Hectic
Things are starting to heat up around here. I wrote a couple of days ago that the next couple of months would become hectic. It’s already starting. I will surely be ready for vacation by the time the 13th of December rolls around. It’s only five weeks away, and I have much to do both at work and at home.
At work I have to give another presentation, and attend a week’s worth of bullshit for the Japanese once again. I never should have “volunteered” for the position of CAD (computer aided design) support. The week of presentations will be concerning our CAD system, MRP (material requirements planning) system, and also FEA (finite element analysis) system. I have the next two weeks to get prepared, together with Doris, my counterpart. Then there’s the development project I brought over here for. I will actually be producing something, someday. I also have a real project for a paying customer, Audi in Neckarsulm. I have many parts to release for manufacture so that we can keep schedule. I have been also asked to do a shaft natural frequency calc for a brake testing machine that has really bad resonances, so bad that they have trouble controlling the machine. Then there are the bearing failures at Opel in Ruesselsheim. Four machines failed within weeks of each other. Opel is a little pissed to say the least. The machines were installed only four years ago. I didn’t design the machines, but now I have to fix them. My colleagues in the Detroit office have also been on me for the last two weeks to help them in dealing with a German supplier where a failure occurred. I told them I would help them, but as you can imagine after reading what’s on my plate, I haven’t been very efficient at getting them info. I think I have to learn to say no more often. I will undoubtedly be working hours like a mad woman in the coming weeks.
The painter came on Tuesday to fix the wallpaper and to paint the living room. I got to choose the colors at least. He had to paint the walls and ceiling twice to cover the diesel soot. At least now almost everything is out of the living room and I plan to rent a carpet cleaning machine and shampoo the carpet in there. Now is the time to do it. I will check into where an how much it costs to rent one for a weekend. I think I will also re-arrange my bedroom furniture, to make better use of the space. I had the painter paint the two outside walls, that are mostly windows, white, and the inner walls a lilac color. It has too much blue in it, or at least the hue is not exactly what I was looking for. I’m glad someone else had to do it, because I hate painting. The building management paid for the work too, finally. I have been only waiting since the end of May for them to do it. I also need to fix the wall in the shower, and re-anchor the handle into the wall. I also want to paint the rest of the apartment at some point.
On Tuesday I went first to my doc for my hormone shots. She must have done something different this time, because one side tinged a bit as soon as she sank the needle in my flesh. I always get a little worried that it will leak out, but in reality that can’t happen. They sink the needle in the whole length, or about an inch or so. After that I went to my health insurance office to ask about a Gutachter (psychiatrist) that speaks English and deals with TS patients. I don’t think she understood what I was asking. I will be seeing my therapist again the 14th, so I will quiz him on it then. Maybe he can help me out. I visited the city hall for my last stop. I spoke with a young woman at the immigration office regarding name change procedure. She made it sound too easy. But then again, I am only changing my first and middle names, and not my last name. She said that as soon as I have my new passport from the embassy that I should come and change my name with them. I asked specifically whether or not they would contact my job for any reason. She made it sound like all they would have to do is re-print the stickers that they put in my passport, and stick them in the new one. But before visiting them, I have to go to the Wohn-und-meldeamt to have them change my name there. Everyone is required to register with the town or city that they live in, so the government can track you. They also issue the tax cards (equivalent to the US W-2), so I should ask if they would require me to give a replacement card with my new name to my company. I also left a message for the lawyer that represented KPo in our divorce. I’m not sure if it is really necessary to have a lawyer on retainer to facilitate the process, so I posed to question. I haven’t heard back from her yet.
I also just realized that if I get a new passport with a feminine name and also a feminine picture to match, I will have to travel in female mode from then on. That could get a little dicey, should I have to travel for work to say, Japan. On occasion I have traveled with a colleague. This revelation just goes to show that I haven’t quite thought all the angles through regarding the name change. I should probably speak with Petra tonight to get her opinion.
Tonight is the NI stammtich meeting. I am supposed to be in NI to meet Linda at two pm. I also must do some food shopping and try to find a carpet cleaning shop. I may go to Ffm to try to pick up the Bembles for Sandi today, if I can fit it in.
I have been asked by a colleague in Detroit to play tour guide for a couple of guys from Honda next weekend. He wants me to go to dinner with them on Friday night and then drive them around on Saturday to see the sights. I don’t know these people and furthermore, I probably won’t be getting paid for the time. In other words, I will be doing this on my free time. Marek is the colleague that has asked me to do this. Marek is a middle-aged Polish salesman who can be really pushy and annoying at times. Marek perceives that he helped me with my divorce, which he didn’t really, but I guess I owe him or something. I am getting so sick of the usual tourist traps. I have been to them so many times that it is beginning to make me sick every time I go to these places. The usual route I take is Frankenstein castle, Stettbach to see the chapel ruin and golden cross, drive along the wine road, and lastly to Heidelberg castle. I have been to Heidelberg castle so many times now, that I have lost track. Impressive as it may be, it gets old after a while. One can only see so many storybook towns, roman ruins, and castles before it all starts to look the same. The novelty has worn off. I will undoubtedly make the same trip with visitors many more times in the future. Maybe once I am living full time, people will stop asking me to do this. We’ll just have to wait and see.
Heike was at work yesterday. We ate lunch together in the canteen, just her and I. I discussed with her my name change plans and about clothing. She noticed that my skin looks better since all the stress has passed and therefore the acne is healing. I like using my new skincare regimen from Clinique. It’s awesome. Aside from the growth intensity of my facial hair, the rest of my facial skin feels soft and supple like a baby’s ass. The wonders of modern skin care. Well I’m off to get ready for the day. Big up to sweet trini for remailing me. I will remail you sometime this weekend, I hope. I may work a few hours tomorrow, blah!
At work I have to give another presentation, and attend a week’s worth of bullshit for the Japanese once again. I never should have “volunteered” for the position of CAD (computer aided design) support. The week of presentations will be concerning our CAD system, MRP (material requirements planning) system, and also FEA (finite element analysis) system. I have the next two weeks to get prepared, together with Doris, my counterpart. Then there’s the development project I brought over here for. I will actually be producing something, someday. I also have a real project for a paying customer, Audi in Neckarsulm. I have many parts to release for manufacture so that we can keep schedule. I have been also asked to do a shaft natural frequency calc for a brake testing machine that has really bad resonances, so bad that they have trouble controlling the machine. Then there are the bearing failures at Opel in Ruesselsheim. Four machines failed within weeks of each other. Opel is a little pissed to say the least. The machines were installed only four years ago. I didn’t design the machines, but now I have to fix them. My colleagues in the Detroit office have also been on me for the last two weeks to help them in dealing with a German supplier where a failure occurred. I told them I would help them, but as you can imagine after reading what’s on my plate, I haven’t been very efficient at getting them info. I think I have to learn to say no more often. I will undoubtedly be working hours like a mad woman in the coming weeks.
The painter came on Tuesday to fix the wallpaper and to paint the living room. I got to choose the colors at least. He had to paint the walls and ceiling twice to cover the diesel soot. At least now almost everything is out of the living room and I plan to rent a carpet cleaning machine and shampoo the carpet in there. Now is the time to do it. I will check into where an how much it costs to rent one for a weekend. I think I will also re-arrange my bedroom furniture, to make better use of the space. I had the painter paint the two outside walls, that are mostly windows, white, and the inner walls a lilac color. It has too much blue in it, or at least the hue is not exactly what I was looking for. I’m glad someone else had to do it, because I hate painting. The building management paid for the work too, finally. I have been only waiting since the end of May for them to do it. I also need to fix the wall in the shower, and re-anchor the handle into the wall. I also want to paint the rest of the apartment at some point.
On Tuesday I went first to my doc for my hormone shots. She must have done something different this time, because one side tinged a bit as soon as she sank the needle in my flesh. I always get a little worried that it will leak out, but in reality that can’t happen. They sink the needle in the whole length, or about an inch or so. After that I went to my health insurance office to ask about a Gutachter (psychiatrist) that speaks English and deals with TS patients. I don’t think she understood what I was asking. I will be seeing my therapist again the 14th, so I will quiz him on it then. Maybe he can help me out. I visited the city hall for my last stop. I spoke with a young woman at the immigration office regarding name change procedure. She made it sound too easy. But then again, I am only changing my first and middle names, and not my last name. She said that as soon as I have my new passport from the embassy that I should come and change my name with them. I asked specifically whether or not they would contact my job for any reason. She made it sound like all they would have to do is re-print the stickers that they put in my passport, and stick them in the new one. But before visiting them, I have to go to the Wohn-und-meldeamt to have them change my name there. Everyone is required to register with the town or city that they live in, so the government can track you. They also issue the tax cards (equivalent to the US W-2), so I should ask if they would require me to give a replacement card with my new name to my company. I also left a message for the lawyer that represented KPo in our divorce. I’m not sure if it is really necessary to have a lawyer on retainer to facilitate the process, so I posed to question. I haven’t heard back from her yet.
I also just realized that if I get a new passport with a feminine name and also a feminine picture to match, I will have to travel in female mode from then on. That could get a little dicey, should I have to travel for work to say, Japan. On occasion I have traveled with a colleague. This revelation just goes to show that I haven’t quite thought all the angles through regarding the name change. I should probably speak with Petra tonight to get her opinion.
Tonight is the NI stammtich meeting. I am supposed to be in NI to meet Linda at two pm. I also must do some food shopping and try to find a carpet cleaning shop. I may go to Ffm to try to pick up the Bembles for Sandi today, if I can fit it in.
I have been asked by a colleague in Detroit to play tour guide for a couple of guys from Honda next weekend. He wants me to go to dinner with them on Friday night and then drive them around on Saturday to see the sights. I don’t know these people and furthermore, I probably won’t be getting paid for the time. In other words, I will be doing this on my free time. Marek is the colleague that has asked me to do this. Marek is a middle-aged Polish salesman who can be really pushy and annoying at times. Marek perceives that he helped me with my divorce, which he didn’t really, but I guess I owe him or something. I am getting so sick of the usual tourist traps. I have been to them so many times that it is beginning to make me sick every time I go to these places. The usual route I take is Frankenstein castle, Stettbach to see the chapel ruin and golden cross, drive along the wine road, and lastly to Heidelberg castle. I have been to Heidelberg castle so many times now, that I have lost track. Impressive as it may be, it gets old after a while. One can only see so many storybook towns, roman ruins, and castles before it all starts to look the same. The novelty has worn off. I will undoubtedly make the same trip with visitors many more times in the future. Maybe once I am living full time, people will stop asking me to do this. We’ll just have to wait and see.
Heike was at work yesterday. We ate lunch together in the canteen, just her and I. I discussed with her my name change plans and about clothing. She noticed that my skin looks better since all the stress has passed and therefore the acne is healing. I like using my new skincare regimen from Clinique. It’s awesome. Aside from the growth intensity of my facial hair, the rest of my facial skin feels soft and supple like a baby’s ass. The wonders of modern skin care. Well I’m off to get ready for the day. Big up to sweet trini for remailing me. I will remail you sometime this weekend, I hope. I may work a few hours tomorrow, blah!
posted by Christine Cormier @ 10:48 AM
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