Just because I love it here, doesn't mean I would stay here forever. I could leave as easily as I came. Marie and I sometimes hang a question in the air, like "what do you think of North Carolina?" or "Do you think Portland ould be a nice place?" We'll stand in front of the dangling sentence and fold our arms or one of us will thoughtfully pinch their chin and we'll contemplate the intent of the question's creator.
We really don't know what's next for us. That's familiar territory for me and since our stability in New York is an unknown, I've really got to milk everyday for what it's worth while we're still here. Unless, of course, we stay. There really isn't much of a downside to doing my thang like we're going to be leaving, even if we decide to stay. Whatever the case, we're going to make it the best we can.
I wonder how much longer my job is going to continue to need me. We're getting a new database at the beginning of next year, which is when my latest contract is up. They'll need some serious help moving everything into the new system, so, it's likely they'll still need me for that. When the new DB is up and running though, how much of my position is really going to be required? The program will take care of most of what I do, which is really great. There's a lot of human energy spent on managing information because our more modern office programs don't play well with our DB, because it was built before the new programs. Maybe the web development side of my job will start to grow as the DB maintenance position begins to wither and shrink.
On Monday, I will be starting another class at the SVA. I know I promised to put up the stuff I was doing in my summer classes. I will. My excuse would be that the office has been really busy and I still don't have the scanner drivers for my linux box which is where the printer is hooked-up. This new class is based more of the language of comics storytelling, panel usage and utilizing the tools of communicating for the effect of the story. This probably means I'll actually be READING some comics for a change and that'll be nice. There will still be a lot of drawing. A lot of drawing. Maybe since it's just this one class, instead of two, I'll get more of my work done.
Marshalled the NYC Century on Sunday. I was supposed to cover about one-hundred miles and wound up modifying my route after finding my rear axle was bent where the quick-release met the frame, forcing my chain off the drive train every time a butterfly flapped its wings in china. And they flap their wings often. The handy dandy guys at the free bike repair tent in Prospect Park (set-up specifically for this ride), were kind enough to let me know there was nothing they could do and that axles were the one and only part they forgot at their shop that day. No worries. I met up with my rocktastic riding buddy, and let her down gently. No one-hundred today. We moseyed over to the TA info table and filled in for Mattio when he had to bail. After giving out two boxes of water-bottles and getting dirty looks from every person who couldn't print out their own damn cue sheets at home expecting us to have OVER SEVEN THOUSAND stapled cue sheet packets (four sheets per packet, who do they think we are?), I was offered a bicycle by one really great guy from the office. Riding Buddy and I took off to his place -- kicking my chain three times on the way, finally coasting to his building's door -- and swapped the bikes with his girlfriend.
The ride was really great: 60 miles. We rode the 35 mile route and the tail end of the one-hundred route in the Bronx. I'll have to write it out a little later. Sorry to get your hopes up, I've got work to be doing. This past week was hard, personally. I was a failboat. Now, I'm resurfacing, and trying to get my bearings and coarse headings set so I can get going again. Time to say goodbye to a fellow fringe friend. Salut.
Labels: Biking The Crazy Train, I return, NYC Century
