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March 28, 2000 |
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I got a new hard drive at work today. Actually, I got it a few days ago,
but I hadn't gotten around to installing it yet. Funny, I'm one of these
computer folks that enjoy having a stable machine rather than getting all
the latest toys and bells and whistles. Well, the new hard drive is a 30
Gig drive. If you're wondering if I simply went nuts when I ordered it,
you'd be happy to know that Jim was the
one who ordered it for me. And seriously, only work stuff is going to go
on it. I was mildly surprised to find that Brenda, our administrative
assistant, had ordered precisely the drive I needed, since several folks in
our group have EIDE vs. SCSI drives. Not to say that she didn't know what
she was doing, but I didn't even know what kind of drive my system
had.
Otherwise, I don't have much to say today. I had a appointment with my orthodontist, Dr. J. [Yes, he really does go by Dr. J…] I was running late for my 2:30pm appointment. I forgot precisely what I was doing, I just remembered that when I finally made it to my car it was 2:24pm.
I sped to his office in what can only be described as frank-like fashion. I kept thinking to myself that the last time I took my car in for service, they jotted a few notes which included the following:
"Reccomend replacing all four tires, due to they are all bald"Of course, no one ever actually told me in person or on the phone, which I find a bit disquieting. I quietly thought to myself how many people really read their receipts from the auto service… and how many of those are troubled by the misspelling of recommend. Oh incidentally, they did eventually find their mistake and charged me the difference in the service bill, which was okay, since I would've had to pay it anyway, but I would've been nice if they offered me something in return …an S2000 comes to mind.
Anyway, I was speeding down a slightly wet road, thinking to myself that I was working on minimal traction, which normally wouldn't be a problem, unless, of course, I'm driving like a madman. I rationalized that I hate being late, but being on time for an orthodontic appointment really wasn't worth the risk. Bah, I didn't care; it was hailing when I got there. Strange.
I was only a few minutes late and no one made a fuss. They took off the orange bands and adviced me to brush and floss, which I did, but I typically floss before I brush. I went back to the chair. Dr. J stopped by a few minutes later.
The man called me by my legal name again. Now, he has called me by Frank before, so I know that he certainly can, but he either doesn't care or seems to forget.
He said that we were almost done; last time he said we were "90%" done. Okay, which is further along? "almost" or "90%"? Still no clues about precisely when I would get this metal contraptions out of my mouth. He only undershot the schedule by about nine months now.
Not that I'm bitter. Not at all. I'm a little frustrated since I don't know precisely when they're coming off. Of course, I wouldn't threaten the man… and no, I'm not the one who put the laxative in his coffee.
This time around they are torquing one set of teeth and de-torquing another. They're also putting me in chains to close spaces. Yes, I know… much more than you wanted to know about my teeth.
The rest of the day passed relatively quietly. I went to workout since it's Tuesday. Dan's ankle is finally in good enough shape so that he can run with me. I do intervals on the treadmill on Tuesdays and then I do my weights. I'm finally able to do the fifteen minutes of intervals consistently. Oh, don't get me wrong… I still hate it, but I know I can do them.
I tried a few new things with the weights. I normally spot Dan when he is doing the bench press, since he is accustomed to doing it with a barbell. Since I told my trainer that I want to be self-sufficient in my routine, I normally do mine with dumbbells. Since he was there and was willing to spot me, I tried it with the barbell. It felt good, I was able to do more weight.
I also tried to do some squats. Dan tried it first since I was there to spot him. His ankle is still not fully healed, so it hurt a little. I tried them briefly, although I think I may have strained my back a little while I tried it.
There was one of the attendants that worked at the gym. He's actually quite likeable, and I see him there all the time, so we're at least familiar with each other. He talked about the coming of spring and the impending warm weather that we won't be having here in Seattle. He also talked about the life in Southern California and women in tiny swimsuits… in some pretty vivid detail in fact.
Not that I mind talking about what I find to be attractive in women, but I found it to be a bit odd that he was talking to me about this where he happens to work. Not to say that there were any women were within earshot, because there weren't any women in the weight room at the time, but I still found it to be a tad unprofessional… and maybe even a little disrespectful.
March 28, 2000