Scott reached to his left and, with a click, the lamp was off. Darkness filled the room at once and Scott closed his eyes. His mind slowly swam through the events of the day as he began to drift off into sleep.
Scott heard the wind pressing against the house. The nearby trees creaked as they swayed and knocked into each other. Bitterly cold air had been rushing in throughout the day. Scott fully expected a white landscape in the morning.
Sleep came at him in waves. As his mind was bobbing in and out of consciousness, Scott felt the sensation of being thrown upwards at the sound of a loud crash.
Scott flung the covers to the side and swung himself out of bed. With a squint, he looked from his bedroom window to find one of his largest trees laying on the ground. The fallen tree laid there like a victim who had become frozen with surprise.
© Jared Holt - 2007
Monday, December 17, 2007
Friday, December 14, 2007
Not Coming Home
His eyes, red and burning, looked away from the cold cup of coffee to see the clock across the room. It was 2:00am now.
"My God, where could she be?"
Pulling the yellow drapes to one side, he looked out to the driveway and then oppositely to the distant hill. Both remained void of any sign of her.
He had hesitated to call anyone... doing so would mean admitting that something really was wrong. His stomach was a pit of nervousness.
With great reluctance, he picked up the phone and dialed.
"My God, where could she be?"
Pulling the yellow drapes to one side, he looked out to the driveway and then oppositely to the distant hill. Both remained void of any sign of her.
He had hesitated to call anyone... doing so would mean admitting that something really was wrong. His stomach was a pit of nervousness.
With great reluctance, he picked up the phone and dialed.
Thursday, December 13, 2007
The Perfect Gift
The following is my submission for the Holiday Flash Fiction Carnival. The theme is "anything holidays," so I went with writing a simple Christmas story. Enjoy!
"Why do I do this every year?" Ray thought to himself as he crunched through a patch of icy slush on the sidewalk. "I've walked through every store here and I can't find anything for Ally. Everything has been picked over, I have no clue what I'm even looking for, the car is at least a ten minute walk away, and our family Christmas dinner is in a couple of hours... I'll have no time to look around after that... I can't believe Christmas is two days away...and who builds a mall where you have to walk outside!"
Ray was having more difficulty finding a great Christmas present for his wife this year. After fifteen years of marriage, he had ran out of great ideas. The fact that they had never had children made things a little more tough. Most couples would just spend the extra money on their children, or maybe take a winter trip to someplace warm. But, Ray and Ally Prince had no children and wouldn't dream of being away from their families during Christmas. In fact, their families fully expected them to host the family gatherings and Ray and Ally always cheerfully obliged.
After ten more useless minutes of walking in the cold, wondering and hoping, Ray started to think about all the things that had to be done for tonight's gathering. Ally had taken care of most of the planning so there wasn't much left to do. But he thought that it wasn't quite right that he was out wasting time while she was working away in the kitchen. Ray decided to just head on back to his house and help where he could. With the wind at his back, he made his way down the long stretch of stores that eventually lead to the parking lot.
As Ray drove home, he began to think about his nieces and nephews and how much they would have grown. He thought about what it would be like to have his own child playing along --running through the house being entirely too loud-- and how he would pretend to be stern while smiling on the inside. Ally had mentioned adoption in the past, but Ray had insisted on not giving up on having their own... but after all these years, the idea did not seem so foreign now.
"Maybe that could be Ally's gift," Ray thought. "Maybe I could do some quick research on adoption, and maybe present her with an adoption application as a gift! Brilliant!"
Quite satisfied with his idea, Ray made his way along the slushy side roads that eased away from the city. The snow on the road slowly became more and more thick until they were completely white. Only the soft depressions on either side told where the edges of the road lay. A fresh snow had fallen the night before giving the surrounding land a beautiful white blanket. Households with children became more evident as the evenness was broken with trails of footsteps and the occasional snowman. Seeing these artifacts strengthened Ray's idea of adoption to the point of nervous excitement. He couldn't wait to tell Allyson that he was ready. He almost wished it possible to just bring a child home in his arms to present to his wife.
Ray made the last turn on his trip home and coasted down the gentle slope towards his house. He could see a maroon minivan parked just past his driveway, which meant that his sister, Rachael, had arrived (she was always early). Ray eased into his driveway and pulled into the garage. Once inside, he had just made a few steps towards the kitchen when he saw a small, round face and too little hands reaching up for him. It was his youngest niece, little Lisa, who loved nothing more than to be picked up and tickled. Ray picked her up and spun around with a smile, kissed his wife on the cheek and gave his sister a half-hug with his free arm.
"Oh, I'm glad you made it back in time," said Allyson as she turned to open the oven door. "John and Carrie just called... they'll be here in about twenty minutes or so. They're bringing your parents with them... didn't want them driving on these white roads."
"Oh... good," said Ray while tossing a small piece of turkey in his mouth. "Say, I'm going to go change clothes. My pant legs are soaked from the snow."
"That reminds me, how was everything at the office? Did you get there in time to meet Henry with a key?" said Allyson with a hidden smirk.
"Oh, yeah... yeah... got there just in time. He, uh... had only been waiting for a few minutes. I let him in and then decided to help him run the monthly report. Its never easy being the new kid, and that Henry's seems like a good fellow."
Allyson turned and met Ray with a soft smile and said, "Well, that was nice of you. Maybe Santa will be extra good to you this year." Rachael turned away and pretended to organize the silverware.
Ray smiled and scratched his head, which told Allyson that he had been caught in a fib. It was alright, though. It was the good kind of fib that he told once or twice a year to buy him a little more time for Christmas shopping. Allyson pretended to be none the wiser and went back to her kitchen duties. Ray, feeling a bit relieved and as if he had gotten away with something, walked back to the bedroom to change.
The family Christmas dinner went well as usual. After eating, the children opened their presents from each other while the parents, who had stopped exchanging gifts with one another a few years back, made conversation and enjoyed everyone's company. Everyone stayed the night (the roads were much to dangerous to travel in the dark) and left after breakfast the next morning. Ray spent the midday helping Allyson clean up the house and suggested that she should take a nap. After all, she had worked so hard to get everything ready. To Ray's relief, she agreed with no reluctance and settled onto the couch. She was asleep within minutes.
Ray snuck upstairs to his study and hopped onto the computer. He spent the next hour searching through the nearest adoption agencies, printing off information and applications. He picked out the one that seemed best to him and set it aside and then placed the others together into a folder. Ray picked up the adoption information that he thought best suited them, attached them together with a paper clip, and loosely tied a red ribbon around the middle. He then placed the papers in a box, and proceeded to wrap it the best he could without making too much noise.
The next morning, Ray got up earlier than usual. He hadn't felt this sort of excitement for Christmas since he was eight years old. He absolutely could not wait to see Allyson's excitement when he gave her the adoption papers. Allyson, who was usually a late sleeper like Ray, had already gotten up. Ray chuckled to himself about how they both were like little children, eager to open their gifts. Ray walked into the living room to find Ally sitting on the couch with a small box in her lap and big smile on her face. Ray returned the smile as he walked over to the Christmas Tree and picked up Ally's present.
Ray sat down and felt a sudden nervousness as he extended the arm holding Allyson's gift. "Here... I want you to go first. I think you'll like it," he said with a growing lump in his throat. Allyson took the box and showed some surprise at how light it was.
"I'm sure I'll love it. You always manage to surprise me, " she said as she struggled with Ray's somewhat unconventional wrapping technique. At last, she had removed the wrapping paper and began to open the box. She lifted the lid and looked inside, puzzled. Ray felt his face run hot. Allyson, finally understanding the meaning of Ray's gift looked up with great tears in her eyes and smiled.
"Oh, Ray... you wonder man. Open your gift." Ray, feeling a bit stunned but still nervous as ever, unwrapped the tiny box that he was given. He removed the lid, and pulled out two tiny hand-made socks. One was blue, and the other was pink. Ray's eyes, wide and full of tears, looked up at his wife.
"Ray, honey. I'm pregnant!"
© Jared Holt, 2007
The Perfect Gift
"Why do I do this every year?" Ray thought to himself as he crunched through a patch of icy slush on the sidewalk. "I've walked through every store here and I can't find anything for Ally. Everything has been picked over, I have no clue what I'm even looking for, the car is at least a ten minute walk away, and our family Christmas dinner is in a couple of hours... I'll have no time to look around after that... I can't believe Christmas is two days away...and who builds a mall where you have to walk outside!"
Ray was having more difficulty finding a great Christmas present for his wife this year. After fifteen years of marriage, he had ran out of great ideas. The fact that they had never had children made things a little more tough. Most couples would just spend the extra money on their children, or maybe take a winter trip to someplace warm. But, Ray and Ally Prince had no children and wouldn't dream of being away from their families during Christmas. In fact, their families fully expected them to host the family gatherings and Ray and Ally always cheerfully obliged.
After ten more useless minutes of walking in the cold, wondering and hoping, Ray started to think about all the things that had to be done for tonight's gathering. Ally had taken care of most of the planning so there wasn't much left to do. But he thought that it wasn't quite right that he was out wasting time while she was working away in the kitchen. Ray decided to just head on back to his house and help where he could. With the wind at his back, he made his way down the long stretch of stores that eventually lead to the parking lot.
As Ray drove home, he began to think about his nieces and nephews and how much they would have grown. He thought about what it would be like to have his own child playing along --running through the house being entirely too loud-- and how he would pretend to be stern while smiling on the inside. Ally had mentioned adoption in the past, but Ray had insisted on not giving up on having their own... but after all these years, the idea did not seem so foreign now.
"Maybe that could be Ally's gift," Ray thought. "Maybe I could do some quick research on adoption, and maybe present her with an adoption application as a gift! Brilliant!"
Quite satisfied with his idea, Ray made his way along the slushy side roads that eased away from the city. The snow on the road slowly became more and more thick until they were completely white. Only the soft depressions on either side told where the edges of the road lay. A fresh snow had fallen the night before giving the surrounding land a beautiful white blanket. Households with children became more evident as the evenness was broken with trails of footsteps and the occasional snowman. Seeing these artifacts strengthened Ray's idea of adoption to the point of nervous excitement. He couldn't wait to tell Allyson that he was ready. He almost wished it possible to just bring a child home in his arms to present to his wife.
Ray made the last turn on his trip home and coasted down the gentle slope towards his house. He could see a maroon minivan parked just past his driveway, which meant that his sister, Rachael, had arrived (she was always early). Ray eased into his driveway and pulled into the garage. Once inside, he had just made a few steps towards the kitchen when he saw a small, round face and too little hands reaching up for him. It was his youngest niece, little Lisa, who loved nothing more than to be picked up and tickled. Ray picked her up and spun around with a smile, kissed his wife on the cheek and gave his sister a half-hug with his free arm.
"Oh, I'm glad you made it back in time," said Allyson as she turned to open the oven door. "John and Carrie just called... they'll be here in about twenty minutes or so. They're bringing your parents with them... didn't want them driving on these white roads."
"Oh... good," said Ray while tossing a small piece of turkey in his mouth. "Say, I'm going to go change clothes. My pant legs are soaked from the snow."
"That reminds me, how was everything at the office? Did you get there in time to meet Henry with a key?" said Allyson with a hidden smirk.
"Oh, yeah... yeah... got there just in time. He, uh... had only been waiting for a few minutes. I let him in and then decided to help him run the monthly report. Its never easy being the new kid, and that Henry's seems like a good fellow."
Allyson turned and met Ray with a soft smile and said, "Well, that was nice of you. Maybe Santa will be extra good to you this year." Rachael turned away and pretended to organize the silverware.
Ray smiled and scratched his head, which told Allyson that he had been caught in a fib. It was alright, though. It was the good kind of fib that he told once or twice a year to buy him a little more time for Christmas shopping. Allyson pretended to be none the wiser and went back to her kitchen duties. Ray, feeling a bit relieved and as if he had gotten away with something, walked back to the bedroom to change.
The family Christmas dinner went well as usual. After eating, the children opened their presents from each other while the parents, who had stopped exchanging gifts with one another a few years back, made conversation and enjoyed everyone's company. Everyone stayed the night (the roads were much to dangerous to travel in the dark) and left after breakfast the next morning. Ray spent the midday helping Allyson clean up the house and suggested that she should take a nap. After all, she had worked so hard to get everything ready. To Ray's relief, she agreed with no reluctance and settled onto the couch. She was asleep within minutes.
Ray snuck upstairs to his study and hopped onto the computer. He spent the next hour searching through the nearest adoption agencies, printing off information and applications. He picked out the one that seemed best to him and set it aside and then placed the others together into a folder. Ray picked up the adoption information that he thought best suited them, attached them together with a paper clip, and loosely tied a red ribbon around the middle. He then placed the papers in a box, and proceeded to wrap it the best he could without making too much noise.
The next morning, Ray got up earlier than usual. He hadn't felt this sort of excitement for Christmas since he was eight years old. He absolutely could not wait to see Allyson's excitement when he gave her the adoption papers. Allyson, who was usually a late sleeper like Ray, had already gotten up. Ray chuckled to himself about how they both were like little children, eager to open their gifts. Ray walked into the living room to find Ally sitting on the couch with a small box in her lap and big smile on her face. Ray returned the smile as he walked over to the Christmas Tree and picked up Ally's present.
Ray sat down and felt a sudden nervousness as he extended the arm holding Allyson's gift. "Here... I want you to go first. I think you'll like it," he said with a growing lump in his throat. Allyson took the box and showed some surprise at how light it was.
"I'm sure I'll love it. You always manage to surprise me, " she said as she struggled with Ray's somewhat unconventional wrapping technique. At last, she had removed the wrapping paper and began to open the box. She lifted the lid and looked inside, puzzled. Ray felt his face run hot. Allyson, finally understanding the meaning of Ray's gift looked up with great tears in her eyes and smiled.
"Oh, Ray... you wonder man. Open your gift." Ray, feeling a bit stunned but still nervous as ever, unwrapped the tiny box that he was given. He removed the lid, and pulled out two tiny hand-made socks. One was blue, and the other was pink. Ray's eyes, wide and full of tears, looked up at his wife.
"Ray, honey. I'm pregnant!"
© Jared Holt, 2007
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
I Tripled My Sperm Count
Eww... right? No? Good! I won't get into the details of how this all came about. Let's just say that I've had reason to have some tests run over the past few months. At first, things weren't looking so good. After doing some reading, I figured I would try to change some things to try to boost my count. Doing or not doing the following things may have resulted in my count of mobile sperm going from about 40 million per ml to 120 million.
Disclaimer: I am not a doctor. I am not suggesting that you do anything you see in this post. I am only posting my results because I feel that they are somewhat extraordinary. Basically, I'm not responsible for your actions.
Here are some things I stopped doing:
Disclaimer: I am not a doctor. I am not suggesting that you do anything you see in this post. I am only posting my results because I feel that they are somewhat extraordinary. Basically, I'm not responsible for your actions.
Here are some things I stopped doing:
- I stopped taking baby aspirins
- I stopped using Rogaine (stop laughing)
- I stopped sitting on my ass so much (especially at work)
- I stopped drinking all liquors (still drank beer occasionally... 3 or 4 a week).
- I did not drink any liquor or beer beginning 7 days before the test.
- Drinking a Vitamin Water everyday.
- Having a cup of black coffee in the morning (Newman's Own organic is my favorite).
- Taking a multivitamin after lunch.
- Drinking a Diet Coke Plus instead of just regular Diet Coke.
- Sleeping on my side with a pillow under one leg (not stuffed in between) so that my boys could breathe.
Monday, December 10, 2007
Afro Samurai: Surprisingly Good
I know, I know... the title made me hesitant too, but I'm glad I got it. Before I explain what I thought was good about it, let me preface by saying I'm not a hardcore anime fan. I've been known to watch them from time to time, but I don't have a huge collection of box sets neatly arranged and displayed in a dark basement corner. No, I'm a normal guy in his late 20's that can "appreciate" the medium.
Ok, the first thing to mention is that Afro Samurai should not be in the hands of anyone younger than 17 (in my opinion). It's over-the-top violent, has a fair amount of "dirty words" (via Sam L. Jackson's unique delivery), and even sports a sex scene. So, don't buy this for your 8 year old nephew. It's rated MA for a reason. If you're cool with all of that, definitely check it out.
Now, you may have wondered if I was serious about the Samuel L. Jackson comment. Well, I was... Sam's voice acting was actually really good, and it made me laugh more than once when he let loose a "mutha f*ckah" as only he can. Aside from Sammy, the other voice acting is top notch. I'd be willing to guess that a good amount of money went into production.
I'll spare you a detailed plot outline. Just know that the main character, who is the #2 killer in the world, is seeking to revenge his father's death who was killed by the #1. An interesting addition to the story is that as #1, you hold a god-like status, and only the #2 may challenge you. However, as the #2, anyone can challenge you. The result is our hero, the #2, is constantly under attack from those who wish to have his status as well as from others who simply wish to stop him from reaching the #1.
Afro Samurai is definitely purchase worthy in my book... even if you're not the typical anime fan.
Ok, the first thing to mention is that Afro Samurai should not be in the hands of anyone younger than 17 (in my opinion). It's over-the-top violent, has a fair amount of "dirty words" (via Sam L. Jackson's unique delivery), and even sports a sex scene. So, don't buy this for your 8 year old nephew. It's rated MA for a reason. If you're cool with all of that, definitely check it out.
Now, you may have wondered if I was serious about the Samuel L. Jackson comment. Well, I was... Sam's voice acting was actually really good, and it made me laugh more than once when he let loose a "mutha f*ckah" as only he can. Aside from Sammy, the other voice acting is top notch. I'd be willing to guess that a good amount of money went into production.
I'll spare you a detailed plot outline. Just know that the main character, who is the #2 killer in the world, is seeking to revenge his father's death who was killed by the #1. An interesting addition to the story is that as #1, you hold a god-like status, and only the #2 may challenge you. However, as the #2, anyone can challenge you. The result is our hero, the #2, is constantly under attack from those who wish to have his status as well as from others who simply wish to stop him from reaching the #1.
Afro Samurai is definitely purchase worthy in my book... even if you're not the typical anime fan.
Sunday, December 9, 2007
Flash Fiction Carnival III
Lots of thanks to Virginia Lee for hosting the Flash Fiction Carnival III. This was my first serious attempt at writing something that I knew other people would read. So far the comments have been nice, which is a huge relief. :)
The theme this go around was "transform." My mind immediately started to think about the obvious stuff... flowers blooming, caterpillars and butterflies... but I wanted to stay away from those ideas and try something more abstract. To my delight, the result was a story that had several transformations!
You can check out my flash fiction by reading the post, A Personal Project. Please, please leave comments! I need to know what I could improve and what I may have actually done right. Thanks for reading!
The theme this go around was "transform." My mind immediately started to think about the obvious stuff... flowers blooming, caterpillars and butterflies... but I wanted to stay away from those ideas and try something more abstract. To my delight, the result was a story that had several transformations!
You can check out my flash fiction by reading the post, A Personal Project. Please, please leave comments! I need to know what I could improve and what I may have actually done right. Thanks for reading!
Friday, December 7, 2007
Schermerhorn Symphony Center
Being an I.T. guy at a place that has a lot of big swanky meetings, I get to check out some pretty cool places around town. This morning I was needed at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center. Once I got the laptop and presentation stuff set up, I went exploring around the building and soon decided that it was one of the coolest places I've been. Oh, and before I get too far into this post, let me apologize for the quality of the images... I snapped them with my phone as I wondered around (click for slightly larger versions).The first thing I noticed was how sound proof the building was. While I was setting things up I noticed that just outside the window there was a huge construction project going on. I'm talking about all the big machinery, trucks coming and going... yeah, I never heard any that. In fact, I would have never known it was there if i hadn't looked out the window. Amazing. I also noticed that all of the doors are about three inches thick and padded so that you won't hear them close.
Another thing to note is that this place is fan-see. Marble floors and accents can be found throughout the building. The main lobby is impressive with its huge white columns surrounding the perimeter. The ceiling is vaulted at a height of about twenty five feet (just a guess on my part). You know what... I'm going to stop there. I'm not doing this place justice with my description. Just hit the link I posted above when you're done reading.The Schermerhorn Symphony Center is named after the late Maestro Kenneth Schermerhorn who led the Nashville Symphony for 22 years.
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Buyer Beware: Kroger Chicken
This isn't something I would typically write about, but I feel like I just have to get it out. The wife and I decided to have a simple meal of chicken strips and fries for dinner last night. We had bought the Kroger brand chicken, which was a first (and last). I will never, ever, ever buy Kroger chicken again.
How in the world does a big, rich company mess up something like chicken strips? Honestly, this was some of the worst tasting stuff I've ever eaten. Seriously, if I had given you a plate of this and told you it was fish, you would believe me. You wouldn't eat it, but you would agree that it is mushy, horrible tasting fish... but its CHICKEN. It tasted like they let some cut up fish and chicken pieces marinate together in their own juices. Disgusting.
So, when buying off-brand stuff at the store, avoid the meats and dairy. Spend the extra $2-3 bucks so you can enjoy your meal. I haven't tried any store brand chicken from a nicer place like Publix, but after this experience, I will be very hesitant to do so.
How in the world does a big, rich company mess up something like chicken strips? Honestly, this was some of the worst tasting stuff I've ever eaten. Seriously, if I had given you a plate of this and told you it was fish, you would believe me. You wouldn't eat it, but you would agree that it is mushy, horrible tasting fish... but its CHICKEN. It tasted like they let some cut up fish and chicken pieces marinate together in their own juices. Disgusting.
So, when buying off-brand stuff at the store, avoid the meats and dairy. Spend the extra $2-3 bucks so you can enjoy your meal. I haven't tried any store brand chicken from a nicer place like Publix, but after this experience, I will be very hesitant to do so.
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Big Businesses Take Note: Nintendo Does it Right!
I've been known to play a video game every now and then... well, ok almost every evening (Rock Band is taking up too much of my time right now). Last November, I was one of the lucky ones who scored a Nintendo Wii. I loved it, everything from the include Wii Sports, to playing Twilight Princess.
A few months later, I was really fortunate to get a nice 46" LCD TV... but it was at that point that I could tell something wasn't quite right. I never noticed it on my standard def TV, but according to a (quite pleasant) lady who worked for Nintendo tech support, I had a case of the frozen pixels! Oh my!
Since my Wii was still under warranty, she lead me through how to set up a repair. I printed out the shipping label, wrote up a brief description of what was going on, and shipped it off. It's now not even 4 weeks later and I have a perfectly performing Wii back in the living room. I couldn't be more pleased with my experience.
So, you can buy Nintendo stuff with confidence. If if something doesn't seem to work right, they'll listen and offer suggestions. If something breaks, they'll fix it. Good job, Nintendo!
A few months later, I was really fortunate to get a nice 46" LCD TV... but it was at that point that I could tell something wasn't quite right. I never noticed it on my standard def TV, but according to a (quite pleasant) lady who worked for Nintendo tech support, I had a case of the frozen pixels! Oh my!
Since my Wii was still under warranty, she lead me through how to set up a repair. I printed out the shipping label, wrote up a brief description of what was going on, and shipped it off. It's now not even 4 weeks later and I have a perfectly performing Wii back in the living room. I couldn't be more pleased with my experience.
So, you can buy Nintendo stuff with confidence. If if something doesn't seem to work right, they'll listen and offer suggestions. If something breaks, they'll fix it. Good job, Nintendo!
Gmail Adds a Splash of Color with New Colored Labels
Well... I guess I've just got Google on the brain. I noticed that Gmail now sports colored labels to help keep things a bit more organized. This is particularly helpful if you find yourself needing to give specific emails extra attention.
You can use labels in more of the traditional sense; you can apply a label to individual emails as you read them or to groups of emails in your inbox. I, however, wanted more of an automated approach. I used gmail filters to automatically apply a particular label as soon as it was received. That way whenever I get an email from any of my good friends, a colorful "Friends" label is placed along side.
A second benefit of using filters to apply the labels for you is that you can know exactly how many unread emails you may have for any particular label. So at a glance I know that there are 3 emails from my friends, 2 from family, and 5 that are (bleh) work related. With this knowledge, I can choose to get the work stuff out of the way or choose to take it easy for a bit and catch up with friends and family.
FYI, the new colored labels feature is only availble for Firefox 2.0 and Internet Explorer 7. And just so the world knows where I stand on the "which browser is better" debate, Firefox is where its at. I've been using it for a couple of years now and never looked back.
You can use labels in more of the traditional sense; you can apply a label to individual emails as you read them or to groups of emails in your inbox. I, however, wanted more of an automated approach. I used gmail filters to automatically apply a particular label as soon as it was received. That way whenever I get an email from any of my good friends, a colorful "Friends" label is placed along side.
A second benefit of using filters to apply the labels for you is that you can know exactly how many unread emails you may have for any particular label. So at a glance I know that there are 3 emails from my friends, 2 from family, and 5 that are (bleh) work related. With this knowledge, I can choose to get the work stuff out of the way or choose to take it easy for a bit and catch up with friends and family.
FYI, the new colored labels feature is only availble for Firefox 2.0 and Internet Explorer 7. And just so the world knows where I stand on the "which browser is better" debate, Firefox is where its at. I've been using it for a couple of years now and never looked back.
Sunday, December 2, 2007
Google Docs is My Friend
The time I've spent trying to craft my own stories has been relatively short, but when I sat down for the first time I knew which tool I'd turn to. Google has a great set of web based tools called Google Docs. I can make text documents, spread sheets, and presentations (think PowerPoint) all through my web browser.
I tend to sit down and write from several different places... usually at home but sometimes during my lunch break at work. The beautiful thing about working on the web (as you bloggers well know) is that it doesn't matter where you're writing from. All of my work is sitting in a centralized place. This also means that I don't have to transfer files back and forth from home and work, which in turn means that I don't have to worry about which copy is most current.
All Google Docs can be exported to a Microsoft compatible file format (.doc, .xls, .ppt) which means that I can do some final editing with Word when I need to. Another great feature is the Word Count feature which not only displays the word counts but also readability measurements. Very handy for when you're writing with a word limit in mind.
Overall, I'm quite happy with using Google Docs. If any of you guys out there have any suggestions or alternatives, please leave a comment!
I tend to sit down and write from several different places... usually at home but sometimes during my lunch break at work. The beautiful thing about working on the web (as you bloggers well know) is that it doesn't matter where you're writing from. All of my work is sitting in a centralized place. This also means that I don't have to transfer files back and forth from home and work, which in turn means that I don't have to worry about which copy is most current.
All Google Docs can be exported to a Microsoft compatible file format (.doc, .xls, .ppt) which means that I can do some final editing with Word when I need to. Another great feature is the Word Count feature which not only displays the word counts but also readability measurements. Very handy for when you're writing with a word limit in mind.
Overall, I'm quite happy with using Google Docs. If any of you guys out there have any suggestions or alternatives, please leave a comment!
Friday, November 30, 2007
A Personal Project
Jack was a likable guy. He got along with almost everyone at work and was known to be easy going, always smiling and courteous. The women at the office adored him and were always making sure he had everything he needed (office supplies, lunch, a date). If Jack needed a favor, someone would almost always gladly oblige. Jack was the nice guy who worked downstairs. Jack was the model employee, getting praise from his superiors as well as the occasional pay raise. Jack had been working at his present job for nearly five years and just like most people had grown comfortable with his work. He knew what was expected of him and all the "in's and out's" of the typical project. Life was sweet.
This morning's drive to work was a bit more congested than usual but nothing to worry about. His boss was usually understanding about these things and that was just another benefit of where he worked. There weren't too many people at the office who got uptight about the little things. His boss, Mr. Cates, may have an inconvenient attention to detail at times, but overall it was a huge improvement compared to his last job. At his last job, Jack had to get up entirely too early and make a boring, long drive in the dark... and once he got there, he would have to sprint -- quite literally -- inside to clock in. The management there kept a close eye on things like that. Clock in, clock out, production sheets, project schedules, etc. This current job was great. He had his own office where he could come and go as he pleased. As long as he could provide Mr. Cates with several innovative robotics designs every so often, Jack had nothing to worry about.
Jack finally made his way up to the company's building. First up a steep incline, around a mild curve to the left, and back down again. The building itself was nestled down into the side of a hill and surrounded by a thick growth of trees. If you were to drive by on the main road, you might notice the building if you really looked. Most people didn't really notice... this was the kind of place that held more than a few valuable secrets; places like these did not need unnecessary attention. So there it sat... not completely out of view but not out in the open. There, but hardly noticeable. Jack slowed down as he approached the gate. After a quick scan, he pulled around and parked his car in the usual spot. After taking a moment to gather his things, he walked inside. He fiddled with his key chain a bit and then unlocked his office door. It was at this point where he usually just set his stuff down and made a quick trip to the coffee machine, but a hand-written letter laying in his chair caught his eye. Jack picked up the letter and recognized the large, messy style of his boss' handwriting.
In a panic, Jack sat down at his desk and typed his password into the prompt on the screen. Access Denied. He typed his password again, hoping he had misspelled it the previous time. Access Denied. Jack didn't notice the footsteps approaching his office until they were practically at his door. Nervous and red in the face, Jack looked up to see three people walk in. It was the entire chain of bosses going all the way up to the top. Mr. Cates walked in first followed by his boss, Mrs. Grimes. Behind Mrs. Grimes was her boss, Mrs. Cutler. Jack adjusted his chair and tried to appear calm.
"I assume you've read my letter," said Mr. Cates. "Surely you understand why you cannot be employed here any longer. I would have never thought that you would work on personal projects while on the clock."
Jack, feeling his face become red hot, cleared his throat and tried to remain composed. "I'm sorry, y-you must be mistaken. I been working on the Kinsler project nonstop for the past two months! I'd be happy to give you a progress report but I've been locked out of my workstation."
Mrs. Cutler shuffled to the front of the trio and sat down in the chair across from Jack's desk. "We cannot allow you to have access to our system any longer, Jack. We know what you've been doing and it ends here. By the way, please understand me when I say that anything done on company time does not belong to you... which is a shame because the designs you've been hiding from us are quite extraordinary. The company is going to make an obscene amount of money and you would have seen a handsome bonus... if you still worked here."
Jack knew exactly what they were talking about. Buried deep inside numerous, widely scattered directories were the contents of his pet project. Jack didn't think anyone would find his work, he had broken up the project in to so many little files that even if someone had found one or two they would mean nothing. How they found the files wasn't important, though. What was important was that they had found them, and were going to keep them for their own gain. Fully understanding now what had to be done, Jack spoke.
"Well, Mrs. Cutler, I suppose there's nothing for me to do but get my files back. Mr. Cates, you will kindly have a seat and log into my workstation." Mr. Cates almost laughed... almost. Before he could do anything at all, he was blinded with pain before falling to the floor with a sickening thump. Mrs. Grimes, content with the blow to the head she had just given Cates, quickly checked the hallway and then shut the office door.
Jack, grinning now and still looking Mrs. Cutler squarely in the eyes said, "Oh... you're right, Mrs. Grimes. How silly of me to think that Cates would have the clearance level to retrieve my project. Mrs. Cutler, would you please give me a hand with this before Mrs. Grimes decides she can find someone else more suitable?"
Mrs. Cutler sat heavily in her chair with her mouth gaping. Her face was white and her head was swaying a bit. Jack thought she was about to faint, but before Mrs. Grimes could take two steps in her direction, Cutler had nearly jumped to the other side of the desk. Jack stood up and motioned for Cutler to have a seat just as countless gentleman have done throughout time. Cutler stared at Jack only briefly as Grimes was making her way over across the room. Cutler initiated the login prompt, and signed in. Just as soon as she logged in, she found her head speeding towards the desk.
Grimes grabbed Cutler's limp arms and drug her over into the middle of the office where Cates lay. Jack sat down and began to scour the company's network looking for his files. Who knew how many they could have found. After nearly ten minutes of looking and a dozen impatient looks from Grimes, Jack gave up. The files must have been moved and deleted from the system. Jack was furious.
Jack stood up and motioned for Mrs. Grimes, "Come on... we'll be caught if we stay much longer." Then, as Jack made his way around his desk something caught his eye. It must have fallen from Cutler's coat pocket. It was glossy black and tipped with silver on both ends. Recognizing the the size and shape of it, Jack picked it up and spun back around to his workstation. Upon plugging it in, he saw that his hunch had paid off. There in front of him was all of his work. A design for the most sophisticated robot the world had ever known... a true brother to man-kind.
Jack looked up and smiled at Mrs. Grimes, who had never looked more attractive, and motioned for the door. The two of them walked to their cars, and drove up the small incline, around the soft curve to the right, and back down the hill.
© 2007
This morning's drive to work was a bit more congested than usual but nothing to worry about. His boss was usually understanding about these things and that was just another benefit of where he worked. There weren't too many people at the office who got uptight about the little things. His boss, Mr. Cates, may have an inconvenient attention to detail at times, but overall it was a huge improvement compared to his last job. At his last job, Jack had to get up entirely too early and make a boring, long drive in the dark... and once he got there, he would have to sprint -- quite literally -- inside to clock in. The management there kept a close eye on things like that. Clock in, clock out, production sheets, project schedules, etc. This current job was great. He had his own office where he could come and go as he pleased. As long as he could provide Mr. Cates with several innovative robotics designs every so often, Jack had nothing to worry about.
Jack finally made his way up to the company's building. First up a steep incline, around a mild curve to the left, and back down again. The building itself was nestled down into the side of a hill and surrounded by a thick growth of trees. If you were to drive by on the main road, you might notice the building if you really looked. Most people didn't really notice... this was the kind of place that held more than a few valuable secrets; places like these did not need unnecessary attention. So there it sat... not completely out of view but not out in the open. There, but hardly noticeable. Jack slowed down as he approached the gate. After a quick scan, he pulled around and parked his car in the usual spot. After taking a moment to gather his things, he walked inside. He fiddled with his key chain a bit and then unlocked his office door. It was at this point where he usually just set his stuff down and made a quick trip to the coffee machine, but a hand-written letter laying in his chair caught his eye. Jack picked up the letter and recognized the large, messy style of his boss' handwriting.
In a panic, Jack sat down at his desk and typed his password into the prompt on the screen. Access Denied. He typed his password again, hoping he had misspelled it the previous time. Access Denied. Jack didn't notice the footsteps approaching his office until they were practically at his door. Nervous and red in the face, Jack looked up to see three people walk in. It was the entire chain of bosses going all the way up to the top. Mr. Cates walked in first followed by his boss, Mrs. Grimes. Behind Mrs. Grimes was her boss, Mrs. Cutler. Jack adjusted his chair and tried to appear calm.
"I assume you've read my letter," said Mr. Cates. "Surely you understand why you cannot be employed here any longer. I would have never thought that you would work on personal projects while on the clock."
Jack, feeling his face become red hot, cleared his throat and tried to remain composed. "I'm sorry, y-you must be mistaken. I been working on the Kinsler project nonstop for the past two months! I'd be happy to give you a progress report but I've been locked out of my workstation."
Mrs. Cutler shuffled to the front of the trio and sat down in the chair across from Jack's desk. "We cannot allow you to have access to our system any longer, Jack. We know what you've been doing and it ends here. By the way, please understand me when I say that anything done on company time does not belong to you... which is a shame because the designs you've been hiding from us are quite extraordinary. The company is going to make an obscene amount of money and you would have seen a handsome bonus... if you still worked here."
Jack knew exactly what they were talking about. Buried deep inside numerous, widely scattered directories were the contents of his pet project. Jack didn't think anyone would find his work, he had broken up the project in to so many little files that even if someone had found one or two they would mean nothing. How they found the files wasn't important, though. What was important was that they had found them, and were going to keep them for their own gain. Fully understanding now what had to be done, Jack spoke.
"Well, Mrs. Cutler, I suppose there's nothing for me to do but get my files back. Mr. Cates, you will kindly have a seat and log into my workstation." Mr. Cates almost laughed... almost. Before he could do anything at all, he was blinded with pain before falling to the floor with a sickening thump. Mrs. Grimes, content with the blow to the head she had just given Cates, quickly checked the hallway and then shut the office door.
Jack, grinning now and still looking Mrs. Cutler squarely in the eyes said, "Oh... you're right, Mrs. Grimes. How silly of me to think that Cates would have the clearance level to retrieve my project. Mrs. Cutler, would you please give me a hand with this before Mrs. Grimes decides she can find someone else more suitable?"
Mrs. Cutler sat heavily in her chair with her mouth gaping. Her face was white and her head was swaying a bit. Jack thought she was about to faint, but before Mrs. Grimes could take two steps in her direction, Cutler had nearly jumped to the other side of the desk. Jack stood up and motioned for Cutler to have a seat just as countless gentleman have done throughout time. Cutler stared at Jack only briefly as Grimes was making her way over across the room. Cutler initiated the login prompt, and signed in. Just as soon as she logged in, she found her head speeding towards the desk.
Grimes grabbed Cutler's limp arms and drug her over into the middle of the office where Cates lay. Jack sat down and began to scour the company's network looking for his files. Who knew how many they could have found. After nearly ten minutes of looking and a dozen impatient looks from Grimes, Jack gave up. The files must have been moved and deleted from the system. Jack was furious.
Jack stood up and motioned for Mrs. Grimes, "Come on... we'll be caught if we stay much longer." Then, as Jack made his way around his desk something caught his eye. It must have fallen from Cutler's coat pocket. It was glossy black and tipped with silver on both ends. Recognizing the the size and shape of it, Jack picked it up and spun back around to his workstation. Upon plugging it in, he saw that his hunch had paid off. There in front of him was all of his work. A design for the most sophisticated robot the world had ever known... a true brother to man-kind.
Jack looked up and smiled at Mrs. Grimes, who had never looked more attractive, and motioned for the door. The two of them walked to their cars, and drove up the small incline, around the soft curve to the right, and back down the hill.
© 2007
Hello World - My First Post
Hello everyone... here's yet another blog out on the innerwebs! You may find the occasional rant out here, but I'm intending to use this blog as a means to post some flash fiction. I've recently become interesting in the idea of writing and I hope that this will be a stepping stone onto a path of writing success.
Please leave comments on anything you see here. I'll need the *friendly* criticism. ;)
Please leave comments on anything you see here. I'll need the *friendly* criticism. ;)
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