And I've made some bad decisions. I think we'd all be a bit better off if I worked to reverse some of them and not continue on my way towards destruction. I can't guarantee I'll fix them all and I won't promise to be perfect, but I'll make a start and work on the big ones.

I purchased a steak and made it to my specifications. I AM A VERITABLE CAPTAIN OF INDUSTRY.

Guess who's getting season one of THE TICK in the mail from Netflix today? Guess who's watching it all in one sitting (well, he may pause to make blueberry margaritas)? Guess who may do a second run through even if it takes all night?

Quarterly reporting starts tomorrow. Woo. Meeting to discuss division of labor tomorrow first thing.

So one of my coworkers needed access to a certain system and the process with the sending of forms etc was not quite working right, so the team had the idea of going directly to the desk of the guy in charge of that.

Part One of "Shopping With MNS: The Dapper Kaffir's Guide to Style", a work-in-progress which, if taken to heart, will enable the dear reader to dress in a manner which is at least 1/10th as awesome as I do.

I wore a suit today because I have lunch with $CHIEF_SUCH_AND_SUCH_OFFICER and because I sometimes like to feel pretty. Honestly, it's no more or less comfortable than what I always wear to work, the only difference is that now I have a tie to worry about getting into soup.

Incidentally, I tied it in a Pratt knot. I feel degenerate.

I did poorly on my chess tactics quiz last night. I took another and did worse. So I took a step back and ran through a large amount of easier problems and did decent. I think I should take a day off today. But it's a travel day. Frig, what am I supposed to do in the car if not play chess? Actually, I'm tired of tactical puzzles, perhaps I should have grabbed Ray Cheng's problem book instead.

So I told this girl I was going to be a full-time rickroller and therefore would probably be too busy to ever see her again took it well. She tried to engineer chillin' and drinkin' or something anyway, but I was able to dodge it.

I feel like I'm a character in some Russian novel, one of those young educated roustabouts of decent birth in some irrelevant position as a functionary in the civil service which really has no bearing on who I am and how I think of myself or even my prospects; everything else is just dissipated in drink and cards or chess. Not quite, really, just the feeling of being a stupid functionary in the civil service and its being irrelevant to pretty much everything.

I, alas, don't have a working camera at the moment. But, today is the last day of No Shave November, or NaNoShaMo, the HuSi Beard Fun Challenge.

Husi Beard Fun Challenge I!

A reminder to all who wish to participate, posted in the glory of... well, what's the area that's not The Hole or Whine Cellar called? We need a catchy name.

No worries if you accidentally shaved this morning and wish to participate, I suppose we can have a grace day!

Then again, it's usually more memorable when a plan falls apart.

Inside, bitching about wounds, but rejoicing in unpacked-ness. You may or may not want to bother with this one, dudes. It's arty, though. I'll give it that.

Ether This, Ether That, Eat This Sandwich
Sing the hook, whooooayyyyohhhh.

WHY IS IT, THEN, THAT YOU SEEM TO THINK IT IS OK FOR YOU TO KEEP BARKING TO ME, LIKE I'M PAYING ATTENTION?

Inside: Rarities, monstrosities, and nostalgia. Sort of. As much as I am capable of.

They're here, but they're not convenient, nahmean?

Poll: Select the best Krautrock band, win a prize! The prize is knowing that you have excellent selection skills.

Good times. Met some new folks yesterday, saw some old folks, quite connected but I don't particularly care. Sane about it, which is good.

Monday: an interview. Also: meeting with a potential new client. Wish I had an idea about both what sort they were. ie, just making sure I've got the goods I claimed to have or weighing against a half-dozen others.

So I bought a Windows computer for my wife to use. I need to know how to get it online (using cable and my own router) so that I manage not to get it infected with every bit the filth and crap on the Internets. I've been using Macs for years, or else PCs that I don't administer, so you can see that this is virgin territory for me.

I also say "Mair-un", so it all balances out.