March 7

I only recently started to work for this company called Lawson Software, which has very kindly provided a much bigger workstation than the cubicle I squiggled around at Trend Micro. Anyway. This new situation allows for the possibility of blogging on my spare time, without the fear of some creep quietly breathing down my neck.

Okay. Before I'm misjudged as a bum blogging on her second week at work, read my stuff. They're going to be all about workstuff. So many things are happening to me lately I'm going to look at this blog as my pensieve.

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Arbortext training today. It was my first ever encounter with XML. My initial impression with the software: cool but slow. I thought something was wrong with my trainer's machine, but Merl explained it's because we have to access a remote desktop to run the application. Her remote desktop is apparently a laptop in Minnesota that's just open all the time, and which nobody ever touches. It took a while for me to wrap my mind around that. She's got a what in where now? After the training she gave me some exercises which I can start working on when the Minnesota people are finished setting up my own...laptop. I know it sounds like a stretch, but its actually true! It also means that when somebody asks if I have a laptop, it's not entirely false to say yes. I can even use the phrase, "Right now it's in Minneapolis." How cool is that!

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I finally brought lunch to work--my ever-dependable spaghetti. Moira joked I didn't bring enough to feed all of them. Then Noemi bought a dozen mangoes from Jun-Vic. He's the guy who washes the dishes in the pantry. For purposes of ease I'm naming him the "dishwasher guy". After a not-too-subtle hint from Owey, he washed some so we could eat it. I would have to say it's the first time I ever ate fresh mangoes at work. Ain't bonding the greatest?

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Had the first of two Eclipse trainings with JJ. I notice it takes him a really, really, really long time to get to the point when you ask him a question. I'm usually the type to just keep asking when something is unclear, but this time I had to hold myself back. For my own sake. Anyway, there were some things we needed to clear up with the Swedish people, so Moira called up Asa (pronounced "Osa") Backstrom and patched us. She sounded like a nice lady. Before hanging up she welcomed me to the team. I was startled because Moira didn't even introduce me as a new member (I guess they're really going to be my BBFs soon). I think I said something unoriginal like, "Oh, thank you very much." Dork.

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Tomas Bondeson, the guy who trained me on Lotus Notes database, bid farewell. He's going back to Sweden tomorrow morning with no definite date of return. After his infamous experience with balut I don't think he'll be in a hurry to come back here.

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After a password reset by a slightly pissed IT helpdesk guy (three years in an IT industry and I couldn't follow machine instructions correctly), I was able to access my voice mail today. Since I was a first-time user I also had to record an outgoing mesage right then and there. Sometime in the near future (as soon as I figure out how), I'm going to have to replace that message because when I heard myself I had to cringe upon hearing my cheerleader voice (Ready? Ok-ay!). I have to sound more professional, dammit!

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I haven't so much as heard the word "grey" since I came to this office but I watched American Idol in the office pantry. After two million years I finally came to see what the fuss was about. I watched it from start to finish with JJ. Omigod that show is for lost souls on the path to loserdom. I can't be addicted. I can't be addicted (I really like that Tisha girl).