Recently in Personal Minutiae Category

I'm sweaty, smell faintly of smoky beeswax, and I have (mild) first degree burns on my hands and forearms.

I also feel giddy, and more centered than I have in a long time. Even though pretty much everything I tried failed, most of it spectacularly.

[For the really impatient, you can just skip straight to dessert.]

I've been remiss, but work has been Crazy! A few of you already know this, but for those that don't:

Chiara and I took part in an event ruse last Saturday. She has already described the event fairly completely, I just feel compelled to point out that in presenting the puzzles as faits acomplis, she makes them seem much easier than they were. Much of our time was spent figuring out how to attack each clue, and what the puzzle might ultimately be.

After collecting plastic eggs all afternoon, the final step of the final puzzle spelled out "ARE YOU READY TO PUT YOUR EGGS IN ONE BASKET(,) CHIARA(?)" I had knelt beside her to "read over her shoulder" while she transcribed the message as Kate read it. At least, that's what she thought. Finally, questions were popped, the enormity sunk in, and champagne flowed.

Yes, the entire event was a ruse. And everyone involved, save one (miraculously), knew that.

So, how did this incredible, over-the-top, crazy afternoon come to pass?

aka. "Jane, You Ignorant Slut" (Weekend Update)

The day on Friday did its best to suck the life out of me:

1. My VP scheduled a dog-and-pony-show meeting for 4pm on a day that I could NOT be late leaving!
2. At about 1:30 Matt yanked a rug out from under me by asking:

   "What about the [other permutations of that UI you built last week]?"
   "We agreed we weren't doing that in this version."
   "I don't remember that, and it's in the latest revision of the [nebulously defined requirements document]
   "Ok, but I'm sure we agreed to put that off until [the next version after this proof-of-concept].
   "I'm pretty sure they see that as a required feature. We might be able to [solve it by requiring more work in another location], but it needs to be done somehow."

   So I had to scramble to get that UI done before the 4pm d&ps.
3. There was inter-personal <jazz hands>DrAmA!</jazz hands> starting on Thursday that came to a head on Friday having to do with the plan for Saturday. While it started with me freaking out, making a bad call, and acting upon it. I did, once clarity returned (and repeatedly aftward) offer to correct the mistake. In the end it worked out, but it certainly didn't help my mood during the day on Friday.
4. There's probably more, but it's piddling little shit (yeah, I know, it's all piddling little shit.)

Friday evening, however was a completely different matter:

All I knew was that I was to be dressed nice and ready to leave at 7. Matt redeemed himself and managed to curtail the dog & pony show. It ended, miraculously, at 4:20. I opted to skip the, ah, "luau" that HR had planned for 4 (to "celebrate" two things that I happened to think weren't necessarily in the best taste to put together.), made the Bullet one earlier than I normally take.

The cabbie did his best to spoil the surprise, but I really had no idea where we were going until a block or two before we arrived. I'd forgotten that we'd both expressed an interest in going there, so it was a complete surprise. The destination for the evening was Supper Club [Warning: Flash site. One I couldn't make work beyond the first page, even after I whitelisted it in Flashblock.] I'll post pictures soon(ish).

It was a unique experience. They have one seating per evening, and you sit/lie on a wide bed that encircles the center performance area as the entire (prix fixe) meal is simply brought out to you on platters. All very Roman, heavily performance-art oriented, and very decadent!

The waitstaff are all dressed in costumes (on Friday they were varying kinds of (generally evil) bunnies. One of the gents helping us was an odd mix of Alex deLarge and a devil bunny), and as the night progresses, there are various performances. We chatted with the couples on either side of us, it was an amazing adventure. After the dinner seating (about 3-4 hours) it turns into a dance club. If you came for dinner, your bed is yours for the evening! Unfortunately, I had to get up early the next morning, so we decided to vacate our bed at the conclusion of dinner.

It was at that point that we found out that the couple to our left (from Miami, I think) had Paid for our dinner! (apparently because it was my birthday), our server's reaction summed it up: "Dude! You sat at the right fucking table!" ("No shit!") We chatted with them for a(n awkward) bit, and then said our goodbyes.

The whole evening was a bit surreal, but since it was my birthday, that's really perfect. To be brutally honest, the food was the weak link. The appetizers were phenomenal, the cold cucumber mask-er, I mean soup was uninspired (and I LIKE cucumbers and cold soups!) and the veggie entree (which we both had, since the meat was all fish) was good, but nothing special. I'd still like to go back and stay until closing, but some other time.

Saturday I woke up at the crack of dawn and did something awesome that I can't talk about for 3 weeks.

I was involved in a playtest of Shinteki's next event. I can't say much more than that (and maybe I'm not even supposed to say that). But if I'm not supposed to say that, I'll mitigate the damage with a bit of free publicity: I don't know if they have any space left, but the real event is running twice: 7/28 & 8/4. If you're local, get 3 friends together and sign up. Do it now. What are you waiting for?! Trust me, it will be incredible!. Do it now!

Sunday we had a last-minute gathering of folks to celebrate my new eligibility to be President.

A nice, low-key party with a few friends. I spent far too much of it at the grill. I need to work on that, it's a common problem. But it was great to see everyone. Need to do more of that.

Two of the atendees were under the impression that I was actually considering running ("Uh, have you met me?") and want campaign buttons: "[Liberté, égalité, fraternaté,] Ou la mort!" I kinda like that idea, I may yet do that part.

So it got off to a rocky start, but all in all, it was a great weekend, and a nice introduction to what middle-age has in store, I hope.

Edit: Woot! Posted before the names of the days became confusing. That's probably a first.

Today I realized that "Stupid Agent Technology" and what I used to hear (years ago) as "Stupid Asian Technology" are, in fact, one an the same. I blame the fact that there was a several year lapse in my being around people who actually use the term.

Of course, the correct term makes quite a bit more sense. I imagined my mondegreen must have to do with the fact that menial labor is so cheap when you have such a surplus of population, and found the term more than mildly offensive.

[And to the original perpetrator of the "Kanga & Roo Moment," (who is on my LJ f.list, but I don't think actually reads it anymore): I hope you get a smirk from the fact that I have ever since referred to them that way. It is, to my mind, the perfect term. Hugs. Hello to Edward. ]

We laid down for a nap early in the afternoon. An alarm was set. Or, I remember one going off.

Missed calling friends to connect with them for making their lives easier wrt. a concert this afternoon.

Missed the Brian Eno "77 Paintings" showing at Yerba Buena, for which we'd excitedly bought tickets months ago.

On the upside, wondrous, glorious sleep. (And C's still at it) But gah!

Ok, yesterday was an anniversary. And every year it's something different. Yesterday, I spent the day just a huge ball of misplaced emotion, some of which ended up in a rant in this space. Fortunately, I deleted the specifics of it.

In response, here are some good things about the baseball fans yesterday:

1. They were using public transit, really that's commendable
2. They don't generally take the train. They don't know the drill. Yes, that was part of what I was railing at, and they ignored the prompting of the conductor (a rare treat, a conductor conducting folks out of the bike car), but I shouldn't assume they understand the implications of them taking spaces in the bike car
3. They were a lot more orderly and pleasant than the drunk fucktards I used to have to deal with going home from the game (on the nights they didn't send my train early, running a special train with no bike car, stranding me until midnight)

The "sport" of baseball, however, can still suck my left one.

(I meant to post this in the morning but work is crazy)

Another indication of how much my life has changed:

I got to sleep in today.

until 7:30.

And it felt like pure decadence.

I never remember my dreams. Well, almost never. When I do, it's generally because I was interrupted, and they're a completely surreal mash of many sources that I can't even begin to describe.

This morning I woke with the memory of a dream that by my own standards is completely normal. To the point of being boring:

I was at the Apple Store. The one in the airport (?). I was desperately trying to buy a machine while trying to catch a flight. Not a laptop, but not a desktop either. The store was filled with museum cases with old Apple hardware on display. Nowhere could I find a demo of the hardware I wanted to buy. The sales clerk was the manager I'm on loan to (for the Deathmarch-Project-From-Hell), and he was singularly unhelpful. My blood pressure kept rising, as I was sure I was going to miss my flight. In the end, I think I did miss it, and I may have managed to buy the machine I wanted, but I'm not sure.

Where's the surreal weirdness? Why am I telling you about a boring anxiety dream?

Last night, Chiara dreamed I bought a Mac Mini.

. . . Ok, not really

[ed.: per usual, I started writing this over a week (and a half, I think) ago. I know, avocado_tom, fire & forget. Unfortunately I write much too slowly for that.]

I have withdrawn again. It doesn't feel like my normal "going to ground." I went to the Massive Attack/DJ Shadow show (I could say "more later" but between us we know the liklihood of that, so let's leave it at wheeeeee!) on Friday.

Tuesday Matt, Dwight & I had a fantastic time at the Millenium Beer & Chiles Festival. The pairings were perfect, sublime, and everything I'd expect from Millenium. I also learned that:

1. Belgain soured ales are quite tasty. They're right up my alley, and you'd think I would have tried them before. I need to find out which one came with my entrée, because it was by far my favorite beer of the evening (and they were ALL tasty)
2. My weight-loss continues to make me a complete lightweight. I have no tolerance anymore.

Also, I did something really cool on Sunday that I will be blogging about, once I come back for more than a gasp of air before submerging again.

It's not my normal withdrawl, "going to ground." And yet . . . I haven't done more than (barely) skim LJ in weeks, I've stopped looking at Flickr, and worst of all, I've all but quit the 365 Days challenge. (I plan to pick that up again, but reset the clock)

I'd been thinking that I'd just withdrawn from my "virtual" life, and quite frankly, I wouldn't be all that upset about that. But I haven't taken a photo, I haven't really had a social engagement (except those planned in advance of this withdrawl), I haven't really done anything. It's hard enough to write this stupid little missive.

Recently I realized work may be a large contributing factor in this slump/funk. The Project From Hell™ (which was supposed to be over in July) was just extended until November. It is sucking my will to live. I may say more than that in a non-open forum. (But probably not, see above.)

I do feel a bit self-conscious whining about my work situation when so many people I know are in worse situations than I. But that doesn't change the fact that it appears to be sucking my will to live, and I need to figure out how work that out, at the current rate I will be little more than a husk by November.

Note: This was actually written last week, but there were issues posting it. I should also compose a wrap-up of this weekend (and perhaps I will on the train)

[...It would appear that this has devolved into a recap of the weekend. C'est la vie. At least it's something.]

I've gone and done it again. I've withdrawn from the outside world. I've had a few entries rolling around in my head for a while now. They fall into major and minor categories. The major ones I'll continue procrastinating for a while longer, as they'll take much longer to get out (though I may hammer on one or two of them some more after I finish here).

That leaves the minor (minutæ) entries of no import. I've collected them all into one entry to make them easier to ignore. They themselves fall into a few broad subcategories.