The EPIC WIN Thread 3: SON OF EPIC

My company just gave everyone who works here a raise.

Everyone.

The amount of the raise is dependent on seniority, but every single person's raise has at least matched this year's inflation rate in Taiwan. I've been here for almost a decade now, so my raise significantly outpaced inflation.

Let me just reiterate that. Everyone at the company got a raise.

everyone.gif
 
I just accepted a job offer.

So, in 2020, the company I worked for got bought, and they basically let everyone in IT go except a skeleton maintenance crew on the ops side, and everyone but me on the dev side. They told me that they didn't see much future for me past February, since they already had a development infrastructure and were switching all of my custom purpose-built software to COTS. So, I scrambled to find a new job, and took one.

The new job was a step down--I was in a director-level position and had to take a much lower 'team lead' role, with a corresponding cut in pay. But I was able to weather it with a bit of budget management. But far less decision-making power, and a much bigger role in actually writing code.

However, this new job is back up in upper management, handling 2 software development teams reporting to the CTO. Corresponding bump in pay to go with it.

I'm excited :D
 
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Copy/pasting this from Twitter, but this kinda became more self-reflective than I originally intended. And feels more like a win than I realized:

Been up since 7:30 AM. Had breakfast and I'm just enjoying a relaxing morning watching cartoons (more Clone Wars).

It's really nice to have a place of my own again. I've lived with my parents for nearly 8 years and just...I love them, but I had nearly zero privacy.

If it wasn't Mom coming into my room to ask me about something or show me something on Facebook, it was Dad needing tech support, like how to send an email (he turns 88 this year).

And it feels so weird now to watch something like a show or a movie without interruption.

I often stayed up late because, since they went to bed early, I could watch something or play a game without being interrupted. It was absolutely an avoidance technique. I couldn't just tell them I wanted to be left alone because they both took offense to any criticism.

I should've figured a way to move out sooner, but I honestly felt trapped. In some ways, maybe I was. I sometimes described our living situation as three toxic people that became co-dependent on each other. And I think there's more truth to that than I'll ever admit.

But as I sat on my new couch this morning, sipping tea, watching Clone Wars uninterrupted, I actually let out a little sigh of contentment. Which surprised me because most times, my sighs are due to stress. I had to stop and think, "Huh. No, I'm actually pretty content here."

Now if only I could find some poor sucker - er, I mean, lucky lady! - to date. Dating while living with my parents absolutely sucked. But I have this big, new comfy couch in this new apartment all to myself and no one to cuddle up with for a movie.
 
I'm sure you'll find someone. Perhaps you'll find a new home creates a space for a successor to Diomedes?
I'm thinking about that. Before I moved, I was on the verge of adopting a bonded pair of male cats. And that's what I'd want, ideally. I think Diomedes got lonely by himself sometimes. But he got too old to have another new cat around by the time I thought of this.

But yeah, I don't think I'm ready for that yet. But I'm strongly considering it.
 
I'm thinking about that. Before I moved, I was on the verge of adopting a bonded pair of male cats. And that's what I'd want, ideally. I think Diomedes got lonely by himself sometimes. But he got too old to have another new cat around by the time I thought of this.

But yeah, I don't think I'm ready for that yet. But I'm strongly considering it.
You'll be ready when you're ready, and getting a routine and structure going before bringing in someone(s) new is probably a good idea.
 
I'm thinking about that. Before I moved, I was on the verge of adopting a bonded pair of male cats. And that's what I'd want, ideally. I think Diomedes got lonely by himself sometimes. But he got too old to have another new cat around by the time I thought of this.

But yeah, I don't think I'm ready for that yet. But I'm strongly considering it.
There's no hurry. You'll know when you're ready.
 
And speaking of cats, two male cats are available for adoption. And they'd prefer they're adopted as a pair.

I'm...tempted.

Not sure if you can view the link without joining the group, but if you can:

 
I'm either very crazy or very stupid. Possibly both.

looks out window at the still falling snow
considers road conditions


Welp, definitely nuts; but at the very least there shouldn't be many cars on the roads. In the ditch maybe, but not on the road. And any cars on the road certainly won't be whizzing past you. I hope.
Also, it's bloody cold out! Go have a hot shower or something before you get frostbite!
 
looks out window at the still falling snow
considers road conditions


Welp, definitely nuts; but at the very least there shouldn't be many cars on the roads. In the ditch maybe, but not on the road. And any cars on the road certainly won't be whizzing past you. I hope.
Also, it's bloody cold out! Go have a hot shower or something before you get frostbite!
Most of my commute was car free, honestly. The busiest parts were Commodore Dr and Albro Lake Rd and even that wasn't that bad. Most cars gave me plenty of space. More than usual, in fact. But some of my cycling route is on a shared path, free of car traffic.

The screenshot probably doesn't make it clear, but this is my daily route:

Screenshot_20220225-154455_Maps.jpg
 
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Most of my commute was car free, honestly. The busiest parts were Commodore Dr and Albro Lake Rd and even that wasn't that bad. Most cars gave me plenty of space. More than usual, in fact. But some of my cycling route is on a shared path, free of car traffic.

The screenshot probably doesn't make it clear, but this is my daily route:

View attachment 40738
I don't know Dartmouth well, but the map does make sense. Glad the motorists weren't idiots!
 
Vote much more for crazy (as in just being a guy) than stupid. What you did is the equivalent of walking 2 miles home in 105f heat and 70% humidity here.
 
So, if you have followed the Kickstarter page, you'll note a while back that I backed the Onyx the Fortuitous ("Weird Satanist Guy") for his new movie. I backed at a high level, so you'll get to see my name on a gravestone.

He just announced the cast, and it's amazing. I couldn't be more stoked!
  • Jeffrey Combs! (The Frighteners, ReAnimator, and more!)
  • Olivia Taylor Dudley! (The Magicians)
  • Rivkah Reyes (School of Rock)
  • T.C. Carson (Living Single and voice of Mace Windu in Clone Wars)
  • Melanie Chandra (Code Black)
  • Arden Myrin (Insatiable, Grey's Anatomy, Orange is the New Black)
  • and, of course, himself.
I'm so much excited for the first two..they're a couple of my favorite actors--but the rest of the cast looks pretty solid to me as well. So stoked!
 
So, if you have followed the Kickstarter page, you'll note a while back that I backed the Onyx the Fortuitous ("Weird Satanist Guy") for his new movie. I backed at a high level, so you'll get to see my name on a gravestone.

He just announced the cast, and it's amazing. I couldn't be more stoked!
  • Jeffrey Combs! (The Frighteners, ReAnimator, and more!)
  • Olivia Taylor Dudley! (The Magicians)
  • Rivkah Reyes (School of Rock)
  • T.C. Carson (Living Single and voice of Mace Windu in Clone Wars)
  • Melanie Chandra (Code Black)
  • Arden Myrin (Insatiable, Grey's Anatomy, Orange is the New Black)
  • and, of course, himself.
I'm so much excited for the first two..they're a couple of my favorite actors--but the rest of the cast looks pretty solid to me as well. So stoked!
I'm trying to find a way to say "I look forward to seeing your grave" without it sounding like I want you dead.
 
Did my tax return last night. Used the TurboTax program since I'm an idiot with this stuff and it does all that for me automatically.

Looks like I'm getting a return of around $2,200. I thought that was WAY higher than I should get, so I called CRA to double check. They did and everything seems to be in order.

So that'll certainly help refill my savings account after the big move into my apartment. I might actually use some of it to treat myself. Debating between a couple of things, like a Nintendo Switch, or possibly portable camping gear so I can go bikepacking when the weather gets warmer. I'd consider a PS5, but I doubt I could get one anywhere.
 
The wife had her follow-up appointment with the neurosurgeon. There are no traces of the tumor anywhere. Her balance is still coming back and her vision is a bit off, but that will improve in time.

Oh yeah, and we got married last week. That's pretty cool.
Ah, ya love to see it. Yay for happy endings!
 

Zappit

Staff member
I’ve been back to work for just about a month now, and it’s going well. No stress - guess your perspective shifts after going through what I did.

Had my first major blood work since we finally got my levels where we wanted them a month ago. Everything is normal! It looks like things have stabilized!

I also had my first FaceTime with the wonderful woman I’ve been chatting with for two months on eharmony today. She’s real. She’s beautiful. She’s brilliant. She really likes me. I really like her. We made it official that we’re a couple now! She’s buried in work for a chemistry PhD, and I still have to restrict my travels for a while more. Our schedules don’t work, yet they work for our specific situations. It’s perfect.

EPIC. DAY.
 
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