Kool Thing.

I solved a couple troubling/complicated issues yesterday. As an IT consultant/contractor this is, of course, what I do and what I'm paid for. However, problems are not always easy to solve and sometimes things don't always go as planned. After an hour of zero progress, I've identified my stages of failure as I perceive them:

• There's got to be a way to solve this.
• I can't believe I'm having this much trouble solving this.
• They know they're paying me by the hour, right?
• Google it.
• Call an associate (phone a friend).
• Bring my netbook in and set it up, if only to give the illusion that I'm escalating my efforts and not that I still have no fucking clue.
• Google it again; change some words around or something.
• Go out to the car, turn up the music, and yell "fuck" loudly. Unless I'm working at a church.
• Tell customer that I have to get more tools out of my truck. Disappear inexplicably.
• If the customer isn't nearby, quietly ease out of the nearest fire escape.

As I write this I'm sitting in the home office eating some home made pizza for breakfast and packing the rest for lunch. Sonic Youth (pictured above, for those of you that aren't as wildly hip as I am) is on the iTunes. I have an office anniversary party this afternoon. Short day, it would seem. Also, someone I knew in high school apparently died last night in a car accident. I didn't know her that well, although we were Facebook friends. I can't stand how people take other people's deaths and make it into a "look at me and how I'm mourning" opportunity.

People are such attention whores.

She was driving her truck and reached for something in the glove box, lost control of the vehicle, and rolled it. Her three children were wearing their seatbelts and survived. The woman, Kim Yost, was not wearing her seatbelt, was thrown from the vehicle and killed.

Wear your seatbelt.

I'd say my life has been saved at least twice by my wearing my seatbelt. I've never had an airbag deploy on me. Strictly crumple zones and nylon belts have stood between me and permanent disfiguration. Or permanent death. I've been in a temporary death for about eight years.

It's sad regardless of personal safety hindsight. Check out Kim Yost's last Facebook post (from just six days ago):

Just wanna state for the record, my oldest Aryal moved back in with me last sunday!!! Relized daddy's a D#$% the hard way. Turned him in for child abuse 2 sundays ago on the 2 youngest, then last sunday on my oldest! I have poggressively gotten angrier over the last 6 months, found out it was cause my "flock" was split!

Apparently she had finally gotten custody of all three of her children (who were in the truck at the time of the accident). Other posts from other people suggest that she was in school and her life was looking up for a change.

Wear your seatbelt.

Shit, it's 9am. I have to get to work.
goochout.