|
|
|
April 3rd, 2003
10:41 am - 7 years in 10 hours
I had dinner with Jamie last night while she is home on her spring break and we caught up on missed time. I was up way past my bedtime. Hopefully I didn't embarrass myself too much. Today she if off to South Carolina to watch old women play softball.
|
March 17th, 2003
07:26 am - weeks worth of updating
Work:
1 year and $5 million and all we've done is write documentation (at $2,000/page) and now we finally get to build the system--the "schedule" says we have 6 weeks.
Home:
Painting, painting, and more painting. It wasn't as bad as Amy says it was but thank God it's done. I'm very proud of my new remote-controlled dimmer switch. It fades on and off--very swank. Now I need to get the track lighting that it will control installed. (Right now for demonstrating I have one section of track sitting on top of the ladder and plugged into an outlet on the ceiling--not very swank.)
School:
I haven't forgotten how to procrastinate. Last Thursday we had a lab report and the take-home midterm due and when did I finish them? Never mind we had the midterm for over a week, I started Wednesday night and stayed home from work Thursday morning to finish by the 4:00pm deadline. This Thursday we have another lab report due (a weekly task) and project (which of course we've had for over a month--although it's gotten more attention because it's group-work and my partner is responsible and stuff.)
Other:
Chris' bachelor party was lest weekend and I was up until 4:00am--WAY PAST my bedtime.
Disclaimer:
There is no chocolate sauce on my floor.
|
January 14th, 2003
12:08 pm - snowshoe
Friday after work we* left for Snowshoe. We all met in Centreville and proceeded to caravan to WV in what would be a 6 hour trip due to the fact that is was "dumping "**. We arrived at Snowshoe about 1:00 am and distributed ourselves between our two accommodations***.
Saturday morning we got up and Amy and I struggled to pick up our skis we had reserved on the web site. After we finally got our skis we went outside and radioed Scott to provide me some instruction. It took us about and hour and a half to make it down my first green trail, which included much falling but little disaster. By the time we came back up the lift it was time for lunch back at Jean and Al's. After lunch Ann Marie, Amy, and I went to Silver Creek where Ann Marie continued to provide instruction. Saturday night Jean served lasagna.
Sunday we got up moved all our stuff to Jean and Al's and then skied some more. We had lunch at The Junction. After lunch Amy wanted to stop for the day and so we bought some tee shirts t-shirts and then hung out with Jean until Jon, Chris and Dina came off the slopes. Ann Marie came in early after falling hard on her knee. Chris primped with a shower and then Jon, Chris, Dina and Amy left for home. After Al, Scott, and Scott cam in we went down the hot tub and sauna before dinner at the Foxfire Grill.
Monday morning we got up and everyone remaining went over to Silver Creek where Scott and Ann Marie took turns with my continued instruction. I fell less and even skied a few blue squares. We went back to the village and again had sandwiches prepared by Jean this time with some left over lasagna. We took our turn in the shower (or most of us took turns) and then we headed home about 3:00 after thanking Jean and Al for their gracious hospitality.
* Scott, Amy and I in Jon's Subaru; Chris, Dina, and Ann Marie in Scott's Xterra
** "Dumping" is a term used by Jon, generally meaning "snowing hard"
*** Scott, Amy, Chris, Dina and I in Highland House; Scott, Ann Marie, Jon, Jean and Al in Rimfire
|
January 2nd, 2003
02:52 pm - stuff since thanksgiving
In the interest of time and my slipping memory this entry will at least start out as a list which is likely to draw a complaint from my fan in Delaware--she knows who she is.
- my birthday dinner with John, Liz and Amy in attendance
- the TAG holiday party
- Star Trek Nemesis
- Scott's Christmas/house warming party
- the Children's Choir program
- Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
- Christmas parts I, II, III, IV, and V (Iso's, MBC, Barnet St., Prescott Ave., Ingleside Ave.)
- installing Ethernet at home
- dinner at Alyssa's
- New Years Eve
|
December 5th, 2002
10:04 am - thanksgiving x 2
I overindulged in two Thanksgiving meals. I went with Amy to her family's at 1:00 and then went to the Nashel's where my Mother also attended. I helped Amy make green been casserole to take to her parents' and Alyssa brought the vegetable tray but was tardy and without pre-sliced cucumbers (which we managed to overcome). That was the extent of the psychoticism. Caroline and Andrew came up from North Carolina but they were late. Also, the turkey (cooked on the grill) was slow to reach the proper foodborne illness-safe temperature demanded by Dr. Nashel. After dinner #2, Andrew and Caroline came back to Reston where Amy had kindly been looking after Becket. Shaq joined us and we went to Uno's for drink and snack and then saw Die Another Day.
On Friday, Amy and I went to the Nashel's and then Andew and I dragged her to REI in Baily's Crossroads leaving Caroline at home to do her engineering homework. Amy hated us for it but I bought some new Euro winter gloves (but not Euro enough for Andrew who wanted me to get the bright blue ones). Back at the Nashels we sat around reading, working, and playing Gameboy Advance. Alyssa and Greg came for dinner and with Jennifer presiding over all ceremonies Jewish including the first night of Hanukkah. Then Scott (back from Radford early to get his natural gas turned back on) met us and we went to The Four Provinces in Falls Church.
Saturday morning my mother came to the house to help choose paint colors for the living room, kitchen and basement. After much deliberation the living room, kitchen and upstairs hall will be "Hawksbill" which is kind of tan-gray and the basement will be "Champion" which is kind of a rusty orange color. Saturday night we all went to the Clarendon Grill to celebrate Diana's birthday.
|
09:00 am - snow
They're saying 6-10 inches before it stops. I was up at 6:00 am to get to SAIC in McLean by 8:00 am to supervise Net100 installing new network cabling but they're not coming today. I'm supposed to have a meeting at headquarters at 11:00 am so I'll be on my way there shortly.
I owe LiveJournal one (1) update about Thanksgiving.
|
November 22nd, 2002
09:01 am - boston II, andrew and harry potter II, meetings
Amy and I went to visit Kyle in Boston two weekends ago. Kyle documented it much more promptly.
Last weekend Andrew arrived in town for a conference this past week in Baltimore. We had dinner at the Nashel's on Saturday night and then went to see Harry Potter 2.
This week at work the meeting from hell continued. The originally scheduled for one day pre-CDR which begin last week finally concluded yesterday morning. Now it's time to see how may followup TEMs we can have.
|
October 30th, 2002
10:15 am - car trouble
I'm still at home because I'm waiting for AAA to tow my car to Fairfax. I hadn't gotten to the Fairfax County parkway and the car was shuddering and the check engine light came on. I pulled over and then restarted it to no avail so I came home and called Fairfax VW. They had me call VW roadside assistance who after a long wait will be paying for a tow truck via AAA. That was about 9:30. They said they should be here within 2 hours but if it doesn't get to Fairfax soon they won't be able to look at it until tomorrow. Oh, and I have a new service manager as my previous person is no longer there. But the good news is I'm not missing any meetings or anything else productive at work.
I could stand for it to stop raining. And I wish I has some non-expired milk so I could have some cereal. Maybe I'll make some oatmeal.
|
October 29th, 2002
12:51 pm - overdue updates
I have not been very good about updating so here are some things from this past weekend and some plans. And not everything has to do with eating out.
On Sunday Amy helped me move all the DSINGLEY.com computers home. My SAIC division moved to McLean on Friday with the lab to move as soon as they solve their HVAC and power problems. I didn't want to have to go that far to fix something and I wanted HVAC problems of my own--it's now a warm 72-85 degrees in the second bedroom. DSINGLEY.com is still on the Internet thanks to the new (and expensive) IDSL connection. 144kb/s up and down for $89/month is the best I could do 15,700 feet from my CO. Amy and Scott Leberknight will help subsidize that cost--Amy for the included dial-up, and Scott for hosting www.sleberknight.com.
On Sunday we were going to go to the International Spy Museum but the line was around the block so instead we went to the National Building Museum. We saw several exhibits including one on transit (insert plug for Metro to Dulles here), home improvement, art made out of tools, and private lives and public works.
This Friday Alyssa and I decided to go to Matt's W&M discounted Capitals game and on Saturday both Matt K. and Matt W. are having Halloween parties. I'm planning to go as George W. but it's been suggested that I should go as Becket, Al Gore, or the Pillsbury dough boy.
Next Friday Amy and I are going to visit Kyle in Boston because Amy has the following Monday off. I'm very excited.
|
October 7th, 2002
09:16 am - the rolling stones
Lisl won six free tickets from work to the Rolling Stones concert at FedExField on Friday night. Bill, Bill's friend Dave from Boston, Lisl's cousin Jill, Lisl, Amy and I met at Bill's in Shirlington from 5:15 through about 6:00 (some of us were early and Bill was late). We had dinner at Guapo's and then tried to find our way through the city on I-395 and I-295 to get to the concert. We had a good deal of difficulty but eventually found our way to Lanham. Traffic way crazy and Amy needed to go to the bathroom and her hold-it-all-day teacher powers were apparently not working. When we got to the stadium she and I got out to find a porta-potty while Jill and Lisl parked. We made it to section 337 in time for their second or third song. For very old men they put on a pretty good show.
On Sunday, Amy and I went flying with a family friend from church. For Amy's birthday Dan and Becky had arranged for Lee to take us along one of the times he is able to schedule some time in one of the two 4-seat Cessnas he has access to through his flying club. We left Manassas Regional Airport about 3:15 and flew over Warrenton and Harper's Ferry before coming back to Mannassas about 4:45.
|
October 2nd, 2002
11:54 am - request for topics - second edition
John moved with Brian and two of Brian's coworkers into a cool, randomly located, and rent controlled, townhouse in Courthouse (Arlington)
Their townhouse is attached to a large condominium complex so they have access to the condo's pool, gym and 15th floor reception space with a very impressive view of the Washington and the Potomac River. They have two garage parking spaces and street parking is more convenient than 18th and T Street was downtown. The police station, Arlington County courthouse, and bail-bond place are all conveniently located two or three blocks away and the fire department is apparently practicing burning down several old houses across the street.
John and Brian's housewarming party
Two kegs, tons of people, new neighbors and beer-pong in the parking garage. It was like being in college again if you went to college at JMU particularly (although I don't think JMU was anywhere near as well represented at William & Mary). I went with Matt and Scott since Amy was with Diana at the Sound of Music Sing Along at the Kennedy Center and would be arriving later. Matt got very drunk perhaps in retaliation for John and Allison dating.
My project moved from Reston to McLean and my commute went from 5 to 30-45 minutes
My team was relocated from Reston to McLean in order to improve "synergy" or something like that. My commute now involves three major highways and is particularly bad in the rain or with stupid people. (Northern Virginia is replete with stupid people driving.) I lost my office and am now is a cubicle in a musty room with only one window. "Synergy" has improved if it can be measured by the number of meetings one attends.
The SAIC division move from Reston to McLean was rescheduled for October 4th
Just when Scott and I buy houses in Herndon and Reston respectively, someone at SAIC in McLean with a bug up their ass has mandated that my division will move to McLean no later than October 4th.
Margie, Meredith, and Heather's house warming party
The Reveille alumni house in Falls Church opened its doors a few weeks before the new school year started and had people oven to break the place in. Perhaps appropriately there was more singing and less drinking than at John and Brian's party.
Scott moved into his new townhouse in Herndon
Scott settled on his house on Monday, September 16th and moved Sunday the 22nd. Scott is now without roommate Matt of three years and is only 5 or 10 minutes away as opposed to 15 - 25 minutes away in Ashburn. Shaq, Margie, John, Allison, Amy and I helped Scott move. Since moving Scott bought a new 42" high definition TV and DirecTV. He's also been having a less than fun time discovering that although he's technically close enough for DSL that Verizon has screwed him over by using a digital interface of some sort at the central office--just when we thought that digital was good. Let's not miss the iorny that the D in DSL is for digital. Apparently two digital things don't mean you get high speed Internet.
The SAIC move was rescheduled again (now for October 25th)
Despite SAIC management’s mandate, there won't be enough power or air conditioning in the space we're supposed to move our computer lab to in McLean so the move date slipped. I've been to several more planing meetings and I just get more frustrated. The good news is that our division has just won more work, which will require more people in space we won't have in McLean so to move may slip again.
|
September 27th, 2002
11:07 am - request for topics
It has been three weeks since my last update. What have I been doing since Labor Day? Has it all been so uninteresting that it wasn't worth writing about? Let's hope not.
- John moved with Brian and two of Brian's coworkers into a cool, randomly located, and rent controlled, townhouse in Courthouse (Arlington)
- John and Brian's housewarming party
- My project moved from Reston to McLean and my commute went from 5 to 30-45 minutes
- The SAIC division move from Reston to McLean was rescheduled for October 4th
- Margie, Meredith, and Heather's house warming party
- Scott moved into his new townhouse in Herndon
- The SAIC move was rescheduled again (now for October 25th)
So a lot of people moved, there was planning about moving, and in some cases celebration.
Did I miss anything?
|
September 3rd, 2002
03:45 pm - labor day weekend update
It rained a lot and I was mostly lazy. Alyssa had a BBQ on Monday during which Matt and I were inspired to setup the foosball table which had been idle on the front porch for six months. Diana brought Kaya who demonstrated her newfound ability to walk and chase after Abby (one of Alyssa's kittens).
In other news, Scott had his contract accepted on a house in Herndon at the beginning of last week. Hooray! Scott's (and my) seven month house hunting saga is over and now we need to take Elyette out to dinner for all her patience. Scott's settlement is on the 16th of this month and he will be moving the weekend of the 28th. Matt's plans are still uncertain.
Here at work we learned last week that our team my be moving to headquarters in McLean by the end of the month. Opinions are mixed and generally based on where people live--there goes my five minute commute. But the team will then be closer to all the other people on the project and that may help with our "synergy".
|
August 30th, 2002
10:07 am - the outer banks
Last week 13 of us went to Kill Devil Hills, NC. See the web page for pictures. We left Saturday morning from Shaq's about 8:30 am. Yanek and Emily in the Saturn, Brian, Jen and Amy in the Maxima, John and Allison in the Civic and Shaq, Margie and I in the Passat. Traffic was terrible and we stopped in Williamsburg for lunch at the Cheese Shop. My car (Shaq's car) met Meredith (and her Accord) at her former boss's house since she had gone down a day early and then proceeded to the house. The house was very "campy" with wood paneling but that's the way it's supposed to be. Other than the small burrs in the yard and the cactus Brian would discover later it only had a few drawbacks, which we learned to overcome. These were its single bathroom (eased by also using the outdoor shower) and its non-existent dishwasher (eased by using paper plates). Scott and Kyle arrived Sunday afternoon (in the Jetta).
Highlights:
- Shaq's bike accident day 1
- spades played with too much analysis
- drunken twister
- the kitty
- sandcastle competitions
- social reading
- Brian vs. the Atlantic
Meredith, Jen and Margie unfortunately had to leave Wednesday morning due to other obligations. Shaq left Friday night rather than wait until Saturday morning. The rest of us cleaned up and left Saturday about 8:30 am and stopped in Williamsburg for lunch--this time at Pierce's. Traffic on the way home was significantly better.
Kyle stayed with us in Northern Virginia through Wednesday keeping Becket company in Reston.
|
August 25th, 2002
11:49 am - the dsingley trading card
LiveJournal
Trading Cards
Free Account Edition
|
 |
![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) dsingley
User Number: 169738
Date Created:2001-06-07
Number of Posts: 78
|
| dsingley is a self-proclaimed "moderate dork". He enjoys pina coladas and getting caught in the rain. He will eat whatever you put in front of him and is freakishly strong. |
| Strengths: Asking questions, especially about highway projects and road improvements; making tuna helper; loving ALL women; creating an entertainment center out of plywood and cinderblocks; eats everything on his plate. |
| Weaknesses: Taking 40 minutes to shave (includes plucking); driving too fast; needing lots of attention; loving ALL women; being obsessive-compulsive. |
| Special Skills: Able to pretend to be working on a government project for 6 months while actually going out to lunch, working on personal web page, and playing on the Internet. |
| Weapons: Beckett, the Appalachian Pudge. Together, they form an indestructible stocky duo. |
| Favorite girlfriend who types your LiveJournal Trading Card: Amy |
|
|
|
Make your own LiveJournal Trading Card!
Brought to you by crossfire_
|
|
|
