To whom it may concern,
My apologies. I haven’t been posting lately because all of my internet time has been focused on honing my skills for work, and/or setting up my new hardware/operating system for a dual boot linux box. I’m just absolutely loving breaking into these computers and seeing how they work, but … I’m beginning to believe that pure unrefined geekiness is a psychological disorder. If that’s too dramatic for you, then go ahead – I formaly dare you to start your own blog and tell me it’s not the “gateway drug” into a dark spiral of techie-addiction.
Sadly, my love life of recompiling kernels is not the most pathetic thing going on over in this corner. Per JK’s requestI went ahead and a) wrote a letter of interest to this personal ad on craiglist, and b) had it followed up by … A LETTER FROM MY MOM.
You can read it in its entirety below:
Dear Anon 101485497
I see where you are looking for someone, that loves his job, and loves to talk, and has friends and likes people. My son is a interesting guy with lots of interest. He is a musician, computer programmer, young, sweet, compassionate, loves to talk about all kinds of interesting things, all topics. He likes to walk [Garrett's note - I DO NOT like to walk] and see the world .he has always seen it different then most people. He loves to write poetry and when he falls in love it hilarious. I just love to watch him he is what we have always called the humble bumble.
I would like to make sure that you don’t over look him in your search. He rarely would do something like this so I think it’s funny. I’m not sure what he’ll think when I tell him I wrote you a recommendation….hahahhaha
Sincerely Lou
P.S. I have always wanted someone that would fit into our family. I hope that you’ll not be put off by this letter and that you have a sense of humor.”
My mom is so fucking hilarious. Hats off to her, please.
Oh, wait, the way you worded that at first, I thought you meant that you responded to a personal ad which turned out to actually be one your mom put up! Now THAT’s hilarious… a lot like that “Pina Colada Song” where that has a bad marriage and answers a personal ad, and meets her, only to find out its his wife, and then their love is rekindled by their mutual infidelity…
Anyway, that girl seems pretty cool. There’s something great about her face and description.
Where was I though… what I was originally going to comment on is that computer programming /tech shit really does become a personality disorder if you’re not careful. I’ve known many weird weird weird programmers who couldn’t function socially. Not saying you’re going to be like that, as you have a much more solid foundation than any of these guys.
But the thing is that I think it takes such a single-mindedness to understand and be good at that shit that it very easily tends to imbalance people in a weird way. They get into this tunnel that they can’t see out of. Frankly, that’s why I never got into having a job where I was strictly a programmer – I’ve always had it mitigated by much more human concerns, like design, marketing, writing, interface design etc – things that are based on humans rather than abstractions.
Now wait! You wrote her before we talked about it right? Because my only idea was to have people write recommendation letters, as in it would be funny if people started doing that in their online dating techniques. You being the “first” to do so, seemed only fitting — since you seemed so willing to try and it sounded fun.
Just curious how this all played itself out is all. Either way, this “dating” in the 21st century so far is proving to be pretty sketchy. At least from one person’s perspective or another. One afterall, never knows who may think so.
wait, is that girl in the ad wearing a pith helmet or is it just my imagination?
You’re right JK – i HAD already written her, but I chose to change the story for dramatic effect. Plus I always have you to come by and pick up the peices and set the story straight.
Still no word on from the anonymous girl from craigslist, but I believe the powers of momdom will bring me good luck.
Tim, I think you’re right about the pith helmet. You think Hunter S. Thompson impersonator, or former DisneyLand safari guide?
What’s up with the “waits”?
Haha, I can totally relate to the geek disorders. Before I got in politics and all this religion nonsense, I was 100% geekst0r. After spending hours compiling Gentoo Linux from stage 1, I went through every kernal option so I could the smallest kernel possible.
I must admit, I still love working with PC’s now and I enjoy some mild programming but I’m not warped or socially challenged. + when I get my new laptop, linux is so going straight on it.. *drool*
Interesting fact #231: I wrote a neat perl script for Linux about 2 years ago that got featured and reviewed in a Japanese Linux magazine (and included on the front cd):
http://confstore.sourceforge.net/confstore_linuxmag.jpg
F34r.
She actually wrote me back…….