Not much happens in my life

6/25/06

Well, back on the job market and trying to find a new position as a network / systems administrator.

7/1/05

I've also started a new job working in another datacenter. I love it! I'm working as a super talented engineer again, which is right up where I want to be - though I hope I can eventually do more administrative duties - tech sales and whatnot. Plus, I can click all those "NSFW" links at work and not get in trouble.

It also appears that when searching google for "john glass" my page is displayed as number 7. That's quite a change from the former 75th or so spot I previously occupied.

6/5/05

So, my roommate's mother finally went home to China. When she first arrived back in November, I thought she might stay forever - now I wish she would! While she has been here I have learned a great deal about people in general - especially old Chinese mothers, which could come in very handy sometime. I also have new respect for the housewife. My roommate's mother comes from a poor family I have been told. She grew up with the "women are inferior" complex where her life was solely to serve a good boy, have a bunch of boy kids, and cook them really good food. Well I don't know about the first one and she did birth my roommate (who is a girl) but she certainly succeeded with the last purpose. She cooks the second most excellent Chinese food I've ever had. I have never been a fan of the stuff - only liking "dry" sesame chicken and sweet&sour pork with fried rice - but everything she cooks is radically different. I think there has only been one item she made which I did not profusely enjoy. In fact, as wonderful of a cook as I am, I never learned to make soup until I watched her. Before, I would make a stew concoction thick with potatos and vegetables, but little broth. She taught me to make the light flavorful soups with egg, noodles, vegetables, and mushrooms, covered in gallons of delicious light broth.

Other things she has done for me over the last 6 months which I must again do myself:

• Dishes - I hate doing dishes, and she has been washing them for me
• Laundry - I'll wash it, and she likes to come into my room, remove it from the dryer, and fold it for me. She doesn't use the washer (washes everything by hand in the bathtub) or dryer (hangs everything outside)
• Cooking - I used to eat large amounts of sandwiches, but she convinced me to eat whatever stuff she made. It was always good and I gained lots of weight.
• Watch the house - I'll also miss having someone to come home to say hello or babble incomprehensible Mandarin or Cantonese or Shanghi-ese at me.
• Clean the house - She loves to clean - kitchen, living room, roommate's room, bathroom, porch, garage, etc.

It is worth noting that I never asked her to do any of this stuff. We could communicate only by a few short words (chicken, lobster, crab, hello, goodbye, China) and a series of hand gestures. When I tried to do my own chores, she would take over and throw me out of the kitchen.

5/5/05

So I've been working my arse off at work - now instead of ISP or Systems Administration, I do technical support for VIP customers at a local computer manufacturer. My current manager is quite possibly the best manager I have worked with in the last 10 years. I have had previous managers who definitely work hard, but none who consistantly work as hard and as often as he does, nor have I seen any company rely on one manager as much as this company relies upon him. Props to my boss!