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Entry the Five Hundred and Eighty Fifth01 November 2003 Escape Artist Natasha decided she wanted to check out the hallway this morning. The one outside the apartment doors. So when I opened the door to get the paper, out she shot. In my sleep-fogged state, I ran out after her, caught her, then turned around to see the door close behind me. The door that locks automatically. I was in my boxers and a t-shirt, with a squirming cat in hand. There's nothing quite like that moment when you realize you've just locked yourself out of the house in your underwear. Thank heavens the second door to our place has a loud knocker and I was able to wake Richard so he could let me in. I shudder to think what it would have been like, wandering down to the front desk, in boxers and bare feet with cat in hand, to get them to let me back into my apartment. Archives |
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Entry the Five Hundred and Eighty Sixth10 November 2003 Change = Stress I've been living out the truism that change, whether for good or for bad, causes stress. In a nutshell:
So, my life in a nutshell of late. I need to stop, calm down, ratchet down off a few things, and regroup. But then again, it seems like I'm always regrouping, that I seem incapable of just living moderately. Why does that seem so hard? That when I should be coping most and focusing on my internal life to help the rest, I flub and fall down again. Gotta slow down. Gotta calm down. Gotta refocus. Gotta deal with all the change. Archives |
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Entry the Five Hundred and Eighty Seventh13 November 2003 New Toys/New Job/Old Job Okay, the latest toy obsession has been which new electronic toy to choose, since the parental units told me they wanted to get me a new computer. I don't need a desktop, had thought about a laptop, but that's a bit much, so decided to get a new Palm. But which one? I refuse to even consider a Pocket PC using Micro$oft's operating system, so screw that. Toyed with the idea of the Treo 600, but good old AT&T isn't coming out with service soon enough, so nixed that quickly. So, another normal Palm. But which features? Bluetooth? WiFi? Camera? MP3 player capable? So confusing. Ended up choosing a Tungsten|C, the WiFi enabled Palm. We have the WiFi network set up here at home, no new connection charges over a bluetooth device, and I can always add a bluetooth card to the thing if need be. The processor speed and memory are amazing for a Palm, and it looks to have some other features and additions that'll be most fun. Plus I look forward to hunting out WiFi hotspots around town to use the mail and web features. ;-) So, am excited about that. The new job looms ever closer. I spoke with my new supervisor yesterday and we seem to be of similar minds on how quickly I should meet my "customers" in the agency and get a briefing from them on the budget. I told her I knew I'd get up and running, but I wanted to make sure I was running in the right direction! And in the meantime it gets harder and harder to care at the old job. I still do, and I'm still doing things, but blah, I just want out now. I still love them dearly, but enough is enough. I want to be a real attorney, and I will, soon, but my usual lack of patience with upcoming change is kicking in. Get me out, and soon. Archives |
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Entry the Five Hundred and Eighty Eighth17 November 2003 Rock & A Hard Place I managed to get to the gym yesterday and this morning. Yesterday I tried out the elliptical trainer, having remembered using it the last time I had an ankle injury, and it did okay for five minutes on either side of my weight workout. Emboldened by that, I went this morning and "ran" on it for twenty minutes. That did okay, no major pain, and more moments of "normalcy" with the ankle today and yesterday (and some of some nasty pain, too, but few of those), so it seems to be doing okay with it. Felt good to get back to doing something physical again. I so crave exercise now it's not even funny, and the withdrawal has sucked worse than caffeine ever could. In other news, a budget impasse may prevent me from getting my new job at the other Big Government Agency. I got a call from my new supervisor at the other BGA on Friday. It seems some little shit staffer with an axe to grind against the General Counsel's office in the new BGA, when the appropriation went to the conference committee of the House and Senate, had the GCO's budget cut down. Cut down to the point where they would have to do a "Reduction in Force" (RIF) - letting 15-20 attorneys go. Which would, of course, mean that my position goes bye-bye. Thankfully they warned me ahead of time. And they have a plan to talk to their members of Congress and try to get the funds restored because they don't think the members know what this shit staffer (who, if I ever get his name, is going to be in such deep shit with friends of mine on the hill that he'll regret ever fucking with my new BGA). If that works, and they should know in another week or so if it has, then I'll be able to go over at my new last day at the current BGA, December 12th. If it doesn't then I am in the very, very awkward position of being left at my old BGA, having told everyone I was leaving to go elsewhere in an attorney position and escaping the budget analyst position I have so wanted to get away from, but not having escaped. I'll be stuck there in a position I hate, in an office where I no longer wish to be, doing things I despise. Not a pleasant thing to contemplate. It's not helped by repeated apologetic assurances from the new BGA that not only do they feel very, very strongly that they need to fill this specialist position, but they also feel very, very strongly that they want me in it. But you know, I can't afford to be without a job. For any period of time, period. I would be so fucked financially that I can't even contemplate it. If there's a risk I would be RIFed (as we put it in bureaucratese), then I can't go over. But the possibility of staying isn't any more pleasant. It truly is the choice between the rock and the hard place. Let's hope I don't have to make that choice and they're able to resolve this budget impasse. Archives |
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Entry the Five Hundred and Eighty Ninth21 November 2003 Sleepy/Playing 11/21/03 9:01 a.m. Playing on the new Palm this morning. It's a bit faster to type on the keyboard than it was to use graffiti, so that's good. The case I got, while great to protect the actual unit is not so good when it comes to holding and thumb-typing. It should have been made so that the cover could flip entirely out of the way. Ah well, the price of not breaking the unit. I've been functioning on a sleep deficit this week (go figure!), and it's not quite caught me yet, but it's darned close. Did not want to get up this morning, and didn't make it to the gym, either. I can't beat myself up over the gym; that I've made it there at all this week has been great, so I'll take the larger victory over the small defeat. As I'm able to catch up on sleep I'll regularize my schedule there again. okay, you know you want more sleep when every sunbeam that hits your face makes you close your eyes, get a slight smile on your face, and drift off... ... 11/21/03 7:22 p.m. Long day at work today, without getting a lot done. It was the going away party for our former CFO, so a good part of the day was setting up and tearing down the room for that. Was a good going away, but there was not much else that could get done during the day. Started writing Dad a thank you email using the new toy, but haven't quite finished it. This was a big deal to get something nice like this from the 'rentals, so I need to be suitably and publicly thankful. ... at home now on the desktop Got in a last-minute haircut before the Soup and Bad Movies night tomorrow. Spent more time playing with the Palm, too, here at home. Managed to get it to synchronize with the computer using the WiFi network, which was tres cool. May have to try both the cradle and WiFi syncs to see which is faster. I love geeking out. ;-) Sleepy, sleepy night now, though, and tons of stuff to do tomorrow, so will crash here shortly and get some much needed sleep. The health goals for this next week are a) to get the gym at least three times and b) to cut back down on caffeine, with the goal to be off entirely by next weekend. Wish me luck! Archives |
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Entry the Five Hundred and Ninetieth23 November 2003 Restful Caffeine intake was down considerably today. Had one coke (and only had that in a moment of weakness when I saw the lone can left in the fridge). Am ready to crash now that it's nine p.m., but that's better than being overly hyped on coffee. Body is slowly recovering from last night's party. The soup went well, the movies went well, and the wine flowed freely. Whee. :-) I've been very good about fluids today, but will still need to crash early and get some extra sleep tonight. The party went well. Had new and old faces show up, about a dozen or so total. The mix was good, everyone got along, and no drama. I look forward to the next one, probably in January. Found a place that sells Aveda stuff in Dupont, so was able to get more vegan hair gunk. Now if we could just persuade more of the "spokesmen" for the vegetarian movement to actually groom themselves... The plan is to hit the gym tomorrow morning, do some weights. That'll be one of my "at least three days" this week. The plan is at least three days at the gym, so we'll see how that goes. Set something achievable, then run from there. Archives |
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Entry the Five Hundred and Ninety First24 November 2003 Recovery Proceeding 03/11/23 9:25 p.m. Headache is kicking in from the need for sleep. We're watching some TV, having had a lovely dinner of butternut squash. Got some soup together for lunch tomorrow, and plan to crash here shortly so I can hit the gym tomorrow. I think the next step for my exercise plan is to focus on more weights work. I can't do a ton of cardio quite yet, though I'll continue to do what I can in that matter. I want to work on the weights to develop some much-needed structural strength to help protect against future injury. This sprain may or may not have been helped by some of that, but if I can help avoid any other injuries then I need to do so. So, time to try something new. And make use of this expensive gym I joined this past summer. ;-) I hate that I've been paying for it for two months that I've not been able to use. It's not the most expensive thing I pay for each month, but it's not exactly cheap, either, and is got to be used if I'm paying for it. ... 03/11/24 8:56 p.m. Got to the gym this morning with no problems. The weight routine went well, and I pushed it some on the arms. The one difficulty I'm having is that right after I do the chest press I'm doing a shoulder press and my right arm has a sore spot while pressing upward. May have to look into that and see why it's feeling sore. I also managed to do a set of squats with no pain afterward, which was very good. Now if I'd not have done it right after doing legs on the mezzanine level... Work was slow, and not terribly thrilling, but it's only three more weeks. I also managed to make it through the day without touching any caffeine at all. Was tempted, but managed to resist. We'll see what day two brings on that front. Getting off the stuff to help with the healing of the piercings is a priority now, along with the exercise; I need to stay lubricated, not dried out (water, silly). ... Anyway, headed to bed early. Am feeling low from the lack of caffeine, the early time out of bed, and the exercise this morning. So, 10 p.m. crash time tonight, methinks. Archives |
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Entry the Five Hundred and Ninety Second25 November 2003 A Dream for the Gym 03/11/25 6:48 a.m. We have two bathrooms, one off of each bedroom (and yes, we do maintain "separate" bedrooms, mainly for clothes and computer storage purposes). So of course I run in to find him in "mine" this morning. Silly man. ;-) Up in time to head to the gym this morning. I look forward to getting to the point where "going to the gym" is no more noteworthy than getting up and eating breakfast in the morning. Not that non-noteworthiness has ever stopped an online diarist from posting about something, mind you. I just want it to be so routine that there's not even a question of whether I went or not, it's just assumed that I did because that's my normal routine. ... 03/11/25 6:32 p.m. It is just too awkward to hold the Palm and type at any rate of speed with it in the case. Poor design for use, though a good one for transporting the unit. I tried to go on to blogger last night and post details about my workouts and to actually update countfour.org's main page and the stupid service was down. I really should get Greymatter up and working so I don't have to depend on an outside service to update. Perhaps a task for the holiday on Thursday. Speaking of which, I'm on my way to pick up massive amounts of veggies which I'm not sure we'll use because Richard's headed out of town Thursday and Friday. We'll see. But now I'll have no excuse not to cook something that day, if for no other reason than not to let it all go to waste. No clear word on the new job's official start date. I swear, this had better not fall through or I am going to be a wreck. It's stressful enough as it is, with just the possibility that something might not go through. Ugh. The waiting is hell, especially as the new proposed start date approaches. The workout went fine this morning, nothing out of the ordinary, just 30 minutes on the elliptical trainer. *yawn* Would much rather be out running, but the recovery is too important to risk. I still get some lingering pain in certain positions (no yoga!), so I'm continuing to take it easy. "Stupid ankle!" to paraphrase Eustace. Archives |
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Entry the Five Hundred and Ninety Third26 November 2003 No Theme 03/11/26 1:04 p.m. The release call came very early this year. I wasn't expecting to get let put until at least 3, so the noon call was a pleasant surprise. I didn't leave right at noon, I stayed to do a few things for the semi-big boss, but then scooted out as soon as I could. And now I'm starving. I've had a couple of pieces of fruit over the course of the morning, and did have breakfast, but this body is used to eating on a regular schedule and that's been interrupted today. There's stuff at home, so I'll find something there, but fixing food doesn't sound like the most fun thing to do on an unexpectedly free afternoon. I was noting earlier today on LJ that one of the drawbacks to being as nearsighted as I am is that I can't tell if I'm being checked out in the locker room showers at the gym. Or, rather, I can't tell how I'm being checked out. I can tell I'm being looked at, but not the expression on the face. ... 03/11/26 3:31 p.m. I love getting off work early. It's so nice to be able to take a second shower in the middle of the day. And it meant I got to try some new hair gunk, too. ;-) So far it's working quite well, but getting used to hair stuff in a deodorant stick form is going to be interesting. ... 03/11/26 4:19 p.m. The problem with getting off work early is that there are fewer distractions from the withdrawal from the caffeine. I've been very good this week and haven't touched a drop since the last cola on Sunday. Ugh. The mild headache is a bit annoying. Richard's putting together the second cabinet for the dining room. At last, some storage space for all our stuff, to get it out of the way! We had a lot of stuff to combine, especially when it came to kitchen and dining, so the extra storage was definitely needed. ... 03/11/26 8:56 p.m. The ultimate gross-out for a vegan: getting to the en of a lovely meal and biting down on a piece of gristle. Yuck! Don't think I'll be headed back to Thai Chef any time soon. Gristle in a tofu dish? ... At home again. I got turned on to gaydarradio.com from the UK and am enjoying the streaming music this evening. Is nice not to have to pop in a CD. Now if they could just get rid of the commercials... ;-) Archives |
