The First Rites of Spring
It truly feels that every time I resolve to return to this place of rambling, the fates conspire to keep me busy with other matters. Or perhaps it is a fear of recording my thoughts when the masks are dissolved, revealing my weaknesses and faults for all to see. What I do know is that the long winter is finally over (both literally and metaphorically for those of us in NY). For me this means I can pack away the drama of the past year along with the sweaters and look forward to a time of warmth and cleansing. Whether those around me will allow me to take those steps remains to be seen, as previous attempts at this have always been thwarted or met with mixed results.
So what's been up you ask? Where has the Blue Elf been? Well for one, he craftily got himself a new job. No longer is he a 'code-monkey' slave of an IT department hell bent and toying with souls (you have no idea how close to an accurate description this is), but rather now an Art Director/Interface Developer. New titles mean new things - like updated resumes, a fixed career track (if I can ever get back to the drawing and writing I used to love), and higher salaries. I haven't felt a large decrease in stress as of yet (I'm still known to be THE fixer of issues and a communication bridge between the artists and coders that refuse to understand each other), but I'm no longer cramming my head full of new coding languages, hacks, and staying up all hours of the night just to make sure tomorrow's project gets done. I can instead finally start opening books that appeal to my future. It will be a tad bit longer, but then the wacom tablet can finally be plugged back in.
Health wise, I haven't gotten any sinus infections lately (go figure >.> ) - but I did a number to my stomach. They still haven't figured out exactly what's wrong but more tests this week will hopefully lead them to a better solution besides pills. I'm also in need of new glasses. The frame snapped awhile back (meaning a whole new frame is needed) but I didn't mind. I was quite overdue for an eye exam anyway, 'seeing' as how my last exam was when I purchased these frames to replace the ones B-chan and I broke all those years ago... wonder how she's been. Still have to decide on what frame look to go for - any ideas?
Other than that, the main thing I've been trying to do is plan out my summer. I n-e-e-d vacation. And not just time off, but an actual vacation. Thankfully, the vacation days I was forced to roll over to this year should come in handy with just that. At the moment, I firmly plan to keep my promise to Alpha and visit him once my second raise goes through. ^^ I'm also going to Baltimore twice - once for this year's Otakon in August and once again in September to meet up with Dan and Stef for another Nightwish concert (hopefully I have a better camera this time). I'd really like to go abroad somewhere, but due to the deflating value of the dollar and the fact that a lot of my funds are going towards helping out my mother and sisters, I don't have the money to do it correctly. Instead I'll probably settle for either going south with a couple friends for a bit or going out West to visit father. ::rolls eyes:: Aside from that, I've been compiling a list of things to read and watch - among them Angel Sanctuary (you'd think I'd of read the manga by now but no, it's still collecting dust on my shelf), Death Note (everyone keeps telling me I need to get beyond Volume 1 or to watch it), Bleach (a few months worth of catch up), a stack of fantasy novels a close friend sent me, new Raymond E Feist novels, and a bunch of rpgs and DS games that still sit unopened on my desk. Too many hobbies I guess... or is it the OCD of having to complete them all that leaves me so behind?
Anywho, that's enough of an update for now - back to layout design for me. Ttfn ^~
~ Hen (with absolutely no papers on his desk... hehe)
So what's been up you ask? Where has the Blue Elf been? Well for one, he craftily got himself a new job. No longer is he a 'code-monkey' slave of an IT department hell bent and toying with souls (you have no idea how close to an accurate description this is), but rather now an Art Director/Interface Developer. New titles mean new things - like updated resumes, a fixed career track (if I can ever get back to the drawing and writing I used to love), and higher salaries. I haven't felt a large decrease in stress as of yet (I'm still known to be THE fixer of issues and a communication bridge between the artists and coders that refuse to understand each other), but I'm no longer cramming my head full of new coding languages, hacks, and staying up all hours of the night just to make sure tomorrow's project gets done. I can instead finally start opening books that appeal to my future. It will be a tad bit longer, but then the wacom tablet can finally be plugged back in.
Health wise, I haven't gotten any sinus infections lately (go figure >.> ) - but I did a number to my stomach. They still haven't figured out exactly what's wrong but more tests this week will hopefully lead them to a better solution besides pills. I'm also in need of new glasses. The frame snapped awhile back (meaning a whole new frame is needed) but I didn't mind. I was quite overdue for an eye exam anyway, 'seeing' as how my last exam was when I purchased these frames to replace the ones B-chan and I broke all those years ago... wonder how she's been. Still have to decide on what frame look to go for - any ideas?
Other than that, the main thing I've been trying to do is plan out my summer. I n-e-e-d vacation. And not just time off, but an actual vacation. Thankfully, the vacation days I was forced to roll over to this year should come in handy with just that. At the moment, I firmly plan to keep my promise to Alpha and visit him once my second raise goes through. ^^ I'm also going to Baltimore twice - once for this year's Otakon in August and once again in September to meet up with Dan and Stef for another Nightwish concert (hopefully I have a better camera this time). I'd really like to go abroad somewhere, but due to the deflating value of the dollar and the fact that a lot of my funds are going towards helping out my mother and sisters, I don't have the money to do it correctly. Instead I'll probably settle for either going south with a couple friends for a bit or going out West to visit father. ::rolls eyes:: Aside from that, I've been compiling a list of things to read and watch - among them Angel Sanctuary (you'd think I'd of read the manga by now but no, it's still collecting dust on my shelf), Death Note (everyone keeps telling me I need to get beyond Volume 1 or to watch it), Bleach (a few months worth of catch up), a stack of fantasy novels a close friend sent me, new Raymond E Feist novels, and a bunch of rpgs and DS games that still sit unopened on my desk. Too many hobbies I guess... or is it the OCD of having to complete them all that leaves me so behind?
Anywho, that's enough of an update for now - back to layout design for me. Ttfn ^~
~ Hen (with absolutely no papers on his desk... hehe)