A few moments for an update.

After feeling utterly and completely worthless at work over the course of the last few days (due to being held up waiting for software), I decided to go ahead and start coding one of the applications that I have been on hold with. I really didn’t want to do that, as the tool I was waiting for was going to save me a lot of typing, but it just finally got to a point where I felt like I was losing more than I was going to gain by waiting.

I started in first thing this morning. Made a lot of progress. Got well into the code.

Of course I got the license I have been waiting for about 3 hours later. Past the point of no return, as it were.

Joy of joys.

I’m feeling much more productive today in any case. I’ve been coding my little hands off, and I’ve been enjoying it. I’m still learning new things every day – finding ways to make my code better, more efficient. There really is some serious comfort in that for me.

Two days until ross_winn and I leave for Gen Con. As excited as I am about it, I have to admit to feeling a bit like a third wheel. He and hel_ana are going to be seeing each other for the first time since they were married, and they are going to have to deal with me in the room with them. How romantic is that? I know in particular that Adrienne is looking forward to one night of dinner and dancing, and I’m sure they don’t want to come back from that to find me in the room watching CNN.

Hey volvita! Are you coming up to Indy? Save me from feeling like an interloper!

August is going to be an amazing month.

I’ll have insurance again. I can go see a dermatologist and get this crap on my hands dealt with (speaking of which, I have come to the conclusion that my problem was decidedly NOT dry hands. Between the lotion and the hand salve I believe I made my problem 3 times worse. It has to be ecezma. I thank all of you for the great dry hand advice you gave me – I just asked for the wrong advice). I can go to a dentist and get a much needed cleaning. I can start using my vacation time. Yay!

Ugh. Vacation time. I REALLY wish I could use it for the two days I’m missing this week. I’m not sure how much of a dent it’s going to make in my budget. I didn’t account for it when planning things out, and I’m afraid it’s going to throw things completely off.

I digress…

I get to spend a weekend at a Bed And Breakfast in St. Augustine with netgoth, meet her son, meet all of her friends, and not have to see her rush off the morning after. I get to go to Dragon Con. I’m seeing Tori Amos.

Life is grand.

I need this month. A lot. I need to get over my burn out so I can go back to enjoying the work that I do on the side.

You know, I have to admit to being very nervous about meeting Jareth. It’s one of the four hurdles that netgoth and I have set up for ourselves as far as our relationship is concerned. Jareth has to get along with me, Alex has to get along with her, Jareth and Alex have to get along, and I have to pass my HIV test.

I’m completely confident in the last three. Pretty confident in the first. I don’t think I’ve met a young adult I couldn’t find a common bond with, but there is always a first time. Would be just my luck that this is it.

I’m off for the homestead. Will update more later, if I don’t get too wrapped up in the pipe.

Our intrepid hero pauses a moment before leaving his desk to go to a scheduled blood donation. “Is,” he muses, “it really wise to give blood when one has been feeling lightheaded a lot as of late and can’t get rested no matter how much he sleeps?”

Guess we’ll find out.

There are all kinds of things I could be rambling on about, but they seem fairly petty and pointless at the moment.

Bobos! They cost $1.29!

THIS is an example of the kind of clothes my mother dressed me in during my high school years (and why, combined with my date, I only had one date during the whole time and it was a stag date with thoemeringue).

My Chucks are just about dead. The inner lining is falling apart. They have lasted almost a year, which is better than most of my shoes (deepfried and his wife Trish got them for me as an early Christmas present last year). I have to wear a pair that my mother got me until I can afford to buy another pair. I have been avoiding these shoes like the plague. Look behind the cut to find out why.

Yikes!