Monday, January 30, 2006

radio check...

So it was pointed out to me this weekend that I have not posted in a while. The main goal was to hold off posting until I could reveal a great bit of news concerning the career. While the news has not turned sour by any means, it is still shelved until I get the official OK. So I wait. And I go to a job that I really don't like at all. And I wait. I check my email at least 15 times a day from work, hoping beyond hope that I will have something there. I check my phone randomly to see if it is turned on, and if I have managed to miss some calls. I move around here at work like I am in a fog. Its not that I dont have things to do, I just don't want to. They want me to go permanant here, and have made a job offer, but it was followed with what can only be called a back handed compliment, and really come to think of it, was not complimentary at all. Imagine spending 12 years of your life doing something, knowing that you are better than 90% of the work force at your job, and being told that you could be replaced with an hourly worker and it would take a few weeks to get them up to speed. So yeah, it was a slap in the face, and so I don't give them an answer about the job. I come in each day, do my work, and get out of here at quickly as possible.

I have taken to being a lot more undiciplined with work than I ever have before. Since I have to be here before dawn, I often go into the server room, turn off the lights and snooze for 30 minutes to an hour. Today, I had to be here 30 minutes earlier than normal, in case any issues come up. Its apparently a Monday morning rule now. Of course I was here at 4:40am, and was the only person around. I also do not have keys to the gates and fences, so I spent the first 25 minutes of my shift listening to the Ipod and sitting in the parking lot of a corner store.

I know there are people out there that are still looking for jobs, and I used to feel guilty for complaining about being one of the highest paid janitor/IT/human relations people around. Now, I just want to leave.

Thursday, January 19, 2006

They got me...

Ok repeatedly tagged this week with this little quiz, so here ya go...and I tag, everyone that reads this and has not already done so....




Four jobs you've had in your life: Computer Tech, Bar/Restaurant manager for Bennigans, Pornographic movie editor (sounds so dirty no matter how I say it), Armed security guard

Four movies you could watch over and over: Clerks, Field of Dreams, Major League, Crossroads (not the Britany Spears version, the Ralph Macchio one)

Four places you've lived: Dallas,Tx. Mesquite, Tx. San Diego, CA. Fort Worth, Tx.

Four TV shows you love to watch: The Shield, Rescue Me, My Name is Earl, Scrubs
Four places you've been on vacation: Vegas, Galveston Bay, and weekend trips that dont really count.
Four websites you visit daily: All of the blogs I visit on blogger,Yirmumah. Fark

Four of your favorite foods: Sandwiches, Lasagna, my wife's homemade cookies, Chipotle burritos

Four places you'd rather be: home, batting cages, shooting range, The container store.

Four albums you can't live without: Rent soundtrack, Singles soundtrack, Jimi Hendrix-Are you experienced, Stevie Ray Vaughn-The sky is crying

Four magazines you read: Rolling Stone, Entertainment Weekly, Real Simple, Cracked

Four cars you've owned: 05' Jeep Grand Cherokee, 01' Chevy Silverado, 97' Oldmobile Acheva, 67' VW Beetle.

Friday, January 13, 2006

Showdown...

The scene: Shift managers office. The SQL install had gone wacky, not wanting to print.
Cast: Myself, working on the computer. The shift manager, waiting on the machine to be fixed. Lumberjerk, the 25 year old, fat, mechanical engineer, one who is pompus, and rude.

As we move in, we see Ninjamunkey sitting at the computer, digging through .INI files, looking for the printer entries that could be causing the issues. He scrolls down the page, reading and muttering to himself as he does when he is working.

Shift manager: Damn, munkey, did you fix it you computer stud you? *laughing*

Lumberjerk: Ah hell, ninjamunkey probably did not get laid until late in life, mainly because he spent all his time on computers. Ha Ha, Yeah I bet he got a pitty screw from some girl after he fixed her machine.

Ninjamunkey: *removing my sweat jacket to reveal my new Glock brand handguns T-Shirt* Yeah, well except for that whole Marine Corps thing. Chicks totally dig guys that know how to kill.

it's at this point that Lumberjerk turns an even more pasty white and removes himself from the office. Ninjamunkey fixes the SQL issue, prints the page in question, and leaves, leaving the shift manager cackling behind him.

END SCENE....

Things that annoy me...

I have not done one of these types of rants in a while, but figured, "why not? I'm in a good mood"

--Driving down the highway, I see the big information signs that alert drivers to traffic issues and such. It says something to the effect of "Arson/Burn ban in effect, contact 1-877-****** to report violators" So as I read it, I have to wonder what to do when the burn ban is lifted and arson is spotted? Isn't arson already kinda "banned" with that whole illegal thing???!??--

--My company is notorious for not giving notice about shift changes. For example, they might tell me at 4 on a Friday that I need to be here at 6 am on saturday.--

--I hate it when people read over my shoulder. Yes, my writing captures the attention of its reader, but dammit wait for it to be published! I have people that would walk up behind me and read over my shoulder while waiting for the printer to run off thier stuff. I finally moved the table out, and put my back against the wall. Ha Ha that will show them!--

--You people that feel the need to forward me every "Goverment warning" email about cell phone listings, email listings, spam, virus alerts, scams involving food stamps. Stop it! I get time to check the internet and email about 5 times a day, and I dont want your silly crap clogging my inbox--

--Loud cell talkers! You right there, in the red shirt, talking to who I am going to assume is your wife about something the dog ate and has not passed yet. I don't give a shit (pun intended)go away from my area, and talk on your phone with its annoying ringer that sounds like a duck stuck in a printer. Go away!--

--You job recruiters that call me, and tell about these wonderful jobs that I am perfect for, and then you send my resume, and then never call again, well aren't you a bunch of bitches!!!--

--my moms, who after I got in one little fight, got scared as hell, and said I was moving in with my auntie and uncle in Bel Aire--

Tuesday, January 10, 2006

Damn you Apple!!!

Ok I am an Applephile. I love those damn machines. I work with PCs all day, and go home to a HP running Windows XP. If I want to unwind, or upload music to my (Apple)Ipod, I move over to my Ibook. It's white, 14.1 inch viewable goodness of OS X. If I had to choose one machine to work on for the rest of my life, it would be pez, cherry flavored pez...sorry I forgot what I was talking about. If I had a choice in this digital revolution, I would own an Apple mobile phone (are ya listening Jobs?), My Ipod would crank out the latest edition of the greatest hits from Boston, the band not the town, and I would arrange all of my music in Itunes on a Mac. My email would be written in Mac Mail, not Exchange. Microsoft would not be a name that belonged on my resume But games are not that available for Mac, and my unwind includes blowing shit up, and shooting bad guys.

Today Apple unveiled the MacBook Pro and I wet myself a little. Its sleek, fast, and powered by an Intel chip. I did not have the initial "Gag me, Intel is the devil" reaction that most Applephiles might have had. I had a "Damn, I need 3 grand for a laptop" reaction.

I guess the point of this post in the beginning was to touch on the hatred for all things windows based I am supposed to have. Every Machead in the place is standing on their ears, waiting...Instead its a call to arms for everyone that loves me. Buy me a Macbook. Donate all that you can, your money will go to good use. I promise.

Thursday, January 05, 2006

Random

So as I sit here this morning, I realized that I have not done a random blog in a while. A Scattershooting if you will. And I will.


-I am writing as part of a new project over at The baseball blog There are a lot of talented writers and baseball fans writing stuff over there, and then there is me. You should check it out.

-I have been getting a lot of steady traffic lately, visitors and such. If this is the first time you are reading my Blog, I am so sorry. If you are a repeat visitor, I am so sorry.

-The new year comes in with a bang, and hopefully it will mean a better job for the ninjamunkey, since the current location is not so hot. To give you an idea, there is the joke that my nickname is Cinderella, since I have to sweep and mop quite a bit around here. Seriously. I could not make that up. Imagine if I had less IT experience. I might have to run a vacuum.

-went and saw King Kong this past weekend. Honestly, while it had a monkey in it, I was not that impressed. Sure it had great effects, and *spoiler* the death of Kong made me sad, I thought there was waaay too much "creative" cinematography. I don't need an extended scene of Kong and Naomi Watts looking at a sun set. Majestic, yes, creating a longer movie, why bother? Although, knowing that Ms. Watts had to act against a green screen for the majority of her scenes, I was mega impressed with her performance. Jack Black was almost disappointing, since I expected him to run into Kyle Gass and break into a Tenacious D song at any moment. Adrian Brody. BOOORING. Deadpan actor, odd looking, and hard to take seriously as a love interest for anyone other than a cartoon character. 12 out of 54 stars.

-Watched the 40 year old virgin this past week on DVD. I laughed so hard, I think I was tired when it was over. Excellent movie, in the brain dead, I dont want to think type of way.

that is all I have for now, and again, I'm sorry. have a day!

Tuesday, January 03, 2006

Ring Ring...

11:00pm
Getting a little tipsy, I send a text message to several in my contact list, just the typical "Happy New Year, wish you were here"

11:45
I get a response back from my sister, stating "Happy New Year, want a picture?"
I reply with "Absolutely" shocked that she responded

I promptly get photos from her back, all in a somewhat flirty nature, but maybe she thought they were cute.

12:15
The Ninjamunkies pose for a photo, and send it back to her

5:27am
I get a message from her saying "I hope you are as happy as I am"

5:30am
I get another message saying "who is this?"

5:30AM

my phone rings, and I stumble to the dresser to get it. It's New Years Day, and we had been in bed about 2 hours. Several hours of whiskey and coke, and greasy pizza, I don't want to be awake this early.

Me: "Hello?"
Phone: "hey Who's this?"
Me: "Nathan". It's at this point that I look at the display and see that its my sister, whom I have not spoken to in well over a year, since she went off the deep end with drugs and parties.
Her:"Nathan....Nathan....Nathan who?"
Me:(slightly annoyed that she is truly this dumb)"your brother"
Her: "how did you get this number?"
Now this is where my years of avoiding questions has paid off. See I could have said that my mom gave me the new number she got secretly from a friend of Sis'. But instead I avoid...
Me:"You were text messaging me last night, duh!"
Her: "Oh I thought you were my friend Scott. I'm sorry I woke you up."
Me:"Hey no problem, just call me this afternoon so we can catch up"

Now that was a few days ago, and I have not heard from here since. She probably is going to rush off and change her cell number. The original reason she gave for severing ties was her counselor told her it was best, in order to get off drugs.

I am not going to claim here that I despise her, because she is not doing anything I have not already done. More than likely. Yeah, I always partied like it was 1999. It took a lot of soul searching and recognizing how unhappy I was with my life before I kicked the recreational drug use. Once I did, I did not look back.

So I hope she is ok. I hope she is doing well, and is not headed towards a cliff with the rest of the lemmings she is running around with. I hope she is smart enough to verify what she is taking in some way, or not take it. I hope she is careful. I hope she is not being an ignorant slut.


But I have my doubts.