Saws and screws...

Oh, man, what a day!

It started with a plea to come open the store, which I did (forgetting my BP meds on the way). I stayed for a couple of hours and then ran some errands, did a quickie translation, and turned to on completing the crates that would allow me to fulfill a promise made to our client, to get his shipment out by the end of the year.

Well, I finally got the crates finished, whereupon I had to figure out how to pack the contents using only a roll of fine-cell bubble wrap, which I did without too much trouble. Then I spent some time making sure the boxes were fastened together properly, after which I called the store to have Galina come by and pick me and the boxes up, at a little after 3 pm. In the end, the client spent almost $450 to ship the three paintings.

To be frank, I'm pretty pleased with the crates (though perhaps I should hold back with the unrestrained joy until the boxes arrive in one piece at their respective destinations). Nevertheless, in one respect, despite a lack of good tools, I managed to measure and cut the components to where there were no obvious goofs, the resulting parts fit together fairly snugly, and nothing rattled while moving the finished crates.

The major down side to all of this manly do-it-yourself activity is that I could not address the translation that is due Tuesday, although I am far from any critical state in that regard (heck, I might even find some time to go visit Feht and brainstorm some serious ideas about Galexi Wordsmiths, and maybe even give some thought to some goals for the coming year).

Cheers...

On the nature of personal change...

A few weeks ago, I recall seeing a headline somewhere - it may have been in The Wall Street Journal - to the effect that something like 8 out of 10 people will fail to make important personal lifestyle changes despite very clear and direct evidence that such changes will very nearly certainly prolong their lives. That tidbit joined the rest of the items that bob up and down, like bones in a stew, in what passes for my mind.

Methinks I resemble that remark, um... headline.

In reviewing the resolutions/affirmations/whatever that I adopted in 2002, 2003, and 2004, I notice that I tend to achieve the ones I happen to be good at ("pursue excellence as a wordsmith, interpreter, and translator") and really, really suck at the one's I'm not good at (losing weight, getting control of my financial life, and almost everything else). For example, I notice that I planned to weigh 213 pounds by mid-2004 and 200 pounds by the end of 2004, which implies I weighed about 225 at the start of that year. Well, guess what I weigh now? (Pick a number between 224 and 226.)

Granted, my current weight is an improvement over what it's been earlier this year, and I've been down to 218 several times this year (the last time being in August), but that's not the point. The point is this: I need to wrap my mind around becoming the 2 in 10 that can effect significant personal change in their lives. In my life.

In years past, when the time has come to assess the year, I acutely realize in doing so that it's too late; the year is gone and it's too late to compensate. Sending out late Christmas cards does little to tip the balance of an affirmation to "take an interest in the lives of my neighbors and acquaintances," if you get my drift. So perhaps the most important thing I must do this coming year, regardless of whatever else I resolve to do to improve myself, will be to keep my finger on the pulse of my progress.

The second most important thing, I think, will be to not spend a lot of time and effort evaluating or patting myself on the back for the things I already do. For example, since I perceive a professional need to improve my "work" web site, don't think for a moment the job won't get done, along with the usual translation and interpretation. If nothing else, by this time in my life, I've gotten fairly good at... doing the stuff I'm good at. Whatever I resolve to do must involve areas in my life that require major, systematic improvement.

And now, having clarified matters for myself somewhat, I shall assign myself the task of chewing on this problem for the next night or two, and then come up with a plan.

Cheers...

Freight train, freight train, run so fast...

A quick look at digg.com pointed me at a piece titled 10 Web Trends That Should Die in 2006, and there - smack dab in the middle at #6 - was something I've been doing some background thinking about with respect to my "work" site.

"Let's do a traditional home page for our company." Not!

For some time, I've been aware that Web sites for translation companies are filled with... empty calories. Moreover, many are simply variations on a single theme: we translate anything, without error, for next to nothing. By seriously looking at wiki technology, I've pretty much staked a claim away from the boring mainstream. Can I make it work?

The description for item #6 mentioned the Cluetrain Manifesto, which I checked out via Wikipedia, which, eventually, led to the text of the book, which is available online. I've only skimmed - I mean really skimmed - some of the headings, but suddenly, I feel I have much greater clarity regarding the direction of my work site and the correctness of that direction, almost as if a freight train has come by to sweep away the cobwebs. (Yeah, I know, mixed metaphors and thoughts that ensue don't grok logically... which must mean that I've come to this realization in some other way. Laterally, maybe. So sue me.)

And along with that clarity and confidence is the realization that the answer has been sitting in front of my face for years.

Is it gold or pyrite? Can I turn it to advantage? Let's see. (More work for the subconscious... heck, I should go to sleep right now!)

Cheers...