2002 Story Set
| March 12, 2002 Well, I have been home for eight days. And I am exhausted. Every day we have something to do. Last Tuesday it was get home after the layoff, send email and get the new modem (ahem) installed courtesy of my older son. Wednesday, it was take the same older son to the hospital (he is fine), pick up my HP LaserJet (newly repaired), have a coffee and chat with said son, then take my younger son for a blood test and a movie (Godford's Park). Thursday was Chemo in the AM and a movie (Collateral Damage) and Team in Training in the evening. After which we went out for dinner with team members. It was freezing cold. In the middle of the day I had picked up the boxes from my office, ran the van home (the truck does not do the hospital) and switched to the truck. After saying that they would pack and ship, the company had me come pick the boxes up. Note that each of these events require about 60-100 miles of driving. A clutch. Friday I forget what I was doing other than recovering from Thursday. And driving all the way in to the office so the lead developer I had been working with could take me to lunch. Nice man. I installed Adobe Illustrator 10 and played with it. I actually love Adobe software. In spite of the hassle with the operating system. Saturday it was a Team in Training practice race with the Duo Team. Early in the morning. We were supposed to go somewhere for dinner but that was moved to this week. After the team, we went to a candle party. My younger son was captive. We got home about 4PM. Long day. Sunday the Team in Training barbecue was cancelled because it might have rained (cold and gray) so I was home, after I went to the gym for 90 minutes of heavy lifting and cardio. We went to BlockBuster, for four more movies. I swept my younger son's room with a broom (yes, that bad), did laundry and debated about setting up the carpet shampooer. It's been waiting since Christmas. Nope. Not ready yet. There are still patches of white visible. Monday, I was fighting with the modem and printer. Making appointments. And drafting a short story. I had been cleaning up my hard drive and making space when I found a couple of short notes. And Jack's Are Wild was born (10,000 word short story). I made pork chops in cream sauce for dinner. Reminded myself I was due to go to the store. I'm out of eggs. Tuesday I touched up Jack's (a 10,000 word short story), fought with the modem and printer, and got the scanner working. Then I went back to BlockBuster, got two more moves (dropped off the other four), took a shower and had a Bone Density Scan done. Along the way I cleaned the two cat litter pans and put out the garbage. We've summoned my older son (this week-end?) to see about the modem and printer - if I haven't figured out something by then. I noticed that I can type all day on the Mac without my hands hurting. As I thought, the NT was giving me Carpel Tunnel. I wonder if anyone has done a study on that? Never mind that I have a correct-height table (no bouncing keyboard) and an office chair at home. And a big high-resolution 21" monitor right in my face. (And yes, I have seen the flat 24" digital screen from Apple and oh my God! I want that! Something to work for.) My older son has also installed ViaVoice - so I can train it to allow me to dictate to the Mac. If it works, I will add it to the G3 laptop (it wants Operating System 9.1 as well) and get a power-plug for the truck, which features two computer jacks. I can drive and dictate. What I have wanted to do for some time. First I must train the thing to translate my voice correctly. Or at least correctly 90% of the time. I had done this with the NT. Then support had botched the files on me - twice. Grrrr. Very discouraging. Wednesday, I really need to consult with an attorney, sign off the papers and get the papers back to Synopsys. (Synopsys recommended that I do that. Something about the previous filing I did on sexual harassment. They are afraid that I will claim more of same - or that they were retaliating (which they were)). I also need to call and see when is the correct time to move the stock purchase account and the stock options over and out to my CMA account. The options are execute-sell. The purchases are move and hold for now. I also have three job leads and need to send out a 1-page resume. I should also look at recruiters. And temp agencies. I had one before - I should go round them up again. Thursday is Chemo. The mammogram. And two events for Team in Training - one at the track and one elsewhere. In between I will maybe, perhaps, stop at ComputerWorld and chat about printers and modems. My younger son is beta-testing a software game so he has a coupon for the Stanford mall - I will let him get himself lunch if he feels up to it. Chemo has a bad effect. Next week's chemo is a 12-hour session. He will bring his G4 laptop. I will bring the 3400 or the G3 laptop. And a book or two. Those days are long. Very long. I spin off the walls. Perhaps I will write another short story. I want to do more fiction. Faster. Friday is two trips to Stanford to switch IV bags and do blood work. Long drives and boring days. Saturday we have the dinner scheduled. Saturday I also want to see a movie. I need the rest! Showtime. Ice Age. Tops on my list. Comedy! Because I also must assemble the rest of the papers for the CPA. Taxes are looming. I hope I don't owe anything! I also need to clean up my paper work in general (annual event) and the monthly stuff (monthly event). I am always amazed at the papers that accumulate in the space of four weeks! Along the way I am also playing through all my Regency PBS tapes. In between the more violent choices of my younger son. Merry Christmas Molly! is about to be a novel and needs an agent. I'm up to 40,000 words. Avon? Maybe. My son says that now that I am unemployed I can spend more time with him. He demands that I do. So we have discussed UNIX (nice review for me) and now he's working on PEARL. My older son programs in PEARL. I suppose I should pick that up too. At least enough to be dangerous. The family that programs together ---- Actually, my older son has gone way, way past any basic programming training I gave him. He is a programming God. I retired from programming into the user community. I just expect my machine to work! My sister is laughing. How on Earth did I have time to work? Everyone is congratulating me. People who know me are telling me to stay out of work for a few months. Probably wise with the job market in the tank at the moment. (Watch. It will come roaring back and then they won't be able to hire fast enough. It is a cycle in the valley. Pulses at regular intervals.) Well, I do need to get back to a job sometime. Bills do not go into suspended animation just because your paychecks do. Thank God for IPOs and severance checks. |
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