Addiction

It is a human condition.  I know I have several, and not all are bad.  But I do have an odd one or two.  Perhaps the oddest is buying office supplies.

Sounds crazy right?  I think so too.  It used to be really bad.  I'd want to buy new boxes of pens and pencils every semester/ school year, even though I had hardly used the last ones.

Even now, just last week, when I was shopping for school supplies, I found myself thinking, what about some legal pads?  Do I need more post-its?  What about these pens?  Should I buy some more folders?  Note Cards?  Erasers?

I'm glad that I had a competing voice in my head this year that said: "You have some, you have plenty, still have a bunch left from last year, reuse the ones you have, and no and no."  Saved me some money, and allowed me to walk out with only a 3 subject notebook, a school planner, and some dry-erase markers.

So, that is probably my oddest addiction.  I'm not sure where it comes from.  Perhaps a nerdy instinct to be well equipped, and prepared.  Or perhaps it is the potential in office supplies?  You know, how new supplies could be used for anything. Even that.  Well, maybe not that...

Feel free to share your odd addiction, and see you around campus.

"I'm calling in about my daughter's..."

This is the time of the year.  The time when everyone is moving in, and getting settled in.  Where people need Internet, and Phone, and TV.

It is also time of the year of the doters.  The powerful Mom's and Dad's that are used to getting things done, and done immediately, for their babies. 

Often parents of students attending college, staying in the finest of apartments in Downtown Madison.

"Hello, my name is Such AndSuch, and I'm calling on behalf of my son Bob AndSuch, who is staying at Bon Chance, and needs to have his TV installed."

"Okay," I respond, " your son, or one of the other tenants in the apartment will need to be in apartment during the time of the install."

"Hold on," they say, "let me give them a call."

Perhaps if they had not done everything for their son or daughter up to this point, then their son or daughter could have handled the whole thing themselves.  Why are we getting calls for installs and technical support from parents several states away? 

"My daughter's internet is out."

"My Son is moving into X, and I had a few questions about pricing."

"My daughter can't seem to be getting connected to the network, hold on, let me conference her in."

Then there is the inevitable, what if this communication barrier, or some other force out of our control makes it so that I, or another person here answering the phone, cannot promise the parent what they *need* for their son or daughter? 

"That's unacceptable, let me talk to your supervisor.  This is just shit." And on and on.

For example, your daughter's number is on the account, we called her to set up the install, and left a voice message.  She didn't call us back, and now you think it's not very good service when you call in on a friday night at 10, and wonder why I can't schedule her appointment for monday?

I think you should let your daughter or son fight their own battles.

Horsey Rides and Computer Tips

So, one of the companies we now answer phones for is a horse carriage company.  And twice now I've had to fight really hard to keep my sarcasm in check.

So where are the stands?  They will ask.  I'll explain their locations, and then a select few will ask the inevitable, "What am I looking for?"

Horses.  You, my friend, are looking for a stand with horses.  I know they are on every street corner in texas, but I think it should be easy enough to spot. After all, ours are special.  They wear bright yellow biker shorts and pink top hats.

And then I feel bad.

Anyway, in other news, a coworker and I are starting a tech blog.  Nothing big, mostly just a record of the things we find out at our job, and in our studies, that we our selves find useful and worth remembering.

So, go ahead and check out mainboardgetburned@blogspot.com.  Right now it is in it's infancy, but we are in the middle of a big rush here at work, so we may not have time to update it.

Also, it might focus mostly on linux, and programming, but I'll try to throw some other interesting info on there.  Possibly introductory linux, or beginning how-to's.

"Some Fortune Cookies, contain no fortune"

I've been a frequenter of a local asian food place just down the street.  I know I should eat out less, but I often don't feel like cooking too much.  It's odd to cook for one, you know?

Anyway, I have a collection of three fortunes adorning my monitor.  One cradled by a stuffed panda that made it on the window above my last desk nearly a year ago.

The first I opened today, and it seems rather fitting:  "Avoid compulsively making things worse."

Always good advice.

The next, I got a few weeks ago: "Examine the situation before you act impulsively."

Which, I need to do more of. 

Finally, "Attend to business another day, nurture your love life."

That, I'm not sure is good advice, but maybe.

Edit:  Just found another one:

"Good people are good because they've come to wisdom through failure."