What's with the stink?

Some days I wonder if perfume/cologne is suppose to attract, repel or just cover up someones natural stink because they forgot to shower. Honestly people.

On the train this morning

I'm just chilling on the train, sort of spacing out, when this stink drifts my way snapping me out of the zombie trance I was in. Of course this stink in women form chooses to sit directly in front of me. Now it wasn't exactly a horrible smell, it's not like she forgot to shower all week or anything, but it was a very unpleasant chemical smell that no matter how long one is exposed to it they will never get used to it.

I was just grateful that there was not that long to go before reaching Union Station. Surely the day can't get much worse if I was actually grateful to be nearing Toronto. So anyhow, as we travel on towards work, the lady begins checking her appearance in the window and makes small alterations to her hair. Perhaps she kept forgetting she had done this as she repeated the hair alterations a few times before we reached our destination.

For the amount of times she checked her appearance I was thinking there was someone at the office she was trying to attract. I really wanted to tell her that it didn't matter how she looked because by the time she got within five feet of whoever she was trying to impress, that person would turn and run trying to escape the stink.

The wait is over

Tuesday the wait finally came to an end as the new system began. Yesterday was busy with testing and today and tomorrow should be more of the same as I we make sure the system functions correctly and I try to set the basic framework for managing the data. It is good to finally get to work on a new system so it is kind of unfortunate my last days are here. Hopefully I have enough time to get the basics done or they are gonna be screwed when I leave. It will be tough enough even with the basics in place.

The waiting continues

Until Tuesday. I have one more day of extreme boredom to get through before I get something to do. On the bright side, I can count my days left on one hand.

More things I am not going to miss

Since I have time on my hands, here are some things I am not going to miss while I am off work. Driving to the GO station and hoping the train is on time; the constant pounding of elbows and bags into my side, arms and legs while riding the train; the other annoyances public transit offers, i.e. smells, loud obnoxious people...; getting to work and having nothing to do; working with idiots; taking the train home and hoping it is on time; taking the train home and hoping I actually get home; and those inconsiderate drivers at the GO parking lots.

So in general, I am not going to miss a damn thing about my work / commute while I am off. This is not to say I am going to thoroughly enjoy the five months with screaming kids and never wish I was at work. Nope, I'm not saying that at all. I'm just saying I am not going to miss coming to this workplace.

Playing the waiting game

Got to work today in hopes of starting implementing this new system but as of yet there is no news on this project. I really can't take another day of doing nothing so I really hope this project is ready for me today. Guess I just have to wait and see.

Another day wasted

For a second day in a row I have spent almost the entire day online. Still waiting for this new system to be up and running so I will have work to do but so far nothing. I can't wait to get outta here not just for the day but for my 5 month leave. Another 6 days to go! Hopefully they are a lot easier than the past two.

How quickly a day can turn

The ride in to work was not much fun today so I got to work in a rather foul mood. But then I notice the attendance board is showing all my bosses are away and my mood picks up. I am outta here early. Ten minutes later one of my bosses actually shows up. So much for my leaving early and my good mood. Now I am going to have to pretend to do work today because I really don't have anything to do. This is going to be an excruciatingly long day.

Not much spirit here

Apparently it is St Patrick's Day but one would not know it to look around here. Looking at the people in my little office space here one wouldn't know it was a green day at all. From the 20 or so people here, only myself and one other person is wearing green today. Come to think of it I didn't notice much green on the train ride in either but most people were still had their jackets on (if that would even make a difference).

Where has our spirit gone? Are we so wrapped up in our own little, insignificant lives that we cannot break out of our shell for just one day. Can we not come together in the middle of a work week and celebrate one nation of people, a nation who enjoys the occasional drink, fisticuffs, music, dancing and just life in general? Can we not enjoy one day where we can act silly, dress in any shade of green, drink beer dyed the same colour and hope to share in the Irish luck.

I am not one to go out and act silly but I will definitely get behind a nation of people whose stereotype, whether true or not, is to have fun and enjoy life, even if only for a day. So get out and enjoy the green beer, you might actually have a good time and perhaps you will experience a bit of the Irish luck on this magical day.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

The calm before the storm

As I await the new system going live, I have very little to do. So little that today I went through my desk taking inventory of anything that belongs to me (and there isn't much, most of which is just going to be tossed when I leave) and then did some filing. Boring as it was it helped the morning not feel overly long. Another ninety minutes and I am off for lunch.

This has to be the calm before the storm as once the new system is up and running then chaos will likely ensue. My boss is so nervous about this one area of my work (for which the new system has been developed) that she is constantly bugging me about parts of it that are really insignificant. With the effort that has been put forth by the person taking over for me while I am away, I can totally understand her nervousness. It will be an interesting 3.5 weeks.

Should be starting now

This is about the time my countdown to freedom chaos and dirty diapers should be starting; however, I am already into my fifth week of counting down. After today I will have 105 actual working hours left. That translates into 15 days or just under 4 weeks. Although I am really looking forward to not coming into work, I am starting to get worried about the taking care of kids part. With some upgraded software being implemented at work soon, my next few weeks should be busy enough at work that time won't seem so painfully long as the first four plus weeks have.

I am not going to miss...

Leaving the house at 6:35 AM and arriving work at 9:20 AM.

This may be the first instalment of many for what I am not going to miss while I am off tending to my kids. May I never need the GO train again after my leave ends.

Way too early

Just as I had thought, I started my countdown way too early. I am struggling to get through a 3 day week. Perhaps next week won't be so hard to get by knowing it is a full week, my first of five full weeks in a row.

252 to go!

252 hours of work to go until I am off and the long weekend is here for me. Monday is Family day so get out to your local CHL rink to catch some cheap hockey fun with the family. Monday is also Canada's flag day so wave those flags proudly. Oh yeah, the Olympics are a day away. Go Canada!

Walking around the great city of Toronto

A friend of mine recently spent a short time living in downtown Toronto and his thoughts of that experience were not very favourable. Sure there is a lot to do in the land of failed sports teams for those who have the money to do any of it. Those with limited funds can still find things to do providing they can afford the $6 round trip on the TTC or don’t mind spending half the day walking to where they want to go and back. But that is not really the point of this.

The one thing that my friend commented on is something I have grown used to and perhaps even become a part of while traveling or wandering downtown. He said that everyone walked with their heads down and never made eye contact with anyone else. On the occasions he tried to exchange pleasantries with any passerby they either ignored him altogether or gave him a look as if he belonged in the looney bin or might rob them. People so wrapped up in their self; so entrenched in the greed and self importance that has infected what was once a great city that they cannot even be pleasant to their fellow citizens.

This is all too familiar to me. Sure I have been sucked into the negativity that seems to seep up through the pavement of the cracked sidewalks and pot-holed streets and have long ago stopped trying to make eye contact with everyone I pass by; I have even gotten to the point where I do not get out of the way of people who are too busy in themselves to notice anything other then their own two feet or their blackberry but I try to be pleasant to those who have yet to succumb to the poison and still knows how to be friendly.

Let’s just hope this is not the way of the future or the world will become a really lonely place.

The countdown is on!!!

A few months ago our second child was born and my wife started her maternity leave. Just like with our first child I will be once again sharing the parental leave portion. My leave has recently been approved at work making April 9th my last day.

With nothing else to really look forward to I have already begun my countdown. As of 11 AM today I will have just under 38 actual working days; 263 hours; or 15,780 minutes of ‘actual’ work left until my leave. With plenty of vacation time still to use my actual time here will be far less.

So what if I am a little too excited about leaving this place. Five months off work starting prior to the start of spring and lasting to just before summer officially ends. What a perfect time to not have to work. Even better than not working is not having to take the GO train at all for 5 months. I think I have reason to be this excited. The only downfall: with my countdown starting so early, the last 38 days are going to seem excruciatingly long.

Hold the volume

I don't like loud people.

They are usually very distracting (maybe disruptive is a better word) and in most situations very annoying. From my experience they are all more than ready to put in their own opinions, especially when they are not involved in the conversation, and are generally hasty in everything they do.