Early Train to Santa Barbara

On my way to my favorite getaway city — and avoiding both holiday and Neverland traffic. I’m finally beginning to leverage my PDA, having had the sense to both load up SB in Google Maps and download a list of movie showtimes as well, before I left. Then too, I suffered a brief bout of Kindle-envy before I remembered that I have book-reading software on the PDA as well. So, I’m set with music, books, and destination info with minimal paper, and can write if I choose without having to lug a laptop along. We’ve just passed the notorious Chatsworth crash site and are in the tunnels to Simi Valley. I’ll hit “send” when we emerge.

Gack.

I have so many lovely posts planned… and a nasty case of bronchitis this week. More posts soon, when coughing ceases.

Back in the Saddle Again

Transferring my old posts to this site has brought home how very much my attitude and outlook on life have changed in the last five years — and not for the better, I fear. My cheerful enthusiasm for filmmaking and casual disregard of what I needed to do to keep my job and my family together has been replaced by an ever-present dread of job loss and fear of interacting with people.

Some of this is good. I’ve re-learned thrift, a concept I’d mastered as an undergraduate, but misplaced somewhere. I’ve learned not to take relationships for granted, and a great deal about how to get along with folks. Nonetheless, much of my life right now is dominated by fear of people and of financial insecurity.

I really need to get to more recovery meetings.

[taps twice] Er… is this thing on?

I’m back. I think.

I still have NaNoWriMo as a to-do in the Infinite To-Do list.

My spirits dropped right along with my retirement accounts in November and are just beginning to perk up.

Still working at Major HMO. Still “temp” after two years. Have moved up to data analyst from secretaryhood — a major improvement. And after today’s “staff reduction” announcement (which did not, thankfully, include me) a direct position, after all, may be no shield even there. If I could retire, I would.

I will be gradually moving this blog somewhere else. I’m not sure where; but iBlog is getting creaky. I will let y’all know.

NaNoUpDate 11/17/08

I stopped.

It gained on me.

Flu sucks.

Good night.

The Lesson of the NaNoWriMo

Don’t stop.

Don’t ever stop.

If you stop, it gains on you.

Never, ever, ever stop. Genius doesn’t matter. Perfection is an illusion. All that matters is the doing.

Goal reached before bed: 12334 words.

Goal before the next bedtime: 14427 words.

Saving all my words for NaNoWriMo…

But I added a link to the chart widget that explains what the heck it means…

It’s BAAAACCCCKK….

Yes, NaNoWrimo is here again. 50,000 words or bust….

[if nothing else, it's made me change the images in the sidebar --->

Running on empty…

Today – Interviewed a student for assistant position. Practiced physically cutting and splicing film.

Bottom line — I’m as exhausted as I ever get. The heat wave here w/no A/C in the house hasn’t helped. And tomorrow I have to go pick up my reels and find out what’s on them, as well as pass a practical exam for film splicing.

Lest y’all think I’m whining — I wouldn’t do anything differently over the last two weeks. I’d just like to try this sleeping stuff I keep hearing about… understand that it’s nice…

No-assistant Blues

A little whinging ditty, like many blues songs…

Well, she up and quit me last Monday night late.
Yeah, she up and quit me last Monday night late.
Now I’m stuck with doing all the work that I hate.

The uh, stuff in my office, well, it’s piling up high.
The uh, stuff in my office, well, it’s piling up high.
Can’t find what I need though I know it’s nearby.

More work and less leisure are the things that I’ve got.
More work and less leisure are the things that I’ve got.
But some time to do hiring, that is what I have not.