Thursday 3 October 2002

  • Tuesday the 1st of October 2002 CE @ 21:08 hours MST.


    Currently Playing: Ragtime: The Music of Scott Joplin


    Ugh.  Where to start.  Maybe something positive so I don’t sound all whiny.  Great-uncle Eugene is doing so well in the rehab centre that he may get to go home soon.  I’ve apparently been getting daily updates in my HoTMaiL account, to which I was able to easily login at the Maricopa County Library.  I haven’t used their library in a couple of years so I was surprised to see some thirty units in their computer lab.  I guess only the first handful have MS Word and printer access, while the others are Internet only.  I’ve always liked their system best for Internet usage, out of all the library branches at which I’ve used the Internet.  You take an available terminal number from the rack, signin (hey, that should be a word if login is) with your first name and time, and go to your terminal.  You have only thirty minutes, unlike most other libraries which give sixty minutes.  However, unlike most other libraries, when your time is done you can stay at your computer until some asks you to leave.  You’re only asked to leave if there is some who wishes to use a computer, there are no terminal numbers available in the rack, and you are the person signed in for the longest period.  It’s a very fair system for all involved. 


    Jon’s also doing better.  I’m not sure what kind of stress he’s under from work, but I figured it best not press him for answers just in case in might cause more cardiac troubles.  I did wish him well.  All of his coworkers with which I am friends think he’s not under any stress at work, but if you’d seen the look on his face last night when his work was brought up you’d have to disagree with that assessment.  I think something’s going to give, and I hope it’s not Jon’s life.  I hope he’s smart enough to make the right choices, no matter how tough. 


    I’m typing this temp journal while they figure out what’s wrong with their computer.  Now they must have the power switched off to that outlet completely. Everything’s plugged into the power bar, the power bar is plugged into the wall, and yet nothing will turn on, not even the power bar surge protector light.  I’m just not going to ask. 

    I received some further bad news from my parents today.  They’re house may not begin construction until the 5th of November.  They found this out today when they showed the builder where on the property they wanted the home to be constructed.  I guess they wanted their house to have water piped from the well.  They’re also going to have a security system installed, Direct TV, and Direct TV satellite Internet access.  It sounds like they’re be paying for the satellite modem for over a year.  But they’ll need it for their business, and its not like they have any other option in the nether reaches of Pinal County. 


    As you know, Bill ditched MSHAG last night without ever communicating what he wanted done with his character.  Now I find out that Wayne’s made plans to hang out with his sister and brother-in-law next Monday.  The following Monday Chris and Kristie will be at Knott’s Scarey Farm.  After that, Monte will be on the road doing his trucker internship.  So it looks like I won’t be able to have everybody all together for the finale.  Disappointing, but that’s life.  So it looks like we’ll play next week without Wayne (and who knows about Bill) and try to wrap it up then.  I had a blast, and I think most of the others did too.  Chris told me that he’s been following my plots even if his characters couldn’t use his player knowledge.  He even guessed what I was doing with the YETI plotline.  That’s gratifying to see that they’re enjoying the storylines and grasping the clues I toss them.  I just wish I’d had the chance to finish up several of my subplots.  If I begin any other campaign sometime in the future, I’ll forget this one.  I always do.  Most of my plotlines and ideas remain in the subconscience so that I can refine and adjust as things occur in and out of game over time.  It’s never really committed to any sort of memory which might lock things and prevent creativity (on both the players’ part and mine).  I’ve totally lost all but a few fragments from my Star Wars d6 campaign from years ago.  At least I got the chance to wrap some things up since Monte started his trucker classes.  It’s better than nothing. 


    Tomorrow I have a Sales meeting after work, so who knows when I’ll get home.  I don’t even know what they’ll be feeding us for dinner.  We haven’t had one since the big department shuffle which began early this year.  So we’ll have plenty to discuss.  I bet we won’t even cover everything with this first meeting.  Tomorrow’s also my two year anniversary with Wide World of Maps.  While that seems like a lot to my friends, I keep having to remind them that the average employment time of the current lot of employees is seven years.  Thus, only four people within the entire company were hired after my training class.  And none of them are in my department (the Phoenix Map Gallery).  They may heap a lot of responsibilities on me because I am competent, but that doesn’t give me the seniority that some of my friends expect me to be able to use to their advantage.  I doubt they’ll ever accept that, working for high-turn over companies like they do, but that’s their problem. 


    We got a prayer card at mass on Sunday for our Phoenix Diocesan Synod which is coming up, and I’ve already lost it.  I was trying to keep it in good condition so that I could laminate it at work today, but I couldn’t find it this morning while packing for work (nor this evening after work).  I guess I’ll have to see about obtaining a replacement on Sunday or Monday. 


    A character in The Image of the Fendahl whistles "The Entertainer".  I love ragtime.  I’ve actually got "The Entertainer" on two different CDs by different ensembles.  I was listening to American Music a lot last week, so I tossed on Ragtime tonight.  I really like "Elite Syncopations" and "Easy Winners" off this album.  I wonder if anyone does live ragtime shows in the Phoenix Metro.  I might just have to check them out if they do.