Everyone tends to be a bit slow in the morning. However, there are certain things you see in the morning that really just pull the grouch out of anyone.

This is happy making for me.

Aiden just after 18 months. 080314 Aiden in the morning shortly after waking up and being dressed. Oh the happy!

Click the image for a larger version of the picture.

Tags: happy, morning, pictures, toddlerhaving
Current Location: Office
Current Mood: happy

Last week shimmeringjemmy made a post about how we are planning to transition aiden_freeman from going down for the night in our bed to going down in his own.

She commented about how I'd be taking a week off. The original version of her post (which was up for about 10 minutes) went on to explain that I was taking a week off because my product was shipping. I asked her to edit that sentence because we really hadn't actually shipped anything.

The team I've been on has been working on Microsoft Office for Mac (the 12th version, known as Office 2008) for about 4 years. The past 6-9 months have been very grueling as we hammered thru final features and a lot of bugs. In the past year I personally have gotten up close and personal with one of the 4 major applications to a degree I'd ever have believed before taking the job.

As of this morning, the word went out to the public. We have released the product to our manufacturers. This means the final data has been signed off and we have been able to burn the same data to more than one disc internally. Getting to RTM isn't the longest phase by far but it is assuring that we can deliver the best version of the software that we have spent months/years getting to.

By (I Guess) company tradition a hand crank siren was brought into our RTM gathering yesterday afternoon. Several members of the team took turn sounding out (loudly) that "The data has left the building"

I hope that my Mac using friends and colleagues (and the people I don't know) get as much out of using this new version, as I got out of developing and learning it. Without being accused of "Drinking the water"... Office 2008 for Mac really is an amazing product.

Tags: announcements, happy, work
Current Location: FreePeople House.. The Temple of Zen
Current Mood: pleased
Current Music: Um, something by Sousa?

3 Copies of SJ Tucker's latest album Sirens appeared in my mailbox today.

If you haven't discovered the music of this skinny white chick you are really missing out. Pagan folk with just a twist of... well twistedness.

One of a dying breed of Gypsy Songwriters... S00j is one of the finest travelling entertainers you will get to see in this generation (or maybe any to come) A fun show that leaves behind a pied-piperian ravenous following.

Check her itinerary for when she's in your area. And if she's not... Find her a venue and book her ;)

Great album!

Tags: folk, happy, music, skinnywhitechick
Current Location: Home office
Current Mood: bouncy
Current Music: Alligator in the House - SJ Tucker

Happy Birthday queenofhalves!

Wooot

Tags: birthday, happy, lesser feast
Current Mood: happy

At work we have mannnnny cafeterieas with a wide selection of food stuffs.

Today I had Asian-like chicken over not to ruined rice.
hey, I was raised Jewish. I'm supposed to be snobby about "Chinese" food

When they serve Asian food they offer fortune cookies.

Sadly in most restaurants they have been reduced down to "poor-grammar statement" cookies rather than an actual "fortune" cookies.

Nonetheless....
I have a tradition about fortune cookies.
No matter how good or bad the cookie is; I eat it in its entirety before reading the fortune.

It's my little tradition. I figure by holding back I actually push away complete ambivelence and energize the probability field around the fortune.

This is my tradition... you may scoff, mock, chuckle all you want.

So today I got a cookie and merily munched.

Energized I hoped that I had a fortune worth keeping and looked down. A got a really zen like smile on my face:

You will have much to be thankful for in the coming year.

Yay. :)

And for those who haven't heard the story by now. I no longer ever add the words, "in bed" to my fortunes.

Oh,sure...it was funny in college. But once... long ago.. the day I stopped having this kind of fun... came the "In bed"-killer of allllllll fortunes:
My scrap of paper read: "You have a special and unique way with children."

Eww. ew ew ew ew ew ew. Ick.

No more in bed.

Just much to be thankful for :)

Tags: fortune, happy, tradition
Current Location: Office
Current Mood: happy
Current Music: NiN playing in my head.