Have a Better Weekend than Me

Last week it was missing the Cascade Creampuff 100, this week it's cancelling the backpacking trip Kristin and I were going to do around the Loowit Trail on Mount St. Helens.

Although it appears this route may not have been doable anyway.

I don't mind having to cancel the occasional weekend getaway for work, as I'm fortunate to have a pretty damn flexible schedule much of the year. And being willing and able to work when the work is there is a hallmark of life as a freelancer, even one under contract like myself. It's a fair trade-off to a life of being "on call" 24/7.

That said, I do get annoyed though when I clear the schedule for work and am stuck with inoperable equipment. That was the case this past weekend -- the devkit I was using had outdated firmware on it which brought my progress to a screaching halt Saturday afternoon. Too late to drive down to Oregon for the CCP100 and too deep into the weekend to get the firmware update. Yes, a few expletives were uttered.

This weekend will be different though. Much progress has been made since I got the updated code on Monday and everything is going well. I might steal away to go to the Mariners game tomorrow, or perhaps to go mountain biking on Sunday, but other than that I'll be right here behind the desk working.

And I'm going to try not to daydream about the trip to Switzerland and Italy my sister-in-law is embarking on Saturday, nor will I wonder how my friend Ed is doing on the 40-day motorcycle tour he's taking around the country with his brother. No, instead, I'll be grinding away in hopes of actually finishing this book in time so I'll be able to able to hang out when Ed and Dave pull into Washington on their Harleys later this month (they left New Jersey this past Monday).

In the meantime, Kristin has her marathon training to keep her busy as well as a bit of sleep to catch up on. So, to my American readers, have a great three-day weekend everyone. Enjoy the holiday and have some fun for the both of us.