The Northward Contrail

$#*@&%!

For the last few nights I've been working rather industriously to get one of these and one of these completed for an event that's coming up Saturday morning. I'd had the kits for years, because airplanes that ugly look cute to me, but the thing that's coming up gives me an excuse to get them built.

Things were going reasonably well until Sunday, when a moment of fumble with my hobby knife sent it out of my hand, pointy end down, into a fleshy part of my lap. Not very far, and not enough to cause serious injury, but just enough to make me bleed for a bit. I did the first-aid stuff: stop the bleeding (elevating the wound above heart level), clean the wound and put a bandage on it. Inconvenience, but no permanent damage. Just to be safe, I went to the doctor Monday and had a new tetanus shot. It had been a little more than nine years since my last, so it was a good idea anyway, but I wanted to take no chances after that moment of oops.

Last night I'm upstairs working away on a troublesome little area on that Owl (and, believe me, there are several). It's hard to explain, but for one second just the edge of the tip pad of the middle finger on my right hand tried to occupy the same space as the very edge of that brand new #11 blade. Anyone who's ever worked with those knives knows that, especially with a new #11 blade, it takes no pressure at all. It was only a shallow, grazing cut, but the pain was instant (and still makes me physically cringe when I think of it) and the bleeding was profuse. I stood up, finger wrapped in a paper towel, and in frustration yelled a short but incredibly bad word at the top of my lungs. Downstairs to do the medic deal (after pacing around for several minutes for the blood and pain to subside, at one point soccer-kicking the mattress because I was so mad). But nothing I haven't been through before. The bleeding stopped and the pain subsided, and now I have a finger wrapped in gauze and tape.

A little while later, I went back upstairs. The first thing I did was remove the blade from that knife - it was, after all, the same demon blade that caused Sunday's carnage, and as a friend pointed out, it obviously had developed a taste for blood - and discard it. I worked a little more last night without further damaging myself, so there's some hope, I suppose. And I've thought more than once that Monday's tetanus shot couldn't have been more timely.

Happiness

Happiness is being inside a warm house in the woods on a cold, rainy night.

Happiness is being on the couch with a warm cup of coffee, a good new book in your lap, and a purring cat snuggled next to you.

Happiness is the really cool guy in the next room, the one with whom you share your life.

Happiness is a doctor telling you there's no need to schedule another appointment, because you've conquered what was ailing you.

Happiness is knowing that on the last day of the week, a debt you've had for seven and a half years will be paid in full.

Happiness is completing the final lecture for the course. Taking up final projects. Starting to calculate course grades. And knowing that when the new semester starts, you'll be past halfway on the school year.

Happiness is knowing that regardless of whether you get the promotion, you put your all into the materials you submitted - and knowing that although you're the type who would never say it out loud, you're good at what you do.

Happiness is knowing there's a new and exciting challenge waiting, only a couple months away, and that it's going to be fun.

Happiness is knowing that although there's still a lot you'd enjoy having, the things in life that are truly important are those with which you're blessed in abundance, those which make your cup runneth over.

My life's imperfect. But in its own imperfect way, it's perfect, and it has an awful lot of happiness. I wouldn't trade it.

Back to it

This morning I'll be back in the office, somewhat reluctantly, but at least knowing there's not that much left to go. It was a wonderful five days. I got two somewhat troublesome models in shape for possibly being completed this week. I got the majority of my Christmas shopping done, either online or in person. While out and about Wednesday morning I treated myself to a copy of this, and read the entire beast over the five-day weekend. (The rave reviews are justified. I don't read fiction, but I all but devoured this book. It's amazing.)

Thanksgiving itself was nice, and everything I hoped it would be. The family was together, there was no shortage of stuff to eat (as the Thursday evening bloat attested), and it was all fun. We didn't dare attempt doing anything Friday, for the obvious reason. Saturday we just went and had lunch in the nearest little town, and that was sufficient. I got to spend a lot of time with hubby, which I hadn't in a long time, and that was nice.

It was a wonderful little bit of time off, and I believe I made the most of it and enjoyed it the best I could. Which, of course, makes it all the more difficult to get back to the old routine this morning. At least I have the satisfaction of knowing it was time well spent.

The glow of anticipation

On Wednesday afternoon I took the walk up to the mailbox at the end of the road. It was a nice day, with blue sky and a few clouds, a little bit of wind, and temperatures that were slightly warm for this time of year but pleasant nonetheless. It was mid-afternoon and the sun was getting low, and the shadows were lengthening as they will this time of year. There's a scarlet quilt of leaves on our dirt road. Our part of the world is getting ready for its long winter's nap.

One of the privileges of my line of work is that it follows the seasons, and I've grown to really love that. Our semesters start as one extreme slowly begins to recede and end as the other extreme takes hold. By now it's a pattern, and by the climate and time of year I know what work will bring: what the students will feel, the business that will be discussed at the faculty meetings, all of that. After a decade, it's a pattern as wired into my mind as the route I drive to work each day.

This time of year is closing in on the halfway point. When we report back to work Monday there'll essentially be two or two and a half weeks to go before we're sprung until January. For me, they'll be a placid couple of weeks. I front-load my dread, so there's really no heavy lifting other than students turning in final projects, and I build those assignments in a way that makes them manageable. Aside from the inevitable meetings (because committees always want to meet during all this "free time" we suddenly get, and there's always Ultra Serious Urgent Business that must be conducted), it's mostly playing out the string.

Be that as it may, this little respite in late November is one of my favorite times of year. I think it's the anticipation. I think it's the same reason Thursdays have a warm spot in my heart: the feeling that what you're really wanting is on the cusp of being there. I know if I hold out a couple more weeks, there'll be a few weeks of glorious freedom awaiting. (Just enough, of course, to bring me back to earth when it's time to report back in January.)

For now, between the beautiful scenes with the amber glow between the long shadows on a sunny afternoon, it's something to be enjoyed. The worst of winter is still a ways away, as are the stresses of the Spring semester. It's a quiet moment, and today is a chance to enjoy the peace it offers. Too soon, it'll vanish.

Be thankful

With family today. Happy Thanksgiving, y'all.

An even strain

The long Thanksgiving weekend has begun for me, and that's nice. I plan to spend it wisely. Today, there's going to be a quick trip to run an errand, and then the rest of the day will be spent catching up on some projects here. There's something I need to put the rush on for next week, but that's actually something I'm looking forward to. Which is good.

Off to start the day. If you travel, be safe.

Another observance

Not trying to cheap out on you - really, I mean it - but given today's date, I believe it's appropriate to steer you toward this 2009 essay on a favorite piece of film about that moment in history. (I'm hoping to have time tomorrow to observe that annual ritual.)

Blergh

As soon as I hit the office today, a day that's already going to be long got just a little bit longer and a little more stressful, so no post today. See you tomorrow.

More or less completed

I've talked about that F-15E I've been working on, and while hubby was away on his business trip, working on that consumed most of the quiet afternoons and evenings I had here. I put the rush on it because I wanted to have it ready for the IPMS chapter meeting last night. And, well, I made it, just by the skin of my teeth. Right up to just before departure yesterday afternoon for the meeting, I was putting components in place while the paint was still drying.

So, you ask...where are the pictures? There are none, and there won't be any for a while. Sure, I got the thing in presentable shape for last night, but at some cost, and there are some problems I need to fix. Some decals have some silvering beneath, and I need to fix that (not hard to do, just time-consuming). There's some damaged paint I need to fix, and a smudge or two that I induced as time ran out. Some of the exhaust nozzle actuators (and, yes, all those are separate parts) got sideways. And there's a spot of dried super glue that needs to be chipped away.

None of these things are deal-breakers, and I'll be able to fix them and have a nice shelf-sitter, but before I present the model to the rest of the world...and all that, you know. But even with all its many flaws, the model was a big hit last night, so I got that goin' for me. Which is nice.

The original fourth television network

While I'm at the store today getting a new supply of words for future posts, spend your time exploring the world of the oft-forgotten DuMont television network through this engrossing site. Guaranteed, you'll learn something new.