I Try

Work has expanded to become all of my life.

I'm not complaining, really. It's really cool to be needed on a project -- that my skills are invaluable to the company. However, it seems that I don't have time for anything else. I get my entertainments late at night, watching an episode from my new Avenger DVDs that I received from Amazon.com on Tuesday. Or on my commute, I get some entertaining reading. Otherwise, I'm working. I brought some work home with me yesterday. Tonight, I stayed at work until my mom picked my up fairly late in the evening.

Monday, I didn't feel too well and Tuesday I had to run various legal errands with Mike, so yesterday was my first day at work for the week. A project prototype that hasn't been very well-taken care of was given to me. The files were in disarray and the HTML wasn't particularly good. It is my job to now bring the project prototype back in line with a Friday deadline to deliver the prototype plus a half dozen other pages added to the mix. Not a problem. Almost all the images are salvagable, small tidbits of code, and the design lends itself to easy template creation. It was just a matter of implementing standards on the code and a naming convention.

It is still a monumental task. I managed to complete the templates and HTML objects (little snippets of HTML code that can be reused easily to create the entire site with variations per page) today. However, I got another surprise today.

It turns out that we've got three prototypes that we promised to deliver to the client by March 6th. This project was one of three and it was made a bit easier because the graphics and general HTML layout was already generated. I just had to simplify it and clean it up. The two other projects are not so far along. One has the design just being finalized and the other doesn't have a design yet. Yow! Because of this delivery promise, the entire Interactive department is being mobilized to probably work on the project. I'm going to be coordinating and working on the HTML prototype development parts to the project. I'm probably going to be the one to create the templates and then the templates will be handed to the other HTML developers who will use my templates to generate the prototype, link the different parts to each other, etc. This is the first time that I've been working with the design department that a project comes up that requires the entire group's attention. People are being "pulled" off other projects to help with this one, which means their projects either get delayed or we all work late hours. Delayed projects is not an opinion so we're all working late.

Sigh. It's refreshing and exciting and I know I will look back on this experience positively but after 11 hours of working, I am drained and can't have too much enthusiasm for the work.

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I saw a man on the M42 today that looked exactly like Kevin Kline.

He wore what looked like a well-tailored suit, double breasted with a vest. Silk tie. An unmatching middle-eastern-styled hat. A dark pair of designer sunglasses. Heavy-looking silver rings on his right thumb.

He got off the bus at my stop. I didn't notice which direction he went because I was so engrossed in my latest book: Deadline, a book-only episode of "The Avengers" written by Patrick Macnee.

The Avengers are my newest obsession. I've gotten all the episodes on DVD that are available (I have spent atleast $200 on my collection) and all the books, both fiction and nonfiction. Mike doesn't understand it. To be frank, I don't either. There is something wonderful about John Steed and Emma Peel. I love the rapport they have with each other. The plots are bizarre and completely disbelievable, but that's part of the appeal.

I've also discovered that I actually like Monty Python a great deal. I think that my newfound enjoyment of both series comes from a willingness to be silly and enjoy silly things. I'm still a fairly serious person, but I've grown lighthearted with age. I've learned to appreciate the absurd.

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Yesterday, I treated myself to a new CD: Macy Gray's On Hw Life Is. I love that title. I heard "I Try" a long time ago and was intrigued by the lead singer's distinctive voice. I especially loved the chorus:

I try to say goodbye but I choke
I try to walk away and I stumble
Though I try to hide it, it's clear
My world crubles when you are not near

Since I don't listen to the radio other than NPR/news radio, I am very behind regarding popular music these days and didn't know who the singer was. I forgot about it until Tuesday, when Mike and I were flipping stations in the car as I drove. I heard "I Try" atleast three times and decided that this was a sign or something to get this new album. I love it. The style of each song on the album is distinct and varied, demonstrating the range of Macy Gray. The lyrics to "Sex-o-matic Venus Freak" made Mike laugh outloud. That is a good sign.