10/26/98
Long time since I updated. I've been lazy, um I mean busy.A few months ago, during my morning commute, I went past a spot on Route One southbound in Saugus, MA, near the reservoir, where there were several state police cruisers, and several state police troopers inside a police line measuring, clearly part of an accident investigation. I noted it and went about my business. Over the next several days, there was frequently a car or two stopped nearby, and a growing pile of flowers. I don't know exactly what happened there, but I'm sure I can guess, and I can probably guess the cause. Today when I went by there were two cars stopped, and a family, some 8 people, standing around, hugging each other, some crying. This is probably three months later. I was very touched by what I saw, and thought about it the rest of the way in to work.
My life has been touched by drugs and alcoholism. Unlike that family I saw, I was among the lucky ones. Everyone in my life who has been down that road has come back, and has come back before it destroyed their lives or the lives of another family. I admire them for this, and I am grateful for it.
I don't mean to pontificate, but it's on my mind today. If you're going out and driving, drink slowly. Space them out. Stop a few hours before you head home. Order something you'll drink slowly. Drive extra carefully. And spend the extra 20 bucks in cab fare or stay on a friends couch if you're unsure. You'll recover quickly from the extra expense or inconvenience. That family will never recover.
On a lighter note: I have two major pieces of news.
First, I have made a significant career-direction change. I have accepted the job of
Customer Response Center Manager at my company. I'm overseeing first tier support, and
am also (more importantly) supposed to be the Grand Poobah of service delivery levels; i.e.,
if we make a customer unhappy, it goes directly to me to find out why and fix it. Which,
of course, puts a STRONG onus on me to prevent those problems from happening. I am tackling
all kinds of issues among all the support groups, account management, and customers to try
to make sure I don't get too bogged down with grouchy complaining customers.
The second piece of life-altering news is of much greater importance! I have tuned the
Out Of Tune Piano(tm)! I was afraid I'd screw it up (I've heard it's a pain in the butt to
tune a piano) but in fact, it came out really good. If I listen carefully, I can hear
certain harmonies that don't ring just right, but considering how unlistenable it was
before I started, I'm *very* satisfied. And I'm playing it all the time now that it
doesn't give me a headache and make the cats run out of the room.
Making plans for Christmas in Florida, as usual. Realized (well after the fact) that United has started 'expiring' their frequent flier miles after (I think) three years. That sucks. I am annoyed by that. I could understand expiring everything over 40,000 (which is what they require for a free roundtrip flight), but even so I'd be grumpy. Most of my United miles expire 12/31/98. If I can, I'll use my 23,000 for a round-trip first class upgrade for my Florida Christmas trip, but I doubt I'll get a United flight that is reasonably priced anyway. So I'll send a nastygram to United and stop using them entirely. I'm sure the loss of my once-every-three-years business will devestate them.
The cats turn 10 this year. I feel old.
Just getting over a nasty fill-the-lungs-with-crud make-you-cough-until-you-puke kind of cold. Apparently this is going around this year. Don't get it. Trust me on this. It sucks.
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