Monday, August 31, 2020

Another Mixed-Up Weekend

In brief, the weekend started off pretty badly, but then got better, but then ended with a major disappointment.  Friday I simply couldn't find my main USB key.  I basically emptied my pannier at work and then again at home and simply couldn't find it.  Since it didn't rain after all on Saturday, I went back in to work and fortunately found the USB key hiding under some take-out napkins.  I hung out a bit longer and then went home.  I'm generally pretty good about backing up material, which is why the USB gets such a workout.  However. it is harder now that the DVD-burner on main computer has basically given up the ghost.  I think it's a sign that it is just time to replace this thing, which is probably from 2014.  Actually I have an older computer that I fire up from time to time for very special applications.  I'll try to get around to wrapping up my post on that shortly.

Finding the USB key was a big relief obviously.  While the weather wasn't great, I did go outside and finally finished this Chinese urbanization book I need to review.  I've gotten through most of the main tasks hanging over my head (a huge report at work) and getting the basement ready for my daughter to move in, though I have this review and a paper review due in about a week.

What I was really looking forward to was an outdoor concert on Sunday.  (I waited too long on the outdoor play listed in Now last week, as all the performances were completely sold out.)  This was going to be an outdoor concert for a maximum of 14 people and Skye Wallace was the featured artist.  On the one hand, it's quite a comedown from performing a sold-out show at Lee's Palace (ok, she was really the opening act) but it is basically impossible to play anywhere nowadays.

I went off to the gym before lunch (I'm basically still maintaining a twice a week routine with 4 or so days of biking to work, which works out to another hour per day of cardio*).  Then I painted the wardrobe downstairs.  While I don't think it will turn out all that well, my daughter wants it white, so we'll see.

I was about 15 minutes away from biking off to the concert when I checked my email to verify the address details.  It was very fortunate that I did, since Skye had to cancel due to a family emergency.  I can only hope that it isn't too too serious.  There was a replacement musician lined up, but I just didn't feel up to making the trip.  It would have been an incredible let-down.  It's really quite shocking how few people were planning on going (even before this switch) and maybe people just aren't ready to socialize or it just was a really unfortunate date.  I said to keep us posted if Skye is rescheduled, so we'll see what happens.  But it definitely put a damper on what was generally an ok weekend.

Aside from using the time to wrap up reviews, I do have a couple of creative writing ideas I need to put down paper (one is about a nearly abandoned food court and the other is about a crazy date night).  And I probably ought to write the second half of my tv pilot.  All things that I am a bit more likely to do if I actually do take some time off of work.

And read a bit more.  I'm really struggling to get through all these books I said I would read (and in a few cases review).  As a side note, I have to admit, I am just not a fan of the new Blogger interface.  It is considerably harder than it should be to maintain long lists (like my main reading list).  Given that it is in pretty bad shape (and is largely sidelined for the moment while I work through a box of books to put outside in my free library), I probably ought to start again with a cleaner list, which would help.  Well, maybe if I actually take some time off in Sept...


* I was able to get my bike in the shop last Monday (with the completely flat and leaky tube) and it was ready to go by Tuesday.  In the end, I biked in Tuesday-Friday, though in a few cases I started work from home and biked in over lunchtime.

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