Oh my god, I'm sick again! This is ridiculous. I spent 3+ weeks battling some other ailment and only had a week and a half of freedom before something else started up. I never get sick. The stress of this project (and all the traveling) must be wearing me down. Stupid job. Stupid money to pay bills and buy food that requires the aforementioned stupid job.

Anyways, I'm taking most of today off to rest and get better. Please work. Please? I have no room, and more importantly no desire, to be sick. I have baseball games to go to, I have things to design ... I want to live!

Ahem. I'm feeling very dramatic today.

Different topic: My birthday. Which was ridiculously fun. I had the best day. Corinne and I went to Mama's in North Beach, did the requisite hour standing in line waiting to get in, and had a delicious breakfast. My plate was full of three different kinds of french toast -- one made from banana bread! Corinne had eggs benedict with prosciutto, tomato and spinach. Both we unbelievably good. We also discovered an incredible focaccia bakery that's been there for "over 100 years" (according to one of our fellow line standers) but which I'd never even heard of. We bought one with topped with olives that was so soft and salty and good. How have I never heard of this place? How can I possibly call myself a San Franciscan?

We spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon wandering around town, trying on new glasses for Corinne (I hate, hate her current ones which is kind of lame since I picked them out), and taking a nap. Then it was time ... to rumble. That's right, it was go time. Go-kart time, I mean. Met up with a whole group of people in Burlingame and drove little cars around a little track pretty much as fast as possible. I learned two things: One, driving a car like that (even a little car) is hard work. Lots of fun, of course, but I was drenched in sweat after a 20 minute race. Two, my sister is insane. Cute little Amber flew around the track and was second only behind Dennis who had done this before and is also a little insane himself.

Afterwards, we went to Benihana by the airport for dinner. It was packed and I honestly think every single table was a birthday party. When I was growing up, we occasionally went to a place called Shoji's that had "prepare at your table" style food like Benihana. It was fun like Benihana (because who doesn't like watching someone make a steaming volcano out of onions) but there were a few things that made it better. For starters, the chefs were actually Japanese. (As Terra said, "Our chef is Japanese like I'm black." Which you'd take with a grain of salt if you knew Terra.) But also, the food was good. Benihana's food kind of sucks. I mean, it's filling and relatively enjoyable but it's kind of bland.

Whatever. I'm not complaining. It was a blast. And Ingrid brought the most amazing cheesecake I've ever tasted. Seriously, this thing was light and fluffy and so, so good. I'm not even that big a fan of cheesecake. Yum.

It's been work insanity ever since then. And the sick thing. Hm, life is hell. Cry for me, Argentina. Cry for me.

I've been thinking about updating my portfolio site. The most recent item up there I completed before I met my wife -- over five years ago -- and I have done a lot of work since then. The site itself could use some updating as well. It's too "web design-y" and not very "usability-ish".

But then again, why bother? I'm not going anywhere. A year ago, I was pretty frustrated with the job but things have changed. I was actively looking for a new job, though not entirely sold on the idea of leaving. Back then, I was focusing a lot of the blame on the way the job's structured, the way our headquarters gets all up in my junk when I'm doing great work for them. Since then, I've learned that even though those things are true, I can make changes in my own work behaviors to make things better. I'm still employing that idea but the adjustments I've already made have had a huge improvement on my overall happiness, and not just at work. (Some of this, by the way, I owe to my work with my therapist.)

Given that updating my site could be an arduous (albeit potentially fun) task, and given that I'm not thinking of changing jobs or taking on any freelance work, why would I take the time to do it? I think I just answered my own question.

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