electricland

Actually this icon does not accurately convey my current feelings about work, which run more to "We're all DOOOOOOMED! Panic! Panic! Flee!"

It's an odd reaction to being given lots of money, I realize. But no doubt we will manage somehow.

Mornings and I have not been agreeing. There's the dark thing, and the sleeping-until-8-then-walking-the-dog thing, and the sitting-around-aimlessly-instead-of-getting-dressed thing. I am routinely getting to work after 10, sometimes well after, which is No Good. It has got to the point where my boss, the most easygoing of men, has mentioned it. (As a corollary, I've also been staying late, which becomes its own vicious circle.)

This must stop.

I guess getting to bed earlier would help. As would showering in the evening -- showering loses me a lot of time, for some reason. Perhaps picking out my outfit the night before. Anyone have any helpful suggestions?

I have to be at work for an 8:30 conference call tomorrow, anyway. THAT should get me in if nothing else does...

It is very difficult to QA a website, even in the sketchy fashion currently required, when the network has been iffy all day and every page takes approximately forever to load. Not counting the images, which take even longer. (Also, our CMS is on our staging server, so when the one went down, they both went down. THAT WAS NOT ANNOYING AT ALL.)

I'm just sayin'.

Having just transferred my To-Do list into Lotus Notes, I am remembering why I was keeping it on paper all these years. IT'S BECAUSE LOTUS NOTES SUCKS.

I know we all love to bash Microsoft, but OMG Outlook is a miracle of intuitive usability compared to this BLOODY STUPID PROGRAM. AAAAAARGH.

*ahem*

Sorry, just needed to get that out.

So, um, hi. It's me. Still here. Thanksgiving weekend was great once it got started (which would be 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, as I had a class all day). Went up to the cottage, sat in the sun and read a lot, went for a gorgeous walk in the woods by myself. Did not contribute to Thanksgiving dinner beyond buying the turkey (it was a monster and, come to think of it, I didn't get any leftovers -- hmph). Although I did pick up some autumn leaves for the centrepiece.

I was sort of vaguely thinking that life would be calmer in the fall. It's not -- it's just a bit more regimented. As I explained to stilldeepwater yesterday, I currently have Veronica Mars on Tuesdays, Information Architecture course on Wednesdays, and choir on Thursdays. I also try to work, sleep, feed myself, buy groceries, exercise occasionally, and keep myself and my surroundings reasonably clean. In a really good week I manage to get one or two things done on the House. I'm having a little trouble staying motivated at work, but I'm doing OK -- better than I'm doing getting up in the morning, which is a challenge when it's overcast. A touch of SAD may be creeping in. At least I'm still managing to make myself coffee every day. (And I'm still sort of on top of my to-do list some of the time. All hail the power of the tiny notebook!)

At some point I also have to make those 10 Christmas ornaments. I got some books out of the library for inspiration, but haven't cracked them yet. Instead, I've managed to inundate myself with fiction (not that that's a BAD thing). My book policy changed, so anything I think will be a reasonably quick read I just ask to have sent to me right away. Which is cool but results in, um, 26 books out at last count. (Including Song of Unmaking, which I read in one sitting on Saturday -- well, not exactly, because I was outside and had to keep getting up to follow the sun around, but you know what I mean. I keep worrying about those covers though. I can't see her feet, and her clothes are so diaphanous that I worry her shoes match it and she'll get her toes stepped on. I'm having a hard time picturing Valeria in flowing white garments.) (Also Brave New World, which I may not finish -- I started skipping like mad, always a bad sign, and I think I've read enough to get the gist. I am bad, but life is short.)

I've also been going through a YA phase -- Maureen Johnson, Chris Crutcher, Meg Cabot. I don't think I read enough YA when I actually was a YA.

Work: slightly crazy, but I need the pressure, so it's all good.

House: continues, I need to spend some quality time with it. Jen's fridge is arriving tomorrow, finally. Shower continues temperamental. Overhead fan is installed. Washing machine still seems to be working. Updates have been fitful but I'll post them at some point. Housewarming II is November 18, for those of you in the neighbourhood.

Am seriously freaked out by this article. (Which may even be free access for the rest of you as it's BMJ -- go on, give it a try! Er, unless you think you might find it disturbing too, in which case, don't.)

PSA You Probably Don't Need But I'm Writing About This So You Get It Anyway:

• NEVER LEAVE CHILDREN OR PETS ALONE IN A CAR. EVER EVER. EVER. Even if it's not that hot out and the windows are cracked. Terrible things happen!


• And check your car every time you get out of it, in case a child or a pet got in!


• Especially during times of family upheaval!


• And check the car first if a child goes missing!


• Including the trunk!


• And if you see a child or a pet left alone in someone else's car, I don't CARE if it's embarrassing, call 911 NOW!

Thank you. This concludes your freakout of the day. I'm leaving now...

Also *phew*

My references say that I am right!

Which, you know, I wasn't really doubting, but there is always the
ever-present danger of gremlins creeping in and disrupting the
proceedings.

Q: How do you get 50 international child neurologists into a room?
A: World Cup soccer.

Today was slowish. I'm in a long, long room with poster presentations at one end and a TV tuned to the World Cup at the other. While a session is going on, it's dead quiet; when one lets out, there's a bit of a flood, but it's not as busy as it was yesterday. I'm surrounded by pharmaceutical companies big and little, equipment manufacturers, disease associations, and medical publishers. Am sad to report that I just missed out on getting a plush alligator from the monitoring equipment guys down the hall. :(

So far, though, I'm doing OK. When there's a rush, I stand and hand out postcards to anyone who slows down, makes eye contact, or looks vaguely interested in our booth. Once in a blue moon, someone expresses more interest and I talk them through the site. All I really want to do is get as many copies of our URL out there and circulating as possible, so I'm cautiously pleased, and everyone who's taken an interest has said nice things about the site. I've even had people spontaneously come up to me and say how much they like it and that they tell their patients about it. So, yay!

Of course, some people do go past refusing to make eye contact, but such is life. (Particularly liked the guys who walked past my booth, one of them showing the other an OC box set he'd evidently just picked up at HMV. There are so many reasons to come to Montreal.) Also, I keep seeing people go past with cake, but I haven't yet managed to arrive at the refreshment tables in time.

In the intervals, which are many, I should be writing, but I'm clearing out my Hotmail backlog instead -- over 3 months worth. Today I did LiveJournal comments, so if you got a long-delayed reply from me, well, that's why. And when I'm not doing that, I bond with my fellow booth denizens. Not that that got me an alligator, but it is interesting.

Tomorrow is the last day for the booth, woohoo! (Then I get to tear it down and possibly attend a session or two.)

(Edited to fix the time -- this computer's clock is wildly off, and I don't have privileges to change it.)

22,900 / 30,626 (74.0%)

That could've gone better. Oh well, I've been distracted, what with this and that.

The poster for the conference just arrived!

8' x 4'. It's big. Artist Jen is stressing out slightly on the grounds that her brains were never meant to be blown up to that size. Let me rephrase that -- the brains she drew were never meant to be blown up to that size. I assured her that if any neurologists come along and say "Hey, that convolution's wrong!" I will smack them.

Also, the two laptops and all the brochure stands and postcards and bookmarks and things fit nicely into my new wheelie suitcase (Air Canada carry-on size). Now I just have to figure out what to pack my clothes in.