Last night I became acutely aware that this blog of mine is read by many of my family members and friends. I also became aware that most of my recent posts have had very little to do with something these people really want to know about: me.
So, I thought I would devote this afternoon to giving you all an update on my goings-on. I have sat down to write this many times, but there’s just so much to write it’s daunting. I also have this desire to start at the beginning, but the beginning is so far away that it would take till next year for me to elaborate on it all. So, here goes, stream-of-conciousness-like.
Work
As it stands, tomorrow is the date for our CFTV at work. What the heck? CFTV stands for “Comprehensive Functional Test Verification”. Basically, it’s a great big milestone which asks the question: is it working? Needless to say, the weeks (months) leading up to this date have been very busy.
In fact, as I sit here, it’s about 7pm and that’s the earliest I’ve come home for at least a month. A lot of my stuff had / has bugs. To those of you who have worked with me that won’t be much of a surprise :p Not only have I been fixing bugs, but I have been testing and writing procedures at the same time. We’ve been under a lot of pressure to get the work out the door, which obviously causes people to make mistakes.
Ben, my Systems Engineer, domain expert and colleague, has a saying which sums it up nicely (you’ll need to imagine a pleasantly twanging American accent):
If you want it bad, you’ll get it bad.
So, how bad do you want it?
Delightful, isn’t it? It seems that people always want their software really bad.
Finances
I know it’s not something you’d expect in a personal update, but it actually is pertinent and you’ll soon see why: my company has overtaxed me by over $US 30k. Yes, that’s over thirty thousand Unites States dollars that I am out of pocket. I’m not too worried about it because my boss has assured me that they’re going to sort it out. I am just a little annoyed though, especially since they promised me they had all of this in hand over a year ago, after my boss and I both asked about it.
Another interesting financial development is I have bought some Beca shares, something that not everyone gets offered. Beca certainly does have some very impressive goals for the upcoming years and what with the military work we’re becoming a part of, the future at Beca looks bright.
Stephen
Well, I’ll bet you were expecting a section on him weren’t you? By “Stephen” I am not referring to myself in the third person, but rather Stephen my (decidedly) ex boyfriend and current work-in-progress. Work-in-progress, I guess that’s an acknowledgement that I have a weakness: I like to fix people. Stephen describes it in terms of real estate: I like fixer-uppers. I am pretty sure it’s a disease I inherited from my father. It’s ironic that we do so much to be not like our parents, only to become exactly like them, isn’t it?
I took Stephen into my apartment (against my will, I might add) when his stepfather (Patric) tried to strangle him. Yes, strangle him. I have the police report to prove it too. The scary thing is I can kind of understand Patric’s feelings. Stephen was very ill, un-medicated and psychotic at the time. People will do very strange things in those situations and Patric was pushed over the edge. As a result of the altercation, Stephen’s family won’t have anything to do with him.
The first few months were hell for both of us. Stephen was all over the place. Once, I came home to find him lying in a ditch on the side of a busy road, once I found him wandering aimlessly around in a water fountain. There’s been yelling, violence, silence and tears. He wasn’t well and those things can’t really be blamed on him.
Since then, his new psychiatrist (David) has him on 600mg of Seroquel. Seroquel is a very spowerful atypical antipsychotic, which gets rid of the hallucinations, paranoia and psychosis. Those pills cost over $600 a month. In a stroke of great fortune (and resourcefulness), I managed to get the company which makes the drug (Astrazenica) to supply the drugs for free, using their Patient Assistance Program. All it took was a carefully crafted sob story, an application form and many anxious nights praying at the mailbox.
Every week, I also have him going to a psychologist (Rhonda) who is absolutely fantastic (and paid for by the state of Texas). In about a year, I think she will have him on the right track. Finally, he’s back together with Kameron and they will hopefully be moving into their own place in a few months time.
A few months back, I applied for social security disability for him since he’s not working at the moment. It was sadly declined (which, I am told, happens all the time to legitimate cases). So, in true American spirit, I retained a lawyer to go kick some ass. Here’s hoping.
Home
Finally, the answer to the question everyone asks: I am scheduled to return to New Zealand in late October. At which time I will be visiting all my friends and family till they’re completely sick of me.
I haven’t had much time to go gallivanting around the country. I hope to maybe get some of that in a few months in the future.
Love to all.