today two more ex-tsh people started working at srm, joel and eliza hoover. eliza had worked with us for a day a few months ago, bug testing for a project. it's weird now, like being in a parallel office universe where people i've worked with from the past and people i'm working with from the present all mixed together under one roof. definitely not a bad thing though, the only downside is that it can't be forever. but the few weeks that they're here, that's still plenty of time to start a mutiny and take over the company. unfortunately, elias and rob will be leaving us tomorrow, their last contractual day. i don't think they're too sadden by the arrival of the end (finally some rest), they've been working pretty hard downstairs, i haven't had time to socialize too much with them at all (the whole upstairs-downstairs arrangement definitely had something to do with it).

in other news, i accompanied amanda to chinatown during lunch today so she could get a bus ticket for her trip to nyc this weekend. during our walk to kendall station, i bet amanda $10 to pick up this dead frozen squirrel i saw on my way to work. she almost agreed to do it but had too many conditional clauses (e.g. wearing gloves, able to wash her hands afterwards) so it didn't happen. on the subway ride into the city, the midtrain conductor stepped out from his booth and made a speech to everyone in the cabin. at first i thought he was delivering a sarcastic rant, but then i didn't know what to make of it. he told everyone to please forgive him for periodically checking in on us, that he's a 22 year mbta veteran, but with the whole september 11th situation, he's been informed by the mbta to check up on the passengers occasionally, and since he has family members who also ride the t, he feels very serious about his obligations. everyone listened to him intently, nodding in agreement. it was just surreal. if amanda wasn't there as a corroborating witness, i don't think anyone would've believed my story. afterwards, we got lunch at to chau, my chinatown restaurant of choice when i lack the imagination to try other foods or lack the proper monetary resources to fund expensive eats. i had the L7 spicy tom yum guy vermicelli soup. it's been forever since the last time amanda and i went out for lunch. the last time was 011019, when we got truck food and ate it outside because it was so warm. so what is that? almost four months ago? afterwards we headed back to the office, momentarily considering whether to get a slurpee from the dtx 7-11 but ended up not getting one.

when i got back to work, i was jonesing for a sugar fix. i finished all my mints and i had no more candy left. i finally had to break out my emergency ration, this brick of cadbury chocolate with almonds and raisins in it. normal consumption when mean breaking off a small square, but when i eat i don't know the meaning of restraint so i ended up wolfing down the whole thing. afterwards i became hyper, but only in my mind, as my outward appearance was one of a calm demeanor.

oh, btw, my neck hurts from having my head turned for an hour yesterday during the patriots parade!