Not so much that I miss using the web, which I do every single darn day. More that I miss working on all the cool web- and user- facing technologies that my many ASF friends talk about over on PlanetApache. My current job is both internally-focused (hence I don’t talk about it much) and mostly business process improvement and based on somewhat legacy technologies. So while it’s comfortable, and has plenty of great co-workers, it’s not quite as exciting as what I read about most days on the web.
But that’s not what I came to tell you about.
Came to talk about the draft.
Well, no, really, came to talk about my morning. Had to get the mail, so I stopped at Au Bon Pain for coffee since I really needed some. Got to my garage and stopped my car, where my coffee got knocked down, got imploded, got fallen over, got smashed up, got spilled all over. Havin’ a bad day, I was, feelin’ hung down, brung down, and all kinds of tired and blahy things.
So I walked on over to the mall about 100 yards away, and I headed into the one big chain coffee shop right next door, you know the one, with the big green lady in the circle on the 8 by 10 colored glossy sign over the shop.
I walked on in, stood on in the line, waited on up ’till I got to the counter, and I said: “Barista, I wanna wake up. I mean, I wanna be really awake. I wanna be flyin’ off the ground and bouncin’ off the walls, and pound out that work all day long. I want a triple large vendi-grande latte drink with extra this and some of that with a big old shot and more of everything else. I want it so much I want to THRILL, THRILL, THRILL.”
And the barista smilled at me, and said “You’ll get a THRILL THRILL THRILL!”
Then he said: “That’ll be $4.04 please.”
And I stopped. $4.04. 404. No wonder I’m having such a bad day today. I’m missing. Part of me is not found. Something’s gone; not sure what, can’t be that important, but it’s messin’ me all up anyway. Sigh.
So I paid the man, four singles and a nickel, and I got myself my one penny for change, and got my drink, and came on over to work to post this blog entry.
So here I am, just waitin’ for whatever it is I’ve lost to come around on the keyboard again, gettin’ ready to write my reports and build my websites and dream my little AJAXy dreams.
And I hope you have a better morning than I did today.


Hey buddy, sorry you’re having a bad morning ;(
Maybe pick a random cool Apache Incubator or Apache Labs project and join it? There’s a bunch of innovative fun new technologies there, and they all need help…
Thanks for the updated Arlo riff . . . brought back good memories of a Berkshires eatery back in the good ol’ daze . . .
Cup holders. Under appreciated by Germans, needed by Americans.
I’m going to buy you one that hangs on your window slot… now do they make them with flamingo’s on them.
By the time I got to “big green lady in the circle on the 8 by 10 colored glossy sign over the shop”, I knew it wasn’t merely a
familiar-sounding cadence. If Thanksgiving is the appropriate day to listen to “Alice’s Restaurant”, shall this post be revisited every July 30th?
(I can’t believe I would have missed it if Mark hadn’t finally remembered to accept my LinkedIn connection so I could note you has one of his others and follow the path. Totally worth it!)
Have a 404-free August!
Heh… excellent. Did they ask you if you wanted a pickle?