The past week or so at the day job has been ridiculous. Huge deadlines on a huge project that’s really too huge for the timeline it was scheduled for.
Of course, it does look like we’ll be close enough.
It also looks like it’s driving me utterly mad with stress.
So, the feed is a bit… odd. Because that’s how my brain is working (when my brain is working).
I’ll let you see for yourself.
Here’s the feed…
Bunches of things in the feed.
A fantastic little article about Betty White and how she dyes.
The sad news that Joan Rivers won’t be dying any more… or getting any more plastic surgery… or telling any more snarky jokes.
I was in a totally metal mood this morning, so there’s a selection of tunes to rock out to. Some are more metal than others.
Some memories of making a movie and the celebration of my grandparents’ anniversary fill in the “Throwback Thursday” meme spot in today’s feed.
And then there’s the news out of New York State about how free speech is being beaten on with some campaign “reforms” that have been put in place temporarily (unless people fight to get them repealed before the end of this month… because then they become permanent… which strikes me as kind of a dirty trick). That’s not a good thing at all.
We’ve got a new War on Terror starting up as both the President and VP have said we’re going to go after this ISIS group like nobody’s business now that they’ve beheaded two reporters. Can’t say I’m happy about any of that.
And, finally, there’s the competition-killing laws that are on the books in 20 states (with more on the way) that forbid municipalities from creating public broadband networks. We all know I’m of the opinion that Internet connectivity should be treated like a public utility… so, obviously, I’ve got issues with this revelation. (Though it’s not a surprise… I’ve been following the cable business for nearly two decades now, on and off… they’ve done–and will likely do–worse.)
Anyway, here’s the full feed. I should’ve been asleep an hour ago…
This past weekend, a whole lot of people I know were down in Atlanta for DragonCon. It’s an event I’ve been numerous times before and is always an amazing adventure.
I haven’t been there in four years now.
Finances and schedules have kept me from being able to make it back.
This year a bunch of people I know went for the first time.
I’m amazingly sad that I couldn’t be part of that.
Bringing new people along was always a huge joy. Watching them acclimate to the distinct atmosphere of a major gathering of nerds, geeks, freaks, and general fandom weirdness rekindles all sorts of memories and feelings of my own first time.
A lot of other people I know were off on other holiday-weekend-related adventures. End of summer trips, weddings, that one last excursion to the beach, the renaissance fair. I don’t really have a vacation. I have a day off I don’t get paid for. I haven’t had a real vacation… since DragonCon 2010.
Hopefully, I’ll be able to say differently some time before the next decade is over.
Hopefully.
Until then, I just keep pushing onward.
Since that’s the most sensible thing to do.
Lots of feed items spanning a wide variety of entertainment and interest. (Not quite as wide as, say DragonCon, but still a nice collection of stuff, if I do say so myself.)
Here’s the feed.
Full day at the office followed by a full evening of more work on a freelance project I had hoped would be much further ahead than it is now.
This whole “burning out” thing happens much more quickly than it did 20 years ago.
What’s up with that?
Oh, yeah… human… aging… right.
Can’t run on fumes anywhere near as well as I used to. Especially now that everything I do is so much more complex than, well, anything I used to do.
So, because of all that, you get the big wombat picture.
Because that’s exactly what I needed to see first thing in the morning as I sat down at my desk.
A big, smiling, virgin wombat.
Just. Because.
Yeah, there’s also important news in the feed (like what’s going on in France right now… and the EU as a whole). And some other nostalgic stuff (it being back to school time and all).
Here, take a look for yourself at the feed…
I’m really not sure where my evening went.
I got home and sat down in front of the computer. Watching the piled up YouTube videos from my feed, and started working on a few different things. At some point I know I made it through another episode of Salem on Hulu…
But, really, I don’t have a whole lot to show for whatever work I did. That’s one of the more frustrating things about the work I do. The progress is sometimes utterly invisible until right near the end.
Then everything suddenly pops right out.
It’s a bit disheartening at times and utterly frustrating when trying to prove that there’s actually things being done (to yourself or others). Sure there’s code and a few adjusted things here or there, maybe a new piece of content (Hey! That’s something! Right?)… but, ultimately, nothing that looks all that impressive.
Regardless of what effort was put into it.
All the planning and experimentation and research just kind of is. Not flashy, not always in a form that anyone would actually understand even if you could show it to them. But it’s there… and its important… and, some of it, at least, is now more done than it was before.
I think.
This is a problem that I think is somewhat unique to writers and coders. Visual artists can end up with sketches and piles of crumpled paper covered in attempts. People building physical objects end up with scrap material and prototypes and callouses. Those of us who just type? We have hours of “lost” time… and then we have a finished, working, project.
Usually just in time to have revisions that need to go into place.
Come to think of it, my day at the office was exactly like my evening at home.
~sigh~
I think I may need a vacation…
On with the feed…