Wednesday, June 20, 2001

You know those days when you get home, you sit down in your chair, you check your e-mail, you close your e-mail program, and then you stare at the screen and you just try to imagine doing something productive, and you can’t even imagine doing anything? Where your brain refuses to acknowledge that it knows how to read a book, or write a paper, or do any of those things that other people are impatiently waiting for you to do?

Well, that’s exactly how I feel tonight. I don’t think it’s laziness; I think my brain really needs to relax and recharge.

Then I realize what’s telling me that. Hmmmm.

I got to work late this morning, as I spent the morning focusing on payments for my Anime-Taro cels purchase. After withdrawing USD $70 from my checking account, I went to the post office and got an International Postal Money Order to Japan, then mailed that in the pre-assembled envelope I’d put together.

Side comment: when I started buying cels off of eBay, I would only leave feedback sporadically, and would often provide minimal information when corresponding with people. In general, I expended a minimum of effort. Now, I include as much information as possible, and log transactions in pretty extreme detail.

For example, in my envelope to Anime Taro, I included a cover letter that listed my snailmail and e-mail addresses, Anime Taro’s snailmail address, my order number, and a list of the cels I bought, including prices. I also included a copy of my invoice, plus the money order itself. I have sitting in front of me another copy of my invoice, to which I’ve attached a sticky note with the amount of the money order, its serial number, the date I bought and mailed it, and the address of Anime Taro that I mailed it to. I’ve also attached the receipt for the money order to the invoice copy. Is this too much? I don’t think so; I’m glad that I have as much transaction information as humanly possible.

I had an excellent day at work. I’ve taken charge of online help, and spent much of the day pleasantly busy at keeping up on various aspects of online help that require attention. Mike (my boss) has been working pretty closely with me on it, which…I dunno. I certainly appreciate it, and have been benefitting from his help, but I feel like I’d almost like more autonomy. I’m not convinced that autonomy would be a good idea for me at this stage, though.

I couldn’t spend too much time at work, though; I went to the gym early so that I could meet up some co-workers to clean up a section of a running trail near work. Intersect has done the whole “adopt-a-highway” thing with this section of trail, so we took some of those orange trash bags over there to clean up litter.

The only problem was that the trail was practically spotless; we didn’t even fill one bag between all twelve of us. We had a good time chatting and walking up and down the trail, though.

I also ran into a co-worker from PRC (which is now part of Northrop-Grumman…man, it’s turning into a bona fide megacorporation), and chatted with him a bit. Not much has changed over there. I really want to stop by there one of these days and say “Hi” to everyone. It’s always a good idea to maintain friendships like that. I’ve been far too lax.

The South Shore Plaza Cafe

Meanwhile, I set up an online photo gallery for Saalon last night. He’s got some very cool black-and-white photography posted on there; definitely worth browsing.

I’ve also been getting some very nice comments from the folks on MegaTokyo‘s Art and Drawing forum about the picture I posted there earlier today. Always nice to get kind comments and critiques from people.

But now people are starting to say that I’m better at certain things than they are. This is a very new experience for me. I guess I am progressing pretty well. This is a cool feeling.

Cover of Tenchi volume 8

Oh, and before I forget, I should also mention that I received and read volumes 8 and 9 of the Tenchi Muyo! manga. Great stuff in here; very funny, and there’s some lovely dramatic work with Ryoko.