Mid-week Updates

Nearly gagging, I rushed to the sink to wash away the smear of blood and remains of the mosquito corpse I'd squashed on my arm. I chased the other grotesque insects around the house with bleach (mental note: buy better poison) as they flew around like minions of Hell.

My hatred of these creatures shocks me a bit, but they ruin my morning walks! Chienne and I are fairly happy as we wander the neighborhood, smelling and thinking, respectively. I watch the rare cars drive by in the soft light after dawn and sigh over the dew on the grass and the sparkle of sunshine. I think about work and life and God and sort of settle before going to work.

Or I used to. Now I shake my head and wave my arms like some deranged horse, swatting at the flying monsters and waving them away from where they perch on my dog. (Nobody screws with my dog!) I return to the house mostly enraged and it's growing tiresome. But I keep forgetting to buy Off products for protection. And I'm buying some of that spray that attaches to the hose so I can launch my own attack. Dammit.

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Sibling borrowed a book from the library that was written by a blogger. So we've chatted about if we do anything that would persuade anyone to read something we'd written. (My official response = only out of some sense of habit or pity!) She doesn't think enough funny stuff happens to us - it's more frustrating than amusing. But I did have a fit of giggles this afternoon.

I had gone to a meeting where 2 people are leaving a team of software developers (by choice so it's a good thing for them). We were discussing how to continue with a project they'd devoted a good deal of time and effort to - and it happens to be completely cool and rather relevant - and I was trying to think of a way to organize something.

As I was thinking I need to keep a spreadsheet of people who owe me favors, I listened as they identified one person who would be perfect to understand and support the project.

"I understand," I replied carefully. "But those teams are under tremendous pressure right now for product issues and their ability to support research projects is very limited. So I agree that he's great but I know that he's intensely busy. So let me talk to his boss and see if we can come up with a solution."

Agreeing to check back with them next week, I flitted off to check more stuff and talk about more things. On my afternoon of office errands, I ended up in the midst of engineering. The cubicles, typically noisy with the tapping of keys and buzz of conversation, were quiet as many of us are on vacation this week. I moved through the maze of desks and computers and found a chair to wait when the engineer's computer was at his desk but he was not.

I smiled when the only other occupant in the quartet of seats snored, reclined in his desk chair with multiple computers hummed in front of him, nary a screen saver active. I envied him his ability to catch a quick nap midday - I'm not able to sleep unless horizontal and sprawled out so I spend my working hours awake.

I lost track of time as I worked while waiting, glancing at my watch about 20 minutes later before giving up and heading back to my desk. Before I left, I glanced at the nameplate above my still-snoozing companion and snorted when I saw that he was the very person whose time I'd defended that morning.

His eyelids twitched at my small sound and I held still while he shifted in his chair and quietly moved away when he began to snore again. And while this could be one of those 'had to be there' situations, I was so tickled by the whole event that I had to lean against the wall while I laughed and laughed. I felt a pleasant residual glow that I feel better, the gloom of depression having dissipated.

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It is my 2 year anniversary in Industry! I celebrated with guacamole. God bless the avocado. And cilantro. And lime. I wish I had more guacamole right now...