I'd like to order some minions, please...
Jan. 21st, 2006 09:00 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lavandarlizard2I have had the most miserable week of the past two years.... >.< Project for work. VERY important. MUST be finished by Friday (yesterday). Future of the company rests on this. ~O.o~
So, I spend six days frantically digging for some of the most detailed, most nitpicky, most obscure information on the chemical background of raw materials. =p Regulatory information. Usually done by *regulatory* people. People who have college degrees. People who have experience. People who having training. People who can pronounce chemical names without hacking up a hairball. People who *aren't* me. >.< By Thursday morning I am a quivering mass of misfiring nerve endings. I am trying to write up what I've managed to find so far. It's not everything we need and my boss is going to be disappointed, but I'm way beyond my particular level of incompetance. Too much coffee; Starbucks to start and office coffee (gag!) to continue. Sugar I shouldn't have (diabetic). I'm eyeing the pack of cigarettes on the sales manager's desk (thirty years since my last cigarette).
1100 Thursday. Boss calls me into conferance room. o.o Tokyo, we have a problem. Tells me I can stop looking for information on sub-sub-sub-chemicals of a particular material, because he's heard from Japan, and another sub-sub-sub-chemical of that same material is banned in Japan. Therefore the whole project has just come to a screeching halt. O.O; Well... *part* of the project is done. I still have to finish gathering information on the other materials, but we now have to find a Japan-friendly material to substitute for the dastardly evil stuff we already used. *sigh*
So, I now have until the 31st... Whoopee.
So, Friday, 0400, I wake up with a peel-back-my-skull-scoop-out-my-brains headache. Aspirin applied. Nothing. 0700; more aspirin applied. Nothing. 1100; yet more aspirin applied. Finally, around 1300, the cockroaches gather up their pickaxes and jackhammers and break for a few beers. Kid gets home from school; gives me the big-eyed, worried look. Is mommie going to ooze out of bed or just expire and stink up the place? Mommie accepts the inevitable and slithers out of bed, gets dressed, applies another round of aspirin. >.< Kid gathers laundry, mommie staggers to truck and drives on autopilot to laundromat to slump in a crappy plastic chair while laundry goes round and round and round.... Kid brings can of cold ice tea from store next door. Mommie decides to keep him around a bit longer. Agrees to stop at Subway for sandwichs for dinner. Arrives back home, all in one piece, with only a lingering afterburn. *aaaaaahhhh*
Stress sucks. >.<
41 – Ii Kibarashi – Personal Days
Wufei looked around the large room, noting that Duo and Trowa were somewhere else. Estaban was at the doctor’s with his possibly-pregnant wife. Enrique had drawn the short straw this week and was filing. Moira and Tiffany were dealing with calls and Inazuma was most likely still trapped in a classroom at the School. Wufei had warned him about volunteering.
Heero was glancing between his computer screen and a pile of parchments on his desk, but he wasn’t frowning or growling, which would have been a bad sign.
Perfect time for a chat.
Heero looked up when Wufei stopped next to his desk. The Were-Dragon looked nervous, possibly upset. Or it could just be indigestion. As far as he knew, Rowdy hadn’t caused any more problems.
“Wufei,” he said quietly and waited.
It took a few breaths, but Wufei finally said with a sigh, “I have a request. I have already talked to Moira and Enrique and they have agreed to take over my work, what there is. I’ve cleared most of my cases. Tiffany says she does not feel any ominous rumblings in the ether.”
Heero nodded, vaguely mystified.
“Therefore, I am requesting some time off,” Wufei finished, not looking at Heero.
“Certainly, Wufei.”
The Were-Dragon looked up, startled. “You mean it’s okay?”
“You just said you’ve covered your duties; why wouldn’t it be okay?”
He shrugged and sighed. “I don’t know... I guess I was just building barriers in my mind.”
Heero looked at him. “Is something wrong at home?” he asked slowly. “Are you needed there?”
For a moment, Wufei looked blank. “Oh. No, it’s nothing to do with my family. I just want to go visit someone...” He hesitated before continuing. “It’s for my... my therapy. The doctor thinks it will help me,” he muttered uncomfortably.
“Ah,” said Heero softly. “Do you know how long you will be gone?” No wonder he didn’t look very happy to be having a holiday. It probably rankled quite a bit to have someone else directing his life. Chang Wufei was nothing if not independent, and never hesitated to inform the world of that fact.
“Only two days; maybe three,” said Wufei with a bit more confidence, and Heero nodded.
“Do you think it will help you?”
“I... don’t know. But I think it could,” he sighed. “The doctor recommended that I talk to someone I respect, who isn’t so close to my life now. To give me some perspective.”
“Ah. That could indeed be helpful.” He gave Wufei a small smirk. “Please give him my regards.”
Wufei blinked, then nodded and began to turn away.
“Wufei?”
“Yes, Heero?”
“It is not my place to say this... but I will say it anyway.” Wufei looked at him warily; usually when Heero Yuy said something wasn’t his place it meant someone was going to get their hide sizzled, but Wufei hadn’t done anything in weeks... “I am impressed, Wufei. Your progress in just these few months has been remarkable.”
Wufei blinked at him. “You... think so?”
“Absolutely. There are days I hardly recognize you.”
Wufei fidgeted slightly. “I don’t want to lose my job,” he said faintly. “It’s all I have left.”
Heero stood up. “How can you say that, Wufei?” He circled the desk to lay a hand on the startled Were-Dragon’s shoulder. “You have everyone in this office and then some. The Clan of the Almighty Q. Remember?” he smirked.
Wufei’s jaw dropped and he snorted. “Does the Banshee tell you *everything*?!”
Heero leaned close enough to whisper in his ear. “You bet your shiny red scales he does. Now, go; have a holiday. And do something fun while you’re there or I’ll smack you when you get back.”
Wufei gaped at the Wyvern. Heero raised one eyebrow in satisfaction. Not often the Were-Dragon was caught off guard this way.
“Worse,” he threatened genially. “If you don’t have some fun, I’ll tell Duo.”
Wufei opened his mouth, shut it. The Banshee would get that wide-eyed, sad look... He would... sigh.
“I promise I’ll do something frivolous,” said his mouth without help from his brain.
Heero gave him a smile that conjured up picnic baskets and red riding cloaks. “Good.”
Oh... Has anyone ever been to Calico Ghost Town? ^.o
So, I spend six days frantically digging for some of the most detailed, most nitpicky, most obscure information on the chemical background of raw materials. =p Regulatory information. Usually done by *regulatory* people. People who have college degrees. People who have experience. People who having training. People who can pronounce chemical names without hacking up a hairball. People who *aren't* me. >.< By Thursday morning I am a quivering mass of misfiring nerve endings. I am trying to write up what I've managed to find so far. It's not everything we need and my boss is going to be disappointed, but I'm way beyond my particular level of incompetance. Too much coffee; Starbucks to start and office coffee (gag!) to continue. Sugar I shouldn't have (diabetic). I'm eyeing the pack of cigarettes on the sales manager's desk (thirty years since my last cigarette).
1100 Thursday. Boss calls me into conferance room. o.o Tokyo, we have a problem. Tells me I can stop looking for information on sub-sub-sub-chemicals of a particular material, because he's heard from Japan, and another sub-sub-sub-chemical of that same material is banned in Japan. Therefore the whole project has just come to a screeching halt. O.O; Well... *part* of the project is done. I still have to finish gathering information on the other materials, but we now have to find a Japan-friendly material to substitute for the dastardly evil stuff we already used. *sigh*
So, I now have until the 31st... Whoopee.
So, Friday, 0400, I wake up with a peel-back-my-skull-scoop-out-my-brains headache. Aspirin applied. Nothing. 0700; more aspirin applied. Nothing. 1100; yet more aspirin applied. Finally, around 1300, the cockroaches gather up their pickaxes and jackhammers and break for a few beers. Kid gets home from school; gives me the big-eyed, worried look. Is mommie going to ooze out of bed or just expire and stink up the place? Mommie accepts the inevitable and slithers out of bed, gets dressed, applies another round of aspirin. >.< Kid gathers laundry, mommie staggers to truck and drives on autopilot to laundromat to slump in a crappy plastic chair while laundry goes round and round and round.... Kid brings can of cold ice tea from store next door. Mommie decides to keep him around a bit longer. Agrees to stop at Subway for sandwichs for dinner. Arrives back home, all in one piece, with only a lingering afterburn. *aaaaaahhhh*
Stress sucks. >.<
41 – Ii Kibarashi – Personal Days
Wufei looked around the large room, noting that Duo and Trowa were somewhere else. Estaban was at the doctor’s with his possibly-pregnant wife. Enrique had drawn the short straw this week and was filing. Moira and Tiffany were dealing with calls and Inazuma was most likely still trapped in a classroom at the School. Wufei had warned him about volunteering.
Heero was glancing between his computer screen and a pile of parchments on his desk, but he wasn’t frowning or growling, which would have been a bad sign.
Perfect time for a chat.
Heero looked up when Wufei stopped next to his desk. The Were-Dragon looked nervous, possibly upset. Or it could just be indigestion. As far as he knew, Rowdy hadn’t caused any more problems.
“Wufei,” he said quietly and waited.
It took a few breaths, but Wufei finally said with a sigh, “I have a request. I have already talked to Moira and Enrique and they have agreed to take over my work, what there is. I’ve cleared most of my cases. Tiffany says she does not feel any ominous rumblings in the ether.”
Heero nodded, vaguely mystified.
“Therefore, I am requesting some time off,” Wufei finished, not looking at Heero.
“Certainly, Wufei.”
The Were-Dragon looked up, startled. “You mean it’s okay?”
“You just said you’ve covered your duties; why wouldn’t it be okay?”
He shrugged and sighed. “I don’t know... I guess I was just building barriers in my mind.”
Heero looked at him. “Is something wrong at home?” he asked slowly. “Are you needed there?”
For a moment, Wufei looked blank. “Oh. No, it’s nothing to do with my family. I just want to go visit someone...” He hesitated before continuing. “It’s for my... my therapy. The doctor thinks it will help me,” he muttered uncomfortably.
“Ah,” said Heero softly. “Do you know how long you will be gone?” No wonder he didn’t look very happy to be having a holiday. It probably rankled quite a bit to have someone else directing his life. Chang Wufei was nothing if not independent, and never hesitated to inform the world of that fact.
“Only two days; maybe three,” said Wufei with a bit more confidence, and Heero nodded.
“Do you think it will help you?”
“I... don’t know. But I think it could,” he sighed. “The doctor recommended that I talk to someone I respect, who isn’t so close to my life now. To give me some perspective.”
“Ah. That could indeed be helpful.” He gave Wufei a small smirk. “Please give him my regards.”
Wufei blinked, then nodded and began to turn away.
“Wufei?”
“Yes, Heero?”
“It is not my place to say this... but I will say it anyway.” Wufei looked at him warily; usually when Heero Yuy said something wasn’t his place it meant someone was going to get their hide sizzled, but Wufei hadn’t done anything in weeks... “I am impressed, Wufei. Your progress in just these few months has been remarkable.”
Wufei blinked at him. “You... think so?”
“Absolutely. There are days I hardly recognize you.”
Wufei fidgeted slightly. “I don’t want to lose my job,” he said faintly. “It’s all I have left.”
Heero stood up. “How can you say that, Wufei?” He circled the desk to lay a hand on the startled Were-Dragon’s shoulder. “You have everyone in this office and then some. The Clan of the Almighty Q. Remember?” he smirked.
Wufei’s jaw dropped and he snorted. “Does the Banshee tell you *everything*?!”
Heero leaned close enough to whisper in his ear. “You bet your shiny red scales he does. Now, go; have a holiday. And do something fun while you’re there or I’ll smack you when you get back.”
Wufei gaped at the Wyvern. Heero raised one eyebrow in satisfaction. Not often the Were-Dragon was caught off guard this way.
“Worse,” he threatened genially. “If you don’t have some fun, I’ll tell Duo.”
Wufei opened his mouth, shut it. The Banshee would get that wide-eyed, sad look... He would... sigh.
“I promise I’ll do something frivolous,” said his mouth without help from his brain.
Heero gave him a smile that conjured up picnic baskets and red riding cloaks. “Good.”
Oh... Has anyone ever been to Calico Ghost Town? ^.o
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2006-01-22 05:47 am (UTC)um, yeah, as you can tell... I loved the whole thing really.
I'm glad Fei has made progress! Good for him!
Noooo, what is Calico Ghost Town??
no subject
Date: 2006-01-22 05:48 am (UTC)*hugs*
no subject
Date: 2006-01-22 06:56 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-22 06:17 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-22 09:32 pm (UTC)And the Japanese have this irritating way of asking one question and going away with the answer, then coming back a week or two later with another question, and going away with the answer, then coming back *again*, etc. The previous boss (also Japanese) used to say "Japanese are very annoying businessmen." No kidding. O.o
no subject
Date: 2006-01-22 06:51 am (UTC)Calico is a state park off I-15 at Yermo. It's a former silver-mining town. It used to belong to the Knott family, as in Knott's Berry Farm, and they gave/sold it to the state back in the 60's.
I noticed the signs on my way to Vegas and started thinking that it might be fun to go up there. Mentioned it to the kid, and he got all wide-eyed and drooly, so I'm tentatively considering going up on the President's Day weekend.
http://www.calicotown.com/
no subject
Date: 2006-01-22 06:18 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-22 09:35 pm (UTC)Barstow has a drive-thru Starbucks right across from the McDonald's Station... Mmmmm.... Caffeine.... ^__^
no subject
Date: 2006-01-22 02:32 pm (UTC)Hmmm... Heero knows just where Wufei is going... should I know, or am I being dense? Good to see some mention of his therapy and progress though. And so sweet of Heero to take a moment to encourage. They're so prickly around each other! :P
no subject
Date: 2006-01-22 03:46 pm (UTC)Hmm... Not a secret, but... You'd probably have to go waaaay back to make a connection. Not necessary to anything right now. Maybe later...
Now, you see... Wufei thinks he's being so cool about some things and here Q and Heero see right through him. ^__^ Silly dragon...
no subject
Date: 2006-01-23 02:22 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-23 03:42 am (UTC)Who knows? Maybe Wufei is walking, snarking catnip to Trowa. ^.O
no subject
Date: 2006-01-26 09:33 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-27 01:23 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-28 10:03 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-28 11:40 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-29 09:27 pm (UTC)I just have to hope that it doesn't snow over Cajon Pass between now and then.
heh. *knocks on wood*