Done, gone, away.
Now I need to walk away from my computer for a bit, think some more about a preface, and begin writing that. I have handwritten notes somewhere that I should track down.
Also, there should be celebratory chocolate. Because I really do my job well.
Greek students are demonstrating at the Parthenon, apparently.
I am very tired, and the little quirky things amuse me today, all right? I deserve some amusement.
The best-laid plans to finish this project yesterday took a beating, thanks to a health emergency in the extended family. Good thoughts for my mother in law would be appreciated.
Encouraging thoughts to help me through the last half-chapter, my second pass through the MS to make sure I didn’t leave any notes to myself while reading and to tie up loose ends, polishing my review memo, and writing a preface would help too. I’m now a day over deadline which is stressing me, although my editor is being incredibly understanding about the various circumstances that have affected delivery of this tech review. It’s the principle of the thing.
I’ve been going to bed early, straight from the computer, and taking lots of Tylenol these past few days. I really, really want it all to be done by the end of the workday today, but in reality I think I’ll have to hand the preface in at the end of the week. I’m unhappy about that.
I am so fried.
I have to put this away for now, and finish it tomorrow. Because of the unexpected amount of work that developed in the middle of this job I’m behind where I need to be, despite working all weekend, and part of this will be handed in late. I am not pleased about this, but to be fair it was beyond my control.
I’m going right to bed to read something completely unrelated until I fall asleep.
Now that it’s a new work week, the professional issue that has gnawed at my sense of right and wrong all weekend has been handed to the appropriate person to deal with, and my job had just been made a whole lot easier. I can go back to doing what I’m supposed to do without stopping every few moments to do an hour of back-up research, which has been making my job take about three times longer as it ought to take.
I attended a lovely calm Imbolc ritual yesterday, which was a welcome oasis in the maelstrom of ethical indignation. I also took the evening off to watch Smallville, The Dresden Files, and Battlestar Galactica with HRH. (The Dresden Files, for those who also read Jim Butcher’s books and are curious, is not a bad adaptation. It doesn’t try to tell the story of the books themselves, and there are variations from the source material (Karrin is completely different, for example) but otherwise, it’s translated the feel and spirit of the books by doing something different with the source material.) It’s nice to have one night per week where we both settle down for appointment television, and talk intelligently about it during commerical breaks. Other than that, my weekend was pretty much devoted to work.
Speaking of, back to.
Dear God/dess/all aspects of the Divine:
Thank you for bringing Janice into my life. If you hadn’t, she wouldn’t be talking me down from a metaphorical ledge where I’m currently standing with an equally metaphorical semi-automatic, and there would be a lot of unhappy people dealing with fallout. Someone just broke one of my cardinal professional rules, you see, and I’m livid.
Patience. I must have patience. I have to, in order to maintain sanity until the person I must speak with about this Issue is back in the office next Monday.
So I just thought I’d say thanks.
Love,
Me.
Today’s plans were cancelled, alas, due to inconsiderate movie theatres not sticking to the schedule they posted two weeks ago (read: I didn’t double-check to confirm that things were being screened at the same time when I know movie schedules can shift weekly). While I’m disappointed, it does free up the afternoon to continue working on the tech review. I’m still going to have to work over the weekend, but not as much. And now I can look forward to the plans next Friday instead, with the new schedule.
I managed to review an entire chapter last night before I had to go take that bath and go to bed. An acceptable work rate, but I wish I could have done more before I reached the point of not being able to review in a focused and constructive fashion.
Liam seems all right; still has the nasal congestion, still clingy, and a bit cranky, but otherwise okay. He slept really well, thank goodness. I think I’m fighting not to catch the same cold.
I’m going to go heat up the leftovers from yesterday’s excellent dinner and keep working.