|
||||||
|
||||||
Entry the Four Hundred and Fifty Sixth1 August 2002 Cat/Speed 02/8/1 8:20 a.m. Natasha is doing well this morning. She's nibbling at food, no sign of nausea, running around like nothing happened. Which is good. Now if only the incident hadn't occurred it would be better, but I'm glad she's at 100% now. I've still not caught up on sleep, though. I have to do laundry this evening when I get home, then hopefully some better sleep tonight. While I was able to do weights yesterday I've not been able to run, which I know has also affected my sleep quality. Nice vicious cycle there. Not as bad as the caffeine one, but still not happy. Speaking of caffeine, I was very close to taking some on Tuesday with lunch, I was that tired. Both stores I visited were out of Vanilla Coke, though, which I took as a sign that I shouldn't be taking the mess in. Definitely for the best. Will be getting Starpower on Wednesday of next week. Woo-hoo! Am looking forward to the faster service; this 28.8 dial in stuff has been frustrating at times. I'm keeping my main account simply because I've got so much stuff there (and having the back-up dial-in is a good thing, too), but higher speed will be a very good thing, and necessary to do the project for the OBGA in any decent amount of time. ... Evening time. Was a good, productive evening. Got the laundry done. Lounging around in the shirt that Peter gave me (Moose shirt!). Fresh sheets, fresh towels. *contented sigh* Natasha is normal this evening, meaning rambunctious. Whee. Work went okay. Boss passed back an okay on the OBGA work, so passed that to the ethics folks for clearance. Shouldn't be an issue. And once I have that, and a decent connection speed, I'm off to work on this project for the next two months. Will so be worth the social losses to pay off a card or two. ArchivesToo sleepy to work out this morning |
|
Entry the Four Hundred and Fifty Seventh5 August 2002 Heat/Leisure 02/8/5 8:32 a.m. It's fascinating to see how commuters deal with these hot as hell red ozone alert days we keep getting this summer (we're on our third in four days today?). Some gentlemen, like myself, simply forgo the tie; I carry mine with me, just in case. Some gentlemen forgo the dress shirt entirely, commuting in their undershirt (with varying results, depending on the age and quality of undershirt, as well as the underlying physique). Some gentlemen commute in shorts and change at the office, and others dress as they always have in full regalia, including the tie, though I would note an increased use of the organizational polo shirt as the heat continues. Ladies, as always, have a wider range of choices, and bare as much or as little as they see fit. Not that much of this changes the temperature much for commuters, but it is fascinating to observe, especially as today's bus appears to be running on molasses instead of gasoline. ... 02/8/5 6:00 p.m. No plans tonight with no ANC meeting, so stayed a little late to work on something. Whee. And the rest of the evening? Leftovers, reading and/or computer. I wonder what other people do with their leisure time. TV, I suppose. Archives |
|
Entry the Four Hundred and Fifty Eighth6 August 2002 Random/Played out 02/8/6 8:22 a.m. Brought a book, now I really don't want to read (and it was a big hardback, too). Oh well. ;-) Also managed to walk out the door with my crotch unzipped and there's no suave way to fix it without drawing a lot of attention to the fact. Thank heavens for ties (in this one instance). Good run this morning, just kept it short and varied the intensity. I think the shorter distances but faster pace might be what I need at the moment. Not a time killer, but something to improve the base 5k run that I do. And it would be nice to feel a tad more comfortable at the 5k again (maybe plan a race for this fall?). The carrot butter I made last night (my "I have all these carrots I need to cook" carrot butter out of Vegan Vittles) was pretty good on a crumpet this morning. The garlic bread variation was wonderful last night, too. Okay, definitely a random thought kind of morning. ... Played this evening with Richard and another gentleman of his acquaintance. At the moment I'm a tad too fatigued to write about it (it was a good experience), so I'm just going to mention it and get to sleep. May write about it later. Archives |
|
Entry the Four Hundred and Fifty Ninth8 August 2002 Overdone Came home after leaving work a little late. Wasn't working, well, not entirely true. Was trying to figure out where our office is going to go next, now that the coworker will be leaving tomorrow. We're going to have to bring in contractors - we just can't do this anymore with existing personnel. So, came home, defrosted dinner (my own homemade food, frozen - not a TV dinner), fixed a cape cod, went to eat, check email, chat online. Killed some monsters, hopped on gay.com for the first time in ages, chatted there, chatted on AIM, etc. Killed more monsters (Diablo II). Couldn't bring myself to do much more than that. I just feel so drained from it all. We've been fighting an understaffed battle for the past year, and just as we're about to bring on someone else (we hope) in the next month, someone else quits. Not just quits, but quits and leaves the next day. I can't express how frustrating this is. It's not bad enough that I loathe the current position I'm in, but we're also understaffed and now even more so. And there are rumors that our boss, two levels up, is looking at a job in another division of the BGA, back where he was before he came here, but for which he would have been ineligible had he stayed there (for other feds, he got his SES when he came to us). Legal Counsel keeps screwing around on this position, getting hopes up, then not following through. And now they're saying they still want me, but they won't have space so they have to figure out a place to put me if they do bring me on board (along with two other attorneys, actually - they're totally out of attorney offices). I really think I would go do something socially nasty like tobacco or insurance just to get out of here, pay off some debts, then move elsewhere. If only I could find a place in the private sector that would take me. My experience in the BGA has been unorthodox, to say the least, and law firms don't generally like the unorthodox. If it doesn't fit their self-important little world view, they don't want it. And it's not like the substantive stuff I've been doing is of any use in the private sector, anyway. They'd have to be hiring me for general skills only. But I can do research, I am already licensed, and in fact, depending on what starting salary is, it would still be a step up in pay if they gave me what they give first year associates. Ugh. Don't know what to do, but don't want to stay where I am. ... I had started writing something about finally getting cable modem service yesterday, but I never finished it, and the news that my coworker and office mate was leaving as of TOMORROW has thrown me into a major funk. The other good news of yesterday, besides the modem and the gorgeous, cool weather, was that I was able to pick up my petitions so I can go about getting signatures now. Archives |
|
Entry the Four Hundred and Sixtieth13 August 2002 Modem/Signatures/Cooking 02/8/7 8:26 a.m. Short day at work, but a busy day nonetheless. Leave at noon, head down to the Board of Elections and Ethics to pick up the required forms, then home to wait for the cable guy to come install the modem service. May take some document work home to get it off my desk at work while I'm waiting for the cable guy. Or I may just clean and play Diablo II until he shows up. I think last night's play session might have decided me on my hair - I think I want it shorter. That it was messy at the short length it is now was driving me nuts. I dunno, I'll talk to the stylist on Friday and see what she says. The other thing it decided me on was the need for sleep. Got a touch too little of that last night, which is mildly annoying this morning. In general I've been sleeping better since ditching the caffeine again, but still not emphasizing it enough. ... 02/8/7 6:27 p.m. Cable modem's installed, petitions picked up, bathroom cleaned. Altogether a productive day. Of course, it nearly wasn't. Left work at noon with Madame, went down to the Board of Elections and Ethics to get the petitions. Line looked bad so I went and got food with Madame, then went back. The folks at BOEE were very quick and friendly, and I was out pretty quickly. Caught a cab home from there. Got home at 1:45 p.m. to discover my nightmare - the door had already been tagged by the installer, who was supposed to come between two and five. ARGH!!! However, an irate-but-controlled phone call later (plus three or more back from them) it was determined that the guy would be coming back. He even called to confirm this. Three times. Did finally get there and install it. Am a very happy boy, and wonder how I stood the slow connection. 02/8/13 8:47 a.m. Running very, very late for work. Looks like I'll be eating at my desk! Ah well, life happens sometimes. 12 down, 28 to go. Signatures, that is. Stood outside my building in yesterday's heat for a little over a half hour to get signatures. Was mostly successful, got a few polite nos, but it went well. A few more days like that and I'll have the 40 I want to get (25 are required - this gives me a nice cushion to check names) by the September 6th deadline. *deep breath* It's finally coming together. Spent a good amount of time working on my resume yesterday, and this morning I plan to work on my "why hire me" document. The husband of a friend gave me the name of several legal recruiters, including one he recommended by name, so I want to call her this afternoon and get that process started. I will get out of my current job situation, one way or another, even if it means the private sector and billable hours. I am tired of being patient, and this organization has lied to me too many times; I am loyal to a fault, but my limit has been reached. ... The meal this weekend went off wonderfully, thanks to Richard. I posted the recipes over in my LiveJournal already, so I shan't do so here. Suffice to say it was wonderful food, and I loved preparing it. Archives |
|
Entry the Four Hundred and Sixty First16 August 2002 Vacation/Wishlist Posted an entry just now that had been sitting in my Palm for a couple days. I am off on vacation for the weekend, a much-needed escape from DC for a weekend with Richard. Am looking forward to it. Spent a goodly part of last night editing my Amazon Wishlist. Cable modem plus Amazon site equals huge time suck. ;-) I'd never really surfed that, and many other sites, because of the speed of my old dial-in connection. Am very glad am on cable now. Have spoken with a legal recruiter. She's much more polite and better than the one I spoke with two years ago (two years? I can't remember, will have to look that up here). At least she's still contacting me, and had some practical suggestions for my resume ("Take off the section on the temp/contract work you did - the legal market is strange here about contract work. Replace it with your Bar Admissions and eligibilities."). Not sure if I'll find anything through them, but it's nice to have someone who knows the market looking at my stuff and giving suggestions. I would like to make this a six month project, getting away from my current job and out into something else. I've reached my limit, and it's time to move. Archives |
|
Entry the Four Hundred and Sixty Second22 August 2002 Politics My foray into local politics continues. Highlight of tonight's attempt to get more signatures (I'm up to 21 of 25 needed, BTW) was the resident services manager of my building accusing me of soliciting when I started to ask her, and her alone in her group inside the building, if she'd sign the petition (for the record, all of the signatures I've gotten from folks I don't know have been outside the building, if only just). Almost there, almost done with that part. Then comes the truly fun part, the election. :-p The vacation was wonderful, as was the training early this week. I didn't want to go back to work (as if I ever want to go in there these days - ugh). I'm too accommodating there, to my detriment. Everyone comes to me with questions, with the result that I don't get many things done that I need to get done. Ah well, am continuing to look. Speaking of which, a rejection came in today from something I applied for with another BGA back in MAY. Oy. At least they let me know, since I'd heard nothing from them. Am going to attempt to get decent sleep tonight - not been getting enough of that of late. Patterns, anyone? Archives |
|
Entry the Four Hundred and Sixty Third28 August 2002 Poisoning An odd week for me. Stayed home Tuesday, came home early Monday. Today was mostly okay until my stomach started doing its thing again. I figured today was an extension of yesterday and Monday's junk, but it turns out was a touch of food poisoning I gave myself this morning with some bad veggies. Whee. At least I know the gunk will pass out of my system quickly, unlike a virus, so the end will be in sight shortly. I just wish I knew why my body insists on eating its way out of stomach maladies, though. It's like it's trying to say, "Force it out! Get that mess out of me!" so it screams "eat!" at me and I do so. Oh well, will have to run and make up for it later. Got my very last copy of Cooking Light this evening. I decided earlier this year that I would let the subscription lapse this year after getting it pretty faithfully for the past two-three years. It's a great publication, but I am not their target audience, being neither female, middle-aged, nor a meat-eater, and I decided it no longer spoke to me, that there were other sources from which I would prefer to get my cooking information (i.e., Vegetarian Times, Veggie Life, the Vegetarian Resource Journal, etc.). The veggie features were good, but it was disheartening to see so much meat prepared in the pages, so it had to go. I'll miss it, but there are other places to look now. Made a wonderful, light dinner for Richard last night. Miso soup, garlic-braised broccoli, and oatmeal raisin cookies. The cookies were fun, the recipe only made eight good sized cookies, so I only had to haul out one sheet and one batch, which was a plus. And they were yummy, too. The other good thing about last night was getting to have sex with Richard. I was feeling bad lately because I hadn't been feeling as amorous of late, and I was worrying that it was going to start bothering him (it was bothering me!). So was a good thing. I do not feel that he pressures me to have sex, but I was feeling that my reduced desire (which was a generalized thing - I've not wanted to go out and find any anywhere else, either) was going to start being an issue soon, so was glad I felt better for him, especially since I won't see him again until next week. :-/ Some much needed rain today and tomorrow. Not enough to make a serious dent in the drought, but it feels good to have the stuff here again, and it cooled things off nicely. Archives |
|
Entry the Four Hundred and Sixty Fourth30 August 2002 Mixed 02/8/29 8:40 a.m. Stomach has calmed down considerably this morning, thank heavens. Ended up being up later than I'd hoped because of it last night, so no run this morning. Depending on the weather this evening I'll either run or collect signatures (nasty = run; nice = signatures). Am close to done with signatures so I need to finish that soon. Have been dreading going to work of late, something not designed to help my stomach. Will continue to look for other things, with a mind to be out in six months, at the latest by this time next year. I want this, damn it, and its going to happen. I just can't even describe fully the feeling in my gut when I'm headed to work; it's as if some large, hard lump of something were sitting in the middle of my abdomen, not moving, just sitting and being obnoxious. Blech. 02/8/30 8:34 a.m. Stayed in last night, picking up greasy Chinese food on the way home. Wallowed in the foul mood, appeased the retail therapy gods by buying the food, and generally grumped in private, staying away from silly things like alcohol and overly perky people. The result: a much better mood this morning. Thank heavens. I don't think I could have stood another foul day. Not, mind you, that work won't be ugly, but at least my stomach and overall mood aren't contributing negatively to the mix. Archives |
