Did You Know That When I Post Pictures Of DVDs & Books & Whatnot, You Can Click On Them To Go To Amazon? Just Checking.

I think that Ricky Gervais is the funniest man alive. I just watched the British version of 'The Office' for the  4th time... and every time I watch it it's the same. It's so funny that rather than laughing periodically as one would at, say, the American version's gags, I am instead consistently filled with a deep internal laughter and a heady sense of well-being. It's so funny that I can't laugh, because nobody can laugh that hard. It has to be released as great sighs on a regular basis; as pressure is released from a valve. The first time I saw the series, there was one scene in particular that was so uncomfortably funny, so cringing, that I actually did a sitting 360° turn on the end of my bed, because I couldn't stand to sit still from discomfort.

So I just applied to a Frequent Flier program... I've never done that before, which is probably crazy considering all the flying I've done in the last few years. I'm not sure why I never did... It seems like I never flew on the same airline more than once or twice and even though I know there is that whole partner airline thing that they do, it just didn't seem worth it. Well, I can be pretty dumb about things sometimes. I think it's awesome that even though my company paid for the ticket, I can redeem the miles. My new job is so cool.

This past week has been interesting. Another thing I love about this job is the drive to work itself, which is a rare thing to love about a job. I live about 15 minutes away from it, and to get there I take River Road from the Water Gap to Fernwood. For those that aren't familiar with the area I live in, River Road is a State Park road which runs through protected, and therefore quite natural and mostly untouched forest land by the Delaware River, and it is an extremely beautiful drive. And this time of year, with all the vegetation coming to life, it smells awesome. It's a good way to start (and end) the work day, is all I'm saying.

Also, I've figured out what my job actually is a little better by now of course, and it's not as simple as they made it sound when I applied for it, naturally. I will spare you the full job description, but suffice it to say there seem to be a thousand little details which I have to remember every time I go out on one of these trips, which in a way I enjoy because it's distracting and makes me feel like I'm actually getting paid for a reason for once (It's been a few years since I felt like I was actually earning my pay) but on the other hand they probably mean that on most trips I won't get to actually enjoy my surroundings very much, or get much out of the travel part of the whole deal.

My upcoming trip to Wyoming however, will be a small exception because since I crash coursed it this week, they only gave me the barest bones of the normal responsibilities, and it looks like I will have two to three days of free time, and Yellowstone is a mere 5 hour drive from where I'll be... Don't know exactly how that's going to pan out, but I'm looking forward to it.

Anyway, there are two links I keep meaning but forgetting to post. For anybody that's interested in computer junk, here's the website for my new company, which lists all of the training courses and facilities which we offer. And for anybody who is interested in Blacksmithing, here's the website for Artisans of the Anvil, where I'm taking classes. They have some great pictures in their portfolio of their past work. Really beautiful stuff.

Comments

[Tim]

Very dramatic website...

[Gary]

River road is a favorite of mine - except when they have the balloon festival and you get stuck in traffic. But that only happened to me once. I've used it as a cut through many times when heading up north.

[messiestobjects]

Which website are you referring to Tim?

Yeah River Road rules. Except on Friday, when I got stuck on it during that crazed thunderstorm. I got all the way to the end on my way home from work, by that little DePue point area right before Shawnee, and there was a tree laying across the road which had brought a bunch of electric cables down with it. The road had been mighty perilous to begin with, lightning crashing all around, car wash force rain pounding my car roof in, debris all over the road... It sucked. Especially because before I left work, the road had been closed off up by the Fernwood intersection due to wires down and flooding, so I couldn't even get out that way.

All I have to say is, Thank Myself I got a vehicle with 4wheel drive. I totally trashed some poor dude's lawn, but I got around that tree, by golly.

Actually, now I think of it, that drive home didn't suck at all. I had a blast!

[Gary]

I want to be a Certified Ethical Hacker. That's a cert I'd never heard of.

[Sissy]

I've never been to Yellowstone. Have you? You'll take awesome photos out there, I'm sure.

[Tim]

Sorry. I meant the website of your new workplace. The music.

Congrats again. Sounds like an awesome job. I want one just like it.

[messiestobjects]

I know, isn't it awesome that they teach a class on Ethical Hacking?! I am SO sitting in on that one.

No, never been to Yellowstone... I really want to see it, but I'm wondering if 2 days where I spend 5 hours driving each way is enough time to see it in. I know that I'll actually be closer to Mt. Rushmore than Yellowstone, so maybe I'll go check that out and some other junk and save Yellowstone for when I have more time. I'm going to ask the advice of the locals once I get there, so I won't be making any decisions until then.

Oh good, I hoped you weren't calling me dramatic. I was going to scream and bitch if you were. I'll let you know when they're hiring.

[Gary]

I've known about "white hat" hackers for years, but I didn't know there was a certification for it.

[messiestobjects]

They got Certs for everything these days... it's Big Business. I can't wait to learn how to hack. What does hacking even mean, anyway? In the writing business, a hack is a bad writer. In computers, a hacker is a spunky smart guy with a backwards ball cap and mad crime skills.

I'm at Newark airport right now. The company had me picked up from my house and driven here in a Lincoln Towncar. Have I said yet that I love my new job?

The only downside was that I had to get up at like 4:15 this morning. Urgh. Which is why with the silly.

[Gary]

Well a hacker is someone that loves to figure out how things work - if you're talking computers, then they love to know about how networks and all of their various parts work. This includes finding the security holes in such systems. Now if you're a bad guy, you're using your skills to do damage (and in a lot of cases people that do damage aren't good hackers, they just use tools that others have created). A good hacker would enjoy finding bugs and security holes. Or writing nifty applications that help people. Like these guys:
http://www.hacktivismo.com/about/index.php

[Heather]

Business travel rules the school.

[Sissy]

My husband used to work for a marketing firm that flew him out of the state for a week, every other week. It was awesome!!!! I got to eat Fruity Pebbles for dinner and I owned the remote. Everyone thought it sucked for me since my kids were 3 and 4 at the time and I was a full-time journalist. I'd give them the sad puppy look and let them feel sorry for me. And then I'd run home like hell fire to watch Charmed with a bowl of cereal in my lap. Oh, those were the days.

[Gary]

WOW

[messiestobjects]

Sissy, you're a bad, bad wife.

So I'm still awake... it's 8:45pm here in Wyoming, which means it's 10:45pm in PA, and I've been up since 4:15am PA time, and I have at least 2 or 3 hours of work to do before I can go back to my Hotel. Urggh.

I had a very pleasant drive from Rapid City, SD to Gillette though, beautiful scenery and all, so it's been a nice day anyway.

[Sissy]

Gary, stop pretending to like me. It's embarrassing.

[Sissy]

Michael, I feel your pain. Except that I'm going to tell the things I have to do to wait until tomorrow. This day has expired.

[Gary]

huh? I was just amazed that the guy comes home at all.

[Sissy]

You are so fucking funny. And jealous. But that goes without saying.

[Sissy]

Items I have never included in my personal resume:

1. Domestic goddess.

2. Works well with others.

[Gary]

I really wish she had said what it was I was jealous of. I've been in a kind of suspense all morning!

[Miss Luongo]

You've suffered long enough, Gary. You're jealous of her husband. (You're welcome!)

[Gary]

Oh ok, yeah I am. Lucky bastard. Well not anymore I guess. He must really miss that job.