Musings of the Museless

Wow!! I was having such a bad week with health and stress issues (save Tuesday’s night banquet, see below) and then my West Coast friend Divinity (through whom I’ve travelled vicariously quite a bit! :)) sends me these! Not only are the flowers beautiful, but the vase is all stripey and perfect for any type of flower in the future (I may try some bamboo in my office in the near future). I am very appreciative… thanks chick! I’ll remember you (and your address) as I head out on some business trips in the next few months.

Earlier this week was OceanSAR 2006, a radar-for-ocean-technologies workshop for which I was web-master (or is it web-mistress?). Anyhoo, at the workshop banquet at the Fairmont Tuesday night (blackened halibut for main course, chocolate mousse cake for dessert… yummy), the organizing committee recognized the work of myself and a colleague who did FAR more than I in planning for this thing with a basket of flowers. They did leak when I brought them back to the table, but luckily the tablecloth covered up my “mess”.

The health is improving. I visited the Student Health Centre yesterday (and tried to ignore the Norwalk buzz that filled the waiting room), got assurances that my cold will improve if I keep up my vitamins and syrups, got some anti-inflammatories for the stiff neck, and a pat on the head. Stress-wise, work is still chock-full of challenges, but something that wasn’t working yesterday is today, so that’s the start of something good. And tomorrow IS Friday… a slightly long weekend… enjoy it! :)

I have bits of pieces of the flu. One bit is sinus pressure and another is achiness, so I took a few hours off work this afternoon to medicate and nap. I feel bad when I do this, because it’s not like I lost an arm… I could, in theory, still work, though I can’t promise I’d be productive. I hurt but don’t have many extraneous symptomes, so then I wonder if people wonder if I’m faking it to get a few hours off (though, with the vacation time given at work I have no reason to lie). Maybe I should just tell them it’s a “feminine thing” and watch the men squirm. :)

Gonna go take a muscle relaxer and… well, relax.

It’s been busy lately. The “start of fall” (which, yes, technically isn’t until September 23 this year, but forever in my mind fall always starts once Labour Day has passed and school starts) always awakens a flurry of activity as we shake of the lazy hazy summer days.

Last weekend found me in Toronto hosting an IEEE workshop, this time for GOLD. In my opinion and despite my best procrastination efforts, it went well, and I think most would agree. I must definitely admit that I need some help in keeping track of time and keeping conversations on track. And to learn that 5:00am is not the best time to do slides. But… whatever. No one got hurt. The work’s not over, not by a long shot. But the pressure is less.

Work is interesting, though I sometimes feel isolated at my desk, programming and writing. I like the company, like most of the people most of the time (there are always times when the best people get on your nerves, and there are some people who will always clash), and like the projects.

I leave it here for now. Be good!