Progress report

The first month of this year-long experiment in "intelligent selfishness" is winding down. The problem with measuring "progress" is that 2008's January is not apples-to-apples with 2007's. The U couldn't be bothered to offer the one class I wanted to take this semester, so I'm not in school, and will probably stay that way until next Fall. So my evenings are relatively unencumbered. I do wish that I had grown enough spine to back out of the work-related training, though. That's a complete waste of time in the short- and long-terms. And I do mean complete: The stipend for passing the certification is trivial. No promotions, no extra job security, no glamorous reassignment in the offing. Stupid, stupid, stupid of me to give in to the urge to help out the co-worker who's taken on the thankless job of leading up the training.

But caveating and carping aside, it's going well enough. Making regular progress on the more important projects feels wonderful. And I'm learning throughout, which is also good for the soul as well as the brain. I expected my romantic side to pine for the feel of a calligraphy pen, or of needle passing through cloth, but it hasn't happened yet. I'm still itching for the escape of travel, but that has far more to do with work frustrations than life in general.