My true love sent to me..........
A Google Message with the following text:
"You can google for words like "embarbuttment" for other examples..
Or http://www.google.co.nz/search?q=buttumption&btnG=Search&hl=en ho ho :-)"
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Monday, February 25, 2008
Changes.
I'm feeling very transitional right now. Macca the cat is still in her settling in phase, I've just accepted a new job ... even the weather is beginning to turn.
Macca. She's the most assertively friendly cat I've ever met. She's toned it down a little from her first couple of days, when I expect she was partly smooching out of nerves and a desire to bond, but she's still very friendly, and the only cat I know who would plead to be allowed in to a room full of noisy visitors. She's had a cold this week and is still sneezing, but the frequency seems to be dropping off, and it hasn't stopped her eating or made her depressed her or anything. She's started going outside for short periods under supervision - she loses a lot of her street-wise cool when she goes out, being particularly wary of cars driving by, but also unsure of the strange spaces and the more random air movements. Her main exception was on Saturday, when she found a way into the reserve out the back that I didn't know about and we did some unplanned bush bashing. Macca thinks that Trees Are Cool, and will likely be going out that way a lot as soon as I trust her not to get lost. (We ended up going through one of the neighbour's gardens and coming back by the road because I'd had to cross some awfully steep ground while I was trying to catch up with her, which I wasn't going to attempt with a cat in my arms.)
The Job. It's at FirstLightERA and the position title is Information Taxonomist. (Because obscure job titles is where it's at. ;-)) As I understood things from the job interview, they provide an editorial related advertising service to specialist web magazines. This means that someone reading an article in, I dunno, Plumber's Weekly, would see ads on that page that are very specifically relevant to that article, much more relevant than an automated keyword matching service would provide. The team I'm being hired for goes through each publication and makes a taxonomy tree of what sorts of information are presented, so that each individual article can be tagged correctly. Theoretically, the readers win, because the ads can be less obtrusive and will be more relevant to them, and the advertisers and web magazines win, because their ads are more effective per pixel. Anyway, I get a call in about twenty minutes to discuss things like when I start. Fingers crossed etc.
What isn't transitional is my relationship with Repton, which is about to reach it's 2nd anniversary. This is very cool, except for the annoying part of my back brain which likes to poke me when it thinks I might be getting comfortable with something. Stupid back brain. (Sorry, Repton, I'm going through a neurotic phase.)
EDIT: Just had the phone call, I start next Monday.
EDIT2: And in news of the other person going through a big transition right now, I've heard from Fraser's new flatmate that he arrived safely in Auckland, unloaded his gear and is on his way back to return the van.
Macca. She's the most assertively friendly cat I've ever met. She's toned it down a little from her first couple of days, when I expect she was partly smooching out of nerves and a desire to bond, but she's still very friendly, and the only cat I know who would plead to be allowed in to a room full of noisy visitors. She's had a cold this week and is still sneezing, but the frequency seems to be dropping off, and it hasn't stopped her eating or made her depressed her or anything. She's started going outside for short periods under supervision - she loses a lot of her street-wise cool when she goes out, being particularly wary of cars driving by, but also unsure of the strange spaces and the more random air movements. Her main exception was on Saturday, when she found a way into the reserve out the back that I didn't know about and we did some unplanned bush bashing. Macca thinks that Trees Are Cool, and will likely be going out that way a lot as soon as I trust her not to get lost. (We ended up going through one of the neighbour's gardens and coming back by the road because I'd had to cross some awfully steep ground while I was trying to catch up with her, which I wasn't going to attempt with a cat in my arms.)
The Job. It's at FirstLightERA and the position title is Information Taxonomist. (Because obscure job titles is where it's at. ;-)) As I understood things from the job interview, they provide an editorial related advertising service to specialist web magazines. This means that someone reading an article in, I dunno, Plumber's Weekly, would see ads on that page that are very specifically relevant to that article, much more relevant than an automated keyword matching service would provide. The team I'm being hired for goes through each publication and makes a taxonomy tree of what sorts of information are presented, so that each individual article can be tagged correctly. Theoretically, the readers win, because the ads can be less obtrusive and will be more relevant to them, and the advertisers and web magazines win, because their ads are more effective per pixel. Anyway, I get a call in about twenty minutes to discuss things like when I start. Fingers crossed etc.
What isn't transitional is my relationship with Repton, which is about to reach it's 2nd anniversary. This is very cool, except for the annoying part of my back brain which likes to poke me when it thinks I might be getting comfortable with something. Stupid back brain. (Sorry, Repton, I'm going through a neurotic phase.)
EDIT: Just had the phone call, I start next Monday.
EDIT2: And in news of the other person going through a big transition right now, I've heard from Fraser's new flatmate that he arrived safely in Auckland, unloaded his gear and is on his way back to return the van.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Round the Bays
This morning I ran the Round the Bays fun run in ~49 minutes (yes, I managed to run the whole way, excepting about 10 metres when I was having my halfway drink.) I'm glad I did it, although unfortunately I've pulled some ligaments in one foot and am hobbling about putting ice on it and so forth. There was a physio at Kilbirnie Park who looked at it and said it would be fine in a couple of days, though. Also saw my aunt Barbara in the park, and she's looking well. She had news about one of my cousins who has just had a baby after 96 hours of labour. Just ... ow.
Macca is doing well, she's wandering around the main part of the house exploring, sneezing and saying "Myeh" a lot, with intermittent lounging on the couch being made much of.
EDIT: The times have now been published. I actually ran the course in 46.01 minutes, from start line to finish line, and was placed 2837th. (It was 6.6km, giving me an average running speed of 8.6 km/hr.)
Macca is doing well, she's wandering around the main part of the house exploring, sneezing and saying "Myeh" a lot, with intermittent lounging on the couch being made much of.
EDIT: The times have now been published. I actually ran the course in 46.01 minutes, from start line to finish line, and was placed 2837th. (It was 6.6km, giving me an average running speed of 8.6 km/hr.)
Saturday, February 16, 2008
On Cats
I can remember reading a series of books by C. J. Cherryh about a family of sort of humanoid cats who travelled about their region of space trading. It became a running gag in the books that they'd be forced to deal with an incomprehensible alien (and once a male of their own species) and end up by locking them in the bathroom for want of anywhere else to put them. In a reversal of that running gag, I now have a prisoner of my own locked in the bathroom. Her name is Macca, and she is a 7 year old tabby.
We've only just got back from the SPCA and she's still upset, but coping a lot better than she could be. Photos to follow when she's more settled in.
We've only just got back from the SPCA and she's still upset, but coping a lot better than she could be. Photos to follow when she's more settled in.
Friday, February 08, 2008
Wot I Did Today.
In fact, today, I went to Waikanae to visit my Gran, along with Mum who'd come from the other direction. It turned out really nice, although I confess to a certain amount of sleep-short grumpiness this morning when the bus was late and I missed the train connection. Hence, I have walked on the beach, eaten a hot cross bun, listened to some truly hair raising childhood anecdotes from my ancestresses and been plied with money and food.
In other news, I have a job interview on Wednesday for the position of Information Taxonomist, which definitely scores style points for unusual job title. Fingers crossed etc.
In other news, I have a job interview on Wednesday for the position of Information Taxonomist, which definitely scores style points for unusual job title. Fingers crossed etc.
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