So if you haven't heard the news yet...

....Matt and I are officially engaged!




And, No we haven't set a date yet.

"Shitter's Full"

So who decided it would be a smart idea to only have one toilet on the space station. That was true brilliance!

One for the Darwin Awards

I posted the full story below. These guys were total morans. They should have their badges taken away for being ediots. Lets attack a gator with a towel. Thats a brilliant idea. You know, I actually feel sorry for the gator. It was minding its own business not attacking anyone until these cops try to play Crocodile Hunter and it ends up getting shot in head.

Deputy Bitten By Alligator In Apartment Complex Parking Lot
POSTED: 6:40 am EDT May 16, 2008
UPDATED: 7:50 am EDT May 16, 2008

VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. -- A Volusia County deputy got a painful lesson in what it takes to trap alligators. He was bitten while trying to wrestle an eight-foot gator at an apartment complex in Deltona.
The deputy will likely survive after the bite. He was in serious but stable condition at the hospital.
It must have felt like a night out of an Animal Planet television show for the woman who came home to the Brightside apartment complex after a long day of work and found an alligator in the parking lot.
"I pulled up in my car and I saw an alligator there," said Jaasmin Harris who found the gator.
With an eight-foot alligator right next to her car, Harris decided to sit tight for a bit. But after ten minutes of waiting for the gator to move, she called Volusia County deputies, worried the reptile might hurt someone.
"We heard cops laughing or talking or something and we happened to look over and there was a gator over there," said Carlos Martinez, an eyewitness.
The laughing quickly stopped as witnesses say the deputies moved in on the alligator with a broomstick and a towel. During the scuffle, the gator mauled one of the deputies.
"So we went over there and a few cops tried to wrestle it and one got bit on the leg," added Martinez.
"So then they decided they were gonna throw a towel on the thing and try to jump on it, and the dude that tried to jump on it got bit by the alligator," said Harris.
Even as that deputy rolled off the gator's back, witnesses say it kept coming after him. That's when one of the other deputies pulled out a gun and shot it twice in the head.
The bullets didn't actually kill the gator. A trapper came in and shot it with a bang-stick, killing the gator. The trapper said it was one of the most agile gators he'd ever seen.
The wounded deputy was flown to Halifax Medical Center.

End of year Wrap up

So I guess it's been a while since I poseted and I owe an end of year wrap up. Lets see what changes have happened for the mercenary in the last few months....

In August I recieved a promotion from Jr. Technical Analyst to Bussiness Analyst and was assigned to a project team. That was a learning experience for me as I was no longer doing the technical stuff that was in my comfort zone but more application side projects and reports writing. It was a good learning experience for me but not something I was sure I wanted to do for very long.

Well then in November a position became available for an Operations Support Manager. I decided it would be a good opurtunity for me to move from IS to Ops Support and get more experience in other area's of the company so I applied for the position and was offered the job. So that's what I am doing now. It shoould open oppurtunites for me in a few years to move to higher positions in operations or to move back into higher postions in IS if thats what I choose. The job is going to require lots of travel though so I guess I am still wandering.

I suppose the even bigger news is that I bought a house. I guess I just finally decided that I was really going to be here for a while, what wiht my job prospects with in the company I am at as good as they appear to be and with Matt having a pretty good job near here as well. So no more renting whoo hoo. We are in the process of moving in this week which has me pretty exhausted lately since I am basically going from work to the apartment to finish clearing it out, to the house to work on stuff there, to bed.

I guess that's about it for the year end 'cap. My sister graduated in Decemebr and I went home and got to visit with family then. We spent Christmass with my Matt's family. We going skiing in mid january. That's about all from here.

The mercenary will have to try to post more often in the new year. I hope everyone has a good one.

Southern Culinary Experience

If your around Midtown Atlanta and looking for Southern Culinary Experience, visit the South City Kitchen on Crescent. Built in what apears to be on old two story house, South City Kitchen truely provides a southern dining experience.

As I am staying in Midtown Atlanta for a training seminar and a colleague had recommended the place to me, I chose to have dinner at the South City Kitchen last night. The atmosphere was pleasent. The food was exquisite.

I began the meal with biscuits and corn muffins. While the biscuits were good, they could not beat the corn muffins which were perfect.

The goat cheese in the fried green tomatoes had a mild flavor that accented the flavor of the tomatoes. Though I have never had fried green tomatoes prepared in such a way before it was truely excellent.

The pork tenderloin was perhaps the most tender piece of meat I have ever tasted. Served with potatoes, bacon and hollendaise souce it was truly an orgasmic delight.

The banana pudding was a taste of the good old fashioned south. Served with real bananas and vanilla wafers it brought me back to may childhood.

I am not sure when I had such a perfect dining expereince. Add in the waitress with the perfect southern accent and the perfect southern dining experience was complete.

Robots in Disguise

So ummm...who thought it was a good idea to let Michael Bay direct the new Transformers Movie!

Dallas

I am in Dallas right now for Trainingg. Well technically Irving. Its cold. I got in Sunday afternoon and it was 48 degrees and I was in a shirt sleeve shirt. I want to go back to Florida!

I drove over to Fort Worth yesterday to view one of my company's facilities. It took an hour and ahlf to go a distance that should have taken 30-40 minutes. I want to go back to Florida!

I think I will hide in the hotel room the rest of the trip. Well I guess I'll go to class.