The Default State Is Broken

In about an hour, I start a 4 day weekend. I am not doing any work. I'm not going to log in and catch up on anything, I'm not going to check my mail, I'm going home, cracking open a bottle of wine, and not sobering up until Monday. Because I deserve the time off. One of the things about this job I have, which is different from previous jobs, is that this job requires me to be smart. Other jobs I've had required me to be methodical, and often rewarded me for being smart, but didn't really REQUIRE it. Being a DBA really does require me to be thinking, constantly, both on solutions and on refinements to those solutions, to get the most work done in the shortest amount of time with the least impact to the systems in place. It's incredibly draining, and I am ready to not be doing it for a while. So, four days off, then two days of work, and then ten days of vacation where I go see my son. I'm very, very ready for this time off. I think I will play some Roc...

My work has been killing me -- lots of work, and any free time I have I'm way to tired to do much more than watch DVDs and eat pasta and pass out. I want to do something other than zoning out or playing videogames. I'm hoping that the project I'm working on settles down so I can do something other than have my brains leak out my ears. Maybe I can try and blog on a regular basis.

Don't get me wrong. I'm learning an astounding amount, and I really, really like the people I'm working with, and the technology I'm dealing with is interesting. But I worked every day in October, including weekends. And I've worked almost every day in November, including today. The level of work that I'm doing is beginning to be ridiculous. I've got a meeting scheduled with my backup, who is the new guy on the DSG team, so that in theory I can take a day off and not have the world fall over or anything. I do like my job, but I need some time to not be working, or I'm going to go absolutely stark raving mad.

Every so often, I reconfigure my facial/head hair in some random process that sometimes makes me look good, but more often just makes me look goofy. The most recent configuration was a reappearance of The Stache. Now, The Stache, in my past history, was relatively infamous. I grew out the handlebars so long that it prompted a fellow netizen to comment that it was possible that it could post to the forum I frequented independently of me. This, of course, meant that I immediately had to create a sockpuppet account in the persona of my independently-intelligent mustache, which also turned out to be much, much crankier and antisocial than I was at the time. Eventually, I ended up shaving off The Stache, and later stopped posting at the forum as either myself or The Stache, and life went on as normal. Then, about 8 months ago I was inspired to re-grow my mustache in anticipation of, well, something. I don't remember what at this point; I'm sure at the time it was a good excus...

I really am trying to get better at this, though. Managed to get sick on Thursday night, and felt even worse on Friday, so I took the day off work. This ended up being a great idea, since I slept most of Friday away, only getting up to take Cheryl to her walk-to-the-coast event, then coming right back home and going back to sleep. This morning I ran to Walgreens to grab some Hall's coughdrops and Canada Dry ginger ale (so much for my "no HFCS" plan) because my throat was KILLING me and my stomach was upset enough that I was having trouble even thinking about food. I'm feeling a little better now, so I'm having ramen soup and water for dinner, in the hopes that my sore throat will die down overnight and I'll be able to at least swallow tomorrow. I think I've got the opportunity to make real headway on my project at work, and while I hate that I've lost a day's productivity, I think I can make it up and make everyone happy with me despite being ou...

Yeah, I'm not retyping that. Love Life: Why do I even have this on here? Current Video Game:ME1 done. Next up, ME2. Currently Watching: Rissoli and Isles. It really annoys me that a show about two strong, intelligent, driven career women can't pass the Bechdel Test. Current Music: Nothing. Current Book: Actually, nothing. I'm really between books at this point.

Today was much, much better; incredibly productive at work, and relaxing at home, at least after I got the STUPID STUPID IRS paperwork completed. I have no idea why they took two and a half months to let me know that I need to submit a form, but whatever. Anyway, some perspective helps to make things better, or at least more surmountable. Didn't get any cleaning done, but that's fine; I've got a plan for Saturday for a full-house clean. Love Life: The less said the better. Current Video Game: still Mass Effect. At the endgame, ready to finish up and then move onto ME2. Currently Watching: WIthout a Clue, starring Ben Kingsley and Michael Caine. Current Music: Nothing. Current Book: Actually, nothing. I'm really between books at this point.