Month: April 2008

Books
I finally finished my review of A Delightful Compendium of Consolation: A Fabulous Tale of Romance, Adventure and Faith in the Medieval Mediterranean by Burton L Visotzky (2008), despite being done with the book for some time. When I broke my arm, I did my annual reread of IT, and also read Neverwhere, which was the only Gaiman to date I hadn’t gotten around to. Last night I plowed through my third in a chain on evolutionary game theory (which I am trying to teach myself about, in the hopes of improving data search efficiency algorithms) , and this weekend I hope to get back into some fluff.

Tech
I am running out of room! I need to buy some gigantic hard drives, stat. I keep trying to wait until the price goes down, but I’m down to my last few dozen gig! Unfortunately, I am currently also without an MP3 player – deciding between the two of these things is making me want to set fire to my apartment so I can declare an insurance write off, and just get new stuff.

Work
Big project kickoff Monday. Huge deadlines looming June 1 and July 1, for completely unrelated projects to the one that starts next week. Also looming: ulcers.

Friends
Finally trying to get out a little bit, though that still leaves me wiped the next day when I do. Saw when he was in town, and used the opportunity to catch up with , and soon-to-be cerctraum, and also hang out w/ next door neighbor at the same time. We went to Molly’s in Grammercy, which was good, but I remember being cheaper somehow the last time I was there. I imagine their rent has gone up too. Fucking Manhattan.

Life
I am moving again in August. In addition to above listed deadlines, I have two weddings, a fishing trip, a family reunion, and lord knows how many other birthdays and other incidentals between now and then. I also have at _least_ 3 more months of P/T, and who knows what other funs medically. Asylums are expensive; donations are appreciated.

World
Most of the dry, hot places are running low on, if not out of food – in Hati, people are eating mud and butter. In the first world, Japan is out of butter.

This has be going seven ways on the global situation. Bad enough I probably added 10% worth of new content to read on US recession, now I’m trying to get some good resources on geopolitical commodity exchange disbursement, and cross-hatch that with GDP?Consumption analysis by region. I’m glad I don’t sleep much, because if I did, this shit would be scaring me awake every night, even if I couldn’t read it all.

Pimpage
(who really does never use this thing) posted the coolest video I’ve seen in a while on his Vimeo profile. He’s offering prints of it, reasonably priced! Go, buy.


Science Machine from Chad Pugh on Vimeo.

Tomorrow I’m going to Video Games Live. I am hoping it is as good as it looks. Expect a review.

doc says i’m still on the questionable side, and still on weekly visits. he said that “there might be clouding around the break” which means I may be starting to heal. pt 3x a week starting this week. i’m hoping to rehab through, but still kinda scared shitless that i’m gonna end up in some sorta wierd percentile. thanks for the inquiries and well wishes.

Sometimes you see them-
phantasms of commuters gone by
echoes of another life…

When I was a kid, they were young in their career.
Maybe a fresh start wife, or a new job in midtown?
Maybe a bitter divorce, and looking for a way to pay alimony and have a retirement plan?

Most trainfolk don’t wear their rings- and that is the closest they ever get to being secret agents.
That conductor can’t possibly recognize that
fat Fordham kid grown into a broken-winged man;
who stole his cap so many years ago…

But one look of that squint:
above the mustache doing the
open-mouthed gum waltz,
and I’m back…

Sun so bright it seemed to burn the air, spring wind swirling through a slowing rumble and a cheer from my peers-

My legs moving me away as fast as they can – from capture, from trouble, from responsibility, from the screaming younger face of this old ghost, wondering why I’m staring at him.

I probably wouldn’t even make it down the stairs today
before some fat-assed MTA cop collared me.

Commuting may suck the life out of you,
but sometimes the haunts of the past provide sustainence
your soul didn’t even know it needed.

so, i got my staples/stitches out yesterday.
the doc wants to see me weekly – apparently no signs of healing yet, which has him mildly aprehensive. on the upside, despite not having full flexibility, i was rocking the occupational therapist.

i just want to be better already – looks like i havea long road still.

so much for mutant healing factor.

not to totally rip off with my title here, it is a pretty solid summary of my state of affairs. i’m mending, low on juice, and off painkillers. hopefully this week i’ll get my staples/stitches out, and then i can begin the joys of hardcore physical therapy.

tonight is the first time i am going out of my house to meet friends since i broke my arm. i had engagements i was going to shoot for this weekend, and the batteries were not there. apologies and condolences where they are due. and , i owe you guys a dinner. lets do it when i am more actively flapping….

before my upcoming social event, i have to give a presentation in an hour or two to a large group of my professional peers. though i’ve known about this for a long time, i just finished the presentation a few minutes ago. i think i should be a lot more concerned about this than i am, but what the fuck.

now that my guts are churning again (since i am off painkillers), i am finding myself strangely flatulent. in addition, i have 0 energy reserves. these two things combine have made me into a sort of grumpy, lame-armed one-man band.

how is your week going?

in a few hours, a week ago today, i went into surgery. when i compare the trauma of the 24 hours i dealt with post op to what i will deal with this week, it is pretty mind-blowing. how much difference short time can mean – how much i didn’t know about my own body even, that today i am that much more intimate with.

i’ve made it back home – i can do my exercises to hopefully maintain flexibility and minimize scar tissue, and i am trying to cut back on my painkillers as much as possible. pretty amazing, how much the body can deal with – more than the mind, i think.

being back in work this week has been rough – my training was canceled, and i feel like i got tossed headfirst into the deep end, in a suit of chain mail. it is getting better (my ability to cope) but the rate and fury of work is not.

thanks everyone, for the encouragement, well wishes, and friendship. i appreciate it more than you know.