Where No Egg Has Gone Before...

This morning, while I was cooking some eggs for breakfast, I couldn't help but think of the Star Trek logo when this fried egg took shape on the frying pan.

That is all.

My Car is 288,000 Miles Old Already!

288,000 Miles Driven on my 2008 Civic Si.

I've had this car for 6 years now. And it already has 288,000 miles on it! It's a 2008 Honda Civic Si. It's what I use for my deliveries; contract, sub-contract or independent. I wonder how many cars, '08 and above, have this many miles already...

When I bought this car, I knew that it's main purpose is for work. The braking system, suspension, power, and what I call fun factor was evidently in this car. Basically, I made "working" or "doing deliveries" fun for me! This is also where I spend more than 80% of my time working.

 Some people think that my car has lasted this long without anything majorly wrong happen to it. Most of them say "Honda cars will normally last that long." But some of my closest friends know what happened to this car over the years:

• Transmission failed on me during my deliveries at 189,941 miles. It took two weeks to repair and about $4,700 to repair. 
• The alternator was recently replaced, at 287,900 miles. If it was replaced before, I don't remember, nor do I have any transaction records of it.  Ok, this was a surprise to a few of my friends. I do remember replacing the starter back on November 2012.
• Exterior: The back bumper, and both left and right side panels, have been replaced during Winter of 2013, after getting side-swiped and hit on three different occasions at one of my delivery sites. The total cost of repairs came out to $4,800. All of which was paid for by two different major companies that were responsible for causing the damages.

Until this day, my car is still fun to drive. And this is why I love my job as a courier. This car is also my second home. When I'm on standby between deliveries, I spend a lot of time in here. If ever I have to be away from home again, like during my intercity or interstate deliveries, my car is a good place for me to sleep, eat, etc. (except use the restroom... lol)

Now Serving: Pearland, TX

I've been temporarily assigned as a standby courier at an emergency center in Pearland, TX. For the type of work that I have to do, this assignment actually pays decently. And on top of that, I'm somewhat able to keep my current contracts at the Texas Medical Center. though I have to be extremely careful about working both jobs at the same time.

Yesterday was my start date. I did experiment on doing my little covert operation and despite the difficulty of combining the two jobs. I know very well that I won't always be as lucky, and the emergency center can call at a bad time. Luckily, my wife was willing to help, by going on standby for me at the medical center, just in case I'm stuck at Pearland and unable to go to the Texas Medical Center.

My contractors told me that I will most likely be doing this for a month, and there's a possibility that if the driver I'm covering decides not to come back, I will be able to keep the route for myself and to continue with both contracts for as long as I'm able to perform both of them with no problems.

The Graveyard Shift On-Call Deliveries

It wasn't too long ago when I made an unprecedented decision to work overnights to do hot shot deliveries. This decision was an indirect result of the "Thanksgiving Ultimatum" incident that I engaged against my contractor's operations team. But because my biological clock got totally screwed up, I took my chances on the dispatchers that worked the night shift.

Maybe later on, I'll delve more into details regarding that "Thanksgiving Ultimatum".

Here are some pros and cons when I'm doing hot shot deliveries at nights:

Pros:

• The commission rate seems to double at nights (from 7pm to 7am). If they aren't doubled, the pay for each delivery is still significantly higher than the commission rates during the day. This does not apply to daily orders and route coverage. Just the on-call deliveries.
• The roads and highways aren't as busy at nights. The freeways are certainly wide open and free of traffic jams, especially after midnight.
• I feel a better sense of peace and quiet. Driving becomes less of a job, and more like a relaxation.
• I go home when I want to go home. 

Cons:

• I don't always get the deliveries. Depending on my location and the delivery's Point:A, if there's another driver closer to that location, dispatchers call them.
• There's always that one or two hours of unpaid standby time. Sometimes, I can be out there for 5 hours, and not a single job is dispatched to me. This is annoying, even when I'm standing by at home.
• It gets unbearably boring and lonely at times. 

For two weeks, this is what I did. I slept all throughout the day. Got up as late as 3pm. Started my M.D. Anderson delivery at 4pm. Went home at 7pm. Spend time with my wife and daughter while I'm on standby at home. I normally got dispatched out when my wife was getting ready for bed. Sometimes earlier. There were times when I went straight to working the night-time hot shots right after my M.D. Anderson route. 

There were two dispatchers that normally ruled the night time board. I became really good friends with one of them. I almost never turned down any jobs she sent my way. But we did have a good rhythm going. I liked the way she dispatched, and the way she covered each region of Houston. If there was a part of town she did not have covered, I played the pinch-hitter and covered the void.

Two weeks later, my supervisor gave me a list of routes where he needed coverage. Many of my fellow drivers by day are taking days off or going on vacation. But for the money, I agreed to it. I'm back at the day shift again, covering routes and special assignments. 

It won't be until further notice when I will be able to work overnights again. But I do miss being nocturnal. 

Sword Art Online II - 2014:Activated

Last night, I got to watch Sword Art Online - Extra Edition, thanks to the simulcast by Crunchyroll. Even if I'm not a big fan of flashback episodes/feature, SAO Extra Edition did not fail to deliver a great amount of fan service and an underwater adventure that was quite entertaining. The special episode is about 100 minutes long, so it's like a movie.

Coincidentally, I was watching the English dub version of Sword Art Online at work, and almost did not remember that the Extra Edition episode was airing. I'm glad I remembered yesterday. But while I was making sure I know where to find it, I googled it and ran into a teaser video that officially announces Sword Art Online II! My first reaction to it, I whispered to myself: Gun Gale Online? Yes, it is!

Here's the video:

I'm so excited, I can't wait!!! Some folks are already saying that it will start airing during Spring 2014. 

For more info, check out: http://www.swordart-online.net/phantom/#!/