bunt sign

Saturday, January 15, 2005

Be careful what you wish for, because you might find yourself working so conscientiously all day Saturday that you completely forget there are playoff games that you’re missing. Somehow I remembered and tuned in just in time to bring the Steelers back from the dead against the Jets. But it was too close for comfort.

I’m borderline stupefied over how much I got done today. It’s almost as impressive a list as how much I have left to do. Plus, I get to think about it all week, to kind of bask in the glow. When I’m tempted to take a little break when I should be working, I can always say, “Look at how much I got done Saturday!”

Of course, I can only say that to myself, because nobody else knows. They shouldn’t know, either, because how I arrange my time is my own business. I don’t want anyone wondering if I’m wasting company time. As long as the work gets done, nobody needs to be questioning me on a minute-to-minute basis, or even day-to-day.

That assumes that the work will get done, more or less on time and as correctly as necessary. Perfection is another goal not worth pursuing. It’s a red flag. Once you’re known for straight A’s, people start thinking there’s something wrong with B’s and C’s. Speaking from experience, I can tell you that there are more important things than a 4.0 average. Especially when you’re 55 years old and trying to live life a little more freely and openly than you did in high school.




29 December 2004

Clouds moving in.



If only they knew that the day I can sleep late is the day I get the most work done. Then they wouldn’t make me keep regular hours during the week at all. I’d have total freedom, instead of this bogus version where I have to be “available” all day. It would work, but no one has the imagination to put it into action, and I don’t have the courage to press the issue. So I make inroads here and there. Every time I spend an hour on a weekday reading from a novel, that’s an inroad. More inroads are in my future, I can just feel it.




previousbunt signemailnext

Stuff

It’s not that I have anything against the Jets, but the Steelers are such a great story. Unheralded rookie quarterback confounding every defense he plays against. Ancient running back, formerly shunned and now a hero. A near-perfect 15-1 record during the season, including upset wins over what had been considered the elite teams in the league. And now the Steelers are the elite team (although possibly not for much longer, considering how they played today).

Recent recommendations can always be found on the links page.


One year ago: Dislodged
"It's like seeing the light at the end of the tunnel and then falling down a mineshaft. It would be nice to get to the light, but first I have to crawl out of this black hole."

Two years ago: Taking the Wheel
"I could easily have come apart like an exploding pinwheel if not for her calming presence."

Three years ago: Understated
"That's either a great way to reduce stress, or the most shameless rationalization I've used on myself so far, in a long career of inventing excuses and adlibbing explanations."

Four years ago: Flying Low
"It's a dream to believe that one person could make that much difference, but I know it's possible, because such a man lived among us once. It's up to us to keep the dream alive."

Five years ago: That Smell
"It might be that I have no taste at all, but I prefer to think that my tastes are so broad that they encompass all genres, and almost all examples of each one."


Subscribe to the notify list to be advised when this site is updated.