Tom's Coffeehouse

The Office

2007-01-10T08:58:00.000-05:00

The Office

Yes, I know... I'm over three seasons late on this post... but better late than never.

I'm absolutely in love with the NBC TV Show, The Office. My co-workers and friends refer to it, all the time and I was starting to get tired of missing out on all the jokes. So, recently, I acquired the recorded copies of the first three seasons and now I can't stop watching it. I'll decide to watch one episode per evening and end up watching like five in a row. This stuff is absolutely golden and I recommend it to everyone, especially my working-professional friends.

You know how people used to refer to "Office Space" all the time, at work? This is definitely the new "Office Space."

I Got The Car

2007-01-03T08:10:00.000-05:00

After about a month of waiting, my car finally arrived at the dealership yesterday. Thanks Vince, for tagging along to pick up the car. It's a 2007 Toyota Camry XLE (Black Exterior / Bisque Interior) with all the bells and whistles.

Like Vince said, "I'm like a little kid with his brand new toy!"

Da Roof, Da Roof

2006-12-28T08:12:00.000-05:00

Da Roof, Da Roof

Our roof at work is getting re-done. There are over a dozen workers on the roof with heavy machinery. And I do mean heavy - huge rolling pins, scrapers, automatic saws and all that good stuff. Each bang and thud startles you a little bit; it feels like it's all going to come down any second.

There will be no snoozing going on today :-)

The Purpose Driven Life

2006-12-27T16:42:00.000-05:00

The Purpose Driven Life

I finally got around to reading The Purpose Driven Life By Rick Warren. I've heard so much about the book in the past year but now I finally got the chance to read it.

The book is a very easy read. It's divided into 40 short chapters (most of them two or three pages each); the author recommends that you read one chapter a day so that you have enough time to reflect on what you have read. I've gotten through 1/4th of the book and it has been very interesting so far.

I wanted to share a quick thought that I encountered from my reading today: Do everything as you were doing it for God. Even the most menial tasks in your day to day life.

Chew on that for a moment! That certainly changes your outlook on things/tasks, doesn't it? I mean, opening the door for someone... doing that boring task at work... driving... washing dishes...

Out of all the different things we do on a daily basis - how many of them do we do whole-heartedly? How many of them do we sort of "sweep under the rug"?

Status Update

2006-12-06T09:49:00.000-05:00

Status Update

I haven't written in a while... I have posted some pics here and there but very few written words.

Well, it's been a little over two months since I started my new job and I've been enjoying every bit of it. Been busy all along but I'm glad that I can be passionate about my work again. I'm glad that I can concentrate on the programming and not worry too much about the politics.

Ah, what else... Oh, yes... bought a new car. However, I won't have it in my possession until the end of the month since they couldn't find an exact match for my specifications; one has to be shipped in and that takes a little bit of time. I can hardly contain the excitement.

In the mean time, you can take guesses on the make and model :-)

Hint: Very few people have considered it an "exciting" car in the past (although the new model will change a lot of that) but it's been rated to be highly reliable.

Nifty Fifty's

2006-12-01T13:39:00.000-05:00

Image of the Day

Nifty Fifty's Restaurant on Grant Avenue

Smile

2006-11-23T20:55:00.000-05:00

Smile

My Lil' Cousin Christine on Thanksgiving Day, 2006.

Image of the Day

2006-10-29T21:41:00.000-05:00

Image of the Day

I Like It Here

2006-10-29T18:03:00.000-05:00

I Like It Here

The other day, Matt walks over to my cubicle and puts a nice 20" flat-screen LCD monitor on my desk...

You don't have to use that old CRT Monitor anymore... you're in front of the computer screen all day... this one's probably a bit better for your eyes... and besides, Carmen wanted you to have it.

Oh, Carmen by the way... is the CEO of the company!

Image of the Day

2006-10-21T14:37:00.000-04:00

A Walk in the Park. NE Philadelphia, PA

Image of the Day

2006-10-13T08:56:00.000-04:00

Image of the Day

I was leaving the work parking lot, yesterday evening when I noticed this beautiful creature on the other side of the street. It looked up for a few seconds when the camera shutter clicked but then went back to boldly nibbling at the grass and completely ignoring me.

Official

2006-10-10T13:57:00.000-04:00

Official

Today, a gentlemen came over to my cube, drilled two holes on the outside of the cube wall and installed my very own name-plate. "THOMSON VAIDYAN"... Right there in large, white 40pt. block letters on a 2" x 8" walnut colored plastic board.

"Congratulations... Now you're official!"

Random Thoughts

2006-10-09T10:17:00.000-04:00

Random Thoughts

Today marks the start of my third week at my new job. I got my third project at the end of last week and this one is a Classic ASP / SQL Server 7 solution. It�s fun to go back to the older technologies every once in a while� I think. We�ll see how it goes. I�m definitely getting used to the new atmosphere and I think I�m adjusting fairly well.

It was certainly a great weekend. Our local church hosted YouthFest, a get together of South Indian (mostly) Christian youngsters. The event was a time of Worship, Intercession (prayer), Fellowship and Extension (Outreach to the community). The next one is in February, in Atlanta, GA.

Watched the Eagles / Cowboys game yesterday and it was certainly exciting� at least from a Philadelphian perspective. I don�t know when I became an Eagles fan (I�m sure Josh had a lot to do with that) but I seem to be watching all the games now and even remembering a few player names and positions and all. It�s been a good season for the Eagles, so far, despite some injuries.

I�m tired of my contact lenses� they bother me all the time. Thinking about getting glasses. I think it�s a better choice considering the fact that I spend about 50 hours in front of a computer screen, a week!

Image of the Day

2006-09-30T12:48:00.000-04:00

Image of the Day

Liz's Acura TL. September 2006. Bryn Athens, PA.

More Quotables From the HR Professor

2006-09-28T08:03:00.000-04:00

More Quotables From the HR Professor

Oooo.... Midget Ladies! They are sexy!
-- Professor, Human Resources Management.

First Day At Work

2006-09-26T08:04:00.000-04:00

First Day At Work

My first day at work was yesterday. The nice folks over here gave me a nice warm welcome. I'm slowly but surely getting used to all the new names and faces... the new routines... like the sign-in sheet for instance... I gotta remember to sign-in and sign -out!

And then there are things that I'm sure I'll have no problems adjusting to. Like the free communal breakfast on Wednesdays... and then I hear that there are Barbeques in the backyard, once every week, during the summers. And the nice coffee machine. And getting to go home for lunch.

And last but definitely not the least - the work itself. So far, I've been introduced to two projects... one an existing one and one a new one. Both seem to be great ones and best of all, I get to do it in ASP.NET. :-)

More updates will follow.

Image of the Day

2006-09-22T22:30:00.000-04:00

Image of the Day

Arch and Broad Streets. Philadelphia City Hall in the Background.

Catalyst IT Services (July 2003 - September 2006)

2006-09-19T15:52:00.000-04:00

Catalyst IT Services (July 2003 - September 2006)

Today marks the end of an era.

Ok, ok... maybe it's not that dramatic but I do feel a tinge of melancholy as I write this. After reevaluating my personal and career goals, I handed in my Resignation Letter to my manager at Catalyst, this morning. This was certainly a tough decision because in these last three years, I have made some great friends there. I have also gained a whole lot of experience, knowledge and wisdom. But recently, I came to a realization that my personal and career growth was tapering off here and that it was time for me to move on, in order to attain the goals that I have set for myself.

I'm starting a new job on Monday, September 25th as a Systems Developer in a local firm here in North East Philadelphia. I ask for your prayers and your well-wishes as I start this new chapter in my life.

Back In School

2006-09-13T16:37:00.000-04:00

Back in School

I can't write on these [chalk] boards... They are too low... they are like 3 feet tall... they were made for midgets!

-- Professor, Human Resources Management, First Day of Class.

Longwood Gardens Visit

2006-09-05T09:50:00.000-04:00

Longwood Gardens Visit

Over the weekend, our family, along with Liz's family went to Kenneth Sqare PA to visit the famous, Longwood Botanical Garden. The site was celebrating their 100th anniversary this month and along with the wide, exotic array of flowers on display, there was also a fountains and fireworks display to accentuate the night.

Please click on the photo above or visit my Photo Gallery to see the photos from the visit.

Getting Back into the Routine

2006-08-24T10:13:00.000-04:00

Getting Back into the Routine

It didn�t take me much time as I originally estimated to get back into the swing of things� as far as work is concerned. I immediately got immersed into ongoing projects, into the prospect of new ones, and some loose ends in between, pretty much as soon as I walked into my office.

Talking about new projects, one of the major Oil companies in America, that has a branch in PA, approached Catalyst in the hopes of getting a developer or two. My boss signed me up for the deal, even before I got back from my vacation. I had a phone interview with them on Monday and they asked me to come in for an in-person interview for tomorrow afternoon. The work that is proposed seems to be interesting � it�s all ASP.NET 2.0 Work� redoing some of their ASP 1.1 applications in 2.0 and also some XML Web Services. However, I�m quite concerned about the length of my commute since this new gig will take me almost 2.5 hours each way by public transportation. Seeing this, my employers at Catalyst have assured to make some sort of arrangement that will prevent me from spending 5 hours of my work day in commute.

Tomorrow should be an exciting day, regardless of what happens at the interview. My good friends Josh, Beckie and Susan are coming up to Philadelphia for an Eagles pre-season game� and they�ve got me a ticket! The Eagles are playing the Steelers. Although, I�m not a hardcore sports enthusiast, I do enjoy watching Football and I�m hoping for a fun-filled afternoon.

Oh what else� I�ll be starting school next month. My first class is on Saturday, September 2. This semester I have two classes � one on Monday nights and the other on Saturday mornings. I�m quite excited to be back in School. I hope to earn my Masters in Information Systems Management by 2008.

It's A SMALL World After All

2006-08-29T14:05:00.000-04:00

It's A SMALL World After All

Artists / Photographers Pierre Javelle and Akiko Ida have created a very creative and mouth-watering gallery of photos that feature food-items and miniature people figures. The idea is great. The photography is fantastic.

Visit their site minimiam.com (Requires Flash) to see this unique collection.

A Win Win Friday

2006-08-28T11:10:00.000-04:00

A Win Win Friday

So, the interview on Friday went well. It was a short 20 minute interview� nothing structured� just a casual conversation about my past technical experiences and also an informal overview of the client�s day to day activities and about the role I am expected to play in their development team.

My boss came to my office this morning and told me that I had got the job! Now, Catalyst just has to do their part in setting up my travel arrangements and working out the minute details.

The Eagles game was just as spectacular. Straight off the bat, I must say that Philly is one crazy town! Even though this was just a preseason game that has no direct effects on the impending season, fans packed into the stadium, well before the 8 PM kick-off. Painted green faces, team jerseys, signs and other team paraphernalia were everywhere. However, I must also admit that there was a good number of Pittsburgh Steeler fans in their yellow and black fatigues sprinkled amongst a sea of green.

There was excitement and energy everywhere. But then again, how can you refuse to be fully amped-up when there�s a fireworks display before and after the game (and at various dramatic intervals), when the team is introduced while the Rocky theme is blasting, the National Anthem sung in the presence of US Navy representatives, when everyone is singing �Fly Eagles Fly��, when the league�s best set of cheer-leaders capture the attention of the massive arena, and of course, when the team gets on the scoreboard first and leads in points for most of the game. The final score was Eagles � 16� Steelers � 7.

After the game, I spent the rest of the night with my good friends Josh, Beckie and Susan who spent their weekend in Philadelphia. All in all, a very exciting weekend.

Back From India

2006-08-19T10:43:00.000-04:00

Back From India

After my few exciting weeks in southern India, I arrived in Philadelphia on Wednesday, August 16. The vacation was certainly memorable. The highlights included Johnson's wedding, hanging out with my NY buddies in India, visiting old friends and relatives and indulging in the most exquisite South Indian cuisine.

Posted below are my top-ten photos that I captured during this trip:

Four More Days Till India Trip

2006-07-17T09:16:00.000-04:00

Four More Days Till India Trip

Four more days till my vacation and I can't hold in my excitement anymore. On Saturday, July 22nd, I'll be getting on an 18+ hour flight to Kerala, South India. My last trip to India was in May 2003. This time I�ll be in India till August 16.

My itinerary includes, visiting old friends and relatives, hanging out in Bangalore with my cousins, attending Johnson and Jenny�s wedding and if there is any time left � rest, relax and rejuvenate myself before I return to U.S.