Not that this is a huge deal or anything, but I was noticing that the little plastic stir sticks in the coffee area at work are all different lengths. I mean, where’s the QA department on this one? You’d think that manufacturing identical plastic straws wouldn’t be that hard, but apparently getting a consistent length is a difficult task.

Since I last whined I’ve had a phone conversation with my father that turned unproductive very quickly which boiled down to this:

Dad: I don’t understand why you blew up when I asked you to pick up your stuff.

Travis: Because you tell me to pick up my stuff nearly every time I see you. Seriously. You’ve said that you’re moving for probably the last three years, but nothing ever happens and, frankly, I don’t have the room to put this stuff. So if you’re not moving, don’t keep harping about it.

Dad: You were very sarcastic and negative about it.

Travis: You’re very critical.

Dad: No, I’m not.

Travis: If your body was possessed by aliens and I told you that you were body snatched, you would tell me that you weren’t because you’re right in the middle of it and wouldn’t know. Trust me, you’re critical.

Dad: Maybe so. You’re negative.

Travis: More than you know. But the long and the short of it is - if you don’t want my opinion, don’t ask for it.

Dad: You don’t have to come get your stuff.

Travis: [Frustrated] Then why did you say I did?

Dad: I gotta go.

Travis: Whatever.

And that was that. Granted, the conversation was more like 15 minutes long and there was a lot of arguing in circles, but I think everyone understands everyone else now.

As for them moving, I will continue to maintain my “I’ll believe it when I see it” status. Even though Dad feels that’s a negative and sarcastic attitude.

Oh, and you ever notice that when you argue with someone, they only ever take into account the fact that you’ve potentially hurt other peoples’ feelings, but they never consider that they hurt you first?

My upcoming training schedule has been jerked around on me due to some unexpected class cancellations so now instead of taking all of my courses locally, I’m going to be heading to Bellevue, WA, twice in the next month or two to take a couple of the courses up there (since they’re not offered here). Bah. Not that I don’t want to learn, but Bellevue’s four hours away and there’s not a lot to do there. At least, not that I saw.

I should get to work. I have way too much to do and totally not enough time. People say that cloning humans is a bad idea, but I’m thinking that if I could have two of me, that’s twice as much stuff I could get done in a reliable, well-documented fashion.