Full Metal Lunchbox

I've finaly gotten good at sleeping sitting up at work.  This is not easy, but is necessary if I want to get any nightime shut-eye since there are at least 4 cameras pointed at my desk and plenty of weasels that would enjoy nothing more than turning me in at the first sight of my head down on the desk.

Here are my secrets to sleeping sitting up:

1) Lower your desk chair to lowest possible height
2) Allow chair back to recline
3) Extend legs forward so that knees are bent at less than a 10 degree angle
4) Lean back about 20 degrees, maintaining lower-back center of gravity
5) Focus on the computer monitor in front of you and allow yourself to slowly zone out (be sure to leave something business-related on the screen).

Two nights ago I managed to get an entire hour of deep sleep while sitting straight up, and was only awakened by someone running up behind me yelling, "Raymond, Raymond!"  (It was a moron 1st shift worker confusing me for one of my daytime co-workers.)

Holly Venus

My last stop on my way to work is the 7-11 at the corner of Van Buren and Dearborn.  As the South Loop's only 24-hour establishment, this humble quickie mart attracts every sort of character you might expect.

Go into the light..

Here comes the train at last.  I suspect that the passengers and crew of my lost connecting train were among the 4400 kidnapped by aliens and then mysteriously returned for a second season.

11:32PM - on the platform at 63rd street with other confused passengers.

11:20PM - Metra conductor tries to figure out where my connecting train ended up.  One would think it would be hard for a train to get lost, but I guess it happens.

I figured out how to post to my blog directly from my cameraphone.  This blurry snapshot of my mom and Justyna was taken earlier this evening in my mom's back yard after sunset.

The picture is unrecognisably blurry due to the low light as well as the crappiness of my cameraphone.  But doesn't it look enchanting?

My mom's garden is better than ever this year--even compared to last year when she was featured in the Oak Park-River Forest Garden Walk.

Justyna's blog is available, as always, at http://pugpaw.com/Justyna

Just got home from a night on the town with fellow classmates, courtesy of Hyland Software, makers of OnBase: America's favorite workflow/document management software package.

First stop was the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.


We were given two hours, but for me it was nowhere near enough time. The exhibits were wonderfully engaging and I could have easily stayed until closing. But it was time for dinner and beer. I managed to hop back on the tour bus just as it was about to pull out.

Now it was time for Rock Bottom Brewery.


I'm going to keep the description short because I am a little drunk and full and tired and the bus ride back was excrutiatingly long because the driver kept making wrong turns.

Beer = good. I had some kind of pale ale with a lemon in it and then a dark porter.

Steak = good. "Texas Fire" steak with spicy rub topped with jalepeno butter.

I would post food photos, like Shea does on his blog, but all I had with me was my crappy camera phone and it just didn't work out.

For desert I ordered the largest slice of carrot cake I had ever seen. It's actually made with "a whisper of" beer, and they also make their own caramel sauce. I tried to get my comrades to share with me, but they just laughed. Didn't even finish half of it. So I guess I'll be having steak & cake for breakfast tomorrow.

Good night, dear readers.

I just took the Country Quiz at the Blue Pyramid and here is how I did:

You're Thailand!

Calmer and more staunchly independent than almost all those around you, you have a long history of rising above adversity.  Recent adversity has led to questions about your sexual promiscuity and the threat of disease, but you still manage to attract a number of tourists and admirers. nbsp;And despite any setbacks, you can really cook a good meal whenever it's called for.  Good enough to make people cry.
Take the Country Quiz at the Blue Pyramid

I'm posting from my hotel room at the Residence Inn by Mariott in Westlake, Ohio. Here's a picture:


I'm here this week to learn about OnBase, America's favorite document/workflow management modular software package.  I say they are America's favorite because of how nice they've been to me in exchange for my company spending oodles to send me here. 

Just look at the goody bag they left for me at check-in waiting for me when I got here last night:


My class is being held at the headquarters for Hyland Software here in Westlake, located about a dozen or miles from anywhere vaguely interesting (Cleveland).  The first day of instruction was nice, especially once the caffein kicked in, and I'm already looking forward to day 2.

The office facility for Hyland itself is pretty cool.  Check out the big slide outside the cafeteria:


I enjoyed the free lunch and free dinner at a nice Italian place, where I had way too much extra dry Chianti.

The end of my day was almost ruined when I saw that the hotel hot tub was closed, but then my classmate Eugene gave me a lift to Bally's.  I probably shouldn't have exercised in my state (the state of tipsiness) but after going in and out of the pool, spa, steam room, and sauna I felt like a million bucks.  I'm going to go back again tomorrow morning when I'm fully sober, and I'm hoping all that activity will keep me awake in class throughout the day--especially if the Mountain Dew isn't enough.

Tomorrow night they're taking us to some kind of steak house, and I'll try to resist drinking too much (even if it is on someone else's dime).  I just have to get through a day learning about volumes and file groups and goodness knows what else.

Good night.

Is this not the best photo?  Seeing this Hummer kept off the road sure brightened up my morning.

Polapalooza was a lot of fun.

The show was held at the Congress Theatre.  Attendance was sparse, and my friend Jared's band Poorvision didn't go on until 6 hours late, but it all worked out and we had a good time.

Here's a picture of Jared belting out a song:




After the show Justyna and I met up with Jim and Kelly Ann for dancing and Old Style beer on their back porch.



It was full weekend.  Hopefully I'll be able to stay awake at work tonight.

It's Saturday morning, but rather than stay snuggly in bed I got up at 5:30AM to come into work today.  Not that I'm bitter.

I'm posting this blog entry to procrastinate just a bit longer before I finaly give in to studying.



          Separated at Birth:

Dave Kamper	environmental writer Bill McKibben

And have you ever seen the two of them in the same room together?

Look for me and Justyna this Saturday night at Polapalooza at the Congress Theatre.


We'll be hoisting plenty of Polish and Czech beer waiting for our friend Jared and his band Poorvision. Come out and join us!