But that's another story
I'm free!
Well, relatively free.
The site that I was working on was showed to the client today. Heather (the designer that worked with me on it) and I breathed a very deep sigh of relief! Not too deep though, because I quickly got involved in other upcoming work. I don't mind being busy. Heck, I love being busy. I love working. For a few weeks, I didn't get a lot of work and I was biting my nails about it. Now, I'm flooded and it's tiring and wonderful, as long as it is not frustrating.
That was the problem. We just didn't have enough information to tackle the design and information architecture problems of the site. We kept making guesses. We also had incomplete layouts for the site so we had large gaps in developing the prototype.
"So, how do you get from the view screen to the create new screen? How do you edit them and not just create them?" were two frequent questions we kept asking and getting no concrete answers.
At 4:00pm, I wiped my hands of the project (for now) and began reading the specs for the next. Just an endless round of fun!
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Congratulations to Threnody (no URL, unfortunately) for being the first person to send in a correct answer to the puzzle. I received his message at 4:52am this morning. He said that he is now motivated to pick up the latest issue of Games Magazine (yay!) and recommended that I read the Red Mars series by Kim Stanley Robinson (I think that's his name). Coincidentally, that is the new book I chose for "evening reading" before I get to bed!
The first online journaller to get it in is Amanda, fellow all-round lover of puzzles and assorted geek sundries. She's one of the people I know online that I wish I knew in person. She's so cool and funny and delightful to know.
Both will be receiving personalized congratulatory graphics from me (once I decide on an appropriately cheesy quote for it).
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This morning, I decided to read something lighthearted on the bus ride. This is standard behavior for me, since I will often be reading three or four different books at the same time, each designed for a particular activity. So, Red Mars is my new "going to bed" reading material. I have a series of three Theban plays (by Sophocles) in the bathroom. For my commute, I chose to reread Michael Ende's The Neverending Story.
Rereading it for the first time in probably 8 or 9 years, I reopened many memories that I've visited in for a long time. I remember the first time I saw the film, which I loved immensely. I was totally charmed by Barret Oliver as Bastian Balthasar Bux (Bastian is such a pretty name). I loved the world of Fantasia and I wanted the same wonderful thing that happens to Bastian to happen to me too. I often dream of the fantasy worlds I read about coming true.
I want to ride on Falcor's back, feel the might of the luck dragon as my hair whips around me.
I want to trace the outline of AURYN with my finger. Feel the metal. Would it be cool to my touch? Warm? Would I feel power or energy radiating from it? Would it feel heavy around my neck and weigh my head down?
I want to see the glistening Ivory Tower. It should start far, in the distance. A speck that grows unspeakably large as I approach it. I'd love to run my hand against its smooth surface and stare at her delicate lace-like finery.
Sometimes, my imagination and my mind's eye can be so clear that I can imagine lifting my hand and touching my visions. I have to shake myself out of my reverie.
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Commuter Tale
The M42 eastbound is always a long line in front of Port Authority. Today was no exception. I know that I stood there for around 10 or 15 minutes waiting for a bus along with a long line of people.
Two buses came at the same time and, due to my position in the line, I had a good opportunity to board the second bus instead of the first one. I shuffled to the second bus and was the second or third person in.
As I boarded the bus, I heard people behind me speaking with harsh voices.
"Don't push me."
"I was waiting for 30 minutes!"
"I was here first."
"Get your bag out of my way."
It was past rush hour (I left for work on a later bus). I thought that the rush hour crowd tends to be less irritable than this one. Perhaps it's because they are all late and need to get to work ASAP. Perhaps it's because the passive (well, they really aren't passive. They are less aggressive) rush hour crowd knows that it's better for all of us to work together to keep traffic flowing smoothly and everyone can get to their respective destinations.
All I know is I was thankful for my prime position to beat the swarm.
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Tonight, I joined a discussion on EFnet that Tesserae and Catherine sponsored. It was really nice to talk to people and meet them online. The conversation was primarily towards journals and ran the gammut from the "in crowd" (which I was accused of being part of on a journal listserv. Am I in the "in crowd"? What defines it? I'd like to know the qualifications because I think it's all very subjective what exactly an "in crowd" entails), to design issues and what would constitutes "good design" (which I gave lots of feedback about), to some of our collective problems and whether it was a good thing to be associated with those negative situations.
It was very stimulating and enjoyable conversation. I also got to meet a really nice guy named Shimon ("Perez?", I asked jokingly. He laughed. I made a funny. All's right with the world.)
I hope that they do chats like these frequently but not too frequently. It'll be tough trying to strike that balance. It's nice to have it seem like something special, but at the same time there is still some expectation that the next one will be "soon".
That will be another story.
