weekend update

• on work: there isn't much to say about my current rotation that i haven't said already. the work isn't particularly challenging. the time commitment is not bad, compared to the hours i was pulling in New York. most of my frustration comes in managing other people, in particular, from managing my managers. i'm not sure if it's just a generally British attitude to be so lax about deadlines, to reply to direct questions with indirect answers, or to consider all meetings as optional, but i find myself spending a lot of time chasing my managers down on all of these fronts. i think the mental break from the New York mindset has been good for me. it has freed up mental space to think about other topics. but at this point, i'm almost looking forward to a conference call where someone other than me decides to dial in.

• on vacation: for the first time in my working career, i was away from the office for more than a week and not laid off or studying for an Exam™. it was lovely.

the vacation agenda started with the the Epic Love Union™ of the other two members of the Bizarre Love Rhombus™ at an amazing ceremony and party in New Orleans. there was much in the way of good food, drinks, and company. though i have been to many, many weddings in my lifetime, this one definitely ranks up there for originality, class, and for having the bride and groom's personalities shine through in the proceedings.

after the party in NOLA, i spent a week in Toronto with my parents and family. nothing notable here, other than the copious amount of shoveling i did. i'd forgotten just how much it could snow in only one week.

from TO, i headed to NYC for time with the gf. we pretty much hibernated all week, watching movies and sports and tv, wearing pjs, eating NY foods, cooking, playing video games, and being gross and cuddly, peppered with a few excursions to see friends and a low-key New Year's Eve celebration. i miss NYC and the gf very much and am very excited to be going home in about 2 months.

• on sickness: if you read my twitter, it might seem as though i'm always sick, but i really have been blessed with good health. my tweets on headaches, stomachaches, insomnia, sore throats, and sinus issues aren't really sickness. they're the manifestations of an overworked, sleep-deprived, 30 year-old finance professional in an urban environment. the truth is that i don't get really sick very often. this week, though? i got thumped over the head by a fever/headache/stomachache triple punch that knocked me flat on my ass. i spent two days in bed, fevered, a little delirious, with absolutely no appetite. i think the last time i got this whatever-it-is was back in 2003. anyway, happy to report that i'm back to my baseline level of health and counting my blessings that my immune system is as sturdy as it is.

• on 2009: i don't often make resolutions. for the last 6 or 7 years, my life has been too busy to resolve to do something just because of the turning of a page on a calendar. the Life Plan™ had already been set anyway. resolving on January 1st didn't change what i already knew on December 31st - that in a few weeks i'd be hauling out the CFA textbooks or starting a new quarter of my MBA or that i'd be knee-deep in quarterly reporting.

this year, though, might be different. with the MBA and CFA out of the way and a job situation that is only partially under my control, it might be the time to resolve to re-solve things in my life that i've been putting on the backburner for years. the gf told me about her resolutions earlier in the week and i think they covered many of the themes in my own resolutions: improving personal health, staying connected with friends and family, and seeking out new experiences. to that i would add maintaining or growing financial wealth, networking and getting involved professionally, and being more focused on creating instead of consuming.

writing more on the toque might help in that last regard. and so, gentle reader, you may find yourself plagued by more of my ramblings this year than you might otherwise have liked. don't say i didn't warn you.