Skype

Microsoft is retiring Skype. Its two-decade existence will be a memory soon. It makes sense as Microsoft can focus on Teams.

In a way, it ends a chapter in my life. Whenever my ex-boyfriend and I would chat when he was on the road, we used Skype.

It's bittersweet. When our relationship was fresh and new, I loved chatting on Skype with him. There were a few times where he removed me as a contact. I didn't know why. He'd eventually add me back. I got anxiety when he did remove me as a contact. It was the same with Facebook. I feared that he didn't want to be with me when he removed me as a contact. I look back and it seems so silly, but it was real and caused a lot of anxiety.

I don't miss the various connection issues that we faced using Skype.

When he broke my heart, I removed him as a contact on Skype. He sent me a contact request. I ignored it.

It was a bit of his own medicine. I'm glad that I could reciprocate.

At work, we use Teams. Before that, we used Skype. I won't miss it.

The ex and I never communicated on Teams at work. He had left the company just before we switched to Teams.

Skype is a good marker. It cements how final our relationship is.

Skype and the ex-guy

I don't use Skype as much as I used to. I have it installed on my work laptop. I used to chat with my ex-guy when he was on the road.

These days, all I do is upgrade my Skype app. 

He has two Skype accounts. I used to be connected to both. When he broke my heart, I removed both accounts from my contacts list.

I still have our chat history. I went there and he had sent me a contact request.

I don't know when he had sent it. I made it clear to him that I want nothing to do with him.

He remains unconnected on Skype.

Work laptop issues - ugh!

I have had a couple of issues with my laptop since returning to work. Tuesday consisted of my laptop screen going completely dark. I have a feeling that looking at that screen for a bit caused my eye strain, which I haven't felt in years.

Yesterday, I spent half the day with the IT helpdesk to get me connected to the corporate network. I had a Windows update, which screwed up the corporate connection.

It's enjoyable to be back at work. I need to go back on vacation, where I didn't spend a ton of time looking at a screen and dealing with technology issues. Ah, memories!

Transparency on shipping and the toll on the Internet when many are working from home

It appears that my modem will be delivered later on today. I just got a bill for the courier service. Interesting.

I'm not upset about paying $11.30 for shipping. It would have been nice if someone at my ISP had said, "Since you have been with us for eight years, we're giving you a new modem. However, we will be billing you for shipping." Transparency would have been nice.

Again, it's not a huge deal. The modem-router is probably worth $150 and I am hopeful that it will improve the quality of my Internet connection.

Yesterday, my colleague and friend had a chat with me about work. My connection had cut out briefly. She had the same issue with hers earlier in the day when she was in a meeting.

I have a feeling that since a lot of us are online, data connections will go through some hiccups these days.

Early start and a new modem to come

Yesterday, my workday started before 7 am. It's nice wrapping up work early. In my case, I ended up working a bit more because only one person was in a spreadsheet that I needed to update. It's much easier to update dropdown menus when there aren't a ton of users in the same shared file.

I do have an update on my Internet issues. Naturally, a test was done before 6 am and the signal was fine according to my Internet service provider. Of course, it was! I had rebooted my modem before I went to bed and I expect the signal to be strong when I'm not fully using my wifi!

Anyway, I am getting a new modem shipped to me this week for free. That's good news. This modem has two wifi bands. We'll see how things work out. I'm optimistic.

Wifi extender

For a few months now, I have noticed that whenever I am in the basement of my home and I am using my phone that is connected to my wifi, the signal drops. I decided to get a wifi extender. It arrived a day early.

I just finished installing and configuring the wifi extender. It was straightforward. The signal seems better so far, but I haven't been down in the basement to fully try it. However, data in apps and videos seem to load faster so far.

I am optimistic!

Job interviews

A few weeks back, I decided to apply for a managerial job. Normally, I don't expect a response. I got one last week from a talent acquisition person.

I spoke to her on Monday. Everything seemed to check out fine. It was a good thirty-minute conversation.

Several hours later, she scheduled a second interview. I had that one on Thursday. 

Unfortunately, this person used Skype to talk to me. I could barely hear him. The connection was also bad, so I heard every other word.

Despite these technological challenges, I felt good about how I did. I was asked to submit writing samples. It's interesting trying to select samples from my past. It's nice that I have a decent portfolio after all these years. I have two from my past. Tomorrow, I will need to find something at work that I can submit.

This job is a step up for me. Considering that I have been leading a number of writers for a while and have been doing some of my manager's tasks these days, this job seemed like a good fit.

My commute time would be reduced a bit. I would be commuting to the west side of Toronto should I get this position.

I'm optimistic. I also don't mind if I don't get the position. It's nice to do interviews and get some practice.

My guy appears to be Chinese in a previous life or just is at heart

It has been a while since I have posted anything. No need to worry. All is well on my end.

The Internet connection at my guy's hotel continues to be bad. However, it is decent enough to chat for a little bit with him on Skype until it gets bad. We then resort to texting.

We have been having some fun discussions this past week. Here's an excerpt from last night between my guy (MG) and me:

Me: I was thinking the other day that you were probably Chinese in a previous lifetime. You like to save many dollar!
MG: :D
Me: You do cost comparisons so often. You're probably more Chinese than I am!
MG: Well, if I'm going to be a Cheap Bastard, I better be good at it
Me: You are. It's a charming quality that you have.
MG: :)
Me: And, you like good Chinese food. So, there's my analysis. :)
MG: I actually do
MG: Maybe I'm Chinese at heart
Me: I think so. You even picked up using chopsticks quickly.
Me: I can teach you Chinese curse words, so you fit in nicely. :)
MG: lol
MG: where would i use them?
Me: Oh, and the art of spitting mucus on the sidewalk... lol
MG: no, i can do without that skill lol
Me: When bargaining at the market. See, you like those, too. You must be Chinese at heart!
Me: haha
Me: There are a lot of skilled old guys in Chinatown then... lol
MG: lol
Me: Oh, and you love dollar stores. Practically everything in there is made in Chinese.
Me: And, that's my thesis for tonight. I will go for my PhD soon... haha
MG: lol you sure can defend it very well
MG: And you forgot the most important piece of evidence
Me: Yep. I'd be kicked out of graduate school in a heartbeat. ;)
Me: What's that?
MG: I always was attracted to Asian girls.
Me: Really?
MG: Yes
MG: I thought they were the cutest women on the planet. That's one reason why I love you.

He's sweet. I'm glad that he's my guy.

Internet connection issues at my guy's hotel

The good news is that my guy has made it safely to Seattle. The bad news is that his hotel's Internet connection is horrible.

We just finished texting on Skype with each other. It was fine on my end, but it took him forever to send me text messages. I told him that we could try it again tomorrow. My guy indicated that he may change hotels if the Internet issue isn't resolved.

It was good to at least know that he's okay. It was nice to briefly text with him. I had a rough day at the office. It's always comforting when he tells me that everything will be okay, including his Internet connection.

Here's hoping for a better day tomorrow, which is really today.

Timing, flights, that time of the month, and a spanking to come

They say that timing is everything. This week seems to reinforce this old adage.

My guy and I had planned to have dinner on Tuesday night. I was at the office and his flight would have touched down at 17:00.

Naturally, the greater Toronto area had snow, freezing rain, and ice pellets scheduled during the rush hour that day. My fine menstrual cycle application on my phone said that my period would be expected to occur the same day.

Well, I received a text message from my guy while I was away from all my electronic devices at 13:00, indicating that he was stuck in Frankfurt. Instead, he would be arriving on Wednesday afternoon.

An hour later, I saw his message and caught him online. We texted for a bit.

It turns out that my guy had missed his connecting flight by five minutes. Instead, he had to check in to a hotel for the evening, without his luggage. The next available flight was the following afternoon. I was glad that he didn't have to spend his time at the airport.

I don't go into the office on Wednesdays anymore. I asked whether we should reschedule dinner for that evening. He told me that he'd be in the office on Thursday and Friday. That news was positive.

My period started on Wednesday. So, quality time for me will be limited for a bit. Ah, timing!

On Tuesday afternoon, I did manage to speak to my guy on Skype. He was horny and sweet.

My guy likes tires. He wondered why I didn't have winter tires on my vehicle and insisted that he get me a set. Love does funny things to people, but it was a pretty thoughtful gesture on his part.

My guy also told me that he wanted to spank me for not uploading a bunch of intimate photos to our private, shared folder. We had taken these photos a few months ago. I like that he will come up with any reason to spank me. The best one is simply that I am a bad girl.

We managed to get him off. It always makes me feel good when he does. He was happy. He needed it. He did have a not-so-great travel day, after all.

I wished him a good evening and a safe trip home. On a good note, he flew in on a calm, snow-free evening. I also get to see him at work for two days this week, which I didn't expect.

Things eventually do work out. It's all about the timing.

Hey, a (Skype) connection!

Mondays are typically blah for me. After an enjoyable weekend, it takes me longer to get back into the groove and do work. This Monday was no exception -- or so I thought.

My guy's last e-mail indicated that the hotel room that the clients had booked for him was in horrible condition. My guy didn't even unpack his belongings. Instead, he connected his laptop to the Internet, did a bit of research, and checked in to a different hotel room. This client wasn't willing to pay for a liveable room for him, opting to try and reduce its costs. My guy would have none of that nonsense.

Anyway, my guy logged on to Skype. I couldn't believe that we were online. He knows me too well and knew that I would be in disbelief.

I was planning to head over to the office this afternoon. However, with our manager being away for a couple of weeks and my not hearing my guy's voice in over a week, I opted to stay at home and chat with him. It was so good to hear his voice again.

I heard my guy vent about how cheap this client was and how crappy the hotel room was. I don't understand the mentality that some folks have. The savings was not huge at all.

We talked about my ongoing issue with the rubbery smell that continues to stink up a room that my dildo is in. My guy felt bad that his gift to me smells bad and that the smell continues to linger. He calls my project a de-smellification one. A blog posting that I had found indicates that this smell will never go away. It's sad because it's a realistic dong and it's a gift from my guy from Amsterdam. My hands smell like rubber after holding it.

It's still my time of the month, so we focused on getting my guy to ejaculate today. It worked when he visualized my freshly manicured fingers wrapped around his hard cock as I jerked him off. He was so dopey afterwards. It was nice to be a part of helping him get there.

We talked about a number of things that we'd like to try together, once he is back in town next week:

• We'd both like him to ejaculate on my bare breasts, legs, or tummy. I always feel satisfied whenever my guy does and I find it sexy. My guy thinks that I'd feel more slutty if he did so on me.
• We have been building up to having anal sex. The last time we were together, my guy inserted two fingers up my butt. He thought that he may have hurt me, but I was okay. We'll need to be in a room for that to happen. Our treehouse will be a bit restrictive.
• My sucking his cock when it is limp intrigues us. Gradually, while sucking him, he would get hard. We both loved a video that we had watched where this scenario occurred. The woman was dressed in a French maid costume and dusted around his genitals. I bought a feather duster and would like to try this entire scenario out.
• I want to receive a spanking with a ping pong paddle. We don't own a ping pong paddle, but getting one wouldn't be a problem. I have been paddled before, but I am sure that the sensation is different with such a paddle.
• I still want to be spanked with a lexan paddle. I just need to get one.

Tomorrow, my guy is checking into a hotel closer to the client's site. He had been promised that this hotel has a four-star rating. Hopefully, the Internet connection will be equally as great at this location as the connection that we had today.

It was so nice to talk to him again. Hearing his voice was priceless. I get to see him for two weeks before he goes back on the road. We are both looking forward to that time together.

Travel woes versus travel plans

The good news is that my guy made it safely to India. He is jet-lagged, but seems to be handling it better than usual.

The downside is that the Internet connection at his hotel is horrible. So, we are staying in touch through e-mails this week. We'll see if the connection gets better the following week, to see if we can Skype again.

Last Friday, when we chatted on the phone, he advised that we have new clients in New Zealand. Although trips over there aren't secured as of yet, we both agreed that it would be ideal if he had to fly over there for a week-long meeting or something, and I would tag along as a vacationer. Even better, if we both had to do some sort of training, that would be ideal.

However, the more realistic trip would be one to the States. The likely place would be Seattle. We both have not been there. We just don't know when his business trip is scheduled in that city.

My guy compared these shotgun trip decisions to a guy asking his girlfriend to meet immediately because he misses her. I told him that what he had just said sounded familiar -- that something like that has happened to me a handful of times. He went a step further and said that he has done that two me at least two hundred times.

We do have a unique relationship. We don't see each other too often these days, but we make the best of things when we are in the same city.

Your Internet connection is poor, so spank me!

Last night, my guy and I were trying to connect on Skype. Unfortunately, his hotel's Internet connection was exceptionally sluggish. He could hear me fine, but his voice was choppy.

We tried to reconnect, but it didn't work out. I was a bit bummed by the entire ordeal. He had told me, from what I could make out with every second syllable, that he missed me. I wrote him an e-mail, saying that I felt the same way about him, but that it was nice to hear his voice through all that choppiness.

Tonight, we tried talking on Skype again. He called a bit later. The connection was much better.

He told me that he was putting his clothes on, which intrigued me. He had come back from dinner with a couple of folks that he was doing business with. I had to ask what he was wearing.

"I'm wearing blue shorts and a long-sleeved shirt," he replied. "I also have a hard-on."

Normally, he is the one who initiates phone sex. Today, it was me. He was asking how my day went after I had asked him about his day. After talking for a couple of minutes, I completely changed the subject. Yes, we went straight into phone sex.

"You know that you need to be punished for the bad Internet connection we had last night," he stated calmly.
"I don't think that's entirely fair," I insisted, playing the part of a pouty little girl.
"Well,  the connection was down and you are to blame," he reiterated. "You need to be spanked."
"I suppose that I can't run away from you," I said, getting aroused. "You'll eventually catch me and bend me over."
"Yes," he agreed. "I will spanking that sweet ass of yours."
"Will you use your hand to spank me?" I asked him.
"At first, yes," he said, meticulously thinking about it. "Using my hand to spank you also allows me to pinch you."

It was nice that we both came simultaneously. I was absolutely relaxed and exhausted afterwards. I felt great.

My guy has been in Munich all week. I wished him a good flight back home tomorrow and sweet dreams. He is a sweet man. I love that he thinks that my backside is sweet, too.