26-II-2005.
We went to Richmond for the regular visit and to restock their fridge - which we skipped the last couple of times. We also brought that barbecue to replace :).
Dad asked about that barbecue, whether any engine number or something was on the receipt. Well, big deal, it's got two heaters and a thermostat. Doesn't even have a main switch. Which is why it cost only 20$ - that is it said 34$ on the box, 24$ on the shelf, and 20$ on the bill. They do that often, put the price down but don't post it right away, so they get two benefits along the way - less staff needed (as they'd need had they desired to keep the shelves ship shape updated) and the customer is pleasantly surprised.
Ricardo graduated part one, he's an economist now. What remains for the next few months is to pass some computing exams to become a programmer as well. He treated himself with a new telephone, with a not too bad a camera, in veegyaye resolution (640x480, same as that Seiko had five years ago). This is where we did a shooting session - he with it, Go with the Agfa, me with the Minolta. That contraption of his is just the same hokipuk (hokey puck) as their phones are. At least the camera has some preinstalled effects, so it can process the shot right away - various distortions as if in a curved mirror, or two-tonal or with sparks etc. We had half an hour of fun with it, laughed our asses off.
And we have one news in the kitchen - the kajmak. We got the recipe (from Škrba and the rasejani gang) and now that we already have good pots in which the milk won't char on the bottom, something like Zepter but couple of zeros cheaper, and Lena enjoys it all the way, savoring every bite :). [which couldn't last, she made maybe one or two batches more, and then it turned out to be more work than joy]
Go put up a new version of her website, but the best stuff on it are her video works, which even here, with what horrific connections, don't run smoothly. I passed the link to Mohan in Newyork, and now whether he'll find any work for her, that is to be seen.
On twonyseventh I dived like crazy into making order in the archive - putting all the bills, bank reports etc into a folder. Made a handful of confetti already. Didn't do this for the last two years, so the stuff piled up. And even now I probably wouldn't find the will, had I not take out the whole archive from that big bottom drawer, when I was to file my tax return.
While we were in A-burg I had an accountant do my taxes, we'd get a two-three thousand back and we'd paid him 150-200 dollars. After moving here, we switched to doing the taxes ourselves. I purchased a program which does that, costs 40$ (in retail at first, then by direct order from them it came down to 25$) and this year we're getting everything back from Bush, all to the very last cent, because we had two college students and paid more than a thousand dollars of interest on the mortgage, which is also deductable. More than that, last year I officially made less, because the whole march and three days in february I worked for Jüzek off the books, for which I got solar payment („money out in the sun“), in four eyes. Virginia, as usual, returns only a couple of hundred. One year they actually asked me to pay three dollars more. The money should arrive in some ten days.
On twonyayth David and I recapitulated the inventory aftermath. Well they did establish that there was chaos, few thousand stones were missing, few thousand were present without origin, and few thousand in wrong places. But now we at least have some situation from which to make a clean start. When I asked whether we'll have to repeat the ordeal, he said yes, as soon as april. Ah, and did they accept that all the sales have to be typed in? Well, it's not just the sales... Okay then, we can keep serving them perfect totals of unreliable data. He said „here, even Valerie says things got much better after the inventory, they should do that again“. Well, you wouldn't believe it, but back in 1990 we had a customer who'd lock the storage if the app stopped for any reason, nothing gets in or out of stock without being recorded. And the place they had was a real hole, but the inventory had to be correct to the last bottle (this'd be that company from the border, where that guy played blockout overtime, v. june 1991.). Yup, he says, even these guys finally started grasping the meaning of the word system. Now how long would it hold and how far would it get, we'll see.
And what their accountant imagines he's to have a say about the inventory... wishful thinking*, no more. He's got other stuff where his limited wits appear awkward in presence of others (and David listed a few such events). Ouch, man, I knew those things even by working remotely, and he didn't? Speaking of which - what's up in the office, what's coming? No idea, he said... did you start looking for another job? Nope, should I? Well, the chances that we'll write this production management as planned are becoming slim... which is probably the reason why we still haven't started it. There's never enough time, no clear decision. So I've spent this whole first year doing everything else, just not the thing I was hired for in the first place...
So instead we started thinking of things we'd produce, for example yet another patch on that database, so the accountant can do the invoicing what's written down as sale in Access... for which we already have some similar form which creates the record. Now to tie the accountant to that... Well, he said that wouldn't be the problem, he may invent a score of other tricks like that, the point is that this form works because he knew exactly what to do and how to make it and how to deploy it. For the rest of it... they expect it all to be fully integrated, which will never work, no chance. Well what can I do then to keep the job, except wait for the ceiling to fall? Well, his Hindu guy is leaving by the end of the year, was leaving in two months first but then agreed so stay more. Says, doesn't matter what we produce - if we have the management on our side, anything would work, now since we don't, then it won't. Everything else is peeing against the wind.
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* „what granny dreamt“, short of the proverb „what granny liked, so she dreamed“
Mentions: june 1991., Agfa, Annenburg (A-burg), blockout, David Krakovski, Gorana Sredljević (Go), Gradivoj Škrbić (Škrba), Jelena Sredljević (Lena), kajmak, Mohan Merchant, rasejani, Ricardo Manuel Bariero (Ricardo), Valerie Marceau, Yisaac Kwiatnik (Jüzek), in serbian