Seattle

I have an extra three hours of time available to me now, since it's 1:34 AM at home to my present 10:34 PM. But I don't know that the world has been set afire as a result. And since I'm waking up three hours later, it's something of a moot point. Either way, it's nice to be back in the Pac NW. East Coast reality hits me hardcore on Tuesday. Maximize the time left...

Get Me to the Airport, Put Me on a Plane

Hurry Hurry Hurry, Before I Go Insane. Couldn't make it into the cube today, thanks to a sudden and brutal cold. I've been dosing the shit out of it with Airborne, Cepacol and Aleve, (not to mention Bar Harbor Blueberry Ale) hoping to get rid of as much of it as possible before flying cross-country this afternoon/evening. Now I'm just sitting around, listening to Ani DiFranco and waiting to get going.

Next Stop: Seattle.

Coffee Break. Err...Beer Break. Errr....

One article posted, one more in the works. Simultaniously, paying client work continues at a frentic pace. House cleaning? Packing for Seattle? Laundry? All vague notions that need to be addressed, eventually. But when? And by whom? I shit-sure don't have time now. Yet I must.

I'm really looking forward to September...

Again, Pause

The hosting duties are over, the house again silent, save for those of us who live here and love it, never mind the crushing mortgage and upkeep. After a week of hosting, the jolt of returning to life as usual is incredibly hard and welcome. It will take a while to process all the mental images, snapshots worth a lifetime that we compiled over the last seven days. A meander up seaside Rt. 1, Bar Harbor and Acadia, The Yorks, Portland Head Light again and as always, insane amounts of BBQ and fresh oysters, beer and wine and love.

In seven days, we do it all over again in Seattle.

Pause

Sunday Morning, Lou Reed in my head as always, copious amounts of French roast at my side as always. Eye of the storm today. Lay low today. But not really, because there's still plenty to do around the house. And a few errands to run. I'm in repose now before taking care of all these things, because once I get started, it's non-stop. August ends with the alarm at 5:00 AM, 8/11/08.

1. Monday 8/11: 7:00-5:00-ish in the cube; errands after work.
2. Tuesday 8/12: 7:00-5:00-ish in the cube; errands and cleaning after work.
3. Wednesday 8/13: 7:00-3:00-ish in the cube; drive to South Station to pick up in-laws, drive back to Maine.
4. Thursday 8/14: off - hosting in-laws.
5. Friday 8/15: drive to Bar Harbor with in-laws.
6. Saturday 8/16: return from Bar Harbor; continue tour guide duties.
7. Sunday 8/17: tour guide duties continue.
8. Monday 8/18: 7:00-11:00-ish in the cube; day off scheduled since March half cancelled by management.
9. Tuesday 8/19: 7:00-11:00-ish in the cube; day off scheduled since March half cancelled by management.
10. Wednesday 8/20: off, drive in-laws to Manchester for departure flight, drive back to Maine.
11. Thursday 8/21: back to work.
12. Friday 8/22: back to work.
13. Wednesday 8/27: 5:30 flight to Seattle - the in-laws host.
14. Saturday 8/30: attend wedding.
16. Tuesday 9/2: 6:00 AM flight from Seattle.
17. Wednesday 9/3: back to work.

Time for writing: limited, but must be done as I have about 35 more blurbs to complete and auto-publish for client.
Time for prospecting: none.
Time for me: I'll grab some solo time in Seattle, but that's about it.
Time for pause: none until early September.

Save for right now.

Delaying the Inevitable

Wednesday, neigh-on 10:00 PM. The alarm will be going off in seven hours. I need to try to sleep, but I can hardly bear the thought of dragging upstairs and disconnecting. Because I can't disconnect. Too many stops on my mental jags, my passport hardly stamped. And the fatigue I can't face brings on too many arch metaphors, but I can't get away from that either. I have

too many ideas to formulate and turn into articles and no idea how to start

too many publications to pitch with too many ideas that don't clearly exist yet

too many clients who aren't aware that they will be clients to prospect

too much wallpaper to scrape

too many bills to hack down

too many issues with the day job to address

too much on the plate in general

How do I start? More to the point, how do I stop? How do I shut it down, stop delaying the inevitable and start getting to?

Can't I just suddenly be E.B. White?

Maybe after the alarm goes off and the work day ends I can start to figure it all out...

maybe...

just

maybe....

Ex. Haus. Ted.

Jesus.

Washed the house.
Scrubbed all the windows in the house.
Four (?) loads of laundry.
Brought one bookcase upstairs (one left to assemble) and filled it with Maine books and appropriate nick-nacks.
Vacuumed, dry and wet Swiffed and then polished the floors.
Dusted.
Scrubbed the cabinets and baseboards.
Cut up lemons and oranges and threw the fruit down the drain (trash compactor) and the rinds in a pot of water for a low four-hour simmer. All-natural air-freshener.
Etc., etc.

I started at 9:00, and basically just finished for good at 4:00 PM. I didn't mow the lawn, because we ran out of gas for the mower. But I got everything else.

I'm going to try to crash for a few now, before our beloved friend Amy arrives from Seattle. Which could be any minute now...

Dispatches from the waning days of a summer I didn't really have after waiting for it all winter

Friday night closes out another thoroughly bust-ass week in the cube. Laptop is on lap, 2 on in the top of the 10th at Fenway, Miller Lite on the TV tray. I'll be up at 4:00 in the ayemm as the wife leaves to pick up a friend from Seattle at Logan and I get to cleaning the shit out the house. On the agenda:

1. Hose down the house
2. Mow the lawn
3. Clean and polish the floors
4. Straighten and dust
5. Assemble cheap Target bookshelves - aesthetically nice, but chincy as hell: a relative bargin at $20 a pop
6. Laundry
7. Try to crash for a bit

I. Am. Bone. Tired.

But, but, BUT

I also have client work to do, and that is the sustaining tonic right now. It's not paying much, but it's paying steadily. And it's one opportunity that will lead to other opportunities. And eventually to a life outside the cube.

Keep going....