February 1, 2008

• Febrewary

  It’s been a while since I’ve posted.

  All is well; the new year is starting off with promise and small successes. I’m slowly beginning to realize and trust that my job is as great for me as it seems. In addition to my “standard” work, I’ll be dabbling a bit into project management and knowledge management this year.

  A scandal: I have never read the currently reading. I do love Hawthorne, and the novel is introspective and pensive in a way that makes for great winter reading. It’s also good to read before falling asleep, since the chapters are short enough that I can finish one before dozing off, and at the end of each chapter I’m ready to sleep for, say, eight hours.

  Our biggest resolution for 2008 is to get our finances in order and headed in a strong direction. Down the road we want to buy a house, travel, have a dog, be ready for retirement, and be able to support the causes that are important to us. We have been following a new financial regimen (i.e., we have one), and already after just thirty-nine days it’s night and day. It’s relieving so much stress.

  Early in January I entered year two of psychoanalysis. I do think I have a good analyst, and I am experiencing big changes in how I look at and respond to myself and the world. They’re not outwardly big changes, but in terms of how I “work,” they’re drastic. For instance, this week I got my hair cut–and for the first time, I found myself doing it for myself, knowing I would feel good about it, rather than doing it for other people because I’m “supposed” to. Same outward results, completely different mental phenomenon.

  Last week I finished reading Mary Oliver’s latest book of poetry, Thirst. I cannot recommend it highly enough. Poems of transformation and beauty and humility and exultation and delight in the natural world.

  Timothy and I are on the homestretch of the Frodo’s Notebook complete overhaul. That project elicits such mixed emotions from me; I don’t yet understand it. This time around it will be a piece of cake to involve more editors, and so I’m hoping some of you will be interested. I’ll explain more in the future… or you can ask Timothy or me about it. The increased social nature of the site with this re-launch should increase the joy and decrease the isolation of working on it.

  I fell on my ass walking to work this morning. No harm done. I was surprised to learn that brick sidewalks ice over much more easily than concrete ones, and have less traction.

  I think I mentioned before how much I loved reading His Dark Materials, which is friggin brilliant. The Bartimaeous Trilogy was also a hoot.

  I received a Christmas gift of 3 months of Netflix. I recently had Ingmar Bergman’s film Persona at home for a week and a half, and I watched it four times. Unbelievably awesome film. Now I’m working my way through a second watching of Trufaut’s The 400 Blows, also great.

  We also now have a junk mail shredder. Protecting my identity has never seemed worth it… but this is fun.

  • 4:36 pm
  • 1 Comment