Some recent dealings with my building

Yesterday afternoon, I went down to my car and found a Final Notice on it's windshield. It says that I am parked without a permit and my license plate and such have been recorded. It also says that I'm going to be towed if not removed in 24 hours. I've lived in this building since January of 2004. I've had the same parking permit in the same spot in my car since January of 2004. After I read that notice, I went around the back of my car and sure enough, the parking sticker is right where it always has been.

I went down to the front desk and handed them the notice and asked them what this was about. I showed them that my sticker was right where it should be. In fact, the person had to walk past the sticker to put the notice on. What is more frustrating is that there are still several cars parked in two spaces, and there are no warnings about that.

This morning I get an email asking what my parking permit number is. I give it to them and I was told that my number was reported lost/stolen by my former roommate over two years ago. Thinking back, this is apparently how he got a 3rd parking sticker for his girlfriend. I assured the office that I've had this sticker in my car, on the window the entire time. Imagine how pissed I would have been had the car been towed and racked up storage fees while I was gone. I wonder how many trips I could have made without realizing my car was in storage.

Second, my HVAC system has a problem. It requires a visit at the start of the heating and cooling system to switch a valve. It's been that way since I moved here. I haven't been here when it was hot before, so I just hadn't called. You'd think after 4 1/2 years that they would have fixed the valve however. Thankfully, they came today and swapped the valve. All is good. I now have air conditioning.

I'm drawing the line

I'm not sure what I have against social networking sites, but I'm finally drawing the line. Currently I have a MySpace profile and a LinkedIn profile. I do not have a facebook account. In fact, I really don't even know what Facebook is, although I hear about it all the time. I refuse to signup for Facebook. I'm 32 years old, and I know how to communicate with people. I don't need to do it though a networking site, or prove I'm popular with it.

That said, I wonder what do people do on these sites? Personally, I use it to email back and forth with someone who's email address I've lost (and asked him and receieved 10 times, so I don't want to ask again), I read a few friends blogs on there, and that's about it. I'll look at pictures people post, etc too. I know that college kids post information about parties on there now (it's too much to actually put up fliers or pass the word on.

Granted, I can't remember the last time that I actually wrote a letter and put it in the mail. That's something who's time has passed I think. I use the mail for business communication and things like that, but for personal letters, not so much. I take that back. I remember writing letters to Susan while I was in college and she was home. They were many pages (legal pad) and of course handwritten. I'd often get the same from her. I'm not really sure why we stuck with writing back and forth. I do remember the initial flirting happening in the letters, and they just continued. I guess that the phone call from upstate NY to central NJ was just too expensive. I enjoyed writing and getting the letters though. It would really brighten my day when I got one. I'd rush from the mail room to my dorm room to read it because I was genuinely interested in what she had to write. And no, there was never anything racy or explicit in them. Perhaps if there was, things could have ended up differently (for the un-intiated, she ended up marrying a good friend of mine from college within a year of she and I breaking up. Since she was from my home town, they'd met through me and I'm pretty sure had been having an affair). I don't think I ever really did that with C. I think she was the first gf I had after talking on the phone and using email was the norm.

Anyway, if you're only on Facebook and want me to be in your social network, you're going to have to come to LinkedIn or MySpace. I'm NOT going to Facebook.

NYC Fireworks tonight

I really didn't mean to turn this into a picture blog, but as they say a picture is worth a thousand words. I needed to practice before the 4th of July anyway.....

Aruba Day 5 Sunset

First, I took this impromptu shot of this recently married couple walking along the beach. I'm sending a copy of the picture to my hotel's concierge in hopes that they'll forward it on to them.



And now on to the last sunset that I'll see in Aruba on this trip. These were all taken from the beach at my hotel again. Maybe next time I come, I'll be more adventurous and try and get the sunset from other places on the island.

Aruba Day 5

So I learned something about snorkeling today. If you have facial hair, it doesn't work very well because you cant get a seal around your nose. I did the best I could. They did have an open bar on the boat too though...

Aruba Day 4 Sunset

There was actually a sunset last night too... or a partial one...

Aruba Day 4

Remember it's supposed to rain today. I had booked an ATV Tour for this morning. Here are some pictures from it... and so far it hasn't rained....

Aruba, Day 3

Really, I'm told it never rains in Aruba and yesterday was an aberration. This morning was beautiful. It is very humid here, but with the wind you'd never know. It's always breezy here.






and then, around 11:30am or so....










The weather forecast for Aruba. Remember, it never rains here.....

Aruba Day 2

If you have any comments, leave them here, not in my email. I'm refusing to check email during my vacation-



These first ones are from around 10am or so-


and then around 12:45pm or so....



and finally...

Aruba Day 1

Aruba

I'm off to Aruba. I've decided that I need to get away, and Aruba had a hotel special, and didn't use up too many airline miles. I know I have a lot to write and catch up on here, and that will come. I just need this break.

Resume's

On my train ride from Boston back home yesterday, I was sitting across the table from two business people who were looking over resumes. I'm not sure what company they were working for, and yes I know it was none of my business. I really avoided looking or paying attention most of the time as I was doing my own work, and listening to my iPod. I couldn't help notice some of the things they were critiquing, and others they didn't notice.

To me, they placed a very high value on people's college grades. Speaking as a non-college graduate, I don't think that's necessarily wise. They like one candidate (Kathryn) over another (Cassie) because of her name. How can you decide who is a better employee based on name? It's not something that a person really chooses. You are GIVEN a name. So poor Cassie is doomed forever because of her parents. Meanwhile, she'll be wondering why she wasn't offered a position, and I doubt that she'll be given an honest answer as to the deciding factor if she asks.

I was surprised that they saved every envelope, and they were looking at those as well in helping to determine the suitability of a candidate. One thing that bothered me, but they didn't seem to care about was that one page of an applicants sheets had it's margins cut off. To me, that would be a deal breaker. It shows that the person didn't actually look at what they sent in before sending it in.

I'm guessing that many people have been discarded for jobs for worse reasons, but it was a real eye opening trip.

The Up-Down

So I was sitting in the truck over the weekend, and a bunch of us were talking and one of my female co-workers was lamenting the fact that she felt slimy because of the way that he greets any female. I knew exactly what she was talking about to. She gave a demonstration to someone else in the room, and he felt all dirty, like he needed a shower. She had given him the up-down.

I've noticed that I've been doing that more and more lately- giving people the up-down. Generally speaking I've been an equal opportunity up-downer, meaning both people I know and people I don't. I don't think that I do it in a slimy way. I think that I'm more of an admirer than one who leers. With weather getting nicer, and outfits changing, I guess I'm noticing everyone more.