A Light At The End Of The Insanity

The last few weeks have been, without any exaggeration, hellishly busy. But interspersed with a work schedule truly out of control, there have been highlights that have glimmered like sparks of joy within the ashes of the madness. Taught me more about my new company than any previous month couild have, and hopefully more than any upcoming month will!

Here's the lowlights and highlights:

LOW: The impending deadline of "The Project" I am managing at my new job. Every area of this project that I cast my gaze into reveals all manner of problems hidden within the (not-so-dark) corners that people either ignore, or assume someone else will handle. And that someone always seems to be me, while they trip home at 6pm, and I log up 80+ hours. The lack of "taking ownership for a problem" here can be truly astounding, especially by people with manager in their job title. Its been less like project management, and more like baby sitting!

LOW: Soccer games being constantly cancelled due to wet grounds on lovely weather days, and then the day they decide we have to play because the schedule is too far behind, it's a biting 43F with sleeting cold rain, and enough mud to build your own Flinstones-style stadium. Means one game every 3-4 weeks, which isn't helping with fitness/health/stress/back. I miss The Ex-Company lunch time kick-arounds horribly.

LOW: The Gorgeous Wife heading to Oz for work, for ten bloody weeks! Know I know how the local Navy wives feel (not literally mind). Loss of her support structure (i.e. someone to whinge to) makes it that little bit tougher, which is then complicated by long hours, no time for grocery shopping and bad eating & drinking habits. if ever I was to take up smoking (which I wont), this would be the month.

But, it's been so long since I posted that I haven't mentioned the good stuff!

HIGH! Flashy Epson Scanner for my birthday! Means now do I not only have 3000+ digital photos I want to touch up, but an adiditonal 5000 film photos to scan and touch up. This life is too short.

HIGH! Hefty payrise. The owners have the fear that I am about to get up and leave (that fear is well justified). Threw some money at me, and want to send me somewhere nice. Doesn't solve the coporate issues here, but it's a damn sight better than *not* being recognized! (CheeseMan -- wanna join me at a Busch race with press passes?)

HIGH! Fun party! The Yanna had a little gathering that was a lot of fun, even though a complete sausage fest. Well catered, fun bunch, within walking distance, and some tasty Olive Juice. That it was held on my birthday was an added bonus.

HIGH! the games we did play, resulted in our "Poms & Colonials" team finishing first in the our league. 46 goals For in 7 games is not bad for a short season!

HIGH! Absence reinforces how much I love the GW!

I missed Battlestar Galactica last week due to the need for . Anyone have a torrent address I can grab it from? What abotu an opinion as to whether it is worth watching?

I swear I will have something interesting to blog next week, when hopefully the light at the end of the tunnel gives me a few days off.