In work...

Everything... all at once.

After calling Houston and agreeing to come down for a couple of weeks, I experienced a few bad minutes because my badge was not in Its Accustomed Place™ (said badge being one of the few things that I am usually religious about keeping track of). I eventually tracked it down to a resting place in my computer bag, which makes sense, as there is no way I am about to go anywhere without that bag!

I need to get some info to the accountant. I need to send some money to pay some bills. I need to stop by the bank and talk to an investment consultant. I need to respond to the ATA with regard to the conference in October (the Slavic Division's program is pretty thin... which reminds me, I need to badger some people into doing presentations in Toronto).

Oh, and I need to translate 6600 source words (down from 7700 source words this morning) by COB tomorrow, which will allow me Friday to get ready for the road.

Time to put on the track shoes.

Cheers...

Recapitulation...

Actually, it feels more like "capitulation," but I'll keep my snide comments to myself.

The day started with a "warmup" of 1250 target words for an aerospace safety document that I must finish tomorrow. The rest of the day was spent running around town and translating about 2800 more source words of the BJF. The current status looks good: there are just under 3000 source words left in the BJF and just under 1000 words left in the aerospace safety document. If push comes to shove, I can leave some BJF residue for Friday morning, in addition to the review-and-send, but I don't think it will come to that.

I got the requisite information to the CPA, who now needs just one more item. I met with the investment counselor and disposed of my recently rolled-over 401(k). I responded to the ATA conference committee, which came back with an "okay, but you better hurry" message. I responded to the editor of the ATA Chronicle, who had queried me for an article he'd like me to write (my response was a counterquery to write a related article, which was accepted... deadline is May 7). And then, of course, there was the usual collection of stuff one must do to deal with Real Life.

Oh, yeah. There was the nap in the late afternoon, which means I may go back to put a dent in something for tomorrow, or I may just go back upstairs and seek the arms of Morpheus. In fact, that's what I think I'll do, to the mellifluous accompaniment of Michel Thomas exhorting his hopelessly inept pupils to speak French while I follow along.

As an aside, I find it interesting that my response to the Thomas CDs is interpreter-like, i.e., I'm not stopping to "think things out," as Thomas encourages students to do. Instead, I'm reacting the way I do when I'm working, and thankfully, with the proper response. On the one hand, that makes sense as the level being presented is pretty elementary, but it recalls an interesting 15-20 minutes last summer when I interpreted a conversation involving only Russian and French (see Another banquet...).

My e-mail inquiry, BTW, about the next gig in Kazakhstan came back with simply "it's still on for May, as far as we know" (paraphrased). Donc, il n'y a rien à faire. On doit attendre. (Which is my best shot at saying "So there's nothing to do but wait.")

Cheers...