Random thoughts and links, part 103

Time has been passing but I haven't been writing. Looks like that snipe of a Muse has abondoned me again.

In the meantime I've been keeping very busy... read several books, done some socializing with pals, getting feedback and ideas for this year's haunted house from some really great people... and suriving at work.

There's been good times and not so good times. For a brief period there it got real ugly. But after a meeting was called, opinions and disagreements aired, the dust seems to have settled and things are kinda getting back to normal.

Kinda... but not really. We've experienced a mass exodus recently at the workplace: one retirement, one marriage and move and two quitters... one of whom was Barb. THAT was a relief to many. The stress level has dropped dramatically in our little department.

But the other quitter was a shocker; a sales guy who had been with us for 20 years just upped and bolted. Apparently, he had been selling for ANOTHER company for a couple of weeks before it was DISCOVERED he was planning on quitting.

How was it discovered, you ask? When one of his customers calls and says, "Well, since Bob Jones isn't with your company any more, who's gonna be my new sales rep?"

Yeah, that went over nice. Next day he's just gone. No explanation, no farewell. Just a lot of unanswered questions.

In the meantime we've had this flurry of new people bouncing all over the office, filling the vacancies; three new sales slugs and one pre-press guy to fill Barb's old spot.

What's making it very strange is that 3 of these 4 new guys are young, like early 20s young. I used to be the 'baby' (at a spring-chicken age of 36) at work but now I'm one of the 'old people.'

Gawd, did I just type that? Fuck, I'm old.

It's been really strange talking with and training these 'kids.' All of our conversations, our music choices, our jokes and pop culture references are alien to them. Our new pre-press guy graduated high school in 2002. Good gravy, I graduated high school in 88. Last fucking century!

Oh shit, I need a drink...

Oh, well... links!

As weird as this sounds, I betchya it's damn good... it's BACON!

The best in lolcats... don't panic, they'll be back soon.

Damn, dat cat can play... and the kid's head has good accoustics.

Fun with ascii... and you just know I like the 'sblood.'

Now that tax season is over, I'm sure you have a lot of paper to get rid of... and this uses no electricity.

Hey der Jim Bob, I knows wut to git da kids fer Critmus dis year... an it's good job trainin'.