So I wake up to someone beating on the door. But not your usual fast knock...pap-pap-pap-pap-pap-pap. It was more like pap----pap----pap----pap.
I'll be honest, I was kinda scared, so I just sat there for a minute because I wasn't sure what was going on. Plus, I was disoriented by waking up in a strange place. It eventually stopped and I heard whoever it was walking off very slowly. It sounded like they had a limp, because you could hear that they were dragging one of their feet.
I opened the door, very quietly, just enough to peek through and I saw an older guy, walking down the hallway. he was wearing overalls, so I'm assuming he was the janitor. I guess he was looking for whoever made that mess downstairs.
Just in case, I triple checked the lock before I went back to sleep. It's probably going to take me a while to fall asleep this time. That seriously freaked me out.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Monday, November 17, 2008
Walkabout
I was bored, so I went to take a look around. This place is kinda cool. There's a Halon system for use in fires. That's scary stuff. It's basically some sort of "magic powder" that can suck all the oxygen out of a room once it's exposed to the air. Scary but cool in a drastic measures kind of way.
There's a supply room here with a "disaster kit". Blanket, flashlight, flares, first-aid kit, batteries. The whole deal. Blech! It's even got some "Military Ration" type food-paste stuff in a tube. Nasty! I also noticed an identical cabinet on the other side of the room. It's in a separate server cage area, so I can't get to it, but I DID notice a big warning sticker on the front:
"Authorized Personnel Only Yadda Yadda FEMA EK-193 Yadda Yadda Subject to Prosecution Yadda Yada"
Do any of those people even speak English?
I got halfway downstairs when I realized that the store in the lobby was closed. I took that as an invitation to explore the office levels on my way back upstairs. Nothing fancy. Just like I thought, just a bunch of Doctors and Lawyers. There was one office that was some type of FEMA satellite office or something. I'm assuming it the office that leases that server cage area with the double padlocked cabinet.
On one of the floors, it looked like someone vomited all over the floor. It smelled HORRIBLE. IT looked pretty "fresh" because it looked like heat was rising off of it. Nasty!
I'm feeling sleepy, so I think I'm going to take a nap. I'll get up in a few hours and check on the backup. There's a cot in this office so at least I can stretch out for a while.
There's a supply room here with a "disaster kit". Blanket, flashlight, flares, first-aid kit, batteries. The whole deal. Blech! It's even got some "Military Ration" type food-paste stuff in a tube. Nasty! I also noticed an identical cabinet on the other side of the room. It's in a separate server cage area, so I can't get to it, but I DID notice a big warning sticker on the front:
"Authorized Personnel Only Yadda Yadda FEMA EK-193 Yadda Yadda Subject to Prosecution Yadda Yada"
Do any of those people even speak English?
I got halfway downstairs when I realized that the store in the lobby was closed. I took that as an invitation to explore the office levels on my way back upstairs. Nothing fancy. Just like I thought, just a bunch of Doctors and Lawyers. There was one office that was some type of FEMA satellite office or something. I'm assuming it the office that leases that server cage area with the double padlocked cabinet.
On one of the floors, it looked like someone vomited all over the floor. It smelled HORRIBLE. IT looked pretty "fresh" because it looked like heat was rising off of it. Nasty!
I'm feeling sleepy, so I think I'm going to take a nap. I'll get up in a few hours and check on the backup. There's a cot in this office so at least I can stretch out for a while.
Boo!
The stocks for that research company with the burning lab are doing well.
My stock options and 401k are crap.
I wish the economy was better.
My stock options and 401k are crap.
I wish the economy was better.
SAT Test
Napreapathy is to Muscle/Connective Tissue
as
Chiropractic is to Bones
Backup is at only 32%.
/sigh
as
Chiropractic is to Bones
Backup is at only 32%.
/sigh
Cut 'em low!
The barber pole was apparently symbolic of the practice of bloodletting back in medieval Europe. Basically, they'd cut you to let the bad stuff out.
Ah yes. Europe. Ever the bastion of civilization.
Ah yes. Europe. Ever the bastion of civilization.
One more chance...
I started getting antsy. I was nervous for no real reason, so I decided to see what had become of my little homeless buddy.
The front door is still intact. Apparently, the guy tired himself out beating on the door and passed out. I guess he'll be sleeping there all night.
The front door is still intact. Apparently, the guy tired himself out beating on the door and passed out. I guess he'll be sleeping there all night.
More news at eleven...
The news is seriously bumming me out. There have been wildfires burning on the west coast for the last few days and it's just come to light that the fire might have actually been started by an explosion of some type at some research facility out in the area. Some of the “Experts” on the talking head shows are saying that they were doing some type of heavy-duty genetic research and there's a concern that some of that stuff might get spread around in the atmosphere because of this storm front, or a high pressure zone, or something.
Bad stuff.
There have been more reports of unresponsive oil tankers out in the middle east that might have been hijacked by pirates, Yes, REAL pirates, not the “pirates” that the big media companies are always whining about either. Guys with guns that throw you off of your own boat. That sort of thing.
Bad stuff.
There was also a blurb about a big National Guard deployment. They originally thought they were going to help with the wildfires, but the latest report says that they actually went in the opposite direction.
Bad stuff.
On a lighter note, the backup seems to be chugging along pretty well so far. It's already at 15%. If I'm lucky, I'll get to play some online games tonight. This place has one of those ridiculously fat Internet pipes, you know, like an OC-48 or something similar. In English, that means “Better than yo' Mama's Biscuits!”
Good stuff.
:)
Bad stuff.
There have been more reports of unresponsive oil tankers out in the middle east that might have been hijacked by pirates, Yes, REAL pirates, not the “pirates” that the big media companies are always whining about either. Guys with guns that throw you off of your own boat. That sort of thing.
Bad stuff.
There was also a blurb about a big National Guard deployment. They originally thought they were going to help with the wildfires, but the latest report says that they actually went in the opposite direction.
Bad stuff.
On a lighter note, the backup seems to be chugging along pretty well so far. It's already at 15%. If I'm lucky, I'll get to play some online games tonight. This place has one of those ridiculously fat Internet pipes, you know, like an OC-48 or something similar. In English, that means “Better than yo' Mama's Biscuits!”
Good stuff.
:)
Head Crack Head Crack
So I head downstairs, out the front door, and out to my car. I look down the street and towards the other end of the block, I see some guy, just standing there. He's slumped over a little and he's just standing in one spot swaying back and forth a little like he's strung out on something. Basically, he looks like what we used to refer to as a “Hype” or a “Dope Fiend”, back in the day. I dunno, maybe he was a homeless guy, I couldn't really tell.
No biggie, it's not like I've never seen one of these guys before, so I normally wouldn't have noticed him if he didn't jerk his head completely upright as soon as I “beeped” my alarm off with my remote control.
“Bloop Bloop” and immediately, and I mean immediately, his head jerked up, almost like a dog or something, and he looked down the street directly towards me. He kinda stood there for a second and then started shuffling down the street towards me, but it wasn't the normal, homeless guy shuffle, it was weird. Maybe it was because I was paranoid because of the way he jerked his head around, but there was something about the way he was walking that just seemed...off.
I quickly poked into the back seat of the car to grab my stuff, but as I did that, I bumped the panic button on my remote control. Holy crap! What did I do that for?!?
A soon as the alarm went off, the homeless/dope fiend guy jerked to attention, yelled as loud as he could(Growled? Howled?) and started running directly towards my car at full speed. I snatched my stuff out of the car, slammed the door, ran into the building and locked the door. Just in time too, because half a second later, the homeless guy was banging on the window and yelling obscenities at me. What the hell is wrong with that guy?
I'm pretty sure he can't get into the building, so I'm not too worried about it. I didn't bother calling the Police because he technically didn't do anything to me and there didn't seem to be anyone else around that he could harm. I guess it was nothing, so I just came back upstairs and tried to forget about.
It was weird though, because the guy didn't really look “homeless”. He was actually wearing a suit (or what was left of a suit) and it looked like he had a $300 watch on. I guess that's what substance abuse does to people.
No biggie, it's not like I've never seen one of these guys before, so I normally wouldn't have noticed him if he didn't jerk his head completely upright as soon as I “beeped” my alarm off with my remote control.
“Bloop Bloop” and immediately, and I mean immediately, his head jerked up, almost like a dog or something, and he looked down the street directly towards me. He kinda stood there for a second and then started shuffling down the street towards me, but it wasn't the normal, homeless guy shuffle, it was weird. Maybe it was because I was paranoid because of the way he jerked his head around, but there was something about the way he was walking that just seemed...off.
I quickly poked into the back seat of the car to grab my stuff, but as I did that, I bumped the panic button on my remote control. Holy crap! What did I do that for?!?
A soon as the alarm went off, the homeless/dope fiend guy jerked to attention, yelled as loud as he could(Growled? Howled?) and started running directly towards my car at full speed. I snatched my stuff out of the car, slammed the door, ran into the building and locked the door. Just in time too, because half a second later, the homeless guy was banging on the window and yelling obscenities at me. What the hell is wrong with that guy?
I'm pretty sure he can't get into the building, so I'm not too worried about it. I didn't bother calling the Police because he technically didn't do anything to me and there didn't seem to be anyone else around that he could harm. I guess it was nothing, so I just came back upstairs and tried to forget about.
It was weird though, because the guy didn't really look “homeless”. He was actually wearing a suit (or what was left of a suit) and it looked like he had a $300 watch on. I guess that's what substance abuse does to people.
...the words of the prophets are written on the subway walls...
Did I mention that it was loud in there? I don't know if you've ever thought about it, but there are a few readily noticeable “problems” with keeping human beings comfortable in a data center.
The first problem is sound. The servers that run your websites and calculate your insurance rates are loud. In the world of compromise, having a quiet computer loses out to cheap (relatively) and fast every time.
The second problem is heat. These same computers that run you websites and store your email generate a lot of heat. Put a bunch of them in a room together and you'd have a sauna on your hands. Coincidentally, there's often times a direct relationship between how cool your computer runs and how long it last before some piece of hardware conks out. Even though fifty or sixty degrees Fahrenheit doesn't seem all that cold, there's something about being inside in fifty degree weather that just makes it seem a lot colder.
But I've lucked out. It just so happens that there's a nice, quiet office down the hall that I can hang out in. I've got my laptop with me so I think I'll hang out in here and keep an eye on the backup while I surf the web a bit. It's a tough job, but somebody has to do it.
I just need to grab a cable out of the back seat of my car, and I'm good to go.
The first problem is sound. The servers that run your websites and calculate your insurance rates are loud. In the world of compromise, having a quiet computer loses out to cheap (relatively) and fast every time.
The second problem is heat. These same computers that run you websites and store your email generate a lot of heat. Put a bunch of them in a room together and you'd have a sauna on your hands. Coincidentally, there's often times a direct relationship between how cool your computer runs and how long it last before some piece of hardware conks out. Even though fifty or sixty degrees Fahrenheit doesn't seem all that cold, there's something about being inside in fifty degree weather that just makes it seem a lot colder.
But I've lucked out. It just so happens that there's a nice, quiet office down the hall that I can hang out in. I've got my laptop with me so I think I'll hang out in here and keep an eye on the backup while I surf the web a bit. It's a tough job, but somebody has to do it.
I just need to grab a cable out of the back seat of my car, and I'm good to go.
The Job Site
Well, I made it in one piece. It's just about closing time, so it's pretty quiet around here. I grabbed my stuff and walked down to the end of the block to the main entrance. The only other entrance is at the other end of the building, which also happens to be the other end of the block.
The building doesn't look too old. Maybe twelve years old or so. It has a contemporary “style” to it, or at least as much of a style as a ten story warehouse can have.
The bottom floor of the building houses three businesses on this end of the block. There's a convenience store (QFH Mart), the “Law Offices of Burnhm and Schmidt”, and an old barber shop (The sign just says “Barber Shop”) that looks like it's been closed for at least five years or so. The front window is filled with color posters from a travel agency, inviting me to a purple-hued Hawaii, Puerto Rico, or Jamaica. I think I'll pass. There's also one of those “swirly-barber-pole things” next to the door. I wonder what that means anyway? I need to remember to look that up later. I'll have plenty of time to surf the web once I start the backup.
The next few floors look pretty plain. Judging by the fluorescent lights and plastic plants I can see through the wide windows, I'd assume that this part of the building is where all the offices are located. Judging by the panel near the mailbox, it's mostly, doctors and lawyers (What is a Doctor of “Naprapathy”? )
The top few floors of the building are where I'm headed. That's where the data center is located. These floors don't have any windows and the walls are supposedly thicker up here. Supposedly, the building is built in such a way that, even if bottom floors are almost completely destroyed, the top part of the building will still be intact. Something to do with all the concrete pillars, counter balances and all kinds of other Architect mumbo-jumbo. That's all according to the kiosk in the lobby. Of course, eternal tinkerer that I am, I had to stand there and fiddle with the thing until I crashed it. Oops. Moving right along... :)
The elevator up to the data center is bigger than normal, but not quite a “freight elevator”. Our server cage is up on the top floor. The place is dead quiet when I get off the elevator, which is weird for a data center. They must have spent a fortune on soundproofing.
The building doesn't look too old. Maybe twelve years old or so. It has a contemporary “style” to it, or at least as much of a style as a ten story warehouse can have.
The bottom floor of the building houses three businesses on this end of the block. There's a convenience store (QFH Mart), the “Law Offices of Burnhm and Schmidt”, and an old barber shop (The sign just says “Barber Shop”) that looks like it's been closed for at least five years or so. The front window is filled with color posters from a travel agency, inviting me to a purple-hued Hawaii, Puerto Rico, or Jamaica. I think I'll pass. There's also one of those “swirly-barber-pole things” next to the door. I wonder what that means anyway? I need to remember to look that up later. I'll have plenty of time to surf the web once I start the backup.
The next few floors look pretty plain. Judging by the fluorescent lights and plastic plants I can see through the wide windows, I'd assume that this part of the building is where all the offices are located. Judging by the panel near the mailbox, it's mostly, doctors and lawyers (What is a Doctor of “Naprapathy”? )
The top few floors of the building are where I'm headed. That's where the data center is located. These floors don't have any windows and the walls are supposedly thicker up here. Supposedly, the building is built in such a way that, even if bottom floors are almost completely destroyed, the top part of the building will still be intact. Something to do with all the concrete pillars, counter balances and all kinds of other Architect mumbo-jumbo. That's all according to the kiosk in the lobby. Of course, eternal tinkerer that I am, I had to stand there and fiddle with the thing until I crashed it. Oops. Moving right along... :)
The elevator up to the data center is bigger than normal, but not quite a “freight elevator”. Our server cage is up on the top floor. The place is dead quiet when I get off the elevator, which is weird for a data center. They must have spent a fortune on soundproofing.
On the road again!
Well, I'm off to see the wizard.
Got all my stuff packed up and I'm headed out the door. I've got:
-Umbrella (Looks like rain)
-Portable video games
-MP3 Player
-Laptop
-A book and a magazine
-Overnight supplies
Everything an IT professional needs for a night on the town.
That disaster recovery site is an hour and a half, maybe two hours away. Traffic is still pretty light (odd!) so I should make pretty good time. Once I get there, I just have to run some hardware checks and then babysit the quarterly backup. Then I box the tapes up and send them off to our other disaster recovery site on the other side of the country. You can never be too safe with your data!
Speaking of "being safe", I was surprised by the number of police cars out today. There were quite a few accidents near Lincoln Avenue. Apparently, these two smallish women in large SUVs had a close encounter and were going at each other like wild dogs. The two cops there were hardly able to keep them apart, and they were big guys.
There's alot of people milling about aimlessly on the sidewalks. I wonder what's going on? Too bad I'll miss out on all the fun :(
Off I go!
Got all my stuff packed up and I'm headed out the door. I've got:
-Umbrella (Looks like rain)
-Portable video games
-MP3 Player
-Laptop
-A book and a magazine
-Overnight supplies
Everything an IT professional needs for a night on the town.
That disaster recovery site is an hour and a half, maybe two hours away. Traffic is still pretty light (odd!) so I should make pretty good time. Once I get there, I just have to run some hardware checks and then babysit the quarterly backup. Then I box the tapes up and send them off to our other disaster recovery site on the other side of the country. You can never be too safe with your data!
Speaking of "being safe", I was surprised by the number of police cars out today. There were quite a few accidents near Lincoln Avenue. Apparently, these two smallish women in large SUVs had a close encounter and were going at each other like wild dogs. The two cops there were hardly able to keep them apart, and they were big guys.
There's alot of people milling about aimlessly on the sidewalks. I wonder what's going on? Too bad I'll miss out on all the fun :(
Off I go!
Would you like fries with that?
Lunch was...weird today. Jason and I ate lunch at the pasta place in the mall. I couldn't believe it, he ate 3 full servings of lasagna and almost an entire pizza. I asked him what was up with that, and he said he's just been REALLY hungry lately. He said, it's weird because, no matter what he eats, or how much of it he puts away, he's still left with that itch. Like it didn't quite “hit the spot”.
Apparently, he's not the only one with a healthy appetite. I swear that almost everyone in the food court today had a table full of food in front of them. I've never seen so many people packed in to that tiny food court. It was kind of a pain too because I actually wanted a burger and some fries, but none of the restaurants in the food court had any ketchup. The guy at the corn dog place said they haven't been able to keep ketchup all weekend. It disappears almost as soon as they put it out.
When we went back to the car, I noticed that there was that same, grey film on Jason's car that I've been seeing on everything outside for the last couple of days. It's almost like a greasy, powdery type of film. Maybe even a soot. It washes off easy enough, but it makes me paranoid. I'll be mad if I end up with “black lung” or some other obscure disease. It's been cloudy the last couple of days and there have been really big wildfires out west this week, so maybe it has something to do with that. Who knows.
Anyway, I've got to head out to the disaster recovery site soon. I've got to remember to take an overnight bag with me because I'll be stuck there all night. Fun! :(
Apparently, he's not the only one with a healthy appetite. I swear that almost everyone in the food court today had a table full of food in front of them. I've never seen so many people packed in to that tiny food court. It was kind of a pain too because I actually wanted a burger and some fries, but none of the restaurants in the food court had any ketchup. The guy at the corn dog place said they haven't been able to keep ketchup all weekend. It disappears almost as soon as they put it out.
When we went back to the car, I noticed that there was that same, grey film on Jason's car that I've been seeing on everything outside for the last couple of days. It's almost like a greasy, powdery type of film. Maybe even a soot. It washes off easy enough, but it makes me paranoid. I'll be mad if I end up with “black lung” or some other obscure disease. It's been cloudy the last couple of days and there have been really big wildfires out west this week, so maybe it has something to do with that. Who knows.
Anyway, I've got to head out to the disaster recovery site soon. I've got to remember to take an overnight bag with me because I'll be stuck there all night. Fun! :(
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