Ramblin' Man

[Aberzombie]

Happy Wednesday!

[Aberzombie]

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood.

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"Water's wet, the sky's blue. And old Satan Claus, Jimmy, he's out there. And he's just getting stronger."

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Otherwise, it's a semi-decent morning. I didn't want to get up, but I did anyway. No hassles getting ready. Got out the door ahead of the wanker bus drivers. Only had to deal with a few idiots and red traffic lights on the way to the office.

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And this is the second morning in a row the guy who's usually here ahead of me is nowhere to be seen. So again with the Blessed Silence.

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We had our final scout meeting of the year last night. The final one was supposed to be next week, but with the Memorial Day Holiday next Monday, they figured it made more sense to cancel that meeting.

Which was a bummer for one scout, as he hoped to have all the requirements for his Life Rank by then so he could get a Board of Review and advance. That's the last one before Eagle, and timing by then is typically critical.

I told him as soon as he was ready, we'd have his BOR. Even if school is out, I'll find a way.

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Not sure what's going on in the office today. We've got a lunch and learn (Mmmm...BBQ) later on. I think it's another helical pile company. Otherwise, things are kind of quiet.

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And now I debate whether to get a second cup of coffee now or maybe try and cut back a bit by waiting.

Decisions. Decisions.

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I had forgotten this morning was the monthly birthday breakfast the company puts on. Normally I don’t bother, but since it’s my birthday month I figured what the hell.

They had chick-fil-a breakfast. So now my usual second breakfast becomes third breakfast. My quest to become more hobbit-like continues.

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And then there was something really weird related to my PE License.

The organization who runs the test, NCEES, also maintains a record of everyone who takes the test. The record contains test results, education history, and work history/experience. It makes it easier to get a license in each state when you can just transmit that record to the state, instead of typing it in each time.

Since I just sent an application to Arizona a few days ago, I went to the NCEES website today to have my record transmitted to the state. Only the NCEES website said my work history had an issue that needed to be resolved.

Sometime between February 2025 (the last time I had my record transmitted) and today, someone changed my work history to show I left the company I’m currently working for back in September 2024. I didn’t make the change.

Anyway, I corrected the information and sent NCEES an email inquiring about who changed it. We’ll see what happens.

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Aaaaaannnnddd....Then a vendor brought in more Chick-Fil-A. So now I have fourth breakfast.,

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The lunch and learn was pretty cool. Another helical pile vendor. And they brought swag. I ended up with a tshirt, a bottle opener shaped like a shotgun shell, and an insulated cup with a lid and bottle opener built into the bottom.

The food was almost as good. BBQ from a place nearby.

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And I got sucked into the big, secret project we’re putting a bid on. It’s for a company here in Texas, to build a pipeline to their facility. So I did some HDD calculations for them.

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Finished with my woman 'cause
She couldn't help me with my mind
People think I'm insane because
I am frowning all the time

All day long I think of things
But nothing seems to satisfy
Think I'll lose my mind
If I don't find something to pacify

Can you help me
Occupy my brain?
Oh yeah

I need someone to show me
The things in life that I can't find
I can't see the things that make
True happiness, I must be blind

Make a joke and I will sigh
And you will laugh and I will cry
Happiness I cannot feel
And love to me is so unreal

And so as you hear these words
Telling you now of my state
I tell you to enjoy life
I wish I could but it's too late

[Aberzombie]

Great song. Not sure why it popped in my head all of a sudden.

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HAPPY THURSDAY!

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Though I'd be hard pressed to see how today could be any better than yesterday. Yesterday was lots of free food, free swag, some fun calculations, and a cool lunch and learn. Today is one meeting that I know of, and then.....who knows?

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Still, it's another glorious day here in paradise. Meaning Texas, of course. And I think I might actually be saner than most these days. Which is saying something.

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You can look, but you can't touch
I don't think I like you much
Heaven knows what a girl can do
Heaven knows what you've got to prove

I think I'm paranoid
And complicated
I think I'm paranoid
Manipulate it

Bend me, break me
Anyway you need me
All I want is you
Bend me, break me
Breaking down is easy
All I want is you

I fall down just to give you a thrill
Prop me up with another pill
If I should fail, if I should fold
I nailed my faith to the sticking pole

I think I'm paranoid
Manipulate it
I think I'm paranoid
And complicated

Bend me, break me
Anyway you need me
All I want is you
Bend me, break me
Breaking down is easy
All I want is you

I think I'm paranoid
I think I'm paranoid

Bend me, break me
Anyway you need me
All I want is you
Bend me, break me
Breaking down is easy
All I want is you

Steal me, deal me, anyway you heal me
Maim me, tame me, you can never change me
Love me, like me, come ahead and fight me
Please me, tease me, go ahead and leave me

Bend me, break me
Anyway you need me
As long as I want you, baby, it's all right
Bend me, break me
Any way you need me
As long as I want you, baby, it's alright

[Aberzombie]

Another song I'm not really sure why it popped in my head, but there it is.

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I've been rewatching Supernatural because I couldn't find anything else I wanted to watch. I only ever watch the first 5 seasons. After that it mostly went to crap. Still, when I do these rewatches, I'm always struck by those glimmers of extremism from showrunner Kripke. He definitely got way crazier (not to mention hateful and bigoted) as time went on.

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The one thing that always bugged me was the way he made most angels out to be wankers. He made the same mistake way too many D&D players make - thinking the idea of lawful good means the person has to be a butthead. It's a childish view, but one I've come to expect.

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Still, those first five seasons were pretty good. With a mostly tight and well-told story.

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Ugh! Had to spend a good portion of my morning updating my NCEES work record. After the first attempt, their system messed up and erased it. So I had to start over.

The second time around, I got smart about it. Copied the existing history into a word file, then updated that. So in the future, I just have to update that file and copy it into the NCEES system.

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I’d never had Outback’s grilled chicken before tonight. Very not bad.

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Watching a YouTube show earlier this evening (Open Bar with the Critical Drinker) and they were discussing the new Mission Impossible movie. It reminded me I don’t own any of those movies.

Happily, I found a 4K/Blu-ray set of the first six for $75 on Amazon. So that’s on its way now. I should have it by next Tuesday.

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HAPPY FRIDAY!!!

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Happy Work from Home Day!

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Happy My New Comic Cabinet is Being Delivered Today Day!!!!

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I've got to get off my ass in the very near future and start switching the guest room over to my comic book room. I plan to put the new cabinet up there, and to move my existing comic cabinets to the same room.

Since we were already planning on staying in this house for at least another 7-8 years, I might as well finally have a room just for my comics.

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Once the girl graduates high school, we'll consider moving. Probably just a bit further out from where we are now. Since Texas is such an awesome place to live, I don't currently see myself ever leaving it, let alone abandoning the US.

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Abandonment is for the weak.

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Speaking of weak....

Damn, my poor stomach has been torn up a bit by all this ibuprofen I've been taking. Still, it's either that or pain. I think the inflammation in my jaw is getting better though.

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With me getting another PE license, that topic has been part of several conversations lately. Just the other day, I was speaking with the guy from the lunch and learn. He's a civil PE in like 5 or 6 states. A lady he works with sometimes has her license in somewhere around 25 states.

States not on either of their lists: New York, Illinois, and California. From what I've heard, both from them and several others, those states are the ones with the most ridiculous and onerous requirements.

Can't say I was surprised by that. I was a bit shocked that Washington State wasn't on that list, though.

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Colorado is apparently super easy. All you have to do is pay them money and fill out a form. You don't even need Continuing Education hours to maintain. At least not at the moment.

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I did have to update a bunch of stuff with my NCEES record. Something is still fishy about how all that went down. I still think they screwed something up. Can't prove it though. All my evidence is circumstantial. I do have a working theory, however.

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And today is the day our bid is due in for the super-secret project. The one the company has an NDA for. I hope we find out soon if we're getting it. While I'd love for my company to get the work, just the fact it's getting done is cause for excitement.

Hopefully, it's something I'll be able to talk about soon. Though I'm honestly surprised the news hasn't leaked yet somehow.

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Soon the waiting game begins. I always hate when companies give such a large window for delivery or service, but I understand the logistics of these things are not always perfect. And never 100% predictable.

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Interesting. I just saw an article with a screen shot of a supposed message from Lionsgate about the upcoming John Wick spinoff Ballerina. The message basically says they’ll embargo any negative reviews and opinions until about 2 weeks after the movie opens.

Personally, I call bullcrap. That’s got to be fake. I just don’t see how a company could legally get away with something that brazenly anti-First Amendment. If I had to guess, I’d say it’s someone who doesn’t like the movie (for whatever reason).

Still, this is Hollywood. If I had a list of groups or people who’d love to see the free speech of those they disagree with taken away, Hollywood as a whole would be on it. Maybe even the entire entertainment industry.

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The traffic gods were certainly looking on me with disfavor today. What should have been a 20-25 minute outing turned into an hour long outing thanks to traffic, road work, and several complete morons.

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On the plus side, my cabinet was delivered and I had Popeyes for lunch. Mmmmmm…..

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And now I'm out of sugar cookies. Sad zombie is sad.

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And my boss still hasn't reviewed my updated NCEES work experience to confirm it. So my PE license for Arizona can't move ahead. I wouldn't be surprised if NCEES hasn't notified him yet, even though the update was submitted on Wednesday.

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Happy Saturday!

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We had a horrific storm blow through yesterday, in the late afternoon. Pretty much came out of nowhere, it seems. We probably needed it though. At least the plant life did.

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This morning, however, we are back to what looks to be another bright, sunshiny (and hot) day.

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The boy is feeling horrible, though. He's been fighting a nasty cold. Last night his sinuses got so clogged up it started making his ear hurt. I gave him some tylenol so he could sleep.

This morning I found some liquid cough and cold tylenol and gave him that. It was left over from last time I had a cold, and not expired until sometime next year. That stuff always works wonders for me.

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Nevertheless, I'm considering making an appointment for him at an urgent care today. Just to maybe see if his ear ache has turned into something more.

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On a different note....

Since I'm getting tired of rewatching Supernatural, I've started delving into my physical media collection to rewatch better things. Last night it was Solomon Kane. Great movie. It's sad the movie didn't do better at the box office. They had originally planned for a trilogy, which I'd have loved to see.

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Incidentally, every time I rewatch Supernatural, I become more convinced the main intended audience was women. Given the creator of the show, this would not surprise me.