Bungee Blog

So here I am bouncing in again with a long delayed post.

Hey, I’m working again, what do you expect?  Oh, so because I used to post all of the time when I was at ETIC, I’m supposed to post be back in that mode again?  But my workload there was not what it is here.  Time and Materials billing doesn’t allow for the slack that Unit Pricing does.  If you’ve got an established pattern for billing to a Unit then you need to keep that up.  So now, I’m moving from task to task here, not just doing a task, and figuring out how to bill it.

And besides if it were all about free time wouldn't I have posted all the time last year when I was mostly unemployed?  But then nothing was happening.  Sure I was reading and biking, but I posted a bit about that, but there wasn’t much excitement going on.  And yes, I realize I’ve been mentioning the unemployment thing a lot.  I try not to, but it’s just hard not to compare “then” and “now” without doing so.  It’s like “pre-break-in”, “post-break-in”, and "Emeryville Epilogue”; things are just so different.

So why am I posting in the middle of the day today?  Because I needed a break.  So there.

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Now, the reading part of the blog.  For Christmas, Jennifer and I got Nooks from my in-laws.  The Simple Touch ones. We don’t know how because we’re pretty sure they were and are over the family cost limit, but we were very surprised to received them.  I acted happy, but was resistant to using them at first.  I love the feel of a book, and the whole “I can read this without charging it” thing made me feel superior.

So I downloaded some free books, and tried things out.  It was okay, but got better as I personalized the method of turning pages.  Then I thought about using it to read PDFs.  It does an okay job, but then I found an online converter that can change formats, and learned that EPUB is the way to go for the nook.

So I’ve been slowly acquiring copies of books that I like.  Right now I’m working my way through Larry Niven's Ringworld series again.

And the really cool thing is that the Nook fits perfectly in the back pocket of my Tumi bag.  I could probably even fit it inside if I really wanted to be secure, but it fits low enough that you can’t see it.  But I can have my library with me at all times.

The Nook is so what Mom and I needed when I was a kid.  Especially for all of my doctor visits.

“Yea, though I wait at the pharmacy of Kaiser, I shall fear no boredom, for my Nook is with me.”

Erik's got a brand new bag... soon.

I know, I know, but I haven't had much to say.

Last Saturday, we had out GURPS game at John's. That morning I had to get gas, and when I went to put the credit card back in my bag, the zipper jumped the track.

Yes, I carry a bag. I'll even call it a man bag. It's not a purse. It's definitely not a murse. It's a Tumi that my dad gave me when he bought a replacement. I was really appreciative because at the time, I was having back issues because of my wallet. So it was perfect. And I filled it up.

Things I keep in my bag:

• iPod
• Altoids - Peppermint Smalls
• comfrey root salve
• mini notebook
• Tungsten Palm
• fountain pen
• pen and pencil set
• license, credit cards, and membership cards
• business cards

So I'm getting this one today. Hopefully. I wasn't going to have the money until today, so I had them set it aside, but if anyone else wanted to buy it they would have to go ahead and sell it. They being the Tumi store in San Francisco Centre. As a back-up there's another store at 100 Grant Street, so I can call there too. Additionally there's one in Walnut Creek, but they don't keep that model in stock.



But, I'm expecting all to go well. And I'll have my bag soon. It will be the same model as the one I had, just updated. I have no idea how old my old one was, but I used it for almost five years.

Monday night I had to fly out to Irvine (ahhh, scenic Irvine) for the annual XOM all consultants meeting. I thought I was going to go crazy without my bag. I survived, but only because the boring monotony of the meeting kept my bagless stress dampened.