Yelling with the Boss
The last clear memory I have of my school-year jobs was the VP yelling at my manager, red-faced, outside his office, right out in the middle of the hallway. The job, at this now-defunct manufacturer of centrifuges, for me started as a co-op job in college, while I was studying electrical engineering. They hired me […]
And a Stolen Laptop Later…
This story definitely goes into the “Sometimes God just takes care of you” category. Last Tuesday, I walked out of the Chelmsford Public Library, after working there on my computer that morning, to where my car was parked, and I saw this: And a jolt zapped through my gut. Who the hell did that to […]
How I Totaled My Favorite Car
On the morning of December 8, 2010, I passed two—not just one but two—accidents on the highway. Usually, there aren’t any. But that day, one of them closed down the entire highway. And I was one of the first batch of drivers to get caught in the resulting traffic jam, even before news of the […]
Accidents Will Happen: Picking Up and Moving On with Integrity
When I wrote this piece, I was not sure I was ready to talk about it. I had not even told the story to my Beloved yet. But, I thought, maybe writing about it would make it easier. That was over 5 months ago. Since then, I’ve told my Beloved part of the story, but […]
Depression and the Software Developer: Smiling in the Piss Pot
Developing software is supposed to be one of the best jobs available, because it uses creativity, and it requires professional independence. And those software jobs are out there. But some of us are not currently working one of those jobs. In early 2009, I wrote a post entitled “7 Best Things About Being a Consulting […]
A Crazy Cat Story
When my Beloved and I went over to our friends’ apartment to pick up Tessie-cat (then only a Tessie-kitten) in early 1994, we found her cowering behind a couch. Now, over 18 years later, she still loves couches, but now mostly as a place to sleep, all day, every day. Those of us who are […]
The Man With the Scary Scissors
I think this is the last Dave Ramsey story I’ll tell for a little while. (Or at least the last big one.) But I have to at least tell this one, because I’ve already told it to several friends, several times, and it’s turned out to be a hoot. Dave Ramsey is famous for cutting […]
Budgeting is a Love Thang
According to Dave Ramsey, money arguments are the number-one cause of marital strife. Now, I’m not sure where he got that factoid. And I don’t actually know whether it’s true, because marriages—as all relationships—are more complex and nuanced than a single cause. Regardless, it is surely true that money arguments are a leading factor in […]
Twitter vs. the HMO
Posted on Twitter: Sorry for the delay in replies: BP emergency & wrestling with BCBSMA’s Rx system. Making progress tho, and BP under control thx to CVS. My blood pressure had peaked at 158/103. Yes, you read that correctly. I had run out of medication at just about the time my HMO asked me to […]
Accident (and a cute Jewish joke)
Had you seen me a week ago Tuesday morning, you might have thought I had peed my pants, because I had an accident. The kind of accident that involves a car. And bottled water. I was driving down the highway, when I decided to open my bottle. Stupid, yeah, I know. But My Firstborn was […]