I didn’t mention it here, but I did not pass my exam this last attempt. That makes 3 tries. The average is 5.

I’m not discouraged by this, although it’s unfortunate that I have to wait at least 30 days to try again. I’m impatient to give it another shot.

The next 2 weeks at work are going to be insanely busy. The new daylight savings time rules are going into effect, and we’ve got a lot of customers equipment to update before it happens. Phone systems and voicemail don’t like it when their times don’t match up. Nothing like having a massive call center crash, unless it’s having all of your call centers crash.

After the week of March 12th, I’m taking a week off of work. These are vacation days I didn’t get around to using last year. I have to use them up before the end of March, or they expire. I’m thinking of spending a few days in Dothan visiting my mom and other relatives, but other than that, it’s all about decompressing.

Oh yeah, Meghan and I are taking a meditation class at the Red Lotus Institute. We’ve had one session, and it was really quite excellent. I’m hoping I can learn a few techniques to calm my mind during periods of stress…like when I’m in the middle of the CCIE for example.

Jan Ullrich, the great rival to Lance Armstrong, and the only German winner of the Tour de France ever, has retired. It’s a little depressing to me, since it reminds me of just how much I used to love watching cycling. I have many fond memories of watching Lance and Jan compete with each other, but those memories have been tainted by the doping scandals.

The cycling season has kicked off with the Tour of California. I didn’t really watch and certainly didn’t report on it here. I am finding it hard to care. Every cyclist that I try to get behind turns out to be involved in some scandal (Lance, Tyler, Landis, Millar, Ullrich…). I worry that if I get involved again, I’m just going to be disappointed.

Nevertheless, the Tour de Georgia is coming up. I’m pretty sure that Jittery Joe’s is competing, and we’ve got Cesar back, so I might be tempted to get involved in that. We’ll see.

Lots of people are afraid of clowns, but these guys are doing something about it.

I took Meghan and her dad to the airport today. They are flying to Chicago and then on to Paris. I hope she has a good time. I won’t have much time to be jealous since now I have to focus on passing my CCIE, which is on Tuesday. In fact, that’s probably all you’ll hear from me until after I pass.

Now, to eat some Grit brunch.

My letter to the Editor at the Athens Banner-Herald was printed.  That was a good start.  Now I need to figure out the next step.  The more I think about riding a train to work, the more I want to help make that happen.

Your daily dose of fear.

Here’s the link to the Georgia Brain Train Group. If you’re like me, and spend 3 hours a day commuting, we should get behind this.

Here’s a copy of an editorial that I submitted to the Athens Banner-Herald:

I enjoyed reading the article “Students Join Push for Commuter Line”.  I live on the East Side of Athens and work in Norcross.  I spend at least 3 hours a day commuting back and forth.  I enjoy living in Athens, but that drive is going to prematurely end my life through stress.  I see this rail as a way for me to continue commuting and still live in the city that I love, and enjoy my quality of life.  I know there are many more like me, because we are all in the same traffic jams every day!

Maybe they’ll publish it.

Apparently there was some sort of gathering at the state capital regarding the proposed Athens to Atlanta commuter rail.  I would love it if they built it, but I’m too busy to support it by going to meetings like that.  All I can say is that if they built it, it would be one less car on the road, because I’d ride it every day.  Depending on where the stop would be, I’d ride my bike to and from the stops.  I have two bikes.  I could ride one to the stop in Athens, then lock it up, and do the same in Atlanta.

That would improve my quality of life dramatically.

Check out these eco-friendly houses.  I want one.

It’s valentine’s day!  Meghan is returning from her conference just in time for me to cook her an amazing meal.  We’re having broiled filet mignon, caesar salad, and italian garlic bread, with home-made walnut/chocolate chip cookies for dessert.  I’m looking forward to making it.

For those of you who wish to end your relationships this V-Day, get her a gift from this list.  It’ll be over before you know it.

I had a legitimate nightmare last night.  The kind where you wake up in a sweat, thanking God that it wasn’t real, scared to go back to sleep.

I only remember the terrifying part.  There was a long build-up though.  I recall images of a downtown alley, Tim Buron-esque.  It was night time, and everything was black, with a dark blue sky.  I was with someone, one of those faceless people that are with you in dreams.  We walked down the alley and went into a door.  After following a long maze of hallways (flourescent lighting), we entered a room.  there were snack machines, and 2 dogs.  They were like mutated Dobermans, flat grey, no hair, just skin.  At that point I freaked and began my retreat down the maze of hallways.

At this point it became very dark.  I was being followed by about 5 things down this hall…they were of various assorted shapes.  The were constantly in shadow so that I could only occasionaly make out a face, but the faces were terrifying.  They looked like the Thing from Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark.  Anyway, I pulled out a gun and began shooting as I fled.  Of course it did no good.  As the pack of ghouls fell upon me, I woke up gasping.

It’s been a while since I had a good nightmare.

Also the other day I had a dream where I was walking from Athens to Dothan.  Halfway I ran into Matt and Ambrosia, who were walking from Dothan to Pittsburgh.  We ended up walking through an antique store in some podunk town, and then eating ice cream.

Whenever Meghan goes out of town, I find myself falling into a familiar pattern.  I stay up later and later.  I do that when I travel as well.  When I first moved to Erie and was out of work, I stayed up until about 4:00 every night, sleeping until 1:00 or so in the afternoon.  I think that’s my natural sleep cycle.  Going to bed at 10:00 and getting up at 6:00AM is just not natural for me.

Staying up late is not smart though, since I do have to get up early.  I have to make it to work by 8:00AM.  I’ve been doing this for many years and you’d think it’d get easier, but it doesn’t.

I’ve been having some weird dreams lately.  It’s a little early for me to really be having them…they don’t usually kick in until the season change.  This may just be a hiccup.

In celebration, I’m watching Waking Life.  This is a good movie for a lot of reasons.  Right now, what I’m especially enjoying is the fact that you can participate in this movie in a deep way, or just surf along the edges, and it will still be fulfilling.

“The Iguana will bite those who do not dream.”

My next test attempt is less than 2 weeks away.  I’m in a state of relaxation in regards to this.

Read this article.  Anthony Bourdain tells you what he really thinks about his Food Network coworkers.  I pretty much agree with everything he is saying, especially the part about Giada.  I’d rather see her take over the world than Rachel Ray.

Check out this crazy story about an astronaut who flips her shit.  The part that tipped me off that she was crazy was the “driving in a diaper” part of the story.

Personally I think she picked up a case of Space Madness, or a parasite that has taken over her brain.

At the hotel in Raleigh the night before I drove home, I was unable to sleep so I watched Teen Wolf on HBO. Does anyone know where I can get a shirt like the one Styles was wearing that said “What are you looking at, dicknose?” I want one.

UPDATE!

Nevermind, I found a site. Somebody buy this for me.  And check out the other shirts they have.  There are some good ones.