Jay McGavren's Journal

Yeah, I'm going to hell.

I’m responsible for watching the e-mail inbox for the reports production account, because we have all these old-school scripts with hard-coded e-mail addresses. They frequently need updating when someone changes job roles or leaves the company. I’ve even been changing several reports whose main recipient, John Smith (not his real name), died a few weeks ago.

So I really shouldn’t be laughing at this message I received today…

> —– The following addresses had permanent fatal errors —– > John_Smith@mycompany.com

ahhhhh

Speaking of e-mail bounces, if anyone has trouble getting hold of me the next couple days, it’s because my mother in law is moving out so she can live with her fiancee, and we’re transferring my ISP account from her name to mine.

All should return to normal shortly. I really need to get my own domain name, to avoid interruptions like this.

Man, I am on a roll this week! I think it’s taken me this long to overcome the incredible inertia imposed on me by our build, defect tracking, and release systems, because there are umpteen steps with each that you have to stop and think about. Well, after a year and a half, I finally have enough experience with each that I don’t have to think about them any more. And now, I can think about coding! Imagine that!

Once, long ago, I attempted writing a brief treatise while drunk. I’m sure the file is long lost, and I have a substantial buzz going (one tequila shot and one beer. Sad, huh?) and so here’s another attempt.

Shit, I started this with no idea what I was going to write about. Well, I’ve got a glowering baby on my lap (no risk of dropping him, we’re on a couch buried in cushions and blankets), so I guess I’ll write about him.

This guy is a little shit. He’s spent substantial portions of the afternoon and evening shrieking his head off for no apparent reason. I suppose it’s gas or some such, but it’s very frustrating.

Well, he’s being angelic right now, at least. The worst thing he’s doing is flopping his head onto my typing hand, and as light as his head is, that barely disrupts me. In fact he even just cast me one of those grimaces that can be mistaken for a smile. (There are a couple points I’m certain he’s actually smiled, and no, that’s not just a proud parent talking. Regardless, it’s the most magical moment in existence; this creature that has done nothing but distress and annoy you smiles at you, and suddenly it’s all OK.

Meh, that’s all I have for now. Somehow I doubt this post will seem at all out of the ordinary, except for a total lack of narrative flow. Oh, well.

From baby to kid...

Lenny had a karate “recital” today, where they basically get up on stage and show off for a room full of parents why they’ve been paying $40 a month. It was basically the same routine I’ve caught glimpses of week after week when dropping him off, but getting 15 four-year-olds all doing the same moves at the same time was a pretty impressive feat.

He’d stayed over with his friend Madison the night before, and afterward both families went to lunch at Denny’s. It was kind of a preview of what we were in for the next few years… “No, you two are going to sit on opposite sides of the table.” “There, you have the exact same crayons, now you have nothing to complain about.” Considering their lack of sleep, though, they were cute and well-behaved.

Very mundane, middle-class-family stuff, but of course it’s all novel to me. It was kinda fun, a reminder of my own childhood.