Ups and Downs

 

Yesterday I was writing a very technical project that was like sludge to get through. By the end of the day I was tired and cross, despite a nice amount of camaraderie in the office much of the day. Friday's are invariably chatty - I think people have had enough of the writerly introversion necessary to the job and have to let loose by Friday. It can be distracting if you really have to write, but I spent most of the day just copying out data and reformatting it. Another woman in the group had a tough week so she took a couple of newbies into Harvard Square to Burdick's, returning with our orders of hot chocolate. (Reminder to self: the little demitasse size would be plenty. It's like drinking melted chocolate bars.) Other groups in the building must have been feeling similarly convivial because a notice came around that people were meeting at a pub after work. I'd been thinking of going, but by 5:30 I was feeling fried and antisocial.

Over the horizon as I left town I saw the slight glow of light remaining in the southwestern sky. It's staying lighter later. I thought if it were summer I'd have gone out and socialized. Instead I was being a poop. I had to remind myself I do have social things going on this weekend, so I won't be total hermit. And did I really want to see people from work at that point? As I was nearing home I thought about my project and a suggestion, or question, that another writer had mentioned just before I left. A creative fix came to me, a way to jazz up the beast a little. So I worked another hour and a half when I got home, but at least I finished off the day feeling satisfied, a better way to start the weekend.

Comments

[charlie]

"Yesterday I was writing a very technical project that was like sludge to get through."

This made me smile when i thought back to your work relating to bowel dysfunction. Perhaps it's as well you didn't socialise after work :o)

[leslee]

Heh. Different project.

[amy]

Not so long ago, I completed a... hhmmm... not sure I can call it a 'technical' project, but one of a similar nature... in that it was about as creative as taking a standardized test with a number 2 pencil... bleugh... This is my first visit to your blog... nice to virtually meet you...

[leslee]

Hi Amy, welcome to my blog. Yeah, the technical stuff can be deadly. It really needed a creative solution, but I couldn't get to it until I'd slogged through the data. Sometimes that's all you can do.