New books have a distinctive smell. Paperbacks, especially. There’s the paper smell. Sometimes there’s little paper particles from when the paper’s cut. It’s an earthy smell. Then there’s the ink smell. It’s a tangy smell. Sharp. Even a little metallic. Then there’s the binding smell. Nothing smells like fresh glue. Yesterday was a great dayContinue reading “On the Smell of Ink”
Category Archives: Work
On Word Macros
I’ve written my first Microsoft Word macro since, let me think, 1999. I’ve recorded macros to do repetitive tasks, but for work I needed something a little more… robust. Yeah, robust. That’s a good word. Robust. Wait. What was I saying? Oh, yes. There’s a process I have to run once a month. I ranContinue reading “On Word Macros”
On Retail Musings
Yesterday afternoon I went out and had my head shorn. I needed it. At thirty-three I have very little hair on the top, and what I have on the sides and back grows long, shaggy, and ridiculously curly. Also, I have a lot of grey; I started turning grey at sixteen. So, I handle myContinue reading “On Retail Musings”
On Trade Shows and Booth Babes
My sister came to town. She had a trade show downtown to attend, and she asked me to tag along which was, in the final analysis, very probably a good thing as my sister’s sense of direction is not that good. So I went to a trade show this morning for framers and such. JustContinue reading “On Trade Shows and Booth Babes”
On the Perils of PowerPoint
I can’t tell you how many presentations I’ve been to over the years–at work and elsewhere–that have been delivered via PowerPoint. Usually, when EB Games rolled out a new program, managers would come and watch/listen to a PowerPoint presentation for an hour or two. And while I’d be with it completely for the first fiveContinue reading “On the Perils of PowerPoint”
On Cubicle Fun
I work in a cubicle. I work for an HMO in their corporate office. I proof database data eight hours a day. Joy. Six feet away from, through a cube wall and across an aisle is the Appeals Department. If there’s anything that convinces me there’s a health care problem in this country, it’s listeningContinue reading “On Cubicle Fun”
On Falling Snow
Today’s weather forecast called for light rain showers in the evening. I was looking forward to that–the car could use a bath, after the snow and salt of last week’s snowfall. When I left work the wind was blowing lightly from the north and west, and dark clouds hugged the horizon. I frowned–north and westContinue reading “On Falling Snow”
On This and That
I’ve had something on my mind for a few days, and I wanted to air it. At work this week (well, really the last three or so) I’ve been going through databases and checking the data contained therein against other databases. And I’ve noticed something, and I wanted to ask. When was it okay toContinue reading “On This and That”
On Today's Necktie
Today’s necktie is a Christmas necktie. It is a Winnie-the-Pooh necktie. It is a Classic Pooh necktie, an E.H. Sheppard Pooh, not the Disney Pooh. I feel spiffy. I feel tres chic. The tie looks tres cool. Why am I using a French adjective? Winnie-the-Pooh and Christmas. A winning combination. 🙂
On Work Fun
Sometimes, I have just too much fun. At work I’m following a workflow document to see if it actually, y’know, works and proofing it along the way. To work through the steps in the document I’ve had to create Medicare plan members I can play around with, enroll in plans, sign up with doctors, callContinue reading “On Work Fun”