So what else?

I haven't posted so much recently - here's the short version: Work is hard and the project is some degree of doomed, but we're trying, and people are really doing a good job. There are no villains in this story, nobody being obstinate or stupid that I can rail against, just a lot to do and not QUITE enough time to do it without people working a lot harder than I would like them to have to.

There have been a lot of Jimmy Johns lunches (hey, they deliver), and I'm growing a little weary of it... but all told, it's a project, and I get to sleep in my bed every night, so that is worth a LOT to me right now.

I am kicking off another project next week - one that I'll be managing remotely with a "boots on the ground" resource I hired... It is going to require both a lot of trust and a lot of oversight to make sure this goes well, because if it DOES go well, it's my new business line, and I can sell it to a dozen more clients. I had mixed results outsourcing my work for a different project late last year in Allentown - the person did a good job, but didn't really LAND it in the end, so I wound up parachuting in and making it all better. Of course, at the same time I was leaving Cleveland and starting Mpls, so my attention wasn't as focused as it could have been. I learned, and will manage this next one better.

My car is in the shop again - this time for a simple "check engine" light and a burned out headlamp... and they've had it for 2 days and counting, without a call about when I might get it back. But I'm not complaining. Why? Because the loaner they gave me is a $90,000 2011 Jaguar XJ Supercharged. IT IS AWESOME. I'm driving the HECK out of it, and having a lot of fun. I got the phone all bluetoothed in, and the music is flowing... it's a lot of fun. It's a little odd to be driving something that is worth over 7 times the bluebook value of the car that's in the shop. And if they think they're going to tempt me into upgrading this way... well they're right. I am tempted. It would be a lie to say otherwise. BUT temptation can be resisted. Especially when you look at $90,000 as the potential cost of 2 years of a good college.

I make good money these days, but not THAT good, people.

Let's see... Pamela is a busy busy bee: Since Christmas, we've had two big "events" she's been planning - the ECFE Gala we went to 3 weeks ago, and the ECFE winter party she's planning for this weekend. As a result of both, there has been paperwork and party supplies strewn around the house pretty much nonstop for weeks. I am patiently waiting for this to be over.

The house is a mess, partly because of the party fuss, but also because we had a cascade failure of appliances: The Microwave which would take 5 min to boil water started billowing black smoke one day. The dishwasher (both drawers) decided to stop washing and coat the dishes with black oily substance, and the oven burned some scones while leaving the middles raw. Yes, this rogues gallery of appliances joins the Fridge in being officially "dead to me", And you know what happened to the fridge. IT GOT REPLACED.

(And yes, we have tried to fix the dishwasher - they've been fixed 4 times in the 7 years we've had them. It is time to try something else. The rest are all over 10 years old, and frankly we want a change).

The big truck is coming Friday to put in our new Bosch appliances - fine German appliances that will not disappoint us.

And what else? I'm taking my Japanese studies seriously now - I'm sort of turning a corner where I actually am reading those hiragana characters with some degree of fluency, and even a few Kanji. Still a work in progress. But if I can identify "mens room" and "Coffee Shop" with any degree of fluency, my next trip to Japan will be a good one.

That's enough for the night. Good night!