Still trying to recover...

Yesterday's sim was pretty confusing, as there were at least 5 or 6 people using the loop I was monitoring, all with strange new (and long, and similar-sounding) call signs, which made the work pretty stressful, because typically, there wasn't enough time to figure out whether you needed to pay attention to what was being said (because you were going to interpret it), or not.

My job during the simulation was to expedite communication between the folks on the loop in Moscow and everyone else, so I was specifically listening for calls to the Moscow participants. (Calls from Moscow were immediately identifiable... as they were, um, in Russian!)

And there was a lot of communication over the loop, because - as I understand it - this was the first sim that involved the MCCs in Houston and Moscow, along with a control center representing the European Space Agency, which contributed voices with French, German, and British accents.

In any event, the simulation ended successfully about 2-1/2 hours before the end time stated in my work authorization, so I went home and hit the sack, until very nearly noon. Some time afterward, Galina and I went to Sam's to pick up another carpet protector to place between the carpeting in my office and my rolling chair, and some other chores.

I've been feeling lousy all day; lethargic. Fortunately, there are no urgent deadlines looming, but tomorrow, I shall have to devote the day to chasing paper with a vengeance, after which I'll be able to slack off back into my day-to-day translation and interpretation activities.

* * *The mail brought a nice payday, which lasted for about as long as it took to go to the bank, but then again, what are memories for?

Cheers...