Tales from the Steppes

2005-09-09

9:20 a.m.
Friday, September 9

And it is true what you said
That I live like a hermit in my own head
- Death Cab for Cutie

It is just after 9am. There are two news crews in the parking lot, cameras pointed at the building's entrance. The Planning Board essentially yanked our Columbus Day holiday for a public doodah, making Kingdom Crusades significantly less attractive. I have already been visited by a lawyer, demanding a date on my "taking care" of a plan that the engineers fubared on. This visitation took place in front of my division chief's office and as the lawyer began to get excited and raise his voice, I heard my chief snicker. Yeah, that was fun. At least I did not raise my voice as I again explained to him that his case would not get put ahead of others. Gotta love the bureaucracy of it all. Maybe I can find another form for them to fill out. I have muchos work, some of which I will need to take home and get done over the weekend. My presence has been requested in Baltimore this afternoon to meet with my advisor. Well, not my advisor, as he left the school, but the head of the program that will now become my thesis advisor. And I am so sure I will have an adequate explanation for why things take me sooo long that this man is going to accept. Unfortunately, his life is a polar opposite to mine - no kids, spouse, pets, parents, house, other job. Why oh why can I not just work fewer hours, ignore my children and parents, and get my damn thesis finished? I have no good answer for this except that I feel obligated to not do so. Perhaps I do need to rebalance my priorities, thus pissing off everyone in my life. Then it is home to drive the EM to ballet, which may not happen if the traffic gods are not with me.

I have finally discovered something worse than having a bit of old disco caught in your brain - faintly hearing your daughter's Hillary Duff cd through the walls. Every single freakin night. Aaaaaaarrrrrrrgh.

I forsee a tasty drink awaiting me at the end of this day.