As I’ll be on the road heading west tomorrow when I’d normally weigh in with this weekly post, I’m tossing it out this morning, and not even delaying it’s posting, because…well, I don’t know why. I guess I never got the hang of…etc.

I’ve alluded to this particular adventure in vague terms over the last few weeks, in part, because I was never entirely sure it was really going to happen, but as it stands right now, in a little less than twenty-four hours, my lovely spouse and I will be heading to the greater Muncie, Indiana region to spend a long weekend with a handful of close friends, many of whom I haven’t seen in quite a while.

Why Muncie? A dear friend lives there, and has, a few times over the years, hosted small gatherings (previously affiliated with a certain, dear departed, podcast) to enjoy some of the city’s many interesting amenities, sing some karaoke, and share stories over drinks with interesting company.

Having made the appropriate risk calculations (everyone will be vaccinated, the organized events are small and/or outside, and we’ll be particular about masks and appropriate distancing), we feel it’s worth it to make the trip, to get away from home and spend time with friends in a situation where one of us isn’t competing or working.

Sure, I’m still a little apprehensive, because I always am, but as I said, the benefits are worth the controlled risks, and I know we’ll have a good time.

And, I think I really need this one. I’ve been mentally exhausted. Work’s been a lot of heavy lifting the last couple of weeks, even with the holiday, as we rush toward the end of the fiscal year thanks to some very poorly organized processes within the organization that my boss and I are really trying to flex some muscles and apply order to, because it really doesn’t have to be this way. Also, said disorganized processes are really getting in the way of me trying to get ahead of the game and start pushing my first FY22 requirements through the process, as nobody is available to provide documentation or concurrences on things because they’re rushing to get all the crap through in the last minute.

Seriously, I’ve put in more ten or eleven hour days in the last couple of weeks than I have in a long time. I deserve a bit of a break, especially since the weather’s been crap when I have managed to carve out some time this week, so I’ve only got like 45 miles over two decent bike rides and a rushed little hike to clear the head with physical activity.

So yeah, I’m taking a break, and I’m even being responsible about it, because that’s what adulting is all about.

Anyway, because this is the traditional end-of-week post, here’s the playlist that the algorithms provided. Some interesting stuff, mostly favored deep cuts from the first half of my life, which I’m totally fine with. #1 has always been a favorite, as it comes out of that interesting early 80s Philly/NJ rock scene (plus the video has people shooting laser beams out of guitar headstocks!), #9 is one of those cool proto-hair metal anthems I remember from the early days of MTV, #2 features an artist a friend was once on a university faculty with, and she tells me he’s kind of an asshole, and then there’s #6 (along with a piece of #12), whose artist I think we can all agree is definitely an asshole.

But yeah, the whole thing kinda rocks. Enjoy:

1. “Fantasy” – Aldo Nova
2. “She Blinded Me With Science” – Thomas Dolby
3. “Stuck In The Middle With You” – Stealerss Wheel
4. “Slow Ride” – Foghat
5. “Things Can Only Get Better” – Howard Jones
6. “Stranglehold” – Ted Nugent
7. “Rise (Bob Clearmountain Remix)” – Public Image Ltd.
8. “Epic” – Faith No More
9. “Summertime Girls” – Y&T
10. “Shot in the Dark” – Ozzy Osbourne
11. “I Wanna Be A Cowboy” – Boys Don’t Cry
12. “Coming of Age” – Damn Yankees
13. “Only A Memory” – The Smithereens