Kevin's Ramblings…

Yesterday was Family Day. A day off of work with pay – you have to love it. I didn’t spend any time with my family unless you consider my dog Zeus – I stayed at home all day which really isn’t a bad way to spend a day off. I had a long nap in the afternoon (have I ever mentioned that I love napping?) and otherwise took it easy all day.

It is a short week at work this week – Monday off as I just mentioned and I am also off on Friday. No real plans this coming weekend other than another baseball registration.

I think that I’ve decided against coaching this summer. I don’t know exactly what has changed but I don’t think I want to now. I’d prefer to just have a summer off – maybe go and watch the odd game here and there and perhaps do some umpiring. I haven’t totally decided as yet but that is the way that I am leaning.

It is only February 22 and I have filed my income taxes. I am getting $512 or so back which isn’t too bad at all. I think that I will pick up a Motorola Milestone with my refund and give up the Blackberry. A big jump to be sure leaving the world of Blackberry that I have been a card carrying member since they first came out. It is time for a change though.

Well, two more days to work then 3 off – sounds good to me.

Well, I am not sure if the advertisement was accurate or not. They are looking for someone with networking experience, the other components of the position are all back-fill – do those parts when people are off.

The interview went well enough although they really focused on networking questions which I was “sort of” able to answer. The written test, not so much. It was all networking theory – I really haven’t done networking since my previous job and that was ten years ago. They asked about some stuff that I haven’t even heard of.

Oh well – it was a good experience anyway.

They will have a second round of interviews and I can almost gaurantee that I won’t get a positive call. If I am in the top of whoever they interview then the other candidates must have NO networking experience and don’t work for the government at all.

It doesn’t bother me mind you, my current job is great. I am confortable which can mean that at times I am bored, but it is steady. Sure, I don’t like some of the stuff that goes on, but who is ever completely happy with their job – I doubt that anyone is.

So, I am told that I will hear back within a week or so.

On another note, baseball (what else), it looks like I will be coaching an NDBA Major Bantam club this year. I was applying for Major Midget but someone else came out of the woodwork so I stepped aside – I really don’t care where I am coaching. Not sure who I will have on the staff at this point – that is totally up in the air as of right now.

Major Bantam is for 15 year olds, players born in 1996 I guess. Hmmm, at that point in my life I was already working full time, at Vaxxine. They have one year experience on the full size diamond so it won’t be a shocker. Should be fun. I am sure that I will let you know.

I received a phone call today, well a message anyway. I got an interview – awesome. It’s a first step anyway. I have to ace the interview I guess then we will see.

If I don’t get it, it isn’t the end of the world – the Region is a good place to work. I am just getting a little stale there is all.

If I do get it, it’ll be at least a 6k per year raise, more actually since it is non-union so I’d save the dues that I currently pay. I’d stay with OMERS so that is a good thing – at this point, I can’t see leaving the public sector unless I made a LOT more, the pension plan is a good thing for sure.

I wouldn’t move right away, I’d commute for a bit – until I found the right place. The commute would drive me nuts I am sure but it would only be an hour – I would be able to handle that for a bit.

Anyway, wish me luck.

I have my first cold in a while – I actually don’t remember the last time that I had a cold, it has been a few years, I think. I have been around some large groups of people so I would gather that is where I got this one – thanks.

I didn’t sleep worth shit on Sunday night so I missed work on Monday. Wasn’t really feeling well this morning either so I missed work today as well. I will be going back tomorrow – the worst is behind me.

I actually went out last night and purchased Tylenol Cold and Sinus – it helped quite a lot. My head doesn’t feel like it is large enough to fill the room.

I’ve caught up on my sleep in the last two days anyway – that’s a good thing.

Did I mention that I hate colds? Well, I do.

The ball hockey tournament that Niagara Region ran yesterday was a success. We had 30+ teams participate and raised over 8k (I think) for various homeless charities in Niagara. I was a referee, not a bad gig.

I assisted with the setup and take-down. We used bales of hay to devide the rinks in the parking lot. Did you know that bales of hay are damn heavy? I would have made a lousy farmer, that’s for damn sure. Oh well, it was for a good cause.

Did really do much else this weekend. We got another 15cm of snow (or so) last night, I still haven’t been outside to shovel. I do enjoy winter but I am getting really tired of having to shovel all of this white crap. I bet this is the heavy stuff too.

I’m still sore from moving all that hay – hopefully the snow won’t be that bad …

I only worked a 1/2 day today and am off tomorrow. That’s a good way to start a weekend I would say.

The area was supposed to get a blizzard yesterday. Yeah, good call weather people. We received 15cm of snow or so. There was a little drifting as well, big deal.

I am helping out at a road hockey tournament on Saturday, hosted at the Region. The proceeds go to battle homelessness. Should be a good day.

Nothing else planned I don’t think – guess I will see as it comes.

Nearly another week has shot by since I posted last – wow. Time does go by pretty quickly, I must be getting old …

It is our second baseball registration today. At least this time it will be warm, we are at Canadian Tire. That damn arena last week was COLD.

Nothing exciting happening otherwise, no word on a new job – that sorta sucks but I wasn’t holding my breath, was I?

Short week coming up as I am off on Friday. That’ll be nice. 🙂

I went out for breakfast this morning to the Greasy Spoon. I eat our at restaurants WAY too much I think. I should tally what I actually spend eating at restaurants over a month, I am sure that I’d be surprised and likely not pleasantly. Oh well.

The weekend is a little more than 1/2 over, that sucks. No real plans today, I guess that I’ll figure it out later.

Baseball registration was slow yesterday, we had 20 or so people sign up. Not as bad as it could have been I guess, it is still pretty early in the year. Hopefully our numbers will go up this year. I am thinking of coaching either Junior house league or perhaps Midget all star – if there is a Midget all star team. I know that I said that I likely wasn’t going to coach again this summer but if I coached Junior HL, that wouldn’t be a huge committment. Midget AS would be, but I would enjoy it more than I did with Peewee last season I am sure. Lots to consider. I don’t want to commit to anything as yet because I don’t know about the job that I applied for – gotta wait another couple of weeks on that I guess. I hate waiting but what choice do I have.

I suppose that if I do commit to ball and I do end up getting the new job then I will have to commute for the summer which won’t be all that bad. I could then make a decision on moving in the Fall.

Time will tell.

I went to the Cheesecake Factory last night at the Walden Galleria. Excellent restaurant. Went with T. I had the jumbalaya and an amazing piece of cheesecake for dessert. I don’t remember the name of it, has caramel, vanilla crust – quite the dessert for sure.

Going over the border, the US Customs guy and I had the following conversation:

US Customs Guy: Are you planning on leaving anything in the United States?

Me: I might leave her here

US Customs Guy: If you don’t want her, what makes you think we do?

Both us us: Ha ha ha ha ha

T: Hey !!!

It was good. 🙂

Today is the first baseball registration. We are having it at an arena, hopefully we will get some sign-ups today.

Glad the weekend is here. More later.

Today was my first day back on Service Desk at work in more than two years. Not bad at all. A lot of things have changed but the day flew by which is awesome. It is a little more boring, perhaps, then what I normally do, but it is a good change. I guess I will have to see how the next six months turn out.

Bitterly cold this morning. When I took Zeus out for a walk @ 6:30am, it was -18C. There was no wind chill, likely a good thing. I will admit, I prefer the cold of winter over the heat of summer, that’s for sure.

The week should be a good one – baseball meeting on Wednesday (over a Union meeting), lunch on Thursday @ the Mandarin since our co-op student is leaving and then it’s Friday which brings back the weekend. Maybe I will take Monday off …