Have you ever had that feeling that you missed something really important because you were overly occupied with something else even more important? Yeah. Me too.

I was out of town last week for something “even more important” and totally missed something really important in one context but completely meaningless in a larger context.

Confused yet?

It will make sense later when I can tell you the whole story. But for now…

Last Monday, June 9th, Surely You’re Not Serious celebrated its 10th birthday, quietly, alone, with a single candle jammed into a banana nut muffin. It was not the joyous celebration SYNS deserved. Instead of toasting my old friend, I was traveling, trying unsuccessfully to master temperature selection in strange showers.

Which brings us to this week’s white board quip!

We all think we’re pretty smart until we try to turn on someone else’s shower.

Yes. I am a master of seque (even though I had to google it get figure out the spelling). Thanks for noticing.

If you’ve got several hours and nothing better to do, you could start at the very first SYNS post and see where it all began!

I love that song. “Cuz when you worry your face will frown and that will bring everybody down. Don’t worry. Beeeeee happy.”

What a great song. Too bad that life is… well, life.

The big project is done and out the door. Which means I now have time to look at my white board and see all the things that were put on hold for the big project. And the bug reports from the big project are beginning to trickle in. AND the next big project that was to follow the big project has been moved up.

AND… well. you get the idea. So here’s this week’s white board quip, written at the top of a very full white board.

Stress is when you wake up screaming and then realize you haven’t fallen asleep yet.

Crunch time is coming to an end at work… I hope. I really really hope. Cuz, my mind is getting frayed. So much so that this, one of the world’s worst puns, made me literally laugh out loud. Yep, even in my cubicle.

Today someone compared me to Hitler. I did Nazi that coming!

Still under a crunch at work. No time to chit chat. But the chain must not be broken! (Explained here.)

I was all warm and cozy in my cubicle paradise. Why must you ruin it?

I’m starting the second week of the grind at work. Sorry that I don’t have time to craft a beautiful exposition today. Only this little pearl of wisdom from the Nintendo NES (back in the day) that is so terribly relevant while I’m working long hours and pushing my work PC to the breaking point. (It did break once late last week, but thankfully… I saved.)

Everything not saved will be lost. – Nintendo

“Crunch Time” used to be a fairly regular occurrence at my day job. About every two years, some big project would come along and require long hours, late nights, massive eye strain, limited sleep, and almost no personal hygiene. If you’ve never smelled a programmer during crunch time, consider yourself blessed.

I’m very grateful that I’ve been able to keep regular hours for several years in a row. But…

This morning, during a quick, stand-up meeting, my shoulders felt that familiar weight. Ahh, hard dead lines. Tough requirements. Smells like… crunch time!

If you happen to see me stumbling into Waffle House at 3 AM, it’s best to just walk away, divert your nose, and pray that it’s over soon. As for me, I’ll be fine. I can’t really smell myself anyway.

Which brings us to this week’s white board quip.

It’s only embarrassing if you care what people think.

It was 2006. The internet was like a proverbial teenager, starting to realize its universe had no edge. Connections speeds were just fast and affordable enough to watch tiny, 400 pixel wide videos. Just enough pixels for an odd, neurotic fellow with unsynced pupils to enthrall a generation. Before YouTube, before the Vlog Brothers and Wheezy Waiter, there was Ze Frank.

But… who cares, really.

Nostalgia isn’t what it used to be. – Ze Frank

Although… Ze did eventually set up a YouTube channel with selected episodes and there is a KickStarter that may bring Ze’s show back. Or it may just tease us, like Firefly April Fool’s jokes that no one laughs at.

You guys know how I feel about my smart phone, right? RIGHT? Well, during my commute today, I was thinking over the busy week ahead. I thought about that one guy who is supposed to call me about that one thing. And I reflexively put my left hand on my left thigh, where my smart phone can be felt in my left pocket.* But, I didn’t feel it. Then, mild panic. I LEFT MY PHONE AT HOME!!

I commonly refer to my smart phone as “my brain.” It is my calendar, my calculator, my watch, my alarm clock, and the phone to which important phone calls and text messages are directed. It contains my “ToDo” lists (yes, several), pictures of things to help me remember stuff (like the model number of the Vans shoes I was going to search on eBay), and other information that I may need, but don’t trust to my actual, warm, squishy brain.

So, today, I am brainless. Thus, this week’s white board quip:

I can not brain. I haz teh dumb. – LOLCAT

* Because when we’re driving, our phone is put away! Right, chi’ren?! RIGHT?!

You can file this week’s white board quip under, “stuff parents do that humiliate their kids.” Also, “first world embarrassments.”

Taking pictures with an iPad is the new fanny pack.

Case in point:

[Image shamelessly stolen from imgur]

Happy Monday! Let’s start with a piping hot White Board Quip, shall we?

Always be yourself. Unless you can be Batman. Then be Batman.

And on that note:

I don’t have time today to really explain “cosplay” to my few regular readers who don’t know what it is. So, Dad, it’s like Halloween for Geeks but without the candy.

I’ve seen enough Batmen (?) and Batman related cosplayers that nothing much garners a second look anymore. But this guy… This guy’s got chops. This idea is so good, I would totally try this. That is, if I had the time, money, and commitment to go to Comicon in costume. So, 1 out of 3 means it won’t happen. But still! Awesome.

On a side note, this image was posted on Pleated-Jeans.com, which does, at least, provide links to where they found the image (better than most aggregate pic sites). But the link in this case was to a Tumblr feed, and Tumblr as you (should) know, is the wild wild west of uncredited pic sharing and creativity theft. I wish there was some way I could give credit to the original dude under that cowl. But I guess that’s all the more Batman-ish. He’s not the clever cosplayer this city wants, but is the clever cosplayer this city needs!