The Nerd's Eye View

Loath as I am to admit it, but something has melted my icy resolve to dislike the Christmas season. It's not just the relentless cheeriness, nor is it the insidious effect of Andy Williams' voice reiterating that it's the "most wonderful time ... of the yeeeeaaaar". No it's something more subtle - it's the Christmas lights in the trees.

Yes, as I was walking through town to meet up with the lads I passed by rows of trees decked - if you will - with Christmas lights. And instead of feeling the last word from my lunch, I felt an unaccustomed warmth in what - for lack of a better word - I think were the cockles of my heart. Instantly, I knew that if this news got out I could no longer look down my nose at everyone else; I could no longer rail against the spirit of the season! As I thought this I caught myself whistling the the tune, you know the one: "it's the most wonderful hmm, hmmm hmm hmmmmmmmmmm...". At this rate my reputation would be ruined!

I got myself under control and rushed home. Sitting in my darkened apartment I tried to block out the flashing of the Christmas lights in the street and finally cracked. When I came to, all the lights were on and the radio was set to the all Christmas Carol station. Drastic measures were necessary...

So now here I am in Phoenix, away from natural fir trees, if not from the spirit of the season. Now if only I can get that song out of my head ...

[Note: the preceding story was mostly fictional - except for the part about the lights and the song, that really happened. What really sent it all over the edge is that my folks are coming to visit and I haven't seen them in a long while. If that's not enough to get you into the Christmas spirit, then what is?]

Posted by Lo Fat Mo at 10:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Well I had originally intended to write about the snow I found on the ground in Mountain View this morning on my way in to work. It was a lovely sight, especially considering how grim one can feel in the mornings. Alas, that post has been set aside in favor of one more in keeping with my generally dim view of the season and the unreasoning cheerfulness it seems to bring in its wake.

Trying my hardest to be more positive I left for an early lunch, and noticed as I got into my car the very strong smell of gasoline. The car had been smelling like that this morning as well but I'd put it out of my head and now here it was again. After lunch as I got into the car, again the same smell. I pulled over and got out and my eye was caught by what appeared to be a trail leading to my trunk. An ominous feeling overtook me as I crouched down and looked under the car.

No doubt about it, the car was leaking gas. The tank (which by the way was unfcomfortably placed directly beneath the driver's seat) was leaking and I don't mean drips and drops, I mean like a small change with no bladder control. As I squated there a small puddle of gas was forming under the car. Not good. Checking the guage showed the supply near zero, so of course I decided to drive the car to the mechanic. Mind you at the time I was thinking more about the low gas getting me there, than I was about the potential for going out in a blaze of glory in the middle of downtown Mountain View.

I managed to make it and of course swallowed the bitter pill of my Indian mechanic's reaction: "Gas tank? No one ever replaces those! What'd you do?" After some phone calls and wrangling, it looks like my Christmas present to me will be around $700 of auto repairs. So if you see me grumbling as I pass a Santa on a street corner, or shoving Tiny Tim off his crutches, I'd recommend you stay a save distance away lest you hear me say "Bah! Humbug!"

Posted by Lo Fat Mo at 3:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Well it's that time of year again, when holiday music spews out from every possible orifice that the world has and the color red loses it's usual connotations. It also happens to be the time of year when I finally have the blog to a good place again and I can make some posts. It's been a while so basically we're looking at a catch-me-up post - bear with me.

The past few months have been a whirlwind, mostly at Faceless Corporation where I have been focused on cleaning up my project lists. The reason I've been trying to do that is because I'm moving to a new job! Now hold your horses, it's not like it sounds. The new company I am going to (let's call it NewCo) is basically partly owned by Faceless Corporation, and as a result I won't even be moving away from my cubicle. At least not for the time being.

In the meantime, these are the other things you missed:
- During the slow down of my commuter train on a stretch of rails, I caught sight of an old lady faintly smiling behind the glass of her back door, bathed in the blue light of early morning in the shadow of the train. The lower frame of the picture was a pair of white socks with green toes draped over railing of landing.

- A few weeks later, same train: caught sight of a black squirrel running along the back of a wooden fence, leaping over the posts without a breath, almost in time to rhythm of the train flashing by.

- An "interesting" "website", some real winners in there (courtesy of the "Burgs")

- A repository for all the snarky notes your room/office/bed mates have left for you in the past. It's a work of brilliance. (courtes

- She uses the Voice for her own evil ends ....

I would include a lot of other stuff but there's more to post ... elsewhere.

Posted by Lo Fat Mo at 1:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I can only assume that everyone is feeling the listless, last week of school sentiment that is summed up in the following lines seen on a conference room white board at Faceless Corporation:

1. HALO 3 AVAILABLE @12AM
2. HEROES SEASON PREMIERE
3. PRODUCTION MEETING
4. NAP
5.

Posted by Lo Fat Mo at 5:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I think the blog lives once again .. don't bother with comment just yet. I'm suspending them in order to discourage blog spammers (and yes it's their fault that the blog was down so long). Anyway expect more soon.

Posted by Lo Fat Mo at 11:07 PM | Permalink