It's Wednesday night and my weekend just started. Thank God.
I've been working since Saturday. I was out in Tarzana Sat-Mon and in Pasadena yesterday and today doing installs for the new Occasio projects Wamu is doing. If you don't already know what an Occasio is, you should go check out some of the newer Wamu branches. It's kinda hard to explain. You have to see it for yourself. It's actually kinda cool, but kinda impractical if you ask me. Wamu toots it as, "A more personal banking experience." My translation: Getting upclose and personal with a bank robber.
I'm tired as heck. These installs are 99% labor and 1% brain work. I spent yesterday morning moving in three pallets of computer equipment from a truck container into the bank and all afternoon installing 23 workstations. Today was just configuring them, which is really easy.
So you may ask, "How is 23 workstations so hard to set up? I set up mine at home in less than 10 minutes." Try unboxing each of these pieces: 1 flat panel monitor, 1 computer, 1 keyboard, 1 mouse, 1 check reader, 1 check printer, 1 pin pad, and on some of them 1 HUGE printer. Then hooking them all up with about a billion wires and cables AND making the wires look nice so they're not all over the place using velcro straps and zip ties. THEN throwing away all the boxes of trash left behind. Then needing to get the port number so i know where to patch the damn thing into the switch inside the server room. Then there's also the paperwork associated with each set: netnames, asset tags, serial numbers, etc. Your home PC may have taken you 10-15 minutes to set up. IBM gives us 3 hours per tech to unbox, put together, configure, and do the paperwork for one workstation.
Of about 23 workstations and 10 printers, i helped put together about 10 worstations in 2 days (12 hours just for Pasadena). I'm f*cking tired. There were 2 other guys with me... but it's still tiring.
While it may seem like i hate my job... there is a small positive side in all this. I'm actually "working." I'm not sitting on my ass anymore and i'm actually working up a sweat. This is good for my fat-lazy-ass to get in shape. =D
posted by Damy
8:25 PM
So here's an update. I got taken off the contract at the Wamu service center in Northridge. Apparently they don't need the number of techs as we had last summer, since there have been massive layoffs on the Wamu side. Not to worry though, i'm still IBM. I'm just back to what i was doing when i first started, which is driving around to various places and doing installs and such. Not what i really like doing, but hey.... it's a job. It's not an 8 to 5, but it'll do for now. It beats being unemployed. I'm still working on my resume. I'm doing a total overhaul, so if any of you hear of any openings in the IT field... LEMME KNOW!!! (Please?).
As for the Grocerey store lockouts, yes it's finally over. I guess things are back to normal... somewhat. My dad doesn't really like the agreement... cuz it stinks... but at least it's kinda similar to what we had before. Basically the new agreement protects the workers to a certain extent, but the new hires are pretty much screwed. No benefits period.
My sister now works for the Anime division of Pioneer as an intern. I guess she likes it there... just that she doesn't get paid. It's funny how everytime we drive by Amy's Pastry, she goes off and says, "BOO! Down with Amy's!!!" So i guess she likes her internship better. She gets free DVD's... and i get to watch them too. *Score*
Me and Sar are doing better. The whole issue with my parents is starting to die down. I wish they can see what i see... to be able to see past skin color. I don't want to say my parents are racist... but sometimes it really feels that way.
There goes the saying, "Absence makes the heart grow fonder." I never really believed in that saying until now. To be able to spend time with each other is a rarity. I'm always busy with work and so is she, especially with the new job. These past few weeks have been simply "Dinner-Dates". We have dinner after she gets off work and then she goes home. Even though i get to see her, i still miss her. So all of you who get to see your significant others more than twice a week for more than 3-4 hours at a time... i envy you.
Car news: The Prelude has a new toy. I bought a used GReddy Evo exhaust. I dunno what people are talking about when they say GReddys are quiet systems. It's loud as FAWK! It has a nice grumble to it. Not high pitched like some rice-rockets out there, but i can hear it inside the car. Even my subwoofers can't drone out the sounds. Oh well. I like it =).
That should be good enough for an update for a good week or so. Enjoy!
A harsh reality finally set in last nite. I wanted to ignore it, thinking it was only a minor bump in the road... instead it turned out to be a mountain that i may not be able to climb.
I don't understand why my parents think what they think. They say it's because of their "Traditional" beliefs or values, but i think that's bullshit. You can't tell me that is what they've always believed after they came to the United States, gave birth and raised their children to follow the "American" way of life. This is the way of life i have been brought up with and then after 23 years, you tell me that's not the way to think?
F*ck that.
Ultimately, my future is what i make of it. Not what someone tells me to do with it. This is how i was brought up to believe.
Happiness is something i've finally achieved, and now i feel like it's being taken away from me.
I try to be an optimistic person. How can i continue to be optimistic when everyone around me is pessimistic?
How can i continue to smile, when i'm crying inside?
What's been going on since last Monday? Uh... life.
But even though life is happening, it's not like there's much to talk about... at least nothing interesting to talk about. It's the same 'ol shiznit everyday. I guess that's what happens when you get a job. Life gets kinda redundant. That might even be my fault because i don't make it more interesting. Maybe i should try skydiving =)
At least i have something to look forward to next wednesday. Possibly going to Disneyland with Sar along with Jason and his "Babe". That'll be interesting to see, especially since Jason says, "We're just really good friends." and "She's not my type."
(What's New / Random Thoughts)
(Friends & stuff)
