|
suenos
Distinguished Member
|
Posted: 4 August 2010 06:40 pm |
|
It's the magic trifecta of "ations": respiration, transpiration and/or urination.
|
jackbenimble
Distinguished Member
|
Posted: 8 August 2010 07:38 pm |
|
Tough weekend. I've got this proposal at work I have to do, and have no clue how to do it. So I've been agnsting over it.
I finally starting reading the old Dale Carnegie book "Stop Worrying and Start Living". I've read it before, but the advice is still good. One thing he says is keep telling yourself what's the worst that can happen? In this case, I won't came up with a good idea, I will get some flak from the boss, and she might even lay me off.
If she lays me off, I've talked about that many time. I have money saved up. I will upgrade my skills, maybe finally start my own business. Could a blessing in disguise.
Otherwise, she could cut my pay - that would suck. Depending on what she cut it to, we could still survive. Plus, that will make it easier to move - no more golden handcuffs.
She could pressure me for more hours - then again, she's doing that already. Sometimes.
She could give flak. She does that already, too. It's not fun, but I'll survive.
So, I'll accept all this. It real. It's happened. One or more of the above. There are still a lot of good things going on. I won't be in prison. I won't be dead. I will still have nights and weekends free, to an extent. I'm healthy. I have money in the bank. We just got a *big* tax refund. I have equity in the house - we'll make a lot of dough if we sell it. My daughter isn't killing us with her college expenses. She's healthy. My wife is healthy - well, she has high blood pressure.
I went to my uncle's 80th birthday party yesterday. He was telling me, he thinks he's going to be dead by the time he's 86. I said his Mom lived till 94, so you don't know. We'll all be there someday. But it did make me think, ok, he's 80, still got a few years and I'm 52 - I have like 30-40 years to go, probably. A *long* time. So, I want to enjoy that time.
Ok, so tomorrow will be tough - because I didn't get anywhere on Friday. I was trying to make this piece of software work, but couldn't really get it off the ground. I kept running into problems with my computer,which has been blinking out on me recently. I didn't get it to the point where I could even give it a proper try, because for some reason I'm having all sorts of trouble setting up an html server - heck, I've written an html server, partially, before. I just want to be able to come into work and say, yeah, I tried it, and this is the problem I ran into. And I don't want it to because I didn't know how to get an html server up and running. Which is where I'm at right now.
So, what I'm going to do, is go to Borders and see if I can get apache up and running. On my WIFES computer!
Other than that, I played some tennis, but my work worries were kind of seeping into my game. Plus I'm getting tennis elbow. So, I might take a break on the tennis for a week or two - I've been overdoing it recently.
|
Hiker
Distinguished Member
|
Posted: 9 August 2010 12:17 am |
|
jackbenimble wrote:
I went to my uncle's 80th birthday party yesterday. He was telling me, he thinks he's going to be dead by the time he's 86. I said his Mom lived till 94, so you don't know. We'll all be there someday. But it did make me think, ok, he's 80, still got a few years and I'm 52 - I have like 30-40 years to go, probably. A *long* time. So, I want to enjoy that time.
Hey Jack, times are tough but you seem to have the right attitude, do what you can but you know there is more to life. Like the song says "it's not the breaths you take, but the moments that take your breath away" Make sure you have lots of those moments. I know that is easier said than done but you seem good at finding the things in your life that matter. Just keep working on those, the rest just doesn't matter all that much.
|
mollymoo24
Distinguished Member
| Joined: | 30 December 2007 |
| Location: | Chicago, USA |
| Posts: | 6301 |
|
Posted: 9 August 2010 02:12 am |
|
The technique of realistically thinking about 'what is the worst that can happen' usually helps me realize I've got hidden fears/anxieties which aren't realistic, and that I have a lot more resources and control and opportunity at my disposal than I give myself credit for. My development coach used to get so exasperated with me...think about your MBA, and you have a nest egg...and there would be unemployment if you did get laid off/fired, you would be fine and probably find another opportunity you'd be happier at.
I bite my thumb at your boss.
|
suenos
Distinguished Member
|
Posted: 9 August 2010 02:40 am |
|
Hiya Jack!
I'm wondering if it's possible for you to actually sit down and talk with your boss about your concerns i/r/t your position and her plans? It just seems like you've been walking around with the half-expectation of being laid off for months - sometimes the stress of not knowing is more difficult to live with than just knowing - even if it's "bad news"...no doubt that you'll be okay even if you do get laid off - heck, if anything it might just be the economic wake-up call your wife needs to motivate her to get a job. But it seems really unfair for you to continue walking around with that particular sword hanging over your head day after day.
|
jackbenimble
Distinguished Member
|
Posted: 9 August 2010 05:06 am |
|
Hiker, MM, Suenos -
Thanks so much for your support. It helps to get perspective of others. I do have to apologize for going on and on about my prospects for getting laid off. MM, I bite my thumb at her, too - in my mind.
Suenos - I've sat down and talked with her any number of times. One of the problems is she pretty much lies every time she opens her mouth, or at least whenever it suits her. She actually asked me to trust her once. That's when I should have known the gig was up. Plus, I don't want to push it too hard. The last manager was blunt - she basically asked if she was going to be laid off - and the boss complied!
There are a couple of perks. The salary is pretty good. I get to work on home on Fridays. I have seniority. The place is small enough that everyone gets along. There is a 4% match on 401k. It's the 2 weeks vacation, including sick days that makes it tough to stomach.
I was talking with my wife today. She asked me, what about the idea of starting your business? The thing is, as much as I like to think of myself as independent, if the wife is against it, then it seriously impacts the chances of it happening. So, she is pro my getting into my own business. I like that. I have some ideas on some Japanese educational materials - programs, pdfs, etc. I asked her if should would be interested in helping me out. Surprisingly, she said yes. That's a big deal, because, she's Japanese and really speaks well. She could bring a lot to the table in this kind of a business. So, now I have something substantial to work toward.
So, I'm encouraged about that. The worst that can happen is the company fails, and I go back to work with some good mobile applications experience and a serious look at the business side of things. Maybe out a few bucks - but, now is the time to start work on this thing. If only on weekends.
Also, the "Don't worry" book suggests that I keep a diary of how I apply the techniques in the book. One of the things he said is, take action. So, today, I workated from like 4 till midnight, and a finally got a piece of this software to work. Now that I've seen it at work, partially, I feel more comfortable outlining an approach which incorporates this software. It's our best bet for presenting a realistic scenario that we could deliver something on. This was the point I needed to get to for tomorrow - er, today.
The thing about worry is it keeps you from thinking straight. That is so true. He says, first - get the facts. Don't try to make any decisions until you do that. So, I structured a lot of my work as fact seeking, instead of trying to "make it work". It's a good perspective to have on things.Last edited on 9 August 2010 05:07 am by jackbenimble
|
Hiker
Distinguished Member
|
Posted: 9 August 2010 04:06 pm |
|
Jack it would be great if you decided to start your own business, that would be so rewarding. Scary for sure, but the rewards would be tremendous if it worked out and if it didn't you would have gained some invaluable experience. I owned a business, (a pizza shop) for awile and beleive me that on my application got me in more doors than anything else. And if your wife were to work with you, well then she would be working and you would be killing 2 birds with one stone as they say 
|
suenos
Distinguished Member
|
Posted: 9 August 2010 10:46 pm |
|
| Seems like your wife is starting to move in a positive direction...I suspect that the two of you in business together would be a formidable team. Don't doubt yourself Jack - you''re both creative AND practical, a hard to beat combinaton.
|
jackbenimble
Distinguished Member
|
Posted: 10 August 2010 07:22 am |
|
Suenos, Hiker - thanks for the positive energy. You guys have great karma.
I will say first that it's unlikely the thing really succeeds. This is partially due to the fact that it's aimed at a niche market which is very competitive at the same time. Go figure. Also, work probably averages 50 hours when you add in the personal time I add to it. Then add in tennis time, study Japanese time, etc. etc. time and what I can contribute doesn't add up to much.
However, as you pointed out Suenos, it's killing several birds with 1 stone
a) I learn a new skill - good for the resume. Plus mobile apps are *very hot* and Android is the hottest, fastest growing app out there. I don't want to miss this boat.
b) It is a chance to actually get some ongoing, viable work from the wife. She won't mind doing this. It's a question of how much I can really get her to work at it. But it does fit in with her need of a flexible schedule.
c) It relates to Japanese, one of my favorite hobbies.
d) I have a very good learner's insight into the type of tools a Japanese student needs.
e) My other software has kind of flatlined, so I need some new apps.
f) I need to generate some cash to make it a credible business for tax purposes.
On other fronts, on the "how to stop worrying and start living front", I'm focusing in on the "hourglass" analogy - life is like an hourglass - you can only process one grain of sand at a time. Still, the problem is resisting the temptation to do work on off-hours. I stayed to 7 yesterday, while P - who managed to get this proposal dumped on me by basically not doing anything on it - got in late and left early. After I went on vacation for a week, there had been almost zero progress on it. Bahf. It's better to be exploited than not have work at all. We'll see how this pans out. Btw, I noticed everyone else is putting in exactly 40 - kind of a pushback on the two-week thing. I need to do that.
|
Hiker
Distinguished Member
|
Posted: 10 August 2010 11:39 am |
|
jackbenimble wrote: On other fronts, on the "how to stop worrying and start living front", I'm focusing in on the "hourglass" analogy - life is like an hourglass - you can only process one grain of sand at a time. Still, the problem is resisting the temptation to do work on off-hours. I stayed to 7 yesterday, while P - who managed to get this proposal dumped on me by basically not doing anything on it - got in late and left early. After I went on vacation for a week, there had been almost zero progress on it. Bahf. It's better to be exploited than not have work at all. We'll see how this pans out. Btw, I noticed everyone else is putting in exactly 40 - kind of a pushback on the two-week thing. I need to do that.
Yup, as Kenny Rogers said "you got to know when to hold 'em, you got to know when to fold 'em".
|
jackbenimble
Distinguished Member
|
Posted: 20 August 2010 03:56 am |
|
One day left on this proposal. Man, what a lot of work! The soliciting organization moved the deadline up by a month last thursday, and I've been working on it non-stop every since, morning, noon and night. Actually, it hasn't been so bad. Tomorrow, it's all over! I'll head home early. Plus, I got an agreement from a *big* company to let us user there software in the proposal, and that they would would partner with us if we won the proposal. I immediately changed it around to feature this *big* company and their ultra-modern, ultra-cool solution. All of a sudden, we are playing with the heavyweights and might just have a shot at this whale. Who is this *big* company? Well, they are a 3-letter acronym company - and you take the letters "HAL" and offset them one further down the alphabet, you will have the answer. The boss has been loving me recently, because of all the effort I'm putting into this thing. Will she give me a day off? Don't bet on it.
|
jackbenimble
Distinguished Member
|
Posted: 29 August 2010 02:54 am |
|
Dear Diary,
Today I started making a list of faults that I need to improve upon...but I kept coming up with more and more of them, and it was starting to depress me, so I abandoned the project. Maybe later
I dropped my daughter off at college today. She's a junior. What a sweetheart - she's funny and entertaining. Actually, I had a nice ride back with my wife as well. She's starting to dish out bits and pieces of Japanese instead of all English, so that made it more fun. Plus, since she's working on French, we played around a bit with that. It was a nice trip back.
I purchased/read through some graded Japanese readers. They are specially chosen stories with fairly simple vocabulary. They were pretty easy to read, although they were the highest level offered. There is no way they are as difficult as I need them to be if I'm going to pass this test.
We talked to the big software company last Thursday and basically we are going to get their awesome software for 90 days free of charge. We will develop some cool demos and then go out and flog it to potential customers. If someone bites, we will purchase the software ourselves. It's fun.
I have had a preliminary phone-interview with a company with *very* good benefits and it went well. But, there's still a long way to go. It's always the technical interview which makes or breaks you. But, it depends on the depth they go to. I have some things going for me which maybe means they won't bust me too heavily on the technical side. But, we'll see.
Ughh...I have tennis elbow.
|
mollymoo24
Distinguished Member
| Joined: | 30 December 2007 |
| Location: | Chicago, USA |
| Posts: | 6301 |
|
Posted: 30 August 2010 08:33 am |
|
| Hey Jack! I noticed you haven't been posting as much but I am glad to read that some interesting things are going on at work and things seem alright with the family. It always helps you get engaged in your work when there is something new and exciting to do. Good luck with your interview - I'll keep my fingers crossed for ya!
|
jackbenimble
Distinguished Member
|
Posted: 31 August 2010 02:57 am |
|
Hey Mol,
Yes, I got into a non-posting mode when i was working on the proposal, and haven't gotten back into it. I probably won't be posting as much until I get this Japanese test out of the way and also, find a new job! There's just way more that I can do to get there, but time as always is at a premium.
What would I do with free time? I think I would put my 10,000 hours into guitar. Or chase girls :)
|
jackbenimble
Distinguished Member
|
Posted: 3 September 2010 02:48 am |
|
Dear Diary,
I had a second interview over the phone today, it was just ok. They might or might not put me through to their client. If they do, I could get blown out of the water on technical questions - I don't have much security experience. I do have lots of networking experience, but they could easily trip me up anyway - my memory isn't that sharp. to be honest. I basic have to figure stuff out from scratch every time I do it. Well, not exactly, but kinda/sorta. And if I do get the job, the commute will be murderous. We will have to move, I think. Anyway, I'll cross that bridge if I get to it!
I found out yesterday a proposal I wrote got accepted. So, that's all right, I suppose. My reward is to do another proposal, due in a week an 1/2. I'm going to modify another older proposal and resubmit it.
The basic problem is we are a proposal-driven company, and I'm good at writing, so my basic job is to do proposals. This is a catch-22 kind of situation, because it means I do less actual programming, which makes me less marketable. She never gives proposals to C. He just gets away without doing them. Actually, I really like the guy. We get along. I have a lot of respect for his professionalism and knowledge.
P kind of annoys me. He does have some ability, no question. He is a natural proposal writer, he love that s**t. But, he's also a kind of a blowhard and a kind of a phony, in my opinion. We don't have similar outlooks. He's all about the latest tech gadgets and blowing his own horn. It gets tiresome. C is the opposite.
I did hear from a couple of people I've been using for references. M is a wonderful guy I used to work with, and we had a nice chat on the phone today. E sent me an email saying she would give me a great reference.
Basically, things could be worse. Heck, I even got some tennis in tonight. I didn't play that well, but I had some good points. I have tennis elbow, actually. I will need to skip tennis the winter and let it heal. But I was kind of bloating up a bit, I was up to 168. I wanted to get the tennis in before the great big major hurricane hits :) Really, it was good. I was down to 164.5 when I got home. If I skip dinner, I'll have gotten back to say 166/7 where I've been for quite a while.
I'm trying to stick with the advice from Dale Carnegie's book, which is live life one day at a time. Like today, I spent two hours in traffic getting home, which really s*ckd, but at least I had some nice Japanese tapes to listen to.
Japanese has to be on the backburner - until I get a new job. Basically, I am going to flunk this test, because between my work schedule, trying to get up on the programming side, and staying in shape with tennis, there's not really time to study it. Well, there's always next year. But we're going to Japan before that, is the problem.
Ok - here's the formulas - what's the worst that can happen? I think I need accept that I'm stuck at my company - forever! Till I'm 70 or something. Doing proposals. Well, here's the good news - I'm making a good salary. And you do learn a lot doing proposals. The work isn't awful. And - I get to live away from home 3 nights a week. I can work on all my hobbies up there.
And I want my extra week of vacation back!
|
jackbenimble
Distinguished Member
|
Posted: 6 September 2010 09:53 pm |
|
Dear Diary,
I played some tennis today, singles against a Russian kid who I ran into once before. He has good natural skills but just needs practice. We hit the ball for quite a while, and he was hitting a bunch of winners. Then I finally asked to play a set or two and won 6-0, 6-0. He made too many unforced errors, and I just have too much experience at the game. But it felt good to play singles after playing doubles all summer.
The other think was, there was a guy next to us who was practicing his serve, which was really excellent. I notice a couple of things - one is he bows his body, and the second is he's up on his toes, on the backswing. Then he unleashes the serve. So it's kind of a coil/uncoil thing. I tried it and felt it took pressure off my foremarm, which is a bit painful due to tennis elbow.
The other thing a figured out when I was practicing was that I get more power and accuracy in my groundstrokes if I use my front foot as kind of a swivel.
So, all in all it was a good morning, kind of restored my confidence after a couple of mediocre doubles outings recently.
Well, I have a potential job interview coming up, and I should be prepping for it by reviewing all the languages they might quiz me on, or trying pick up some security knowledge. If I get this job, I will have 35 paid days off per year, where I have 22 right now. Plus 100% health paid for. The commute will be #%@&!, and I don't know if I really want to get into the security field. But, I should really be prepping for it.
Instead, I've been studying Japanese. It's just fun.
|
mollymoo24
Distinguished Member
| Joined: | 30 December 2007 |
| Location: | Chicago, USA |
| Posts: | 6301 |
|
Posted: 12 September 2010 06:09 pm |
|
| It's fun. Maybe its also just following your heart a little bit...since you don't want that commute and are lukewarm about the security field.
|
jackbenimble
Distinguished Member
|
Posted: 15 September 2010 12:53 am |
|
Hey Mol, thanks for stopping by!
Well, I've been madly into the Japanese recently. I just talked to my wife, and she sounded so depressed...she's in a bit of a down spot right now. I hope she cheers up pretty soon. Maybe we'll catch a flick this weekend.
P at work today, who is on his 3rd marriage, said that he wished he met his current wife long ago. They met on the internet, and have a lot of shared interests....it makes me think. I wish I could talk to someone about my marriage who could offer me some useful advice. There's really nothing to be done. What it comes down to is I don't have the courage to face being to my age, in an at risk profession, and legally obligated to pay alimony, plus all the changes and turmoil divorce would present. How about just living apart all the time? Just kind of living separately? Maybe we should try it. What about retirement, though? I need to find someone with a *good* job who doesn't want to get married.
Getting along ok with the boss these days. Called B and it turned out to be his birthday.
|
jackbenimble
Distinguished Member
|
Posted: 17 September 2010 05:22 am |
|
Dear Diary,
I have a traffic hearing tomorrow. I have a better chance than I usually do because I have a good story. wish me luck.
I didn't get any Japanese prep in tonight, what with getting ready for the hearing and coming home late from work. Tomorrow, probably.
Wow, what is there some kind of hurricane going on?
Well, the week in up on the room went ok. Still no roomates. Good. I let the cat in more than usual and he ended up pooping on my bed. Well, it's the first time he's done it. Hopefully the last - I didn't let him in, although he was mewing and scratching - well, after a while I did.
My body is starting to feel the effects of all the tennis and jogging and just getting old. I have tennis elbow, sore knees and a sore back. Well, the back's ok. It's the knees and the tennis elbow. I play in a tournament this weekend...I don't give much for my chances...
|
mollymoo24
Distinguished Member
| Joined: | 30 December 2007 |
| Location: | Chicago, USA |
| Posts: | 6301 |
|
Posted: 17 September 2010 01:29 pm |
|
Wow, a tournament? Cool...hope you have fun!
The room/roommates thing, is that the apartment then, are you still living there a few nights per week? If I recall, didn't you begin that arrangement because you were going to school and work and the commute was so long? Still doing it though. I know you aren't happy in your marriage much of the time. I guess I see why your wife is depressed too. The whole situation doesn't have any easy answers.
I didn't know you had a cat. I would have pegged you as a dog person, a lab kinda guy. But then, dogs take quite a bit more time and care, I think.
I also came by just to tell you that I appreciate you and your feedback in my journal. Sometimes our 'anonymous internet' friends make a real difference in our lives.
Have a great weeekend Jack.
|
jackbenimble
Distinguished Member
|
Posted: 20 September 2010 02:22 am |
|
Hey Mol!
Actually, I don't have a cat - it belongs to the landlord. It likes to stay in my room when it can, though. I have this nice comfy futon, for one thing.
For dogs, a lab actually sounds good. I like dogs like collies or huskies - ones that are smart and non-aggressive. But you're right - it's a lot of work to keep a dog. I won't be getting one.
I've actually had some luck with the tournament. I'm in the finals in the 50+ category, and in the semi-finals in the 35+ category. The 50+ category included 2 matches without losing a set. But, I'm afraid the ride stops here. Both of my next opponents are extremely good players and my chances of beating either of them are nil. Still, it's pretty much the first time I've advanced since I started playing in the tournament 3-4 years ago. A lot of it has to do with the opponents you draw, to be honest. I had generally favorable matchups this year.
One thing that really helped me get through the weekend (4 matches including a couple of 3 hour marathons) was this tai-chi stretching. This book called "7-minutes of magic" - which is also a video - has a lot of good stretches. I turns out if you do the ones focused on the back and legs *right after the match*, it breaks up the lactic acid which forms in your muscles and you're not as sore the next day. It seems to be working...wish I had known that last year.
Other than that, not much to report. Oh, yeah, Friday I got of of a surcharge for an accident I had had in February - snowy conditions etc. All in all a pretty good weekend.
|
jackbenimble
Distinguished Member
|
Posted: 25 September 2010 05:25 am |
|
Dear Diary,
Two things of note. First, while I made the finals in the over 50 and the semi-finals in the 35+, I got killed in the next matches - I only won one game in each match. Owwwch. Partly I was over my head, partly I didn't play well, partly these guys I played against play a *lot*, weekdays and everything. Plus my tennis elbow was bugging me. Plus, I don't play as well under the lights. Got more time? I got more excuses. At least I won a plaque - first tennis hardware ever.
The other thing is a blew up at P at work - very unusual for me. But, he is just so obnoxious - doesn't do work and acts like your imposing yourself on him when you're actually helping him. He was all nice today - thanking me for helping at and stuff.
Ouch - my company lost a .5 mill contract on a paperwork snafu - something really obscure too. That sux.
Well, the good thing about the tennis was, even though I got smoked, one of the guys who smoked me is a really pleasant Irish guy. He's going to play tennis on Sundays and stuff, try it out anyway. Plus, he's friendly with L, the other Irish guy.
That's it. I'm still studying for the Japanese test, and it's not looking good. I really shouldn't have tackled Japanese - it's so hard, so much more difficult than the European languages. When you learn languages, you should tackle French, Itallian, Spanish, Portuguese and maybe German first. Then you can start tackling harder ones, like Japanese and Chinese. Because you can get stuck on those ones pretty easily.
|
jackbenimble
Distinguished Member
|
Posted: 27 September 2010 05:08 pm |
|
Dear Diary,
Sneaking in a quick post from work. The boss gave me an open-ended assignment to get something going on the data-mining/statistics/visualization end of things. Sweet! Although in about a day an 1/2 I'll get another deadline.
My wife did a concert last night at a library in town with a group of Japanese people. It was really amazing - these are really fantastic musicians - pianists mostly - world-class, competition winners and everything. It's a pity there is such little demand for classical. I actually quite enjoyed it.
Afterward, we went to dinner with the group and it was very pleasant. Even though they are so talented, they don't put on airs. Also I could practice my Japanese a bit, although they all speak English very well.
I'm letting my poor bones recover from the tennis tournament. I figured out that out of a possible 6 matches, I ended up playing in 5. My right knee hurts to bend, I have a muscle pull in my left leg, but the toughest thing is the tennis elbow. It's more a stabbing pain in my forearm, it affects my play. I decided, I'm pretty much going to shut down the tennis until next year. I can't really work out on the elliptical because of my knee, so I think I'm going to focus on weights.
Other than that, I'm locked in on Japanese now. I found a really good grammar resource Saturday and I spent as much time as I could with it this weekend. The technique I'm using is to memorize a sentence per grammar point.
I figured out there is no way I can pass this test - there's not enough time, too much ground to cover - but it's good for me to tackle this test. It's the first time I've every consistently applied an effort for an extended period of time to learn Japanese, believe it or not.
Weight-wise, I was at 167 this morning. It's been around there all summer. I am a bit concerned about the winter.
I read that eating processed foods and sugar/fructose does all sorts of damage to your body. I'll find that article and put on my wall.
|
jackbenimble
Distinguished Member
|
Posted: 29 September 2010 01:57 am |
|
Dear diary,
Nothing particularly of note today. I ate two chocolate chip cookies at BK last night, and thus gained a pound, I'm was 168 this morning. I didn't exercise. My knees are still achy from the tennis. I need at least another week to recover (hmmm...starting to sound like an excuse). I made all the CD's with really good Japanese on the - perfect for the test I'm studying for, upper intermediate - and darned if the stupid cheap CD's I got at staples didn't start skipping all over the place. Merde. I want to get them onto my ipod at least, but it's frozen...stuck on recharge. Merde again. I *need* to get those things listened to, and time is running short - the test is Dec. 5.
I read one story in "read real Japanese II" 2 1/2 pages long, still took an hour, what with the grammar and all.
I was awake last night angsting about retirement. I'm thinking about becoming a landlord. As much as I'm not cut out for it, owning real estate is an asset and grows in value, eventually. Now is a good time to buy, in a down market. I have money in the bank, and plenty of equity in the house. I could probably leverage and get a couple of buildings. Rent them out, get the cash flow going on. It doesn't take a genius. You have to be diligent and careful, have a good head for numbers, be practical, be business oriented, and a good judge of character, none of which is a strong point for me. But, man, the cash flow, if I can just avoid the hassles of renting.
Last edited on 29 September 2010 01:57 am by jackbenimble
|
|
|
|
|
