About 2:30 this afternoon I was working in the server room in the San Francisco office. I was hooking up a laptop to the UPS (uninterruptable power source - backup battery system) at the request of one of the engineers in the DC office. I had just hit the send button on an e-mail to him to tell him I had completed the setup when I heard it: beeeep...beeeeep....beeeeeeeep.....
I said it out loud: Oh crap! What was that beeping? I looked at the servers that are mounted in the racks and they all looked okay - I could see all the lights and displays were still on. That's when it got crazy.
My blackberry started buzzing. The first 2 messages were voice mails - one from my boss and one from my counterpart in Los Angeles. The next message was an e-mail from another engineer in DC - the system was reporting a power outage. A power outage? Seriously? I'm standing there in a room of fully powered equipment! Surely that must be a mistake.
I called Smitty, the engineer in DC who sent the e-mail. I explained to him that I was seeing power on everything; then we started talking about the work I was doing and when I looked down, I saw it: the UPS unit was completely dark.
I killed one of the UPS units! My heart started racing as Smitty got another couple of the engineers on the line and they started questioning me about the condtions in the room and what was going on just before I heard the beeping. In the meantime, by blackberry keeps buzzing with more and more e-mails coming in; the receptionist came to the server room door to say that everyone was calling her looking for me because they're having computer problems (and what, you think I'm having a party in here?); then the office manager came in excitedly exclaiming "computers are crashing everywhere!"
OMG! What have I done? I tried to remain calm and after about 10 minutes of consultation with the DC guys, we were able to revive the UPS. I did a little happy dance! When the DC guys confirmed that everything had come back online, I did a big happy dance.
And then it hit me: I took the system down. I TOOK the system down. I TOOK THE FREAKING SYSTEM DOWN!!! I thought I was having a heart attack. By the time I got to my office, I couldn't breathe, my heart was racing and all I could do was cry.
My boss called to talk about it. I thought for sure I would get fired. But, he was totally cool and said that "shit happens" and not to worry so much. As long as we were back up and running and nobody lost any work, it was fine.
So, it only took me three months to achieve my first big whoopsie. I'm glad today is Friday and I can go home and hibernate for the weekend.
Until Next Time,
Kel
Friday, February 26, 2010
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
I Hate Sad Posts, But....
...I have to get this out of my system.
In 1998, after several months of watching his health decline, I had to make the decision to put my little Yorkie Spike down. I had adopted him when he was only 6 weeks old, and he had been my constant companion through good times and bad and made the big move to California with me. I thought I'd never recover from that.
By May of that year, I had decided that there was a big hole in my heart and that I missed the companionship of a little warm, furry friend. I started my search for a tiny guy to fill that hole.
I had contacted Yorkie breeders in the area; had visited the Humane Society; had scoured the newspaper ads and came up empty. The internet as we know it was still in it's infancy, but became a powerful tool in my search. In early June, I stumbled upon a breeder's website that looked interesting: TinyTreasure Yorkies (no, that's not a typo - there's no space in the name!). I sent an e-mail inquiry and asked if they had any "pet" adoptable dogs (I certainly wasn't interested in showing or breeding); in the e-mail, I told my sad story about Spike. Within a couple of hours, I got a reply from a woman named Cindy - she had a 2-year-old Yorkie named Aerostar who needed a home.
His story broke my heart. Cindy said that a few months earlier, she went to a woman's house who had advertised champion bloodline Yorkies for sale. Being a breeder and handler of championship dogs, she was always looking for new "stock" to breed. When she got there, it was nothing short of a puppy mill and she found Aero, a 2-year old female and 10 puppies all living in cages in this woman's basement in absolute filth. It was obvious to her that these dogs had been mistreated, so she rescued the dogs and turned the woman over to the authorities.
She nursed the dogs back to health and adopted out the pups and the little female dog. She held on to Aero because she thought he had the physical characteristics needed for a show dog. She worked on getting his coat to grow back in (he had lost a lot of hair) and tried working on his temperament around people, but his puppy trauma ran too deep and he wasn't happy being one of the crowd of dogs in her house.
Naturally, she sent me a picture of him with his story and it was love at first sight. I had to have this little dog in my life.
For a couple of weeks I spoke with Cindy and we arranged a price, getting him to me (little did I know when the transaction started that he was in CANADA!), giving her references to check and preparing myself and my apartment for a new occupant. I sent a toy and one of my t-shirts to her to put in his kennel when he traveled because I wanted him to know my scent when I picked him up at the airport.
I took a Friday off at the end of June and my friend Joyce came with me to the airport that day. I was like a nervous mother waiting to meet her child for the first time. The flight was delayed, but after about an hour and a half, his little kennel appeared at the US Airways cargo station. I started crying when I saw that little face looking out at me from inside the kennel.
I couldn't just take him out of the kennel and hug him right then and there - I had to identify him, show my i.d. and then take the paperwork over to Customs so he could clear Customs and come home with me (that cracked me up). Finally, after about a half hour of paperwork, I took the nervous little dog out of the kennel, kissed his little face and headed home.
Over the last 12 years, he went from that shy, nervous dog who was afraid of his own shadow to a tiny dog with a big personlity who made everyone he met fall in love with him. He's been my constant companion since that day I picked him up at the airport and has enriched my life so much. He was quite the character over the years who loved to go for rides, loved to have his belly rubbed and demanded that I do wha he wanted on his schdule.
Things seemed ok; I thougt he was liking the new fancy food, but I noticed that he was very clingy when I'd get home at night and he was really slowing down.
In 1998, after several months of watching his health decline, I had to make the decision to put my little Yorkie Spike down. I had adopted him when he was only 6 weeks old, and he had been my constant companion through good times and bad and made the big move to California with me. I thought I'd never recover from that.
By May of that year, I had decided that there was a big hole in my heart and that I missed the companionship of a little warm, furry friend. I started my search for a tiny guy to fill that hole.
I had contacted Yorkie breeders in the area; had visited the Humane Society; had scoured the newspaper ads and came up empty. The internet as we know it was still in it's infancy, but became a powerful tool in my search. In early June, I stumbled upon a breeder's website that looked interesting: TinyTreasure Yorkies (no, that's not a typo - there's no space in the name!). I sent an e-mail inquiry and asked if they had any "pet" adoptable dogs (I certainly wasn't interested in showing or breeding); in the e-mail, I told my sad story about Spike. Within a couple of hours, I got a reply from a woman named Cindy - she had a 2-year-old Yorkie named Aerostar who needed a home.
His story broke my heart. Cindy said that a few months earlier, she went to a woman's house who had advertised champion bloodline Yorkies for sale. Being a breeder and handler of championship dogs, she was always looking for new "stock" to breed. When she got there, it was nothing short of a puppy mill and she found Aero, a 2-year old female and 10 puppies all living in cages in this woman's basement in absolute filth. It was obvious to her that these dogs had been mistreated, so she rescued the dogs and turned the woman over to the authorities.
She nursed the dogs back to health and adopted out the pups and the little female dog. She held on to Aero because she thought he had the physical characteristics needed for a show dog. She worked on getting his coat to grow back in (he had lost a lot of hair) and tried working on his temperament around people, but his puppy trauma ran too deep and he wasn't happy being one of the crowd of dogs in her house.
Naturally, she sent me a picture of him with his story and it was love at first sight. I had to have this little dog in my life.
For a couple of weeks I spoke with Cindy and we arranged a price, getting him to me (little did I know when the transaction started that he was in CANADA!), giving her references to check and preparing myself and my apartment for a new occupant. I sent a toy and one of my t-shirts to her to put in his kennel when he traveled because I wanted him to know my scent when I picked him up at the airport.
I took a Friday off at the end of June and my friend Joyce came with me to the airport that day. I was like a nervous mother waiting to meet her child for the first time. The flight was delayed, but after about an hour and a half, his little kennel appeared at the US Airways cargo station. I started crying when I saw that little face looking out at me from inside the kennel.
I couldn't just take him out of the kennel and hug him right then and there - I had to identify him, show my i.d. and then take the paperwork over to Customs so he could clear Customs and come home with me (that cracked me up). Finally, after about a half hour of paperwork, I took the nervous little dog out of the kennel, kissed his little face and headed home.At first he was very shy, spending most of his time in his kennel, where he felt safe. Slowly but surely, he warmed up to me and, as they say the rest is history.
Over the last 12 years, he went from that shy, nervous dog who was afraid of his own shadow to a tiny dog with a big personlity who made everyone he met fall in love with him. He's been my constant companion since that day I picked him up at the airport and has enriched my life so much. He was quite the character over the years who loved to go for rides, loved to have his belly rubbed and demanded that I do wha he wanted on his schdule.On January 31, I took him in to the vet's office for a checkup. At 13-1/2 years old, I could tell that his age was catching up with him. He was moving a lot slower, sleeping a lot more, eating a little less and I could see the cataracts growing in his eyes. But he was still the lovable little dog who had moments of spryness. That was the day I received the bad news: he had lost over a 1/2 pound (which on a 3-pound dog is a lot!) and he was in the beginning stages of kidney failure. I was devastated because it cemented what I knew in my heart: the end was near.
Dr. Trief, the wonderful vet we saw, said that to start I should change his diet to a low-protein food, which should slow the progression of the kidney failure. She also said just to make him as comfortable as I could and bring him back in 3 weeks for more blood work and a weight check.
Things seemed ok; I thougt he was liking the new fancy food, but I noticed that he was very clingy when I'd get home at night and he was really slowing down.On Feburary 17, I got home from work early (thank goodness!) and noticed that he was pretty lethargic and just laying on his blanket, not moving. He didn't greet me at the end of the couch when I got home, so I knew something was wrong. I tried to feed him some small pieces of oatmeal cookie that I had bought for him at the fancy dog store that day, but he just spit them out at me. I picked him up, thinking that he just needed some t.l.c., but when I looked in his eyes, I knew. I knew this was the end.
I called the vet's office and they said to bring him in right away. Dr. Gallelo, the vet on duty, came in to the exam room to tell me the news I was dreading: he had lost another 1/2 pound since our last visit, his temperature was around 92 (instead of up at 98-99) and his kidneys were shutting down. It was time to make a decision: take heroic measures to save him or end his suffering. That was the second time in my life I had to make that decision and it wasn't any easier this time around. I couldn't watch him suffer.
So, just a week ago tonight, I said goodbye to my little furry companion Aero as he closed his eyes and went on to the Rainbow Bridge. I've cried and cried and cried. And cried some more.
My house feels empty and my heart just aches that he's gone. Each day has gotten a little better, but it's hard to not have him here after he's been my companion and responsibility for nearl 12 years. I mostly miss his sweet, furry face and happy wagging tail greeting me each day when I'd come home from work.
Will there be another furry companion in my life? You betcha. But for now, I'm just waiting for my heart to catch up to my head and then the search will begin.
So, it is with a heavy heart that I say goodbye to that little dog who grew into such a big part of my life, my sweet litte Aerostar. I'll miss you and you'll always have a special place in my heart. Thank you for bringing love into my life for the last 12 years.
Until Next Time,
Kel
Monday, February 22, 2010
The New Job
So, it's been just about three months since I started the new job. Let me say that I'm so happy to not only be working, but be working at a really great law firm!
On the day I started (November 30, 2009), the firm opened an office in the Silicon Valley. They're actually GROWING when many law firms are shrinking and laying off attorneys and staff (ahem-remember last May?). I hit the ground running that day, helping get people set up with computers, phones and anything else that you need on your first day of work. We were 13 people in a new situation starting a journey together. It was a challenge and pretty frightening for me, but I couldn't wait.
After being there only two weeks, I was quite surprised when the office manager handed me an envelope with a check in it - a check for a Christmas bonus! I about fell off my chair!!! It was a small amount, but still, after only two weeks of work? I wanted to frame it.
The beginning of January brought a more permanent schedule as the Silicon Valley office settled in: I was to spend Monday, Wednesday, Friday in San Francisco and Tuesday-Thursday with my new friends in SV. It was like starting another new job! I had only spent a few hours in SF over the first 4 weeks, so I walked in like a nervous kid who had just transferred to a new school in the middle of the year. Luckily, I had met a few of the SF folks so I didn't feel like a total stranger.
And on one of those days in early January, an e-mail came out from one of the higher-up partners in management: the firm had a good year and they were going to reward the staff with a bonus! Seriously!! I was handed another check with a "thank you for all you've done so far" and once again I about fell off my chair. That was 2 bonuses in about 4 weeks - it confirmed that this was a good firm and I was lucky to have landed there.
So now that I've been there for 3 months, I'm starting to feel like an old pro. The IT group is really great; I've met (in person) the CIO (Chief Information Officer) and he's a really smart, nice guy; the engineers I've worked with from our DC office are very kind and understanding when I work with them; the 'west coast' IT team has been so wonderul, helping me to figure out what's what and covering my back when I feel like I'm drowning.
The best part is my boss. I liked him from the first time I met him at my first face-to-face interview. He's sharp and thinks quickly on his feet; he's totally fair to everyone on the team - if one of us makes a mistake, it's the team's mistake and no one is singled out in public. He's willing to teach me the stuff that I don't know, even if it means showing me more than once. And the best part: he's got a sense of humor and he gets my sense of humor!
The job itself is crazy busy, but after months of not being busy at work, I'm welcomin the challenge. It's the first time I've felt smart in a really long time.
Of course, there are the things that drive me crazy and the people that get on my nerves. It's not utopia, but it's also not the Evil Empire.
I'm just tickled to be working and will be glad to do my taxes next year - I'll only have to deal with one W-2!
Until Next Time,
Kel
On the day I started (November 30, 2009), the firm opened an office in the Silicon Valley. They're actually GROWING when many law firms are shrinking and laying off attorneys and staff (ahem-remember last May?). I hit the ground running that day, helping get people set up with computers, phones and anything else that you need on your first day of work. We were 13 people in a new situation starting a journey together. It was a challenge and pretty frightening for me, but I couldn't wait.
After being there only two weeks, I was quite surprised when the office manager handed me an envelope with a check in it - a check for a Christmas bonus! I about fell off my chair!!! It was a small amount, but still, after only two weeks of work? I wanted to frame it.
The beginning of January brought a more permanent schedule as the Silicon Valley office settled in: I was to spend Monday, Wednesday, Friday in San Francisco and Tuesday-Thursday with my new friends in SV. It was like starting another new job! I had only spent a few hours in SF over the first 4 weeks, so I walked in like a nervous kid who had just transferred to a new school in the middle of the year. Luckily, I had met a few of the SF folks so I didn't feel like a total stranger.
And on one of those days in early January, an e-mail came out from one of the higher-up partners in management: the firm had a good year and they were going to reward the staff with a bonus! Seriously!! I was handed another check with a "thank you for all you've done so far" and once again I about fell off my chair. That was 2 bonuses in about 4 weeks - it confirmed that this was a good firm and I was lucky to have landed there.
So now that I've been there for 3 months, I'm starting to feel like an old pro. The IT group is really great; I've met (in person) the CIO (Chief Information Officer) and he's a really smart, nice guy; the engineers I've worked with from our DC office are very kind and understanding when I work with them; the 'west coast' IT team has been so wonderul, helping me to figure out what's what and covering my back when I feel like I'm drowning.
The best part is my boss. I liked him from the first time I met him at my first face-to-face interview. He's sharp and thinks quickly on his feet; he's totally fair to everyone on the team - if one of us makes a mistake, it's the team's mistake and no one is singled out in public. He's willing to teach me the stuff that I don't know, even if it means showing me more than once. And the best part: he's got a sense of humor and he gets my sense of humor!
The job itself is crazy busy, but after months of not being busy at work, I'm welcomin the challenge. It's the first time I've felt smart in a really long time.
Of course, there are the things that drive me crazy and the people that get on my nerves. It's not utopia, but it's also not the Evil Empire.
I'm just tickled to be working and will be glad to do my taxes next year - I'll only have to deal with one W-2!
Until Next Time,
Kel
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Haven't Been Taken By the Mother Ship....
I'm shocked at myself that my last post was on New Year's Day. And today's February 21. That's 50 days that I've neglected my blog!
Let me get you a little caught up on what's been happening in Kel's Korner.
The New Job: I'm happy to report that I'm still employed. This week I'll make the 90 day mark and according to employee handbook, will get reviewed by my boss. I really like working for a man. He's straight up - no guessing about what he's thinking. He's got a great sense of humor, gets my sense of humor and really really knows what he's doing. Keep you fingers crossed that the review goes well and I'll still be employed in another 90 days.
The Saints: What can I say, except WHO DAT!!! I can't believe I didn't get here and blog about the success of the team I've loved since I was 4 years old. The season was unbelievable, capped by a playoff win and then not only the appearance in the Super Bowl, but a win! My only regret is that I couldn't be in New Orleans celebrating with my family. But believe me, I did my share of celebrating all by myself!
Mardi Gras: It was this past Tuesday. Happy Mardi Gras a little late. With the end of Mardi Gras comes Lent and the obligatory "I'm giving up such and such for Lent." This year, it's Diet Coke, sugary snacks and fast food. Yeah, that's three, but three hard ones that are, in the long run, good for my health. I've been a bit of a beyotch for the first couple of days, mostly from giving up the Diet Coke. Today I'm not nearly as hateful as I was, say, Wednesday.
Exercise: One of the things I like about my new job is the benefits. And one of those benefits is the "Healthy Incentive Bonus." It's pretty simple: exercise for at least 30 minutes 132 times between January 1 and November 30 and you get a $200 bonus. Can you believe it? So, that figures out to 3 times a week for 11 months. I can do that! And getting paid to exercise? Could there be a better reason to get to the gym regularly? In January I made it to the gym or walked (yes, I can exercise without going to the gym) a total of 15 times - 3 times over the monthly average. For February, I've already been 14 times and still have this week to go - not too shabby for somebody who hates exercising, eh?
Life In General: Not too bad. Just trying to get a steady routine down with the job and not be so nervous every day. I do become more comfortable with each passing week. I'm sure that soon I'll feel like "myself" and will become an old pro at the new place.
I'm looking forward to 2 scrapbooking events in March: a weekend retreat in early March and a super all-day crop near the end of the month. I'm mostly looking forward to spending time with women I admire, respect and enjoy spending time with.
So, in a nutshell, that's it for now. I promise to try to get back here on a more regular basis!!
Until Next Time,
Kel
Let me get you a little caught up on what's been happening in Kel's Korner.
The New Job: I'm happy to report that I'm still employed. This week I'll make the 90 day mark and according to employee handbook, will get reviewed by my boss. I really like working for a man. He's straight up - no guessing about what he's thinking. He's got a great sense of humor, gets my sense of humor and really really knows what he's doing. Keep you fingers crossed that the review goes well and I'll still be employed in another 90 days.
The Saints: What can I say, except WHO DAT!!! I can't believe I didn't get here and blog about the success of the team I've loved since I was 4 years old. The season was unbelievable, capped by a playoff win and then not only the appearance in the Super Bowl, but a win! My only regret is that I couldn't be in New Orleans celebrating with my family. But believe me, I did my share of celebrating all by myself!
Mardi Gras: It was this past Tuesday. Happy Mardi Gras a little late. With the end of Mardi Gras comes Lent and the obligatory "I'm giving up such and such for Lent." This year, it's Diet Coke, sugary snacks and fast food. Yeah, that's three, but three hard ones that are, in the long run, good for my health. I've been a bit of a beyotch for the first couple of days, mostly from giving up the Diet Coke. Today I'm not nearly as hateful as I was, say, Wednesday.
Exercise: One of the things I like about my new job is the benefits. And one of those benefits is the "Healthy Incentive Bonus." It's pretty simple: exercise for at least 30 minutes 132 times between January 1 and November 30 and you get a $200 bonus. Can you believe it? So, that figures out to 3 times a week for 11 months. I can do that! And getting paid to exercise? Could there be a better reason to get to the gym regularly? In January I made it to the gym or walked (yes, I can exercise without going to the gym) a total of 15 times - 3 times over the monthly average. For February, I've already been 14 times and still have this week to go - not too shabby for somebody who hates exercising, eh?
Life In General: Not too bad. Just trying to get a steady routine down with the job and not be so nervous every day. I do become more comfortable with each passing week. I'm sure that soon I'll feel like "myself" and will become an old pro at the new place.
I'm looking forward to 2 scrapbooking events in March: a weekend retreat in early March and a super all-day crop near the end of the month. I'm mostly looking forward to spending time with women I admire, respect and enjoy spending time with.
So, in a nutshell, that's it for now. I promise to try to get back here on a more regular basis!!
Until Next Time,
Kel
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)