Havi at The Fluent Self has a wonderful habit (among many) of checking in with herself every Friday, to reflect on how the week went. I like it. I don’t have a better name for it, so for now I am stealing quietly borrowing hers.

The Hard Stuff

Wow, lots of work. I’m still reluctant to file it under The Hard Stuff, because it doesn’t suck. Lots is getting done, I’m not bored or super-stressed or any of my normal signals that something is very very wrong, but it still is this gigantic time-sink that keeps me from doing the things that I want to do.

For instance, last night was Friday. Let’s ignore the fact that I should have written this post earlier. It was also First Friday, and I was looking forward to heading downtown and checking out what’s new in the arts district, having some noms and bar-hopping with friends. Instead, though, I was at work. Working.

If you include Thursday’s Game Industry Night mixer that is pretty mandatory since I’m the organizer, I was working late four out of five nights this week. This leads to eating poorly, exercising less, and not sleeping enough. So while the work itself is not bad at all, the disruption to my normal goings-on is just that – disruptive.

Also filed under Hard, but without need for explanation:

Eating poorly.

Exercising less.

Not sleeping enough.

The Good Stuff

Wandering. Wednesday night, after leaving work at a reasonable hour, I just did what I felt like – alone, at my pace – before winding up at home. After climbing class, I stopped by Desert Breeze park to watch the first kickball game of the season, for the team I am no longer on (see: too many activities). I stood quietly on the sidelines, said hey to some of the folks I had been missing, and moved on when the game was over.

Then it was dinnertime. Fuku-time! I don’t know what it is about the food truck culture that I love so much – it’s probably the feeling of it being more of an event than just going to a boring restaurant that is in the same boring place all the time. Highly recommended – but they don’t get started until 8pm, so plan on some fourth-meal action.

Between kickball and the food truck, I definitely felt like a quiet outsider. I was an observer of all this crazy energy. It’s a strange feeling. I definitely didn’t want to be in it, and I didn’t yet want to be home for the evening either. I just watched. Was it good? It was interesting. And definitely not bad.

Dancing and Climbing still totally happened. Somewhere in all the craziness, I did get to all of my planned activities for the week. It feels good that by aiming for less, I actually did accomplish these goals (with relish!).

I’d better wrap this up quickly, as today’s ballet class starts in less than an hour.

Objectives Quests!

Blegh. Objectives sounds so cold and business-like, but I really do want to add a section for looking forward to next week. I need a list.

GDC is coming! The reason for most of this overwork is so I don’t fall too far behind next week, when I’m in Austin for GDC Online. Those of you not in the know: it’s the Game Developers’ Conference. Emphasis on online and mobile games, which is pretty much where my business falls these days. It’ll be my first conference since making the jump to Producer, and I’m happy to finally immerse myself in that. Also: Sause. Friends in attendance. The Boy in attendance. Excite!

There is a possibility for a lot of Hard there, too, as it is basically a week-long business party. It’ll be like Game Industry Night times eleventy. I’ll be tired, I’ll want alone time, I may be hung over at several points during the week. I’ll need to keep in mind about the orbit of the planets, and protect myself.

PostScript. Is it still a Friday Chicken if it happens on Saturday morning? Maybe not. It is not the day that is important, though. It is the reflection process that is important.

If you don’t agree with me, well, you can suck it.

Post-PostScript. Wow, my voice just went from Sarah/Havi to Sarah/Dooce. Don’t know where that came from. I say “suck it” with love, of course!