Just started hearing from some shore people today, Epic. They're cold and tired but they're ok.

Lots of inland areas have lost power and still don't have it back. Even if they did evacuate they may be unable to call.

And even if they DIDN'T evacuate, they're on the coast but not on an island. A lot of the most horrible pictures are from places where the bay met the ocean - which won't be the situation for them.

Hang in there. The death toll has been remarkably low. They're completely miserable but safe.

Yeah, I found a satellite pic which, assuming it's as current as the site claimed, shows their house as remarkably intact - at least as much as one can tell from a quarter-mile or so above. So less worried than earlier, just waiting...

Thanks, guys.

I'm starting to sound like the students today. Whining. Saying, "I don't wanna" to just about everything. Ran out of steam. Not spoons, mind you, just hitting that mid-term slump, I think. In my defense, we have gotten a LOT of work done in the shop this quarter. Doesn't help with my case of "don't wanna's" today. The whole have-to-watch-show-tonight-and-attend-the-critique thing is probably adding to the "I don't wanna" mentality.

t /whine

I had a "don't wanna" week, ESPECIALLY when my creaky laptop snafued and ATE MOST OF A RESUME. That was 80% done. And involved lots of financial language, which I had to do some research on for accuracy.

Tech problem is fixed but I still had to rebuild most of the res. GRR ARGH. (Nothing against the delightful person for whom I am working but I shake ma fist at the Tech Gods. And yes, I back up externally and weekly. On Sundays. Not Mondays. And...oh, never mind, talking about the techy FUBAR just makes me need All The Vodka.)

OMG I just finished a thing I was doing for Strix as part of her services and it was like homework and it was very tough (and taxing on my memory) but it is DONE! So excited.

Nora did a LOT of work!

Yes, get your resume done by Erin The Resume Dominatrix, to whom you pay to have pain inflicted on yourself! MWAHAHA! But you need the pain for your happy ending...

Love you, Nora!! ;)

Epic, I hope your family is all right.

Yes, get your resume done by Erin The Resume Dominatrix, to whom you pay to have pain inflicted on yourself!

cowers and whimpers

Can I have a quick anxiety breakdown over here? I haven't been able to work all week, and I'm leaving for 9 days in the UK next Thursday, and since no one else has been able to work this week either, there'll be no one with the time to take on my work. Presuming work can resume on Monday, I'll have three days to complete nearly three weeks of work. It's impossible, and my manager has made no mention of what's to be done. I'm afraid there will be a lot of missed deadlines and it will be marked down as my fault.

So next week, there's the election, and work, and travel, any one of which is enough to send me hiding under the bed.

Yikes, Zen. That does just sound like...a lot. Um, keep breathing? If you can't do anything before Monday, try hard not to let it eat at you before then - no letting work take over your brain when it's still your time. And you'll do as much as you can do, and hopefully you won't get marked down for Acts of God, I mean, it's not like you're slacking. Anybody will be able to look at the dates of missed deadlines, and anyone with any sense will see that they're right on the heels of The Perfect Storm, and understand.

And if you were just looking to vent and didn't want any feedback, please disregard the paragraph above and know that I'm nodding and ma-ing.

Certainly didn't need to be repeated.

Fuck 'em; Sandy is a MORE then reasonable excuse for pushing back deadlines.

One of my NYC clients is without power, the whole shebang, and are working on getting back together, but I KNOW the substantial check I NEED will be postponed. I'm concerned, but SO not their fault. I am glad thet are OK, and a shitton of peeps have it way worse off than me, so...

Here's a virtual Valium and an icy cocktail of your choice, love. (Squeezing into intertubes....THERE!)

Damn, Zen. Seriously, you can only be held responsible for that for which you have control. All you can do is give it your best. No one should hold you responsible for this, least of all you!

Zen,

I recommend two things:

a) do what you can before you leave

b) LEAVE. And don't check any work related email at all while you are gone. You have stated here - and I recall - that you tend to be a workaholic. Tamp down this tendency have a fucking great vacation. You have had family drama and work weighing on you. Just enjoy yourself.

You can't control weather or time so fuck it.