-- Wednesday, March 22, 2000 --

12:57 a.m. A lot of bits and pieces today. and the day's not properly over yet. Most of my work on the snazzy demo is over now, and now it's the job of the guys who are going to present it at the meeting to practice and rehearse and get it right.

I've learned over the years just how much I can accomplish in any twenty-four hours, and how much is too much to try to do. This is a very good thing. I've actually learned how to behave competently. I'm still amazed by this.

So -- I've finished my end of the thing, with a few hours to spare. I'd like to hang around and watch the guys play with jacks and mirroring devices and video monitors, but you know what? I'm pretty sleepy.

And today, right after sunset, I realized that I'd better get going on a that I'd promised Anna -- and the truly weird thing for me was the concept of trying to push against a deadline that hasn't happened yet. I'd promised to write something for March 23rd -- in Australia.

I'm behind before I even begin.

More bits and pieces: the roof hole is nicely covered up with sheet metal. It should be a big noisy drum when it rains, but at least it's not a funnel.

Yesterday marked the nine-month milestone for this online journal of mine. If it were a real baby, rather than a metaphorical one, today would have been messy.

Today a writing tablet came from Mac Warehouse, but alas and alack -- it doesn't work with my older version of things, and I've got to send it back. My scheme is to force myself to use the tablet and the pen in my left hand, continue to keep the mouse on the right side, and thus I'll be able to work with both hands at the same time.

My mouse hand is cramping and my thumb is giving out. I've got to come up with an alternative to clicking and dragging ...

Both hands at the same time, both sides of the international time zone, late and early in the very same day. Ambi-dextrous and ambi-valent.

And very, very sleepy. Tomorrow I rejoin the living and try, yet again, to lead a normal life.

Stop laughing. It could happen. I've been practicing.