Janet’s Webpage

Traveling to NYC tomorrow.
I was going to take tomorrow off, however Jay let slipped that the group was going to have a surprise “Welcome New Citizen” celebration for me. None of them are party people, so I guess it’ll just be a big hooray in our morning meeting… It’s the thought that counts.
I got home at 7 today, because the ANS report had to be signed (finally got that over with). Then I made 3 batches of egg salads, baked a dozen madelines, and got a couple of rib eyes from Glen and Katina (thanks guys!!) Now I just need to do a couple loads of laundry and finish packing…

After eating egg salad for 3 days, I have developed a great tasting egg salad sandwich for the enjoyment of afternoon tea.
Of course, since I’ve been eating little else for 3 days, my taste may have altered a bit… I’m hoping to bring a box of it to NYC this weekend. My critical family will give an honest opinion.

Jay said he was very happy with my report, however the joy may have dimmed a little (or went out completely) when he realized that I gave myself overtime approval. I can just see what went on in his head: I had to pay $400 to get this done 2 weeks early?
My February is booked. I was going to go on the UM recruiting trip, but that got canceled due to ANS. I’m heading to corporate for their annual sustainability report meeting, hosting “Engineering Week with CNP” for the girl scouts, and giving a short speech at Andrews University. If I’m lucky and SO gives up his spot, I may even get a shot at 30-second fame to record a message for the radio station.
I still got tons of work though Even if the ANS report’s done, I still need to do the DCS changes… which will take forever and is starting to hunt me in my sleep… Nah… it’ll get done!

Well… at least done with the first draft anyway.
On Monday, I came back to work cheerful, happy, and determined to make a good start on that damn report. In came Hamid, who told me that Jay told him to tell me that I need to have the report done by Friday. Jay’s on vacation till Friday and he wanted the report on his desk when he comes back.
I don’t understand why Jay didn’t just write me an email with the instruction? Actually… I do understand. Last time he gave me an impossible time frame to finish work was about 2 years ago. And I screamed for 15 minutes in Kim’s cube afterwards. It really is an amazing thing that I still get respect in that group.
Anyway, from the little conversations here and there with people, it seems like Jay wasn’t happy about the due date change either. According to Hamid, he threw a tantrum in the morning meeting on my day off.
At least the report is done (1st draft). I have to say I’m actually pretty proud of it. It’s got all the qualities of a good report: nicely formatted with beautiful diagrams and long complicated equations.

Today I saw a name popped up in my gmail chat list and I got really excited. There’s a buddy of mine from elementary school that I’ve been dying to talk to. He used to appear on AIM once in a great while, so when I added AIM to my gmail chat, I really hope to run into him sometime.
Well, very long story short, I ended up harassing a UM med school student whom I corresponded with today.
Gosh, I’m such an idiot sometimes.

I got my letter today. My Naturalization Oath Ceremony is on 1/29. I wonder if I can get SO to go with me.
I’m still really mad about the forced name change at the Detroit office. However, by the look of the immigration office, I’m already amazed that they manage to get work done at all. Anyway, I started looking onto the cost and process of a name change.
Apparently, you can just… change it. Basically, tell everyone you know that you are now so-and-so and that’s legal.
To go through court proceeding is a little harder apparently:
1. Find required paperwork.
2. Fill out required paperwork. Which can include but not limited to: a petition, an order, a legal backer form,, a notice of petition to the public… etc.
3. Notarize paperwork.
4. File paperwork.
5. Review by judge.
6. Get signed petition.
7. Get an ad in newspaper.
8. Receive affidavit and return it to court.
9. Receive Order Granting Change of Name from court.
What a pain… maybe I’ll just tell the people at my oath ceremony that it was all a big mistake and they have to change it back.

I got my contact lenses yesterday, the first ones in probably a year or so. Gosh, they kill.
When I put them on, I knew I wasn’t going to get used to wearing them any time soon. After having them in for a whole day (and getting the worst headache) I put on my glasses and realized that I get dizzy wearing my glasses as well now. Maybe I’ll go to bed earlier tonight.

Whoo hoo~~~~ 12 hours later… I finally got it!
Okay, I know I only have about a dozen of entries in there right now, but this is really something to write home about. After YEARS AND YEARS, I finally wrote a script to load the EC information.
For those of you who have seen my previous site, this is VERY different. This is not hard coded in! I will no longer need to change 1500+ entries if I want a style change!
You won’t believe how excited I am right now. If I didn’t have to stay fit for duty, I’d pop a bottle of champagne to celebrate!
(Click on Image Gallery to see what I’m talking about. )

I’m really doing quite well! (Surprisingly well actually… I never knew I can figure this out)
But seriously, it’s painful to learn a new programming language through trial and error… I still don’t know how I’m going to post the EC images… Anyway, here’s the shell. Yeah, it looks real bare, I know, but all the tables are there already.

DCS testing is this weekend and I got put on 12-hour night shift starting Saturday (on call Friday night). Yeah, this really ruins a weekend, but at least I’m getting paid for it.
I’m really glad that I’ll actually have something to do tonight while I’m on call, otherwise… well, I guess otherwise the situation would suck more.