Let’s just say they are more than helpful useless.  With today’s technologies and methods of being efficient.  AT&T is succeeding in throwing up more red tape and paper pushing in an otherwise normal business transaction. (Names changed or blotted out to protect the wicked)

Thank you for your patience! An AT&T sales representative will be with you shortly.
You are now chatting with SXXXX, an AT&T sales representative.
SXXXX: Welcome to AT&T online Sales support.  How may I assist you with placing your order today?
Pylorns: I would like to know if I could do the credit check for the iphone online instead of going into a store.
SXXXX: No I am sorry Pylorns that is not available online. You would have to order a phone and plan to see if you are eligible.
Pylorns: SO, going into a store would be doing the same thing then right?
SXXXX: Yes, that is correct.
Pylorns: Ok, if that is the case then would I actually be buying the iphone and not receiving it until Friday?
SXXXX: No, you would have to order another phone to see if you are eligible.
Pylorns: Why would I want to order another phone when I want to buy an iphone. Your website says to do a pre-qualifying credit check
Pylorns: Reduce your wait time on launch day, July 11. Visit the AT&T store where you will purchase iPhone 3G today for a pre-qualifying credit check.
SXXXX: Yes, you would have to do the credit check at an AT&T store.
Pylorns: And by doing that am I buying a phone prior?
SXXXX: No, you would just be checking to see if you are approved.
Pylorns: So you can’t do that online though?
SXXXX: No, I am sorry the only way to do it online is through an order process.
Pylorns: ok thank you for your time.

A friend of the family related a story to us about what happened to him yesturday. Here is the account of what happened as my mom tells it:

He was in the Albertson’s parking lot when a young woman with a young child approached him asking for $10 to get her son’s medication. She said she was just $10 short of being able to fill the prescription. Our friend told her to come with him and he would pay for the entire cost. She, of course, hemmed and hawwed. He insisted that it was no problem, that he would be glad to cover the entire amount. She hurriedly moved on and he watched her hit on (and score!) $10 each from two other shoppers. So he went in the store and found the manager and they watched her prowl the parking lot a few more minutes before calling the police. When our friend came out from shopping, she was being handcuffed and the child was in a Social Services car. Sad for the child!!! But the mother deserved to be held accountable for using a minor in a scam operation.

So what would you have done? It actually bothers me quite a bit that she would involve a child in this.

I’m in Atlanta, GA. for a quick mini-vacation for the weekend.  We hit up the Georgia Aquarium and a Braves game last night, today we’re heading out for Stoney Mountain.  

We’ll I’ve received my professional grade amateur microphone today via amazon. Bundled it comes with a pop filter but apparently those are on back order. Reason behind picking this up is that I needed a better quality microphone from what I had, and who knows, I might do some more phone voice over stuff like I have done before for other companies.  You know the voice behind the “press one for english” type stuff.  

I now understand why there are so many books and gotcha’s out there about podcasting.  Sure if you’re just doing a single podcast for yourself its not that hard.  But if you want music, jingles, to use skype for a dual podcast - then enter the technical learning curve of quantum physics.  Ok maybe not that bad, but yeah, not easy.  Actually certain things are easier to do on a PC than a Mac when it comes to the podcasting, but the better software in terms of quality/editing seems to be for Mac.  I did come across some stuff made for PC that had additional items - i.e. ability to drop small sound effects and wav files into - I have not found that easy function on a mac yet. 

I’m sure after some more time I’ll know everything there is to know about professional pod casting.  You see, when we do something, we want to make sure we do it well, not half assed.  I’ve listened to a couple other podcasts out there and some are good, but a lot lack that professional radio quality - excluding the ones that actually come from a professional source. 

Here is a picture of the setup, microphone hooked up to the macbook.

I don’t have much time this morning but here are some pictures of the hotel room they stuck us in at the last minute.  Lets just say yesturday was not exactly the best of travel days, but, the hotel was nice.

(Note: Any posts titled “State of Mind” from here on out will be posts on personal stuff or something that is about my life in general. Keep that in mind when you read them, or you can skip them altogether.)

I had my performance review the other day.

 I’ve been up here in The OKC now for 14 months, and I can’t say that all of them were shining examples of how my life could be excellent. Truth be told… a lot of it sucked.

It took me 8 months in fact to realize this, and that it was my own damned fault that this was the case. This is in fact why my midyear review was less than stellar.

The irony, of course, was that once I figured this out and once I got past the personal crapfest I was putting myself through (lest we forget the whole “Finley falls in love” debacle), things came together for me. I found myself at peace with my job, the people around me- including the girl in question, and myself.

So, the past 6 months have been much better. I am enjoying my time here a lot more, I’ve started being much more social, my career has flourished and I’m a lot happier. Not only that, but I’m even really good friends with the girl whom I accepted would be nothing more than a friend. By the by, if you can get to that level with someone you’re doing pretty damned good.

This led to the past two weeks, basically. It started with me looking for a new position. I found something here in The OKC that was a use of my previous job experience, and I applied. While doing so, I also looked at moving up in my own organization. Finally, I began training up here for a site conversion we’re undergoing.I’ve now had four interviews, three of which are for the job I applied for outside of my department. I had a really good interview with the manager in my department. It culminated with the best review I’ve had in years, with a very nice raise and the best bonus I’ll have ever received here at the Job.

And to think… all of this started because six months ago someone told me I needed to find what made me happy.

I’ve referred to my state of contentment as “the theoretical happy” a few times before with some friends up here. I call it this because of two reasons. Number one, as I kept myself unhappy for many years I had a little trouble providing myself with a frame of reference. When one wears discontent like a warm blanket for too long, it’s tough to get out of it. Number two, I call it this because for a while, I worried slightly that this new mindframe wouldn’t last.

I mean, this is me we’re talking about here. I kinda have a reputation for being miserable.

That being said, I found after a while that I wasn’t really getting unhappy. Oh, there are days where I’m not in as good a mood as I’d prefer. After all, I’m still human. But, there isn’t a continuous level of discontent coursing through my veins. I’m not living for the moodiness anymore.

Naturally, this scares the crap out of me.

Are you surprised? I mean, when one gets so used to a certain frame of reference the opposite frame of reference can throw that person. I found myself… smiling more. I was more pleasant to talk to, and I enjoyed more conversation and discourse. Hell, I was even fun to be around.

The really wierd part is, this started to show in the rest of my interactions with people. Things that used to bug me didn’t really bother me anymore. People that were waiting months for the other shoe to drop and for me to return to form found themselves getting used to this new outlook. Oh, I’d still get pissed if someone pushed the right buttons. The difference was, those buttons were far harder to push now.

And so, I find myself now where the theoretical happy is no longer theoretical. I’m happy, and it’s been that way for a while. I’m judging from other experiences that this is a good thing. Would I be happier in Austin were I still there?

Here’s the irony, folks- probably not.

Oh, I’d be okay to be sure. I’d just not have had the experiences required for me to change my outlook so drasticaly as I have. I still want to get back to Austin as soon as it makes sense- that has not, and will not change. I just know that being here was a necessary step for me and I’m not as regretful about moving here as I was at one time.

Now, I can return to Austin a more complete person. I’m really, finally ready to find that person who will complement my life in the way that many of us long for, and I know I haven’t met her yet.

I have a year to go before I can be back at the earliest. I’ll be ready.

Out.

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