Free drinks! (and other goodies)

Free drinks! And free internet! Ah, the benefits of the NWA World Club. Less than two hours to go before the scheduled departure. Still not sure if I'm cut out to do this. I nearly vomited last night, just from the anxiety. Obviously I had a hard time sleeping, as I will for the next 18 hours!

Taking some time from the obvious, I happened to notice my company's stock price this morning. ROK, if you're interested. It was over $79 this morning, although it's back down to $76 at this time. Still, when I started working for Rockwell in 2000, the price was much closer to $16. If only I had invested that $5k I didn't have at the time!

Where to now?

The excitement never ends. Even before I leave for China, I'm planning ways to get out of China. The first news was for a trip to Singapore, but that has already been expanded upon. Now it sounds like, in one week, they want me to visit India, Singapore, Malaysia, and Japan. Somehow I just don't think that will work. Maybe two days in India, and some time in Singapore is more likely. The best part is, I'm not really planning any of it. I'm going to get to China, and there will be tickets for me to wherever I need to be. I've already requested some "down days" so I can do some sightseeing.

Going Away (Almost)

Last night was the going away party. A good time was had all around. We started with a get together at Psycho Suzy's, some of the group moved to Tony Jaro's, and everyone met up again at Gastof's. It turned into an impromptu "meeting of the parents" as well, as Kelsey's and my parents go to meet each other. Psycho Suzy's was packed, and we were forced to sit out on the patio. We thought we were lucky to find a large table, but as it turns out, we ended up under the only non-working heat lamp. So we froze our butts off.

Of course, no trip to Gasthof's is complete without a boot. Or two. Or three. A couple of rounds of the Boot Game went a long way. The strategy is pretty intense near the end. At the end of the first boot, with Miss Cox following me, I made the decision to take just a sip, thinking she couldn't finish the boot. Erin had Anton following her, and she played the same card I did. Unfortunately for her, Anton was quite the trooper, and put down the boot. In the end, it was a great send off, and I'd like to thank everyone for making it out!

No escaping it now

There it is. My Chinese visa. I guess this means I'm legal to enter the country. Actually, it says I can enter the country as often as I want, for a whole year! And with the receiving of the visa, came the purchasing of the ticket. So it's confirmed. I'm to leave Tuesday, April 25th, at 3:05 pm. One stop in Tokyo, and I'll be in Guangzhou. It's still not totally real. I haven't started packing (yes, foolish). I haven't studied a lick of the language (again, not smart). And I'm not sure what I'll do when I get there. But it's all about the experience. I'm going to get completely lost over there, and that's the point. Weird food? Check. Unintelligeble language? Check. A lot of fun? I sure hope so!

Stay (Wasting Time)

Need to kill some time? Check these out!

The Bullet Bill Game
If Microsoft marketed the iPod
South Park's take on the First Amendment
Drug companies invent diseases? No way.
Maybe Liono and Cheetara work there
Where should you live? (thanks to Steve)

A countdown/selloff begins?

Okay, so it's about 10-11 days until I leave for China. I FINALLY got the invitation letter, although I think it's for a short term visa, just to get into the country. As preparations continue, I've begun selling things. First was the spare computer. So for everyone that was using the FTP site, sorry, it's dead. The second thing I put up was the car. Yes, the Lexus is on the block. I already had one person come look at it, and another one today or tomorrow. It's not that I need to sell the car, but why should I keep it and make payments on it when I can't drive it.

Update: The car is gone! Now I don't have to worry about that. Now to the second computer.

What has the world come to?

I can't explain it. Okay, maybe I can. I've lusted after one for quite some time now. You see, we were old friends. Back in the day, it was there for me. To help with homework, or just to get away to Oregon or somewhere else in the world. But then I was waylaid. For the next 15 years, I joined the other crowd. And I felt like part of a group. But it was always in the back of my head. And lo, last week I found a reason to return.

I bought a Macintosh.

Now I know what some of you (like Jake) are saying. "WHY THE HELL DID YOU DO THAT!?" Well, I don't really have an answer, but here are some excuses:

1. With the impending Move To China (TM), I am reluctant to use my work laptop for personal use. Something about they scan the hard drive and email and stuff. The Mac will fill in nicely here and still let me use Windows when I need to.
2. OS X. I've wanted to try it. It looks damn cool. It's slick. Maybe it's all fluff, but I don't think so. Yes, for a while it will be hard to do things. Where is that Windows key, anyways? But I think once I get the system down, it will be fine.
3. To be different. For 15 years it was Windows 3.0, 3.1, 95, 98, ME (oops), 2000, and then XP. I just want to use something that not everyone else does too. If you don't like it, too bad.

Hoodlums

My uncle Bob stopped by last night to go to dinner and discuss Guangzhou. He had spent some time there a couple of years ago, and had some interesting stories to tell. We ate at Chiapas, a little Mexican restaurant on Central and Lowry, which I really like. Unfortunately, they don't have cerveza, and the sangria is sin alcohol. But the meal was delicious none-the-less.

As we get back to my house, around 8:15, I notice there are two police cars in my driveway. Uncle Bob drives a large van, and it seems two neighborhood hoodlums tried to break in, smashing two windows and making off with approximately $4. Fortunately my neighbor drove into his driveway, saw the kids, and called the cops. I guess these punks get caught pretty often. As for the damage to the van:

It was a mess to clean up, but in the end it's just two windows. We've got the contact info for the family, although I hear the parents are great roll models for the kids... We'll see how it turns out.

China

About three weeks to go. I originally agreed to fly out around April 24th or 25th. I don't have a visa yet. Nor luggage, or even a flight. No one ever said I was good at planning things.
I'd by lying if I said I wasn't excited. But that excitement is tempered by a very large dose of fear. I've never been one to take chances, or unneccesary risks, and going to China, while good for my career, is probably a bigger step for me as a person. I'm leaving my comfort zone, something I typically dread to do. And it's become such a warm and, well, comfortable, comfort zone lately. It really seems like the timing of this is off, but I've been encouraged to go by everyone I know, so that makes me feel much better about it.

And in the end, 10 months is not really that long of a time span. I'm sure that it will go by much faster than I expect.

Meet the Dingo!

Kelsey got a dog a week and half ago. Come back from Florida, and it's "Say hello to my little friend." It's an Australian Cattle Dog, and despite the fact that I think it hates me, it's very sweet and nice. It's a good size, just 35 lbs, and is alternately named Blue, Blueberry Muffin, or The Dingo. Only one problem: she got a defective piece. The dog is deaf.
This has a number of benefits. She (the Dingo) doesn't hear other dogs. If she can't see them, they don't bother her. This a relief, because when she does see another dog, she goes apeshit. I've never heard a dog bark so loud. Another benefit is that if she's sleeping, it's pretty solid. The downside is that it's hard to get her attention. Stomping on the floor hasn't worked. So it's usually throw a soft toy her way.

Anyways, I was afraid I wouldn't like the dog, but I really do, and that's a huge relief. She's cute and cuddly, and all that good stuff. I suppose I need to get used to it, as it's my replacement for the next 10 months!