WOW! A Free Moment at Work!

I guess it's safe to let you all in on a little well-known secret: I have been, and continue to be, a worktime-blogger, it seems. When I'm busy at work, the blogging slips. I can't really explain it, but I realize it's something I need to change. It's right up there with joining a gym (which I refuse to do without a buddy) and getting someone in to replace my bathroom sink because the porcelain's all worn away and it's impossible to keep it clean for longer than a few days. I guess the after-hours aversion comes partly because I associate writing with work, which is strange when it's something I really enjoy doing. It makes me all the more concerned about turning to a life of art if I ever make a drastic career move.

After I got this new job, things changed for me. I mean, it's not that what I'm doing now is all that different than what I was doing before. In fact, it's scary some days how much info I can dredge up from the dusty innards of my brain about past contracts that can help me out, right here and now. It often happens on the fly, too, in meetings with important people (if anyone short of the politicians can really be considered "important" in the government....and even then...). I've managed to develop a pretty good rapport so far. But I digress....recognition is awesome, and I've wanted it, badly, for years, but I'm really doing the same sort of things I was doing before.

But my gawd....the volume. I've been busy before. Lots of times, over short bursts. But I've never had spans of several weeks where I was so overloaded that I felt guilty if I took a few moments to go to the bathroom or get some mediocre sushi from the cafe downstairs.

In a way, it has reminded me from time to time of those late night/early morning scrambles to get the newspaper off to the printers in university, the hours and hours locked a way in a stuffy room with a team of people working towards a single goal. Reading that, it sounds unpleasant. But I expect if you asked someone what it was like, that feeling of fun, camaraderie, accomplishment, and relief (when it's over) that you get from it, they'd tell you that they wouldn't have traded that experience away for the world. So I guess the new job feels a bit like that (without the Calvins....sorry, inside joke).

So... work = ( satisfying + lots of it - time ) # weeks on end.

My personal life has been busy too. I've been slowly filling my contact list on my cell phone and I'm noticing the extra scrolling (time to do some clean-up, I think). It's been swanky having so much more time to chill with my best friends, getting back in touch with old friends and making lots of new ones. I really enjoyed seeing so many people while they were in-town over the last few months, including, in semi-chronological order, Colin, Michelle, Neil, Matt, Fiona, Mike, and Gen Lemay (who's back for good!). Had a blast, hope to see you all again real soon. So who's coming into town for Waterlude?

I'm loving life, holding my head high, getting back to the basics in art, and acquainting myself with the music I've missed over the last few years. That list I just posted a week ago or so is already obsolete (I have these people to thank for the quick change). I have more new music to sample than I even have time to listen to, lately. I want to buy an iPod and start bringing some to work, but with so little commute time, I'm not sure if I can justify it.

But really, there hasn't been much in the way of stories to tell (hibernating!). Do you really want to hear about the drawing I finished the other day, the date I had last week, the powerpoint presentation I slaved away at, or the new track I discovered by a band from Spain? Maybe I've just been in a private mood for a while -- I feel that's starting to change now. And that makes me want to come back to this old turkey of a blog and see if I can't breathe some new life into it.

So here's what I'm thinking: I'm thinking it would be fun to post more sketches and photographs. It's something I'm spending time on anyway, and if I can make it easy to post the stuff, I'm all for it (I'm not a huge fan of the bloggerbot). I'm toying around with how I'd go about doing this on a more regular basis. I'll let you know more once I know how it's shaping up....as soon as I get another few minutes to spare.