Tales from the Steppes

2006-03-21

10:53 a.m.
Tuesday, March 21

Echo, echo
We come and we go
- Vertical Horizon

Last night was a complete mess. I went off to work on my thesis and arrived at my destination only to discover that my laptop was not in my car. Had a minor panic attack while I searched the Bug because I vaguely remembered putting it in the car. I called the SU because it occurred to me that I might have left it next to where the car was parked, as I had a bunch of things I was putting inside it. Not there, was it stolen? Not in the living room, not in the dining room, not in my office. He eventually located it in the clothes basket in the downstairs hall. Strange.

But, ok, I can see that. I must have been loaded up, trying to escape the house, and gotten detained, probably by a child. I was probably carrying enough other stuff that it just didn't register that I was missing something.

So I worked without my computer, which is not such a bad thing. I read some articles that I had not looked at for a long time and tried to fill in some blanks. I have a meeting next Monday with the new head of my program and the more I get written, the less he can change. At least that is what my current philosophy is - he might disagree completely.

I finished up around 1 am and left, down two flights of creaky stairs, out the door, locking it behind me, out to the car on the deserted street. Only to discover that I didn't have my car key, or at least couldn't find it. After rummaging through my purse for a bit, I decided that it was a foolish thing to do out on a dark street. So back into the house, nope not in the purse, not in the pockets, back up to the third floor, creak creak creak, not on the table, but look, there is my cell phone, dammit. Oh, wait I used the bathroom before I left. There was the key. Down the creaky stairs and out. I am sure that I woke up every person in that house with the noise I made.

Finally home. To smell a foul odor. Dog diarrhea all over the hardwood floor. Thank you Beorn. Kind of sums up the evening.

I am not sure if I am too focused on other things or not focused enough. I seem to have a problem getting my act together.

It really could be worse. I was supposed to be at the dentist's this morning for another foray into the Tooth from Hell. But the SU forgot to mention that he was in an NIH grant committee meeting this morning and needed me to handle the morning, so now it will be mid May before I get this fixed. How bad can today be? There is no root canal in it, there are flowers on my desk, the Beast ate two loperamide, all three mongols are in school.

Yeah, I know. Tempting fate is not always a smart thing.