In all I see this as a disastrous change for the city. Those who live in the city, it doesn’t impact nearly as much as the population who doesn’t live in the city. With a city center of about 350,000 people, and a surrounding population closer to 700,000, it’s an imbalance that this policy doesn’t solve, or even address, but assured, a tremendous amount of the revenues generated by businesses in Buffalo come from suburban residents, and much of it after 5:00PM.
If your car is dark gray, and mostly covered in snow, congratulations! Your car is perfectly camouflaged for the environment you’re driving in, and could be nearly invisible to other drivers! Please turn on your lights. You’re not doing yourself any favors driving in stealth mode.
And here you were
Laughing, and enjoying the day
Smiling, and whiling away
The summer breeze
With your sunburned knees
And me
How can I critique what I did? Or how can I even enjoy my work after the fact if I never get to see it?
If you’re going to celebrate Independence Day, you’re truly celebrating the principles that drove our nation to independence, which are all very well outlined in the Declaration, and the Constitution. You’re celebrating the idea that if your government isn’t truly working on behalf of all of its citizens, changes are necessary. Replacing the government is necessary, and should happen when necessary.
You’re also celebrating the individual right to state such things, and question what the government is doing. Patriotism isn’t blind flag waving, fireworks, standing for anthems, and shouting rah-rah about an entity with imaginary borders on a round planet. Understanding that is a big part of Independence Day.
When we appreciate the little things: the moments, the kismet, the feelings that fill us even if for a brief point in time, we start to see the unwritten poems all around us. The beauty in our lives. The beauty we sometimes take for granted.
I know I need to do a better job of seeing the beauty, but she helps me with that every day.
It continued to be odd as he just sat there, not doing anything, but blaring music next to us. I had no idea what the music even was. Jazz? Salsa? Fusion Jalzza? He just sat there.
Again, they refuse – not denying that I’m going to miss my connection. They know now I won’t be on that flight. No chance. None. But now it’s too late in the day and there are no options.
I sigh a long sigh and stand frustrated waiting for the boarding to actually begin.
Sitting on a flight to Chicago. Flying United is like flying on a school bus…
Waiting for my originating flight in Montreal was a bit odd. There was no non-stop and at every gate CNN feed. Instead they had on a Canadian new feed that was mostly in French. I don’t speak French, at all… yet somehow it was still more informative than CNN.
Someone who will remain nameless… let’s just call him douchebag… asked again tonight if I could meet him in Chicago at 9:00PM when my flight takes off from DC at 9:58PM… logistics are so difficult for him.
It should be an interesting night… and tomorrow. Getting into Chicago late tonight and needing to be up early tomorrow for training. I feel like tomorrow is going to be a day of scrutiny against me… just the way things have been going for me lately. I feel like they’re looking for a reason… any reason, to shove me out the door from this contract. I’m still trying to solve the reason why. I have my suspicions, but I’ll keep them to myself.
Still, I think it’s funny. From the side of the contract I’m on, no one on the team has been doing this longer, or better, in my opinion.
The local sales rep commented, “I can’t believe how quickly and how well this whole project came together this week with no prior IT planning…”
“Well, they sent you the best they had…” was my only response.
And I sincerely believe that. Ok, that might sound a bit conceited, but those that know me know I am anything but. I will be the first person to be disappointed in myself. I have the highest expectations for me and falling anywhere short of those expectations is devastating to me. I have to do better.
But in this case, I am the best they have.
The attitude they’ve taken towards me lately has been more than discouraging in what has already been a very one-sided relationship.
Story of my life, I think.
Now to solve that problem. I don’t know if it will happen tomorrow, or Friday… but it will happen.
I’m set to embark on the next phase.
But the first couple days of this trip were pretty awesome. Montreal, a city I have always wanted to visit but have never done so. I need to make it a more frequent spot to go. Besides Melbourne and Sydney, this was by far the best place I’ve been. I think it’s the European flair and flavor that gets me. The narrow, cobblestone streets. The turn of the century architecture. The language… the people… the fashion… it was all so captivating to me. So much different than the little snow-globe world I grew up and have lived in my whole life in upstate New York.
Now granted growing up only a 15 minute drive from the Canadian boarder, the culture in Buffalo is at least a little more aware of Canada – the differences, the similarities… where it is on a map. Much more aware than the average area in middle-America at least. But the culture in Buffalo is still so much American. Rigid, self-centered, conservative…
Much different than what I have found the places I’ve visited and spent time in further north to be.
And I had a great time with the local rep for the vendor. Someone who actually said, “Hey, your first time in town, let me show you around.” Usually they want little to do with the contractors after the day is done. We went to a restaurant in old Montreal, spoke to beautiful women, watched a Canadiens’ game, had excellent wine. He taught me a little French and I taught him what a Jagerbomb was.
I actually had a really good time.
I was a bit worried about working with the guy after he asked me for the fifth time if I could fly in on Monday night, and I had to answer that Tuesday morning was the best I could offer, yet again. He seemed uptight about the job. I assured him we would be fine with one and a half days to finish what needed to be done. And, of course, we were. He was much more relaxed after the first day when he saw how quickly I could go through what needed to be done.
I’m pushing to get more jobs up there. With more notice and no trip to Chicago right afterwards, it’s a drive, not a flight. I can deal with that.
But I have to sort the issues at hand and get the jobs.
Ahhh… as Joe Walsh has sang, “Lucky I’m sane after all I’ve been through…”
Yeah, for the most part, life’s been good to me so far…
Ironic that I feel I can say that right now… it really is.
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November 20, 2008
We'll see if Raju is serious about wanting to move to Buffalo...