Eric Gone Wild 8!!!

I'm famous today. The project I've been working on at work is finally at a stage of fruition. Basically, there's this tool we need pretty badly that a company we work with, but don't consider our partner, has and won't sell to us. My boss asked me if it were possible to create a program that accomplishes what this tool does. The difference is that their tool is an actual, physical tool... Mine would instead be a software interface to our CAD system performing the same task. When I took a look at the API the CAD system provides for custom task scripting back in the Spring, I said it didn't look promising... But since then, the company that makes the CAD system has added more functions to their API and so I said it DID look promising. Meanwhile, the company that makes the CAD system does contract work for companies who don't have the capital to hire a co-op like me to make their custom tools. My boss got a quote from that division for what this tool would cost if they were to do it, and they came back with a $27,000 quote... Meanwhile, I've already begun work on the program... 3 weeks later and it's almost done, and I have become a sensation in R&D. Even the head-honcho for all of North America is interested in my work... YAY! It's cool to know you're developing something very useful / valuable... Now it should be easy to ask for a raise (lol, I mean I did save the company $27,000 after all)

OK, back to work.

So I bought myself an Xbox... It was half impulse buy, half educated consumerism. Since my dad has been doing a lot of maintenance on the Van, I've decided to hold off on buying a new car until atleast after this summer... Afterall, it wouldn't be fair to my dad who's invested a lot of his time and money in to the car... Plus, that frees up my budget for more frivolous spending. I am going to spend a lot of money buying a new top-o'-the-line computer in the spring when Intel and company release their shiny new wares. So what do I decide to buy? An XBOX of course! It could have been a new cell phone, but you generally don't get a good deal on phones unless you sign a new contract... I'm not going to sign a new contract with Sprint, and I don't want to change service providers until the FCC enforces the number portability act November 24, 2003.

So why an Xbox? Well, the xbox population at Phi Tau was growing rapidly, due mainly in part to the fact that one of the brothers is quite skillful in modding the xbox so that all you have to do is stick in a large hard drive and then *BAM* you can copy games to the hard drive... Yea yea, it's not the most legal thing in the world, but then again - neither is file sharing :(

So that's how I will be keeping myself entertained in the coming months (Tiger Woods Golf is the sheeeeyot!)

Peace peeps

So yesterday was a long day for me. I got to work early for once, however I had made plans earlier in the week to have dinner with my folks... So I spent an extra 2 hours at work just doing miscellaneous revamps to my code (documenting and what not) until 7. We ate at a steakhouse called the Pampas Steakhouse... It's a rather unique steakhouse; It's owned and operated by what appears to be a large Argentinian family, so everything has a latin flair. The meal was delicious although their service was a little pushy. I'd go there again some time (that is if I had anybody worth going with). Afterwards I made an unplanned stop at my house to fix the internet on my Dad's computer... I got the internet "working" but some sites still just don't want to load (it's very bizarre). So I get back to my home away from home around 11 and I get an IM from one of my frat brothers who lives in an apartment that there are alot of people hanging out and drinking and that I should show up... I was really tired but the Doug Jones was in town, so I was not about to pass up that opportunity. Many drinking games were played, including a new one I had never played before but am now a huge advocate of - Golf. It's really easy and alot of fun. A bunch of them are going kayaking up in North GA and I was invited so I will probably be doing that :)

Now it's time to get back to work

So last night - after chapter - me, Jay and Jackie plan to hang out in Roswell. Jay and I get there around 9, but repeated calls to Jackie's cell phone yield no Jackie. With our plans disintegrating quickly, Jay and I enjoyed the Chattahoochee Nature Center then headed back to his mom's new place. 2 hours later and Jay had to be getting back to Tech, but his car was over near Jackie's place which is on the OTHER side of Roswell. After Jay left, I tried Jackie one last time and SUCCESS!!! Albeit a short meeting, it was good to see her again - it had been a while. We caught up on how each other was doing, and as quickly as it came, it left, and I found myself on the road back to Atlanta.

Bloggin' it up in the 2003, fo' shizzle!