2003.03.14 Week in Review
By Oli
At 10:48 AM · Friday, 14 March · 2003
To Diary
Finally! Another Diary entry.
It was indeed hectic over the last week - deadlines for my first web project, a job inverview, and the general teaching and wedding stuff. To make matters worse I’ve been unusually irritable, for no apparent reason. Oh well, at least it resulted in Rimey, our newest plant ;-) Here’s hoping he makes us some limes soon!
The web stuff has been fun - I’ve been making an all-Japanese site for the Kumano Forum group via iBrain. I seem to learn and produce so much more under deadline pressure - a negative conditioning from University I think. I can’t remember what the issue I was moaning about last entry was, but it was basically just some sloppy code - all my fault. Typical. I think the results so far are ok, in a plain kind of way. Just as long as no one sees them on older browsers I’m fine!
I unleashed a major problem in trying to get text files for this project, and a typically Japanese problem too. I called the Kumano Forum group to ask them, they didn’t have any files but suggested I contact the printing company (incidentally not the one who asked me to do this). The printing company had the files, but didn’t know if it was allowed to give them to me. They called the writer, who wondered who I was and why the hell I was doing a website that he didn’t know anything about. They then called my boss/client, who called me to ask sme (politely yet firmly) to contact him if I needed anything. It turns out a third printing company had asked iBrain to make the website. End result is a week trying to get the files, and getting nothing except confused. Supposedly iBrain’s secretary will now type the articles from the magazines for me. I can’t help but wonder why this wasn’t suggested in the first place. I don’t like their chances of getting anything out of me for the next two weeks either.
Recently I’ve been driving a lot - I’m averaging three hours a day at the moment. This week has been especially bad. I also need new tyres urgently, and already have one puncture. I’m hoping Togawa-san can come through for me with some second-hand rims, but it’s not looking good. Just what I need - something else to spend money on.
We’re planning to buy a fax machine. I can’t decide between a standard/budget fax for 27,000yen, or a Brother Home Office color fax/scanner/inkjet printer/color photocopier for 50,000yen. Only twice the price, but just when money is really tight. It’d be sweet to have, but we don’t really need it. Decisions, decisions! I think I’ll ask some more questions at Meiwa Jusco’s Josshin.
Duncan’s off to India tomorrow with Lou and a few others. He’s doing Habitat for Humanity and some travelling too. I hope he has a blast! I’m still a little envious of some aspects of the JET life.
The wedding planning is coming along ok. There’s a lot less to do this time, but I feel even less enthusiastic. Don’t get me wrong - marrying Miwa was the happiest day of my life. However until you’ve planned for a wedding, you have no idea of the weight of little details. Its exhausting. I really feel for my family!
Planning for the parents’ and friends’ trip is going ok. I still have to update the spreadsheet, and I didn’t save the file with all the info before killing my computer. Will have to do it tomorrow.
I need to watch Donnie Darko.
It’s super-cool to be lying on my futon, looking at the red ethernet cable snaking out of my laptop. Being on the net and in bed is great. The futon part makes it hard on the hands tho - ouch
OK goodnight!
