Random Crap

Tagged. Again, I really dislike these things. However, I respect the fact that most people don't know this and I have therefore decided on a new rule: I'll respond to anyone's tag - once. So, if you've ever tagged me, you're done. You know who you are, and so do I. However, I still won't pass along the chain letter.

Well, Chelly tagged me to list 8 random things about myself. I'm not sure how this is any different than the listing of 6 weird things about myself that I got tagged with last week (and have since taken down that post because, as I've already said, I don't like these things). No offense, Chell.

Anyway, here's the list. Keep in mind that these things are merely random, and not necessarily meant to be weird or interesting in any sort of way.

1. I'm 6'1" tall.
2. I can't cook, and have no desire to learn. I do, however, wish that I had a desire to learn.
3. I grew up on a farm (with pigs, cattle, chickens, goats, geese, rabbits, a dog, cats, and grains).
4. I was in the military. Naval Reserves.
5. I am a middle child, and have two brothers.
6. I wear size 12 shoes.
7. My favourite season is Summer.
8. I've had my own solo exhibition of photography, while in grad school in 1998.

Since this list seems pretty innocuous, I might even leave it up.

The past week

Last week was busy. Had a job interview (it kind of fell into my lap but turned out to be something I wasn't interested in anyway), I lost my wallet and got it back the next day, but not before canceling all my credit cards and my ATM card. Had my first day off of work in a month. Cleaned the apartment and went grocery shopping (normally these aren't special events, but they are with work the way it's been lately). Went to some wineries in Long Island with a few friends, as well as strawberry picking, and I still can't say that with a straight face. Went out with my buddy Ted for beers on Friday. Watched two more movies on Netflix (Hotel Rwanda: good not great, and Team America: somewhat funny but not hysterical).
I even ran the five mile race on Sunday. I ran it as just a training run, stopping and walking for a bit at each mile.
But the biggest laugh of the week was seeing this during the race:
I thought I was pushing myself. Not compared to this girl who was running while carrying her dog! It actually took me some time to pass her to get a better picture...

I wondered if there was an awards category for this, and thought there should be.

Anyway, I was glad I raced, and for a change, I stuck around and socialized for a while, and took some more pictures. It was a selfish effort on my part - during the last couple of months quality photos on the Flyers site have been scarce, particularly if you're the newsletter editor trying to fill the pages with eye candy. Happily, my fellow Flyer, Trakmaniak brought out his fancy new camera, so hopefully I won't have to in the future.

It's Party Time!

Yep, miracle of miracles - I have the weekend off, including at least half a day on Friday! What to do with all the time?! It'll be my first day off in over a month!

Things actually significantly lightened up yesterday when I passed off our Staten Island job to our sub-consultant. I went home on time, actually got a short run in, and watched a Netflix movie (V for Vendetta. It was pretty crappy, but I really dig Natalie Portman. With or without hair, she's awesome). I also got eight hours of sleep last night. Eight hours! Oh, the decadence!

Anyway, despite that fact that I don't have to come in this weekend, there's still a lot of work I need to do. I have no groceries... so I need to spend a day at Pathmark. I also need to clean my apartment: yesterday I thought to myself "hmmm, when did I get carpeting?" and then realized that the cat has just been shedding a lot. Plus I have a bunch of Flyers stuff to attend to... posting meeting minutes, and starting the July issue.

I'm supposed to go out to Long Island with some friends on Saturday, something I committed to some time back, just to force myself to get the day off work. Earlier this week, when it looked like I might not get these drawings out, I though I'd have to cancel it, but I can have some fun after all. Friday night brings me, likely, to an event at Bohemian Hall. Alternatively, there's a Flyer event, but considering that the Beer Garden is one of my favourite NYC hangs, and the Central Park Boathouse is... not, then there isn't much of a contest.

And -- as amazing as it is -- I'm running again! Granted, I've only gone twice this week for a total of 8 whole miles, but it's still running... It came to my attention earlier this week that Chicago is only 17 weeks away, and I went into a mini-panic and did a 4 miler on Tuesday morning. It felt terrible, like I hadn't run in a month (I hadn't). I still intend to do the marathon though, and even if I don't need a Boston Qualifier anymore, I need to start building mileage again... I'm also planning on doing the Father's day race Sunday, but only as a training run (not by choice, given the shape I'm in). The downside to all of this is that I'm still going to PT, and my left hip and back are still bugging me, although minimally compared to how they were. Fingers are crossed.

Okay, need to remind myself that I am still employed, and blogging is not part of my job description...

More boring talk about work...

Things have lightened up somewhat. But just barely.

It's Saturday and I'm at the office working again. I've moved on from the big (Brooklyn) project that I was working on, which I got out the door on Wednesday to a small Staten Island design that technically was supposed to go out yesterday. Realistically, it only needs to be sitting in our sub-consultant's inbox when she come in Monday morning. Tomorrow, I'll still be back at the office, but it'll be a whole lot of personal junk that I need to get done and have entirely neglected during the past few weeks.

I've been so out of it lately. I was planning to get out and cheer on our Flyers chicks in the Mini... tomorrow, until I looked at NYRR's site today and saw the results up. Sheesh!

I did manage to get a 4-mile run in on Thursday, and I plan to do the same tomorrow morning. I've also been doing my PT exercises for a change, and getting enough sleep. I even managed to go out on Thursday and Friday nights. Thursday I went to another event at the Boat Basin and Friday I went to the roof garden on the Met for the first time. It's nice up there, but of course, pricey to drink.

Anyway, tonight I'll work late on Staten Island, and take it as far as I can before sending it off. What I'm working on isn't inherently difficult, but I'm finding it extremely so, if only because I haven't had a day off in over a month. It's just so hard to keep focused.

I am not coming in next weekend. No sirree!

The Return to Normalcy

This has been my schedule for the last two weeks:

6:00 AM Wake, shower, shave, brush teeth, feed cat, get dressed.
6:30 AM Leave home, hop on the subway
7:00 AM Work
12:30-1 PM Lunch
6:00 PM Dinner
10:30 PM Leave work, hop on the subway
11:00 PM Home. Change, feed cat, brush teeth, go to bed.

That's basically been it, with a few days that varied from that routine.

Tuesday night, though, I stayed at the office until 1:15 AM. I was making good progress, and it was the last night to work on the project. I didn't get to sleep until 3 AM, though, and just got 3 and a half hours sleep. But it was the final day, so I pushed on and sent the drawings off to our prime consultant at 6:15 PM. I was out the door at 6:22 PM. It was daylight. Tonight I bought groceries and did laundry, two things I'd deemed unnecessary in the last couple of weeks. An then I came home, looked at my e-mail and checked out a few things on the web.

So for now, that major deadline has passed. Things can get back to normal, finally.

Tomorrow and Friday will be another push for another project I've neglected, but it won't be as bad, and this time I know I'll have a weekend free - something that actually hasn't happened in about a month.

I also expect to go for a run, albeit a very short one, tomorrow. I received my hotel reservation confirmation for Boston '08 yesterday, and if that's not inspiring, I don't know what is.

The Zombie in Me

This really really sucks. Today I reached the point where I no longer feel like I've been making any of the choices of when to work, and when not to work. Welcome to the 70-hour workweek, folks. Basically I've been sleeping for 7 hrs, waking up, commuting to work, working 14-15 hrs straight, and commuting home to go to sleep again. It actually got worse on Wednesday when the deadline for the project-at-hand was pushed from Thursday until the next week. While this meant that I had more time (and needed it) I really didn't want to drag this thin out into the next week. But here I am again. I left work early that that night, got home at about 7:30, and discovered that it takes me almost exactly eight hours, starting completely from scratch, to hammer out the Flyers' newsletter, having all my submissions in. I finished at 3 A.M. and, as horrid as that sounds, it was actually a welcome break from office work. And at least it wasn't New Years Eve.

I actually reached the point on Friday morning where I considered how much time I could save if I didn't have to brush my teeth. I shit you not. By that afternoon, I was fully 'zombified': that state where decision-making ability is severely diminished and you realize you really just need a break.

So I went to the Flyers' Happy Hour on Friday night. Twisting my arm to leave the office was the fact that it was at arguably my favourite Manhattan venue, the 79th Street Boat Basin. I came straight from work and it was a relief to see all the fresh, friendly Flyer faces. I stayed for a full three hours and three very good beers, and headed home.

Yesterday, I slept in, but it was a restless, stressed-out sleep. I went to the office and discovered just how much work I had left on this thing. I worked for a few hours, and then switched focus for a few hours and concentrated on updating my resume. Today, it's back to office work, and this blog entry is my morning break.

I canceled my PT appointment midweek because I didn't have time, and really hadn't been doing any of my exercises anyway. I have another appointment tomorrow, and it seems pointless to go, for the same reasons. I also am out of food at home, but given that my breakfast is a bagel, and lunch and dinner have been accommodated by the local delis, I don't feel like that's urgent until the cat runs out of food or litter.

I do, however, need to do laundry. Badly. I may just get the drop off service, though, which is something I've never done before.

I had promised myself that I would start running again on June 1st, but it didn't happen, so I figured that my first run would be Sunday's Japan Day Run in Central Park. I came to the office instead. I also canceled a first date today. We were supposed to meet at a museum this afternoon. It's probably not a good time for me to start a relationship anyway.

And did I mention that on weekends, while it's been beautiful 90-degree weather outside, my office isn't air-conditioned? So despite not running, I've still been wearing shorts and a singlet on Saturday and Sunday at my computer, with two fans pointed at my desk. Sweaty.

And now I've got a cold, too, so I've been popping Dayquil with my coffee to get me through the day.

Speaking of which, it's good to vent, but I need to get back to work.

I think I may need a new job, too.