Today is not my birthday, but since the actual birthday is next Tuesday...a very 'un-birthday-day'... I'm going to spend this weekend celebrating.  Forty one: also not a very sexy age, but whatever.  At least I'm out of my thirties, what a nightmare those were.  This year promises to hold a lot of changes which I'm glad for.  It's time for changes.  And in the vein of past lessons learned I'm going to simply let-go of everything that has plagued me before now.  This hasn't been a simple thing to learn, but a recent event has indeed proved to me that all the trouble, all the therapy, all the "heartache and drama" (something I was accused of delivering directly to someone's doorstep... I have to scratch my head about that one) has paid off a dividend of sorts: my ability to let it go.  This is me letting it go.  There it goes.  Bye.  It's going...

If only it were that easy.  But it's getting much easier.

I am the paperboy of heartache and drama, and I want my TWO DOLLARS!

My cell phone rang this morning as I was checking emails and reading news at my desk.  "What number is this?..." I looked at the screen and drew a blank.  I answered and a hesitant voice spoke after a few seconds.  "Ummmm, do you fix computers?" she asked.  Now, I DO fix computers, but it's not something I do for clients who call me out of the blue.  I have enough trouble keeping on top of my friends and family who hose their systems, why would I want to do that for complete strangers?  "I do, but it's not my primary line of business," I answered her, wondering who this woman was.  "Well, what is it that do DO do.... when you aren't fixing computers?" came the next question.  <pause here>  No self introduction on her part, no explanation of who or where she got my number, and I was becoming a tad bit annoyed.  A few choice things crossed my mind as I prepared to answer her, thinking... ok, this has to be someone playing a joke on me.  "I DO computer work, but I primarily do systems consulting....can I ask you where you got my number or who referred you?"  Perhaps I should have been more business-like and answered my personal cell phone with, "Chris's Fix-All, yes we fix computers!"  She finally told me who she was and where she came by my number, which turned out to be a contact a few years old.  Her secretary had been cleaning her desk and came across a card, so I can't blame her for trying.  I don't mind helping people in need and did wind up telling her I would assist her if she couldn't get a hold of her 'usual guy', but I have a feeling this would be a masochistic endeavor.  God knows I have gone to clients before and spent upwards of 8 hours slaving over a nasty root-kit problem... or seen systems so infected Windows simply shits the bed on boot.  No thanks.  Get a Mac... or if you want to really make me smile try Linux.  I'll be happy to help you switch!

The weird thing wasn't that she called me.  The weird thing was the way she interrogated me... as if I had shown up at her doorstep attempting to sell her encyclopedias or vacuum cleaners.

It's noon.  At least the 'peculiar' was relegated to the AM today.

First day back at reality, or what passes for it. No matter how many times I say to myself, "tomorrow I'm going to get up early, go to the gym, make lists, get work done..." I generally wind up accomplishing only 10%. I think I need to either adjust my expectations or I need a drill sergeant to greet me each day at 6am and scream at me to get off my ass.

Sometimes those drill sergeants are provided to us though... workmen began tearing up the floors in the apartment directly above us at 9am. The sounds of banging, pounding and what turned out to be an air compressor did an adequate job of doing that screaming.

My morning ritual of retrieving coffee stretched longer than I had anticipated as I walked block after block through Center City listening to the same songs over and over again on my ipod. Compulsiveness, welcome home. I have to work on that. I know, I'll put it on my list.

Not that simply looking at the site anyone would be able to tell I've been working on updating the backend for the past day, but I have. We're finally running on an updated version of Joomla, which should allow for some interesting new things. All this comes with a renewed 'vision'... no, not of the Virgin Mary, although I've been known to have those too.... but the love affair with Facebook has become slightly sour, so it's time to reinvest in our little site here.

Now all I have to do is get crackin' on some of that work I should have been doing.

Hmmmm.