I got my car on Thursday night and promptly parked it. On Friday, after work, I drove back to Windsor for the weekend to visit my family and return the rental car. Then, Sunday night, it was back to Toronto. Monday was my first full day driving the new car. It's really a fun little car, and though I'll miss the power of a more substantial engine, I'll get used to it.

The job is going well, though the past week has been somewhat frustrating. The task I've been assigned is one that cannot be completed quickly; and both my boss and I have an expectation that I can do anything at the speed of light. I knew this task would take some time, but that doesn't mean I don't get frustrated.

I move to my own apartment on Friday, just in time for my wife to visit this coming weekend. I'm looking forward to having the freedom to watch TV later into the evening, and to keep the volume turned up higher.

Anyway, I don't really have much more to say, so I'll call it a day.

An update

I have yet to hear from Toyota about when my car will be showing up. Hopefully, it will be by Thursday. The dealership closes too early on Friday for me to go there, and I have to return my rental car to Windsor on Saturday.

Work has been fun, but I got my first taste that things are not all rosy. Despite my best efforts, there is no way to cram 80 day's worth of programming effort into 10. According to my best estimates, a task I have been assigned should take 80 days to complete. I've been told the client is willing to pay for 10 days worth. I've used up 5 days already, and have barely put a dent in the project. I know I can't pull this off, yet all my strong hints to management are going unheeded. The more proof I furnish about the complexity of the task, the more I am told not to worry - while being chastised at the same time for falling so far behind!

I found a place to live. And there's a funny story there. I'll skip the details and get to the punchline. It's on the same block as my sister's house (where I'm staying now). The owner of the house seems like a very nice guy. I think I'm going to enjoy staying there.

"Ohohohoh what a feeling!"

Back in the '70s, that was the jingle. And now, for the first time in my life, I'll be the proud lessee of a Toyota. Sure, my wife already leases an Echo. And sure, the car I just leased is also an Echo (barely a Toyota). But hey, it's great on gas, and the Toyota people apparently believe I'm creditworthy (just got the call 2 minutes ago). So, with that out of the way, I just have to finalize arrangements for a place to stay.

Now, to find a movie theatre. It's been too long since I've been to a movie!

Weekend in Toronto

A weekend in Toronto is like a weekend without family. How depressing. This is the first weekend that I will be away from my wife, and I don't expect it to be any fun at all. For the past two weekends, there were reasons to be back in Windsor. But the cost of such travel, and the lack of a valid reason to be there this weekend means that this will be the first weekend spent in my new "home" city. I don't have many plans, although it appears my search for permanent housing may be over. And, assuming I can pass a credit worthiness check (having a new home and a new job looks bad when you apply for a car loan), I should have a car by next Friday.

Work is going extremely well. I'm doing a really good job, and the boss is recognizing that. I've been quite surprised that he's taken me into the inner circle as quickly as he has; asking that I sit in on important strategy sessions that (I thought) were only attended by the most senior staff. All in all, I take these as very positive signs.

Happy Thanksgiving

It's Thanksgiving weekend here in Canada. For the second weekend in a row, I found myself travelling back to Windsor - this time to be with my family for Thanksgiving Day dinner. It was good to be home, but at the same time, I am finding it tiring to do this much travel each and every weekend. Next weekend, I will stay in Toronto - looking for a new car and an apartment. Staying with my sister is a real blast, and we are getting to know eachother quite a bit better. She's the baby in the family, and I really didn't get to spend much time with her growing up.

I haven't had the time to spend blogging (and reading other blogs), doing so only sporadically since arriving here. Perhaps when I get my own place, things will fall more into a routine. Work is going quite well, and I think I'm beginning to really impress my bosses. They had been making some noises about also wanting to hire my wife, but I think we'll slow down there and not put all our eggs into such a new basket.

To all my Canadian friends and family, Happy Thanksgiving.

Work is progressing well. I hadn't forgotten as much of my skillset as I had feared, and it took me less than a week to get back to full speed. Orientation has been cut short, and they have me doing meaningful work. My first assignment, meant to ease me into the business, was completed in a day (they had budgeted five days), and today I was assigned two more issues. I think the bosses are impressed so far.

I've been using the Video Phone software that shipped with the Intel PC Pro to communicate with my wife. I was having limited success with NetMeeting, and this software is working well. Since my bandwidth here is slower (I think it's Cable Lite), there are some issues, but overall, seeing and hearing my wife free of charge is a real hoot.

The only really disappointing thing is the apartment situation. While I'm currently staying with my sister, I don't want to wear out my welcome. Tonight, I visited an apartment complex that I had hoped would accommodate my needs. It was a real dive, and in a rough part of town. Tomorrow, I'll be checking out another area, further afield, but hopefully in a nicer part of the city. Wish me luck.

I'm back

I just finished installing a router on my sister's internet connection, and I'm now sharing the line. Hopefully, I haven't introduced any "bad" things to the system. Time will tell.