What do you do and where?

[Sky]

The big problem with today is that I was in an area of ORegon that has amazing agates, geodes and some malachite-esque copper ore that I couldn't stop picking up and stuffing into my field vest. I added about ten pounds of weight onto my back because I'm a greedy rockhound.

Me too. The last time I was in Quechee Gorge in Vermont I weighed alot more coming out than I did going in. Gorges are great for seeing stages of development, so I was taking samples from all the different strata, plus a couple chunks of the cool quarzite. Good clay -> sedimentary -> metamorphic all folded up at the bottom. Cool place. Rocks, except some of the quartzite, weren't as cool as those you list, though there was some cool shiny layers in the schist.

Sometimes I wish I had stuck with science instead of chasing the music thing...

[Evildrider]

Currently going back to school for a CIS degree. 
Used to do work as a hotel representative working with corporate meeting planners.

[Tale]

Aberlour, you right gits.

If Speyside is your thing. More of a highland guy myself.

From the Aberlour website's own description:

Nose
The dry, fresh, fruity aromas of early autumn apples and pears are subtly enhanced with sweet notes of vanilla and mint toffee.

See, right there, I know they're putting on airs.

I'm drinking Scapa.

Scotch whisky killed my Scottish uncle last year, after taking him from legendary lawyer to homeless man, so I don't drink a lot of it. Speyside is so 1996.

[Engels]

You do realise that it was the alcohol in the whiskey that killed your uncle, yes? Vodka does the same job, as does this Scapa.

[Tale]

You do realise that it was the alcohol in the whiskey that killed your uncle, yes? Vodka does the same job, as does this Scapa.

It was whisky not whiskey, Scapa is a brand of single malt whisky I am drinking, all contain alcohol, so yes.

[Signe]

You do realise that it was the alcohol in the whiskey that killed your uncle, yes? Vodka does the same job, as does this Scapa.

It was whisky not whiskey

Well done!  Considering that single malt scotch whisky is so much better than any whiskey you can find, it's probably appropriate to blame his death on the whisky and not the alcohol. 

PS  I'm sorry about your uncle.    :-(

[Hanzii]

Anyone else ever done the "be careful what you wish for, you might get it" route where jobs are concerned?

Sounds like my security jobs. I do practically nothing when I go to work - I read books and play on my DS, or occasionally write. Heck, recently the sysadmin "goofed" and our workstation has internet access, so I use it occasionally.

That job is so fucking boring and pointless that it hurts. Talking to my "boss" (no one knows what she actually does) makes me physically ill.

And you wished for this?!?

I'm sort of there. I get paid well to play with stuff. I travel a bit to exotic locations. I'm more or less my own boss and I have the ear of my real boss.
But... I don't really get to write a lot, so it's not exactly why I became a journalist. I also manage people and hardware much more than I create these days, and while I love my job, I fear I have to make a decision. A few more years and the only way up is to an even more managerial position - putting money over creative ambitions. Or I have to quit soon and go back to "proper" reporting or I'll probably be considered so much of a specialist I'll have a hard time landing another good job.
Yeah, yeah - stop fucking whining.

Whisky: Lagavulin or Bunnahabin.
Cigars: Cohibas.
Rocks... I don't know, but do any of you crazy rock people know where I can buy some good slightly bigger than fist sized geodes? I'm making my second aquarium for my oldest daughter and I want gems, 2-3 geodes and lasers.

[Sky]

No idea where you can get geodes, good question. I'd like some. They have a 3 or 4 foot high geode in the Northshire Bookstore in Vermont. It's in the hippy-dippy area, but what can you do.

[Signe]

Lasers for your fish tank!  That is too cool.  You can make a laser light show.  I'd even go for that if I had a chance in hell of remembering to feed the fish.  All the geodes, gems and lasers wouldn't make any fish tank of mine a happy place.     I'd like to yours when it's finished so give us pics!   

[Morat20]

Hmm. Don't know if you're still looking, but -- Houston. Software analyst. Currently working on my Master's degree because of a generous employee education policy with my company.

The work's generally interesting, and I get to watch rocket scientists argue.

[Murgos]

The work's generally interesting, and I get to watch rocket scientists argue.

The guy in the cube behind me has a PhD in mechanical engineering and most of his conversations are about very interesting applications of physics to the problems of operating satellites in orbit.  The exception is his continuing daily argument with Verizon tech support (going on for months now) about his home broadband connection.

I'm not sure which conversations are more enjoyable to eaves drop on.

[Signe]

Why do they keep him in a cube?   

[Lantyssa]

Spheres tend to roll about.

[Murgos]

Why do they keep him in a cube?   

There's 900 engineers at this campus.  Quite a few of them have advanced degree's, it being space applications and all.  You have to be at the level of program manager or technical director before you get an office.

Also, rooms that are enclosed generally get turned into labs when no one is looking.

[Sky]

"Why are there urinals and stalls in this lab?"
"..."

[Murgos]

"Why are there urinals and stalls in this lab?"
"..."

The bathrooms are always occupied.  Were talking lots of overweight middle aged desk jockeys with big appetites who don't like to walk.

[Raging Turtle]

"Why are there urinals and stalls in this lab?"
"..."

The bathrooms are always occupied.  Were talking lots of overweight middle aged desk jockeys with big appetites who don't like to walk.

*goes off to teach another windsurfing lesson to college girls in skimpy bikinis* 

[Murgos]

900 engineers, a thousand or so other workers of various types.

I can probably count the number of women on my fingers and toes.  The number of attractive women on the fingers of one hand and the number of unattached attractive women that are not interns on, hmm, 1 finger.

Of course there are trade-offs, I live in a 4800 sq ft house with a heated pool :) 

[Abagadro]

I started my Teaching Assistant position this week.

I felt like David Wooderson. 

[Yegolev]

*goes off to teach another windsurfing lesson to college girls in skimpy bikinis* 

You suck.  Then again...

Of course there are trade-offs, I live in a 4800 sq ft house with a heated pool :) 

Mine is only 4000 sq ft of finished space, but there is a full basement plus attic space, with a hot tub and various other amenities.  So I guess I'll keep my cubicle.

By the way, we recently posted two openings for AIX specialists, high-five to low-six range.

[Rasix]

You guys are making me feel like I live in a dilapidated shack. 

[Yegolev]

Just don't be afraid to put yourself in horrible, horrible debt... and build one yourself.

[Strazos]

Leaving stupid security job. Apparently, I'm not allowed to simply "use" the sick time I have accured, and it doesn't cash out when I leave. Fuck that noise. I'll be damned if I get penalized for Not being a sick diabetic fuck like some of my coworkers.

Also, might start working some internet sales nonsense for a car dealership. F13 might get camped 24/7...just because.



I hate bills.

[Trippy]

*goes off to teach another windsurfing lesson to college girls in skimpy bikinis* 

Wait, have these girls not learned that they shouldn't be wearing bikinis while trying to learn how to windsurf cause they tend to come off when they fall in or are they doing it for the attention? And yes I taught windsurfing when I was in college.

[Raging Turtle]

I've never had a student pop out of her swimsuit.  Of course, we do require lifejackets be worn on the water at all times for windsurfing.  The girls are cute but you get used to the swimsuits and skin in a week or two.  Still love the job because they pay me to sail and windsurf.   

The 'look at me' girls lay out by the boathouse instead of joining the sailing club and are generally ignored.   

[Trippy]

I've never had a student pop out of her swimsuit.  Of course, we do require lifejackets be worn on the water at all times for windsurfing.

Ah that's explains it. We didn't require lifejackets at my school so it would happen on a semi-regular basis until they learned they should be wearing one piece suits. It even happened to an instructor once, who should've known better, but I guess she didn't think she would fall in.

[Sky]

Just don't be afraid to put yourself in horrible, horrible debt... and build one yourself.

I don't think I can afford to build one myself. Apparently I have some hangup on "quality materials" that cost an assload. And I don't mean platinum fixtures and marble columns. Just not formaldehyde-laden pressboard and manufactured lumber garbage.

I actually entertained the idea of starting a structure reclamation business just to get some quality materials. As it is, I'm in the market for an old house, built at least 50 years ago. Good bones and whatnot. I can't believe most new houses I see with flimsy little doors, buttoned up tighter than a nun's snatch.

I looked at building a log house, but the fairly basic model I wanted was about $80k for the shell. I thought that was reasonable until the guy told me the one they just got done building was $200k all told, exluding excavation and plot costs. The construction industry is loaded with crooks, imo. On Ask This Old House, Roger put a piece of granite curb vertical for some guy's house numbers and estimated it would run $1k. !?! That's a piece of salvage and and afternoon of work, maybe a Bobcat rental. For crissake.

[Miasma]

If you wanted to build your own house, or even do some major renovations, you should probably wait for the slowdown in housing to take hold.  Contractors can currently charge you whatever they want they are in such high demand, some materials are also in tight supply.

Wait eight months when things are lean for them and you should get a much better price.  Of course you will also have to worry about them going bankrupt in the middle of the project, I wouldn't pay them in advance.

[Morat20]

Mine is only 4000 sq ft of finished space, but there is a full basement plus attic space, with a hot tub and various other amenities.  So I guess I'll keep my cubicle.

By the way, we recently posted two openings for AIX specialists, high-five to low-six range.

God I'm fucking underpaid. Good benefits, fun job, decent security -- but I'm not sure it's worth the 20k to 30k difference I could be making elsewhere.

[UD_Delt]

God I'm fucking underpaid. Good benefits, fun job, decent security -- but I'm not sure it's worth the 20k to 30k difference I could be making elsewhere.

20 to 30k might only barely cover the cost of living difference though when moving from once place to another.

Not that you're not underpaid though. If you've spent more than 5 years at a single job you are most likely underpaid. I'm going on seven at the current place and I'm sure I'm now well behind the curve.

Oh and I've found a new favorite drink. I'm sure it will never fully replace Guinness but the Left Hand Brewing Companies' Milk Stout is a VERY tasty beverage.

[Signe]

You will grow a huge belly drinking such rich beers.  You'll probably get it pinched in your desk drawer (ooh ooh ow ow) and break your office chair.  I bet you get sacked then!

[Lantyssa]

Mine is only 4000 sq ft of finished space, but there is a full basement plus attic space, with a hot tub and various other amenities.  So I guess I'll keep my cubicle.

By the way, we recently posted two openings for AIX specialists, high-five to low-six range.

God I'm fucking underpaid. Good benefits, fun job, decent security -- but I'm not sure it's worth the 20k to 30k difference I could be making elsewhere.

I'm underpaid, too, but it's worth it for the job security and low-stress enviornment of a university.

If you're getting that Master's at the main UH campus, we should do lunch or dinner some time.  I'm guessing you're at UH CL or Rice though.

[Morat20]

I'm underpaid, too, but it's worth it for the job security and low-stress enviornment of a university.

If you're getting that Master's at the main UH campus, we should do lunch or dinner some time.  I'm guessing you're at UH CL or Rice though.

UHCL -- I actually applied to Rice when I graduated from High School, got wait listed, went to A&M (got accepted to Rice right before school started, though), failed out of A&M, came back home, learned a bit of self-discipline and went to UHCL. On my own dime this time. I think paying for it made it a lot easier to study.

I'm looking at another Master's or a Doctorate after this -- still in the "mulling it over stage" (a Doctorate would play hell with my employability, though) -- and I'd have to go to UH main for any of the ones I'm considering. As for lunch -- I'm all up for meeting new people.

[Hanzii]

Mine is only 4000 sq ft of finished space, but there is a full basement plus attic space, with a hot tub and various other amenities.  So I guess I'll keep my cubicle.

By the way, we recently posted two openings for AIX specialists, high-five to low-six range.

I make more than that. But I would have to live with a 2 hour commute to even come close to affording that kind of square footage.

[Abagadro]

Adventures in TA land are becoming pretty interesting.  One of the first readings was the U.S. Constitution.  I had a student come up to me after class today and ask if he really had to read "all the Amendments and stuff."