Train Station

Since I have time to kill (still a foreign concept, yet AWESOME) and no internet at home I'm at the train station using a public computer to post this. Which doesn't really matter except that it may cut me off and I'll probably be making some grammatical + spelling errors.

So I finally figured out my scheduling system at work. See if you can too!

According to the terms of my contract (and everyone else's at this job) I am supposed to work 38.75 hrs/wk , but with flex time, which means that at any given time I can be within +/-10 hrs of my theoretical total cumulative hrs to that point (meaning like rolling over indefinitely) without any adjustment to my agreed upon salary/month. BTW, this is NOT including lunch and coffee breaks, which would eat up at least 6 hrs of that per week, which means in all honesty I only need put in ~33 hours of actual work a week, provided I show up the required amount of time that week, which technically I don't have to due to the flex time. So one week I could put in 23 hours of real work and not get docked any pay. I would have to work 38.75 hrs/wk from that time forward, or more than that amount to make up the negative time and be allowed the flex time again. This also means of course that I could work 48.75 hrs one week and not get paid any overtime, in fact, not get paid at all for the 8.75 hrs extra I worked. But then I would have 20 hrs of flexibility I could use anytime without consequence. And since no one really works overtime anyway it's also less of a big deal. Make sense? It took me a couple of explanations to get it. Oh, and also, I'm supposed to show up between 7:00 and 9:00, and leave between 3:00 and 5:00 within this system, there is no questioning or frowning upon any arrival or departure times within this framework. And that's a shitload of flexibility. Especially given I show up every day at 8:00 and leave every day about 4:15. I can't imagine any other way of doing it. It's gonna take me a while to get used to it.

On a totally unrelated topic: The UEFA Euro2008 soccer championship is going on right now. So Saturday night while Frida was at some graduation party for people I don't know I went over to Gustav and Anna's place and watched the Sweden/Spain match with a bunch of rowdy (and a couple wasted) Swedes. Spain is always a pretty heavy favorite in this championship only to usually choke in the finals (I'm told, fuck if I know anything about european soccer). It was a good time and as happened last time I hung out with them, Fredrik and Gustav tried to get me shitfaced on liquor, this time on some nice Laphroaig, which I actually liked (whiskey not usually being my choice, especially when I'm not trying to get wasted and make an ass of myself). Anyway, they tried the old bait and switch, pouring my requested tiny amount in one glass so I would comply, and then after I turned my head handing me a glass half full of whiskey with one small ice cube. I noticed immediately, but I didn't want to be rude so I took it IF YA KNOW WHADDAMEAN. Somehow I didn't get wasted. Since that story really sucked I'll say something else maybe more worthwhile about that particular night. Apparently it is all the rage to hook your laptop up to your TV, get drunk, and watch YouTube videos at parties here. At first I was skeptical but it turned out to be tight. People were shocked that I had never heard of doing that at parties before. Of course, everyone in the US could do that, fuck if I would know, I'm pretty much a loser. The coolest parties I've been to (and I don't mean that facetiously) pretty much included alcohol, guitar hero, and if we were feeling adventurous, rambo movies. Somehow I doubt the basic formula shifts much tho. Provided cocaine isn't involved... That probably changes things. Again, fuck if I would know. Wow that was a tangent. There's a lot of stuff to write about alcohol here. But maybe another time.

Currently I am really excited to buy an HDTV. I won't until the end of the summer when I have more money and hopefully the prices come down on the current models I want (LCDs all). I'd really like the newest Sony with the Bravia 2 engine, but they cost hella bank (yes I said hella bank). The model numbers are really hard to figure out tho since they don't correspond to their US counterparts. I think the KDL-XXW4000 (insert your screen size in the XXs) is the latest greatest model, but the features change the numbers so it's hard to tell. I also like the Samsung Series 6s which are basically as good as the Sony's but I think a little cheaper. I'm sure this is exciting for you. If it is please help me choose with some informed opinions.

Another thing that is exciting is that I emailed this dude Claes that owns a racing team in Gävle. I'm gonna try and visit them in a weekend or two and see the new cars they obtained since I last visited. These include a Saleen S7R (serial #15) a Pratt & Miller Corvette C5R. This is the same Pratt & Miller who lost to the Gulf Aston Martin DBR9s this weekend at Le Mans, which sux, and the same P&R I was a guest of at the Grand Prix of Houston last year which really really kicked ass, the C6R being the car behind me in my Myspace pic. They were super cool in Houston, they let us right into the pits like 2 feet from the 'vettes getting their tires changed and refueled, which was a severe safety hazard I'm sure, but everytime anyone would say anything the P&R guys were like "THEY'RE WITH US". It was hella tight, YES HELLA tight. Anyway I told Claes I wanted to volunteer some time around the shop, or at races. We'll see where that goes, probably nowhere. At least I'll get some good pics while I'm there.

Well that's a decent chunk of the last few days. Someday I'll get some pictures up here so there'll be more than just these here purdy werds for yer lookn.