My hamstring pain is coming back slowly. I kind of figured this out last night. It then died down by the time lunchtime had arrived.

It's dark outside when I get up at 07:00. I'm not thrilled about turning on the light. It causes me to wake up faster, which I don't appreciate.

I got to work at my regular time. It was raining. It rained on and off all day. I'm tired of rain. I miss the sun.

I got to work and the sales coordinator asked me to stop by her desk. Looking at what was on her screen caused me to bend, which didn't help my hamstring problem at all. Mind you, I don't think that standing up for that long that early in the morning is beneficial.

What does help is the sales coordinator being smoking buddies with the helpdesk manager. She told him that I had yet to be connected to the internet. He thought that he had set me up the same time as he had set up DJ. Nope, he missed me. Apparently, he had set me up last night.

iPod boy (DJ) said good morning to me and advised that my phone sounded while I was away from my desk. I can't picture who would be calling me so early.

I went to try out my internet connection. It was still down. Late last night, I had let my manager know about my internet problem. All my outstanding tasks at work are website-related. My manager said he'd so something about it.

Well, I decided to write the IT manager a note, asking him to help me with my internet connectivity. I was unhappy that everyone in sales had access and just goof off by surfing. Meanwhile, the person who works on the corporate website and e-Commerce cannot do her job.

It was to the point where DJ asked me twice if I was connected. I wasn't and was getting more annoyed as the day progressed. He asked if I wanted to use his connection. I turned it down, citing that I was now working with the helpdesk manager to get me going again. It was, however, a generous gesture.

The helpdesk manager first replied to my e-mail message, saying that I was set up. I then sent him two screenshots of two different browsers I had up on my system. Both indicated that I was experiencing a connection problem. He then said that he'd help me with it and called me on the phone immediately.

What added to the frustration was DJ saying once again that the e-Commerce site lacked a search function. I said that we had discussed that last week. To me, that is minor. He said that it was worth discussing it again. I have told him that I'm more concerned about functionality and actually getting all the parts entered than worrying about a nice-to-have feature.

Well, it turns out that my IP address wasn't static. I had booted up my computer this morning. The helpdesk guy asked me to verify my computer's details. I had a completely different IP address than the one designated to me. After configuring it manually and having me refresh my IP settings, I could access the internet again. I was pleased to actually get on with my work.

The first thing I did, oddly enough, was head over to my car to fetch two CDs. I came back in and imported them. I then proceeded to work while continuing to listen to my tunes.

I had a pretty quiet day. I barely spoke to folks, except when the moocher and popcorn guy came over to my desk. The latter is thinking about quitting. He's not happy. That will be a huge loss if he does leave the company.

The sales coordinator and I wrote to each other on MSN again, now that I was online again. She made me laugh. Sadly, butter girl thought I was laughing at her. I said that I didn't even know what she was discussing with DJ. DJ pointed out that I tend to do that. He's used to me now.

Towards the end of the day, DJ offered me some "stale, unsalted almonds." I had to laugh at how he had worded that. He elaborated by saying that he had left the package unopened and wanted to feed it to the birds first. Instead, he was now snacking on them and wanted me to join in. He said that he was eating them, so they were safe. I said that was him, though. The effects won't show up immediately with him. He smiled.

We both have roasted turkeys when it's 30ºC outside, without the air condition. He was thinking about making spaghetti with turkey leftovers tonight. I've done that before. It's funny how we talk about food more, ever since I talked about making mashed potatoes yesterday.

He said that he was leaving work soon. He didn't want to stay till 18:30 tonight. Neither did I.

The moocher came by my desk and told me to watch that show tonight at 22:00. I indicated that I wasn't going to be home. I asked that he tape it for me. He wasn't sure if he had a blank tape at home. I just told him to give me a synopsis of the program tomorrow.

The president's son (PS) had finished changing into his attire at around 17:10. He came over to my desk. I was ready to leave. DJ asked where he was going. I immediately said that I was dropping him off somewhere. PS actually went along with this cover-up, saying that he was meeting a friend at Scarborough Town Centre. I was surprised that PS had kept his mouth shut about this. It's a nice change.

DJ once again made up a word, so I had to poke fun at him. Actually, he said that he was happy that PS had a friend... other than DJ. I had to point out the brief pause there. Anyway, we wished DJ a good evening and left.

PS and I then talked to popcorn guy and short guy in front of our vehicles in the parking lot. Apparently, we're doing the cubicle shuffle this Friday. What I dislike about my employer is the fact that nothing is communicated to folks who are involved in whatever plans that are being made. We had a good laugh about neon boy, who failed to come into work because his car had died. He decided to not use one of the other two cars he owns to get to work. Hmm.

We passed by a restaurant/pub that had music blaring. I don't normally react to that sort of thing, but I did last night. I blurted out, "Hey, that's Guster!" I think PS and the smokers all heard me. It's rare to hear "One man wrecking machine" played anywhere these days, other than from a media device that I own.

Anyway, I drove downtown and parked in my favourite parking lot by the Hummingbird Centre. We then walked over to the Old Spaghetti Factory. I had the pot-pourri spaghetti, which was amazing. I also had tiramisu. PS had the veal parmagiana. I used a coupon from that Entertainment booklet. We got $12.49 knocked off. Cool.

PS isn't a great conversationalist. He talked about the concert ticket refund, even though we had said that all was fine on that front. He had this puzzled look on his face. He then said something that annoyed me about butter girl -- that he's "forced" to like her. I don't buy that for a second.

I tend to eat pasta fast. I was actually waiting for him to finish his meal. His movements are slow on the whole, but they seem exceptionally sluggish when I have completed wolfing down a bowl of pasta.

We got to Hummingbird at 19:30. I bought a t-shirt and a souvenir book. Luckily, credit cards were accepted. We had good seats there.

The Pet Shop Boys didn't have an opening act. The show started with "Psychological" at 20:00. I need to get the duo's Fundamental CD.

I found the following review of the show in the Toronto Star today. I'm going to be lazy and will just post it here.

Pet Shop Boys in the deep of the night
October 12, 2006
BEN RAYNER
POP MUSIC CRITIC

Only a handful of musical acts in a generation can lay claim to forging a singular aesthetic, and the Pet Shop Boys is one of them.

We're a quarter-century into the U.K. synth-pop duo's enviable career and a Pet Shop Boys track is still instantly identifiable as such. But it goes beyond the music, beyond the signature combination of Neil Tennant's cultured nasality and Chris Lowe's restrained electronic burbles - the whole package's knowing confluence of buttoned-down British reserve and slightly camp gay-club abandon is what really marks the Pet Shop Boys.

This, I've come to believe, is why the duo's performances, despite their tireless penchant for flashy mise en scene, always take an oddly long time to wind up beyond artful stasis to fist-pumping dance parties.

Some blame for the slow crescendo during last night's Pet Shop gig at the Hummingbird Centre must, of course, go to the venue itself. There's something about upholstered seating that makes a crowd look tentatively over its collective shoulder before bursting to its feet, although there were a few scattered souls and blocks of seats bouncing around giddily from the ominous, opening cords of new number "Psychological." Shirts on, mercifully.

Tennant, who spent much of the night clad in top and tails like a circus ringleader, and the customarily ballcapped-and-sunglassed Lowe compensated for their legendary inertness - Tennant generally stands motionless at the mic, Lowe is a model of economic movement behind the keyboard for someone triggering every single sound emanating from the P.A. - by bringing along a pack of dancers and singers.

All performed before a backlit cube that expanded (with the aid of stagehands wearing white jumpsuits like the sperm brigades in the Woody Allen flick) into various, gridlike mutations. But the weird disconnect between the dancers' frantic breaking and posing, the stage dressing's laborious transformations and the Boys' inertiawasn't really overcome until the classic "Opportunities (Let's Make Lots of Money)" conjured the mass explosion that would-be audience detonators like "Left To My Own Devices," "Suburbia," the recent Bush- and Blair-baiting single "I'm With Stupid" and its gleaming successor "Minimal," didn't.

Probably part of the act, the set's second half took a turn for the upbeat with a Latino-flavoured "Domino Dancing" and "Flamboyant."

Wind was nicely sucked from sails when Tennant donned a guitar for Release's pretty "Home and Dry." Then all hell broke loose for dry, double-barrelled covers of "Always on My Mind" - augmented by giant Neil and Chris cut-out heads and the backup singers' impressive wardrobe of ridiculous sombreros - and Pet Shop's brilliant medley of U2's "Where the Streets Have No Name" and Frankie Valli's "I Can't Take My Eyes off You" complete with a kick-line by gold lamé-clad cowboys. The requisite "West End Girls" and the sly new "The Sodom and Gomorrah Show" then confirmed the evening as a long-fused blast.

Here's the setlist:

Part 1
God willing
Psychological
Left to my own devices
Suburbia
I'm with stupid
Can you forgive her?
Rent
Minimal
Shopping
Dreaming of the queen
Heart
Opportunities (let's make lots of money)
Integral

Part 2
Numb
Se a vida e (That's the way life is) / Domino dancing
Where the streets have no name (I can't take my eyes off you)
Always on my mind
Flamboyant
Home and dry
West end girls
The Sodom and Gomorrah show

Encore
So hard
It's a sin
Go west

I don't really agree with the slow crescendo. I thought it was the most fun at a concert I have had in quite some time, as far as standing up, dancing, singing, and clapping. I think the crowd helped out, too. For some reason, it's like a party town when you've got happy gay folks next to you, singing and dancing along. I will forever remember the bald guy in the aisle, flapping his arms about to everything the PSB were singing.

I appreciate the Pet Shop Boys' music the older I get. Neil Tennant wore tailored suits throughout the show. His sidekick, Chris Lowe, work his signature cap and sports clothing. I had a great time. It was reminiscent of my being at the Erasure concert a year or so ago. They were both a ton of fun.

The show's encore had PSB singing "It's a sin" and "Go west." Neil thanked the crowd for being great. He said little during the show. The duo just hammered out song after song. At the end, the singers and dancers sang bits and pieces from all the songs performed that night. It was a nice way to end the evening.

There was a twenty-minute intermission. That was different, but it was neat. And yes, the stage was aesthetically beautiful. The whole show was tastefully done. If the duo came back here to do another show, I'd definitely see them again.

It was 22:40 by the time I had pulled out of the parking lot. We had stopped by the local store to get some drinks. I was sipping key lime soda in a bottle. I felt like I was drinking a vodka cooler while driving, but I wasn't drunk. Our conversation was much better going home. I dropped him off just past 23:00. I got home at around 23:25, packed my lunch, showered, and called it a night.

|

Song that's stuck in my head: Pet Shop Boys' "Heart"
Yummy food eaten today: Tiramisu
What I crave: Pot-pourri spaghetti from the Old Spaghetti Factory

Recent thoughts:
Readings, lights, and random thoughts - 2009-03-15
Thoughts about work, school, and peeps - 2009-03-09
Working from home and a mini life update - 2008-12-19
The weekend is here! - 2008-01-06
A new year - 2008-01-01