I went to drop off paint cans at the city's hazardous materials drop off event today. Having never been, I wasn't sure to expect, but it certainly wasn't what I experienced.

Instead of a "drive up and drop off your own crap" type of event that the free-dump weekends are, the hazardous materials drop off is a well-organized, hands-off affair. I drove up, showed my identification, drove around the corner with the car hatch open, and POOF! all of the paint cans were out of the car, followed by all of the dead batteries I had.

Gone.

Whisked away by previously bored men and women in white painters outfits, which were probably ineffective for truly hazardous materials, but fine as protection from, oh, paint cans.

The car hatch was closed, and of I went. Total time? Less than 4 minutes.

I've been intending to lose about ten pounds or so for the last year. I haven't been having much luck until this week. I can honestly say that being completely stressed, heart thumping, head aching, gut wrenching stressed is so way not the way to go about losing the weight.

I'm down about three pounds from not eating, this week alone. This is so way not healthy. For the record, I despise people who abuse my good graces, treat me like shit, subject me to verbal abuse, then expect me to "play nice." A note to said people: you don't have the upper hand, don't think you do.

I feel like there's just so much death around me at this moment. Jessica told me a few days ago that her mom was going into the hospital. Kragen has a message about his cousin's husband having a heart attack at age 39. Statistically speaking, I've already lived longer than most women in the history of the world, but not yet to even half my expected lifetime, nor even a third of my intended life span of 120 years, but, geez, is the thought weighing on my mind. I suspect it has to do with the circumstances around, and the stress I'm feeling.

Note to future self, said people above were Elizabeth and Ryan, may they rot in hell when their asshattery backfires back upon them.

I received this question, and only this question, in a message from my contact form today.

Are you the same Tom Hudson who wrote "Lake Elsinore Valley"?

How does one search for "Tom Hudson" and end up on a site that belongs to "Kitt Hodsden?"

I ask you.

Today's workout at Velocity was four rounds of decreasing reps of:

Plank position hand walk
Kettleball swings
Overhead push press
Box jumps
Run 4 lengths

Sets were were 21, 18, 15, and 12 repetitions. Well, except the plank position hand walk and the four lengths of running, which weren't decreasing.

The plank position hand walks were done along a row of medicine balls lined up along ten yards, spaced a bit over a yard apart. Starting in a plank position (a pushup position), hands just to the left of the first ball, hand walk to first ball and put both hands on the ball, then continue walking to put both hands to the right of the ball. The trick is to move your feet along with the sideways hand walking. One round is done walking to the left, the next walking to right.

The kettleball swings are the same as normal. The overhead push press was same as normal, as were the box jumps and running four lengths.

The workout was a good combination of upper body and lower body workout.

Today's my first day working at Doyle's company. Warren suggested last night that the org chart for the company be rewritten so that Doyle is my direct boss. Although the concept is quite humourous, I prefer Doyle's suggestion of "put all the Drupal developers in one department, THEN put me over you."

Doyle suggested we carpool to his work this morning. Since I wasn't sure what the various parking protocols were, what the office hours were, and how I was going to get into the building to work, I enthusiatically said yes.

Starting at a new company always has issues, whether it's for a new full-time job or for a new contracting position. Today was no expection to that "issues" rule. However, having someone who I could talk to, and ask what was up, having Doyle just right there, oh, my, made starting the new job so much easier than I was expecting.

On the way home, Doyle asked me, "So, how was your first day?"

It was good, so I told him so. I also told him how much I LOVED that I could just turn to someone and start asking technical questions, and he immediately knew not only what I was talking about, but could converse with me intelligently about the task at hand, and offer suggestions.

He turned to me and exclaimed, "I KNOW!" It took me a few moments to realize that he, too, was missing having someone with the same expertise and experience as he had.

I smiled. I hadn't realized just how much I had missed working with Doyle.