AquariusGuy

Time to dust this blog thing off.... I haven't written anything since November 2015. So over the last few months I have come to the decision that moving back to the Maryland area was the wrong decision. While it may help with my career aspirations, I really want to move away. I pretty much have decided if I stay with Big Red (even though our colors changed the nickname sticks) I will either land up in Colorado or Minnesota. While Minnesota would be preferred I am not ruling anything out. I was given a heads up on an opening that is coming and I have been waiting for it to post. When I told a few co-workers my plan/idea... all my old boss could say was I told you so. When I chose to come back East I pretty much ignored the reasons I left which was a huge mistake. My boss new she couldn't talk me out of it as family was weighing on my mind heavily. Now that I am back I miss it. Yes it could get really cold out there. I learned what -50 felt like. Which is why when it is 20 degrees you will catch me in short sleeve shirt with no jacket. I bought a house here.... yeah it was cheaper than rent. The commute of one and half hours to two is killing me and the gas costs are though the roof. Friends... everyone complained I was too far away in Iowa. I moved closer and I am still too far. Despite the fact they go to the outlets 10 minuets from me. My parents seem ok with idea of me moving back. They noticed I am not as happy as I was. Actually a lot of people have. I need to do what makes me happy. My health... I was better off. No issues at all. No chest pain or kidney issues. I will find out Monday what they want to do about my right kidney. 10 months since the stone removal and it drains at a snails pace. I had a scan a few Friday's ago and the contrast was still chilling in my Kidney 45 minutes later. I also have another stone that may require surgery to remove. Here's to hoping I can pull this off.... maybe with relo this time so I am not paying out of pocket.

I came across this on Facebook and it was beautiful and thought I would share. A closeted boy runs the risk of being outed by his own heart after it pops out of his chest to chase down the boy of his dreams.

I've loved this song for a while and just got around to the video.... oh all the man candy :heart: and then this re-do of an older song.... that I caught during my free period of satellite radio. Not as great as the original but still good.

Thanks Lisa.... its been a tough year.

As the holidays are getting near.... I've been missing my sister who passed in May of this year a whole lot more. I think back to this song a lot.....

Thanks everyone.... It was a tough day today since she was giving me the cold shoulder. My boss made the comment that my friend is now being overly nice and it's scaring some people.

Today I was having a conversation with a co-worker who work in Minneapolis (about 4 hours away). She started talking all dark and about how she didn't want to live anymore and how she was done with our team and the company we work for. I got really scared for her and went to my local HR person and talked with her and shared the text messages that were traded. I landed up talking to her HR counter part in MPLS and provided her the documentation plus some other things my friend had told me. My boss and the HR person talked with her and she assured them that she was fine but that she appreciated their concern. My boss contacted me to tell me that I did the right thing and that she didn't notice (she sits 2 cubes away) the small things I pointed out that are tell tale signs of someone not doing well. My teammate had packed up her desk and done a few other things. We are going through another company re-organization but not one on our team is effected. This is the 3rd re-org this year alone. Most of the office in MPLS is being let go and this could have played a part in it. Despite everyone telling me I did a good thing... I feel terrible and I know I would have felt worse had she done something. I guess its human nature to feel this way.

After reading this chapter I am really starting to think Andy is finally coming around. I think its good for him to go see Dr. Walker. At least he realizes he needs someone he can talk to. Great Chapter!

A very excellent chapter Mark. I would love for Will to figure out that Mary Ellen is behind him and Zach breaking up and have him and JJ go full force against her. She wouldn't know what hit her. There is definitely something afoot in this story. So many angles that could come into play. Again an excellent chapter. Can't wait to see how Zach explains himself considering its Will who has helped him so much.

Interesting start to the story. Can't wait to see where it goes.

This is one of sister's favorite songs and has been stuck in my head since I got the news last Sunday.

Thanks you. DDK if I didn't know my family that well I would tend to agree with you. My cousins think of no one but themselves and several other relatives (not related to them) made the same comments. I tell you if my sibling or I had done it we would never have heard the end of it. It is what it is.

This week is one I would not want to re-live ever. It started on Sunday with one of the worst things that could ever happen. I got the call from my uncle that my sister has passed away. I didn't believe him and called him all sorts of things but he still stood my me. He was here for my parents while I was 1,000 miles away in Iowa. I got on the first flight I could to be home. I had to help my parents prep and get things ready to lay my sister to rest. She was only 18 months older than me and my only big sister. When I was writing her eulogy I reflected on all the good times we had. Nothing still prepared me for losing her. It's not like she was sick and waiting 6-8 weeks to find out what happened is going to be a killer. I also learned how inappropriate my cousins and relatives can be. I was embarrassed by their behavior multiple times between people taking selfies with one of the guests (local tv personality) to them acting like they didn't care. Tomorrow I head back to Iowa and I am not sure how this is going to go. It going to be tough since my sister was my connection with home and texted me on a daily basis.

I have had these two songs stuck in my head lately.....they are two completely different styles.

The last two weeks have been hectic. Last week I spend 2 days in Iowa City for work getting a Federal agency set-up on their new phone. I love working with customers and taking care of the issues that come up during the deployments. This week I was at a federal agency here in Des Moines doing the same thing. I got to spend time with a federal account rep that is from Kansas and found out she wants to kidnap me since I am very efficient and very helpful. The bomb was dropped on me yesterday though.... I was called into a meeting with my whole team. My boss was down visiting and I was asked to join her and HR. Let me tell you how nervous I was. I was like this is it... well it wasn't me. It was my new co-worker who was just hired. It was relieved it wasn't me but not sad to be losing the new guy as he has been a pain in my ass. Today my other co-worker and I spent the day with our manager. She was checking on me to make sure I was ok and to tell us about other changes that are coming. I haven't heard on my Connecticut interview and I also interviewed for a spot in Houston. Look like I might been spending more time in Iowa. Longer than I planned.

This week I go from doing the job of three people down to two, as I am training the new hire tomorrow. My Manager is coming to town to be with her new hire but she won't be doing any of the training. I don't think she actually knows how to do my job. What she doesn't know is that she is walking into the Lions den. Two manages (one sales and one operations) and an associate director are not happy with her. She is planning on taking something that belongs to them and is using me to get it. Little does she know that I informed them of her plans. My manager does not like confrontation of any sort and I know Wednesday is going to be full force confrontation. I don't feel obligated to tell my manager what is going to happen since she is using me to circumvent them. I can't wait to see if anything happens and how surprised she will be when confronted. The sales manager said he will not mention that I was involved and thanked me for the heads up. He personally took what she was coming for and that's why she will have to wait for Wednesday since he is out until then. I will also be prepping for my second interview on January 6th and need to decide between Rhode Island and Connecticut. I am leaning towards Rhode Island though. I also have to pack for my week of vacation as I am heading back to Maryland until December 26th and leave Thursday night.

David Bowie's Underground from the movie Labyrinth, been stuck in my head.

I know what keyboards your talking about but I was talking about the electric typewriters. My mom had it up until a few years ago and it became increasingly hard to find ribbons. I know all about DOS and remember when you had to give the computer a command to do something. I also remember when I switch elementary schools and they had a computer lab. We would spend hours playing Oregon trail.

I used an IBM Selctric (I think that was what it was called) growing up. In school computers were just being introduced but were expensive. By the time I got to High school in 1996 typewriter's were phased out and replaced by computers. I definitely like computers much better.

Newest song stuck in my head. It is very catchy and has been all over the news and radio

Congratulations Guys!!!

Any time younger people see "older" technology they cringe. My cousins once tried to play my Nintendo NES and gave up because they could not go backwards for something they missed. Things have changed.... I used an electric typewriter briefly but computers mainly in school. By the time I reach high school typewriters were replaced by computers in school.

After seeing Ashi's status on typewriter's I could not resist posting this. 50 millionth time to post was the charm

I know that.....but if you were in your teen's or twenties... would you make yourself in your thirties?

I know but it really annoying. I draw the line when they tell me license looks fake. I can't help that Iowa's license aren't a hard plastic.