Bad Work Day

Well this week is not off to the greatest start. My first project is delayed and the buyer is calling and chewing my ass out. So I go to the CEO and ask where we are in the instillation because that part is separate from my office and he goes berserk and screams and rants for a good 15 minutes about the client being "pushy". Personally if I had wrote a check for 200k and hadn't seen any progress for 2 months I would be pushy as well but I can't really go tell my client that so I've spent the better half of the morning getting in on both ends so to speak.

Is it Friday yet?

Everybody is workin' for the Weekend

Including me. So far my day has consisted of a phone call to the Netherlands and trying to understand the Dutch accented English of Mr. Maurik. Then a phone call to Peru where my fragmented Spanish didn't seem to iron out the details of a turbine project and finally a email I received from a guy in Greece which read "I am 3 wind turbines" in response to my question of "Which size of turbine do you need?"

Sometimes I really wish we could all speak in binary.

But serioulsy folks...

Normally I like to keep things light and breezy if we aren't talking about the Hurricane Shitstorm that was my marriage, BUT today a real storm, Hurricane Omar is going to hit the island of St. Kitt's where my two best friends (the two pictured) who somehow decided to rub uglies together for life are currently living. So here is hoping the damage is minimal and Joe, Heather and I can get back to drinking Chicago's finest hops sometime soon. 

Mid Afternoon Data Entry Blues

After I eat my lunch today I have an afternoon chock full busy of work. For my job that means I'm going to take numbers from clients electric bills enter them into my work computer program. Then I'm going to go over wind charts for various locals around the globe and enter those as well. Then I will see which turbine matches the production needs vs budget constraints and make my recommendation. At which point the client will look at the price tag, balk and decide to wait.

Sigh.

New Decemberists

One of my favorite bands The Decemberists have released a new song as they prepare to release their first CD in 2 years. You can check out it out here.

Random Thought

We ran out of toilet paper today at work and that made me remember something very important for future travelers.  Are you ready for this shocking insight? No? Take a seat and prepare yourself.

SOUTH AMERICA HAS THE WORST TOILET PAPER EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

I'm serious, the tp down there isn't even half ply. It's worse than sandpaper. Admittedly, I place a strange importance on the softness of the paper I use to wipe my undercarriage with but I figure you need to pamper the parts of you that you don't want to piss off. That's why I'm more than willing to stub the shit out of my little toe but very reluctant to let things poke my eyeball. Anyways, Jujuy Argentina is a brillant beautiful place but the paper down there is an affront to backsides everywhere. And the problem isn't just limited to Argentina, both Chile and Bolivia had toilet paper so rough that it made me cry and wish for the sweet feel of freedom paper on my ass. 

So in summation- Latin America = Awesome place to visit or live

                                Toilet Paper in said local= Well, just bring your own supply, who cares if immigration gives you a weird look as you pass through customs.

Reviewing Narrow Stairs

From time to time I'm going to post stuff about shows, movies or albums I like. Today I will talk about the album that has been near the top of my iPod shuffle for awhile now. Death Cab for Cutie's Narrow Stairs is their latest record and in my opinion the most diverse and complete to date. The sound of the record is a big departure from Transatlaticism or even 2005's Plans. Up to this point the band has been more into synth as less traditional modes of delivery. Narrow Stairs sees Death Cab start to explore a more "rock" centric sound.

Right from the intro song "Bixby Canyon Bridge" we can tell this is a different approach from the band. "Bixby" is one of my favorite tracks on the record and immediately sets a tone that will be carried throughout the album. Gibbard's voice has never been overpowering but he has knack for letting it filter in between the rest of the band's sound that blends everything together. The distortion from the guitars on this while Gibbard sings about journeying to the grave of Jack Kerouac is an example of the blend I mentioned above.

The second track was the first single and was the song that let die hard fans and new converts alike know this album was a very different Death Cab. "I will Posses your Heart" clocks in at over 8 minutes long and sounds NOTHING like what they had done in the past. I really loved this song when it was out as the single and a few months later it's still a song I will skip to.

Other track's that standout include- Cath, You can do better than me and the song that best fits my relationship status "The Ice is Getting Thinner". If you have gone through a relationship of any real length, and I'm talking year(s) people that went through the inevitable periods of compromise, settling and slow decay then you can relate to that song in a big way. The way the song starts out caught my attention right away

We're not the same, dear, as we used to be The seasons have changed and so have we There was little we could say and even less that we could do To stop the ice from getting thinner under me and you

Not to get too emo (that was so 5 years ago for me) but that sums up what can happen between two people who have been together for awhile pretty well.

The best song on the record for me is "Grapevine Fires" which is just another perfectly haunting love song from a band that has already produced several. Gibbard describes the wildfires in California from two years back and the band's musical arrangement behind his soft yet powerful vocals makes for a fantastic mellow song on an album featuring a more distorted sound.

The only throwaway track is "Talking Bird", usually there is 1 or 2 songs on a Death Cab album that don't do it for me and Narrow Stairs is no exception. However, this was the first CD from them where I really got into the other tracks so pressing skip 1 time isn't that big of a burden for me.



So there you have it some random guy's opinion on Narrow Stairs. I think next post will be over the Chicago trip (with pics!) and then a review of 30 Rock where I list the many reasons why I love that show to death.