Learning how to pick my fights

I have decided that I have mostly given up on setting up that rat bastard computer I found in the dumpster. I was able to install Win98 on it, but it gives me these ridiculous errors every time I reboot. Even when I'd installed what it wanted, it still give me grief. Once I get beyond the errors (one from the pseudo-BIOS the hard drive has, four from Windows), everything works fabulously. If I uninstall some frivolous matter, those errors may disappear. If I can get it down to the one error (and maybe run the install utilities for the hard drive and clear up the last error), I'll give the computer to my dad. It does work, after all, and I put several days of effort into it.

If I can't make that progress, I'm turning it into a Linux MP3 server.

I put a quieter fan in Maggie's machine. This didn't make the noise difference I'd hoped it would (maybe the hard drive is loud) but it did put the power to the fan where the motherboard could regulate it. I suppose such a victory is better than none.

I felt my emotions ride up and down at work yesterday. I'd forgotten how hard it can be to feel comfortable on the phone. I'm still fumbling, still trying to sound like a normal person. When I start a job, I feel very restrained and afraid because I'm worried I'll say the wrong things. So I made myself use small talk -- I ordered myself to say things like "Newburyport, eh? Beautiful place" or just to run with the non-sequiturs to smooth the pitch.

Normally I'd have no problem with this, but I'm dealing with some freaky software while I'm doing that. At my last job, I'd gotten very comfortable with the system and I had used my time to develop a rapport with my usual callers. Now I'm back in sales, where I'll never hear the same person again if I get the order right.

Is the computer a loss? No. It is an evaluation of my personal worth if I can't turn trash into cash? No. Will I get used to the multitasking at work? Yes. Will I succeed?

Yes. Yes I will. Besides, I'm selling ice cream to children. Someone calls up asking for cable modem service. If I can pimp the phone service while I'm at it, fabulous! If the dude doesn't bite, I still got the one sale. If I lure the dude into one of my silly stories of self-deprecation and get him off guard, I may still sell him digital cable.

Boy, did this ramble. I still feel better from having typed all of this.

-there will be funny entries again soon, Ps/d