In cold dark places, I dream of Spring

25 Sep 2008 at 23:22

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academia beach Boy Z industry work writing

What a difference a day makes, or insert your favorite random cliche regarding the fickleness (fickility?) of time here. After spending the earlier part of this week in the peaceful bliss of fatherhood and idle days of the University break, I was barraged Tuesday afternoon with a slew of frantic e-mail from Job Number 2. I’m not really used to the bee in the bonnet urgency that a proper grown up company can get themselves into in comparison to the lackadaisical university attitude. In fact, one of the difficult parts of the transition from academia to industry has been getting used to the pace at which things move in the biotech industry. As an academic scientist you tend to slog away at the same project day after day after day. Any changes in focus tend to occur at a snail’s pace. It’s a bit dull, but after a decade in academia, comfortable.

Biotech on the other hand moves at a speed that your underwhelming correspondent just doesn’t. Every time I pop into the office something’s different – I’ve come in and found a different computer, different project, different desk, even a new office all without any warning at all. (The new office was cool as I went from a windowless cubicle to an office with the view that you see above.)

At any rate, Tuesday afternoon the e-mails came a zinging. Write this, right now. Now most of you probably know just how well that works and it’s a challenge even when it comes to technical writing. Everything had to be done yesterday and I just bore into it with uncharacteristic efficiency and work ethic. And after two solid, long days of it I had the immense satisfaction of kicking my work’s ass and the feeling of a job well done.

My reward? I busted my hump so hard in the past couple of days that I’m caught up again at Job Number 2. The University is off for another week and the weather forecast for tomorrow is 29°C (84°C) and sunny. It is springtime in Australia, I’ve worked myself into a day off and I’m springing the boy from kid jail for the day. You’ll be able to find us at the beach. It’s pretty good to be me.

UPDATE

Apparently I didn’t bust hard enough as I just got another “write this, right now” e-mail at 10 p.m. To be fair, it could wait until tomorrow but I better get to it now if this spring day isn’t going to be spent looking at that view above from behind glass. Man, it sucks to be me.

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All of the images in this post are a part of my working days.

k.d. lang’s “Watershed” is available from .

UPDATE

k.d. lang - "I Dream Of Spring" [4:01m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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12 Comments

by we_be_toys

25 Sep 2008 at 23:51

What a rotton break! To be all caught up and then, an insidious email trashes all plans of beachdom. It doesn’t seem fair, especially when I see what a cutie patootie you have! He has incredible eyes!

Nice view, with the Buddha-dude (technical terminology?).
by Starrlight

26 Sep 2008 at 02:13

Ahh technical writing. Or what I like to call writing for the lowest common IQ

That last picture is lovely! Enjoy your day off!

Starrlights last blog post..TT 51 – Cover Me, I’m Going In!
by Alex

26 Sep 2008 at 03:31

Man, I wish I had a window that looks out on a nice city street. To break up the monotony of my grey wall cube, I have a Beaker muppet doll perched above my head with his arms lifted upwards in a victory pose. Very uplifting.

Hey Chris, since you’re all caught up, can you come on over and help me catch up?

Alexs last blog post..Putting words in my mouth
by ssg

26 Sep 2008 at 07:12

2 words for you jeeeeeeaaaaaa looouuuusssss
by Joe

26 Sep 2008 at 07:49

Congratulations on being you. You deserve it. I wouldn’t want anyone else to be you. You seem to do the job of being you pretty well, and I commend you for having the skill to be you.

Hopefully you’ll still be able to have the day off and get to the beach with Z. I couldn’t tell if you’d still be able to do so after your update.
by Jessica K

26 Sep 2008 at 11:23

Aw, I hope you ended up getting at least most of the time off with your boy. Jeff is home tomorrow (Friday), and I can’t wait. It just makes ordinary days better having the ones you love most home with you.

Jessica Ks last blog post..PANIC!!
by Tom

26 Sep 2008 at 12:19

Well, here’s something you can look forward to. You may or may not know that there is a big gas shortage in Georgia, esp. Atlanta. So…one of the oil exec’s suggested canceling this weekends “black out” Georgia-Alabama game to prevent people from being stranded in Athens and to prevent an even larger run on the pumps.

Perdue said it was, “ridiculous.”

Could the game end up like the debates, canceled?
by Agnes

26 Sep 2008 at 20:48

Gorgeous beach photos, especially that last one. What a cutie! I spent a few days down the beach earlier this week – you can’t beat Aussie beaches (though as yet I’ve not been overseas, perhaps I’m a little biased!). Think I’ll end up living on the coast at some point in the next few years. And I too am LOVING this beautiful weather we’re having, so warm! I’m wondering how you’ll cope with our summer though…endless stretches of 35+ temperatures, hot and dry, or worse still, muggy and humid. At least you can cool off down the beach though – jealous!

Agness last blog post..Hello Saferide…I’ve been expecting you
by Florida Girl In Sydney

27 Sep 2008 at 00:39

Now I’ll be looking all week for sentence in which to use “fickility”.

Florida Girl In Sydneys last blog post..Intervention Needed?
by Gypsy

27 Sep 2008 at 05:41

It’s been gorgeous around here lately, and it’s so hard to sit in an office being a drone when the world waits.

Also, when I switched to working for the state, holy hell did things sloooooow down.
by Nathan B.

27 Sep 2008 at 09:17

It’s hard to believe that’s the same dog that needed electric fence to be corralled in Columbia.
by admin

29 Sep 2008 at 13:18

We be toys – as you can see by the update, I managed to work my way out of it. I love the Buddha dude. He sits at my favorite spot in the walk between my jobs.

Starr – it’s not so bad. It’s more medical writing then technical, actually can be quite challenging.

Alex – I know, the first few months (in cubico) were hellish. My window actually looks out onto one of the universities and the parklands north of the city.

SSG – you should be, especially because I know what the rest of the year is going to be like for you.

JK – hope y’all enjoyed your long weekend.

Joe – thank god there’s only one of me, eh? As you can see from the update, we made it.

Tom – in hindsight, probably would have been better to cancel the game.

Agnes – I’m interested to see how the summer goes as well. I’m used to hot and humid and I’ve always heard that hot and dry is better. We’ll see. I don’t think I could cope if we weren’t near the beach.

FGIS – good word innit?

Gypsy – state jobs rock, but they’re extremely hard to get here. Everyone knows it’s a racket so the competition is fierce.

Nathan – I know! He rarely runs away these days at all, that’s what age will do.