Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Holiday Rescue Mission: Mug-Planter

T'was the morning of Christmas when my sister did receive, a planter disguised as a mug...from someone other than me.

Healthy Mug-Planter

Not one night later we heard a yelp, as young Bini left her planter in need of help.

Busted Mug-Planter

Quick to the scene, we all inquired: "How did this happen? What transpired?"

Disappointment

Wearing a disappointed look on her face, she pointed to the floor of the place.

Antagonist

An ill-placed boot was the culprit in fact, as our protagonist smiled and reassuringly leaned back.

The Protagonist

"This is a job for my trusty sidekick!" he exclaimed. Then out from the toolbox came the super-glue, well-acclaimed.

Irreplacable Sidekick

Twelve minutes later the planter was intact, with nary a sign of its former cracks.

Resolution

Last but not least were the characters' smiles, which could be seen all the way from the British Isles.

Success!

Happy holidays everyone!

Fun Fact My sister's name is Lindsey, but we're nicknamers. As such, she's gone by several variations of the name in previous years. A brief peak at the evolution:

  1. Lindsey
  2. Linds
  3. Linds-Binds
  4. Bini

Monday, December 27, 2010

Weekending: The Plan

To work in IT consulting is to travel. Depending on both perspective and the structure of one's life, this can exist anywhere on the spectrum from deal-breaker to unbelievable benefit. Fortuitously enough, I'm loving the travel.

It's for this reason a plan came to me during the middle of a November night. I sprang up from my comfortable hotel bed and grabbed the nearest lightbulb — it illuminated immediately, letting me know the significance of said idea.

100-365 Bright Idea For Shot 100 100-365 Bright Idea For Shot 100 by bcymet on Flickr

The idea was a simple one: embrace the layover. It met all of my criteria:

  • Monday-Thursday in Los Angeles
  • Friday in Chicago, the Miami of Canada
  • Weekends in alternate locations

In early December the idea was implemented:

TimeAction
Thursday, 11:15pm PDTDepart LAX
Friday, 6:00am CDTArrive ORD
Friday, 12:00am CDTArrive at Office
Friday, 8:00pm CDTDepart ORD
Friday, eveningArrive somewhere
Sunday, 8:00pm CDTDepart somewhere
Sunday, eveningArrive LAX

Needless to say, a very busy Friday was in the works...but where would it end?

Note I still haven't migrated to the compact fluorescent idea bulb, because it takes too long to illuminate.
Fun Fact The blue used in the table above is Lake Michigan Blue.