There is no testing on Monday because we have to wit for paperwork and for some glue to dry. So I find other things to do to be productive at Northrop Grumman. After work I get out and run 5 miles. This was a bit too much considering it's only the second time that I've run in 11 days and only the second time that I've run since June. But it felt good so I kept going.
On Tuesday night, after work and a good session with the weights, we have the first ResourceScout meeting since early July. We try to decide which leads are good and which ones are bad. We pretty much decide that we are back to square zero and we need to start all over.
On Wednesday I leave work just a bit early because nothing is going on. I get out for a windy aquarium bicycle ride. It's a good ride!
On Thursday at work I get a brand new fast computer and a new flat panel display. The lady who comes to install the machine hears me playing techno and trance music, sees my space alien rave beads, and says, "I can't believe you play this music at work".
"It's the only thing that can keep me energetic and on top of all of this work."
Later as she's installing the new machine and we're chatting away about music and commutes and stuff, she asks the question (though she says it more of a statement of fact rather than a question), "You're not married, are you?"
And I answer the question and assume that this is going somewhere. And finally continue on with, "Someday I'm going to start acting my age. But I sure hope that it isn't soon." And she nods knowingly.
On Thursday I come home and lift weights fairly heavy. And this time I add in an extra set of exercises for each body part. The strength and size are coming back following the Hepatitis B, but it's a long process. Though it is a good session with the weights, I just feel weird. I feel like I need to cry but also feel that I need to go out to the backyard and swing the ax around to relieve stress. Instead I put on the Beatles CD called "1" to play some old music and to possibly bring the tears on.
On Friday I get out for a 5 mile run before work and we have a productive day testing at Norhtrop Grumman. But it is not enough because the bosses are talking about us working this weekend and working 7am until 7pm to make up schedule. When I get home I mow the lawn, eat a quick dinner, do the laundry, and relax.
Saturday is a good and productive day. I get out for the (almost) 30 mile loop ride - deciding not to go on a longer ride because I have a bit of the sniffles. Afterwards I buy a lottery ticket and buy and spray a pesticide to keep the spider mites from killing the juniper bushes in the front yard. Brazilian Grand Prix qualifying is fun though the driver of the fastest car makes a slight mistake and will start from position 5 in his quest for the world championship. I paint the last wall of the bedroom (that needed a second coat of paint but I had to buy more paint because I ran out last weekend). The bedroom is taking great shape! I'ms till restless so I start trimming a tree to get the branches away from various lines coming to the house. I keep saying to myself, "Just a bit more and it'll be ready until spring". By the time that I've finished I have enough branches and brush to fill 10 garbage containers. I guess it will take me 10 weeks to get rid of it all. And then I get down for a nap of about an hour. After the nap and enough diet Coke (and caffeine) to get me started again, I work on stuff for Northrop Grumman work in advance of Sunday's day of testing and the last two days of testing on Tuesday and Wednesday (probably). And I'm still restless. But I decide not to go out and I'm in bed near 9 pm with all of the phones turned off.
On Sunday I'm at Northrop Grumman a bit after 7 am to test. With a couple of small setbacks we still manage to get a lot of testing done and can leave by 2pm. I watch the Brazilian Grand Prix and then hit the weights. The session is reasonable even if my heart isn't entirely with it. And then I just become a bit depressed over, um, I don't know what. So I just hang out at home and watch the MotoGP race from Malaysia and the season premiere of Desperate Housewives. But just before the MotoGP race starts I have a 40 minute phone conversation with the arrestee. The arrestee has a hearing on Thursday and I give the usual advice: be on time, show respect, tell the truth, mention your job and schooling, address the judge as "your honor", and hope that things go your way.